Language As A Symbolic Communication System - 1952 Words

Language is something that we need and use for everything in our lives. Language is, â€Å"a symbolic communication system that is learned instead of biologically inherited.† (O’Neil, 2006). Language is communication that is either written down or spoken in words or sentences. We need to have a good understanding of language to learn, work and for our normal lives. You need to know language to be able to communicate with other people. Language has structure and meaning, for example words and sentences. Language also had tone, pitch, pace and volume. There are several types of language, receptive language, expressive language, emergent language. Receptive language is how you receive and understand language and expressive language is how†¦show more content†¦Being numerate means having the confidence and skills to use numbers in all aspects of life. Language, Literacy and Numeracy are all interdependent. Comparliative numeracy is e.g. big, bigger and S uperlative is e.g. biggest. Children learn their numeracy skills through play with adults, these adults can be parents/carers, practitioners, child minder’s etc. Numeracy also means being able to work out â€Å"charts and diagrams, process information, solve problems, check answers, understand and explain solutions, and make decisions based on logical thinking and reasoning.† (National Numeracy, 2014) It is important to support the development of language, literacy and numeracy at this early stage as it forms the basis for each child’s future learning needs and ability and will also allow you to observe and understand if there is a need for additional support. It will also help children to grow and to become confident, educated individuals and succeed in their life goals. The developmental stages of language are; pre-linguistic stage, one-word stage, two or three-word utterances, more complex sentences, further development between 3-4, and further development between 4 and 5. In the pre-linguistic stage from birth to 1 year, babies can tell the difference between voices and other sounds, they can start to use sounds such as ‘dadadadada’ or ‘mamamamama’. In the one-word stage from 12 to 18 months young children can have a variety ofShow MoreRelatedIntercultural Communication : A Discourse Approach1225 Words   |  5 PagesChapter one - Intercultural communication: A discourse approach Intercultural communication: A discourse approach attempts to explain the discourse approach and points to the authors distinction between cross-cultural communication and intercultural communication. The chapter underlines the authors approach and theory to intercultural communication. It covers several explanations and the distinction between cross-cultural communication and intercultural communication. The chapter discusses theRead MoreSymbolic Interactionism Was Proposed By J. Mead1440 Words   |  6 PagesThe theory of symbolic interactionism was proposed by J. Mead. He identifies two levels of interaction: non-symbolic and symbolic. The difference between them is that non-symbolic interaction is a characteristic of living nature, whereas a symbolic interaction is common for human society only. The scientist believed that people react not only to the actions of others but also to their intentions. It means that they unravel the intentions of other people, analyzing their acti ons, putting themselvesRead MoreLanguage As A Form Of Communication Essay1388 Words   |  6 Pagesbehaviors, languages, customs, the things we produce and the methods we use to produce them. The human ability to create and transmit culture is what differentiates us, as humans, from the rest of the animal world. The essential feature of culture, that it is learned and transmitted from one generation to the next, rests on the human capacity to think symbolically. Language, perhaps the most important feature, is a symbolic form of communication. Language is a form of communication. Without language, cultureRead MoreEvolution Of Language And The Brain1447 Words   |  6 Pageshas published 2 major books The Symbolic Species: The Co-Evolution of Language and the Brain† and â€Å"Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter† also coauthored several books and articles revolving semiotics. The book I will be mainly focusing on is The Symbolic Species, which tackles on h is theory of the co-evolution of language and the brain. He has 3 tasks in this book first, differentiates human mode of reference (symbolic reference), versus the non-symbolic references found in nonhuman speciesRead MoreThe Main Assumptions Underlying Bourdieu s Conception Of Language1213 Words   |  5 Pagesassumptions underlying Bourdieu’s conception of language. †¨ Pierre Bourdieu was a sociologist who was concerned with mainly the dynamics of power in society. Bourdieu believes language is a mechanism of power alongside a method of communication. According to Bourdieu, the language one speaks will vary across different social backgrounds. By this we mean that if an individual is from a lower social class, they are expected to speak the fundamentals of the language however, if an individual is from an upperRead MoreEssay about Herbert Blumers Symbolic Interactionism1326 Words   |  6 PagesHerbert Blumers Symbolic Interactionism THE THEORY Symbolic Interactionism as thought of by Herbert Blumer, is the process of interaction in the formation of meanings for individuals. Blumer was a devotee of George H. Mead, and was influenced by John Dewey. Dewey insisted that human beings are best understood in relation to their environment (Society for More Creative Speech, 1996). With this as his inspiration, Herbert Blumer outlined Symbolic Interactionism, a study of human group life andRead More What Makes Us Human?1718 Words   |  7 Pagesbegin with primates, however through evolution we developed unique characteristics such as larger brain sizes, the capacity for language, emotional complexity and habitual bipedalism which separated us from other animals and allowed us to further advance ourselves and survive in the natural world. Additionally, humans have been able to develop a culture, self-awareness, symbolic behavior, and emotional complexity. Human biological adaptations separated humans from our ancestors and facilit ated learnedRead MoreSociology Functionalism and Symbolic Interaction1494 Words   |  6 PagesFunctionalism and Symbolic Interaction. Sociologists analyse social phenomena at different levels and from different perspectives. From concrete interpretations to sweeping generalizations of society and social behaviour, sociologists study everything from specific events, the micro level of analysis of small social patterns, to the big picture, the macro level of analysis of large social patterns. Sociologists today employ three primary theoretical perspectives: the symbolic interactions perspectiveRead MoreThe Importance Of Cognition And Its Impact On Human Cognition1249 Words   |  5 Pageshumans unique is our cognition. We are the coherent mammals and the one important characteristic that truly measures our nature is that we are a representational group. Humans are truly unique because of our human cognition, including are language and symbolic thought. First, what is cognition? Cognition is how an individual comprehends and behaves within this world. It is a cluster of capabilities or procedures that are a fragment of approximately each individual action. These reasoning abilitiesRead MoreNoteabilitypro Essay929 Words   |  4 Pagesdetailed by its author [Hammel, 2006], the communication and its textual representation was specifically designed to be transparent to the Max/Msp environment creating a highly dependence with this specific computational framework. This dependence occurs in both the symbolic representation and software architecture levels which constrains the preservation of scores created using this environment. 2.2.2 Antescofo Antescofo is a score-following system that enables to code interactions between the

Hpv Vaccine Should Be Mandatory - 1684 Words

HPV is by far the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 50 percent of all sexually active men and women will get it at some point in their lives, and 20 million already have it. A vaccine is available that prevents 70% of cervical cancers that arise from sexual intercourse. The human papillomavirus is unknowingly common and is diagnosed in 10,000 women a year, causing 4,000 deaths per year (â€Å"HPV Question and Answers†). If we take the responsibility to vaccinate young girls and boys, to be safe, we can eliminate many unnecessary deaths. This vaccine is a great discovery that should be put to good use, the HPV vaccine should be mandated in young teens everywhere. The HPV virus has gone unseen by many until the recent controversy over the vaccine. However, this virus is thought to be one of the world’s most wide spread STD’s. â€Å"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 6.2 million women and men are newly infected every year† with HPV. HPV has over 100 strains, with more than thirty that are sexually transmitted. Some of these strains are known to cause cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis cancers and others can cause genital warts. â€Å"Studies have found the vaccine to be almost 100% effective in preventing diseases caused by the four HPV types covered by the vaccine—including precancers of the cervix, vulva and vagina, and genital warts† (â€Å"HPV Questions andShow MoreRelatedShould Hpv Vaccines Be Mandatory?1513 Words   |  7 PagesJosie Caskey Honors Rhetoric Dr. Margaret Murray 20 April 2015 Should HPV Vaccines Be Mandatory? The debate over the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines represents two very controversial topics in healthcare in America, mandatory vaccination and teenage sexuality. Currently the two approved vaccines, Gardasil and Ceravix, are designed to protect against the sexually transmitted virus HPV. Because these vaccines have their greatest benefit when given before a person becomes sexually active, theRead MoreHPV: The Most Common Sexually Transmitted Infection Essay1539 Words   |  7 Pagestransmitted infection (STI) is human papillomavirus (HPV) (CDC, 2013). Over half of sexually activity people will become infected with HPV at some point in their lifetime (National Cancer Institute, 2012). HPV can fall into two categories: low-risk HPV and high-risk HPV (National Cancer Institute, 2012). Low-risk HPV, also known as HPV types 6 and 11, cause about 90% of genital warts (National Cancer Institute, 2012). High-risk HPV, also known as HPV types 16 and 18, causes about 70% of cervical c ancerRead MoreThe Human Papillomavirus ( Hpv )1266 Words   |  6 PagesThe Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease (STD), is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States with about 14 million cases each year. There are two different types of HPV: low-risk and high-risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), â€Å"more than 90 percent and 80 percent, respectively, of sexually active men and women will be infected with at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives. Around one-half of these infectionsRead MoreHuman Papillomavirus ( Hpv )763 Words   |  4 Pages1. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of around 150 viruses. Some HPV types can lead to wart formation and other types can lead to cancer; primarily cervical, vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal, and Oropharyngeal cancer (1,2) 2. HPV is so common that one out of four people (~80 million) are currently infected in the US. Around 14 million people, teens and adults, become infected with HPV every year. (1,2) 3. HPV can be obtained through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the virus. (2)Read MoreHuman Papillomavirus ( Hpv ) Vaccine Essay1229 Words   |  5 PagesPapillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine My niece is 11 years old and my sister-in-law is being pressured from doctors, friends, and even the news media to give her a certain type of vaccination called HPV, Gardasil being the most common. At the end of our conversation, she mentions that at least she has a choice and turned to me, saying you may not have a choice when your kids are that age. I was stunned and she goes on to tell me how the government is trying very hard to make this particular vaccination mandatory. UponRead MorePreventing Cervical Cancer with the HPV Vaccination652 Words   |  3 PagesHPV vaccination is the most common used method for preventing cervical cancer in young girls ranging from age nine to eleven years old. The overall perception of the vaccine is positive by the public because of its wide use and support by state laws, school systems and medical associations. According to the American Pediatric Association the vaccine has an excellent safety record. (Nirvi,1) A reasonable amount of parents still feel skeptical about mandatory HPV vaccination on their kids and lackRead MoreIntroduction. The Very Controversial Issue Being Discussed956 Words   |  4 Pagesvery controversial issue being discussed in this debate is the question should vaccinations such as HPV be mandated for teenage girls? Two different views are offered. This controversy began when the issue was introduced to the real world in 2006. The FDA announced a prophylactic vaccine against 4 strains of HPV. Most importantly is the fact that this vaccination has about a 70% protection against cervical cancers linked to HPV. More CDC recommends routine vaccination for 11-12-year-old girls. ItRead MoreIntroduction:. Hpv Vaccinations Have Been An Ongoing Debate1033 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction: HPV vaccinations have been an ongoing debate; whether the vaccine is worth being administered to young girls is the fundamental question and if so at what cost. The primary reason I selected this topic is that HPV is a common virus complicated and often misunderstood infection; nearly 80 million people, about one in four are currently infected in the United States. Background: HPV is a class of more than 150 related viruses. Each HPV virus in this vast body receives a number whichRead MoreThe HVP Vaccine: Analysis Essay799 Words   |  4 Pagescentury, making it mandatory to receive Hep A and Hep B along with the other countless vaccines; however there is one that has been tried to make mandatory among girls, and it’s the HPV vaccine that is used to prevenet cervial cancer. In order to illuminate the public on the subject, two writers, health advocate Mike Adams and journalist Arthur Allen, discuss the key points on the vaccine. While both adams and allen have clearly pronounced distinct opnions on the legislation of the vaccine, both come toRead MoreThe HPV Debate Essay699 Words   |  3 PagesCervical cancer is met with a vaccine with both pros and cons to suppress and annihilate it indefinitely. Although both Mike Adams and Arthur Allen inform the audience of the HPV vaccine, Adams vigorously argues, without evidence, that the vaccine is danger ous to humans while Allen is more sedate and discusses opposing sides to the vaccine. The HPV vaccine has its pros and cons to people that it has created debates to come down to the conclusion of a better solution for the drug companies and the

Effects of Violent Video Games free essay sample

The author gives ample explanation on evidence used from his sources to give the optimal understanding to the reader of the results and/or findings given by the sources. The article connects to the modern age of gamers with examples from big name video games popular with today’s video gamers. Although Mr. Carey does give evidence that violent video games have been found to give short term negative effects he does reassure the reader through quotes and statements from his sources that no studies show consistent long term effects. The claim of the author about the research on the effects of violent video games is strongly supported and backed through his use of rhetorical appeals and scholarly evidence. Even though Mr. Carey is not an expert in this field of study his experience as a veteran of scientific writer, having written for Science Times and The New York Times for over 10 years, shows through his very valuable and knowledge sources that he quotes and uses examples from in this article. The author uses quotes from various researchers and scientist throughout this article such as economist, psychologist, and doctors all valuable sources that share the opinion of his claim. Mr. Carey then goes on to connect his sources statement with the ethos appeal by explaining their authority. Craig A. Anderson, a psychologist at Iowa State University, is an expert in his field of study which is the effects of violent media, including video games, on today’s adolescents. Mr. Carey uses the quote â€Å"None of these extreme acts, like a school shooting, occurs because of only one risk factor; there are many factors, including feeling socially isolated, being bullied, and so on,† from Dr. Anderson to support his claim by showing that most blame of violent outbreaks in society are blamed on one single thing, like video games, but if you look at the studies there are some many different factors that affect the behavior of today’s society. The author then goes on to say â€Å"Most researchers in the field agree with Dr. Anderson evidence and findings,† which establishes an accepted respect of authority for his source. This gives the reader a feeling of comfort in knowing that these sources are scholarly and can be trusted. Another source used by the author explains a recent experiment by psychologists at Iowa State University have found that after a short usage of the fighting game â€Å"Mortal Kombat† that they indeed acted slightly more aggressive shortly following the experiment but ultimately couldn’t find any results in long term effects. Mr. Carey states â€Å"Many similar studies have found the same thing: A dose of violent gaming makes people act a little more rudely than they would otherwise, at least for a few minutes after playing, but little is found about what actually follows,† this gives more support to his claim by displaying that his claim is the generally accepted and agreed upon opinion of most scholars in this field of study. Throughout the article the author gives each of his source’s full detailed background to explain why they are creditable and trustworthy sources. Mr. Carey’s use of providing credentials and authority to all his sources is used to give his claim creditability and make the reader respect his opinion. The author uses evidence from his sources throughout the article to connect logic thinking to his claim which goes along with the rhetorical appeal of logos. Mr. Carey uses real life situations to appeal to the reader’s logic so his claim makes more logically sense and can be backed easier. The author says â€Å"Many psychologists argue that violent video games â€Å"socialize† children over time, prompting them to imitate the behavior of the game’s characters, the cartoonish machismo, the hair-trigger rage, the dismissive brutality. Children also imitate flesh and blood people in their lives, of course — parents, friends, teachers, siblings — and one question that researchers have not yet answered is when, exactly, a habit is so consuming that its influence trumps the socializing effects of other major figures in a child’s life,† this statement from Mr. Carey used to bring all real life situations such as socializing, cartoon and video games characters, parents, etc. all together and uses that to how is claim is the logic choice when evaluating all these things in your life. The author then goes on to state, â€Å"Yet it is not at all clear whether, over longer periods, such a habit increases the likelihood that a person will commit a violent crime, like murder, rape, or assault, much less a Newtown-like massacre. (Such calculated rampages are too rare to study in any rigorous way, researchers agree. † which makes the reader really think logically about how much of an impact that video games has on violent behavior in today’s society. The author uses these examples which most people find to be the worst types of violent behavior in a way that is not charged or an error in logic because the way he uses them makes us thinking on a more realistic and deep level about how they are connected to violent video games. Mr. Care y tries to use every angle he can throughout his article including the rhetorical appeal of pathos through his use of tragic recent events and other statements that would make most readers feel on an emotional level. At the start of the article the author says, â€Å"The young men who opened fire at Columbine High School, at the movie theater in Aurora, Colo. , and in other massacres had this in common: they were video gamers who seemed to be acting out some dark digital fantasy. It was as if all that exposure to computerized violence gave them the idea to go on a rampage — or at least fueled their urges,† which for many readers hits directly on their heart strings because of how tragic the events he listed were and the toll they put emotional on most people in the United States when they happened. Mr. Carey uses this statement in such a way to really get the reader’s attention to his article that some other article may not because of how it connects with the reader’s emotions. Next the author states, â€Å"The issue is especially relevant today, because the games are more realistic and bloodier than ever, and because most American boys play them at some point,† which might makes most parents reading this article to think about their children especially those with boys about how the games they are playing effects them. This is another effective way the author uses the reader’s emotion to connect with his central claim about video games. Benedict Carey’s article â€Å"Shooting in the Dark† is effectively used by him to support his claim that there are no serious long term negative effects found from violent video games in today’s research. The author used rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos throughout his entire article to good effect with me the reader. With Mr. Carey’s ethos appeal of giving all his sources a high base authority by backing them with ample background crediting and evidence gives the reader a feeling of comfort when reading. In his logos appeal Carey appeals to the reader’s logic by using real life situations that most readers would face in their everyday lives to connect his claim about video games into a normally logical way of thinking for the reader. Lastly Mr. Carey appeals to the reader’s emotion in his article by touching on recent tragic events and facts that effect children as to connect to the reader’s more emotional side. Overall I feel the author’s use of rhetorical appeals and solid scholarly sources gives the reader a very trust worthy and valuable take on the argument about the true effects that violent video games play on today’s society. Works Cited Carey, Benedict. Shooting in the Dark. The New York Times. N. p. , 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.

Liberalization privatization globalization free essay sample

Privatization, also spelled privatisation, may have several meanings. Primarily, it is the process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency, public service or public property from the public sector (a government) to the private sector, either to a business that operate for a profit or to a non-profit organization. It may also mean government outsourcing of services or functions to private firms, e. g. revenue collection, law enforcement, and prison management. [1] Privatization has also been used to describe two unrelated transactions. The first is the buying of all outstanding shares of a publicly traded company by a single entity, taking the company private. This is often described as private equity. The second is a demutualization of a mutual organization or cooperative to form a joint stock company. [2] Primary Objectives: The following are the primary objectives which have been defined in the Government’s policy statement on Parastatal Sector Reform: Improve the operational efficiency of enterprises that are currently in the Parastatal sector, and their contribution to the national economy; Reduce the burden of Parastatal enterprises on the Government budget; Expand the role of the private sector in the economy, permitting the Government to concentrate public resources on its role as provider of basic public services, including health, education and social infrastructure; and Encourage wider participation by the people in the ownership and management of business. We will write a custom essay sample on Liberalization privatization globalization or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Secondary Objectives: In so far as their pursuit is consistent with the primary objectives, the CHC intends to ensure that divestiture meets the following secondary objectives: to create a more market-oriented economy; to secure enhanced assess to foreign markets, to capital and to technology; to promote the development of the capital market; and to preserve the goal of self-reliance. There are four main methods[citation needed] of privatization: 1. Share issue privatization (SIP) selling shares on the stock market 2. Asset sale privatization selling an entire organization (or part of it) to a strategic investor, usually by auction or by using the Treuhand model 3. Voucher privatization distributing shares of ownership to all citizens, usually for free or at a very low price. 4. Privatization from below Start-up of new private businesses in formerly socialist countries. Choice of sale method is influenced by the capital market, political, and firm-specific factors. SIPs are more likely to be used when capital markets are less developed and there is lower income inequality. Share issues can broaden and deepen domestic capital markets, boosting liquidity and (potentially) economic growth, but if the capital markets are insufficiently developed it may be difficult to find enough buyers, and transaction costs (e. g. underpricing required) may be higher. For this reason, many governments elect for listings in the more developed and liquid markets, for example Euronext, and the London, New York and Hong Kong stock exchanges. Secured borrowing Some privatization transactions can be interpreted as a form of a secured loan[3][4] and are criticized as a particularly noxious form of governmental debt. [3] In this interpretation, the upfront payment from the privatization sale corresponds to the principal amount of the loan, while the proceeds from the underlying asset correspond to secured interest payments – the transaction can be considered substantively the same as a secured loan, though it is structured as a sale. [3] This interpretation is particularly argued to apply to recent municipal transactions in the United States, particularly for fixed term, such as the 2008 sale of the proceeds from Chicago parking meters for 75 years. It is argued that this is motivated by politicians desires to borrow money surreptitiously,[3] due to legal restrictions on and political resistance to alternative sources of revenue, viz, raising taxes or issuing debt. History The history of privatization dates from Ancient Greece, when governments contracted out almost everything to the private sector. [7] In the Roman Republic private individuals and companies performed the majority of services including tax collection (tax farming), army supplies (military contractors), religious sacrifices and construction. However, the Roman Empire also created state-owned enterprises—for example, much of the grain was eventually produced on estates owned by the Emperor. Some scholars suggest that the cost of bureaucracy was one of the reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire. [7] Perhaps one of the first ideological movements towards privatization came during Chinas golden age of the Han dynasty. Taoism came into prominence for the first time at a state level, and it advocated the laissez-faire principle of Wu wei ( ), literally meaning do nothing. [8] The rulers were counseled by the Taoist clergy that a strong ruler was virtually invisible. During the Renaissance, most of Europe was still by and large following the feudal economic model. By contrast, the Ming dynasty in China began once more to practice privatization, especially with regards to their manufacturing industries. This was a reversal of the earlier Song dynasty policies, which had themselves overturned earlier policies in favor of more rigorous state control. [9] In Britain, the privatization of common lands is referred to as enclosure (in Scotland as the Lowland Clearances and the Highland Clearances). Significant privatizations of this nature occurred from 1760 to 1820, coincident with the industrial revolution in that country. Potential Benefits of Privatisation 1. Improved Efficiency. The main argument for privatisation is that private companies have a profit incentive to cut costs and be more efficient. If you work for a government run industry, managers do not usually share in any profits. However, a private firm is interested in making profit and so it is more likely to cut costs and be efficient. Since privatisation, companies such as BT, and British Airways have shown degrees of improved efficiency and higher profitability. 2. Lack of Political Interference. It is argued governments make poor economic managers. They are motivated by political pressures rather than sound economic and business sense. For example a state enterprise may employ surplus workers which is inefficient. The government may be reluctant to get rid of the workers because of the negative publicity involved in job losses. Therefore, state owned enterprises often employ too many workers increasing inefficiency. 3. Short Term view. A government many think only in terms of next election. Therefore, they may be unwilling to invest in infrastructure improvements which will benefit the firm in the long term because they are more concerned about projects that give a benefit before the election. 4. Shareholders It is argued that a private firm has pressure from shareholders to perform efficiently. If the firm is inefficient then the firm could be subject to a takeover. A state owned firm doesn’t have this pressure and so it is easier for them to be inefficient. 5. Increased Competition. Often privatisation of state owned monopolies occurs alongside deregulation – i. e. policies to allow more firms to enter the industry and increase the competitiveness of the market. It is this increase in competition that can be the greatest spur to improvements in efficiency. For example, there is now more competition in telecoms and distribution of gas and electricity. However, privatisation doesn’t necessarily increase competition, it depends on the nature of the market. E. g. there is no competition in tap water. There is very little competition within the rail industry. 6. Government will raise revenue from the sale Selling state owned assets to the private sector raised significant sums for the UK government in the 1980s. However, this is a one off benefit. It also means we lose out on future dividends from the profits of public companies. Disadvantages of Privatisation 1. Natural Monopoly A natural monopoly occurs when the most efficient number of firms in an industry is one. For example tap water has very significant fixed costs, therefore there is no scope for having competition amongst several firms. Therefore, in this case, privatisation would just create a private monopoly which might seek to set higher prices which exploit consumers. Therefore it is better to have a public monopoly rather than a private monopoly which can exploit the consumer. 2. Public Interest There are many industries which perform an important public service, e. g health care, education and public transport. In these industries, the profit motive shouldn’t be the primary objective of firms and the industry. For example, in the case of health care, it is feared privatising health care would mean a greater priority is given to profit rather than patient care. Also, in an industry like health care, arguably we don’t need a profit motive to improve standards. When doctors treat patients they are unlikely to try harder if they get a bonus. 3. Government loses out on potential dividends. Many of the privatised companies in the UK are quite profitable. This means the government misses out on their dividends, instead going to wealthy shareholders. 4. Problem of regulating private monopolies. Privatisation creates private monopolies, such as the water companies and rail companies. These need regulating to prevent abuse of monopoly power. Therefore, there is still need for government regulation, similar to under state ownership. 5. Fragmentation of industries. In the UK, rail privatisation led to breaking up the rail network into infrastructure and train operating companies. This led to areas where it was unclear who had responsibility. For example, the Hatfield rail crash was blamed on no one taking responsibility for safety. Different rail companies has increased the complexity of rail tickets. 6. Short-Termism of Firms. As well as the government being motivated by short term pressures, this is something private firms may do as well. To please shareholders they may seek to increase short term profits and avoid investing in long term projects. For example, the UK is suffering from a lack of investment in new energy sources; the privatised companies are trying to make use of existing plants rather than invest in new ones. Evaluation of Privatisation It depends on the industry in question. An industry like telecoms is a typical industry where the incentive of profit can help increase efficiency. However, if you apply it to industries like health care or public transport the profit motive is less important. It depends on the quality of regulation. Do regulators make the privatised firms meet certain standards of service and keep prices low. Is the market contestable and competitive? Creating a private monopoly may harm consumer interests, but if the market is highly competitive, there is greater scope for efficiency savings. Liberalization In general, liberalization refers to a relaxation of previous government restrictions, usually in areas of social or economic policy. In some contexts this process or concept is often, but not always, referred to as deregulation. [1] Liberalization of autocratic regimes may precede democratization (or not, as in the case of the Prague Spring). In the arena of social policy it may refer to a relaxation of laws restricting for example divorce, abortion, or drugs and to the elimination of laws prohibiting same-sex sexual relations or same-sex marriage. Most often, the term is used to refer to economic liberalization, especially trade liberalization or capital market liberalization. Although economic liberalization is often associated with privatization, the two can be quite separate processes. For example, the European Union has liberalized gas and electricity markets, instituting a system of competition; but some of the leading European energy companies (such as EDF and Vattenfall) remain partially or completely in government ownership. Liberalized and privatized public services may be dominated by just a few big companies particularly in sectors with high capital costs, or high such as water, gas and electricity. In some cases they may remain legal monopoly at least for some part of the market (e. g. small consumers). Liberalization is one of three focal points (the others being privatization and stabilization) of the Washington Consensuss trinity strategy for economies in transition. An example of Liberalization is the Washington Consensus which was a set of policies created and used by Argentina There is also a concept of hybrid liberalisation as, for instance, in Ghana where cocoa crop can be sold to a variety of competing private companies, but there is a minimum price for which it can be sold and all exports are controlled by the state. [2] Economic liberalisation in India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search The economic liberalisation in India refers to ongoing economic reforms in India that started on 24 July 1991. After Independence in 1947, India adhered to socialist policies. Attempts were made to liberalize economy in 1966 and 1985. The first attempt was reversed in 1967. Thereafter, a stronger version of socialism was adopted. Second major attempt was in 1985 by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The process came to a halt in 1987, though 1966 style reversal did not take place. [1] In 1991, after India faced a balance of payments crisis, it had to pledge 20 tons of gold to Union Bank of Switzerland and 47 tons to Bank of England as part of a bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In addition, the IMF required India to undertake a series of structural economic reforms. [2] As a result of this requirement, the government of P. V. Narasimha Rao and his finance minister Manmohan Singh (currently the Prime Minister of India) started breakthrough reforms, although they did not implement many of the reforms the IMF wanted. [3][4] The new neo-liberal policies included opening for international trade and investment, deregulation, initiation of privatization, tax reforms, and inflation-controlling measures. The overall direction of liberalisation has since remained the same, irrespective of the ruling party, although no party has yet tried to take on powerful lobbies such as the trade unions and farmers, or contentious issues such as reforming labour laws and reducing agricultural subsidies. [5] Thus, unlike the reforms of 1966 and 1985 that were carried out by the majority Congress governments, the reforms of 1991 carried out by a minority government proved sustainable. There exists a lively debate in India as to what made the economic reforms sustainable? [6] The fruits of liberalisation reached their peak in 2007, when India recorded its highest GDP growth rate of 9%. [7] With this, India became the second fastest growing major economy in the world, next only to China. [8] The growth rate has slowed significantly in the first half of 2012. [9] An Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report states that the average growth rate 7. 5% will double the average income in a decade, and more reforms would speed up the pace. [10] Indian government coalitions have been advised to continue liberalisation. India grows at slower pace than China, which has been liberalising its economy since 1978. [11] The McKinsey Quarterly states that removing main obstacles would free India’s economy to grow as fast as China’s, at 10 percent a year. [12] There has been significant debate, however, around liberalization as an inclusive economic growth strategy. Since 1992, income inequality has deepened in India with consumption among the poorest staying stable while the wealthiest generate consumption growth. [13] For 2010, India was ranked 124th among 179 countries in Index of Economic Freedom World Rankings, which is an improvement from the preceding year.

Evaluation of revenue management application in Nigerian hotels. The WritePass Journal

Evaluation of revenue management application in Nigerian hotels. Abstract Evaluation of revenue management application in Nigerian hotels. Abstract1.0  Introduction1.1  Aim1.2   RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND QUESTIONSResearch questions:  Limitations  FinanceAuthenticity of informationTime constraintsResearch OutlineLITERATURE REVIEW ON REVENUEMANAGEMENTRevenue ManagementDefinitionPurpose of Yield ManagementRM ToolsPricing strategiesDisplacement analysisInventory controlForecastingDemand forecastingBIBLIOGRAPHYRelated Abstract This thesis has provided a structured literature review which gives a broader definitions of the major concepts in revenue management in terms of the applications and the long term relationship with customers. It then explores the extent to which revenue management is been applied in the Nigerian hospitality sector. The aim of this thesis is to analyze revenue management application in some selected hotels in Nigeria, Nigeria is made up of 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory. Three hotels will be selected from the 36 states adding up to a total of 108 hotels to which questionnaires will be sent, the result will give how RM is been applied in line with the manipulation techniques involved, above that, from the research, it will conduct a development plan for other hotels under utilising the full strength of RM tools. The goal of this thesis is to improve the profitability of the room capacity with the tools of revenue management being explored, The theoretical data for this thesis will be collected from the selected hotels, hospitality management literatures, and Internet. In addition, other important information sources will be from the author’s personal experience and a result from the questionnaires rolled out to gain a reliable and comprehensive information of the RM adoption. 1.0  Introduction This chapter gives an introduction to RM, following literatures by Orkin, (1990), Jones and Val, (1993), Karaesmen and van Ryzin, (2004), Kimes, (2000, 1998), Rothstein (1971, 1975), Bitran and Caldentey, (2003), and Weatherford, (2003). We start with an elaborated explanation of revenue management, the history and its origin (Rothstein (1971, 1975), Bitran and Caldentey, (2003), and Weatherford, (2003)). Afterwards, a conceptual framework for understanding the objectives of revenue management, the business platform on which RM can be adopted (Kimes, 1989), the way the system works and finally, this thesis will conclude by giving an outline of the remaining chapters of the thesis. We here trace the history of revenue management as practiced in the hospitality industry in an effort to illustrate what Jones and Lockwood, (1998), said about RM, they said that Revenue management is a well researched and explored manipulation technique for maximising revenue. Unfortunately, revenue management practice in Nigeria is little known, for example, it has been a commonplace to sell a room twice a day if the opportunity arise, increasing the revenue generated directly leading to RM application indirectly, this form the bisis of this dissertation and it is a gap this research is seeking to fill by exploring the extent to which RM is practised in Nigerian hotels directly and not been blind folded by an indirect approach of the application of Revenue Management. RM can be define as a management tool or technique which is currently being utilized by an increasing number of international chain of hotels and independently owned hotels in order to maximize the effective use of their available room capacity and ensure a boost financially, (Salmon, 1990). Furthermore, Jones and Lockwood, (1998), researched and concluded that RM is not entirely a new capacity manipulation tactic in the world, and most hoteliers practice some form of RM, such as the adjusting of room rates to temper fluctuations between peak and off-peak seasons, mid-week, and weekend rates. This Research, therefore, examines the use and application of RM in the hotel industry in Nigeria and aims to demonstrate its application towards effectively maximizing room revenue and profit maximization. For the sake of this thesis, a comprehensive literature review based on secondary sources in order to explore RM application will be established as a guide to the fieldwork and the areas of interest will be extracted from the literature review. Above others, these areas and issues will be investigated through the method of collecting primary data. Furthermore, all collected documentations will be made available in order to validate the information given during these interviews. This thesis is a very satisfying and challenging process since it focuses on the gap which has never been researched in the hospitality industry in Nigeria. Nevertheless, it is a valuable learning experience which will be cherished by revenue managers in Nigeria in order to enhance the revenue generated in their respective hotel(s). This thesis seek to give a proper understanding of revenue management tools including; Overbooking, Inventory control, displacement analysis pricing and lastly forecasting method, their impacts on the corporate performance in terms of customer satisfaction and loyalty leading to customer retention will be of secondary concern. 1.1  Aim This thesis seeks to explore the extent to which revenue management is being practised in Nigerian hotel in terms of the usage of RM tools which is afore mentioned. This will be achieved by exploring three hotels from each 36 states in Nigeria, some which will be from an international chain of hotels and others an independently owned hotels. Questionnaires will be rolled out to these selected hotels in other to have a generic perception towards the adoption of RM following the literature by Vinod (2004) in that the value of revenue management is assessed in the hotel industry. 1.2   RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND QUESTIONS Every seller is faced with fundamental decisions, juxtaposing this, a BBQ restaurant selling chicken and chips should be able to decide on which period to make her maximum sale, the price to give and when to reduce the price. A cinema ticket or stadium ticket must be sold within a certain period, therefore, the manager must decide when to start selling tickets, what the asking price should be, and when to drop price if necessary. In the Hotel industry, it is similar; hotel managers should know when to drop prices on rooms, when to stop selling rooms, when to increase the prices of rooms. Following these examples, the Nigerian hotels’ operations led us to the objectives of the thesis: To explore the extent to which revenue management is applied. To seek the awareness of RM within the Nigerian hotels. Research questions: How is revenue managed in Nigerian hotels? To what extent do Nigerian hotels consider Customer loyalty, customer satisfaction and customer retention a priority?   Limitations   For the sake of this thesis, only three hotels will be explored from each of the 36 states in Nigeria, because there are several unregistered hotels and there is no proper list of all the hotels in Nigeria. However, some of the hotels are part of international chain of hotels operating on an international level while some are independently owned. Furthermore, we have limited the research to RM application and from the survey, the sensitive areas as regards to customer loyalty, satisfaction and long term retention will be explored, in other words, the loyalty, retention and satisfaction will be our secondary aim. Nonetheless, there may of course be other operations or practices within these hotels that affect revenue but our research is focused on the five RM tools been employed as afore mentioned. The followings under listed are the possible limitation this thesis might face. Finance One of the major problems for the research is finance, the financial aspect in terms of travelling to Nigeria to schedule   and execute an interview with the managers of the selected hotels and therefore, questionnaires will be sent via the wireless network (internet) using kwicksurvey; an internet based questionnaire software. Authenticity of information Secondly, Some of the managers to fill the questionnaires might accept the purpose of the study and fill, but some might be offended by it and feel it is a time wasting process and give a biased information. Time constraints Lastly, the risk for the study of not been able to find the information it needs at the allowed time. Finding the information may take more time than the limited time given (time constraints). Research Outline Chapter one will set a solid foundation for this thesis, therefore, the research   will continue by presenting a comprehensive literature review as far as revenue management is concerned in Chapter Two. A concise description and critical understanding of RM background will be the aim of the literature review (Chapter two). Furthermore, an overview of the literature within the following RM tools including; overbooking, displacement analysis, price control, inventory control (length of stay restriction) and as they lead to customer management will be given in order to set the base and create an understating of how these tools influence revenue generated. Chapter Two concludes with a brief structured analysis of the literature review presented. Chapter three will seek to explore and examine the aim of the research process and how the fieldwork will be conducted. Research limitations will be presented, the fieldwork and how information will be handled. This chapter describes what happens in all the stages on the fieldwork.   (Before, during, and after the fieldwork). In Chapter Four we present a generic practice within the studied hotels and give a short generic presentation of the hotels participating and describe how RM tools are used in terms of the followings; overbooking, displacement analysis, price control, inventory control (length of stay restriction). Concluding the chapter with a description of how the respondents recognize the external environment followed by their perception on revenue management and their practices of RM techniques. In Chapter Five, the empirical findings will be evaluated and analysed in a way that it can be linked with the literature overview presented in Chapter Two. This will be done through a critical analysis. These analyses will illustrate the effectiveness of RM application in Nigerian hotels and how it is been adopted, therefore, Chapter Six will be based on the analysis of revenue management tactics. Chapter Six gives the implication of our main findings and conclusions, as this will be based on the entire research carried out, Furthermore, suggestions of areas which is felt to be further developed after critical evaluation of RM application in Nigeria is made following Choi and Mattila (2004)’s investigation on the impact of revenue management as regards to customers’ perceptions on fairness. LITERATURE REVIEW ON REVENUEMANAGEMENT Revenue ManagementDefinition In this chapter, RM literature will be explored, following all the five application tools afore mentioned. In the literature, Burgess and Bryant, (2001) said, many authors are conversant with the use of interchanging the term revenue management (RM) with yield management (YM). Some consider YM only to be related with revenue derived from accommodation whereas RM may encompass all areas of hotel revenue Therefore, it is important to highlight the term YM and clarify its meaning for the purpose of this thesis. Many definitions are available on YM. Jones and Val, (1993) said, yield is calculated by taking revenue realized and dividing it by revenue potential. However, RM is often associated with the following definition by Kimes, (2000, p. 121) â€Å"The application of information systems and pricing strategies to allocate the right capacity to the right customer at the right place at the right time.† further assessment conducted by Mitchell (1992) states that revenue management is the process of controlling room availability by opening, closing and restricting different room rates based on forecast demand in order to maximise room revenue. Jauncey et al. concluded through an analysis of literatures, came up with the term â€Å"best fit† definition for RM, which is â€Å"An integrated, continuous and systematic approach to maximizing room revenue through the manipulation of room rates in response to forecasted patterns of demand.† Jauncey et al., (1995, p. 25) and a description of RM, according to Jones and Val (1993), is to apply basic economic principles to pricing and to control the supply of rooms for the purpose of maximizing room revenue. Which means that in order to have an effective RM technique in place one would need to understand the basic economics of supply and demand so that the right price could be set in order to increase room revenue for the company, following what kimes (1998a) said about selling the right product to the right customer at the right time and the right place. Nevertheless, some conditions for the application of revenue management must predominate according to kimes (2000). These conditions include; Capacity must be relatively fixed, RM tactics is primarily designed for a capacity constrained firms but firms not having this capacity constraints can make use of inventory as a buffer dealing with fluctuations in demand. Service should be perishable, service ends when ends. Service could be sold well in advance of cunsumption, to maximize room revenue, some sort of reservation system which allows inventory bookings to be received well in advance should be put in place. The cost of a sale should be relatively low, this simply means the cost of putting a guest in another unoccupied room is relatively lower than building another room. Demand should flunctuate substancially, peak and off peak seasons, festive periods are all examples of demand fluctuations. Market could be segmented e.g Leisure travellers and business travellers. When looking at the literature from a historical perspective, it was the airline industry that has been credited with the development and refinement of RM following the deregulation of the U.S. airline industry in the 1970s, Kimes, (1989a), and McMahon-Beattie et al., (1999). This deregulation resulted in a heavy competition within the airline industry and led to a price cutting war. Nevertheless, from the literatures of Rothstein (1971, 1975), Bitran and Caldentey, (2003), and Weatherford, (2003), managing inventory became an important part of running a successful business in the early 1970s. As a result of this competitive circumstances, McMahon-Beattie et al., (1999) said, the adoption of RM began in the hotel industry in the middle of the 1980s as the industry was faced with excess capacity, severe short-term liquidity problem and increasing business failure rates. Purpose of Yield Management Jones and Hamilton (1992) among others said, RM in the hotel industry tries to maximize the available guest room rates when room demand exceeds available room and to maximize occupancy when available room exceeds room demands, even at the expense of the average room rate. Nevertheless, some authors like Jauncey et al., (1995), McMahon-Beattie et al.,(1999), Siguaw et al., (2001) all agree that the purpose of RM is the maximization of room revenue through the manipulation of room rates in a structured fashion, so as to take into account forecasted patterns of demand. It is a technique that attempts to maximize profits by using information about buying behaviour and sales to create pricing and inventory controls, Lee-Ross and Johns, (1997). Why RM. Donaghy et. al., (1995), and Kimes, (1989b) just to mention a few, has examined RM applications and studied its definition, researchers like Donaghy and McMahon, (1995), Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, (1998), Hiemstra, (1999), Kimes, (1989a, b, 1997), Yeoman and Watson, (1997), looked at the critical factors that are likely to influence the application and implementation of RM and finally, the ethical issues in terms of customer satisfaction, retention and loyalty over a long period of time can be seen in the following literatures, Cross, (1992, 1997), Jauncey et al., (1995), Kimes, (1994), and Lieberman, (1993). Cross, (1997) added that within one year of the adoption of RM, Delta airline generated $300 million increment, $500 million annually was recorded annually by American airline, over $100 million is annually generated by   Marriott jr Hotels and $2 million gained in the first two weeks, following the adoption of RM techniques at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. RM Tools Pricing strategies First and foremost, RM tools are intertwined, one tool depends on the other to function effectively. Pricing strategies used to be a decision by the overall managers before, but in recent years, that schedule has been given to a revenue manager but the principle of differential pricing is said not to be attributed to the immergence of RM by Donaghy, et al (1995). Hotel managers have long been using various pricing strategies to maximize their profits by bringing the seasonal demand for rooms and capacity limitations into a balance (Choi and Cho, 2000), even before the deregulation in the airline industry that gave birth to RM in the 1970’s. Differential pricing strategies including; price discrimination, off peak pricing and demand based pricing may change the reference price and reference transaction which could cause customers to feel the current transaction is unfair and the customer could even perceive such differential pricing as price gorging. (Whirtz et al (2003; pg 220 )), A stochastic or probabilistic demand seemed justified on the basis that consumers ‘arrive’ at random times before consumption. From the pricing perspective, though, a theoretical structure was needed to explain how demand is shaped or why it would follow a particular pattern across time. Otherwise, there was no assurance that the past is able to predict the future [Bernstein, 1996; Ng, 2004]. Accordingly, despite tremendous computing power available today, pricing based on demand forecasts faces the same old problem in conventional probability theory, where, according to Bernstein [1996: 334], ‘the raw material of the model is the data of the past’. Some research studies have attempted to shed some light on the behaviour of the advance buyer. The literature is scant, dominated by marketing, and not commonly brought into revenue management research. For example, Desiraju and Shugan [1999] evaluated strategic pricing in advance selling and found that yiel d management strategies such as discounting, overbooking and limiting early sales work best when price-insensitive customers buy later than price-sensitive customers. Shugan and Xie [2000] showed that due to the state dependency of service utility, buyers are uncertain in advance and become certain at consumption time while sellers remain uncertain of buyer states at consumption time because of information asymmetry. They suggest that advance selling overcomes the informational disadvantage of sellers and it is therefore a strategy to increase profit. Xie and Shugan [2001] studied when advance selling improves profits and how advance prices should be set. They have also investigated the optimality of advance selling, investigating selling in a variety of situations, buyer risk aversion, second period arrivals, limited capacity, yield management and other advance selling issues. Png [1989], on the other hand, showed that costless reservations in advance is a profitable pricing strate gy as it induces truth revelation on the type of valuation that the consumer has for the service (which is private information). If the consumer has a high valuation i.e. ability to consume, s/he will use the reservation and pay a higher price. If not, the consumer will not use it. In another paper, Png [1991] compared the strategies of charging consumers a lower price for advance sales and attaching a price premium at the date of consumption versus charging them a premium and promising a refund should consumption prices be lower than what was purchased. Despite these models that aim to capture primitive advance demand behaviour, there has not been much effort to integrate them into a unified framework, nor have there been any attempts to bridge the behavioural aspects of demand with revenue management research. Models of the former capture individual consumer behaviour (or homogeneous consumer segments) and it was difficult to see how that could be aggregated and applied to revenue management that mostly dealt Overbooking, cancellations and no-shows Overbooking, is simply defined as a concept of accepting more reservations than the physical available capacity with the knowledge that some bookings will end up as a no-show, or cancellations furthermore, this serve as a hedge against early check outs, this is said in the literature that overbooking is one of the oldest form of RM tactics Karaesmen and van Ryzin, (2004). Overbooking is actually not a bad concept, but if not managed well, it could lead to overselling. Overselling happens when the number of arrivals exceeds the available room capacity.   Authors have examined how hotels could secure themselves in other to avoid no-shows or cancellations by guests, through appropriate reservation policies, (Alstrup et al., (1986), Belobaba, (1989), Hersh and Ladany, (1978), Lieberman and Yechiali, (1978), Rothstein, (1971, 1974, 1985), Thompson, (1961), and Toh, (1985)) airlines. Under this strategy, the seller deliberately oversells capacity if high-paying consumers show up, even when capacity is already fully booked. The seller then cancels the sale to some low-paying customers while providing them with appropriate compensation. We derive a new rule to optimally allocate capacity to consumers when overselling is used, and show that overselling helps limit the potential yield and spoilage losses. Yield loss is reduced because the seller can capture more high-paying customers by compensating low-paying customers who give up their right to the product. Displacement analysis Displacement analysis has been a very challenging exercise for function room analysis. It is challenging to determine what to negotiate when considering booking a group with a significant lead time, because when compression does hit it is possible that more money could have been made by waiting and taking the last-minute groups that are willing to pay higher prices. But that requires hotels taking significant risks and gambles The concept of displacement is defined by Abbort and Lewry, (1991) is said to be â€Å"those prospective customers who are unable to obtain a higher rate because the rooms have already been booked by customers paying lower rate.†Ã‚   Furthermore, Biyalogorsky, (1999) added that displacement concept is â€Å"selling at a low price, and losing a better price later†. Displacement analysis is divided in to two parts, including; Primary displacement and Secondary displacement. Primary displacement is also known as the direct displacement, and these are those prospective guest who are willing to increase the room rate themselves just to get booked for a particular date of arrival but could not be booked due to the fact that the available rooms are already been booked by guests with lower rates. Secondly, the secondary displacement which is also known as indirect displacement and are said to be those subsequent rooms lost due to primary displacement. Example of this displacement analysis can be seen in appendix 1. Inventory control 1 The Mechanics of Inventory Control Distribution and Central Reservation Systems Traditional revenue management is intimately related with distribution and central reservation systems. Distribution and central reservation systems represent a broad and fascinating topic in their own right. An excellent high-level account of airline planning, marketing, and distribution activities and their relation to operations research can be found in Smith et al. (2001). Here   we provide only sufficient background information to facilitate discussion of the main topic of this paper, revenue management. Forecasting Forecasting is an important strategy of RM in any organisation adopting its techniques; but it is particularly critical in hotel revenue management because of the direct influence forecasts have on the available room booking limits that determine hotel profits. Not surprisingly, forecasting is concurrent with the literature on overbooking because overbooking calculations depend on predictions of ultimate demand, cancellations, and no-shows. Demand forecasting Jauncey et al., (1995), Pak and Piersma, (2002), Kime, (1999), 2003), all agreed that forecasting is one of the key principles of revenue management. Jauncey et al., (1995), Donaghy et al., (1995, 1997), juxtaposed the effectiveness of a good RM system by adding that it should be able to predict demand conditions and fluctuations by analyzing reservation patterns, arrival, departures and a score of other demand characteristics. Recently, the following literatures by Anderson and Blair, (2004), Desiraju and Shugan, (1999) suggested that revenue management systems with forecasting algorithms are expensive to implement in real terms. Lahoti, (2002) added by saying that, a typical RM system costs between $1 million to $3 million and takes more than two years to implement. Moreover, research has proven and showed that these complex and sophisticated revenue management systems are not liable to mislead, deceive, or disappoint. In fact, Ng et al., (1999) added that, using the data of the pa st and sales department using present day information, conflicts often occur, and many revenue management tactics should employ some level of human intervention, in other words, making use of RM as a guide but human intervention is still relevant. Forecasting has four limitations, following the literatures by c.f. Chase, 1999; Lieberman, 1993; Relihan, 1989; Boyd, 2004; Desiraju and Shugan, 1999. Firstly, A proposition upon which forecasting is based or from which a forecasting conclusion is drawn, should be based on fundamental concepts of consumer behaviour, (Chase, 1999; Lieberman, 1993, Relihan, 1989).   It will be of great importance to bring to revenue managers attention according to Carry, (2004) revenue manipulation and maximisation using forecast method. Consequently, this may not be a good indicator of the subsequent or present bookings, and cannot be determined by using only RM system by studying historical pattern of demand, because the reason why consumers act or react the way they do is just as important as how they are behaving. Secondly, forecasting tactic at its best when adopted is still a combination segments that could, if possible, be desegregated for higher revenue. Thirdly, demand records are subject t o many factors, including the pricing strategies of the existing competitors at that time. We can only assume and predict based on the historical data. Finally, demand can be influenced, not merely be known. As early as 1951, Schumpeter, (1951), Liebhafsky, (1968) said that wants cannot be taken as independent and consumers could be taught by producers to want new things. Figure 1 duration price fixed variable predictable Quadrant 1MoviesStadiums and arenasConvention centres Quadrant 2HotelsAirlinesRental cars Cruise lines unpredictable Quadrant 3RestaurantsGolf CoursesInternet service providers Quadrant4Continuing careHospitals (Kimes. 2000. p.127) The industries found in quadrant 2, such as airlines and hotels, are generally those associated with RM, Weatherford et al., (2001). That is because these industries tend to use variable pricing for services with a specified or predictable duration. Nevertheless, Donaghy and McMahon (1995) state that a successful application of RM techniques results in fluctuating room prices. RM therefore, consists of not two, but three separate, interrelated parts; inventory management, duration control, and pricing. BIBLIOGRAPHY Abbott, P. and Lewry, S. (1991) Front Office Procedures, Social Skills and Management. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Bitran, G. and Caldentey, R. (2003). â€Å"An Overview of Pricing Models for Revenue Management†. Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 203-229 Chang, Y.N and Chanpo-Flores, F.C (1980). Business policy and strategy: text and cases. Goodyear pub. Co: Santa Monica, Calif Chase Jr., C.W. (1999) â€Å"Revenue management: A review’,   Journal of Business Forecasting Methods and Systems, Vol. 18, pp.2 28. Choi, T.Y., Cho, V., 2000. Toward a knowledge discovery framework for yield management in the Hong Kong hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management 19 (1), 17–31. Choi, S., Mattila, A.S., 2004. Hotel revenue management and its impact on customers’ perception of fairness. Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management 2 (4), 303–314. Cross, R.G., (1992). The ethics of yield management. In: Davis, D.T., Harless, M. (Eds.), Ethics in Hospitality Management. Educational Institute Of American Hotel Motel Association, Michigan, pp. 235–248. Cross, R. G (1997). 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International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 9 (2), 80–83. [/level-freee-rstricted]

The Colombia-Peru War of 1932

The Colombia-Peru War of 1932 The Colombia-Peru War of 1932: For several months in 1932-1933, Peru and Colombia went to war over disputed territory deep in the Amazon basin. Also known as â€Å"the Leticia Dispute,† the war was fought with men, river gunboats and airplanes in the steamy jungles on the banks of the Amazon River. The war began with an unruly raid and ended with a stalemate and a peace deal brokered by the League of Nations. The Jungle Opens Up: In the years just before World War One, the various republics of South America began expanding inland, exploring jungles that had previously only been home to ageless tribes or unexplored by man. Not surprisingly, it was soon determined that the different nations of South America all had different claims, many of which overlapped. One of the most contentious areas was the region around the Amazon, Napo, Putumayo and Araporis Rivers, where overlapping claims by Ecuador, Peru and Colombia seemed to predict an eventual conflict. The Salomà ³n-Lozano Treaty: As early as 1911, Colombian and Peruvian forces had skirmished over prime lands along the Amazon River. After over a decade of fighting, the two nations signed the Salomà ³n-Lozano Treaty on March 24, 1922. Both countries came out winners: Colombia gained the valuable river port of Leticia, located where the Javary River meets the Amazon. In return, Colombia relinquished its claim to a stretch of land south of the Putumayo River. This land was also claimed by Ecuador, which at the time was very weak militarily. The Peruvians felt confident that they could push Ecuador off of the disputed territory. Many Peruvians were unhappy with the treaty, however, as they felt Leticia was rightly theirs. The Leticia Dispute: On September 1, 1932 two hundred armed Peruvians attacked and captured Leticia. Of these men, only 35 were actual soldiers: the rest were civilians mostly armed with hunting rifles. The shocked Colombians did not put up a fight, and the 18 Colombian national policemen were told to leave. The expedition was supported from the Peruvian river port of Iquitos. It’s unclear whether or not the Peruvian government ordered the action: Peruvian leaders initially disavowed the attack, but later went to war without hesitation. War in the Amazon: After this initial attack, both nations scrambled to get their troops into place. Although Colombia and Peru had comparable military strength at the time, they both had the same problem: the area in dispute was extremely remote and getting any sort of troops, ships or airplanes there would be a problem. Sending troops from Lima to the contested zone took over two weeks and involved trains, trucks, mules, canoes and riverboats. From Bogota, troops would have to travel 620 miles across grasslands, over mountains and through dense jungles. Colombia did have the advantage of being much closer to Leticia by sea: Colombian ships could steam to Brazil and head up the Amazon from there. Both nations had amphibious airplanes that could bring in soldiers and arms a little at a time. The Fight for Tarapac: Peru acted first, sending troops from Lima. These men captured the Colombian port town of Tarapac in late 1932. Meanwhile, Colombia was preparing a large expedition. The Colombians had bought two warships in France: the Mosquera and Cà ³rdoba. These sailed for the Amazon, where they met up with a small Colombian fleet including the river gunship Barranquilla. There were also transports with 800 soldiers on board. The fleet sailed up the river and arrived at the war zone in February of 1933. There they met up with a handful of Colombian float planes, rigged out for war. They attacked the town of Tarapac on February 14-15. Hugely outgunned, the 100 or so Peruvian soldiers there quickly surrendered. The Attack on Gà ¼eppi: The Colombians next decided to take the town of Gà ¼eppi. Again, a handful of Peruvian airplanes based out of Iquitos tried to stop them, but the bombs they dropped missed. The Colombian river gunboats were able to get into position and bombard the town on the might of March 25, 1933, and the amphibious aircraft dropped some bombs on the town as well. The Colombian soldiers went ashore and took the town: the Peruvians retreated. Gà ¼eppi was the most intense battle of the war so far: 10 Peruvians were killed, two more were injured and 24 were captured: the Colombians lost five men killed and nine wounded. Politics Intervenes: On April 30, 1933, Peruvian President Luà ­s Snchez Cerro was assassinated. His replacement, General Oscar Benavides, was less keen to continue the war with Colombia. He was, in fact, personal friends with Alfonso Là ³pez, President-elect of Colombia. Meanwhile, the League of Nations had gotten involved and was working hard to work out a peace agreement. Just as the forces in the Amazon were getting ready for a large battle - which would have pitted the 800 or so Colombian regulars moving along the river against the 650 or so Peruvians dug in at Puerto Arturo - the League brokered a cease-fire agreement. On May 24, the cease-fire went into effect, ending the hostilities in the region. Aftermath of the Leticia Incident: Peru found itself with the slightly weaker hand at the bargaining table: they had signed the 1922 treaty giving Leticia to Colombia, and although they now matched Colombias strength in the area in terms of men and river gunboats, the Colombians had better air support. Peru backed off its claim to Leticia. A League of Nations presence was stationed in the town for a while, and they transferred ownership back to Colombia officially on June 19, 1934. Today, Leticia still belongs to Colombia: it is a sleepy little jungle town and an important port on the Amazon River. The Peruvian and Brazilian borders are not far away. The Colombia-Peru war marked some important firsts. It was the first time that the League of Nations, a precursor to the United Nations, got actively involved in brokering a peace between two nations in conflict. The League had never before taken control over any territory, which it did while details of a peace agreement were worked out. Also, this was the first conflict in South America in which air support played a vital role. Colombias amphibious air force was instrumental in its successful attempt to reclaim its lost territory. The Colombia-Peru War and the Leticia incident are not terribly important historically. Relations between the two countries normalized pretty quickly after the conflict. In Colombia, it had the effect of making the liberals and conservatives put aside their political differences for a little while and unite in the face of a common enemy, but it didnt last. Neither nation celebrates any dates associated with it: its safe to say that most Colombians and Peruvians have forgotten that it ever happened. Sources: Santos Molano, Enrique. Colombia dà ­a a dà ­a: una cronologà ­a de 15,000 aà ±os. Bogot: Editorial Planeta Colombiana S.A., 2009. Scheina, Robert L. Latin Americas Wars: the Age of the Professional Soldier, 1900-2001. Washington D.C.: Brassey, Inc., 2003.

Organizational Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Organizational Culture - Essay Example stry and providing services such as construction and agricultural products, including tractors, engineering vehicles, bulldozers, loaders, but it has also diversified now keeping in view its potential and also started making the shoes and boots. The company is having the revenue of US $ 36.339 Billion in the year 2005 and is currently employing 77000 employees approximately, the organizational culture the company is showing is strong in terms of services they are providing right now, it was all due to the fierce competition with Komatsu that the company decided to change its culture in 1990s as a result they are having very strong hold in the market, the culture was weak before 1990s as there were so many of the labor strikes and a lot of shutdown processing was there but sooner the company identified its weakness and worked on it, you can see that now the entire union of employees work together and corporate at their level best with the customer as a result the company gained succes s, which was otherwise not possible if there wouldn’t be any team work. The organization is following a dominant culture, there are strict rules that are followed by all executives and employees in the organization, which also includes intact working of supervisors, employees and executives. -The organization and me have few things common, both of us keep on striving to get the better results and also we both have a desire to excel in what we do, the organization has taken it self out of a situation from where no body gets out and eventually results in bankruptcy, nevertheless it kept on striving and today it stands number one in manufacturing construction tools and equipments. -The organization first of all believes in being innovative and risk taking which means that the employees whenever come up with great idea, they are allowed to implement it, also the organization believes in people orientation which means that they consider their employees as they have already paid the

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing - Essay Example This paper intends to examine a favorable portfolio for a 25-year old, planning to invest $100,000 in both mutual funds and stocks. The study seeks to roll portfolio that considers investments with high-risk tolerance. The portfolio will include three stocks, three mutual bonds and 2ETFs. As point of departure investment strategy is fundamental in meeting the anticipated goals. For instance, in this study, the portfolio attributed to high risk is adopted because the young investor is aggressive. This implies that, the more risk born, the more aggressive the portfolio (David, 112). The aspect of aggressiveness of a portfolio versus the extent of risk to be born, explains the aggressive portfolio to be considered in this study. The investor should embrace the aggressive type of portfolio. An aggressive portfolio devotes a bigger portion to equities and relatively less portions to bonds and other fixed income securities. In this study, an aggressive investment portfolio is considered. F or purposes of in- depth understanding, examine the following pie chart indicating, the approximated percentages of investments in each section (Mark, 45). This portfolio intends to invest in equities, treasury fund, bond funds and cash equivalents. The Equities take a large share because of the aggressive nature of the investor and this is attributed to high-risk investments (David, 112). To achieve the designated portfolio, the investor should embark on strategies to ensure the right asset allocation. The capital should be apportioned between the appropriate asset groups. For instance in our case the $100,000 should be apportioned as follows Investment type % Amount ($) Mutual funds 46 46,000 Stock fund 43 43,000 Cash and equivalents 11 11,000 Mutual funds From the definition, aggressive growth is a mutual fund investment goal that aims at high capital gain potential growth stocks. These are stocks of companies, which are anticipated to grow at a rate faster relative to the genera l stock market. In essence, the aggressive investor should bear in mind that this type of portfolio requires growth investment strategy because of the anticipated higher volatility, which is measured by beta. Before investing in an aggressive mutual fund, first ascertain that, the fund is real aggressive growth fund by looking at the stated objective within the mutual fund prospectus or find it from the mutual fund family website (Harry, 45). This study establishes that to pick the intended aggressive mutual fund, check on the market value of beta, which is 1.00, and consequently ascertain that, the beta value of an aggressive mutual fund is slightly above 1.00. Conversely, consider the taxes aspects. The preeminent performing mutual funds, particularly over long periods such as 10 years and more are habitually funds with low tax costs. The aggressive investor needs to look for the most tax-efficient funds (Harry, 45). This is because, previous studies on the correlation between low cost taxes, low turnover ratio and low expenditure ratio indicate highly positive. This implies that this portfolio investment is probable of creating immense gains over the period of 35 years. The young investor is advised to invest 46% of his capital in the following categories of mutual funds. As a smart investor, he considers an aggressive fund, which invests in mid-cap stocks or small-cap stocks. The reasoning behind this is that, the likelihood of already having a large-cap stock fund in the investment portfolio is high, consequently no need for more. The Fidelity Capital Appreciation (FDCAX) is the best aggressive growth mutual fund strategy to be considered in this investment portfo

The Adventure of the Sperm and Egg Essay Example for Free

The Adventure of the Sperm and Egg Essay Let me introduce myself, I am Penny the Egg and today I will embark on one of the most exciting times in my life span. This has been a long expedition and now that I have reached the infundibulum, this is the outer portion of a female fallopian tube. The name I was in the medical word is â€Å"Ova†, most people just call me egg but my name again is Penny. I have been in contact with a germ cell named Seymour. His medical name is sperm and he lives inside the male human body. Seymour and I have been dreaming about this adventure for our whole lives. I am hope everything goes as planned and Seymour and I get to meet. After we meet, we will become one to create another male or female embryo which will grow into a human baby. As the â€Å"Great Change† occurs, medically that would be puberty for a female; I was one of 2 million ova that once lived inside the female. After the great change there are around 400,000 of my sisters and I left. We all live inside the follicle; these are thin capsules inside the ovaries. Out of the 400,000 of us that survived the great change, only 400 or so of us will reach fulfillment and become a ripened ova (Nevid, Rathus Fichner-Rathus, 2011). When I have ripened to fulfillment I will leave the safety of the ovary where I spent my childhood, I have made my way to where I am now, the fallopian tube. This is where I will wait for Seymour to arrive. It takes me some time to travel down the fallopian tube, and during this time is when my female host will ovulate, and then two weeks later my host will menstruate unless Seymour and I create life. The length of my travel is around 4 inches, but I must travel different parts of the tube in order to be totally ready to meet Seymour. As I travel the fallopian tube, I will come a crossed various small groups who call themselves Cilia. The Cilia groups have miniature hair-like projections that help me along my travels’. I could not make it an inch a day without the help of the Cilia. I dream about Seymour and our meeting day and worry that my female host will not allow me to be discharged with her menstruation. I have now been in the fallopian tube for just over a day now and I pray that Seymour is skillful enough to make it in enough time to help me create life. If Seymour does not arrive within two day of my leaving the ovary, I will not be here to meet him and no life will be created (Nevid, Rathus Fichner-Rathus, 2011). I am the type of egg to worry all the time, I wonder if Seymour’s trip is going according to plan? I just hope Seymour is strong and fast enough to out swim his brother’s taking this adventure also. Hello everyone my name is Seymour the sperm, I ‘m sure by now you know Penny and I am sure she told you I have millions of brothers’. Honestly, I cannot wait to take that adventure because it is too crowded and very uncomfortable for me in here. I just hope I am strong enough and can survive the adventure, why worry? You ask, because many of us do not survive and it can be a very fatal because it is a false adventure, but I know that to keep life going I must swim as fast and hard as I can to meet my Penny. My Life began in a place in the male host body called the testicles. This is where I went through a 72 days process of spermatogenesis. In order for me to meet Penny inside her female host, I had to endure this process. I have been told that Penny only holds the X chromosome (female), and I contain a Y chromosome (male) and the X chromosome. Once Penny and I meet our sex chromosome will connect and I have one of the most important jobs at this point I will decide if Penny and I will create the life of a male or female, because I alone can make I male with the Y chromosome (Nevid, Rathus Fichner-Rathus, 2011). After my preparation for my adventure, I make my way to the epididymis while in this transition, I continue to mature. It will take a few more weeks for me to be able to move to the Vans Deferens tube of my male host. I will continue my adventure to meet my Penny by making my way into the seminal vesicle; this is where I get all my nourishment from seminal fluid rich in fructose. The nutrition I receive from the fructose in the seminal fluids is what will make me strong enough to out swim my brothers’ to meet Penny. I have discovered I look a lot like a tadpole. I have a tail that whips back and forth to move me forward. Before I matured to this â€Å"tadpole† stage my movements were conducted by the contractions in the epididymis, Vans, Deferens, and just like Penny, I also had help from groups of cilia (Nevid, Rathus Fichner-Rathus, 2011). As the prostate and Cowper’s are making secretions, I continue my adventure. The secretions the other organs are making are what my brothers’ and I will mix with in the ejaculation proses. Yes, I made it to the point I am ready to be ejected from the male’s penis darning sexual intercourse. Once this happens I can begin a whole other adventure to meet Penny in the fallopian tube of her female host. My male host has ejected me and my brothers from his body to Penny’s female host. I must move faster than I have ever moved before. Millions of my brother s are trying to get to my Penny also and will race through the cervical canal, onto the uterus, we will continue to battle to be the first one to successfully reach an ovum (Penny) waiting just outside the opening to the fallopian tube. I did it! I was the first one to reach the ovum and penetrate Penny’s hard outer lining. Even thou many of my brothers’ might find her, once I am inside the lining Penny will go through a chemical change that will insure we become an embryo. We will travel together down the rest of the fallopian tube so we can implant ourselves into the uterus until birth as a human .

Macbeth: Summary Essay -- essays research papers

Macbeth: Summary Macbeth and Banquo, Scottish generals, are returning after crushing a rebellion against Duncan ( King of Scotland ), when they are met by three witches. The witches prophesy that Macbeth will become thane of Cawdor , then later on he will become King. Banquo is told that he will never become King, but will be the father of Kings. Macbeth is horrified, for shortly afterwards a messenger arrives to tell him that Duncan has created him Thane of Cawdor as a reward for his services. Macbeth writes the news to his wife. Lady Macbeth reads the letter from Macbeth, telling her of the prophecies. With reading this she chooses to invite evil spirits into her to take away her womanhood, she wants to lose her tenderness that is normally associated with womanhood so that she can hel...

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 3

I frowned. â€Å"How is that a good thing?† â€Å"Keeps him alive, doesn't it? Guess it keeps you alive, too.† I nodded. â€Å"Guess so. Did he say anything about anyone else?† I tried to think of anything strange I'd seen or felt, but Fred was one of a kind. The clowns in the al ey tonight pretending to be superheroes hadn't been doing anything the rest of us couldn't do. â€Å"He talked about Raoul,† Diego said, the corner of his mouth twisting down. â€Å"What skil does Raoul have? Super-stupidity?† Diego snorted. â€Å"Definitely that. But Riley thinks he's got some kind of magnetism – people are drawn to him, they fol ow him.† â€Å"Only the mental y chal enged.† â€Å"Yeah, Riley mentioned that. Didn't seem to be effective on the† – he broke out a decent impression of Riley's voice – â€Å" tamer kids.'† â€Å"Tame?† â€Å"I inferred that he meant people like us, who are able to think occasional y.† I didn't like being cal ed tame. It didn't sound like a good thing when you put it that way. Diego's way sounded better. â€Å"It was like there was a reason Riley needed Raoul to lead – something's coming, I think.† A weird tingle spasmed along my spine when he said that, and I sat up straighter. â€Å"Like what?† â€Å"Do you ever think about why Riley is always after us to keep a low profile?† I hesitated for half a second before answering. This wasn't the line of inquiry I would have expected from Riley's right-hand man. Almost like he was questioning what Riley had told us. Unless Diego was asking this for Riley, like a spy. Finding out what the â€Å"kids† thought of him. But it didn't feel like that. Diego's dark red eyes were open and confiding. And why would Riley care? Maybe the way the others talked about Diego wasn't based on anything real. Just gossip. I answered him truthful y. â€Å"Yeah, actual y I was just thinking about that.† â€Å"We aren't the only vampires in the world,† Diego said solemnly. â€Å"I know. Riley says stuff sometimes. But there can't be too many. I mean, wouldn't we have noticed, before?† Diego nodded. â€Å"That's what I think, too. Which is why it's pretty weird that she keeps making more of us, don't you think? â€Å" I frowned. â€Å"Huh. Because it's not like Riley actual y likes us or anything†¦.† I paused again, waiting to see if he would contradict me. He didn't. He just waited, nodding slightly in agreement, so I continued. â€Å"And she hasn't even introduced herself. You're right. I hadn't looked at it that way. Wel, I hadn't real y thought about it at al . But then, what do they want us for?† Diego raised one eyebrow. â€Å"Wanna hear what I think?† I nodded warily. But my anxiety had nothing to do with him now. â€Å"Like I said, something is coming. I think she wants protection, and she put Riley in charge of creating the front line.† I thought this through, my spine prickling again. â€Å"Why wouldn't they tel us? Shouldn't we be, like, on the lookout or something?† â€Å"That would make sense,† he agreed. We looked at each other in silence for a few long-seeming seconds. I had nothing more, and it didn't look like he did, either. Final y I grimaced and said, â€Å"I don't know if I buy it – the part about Raoul being good for anything, that is.† Diego laughed. â€Å"Hard to argue that one.† Then he glanced out the windows at the dark early morning. â€Å"Out of time. Better head back before we turn into crispies.† â€Å"Ashes, ashes, we al fal down,† I sang under my breath as I got to my feet and col ected my pile. Diego chuckled. We made one more quick stop on our way – hit the empty Target next door for big ziplocks and two backpacks. I doublebagged al my books. Water-damaged pages annoyed me. Then we mostly roof-topped it back to the water. The sky was just faintly starting to gray up in the east. We slipped into the sound right under the noses of two oblivious night watchmen by the big ferry – good thing for them I was ful or they would have been too close for my self-control – and then raced through the murky water back toward Riley's place. At first I didn't know it was a race. I was just swimming fast because the sky was getting lighter. I didn't usual y push the time like this. If I were being honest with myself, I'd pretty much turned into a huge vampire nerd. I fol owed the rules, I didn't cause trouble, I hung out with the most unpopular kid in the group, and I always got home early. But then Diego real y kicked it into gear. He got a few lengths ahead of me, turned back with a smile that said, what, can't you keep up? and then started booking it again. Wel, I wasn't taking that. I couldn't real y remember if I'd been the competitive type before – it al seemed so far away and unimportant – but maybe I was, because I responded right away to the chal enge. Diego was a good swimmer, but I was way stronger, especial y after just feeding. See ya, I mouthed as I passed him, but I wasn't sure he saw. I lost him back in the dark water, and I didn't waste time looking to see by how much I was winning. I just jetted through the sound til I hit the edge of the island where the most recent of our homes was located. The last one had been a big cabin in the middle of Snowvil e-Nowhere on the side of some mountain in the Cascades. Like the last one, this house was remote, had a big basement, and had recently deceased owners. I raced up onto the shal ow stony beach and then dug my fingers into the sandstone bluff and flew up. I heard Diego come out of the water just as I gripped the trunk of an overhanging pine and flipped myself over the cliff edge. Two things caught my attention as I landed gently on the bal s of my feet. One: it was real y light out. Two: the house was gone. Wel, not entirely gone. Some of it was stil visible, but the space the house had once occupied was empty. The roof had col apsed into ragged, angular wooden lace, charred black, sagging lower than the front door had been. The sun was rising fast. The black pine trees were showing hints of evergreen. Soon the paler tips would stand out against the dark, and at about that point I would be dead. Or really dead, or whatever. This second thirsty, superhero life would go up in a sudden burst of flames. And I could only imagine that the burst would be very, very painful. This wasn't the first time I'd seen our house destroyed – with al the fights and fires in the basements, most of them lasted only a few weeks – but it was the first time I'd come across the scene of destruction with the first faint rays of sunlight threatening. I sucked in a gasp of shock as Diego landed beside me. â€Å"Maybe burrow under the roof?† I whispered. â€Å"Would that be safe enough or – ?† â€Å"Don't freak out, Bree,† Diego said, sounding too calm. â€Å"I know a place. C'mon.† He did a very graceful backflip off the bluff edge. I didn't think the water would be enough of a filter to block the sun. But maybe we couldn't burn if we were submerged? It seemed like a real y poor plan to me. However, instead of tunneling under the burned-out hul of the wrecked house, I dove off the cliff behind him. I wasn't sure of my reasoning, which was a strange feeling. Usual y I did what I always did – fol owed the routine, did what made sense. I caught up to Diego in the water. He was racing again, but with no nonsense this time. Racing the sun. He whipped around a point on the little island and then dove deep. I was surprised he didn't hit the rocky floor of the sound, and more surprised when I could feel the blast of warmer current flowing from what I had thought was no more than an outcropping of rock. Smart of Diego to have a place like this. Sure, it wasn't going to be fun to sit in an underwater cavern al day – not breathing started to irritate after a few hours – but it was better than exploding into ashes. I should have been thinking like Diego was. Thinking about something other than blood, that is. I should have been prepared for the unexpected. Diego kept going through a narrow crevice in the rocks. It was black as ink in here. Safe. I couldn't swim anymore – the space was too tight – so I scrambled through like Diego, climbing through the twisting space. I kept waiting for him to stop, but he didn't. Suddenly I realized that we real y were going up. And then I heard Diego hit the surface. I was out a half second after he was. The cave was no more than a smal hole, a burrow about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, though not as tal as that. A second crawl space led out the back, and I could taste the fresh air coming from that direction. I could see the shape of Diego's fingers repeated again and again in the texture of the limestone wal s. â€Å"Nice place,† I said. Diego smiled. â€Å"Better than Freaky Fred's backside.† â€Å"I can't argue with that. Um. Thanks.† â€Å"You're welcome.† We looked at each other in the dark for a minute. His face was smooth and calm. With anyone else, Kevin or Kristie or any of the others, this would have been terrifying – the constricted space, the forced closeness. The way I could smel his scent on every side of me. That could have meant a quick and painful death at any second. But Diego was so composed. Not like anyone else. â€Å"How old are you?† he asked abruptly. â€Å"Three months. I told you that.† â€Å"That's not what I meant. Um, how old were you? I guess that's the right way to ask.† I leaned away, uncomfortable, when I realized he was talking about human stuff. Nobody talked about that. Nobody wanted to think about it. But I didn't want to end the conversation, either. Just having a conversation at al was something new and different. I hesitated, and he waited with a curious expression. â€Å"I was, um, I guess fifteen. Almost sixteen. I can't remember the day†¦ was I past my birthday?† I tried to think about it, but those last hungry weeks were a big blur, and it hurt my head in a weird way to try to clear them up. I shook my head, let it go. â€Å"How about you?† â€Å"I was just past my eighteenth,† Diego said. â€Å"So close.† â€Å"Close to what?† â€Å"Getting out,† he said, but he didn't continue. There was an awkward silence for a minute, and then he changed the subject. â€Å"You've done real y wel since you got here,† he said, his eyes sweeping across my crossed arms, my folded legs. â€Å"You've survived – avoided the wrong kind of attention, kept intact.† I shrugged and then yanked my left t-shirt sleeve up to my shoulder so he could see the thin, ragged line that circled my arm. â€Å"Got this ripped off once,† I admitted. â€Å"Got it back before Jen could toast it. Riley showed me how to put it back on.† Diego smiled wryly and touched his right knee with one finger. His dark jeans covered the scar that must have been there. â€Å"It happens to everybody.† â€Å"Ouch,† I said. He nodded. â€Å"Seriously. But like I was saying before, you're a pretty decent vampire.† â€Å"Am I supposed to say thanks?† â€Å"I'm just thinking out loud, trying to make sense of things.† â€Å"What things?†