Latest Coral Disease

Coral disease is a disease found in coral that caused by an algae that grown in the reef tank. There are many identified coral diseases and its causes. One of which is white plague type II. White Plague Type II disease in corals is triggered by the direct contact of coral with macroalgae halimeda puntia. Nugues, claims that this disease causes the widespread death of corals that occur with heavy growth of macroalgae. Cited in Nugues. Et al; www.practicalfishing.co.uk. Macroalgae is said to be the responsible for many coral diseases that if not controlled, it will also lead to coral death. Other identified cause of coral disease is coral bleaching or white syndrome. With this disease, coral looked bleached which caused by the high sea temperature that led coral to eject the symbiotic algae that produce food for the coral. Coral bleaching makes the coral weaker and more prone from attack of diseases. Extreme heat, due to global warming caused this coral bleaching because heat can trigger the virus in zooxanthellae, which is known for food production of corals. As the sea temperature becomes more heaters, more severe coral diseases are also expected to arise. This syndrome can treat and prevented if the sea temperature gets colder. Aside from warm temperature, overcrowding of corals also brings white syndrome. Researchers found out that the syndrome increases its rate from 1998, increased 20-fold in 2002, not just due to warm temperature but also because of overcrowding of corals. Researchers found out that corals can not breath and grow properly if they are closely tight with each other, and they are more prone to diseases. Widespread of disease easily occur if they are too close with each other. There are also other five identified coral diseases and their causes aside from the diseases mention earlier. One is brown band. Dense population of single-celled organism called ciliates causes brown band. These ciliates are hairy organisms that eat the food of coral known as zooxanthellae, it appears as brown jelly that cause disease to corals. Second is black necrosing syndrome. Coral appears to be dead with this kind of disease. Black patches eat away the tissues of corals that leave in white skeleton. It is actually found out in many gorgonian corals in Northern Great Barrier Reef. Third known disease is the pink spot. Pink spot is caused by the larval stage of the parasitic flatworm; which has three life stages that is parasitic on a mollusk, and affects the tissues of corals, which makes sensitive to predation by butterfly fish. However, healthy polyps regenerate from coral once the butterfly fish eats affected polyp. Fourth is Coral Tumor. These Tumors are formed by groups of polyps with increased growth rates. Corals affected with this disease appear to have spherical lumps raised about 4.5 cm from the surface of the coral. This tumor affects the reduction of function and growth of corals. There is a little known spread of numbers of this tumor and it is only monitored in Heron Island. The fifth known disease of corals is black band disease. This disease is associated with cyanobacteria. Coral with black band disease looks healthy in front but dead and look white behind. This band can move across coral colony at rate of 44mm a day. Scientist first coral disease observed this disease last 1973. The sixth and last identified coral disease is the Skeletal Eroding Band. It is similar to black band disease. However, this disease produces a white skeleton speckled with empty black shells of the ciliate, which causes diseases that disrupt the process of secreting protective shells or loricae. Work Cited: Coral Diseases. www.altavista.com/coraldiseases Latest Coral diseases. www.google.com . .

Theatre and Other Arts- Theatre Challenges

Theatre and Other Arts – Theatre Challenges Theatre is a collaborative form of  fine art  that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. Theatre has existed since the dawn of man, as a result of human tendency for storytelling. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance. The most important element of theatre is the audience, which can make the performance or break it down.Theatrical art is done by people and for people. Theatre plays a very important role in the whole society, it is rather influential, and in fact, it has a great impact upon people, both positive and negative. The theatre has been shown to be didactic – it is one of the greatest aesthetic and educational strength. The main aims of theatre are: to appeal to the hearts of the audience; to involve them into the atmosphere of art; to engage them e motionally and let them rest and be entertained in the way they want.The first theatres were purposefully made for entertainment and everybody was allowed to attend it. In some time the art in theatre was done only for an elite, but today theatre focuses on the different audiences trying to make everybody involved in the art. Russian famous poet Vladimir Mayakovski once said that â€Å"Theatre is not a reflecting mirror but a magnifying glass†. The role of Theater in Society is became a mean of communicating culture, helped us come to understand more about humanity, our hopes and fears and helped to find ourselves and the larger world around. Theatre is changing.The traditional canon is constantly revisited with a fresh eye and new writing continues to thrive, with new plays enjoying full houses. It seems essential to dwell upon theatre and other arts, theatre and high tech scenery as all challenges have important impact upon it. Experiments have begun in digital broadcasting . Doubtless, that one of the greatest threats facing theatre is television. In the first place, television is not only a convenient source of entertainment, but also a comparatively cheap one. Many people do not understand that the theatre is the parent of new dramatic forms.Without a living theatre where writers, directors, designers and actors could learn their jobs, movies and television plays would be very crude indeed. Unfortunately the wealthy organizations responsible for films, radio and television, have helped themselves liberally to the talent the theatre has trained but have given it little in return. In fact their competition has made the position of the theatre which has no state support far more precarious than it used to be, and has made commercial theatre managers more reluctant than ever to experiment Another threat is generally seen from the sides of radio, cinema and the Internet.While the situation with cinema and radio are nearly the same as with the television, the state of affairs with the Internet demands to have a closer look at the problem. The appearance of wide access to the Internet and digital technology is bound to have an effect on live theatre or, at least, on our reaction to it. When we can see the best online all the charm of going out loses its loveliness. Digital inventions made us lazier although being said to save our time. Radio is the theatre of the mind; television is the theatre of the mindless† (Steve Allen) In conclusion I’d like to say that theatre is the magical place where man meets his image and has the lifelike communication with the art and performers. All in all, it is difficult to overestimate the role of art and theater in our lives. The future is full of possibilities, but it also demands more from theatre leaders and their programs than ever before. The pressure on theatre organizations continue to increase, that’s why they continue to find new ways to attract and engage people more wi dely.

The Increasing Scientific Interest on the Importance of Human Sleep Dissertation

The Increasing Scientific Interest on the Importance of Human Sleep - Dissertation Example Sleep is defined as an altered awareness wherein the human body or the body of the organism that sleeps is in a different physical and psychological state as when it is awake. This can be attributed to the variation of the electrophysiological activity during sleeping as well as during the waking hours.Sleep is one of the most interesting subject matter in the field of scientific and social research. The research had been undertaken to explore the different topics and issues about sleep and ultimately present and discuss the importance of sleep for the human body. Due to the fact that sleeping is part of the daily activity of the human body, it had been given great attention in the medical, scientific and social researchers in the past few years due to the important role that it holds specifically in the proper functioning and health of the body. The main aim of the research then is to explore the meaning and mechanism of sleep so as to have a clearer picture as to why sleep is impor tant in the human existence. The main objective of the study is to define and explore the different aspects of sleep and to present the new advances in the results of the researchers and studies related to the topic. Specifically, there are individual objectives that will serve as the guiding outline of the research which is as follows: 1.To define the meaning of sleep which includes the mechanism and the different stages of sleep 2.To define one of the products of sleeping which is the dream and to discuss the mechanism of how dream works.

The 10 Strategic Points for the Prospectus, Proposal & Dissertation Assignment

The 10 Strategic Points for the Prospectus, Proposal & Dissertation - Assignment Example the difference between the high school low and high achievers closely related to personality, internal and external attribution to high school and post-secondary programs events as well as how attribution influences the school dropouts’ behavior (Iver, 2010: Borman and Dowling, 2010). iii. Emotional intelligent model base on the high school dropouts self-awareness and regulation to build an internal motivation that encourages them to learn their society role and get motivated to go back to school later in life (Rose, 2013) iii. Problem-based learning models based on the learning process and concepts that serves as a guideline motivates dropout learners to develop an alternative opportunity to encounter the challenges experienced in high schools in post-secondary schools (Renzulli and Park, 2012) iii. Effectiveness of classroom management and educational psychology concepts based on establishing a conducive learning environment and classroom tips and techniques that support clear learning goals, behavior expectations and effective teachers-learners relationships (Miller, 2012). i. Historical events: In American and global history, there have been little concern by the government and the global initiatives that have been enacted to resolve high school dropouts’ issues and drive support for those dropouts who decide to attend post-secondary school programs later in life to increase national security as well as global literacy. ii. High school dropouts tend to develop negative attitudes that have provoked initiation of intervention measures such as GED programs to help in overcoming some of the challenges face experienced (Miller, 2012; Iver, 2010). iii. National Security – Today’s America education systems continues to lose its footage as the top academic powerhouse to put measures in place to fight against increased high school dropouts and remain a global leader in quality education (Renzulli and Park, 2012: Rumberger, 2011). iv. Global Literacy -

Export Final Project - Malaysian fashion retailer wishing to expand Term Paper - 1

Export Final Project - Malaysian fashion retailer wishing to expand its business into the African Market - Term Paper Example In this presentation, international, export fashion competitors to Africa have been analyzed. The top twenty economies in Africa, representing the African market, have been analyzed. The presentation also provides ways in which international, financial and business risks can be managed, and defines the relevant criteria for exporting fashion products to the African market, where the market opportunities/business opportunities are of interest and risks may be acceptable. International Competitors The major, international competitors in fashion product’ export to Africa includes Guangzhou City Clothing Business Company Limited, Qingdao Shuoyuan International Trade Company Limited and Shenzhen USD Pack Production Limited. Brogan Sakutu International LLC also competes in exporting fashion products to African Countries. Guangzhou City Clothing Business Company Limited and Shenzhen USD Pack Production Limited are located in Guangdong, China while Qingdao Shuoyuan International Trade Company Limited is located in Shandong, China. Brogan Sakutu International LLC is situated in Florida, United States. Turnover Qingdao Shuoyuan International Trade Company Limited has a turnover of US$ 50-100 Million while Guangzhou City Clothing Business Company Limited has a turnover of US$100 Million. ... Guangzhou City Clothing Business Company Limited’s primary markets are North, Central and South America, Middle East and Africa. (Guangzhou City Clothing Business Co. Limited). The main markets of Shenzhen USD Pack Production are Limited Northern Europe, Eastern Asia, Central America and Africa (Shenzhen USD Pack Production Limited). South East Asia, Europe, America and Africa are the primary markets of Brogan Sakutu International LLC (Brogan Sakuti International LLC). Product Range The product range for Qingdao Shuoyuan International Trade Company Limited includes used clothing, used clothes, used bags and used shoes while Guangzhou City Clothing Business Company Limited markets used shoes, used clothing and used clothes, among other commodities. Shenzhen USD Pack Production Limited deals with wooden boxes, jewelry bags and jute bags. Brogan Sakutu International LLC sells used clothes, used shoes, used purses, belts and toys. Strengths and Weaknesses These companies have vari ous strengths and weaknesses. For instance, Qingdao Shuoyuan International Trade Company Limited uses agents in exporting fashion products to Africa. It uses its no torn, no dirt slogan to offer the best quality to customers. It also sorts, packs and loads clothing promptly to ensure efficiency. In addition, the company helps buyers from Africa to find other goods like computers and bicycles. Shuoyuan International Trade Company Limited has a superior geographical advantage because it is located near Qingdao Port, facilitating import and export procedures. The company has cooperative relationships with the international business community. However, the

Article summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Article summary - Essay Example of the development possibilities for a well built capital market backed by local investors in small economies despite the substantial growth of their economy. The data pointed out by the article proves the economic status of Slovenia as an ideal example for this scenario. The paper very well confirms the availability of ample infrastructure in Slovenia so as to develop a mature capital market. The author has urged the need of developing an ‘equity culture’ in the Slovenian market so as to create a promotional economic environment for the growth of a healthy capital market. This in turn needs the liberalization, deregulation and adjustments in the structural issues, supervisory issues and the issues in relation with the implementation of common guidelines in relation with the international capital market. The author demands the capacity building and branding of state owned stakes to develop their status as ones having sellable stocks. Incentives so as to foster financial innovation have to be issued by the government. Further, it has been demanded to develop international collaborations and associations so as to trigger the development of a corporate market. The article also suggests that the regulations on foreign investment and their participation in local trade have to be taken off. These strategies in alignment with administrative reforms have been envisaged by Jochen R Andritzky to promote the development of a capital market. The article is a guideline for individual economies to develop as globally competitive ones. Though the conclusions of the article have been framed in accordance with a case study done on Slovenia, they are applicable for the prospering economies still striving to get into the global scenario. Primarily the international expertise of the author and the organizational profile he owns confirms the credibility of the study. The study has been based on solid scientific investigation strictly based on economic grounds. The paper has well

Write a research paper on the concept of jihad Thesis

Write a research paper on the concept of jihad - Thesis Example it means duty mindedness, groups interpret the same as a tool to exert their influence, individuals consider it as their duty, the U.S authorities interpret it as the influence of fundamentalism on religious belief and the reason behind terrorism, Muslim world considers it as the core aspect of their belief, and the rest of the world considers it as the reason behind religious intolerance or fundamentalism. This section of the research work is divided as: jihad, differences in meaning, for groups and individuals, implication of jihad for the U.S., implication of jihad for the Muslim world, and implication of jihad for the rest of the world. Basically, the word jihad possesses inner meaning, i.e. duty mindedness of the believers. To be specific, this word denotes the inner struggle faced by the believers while proving their devotion to the almighty. On the other side, Shia Muslims interpret this word differently because they consider that it is their duty act against the infidels in general. Gilles Kepel states that, â€Å"By designating, in the Muslim context, all efforts to propagate Islam as â€Å"jihad†, in their eyes the word comes to signify a holy war against all â€Å"infidels† who they stigmatize as such† (x). To be specific, this sect of Muslims provides importance to the violent aspect of jihad. When one provides importance to the inner struggle faced by the believers, jihad becomes non-violent. When one provides importance to the exhibition of physical struggle, jihad is misinterpreted and misunderstood as a violent act. Still, some followers consider that spiritual struggle cannot help one to be with the almighty. Then, the violent aspect of jihad gains upper hand and results in drastic after effects. When the term jihad is superimposed into the context of religious belief, one can see that the same is less violent. Then, the struggle against the disbelievers will be transformed into the struggle to transform the society. In the religious text, jihad is

Strategic Management Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Strategic Management Analysis - Essay Example .................6 Sociological Factors..........................................................6 Technological Factors........................................................7 Industry Analysis...............................................................8 Threat of New Entrants......................................................8 Threats of Substitutes.........................................................8 Bargaining Power of Buyers..............................................8 Bargaining Power of Suppliers..........................................9 Competitive Rivalry...........................................................9 Section B: Starbucks Strategic Analysis........................................10 Internal Environments........................................................10 Resources & Competencies of Starbucks...........................10 Current Strategy of Starbucks.............................................12 Value Chain Analysis.......................... ................................12 Financial & Competitive Position of Starbucks..................13 Section C: Strategic Fit †¦..............................................................15 Strengths of Starbucks.........................................................15 Weaknesses of Starbucks.....................................................15 Opportunities from the External Environment....................16 Threats †¦........................................................... .......19 Introduction Starbucks corporation is a worldwide coffee chain company that has its headquarters in Seattle, Washington State (Schultz and Howard, 2011). It is the largest company of its kind and as of March 2009, it had 16,680 stores with 38 years of experience in the coffee business (Clark, 2009). Starbucks has a presence in over 61 countries and has the core of its operations in the United States (Schultz and Howard, 2011). The US operations include over 13,000 stores which offer various forms of services to the American public. The Mission of Starbucks is â€Å"to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time.† (Starbucks Mission Statement, 2012). The vision of the company is to provide the best quality coffee to customers through ethically sourcing for the best beans. They aim at embracing diversity to create a good work and business environment in which they would engage fully and connect with customers by pro viding perfect beverage (Starbucks Mission Statement, 2012). Starbucks also aims at providing the highest levels of returns to their shareholders whilst they remain responsible to their stakeholders, viz customers, partners and the wider community (Starbucks Mission Statement, 2012). This paper provides a strategic fit analysis of this global coffee company. The components of Starbucks Corporation is analysed in this paper to provide an overview of the strategic elements of the company. Section A: Market Analysis In this section, we will examine the macroeconomic elements and the microeconomic environments to identify the business sphere within which Starbucks' US unit operate within. External Environment Macro-environmental analysis can be done through what is known as PEST analysis, which involves

Government Current Event Essay Example for Free

Government Current Event Essay Being one of the future teachers of Texas, it is important for teachers/students as well as parent to understand what their children are learning in school. It is most especially important for the parents to participate with their children at home. But at the same time all states shouldn’t be the same when it comes to a lot of things, one of them being education. The Common Core Learning Standards/Common Core approach sets ambitious goals for math, reading and writing skills as children move through school. The Common Core has already been adapted to 45 states; Alaska, Texas, Nebraska, Virginia, and Minnesota are not included. This means that these 45 states are now spending a ton of money on new books, new teachers/staff/principals, and some are implementing intense trainings for current staff. Both teachers and staff are going through the pressure of having to be constantly watched and monitored to make sure they are meeting the scores, otherwise they will get fired. In chapter 3 of The Struggle for Democracy, federalism is the division and sharing of powers between the federal and state government. The topic of Common Core and how it’s getting implemented to the school is a state government issue. But having put more thought into the issue, this is actually in some way a federal government issue. Yes the state government votes â€Å"for the people† on whether certain states should even implement the program, but the federal government is the one that will be funding the actual program. Which is a perfect example of what it talks about in our reading of Chapter 3 in The Struggle for Democracy of how the U.S government is a central government; we share powers between the federal/states government. The Common Core issue must be settled with not only the states government but also the federal government. This is an important topic because, as a future teacher and a future mother, in some way it relates to all everyone. Our education and how it’s funded is so poor right now because the people just aren’t informed. We must get informed in order to get educated. I do believe in the quote â€Å"The children of today are the people of tomorrow.†

Anastasia Romanov a Mystery Essay Example for Free

Anastasia Romanov a Mystery Essay Anastasia Romanov Anastasia was born on June 18, 1901 to Tasar Nicholas II of Russia and his wife Alexandra Fyodorvna (Evans 2009). She was the youngest the five children the couple had. Anastasia had three sisters and one brother: Grand Duchess Tatiana, Grand Duchess Maria, Grand Duchess Olga, and Alexei Nikolaevich of Russia. She was very close to her dad, grandmother, and cousin, Princess Xenia She was stubborn and hated school. She would climb trees and stay in them to avoid school until her dad came and ordered her to get down. Her playmates name was Tatiana Botkin (King). At age 16 she stared to smoke secretly because of stress and tense. Sometimes her sister Olga would Join her (Anastasia). Anastasia was short, had blue eyes, and brown hair which was sometimes said to be blond with a reddish tint (see fg. 1). Fig. 1. This is a picture of Anastasia Romanov when she was younger (Anastasia). During World War I the royal family were kept hostage. On July 17, 1918 the Bolshevik secret police murdered the Romanov family. They had burt through the doors and started to fire their guns immediately. The bullets had ricocheted off Anastasia ecause she had diamonds sewed into her clothing (King); she did this so she could carry them palace to palace. There were two bodies that were not found, Anastasias and her brothers, Alexei (Frazpatrick 2005). Women would pretend to be Anastasia. The most famous was Anna Anderson. She had captured the imagination of America and Europe. Other imposters pretended to be other members of the Romanov family but no one could grab the imagination like Anna had. They also had proof that the other member had died because their bodies were found. The reason Anna could rab the imagination of America and Europe was because she was the same age, height, weight and also had the same hair and eyes as Anastasia. Anna even had the same deformed foot Just like Anastasia had. Anna had Jumped Offa bridged to commit suicide but was taken to the hospital. She had claimed to be Anastasia and had the story of how she escaped from the soldiers and where she has been hiding. She was hiding because she was scared that if someone noticed her than she would be shot and killed (King). Anastasias playmate and cousin had both spoken to Anna and thought that it was actually Anastasia but later changed their minds (King). Other family members on Anastasia had asked Anna questions and some believed others did not believe her. For the people that did not believe that Anna was Anastasia they came up with their own ideas of what happened to the real Anastasia. Some people thought that the soldiers took pity on her and let her get away. Others had thought that the Bolshevik police had burned her body so that there were no remains left (Anastasia). threw her body down a mineshaft and set of grenades. She could have gone to her randmothers house to hide from the police because Anastasia was very close to her grandmother. In 1979 a body of a girl was found by a Soviet architect. In those times there was no way to prove that the body was Anastasias. In 1979 the body was buried a second time but was believed to have been Anastasias. In the mass grave there were suppose to be eleven bodies but there were only nine ever found. The nine bodies were Tasar Nicholas, Alexandra Fyodorvna, Grand Duchess Tatiana, Grand Duchess Maria, and Grand Duchess Olga. However, architects found two additional bodies, round the area that they had found Anastasias, in 2007 (Young). At this time there were more scientific tools such as DNA testing. Alexei was identified by DNA testing; they used the skull of Maria to identify Alexei. Alexei skull was used to prove Anastasia died in 1918 with the rest of her family. This mystery has been playing with peoples minds ever since the death of the Romanov family. There are people sill today that believe the DNA testing was incorrect. Others think that scientist made up the data so they can say that they solved the mystery.

How Important Is Race In US Politics?

How Important Is Race In US Politics? I am the son of a Black man from Kenya and a White woman from Kansas, asserted Barack Obama in 2008; and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story possible. This speech came in March 2008; until this point candidates on both sides had avoided discussing race as an issue. Obama wished to establish himself as a candidate outside of race, yet ultimately this was not possible. Those opposed to this strategy ensured that race remained an integral factor in the 2008 election and the wider US political scene. Race can be seen to link to a variety of policy areas. For example, a recent New York Times article states that, four in 10 Black children are born into poverty [while] less than one in 10 White children are.  [2]  Statistics such as this demonstrate that race in connection with economics and class are central issues for US politics more generally. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention compiled an extensive report in January 20 11 detailing racial disparities in a broad array of health problems; highlighting the continual significance of race as a policy issue, particularly in popular discourse, as this report received much mainstream media attention.  [3]  Yet the subsequent issues raised by race have changed. No longer are blatant displays of racism socially or legally acceptable; so what is preventing us from deeming America a post-racial society?  [4]  Furthermore, why is a post-racial society the aspiration? On the one hand, it falls in line with the American principle of a united nation, yet on the other hand it is considered dangerous to attempt to embrace different cultures, after so many years of segregation. Furthermore, the absence of overt discrimination does not mean that exclusion has ended, rather, that the character of [such] discrimination has changed.  [5]   This paper shall argue the continuing importance of race in US politics, both through its overt influence on policy making as well as its implicit influence; as often discussions which avoid race are making an equally important statement. This essay shall consider race largely in terms of traditional binaries of Black and White. Incorporating an analysis of ethnicity will be too broad, particularly as language and immigration would need to be considered. Obamas election as a mixed-race American has brought traditional binaries of Black and White back to the forefront of discussions. While other minority groups do add another layer of complexity, analysis of this goes beyond the scope of this essay. A further constraint has meant that race will be discussed with regard to the domestic, and in particular, on a federal level. Historically race issues differed between states, and while there may still be variation regarding perceptions between more conservative or more liberal states, a discussion of federal policy regarding race will allow wider conclusions to be drawn. Race can be considered to encompass issues of governmental policy, party policy, public perceptions and political strategy. If race is viewed in this way it is possible to attempt to separate political and legislative conceptions of race from discussions of individual discrimination. The former is the focus for this paper. All of these factors become heightened during election years, where race continues to divide people, even within the same party. Notably, the emergence Tea Party faction on the Republican side, a platform for conservative populist discontent demonstrates views held are not true of all of the Republican Party; furthermore, it may not necessarily represent views of all Tea Party movements, as there is no single Tea Party.  [6]  It is the nature of US political parties to encompass huge variation within the main parties. Election years provide an increased awareness of the political, and as such will provide recent examples of the trends in racial politics. This c an be seen presently through the debate over Obamas place of birth; with the administration choosing to release the long birth certificate before the next election cycle. The argument will proceed through three substantive sections; firstly a discussion of race and the electorate; second, the factors which continue to shape racial inequality; and finally governing, including an analysis of candidate choice. Race and class Recent shifts in the American demographic are crucial to understanding how race as an issue has changed, particularly in the post-Bush era. This change in administration provided substantive change in some areas, but arguably not during the 2008 campaign period. Minorities did, and will, continue to be a secondary concern while White voters retain plurality status, this notion featured prominently in the 2008 general election, as voting statistics suggest parties will continue to bring White issues to the forefront in order to win elections. It can be seen that there is a glaring ideological disconnect between the desire and reality of a race-free society.  [7]  Teasley and Ikard, in their article The Myth of Postracism suggest the danger of complete investment in postracial thinking, particularly for the most economically vulnerable African American population. The prominent liberal view of racial policy suggests a cautious approach, favouring the idea of a colour blind society. While it is suggested that there is no currently viable alternative to a liberal vision of race, it can be inferred that at least racialism as a theory acknowledges the persistence of racism in America.  [8]  Critical Race Theory (CRT) favours a race conscious approach, reliant upon political organisation. In arguing the need for CRT, Metzler presents an argument for why the term postracial is meaningless as a critique.  [9]  Usefully, the theory also allows for intersections between race, class and sex. A basic premise is that while electoral decisions may claim to be colour blind they are actually steeped in racist ideology.  [10]  For example, it can be argued that race as a political factor will be avoided as much as possible; unless a politicians political survival depends on it. Example 2008 or Sotomoyar The premise of a race neutral campaign is to develop a coalition of support, regardless of race. Yet ultimately, there remains a divergence as to why different r acial groups voted for Obama, while many Whites voted for Obama as a way to move beyond race, many Blacks voted for him as a way to vindicate the entire Black race.  [11]  While the term vindicate may be unnecessarily emotive, the notion of collective Black support for Obama is significant as an example of the continual relevance of race in US electoral politics and the differing motives for voting behaviour. The mere suggestion that issues still exist as Black or White demonstrates the continuing importance of race. After his 2000 election victory, Bush was famously advised that if he did not improve his minority vote, he would be unable to win the next election. The pattern of immigration in the US has left the country with a large multicultural demographic. The nature of such immigration, being both forced through slavery, and voluntary, is a relatively unique phenomenon; as such racial issues are historically rooted in much of American society. This seems to make some of the electorate, particularly minorities, more inclined to talk about race, while often having the opposite affect among White voters. Due to the growth in minority populations, there has been a proportional decrease to the White population. In 2008, the Black population alone comprised 12.8% of the population. The national census of 2010 puts this original figure at 12.6%, demonstrating a further demographic shift, wi th African Americans no longer comprising the majority minority, with the Black population comprising a smaller proportion than other minority groups.  [12]  This suggests a limit to traditional oppositional binaries of Black vs. White, with new minorities gaining ever increasing populations, and in theory increasing significance. Binaries remain important, but it is important to realise that they do not always give us a complete picture; as an increasing number of citizens describing themselves as multi-racial, 3.4% in the last census.  [13]  However, in the 2008 election focus was not given evenly to each minority group. Perhaps because some minority groups are more valuable when translated into votes, or perhaps because some groups are more politically active than others. South Asian voters had a huge impact on the democratic primaries in 2008, particularly in California, yet the binary view continued to dominate discussions. This may have been a temporary fluctuation, en couraged by the race between a Black candidate and a White candidate for the presidency. Yet it seems that the trend is actually a continuation from a longstanding history of dealing in terms of Black and White issues of race. The Black community also remains much more vocal than other minority groups, particularly more assimilated Asian voters. Ultimately, binaries remain useful in demonstrating the importance of race in contemporary politics, as it remains that conflicts between Black issues and White issues are at the forefront of debate, particularly with regard to healthcare and education. In the 1990s, Bill Clinton restored the Democratic Partys competitiveness by mostly avoiding the race-specific rhetoric and policies that had helped drive disaffected White voters toward the Republican opposition. The boom he presided over produced political and economic benefits for African-American families as well as well as Whites, making him popular with both groups. Comparing this to the situation in 2008; a deeper analysis of Obamas poll numbers [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] indicates that very little changed in terms of voting habits in this election cycle.  [14]  Thus, on the surface it seems significant that Obama has successfully reproduced the polling numbers of Clinton, a White Southerner, adding substance to the post-racial argument.  [15]  Yet in context, Obama was nominated during a period of frustration with the outgoing Republican administration, at a time of economic uncertainty, and when a generation of African Americans had won elected office. Thus it can be seen how race as a domestic issue is closely interlinked with other factors, notably feeling toward the outgoing administration and the fluctuating state of the economy. As such, examples which are often cited to demonstrate the decreasing significance of race can actually be at least partially attributed to other factors. The socioeconomic divide in America is expanding; in a multiracial society where the races are unequal, there will often be a racial dimension to class differences, for class is an efficient recoder of racism.  [16]  Reed suggests that this is an historical trend, built on the back of enslaved Africans, as such, for Reed, race and colour have always been the ultimate determinants of socioeconomic status.  [17]  Yet it seems that the greatest divide came long after the period of reconstruction. Since 1970 the socioeconomic divide has become more evident; while the status of the most disadvantaged members of the minority population deteriorated, that of the advantaged has notably improved.  [18]  This is clearest in relation to the Black American population. As such, it seems that race becomes less important because of socioeconomic factors. The rate of improvement is also notable; in several areas, such as college attendance, Blacks [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] have made those improv ements at a relatively faster rate than the reported progress of comparable Whites.  [19]  Thus, the fact that the number of Blacks enrolled full-time at colleges and universities nearly doubled between 1970 and 1980 (to over 1 million) demonstrates that there is a growing economic schism between lower-income and higher-income Black families, with the lower members of the community being left behind.  [20]  Policies such as affirmative action enhance this trend, doing more for the more advantaged members of Black communities compared to those from lower incomes. With race being so closely connected to socioeconomic conditions, it only increases its importance as a factor in US politics as the subject becomes broader. Hooks divides the Black community into class groups, and suggests that this has a considerable impact on perceptions by both the Black and the White community.  [21]  The impact of this has been to divide the Black community into sub groups, with many of the higher-income families becoming increasingly assimilated with the White community. As a basic concept this is still relevant, yet much of what Hooks outlined has become dated. Hooks argued that class-based racial integration disrupted what he terms, racial solidarity in essence; that previously class standing was irrelevant to the Black community, but increased integration has erased this bond between communities.  [22]  While it can be accepted that there did exist a sense of community, it is not true to say this has diminished to the extent which Hooks believed. Significantly, it seems the nomination of Obama reignited a sense of Black community; the mobilisation of Black voters can be attributed to a growing sense of g roup consciousness and empowerment.  [23]  Yet what is more convincing, is Hooks argument regarding communities. The emergence of what has been termed, a Black middle class, has led to wealth being removed from communities, leaving the poor and underclass as isolated segregated communities.  [24]   Race and the media It is important to consider whether race can continue to be discussed independently, or if class is now a more important issue. It seems the two issues are, and have been, fundamentally intertwined, due to long standing inequalities linking back to before the Civil War. However, the extent of this has changed, and the emergence of Black middle class has led class to move toward the forefront of political discussions of race. It is significant to discuss how and why the public produce conceptions of race, with particular emphasis on the role of the media as a source. As a nation, America emerged from a unique system of oppression and slavery. As such, race remains deeply rooted in the lives of many Americans. In an age where post-racial politics seems to be a common aspiration, for electoral benefit as much as for issues of equality, it is important to realise how race continues to appear on the political agenda. Some significant events can be cited in contemporary American politics a s periods of change. The terrorist attacks of September 2001 permanently altered American domestic and foreign policy and new issues of race were raised with the growing politicisation of Islamophobia. More recently, with regard to the binaries discussed so far, came the political impact of hurricane Katrina in 2005. Worst affected by this disaster was the city of New Orleans, which had a substantial Black population. The suffering of the people of New Orleans allowed the Democratic Party to establish itself as an alternative; and allowed it to distinguish itself through the racial politics of hurricane Katrina. It gave the Democrats the chance to put race onto the political agenda, yet arguably Obama attempted to distance himself from this strategy. This task was made easier for the Democrats due to a period of highly publicised racial shaming. By the time of the 2008 election, the Democrats were seen as a viable alternative to the Republican Party, who were famously said not to ca re about Black people.  [25]  This quote from an influential Black performer became a popular sound bite, demonstrating the importance of the media, and as such it did much to contribute to Bushs unpopularity. Following hurricane Katrina, many people sought to answer the question of whether its social effects and the government response to the countrys biggest natural disaster had more to do with race or class. Or if again, they were unavoidably linked. An argument surrounds the prominence race received as a factor in the Katrina disaster. While liberals could be accused of citing race in an attempt to reference a wider, more historic discrimination against Blacks, it was not an effective strategy as it did little to alter government policy. Therefore, although addressing Katrina as a race issue had a profound effect on the electorate, it was only later that it began to really influence policy. However, it seems that concluding class to be a more significant factor, is to divert attention away from race, thus [discouraging] a deeper discussion about the ways race and class intertwine.  [26]  Ultimately, Katrina is a prime example of the intrinsic way race and class are intertwined, largely due to the historical nature of racism in the region, in relation to housing and neighbourhood distribution. Few comparisons were made between White and Black residents, but as Lavelle and Feagin suggest; only 17% of Whites lacked access to a car to evacuate with, compared to 60% of Black residents.  [27]  Media images showed nearly all those left suffering in New Orleans were Black Americans, making it seem like a race issue; however those in more financially stable positions were able to live in safer areas, those families most able to afford homes in safer flood-protected areas and that had resources to evacuate easily suffered much less than poorer families, seemingly suggesting a class issue. Furthermore, what is also significant about the Katrina example is the way in which the media reported the story. The media are one of the most effective methods of communication across the US, as such, what is reported is highly influential among the electorate; It is universally accepted that mass media hold great power, as they transmit information to the public and are free to highlight certain news items and ignore others, setting the agenda of public life and creating consensus or disagreement on certain issues.  [2 8]  However, it took until September, a month after the disaster, for the media story to shift from stories of Black crime to the failures of government in mediating the disaster. Representation of race in the media has often contained rigid stereotypes, particularly with regard to the traditional binaries. This becomes increasingly problematic when it is considered that the portrayal may equate to the only contact a member may have with a particular racial group. In a study carried out by Johnson, he highlighted this dilemma; questioning the consequences; If somebody is living in Boston, and all their information on Black Bostonians comes from the media, what does that look like?  [29]  Johnson purported that White owned media in Boston tended to report more according to stereotypes than the Black owned media. While it was the Black owned agencies that were said to carry more positive stories, alongside the negative. Conducting a follow up to this initial study in the 1980s, Johnson looked at the distribution of coverage at the turn of the century. While crime stories continue to top the kind of coverage given to African Americans, the percentage of this coverage has dropped. Among Black owned media, education stories became central, with crime stories being placed much lower. Perceptions are crucial in politics, particularly in such a vast nation as America. Kellstedt suggests that there is a lack of substantive evidence supporting the notion that media coverage of race actually affects public opinion in any systematic way, yet he goes on to assert that it is an underlying assumption that the media has helped shape the course of race politics.  [30]  Due to their communicative role, the way the media chose to relay stories, or even the choice in stories they portray, have a profound impact in the electorate; there is a discourse of racism that advances the interests of Whites and that has an identifiable repertoire of words, images, and practices through which racial power is applied.  [31]  However, although the media still dominate communication, candidates are having an increasingly close relationship with the electorate through mediums such as social networking. As such, it seems candidates are getting increasing access to the electorate, thus racial issues can be dealt with or avoided, as the candidates chose. Of course this is relative, and the media will always retain the power of scrutiny, as is the nature in a liberal democracy. If the media shape the political agenda in the aforementioned way, then what constitutes a racial issue? It seems any number of issues could constitute a racial issue. For example, with regard to education the percentage rates of high school graduates can be used to summarise that Black students are still failing at an alarming rate compared with White students.  [32]  Or with regard to housing; although overt discrimination is no longer practiced, other practices still take place to isolate minorities from the housing market. Issues regarding joblessness, healthcare and criminal justice all continue to disproportionally affect people of colour. But what is important to question is whether these issues should be framed as racial issues, or whether this in itself is an acknowledgement of a continual inequality. If the nation were to truly adopt colour blind policies, then the theory would suggest that issues should be discussed independently from race. As such, a policy about the environment should be isolated, even though it may impact disproportionately communities of colour. But if these issues are no longer treated in isolation, politicians can be accused of pandering towards affirmative action, which is still viewed sceptically by many of the electorate. To acknowledge that so many political issues can become issues of race acknowledges the uniqueness of race as an issue area. Whether the trade-off between isolating policies is acceptable, or desirable, gets to the heart of racial policy in the USA. Is Race neutrality possible? Finally, it will be useful to look at the last presidential campaign, in order to discuss whether it can be concluded that the campaign was race neutral, and why this may have been an aspiration to so many candidates.  [33]  While this may have been the intention, partisan strategy among other factors, ensured that race was not allowed to remain off the political agenda. This continued to be true in light of the 2010 midterm elections, even though Obama was not on the ticket, much discussion among the media was once again given to his African American status and the impact this would have. Race can be seen to affect politics both implicitly and explicitly. Candidate choice was undoubtedly the aspect of race occupied most by the media. The beginning of the campaign was in line with the notion of an inclusive America. Yet the campaign shifted with the widespread circulation of Reverend Wrights sermon, in which he controversially said, the government lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq being a threat to the United States peace.  [34]  Obamas candidacy became very clearly race bound. At this point Obama had to justify himself in racial terms, which was a strategy which had been avoided until this point. The significance of what has since been termed Obamas race speech in 2008 is not just that it was the first point in the campaign that race became openly discussed, but it is rather what Obama did in this speech, he acknowledged the continual tensions; a part of our union we have yet to perfect.  [35]  He demonstrated that he was a clear personification o f both oppositional binaries, while offering an ability to transcend them. Black support can be seen to be both a strength and weakness for democrats. Black support can alienate other groups of voters, traditionally there have been tensions between the Black and Hispanic communities.  [36]  De-racialization is seen during campaigning when candidates attempt to avoid explicit references to race issues, in attempt to remain inclusive. Concurrently, candidates use implicit strategies such as using racial symbolic Black and Latino faces in their literature; while putting increased emphasis on issues which are perceived to be racially transcendent and ultimately, attempt to appeal to a broad selection of the electorate.  [37]  Thus even when race is not vocalised during an election, it still plays a vital role. Charles Hamilton first proposed a race neutral strategy in 1973,  [38]  Obama has been said to follow such strategy, in that he did so much to avoid discussing race as an aspect of his campaign.  [39]  The supposed advantage of such avoida nce is to encompass the widest possible selection of the electorate. With regard to voting behaviour, issues need to be directed at those who will provide the swing vote. There are limitations on the political power and influence of minorities, thus making it rational for parties to focus on the White majority, and to use deracialisation strategies.  [40]  For example, Democrats traditionally receive a disproportionate share of the minority vote, as such, it is in their interest to direct policy to White issues because they can rely on receiveing Black votes regardless; thus, the United States has racially polarized politics while race, itself, is depoliticised.  [41]  The running of a race neutral campaign is an acknowledgement in itself of the importance of race. If accepting that Black and White voters continue to prioritise different issue areas, it is also true to acknowledge that the running of a race-neutral campaign can be difficult to balance. The aim is to attract White voters without losing a connection to the Black community. Race will continue to be an issue even after the election period ends. With regard to Obama, it is again a new phenomenon; if it assumed that the race neutral campaign will extend to an attempt at race neutral governing, then Obama will continue to avoid the issue of race. This has been seen through the first half of his first term. Race issues are not overtly mentioned unless completely necessary. However this is not due to Obamas skilled pragmatism. In fact, it seems Obama may be constrained by those who elected him in the first place, as well as by the partisan tactics of the Republican opposition. If Obama had mounted a concerted series of racial policy issues, then White voters may have felt alienated. A lot of the early fears from the campaign would be perceived to be correct: for example that Obama was an African American; interested in prioritising minority issues. This goes against the intended pluralistic nature of US politics. Reed claims that Americans will have to mount a concerted effort to have Obama promote anything regarded as a Black issue.  [42]  Thus, have African American issues actually been side-lined and consequently jeopardised through the election of the countrys first Black president. If Obama does continue to down play racial issues, Conservative arguments declaring the irrelevance of race will be strengthened.  [43]  Conservatives use Obamas image as a sign that racism is dead, while at the same time evoking race strategies against him.  [44]  Race becomes an unavoidable issue of cont Toyota: Sustainable Strategies And Global Success Toyota: Sustainable Strategies And Global Success The global auto industry is a key sector of the economy for every major country in the world. A huge invests in research, development and production result in gaining high industry performance (OICA, 2010). The high competition of key players in automotive include; BMW, FIAT, Ford, General Motor, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot Citroen, Toyota, Renault, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Daimler à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..(Datamonitor, 2010). Toyota Motor Corporation has become one of the most successful companies in the world today. In 2010, Toyota was ranked number 5 of the worlds largest corporations (Fortune, 2010) and number 11 of the best global brands (Interbrand, 2010). It is also considered as the most profitable organisation of automobile (Datamonitor, 2010). For almost 15 years J.D Power and other research firms have consistently rated Toyota and its luxury line, Lexus, among the top automotive brand. Over 50 years automotive operation worldwide and its launched the world first commercial hybrid car, Prius, enhance Toyota more strengthen and gaining high competitive advantage over the rivals in term of its reputation and reliability, initial quality, and long-term durability (J.D Power, 2010; Stewart and Raman, 2007). Thus, study of Toyota international business operation could be provided distinctive knowledge for researcher in term of strategic implementation from some well-known literatures and an investigation of some facts and information could enhance more analytical skills. Therefore, this report will start with the analysis of automobile industry including; market overview, market size and it competition situation. Follow by the reviews of Toyota Motor Corporation. Then, it strategic management will be examined. After that, Toyota performance assessment will be scrutinized. Strategic analysis will be provided in order to obtain deep analysis of corporation. Finally, conclusion part will be summarised all information according to the researchers study. 1. Automobile Industry 1.1 Market Overview Due to the progressive globalization, the climate change and the idea of air quality improvement, automobile manufacturers have put more efforts to create sustainable development which is to minimise fuel consumption and exhaust emission (UNEP, 2002). They have also made use of advanced technological solution to reduce waste and emission in the factories as well as to improve the vehicle safety and recycling ideas (Oliver Wyman, 2010; UNEP, 2002). Moreover, it is very crucial for the industry to continue the concept of great product design and innovative development such as the initiative in hybrid technology (Sturgeon, 2009, Oliver Wyman, 2010). In addition, Sturgeon et. al. (2009) explained four characteristics of the automobile industry which are: A small number of huge firms have more power than small companies. Eleven huge and dominant companies from three countries including Japan, Germany, and the USA. The automobile industry has developed strong regional structure along with globalisation integration. The final product assembly of vehicle has been moved to the home market due to political sensitivity issues. There are only few generic parts and component systems that can be fit to all products. Therefore, it has to be customised before production. The automobile markets condition has also been driven by globalization which can be divided into four categories Market globalisation drivers, Cost globalsation drivers, Government globalisation drivers, and Competitive globalisation drivers (YIP, 1992). The firms should understand and recognize these drivers in order to evaluate and gain their competitive advantages. Analysis of the globalisation drivers for the automotive industry is demonstrated in Figure 1. Figure 1: Yips globalization drivers of automobile industry Source: Authors own 1.2 Market Size The global market of new cars has been recovered from a decline in value in 2008. In 2009, the market rose by 2.7% and reached a value of $1,019.2 billion while its combined annual market growth rate was just 2.1% during 2005 2009. According to the pie chart shown on Figure 2, Toyota Motor Corporation took a 15.3% share of the markets volume being a leader in the market, compared to Volkswagen (14.2% ) and Ford (8.1%) (Datamonitor, 2010). Figure 2: Market size and share of automobile Source: Adapted from Datamonitor (2010) 1.3 Porters Five Forces Porters five forces (Porter, 1980) is the crucial tool to be used to analyse the important forces that determined the competitive power of automobile industry as illustrated in figure 3 understand both the strength of your current competitive position, and the strength of a position youre considering moving into. Figure 3: Porters five forces Source: Authors own Threat of New Entrants It can be said that there is low threat of new entrants in the automobile industry since it has reached the mature stage of the product life cycle. If a new company wants to enter the market, it needs to achieve economic of scale cost reduction and mass production. Consequently, the new comer is required to have a huge amount of capital in order to own its automotive manufacture and innovative technology. Moreover, it is quite difficult for a new player to have its distribution channel and dealers due to the strong channel of the key companies and their reputation. Bargaining Power of Suppliers In order to produce a vehicle, it consists of many components perform final product assembly. A lot of suppliers are then involved in production process. They are very similar due to the fact that raw materials are not different. As a result, it will be very easy to change suppliers since they have low bargaining power. Bargaining Power of Buyers Consumers are the main players in this industry since the automotive business depends on them. It is not difficult for them to switch the brands if they are not satisfied. However, in order to purchase a new car, they have to deal with a dealer only. Therefore, it can be said that there is moderately high bargaining power of the buyers in the automotive industry. Threat of Substitute Products Public transport, walking, cycling etc. can be substitute products for automobiles. Also, the geographic location has considerable effect on consumers purchasing decision. People in Venice, for example, travel by boat only. However, it will be more convenient to use automobile in order to go to most places. Consequently, threat of substitute products is moderately low. Intensity of Rivalry among Competitors There is very high intensity of rivalry among competitors due to a lack of product differentiation. It is found that the key players in the industry are fairly balanced; therefore, one can easily gain the others market share. As a consequence, in order to advertise a product, the company has to consider and compare all aspects including quality, price, durability, and others to its competitors. 1.4 Strategic Groups Analysis Porter (1980) defined a strategic group as a group of companies in an industry which implement similar strategy. According to figure 4, it can be seen that the mass market follows cost leadership strategy while differentiation strategy is implemented by the luxury group (Peng, 2009). The ultra-luxury group generally utilises focus strategy (Peng, 2009). For Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota and Scion brands are developed by cost leadership strategy to compete in the mass market whereas it distributes Lexus brand for Luxury market (Toyota, 2010). Figure 4: Strategic group analysis Source: Adapted from Peng (2008) and Henry (2008) Furthermore, Oliver Wyman (2010) suggested that the automobile industry can be split up onto two different types of companies including mega groups and independent champions. Mega groups have their own manufacturers, technologies, platforms, and engines whereas independent champions depend on channel resources and their networks. Consequently, Toyota has been considered as maga groups due to the reasons above. This can be illustrated by successful OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) paradigm as shown in figure 5. Figure 5: Successful OEM diagram Source: Adapted from Oliver Wyman (2010) 2. TOYOTA Motor Corporation 2.1 Company Background Toyota Motor Corporation, a Japanese automaker, was established in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda (Toyota, 2010). Owning to its solid finance and an increase in demand of vehicles, it had become one of the strongest carmaker around mid-2008 (IHS, 2010). This is also because of its potential business strategy focusing on product innovation and its production efficiency (Takeuchi, Osono, and Shimizu, 2008). Finally, in 2010, Toyota was ranked number 5 of the worlds largest corporations (Fortune, 2010) and number 11 of the best global brands (Interbrand, 2010) 2.2 TOYOTA Global Vision 2020 Toyotas vision is to investigate and balance the relationship between the cycles of nature and the cycles of industry. Thus, its slogan is Open the Frontiers of Tomorrow which expresses the desire of Toyota and the efforts of its employees toward the realization of societys dreams in order to build a way to a new world. The Toyota group believes that it can be accomplished though the energy of people and technology (Figure 6) (Toyota, 2010). Figure 6: Toyota global vision 2020 Source: Adapted from Toyota (2010) 2.3 TOYOTA Biodiversity Guideline Biodiversity framework (Figure 7), one of the sustainability principles of Toyota, was developed in order to emphasise on three areas; contributions through technology, collaboration and cooperation with society, and information disclosure (Toyota, 2010). Figure 7: Toyota biodiversity guideline Source: Adapted from Toyota (2010) 2.4 TOYOTA Corporate Social Responsibility Toyota CSR policy consists of three main areas including social, environmental, and economic aspects (Figure 8). Based on its guideline principle, Toyota implements all business activities in order to create harmonious and sustainable society in each country (Toyota, 2010). Figure 8: Toyota CSR policy Source: Adapted from Toyota (2010) 3. Toyota Strategic Management 3.1 The Toyota Way In 1935, Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of the company, originally purposed five key principles to develop company and its employees beliefs (Toyota, 2010). After that, in order to provide rigorous training to the new generation of its employees, the company realised that these five important principles should be documented and divided into two pillars (Figure 9) which are Continuous improvement and Respect for people (Toyota, 2010, Stewart and Raman, 2007). For the first pillar, Continuous improvement can be called Kaizen which is Toyotas basic business management (Liker, 2004). It also focuses on individual learning and improvement by evaluating ones self and being creative in order to achieve goals. Also, Toyota presents its second pillar by providing employment security and developing employees participation and responsibility in order to build understanding, trust, and loyalty among the team members (Liker, 2004). Figure 9: The Toyota way Source: Adapted from Toyota (2010) 3.2 New JIT a Management Technology Strategy Model of Toyota A unique business strategy of Toyota called New JIT (Figure 10) has brought about its successful management and operation in the global market. New JIT is a management technology strategy model including three key areas; Toyota Marketing System (TMS), Toyota Production System (TPS), and Toyota Development System (TDS) (Amasaka, 2002, 2007). Figure 10: A management strategy model Source: Amasaka (2002) 3.3 Toyota Production System (TPS) Toyota production System (TPS) is the distinctive production system which enhances Toyota gaining higher competitive advantage over it competitors (Toyota, 2010; Amasaka, 2002; Takeuchi, Osono, and Shimizu, 2008). Taiichi Ohno invented TSP strategy in late 50s. Today this strategy became one of the most production efficiency in the world and many leading company use this platform extensively as an ideal prototype (Toyota, 2010; Takeuchi, Osono, and Shimizu, 2008). TPS designed House platform which mean that everyone can understand how it works (Figure 11). Toyotas global strategy on production is simple: Toyota Production Systems (TPS). TPS was designed by Taiichi Ohno who was in charge of production for Toyota after WWII. Ohno implemented this strategy in the 1950s and 60s and today Toyota is one of the worlds most efficient factories because of TPS. The goal of TPS is to provide the best quality, lowest cost, and shortest lead time through the elimination of waste (Toyota, 2010, Amasaka, 2002). Below is the actual Toyota Production System layout in its form of a house.(Figure 11). Figure 11: Toyota production system Source: Toyota (2010) 3.4 Key Management Drivers Takeuchi, Osono, and Shimizu (2008) pointed out the key of Toyotas success called Toyota six forces. It is influencing contradictions inside Toyota organisation can be divided into three forces of expansion and three forces of integration. Three forces of expansion causes changes and improvements in the company which are include setting impossible goals or near-unattainable goals from the view point of senior executives, local customization by producing products to suit local market needs and customise business operations under the same platform in each country and region, and experimentation that Toyotas eagerness to experiment helps it clear the hurdles that stand in the way of achieving near impossible goals. Another three forces of integration controls the balance between expansion and transformation. It can be seen this integration from values from the Toyota founders vision commitment and performance, up-and-in people management, and open communication to all level of employee closely. 4. Assessing Toyota Performance 4.1 Brand and Product Performance In the market of passenger cars, Toyota owns and operates 3 major brands; Toyota, Lexus and Scion (Toyota, 2010). Toyota offers more than 116 models distributing through different segments and provides customised models to attract local customers of each region in order to increase its sales volume (IHS, 2010). It can be seen Toyotas model strategy as shown in Figure 12. Figure 12: Model strategy Source: Adapred from Toyota (2010) 4.2 Global Operation and Expansion According to figure 13, on March 31st, 2010, Toyota had got 300,000 employees and 66 plants in 27 countries and regions with approximately 170 distributors and 8,000 dealers worldwide (Toyota, 2010). The efficient Toyota Production System (TPS) and high RD lead Toyota to a stronger position than its rivals in the automobile market (Takeuchi, Osono, and Shimizu, 2008). According to Toyota (2010) the number of vehicle had produced in FY2010 were 6,809,000 units. It was decreased slightly when compared to last four years. The major products which distribute worldwide came from Japan plants (58.1%) follow by Asia (15.6%) and North America (15.3%) (Figure 14) (Toyota, 2010). Regarding to distribution strategy, there are two main logistical concepts which are regional bases approach and dock-based approach are implemented by Toyota (Toyota, 2010). Despite the fact that Toyotas head office is located in Japan, its subsidiaries were founded over the world in order to create multiple regional headquarters including North America, Asia, Europe, and others ; (IHS, 2010). This means that the company can utilise localisation strategy to satisfy different customers needs in each country. On the other hand, dock-based operation is used to manage the inspections and quality control before distributing to the regional dealers again (Toyota, 2010). Figure 13: Toyota operation Source: Toyota (2010) Figure 14: Toyota production Source: Toyota (2010) 4.3 Financial Performance During FY 2010, Toyota posted better-than-expected results despite the global massive recall saga, which affected almost 10 million vehicles worldwide. For the 12 months ending 31 March 2010, the automaker returned to profitability on the back of swift cost-cutting measures and strong sales recovery in major markets, including Asia, rebounding from its first-ever annual loss posted during the previous fiscal year. The automaker posted a net profit of  ¥209.4 billion (US$2.25 billion) during FY 2010, compared with a net loss of  ¥437.0 billion during the previous fiscal year. Operating profit stood at  ¥147.5 billion, versus an operating loss of  ¥461.0 billion during the previous fiscal year, while pre-tax profit at the company stood at  ¥291.4 billion, compared with a pre-tax loss of  ¥560.4 billion, respectively. The significant improvement in operating earnings was largely thanks to  ¥520 billion in savings through cost-cutting efforts, and  ¥470.0 billion in savin gs through a reduction in fixed costs. Revenues at the company declined by 7.7% y/y, however, from  ¥20.5 trillion to almost  ¥19.0 trillion, as a result of the drop in vehicle demand in major markets, including North America and Europe, and unfavourable currency translation effects. Figure 15: Financial performance Source:Toyota (2010) 5 Toyota Strategic Analysis 5.1 Competitive Strategy According to Porters generic strategy (Porter, 1980), it can be said that Toyota is placed in the group of stuck in the middle. However, Thompson and Strickland (2008) mentioned this strategy could be named as Best-cost provider since Toyota offers customers more value for money low cost products with comparable quality and features. This is because of Toyotas revolutionary lean production system based on product differentiation strategy with understanding of customers, rather than a relentless pursuit of cost reduction in the cost leader category (Thompson and Strickland, 2008). As shown on Figure 16. Figure 16: Toyotas competitive strategy Source: Authors own 5.2 Core Competency One main characteristic that Toyota always emphasises is Quality. Consumers make their decision to buy this brand because of its reliability and its durability. Moreover, in order to stress its quality, it has been said that the vehicles are Made by Toyota. This means that the quality of its vehicles is exactly the same even though they are produced from different part of the world (Toyota, 2010). However, there is another remarkable feature that Toyota has made efforts to create and present in order to change consumers perception. It is Innovation. In 2000, Toyota launched Pirus Hybrid to introduce its sustainable technology (Toyota, 2010). This product gained customers attention and were sold out about a million in the mid of the year. As a result, Full hybrid has become its core competent technology in 2010 (Toyota, 2010). Last but not least, it is its unique production system called Toyota Production System (TPS). This system includes Just-In-Time (JIT), one-piece flow, Kaizen (continue to improve), Jidoka (automotive stop), and Heijunka (leveled production) leading Toyota to provide the best quality, the lowest cost, the shortest lead time, and the best safety (Amasaka, 2002). Consequently, Toyota can achieve highly competitive advantages over its competitors. 5.3 SWOT Analysis Strengths The strong reputation and brand image is a significant competitive advantage to boost companys sales in both domestic and international market. Consumers recognize Toyota brand and its popularity so they are more willing to pay for its premium products. Research and Development (RD) has been emphasised to ensure and enhance its quality and its safety. Also, Toyota always pays more attention on environmental compatibility when developing new products. With its strong and powerful distribution channel and dealer network, Toyota can distribute and sell its products through 170 distributors and 8,000 dealers across the world. Toyota Production System (TPS) has been successfully developed leading Toyota to gain efficient production with the best quality, the lowest cost, and the shortest lead-time. Weaknesses Due to two safety recalls announced by Toyota, consumers have less confidence in its products and its brand image. This also has a significant impact on companys share price causing a drop of stock exchanges in Japan and overseas. Employees pension fund has been decreasing owning to the financial instability. Toyota has been forced by regulation about unfunded pension; therefore the company cannot control its liquidity position. Opportunities Regulation about energy saving and emission provides a great opportunity to Toyota since it has been developed Prius, a hybrid vehicles over the years. Hybrid technology is one of the most valuable competitive advantages of Toyota enhancing it to gain higher market position. In the next ten years, China, India, and South East Asian countries are forecast to be a key driving automotive market. Therefore, Toyota should take this opportunity to obviously present its brand in the Asain markets which could help increase its market share effectively. Due to many new cars launched by Toyota during 2009-2010, the company will be able to gain higher customer interest contributing greatly to companys sales growth. The global automobile industry has been recovered from the economic recession and is expected to gradually accelerate in next year. Toyotas products and service can be expanded since they can be sold and distributed through its distribution network over the world. Threats Since there is high competition in the automobile industry, sale of Toyotas vehicles may be low and affect the companys finance and operation. Due to the different emission standard in different country, Toyota who sells and distributes products and service to more than 100 countries has additional cost in order to test, develop, and manufacture each product for each country. Toyotas financial status is quite sensitive to foreign currency exchange fluctuation, especially the Euro, and the US dollar affecting material cost and price of products sold in foreign currencies. Conclusion The key success of Toyota based on the integration of its competitive advantage and its business philosophy of understanding people as well as balancing cycles of nature and industry. The constant RD and excellent product innovation have a massive effect on Toyotas performance its market growth and its market share. The operational excellence is implemented as a strategic weapon in order to improve its products and quality through its production strategy. The Toyota Production System (TPS) is efficiently developed and effectively integrated with Toyota Marketing System (TMS) and Toyota Development System (TDS). Local customisations and multi-segmentations build Toyota more powerful than its rivals and gain positive perception from local consumers.

Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay -- Wilde Dorian Gray Pi

Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel by Oscar Wilde. The genre of this novel can be classified as a comedy of manners or a gothic novel. The Picture of Dorian Gray was first published in 1890 in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine. Another version with an additional six chapters was published in 1891. One of the major themes in the novel was the Supremacy of Beauty and Youth. A very attractive man has a portrait painted of himself, and after being warned of the mortality of his youth the man, Dorian, trades his soul to remain young while his portrait bears the markings of his age and evil deeds. Dorian becomes increasingly evil thoughout the novel, while constantly being encouraged by Lord Henry Wotton. Eventually Dorian can no longer bear the person he sees in his portrait so he tries to destroy the painting but ultimately he destroys himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In The Picture of Dorian Gray, the characters are predominantly aristocratic males. The main character is Dorian Gray, a wealthy young man who is both a handsome and a very impressionable young man. Basil Hallward is an artist who was obsessed with Dorian, naming him his muse and source of inspiration. Lord Henry Wotton is a friend of Basil Hallward who makes young Dorian his protà ©gà ©, teaching him his philosophy of â€Å"new Hedonism.† Sibyl Vane was a young actress who caught the eye of Dorian during one of her performances, after being spurned by Dorian she is heartbroken and commits suicide. James Vane is the brother of Sibyl Vane. He did not approve of Dorian from the start, so he wanted to murder Dorian to avenge the death of his sister.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The setting of The Picture of Dorian Gray is London, England. The story takes place from the years 1890 to 1908.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the years between 1890 and 1908, Dorian succumbs to the influence of Lord Henry Wotton. Because of this, Dorian disregards morality and follows Wotton’s â€Å"new Hedonistic† philosophy. Dorian became a very loathsome man on the inside while still remaining young and beautiful on the outside.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In The Picture of Dorian Gray, there were quite a few symbols. Three of these symbols were opium dens, James Vane, and the yellow book. The opium dens represent Dorian Gray’s state of mind. He uses the opium to try to forget his actions, just as he tries to rationalize these actions so he can ignore his consci... ...to find, Dorian, an old disfigured man lying dead on the floor with a knife in his heart.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the novel Dorian Gray was a bright and charming young man. By the end of the novel, because he was so easily influenced, he became a selfish and cruel person. Various conflicts in the novel cause Dorian to change. In every traumatic event Lord Henry was there leading him into the lifestyle of selfish pleasure. Dorian Gray was physically attractive but that did not matter because he was such a foul creature on the inside.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Picture of Dorian Gray was very well written. Wilde used witty and colorful dialogue to grab the reader’s attention. This is an enjoyable novel that is still somewhat relevant in modern times. Dorian got away with his sins longer because he looked youthful and innocent on the outside so people did not want to believe he had a bad character. This proves that sometimes, appearances can over rule reality. This is an enjoyable novel that is still somewhat relevant in modern times. Works Cited  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Ed. Donald Lawler. New York: W. W. Norton, 1988.

Teen Pregnancy Essay -- Social Issues, Sexual Activity, Abstinence

Many adolescents are sexually active today. Whether it personal decision or being forced into it, teenagers are still involved. According to Sue Christensen and Ann Rosen, of those sexually active only one in five use contraception (Christensen). These teenagers who do not use contraception set their selves up for hardships in life. Being sexually active and using contraception as a teenager is a choice that may determine the rest of your life. Is â€Å"it† really worth it? One major outcome of those sexually active is pregnancy, which leads to many other choices: adoption, abortion, keeping the child, or even terminating the pregnancy. Pregnancy all begins with talk of sexual activity. According to Ilene Lelchuk, out of 618 California high school students, 44 engaged in some type of sexual activity during the years of 2002 – 2004. These 44 students were had sexual relations by the end of tenth grade (Lelchuk 1). Statistics from The Family Connection of St. Joseph County, Inc., stated that â€Å"56 percent of young women and 73 percent of young men today have had intercourse by age 18†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Christensen 3). Beginning in the 1950s, there are records of teenagers having intercourse and many unwanted pregnancies. Shocking pregnancy trends from the 1950s to present According to Christensen and Rosen, the teen birth rate in 1957 was higher than it is today (Christensen 1). In my opinion, although teenage pregnancy has become more socially acceptable in this day and age, so have pregnancy terminations and abortions. This meaning the birth rate may have gone down but the pregnancy rate has not. Yet, â€Å"In 1955†¦only six percent of white teenage childbearing occurred outside of marriage; today it is 42 percent† (Christensen 1). Altho... ... decision to become sexually active. â€Å"Then he asked me to have sex. I was scared and everything, and I was like, â€Å"What am I gonna do?† The first time I told him no and he understood. We watched some TV. And he brought me home. Then a couple of days after that he asked me again, I said okay. I guess I said so because I just wanted to show him I wasn’t scared to have sex. I was scared. But I guess I was playing a role. I wanted to show him that I’m not scared. So we had sex†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In my opinion, teen pregnancy is definitely not worth all the hardships. Teens should choose abstinence and completely reduce the risk of becoming pregnant. If pregnancy does occur, of those sexually active, adoption is the greatest choice a teenager can make. Providing the baby with a better life is the most important. Every teenager must ask themselves, is â€Å"it† really worth it?

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 16

I rang Bastien's doorbell for the third time and then glared peevishly at the house. Where the hell was he? I was a little earlier than our agreed meeting time but not significantly. I gave the door a petulant kick as I imagined Bastien â€Å"held up† in the arms of some panting housewife. â€Å"He's not here,† said a cool voice nearby. I looked over and saw Dana standing there, a small leashed dog by her feet. It looked like the product of a tragic accident at the cottonball factory. â€Å"Nice dog,† I said. â€Å"My sister's. I'm taking care of him for a few days. You want to walk with us?† No, but I had promised myself the other day that I would pick Dana's brain to figure out how I might aid Bastien, and this seemed as good an opportunity as any. Besides, he'd kill me if he knew I'd passed up a chance for â€Å"reconnaissance.† I fell into step beside Dana and the fluff ball, congratulating myself for the hundredth time on being smart enough to choose cats over dogs. Tutu – yes, that was his name – pranced along daintily, small tongue hanging out. His beady black eyes peered everywhere as he trotted merrily, but otherwise seemed oblivious to the wet sidewalk dirtying his tiny white feet. â€Å"How's your rally going?† I asked after we'd exhausted dog topics. â€Å"Excellent. I'm surprised you haven't heard about it in the news. We're getting a lot of press.† â€Å"Haven't paid that much attention to the news.† She told me the date and time. â€Å"Think you can make it?† â€Å"I think I'm working that day,† I said automatically. Dana gave me a knowing look. â€Å"Tabitha, I get the impression you're not entirely settled on that issue.† You think? I looked away, again fighting the mental battle of speaking my mind versus causing trouble for Bastien. I finally opted for something that sounded vaguely like the truth. â€Å"I just think†¦there's a lot of different ways to look at it, that's all.† â€Å"It's okay to be unsure, you know.† That was astonishing, coming from her. â€Å"Is it?† â€Å"Of course. That's why groups like the CPFV exist. To help you see the truth of an issue.† I repressed a snort. I'd thought for a moment she might startle me with a display of open-mindedness. I let the silence collect again. â€Å"So,† she began after a moment, â€Å"what do you believe then?† â€Å"Er, on what? Homosexuality? Or homosexual marriage?† â€Å"Either.† My opinion was simply that people wanted who they wanted, end of story. There was no regulating love or saying it was wrong. But Dana's views on that were religiously based, and I of all people knew better than to argue the right or wrong of faith. â€Å"I'm just not sure people choose who they're attracted to,† I explained, not exactly attacking her question head-on. â€Å"So, I guess, it seems weird to me to talk about ‘helping' or ‘changing' people who can't really do anything about their natures, regardless of whether that nature is right or wrong.† â€Å"So you think homosexuality is inborn?† That sweet voice couldn't entirely hide her scornful surprise. â€Å"For some people. I think there are those who engage in†¦uh, same-sex activities for the fun of it, but for others, it's biological.† I had a feeling Dana wouldn't describe same-sex activities as fun, but I still felt better at having voiced my opinions. â€Å"You express yourself very well,† she admitted. â€Å"Even if I don't necessarily agree with you.† I laughed out loud, and she looked at me strangely. â€Å"No, I didn't think you would.† We grew quiet again, and I remembered I was supposed to be sounding her out on what she found romantic for Bastien. â€Å"I wish I could choose who I was attracted to,† I said out of the blue, bringing up personal matters in a manner that was out of character for both Tabitha Hunter and Georgina Kincaid. Dana seemed appropriately startled. â€Å"Things aren't going so well with your boyfriend? What was his name? Sven?† â€Å"Seth,† I corrected, feeling only a little bad at dragging him into the cover story. Things with Seth were actually beautiful at the moment, but for the sake of appearances, I kept lying. â€Å"He's okay, I guess, and I like him†¦but he's not very, you know, romantic. â€Å" â€Å"Ah,† she said neutrally. â€Å"Am I crazy? Is that too much to ask? Maybe I should focus on other things.† â€Å"What do you consider romantic?† â€Å"I don't know. Little touches and flourishes here and there. Gestures to show how important you are, how much the other person cares about you.† Irises, smiley-face pancakes. â€Å"What do you think it is?† She shrugged. We were rounding the corner back to Bastien's now. â€Å"I've come to see romance as not quite so important anymore,† she admitted. â€Å"Neither Bill nor I have time for it.† â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"That's not a bad thing. I'd say, more important than superficial flourishes is being able to connect with someone. To talk openly with them and share yourself. To know they're feeling what you're feeling.† â€Å"Oh,† I said again, surprised. Her comments almost made sense. In some ways, they were a variation of Seth's views on honesty in a relationship. Biting my lip, I plunged on. â€Å"And what about†¦you know, attraction and sex appeal?† She gave me a sidelong glance. â€Å"What about it?† I shrugged. â€Å"I don't always feel it around him.† Liar, liar, pants on fire. â€Å"Do I have the wrong ideas about it? What do you think is sexy?† Her answer took a long time in coming. â€Å"I don't know.† Bastien stood by his front door as we approached. He waved a hand in greeting. â€Å"Hello, ladies.† He looked pleasantly astonished to see us together – and getting along. Dana thanked me for the company and returned to her own home after refusing Bastien's automatic invitation to come inside and stay a while. Once she was gone and we were in the car headed to my photo shoot, I gave him the scoop on our talk. â€Å"She doesn't know what's sexy?† he exclaimed. â€Å"She's practically begging for me to ravage her. Hmph. And Bill's not romantic. Well, no surprise there. You think she was lying about saying it wasn't important? Sort of a defense mechanism?† â€Å"I don't know. Possibly. But even if she does miss romance, I think too many over-the-top gestures would throw up a flag. She isn't stupid. Profound conversation might be the way to go.† â€Å"Then the cooking thing is a good idea. Lots of talking there.† â€Å"I guess.† I didn't tell him that I had doubts about the efficacy of that method. Honestly, I wasn't sure what he could do anymore. We'd decided to pull out all the stops for my pictures. He drove us downtown to the Hotel Andra, one of the nicest local spreads, despite its plain exterior. Through some charm I didn't know about, he'd even managed to book us the hotel's one-of-a-kind Monarch Suite on practically no notice. It had more room than we could possibly need, but its true selling point – for me – was an utterly sumptuous, utterly sexy bed. Enclosed in its own romantically lit alcove, it had a deep, royal purple spread and a headboard of gleaming, black wood. The whole effect was dark and sensuous. We shape-shifted out of Mitch and Tabitha upon clearing the door. â€Å"This bed alone,† declared Bastien, â€Å"will sell these pictures. Well, that and your naked flesh. But really, it's a tough call.† He raided the mini-bar and made us improvised Grand Marnier martinis, which I gulped down with surprising eagerness. Suddenly, facing these pictures seemed a lot more daunting than I'd originally believed. â€Å"Nothing to it,† he said, sensing my nervousness. â€Å"Put on something sexy and sprawl on the bed.† I hadn't brought anything in particular to wear, for once willingly opting for shape-shifting. I started with a basic black nightgown. Super short, super low-cut. It seemed like a safe bet. Bastien positioned me on the bed, lying back in a sort of languid pose. He mussed my hair and requested a lazy pout. â€Å"The point here, Fleur ,is to make it look like if you don't get fucked again soon, you're going to be very, very upset. Men go for that.† My apprehension melted away as Bastien took over, directing my postures and expressions, snapping away with his digital camera. We ran the gamut. Some shots I did completely naked, hiding nothing. For others, we found the suggestion of nudity could almost be more provocative. The way the slipped strap of a chemise could nearly reveal a breast. The way a sheer bra and panty set could cover and yet not cover. Nor did we give all of them the just-got-fucked look. In some, I was very elegant, unbelievably perfect in every possible way, not a strand of hair out of place. In others, however, we played up the messy, wild look – â€Å"unplanned,† as Seth would say. We also didn't limit ourselves to the bed, as gorgeous as it was. I posed by windows, by a sofa, by the bathtub, in the bathtub. Both of us, as was requisite for our jobs, had pretty good imaginations for what was sexy and alluring. Nonetheless, we had brought along a few lingerie catalogs and adult magazines for inspiration. We would take breaks to plan, both of us frowning and giving each new pose serious thought. All in all, it was an exhausting endeavor, but Bastien's energy never flagged as he guided me through it all with a professional ease. And honestly, after a certain point, I didn't need his coaching. I knew I was sexy, and it was easy to play that up, especially knowing that Seth would view all of this. When the incubus had filled up the memory card, we finally called it quits. Sprawling on the bed beside me, he called room service and ordered us some professional martinis, since we'd run out of Grand Marnier. They arrived, and we luxuriated in a well-deserved rest, sipping our drinks. â€Å"Thanks Bas,† I told him, touching his arm. â€Å"You're a good friend.† â€Å"Easy to be one when the subject matter is so nice to look at. You're going to have a bitch of a time getting these printed, though. Take them to a store, and you won't get them back.† I'd already thought of that. â€Å"Hugh has a snazzy, state-of-the-art printer. I'll do it there.† I considered. â€Å"Although, he might keep a few too.† â€Å"I wouldn't blame him.† Bastien set his drink down and rolled over to regard me affectionately, face almost serious for a change. â€Å"You're a beautiful woman, Fleur ,and that means something when you can perfectly control your appearance. It's not your physical side – as nice as it is. It's something in here.† He tapped my breastbone. â€Å"Something warm and sensual and lovely that shines out. I'd know you in any body, in any place. â€Å" I curled up against him, happy. â€Å"I'm glad you're here. Even if it's because of the Barton and Dana mess. We're going to fix that for you, you know. I promise. I'm not letting them ship you off somewhere horrible.† A faint, playful smile curled his lips. Affection shone in his dark eyes, affection that was no doubt mirrored in my face. Suddenly, he leaned over and kissed me. Whoa. It wasn't a friendly kiss either, not the kind we so regularly planted on each other's lips in a careless way. This was a deep kiss, an erotic kiss. His lips felt like velvet, his tongue slowly sliding over mine. I was so floored by what was happening that for a moment I couldn't do anything except sink into that kiss and let it send shockwaves through my body. My senses returned to me, and I broke away, sitting up. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† He sat up as well, as surprised by my reaction as I had been by what triggered it. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"You kissed me. I mean, really kissed me.† He grinned, sensual and provocative. I shivered. When incubi targeted you with that charm, it was bewildering, even for a succubus. â€Å"What's wrong with it? You mean more to me than anyone else in the world. This is a natural step for us. We should have been doing it a long time ago.† I shook my head, backing away. â€Å"I like the way we've always been.† â€Å"Only because you haven't tried anything else. Look, I'm not asking you to run off into the sunset here. We're friends. I know that, and I like that. But you've said it yourself – sleeping with people you don't care about is wearying.† â€Å"Yeah, but†¦I don't think this is necessarily the answer.† â€Å"Then what is the answer?† he demanded. â€Å"Sleeping – or rather not sleeping – with a mortal you do care about?† I climbed out of bed. â€Å"That was harsh. And it's unrelated. I don't want us to be anything more than friends, Bastien. Sex,ll mess things up.† He stayed on the bed, watching me pace. â€Å"Sex will fix a lot of things. It's about time we got some satisfaction that wasn't all business. It'll be therapeutic for both of us. We need it.† I turned away, staring out the window without seeing. â€Å"I don't need it.† â€Å"Don't you?† Only the voice that asked me that wasn't Bastien's. It was Seth's. I spun around, eyes wide. â€Å"Stop that! Change back right now!† Bastien – as Seth – lay back easily against the pillows. He wore jeans and a Whitesnake T-shirt, just as Seth might have. His hair was unkempt. He'd even perfected that cute, distracted smile. â€Å"What's the problem, Thetis?† I stormed up to the bed, wanting to give him the full force of my fury even as I longed to run away. â€Å"This isn't funny! Change back now.† Sitting up again, he slid to the edge of the bed. â€Å"Come on, how have you not seen this coming? This is the perfect solution to all your problems.† â€Å"No, it's not. It's really not.† He stood up and walked toward me, not touching me but coming close enough to make my heart race. I stood rooted, unable to move. â€Å"Of course it is. If you ever want to get Seth out of your system, this is the way to do it. You spend all this time pining for him, wondering what it'd be like to touch him and be with him. Well, this is your chance. This is the only safe way, your chance to do everything you want without hurting him. Do this now, and you could save yourself a lot of grief in the future. â€Å" I shook my head, as my mouth apparently couldn't move now either. Too many conflicting feelings. The entire scene was unreal. Mind blowing. I was still shocked by Bastien's audacity in doing it in the first place. I knew he was rash and bold, but this was crossing the line, even for him. On the other hand, Bastien had mimicked Seth down to the last detail, and seeing him had the effect it always did on me. Everything was the same. Cute and flawless. More intoxicating still was the truth of Bastien's offer. I really could do what I wanted here. It was wrong on so many levels, but I couldn't deny the pull. The perfect temptation. â€Å"I won't cheat on Seth.† â€Å"What's cheating between you guys? You do it all the time.† â€Å"Then I'm not going to be one of your conquests,† I snapped. â€Å"Fine.† He shape-shifted the shirt away so I saw only lovely, bare chest now. He drew my hands forward, resting them on his skin. I discovered it was almost entirely smooth; there were just a few soft and silky golden hairs. â€Å"You do the conquering.† â€Å"I'm not doing any conquering.† â€Å"All right. Then take your hands away.† I stared at where my hands lay on his chest. On Seth's chest. He was warm. My hands matched him almost perfectly. We both had light, barely tanned, golden skin. Take your hands away. That's all I had to do. I just had to move my hands, step away, and leave this ridiculous game behind. I was only a hair's breadth from normality†¦yet I couldn't seem to move away. I knew it wasn't Seth, but the illusion was so powerful, I could easily imagine that this was exactly how it would feel to touch him. Without thinking, I ran my fingers down his chest, down to his stomach. Seth was no bodybuilder, but he was lean and trim from swimming and running. I had seen him in boxers before; the strong muscles were firm and exactly where they should be. Again, a perfect illusion. My hands had brushed this same part of Seth in bed before, but I never allowed myself to sensually explore him, the way I could now. I moved my fingers further, tracing the lines and contours. For his part, he didn't say or do anything. But whenever I looked up, those brown eyes were on me, brimming with heat. They made my body respond with a heat of its own. Would Seth look at me the same way if we were together like this? Somehow, I expected the answer would be yes. I knew Seth viewed sex as a serious matter, despite his characters' casual attitudes. He would treat such an encounter seriously. Also – although I had no proof – I thought Seth would be just as cautious as Bastien was being now, letting me take the lead. Nothing aggressive. My hands slid farther, down to the edge of his jeans where blue flannel boxers barely peeped out. I ran my fingers under the edge, arousing myself further with this dangerous game. Being this close to hitherto forbidden territory was heady. My scouting fingers started to tremble. Never, never would I have let things reach this point with Seth. Not with both of us pressed together. Not with both of us in so little clothing. My common sense would have long since kicked in before something dangerous might happen. But Bastien was right: nothing dangerous could happen tonight. At least not physically. I looked back up. His own breath had quickened. The space between us sizzled. He was so like Seth, I realized. So very much like him. It would be so easy. Easy to pretend. I leaned up and kissed him, again tasting those soft lips, pushing my tongue past them so I could fully savor him. His hands moved around my back, touching silk and bare skin. I was in the same outfit I wore for the last picture: another chemise, this time with a revealing top of ivory lace and a rose-pink silk skirt. I pushed into that kiss, letting it burn me. He kept his hands carefully neutral the whole time, not taking liberties, instead letting me dictate the terms. Reaching around, I grabbed a hold of his hands and moved them over me. I wanted to know what it was like to have him – Seth – touching me. I moved them down to my backside, then over to the sides of my thighs, urging him to push the chemise up. He did, letting silk gather up in his fingers as it slid up, up over my breasts and then over my head. I exhaled as those hands traveled up my body, every part of my skin electric and alive as I stood completely naked now. â€Å"Lay down,† I said, surprised at the rough note in my voice. He obliged, and I crawled onto the bed after him, straddling his hips with my legs so I leaned over him, letting my hair brush his chest as it had that night at Terry and Andrea's. Seth. I had Seth. And I could do anything I wanted. I kissed him again, harder than I had before, as if my mouth realized this could stop at any moment and had to get as much as it could right now. Pulling back slightly, I placed his hands back on me. â€Å"Don't stop touching me.† I returned to his lips, crushing his in return, letting my teeth nibble that soft flesh. All the while his hands roved over me as I'd commanded, coming to rest under my breasts so that he could cup them and stroke them. His fingers trailed to the nipples, which were already standing erect, brushing them lightly at first and then squeezing with greater intensity. I cried out, my own savage urges stoked, and I moved my lips to his neck. My mouth worked fiercely against that tender skin, pressing and biting, as though by leaving a mark I could somehow brand Seth as mine forever. Breaking away at last, I raised myself up slightly on my knees and moved his hand between my legs. He stroked me without being told to, letting his fingers slide over my clitoris, building up the mounting, scorching sensation in my lower body. His fingers moved easily, aided by my own wetness. Greater and greater that swelling ecstasy grew until it was almost agony, but I stopped him before I peaked and could find release. Frantically, I tore at his jeans and boxers, getting them off as fast as I could. I sighed shakily, looking at that long, perfect hardness as though it could keep me alive when nothing else could. I moved myself back down and ground myself against him, rubbing myself against that hardness, letting it finish the job his fingers had started. I came almost instantly, having been already on the edge, and before those spasms could even begin fading, I slid him inside of me, letting him fill me up entirely until it seemed there was nothing left of me in my own body, only him. He was still letting me take charge here, but he wasn't unaffected. His breath came heavy and hard now, his own lips parting slightly with desire, eyes begging me to do more. As for me†¦I was losing myself. I didn't care about anything else but him inside me, as close as I'd ever been able to get to Seth. It still seemed like something had to give, something had to stop us. But it didn't. I became more than a conqueror. I was a ravager, taking what I wanted with no thought of the consequences. I rode on top of him, bringing myself down hard each time, willing him to pierce right through me. My hands held him down as I thrust, not that he was trying to get away. My breasts shook as our bodies moved together, the nipples still hard and sensitive. I heard the slap of skin on skin each time I moved down, forming a rhythm with our ragged breathing. I was drowning in Seth, in his sweat and in his touch. I was liquid and golden, merged into him. My body ached, unable to get enough of him, and I moved harder still. I knew exactly which angle I needed to make myself come, and I didn't even try to hold back the waves and waves of pulsing bliss that racked my body. Small crackles of energy passed between us occasionally – not the usual absorption that occurred with a victim, but the inevitable sharing that happened between an incubus and succubus, two creatures whose bodies were made to collect the power of life. I needed to consume Seth, take as much of him as I could. I had no other purpose. Time passed. My body took its pleasure greedily and often. I said his name over and over, sometimes whispering it, sometimes screaming it, until finally exhausted, I couldn't move anymore. I stopped, nearly collapsing against him. Barely able to work my lungs anymore, I struggled to get the air I needed. He was still inside me, still ready, but I had nearly rubbed myself raw. My throat was dry and painful. Sweat formed a slick coating on me, and I hung over him panting and desperate, an animal who had just sated her hunger with no concern for who lay beneath. He watched me intently, running a careful hand over my damp cheek. Then, at some unspoken signal between us, he flipped me over onto my back to at last finish himself off. Gripping my ankles and putting them over his shoulders, he knelt before me and pushed back inside. A soft whimper passed over my lips. I was jelly now, unable to do anything but lay there and let him have his way with me. My arms spread out carelessly over my head, fingers brushing the black headboard, and I closed my eyes, just letting myself feel Seth taking me now. I was weak and spent, but it still felt wonderful. I opened my eyes and watched him working hard against my body, at last able to give in to his own pleasure. He'd held back for so long for my benefit, waiting until I had satiated my lust. Now he was the greedy one, ravaging me in the way he wanted. At last, he climaxed with a small groan, closing his eyes briefly, holding himself against me as he came into me. When he finished, he slumped forward and pulled out, lying beside me. We stayed like that for several moments, and then he pulled me roughly to him so we spooned, the back of my body pressed against the front of him. Both of us still breathed in heavy, torn gasps as our hearts gradually slowed. I let my cheek rest against his arm. I still shook all over from sex with Seth, with the feel of Seth inside of me and the way he had broken my body with that devastating ecstasy. Then, as one hand tightened on me and his other ran gently over my hair, I noticed something. He didn't smell right. I don't mean to imply that he smelled bad. He didn't. He just didn't smell like Seth. The sweat wasn't the same. There was no fleeting smell of apple, leather, and musk, no unique Seth scent. He smelled like Bastien. He was Bastien, I reminded myself sternly, and with that, the illusion shattered, the spell broke. I wasn't with Seth, no matter how perfect the shape. I was with my friend the incubus. â€Å"Change back,† I whispered. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Change back to yourself.† He didn't ask why, and a moment later, I rested in Bastien's arms. It wasn't Seth, I realized with a dull and terrible emptiness, but it was the truth. We said no more after that, staying in bed together for the rest of the night. Sleep never came for me, however. I lay awake the whole time, staring off into the shadows.