Dividend Imputation System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Profit Imputation System - Essay Example Beforehand the corporate duty rate was 39% and now it has been decreased to 30%. Profit attribution was gotten during the year 1987. It is an expense change achieved by the Hawke/Keating government. Before the change an organization needed to pay organization charge on its benefits and after that if the organization delivered a profit it was additionally burdened again as pay for the investor and this drove into a type of twofold tax collection. Dr Henry who is driving the Federal Government's tax collection audit, expressed that, If local investors approach full organization charge ascription, the organization charge really expands their profit salary - both in pre-expense and post-charge terms. In 1997 the qualification rules for the equivalent were presented, with a $2000 minute investor exception. In the year 1999 the exception was improved to the current $5000. In the year 2000 franking credits were made totally refundable as opposed to diminishing duty risk to zero. In the year 2002 special profit gushing was thrown out. Australia's course of action of profit attribution which is also called franking is a key idea which new entrepreneurs needed to figure it out. Australian organizations didn't get away from outlandish capital distribution choices. The ascription framework empowers a progressively liberal circulation of benefits by profits. The most huge aspect of this framework is that Australian occupant singular investors get a discount in regard of assessment which is as of now delivered by the organization on profit pay. This discount is known as the franking refund. For example if an individual pays charge on other pay at the most noteworthy minimal pace of 47% which rejects the 1.7% Medicare then his assessment obligation on a totally franked profit is chopped down from 47% to 17% by the franking discount. Simultaneously if a citizen needs to pay charge on other pay at the minimal pace of 30% barring the 1.7% Medicare demand then his expense obligation is diminished from 30% to - 9% by the franking refund. In conclusion when an individual pays charge on other pay at the insignificant pace of 20% select of the 1.7% Medicare demand then the duty risk on a completely franked profit for such a citizen is chopped down from 20% to - 25% by the franking refund. As the franking discount is more than the payable expense, the remainder of the refund can be used to balance other pay like compensation and so on. According to computations the individual referenced above will have an assessment credit of $250.00. Present treatment of inhabitant investors in occupant organization with wellspring of salary in Australia: Australian Company Available Income = $1000 Australian organization tax =$ 300 (which makes $300 of franking credits) Salary after assessment = $ 700 In the event that the organization needs to take care of all its after expense pay the most elevated franking credit that it can allot for dispersion is $300. The results of an assignment of $700 alongside a franking credit of $300 for a 48.5 % minor rate investor, a 31.5 % minimal rate investor, for an Australian corporate investor and a superannuation finance investor is as per the following:- 48.5% Marginal rate investor Dividend = $ 700 Franking credit =$ 300 Profit netted up =$1000 Assessment @ 48.5% =$ 485 Assessment counterbalance =$ 300 Net assessment payable = $ 185 Profit after tax =$ 515 31.5%

Differences Between Whales, Dolpins and Porpoises

Contrasts Between Whales, Dolpins and Porpoises Are dolphins and porpoises whales? These marine warm blooded animals share numerous things practically speaking. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises all fall under the request cetacea. Inside this request, there are two suborders, the Mysticeti, or baleen whales, and the odontoceti, or toothed whales, which incorporates dolphins and porpoises just as sperm whales. If you think about that, dolphinsâ and porpoises are truly whales.â Size Matters for Being Called a Whale or Not While dolphins and porpoises are in a similar request and suborder as whales, they for the most part arent given a name that incorporates the word whale. The term whale is utilized as an approach to recognize size among species, with cetaceans longer than around nine feet thought about whales, and those under nine feet since a long time ago viewed as dolphins and porpoises. Inside the dolphins and porpoises, there is a wide range in size, from the orca (executioner whale), which can arrive at lengths up to around 32 feet, to the Hector’s dolphin, which can be under four feet in length. That is the manner by which the orca comes to have the regular name of executioner whale. This qualification keeps alive our picture of a whale being something extremely enormous. At the point when we hear the word whale, we consider Moby Dick or the whale that gulped Jonah in the Bible story. We dont consider Flipper, the bottlenose dolphin of the 1960s TV arrangement. Be that as it may, Flipper could appropriately guarantee he was, actually, arranged with the whales. Distinction Between Dolphins and Porpoises While dolphins and porpoises are fundamentally the same as and individuals frequently utilize the term conversely, researchers for the most part concur that there are four significant contrasts among dolphins and porpoises: Dolphins have cone-formed teeth while porpoises have level or spade-molded teeth.Dolphins for the most part have an articulated â€Å"beak,† while porpoises don't have a beak.Dolphins by and large have an extremely bended or snared dorsal blade, while porpoises have a triangular dorsal fin.Porpoises are commonly littler than dolphins. Meet the Porpoises To get much progressively explicit, the term porpoise ought to likewise allude just to the seven species that are in the family Phocoenidae (harbor porpoise, vaquita, spectacled porpoise, Burmeister’s porpoise, Indo-Pacific finless porpoise, restricted furrowed finless porpoise and Dall’s porpoise). Similitudes Between All Whales - the Cetaceans The entirety of the cetaceans have a smoothed out body and adjustments for living in the water and never going onto land. But whales are well evolved creatures, not fish. They are identified with land well evolved creatures, for example, the hippopotamus. They are slipped from land creatures that resembled a short-legged wolf. All cetaceansâ breathe air into their lungs as opposed to getting oxygen from water by means of gills.That implies they can suffocate in the event that they cannot surface to get air. They bring forth live youthful and medical caretaker them. They additionally can control their internal heat level and are warm-blooded. Sources: American Cetacean Society. 2004. ACS Cetacean Curriculum (Online), American Cetacean Society.Waller, Geoffrey, ed. SeaLife: A Complete Guide to the Marine Environment. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C. 1996.

Campus Life on Break

Campus Life on Break Hey guys, If  you decide to attend the University of Illinois, many of you at some time or another will probably have to spend at least a short amount of time on campus during non-school hours. I myself have spent a whole summer here before, as well almost an entire winter breakâ€"and let me tell you, it can get pretty dull! With Spring Break right around the corner, I thought it only made sense to bring this up now. For whatever reason, if you end up staying in the Champaign-Urbana area when most students are gone, whether for work or for classes, here are a few tips to keep yourself going until everyone comes back to campus: 1. Find a hobby. Youre going to have a lot of free time after you get off shifts or after class, and if you let the boredom get to you, youre gonna have one looooooooong break. Hit the gym, pick up a book, check out downtown Champaign, learn a skill, etc. You have to find something productive to do, else youll find yourself falling into a pattern of work, sleep, repeat, and nobody wants that. 2. Get caught up on work. I know everyone always says, This break, Im actually going to catch up on some work and before you know it, youre neck deep in popcorn and Netflix. But what if you actually did some work? I cant tell you how many times Ive come back from Spring or Thanksgiving Break and just been able to go out or relax with my friends because I got stuff done early. 3. Get out of town for a bit. If youre only in town over Spring or Thanksgiving Break, this doesnt really apply to you since its only a week. However, if youre on campus for Winter or Summer Break, my tip to you is to GO!!! Of course, you cant shirk whatever responsibility you have on campus, but every once and awhile you have to dip out, even if its just to go see your parents and get a nice, free, home-cooked meal (and get some laundry done for you). Until next time, Kenny Kenny Class of 2016 I’m in the Creative Writing program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I’m originally from Tampa, Florida, but I’ve been calling Illinois my home since 1998. I’ve lived all over the Northwest suburbs, from Palatine to Lakemoor to where I currently live back home, Mundelein.

Research Articles On A Primary Literature - 1049 Words

A Primary Literature consists of original formats such as research articles and manuscripts. They are termed as standard scientific articles. Since primary literature is an original report of study; it includes the research, an abstract, introduction, the materials and methods of the study, the data and results obtained from the collected data, the discussion of the results and finally the article ends with a list of references that were used in the study. A different type of journal article; not very different from a research article is called as a Review Article. So a review article is a report that covers the present state of research in a respective field and it involves citing of proper literature and thus eventually focuses on†¦show more content†¦So peer review is an important mechanism to regulate what data is published and what needs to be published. In the science and medical background the research and the data would not be considered as serious and reliable until the article is validated by peer review. The sole function of peer review process is to retain the defined standards and make sure that the publishing of the research work is genuine, accurate and truthful as possible [3]. (Refer fig. 1) Figure 1. A graphic display of the â€Å"path† a manuscript takes after submission to The IJSPT [3]. The Journal Citation Report (JCR) provides some tools evaluations, rankings and categorizing journals so Impact factor is one such tool that is important to be considered. â€Å"The impact factor is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year or period† [4]. As mentioned above general primary article consists of primarily a Title and Authors then an Abstract, which is then followed by the Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion/ Conclusion and ends with References. 1. Abstract briefly describes the research which thus includes a few lines about the research question followed by the methods used and a short description of the results and major

Essay on Important Writing Skills In The Workplace

The Importance of Writing Skills in the Workplace What are the words you write revealing about you? Are they saying I am a well educated and smart business person or are they screaming that I am an ignoramus? The way you write reveals so much about you and your business skills. Your writing tells the reader about your educational background, whether you have pride in your work and your level of business expertise. Any company with employees who write clearly and concisely has a competitive edge over other companies whose employees are still struggling to communicate. The lack of good writing skills in the business place can lead to excessive turnovers, loss of profits and high costs unless remedies are established. In our†¦show more content†¦The computer will scan for the correct spelling of the word, but has a homonym been incorrectly used thereby giving the wrong meaning for your sentence. The computer may send an error message to the reader that either isnt understood, t hey don’t have the writing skills to differentiate, or they were too lazy to check it out. Often a word may have been spelled correctly, but has not been used properly, or double typed. Another issue in using words is that the reader doesn’t know the meaning or the writer misuses the word themselves. Keep your writing simple and current. Write to your audience, using their level of knowledge on your subject. Be aware of certain crutches such as industry jargon and clichà ©s. Dont fall into the trap of using them. Be concise and remove any buzzwords that would lead the reader to misunderstand your document. You must keep up with todays business practices and expectations. You also don’t want to give the impression that your writing is too formal and outdated. Many of times we type what we want to say, rather than what we needed to write. Slipping into abbreviated dialogue is very easy to do instead of expressing a complete thought in your sentences. Perhaps, bec ause we are telephone oriented, the keyboard becomes an extension of our voice mail. Our messages are dominated by incomplete phrases and the reader is left to fill in the blanks. ThisShow MoreRelatedImportant Writing Skills in the Workplace1981 Words   |  8 PagesThe Importance of Writing Skills in the Workplace What are the words you write revealing about you? Are they saying I am a well educated and smart business person or are they screaming that I am an ignoramus? The way you write reveals so much about you and your business skills. Your writing tells the reader about your educational background, whether you have pride in your work and your level of business expertise. Any company with employees who write clearly and concisely has a competitive edgeRead MoreEffective Communication For The Workplace950 Words   |  4 Pages Someone once said great communication is a skill that is needed in life. I believe great communication can take an individual very far in life. Effective communication helps connect with people. It can open many doors for many jobs. It lets the employer know whom they have hired, and how intelligent the person really is. In the business profession, effective communication enables managers to give understandable instructions to their employees. Effective communic ation will help state what is expectedRead MoreWorkplace Literacy and Effective Communication1270 Words   |  6 PagesWorkplace Literacy and Effective Communication Recently, there has been a poorly written communication in the workplace, which has led to some hurt feelings, lower morale and possible loss of business. As a corporation, we have worked very hard to maintain the synergy though out our work environment. These latest events are starting to compromise multiple aspects of our company. First, we are losing control and perspective of our colleagues. Camaraderie and atmosphere are suffering, placing usRead MoreEssay about Workplace Literacy and Effective Communication1253 Words   |  6 Pages Recently, there has been a poorly written communication in the workplace, which has led to some hurt feelings, lower morale and possible loss of business. As a corporation, we have worked very hard to maintain the synergy thoughout our work environment. These latest events are starting to compromise multiple aspects of our company. First, we are loosing control and perspective of our colleagues. 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TheyRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Marketing And Sales Professionals900 Words   |  4 Pagesspending 41% of their time writing on the job. - Watson also works in an organization that is staffed by fewer than 50 people, although, he recorded on the survey that only 10% of his time is spent writing on his job. The CIW 2013 Report doesn’t specifically state what jobs within marketing prove that statistics but, with Watson primarily working with social media, this condenses his writing time. - One interesting finding was that professionals spend 39% of their time writing email, which has not changedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The Devil Wears Prada 1660 Words   |  7 Pagescollege, it is helpful to do as much as you can to improve your skills and get experience in the field. Take high school courses involving the arts, writing, business, and communications. Read books in regards to fashion and the business. Read every fashion magazine edition and keep up with trends and fashion shows. Build your network by blogging and creating social media accounts specifically for fashion. Intern to improve your skills, add experience, and make connections with people in the fieldRead MoreTo What Extent Are Employers Looking for Communication Skills in University Graduates?1420 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction This essay will discuss and detail what potential employers look for in graduates when they leave their respect universities and to what extent are communication skills important to them. In order to completely understand the question key terms need to be explained. Communication is usually described as the exchange of information from one person to another through written or spoken words, symbols and or actions to reach a common understanding (Boddy, 2008). The term graduate relates

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 8 Free Essays

Paige was all smiles when I went in for the early shift the next day. â€Å"Nice work with Seth Mortensen,† she told me, glancing up from the neatly stacked paperwork on her desk. The desk Doug and I shared in the store’s back offices tended to look like an apocalyptic war zone. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Blues CHAPTER 8 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"How so?† â€Å"In convincing him to write here.† I blinked. With our assorted U District and Krystal Starz adventures, I’d never said a word about him becoming our resident writer. â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"I saw him upstairs in the cafe just now. He said he had a great time yesterday.† I left her office, baffled, wondering if I’d missed something from yesterday. It hadn’t seemed like that stellar of an outing, but I supposed he felt pleased and grateful over the discounted books. Had anything else notable happened? Unbidden, the memory of touching Seth’s hand suddenly rushed back to me, the odd shockwave of familiarity it had sent through me. No, I decided, that had been nothing. I had imagined the moment. I went up to the cafe for a mocha, still puzzled. Sure enough, Seth sat in a corner, laptop spread out on the table in front of him. He looked much the same as yesterday, save that his shirt today sported Beeker from the Muppets. His fingers moved furiously along the keys, his eyes locked on the screen. â€Å"Hey,† I told him. â€Å"Hey.† He offered no more. He didn’t even look up. â€Å"Are you working?† â€Å"Yes.† I waited for elaboration, but it never came. So I kept going. â€Å"So, um, Paige told me you’re moving here.† He didn’t answer. I didn’t even know if he’d heard me. Suddenly, he looked up, his eyes sharpening. â€Å"Ever been to Texas?† That took me by surprise. â€Å"Sure. Which part?† â€Å"Austin. I need to know what the weather’s like there.† â€Å"When? This time of year?† â€Å"No†¦ more like spring or early summer.† I racked my brain. â€Å"Hot. Rain and storms. Some humidity. The edge of tornado alley, you know?† â€Å"Ah.† Seth turned thoughtful, then nodded smartly and returned his attention back down. † Cady’ll love that. Thanks.† It took me a moment to realize he meant one of his characters. Nina Cady’s dislike of inclement weather was notorious. My stomach suddenly dropped out of me and hit the floor. It was a wonder he didn’t hear the thud. â€Å"Are you†¦ are you†¦ writing something with Cady and O’Neill? Right now?† â€Å"Yeah.† He spoke very casually, like we were still discussing weather. â€Å"Next book. Well, next-next book. The next one’s already queued up for publishing. I’m about a quarter through this one.† I stared in awe at the laptop, like it was a divine golden idol from days of old, capable of performing miracles. Providing rain. Feeding the masses. Now I felt speechless. That the next masterpiece was being created right in front of me, that I might say something that could influence it was too much to bear. I swallowed heavily and dragged my eyes away from it, forcing calm. After all, I could hardly be excited about another installment when I had yet to read the current one. â€Å"A Cady and O’Neill book. Wow. That’s really – â€Å" â€Å"Um, so, I’m kind of busy here. I’ve got to run with this right now. Sorry.† The words stopped me cold. â€Å"What?† Was I being dismissed? â€Å"Can we talk later?† I was being dismissed. I was being dismissed without even being looked at. Heat flushed my cheeks. â€Å"What about my book?† I blurted out ungracefully. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"The Glasgow Pact. Did you sign it?† â€Å"Oh. That.† â€Å"What’s that mean?† â€Å"I’ll send you e-mail.† â€Å"You’ll send me – so you don’t have my book?† Seth shook his head and kept working. â€Å"Oh. Okay.† I didn’t understand the e-mail bit but wasn’t going to waste my time begging for his attention. â€Å"Well. I’ll see you later then. Let us know if you need anything.† My voice was stiff and cold, but I doubted he even noticed. I tried not to storm downstairs. Where did he get off acting like that? Especially after I’d shown him around yesterday. Famous author or no, he didn’t have the right to be a jerk to me. I felt humiliated. Humiliated over what, being ignored? chided a reasonable voice inside me. It’s not like he made a scene. He was just busy. After all, you were the one complaining he didn’t write fast enough. I ignored the voice and went back to work, still feeling put-out. Business didn’t allow me to nurture my wounded ego for long, however, as the afternoon and lack of staff ensured I stayed busy on the floor. The next time I managed to return to my office, it was only to grab my purse at the end of my shift. As I was about to walk out, I saw a message from Seth in my e-mail’s inbox. I moved to the computer and read. Georgina, Have you ever paid much attention to real estate agents – the way they dress, the kinds of cars they drive? Truth is stranger than fiction, as they say. Last night, I expressed interest in living in the University District to my brother, and he called up this real estate agent friend of his. She arrived in something like two minutes flat, no small feat I guess, since her office is in West Seattle. She pulled up in a Jaguar, whose shiny whiteness was rivaled only by the day-glow white of her Miss America smile. While gushing nonstop about how exciting it was to have me here, she hacked away at a computer, searching for appropriate residences, typing with nails long enough to impale small children on. (See? I remembered how much you liked the word â€Å"impale.†) Each time she found a place that might work, she’d get really excited: â€Å"Yes – yes. Oh yes! This is it! This is it! Yes! Yes!† I confess, by the time it was through, I felt kind of sleazy and exhausted, like maybe I should have tossed some cash on the pillow or something. Her theatrics aside, we did end up finding a nice condo not too far from campus, brand new. It was as pricey as you insinuated, but I think it’s exactly what I want. Mistee – yes, that’s her name – and I are going to look at it later tonight. I’m kind of afraid to see her reaction if I bid on the place. No doubt the thought of the commission will lead straight to multiple orgasms. (And to think, I always thought missionary position was what inhibited women from true fulfillment.) Anyway, I just wanted to give you the update since you were the one who first showed me the U District. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk earlier; I would have liked to pick your brain about restaurants over there. I still don’t know the area that well, and my brother and sister-in-law are too busy with their suburban life to recommend any restaurants that don’t serve children’s meals. Well, I guess I should get back to writing, so I can afford said new lodging. Cady and O’Neill are impatient mistresses – er, that is, an impatient mistress and master – as you observed earlier. Speaking of which, I haven’t forgotten about your copy of The Glasgow Pact. I intended to write something semi-original in it last night, after our nice day together, but the real estate vortex caught me up. My apologies. I’ll bring it to you soon. Later, Seth I reread the letter twice. I felt pretty confident that in the short span I’d known Seth, I’d never heard him utter aloud as many words as he’d just written. Not only that, they were funny words. Entertaining words. Like a mini Cady and O’Neill novel, addressed just to me. A far cry from his halting attitude this morning. If he’d said anything remotely comparable in person, I probably would have passed out. â€Å"Incredible,† I muttered to my screen. Part of me felt mollified by the letter, though another part felt he still could have been a bit more tactful in his earlier treatment, busy or no. The rest of me pointed out that all of these â€Å"parts of me† probably should be in therapy, and besides, I really needed to leave and go see Erik about the vampire hunter thing. I quickly sent back a response: Thanks for the letter. I suppose I’ll make it another day without the book. Good luck with the real estate agent, and be sure to wear a condom when you make an offer. Other good places to eat in that area are Han Sons, the Plum Tomato Cafe, and Lotus Chinese. – Georgina I left the store, promptly forgetting about Seth, happy there’d be no traffic this early in the day. Driving up to Lake City, I easily found the intersection the girl at Krystal Starz had indicated. Locating the store itself proved more of a challenge. Strip malls and assorted businesses packed the area, and I read through myriad billboards and storefronts in the hopes of finding something promising. Finally, I spotted a small, dark sign tucked away in the corner of a less-frequented cluster of stores, arcana, ltd. That had to be it. I parked in front, hoping it was actually open. No one had posted hours or anything on the door, but it gave way without resistance when I pushed on it. Sandalwood incense burned in the air around me as I entered, and faint harp music played from a small CD player set up on the counter. I couldn’t see anyone else in the room, and so I wandered around, admiring the sights. Real books on mythology and religion – not the flashy fluff Krystal Starz sold – lined the walls, and carefully arranged display cases held handcrafted jewelry I recognized from a few different local artists. Assorted ritual items – candles, incense, and statuary – filled in the nooks and crannies, giving the whole place a sort of jumbled, pleasantly lived-in feel. â€Å"Miss Kincaid. It is an honor to see you again.† I spun around from where I had been admiring a White Tara statue. Erik walked into the room, and I reined in my surprise at his appearance. When had he grown so old? He had been old the last time I saw him – dark skin wrinkled, hair gone gray – but I did not remember the slight stoop in his walk, or the hollowed look around his eyes. I tried to remember the last time we’d talked; I hadn’t thought it’d been that long. Five years? Ten? With mortals, it was easy to lose track. â€Å"It’s good to see you too. You aren’t easy to find anymore. I had to go poking around Krystal Starz to figure out what happened to you.† â€Å"Ah. I hope the experience wasn’t too†¦ awkward.† â€Å"Nothing I couldn’t handle. Besides, I’m glad you got out of there.† I looked around at the cluttered, dimly lit shop. â€Å"I like this new place.† â€Å"It’s not much – doesn’t bring in much either – but it’s mine. It’s what I’ve been saving for, where I’ll spend my last years.† I grimaced. â€Å"Don’t turn melodramatic on me now. You aren’t that old.† His smile broadened, his expression turning slightly wry. â€Å"Neither are you, Miss Kincaid. Indeed, you are as beautiful as the first time I saw you.† He gave me a slight bow, bending lower than someone with his back probably should have. â€Å"How may I be of service?† â€Å"I need information.† â€Å"Of course.† He gestured to a small table near the main counter, currently covered with books and an elaborate candle holder. â€Å"Sit and have tea with me, and we’ll talk. Unless you are in a hurry?† â€Å"No, I have time.† While Erik fetched the tea, I cleared off the table, setting books in neat stacks on the floor. When he returned with the teapot, we made small talk and sipped our drinks for a bit, but my mind really wasn’t into it. My restlessness must have come through loud and clear as my fingers danced along the cup’s edge and my toe tapped impatiently. Finally, I broached my topic. â€Å"I need to know about vampire hunters.† For most other people, this would have been a weird request, but Erik only nodded expectantly. â€Å"What in particular would you like to know?† â€Å"Anything. Their habits, how to recognize them. Whatever you’ve got.† He leaned back in his chair, holding the cup delicately. â€Å"My understanding is that vampire hunters are born, not made. They are ‘gifted,’ so to speak, with the ability to kill vampires.† He proceeded to relate several other details, most of which matched up with what I’d learned from Peter. Pondering what Cody had said, about the sense of being followed by someone he could not see, I asked, â€Å"Do they have any other special abilities that you know of? Can they go invisible?† â€Å"Not that I know of. Some immortal beings can, of course, but not vampire hunters. They’re still just mortals, after all, despite their odd talents.† I nodded, being one such creature who could turn invisible, though I rarely used the power. I toyed with the thought that Cody’s phantom might have been an invisible immortal, trying to play a trick, but he still should have sensed the telltale signature we all carried. Indeed, he should have sensed a mortal vampire hunter as well. The fact that he had neither seen nor felt anything lent credence to Peter’s theory that the stalker had all been in Cody’s head. â€Å"Can vampire hunters harm anyone else? Demons†¦ or other immortal creatures?† â€Å"It’s very hard to do anything tangible to an immortal,† he mused. â€Å"Certain denizens of good – powerful priests, for example – can drive off demons, but they can’t harm them permanently. Likewise, I’ve heard of mortals capturing supernatural creatures, but doing much more than that†¦ I’m not saying it’s impossible, just that I’ve never heard of it. To my offhand knowledge, vampire hunters can only harm vampires. Nothing else.† â€Å"I value your offhand knowledge more than most confirmed facts.† He eyed me curiously. â€Å"But this isn’t the answer you were expecting.† â€Å"I don’t know. It’s pretty much what I’ve already been told. I was just thinking there might be more.† It was entirely possible that Jerome had been telling the truth, that this was merely a case of a rampant vampire hunter and that his warnings to Hugh and me had been simple courtesies to protect us from discomfort. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Jerome had held back information, nor did I really believe Cody to be the kind of person who imagined things. I must have looked perplexed because Erik offered, somewhat hesitantly it seemed, â€Å"I could look into this more for you, if you’d like. Just because I’ve never heard of something capable of harming other immortals doesn’t mean it’s out of the realm of existence.† I nodded. â€Å"I’d appreciate that. Thank you.† â€Å"It’s a privilege to be of assistance to someone like you. And if you like, I could also make other inquiries into vampire hunters in general.† He paused again, choosing his words carefully. â€Å"Were such a person to be at large, certain signs would show up in the local occult community. Supplies would be bought, questions asked. Such beings do not go unnoticed.† Now I hesitated. Jerome had told us to be careful. I had the feeling he wouldn’t appreciate any vigilante work, though speaking with Erik now probably counted as exactly that. Surely it wouldn’t matter if I sent out my own feelers. Gathering information was not the same as me personally going out to find this person. â€Å"I’d appreciate that as well. Anything you could find out would be useful.† I finished the last of my tea and set the empty cup down. â€Å"I should probably leave now.† He rose with me. â€Å"Thank you for having tea with me.. Being with a woman like you is generally the sort of thing that only happens in a man’s dreams.† I laughed gently at the veiled joke, referencing the old story of succubi visiting men in their sleep. â€Å"Your dreams are safe, Erik.† He returned my smile. â€Å"Come back in a few days, and I’ll tell you what I’ve learned. We’ll have tea again.† Glancing around at the empty store, thinking how no customers had shown up during our visit, I suddenly felt the need to give him some business. â€Å"Let me buy some of that tea before I go.† He gave me an indulgent look, his dark brown eyes amused like he knew the game I played. â€Å"I always took you for more of a black tea advocate – or at least an admirer of caffeine.† â€Å"Hey, even I like to shake things up once in a while. Besides, it was good†¦ in an herbal, decaffeinated sort of way.† â€Å"I’ll pass your compliments on to my friend. She makes the blends, and I sell them for her.† â€Å"A lady friend, huh?† â€Å"Just a friend, Miss Kincaid.† He walked over to a shelf behind the register where several varieties of tea lay. Approaching the counter to pay, I admired some of the jewelry under its glass. One piece in particular caught my eye, a three-stranded choker of peach-colored, freshwater pearls, occasionally intermixed with copper beads or pieces of sea green glass. An ankh made of copper hung as its centerpiece. â€Å"Is this from another of your local artisans?† â€Å"An old friend in Tacoma made it.† Erik reached into the case and took the choker out for me, laying it on the counter. I ran my hands over the fine, smooth pearls, each one slightly irregular in shape. â€Å"He mixed some Egyptian influence in with it, I think, but he wanted to sort of invoke the spirit of Aphrodite and the sea, create something the ancient priestesses might have worn.† â€Å"They wore nothing so fine,† I murmured, turning over the necklace, noting the high price on its tag. I found myself speaking without conscious thought. â€Å"And many of the ancient Greek cities did have Egyptian influence. Ankhs appeared on Cyprian coins, as did Aphrodite.† Touching the copper of the ankh reminded me of another necklace, a necklace long since lost under the dust of time. That necklace had been simpler: only a string of beads etched with tiny ankhs. But my husband had brought it to me the morning of our wedding, sneaking up to our house just after dawn in a gesture uncharacteristically bold for him. I had chastised him for the indiscretion. â€Å"What are you doing? You’re going to see me this afternoon†¦ and then every day after that!† â€Å"I had to give you these before the wedding.† He held up the string of beads. â€Å"They were my mother’s. I want you to have them, to wear them today.† He leaned forward, placing the beads around my neck. As his fingers brushed my skin, I felt something warm and tingly run through my body. At the tender age of fifteen, I hadn’t exactly understood such sensations, though I was eager to explore them. My wiser self today recognized them as the early stirrings of lust, and†¦ well, there had been something else there too. Something else that I still didn’t quite comprehend. An electric connection, a feeling that we were bound into something bigger than ourselves. That our being together was inevitable. â€Å"There,† he’d said, once the beads were secure and my hair brushed back into place. â€Å"Perfect.† He said nothing else after that. He didn’t need to. His eyes told me all I needed to know, and I shivered. Until Kyriakos, no man had ever given me a second glance. I was Marthanes ‘ too-tall daughter after all, the one with the sharp tongue who didn’t think before speaking. (Shape-shifting would eventually take care of one of those problems but not the other.) But Kyriakos had always listened to me and watched me like I was someone more, someone tempting and desirable, like the beautiful priestesses of Aphrodite who still carried on their rituals away from the Christian priests. I wanted him to touch me then, not realizing just how much until I caught his hand suddenly and unexpectedly. Taking it, I placed it around my waist and pulled him to me. His eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t pull back. We were almost the same height, making it easy for his mouth to seek mine out in a crushing kiss. I leaned against the warm stone wall behind me so that I was pressed between it and him. I could feel every part of his body against mine, but we still weren’t close enough. Not nearly enough. Our kissing grew more ardent, as though our lips alone might close whatever aching distance lay between us. I moved his hand again, this time to push up my skirt along the side of one leg. His hand stroked the smooth flesh there and, without further urging, slid over to my inner thigh. I arched my lower body toward his, nearly writhing against him now, needing him to touch me everywhere. â€Å"Letha? Where are you at?† My sister’s voice carried over the wind; she wasn’t nearby but was close enough to be here soon. Kyriakos and I broke apart, both gasping, pulses racing. He was looking at me like he’d never seen me before. Heat burned in his gaze. â€Å"Have you ever been with anyone before?† he asked won- deringly. I shook my head. â€Å"How did you†¦ I never imagined you doing that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I learn fast.† He grinned and pressed my hand to his lips. â€Å"Tonight,† he breathed. â€Å"Tonight we†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Tonight,† I agreed. He backed away then, eyes still smoldering. â€Å"I love you. You are my life.† â€Å"I love you too.† I smiled and watched him ago. A minute later, I heard my sister again. â€Å"Letha?† â€Å"Miss Kincaid?† Erik’s voice snapped me out of the memory, and suddenly I was back in his store, away from my family’s long-since crumbled home. I met his questioning eyes and held up the necklace. â€Å"I’ll take this too.† â€Å"Miss Kincaid,† he said uncertainly, fingering the price tag. â€Å"The help I give you†¦ there’s no need†¦ no cost†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know,† I assured him. â€Å"I know. Just add this to my bill. And ask your friend if he can make matching earrings.† I left the store wearing the choker, still thinking about that morning, what it had been like to be touched for the first time, touched only by someone I loved. I exhaled carefully and put it from my mind. Just like I had countless other times. How to cite Succubus Blues CHAPTER 8, Essay examples

New Zealand First Appeared About 140 Million Years Ago, During The Mes

New Zealand first appeared about 140 million years ago, during the Mesozoic Era. This landmass gradually eroded until about 80 million years ago, when sea floor spreading started and the Tasmanian sea formed. However, it wasn't until 10,000 years ago when the land formed the shape, as we now know it. The oldest rocks in New Zealand are approximately six-hundred and eighty million years old. These rocks were found on the west coast of the South Island. Although, at one point in its history, New Zealand was connected to Australia, it separated and did not share in the subsequent evolution of the marsupials associated with "down under." New Zealand's only indigenous mammals are two species of bats. All other mammals were introduced when the Maori arrived from Polynesia. Today New Zealand has a culture all its own due to the thousands of years it spent in isolation. The only geographical feature New Zealand doesn't have is live coral reef. New Zealand has all the rest: rainforest, desert, fiords, flooded valleys, gorges, plains, mountains, glaciers, volcanoes, geothermics, swamps, lakes, braided rivers, peneplains, badlands, and their very own continental plate junction. As a result of the latter, earthquakes are common, though usually not severe. The North Island has a number of large volcanoes (including the currently active Mount Ruapehu) and highly active thermal areas, while the South Island boasts the Southern Alps - a spine of magnificent mountains running almost its entire length. Another notable feature of New Zealand is its myriad rivers and lakes: notably the Whanganui River, Lake Taupo and the breathtaking lakes Waikaremoana and Wanaka. New Zealand is believed to be a fragment of the ancient Southern continent of Gondwanaland which became detached over 100 million years ago allowing many ancient plants and animals to survive and evolve in isolation. As a result, most of the New Zealand flora and fauna is endemic. About 10 to 15% of the total land area of New Zealand is native flora, the bulk protected in national parks and reserves. New Zealand has the worlds largest flightless parrot (kakapo), the only truly alpine parrot (kea), the oldest reptile (tuatara), the biggest earthworms, the largest weta, the smallest bats, some of the oldest trees, and many of the rarest birds, insects, and plants in the world. New Zealand is home to the world famous Tuatara, a lizard-like reptile which dates back to the dinosaurs and perhaps before. Some scientists believe its more than 260 million years. The only native land mammals are two rare species of bat. New Zealand's many endemic birds include the flightless kiwi, takahe, kakapo and weka. Far too many species of bird have become extinct since humans arrived on New Zealand included the various species of Dinornis (moa) the largest of which stood up to 2.5 meters high. There is also some unique insect life such as the Giant Weta and glow worms. Other than two spiders, there is a lack of any deadly poisonous things (snakes, spiders, etc.) which is why New Zealand Agricultural Regulations are so strict. When the Maori arrived in New Zealand, in the tenth century, they named it Aotearoa. Aotearoa means "Land of the Long White Cloud" . As the story goes, the Maori came to Aotearoa from their homeland, the mythical Hawaiiki in three waves of migration. Anthropologists believe Hawaiiki was most likely Tahiti or Ra'itatea. According to the legend, t he first to discover Aotearoa was the ancient navigator Kupe from Ra'iatea who happened upon the islands accidentally, while in pursuit of a giant octopus. However he did not stay. Centuries later, around 1350 AD, a great migration of people from Kupe's home land of Hawaiiki followed his navigational instructions and sailed to New Zealand, eventually supplanting or mixing with previous residents. Their culture, developed over centuries without any discernible outside influence, was hierarchical and often sanguinary. It is this third great migration which reverberates throughout Maori oral tradition. It is said that a great fleet of seven ca noes with eminent Maori chiefs and warriors are the ones who populated the Islands. In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman briefly sailed along the west coast of New Zealand. He named it Staten Land. Nevertheless, any thoughts of a longer stay