Congo: The Novel and the Movie :: Art

Congo: The Novel and the Movie Congo was an astounding bestseller novel. It was a great fictional novel that took place in the depths of the Congo rainforest. The novel was later made into a movie. Both the novel and the movie were good, however, I prefer the novel. It just seemed like a more entertaining piece than the movie. This movie was based much upon the novel, but had many alternatives and a completely different ending than the novel. The first difference between the novel and the movie was the press conference that was held on behalf of Amy the gorilla. In the novel, this press conference never took place. In the novel, the press conference was held to settle a legal debate on whether or not Peter Elliot was abusing Amy and whether or not Amy should be released from Peter’s studies and experiments. However, in the movie, there was no reason stated as to why the press conference was being held. Another difference was the way that Peter and Dr. Ross met. In the novel, Dr. Ross called Peter and invited him to go on an expedition to the Congo with herself and her team. After receiving this call, Peter was begging Dr. Ross to include him on her travels. However, in the movie, Dr. Ross met up with Peter at the airport and Peter was already packed and ready to leave for his own expedition. He had no intention of taking Ross along, but he found himself with insufficient funds to pay for the trip. This pushed Peter to invite Ross along if she was to pay for the remainder of the trip’s expenses. The airplane in the novel belongs to Dr. Ross’ company Earth Resources Technology. In the movie, however, she works for TraviComm. A man named Travis is still in charge of the company in both the novel and the movie. Travis forces Dr. Ross on this mission in the movie, but in the novel, Travis finds it his last hope to send Dr. Ross. He has no initial intention to send her because he feels that she is incapable of the expedition. Dr. Ross and her team encounter a setback when they cannot fly their second plane. The cause for this in the movie is that while at the airport, the African President’s car is blown up. On the other hand, in the novel, the second plane is bugged and Amy is kidnapped.

Effects of Extramarital Affairs with Divorce on Middle Aged Women Essa

I interviewed Ann (pseudonym), who is a middle-aged woman who is a mother of three and has always been a happy, loving, and positive human being. However when I knew that I was going to interview her, I instantly knew that I was going to focus on the topic of how extramarital affairs (emotional and or sexual relationship a spouse has outside of their relationship) and divorce affects middle aged women. I chose this topic as the effects it has on a woman can be life-changing and can result in them becoming an entirely different person, and in the case of Ann it couldn’t be any more apparent. It is important to acknowledge that a divorce and the effect that it has is one subject matter, but a divorce caused by extramarital affairs is an entirely separate issue as it can have damaging short term effects, long term effects, and financial consequences. While divorce is not a primary process of aging, it is a secondary process that affects a large amount of women as they age in life. Understanding the basics of extramarital affairs such as the prevalence of them, who participates in them, and why they participate in them is the first step in understanding the effect they can have. There isn’t a known culture that accepts extramarital affairs (Jankowiak, Nell, and Buckmaster, 2002). Eric Widmer, Judith Treas, and Robert Newcomb (1998) published an article concerning attitudes on premarital sex, teenage sex, homosexual sex, and extramarital sex in 24 different countries. Their research consisted of surveying over 33,000 people. Their findings were very interested as while premarital sex gathered the strongest acceptance and homosexual sex gathered the most varied responses; it was extramarital sex that countries agreed on the mo... ...2002. "Managing infidelity: a cross- cultural perspective." International Journal of Psychoanalysis volume 87 (issue 2): (Retrieved from Questia on February 26, 2010.) Lauer, Robert and Jeanette Lauer. 2009. Marriage & Family: The Quest for Intimacy. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Wiederman, Michael. 1997. "Extramarital Sex: Prevalence and correlates in a National Survey." Journal of Sex Research volume 34 (issue 2) 167-174. (Retrieved from EBSCOhost on February 26, 2010.) Widmer, Eric, Judith Treas, and Robert Newcomb. 1998. "Attitudes Towards Nonmarital Sex in 24 Countries." Journal of Sex Research volume 35 (issue 4): 349-358. (Retrieved from EBSCOhost on February 26, 2010.) â€Å"5% of Americans Addicted to Sex.† 2008. Times of India. Retrieved February 26, 2010 (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/5_Americans_addicted_to_sex/articleshow/3820228.cms).

Lux target audience Essay

First Male Brand Ambassador – Shahrukh Khan (female following) Lux — derived from the word luxury – has always used successful film actors of the time such as Madhubala, Hema Malini, Kareena Kapoor to endorse the product. Leader in the marketplace (14.4%) – Lux has been facing intense competition from Wipro Consumer’s Santoor (8.8%) and ITC’s Vivel and Fiama di wills which have been gaining market share much faster. -Started off as a feminine skin and beauty soap in 1925. -Focuses on external beauty (fine fragrances) – can play with fragrances idea -Targets typical Indian mindset of outer beauty (more ‘active’ stance on beauty) -An aspiration for every girl living in rural area – uses personalities from the silver screen, which makes it an inspirational brand -Uses Bollywood connect to communicate the same (movie-loving target audience) -Theme – Combination of style and romance Demographic: Gender – Female Age – 16 – 35 Income – Middle Income Group. Targets the urban and semi urban upper middle class and middle class segment of the population, who falls under A to C of SEC Target Area – Urban and Semi urban – Middle and Upper Middle Class Lifestyle: – Frequent movie watcher (genre – romantic) (can use Multiplex as the media) – Liking for fragrance – Day Dreamer? – Advertisement driven – Status conscious – Looks conscious – Liking for new clothes – Advertiser’s beloved Influencer – Retailer can be the influencer. Recent: Signed Sonam Kapoor and Dhanush as Brand Ambassadors. Change in positioning? The brand is slowly moving away from a beauty soap for a star to a soap for couples. While the overarching Lux celebrity quotient has remained intact since 1929 when Leela Chitnis promised smooth skin through Lux, the brand positioning has shifted. Good to know: -Many variants -Labelling – prominent, female model -Introduced Mini Lux for Rs. 5 (45gms.) Not sure whether it is available in the market now. -Lacks unisex appeal

Halliburton Essay

One of the most important functions for any organization to succeed in any particular direction is planning. Planning is an activity that enables companies and their employees to understand the company’s purpose and its strategic direction so that they can align themselves to it. This paper will discuss the importance of planning at Halliburton Company and analyze the extent to which it impacts the legal, ethical and CSR issues in the organization. Furthermore, it will discuss three factors that have an influence on the company’s strategic, tactical, operational and contingency planning. Halliburton Company was established in 1919 in Houston, Texas with a second headquarter in Dubai, UAE. Currently employing over 50,000 people, it is a huge multinational and global leader in the energy services sector operating in more than 70 countries. Using its technological edge in its operations and assistance from its world-class human resource, Halliburton has demonstrated outstanding growth and development in the energy sector over the past several decades. Its focus on innovation dates back to its early years when its founder, Erle P. Halliburton initiated his oil well cementing business by building a wooden mixing box only by hiring a wagon, a team of mules and a pump in Oklahoma. Careful planning and effective strategies have enabled Halliburton to remain as the market leader in the energy sector for almost a century now. Its planning strategies are comprehensive, focused on global changes and follow the â€Å"Think globally, act locally† theme. Halliburton management realizes the fact that for global survival it is essential to adopt different methodologies in different countries. For this purpose, it operates from 2 headquarters – Texas, the oil hub of the West and Dubai, the trading hub of Asia and Europe. â€Å"The number one priority of Halliburton is to provide competitive, safe and superior quality products and services†. Halliburton management maintains that in order to ensure business continuity they must explore the unexplored parts of the world for newer energy reserves bringing in environmental concerns. Thus, there are several instances when Corporate Social Responsibility and other issues have an impact on the planning of Halliburton and its strategy planning. There are often differences in the legal framework of different countries, for example, the British and American laws pertaining to environmental exploration have different clauses. This results in differences in the local planning of future steps to be taken by Halliburton in maintaining its market position and extending its operations. Ethics also play a key role in shaping up its policies and plans for the future. Environmental concerns, consideration for animal and plant wildlife are some of the factors the Halliburton management takes into account when planning its activities. For example, if oil exploration in the Sahara will result in extinction of the sub-Saharan tigers living in the region, the company will develop an alternative plan. Global companies as large as Halliburton have to manage their activities and operations collaboratively; sometimes the ethical and legal frameworks of adjacent countries can render certain actions legal in one nation and illegal in another nation. Thus corporate planning is a very extensive process at Halliburton which involves considerable amount of consideration given to regional subsidies of the company. Though corporate social responsibility and legal issues dominate the effect on the planning activities of Halliburton, ethical considerations also sometimes require plans to be modified. For example, Halliburton’s operations in Saudi Arabia have to be controlled differently than its operations in the US. The ethics standards and beliefs in the two countries are different and regulate different practices. For instance, daytime operations during the fasting season where the temperature is very high is not restricted by law. Even the workers may be willing to work, but ethics and moral standards suggest that Halliburton operations should be continued at night during those days. There are several factors which affect the course of action of companies. Often we see changes in the stock market leading to important strategic planning changes in companies. However, most of these are short-term plans and do not affect the vision of the company by a significant degree. Some of the most important factors which have a contribution towards the company’s strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency planning are as follows: Potential Energy Reserves: Halliburton thrives on its energy reserves and constant exploration of newer energy sites. Its strategic and international planning is based upon the potential energy reserves of a region. A region where there are high energy reserves would naturally be an area for long-term planning for Halliburton management while a exit strategy may be prepared for a dried up site in Japan. Its strategy is the key to business continuity and profits and thus takes into account the future business that can be generated from a particular region. Taxation and Corporate Laws: The reason why Nevada is the registered as the corporate head office of thousands of companies is because of its tax-friendly laws. Halliburton’s expansion and acquisition strategies are dependent on the corporate taxation and regulations that are enforceable in a particular state or country. These laws influence to a great degree the company’s operational and contingency panning as well. Avoiding over-taxation requires careful hindsight in operational and acquisition activities. Companies like Halliburton need to have effective planning strategies in order to save huge amounts in taxation and legal fees. Culture: The culture of Texas may be very oil-friendly however, that may not be the case in Brazil. The differences in culture, customs and therefore the code of ethics is important for Halliburton to realize and respect. Companies not caring about these factors often face problems in the long-term. Nike could not stop the sweatshop crisis news from coming into the media which caused hundreds of thousands of dollars loss to the company and several protests were lodged against the company till it finally winded up its operations. Halliburton’s planning should take into account the resident cultural practices and base its plan according to them – violation of local culture is often taken very strongly by the people and is revoked at some point or the other.

Costa Rican Dress

Costa Rican clothes are similar to most Central and South American countries. There clothes were developed by the Climate of Costa Rica. Costa Rica Clothing today is separated into two groups traditional cultural clothes and modern clothing. Costa Rican traditional dress is used for traditional practices. Most of the cultural dress has layers. This is because of the climate of Costa Rica. You never know when it is going to rain because of its varied climate. Traditional dress is only worn on special occasion such as when they dance. Both women and men have different style of traditional clothing. Usually the clothes are the colors of the Costa Rican flag which are red, blue , and white. Mens dress is very simple but elegant. Mens traditional costume usually have a few different things. The pants are a solid color which usually is blue or tan. They usually wear a white button down shirt. Then around the waist they wear a red cummerbund which is like a sash. Around the neck of the man they would wear a kerchief tied around it. Then on their head they would wear a â€Å"chonete† which is a traditional type of Costa Rican hat. A Chonete is like a straw cowboy hat. Usually men in Costa Rica will not really wear shorts on a day to day basis but only to the beach despite the tropical weather of Costa Rica. Today in the fields Men still wear the traditional dress. Women's traditional dress has a few important characteristics. The dresses are usually tailored in a special style. All traditional dresses have thick ruffles that start at the shoulders and go out all the way down the dress. The dresses have no sleeves to cover the arms. They are usually the colors red,blue,and yellow. Another type of Costa Rica dress has a long ruffled skirt. This is usually made in shinny colored fabric. A white shirt is usually worn and a red cummerbund connects the dress at the waist. To top off all these wonderful dresses a flower is usually placed in the ear of the women.

Data Summary and Discussion

The data presented shows the amount charged on credit cards by households of a given size and income. This data shows that while the amount spent by households varies depending on the size and income, the combination of both might also have an important bearing on the amount of that household’s debt. The debt range for the entire data set of 50 households is $1,864 to $5,678 per year, while the incomes in the set range from $21,000 to $67,000 per year. The households’ sizes in this data set range from one (1) to seven (7). When each variable is taken singly, one finds that each does to a significant extend predict the amount of debt that the household carries. What is specifically shown in this data is that households tend to have a higher amount of debt depending on the number of persons who live in the house, as it largest households generally carry a debt amount that lies on the higher end of the spectrum. For example, the average debt for the three seven-person households lies at $4,911, which is only about seven hundred dollars below the highest debt amount of $5,678. The data also shows that the average debt for the five one-person households is approximately $2,781. However, what the data also shows is that even though debt rises as the household size rises, it does so at a decreasing rate. The fact that the average debt for one-person households is significantly higher than the lower end of the range demonstrates that the low end might represent an extraneous amount, and indeed it does. This is the debt carried by a two-person household. A better comparison of the one-person household average debt could be made with the calculated debt per head for the entire data set. The total number of persons in all households is 171, and the total debt for all households is $198,203. The average debt per capita for this group of persons is about $1,159. This, compared with the average debt for the one-person households, shows that the debt for the one-person households does represent a disproportionately high size of twice as much as the overall per capita debt. This might be explained by the fact that the fixed costs for households generally remain relatively the same regardless of how many persons may live in the house. Other factors that bear on this are extraneous, such as the spending patterns and financial awareness of the persons in each household. However, another major factor to consider in predicting household debt is the annual income of the persons within each house. Which is a Better Predictor: household size or income? However, further analysis shows that even household, by itself, does not predict the amount of debt very well. In fact, the data points toward the fact that household size predicts the annual credit card charges better than household income. Looking back at the previous example, one sees a household that earns $26,000 producing debt comparable to most of the higher-end earners. Part of this debt size has to be attributed to the fact that the household earning such a small income in comparison to other household is faced with the challenge of supporting seven persons. Another household earning $23,000 supports six persons and shows credit card charges of $4,127 per year. Other households of comparable earnings ($21,000 and $27,000) show smaller credit card charges of $2,448 and $2,477 respectively, and this can be attributed to their smaller household sizes. Combination of Household Size and Earnings The income range for the data set has already been stated as $21,000 to $67,000. The total income for this group is $2,174,000 and the average income is $43,480. The average debt for each household is $3,964 which falls approximately in the middle of the $1,864 to $5,678 range. However, what one notices is that though the average debt for the three 7-person households is shown to be $4,911, the highest debt in that segment goes to the household with the highest income. Therefore, the $5,301 debt goes to the household that earns $55,000 per year, while the lowest debt of $4,603 goes to the household that earns only $26,000 per year. This demonstrates that the combination of household size and household income is an overall better predictor of credit card charges that any of those variables alone. According to this, a household made up of three persons and earning $40,000 should show a credit card charge within the median range of about $3,800 – $4,100. This would be expected to be comparable to any other household of three persons, yet slightly below those households of three that have higher earnings. Other Data Necessary to Make Accurate Predictions Other information concerning these households’ loans, mortgages, and neighbourhood locations would also be requested of the client. According to the discussion above, though, it would appear that despite the fact that household size predicts the annual credit card charges better than household income, other factors also affect the size of credit card debt. What one notes is that most of the low-earning households do still show a disproportionately higher amount of debt than their counterparts of high-earning households with similar household sizes. Households that, for example earn twice as much as another do not generally show twice as much debt in this data set. Neither is this so for households that have twice as many persons. One contributor to this is the existence of fixed costs, as mentioned above. However, this does not account for all the discrepancies. Therefore, other factors that might contribute to credit card charges include the amount of previous debt (such as university tuition loans, mortgages, etc) that each household has incurred. They may also include the household’s attitude toward its finances and toward debt in general. Other factors involve the cost of living within the geographical area of the particular household and the general lifestyle to which the household is accustomed. Work Cited Professor’s Name. â€Å"Data Sheet.† Name of Class. City: University, 2007.

Project Management and Internal Function Essay

The HRIS project is necessitated by two factors which support our business needs. One of these factors is the need to keep up with the demand for our product within the marketplace. The second factor is actualizing a business that works as hard for its employees as hard as the employees have worked for the business. Our business has increased by two fold in the last 18 months, which means that we must create a new way of doing business. As a result of this growth, we had to revamp the financial system, which has actualized its contribution through showing up as time savings achieved through automation. As a result of implementing the financial system, we received our return on investment six months earlier than anticipated. How does it get any better than that? It is with the same dedication that the HRIS project is being given life and endorsed by the stakeholders, which support this project. Description As a result of this growth, we have just completed the transition of incorporating the financial system and it has been a smashing success. This new growth demands of us that we do business a little differently now. It is our intent through this project to improve the employees’ workplace and space in addition to addressing the changes that come about from expansion. There has been a marked and appreciable demand for our products over the last two years. As a result of this growth, we now require a better way of doing business. The HRIS project will take an outside and inside approach in order to create the space for transition and a better way of doing business. The approximate savings through this project would be actualized within the two quarters alone. Objective The objective for this project supports our goal of achieving a more robust production environment for our customers in addition to providing a better environment for future growth for our employees. It is our intent to support this project in the following ways: 1. Payroll will be automated and this will produce a faster and easier way for the employees to be reimbursed or to make changes to the auto pay options. 2. Our employees will be in a better position to pursue and create a career track for them that aligns with their own goals. 3. The HRIS process will allow for more transparency in hiring for those on the outside. 4. Potential employees will be able to see and apply for open positions. 5. Management will be in a better position to ensure that the potential applicants are well-qualified. 6. Additional funding now available from the implementation of the financial system can fund more research and projects to improve the workplace. Success Criteria or Expected Benefits The success criteria came from the various stakeholders and sponsors. The CEO of the company, Rory Genhardt, commissioned a project manager to spearhead the HRIS project. The project manager conducted several interviews of various stakeholders and sponsors in order to obtain measurable project objectives. The reports disseminated will include information gathered from the individual SMEs. It is this information that was used to present information to the stakeholders, sponsors and participants through reports, presentations, written, verbal and oral communications. The expert judgment provided by these various individuals was invaluable. They are outlined for the HRIS project as targets. Specifically identified from the various stakeholders of the expected benefits of the implementation of this project are the â€Å"recruiting capabilities† and â€Å"succession planning† for the CEO. Per the HR Director, â€Å"vacation and sick time and sick leave linked to attendance instead of years of services†, in addition to â€Å"tracking of certification and education requirements† would be a benefit from the implementation. The VP of Marketing would receive benefit from the â€Å"employee database and the e-forms†. The VP of Finance would be appreciative of the â€Å"payroll capabilities†. The most beneficial aspects for the VP of Manufacturing would be the â€Å"performance review management and compensation capabilities†. â€Å"Position control† and the â€Å"recruiting capabilities† would be beneficial to the Plant Managers. Funding Some of the funding available for this project was generated per the information contained in the GenScoop newsletter. The CEO of GenRays states, â€Å"extra savings will fuel additional growth and expansion to the company, as we are able to fund more research and projects to improve our workplace.† In addition to the growth experienced from the total sales in the last quarter, GenRay is in a solid position to support funding for this project as stated by the VP of Finance with a contribution of $103,000. Should additional funding be required for this project, the Information Technology Director will be sought out as they have approximately $360,000 available for hardware and software upgrades in addition to technical staff being available for assistance. Major Deliverables The following deliverables contained in this project charter were derived from interviews with the stakeholders who said: âÅ"â€" The CEO requires that commencement of the project is to begin after the W2s are issued per a request from the CEO as time is critical for the introduction of this project. The actualization of this project will create more â€Å"research and projects to improve our workplace.† âÅ"â€" Per the executive sponsors and the CEO, there is a request to complete the project with all the system elements being functional before the year-end closing as the anticipated savings will provide company additional funding for R&D projects on the horizon. This is an internal function of the project outcome and a desired product to the end user. âÅ"â€" In order to keep the project on schedule, incorporating compatible team members during the performing stage will help to keep the project running smoothly and decrease down time. This is an internal function of the project outcome. This deliverable creates a stable foundation for the commencement of the project. âÅ"â€" The VP of Manufacturing requires integration of the searchable performance feature so that managers can review potential candidates who can be selected for the management program. This is an internal function of the project outcome and a desired product to the end user. The phase in the project allows for the HR, Plant Manager, VP of Finance and Marketing to have access to and use this information. âÅ"â€" The Director of Human Resources requires an awareness of which team members require additional time to move through the forming, storming and norming stages. This is an internal function of the project outcome. âÅ"â€" The CEO requires that the software has recruiting capabilities. The information derived will screen qualified candidates who are applying for positions. This is an internal function of the project outcome and a desired product to the end user. The phase in the project allows for management to have access to and use this information. âÅ"â€" The CEO also requires an integrated computerized system, which tracks the performance review information, to include certifications, experience and educational requirements which can be used for succession planning. This is an internal function of the project outcome and a desired product to the end user. The phase in the project allows for the HR, Plant Manager, VP of Finance and Marketing to have access to and use this information. âÅ"â€" The Plant Manager from Manufacturing Site 1 requires a self-serve employee database which will track and update the information on each employee. This is an internal function of the project outcome. The phase in the project allows for management to have access to and use this information. âÅ"â€" The VP of Marketing requires the implementation of business forms which populate E-forms for the ease of inter-commerce for more standardized processes among the organization. This is an internal function of the project outcome and a desired product to the end user. âÅ"â€" The VP of Finance requires an automated self-service payroll in order to save time and money. This is an internal function of the project outcome. âÅ"â€" The Plant Manager from Manufacturing Site 1 requires analyzation of the position control of the data entered by salary, grade and job title so as to provide equitable compensation to the employees throughout the site. This is an internal function of the project outcome and a desired product to the end user. âÅ"â€" The Director of Human Resources requires a capability which mines the data contained within performance review data and training records in order to ensure that the proper candidate is matched with most compatible candidate. This is an internal function of the project outcome and a desired product to the end user. The phase in the project allows for management to have access to and use this information. âÅ"â€" The Director of Human Resources requires the capability of self-service of employee’s information, which is then used and approved by their management in order to streamline the hiring process. This is an internal function of the project outcome and a desired product to the end user. The phase in the project allows for management to have access to and use this information. âÅ"â€" The Director of Human Resources requires migration of the older databases in addition to streamlining the information received into a consolidated database to include financial, employee, vacation, benefits, training, education and certification. This is an internal function of the project outcome and a desired product to the end user. Acceptance Criteria Per the CEO of GenRays, the major acceptance criteria is, â€Å"The project must be complete with all system elements functional before year-end closing.† In addition to that the following criteria are: âÅ"â€" The CEO’s acceptance is that the actualization of this project will create more â€Å"research and projects to improve our workplace.† âÅ"â€" Per the executive sponsors and the CEO, the acceptance criteria for them is having all the system elements be functional so that the company will have additional funding for R&D projects on the horizon. âÅ"â€" The CEO requires that the software have recruiting capabilities, the phase in the project allows for management to have access to and use of this information. âÅ"â€" The CEO also requires an integrated computerized system, which tracks the performance review information. This phase in the project allows for the HR, Plant Manager, VP of Finance and Marketing to have access to and use this information. âÅ"â€" HR requires incorporating compatible team members. This criteria creates a stable foundation for the commencement of the project. âÅ"â€" The Director of HR’s acceptance requires an awareness of which team members require additional time to move through the forming, storming and norming stages. This is an internal function of the project outcome. This phase ensures completion of the project without personnel complications. âÅ"â€" The VP of Manufacturing’s acceptance requires a searchable performance feature which allows for the HR, Plant Manager, VP of Finance and Marketing to have access to and use this information. âÅ"â€" The VP of Marketing’s acceptance requires the implementation of business forms. This is an internal function of the project outcome and a desired product to the end user. âÅ"â€" The VP of Finance requires an automated self-service payroll in order to save time and money. This is an internal function of the project outcome. âÅ"â€" The Plant Manager from Manufacturing Site 1 requires a self-serve employee database. The phase in the project allows for management to have access to and use this information. âÅ"â€" The Plant Manager from Manufacturing Site 1 requires analyzation of the position control of the data entered by salary, grade and job title. This is an internal function of the project outcome and a desired product to the end user. âÅ"â€" The Director of Human Resources requires a capability which mines the data. This is an internal function of the project outcome and a desired product to the end user. The phase in the project allows for management to have access to and use this information. âÅ"â€" The Director of Human Resources requires the capability of self-service of employee’s information. The phase in the project allows for management to have access to and use this information. âÅ"â€" The Director of Human Resources requires migration of the older databases. This is an internal function of the project outcome and a desired product to the end user.