BHL Assessment

Advise Bob of his contractual obligations to WAY Ltd. In particular, assess and evaluate his common law duties in comparison to contractual obligations as an employee and the potential outcome of breach. A contract of employment may be written or verbal and there is not a lawful duty for an employer to supply the employee with a written contract. However under the Employment Rights Act 1 996 Section 1 (1) a written statement of particulars is required and under Section 1(2) this may be given in installments but not any longer than two months after the employment has started.Contracts contain terms' which can either be expressed or implied and it is important for employers to think carefully when creating a contract as it may need to be relied upon in the future should any dispute or ambiguity arise. Daniels (201 2 page 35) defines expressed terms as â€Å"terms that have been discussed and agreed between the employer and employee† â€Å"they may not be in writing and they can not diminish statutory rights†. She defines implied terms as â€Å"those that have not been specifically agreed between the employer and employee but are derived from collective agreement, statute, custom and practice and the courts†.Examples of what is considered express terms include the amount of sick, holiday and redundancy pay and the amount of wages or hours expected to be worked. Implied terms are different in that they will be the same for most contracts of employment no matter what the activity is including duties owed to the employee by the employer and vice versa such as the duty to pay etc. Bob should be aware that under common law there are certain duties owed by him as an employee to his employer WAY Ltd.Emir (2012 page 307) states â€Å"Since the relationship between employer and employee is one of trust ND confidence the law implies into the contract of employment the term that every employee should serve his employer faithfully'. In regards to all of t he clauses and what Bob is currently doing which is working for a competitor in his spare time he is already breaching one of the first common law duties which is the duty of faithful service, Emir (2012 page 308) states that â€Å"It is a breach of the employee's duty of faithful service to compete with the employer while he is still employed†.The cases of Adamson v B & L Cleaning Services Ltd (1995) and Ward Evans Financial Services Ltd v Fox (2001 ) are examples of not only a breach of faithful service but also of fidelity which will be discussed further on. Clause one instructs Bob that he is not to devote any time that should be spent in work on any other business or ‘charitable endeavourer unless he has written consent by the company.This clause set out by WAY Ltd is not reasonable in the way it is worded, as in some cases Bob has a duty to devote his time that should be spent in work to other affairs if it is necessary. One example of this would be jury duty whic h anyone meeting the specific criteria is obliged to take part in unless there are specific and exceptional resistances, and to enforce that Bob must have it in writing before he is to attend such activities is not reasonable.If it were found that this clause was unreasonable then the clause may become invalid. However if it was determined to be fair then this case would be similar to Wishes Dairies v Smith (1935) where the legal principle identified was that the duty of fidelity lasts until the employment has ended. Although Bob has not yet breached this duty, he has breached several others relating to this the first one being a duty of mutual trust and confidence.In the case of Mali v BCC AS (in Liz) 1997) Lord Steen stated â€Å"the employer shall not without reasonable and proper cause, conduct itself in a manner calculated and likely to destroy or seriously damage the relationship of confidence and trust between employer and employee† (Painter and Holmes 2012 page 145). The term ‘mutual' means ‘joint' or both in agreement so this statement works both ways in that the employee also has an implied duty not to act in such a way that would upset or cause animosity among employer and employee. Bob has broken this duty by working for a competitor even though it may be in his spare time.It should also be recognized that although Bob appears to be a senior engineer, if he is having to work for another company in his free time due to the business not doing as well as it has been then he must be on commission or a zero hour contract as if he was on a fixed term or full time contract his pay would remain the same no matter what hours he worked. Clause two states that during the period of his employment Bob should not partake in any other work which may affect the way in which he carries out his own work for WAY Ltd. The modern practice of ‘moonlighting' whereby an employee undertakes spare-time work outside his employment ours can raise prob lems, particularly if the work is in competition with the employers business† (Emir 201 2 page 318). The case of Gray v C & P Pembroke Ltd (1972) which is similar to Bob's situation supports this idea that working for a competitor is not deemed acceptable if it is expressed in the contract otherwise, however Frame v McKenna and Graham Ltd (1974) found that it was acceptable if it not mentioned in the contract of employment.Cases which would suggest Bob is in breach of his common law duties if followed would be Havoc Ltd V park Royal Scientific Instruments Ltd (1946), Nearby Dean of Westminster (1999), Lewis v Underworld Garages Ltd (1986), Reading v Attorney General (1951 ) and the most recent case of Vegetarian v Churchill Group Ltd (2013). Moonlighting links with the reasoning that a fiduciary duty should exist among employers and employees.Lord Wolf's view on fiduciary duty is that â€Å"The employer is entitled to the single-minded loyalty of his employee. The employee mu st act in good faith; he must not make a profit out of his trust; he must not place himself in a position where his duty and his interest may conflict; he may not act for his own benefit or he benefit of a third party without the informed consent of his employer† (Broodier 2012 page 1).However there is an argument as to how far this fiduciary relationship goes and it was recognized in the case of University of Nottingham v Tweet (1999) that ambiguous terminology may cause confusion as to the nature of the relationship between employer and employee. Although the common law duties require loyalty, good faith and honesty, to assume that an employee is to give his/her all to their employer and that the contract of employment is a fiduciary one is false. However the case of Helmet Integrated Systems Ltd v Tundra (2006) is a contrast in to the extent of fiduciary duty that is owed.The cases of Bell v Lever Brow (1931 ) and Osborn Corp. v Reecho (1984) are cases involving a senior me mber of the team and it is often applied that they have a greater duty owing to the employer to disclose their own misconduct than perhaps an employee would have. In clause two however, the restriction may be considered too wide in that it restricts him from undertaking any work which may prejudicially affect his ability to carry out his work for WAY and says that again it will be at he discretion of the company.It may be deemed UN-reasonable to consider that the company would need to be informed of every activity carried out in Bob's spare time and that it would be up to them to make a decision about how prejudicial it is. Painter and Holmes (2012 page 151) state that â€Å"The courts are very reluctant to accept that what workers do in their spare time should be of any concern of the employer as in Nova Plastics Ltd v Forget (1982). However, sometimes they are bound to do so. This statement emphasizes that although it is in the interest of the employer to be aware of hat their em ployees do in their spare time, the clause restricting Bob from carrying out any activity in his spare time unless the company has agreed may be to wide and unreasonable. A duty of fidelity is owed under common law and ensures that â€Å"Employees must not carry out activities that clearly conflict with the duty that they owe to their employer† (Daniels 2012 page 44).The obligation not to compete with an employer can be regarded as an expressed term and included as a restrictive covenant. Although he has already breached this duty by working for a competitor WAY could limit this damage further if there was a restrictive lease in the contract indicating that Bob could not set up a competing business such as the partnership he wishes to indulge himself in with Michael for a certain period of time and within a certain geographical location if it is deemed ‘reasonable'.Bob's case is similar to the one of Sanders v parry (1967) backed up by Coleman Dammar Ltd v Sakes (2001 h owever the cases of Helmet Integrated Systems Ltd v Tundra (2006), Customer Systems Pl v Ransom (2012) and Tim Russ & Co v Robertson (2011) all indicate that it can be difficult to enforce these covenants if they are not deemed reasonable or the employee can prove it was after the course of employment had ended.Along with a restrictive covenant being inserted to non-compete, if a garden leave clause were also present then it would prevent Bob from competing with WAY by going to another business such as Michaels or prevent him from setting up his own business within a certain amount of time. This clause is often inserted as it can be unclear what the interpretation of the courts will be regarding non restrictive covenants and employers wish to protect themselves from the possibility of employees leaving to work for a competing equines and taking with them knowledge they may have gained from the company.Garden leave was brought to the attention of the courts in the case of William Hil l Organization Ltd Tucker (1998) as if the courts feel the clause is too wide or UN reasonable, it may not be imposed as Simian Ltd v Christensen (2000). Garden leave often arises after the notice of termination of employment has been given either by the employer or employee and does not always have to be expressed in the contract to be effective but it can sometimes be imposed by the courts at a later date as in Christie v Johnston Carmichael (2010) and SO and R Valuation Service co LLC v Boudoirs (2008).The courts may also decide to modify the clause and not to render it completely inadmissible if they feel it may De-skill the workers if they have too much time off as in Provident Financial Group Pl v Hayward (1988) and GHZ Group Inc v Gallstone (1993), but in certain cases they may uphold the clause if they feel it is fair as in Euro Brokers Ltd v Rabbet (1995) and Evening Company Standard v Henderson (1987). The third clause identifies the common law clause of confidentiality an d again utility in which the employee is expected to operate in such a way as not to disclose confidential information about his employer.The fundamental case for this duty is Faced Chicken Ltd v Fowler (1985) in which the Court of Appeal recognized that there is a difference in duties owed by an employee who works for the company now and an employee who has left and gave several guidelines which indicated what information would be regarded as confidential. Bob would owe a greater duty of confidentiality to WAY at the moment as he is still operating as one of their employees compared to he situation he would be in if he left as the responsibility would be lessened but not diminished.In the case of Rob v Green (1895) Lord Asher MR. said â€Å"l think in a contract of service the Court must imply such a stipulation as I have mentioned (ii, that the servant will act with good faith towards his master), because it is a thing which must necessarily have been in view of both parties when they entered in to the contract† (Smith and Thomas 2008 page 169). The confidentiality clause is important as is protects both the employer and employee from any unnecessary information being disclosed about either party.If Bob were to disclose information to Michael about Highway's pricing strategy then he would be breaching his contract terms which may give reason for a fair dismissal or if he discloses it once he has left the company whether it be to Michael or anyone else then an injunction may be granted stopping him from disclosing the information. If it can be proved that the employee or ex employee has passed on confidential information and that the business has suffered a loss as a result as in Sanders v Parry (1967) and Ansell Rubber Co v Allied Rubber Industries (1 972), then damages may be awarded to the employer.When deciding the potential outcome of breach in this case it is important to look at both sides of the employer WAY and employee Bob. In regards to the first clause, it raises the question of whether it is fair and reasonable to be imposed as discussed in paragraph three and if it is not then the employee Bob is not bound by it and there fore would not be in breach of it.If it is found acceptable Bob has not breached it yet as he is working for Michael in his own time and not during his working hours, however if he were to breach this clause then he may be fairly dismissed by WAY under the principles et out in Wishes Dairies v Smith and any profits made by Bob could be obtained by WAY as damages if they were to take him to court. Bob has breached clause two as he is working for a competitor of the business and it is within the same trade that he works in now.As a result Of this breach again he may be dismissed with support of the cases of Gibson v National Union of Dyers, Bleachers and Textile Workers (1972) and Gray v C & Pembroke Ltd (1972). Clause three amounts to the highest breach of all with an almost certainty of summary dis missal if he informs Michael of his employers pricing tragedy as it is a breach of fidelity. Although clause one and two are significantly serious there may be situations where ACS may try and resolve the situation if it is in the interest of both parties and a solution may be sought after.

BMW Currency Hedging

The BMW Group will expand production capacity at its US plant in Spartanburg from some 150,000 to 240,000 units by 2012. Plans for the expansion are already underway. Capacity at the Oxford MINI plant is to be increased to 260,000 units per annum—without making further investments in infrastructure.The BMW Group will take the first step towards expanding its capacity in China by raising it from 30,000 to 44,000 units a year. Furthermore, the company will work on strategically increasing purchasing in US dollars. One aspect is the local content of the vehicles manufactured in the USA. In recent years, it was increased from about 30% to more than 60%. Another aspect is purchasing in the NAFTA region for production in Europe and other regions. In 2006, the NAFTA region accounted for some 9% of BMW’s global purchasing.BMW Group set to tap new business fieldsThe BMW Group will continue to grow by introducing new models going forward. In addition, the company will develop new fields of business and operate along the vehicle lifecycle as well as along the value-added chain. This includes the planned development of new sales channels in the accessories business. In the pre-owned vehicle business, the company operates in the premium pre-owned segment. Both activities are lucrative, since a mere 25% of the revenue generated over a vehicle’s lifecycle stems from the new car business. Moreover, the BMW Group plans to offer entirely new individual mobility services as well as service modules.By adopting this new strategy, the BMW Group has set the course for a future of success. â€Å"We will continue to write the BMW Group’s success story. Our entire management team is committed to this,† Reithofer declared.

Autobiography- personal narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Autobiography- personal narrative - Essay Example Getting into ESL class in middle school was quite fruitful for me as I started speaking in English with the help of this class. I think it was during the high school years that I did get to have actual conversation with people with this new language. The high school I went to was Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta. The school paid great emphasis on computer science and technology. The first turning point of my life I experienced was due to the Animation class offered in the school’s curriculum. I chose to go to CSUN as soon as I graduated high school since it was close by my house and also had Animation courses to offer which I was most interested in. For tuition, I decided to work on a part time job. My friend assisted me in finding a job at the same place where he was working. I was hired as replacement to my friend as my friend had to discontinue working there due to his class schedule. The job was to teach students in after school program. Spending time studying for animation and hanging around in Game Club and Animation Club at school with friends who shared mutual interests along with teaching students on the other hand as a part time job were the most precious experience I had in my life. It was my father who advised me to take double major in Art education while I was majoring in Arts. This was because he observed the enjoyment I experienced while working with children. I was of the idea that it would be better to concentrate on one subject rather than chasing two hares. The next turning point I experienced happened almost unexpectedly. During the internship at Universal Studio and Cartoon Network in my senior years I was offered a job opportunity as a production assistant. That was the most brilliant opportunity I could have ever had at that time. I declined the offer and I could not understand at that time why I declined the offer. I was still unsure regarding which majors I should pursue

Criminology (crime and justic) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Criminology (crime and justic) - Assignment Example Body Before a criminal is finally subjected to any form of corrections, he/she has to go through an entire structure of criminal justice system. The very first contact that a probable offender or a suspect makes with the system of criminal justice system is with the law enforcement agencies such as police who are responsible for carrying out an arrest after investigating a particular deviant act.. The law enforcement agencies are divided into different levels and they deal with different levels of crime. For crimes that do not pose immense threat to the security of a nation and are less severe in nature, mostly fall under the jurisdiction of police, while crimes such as international terrorist activities that pose a threat to the national security are handled by federal level law enforcement agencies such as Federal Bureau of Investigation. The law enforcement agencies that fall under the category of policing are even responsible to ensure that harmony within society members is creat ed and maintained (Stojkovic, 2012, p.58). The policing branch of criminal justice system tries to serve the function of deterring crime by arresting suspects and offenders and presenting them in front of the court of law. After passing through the policing system, the criminals and suspects are taken to courts where dispute settlement arises and administration of justice takes place. Several individuals are involved in the process of courts, these includes: prosecutors, judges as well as defence attorneys. The main duty lies with the judge who has to be objective and assign sanctions to criminals and ensure that the sanctions assigned are in compliance with the kind of crime being conducted and the severity of the crime. The courts of the criminal justice system even operate for serving the function of deterring crime. They do so by allocating severe punishments as well as rehabilitation of the offender. In case of severe punishments, criminals may be sentenced for life time in ord er to set an example for other possible offenders to ensure that future offenders may be deterred from indulging in criminal activity as they may see life imprisonment as a higher risk than the advantage of committing a crime. Once the courts assign sanctions to the offenders, the offenders are then transferred to authorities that are responsible to administer the sanctions that have been levied on the offender. Over the years, the correctional settings and the correctional portion of the criminal justice system has evolved with several changes in techniques of punishment. In previous years, lack of resources resulted in sanctions such as exile as well as execution, much modernized ways of punishments include: community work, jail time, as well as incarceration and rehabilitation. The main function served by this portion of the criminal justice system is to alter the behaviour of the criminals while trying to ensure that they are not released from their sanctions until they are read y to be normal and non-deviant members of the society. The main aim of all these measures of punishment have remained the same over the years. The aim has been to deter crime and to ensure that the streets of a particular nation and the citizens of their nation are safe and secure from criminal activities. Conclusion The structure of

The compositions of Jelly Roll Morton 1923- 1941 Essay

The compositions of Jelly Roll Morton 1923- 1941 - Essay Example The compositions were original and contained many thematic structures. Examples of his popular compositions included â€Å"Wolverine Blues† and â€Å"Alabama Bound†. The characteristics of the musician’s individualistic styles also included an ensemble of melody, harmonic support, and rhythmic punctuations which all gave a sense collectively operating multiple elements. The collective style was the characteristic of most of the traditional jazz pieces in New Orleans. His composition was also influenced by â€Å"traditional usage of break†. This is a pause made before returning to the melodic part of a piece. His style was similar to barrelhouse. His style was unique, unlike other jazz pianists he used his right thumb to play the melody part of musical piece. He created harmony with other right hand fingers. This style produced an â€Å"out-of-tune† sound unlike other traditional pieces in New Orleans. His other unique individual stylistic characteri stics included the use of major and minor sixths in bass. With his unique characteristics, he claimed to be the innovator of jazz music. Morton was among the most talented composers in New Orleans. He improved the New Orleans Jazz by combining parts of his invented solos. He was an outstanding piano soloist. He had the ability to use the keyboard to create all the sounds in a band. He was also capable of moving rhythms regardless of the rigidity of ragtime to make them more flexible and exciting. His creative musical ideas were portrayed in his compositions.

How to Achieve New Heights for Industrial Jones Essay

How to Achieve New Heights for Industrial Jones - Essay Example The resources of the organization such as the land and the finance arranged through the overdraft facility can be utilized only through careful budgeting. The targets set in the budget will guide the business operations and help in overcoming problems and analyzing the future. The budget shown here will be very useful for coordination of the various activities such as the production, sales and purchases. The sales budget shown here is the guidance for formulating departmental plans. Estimates have to be done for departmental requirements to achieve the targets. After the budgets for the various activities are formulated and agreed upon , the amounts specified in the budget become the desirable limits of spending. The materials usage, labour utilized, purchases made and the overheads realized will all have to be done with the budgeted figures as the basis. After the budgeted period, the actual expenditures and the budgeted figures will be compared. This comparison will be the basis for judging the performances and fixing the responsibility for deviations. Hence, to make this budget a success the organization has to ensure that the objectives and policies are designed properly. What is going to be the Vision, long term objectives and short term goals of the organization has to be decided. Based on these objectives and goals the policies for the general operations have to be formulated. The budgeted estimates have to communicated to the other members of the organization so that if there is any changes or modifications to be made, the suggestions are incorporated. The other members of the organizations have to acknowledge that the budget is the authority/ target for the activities concerned. For example the usage of labor for the production should be within the limits specified in the budget and likewise for other activities. When an employee has to decide on an issue which in voles flow of money then the budget will be the main guide for his decisions. The employees should understand clearly the importance of the budget in the development of the organization and their job evaluation.

I think that Television technologie have the greatest impact on global Research Paper

I think that Television technologie have the greatest impact on global communications for these reasons - Research Paper Example In the current world people are enjoying the evolution of flat screens, and the technology of 3D. Viewers enjoy better view and the industry will be big in the future. Most of the duties performed by television industries are unique like broadcasting football matches from different part of the earth. The introduction of big flat and colored televisions are making individuals enjoy when watching football matches unlike before when everything broadcasted by televisions were only in black and white. International relations is the relationship between countries in the world. This relationship is based on mutual respect. This is because every country in the world is a sovereign state. International relations has facilitated a lot of things in the world; the growth and development of the international market depends highly on the international relations between different states of the world (Wilkins, 2001). Evolution of Television Opt electric Transformation This was the first of the serie s of the nineteenth-century discoveries which finally became the basis of television discovery. This process which leads to changes of behavior of electrons caused by variations in amount of light illuminating a given material. This process was very instrumental in the development of the television (Todorivic, 14). ... For it to be possible to reproduce all the tones from black to white passing by different shades of gray, the light source was expected to be able to change its intensity several hundred times in the course of one television line, and this was to be during the 60th of the duration of one picture ( Todorivic, 17). The Cathode-Ray Tube More research in the development of television shows that Nipkow disk was not a perfect solution for the display of transmitted moving images. By the end of nineteenth century cathode-ray tube was developed which became the essential and basic television display device (Todorivic, 17). Discovery and development of the television have had several advantages to the world. Television can be used for entertainment and as well as educational uses. Television is one source of informing whereby broadcast news and weather stations help in keeping people updated about the current events. This helps people in knowing what is happening around them before they make some decisions or adjustments to fit in the updates received from the television. Television can be used for educating purposes. Through the programs casted by the television and adverts individuals are able to learn new things through this channel of communication. When families sit together to watch different programs, this helps in creating a strong family bond because as people watch they share a lot about what they are watching (Anthony, 2007). Complex TV shows or movies requires a great deal of intelligence to comprehend the story line of the show or movie. The current TV stations not only bring comedy, drama and action to their viewers but also they have been bringing some programs

Biometric identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Biometric identification - Essay Example 36). With the contemporary popularity as well as prospective profits of conducting transactions electronically, many organization executives experience a conflict situation. In other words, online connections to expand their sales are likely to lead to threats and risks of intrusion. Alternatively, staying disconnected from this very internet will bind them to sacrifice their client contact as well as services to their existing competitors. In order to transact most business dealings, and to convey electronic mail, the internet makes use of mail transfer protocol (Jain et al. 92). These transmissions possess as much confidentiality as a postcard. In other words, it travels over untrusted and insecure lines. This implies that anybody who is at any point along the path of transmission can access the message and hence read its content using the word processing program or text viewer. Also, since these transmission lines are not secure, forging e-mail or using the name of another person is easy. This has made theft of identity one of the leading fraud incidences. An individual can claim that another person sent a message, for instance, to terminate an order or evade paying an invoice. Both in the private and in the public sectors, organizations are cognizant of the needs and importance of internet security (Jain et al. 93). Both sectors, therefore, have led to measures that safeguard their internet data and business systems. However, the most appropriate way to prevent an intruder from accessing the network is by providing a security wall in between the corporate network and the intruder. Since these intruders accesses the system by the use of a software program, like a virus, or through a direct connection, user authentication, data encryption, and firewalls can somewhat prevent these intruders who intend to hack such networks. The first step to beefing up

Importance of Being Earnest Essay Example for Free

Importance of Being Earnest Essay The Importance of Being Earnest is a serious comedy about trivial matters The Importance of being Earnest is a play that satirizes the Victorian upper classes. In the play, Oscar Wide makes fun of the upper class in many ways. Most commonly, Wilde does this by using comic irony, humor, and witty statements. However, if we look deeper into the text, a lot of the trivial matters characters discuss have a serious side to them. Wilde uses these matters to satirize the Victorian upper even more. The seriousness of death is taken light-heartedly in the play. Rather than associating death with sadness and suffering and grief Jack and Algy portray death as a method of conveniently eliminating unwanted people, whether imaginary or not. When Algy confesses that Bunbury is â€Å"Quite Exploded† something comical arises however, his amusing phrase also has some serious implications. Although at first the fact that Bunbury has exploded may be hilarious, it is also shocking to some of the characters in the play, as Bunbury was â€Å"supposed† to be very close to Algy. Furthermore, Algy talks about his death so lightly, that it makes it seem as if Algy couldn’t care less about losing a close friend. The worst part about the way Algy communicates Bunbury’s death, is that he never admits that Bunbury never existed and lies to all the characters who felt truly sorry for Bunbury. Jack also tells Algy, If Gwendolen accepts me, I am going to kill my brother because Cecily is a little too much interested in him. Another trivial moment is when Jack admits to smoking in front of Lady Bracknell. Lady Bracknell’s replies with: â€Å"Every man should have an occupation of some kind†. Although the audience may laugh at this moment, Wilde shows how the Victorian upper class had absolutely no work to do – and therefore categorized smoking as an occupation. Cucumber sandwiches also are also used to criticize the British upper classes. â€Å"No cucumber sandwiches! † shows the absurdness of the upper classes. The scene and dialog is certainly comical, however, it shows how dramatic and over- the –top the British upper class was. Moreover, in the Victorian Era, The Importance of Being Earnest was watched by middle classes as well was the upper class; the scene must have told the Middle classes a lot about the upper class, especially when they were dramatizing trivial matters like not having cucumber sandwiches. The Name â€Å"Earnest† is also very important in the play, as this too is an example of triviality and seriousness. Gwenolden states that her â€Å"ideal has always been to love some one of the name of Ernest†. Cecily says she pities married woman whose husband is not called Ernest. The name Earnest in itself is a very trivial thing. Although the name Earnest â€Å"inspires utter confidence† Wilde makes fun of the fact that both Jack and Algy are very unhonest men. A name does not define the persons personality or values, however the triviality of the name Ernest is taken out of proportions and treated very seriously in the play. In conclusion, Wilde satirizes the Victorian upper class by making fun of their trivial matters that they treat seriously. Wilde almost swaps seriousness and triviality around so that serious issues are treated trivially and trivial issues are treated seriously. Although back in 19th Century the Victorian classes may have found the play hilarious, today we have a broader view and are able to understand Wilde’s message about the Victorian upper classes more. In fact, Wilde originally subtitled The Importance of Being Earnest â€Å"A Serious Comedy for Trivial People† but changed that to â€Å"A Trivial Comedy for Serious People†. – Isn’t that the same thing though?

International Trade Essay Example for Free

International Trade Essay Free trade is an agreement between two or more countries to eliminate tariffs on all trade transactions that are taking place between them. The recent kinds of agreements do not only curtail the interference of governments that are responsible for levying the various tariffs and taxes, but there are more commitments included in the agreements such as customs co-operation, the protection of intellectual property, foreign direct investment and other factors that will enhance commerce between those that sign the freed trade agreement (FTA) (Groomsman and Helpmate, 1995). Among many advantages such agreements usher in, it had been possible to integrate the economies of the participants of the free trade agreements that will avail mutual benefits such as increased export choices. Importing countries will also have more choices of products to import. Furthermore, the law of co-operative advantage states that participants in FTAs always attain mutual gain from exchanging goods and services (Krugman, 1991). When there is a free trade agreement between two or more countries, what takes place is the price the members of the participant countries are paying are the outcome of real supply and demand, in their turn they would be responsible for determining what kind of resource allocation should be employed. One thing that distinguishes free trades from other kinds of trades is none of the participants are allowed to introduce any kind of artificial pricing because of protectionism tendency, where governments cannot intervene to adjust supply and demand by introducing restrictions that could raise or bring down the price of goods and services. The main aim of free trade is to eliminate such protectionism tendencies so that what will determine what should be bought and sold and at what price would be demand and supply (Landsburg, 2005). When that is not the case governments can always intervene by introducing subsidies, tariffs, taxes, and non-tariff barriers where they can introduce legislation or quotas, or it is possible for two or more governments to come up with bilateral or multilateral agreements that allow a preferential treatment for the participants only, by disallowing others to take advantage of what such agreements entail. When there is a bilateral or multilateral agreement between countries the first step is eliminating all taxes and tariffs (Hoda, 2002). However, bilateral agreements that take place between two countries do not apply for other countries where if the two countries could agree among themselves about what kind of tariff and tax to introduce, those agreements apply only to those two countries. If the agreement is multilateral and between three or more countries the agreed upon tariffs and taxes apply only to those participating countries, whereas others whether it is a bilateral or multilateral agreement are not participants will always pay the regularly required tariffs and taxes. The governments of such countries that have FTA between them are free to introduce any kind of trade barriers on others for any reason that serves them a purpose. Therefore, it is possible to look at many bilateral and multilateral agreements around the world where for example the US and Canada used to have a bilateral agreement between them before Mexico was added and the agreement called NAFTA came into the picture which was a multilateral agreement between the three countries. This does not mean other traders that are trading with these three countries will get similar kind of preferential treatment such as no barriers on trades and services between the three countries, the implementation of trade distorting policies such as the introduction of taxes, subsidies, laws and regulations that will avail special advantages for the members of one of the traders. These three trading partners have free access to each other’s market, which does not mean others will have a similar access. It does not mean the multilateral agreements between the three countries will prevent them from creating another bilateral or multilateral agreements with other countries since for example the US has many bilateral and multilateral trade agreement with countries that do not have any geographical proximity to it showing that bilateral and multilateral agreements are not limited by region (Reizeman, 1999). Other amenities such trading partners have at their disposal, whether they are bilateral or multilateral, in addition to having free access to each others’ markets, purely based on demand and supply they could also allow each other to have access to a free market information, which is vital to making informed decisions. Governments of trading members are not allowed to engage in a government-imposed monopoly or oligopoly power, although private sectors can have a monopoly or oligopoly according to what the anti trust laws allow. Other development among such countries is there is a free movement of labour, as well as capital. Therefore, when looking at the dissimilarities of bilateral and multilateral agreements there are many factors that play roles, because most of all, what kind of preferential treatment the participants are allowing each other is the deciding factor (Goyal and Joshi, 2006). This means that two bilateral countries could deprive that preferential treatment to other countries, but if they are in multilateral agreement, they cannot differentiate among the member no matter how much their number is. If a country is a member of the World Trade Organisation that requires all its members to allow each other a preferential treatment in order to facilitate trade has no choice other than to allow to all members similar preferential treatment. However, the exception is that for example based on geographical region or otherwise if there is a bilateral agreement they could give special preferential treatment for the trading partner if they found it beneficial to do so without availing the same preferential treatment to their other bilateral, multilateral or WTO members partners. This means that both bilateral and multilateral agreements based on any mutual benefit for the participants are allowed by WTO for its members, the only requirement being a voluntary notification of the existence such an agreement so that some kind of transparency of what is taking place will prevail. Consequently, there are bilateral agreements that take place between two countries, multilateral agreements that usually require more than two countries and the membership of WTO is also multilateral since the obvious number of the participants is many. This means that except that a bilateral agreement is a very simple form of such free trade agreements, there is nothing that makes it different in complexity than similar multilateral agreements (Friedman, 1997). A good example to cite is price where in a bilateral agreement the available demand and supply determine the price of goods and services. The only problem with such an agreement is if there is another country that sells what a given country buys from a bilateral partner much cheaper. In a situation like this it is a given that the other country wants to take advantage of the cheaper price, but since there is no agreement there are tariffs and taxes to add on the market price of the goods that will still make the bilateral partners goods and services preferable because of the absence of tariff and tax. In order to take advantage of that cheap price the particular country might want to start a free trade agreement with the other partner that will be complicated and time consuming. This shows that one country can have a bilateral agreement with two or more countries or it is possible to create a multilateral agreement among all participants and this kind of agreement is common among those that live in a given geographical region, as attested by the number of regional free trades (Bhagwati, 2002). But that does mean free trade is limited to a certain pattern since it can take many forms. It can be bilateral based on what the two countries agree, multilateral based on the participating countries agree that do not necessarily should have geographical proximity such as the US has a bilateral agreement with Israel, Jordan, Chile, Singapore, Australia and more and Australia has many bilateral trade agreement with many Asian countries that does not affect the relation it has with other countries because each participant gets certain advantage from the bilateral deal they are making. The most common FTA used to be among countries in the same region but that is changing (Levy, 19997). Looking at international multilateral agreements such as the members of the WTO reveals that there are more than 160 countries that have eliminated trade barriers among themselves and are allowing similar preferential treatment for each other, while they are allowed to go into any kind of bilateral or multilateral trade arrangement with other countries and create preferential treatment that they do not have to allow to the other members of WTO, where what is not allowed is not to discriminate among members (Pugel, 2003) (Aghion et al, 2007). One other dissimilarity will be the competition will be different when multilateral countries are trading with each other with no tax and tariff barriers based on demand and supply, where the choices of the participants will be more and can buy from those who are offering the lowest price without engaging in dumping (Bagwell and Staiger, 1997). Dumping always creates difficulties since it is always the outcome of subsidies that mostly originate from governments that had signed not to intervene in the market by any means (Brander and Krugman, 1983). World Trade Organisation (WTO)Â  WTO is an international organisation that promotes free trade by working with its members to enable them abolish tariffs and taxes so that there will be unhampered trade among countries. The main duties of the organisation are it polices the free trade agreements among countries, and it settles whatever disputes ensue among the participating countries and their governments. Whenever there is a dispute with two trading countries that are members it is its job to resolve the dispute and is empowered by its members to enforce its decisions by introducing sanctions on those who have breached the agreed upon rules. WTO had replaced another organisation called the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1995. GATT came into existence in 1948 when 23 countries agreed to bring down their tariffs and taxes among the trading partners. The difference between GATT and WTO is the later has more scope and oversees more trade sections other than trade in goods and services alone such as banking, telecommunications and intellectual property rights. WTO has 160 countries that allow each other a preferential treatment or a favoured trading partner status. The organisation provides a framework others can employ to negotiate and form trade agreements, while at the same time it oversees the signed agreements ratified by the parliaments of the member countries are strictly observed. The organisation, for the most part, focuses on trade negotiations such as the Uruguay Round (1986-1994) and currently the defunct negotiation called Doha Development Agenda known also as Doha Round that tried in 2001 to raise the overall status of poorer countries that make up the majority of the world population. This particular negotiation had been derailed by the same group that the negotiation was trying to enhance their equitable representation that demanded to see in place a special safeguard measure that will shield farmers from import flooding. The particular organisation is under the governance of ministerial conference that takes place every two years and has a general council in charge of implementing whatever agreement the conference arrives at and for administrating the day to day business, while it is represented by a director-general. The WTO works hand-in-hand with other organisations such as the World Bank, Intentional Monitory Fund, International Trade Organisation etc. that go much further than focusing on trade and deal in areas that are related to trade indirectly such as employment, investment, various kinds of lending, regulation business practises that do not adhere to the rules and various agreements dealing with how to manipulate commodities. The GATT is very important in such a way that if the WTO was not formed, GATT would have been reigning still serving the same purpose the WTO started serving, because it was the only multilateral agreement between countries starting from 1948. There had been seven rounds of negotiation under the GATT that were working to bring down tariffs among countries. The Kennedy Round in the sixties raised the question of antidumping where when countries are caught in the action of selling goods substantially less than they are selling in their own market. In the seventies, the Tokyo Round started to look at other barriers that are not tariff related where it was not easy to get results, because of the controversial nature of what were taking place since some of them known as plurilateral agreements were not approved by all participants. However the Uruguay Round had amended some of them later and they had become multilateral agreements. The Uruguay Round that took place in 1986 had introduced new areas such as including services and intellectual properties in the agreements. The Uruguay Round also dealt with trade reforms in the area of agriculture and textile that were always sensitive areas. Finally in 1994 the Final Act concluded what the members started in the Uruguay Round and established the WTO that took place at the Marrakech Agreement. This means that WTO does not have its own mandate till date and it is still using GATT as its umbrella treaty, although the Final Act at Marrakech had added new 60 agreements adopted into the mandates of the organisation. Consequently, the major areas the WTO oversees among its international members are to oversee how goods and investment are crossing the borders of member countries, including the various services, intellectual property, dispute settlement and reviewing the trade policies the various member governments are introducing from time to time. There had been several ministerial conferences since the WTO was formed that came up with various policies to deal with the various problems at hand at the time the various conferences were taking place. The major principles of the WTO concerning trade are non-discrimination that has two key components, the most favoured nations and national treatment. The former requires member to treat every member equally where if they create a favourable condition for a given member they have to create to all members, a requirement that is possible to override among bilateral and multilateral agreements. The national treatment requires that goods and services imported should receive similar treatment with what are locally available.

Causes of Variation in Construction Projects

Causes of Variation in Construction Projects Literature reviews that of Variations and Variation Orders requires a comprehensive understanding of the root causes of Variations (Hester et al., 1991).Variations some of which are financial, design aesthetics, changes in drawings, weather, geological and geotechnical reasons. From the literature review, there were 53 causes of Variations identified and these Variations are mainly caused by the Employer, Consultants and Contractors. As shown in Figure 1, these causes of Variations were grouped under four categories: Employer related Variations, Consultants related Variations, Contractor related Variations and other Variations. These Causes of Variations have been identified by many researchers (CII, 1990a; Thomas and Napolitan, 1994; Clough and Sears, 1994; Fisk, 1997; Ibbs et al., 1998; OBrien, 1998; Mokhtar et al., 2000; Gray and Hughes, 2001; Arain et al., 2004). The causes of Variations can be categorized according to the originators (CII, 1990a; Thomas and Napolitan, 1994). The 53 causes identified from the literature review are also discussed below. A. Employer Related Changes This section discusses the causes of variations that were initiated by the Employer. In some cases, the Employer directly initiates Variations or the Variations are required because the Employer fails to fulfil certain requirements for carrying out the project. Change of plans or scope by Employer: Change of plan or scope of project is one of the most significant causes of Variations in construction projects (CII, 1990b) and is usually the result of insufficient planning at the project planning stage, or also i can because of lack of involvement of the Employer in the design phase (Arain et al., 2004). This cause the Variations affects the project severely during the later phases. Change of schedule by Employer: A change of schedule or master programme during the project construction phase may result in major resource reallocation (Fisk, 1997; OBrien, 1998). This is because time has an equivalent money value. A change in schedule means that the Contractor will either provide additional resources, or keep some resources idle in the construction site. In both cases additional cost is incurred. Employers financial problems: The Employer of the project may run into difficult financial situations that force him to make changes in an attempt to reduce cost of the project. Employers financial problems affect project progress and quality (Clough and Sears, 1994; OBrien, 1998). Proper financial planning and review of project cash flow would be effective in avoid this problem to from happening. Inadequate project objectives: Inadequate project objectives are one of the causes of Variations in construction projects (Ibbs and Allen, 1995). Due to inadequate project objectives, the designers would not be able to develop a comprehensive design which leads to many of Variations during the project construction phase. Replacement of materials or procedures: Replacement of materials or procedures may cause major Variations during the construction phase. The substitution of procedures includes Variations in application methods (Chappell and Willis, 1996). Therefore, an adjustment to the original contract value is required if there is a change in procedures. Impediment in prompt decision making process: Prompt decision making is an important factor for project success (Sanvido et al., 1992; Gray and Hughes, 2001). A delay in decision making may obstruct the progress of subsequent construction activities and that may eventually delay the entire project progress. Obstinate nature of Employer: A building project is the result of the combined efforts of the professionals. They have to work at the various interfaces of a project (Wang, 2000; Arain et al., 2004). If the Employer is obstinate, he may not accommodate other creative and beneficial ideas. Eventually, this may cause major Variations in the later stages and affect the project negatively. Change in specifications by owner: Changes in specifications are frequent in construction projects with inadequate project objectives (OBrien, 1998). In a multi-player environment like any construction project, change in specifications by the Employer during the construction phase may require major Variations and adjustments in project planning and procurement activities. B. Consultant Related Variations This section discusses the causes of Variations that were initiated by the consultant. In some cases, the consultant directly initiates Variations or the Variations are required because the consultant fails to fulfil certain requirements for carrying out the project. Change in design by Consultants: Change in design for improvement by the Consultant is a norm in contemporary professional practice (Arain et al., 2004). The changes in design are frequent in projects where construction starts before the design is finalized (Fisk, 1997). Design changes can affect a project adversely depending on the timing of the occurrence of the changes. Errors and omissions in design: Errors and omissions in design are an important cause of project to delays (Arain et al., 2004). Design errors and omissions may lead to loss of productivity and delay in project schedule (Assaf et al., 1995). Hence, errors and omissions in design can affect a project adversely depending on the timing of the occurrence of the errors. Conflicts between contract documents: Conflict between contract documents can result in misinterpretation of the actual requirement of a project (CII, 1986a). To convey complete project scope for participants, the contract documents must be clear and straight to the point. Insufficient details in contract documents may adversely affect the project, leading to delay in project completion. Inadequate scope of work for contractor: In a multi-player environment like construction, the scope of work for all the players must be clear and without uncertainty for successful project completion (Fisk, 1997; Arain et al., 2004). Inadequate scope of work for the contractor can cause major Variations that may negatively affect the project, and leads to changes in construction planning. Technology change: Technology change is a potential cause of Variations in a project. Project planning should be flexible for accommodating new beneficial Variations (CII, 1994b). This is because the new technology can be beneficial in the project life cycle, for instance, reducing maintenance cost of the project. Or new methods of constructions that reduce construction cost. Value engineering: Value engineering should ideally be carried out during the design phase (DellIsola, 1982). During the construction phase, value engineering can be a costly exercise, as Variation in any design element would initiate and leads to Variations to other relevant design components (Mokhtar et al., 2000). Lack of coordination: A lack of coordination between parties may cause major variations that could eventually impact the project adversely (Arain et al., 2004). Unfavourable Variations, which affect the projects negatively, can usually be managed at an early stage by paying extra focus in coordination. Design complexity: Complex designs require unique skills and construction methods (Arain et al., 2004). Complexity affects the flow of construction activities, whereas simple and linear construction works are relatively easy to handle (Fisk, 1997). Hence, complexity may cause major Variations in construction projects. Inadequate working drawing details: To convey a complete concept of the project design, the working drawings must be clear and concise (Geok, 2002). Insufficient working drawing details can result in misinterpretation of the actual requirement of a project (Arain et al., 2004). Thorough reviewing of design details would assist in minimizing Variations. Inadequate shop drawing details: Shop drawings are usually developed for construction work details for site professionals (Cox and Hamilton, 1995). As mentioned earlier with regard to working drawing details, likewise, inadequacy of shop drawing details can be a potential cause of Variations in the construction projects. Consultants lack of judgment and experience: Professional experience and judgment is an important factor for a successful completion of a building project (Clough and Sears, 1994; OBrien, 1998). The lack of professional experience increases the risk of errors in design as well as during construction. Eventually, this may affect the project quality and delay the project completion. Lack of consultants knowledge of available materials and equipment: Knowledge of available materials and equipment is an important factor for developing a comprehensive design (Geok, 2002). In the construction industry where material standardization is not common, the consultants lack of knowledge of available materials and equipment can cause numerous major Variations during various project phases. Honest wrong beliefs of consultant: Honest wrong beliefs may cause construction professionals to contribute poor value add in projects (Arain, 2002; Arain et al., 2004). Consultants, without having firsthand knowledge, may make decisions based on their wrong beliefs which would adversely affect the pace of the project. Consultants lack of required data: A lack of data can result in misinterpretation of the actual requirements of a project (Assaf et al., 1995; Arain, 2002). When there is insufficient data, consultants are prone to develop designs based on their own perceptions, which may not be what the Employer wants. Eventually, this may cause major Variations and affect the project negatively. Obstinate nature of consultant: In a multi-player environment like construction, the professionals have to work as team at the various interfaces of a project (Wang, 2000; Arain et al., 2004). If the consultant is obstinate, he may not accommodate other creative and beneficial ideas. Eventually, this may cause major Variations in the later stages and affect the project Negatively. Ambiguous design details: A clearer design tends to be comprehended more readily (OBrien, 1998). Ambiguity or Doubtfulness or uncertainty in design is a potential cause of Variations in a project. This is because ambiguity in design can be misinterpreted by project participants, leading to rework and delay in the project completion. Eventually, this may affect the project progress negatively. Design discrepancies (inadequate design): Inadequate design can be a frequent cause of Variations in construction projects (CII, 1990a; Fisk, 1997). Design discrepancies affect the project functionality and quality. Eventually, this can affect a project adversely depending on the timing of the occurrence of the Variations. Noncompliance of design with government regulations: Noncompliance of design with government regulations or policies would cost the project difficult to execute (Clough and Sears, 1994). Noncompliance with government regulations may affect the project safety and progress negatively, leading to serious accidents and delays in the project completion. Noncompliance of design with owners requirements: A comprehensive design is one that accommodates the owners requirements (Cox and Hamilton, 1995). A noncompliance design with the owners requirements is considered an inadequate design (Fisk, 1997). Eventually, this may cause Variations for accommodating the Employers requirements. This may affect the project adversely during the construction phase. Change in specifications by consultant: Changes in specifications are frequent in construction projects with inadequate project objectives (OBrien, 1998). As mentioned earlier with respect to changes in specifications by the Employer, this is also a potential cause of Variations in a project, leading to reworks and delays in the project completion. C. Contractor Related Variations This section discusses the causes of Variations that were related to the Contractor. In some cases, the contractor may suggest Variations to the project, or the Variations may be required because the contractor fails to fulfil certain requirements for carrying out the project. Lack of Contractors involvement in design: Involvement of the Contractor in the design may assist in developing better designs by accommodating his creative and practical ideas (Arain et al., 2004). Lack of Contractors involvement in design may eventually cause Variations. Practical ideas which are not accommodated during the design phase will eventually affect the project negatively. Unavailability of equipment: Unavailability of equipment is a procurement problem that can affect the project completion (OBrien, 1998). Occasionally, the lack of equipment may cause major design Variations or adjustments to project scheduling to accommodate the replacement. Unavailability of skills (shortage of skilled manpower): Skilled manpower is one of the major resources required for complex technological projects (Arain et al., 2004). Shortage of skilled manpower is more likely to occur in complex technological projects. This lack can be a cause for Variations that may delay the projects completion date. Contractors financial difficulties: Construction is a labour intensive industry. Whether the Contractor has been paid or not, the wages of the worker must still be paid (Thomas and Napolitan, 1994). Contractors financial difficulties may cause major Variations during a project, affecting its quality and progress and in some cases even the safety of the site is affected if there is an argument. Contractors desired profitability: Contractors desired profitability can be a potential cause of Variations in construction projects. This is because Variations are considered a common source of additional works for the contractor (OBrien, 1998). The Contractor may eventually strive to convince the project Employer to allow certain Variations, leading to additional financial benefits for him. Differing site conditions: Differing site condition can be an important cause of delays in large building projects (Assaf et al., 1995). The contractor may face different soil conditions than those indicated in the tender documents. Eventually this may affect his cost estimates and schedule negatively. Defective workmanship: Defective workmanship may lead to demolition and rework in construction projects (Fisk, 1997; OBrien, 1998). Defective workmanship results in low quality in construction projects (Arain et al., 2004). Even the Contractor bares the cost of the defective work, but this also may affect the project negatively, leading to rework and delay in the project completion. Unfamiliarity with local conditions: Familiarity with local conditions is an important factor for the successful completion of a construction project (Clough and Sears, 1994). If the Contractor is not aware of local conditions, it would be extremely difficult for him to carry out the project. Eventually, project delays may occur that end up with vital Variations in the entire design entity. Lack of a specialized construction manager: The construction manager carries out the construction phase in an organized way to eliminate the risks of delays and other problems. Lack of a specialized construction manager may lead to defective workmanship and delay in the construction project. Fast track construction: Fast track construction requires an organized system to concurrently carry out interdependent project activities (Fisk, 1997). When the public and private sectors have large funds and want to complete projects in a very short time, complete construction drawings and specifications may not be available when the contractor starts work (Arain et al., 2004).Eventually, this procurement mode may cause major Variations. Poor procurement process: Procurement delays have various negative effects on other processes in the construction cycle (Fisk, 1997). Occasionally, the procurement delay may cause an entire change or replacement for originally specified materials or equipment for the project (Arain et al., 2004). This may therefore cause a need for project activities to be reworked. Lack of communication: Detrimental Variations, which affect the projects adversely, can usually be managed at an early stage with strong and incessant communication. A lack of coordination and communication between parties may cause major Variations that could eventually impact the project negatively (Arain et al., 2004). Contractors lack of judgment and experience: The consultants lack of professional experience increases the risk of errors during construction (OBrien, 1998). This lack may cause major construction Variations in a project, when both Contractor and consultant could not identify or foresee the problems in the planning stage due to both parties are lacking of experience. Eventually, this may affect the project quality and delay the project completion. Long lead procurement: Procurement delays have various adverse affects on other processes in the construction cycle (Fisk, 1997). Occasionally, the procurement delay may cause an entire change or replacement for originally specified materials or equipment for the project. Delay in long lead procurement is a common cause of delays in building projects (Assaf et al., 1995). Honest wrong beliefs of contractor: As mentioned earlier with respect to honest wrong beliefs of the consultant, honest wrong beliefs of the contractor can also be a potential cause of Variations in construction projects. Contractors, without having firsthand knowledge, may make decisions based on their wrong beliefs which would adversely affect the quality and pace of the project. Complex design and technology: Complex design and technology require detailed interpretations by the designer to make it comprehensible for the Contractor (Arain, 2002). A complex design may be experienced for the first time by the Contractor. Eventually, the complexity may affect the flow of construction activities, leading to delays in the project completion. Lack of strategic planning: Proper strategic planning is an important factor for successful completion of a building project (Clough and Sears, 1994; CII, 1994a). The lack of strategic planning is a common cause of Variations in projects where construction starts before the design is finalized, for instance, in concurrent design and construction contracts (OBrien, 1998). Contractors lack of required data: A lack of required data may affect the contractors strategic planning for successful project completion, leading to frequent disruptions during the construction process. This is because a lack of data can result in misinterpretation of the actual requirements of a project (Assaf et al., 1995; Arain et al., 2004). Contractors obstinate nature: As mentioned earlier with regard to the obstinate nature of consultant, likewise, this can be a potential cause of Variations in construction projects. If the Contractor is obstinate, he may not accommodate creative and beneficial ideas suggested by others. Eventually, this may cause major Variations in the later stages and affect the project negatively. D. Other Variations This section discusses the causes of Variations that were not directly related to the project team. Weather conditions: Adverse weather conditions can affect outside activities in construction projects (Fisk, 1997; OBrien, 1998). When weather conditions vary such as the various monsoon seasons in Malaysia, the contractor needs to adjust the construction schedule accordingly. Occasionally, this may affect the project progress negatively, leading to delays in construction. Safety considerations: Safety is an important factor for the successful completion of a building project (Clough and Sears, 1994). Noncompliance with safety requirements may cause major Variations in design. Lack of safety considerations may affect the project progress negatively, leading to serious accidents and delays in the project completion. Change in government regulations: Local authorities may have specific codes and regulations that need to be accommodated in the design (Arain et al., 2004). Change in government regulations during the project construction phase may cause major Variations in design and construction. This can affect a project negatively depending on the timing of the occurrence of the changes. Change in economic conditions: Economic conditions are one of the influential factors that may affect a construction project (Fisk, 1997). The economic situation of a country can affect the whole construction industry and its participants. Eventually, this may affect the project negatively, depending on the timing of the occurrence of the Variations. Socio-cultural factors: Professionals with different socio-cultural backgrounds may encounter problems due to different perceptions, and this may affect the working environment of the construction project (Arain et al., 2004). Lack of coordination is common between professionals with different socio-cultural backgrounds (OBrien, 1998). Eventually, project delays may occur that end up with vital changes in the entire project team. Unforeseen problems: Unforeseen conditions are usually faced by professionals in the construction industry (Clough and Sears, 1994; OBrien, 1998). If these conditions are not solved as soon as possible, they may cause major Variations in the construction projects. Eventually, this may affect the project negatively, leading to reworks and delays in the project completion.

Functionalism And Physicalism :: essays research papers

Functionalism and Physicalism While acquiring knowledge on the topics of Functionalism and Physicalism, I ran across many disagreement between the two. Interestingly, those disagreements gave me an impression of different sides arguing with their own support from their own theories. As if an Arabian and a Roman were arguing about whether the number eleven is an "Arabic" number or a "Roman" number. Though, as I read more and more of the readings (especially Putnam's), I started to see a pattern that led me to think that maybe Functionalism is compatible with Physicalism after all; that these two theories can coexist. The claim above is based on the information gathered in the two readings assigned and therefore, I should go step by step in order to arrive at my conclusion that they can indeed coexist. First, I draw Ned Block's elaboration on Metaphysical Functionalism as a start of my argument. As Block suggests, Metaphysical Functionalism is mainly concern about what mental states are; instead of a psychological explanation (Block, p. 172). Moreover, they concern themselves with mental state type; not a specific token of the type. As in the case of pain, they are concerned with a mental state called pain, and not of particular pains (i.e. stomach-ache, pin-pricks, etc.). But, according to Putnam, if the Physicalists does indeed attributes the name "physical states" to the enormous number of mental states we humans have, then, I think it would be impossible for them to be concerned only with the type and not the tokens. But once they started to consider each specific pain (token), they will have to ascribe a different physical-chemical state to each token-state. Ultimately, the common thing "to all pains in virtue of which they are pains (Block, p. 172)" cannot be put in terms of a single physical state. Recall that the same problem does not exist in the consideration of Functionalism because Functionalism concern itself basically with the causal relations between these tokens and not a particular one. Therefore, the common thing that exists in Functionalism "to all pains in virtue of which they are pains" is actually the

Essay --

Who knew the two most powerful African Americans that influence countless of people in history and wrote their one of many most inspirational work while locked up in jail? Martin Luther King Jr. was incarcerated because the city officials issued a court injunction to prohibit the civil rights marches in Birmingham. Whereas, Malcolm x was arrested for burglary while trying to pick up a stolen watch he had left for repairs at a jewelry shop. The fight for civil right was taken in the 1960's, where racism was a problem. Whites discriminated blacks because they thought they weren't equal to them. This is where Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X come in, they are well known African Americans leaders who fought for what they believed, in many different ways. Martin Luther King Jr. are both strong representations of two different approaches to a common goal. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader who grew up in a middle class family and was well educated. King was always against violence, even thru his entire ministry. He believed in an integrated society between blacks and whites in one American society based upon the promises of the founding fathers of American that all men were created equal and had the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Even though, he was physically and verbally attacked he always stood his ground and never fought with violence. While in jail for 8 days Martin Luther King Jr. compose â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail.† The letter was evidently a response to a letter that recently ran in the local newspapers by the Birmingham Clergy. Which had claimed that the protesters were â€Å"unwise and untimely†. However, Dr. King chose to express himself in writing instead of violence, by replying â€Å"Seldom, ... ...res, and plunder, and power.† By reading all these books it built hatred towards the whites and anticipated as a necessarily to fight for the human rights of the African American people. In contrast, to Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X decided to fight violence with violence. As a result of his action, know his well known as the ideal civil rights activists for African Americans. Martin Luther King and Malcolm x are both strong representations of two different approaches to a common goal. Martin Luther King Jr. preferred a nonviolence approach to the situation. Whereas, Malcolm X handled racism in a violent approach. However, both man believed African Americans deserved their human rights and equal say. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in an integrated society while Malcolm X wanted African Americans to have their segregated neighborhoods just as good as the whites. Essay -- Who knew the two most powerful African Americans that influence countless of people in history and wrote their one of many most inspirational work while locked up in jail? Martin Luther King Jr. was incarcerated because the city officials issued a court injunction to prohibit the civil rights marches in Birmingham. Whereas, Malcolm x was arrested for burglary while trying to pick up a stolen watch he had left for repairs at a jewelry shop. The fight for civil right was taken in the 1960's, where racism was a problem. Whites discriminated blacks because they thought they weren't equal to them. This is where Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X come in, they are well known African Americans leaders who fought for what they believed, in many different ways. Martin Luther King Jr. are both strong representations of two different approaches to a common goal. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader who grew up in a middle class family and was well educated. King was always against violence, even thru his entire ministry. He believed in an integrated society between blacks and whites in one American society based upon the promises of the founding fathers of American that all men were created equal and had the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Even though, he was physically and verbally attacked he always stood his ground and never fought with violence. While in jail for 8 days Martin Luther King Jr. compose â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail.† The letter was evidently a response to a letter that recently ran in the local newspapers by the Birmingham Clergy. Which had claimed that the protesters were â€Å"unwise and untimely†. However, Dr. King chose to express himself in writing instead of violence, by replying â€Å"Seldom, ... ...res, and plunder, and power.† By reading all these books it built hatred towards the whites and anticipated as a necessarily to fight for the human rights of the African American people. In contrast, to Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X decided to fight violence with violence. As a result of his action, know his well known as the ideal civil rights activists for African Americans. Martin Luther King and Malcolm x are both strong representations of two different approaches to a common goal. Martin Luther King Jr. preferred a nonviolence approach to the situation. Whereas, Malcolm X handled racism in a violent approach. However, both man believed African Americans deserved their human rights and equal say. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in an integrated society while Malcolm X wanted African Americans to have their segregated neighborhoods just as good as the whites.

Playing and Winning

Most people like to play games, such as sport games, computer games, and so on. Obviously, it forms a highly competition environment among those who play the games and of course, somebody will win or lose during the competitions. In order to get the first place, people would have to go through all the necessary practice. In fact, everyone wants to win the best price but winner is always one. In my opinion, no matter what the result is, people should focus on the process rather than the result. In many cases, people give too much focus on the result. For instance, students in the school all want to get an A on their assignments, but it always ends up with some negative effects. Some of them will cheat during the test or copy someone else’s work to turn in. Focus too much on the grade will not do any good for their own benefits but decrease their self-value. Without doubt, champion is importance in a competition, but there are things more than that. In the Olympics, athletes come from all over the world and each of them presents his or her country. Winning the game of course can benefits their countries and athletes themselves. But not everyone can win. I think the most important thing is that even though they did not win, at least they tried their best to participate in the events. If people are always focusing on winning, they would not concentrate on their own sports and make their efforts in vain. Focusing on process has many effects such as friendship and experience. Even though people are winning, they still feel happy because they gain experience and it makes a chance for them to learn from their mistakes. The most important thing is whether people learn things or not. I think not being a winner does not mean you are a loser because when things come, not winning could bring more benefits than winning. I disagree with that playing a game is fun only when you win. We can have a lot of fun when we put ourselves in wholeheartedly. Once we take one thing seriously and try our best, then at least the process is really great, it also worth to be proud of.

African Plants Used in Medicine

[pic] Pelargonium sidoides (Umckaloabo) Introduction: For hundreds of years the Zulu, Basuto, Xhosa and Mfengi cultures have used  Pelargonium sidoides  as a curative for coughs, upper respiratory tract irritations and gastrointestinal concerns. Today, with the advantages of modern science and clinical research, we are able to better understand what makes this traditional remedy work so effectively.Pelargonium sidoides has been successfully used for the treatment of: |Respiratory infections like bronchitis, sinusitis, and pneumonia, tonsillitis and rhinopharyngitis | |It is often used as an alternative to antibiotics | |Acute and chronic ear, nose and throat infections | |Rapid improvement in the symptoms associated with colds and flu | |Analgesic (absence of pain) effects | Pelargonium sidoides is also rich in  photochemical, vitamins, minerals and amino acids  that enhance the body’s functioning and protects it against diseases.Treatment with  Pelargonium sidoides   rapidly improves the typical symptoms associated with infections such as cough, fever, sore throat, fatigue and weakness. [pic] Hibiscus sp. Introduction: Recorded Medicinal uses: The Shangaan use the  Hibiscus sp. leaves in the form of tea for the treatment of hypertension, profuse menstruation and PMS. In Guinea the plant is regarded as mucilaginous and tonic to heart and stomach. The seed is aromatic and has a musk-like odour used in perfumery under the name  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ambretta†. In South America and West Indies, the seed is a snakebite remedy. The leaf gives a very fair zone of inhibition, when tested for its antibacterial effect. The leaf of  Hibiscus sp. s used by the Xhosa as a dressing for septic wounds and is said to contain Mucilage. In the East Indies and Senegal the seed has been used as a remedy for eye diseases and dysentery. The seed oil contains 55. 9% of stearic acid, 9. 1% of palmitic, 32. 6% of oleic and 2. 4% of linoleic. The flower yields a pigment canna hibiscetin. The Swati use a decoction of the root and flower in pneumonia. A hydrochloric acid extract of the leaf and stem has given positive alkaloid tests. A small piece of the root of  Hibiscus malacospermus Harv. is chewed by the Europeans in Lydenburg (South Africa) to relieve heartburn. The Southern Sotho use the plant as a colic remedy.The Southern Sotho, also use the  Hibiscus malacospermus E. Mey ex Harv. as a remedy for headaches and other ailments. The root of  Hibiscus pusillus Thumb. is used by the Zulu as an emetic in the treatment of â€Å"bad dreams† and by men as part of the preparation for courting. The Zulu use a lotion of the leaf and stem of  Hibiscus surattensis L. for the treatment of penile irritation of any sort, including venereal sores and urethritis. It is sometimes applied as an ointment for the same purposes. An infusion is also used as an injection into the urethra and vagina for gonorrhoea and other inflammations. [pic] African G inger Siphonochilus aethiopicus elite chemotype Introduction:This rare southern  African plant, is an ancient traditional herb regarded as Africa’s best natural anti-inflammatory remedy, and it has many other uses: |Headaches | |Influenza | |Mild asthma | |Sinusitis and throat infections | |PMS, Menstrual cramps | |Candida albicans, trush | |Mild sedative | |Mood swings and hysteria | |Colds, flu & coughs | Other beneficial uses: |Ginger is an excellent remedy for digestive complaints (indigestion, nausea, gas, colic and congestion) | |Ginger's antiseptic qualities make it highly beneficial for gastro-intestinal infections | |Circulatory stimulant – stimulates the circulation making it an important remedy for chilblains and poor circulation.By | |improving the circulation, ginger helps reducing high blood pressure | |Ginger also increases sweating and helps reduce body temperature in fevers | |Ginger helps to â€Å"thin† the blood as well as to lower cho lesterol | |Ginger is useful as a supplement for heartburn & halitosis (bad breath) | |This herb is known to relieve vomiting and to sooth the stomach and spleen in the process | |Ginger is a warm vascular stimulant and body cleanser.It encourages the removal of toxins through the skin, and through | |increased kidney filtration | |Ginger relieves motion sickness and morning sickness | General Information: This herb has a long history of use in African traditional medicine for a range of conditions including headaches, Influenza, mild asthma, sinusitis, throat infections, thrush, candida, premenstrual syndrome and menstrual cramps. The root or rhizome is the part used, and comes to market in jointed branches called races or hands. The smell of ginger is aromatic and penetrating, the taste spicy, pungent, hot and biting. African Ginger  is a deciduous plant with large, hairless leaves, developing annually from a small, distinctive cone-shaped rhizome.The spectacular flowers appea r at ground level in early summer. Because of its medicinal uses it has been over-harvested and has a restricted distribution in Mpumalanga and the Northern Province and has become extinct in Kwa Zulu Natal. Ginger has a stimulating effect on the heart and circulation, creating a feeling of warmth and well-being and restoring vitality, especially for those feeling the cold in winter. Hot ginger tea promotes perspiration, brings down a fever and helps to clear catarrh. Ginger has a stimulating and expectorant action in the lungs, expelling phlegm and relieving catarrhal coughs and chest infections. Ginger is a wonderful aid to digestion.It invigorates the stomach and intestines, stimulating the appetite and enhancing digestion by encouraging secretion of digestive enzymes. It moves stagnation of food and subsequent accumulation of toxins, which has a far-reaching effect throughout the body, increasing general health, vitality and enhancing immunity. ALOE VERA [pic] [pic] aloe was use d topically to heal wounds and for various skin conditions, and orally as a laxative. Today, in addition to these uses, aloe is used as a folk or traditional remedy for a variety of conditions, including diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, and osteoarthritis. It is also used topically for osteoarthritis, burns, sunburns, and psoriasis.

Enterprise 2.0: Do Companies Need It to Survive?

Minor Web 2. 0/3. 0 & Knowledge Sharing Essay 2: Enterprise 2. 0. Do companies need it to survive? Z22-D Project Management Business English Smilena Spasova Lecturer: M. Adams 09-03-2012 Surviving as a company, no matter being small, middle-sized or large, in today’s unstable economy beset by a severe recession, instability and uncertainty resembles fighting for your life in a battle field. Only those who are more prepared, move faster and more efficient and have strategic advantage over their enemies are the ones who get to keep their lives. Enterprise 2. is what is needed for companies to gain and master those skills. It helps them structure and preserve corporate knowledge, cut costs, increase efficiency, enlarge employees and customers’ satisfaction and tap into new sources of innovation and expertise. Combined together, therefore the benefits of using Enterprise 2. 0 are exactly what companies need not only to survive, but also to have a lasting advantage over thei r competitors. Enterprise 2. 0 is a term that was first defined by Andrew McAfee 1 in 2006 as a description of how companies use the existing Web 2. technologies within their internal and external set of techniques to conduct their business. In other words, it is a combination between the integration of Web 2. 0 tools and architecture within enterprises’ structures and processes with a careful consideration of the human element – the culture. Examples for such tools are Blogs, Wikis, Intranet, Discussion Boards, Social Media Platforms, RSS feeds and many more which main goal is to provide users with open space for communication, collaboration, asset sharing, personalization and aggregation. One of the main advantages that Enterprise 2. gives to companies is in relation to Knowledge Management. In 1991 Ikujiro Nonaka 2 said: â€Å"In an economy where the only certainty is uncertainty, the only sure source of lasting competitive advantage is knowledge. †Companies acknowledge that statement today better than they have ever done before. Unfortunately in a lot of cases efforts, money and resources are wasted in the wrong direction when enterprises try to find the right way to capture, leverage and store collective knowledge. One of the reasons for that is that they don’t use the proper tools to achieve that goal.Enterprise 2. 0 however proposes the solution. For example, by simply incorporating Wikis into the company’s daily workflow, all of a sudden employees will have the chance to take part in building a collective memory by expressing and contributing with their tacit knowledge. The difference compared to the â€Å"old-school† Knowledge Management techniques is that by using the new Enterprise 2. 0’s way knowledge can be stored, edited and corrected but it can’t be lost because it has already been made explicit by sharing on the Wiki.So, even if an employee retires or decides to quit the company, informati on doesn’t go with him by having existed only in his head. Another benefit of using Enterprise 2. 0 is that it cuts costs drastically. Whereas In the era of Web 1. 0 Marketing efforts required an enormous amount of money, today most of the Web 2. 0 applications are free and reside in the cloud. Consequently, all the resources should be spent in time and effort to invent the right strategy, rather than to negotiate prices with traditional media representatives.What is more, the emerge of Social Media and platforms like Get Satisfaction3 gives a totally new perspective on the Customer Service practices within companies and the included expenses. Due to Enterprise 2. 0 employees can now have a live chat with customers rather than using the â€Å"old† methods like traditional telephone or e-mail. Bringing faster solution and demonstrating personal attitude and attention is therefore increasing consumer satisfaction and this way contributing to the company’s positive image. Enterprise 2. also helps companies work more efficient. If for example, employees are enabled to use the RSS feeds feature they need to spend only 10 minutes per day for staying up-to-date with all the new and relative topics, instead of receiving 100 distracting emails or having to browse randomly through the intranet â€Å"News† section which demands way too much time. The RSS feeds also enable structured and relevant information which can be customized and corrected on a daily basis. What is more, increased 1 2 3 http://nonwork. andrewmcafee. rg/ http://www. economist. com/node/13517582 http://getsatisfaction. com/explore/customer-support efficiency can be observed when due to easy collaboration, sharing and data transferring by means of a Web 2. 0 platform employees tend to deliver their projects faster. As a result, because of the psychological aspect of Enterprise 2. 0, a. k. a the human element, employees’ satisfaction level can significantly increase. W orking more efficiently makes people feel that they are contributing to the company in a positive way.Taking part in a platform where employees can add, edit and discuss content will make them feel significant and belonging to a community that shares a common goal. A virtual reality where it doesn’t matter what position within the company the user possesses in order to express an opinion or share an idea, can lead to lower Power Distance Authority4. Small steps incorporated via Enterprise 2. 0 strategy can lead to great transformations in employees’ attitude towards their employers.And a company with a high dissatisfaction level of its staff can never survive in the course of time. Last but not least Enterprise 2. 0 is the best solution for discovering and implementing new ways of innovation and expertise. â€Å"A difficult economic environment argues for the need to innovate more, not to pull back. † – says Ken Chenault, CEO of American Express. Having c arefully chosen combination of all the right Web 2. 0 tools to suit the company’s needs is however an innovation itself. Enterprise 2. is a way to transform closed, authority driven working atmospheres into a collaborative environment driven by employees’ intrinsic motivation, needs for belonging and self-actualization. A company that can be characterized by those terms therefore has already established the basic platform for open innovation. For example, a simple, random and not so clear idea shared by an employee on the Internal Social Media platform, can very quickly, easily and naturally transform into a feasible and actually very smart and realistic one.This idea though wouldn’t have come to live if the person didn’t have the motivation or the possibility to share it. That is why companies need to consider Enterprise 2. 0 in their workflows – enabling space for new topics, discussion and collaboration to emerge. Without innovating both interna lly and externally and upgrading expertise in such a transitional and constantly developing environment, businesses are just doomed to go down. In conclusion, Enterprise 2. 0 is no longer just an advantage for companies who implement it into their activities, on the contrary – it’s a necessity for survival.Only the businesses who know how to correctly manage their collective knowledge and preserve it, conduct their processes with greatest efficiency and lowest cost possible, keep their employees satisfied and spend their resources for constant development in their daily workflow as well as products will keep on existing. And in order to achieve those results and therefore survive, companies need to integrate Enterprise 2. 0 into their management and communication techniques both internally – with their employees – and externally – with their customers and business partners. 4 ttp://www. investopedia. com/terms/p/power-distance-index-pdi. asp#axzz1o XVBCP5S Number of words: 1156 References Wiki Service (Spring 2006). Enterprise 2. 0: The Dawn of Emergent Collaboration. Referenced on 8 March 2012, at: http://www. wikiservice. at/upload/ChristopheDucamp/McAfeeEntrepriseDeux. pdf Slide Share (12 March 2010). Enterprise 2. 0: Knowledge Management – People at the Center. Referenced on 8 March 2012, at: http://www. slideshare. net/TSystemsMMS/enterprise-20-knowledgemanagement-people-at-the-center Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (13 June 2011).Video – enterprise 2. 0: where does the value lie? Referenced on 8 March 2012, at: http://www. cimaglobal. com/Events-and-cpdcourses/Events/Enterprise-Web-20-event/Videos-1/ Spigit (unknown). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Enterprise 2. 0 ROI. Referenced at 8 March 2012, at: http://www. spigit. com/spigit-blog/maslow%E2%80%99s-hierarchy-of-enterprise-2-0-roi Investopedia (unknown). Power-Distance Index – PDI. Referenced on 8 March 2012, at: http://www. investoped ia. com/terms/p/power-distance-index-pdi. asp#axzz1oXVBCP5

A day … in the life

I wake with a constant mix of white noise acoustic guitar and the tortured lyrics of two broken men. This noise bleeds in through my ears. Why? Without it would I even know if I was awake? After the humdrum morning routine, philosophical conversation with Clo on the way to the bus stop and the inevitable journey on wonderful public transport I arrive at school. School this eternal lapse between comfort zones and paranoia. Comfort zones the lessons and places I'm comfortable in where I can really be me. Like drama selling line after line. I stretch the truth like a crooked sales man lie like a cheap Italian watch, showing all my emotions by portraying others. Some thing that is now so natural like I was born with it like the ability to breath. Paranoia, looking over my back makes me feel weak like a one armed boxer throwing punch after punch, after punch I'm so tired I give in I' m surprised when they duck. Sometimes I get so tired of getting out of bed but who would want to die like a cowardly little child? The doctors tell me there is nothing wrong with me so why do I get so full of anger, regret, and hatred? I got a trigger inside! Who doesn't know how to pull it? In the last year school has become easier but only slightly. The new found ease is all down the beautiful and profound idea of â€Å"options† being able to leave dull subjects behind in search of ones more to your interests making my life easier and the whole year generally happier. I'm not saying after options it all becomes perfect over night because schools still have the same problems as before the ones that schools pretend aren't there. But as we all know the future is more important than the present and my future will be a very bright and shinny one in fact my future will be orange. I see one supposed upside to school seeing my friends and my actual friends. There are some people who I really like and others I have nil time or respect for but I play politics. Who needs enemies? My real friends are the ones I know I can trust, the ones that I conclude to make school worth attending. The rest of the people I am seen with at school are all sort of bellow my level sort of unaware of the wonderful world we live in and all its great events that are there to bring peace love and enjoyment to our day. Don't get me wrong most of them are wonderful people but pay some attention the world does not revolve around your friends and your love life. My dream in life is to be a business man, actor, film maker, and comedian. Comedy is some thing that seems to come very naturally to me I love to make others laugh. I have always had a very mature sense of humor I am very into satire and those sketches with ridiculous but some how believable situations. I like my entertainment to be of quality but to also have a message. When people ask what I want to be I always tell them I want to be an international man of mystery. The only person who really knows what I'm talking about is me. I want to be an entertainer but that is all I want to be I don't want the following or the paps outside my door when I go to collect my milk or if I have left something in the car. I guess what I'm trying to get is simply this, I want to entertain people weather that be with business and product or film, comedy or television I also want the fortune ( a man needs to eat) the notoriety but not to be a brand. Do I ask for to much? Can I do it? Have I got it in me? I hope so. I would I have to admit that I do actually quite enjoy school but I also like the occasional sneaky day off with a â€Å"head ache†. The subjects I enjoy tend to be the ones were you get free reign over what you do like English no one tells you how much to write or how or what. I also like my computer based subjects I. C. T and digital applications I also enjoy science but not as much as I used to there's me thinking it would get better in year 10. But no! Were doing reports. Not good. But no matter how much I enjoy school I enjoy after school ten times more being allowed to take one hour in walking one mile that feels like a gift to me. Being able to just collapse and eat sleep and eat and watch the endless black hole of programmes made by and for severely brainless people on television. Go on my laptop, download applications that I don't actually need, music that I won't listen to unless iTunes shuffles to it, films I wont watch and television programmes that I want to watch when â€Å"I† want to. Although I take pleasure in my times after school with freedom, Saturday is the most important day of the week the ultimate day of freedom no bed times no rules eat what I like do what I like go where I like with who I want to do it with no obligation to see anyone. At the moment most of my weekends are spent with my wonderful girlfriend and vision of beautiful perfection April. She's the kind of girl makes life worth living its fun what ever we do as long as were together Some times I just look into her eyes and I know I'm happy well more like contented no desire to move or do anything else than to just look into her eyes . Our time together is more precious than diamonds or gold it is invaluable to me. Some times I pinch my self just to make sure its not dream. When I first met April I was in town with a friend I only went because I was told that I was to meet a girl. When I arrived outside McDonalds to meet my friend Heather who was the only one of this random constructed group I had ever laid eyes on before that. Sure I had spoken to April online but never seen her in the flesh and who where the others witch part of obscurity where they plucked from? and then I saw April she looked simply irresistible like a Hollywood beauty queen of old but like all Hollywood queens she had her entourage featuring her two best friends one either side her. Heather introduced us I said Hey and waved at her. She almost did exactly the same but after the wave came a smile that melted my heart that moment triggered shy mode: my hand snapped straight into the pockets of my jeans, my shoulders tensed I dared not do or say anything. 30 minutes, a solo trip to virgin and the stalking of two business men past the orange phone shop had passed before she spoke to me. She moved several paces away from her protection that eased me slightly so I took my hand out of my right pocket and lent it on her shoulder and said â€Å"so how are you? Then something trivial occurred witch distracted everyone so she cut short answer, then a scruffy looking unemployed man I know that much about him because who else where's camouflage jackets and buys a big Mac for breakfast? Looked straight at me then said something. At that point I took my arm off of her shoulder looked into her eyes and said confidently like it was a perfectly normal activity, April lets follow Him! We walked briskly behind him so that he noticed just to make a point. After finally thinking I could be alone with her and get know her better but alas cut short was our time alone as there was noise and a voice behind us as half her entourage caught up. But that didn't matter because at that point she took my and she has never let go. My usual Saturday activity is going into town spending my parent's money on food and junk that I don't actually want or need. This is called shopping or giving into to money grabbing organizations when I could be saving this money and putting it towards something practical mainly an item of consumer electronics some thing I have a big affiliation with. People who enjoy consumer electronics as much as I do are labeled as techys a clever take on the word treckie the term for star trek fans. My few on electronics is simple there is always one that is greater than the others and one that sells more than the others never normally the same thing witch has to said is a shame. But on reflection I would actually rather be buying pointless stuff with friends in town than being all alone at home with a new gadget I can't win. To me a Sunday is the day of rest a lazy day to recover one from the activities of Saturday a wind down before restarting for school on the Monday. A day for big dinners, being old fashioned and staying at home with family, or going out. But all in all Sundays are generally for being lazy. I used to like walking into town Sundays even though no decent shops open it just seemed calmer and quieter like an arctic village or a sleepy Cotswold hamlet. I guess I'm just impressed at the transition between Saturday and Sunday. A day in the life of me it's not really that bad. I suppose.