The Afterlife and Beyond :: Ancient Egypt Egyptian History

The Afterlife and Beyond Egyptians were loyal to their gods and to their pharaohs who were gods on earth, as established by their enthusiasm to build the pyramids for the safe means of access of their leaders into the next world. Understanding the development and belief system they had with the physical and afterlife, you would have to know a little bit about the location of the area, which the Egyptians began to rise. The villages of ancient Egypt were found all along the Nile. The Egyptians were skillful farmers. They knew the Nile would flood each year and bring new life and rich grain. The Nile's flooding was expected and left rich new deposits of mud for new crops, making irrigation easy to plan. A basic irrigation system allowed the floodwaters to flow gently into each field, cleansing and renewing the earth each year. Egyptian people would then look to nature to explain the unexplainable. Egyptian gods were depicted as wise, caring, predictable, and forgiving, just as the Nile was predictable and life sustaining. The Egyptian people thought the world was created by super beings using earth, wind and fire. This was called "The Theogony of Heliopolis". The Theogony of Heliopolis is the belief that a water god called Nu, who gave birth to the sun god Ra, who then created his wife Tefnut, who made the rain. Together, they created Seb, God of the Earth, and Nat, the Goddess of the Sky. Seb and Nat were the parents of Osiris who later became the ruler of the underworld, Isis, Set and Nepthys. Ra is given credit for creating the heavens and earth and all creatures. Ra is also said to have created man from his eye, and Ra became the first king on earth. The idea that the god Ra was the first king is the seed for the belief that a Pharaoh was both King and god. After Ra gave up his kingship to ride across the sky, Osiris became king with Isis as his queen. Osiris is recognized with teaching men to be civilized, and for teaching mankind to worship the gods and to build temples. Almost every god and god dess was associated with one or more animals and in some instances might appear in the form of their chosen animal-familiar. This was called anthropromorphic. Another Egyptian link from the physical world to the supernatural is the pyramid. The Afterlife and Beyond :: Ancient Egypt Egyptian History The Afterlife and Beyond Egyptians were loyal to their gods and to their pharaohs who were gods on earth, as established by their enthusiasm to build the pyramids for the safe means of access of their leaders into the next world. Understanding the development and belief system they had with the physical and afterlife, you would have to know a little bit about the location of the area, which the Egyptians began to rise. The villages of ancient Egypt were found all along the Nile. The Egyptians were skillful farmers. They knew the Nile would flood each year and bring new life and rich grain. The Nile's flooding was expected and left rich new deposits of mud for new crops, making irrigation easy to plan. A basic irrigation system allowed the floodwaters to flow gently into each field, cleansing and renewing the earth each year. Egyptian people would then look to nature to explain the unexplainable. Egyptian gods were depicted as wise, caring, predictable, and forgiving, just as the Nile was predictable and life sustaining. The Egyptian people thought the world was created by super beings using earth, wind and fire. This was called "The Theogony of Heliopolis". The Theogony of Heliopolis is the belief that a water god called Nu, who gave birth to the sun god Ra, who then created his wife Tefnut, who made the rain. Together, they created Seb, God of the Earth, and Nat, the Goddess of the Sky. Seb and Nat were the parents of Osiris who later became the ruler of the underworld, Isis, Set and Nepthys. Ra is given credit for creating the heavens and earth and all creatures. Ra is also said to have created man from his eye, and Ra became the first king on earth. The idea that the god Ra was the first king is the seed for the belief that a Pharaoh was both King and god. After Ra gave up his kingship to ride across the sky, Osiris became king with Isis as his queen. Osiris is recognized with teaching men to be civilized, and for teaching mankind to worship the gods and to build temples. Almost every god and god dess was associated with one or more animals and in some instances might appear in the form of their chosen animal-familiar. This was called anthropromorphic. Another Egyptian link from the physical world to the supernatural is the pyramid.

Copper Metal

Copper is an element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. Copper is classified in periodic table: Its element category is transition metal; Its group is 11; Its period is 4; Its atomic weight is 63. 546. Copper metal and alloys have been used for thousands of years. Physical properties:- Copper has a characteristic reddish brown color. Its density is 8. 93 g cm. Its melting point is 1083`C. It is highly malleable and ductile at ordinary temperature. It is a very good conductor of heat and electricity. It is the best conductor among all the metals.Chemical properties:- Copper does not react with water, but it reacts with oxygen slowly forming the brown-black copper oxide. Occurrence:- Copper can be found as native copper and a part of minerals. Native copper is a polycrystal. There are many kinds of copper-containing minerals: chalcopyrite and chalcocite are copper sulfides, azurite and malachite are copper carbonates and cuprite is a copper oxide. Recycling:- Copper can be recycl ed without lose of quality. Copper are world's mostly recycled. Uses of copper:-Copper is mostly used as a metal, but when a higher hardness is required it is combined with other elements to make an al alloy such as brass and bronze. Copper is used in refrigerators and air conditioning systems. Computer heat sinks are made out of copper because it is able to absorb a high amount of heat. Magnetrons, found in microwave ovens, contain copper. As a good conductor of electricity, copper is used in Copper wire, electromagnets and electrical relays and switches. Copper is a great water-proof roofing material.It has been used for this purpose since ancient times. Some structures, such as the Statue of Liberty, are made with copper. Copper is sometimes combined with nickel to make a corrosion resistant material that is used in shipbuilding. Copper is used in lightning rods. These attract lightning and cause the electrical current to be dispersed rather than striking, and possibly destroying , a more important structure. Copper is often used to color glass. It is also one component of ceramic glaze. Many musical instruments, are made out of copper.

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 17

The sweet scent of a white chocolate mocha woke me from a heavy sleep the following morning. For a few moments, as I stirred to consciousness, it was like waking up any other day. Then, as I opened my eyes and shifted position, my body's nerves came to life, reminding me what had happened yesterday. It wasn't the horrible torturous pain I'd experienced before, but I had enough aches and soreness to dissuade me from too much movement. Still, I managed to more or less sit up when Dante entered my bedroom. He held the mocha in one hand and what looked like a bakery bag tucked under his arm. In the other hand, he carried an enormous vase of blue and white hydrangeas, interspersed with orchids. I never would have pictured those particular flowers going together, but the arrangement worked. â€Å"Did you rob a florist?† I asked. Dante gave me a withering look as he handed me the mocha. â€Å"Why are you assuming the worst again?† â€Å"Because orchids aren't cheap,† I said. â€Å"They were out of crab grass, so I had to settle.† He gently placed the vase on my dresser and then freed the bakery bag. â€Å"And I beat up some kids for these.† After a long, delicious sip, I set the mocha on my bedside table and took the bag from him. Inside were chocolate croissants-my favorite kind of breakfast pastry. â€Å"All this because I got beat up?† I asked. He sat on the side of the bed. â€Å"I'm worried about you.† â€Å"I should get in fights with demons more often,† I teased, my last few words getting muffled as I bit into a croissant. Tiny flakes and crumbs fell onto my sheets, but I didn't care. â€Å"Not funny, succubus,† he said. And to my surprise, I could see that he meant it. None of his usual sardonic humor showed on his face. There was no bitter twist to his lips. â€Å"That's never happening again. And I'm going to make sure you get better, immortal healing or not.† â€Å"Never took you for a nursemaid.† â€Å"Be quiet,† he snapped. â€Å"And keep eating. Your body needs calories to heal.† Happy to oblige, I started to take another bite and then froze. â€Å"Do you think I might start putting on weight?† Calories were nothing I'd ever had to count before. I'd feared neither weight gain nor health effects from the things I ate. â€Å"I think that's the least of your worries.† I supposed he was right. I kept eating-but with a little less enthusiasm. He still looked so serious and worried that I couldn't shake my warm and fuzzy feelings. â€Å"Thank you for all of this. It's really great.† He smiled at me, and his gray eyes were lovely in the morning light. â€Å"Not many people in this world I feel deserve my help. You're in an exclusive club.† I started to make a comment about how the rest of the club members must be imaginary, but there had already been too much snark this morning. Nanette's attack had seriously shaken Dante up. â€Å"Thank you,† I said again. A thought struck me. â€Å"I might have some other way for you to help. Will you grab my purse?† He retrieved it from the living room and handed it over. Reaching inside, I was relieved to see the photo that I'd swiped from Mary was still there. I studied it for a moment, willing the medallion to yield some sort of revelation. All I saw was a translucent brown disc and runes or symbols that could easily be mistaken for a child's scribbles. With a sigh, I handed it to him. â€Å"Does this mean anything to you?† His brows knit thoughtfully as he looked it over. â€Å"No. Should it?† â€Å"I think it might be part of Jerome's summoning. Remember when I asked you about an artist who carved quartz? This is what I turned up. Supposedly, the stone and marks are clues, but I don't know what they are. I guess that's where I need people like you or Erik.† He gazed at the picture for several more moments, and to my surprise, I saw anger building in his features. Abruptly, he stood up and tossed the picture on the floor. â€Å"Son of a bitch,† he growled. â€Å"What's the matter?† I exclaimed. â€Å"This,† he said, gesturing at me and the fallen picture. â€Å"This is the matter. What good am I, succubus? I'm ten times more powerful than those people I sent you to go see. Aside from Lancaster, there's probably no one else in this fucking town who knows as much about the arcane as I do. And what good is it?† He paced around my room and ran his hand angrily through his hair. â€Å"Nothing. That's what it's good for. I can't seem to help you. I can't do a goddamned thing. I couldn't save you from that demoness. And I don't know anything about this medallion thing.† I was stunned by his reaction. â€Å"Hey, whoa. It's okay. Sit down. Don't beat yourself up.† â€Å"It's not okay.† He came to a halt. â€Å"I feel†¦powerless.† For someone who'd spent his life doing horrible things in the quest for power, I could recognize what a hard admission that was. â€Å"You're not obligated to do anything here,† I said gently. â€Å"You help me more than you realize. But this isn't your fight. This isn't your responsibility.† † You're my responsibility,† he said. â€Å"If I can't look out for you, then why do you need me?† â€Å"I'm not with you for what you can do for me.† â€Å"Yeah? You're with me for my winning personality?† The truth was, I still wasn't sure at times why I was with him. I couldn't help but recall his comments about me keeping him as a bed warmer, but true or not, now wasn't the time to bring that up. Plus, he'd been sweet lately-something I'd never expected when I'd turned to him in my post-Seth rage. â€Å"Dante, I'm serious. Don't worry about any of this. I'll take care of it and talk to my friends.† I saw from the look on his face that that wasn't quite what he'd wanted to hear. Knowing I had other people to go to seemed to make him feel more inadequate. â€Å"You shouldn't be involved in this at all,† he said. â€Å"What, in finding Jerome? Of course I have to be.† â€Å"There are others, people who are more powerful. I don't want you getting hurt again! Why can't you just lie low and keep yourself safe?† he demanded. â€Å"Because it's not what I do! And no one else is going to do it anyway. They're just letting this go. Letting Jerome go.† â€Å"Why don't you let it go?† he asked. â€Å"Would it be so bad to work under another demon? You've worked for others.† I turned and gazed out the window. The sky was blue, but something told me it was cold out. It was a quirk of Seattle weather. We often had warmer temperatures when it was cloudy out, colder ones when it was sunny. Dragging my eyes back to Dante, I said, â€Å"Yeah, I have. But this is different. This isn't right-it shouldn't have happened. I have to find Jerome.† â€Å"Yes. You do. It's written all over you. Why do you have to make everything so difficult and create these problems?† â€Å"If you're unhappy, no one's making you stick around,† I said quietly. â€Å"Of course I'm sticking around. And if there's nothing to be done for your impulsivity, I might as well help.† He snatched up the photo and glared at it. â€Å"Let me take this and ask some questions. I might not know what it is-yet-but there are resources I can tap.† There was a hard set to his face. He was a man with a mission, which I preferred to him being down on himself or ranting at me. I was about to send him off with my blessings, but something held me back. I couldn't let the picture go. â€Å"I want to keep the photo,† I told him. He stared. â€Å"You don't think I'll bring it back?† â€Å"No, I'm not worried about that. But I did a lot to get it, and besides, I want to show it to some people too. We'll make a copy of it. You can take that.† â€Å"Yeah? You got a copy machine in the bathroom?† â€Å"Can't you just draw it or something?† â€Å"Succubus.† â€Å"Well, I don't know! But if you want to do sleuthing, you're going to have to find a workaround. Until I feel like traipsing around the city with you, I want the picture to stay with me.† He glowered, looking very much like his usual bitter self. Finally, realizing I wasn't going to yield, he did a hasty trace of the medallion onto another sheet of paper. He added a few notes off to the side and did his best approximation of the symbols. He seemed miserable the entire time. â€Å"Sorry,† I said. â€Å"It's fine,† he said. â€Å"You're going now?† â€Å"If you think you'll be okay.† I assured him I would be. My phone was nearby, and I had a feeling if he stayed, he'd just grow more and more upset about how he'd let me down and about how I was putting myself at risk for reasons he didn't understand. At least this gave him a feeling of purpose. I promised to call if something happened and breathed a sigh of relief when he finally left. I stayed in bed for a while after that, consuming my calorie-laden breakfast and thinking about his extreme reaction. I hoped he'd find something out for me, and in the meantime, I needed to do some investigating of my own. First things first, though. I needed to shower. It turned out to be harder than I expected-but not impossible. I just had to move slowly when I walked to the bathroom, careful not to get too ambitious. Hugh's bandages still covered my back, and it took a fair bit of dexterity to remove them. They were soaked with blood, but underneath, the cuts showed signs of Mei's healing. They were still there, still uncomfortable, but had all scabbed over and were much smaller. I kept the water lukewarm as I showered and was careful when I toweled off to not break any of the scabs open. By the time I was sitting on my couch in the living room, I felt like I'd run a marathon. I'd never wanted shape-shifting so badly in my life. I wore loose clothes-drawstring pants and a T-shirt without a bra-but it had taken some effort to put them on. My hair I'd given up on completely, figuring combing it out would have to do. I didn't have the patience to dry it and didn't want to think about the frizziness I was inviting. Aubrey joined me on the couch as I rested from my morning labors and flipped through the channels. After cycling through twice, I gave up and left the TV on some sort of nature show about Siberian tigers. Aubrey watched it with wide eyes, but I wasn't interested. â€Å"This is your equivalent of reality television,† I observed. â€Å"The talk shows don't come on until later,† a voice suddenly said. â€Å"That's when things get good.† I sighed. â€Å"Carter. What a pleasant surprise.† The angel strolled into my line of sight and sat down on the armchair opposite me. Aubrey immediately left me and hopped onto his lap. â€Å"Traitor,† I said. He grinned and scratched her head. â€Å"Word on the street is that you had a bad day yesterday.† â€Å"I've had worse,† I said. â€Å"Marginally. You should have seen me before Mei healed me.† â€Å"Bah, demons can't heal. Not really. They lose the finesse it takes when they cross over.† â€Å"Hey, I'll take what help I can get.† I brightened. â€Å"And speaking of help, I think I've got a picture of the seal-â€Å" â€Å"No.† â€Å"No what?† â€Å"I know what you're going to ask, and the answer is no.† â€Å"You have no idea what I'm going to ask!† â€Å"You're going to ask me to help identify the seal so you can figure out where Jerome is.† I stayed silent. Damn. He rolled his eyes. â€Å"And the answer is no.† â€Å"But you could make this so much easier,† I argued. â€Å"Dante's out trying to figure out what the seal means. You could tell me right now.† â€Å"Georgina, I told you before. I can't interfere.† â€Å"Then why are you here?† â€Å"To see how you're feeling. Believe me, I wish I could interfere. I'd do a better healing job than Mei.† I fell silent, mind spinning. â€Å"Were you here yesterday?† â€Å"Doing what?† â€Å"Look, I won't consider it interfering, but just tell me if it was you.† Carter didn't look confused very often. If anything, he was usually the one messing with other people's minds. I think under normal circumstances, when the immortal state of affairs in Seattle wasn't in limbo, he would have faked it and hidden his confusion. Now, he just shook his head in exasperation. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"Someone was here after Nanette beat me up. A guy. He put me to bed and called Hugh.† â€Å"It wasn't me.† â€Å"Technically, it wouldn't even be interfering.† â€Å"Georgina,† he said sternly. â€Å"Listen. It wasn't me.† I held his gaze and shivered at the intensity in his eyes. His were gray, but whereas Dante's were like leaden clouds on a winter day, Carter's were like gleaming silver. â€Å"It wasn't you,† I said at last. He'd answered directly, with none of the half-truths and subterfuge angels normally employed. He'd answered directly, and angels couldn't lie. â€Å"I suppose you didn't blow up the stove either?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Who did, then? You said in Vancouver you'd try to protect me. I figured this was you.† â€Å"It's possible the stove blew up because of a gas leak.† â€Å"Maybe,† I grumbled. He smiled, instantly transforming him to the mocking angel I usually knew. â€Å"Believe me, Daughter of Lilith, I wish I could take credit for these things. And if it comes down to it, and I have the means and ability, I will try to protect you. For now, I've still got to stay out of this.† â€Å"House calls aside.† â€Å"Just a visit between friends.† He winked and stood up. â€Å"I really do wish I could help more, but you're going to have to find another way. Be careful, whatever you end up doing.† â€Å"You're not warning me away from all this?† He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Should I be?† â€Å"No,† I mused. â€Å"But everyone else is. They say it's dangerous.† â€Å"It is dangerous. But these are dangerous times, and honestly? You're the only one that I think has the means or desire to get us out of this mess. Good luck, Georgina. And don't leave the house without checking your hair.† He vanished. â€Å"Fucking angels.† I realized then that I was starving for real food, not sugar-filled sweets. My kitchen was sparse as usual, so I decided to risk the world and go pick up something. I was tired and certainly incapable of running a marathon, but Mei's healing really had gone a long way. I could manage the one block walk to a nearby take-out Chinese restaurant. I placed the order, and by the time I was out of my robe and out the door, the food was ready. I stopped at a convenience store as well to pick up some pop, and the whole endeavor only ended up taking about thirty minutes. From the look on Aubrey's face, you would have thought I'd been gone a whole day, but then, she just wanted my orange chicken. I changed back to my robe and relaxed with the food, pondering how to spend my day. As I'd told Dante, I didn't want to go traipsing about town, but I wanted some leads on the medallion. Erik was probably my best bet at this point, and I hoped he'd be able to ID my symbols from phone descriptions. Before I could do that, I heard a knock at my door. I expected it to be Hugh making a house call, but to my astonishment, it was Seth. â€Å"Hey,† I said, stepping aside so that he could come in. â€Å"Hey,† he returned. I stuffed my hands into the ratty robe's pockets, wishing I hadn't been so hasty to change back to casual mode. My hair was undoubtedly a lost cause, so there was no point stressing over that. â€Å"How's it going?† â€Å"Okay.† He met my eyes frankly, something he hadn't done in a while. It sent a tingle down my back. â€Å"I was just nearby and wanted to†¦well, that is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed. â€Å"I just wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday†¦.† Yesterday. The kiss. Something that only a demon attack could have dwarfed. I shook my head, trying not to recall how I'd felt that kiss all the way to my toes. â€Å"You have nothing to apologize for. I think†¦I think I was as much to blame. Besides, it was nothing.† â€Å"Nothing?† he asked, looking both surprised and hurt. â€Å"I mean, not nothing ,† I amended hastily. â€Å"But we were both kind of worked up, and things got crazy, and well, like I said†¦nothing to apologize for.† â€Å"Okay†¦I'm glad you're not upset. I don't want there to be anything†¦well, anything bad between us.† I thought about all the fights and arguments. â€Å"Well, I'm not sure we've reached that state. I mean, come on, do you think things will ever be normal and friendly between us?† â€Å"Yes,† he said bluntly. â€Å"No matter what has or hasn't happened romantically, I still feel like†¦like there's something between us†¦like, a connection, I mean. I feel like we're always destined to be important in each other's lives.† You are my life , I thought and promptly looked away, as though he might have heard me. â€Å"Do you regret it?† I asked before I realized I had. â€Å"Regret?† â€Å"Ending things.† I looked back at him, fearing his answer, no matter what it was. â€Å"I regret†¦well, I don't regret saving you from future hurt. I do regret the hurt I've caused you†¦if I'd known you'd react and spiral the way you have†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You can't take that into consideration,† I said hastily. â€Å"That's not your fault.† I was surprised to be saying that, but it was true. My bad behavior these last months had been my doing. â€Å"I can't help it. I'll always worry about you. Like I said, I feel like no matter what, we're always going to be connected†¦like there's something bigger than us at work. As it is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What?† â€Å"Never mind.† I stepped forward, never taking my eyes off him. â€Å"Tell me.† â€Å"As it is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shrugged. â€Å"Life is easier not dating you. But sometimes†¦it feels incomplete. Like there's a piece of me missing.† â€Å"And that's easier?† â€Å"Think of it as winning the lottery and having people waiting on all your needs, but it's at the cost of, I don't know, getting your leg amputated.† â€Å"Wow. You should be a writer with that imagery.† He smiled. â€Å"Yeah, yeah. But you know what I mean.† Except, I was missing a part of my life and things were harder, not easier. â€Å"You at least have Maddie.† â€Å"You have Dante.† â€Å"Dante's not Maddie, believe me.† â€Å"Fair enough. She's great†¦I care about her†¦love her†¦I don't know. It's all just different.† Silence fell, but it was comfortable. â€Å"Good lord. I can't believe we're discussing this rationally.† â€Å"See? Not so hard to be friends.† I had my doubts about that. â€Å"I guess.† â€Å"Don't worry. We'll keep trying. Before long, we'll be on a bowling league or something.† He spoke his words lightly, but there was a catch that belied the truth of his words. Being friends wasn't easy for Seth either. He still cared about me and was suffering just as much as me with this separation. Seeing that made something in me soften. â€Å"Hey, it's okay. We'll make this work.† I reached out to hug him, and he automatically returned it. I felt warm and safe and right in his embrace-until he casually squeezed my back. I cried out, jerking away at the pain that shot through me. We sprang apart, and he looked at me in alarm. â€Å"What's wrong? Are you okay?† â€Å"It's†¦complicated.† My standard answer to uncomfortable questions. â€Å"Georgina!† â€Å"It's nothing. Don't worry about it.† He strode toward me, reached a hand out, then pulled back. Intensity filled his face. â€Å"Are you hurt?† I tried to keep out of his reach. â€Å"Look, I got in a fight last night, and I'm sporting some, uh, residual effects. It's mostly gone, though, so there's nothing to worry about.† â€Å"You? Got in a fight? With who?† â€Å"Whom. And it was with Nanette. I told you, it's nothing.† â€Å"Who's Nanette?† â€Å"She's†¦a demon.† He gave me a level look. â€Å"A demon. A full-fledged demon.† â€Å"Something like that.† â€Å"Let me see your back.† â€Å"Seth-â€Å" â€Å"Georgina! Let me see your back.† There was anger in his words, not at me, but at the thought of someone hurting me. It reminded me a little of Dante's reaction, except that Dante always had a bit of anger in him. It was normal. To see it woken up in Seth†¦to see him so passionate and fierce†¦ Slowly, slowly, I turned around and undid the front of my robe, letting it slip halfway down my back. I heard Seth gasp at what he saw, and then a few moments later, he stepped forward and pushed my hair off my back so that he could get a better view. I shivered when his fingers touched my skin. â€Å"Georgina†¦this is horrible†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It was worse before.† I spoke flippantly, hoping to deflect his worry and realizing I'd only increased it now. â€Å"Worse?† I tugged the robe up and turned back around. â€Å"Mei healed it. I'm fine.† â€Å"Yeah, it seems that way.† â€Å"Look, it's nothing you have to worry about.† â€Å"Not worry about?† His eyes were filled with incredulity. â€Å"Even when you're†¦normal†¦a demon could still kill you, right?† â€Å"Yeah.† Seth put his hand to his forehead and sighed. â€Å"This is what it's like, isn't it?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"What you went through with me. Living with the fear that I could die. Having it tear you apart.† I didn't answer right away. â€Å"You don't have to worry about me. This'll work out.† â€Å"Did this†¦did Nanette do this because of your investigating?† I nodded, then crooked him a wry smile. â€Å"Still like how brave I am?† He stepped closer to me and looked me up and down in a way that was so serious, my smile faded. â€Å"Even after this, you aren't going to stop, are you? You're going to keep pushing to find Jerome?† â€Å"Do you want me to stop?† This was almost like my earlier conversation with Dante, when he'd made it clear he thought I was a fool for continuing with my quest. Seth's answer was a long time in coming. â€Å"I don't want you to get hurt. But I understand you, and I know why you have to do this†¦and it's still part of that strange, brave nature of yours that's so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't finish, but I saw the anguish in his eyes, the worry and heartache over something happening to me. It was mingled with something else, though. Pride. Affection. I put my arms around him again, wanting to comfort him now. â€Å"Hey, hey. It's going to be okay. I'll be okay.† His hands rested on my hips, careful of my back, but honestly, I barely noticed. My attention was on his lips, pressed against my cheek. â€Å"Georgina, Georgina,† he breathed against my skin. â€Å"You are†¦incredible.† And like in the car, I don't know who exactly was to blame, but our lips met and were kissing again. Unlike before, we didn't break apart out of shock. We kept kissing. And kissing. His lips were intoxicating and felt like they'd been designed especially for mine. Our bodies pressed against one another, though his embrace was still gentle. As the kiss continued, that same sensation came back to me: this was purely a kiss. Just an expression of love between two people with no dire side effects, no soul stealing. The longer it went on, the more amazed I was. By now, as a succubus, I would have begun to taste his energy and feel his thoughts. But not now. I was alone in my own head, savoring his body and not his soul. We pulled back slightly, and he moved his hands up to the side of my face, smoothing my hair away and touching my cheek. â€Å"Georgina. You are†¦beautiful.† We kissed again, and it was so sweet, so pure, that it didn't seem possible. I hadn't had a physical experience that could really be called sweet or pure since†¦well, since my mortal days. But this was. And by pure, I didn't mean non-sexual†¦because my body was definitely awake and yearning for his. But, it was pure in the sense that there were no ulterior machinations here, just our feelings. My love for him was the turn-on, and as his hands ran down my arms and back to my hips, it was the knowledge that it was Seth that made it all so powerful. His hands carefully moved down to the robe's tie and undid the knot. He broke the kiss and studied my face as he hesitantly, almost reverently, slipped the robe off me. It hit the floor, and I stepped away from it. Seth moved with me, running his fingers along my arms, leaning down to kiss my neck. I tilted my head back as my own hands began pushing up his T-shirt. When I had it half-way, he paused to push it up the rest of the way. Then his hands were on my waist once more, sliding down and feeling the curve of my hips. I had on plain cotton panties-sexily cut, at least-and his fingertips traced the edges down along my thighs, every touch soft yet quivering with pent-up energy. I don't think I was being quite as gentle. I was hungry to touch him, eager as I ran my hands along his chest and the lean muscles of his stomach. I wanted to kiss it and taste it and lose myself in all things Seth. I began backing up toward my bedroom, and he followed, turning hesitant once we reached the bed and I started to sit. â€Å"You can't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began. â€Å"I can lie down,† I said, doing exactly that. â€Å"I just can't slam my back down or anything.† After watching me for a moment, making sure I spoke the truth, Seth took off his jeans and lay down next to me. I rolled slightly to my side, pressing back to him. We resumed kissing, doing no more than that, just letting our nearly bare bodies wrap around each other. Having all this skin touching between us was heady. Never, never had I imagined it could really happen. Our hands explored each other, feeling every line and curve we'd always been denied. Every gesture between us was exquisite. Every caress was a prayer. We regarded each other's bodies with wonder and joy. When my hands slipped to the edges of his boxers, I found his own fingers were tugging at my panties. We hardly needed any communication, and once completely naked, I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him toward me and seeking the completion with him I'd so long dreamed of. To my surprise, he pulled from my arms and scooted down the bed. â€Å"What are you doing?† I asked. â€Å"This,† he said. He smoothly pushed my legs apart, and I felt him shower my inner thighs with light, delicate kisses. Up and up his warm mouth moved until he made contact with my clit. I gasped softly at the fire that coursed through me from that light flick of the tongue. It was so light†¦yet so powerful. I'd been so intoxicated with the simple fact that we could touch that I hadn't been consciously aware of just how aroused I had grown. I ached and was wet and nearly melted at his touch. He lifted his mouth up slightly. â€Å"Do you know how long I've dreamed about this? To be able to touch you? To taste you?† I had little chance to ponder his rhetorical question because his lips returned to me, sucking and licking, somehow infinitely gentle and blazingly hot at the same time. I closed my eyes and lost myself in the pleasure of it, of Seth bringing me closer and closer to orgasm. As my muscles tightened and my cries grew more frequent, he intensified his movements, his tongue dancing and teasing harder and more rapidly. I wanted to hold off, to prolong this as I did his books, but I couldn't help it. My climax hit me hard and fast, and I moaned long and low as I came. All the while, Seth kept his mouth down there, refusing to let up as my body arched and trembled from the sparks of ecstasy that flowed through me. When my body finally quieted, he lifted himself up again and returned to my side, showering my chest with more of those tiny kisses. I brought my face to his, trading in the little kisses for one big one. His mouth tasted like me, and I opened my lips farther and farther as our tongues stroked each other. I might have come already, but I still burned between my legs and still needed him. I pressed myself against him, wrapping my legs around him so that there was almost no space between our hips. â€Å"Georgina†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said warningly. It was another sign of how well we knew each other that I realized he wasn't worried about asking permission about what came next. He was worried about my back again. So, shifting over, I rolled him to his back and straddled him, looking down at him with a small smile. He gave me an answering one, amused by my ready solution. As we held gazes, I was again overwhelmed with the emotion of the experience, of how indescribable it was to finally touch someone I loved. I had been terrified at the thought of dying, but I realized then that I was only afraid of dying uselessly. For Seth, to save him, I would have gladly laid down my life. He was right. We were connected in something bigger than both of us. Empowered by that realization, I lowered my hips, joining us at last. I felt him enter me, felt him fill me up. We both paused then, neither breathing or moving, half-expecting something to happen or end this. Nothing did, and after that, I didn't hesitate any further. I slowly moved my hips up and down, savoring the feel of him in me and underneath me as he glided in and out. My hands were on his chest and his were on my hips. Our eyes were on each other, never wavering, never breaking contact. How to describe sex with Seth? It's difficult. It was unlike anything I'd had in my existence as a succubus. Somewhere, in the back of my head, it resonated with memories of my marriage, when my husband and I had still been happy. Every other instance after that had been lacking†¦until now. Each movement and touch with Seth was a dream, a wonder. The intensity of our lovemaking steadily increased. My need for him grew stronger and stronger, and I rode him with a ferocity that was still tender and full of the love that burned between us. I loved the feel of him, loved how I could thrust him into me, hard and deep. And yet†¦ â€Å"It's not enough,† I murmured. â€Å"We're still not close enough.† It might have been a foolish sentiment, considering we were as physically close as two people could be. But Seth understood. â€Å"I know,† he gasped. â€Å"I know. We'll never be close enough.† Joy lit his face then, and when he came, his body arched up toward mine. I leaned down and increased my rhythm and hardness, wanting so badly to be even closer and have as much of him in me as I could. His mouth parted in a soft moan that mirrored my earlier one, and when he started to instinctively close his eyes, he quickly opened them again to stay locked with my gaze. There was no looking away between us, no avoiding what we felt. As I stared into his eyes and felt his body's trembling fade, energy seemed to crackle between our souls in a way that had nothing to do with succubus soul-stealing. Carefully, I eased myself off him and lay down on my side again, draping my body over his. I was drowning in feeling and emotion. â€Å"Georgina,† he murmured, pulling me closer. â€Å"You are the world.† I'd heard that somewhere before, but I was too overwhelmed to parse it much. I was too lost in Seth. Instead, what I said was unoriginal but absolutely true: â€Å"I love you.†

knowledge management in organisation Essay

knowledge management in organisation Essay knowledge management in organisation Essay Exclusive summery Knowledge is regarded as valuable intellectual asset of an organization. Increasing numbers of industries aware of the significant of managing knowledge for organizational operation and commit to develop proper knowledge management framework to enhance operation efficiency. The aim of this report is to develop a knowledge management process to carry out more effective and efficient project work through proper adoption of Knowledge Management System (KMS) and Enterprise System (ER) on knowledge creation, capture, utilization and sharing within and across organisation. Civil engineering is composed of numbers of stakeholders in various professionals, industries and to participate in same worksite and commit in the same objectives. Whilst, the knowledge in civil engineering is mostly generated through practical exercises so that knowledge are in the mind of workers and experts. Therefore, it will be lost easily as long as the project completed or employees leave the organisation. So the suggested knowledge management implementation for this case will mainly focus on managing knowledge with multi-disciplinary work and trans-disciplinary work to capture the best practice for sharing and reuse. Also, it is necessary to identify the main holders of knowledge in order to promote knowledge sharing and creativity and externalise tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge from knowledge holders’ mind to contextual reports. It enable those valuable knowledge from past experience being able to re-sue for the future projects. Consequently, the crucial section of the report is going to propose an insight into the process of knowledge management on transnational operation with organisational level and client project level then target at the objective of time saving and creative respond to client needs. Finally, concluding some recommendations with those problems likely exist while processing knowledge management flow. Knowledge Management in Civil Engineering firm Summarizing claims from various experts at knowledge management, knowledge management is sort of procedure and technique for promoting organisational performance and complete assigned task using creation, capture, collection, sharing and implementation of information and knowledge around organisations (Kasimu, Amiruddin & Abdullah 2013). Civil engineering industry involve wide range of employees from diverse professional areas working collectively to accomplish particular client project. It is also a highly dynamic sector as project teams are mostly formed temporarily for single project and are contained variety of problems which are often occurring on ad hoc basis. Therefore, knowledge management become increasingly emphasised within civil engineering organisation since most of the knowledge is so called tacit knowledge which is embedded in workers’ mind from their practical experience and these knowledge is hard to be recorded as part of firms’ intellectual asset for reuse. Systematic Collecting and organised storing by knowledge management enable delivering useful knowledge and information from individual to wider organisation to learn from success or failure for retrieving in the future project and avoid repeat mistake and rework of project (Kasimu, Roslan& Fadhlin 2012). Furthermore, client centric and labour intensive are two main features of civil engineering so that the transmission of knowledge is not the single crucial part in practicing knowledge management procedure, promoting interpersonal relations within workplaces and selection at recruitment are equally important as workers are the key role in creating and sharing knowledge (Venkateswaran Kasimu, Roslan

House Centipedes, Scutigera coleoptrata

House Centipedes, Scutigera coleoptrata Put down that newspaper! House centipedes look like spiders on steroids, and your first reaction to seeing one might be to kill it. But scary as it may seem, the house centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata, is really quite harmless. And if youve got other pests in your home, its actually doing some good. What Do House Centipedes Look Like? Even people who appreciate bugs can be startled by a house centipede. A fully grown adult may reach 1.5 inches in body length, but its many long legs make it appear much larger. The last pair of legs on a female house centipede is elongated and may be twice as long as the body. The house centipede is light yellow-brown in color, with three dark longitudinal stripes down its body. Its legs are marked with alternating bands of light and dark. House centipedes also have large compound eyes, which is unusual for centipedes. Although the house centipede does possess venom, it rarely bites anything larger than itself. If you are bitten by  Scutigera coleoptrata,  you arent likely to suffer much pain.  Do take care to clean the wound to prevent a secondary infection. How Are House Centipedes Classified? Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass - ChilopodaOrder - ScutigeromorphaFamily - ScutigeridaeGenus - ScutigeraSpecies - coleoptrata What Do House Centipedes Eat? House centipedes are skilled hunters that prey on insects and other arthropods. Like all centipedes, their front legs are modified into poison claws used to inject venom into their prey. Within your home, they provide efficient (and free) pest control services for you, as they feed on silverfish, firebrats, cockroaches, carpet beetles, and other household pests. The House Centipede Life Cycle Female house centipedes can live as long as 3 years and produce between 35 and 150 eggs during their lifetimes. The first instar larvae have only four pairs of legs. Larvae progress through 6 instars, gaining legs with each molt. Although it has its full complement of 15 pairs of legs, the immature house centipede will then molt 4 more times to reach adulthood. Interesting Behaviors ofHouse Centipedes The centipede makes good use of its long legs. It can run at alarming speeds –the equivalent of over 40 mph in human terms. It stops and starts quickly, which can make even the most diehard arthropod enthusiast squeal with fright. This athleticism isnt meant to scare you, though, the house centipede is simply well-equipped to pursue and catch prey. Just as their speed helps them capture prey, it also enables the centipede to escape predators. If a predator does manage to grab a leg, the house centipede can shed the limb and flee. Strangely, the house centipedes detached leg will continue to move for several minutes after its owner has left the scene. House centipedes continue to molt as adults and will regenerate lost limbs when they do. Where DoHouse Centipedes Live? Whether it lives outdoors or in, the house centipede prefers cool, damp, and dark locations. In a natural habitat, it can be found hiding under leaf litter or hidden in shady crevices in rocks or tree bark. In human dwellings, house centipedes often inhabit basements and bathrooms. In northern climates, house centipedes remain indoors during cold months but may be seen outside from spring to fall. The house centipede is thought to be native to the Mediterranean region, but Scutigera coleoptrata Is now well-established throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. Sources: House Centipedes, Entomology Dept., Penn State University. Accessed online June 3, 2014.Species Scutigera coleoptrata - House Centipede, Bugguide.net. Accessed online June 3, 2014.House Centipedes on the Move, Whats Bugging You?, Dr. Arthur Evans. Accessed online

Nian, the Chinese Spring or New Years Day Festival

Nian, the Chinese Spring or New Years Day Festival The Spring Festival is the grandest festival for the Chinese. The Spring Festival is also called Nian, but who knows the term, Nian, was once the name of a furious monster that lived on human beings in the ancient time. How the festival has some relationship with the monster lies in a story about the origin and development of the Spring Festival. The legend says, long ago, there was a monster called Nian. It was born to be very ugly and ferocious, which looked like either dragons or unicorns. On the first and the 15th of each lunar month, the monster would come down from the mountains to hunt people. So people were very much afraid of it and locked their doors early before sunset on the days of its coming. There lived an old wise man in a village. He thought it was the panic in people that made the monster so bold and furious. Thus the old man asked people to organize together and to conquer the monster by means of beating drums and gongs, burning bamboo, and lighting fireworks for the purpose of making large noises to threaten the hateful monster. When he told people about the idea, everybody agreed on it. On a moonless and freezing cold night, the monster, Nian, appeared again. The moment it opened its mouth to people, burst out the frightening noises and fire made by people, and wherever the monster went, it was forced to back off by the terrible noises. The monster couldnt stop running until he fell down with exhaustion. Then people jumped up and killed the evil monster. Savage as the monster was, he lost in the end under the efforts from the cooperation of people. Since then, people have kept the tradition by beating drums and gongs, and lighting fireworks at the coldest day in winter to drive the imagined monsters away and to celebrate the victory over it. Today, Nian refers to the New Years Day or the Spring Festival. People often say Guo Nian, which means live the festival. Furthermore, Nian also means the year. For example, the Chinese often greet each other by saying Xin Nian Hao, which means Happy New Year! Xin means new and Hao means good.

Rise and Fall of Civilizations During Pre-History to 1500 CE Research Paper

Rise and Fall of Civilizations During Pre-History to 1500 CE - Research Paper Example The current socio-political status-quo is said to be the continuation of the previous political world order. This paper aims to discuss the rise and fall of different civilizations and how the acted as a base to shape the contemporary political practices. The civilizations which have been chosen for the purpose of discussion in the paper are chosen on the basis of their impact on political contribution. Byzantine Empire Contribution to Political Diplomacy: Byzantine Empire was basically a facet of the Roman Empire during middle Ages. Likewise other civilizations, the Byzantine Empire had its own army and societal setup. Byzantine Empire had to face a number of challenges as the demise of the Roman Empire in its initial phase was noted. The era of Byzantine Empire can also be referred to an era of preservation of Roman traditions and values. The employment of diplomacy was concerned as significant in the era of Byzantine Empire. It can be said that most of the modern practices in the political diplomacy are inspired by the Byzantine Empire1. ... on made to the modern political practices of diplomacy, the Byzantine Empire ultimately led to its dissolution in the long run2 Anglo-Saxon Empire Contribution to Democracy: By going through the history of the Anglo-Saxon Empire, it becomes easy to understand that common language and the control of the ancestors on the tradition of a community can create a balance in the community. The political control was bestowed to the ancestors of the civilization as they were considered as the teachers of the forerunners. The Anglo-Saxon Empire is basically referred to the German invaders who invaded British during the 5th century. The contribution of the Anglo-Saxons on the modern political practice was their tradition of following meetings and discussion. This act of discussing any political action is considered as democratic act in the modern time. The political order in the era of Anglo-Saxons was stable and able to meet the needs of its people which ultimately led in increased loyalty from the people. It would not be incorrect to state that Anglo-Saxons could not survive for a very long period of time in Britain because they were divided into groups which fought frequently. The increased fights between these invader groups resulted in the fall of the civilization. Despite the interest of the civilization in maintaining army, Anglo-Saxons lost because of its own armed men3 Ottoman Empire Contribution to Bureaucratic Structures: Among different civilizations, Ottoman Empire is considered to be an Empire which lasted longer than any other Empire in the history. This Empire was also known as Turkish Empire which had its own supremacy in terms of monarch. The political control in the Ottoman Empire was strictly liable to the monarchs. The Empire is also known as a symbol of