buy custom Vulnerability of Information Infrastructure and Trends of Cyber Terrorism essay

buy custom Vulnerability of Information Infrastructure and Trends of Cyber Terrorism essay The term terrorism describes a situation, where an individual or a group of individuals employ violence or threaten the use of violence to bring about a certain desired result. As the world evolves and develops, particularly in the field of technology, new and modified modes of cyber crime have been witnessed. Cyber terrorism is among the modifications that have been made, in both cyber crime and terrorism (Wilson, 2008a). Cybercrime is gradually becoming better at organization and establishment. Online skills that utilize high levels of technology are available for use by individuals, including those, who would want to rent such skills for malicious intent. Criminals, who use the cyber space, as their environment, are switching to using automated tools subsequently frustrating efforts to successfully track and measure cyber attack trends (Adams, 2001). The methodologies, that people have used over the years to track web vulnerabilities and cyber attacks, have been overwhelmed by the changing trends that are witnessed in cyber attacks. Cybercriminals are increasingly forming alliances and renting their services to drug traffickers and other criminals, who have taken advantage of the vast number of opportunities that have brought about, by an increase in the use of the internet. The architectures of some of the botnets that are used in cyber crime have become more sophisticated, and future prospects include a transformation that will make them resistant to countermeasures taken in cyber security (Army, 2005). The fact remains that more sensitive information is being stored and transferred in the web medium highlighting the level of severity, if information infrastructure is to be as vulnerable. In addition, the technology of computer networking has led to the boundaries that exist between cybercrime, cyber ware fare and cyber terror ism, being blurred. This owes to the availability of cyber attack services for hire. Background The fear of vulnerability of information infrastructure has long been part of peoples lives, since the conception of the internet. The internet was centralized in 1970, during its conception; this means that there was a single control point for the information that was available over the internet. However, it was later decentralized for fear of its capability of becoming a weapon during the cold war. Come the late 1980s, the internet was open to both public and private users. This opening up meant that anyone could access the internet and gain information from it, as long as they had an internet connection (Arquilla Ronfeldt, 2001). There are several features that make the internet susceptible for use in cyber terrorism. These features include factors, such as, the fact that the internet has easy access. In addition, there is often little regulation or none at all in the content, in terms of government control or censorship. The internet, also, has a potential and opportunity of ha ving a huge audience that is diverse, in that there are people from all over the world. People have more ease of use, because of the anonymity that is offered by the internet. Information that is in the internet flows faster than in other mediums giving people the feedback that they need to make further plans (Austin Darby, 2003). Other than that, the cost of transferring information and maintaining the web is relatively lower, as well, as the multimedia environment providing a context for making use of audio, video and texting forms of communication (Rollins, 2007). Also, the internet has given people the capability of shaping the slant of the coverage of the traditional media, since most use the internet, as a major source of information. As a result, people find it easier to communicate their views to traditional media through the internet. These features that are present in the internet make it easier for people to carry out criminal activity, including cyber activity. The distinctions that exist between terrorism, war and crime, often blur, when they are considered in a computer network attack context. This blur in boundaries makes measuring cyber attack trends a challenge that is complex (Wilson, 2008b). One of the things that can help in developing an appropriate measure for trends is having exact knowledge of what the end result is defined as. Cyber terrorism is described in two frameworks: one of them, being effect-based, and the other, being intent-based. Within the context of effects, cyber terrorism is said to exist, when the attack that has been launched on the computer results in effects that are disruptive, such that they generate fear that is similar or comparable to what is often witnessed with traditional terrorism (Wilson, 2008a). The intent-based context describes cyber terrorism, as an act of cyber attack that is perpetrated, is done so, with the intent of coercing some form of political view or leading to a severe economic injury to a nation or nations. It is important to note, that information is the constant in cyber terrorism and the internet is the major medium through which people deliver cyber terrorism. For an attack that has been staged to be successful, it is required that the network being used, remains intact, unless the effectiveness of the attack results from the shutting down of the network. When a cyber attack is committed, it is usually so that one side meets certain objectives. Some of the objectives of cyber attack include inducing or enhancing the loss of integrity in that information that is contained in a network is modified improperly. In addition, loss of availability is induced, where information systems that are critical to missions are made unavailable to the authorized users of the network (Bagchi Udo, 2003). Also, the loss of confidentiality is engendered, such that information, that is critical, is disclosed to users, who are unauthorized. Other than that, some of the information systems that are affected result in the creation of actual and real physical destruction, especially through commands created to result in deliberate malfunction. Currently, there is no evidence that is significant enough to determine whether terrorists have undertaken a considerable cyber attack. A cyber attack involves making use of some kind of malicious code, as a weapon to cause a particular infection on the targeted computer system, or to exploit a weakness that exists within the systems configuration or in the software (Bagchi Udo, 2003). In addition, an individual may use information that has been stolen to gain access to a certain network, or attain clearance to make changes to the information that is contained in the networks remotely. Cyber attacks need for the network to have a preexisting flaw that makes it susceptible to the attack, such as lack of antivirus software, a software error or a faulty system configuration that can then be exploited (Army, 2005). However, technology is evolving and there may come a time, when this distinguishing requirement may fade in importance. Purpose of the Study There is no consensus, as to what entails cyber terrorism or what its definition is. Terrorism, like other organizations, is taking advantage of the opportunities and enhancements that have been brought about by availability of the internet. The purpose of this proposal, therefore, is to provide an academic framework, stemming from a discourse of issues that are relevant to cyberterrosrism, which will help identify vulnerability of information infrastructure and trends of cyber terrorism with the aim of knowing how to best approach measuring of cyber attacks. This information will be helpful to people with various interests in cyber security, especially those, who have been charged with ensuring that the information in the internet remains protected. Importance of the Study The information that will be attained from this study, will give experts in the area of cyber security a better idea of what to expect from cyber terrorism, thus, arming them with information that will be useful in developing counter measures and preventive mechanisms to protect the internet from cyber terrorism. Security companies dealing in internet security and software security will be in a better position to develop encryptions that are most effective in protecting information in cyberspace. In addition, understanding and acquiring knowledge of the most appropriate and effective way of measuring cyber attack trends will be a major stride in detecting and tracking cybercrime that may be indicative of cyber terrorism. Statement of the Problem The number of random cyber attacks in cyber space has been gradually increasing, and more so, over the last decade and a half (Bagchi Udo, 2003). However, the data that has been collected in attempts to measure the trends in the use of cyber-attacks still cannot be utilized to accurately determine, if the attacker was a terrorist group, or if they were initiated or sponsored by a terrorist group. The critical nature of this situation is highlighted by the fact that company industrys that are critical to the infrastructure of the society are increasingly becoming targets of cyber terrorism. Experts have reached a consensus, as to the fact, that coordinated cyber-attacks, could be used to amplify the effect of physical attacks, but, disagree, as to the damaging effects that such attacks will have on the information infrastructure of certain systems of critical sectors. This underlines the fact that information infrastructure should be understood with particular emphasis on cyber terr orism trends, and how they can be measured. Determinant factors, such as, the level of dependence that a particular society has on technology, will also lead to the effects of cyber attacks being different in different systems. How then can one come up with an effective way of measuring the trends of cyber attacks, in the face of the diverse information that is available, in terms of cyber terrorism? Conceptual Model It has been reported that terrorist organizations have been conducting some forms of information warfare. Additionally, there have been increased reports of terrorists, using the internet to carry out their operations, such as, those that involve giving issuing instructions or conducting defacement of an individual or a group of them, over the internet (Bagchi Udo, 2003). Files are encrypted then sent through e-mail or, steganography can be employed in the sending of malicious e-mail. Even though some of the encryptions that have been used are relatively weak, it still shows that cyber terrorism is becoming a more appealing avenue for terrorist groups and it is only a matter of time, before they acquire an effective expertise or rent it from other people in the internet. Cyber terrorism has been increasingly taking the shape of steganography. This refers to a practice, where information that is meant to be secret or unknown to some indiiduals is hidden or contained within other data that is not meant to be hidden. This information is rarely detected, unless someone is looking for it. The information that is meant to be encrypted and hidden is encoded in secret and lower-order bit positions that are within an image file, video file or a sound file. It should, however, be noted that an email that has been encrypted appears in a form that is different from a normal e-mail when it is viewed through an analyzer. Thus, if someone is sniffing, they may identify the encrypted message (Austin Darby, 2003). Terrorism is also about imposing and spreading ideologies that other people may not necessarily agree with and the internet is the largest and most accessible source and storage location of information in the world. As a result, it is the most effective w ay that terrorists can use to exploit information infrastructures available and communicate their ideologies and views in an effort to win a war of ideas. The fact that technology makes the dissemination of information faster and simpler has made it appealing and made information on the internet unsafe. Research Questions The study that is proposed, will aim to answer the following research questions: What is the relationship between vulnerability of information infrastructure and the trends of cyber terrorism? Does perceived vulnerability of information infrastructure and perceived usefulness of the internet have any effect on the trends of cyber terrorism? To what does the relatively higher level of cyber terrorism and cyber attack being witnessed today owe its nature to? What is the relationship between vulnerability of information infrastructure in countries with critical industries and cyber terrorism trends? What is the relevance of information infrastructure vulnerability and cyber terrorism trends to the development of ways to best measure cyber attacks? Method of Inquiry The methodology that will be employed in the study will be a non-experimental approach. The nature of the non-experimental approach will be ex post facto and it will involve looking at information from events that have already occurred. The major methods of gathering data will be through reviewing various relevant literatures, with specific emphasis on reports from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports to congress, over the last fifteen years. In addition, security reports from certain companies will be viewed to see the types of cyber terrorism that they have dealt with and how they handled the situation from both a reactive and proactive point of view. Assumptions The assumptions of this study are that the workers in the critical industries will be knowledgeable on the issue of cyber terrorism, and will have been affected by some form of cyber attack. Another assumption is that the damages that may have been caused by the cyber attack will have a relationship to the vulnerability of the information infrastructure within the industry; a vulnerability that those, within the industry are aware of. In addition, it will also be assumed that there is a relationship between cyber terrorism trends and the methods of measuring trends in cyber attacks. Limitations One of the limitations is that the companies that are involved in critical industries that have been chosen for the research may refuse to give up the reports that pertain to their security threats or give little information. On addition, some of the companies that we hope to use as a source of information may be faced with some legal action as a consequence of giving information to parties like us. Delimitations The limitations of the study will be that the geographical location will be restricted to the United States, owing to its relatively vast development and use of the internet. The reports and literature that will be reviewed, will give one side of the story, meaning that the results obtained and subsequently the methods of measuring cyber attacks will be based in the context of American users of the internet. Another limitation is that the reports from individual companies will not be representative in terms of presenting the overall picture of all companies that deal with cyber terrorism. Paper Organization This proposal will have three chapters, chapter one will contain information that will introduce the study and offer a contextual background, before stating the purpose and importance of carrying out the study. Following this, there will be a problem statement and a description of the conceptual model, the assumptions, limitations and delimitations of the project. Chapter two includes a detailed discussion of the relevant literature addressing the problem. Each section discusses the evidence available that provides insight into the problem and sub-problems. Chapter three is a detailed description of the research methodology, employed in the study. It includes a discussion of the method of inquiry, population and sample, instrument, used to gather the data, and the hypotheses and associated analysis techniques, to be employed in the data analysis. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Purpose of the Chapter Reviewing literature about the vulnerability of information and trends of cyber terrorism in addition to reviewing available literature on how to best measure trends in cyber attacks is important, because cyber terrorism trends is a topic that requires a historical perspective, as well, as the perspective of other writers. In addition, a trend can only be recognized, if there is a body of evidence and information that is related to the research topic. Reviewing literature is, also, important, as it will help answer part of some of the research questions that have been posed majorly the questions that need for the nature of relationships, to be established. Chapter Organization The chapter will begin by looking at literature that is available on different trends of cyber terrorism and analyzing them. A case study will be included to further elaborate the trends in cyber terrorism. In addition, the connection between terrorist groups and hackers will be explored and botnets to be expounded on. Persistent vulnerabilities will be mentioned followed by a summary, to conclude the chapter. Trends Cyber attacks are coming into the internet world rapidly, and, in most cases, without warning. This trend is quite disconcerting for organizations that have been affected and those that may be affected (Arquilla Ronfeldt, 2001). The situation is made worse by the lack of timely and transparent disclosure that most organizations are affected. Cyber attacks were often considered a nuisance, but the reality of cyber terrorism has become a problem for organizations and to general public with critical industries, standing to experience the most damaging effects (Cashell, Jackson, Jickling Webel, 2004). The trends of cyberterrorism have been gradually moving towards causing serious financial consequences for government and business institutions. According to a study carried out by Ponemon (2010), over $3.8 million is lost to cyber crime every year. Out of the 45 organizations that were studies, the average was having 50 successful attacks in a week. Wilson (2008a), reports that attacks, that have been directed to at computer systems have three ends that result from their means. One is that, the equipment that steers a computer system could be disrupted faulting the reliability of the hardware available (Cronin, 2002a). In addition, the processing logic that is, usually, followed in a system can be altered and, finally, the data that is contained within a computer system can be stolen or corrupted. Another trend that is becoming common in cyber terrorism is collaboration in that the perpetrators of cyber terrorism are collaborating to reduce the chances, of either being pinpointed and to make tracking of the origin of a message, or malicious code harder (Austin Darby, 2003). A case in point of cyber terrorism that ended in dire results, was in Estonia when, in the spring of 2007, the government system experienced a cyber attack that has often been labeled, as cyber terror. On April 27th of the same year, certain officials in Estonia moved a memorial that was meant to celebrate unknown Russians, who had died in combat during the naziNazi regime (Wilson, 2008a). Ethnic Russians rioted at this and a series of distributed denial of service attacks were, also, launched. Servers and computers were flooded, while legitimate users were blocked from accessing websites. This crippled Estonia owing to the fact that the country relied heavily on information technology, and there were limited on the part of managing resources. The problem that persisted in the aftermath of the attack was identifying the perpetrators. The system was already vulnerable, because of the inadequate management and, thus, the denial of service attacks were more effective (Wilson, 2008a). Cyber crime is often conducted through an internet connection. Before, hacking as a cybercrime was done for the main purpose of gaining a reputation among peers, but this trend is changing to one that involves getting profits and monetary gain from these hackings (Cronin, 2002a). As a result of this situation, there are more people with the ability to carry out cyber terrorism for hire. The motives that drive cybercriminals are often different from that of their customers, though, the result is similar (Army, 2005). New forms of technologies are gradually and more often out spacing policy for those, involved in law enforcement. In addition, agencies involved with cyber security and conflicting policies in different countries that govern cyberspace policies, also hinder efforts that are made towards identifying and developing ways to measure cyber attacks (Bagchi Udo, 2003). Thus, another trend of cyber terrorism is that some of those, who have initiated it, have chosen to work in c ountries, where the laws and policies that govern cybercrime do not restrict them from carrying out their activities. In addition that the internet is not restricted by geographical boundaries, contributes to the trend of taking cyber terrorism to countries that do not yet have penalties for cybercrime (Cronin, 2002b). Other than that, some of the high end cybercrime organizations and groups that are available for hire are using techniques that are similar to those of business development, to keep their features up to date with the latest and, most often, the best anti security features (Friman, 2001). The designs of cyber attacks have channged too, to include those that secretly and gradually steal information without leaving any traces behind. Most of the critical industries around the world have a security system that would notice, if information is taken and electronic fingerprints are left behind (British North American committee, n.d.) As a result of this, most cyber terrorists are choosing and modifying their attacks to be undetected. Widespread and fast dissemination of scripts that are assistive in new exploits, have made it possible for programmers, who are unsophisticated to take advantage and use complex techniques that they would normally be incapable of developing (Garg, Curtis Halper, 2003). DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks have been evolving over the years and they are especially popular in high profile attacks that have gained significant publicity (Bolt Brenner, 2004). Perpetrators of DDoS attacks are taking advantage of the lax security that is often in home computers to plant programs that are malicious that the individual may then take to work with them. Unauthorized intrusions are becoming a great nuisance for governments and businesses. The loss or sharing of sensitive or proprietary information can have very devastating effects (Knapp Boulton, 2006). In the beginning, intrusions were limited to curious and experimental hackers. However, organized crime and terrorist organizations have recognized and acknowledged the benefits of having access to this information (Lawson, 2002). Connection Between Terrorist Groups and Hackers It is difficult to tell the number or nature of terrorist organizations that are directly linked to cybercrime. However, there are connections that exist between criminals and terrorist organizations in that the criminals allow terror networks to expand to other areas of the world through leveraging them transit routes, computer resources and money laundering activities that the criminals operate or are connected to (Lewis, 2002). Major narcotics market regions, like North America, have in their possession optimal technological infrastructure that can open up newer markets and serve transnational needs of terrorist groups (Pladna, 2008). The connection between hackers and terrorism groups is a difficult one to determine, identify and evaluate. Most of the high end hacker groups and very exclusive and only for very high skilled individuals, who are ready to maintain the confidentiality of the group since it enhances their functioning (Rollins, 2005). As a result, they rarely seek publicity or attention making it harder to identify them. It is most likely that terrorist groups will seek the assistance of hackers, who are exclusive and meticulous about confidentiality and secrecy (Rodriguez, 2006). In addition, hackers being available for sale and rent, vulnerabilities that are in different computer systems are, also, available for sale over the internet from special black markets that have been developed by hackers and are supplied and updated on a regular basis (Rollins, 2007). The characteristic mode of operation of hackers, where they take time to meticulously plan for an attack, has also been witnessed in terrorist attacks, especially bombings that have been planned and launched by groups such as Al Qaeda. Botnets Botnets are increasingly gaining popularity in cybercrime becoming a major tool in the field. This is partly because the botnets, can be customized or configured for particular attacks on certain targets, in that they can be utilized in the effective disruption of computer systems that have been targeted, and this happens in different ways (Wilson, 2008a). This means that the attack can be directed to the most vulnerable areas of information infrastructure of different systems. In addition, it is also preferred, because it can be initiated by a malicious user, who does not have adequate skills to go through another avenue, like hacking a complex system (Devost, 2001). The makeup of a botnet or a bot network consists of a number of computers that are infected that have been infected by malicious code, and these codes can be controlled remotely over the internet and directed to certain other networks. The controls that are given remotely are transmitted through commands that have been issued over the internet (Wilson, 2003). Hundreds of the computers that are part of the botnet can work together to distribute a malicious code, harvest information, and disrupt or block internet traffic for the targeted systems. They are among the most versatile trends of cyber terrorism within the underground economy. According to Wilson (2008a), in the 2008 CRS report to the congress, designers of botnets make money by marketing their skills and technical services to those interested. As a result, even terrorist cells that may not have someone with the skills they need can rent her services at a fee. Cyber terrorism is possible following other forms of transactions over the internet, like trading services for a fee. The original mode of sending botnet codes was through sending them in e-mails, but users have grown more weary and cautious, and the designs have, also, changed. Clicking on a spam message or an advertisement banner can secretly install a botnet code on your PC (Erbschloe, 2001). Un-patched vulnerabilities that may be in a browser may permit the installation of a botnet code into a website or a PC (Vatis- M, 2001). There are newer ways being developed to distribute bot software that will make it harder for law enforcement, to identify and track botnet designers. Persistent information infrastructure vulnerabilities Routers are charged with the function of forwarding information to desired destinations. The vulnerability of routers has been persistent, allowing attackers to disrupt certain selected portions of the internet and target particular power stations (Rollins, 2007). Other than that, router vulnerability is a major vulnerability that can allow an attacker to steal an individuals identity (DeMarrais, 2003). This identity could be used to authorize actions that will benefit terrorism. Industries that are critical provide economic targets that are ample and the damages that follow could cause major and crippling effects (Giacomell, 2004). Some of the critical industries that are often attacked deal with power, finance, manufacturing and government (Adams, 2001). Summary There have been various trends witnessed in cyber terrorism, and they include the increase of using hired assistance from experts and causing financial damages. Also, perpetrators of cyber terrorism are working together and moving to regions, where the laws and policies that govern cybercrime will not punish or restrict them. In addition, most cyber terrorists are choosing and modifying their attacks, to be undetected and establishing connections criminal organizations that can allow them to expand faster and wider. The vulnerabilities that are in different computer systems are also available for sale and botnets are increasingly becoming a major tool in the field of cyber terrorism. CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY Purpose of the Chapter This chapter will describe the methodology that will be used in gathering data and information that is relevant to the study. It is important, that the methodology should be described, because it will guide the study that has been proposed. The chapter contains, step by step, specific and detailed information about the processes that the study will employ and the instrumentation that will be employed in gathering data. Chapter organization The chapter will contain the method of Inquiry, a detailed description of the population and Sample, the instrumentation that will be used and the procedures. Method of Inquiry Learning about trends requires that information about the past be acquired. Therefore, a literature survey will be carried, and specific attention will be given to reports by CRS and reports from critical industry companies that have experiences cyber attack or cyber terrorism, over the last fifteen years. It is not enough to get information from reports, but also from those, who deal with the problems from a more tangible perspective. Thus, the reports from different critical industries will help in the provision of this information. Population and Sample The United States has been reported as being the hottest target for cyber terrorism with cyber attacks taking place ten times more than those of the nation that follows in number, China. As a result, the United States will be chosen, as the preferable population for its vast number of users and susceptibility to cyber attacks. In addition, it will be easier to establish a trend from a population that has experienced the problem numerous times. Within the US, three companies will be chosen, each to represent the critical industries, which are the finance industry, the government and communications, which will represent a power industry. The department of defense will be the government industry, Wall Street will be the financial one, and Microsoft will represent communications. Instrumentation The reports that are contained in the CRS spanning over the past fifteen years and similar ones, within the companies, will be analyzed. Literature surveys have often been used in carrying out studies that require information that is affected, altered or modified by a situation. Trends are an example of such information. The reports will provide information about the organizations, as a whole, while the literature surveys will provide information about the individuals within different companies. The key words that will be looked for in the literature surveys and reports include cyber terrorism, cyber attacks, hacking, computer security and cyber threats. This is because these words are often used in reports to describe a situation where there has been a breach or a threat to cyber security; including situations of cyber terrorism. Procedures The CRS reports will be obtained from the internet and the company reports on internet security, and vulnerability of infrastructure will be gathered from companies. Specific reports with information about cyber attacks that have been experiences and the inquiries that followed will be given priority. This is, because follow up reports will have information on vulnerability issues. The first step will be to get a research team together and inform them about the details of the research including what they need to look for. After this, the researchers will be divided into groups of three and offered and work station with a computer. Working in groups is known to produce better results, especially in literature surveys. Summary The purpose of this chapter was to explain the details of the methodology that will be used to collect information about the methods that will be used to inquire and attain information for this study, which includes literature survey and vignette results. The population that will be used for the study is the United States, and the sample will be workers and managers from finance, the government and power industries summing up to 45 people. Buy custom Vulnerability of Information Infrastructure and Trends of Cyber Terrorism essay

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Celebrate Thanksgiving in Spanish Prepare to speak Spanish on Thanksgiving by learning these words. Many of these words dont have much of a cultural context outside the U.S. and Canada (which celebrates its Thanksgiving in October), as no Spanish-speaking countries have a version of Thanksgiving. The phrase  for Thanksgiving, by the way, is Dà ­a de Accià ³n de Gracias. Thats a mouthful that could be translated literally as the day of the act of thanks. The French form is similar  -   the Canadian Thanksgiving is known as lAction de Grà ¢ce. Holiday-Related Words agradecido (por) - thankful (for)ciberlunes  - Cyber Mondayla colonia - colonycompartir, repartir - to shareel cuerno de la abundancia, la cornucopia - cornucopiael desfile - paradeDios - Godla familia - familyla festividad de la cosecha - harvest festivalel fà ºtbol americano - football (not soccer)gluglà º gluglà º - gobble gobble (turkey sound)las gracias - thanksel indio, la india, el indà ­gena americano, la indà ­gena americana  - American Indian, native Americanel noviembre - Novemberel otoà ±o - autumn, falllos parientes  - relativesel peregrino - pilgrimel viernes negro, el viernes de descuentos  - Black Friday Food-Related Words Keep in mind that names of foods dont necessarily translate well, or might not be understood in Spanish-speaking countries, due to cultural differences. For example, the various words that can be translated as pie include pastel, tarta, empanada, and even pay (pronounced similarly to the English word). All of those words except the last also refer to other types of desserts.Also, it is common with fruits and vegetables for a popular name to be applied to multiple botanical classifications. For example, there are at least eight species of tuberous plants called  Ãƒ ±ames (yams), and a few are unlike what you might find in the U.S.   el arndano rojo - cranberryel banquete - feastel budà ­n, el pudà ­n - puddingla cazuela - casserolela cena - dinnercomer - to eatla cucurbitcea,  la calabaza - squash (the same Spanish terms also are used for other related plants)el maà ­z - cornla mazorca de maà ­z - corn on the cobel à ±ame, la batata, el boniato - yamel panecillo - dinner rollel pastel (o la tarta) de calabaza  - pumpkin pieel pavo  - turkeyel pavo asado  - roast turkeyel purà © de patatas - mashed potatoesel relleno - stuffing, turkey dressingla salsa para carne - gravylas sobras, los restos - leftoverslas verduras - vegetables Vocabulary Notes Ñame, the word for yam is one of the few Spanish words to start with  Ãƒ ±. Among the more common ones are à ±oà ±o (insipid or dull) and words derived from it, à ±ora (red pepper), and à ±u (gnu). Panecillo shows how diminutive suffixes are used. Pan is the word for bread, so even if you didnt know what panecillo means, you might guess that it is a small type of bread. In Spanish, it is sometimes possible to distinguish between  male and female animals by using the masculine and feminine forms of the word. Thus a female turkey is una pava. Some other animal names follow a similar pattern: Una mona is a female monkey, una polla is a young hen (and also an off-color word with a different meaning), and una puerca is a sow. But dont assume that any feminine animal name refers to the feminine of the species. For example, una jirafa is a giraffe regardless of its sex. While  relleno would normally be used to refer to turkey stuffing, the same word can be used for just about any type of food filling. A stuffed chili, for example, is known as a chile relleno. While verduras is the word to use when talking about vegetables as a food, vegetales is used more often when talking about vegetables as a type of plant. Sample Sentences Los indios de la tribu de los Wampanoag enseà ±aron a los peregrinos cà ³mo sembrar maà ­z. (The Indians of the Wampanoag tribe taught the pilgrims how to plant corn.) No es difà ­cil prepara un pavo exquisito para celebrar el dà ­a con tus amigos y familiares. (It isnt difficult to prepare a delicious turkey for celebrating the day with your friends and family members.) Despuà ©s de la cena, vamos a ver un juego de fà ºtbol americano. (After dinner, well watch a football game.) Tenemos mucha gratitud por todo lo que tenemos. (Were grateful for everything we have.) Key Takeaways No Spanish-speaking country has a version of Thanksgiving, so native Spanish speakers in those countries may have little cultural context when dealing with Thanksgiving-related words.When translating holiday-related words to Spanish, keep in mind that there may be only a partial correlation between meanings. For example, while a gravy is salsa in Spanish, salsa can refer to many other types of sauce as well.The Spanish phrase for the holiday itself is a long one: Dia de Accià ³n de Gracias.

Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Plan - Essay Example Competition from Blackpool Beach will decrease income from both inbound international tourism and local tourism by a considerable margin (between 8-10%). iii. With the tourism in Scotland on the rise (VisitScotland 2012), our competitors will institute new facilities and recreational activities for the summer season before March 2014. Marketing Objectives Aberdeen Beach offers a serene, beautiful and relaxing environment for tourists, both local and international. Apart from coming up with a mission statement that is both marketing oriented and consumer-focused, Aberdeen City Council should create an objective to attain cumulative growth in tourism volume of at least 60% over the next three years. At least 30% of this tourism growth should result from local tourist and from new facilities that offer activities that are non-seasonal or are generally undertaken during the off-peak period. Aberdeen beach should also institute efforts to capture over 25% of the tourism market share in th e area within the next 3 years. This will make sure that it is the biggest tourist destination in the area. Better facilities and activities that take advantage of off-peak tourism will ensure that it offers valid competition to Blackpool beach. To accomplish the various marketing objectives laid down, the Aberdeen City Council should put benchmarks in place to assess progress. Frequent evaluation of these objectives will offer feedback and potential remedial actions on a timely basis. The chief marketing objective is to improve the perceptions tourists as well as the locals have about the Aberdeen Beach. Since Aberdeen beach has been slowly losing both the local and the international tourists, it must not be satisfying its current consumers. The city council should review the problems that hinder success and use it to not only keep its current tourism base but encourage new international and local tourists to the area. To improve success, benchmarks should be developed to understan d how the city council can improve the experience of tourists to the beach through knowledge of tourist’s needs and specific opportunities for instituting new recreational facilities. The benchmarks should be developed through market research as well as the City Council’s marketing information system. Another objective should be the institution of an education program that will serve to educate the local residents about the issue of climate change and the rising flood risk in the area. The City Council should collaborate with the local residents in efforts to conserve and restore the beach (Robert Gordon 2013). The City Council should also create a new office that deals with beach security and cleanliness. It should interact with local residents and set up an institution that deals with cleaning up the beach and ensuring that companies and other individuals do not use the beach as a dumping point. According to Chan, Leung, and Wong (2006) collaborative environment rest oration efforts can be utilized as a means of advertisement both for local consumers and international. It should also collaborate with local law enforcement to ensure that visitors to the beach are safe. Marketing Strategies A. Target Markets Target Market 1: The first target market is the local tourists. Posters and customized calendars showing the beauty of Aberdeen beach could help reconnect with the local population. The Beach has also received bad

Alliance Design analysis of alternatives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alliance Design analysis of alternatives - Essay Example The industry Alliance Design Concepts is involved in is quite lucrative, and the company seems to be doing well, but it can do better. The challenges faced by the company are not new. In fact, they are common in all companies that conduct any form of purchases and that deal in different currencies as part of their operations. The crux of the matter lies in the strategy used to manage these issues, and not the fact that they exist. From the information provided, it is clear that the company is struggling to stay abreast of fluctuations in exchange rates and avoid the risk created by fluctuations in exchange rates. Looking at the processes and mechanisms the company uses in price quotation, equipment acquisition, and exchange rate management is not as effective as it should be. If they were effective, the company would not be experiencing the challenges it currently faces. It is safe to say that poor management is at the heart of Alliance Design Concept’s struggles. Better financial and management, together with efficient and effective operations management, is sufficient to get the company out of the rut. The company’s profit margins are good enough to give it a clean bill of health financially, but this will not be sustained for long if it keeps losing money through exchange rate fluctuations. In fact, since it has been stated that the company’s profit margins are affected by monies lost to the unpredictability of exchange rates, the profit margins may start reducing gradually until they reach worryingly low levels. Effective management, in any business, involves blocking all avenues through which funds are lost, and reducing expenditure as much as possible. Alliance Design Concepts’ failure to apply this fundamental business principle has significantly contributed towards the dwindling of its fortunes. The best way for Alliance Design Concepts to manage its issues is to streamline its processes and reduce any

Uniformity of a Leader Essay Example for Free

Uniformity of a Leader Essay a. The Continental Army was created 14JUNE1776 and was primarily made up of civilians. They endured hardships but they had little organization. General Washington enlisted the help of the Prussian officer Baron Friedrich Von Steuben through Benjamin Franklin to teach the men drill. Discipline became a part of military life for these selected individuals as they learned to respond to command without hesitation. As the Americans mastered the art of drill, they began to work as a team and to develop a sense of pride in themselves and in their unit. b. Regulations published in 1779 establish the Army uniform as blue with colored facings based on region: white for New England; red for the Mid-Atlantic; and blue for the South. Musicians wore uniform coats in reverse colors. In 1782, blue coats faced red became standard for everyone except generals and staff officers. c. The Advanced Combat Uniform (ACU) started replacing the Battle Dress Uniform(BDU) and the Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU) as the combat and garrison uniform in early 2005. d. In 2010, the MultiCam ACU was approved to wear for soldiers deploying to Afghanistan. 3. Importance of Uniformity as a Leader- a. The Army is a uniformed service where discipline is judged, in part, by the manner in which a soldier wears a prescribed uniform, as well as by the individual’s personal NGOK-RTI-GSO SUBJECT: History and Importance of Uniformity as a Leader appearance. Therefore, a neat and well-groomed appearance by all soldiers is fundamental to the Army and contributes to building the pride and esprit essential to an effective military force. A vital ingredient of the Army’s strength and military effectiveness is the pride and self discipline that American soldiers bring to their Service through a conservative military image. It is the responsibility of commanders to ensure that military personnel under their command present a neat and soldierly appearance. Therefore, in the absence of specific procedures or guidelines, commanders must determine a soldier’s compliance with standards in this regulation. Soldiers must take pride in their appearance at all times, in or out of uniform, on and off duty. Pride in appearance includes soldiers’ physical fitness and adherence to acceptable weight standards, in accordance with AR 600–9.(AR 670-1 Paragraph 1-7a, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia 03 February 2005) b. Every soldier has certain duties, responsibilities, and most have some level of authority. You should know what these are and how they apply to you. One of your obligations as a soldier is to carry out your duties to standard and the best of your ability. Bear your responsibilities knowing that you are part of a great team that only works well when each of its members do their best. If you are in a leadership position, exert authority to build the team and develop your soldiers. Your fellow soldiers are depending on you each and every day to make tough decisions based on your rank and duty position. (FM 7-21.13, Chapter 3-1, 15 October 2003) c. Uniformity helps keep soldiers safe. By creating a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), soldiers will know where to find important items to help their comrades when injured during battle. e. Keeping a soldier on track is the key element in solving performance problems. Motivated soldiers keep the group functioning and training productive. Ultimately soldiers accomplish the training objectives, and most importantly, the mission. Some leaders believe that soldiers work as expected simply because that is their job. That may be true, but soldiers and leaders also need a simple pat-on-the-back once in a while, for a job well done. Good leaders praise their soldiers and care about the job they are doing. Soldiers not performing to standard need correction. (FM 7-21.13, Chapter 3-45, 15 October 2003) f. Pride in self starts with pride in appearance. Army leaders are expected to look and act like professionals. They must know how to wear the appropriate uniform or civilian attire and do so with pride. Soldiers seen in public with their jackets unbuttoned and ties undone do not send a message of pride and professionalism. Instead, they let down their unit and fellow Soldiers in the eyes of the American people. Meeting prescribed height and weight standards is another integral part of the professional role. How leaders carry themselves when displaying military courtesy and appearance sends a clear signal: I am NGOK-RTI-GSO SUBJECT: History and Importance of Uniformity as a Leader proud of my uniform, my unit, and my country.

A History of the Overture and its Use in the Wind Band: An Annotated Gu

A History of the Overture and its Use in the Wind Band The term overture is be defined as "a piece of music of moderate length, either introducing a dramatic work or intended for concert performance" (Sadie, 1980). It may be a single or multi-movement composition preceding an opera, ballet or oratorio; a single movement prelude to a non-musical dramatic work; or a single movement concert piece detached from its original context intended to be performed alone (Peyser, 1986). The overture grew out of 17th century baroque dramatic works which began with either a French ouverture, the word from which the term is derived, or an Italian overture (Sadie, 1980). Composers such as Lully, Purcell and Handel used the French overture which is in two sections, each marked with a repeat. The French overture begins with a slow homophonic section frequently using dotted rhythms often ending on a half cadence and then moves to a faster fugal or "quasi-fugal" section which usually makes a return to the slow tempo and rhythms of the first section (Stolba, 1998). The Italian overture, or sinfonia as it was sometimes called, was written in three movements which are fast-slow-fast in order, the finale often written in a dance like character (Peyser, 1986). By the eighteenth century, this type of overture prevailed for operas even in France with the first movement becoming longer and more elaborate. Sonata form was generally used and a slow introduction would often begin the work (Sadie, 1980). Due to the loose terminology of the eighteenth century, symphonies and suites were sometimes called overtures (Peyser, 1986). The slow-fast-slow alternation of tempos foreshadowed the order of movements in the Classical symphony, lacking only the menue... ..., Volume 2. Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, Inc. National Band Association (1997) Selective Music List for Bands 4th Edition. Nashville, TN: National Band Association. Peyser, J. (1986) The Orchestra: Origins and Transformations. New York: Charles Scribner’s and Sons. Sadie, S. (1980) New Grove Dictionary for Music and Musicians. London: MacMillian. Smith, N & Stoutamire, A. (1989) Band Music Notes. Lake Charles, LA: Program Note Press. Stolba, M. K. (1998) The Development of Western Music, A History, Third Edition. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill Stone, S. (1999) Charles Carter’s Symphonic Overture. The Instrumentalist, 54, 36, 38, 40, 42. Turner, D. L. (1990) Conductor’s Choice: Annotated Selective Music List for Band Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press. http://www.grovemusic.com/grovemusic//article/section/4/407/40774.3.5.html

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 23 THE TRUTH

I HAD THE SENSE THAT I'D BEEN ASLEEP FOR A VERY long timemy body was stiff, like I hadn't moved once through all that time, either. My mind was dazed and slow; strange, colorful dreamsdreams and nightmaresswirled dizzily around the inside of my head. They were so vivid. The horrible and the heavenly, all mixed together into a bizarre jumble. There was sharp impatience and fear, both part of that frustrating dream where your feet can't move fast enough And there were plenty of monsters, red-eyed fiends that were all the more ghastly for their genteel civility. The dream was still strongI could even remember the names. But the strongest, clearest part of the dream was not the horror. It was the angel that was most clear. It was hard to let him go and wake up. This dream did not want to be shoved away into the vault of dreams I refused to revisit. I struggled with it as my mind became more alert, focusing on reality. I couldn't remember what day of the week it was, but I was sure Jacob or school or work or something was waiting for me. I inhaled deeply, wondering how to face another day. Something cold touched my forehead with the softest pressure. I squeezed my eyes more tightly shut. I was still dreaming, it seemed, and it felt abnormally real. I was so close to waking any second now, and it would be gone. But I realized that it felt too real, too real to be good for me. The stone arms I imagined wrapped around me were far too substantial. If I let this go any further, I'd be sorry for it later. With a resigned sigh, I wrenched back my eyelids to dispel the illusion. â€Å"Oh!† I gasped, and threw my fists over my eyes. Well, clearly, I'd gone too far; it must have been a mistake to let my imagination get so out of hand. Okay, so â€Å"let† was the wrong word. I'd forced it to get out of handpretty much stalked my hallucinationsand now my mind had snapped. It took less than half a second for me to realize that, as long as I was truly insane now, I might as well enjoy the delusions while they were pleasant. I opened my eyes againand Edward was still there, his perfect face just inches away from mine. â€Å"Did I frighten you?† His low voice was anxious. This was very good, as delusions went. The face, the voice, the scent, everythingit was so much better than drowning. The beautiful figment of my imagination watched my changing expressions, with alarm. His irises were pitch-black, with bruise-like shadows under them. This surprised me; my hallucinatory Edwards were usually better fed. I blinked twice, desperately trying to remember the last thing that I was sure was real. Alice was part of my dream, and I wondered if she had really come back at all, or if that was just the preamble. I thought she'd returned the day I'd nearly drowned â€Å"Oh, crap† I croaked. My throat was thick with sleeping. â€Å"What's wrong, Bella?† I frowned at him unhappily. His face was even more anxious than before. â€Å"I'm dead, right?† I moaned. â€Å"I did drown. Crap, crap, crap! This is gonna kill Charlie.† Edward frowned, too. â€Å"You're not dead.† â€Å"Then why am I not waking up?† I challenged, raising my eyebrows. â€Å"You are awake, Bella.† I shook my head. â€Å"Sure, sure. That's what you want me to think. And then it will be worse when I do wake up. If I wake up, which I won't, because I'm dead. This is awful. Poor Charlie. And Renee and Jake† I trailed off in horror at what I had done. â€Å"I can see where you might confuse me with a nightmare.† His short-lived smile was grim. â€Å"But I can't imagine what you could have done to wind up in hell. Did you commit many murders while I was away?† I grimaced. â€Å"Obviously not. If I was in hell, you wouldn't be with me.† He sighed. My head was getting clearer. My eyes flickered away from his faceunwillinglyfor one second, to the dark, open window, and then back to him. I started to remember details and I felt a faint, unfamiliar blush warm the skin over my cheekbones as I slowly realized that Edward was really, truly here with me, and I was wasting time being an idiot. â€Å"Did all of that really happen, then?† It was almost impossible to reassign my dream as reality. I couldn't wrap my head around the concept. â€Å"That depends.† Edward's smile was still hard. â€Å"If you're referring to us nearly being massacred in Italy, then, yes.† â€Å"How strange,† I mused. â€Å"I really went to Italy. Did you know I'd never been farther east than Albuquerque?† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Maybe you should go back to sleep. You're not coherent.† â€Å"I'm not tired anymore.† It was all coming clear now. â€Å"What time is it? How long have I been sleeping?† â€Å"It's just after one in the morning. So, about fourteen hours.† I stretched as he spoke. I was so stiff. â€Å"Charlie?† I asked. Edward frowned. â€Å"Sleeping. You should probably know that I'm breaking the rules right now. Well, not technically, since he said I was never to walk through his door again, and I came in the window But, still, the intent was clear.† â€Å"Charlie banned you from the house?† I asked, disbelief quickly melting into fury. His eyes were sad. â€Å"Did you expect anything else?† My eyes were mad. I was going to have a few words with my fatherperhaps it would be a good time to remind him that I was over the legal age of adulthood. It didn't matter so much, of course, except in principle. All too soon there would be no reason for the prohibition. I turned my thoughts to less painful avenues. â€Å"What's the story?† I asked, genuinely curious, but also trying desperately to keep the conversation casual, to keep a firm grip on myself, so I wouldn't scare him away with the frantic, gnawing craving that was raging inside me. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"What am I telling Charlie? What's my excuse for disappearing for how long was I gone, anyway?† I tried to count the hours in my head. â€Å"Just three days.† His eyes tightened, but he smiled more naturally this time. â€Å"Actually, I was hoping you might have a good explanation. I've got nothing.† I groaned. â€Å"Fabulous.† â€Å"Well, maybe Alice will come up with something,† he offered, trying to comfort me. And I was comforted. Who cared what I had to deal with later? Every second that he was hereso close, his flawless face glowing in the dim light from the numbers on my alarm clockwas precious and not to be wasted. â€Å"So,† I began, picking the least importantthough still vitally interestingquestion to start with. I was safely delivered home, and he might decide to leave at any moment. I had to keep him talking. Besides, this temporary heaven wasn't entirely complete without the sound of his voice. â€Å"What have you been doing, up until three days ago?† His face turned wary in an instant. â€Å"Nothing terribly exciting.† â€Å"Of course not,† I mumbled. â€Å"Why are you making that face?† â€Å"Well† I pursed my lips, considering. â€Å"If you were, after all, just a dream, that's exactly the kind of thing you would say. My imagination must be used up.† He sighed. â€Å"If I tell you, will you finally believe that you're not having a nightmare?† â€Å"Nightmare!† I repeated scornfully. He waited for my answer. â€Å"Maybe,† I said after a second of thought. â€Å"If you tell me.† â€Å"I was hunting.† â€Å"Is that the best you can do?† I criticized. â€Å"That definitely doesn't prove I'm awake.† He hesitated, and then spoke slowly, choosing his words with care. â€Å"I wasn't hunting fot food I was actually trying my hand at tracking. I'm not very good at it.† â€Å"What were you tracking?† I asked, intrigued. â€Å"Nothing of consequence.† His words didn't match his expression; he looked upset, uncomfortable. â€Å"I don't understand.† He hesitated; his face, shining with an odd green cast from the light of the clock, was torn. â€Å"I† He took a deep breath. â€Å"I owe you an apology. No, of course I owe you much, much more than that. But you have to know,†the words began to flow so fast, the way I remembered he spoke sometimes when he was agitated, that I really had to concentrate to catch them all†that I had no idea. I didn't realize the mess I was leaving behind. I thought it was safe for you here. So safe. I had no idea that Victoria,†his lips curled back when he said the name†would come back. I'll admit, when I saw her that one time, I was paying much more attention to James's thoughts. But I just didn't see that she had this kind of response in her. That she even had such a tie to him. I think I realize why nowshe was so sure of him, the thought of him failing never occurred to her. It was her overconfidence that clouded her feelings about himthat kept me from seeing the depth of them, the bond there. â€Å"Not that there's any excuse for what I left you to face. When I heard what you told Alicewhat she saw herselfwhen I realized that you had to put your life in the hands of werewolves, immature, volatile, the worst thing out there besides Victoria herselfhe shuddered and the gush of words halted for a short second. â€Å"Please know that I had no idea of any of this. I feel sick, sick to my core, even now, when I can see and feel you safe in my arms. I am the most miserable excuse for† â€Å"Stop,† I interrupted him. He stared at me with agonized eyes, and I tried to find the right wordsthe words that would free him from this imagined obligation that caused him so much pain. They were very hard words to say. I didn't know if I could get them out without breaking down. But I had to try to do it right. I didn't want to be a source of guilt and anguish in his life. He should be happy, no matter what it cost me. I'd really been hoping to put off this part of our last conversation. It was going to bring things to an end so much sooner. Drawing on all my months of practice with trying to be normal for Charlie, I kept my face smooth. â€Å"Edward,† I said. His name burned my throat a little on the way out. I could feel the ghost of the hole, waiting to rip itself wide again as soon as he disappeared. I didn't quite see how I was going to survive it this time. â€Å"This has to stop now. You can't think about things that way. You can't let this this guilt rule your life. You can't take responsibility for the things that happen to me here. None of it is your fault, it's just part of how life is for me. So, if I trip in front of a bus or whatever it is next time, you have to realize that it's not your job to take the blame. You can't just go running off to Italy because you feel bad that you didn't save me. Even if I had jumped off that cliff to die, that would have been my choice, and not your fault. I know it's your your nature to shoulder the blame for everything, but you really can't let that make you go to such extremes! It's very irresponsiblethink of Esme and Carlisle and† I was on the edge of losing it. I stopped to take a deep breath, hoping to calm myself. I had to set him free. I had to make sure this never happened again. â€Å"Isabella Marie Swan,† he whispered, the strangest expression crossing his face. He almost looked mad. â€Å"Do you believe that I asked the Volturi to kill me because I felt guilty?† I could feel the blank incomprehension on my face. â€Å"Didn't you?† â€Å"Feel guilty? Intensely so. More than you can comprehend.† â€Å"Then what are you saying? I don't understand.† â€Å"Bella, I went to the Volturi because I thought you were dead,† he said, voice soft, eyes fierce. â€Å"Even if I'd had no hand in your death†he shuddered as he whispered the last word†even if it wasn't my fault, I would have gone to Italy. Obviously, I should have been more carefulI should have spoken to Alice directly, rather than accepting it secondhand from Rosalie. But, really, what was I supposed to think when the boy said Charlie was at the funeral? What are the odds? â€Å"The odds† he muttered then, distracted. His voice was so low I wasn't sure I beard it right. â€Å"The odds are always stacked against us. Mistake after mistake. I'll never criticize Romeo again.† â€Å"But I still don't understand,† I said. â€Å"That's my whole point. So what?† â€Å"Excuse me?† â€Å"So what if I was dead?† He stared at me dubiously for a long moment before answering. â€Å"Don't you remember anything I told you before?† â€Å"I remember everything that you told me.† Including the words that had negated all the rest. He brushed the tip of his cool finger against my lower lip. â€Å"Bella, you seem to be under a misapprehension.† He closed his eyes, shaking his head back and forth with half a smile on his beautiful face. It wasn't a happy smile. â€Å"I thought I'd explained it clearly before. Bella, I can't live in a world where you don't exist.† â€Å"I am† My head swam as I looked for the appropriate word. â€Å"Confused.† That worked. I couldn't make sense of what he was saying. He stared deep into my eyes with his sincere, earnest gaze. â€Å"I'm a good liar, Bella, I have to be.† I froze, my muscles locking down as if for impact. The fault line in my chest rippled; the pain of it took my breath away. He shook my shoulder, trying to loosen my rigid pose. â€Å"Let me finish! I'm a good liar, but still, for you to believe me so quickly.† He winced. â€Å"That was excruciating.† I waited, still frozen. â€Å"When we were in the forest, when I was telling you goodbye† I didn't allow myself to remember. I fought to keep myself in the present second only. â€Å"You weren't going to let go,† he whispered. â€Å"I could see that. I didn't want to do itit felt like it would kill me to do itbut I knew that if I couldn't convince you that I didn't love you anymore, it would just take you that much longer to get on with your life. I hoped that, if you thought I'd moved on, so would you.† â€Å"A clean break,† I whispered through unmoving lips. â€Å"Exactly. But I never imagined it would be so easy to do! I thought it would be next to impossiblethat you would be so sure of the truth that I would have to lie through my teeth for hours to even plant the seed of doubt in your head. I lied, and I'm so sorrysorry because I hurt you, sorry because it was a worthless effort. Sorry that I couldn't protect you from what I an. I lied to save you, and it didn't work. I'm sorry. â€Å"But how could you believe me? After all the thousand times I've told you I love you, how could you let one word break your faith in me?† I didn't answer. I was too shocked to form a rational response. â€Å"I could see it in your eyes, that you honestly believed that I didn't want you anymore. The most absurd, ridiculous conceptas if there were anu way that I could exist without needing you!† I was still frozen. His words were incomprehensible, because they were impossible. He shook my shoulder again, not hard, but enough that my teeth rattled a little. â€Å"Bella,† he sighed. â€Å"Really, what were you thinking!† And so I started to cry. The tears welled up and then gushed miserably down my cheeks. â€Å"I knew it,† I sobbed. â€Å"I knew I was dreaming.† â€Å"You're impossible,† he said, and he laughed oncea hard laugh, frustrated. â€Å"How can I put this so that you'll believe me? You're not asleep, and you're not dead. I'm here, and I love you. I have always loved you, and I will always love you. I was thinking of you, seeing your face in my mind, every second that I was away. When I told you that I didn't want you, it was the very blackest kind of blasphemy.† I shook my head while the tears continued to ooze from the corners of my eyes. â€Å"You don't believe me, do you?† he whispered, his face paler than his usual paleI could see that even in the dim light. â€Å"Why can you believe the lie, but not the truth?† â€Å"It never made sense for you to love me,† I explained, my voice breaking twice. â€Å"I always knew that.† His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened. â€Å"I'll prove you're awake,† he promised. He caught my face securely between his iron hands, ignoring my struggles when I tried to turn my head away. â€Å"Please don't,† I whispered. He stopped, his lips just half an inch from mine. â€Å"Why not?† he demanded. His breath blew into my face, making my head whirl. â€Å"When I wake up†He opened his mouth to protest, so I revised†okay, forget that onewhen you leave again, it's going to be hard enough without this, too.† He pulled back an inch, to stare at my face. â€Å"Yesterday, when I would touch you, you were so hesitant, so careful, and yet still the same. I need to know why. Is it because I'm too late? Because I've hurt you too much? Because you have moved on, as I meant for you to? That would be quite fair. I won't contest your decision. So don't try to spare my feelings, pleasejust tell me now whether or not you can still love me, after everything I've done to you. Can you?† he whispered. â€Å"What kind of an idiotic question is that?† â€Å"Just answer it. Please.† I stared at him darkly for a long moment. â€Å"The way I feel about you will never change. Of course I love youand there's nothing you can do about it!† â€Å"That's all I needed to hear.† His mouth was on mine then, and I couldn't fight him. Not because he was so many thousand times stronger than me, but because my will crumbled into dust the second our lips met. This kiss was not quite as careful as others I remembered, which suited me just fine. If I was going to rip myself up further, I might as well get as much in trade as possible. So I kissed him back, my heart pounding out a jagged, disjointed rhythm while my breathing turned to panting and my fingers moved greedily to his face. I could feel his marble body against every line of mine, and I was so glad he hadn't listened to methere was no pain in the world that would have justified missing this. His hands memorized my face, the same way mine were tracing his, and, in the brief seconds when his lips were free, he whispered my name. When I was starting to get dizzy, he pulled away, only to lay his ear against my heart. I lay there, dazed, waiting for my gasping to slow and quiet. â€Å"By the way,† he said in a casual tone. â€Å"I'm not leaving you.† I didn't say anything, and he seemed to hear skepticism in my silence. He lifted his face to lock my gaze in his. â€Å"I'm not going anywhere. Not without you,† he added more seriously. â€Å"I only left you in the first place because I wanted you to have a chance at a normal, happy, human life. I could see what I was doing to youkeeping you constantly on the edge of danger, taking you away from the world you belonged in, risking your life every moment I was with you. So I had to try. I had to do something, and it seemed like leaving was the only way. If I hadn't thought you would be better off, I could have never made myself leave. I'm much too selfish. Only you could be more important than what I wanted what I needed. What I want and need is to be with you, and I know I'll never be strong enough to leave again. I have too many excuses to staythank heaven for that! It seems you can't be safe, no matter how many miles I put between us.† â€Å"Don't promise me anything,† I whispered. If I let myself hope, and it came to nothing that would kill me. Where all those merciless vampires had not been able to finish me off, hope would do the job. Anger glinted metallic in his black eyes. â€Å"You think I'm lying to you now?† â€Å"Nonot lying.† I shook my head, trying to think it through coherently. To examine the hypothesis that he did love me, while staying objective, clinical, so I wouldn't fall into the trap of hoping. â€Å"You could mean it now. But what about tomorrow, when you think about all the reasons you left in the first place? Or next month, when Jasper takes a snap at me?† He flinched. I thought back over those last days of my life before he left me, tried to see them through the filter of what he was telling me now. From that perspective, imagining that he'd left me while loving me, left me for me, his brooding and cold silences took on a different meaning. â€Å"It isn't as if you hadn't thought the first decision through, is it?† I guessed. â€Å"You'll end up doing what you think is right.† â€Å"I'm not as strong as you give me credit for,† he said. â€Å"Right and wrong have ceased to mean much to me; I was coming back anyway. Before Rosalie told me the news, I was already past trying to live through one week at a time, or even one day. I was fighting to make it through a single hour. It was only a matter of timeand not much of itbefore I showed up at your window and begged you to take me back. I'd be happy to beg now, if you'd like that.† I grimaced. â€Å"Be serious, please.† â€Å"Oh, I am,† he insisted, glaring now. â€Å"Will you please try to hear what I'm telling you? Will you let me attempt to explain what you mean to me?† He waited, studying my face as he spoke to make sure I was really listening. â€Å"Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were starspoints of light and reason And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn't see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything.† I wanted to believe him. But this was my life without him that he was describing, not the other way around. â€Å"Your eyes will adjust,† I mumbled. â€Å"That's just the problemthey can't.† â€Å"What about your distractions?† He laughed without a trace of humor. â€Å"Just part of the lie, love. There was no distraction from the the agony. My heart hasn't beat in almost ninety years, but this was different. It was like my heart was gonelike I was hollow. Like I'd left everything that was inside me here with you.† â€Å"That's funny,† I muttered. He arched one perfect eyebrow. â€Å"Funny? â€Å" â€Å"I meant strangeI thought it was just me. Lots of pieces of me went missing, too. I haven't been able to really breathe in so long.† I filled my lungs, luxuriating in the sensation. â€Å"And my heart. That was definitely lost.† He closed his eyes and laid his ear over my heart again. I let my cheek press against his hair, felt the texture of it on my skin, smelled the delicious scent of him. â€Å"Tracking wasn't a distraction then?† I asked, curious, and also needing to distract myself. I was very much in danger of hoping. I wouldn't be able to stop myself for long. My heart throbbed, singing in my chest. â€Å"No.† He sighed. â€Å"That was never a distraction. It was an obligation.† â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"It means that, even though I never expected any danger from Victoria, I wasn't going to let her get away with Well, like I said, I was horrible at it. I traced her as far as Texas, but then I followed a false lead down to Braziland really she came here.† He groaned. â€Å"I wasn't even on the right continent! And all the while, worse than my worst fears† â€Å"You were hunting Victoria?† I half-shrieked as soon as I could find my voice, shooting through two octaves. Charlie's distant snores stuttered, and then picked up a regular rhythm again. â€Å"Not well,† Edward answered, studying my outraged expression with a confused look. â€Å"But I'll do better this time. She won't be tainting perfectly good air by breathing in and out for much longer.† â€Å"That is out of the question,† I managed to choke out. Insanity. Even if he had Emmett or Jasper help him. Even if he had Emmett and Jasper help. It was worse than my other imaginings: Jacob Black standing across a small space from Victoria's vicious and feline figure. I couldn't bear to picture Edward there, even though he was so much more durable than my half-human best friend. â€Å"It's too late for her. I might have let the other time slide, but not now, not after† I interrupted him again, trying to sound calm. â€Å"Didn't you just promise that you weren't going to leave?† I asked, fighting the words as I said them, nor letting them plant themselves in my heart. â€Å"That isn't exactly compatible with an extended tracking expedition, is it?† He frowned. A snarl began to build low in his chest. â€Å"I will keep my promise, Bella. But Victoria†the snarl became more pronounced†is going to die. Soon.† â€Å"Let's not be hasty,† I said, trying to hide my panic. â€Å"Maybe she's not coming back. Jake's pack probably scared her off. There's really no reason to go looking for her. Besides, I've got bigger problems than Victoria.† Edward's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. â€Å"It's true. The werewolves are a problem.† I snorted. â€Å"I wasn't talking about Jacob. My problems are a lot worse that a handful of adolescent wolves getting themselves into trouble.† Edward looked as if he were about to say something, and then thought better of it. His teeth clicked together, and he spoke through them. â€Å"Really?† he asked. â€Å"Then what would be your greatest problem? That would make Victoria's returning for you seem like such an inconsequential matter in comparison?† â€Å"How about the second greatest?† I hedged. â€Å"All right,† he agreed, suspicious. I paused. I wasn't sure I could say the name. â€Å"There are others who are coming to look for me,† I reminded him in a subdued whisper. He sighed, but the reaction was not as strong as I would have imagined after his response to Victoria. â€Å"The Volturi are only the second greatest?† â€Å"You don't seem that upset about it,† I noted. â€Å"Well, we have plenty of time to think it through. Time means something very different to them than it does to you, or even me. They count years the way you count days. I wouldn't be surprised if you were thirty before you crossed their minds again,† he added lightly. Horror washed through me. Thirty. So his promises meant nothing, in the end. If I were going to turn thirty someday, then he couldn't be planning on staying long. The harsh pain of this knowledge made me realize that I'd already begun to hope, without giving myself permission to do 5.0. â€Å"You don't have to be afraid,† he said, anxious as he watched the tears dew up again on the rims of my eyes. â€Å"I won't let them hurt you.† â€Å"While you're here.† Not that I cared what happened to me when he left. He took my face between his two stone hands, holding it tightly while his midnight eyes glared into mine with the gravitational force of a black hole. â€Å"I will never leave you again.† â€Å"But you said thirty,† I whispered. The tears leaked over the edge. â€Å"What? You're going to stay, but let me get all old anyway? Right.† His eyes softened, while his mouth went hard. â€Å"That's exactly what I'm going to do. What choice have I? I cannot be without you, but I will not destroy your soul.† â€Å"Is this really† I tried to keep my voice even, but this question was too hard. I remembered his face when Aro had almost begged him to consider making me immortal. The sick look there. Was this fixation with keeping me human really about my soul, or was it because he wasn't sure that he wanted me around that long? â€Å"Yes?† he asked, waiting for my question. I asked a different one. Almostbut not quiteas hard. â€Å"But what about when I get so old that people think I'm your mother? Your grandmother?† My voice was pale with revulsionI could see Gran's face again in the dream mirror. His whole face was soft now. He brushed the tears from my cheek with his lips. â€Å"That doesn't mean anything to me,† he breathed against my skin. â€Å"You will always be the most beautiful thing in my world. Of course† He hesitated, flinching slightly. â€Å"If you outgrew meif you wanted something moreI would understand that, Bella. I promise I wouldn't stand in your way if you wanted to leave me.† His eyes were liquid onyx and utterly sincere. He spoke as if he'd put endless amounts of thought into this asinine plan. â€Å"You do realize that I'll die eventually, right?† I demanded. He'd thought about this part, too. â€Å"I'll follow after as soon as I can.† â€Å"That is seriously†I looked for the right word. â€Å"Sick.† â€Å"Bella, it's the only right way left† â€Å"Let's just back up for a minute,† I said; feeling angry made it so much easier to be clear, decisive. â€Å"You do remember the Volturi, right? I can't stay human forever. They'll kill me. Even if they don't think of me tillI'm thirty†I hissed the word†do you really think they'll forget?† â€Å"No,† he answered slowly, shaking his head. â€Å"They won't forget. But† â€Å"But?† He grinned while I stared at him warily. Maybe I wasn't the only crazy one. â€Å"I have a few plans.† â€Å"And these plans,† I said, my voice getting more acidic with each word. â€Å"These plans all center around me staying human.† My attitude hardened his expression. â€Å"Naturally.† His tone was brusque, his divine face arrogant. We glowered at each other for a long minute. Then I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, I pushed his arms away so that I could sit up. â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† he asked, and it made my heart flutter to see that this idea hurt him, though he tried not to show it. â€Å"No,† I told him. â€Å"I'm leaving.† He watched me suspiciously as I climbed out of the bed and fumbled around in the dark room, looking for my shoes. â€Å"May I ask where you are going.'† he asked. â€Å"I'm going to your house,† I told him, still feeling around blindly. He got up and came to my side. â€Å"Here are your shoes. How did you plan to get there?† â€Å"My truck.† â€Å"That will probably wake Charlie,† he offered as a deterrent. I sighed. â€Å"I know. But honestly, I'll be grounded for weeks as it is. How much more trouble can I really getin?† â€Å"None. He'll blame me, not you.† â€Å"If you have a better idea, I'm all ears.† â€Å"Stay here,† he suggested, but his expression wasn't hopeful. â€Å"No dice. But you go ahead and make yourself at home,† I encouraged, surprised at how natural my teasing sounded, and headed for the door. He was there before me, blocking my way. I frowned, and turned for the window. It wasn't really that far to the ground, and it was mostly grass beneath â€Å"Okay,† he sighed. â€Å"I'll give you a ride.† I shrugged. â€Å"Either way. But you probably should be there, too.† â€Å"And why is that?† â€Å"Because you're extraordinarily opinionated, and I'm sure you'll want a chance to air your views.† â€Å"My views on which subject?† He asked through his teeth. â€Å"This isn't just about you anymore. You're not the center of the universe, you know.† My own personal universe was, of course, a different story. â€Å"If you're going to bring the Volturi down on us over something as stupid as leaving me human, then your family ought to have a say.† â€Å"A say in what?† he asked, each word distinct. â€Å"My mortality. I'm putting it to a vote.†

Byzantine Art Essay

There are many differences and similarities between the following two pieces of art; the Toreador Fresco and the Egyptian Fowling Scene. The Toreador Fresco is a fresco depicting a bull-leaping ceremony. It is from the palace at Knossos(Crete), Greece and from around 1450-1400 BCE. The Egyptian Fowling Scene is a mural painting from the tomb of Nebamun. It is from Thebes, Egypt and from the 18th Dynasty, ca. 1400-1350 BCE. The styles between these two periods are very different, but there are still a few similarities found between the two pieces of art. The Toreador Fresco depicts a bull in the center, and a man leaping over its back. There is a woman on each side of the bull. Unlike the Fowling Scene, this fresco includes a border. In the Egyptian Fowling Scene, Nebamun is standing in his boat, flushing birds from a papyrus swamp. He is holding his throwing stick in one hand and three birds in the other hand. He is accompanied by his wife and daughter who are both shown holding lotus flowers. In the Toreador Fresco, the bull is the central figure of the painting while in the Fowling Scene every space was filled with lively details such as lotus flowers and butterflies. As for the depiction of the human figure, in the Toreador Fresco, the human figures have stylized shapes with pinched waists and they are highly animated. Also, in order to distinguish between male and female, the artist painted the young women with fair skin and the man with dark skin. This was a widely accepted ancient Minoan convention. This is very different from the depiction of human figures in the Fowling Scene. The skin color of Nebamun, his daughter and his wife are all the same dark color. The artist scaled down their figures in proportion to their rank. The wife and daughter were much smaller than Nebamun. Also, in the Fowling Scene, the animals show a naturalism based on careful observation. One similarity between the paintings was that the human figures were painted with the profile pose with the full-view eye. Another similarity between the two paintings would be that they both represent rituals and traditions. The Toreador Fresco depicts the Minoan ceremony of bull-leaping while the Fowling Scene is a tomb painting showing that Nebamun is enjoying himself in the afterlife. Another difference would be that in the Toreador Fresco, the artist used curved lines to suggest the elasticity of the living and moving beings unlike the Fowling Scene where the depiction of movement was not represented very well. In the Toreador Fresco, the artist also elongated the animal’s shape to show the powerful charge of the bull and used sweeping lines to form a funnel of energy. It is easily seen how the depiction of movement is better represented in the Toreador Fresco than in the Fowling Scene. In the Fowling Scene, the artist used many different and lively colors whereas in the Toreador Fresco, there is not a great variety of colors used. In the Toreador Fresco, you can tell that it is Minoan art by the elegance of the Cretan figures, with their long, curly hair and proud and self-confident bearing. This distinguishes them from all other early figures styles. You can also see a few cultural differences between the two periods just by comparing the two paintings. The human figures in the paintings are all dressed much differently. Also, in ancient Egypt, the artists often used hierarchal scale in their paintings. They would make the size of the human figures larger based on their social status. That is why in the Fowling Scene, the wife and the daughter of Nebamun are much smaller than him. Whereas, in the Toreador Fresco, you do not see a hierarchal scale, the human figures are all the same size. In conclusion, there are many differences and similarities between the Toreador Fresco and the Fowling Scene. Both paintings represent rituals and traditions. Also, they both have figures painted with the profile pose. In the Toreador Fresco, it includes a border and the bull is the central figure. The human figures are wasp-waisted, and highly animated. The depiction of movement is much better represented in this piece of art than the Fowling Scene because the artist used curved lines to emphasize the movement of the figures. He also elongated the bull’s shape to show the powerful charge of the animal and used sweeping lines to form a funnel of energy. In comparison, in the Fowling Scene, the artists filled every space with lively details. The marsh is full of lotus flowers and butterflies. Although the depiction of movement is not shown as well as the Toreador Fresco, a variety of lively colors is shown in the painting. Unlike the Toreador Fresco, the hierarchal scale is shown in the Fowling Scene.

Essay S Asia E

Essay S Asia E Essay S Asia E Name: Samara Pereira Water Crisis in India The supply of water in India is being affected by several forces. Being the second world largest population, India requires more water to sustain itself. The growing economies, as well as the large agricultural sectors, have made the country’s water resources to get stretched as years pass by. At the moment, the country’s water supply is dwindling due to significant mismanagement of water resources, pollution and also over pumping of ground water. Climate change is another factor that is affecting water supply in India (Nina, para. 1-2). Therefore, the crisis of water supply in India is predominantly man-made as opposed natural means. This is because the climate of India is not dry. The country is endowed with many huge rivers and water bodies making it impossible for groundwater to lack. Extreme mismanagement of water resources by the government is the leading force for the water crisis in the country (Nina, para. 2). There are many unclear laws r egarding water supply that results to a large population lacking access to water supply. This on the other hand is as a consequence of the poor governance and corruption in the water ministry. Agriculture is the other factor that is resulting in the water crisis. This is because over 80% of the India’s population deals with agriculture (Nina, para. 2-5). The other force is the industrial usage. At this point, you realize that there are many industries in the country that rely on water for their operations. As such, lots of water is being used than can be replaced. Also, the manufacturers produce lots of wastes that end up in water sources thus making it unsafe for domestic usage. As such, the primary cause of water crisis is economic greed and corruption within the government. The problem of water can be solved in different ways. The first way should be the removal of the corrupt officials in the government (Nilanjana, para. 6). This will ensure that the ministry involved wit h water management is left with non-corrupt people. To serve as a lesson to the rest of the politicians, the officials that are found guilty by interfering with the supply of water should be severely punished. The other method would be setting clear laws regarding water usage in the country. According to Nina (par. 2), India lacks explicit legislation to govern water supply. Once the laws have been established, it will be easy and possible to monitor the water management in the country. This is because there will be people on the ground to oversee the way water is distributed in all villages. The government should also come up with laws regarding water pollution by the industries. As such, all industries should be mandated with setting up of waste treatment and management sections. This will ensure that the water that is being released to the environment does not contaminate the ground water. Notably, all industries should be issued the limit of the water that they should use per ye ar. This will ensure that there will be no industry that overuses water. In inertia, this will act as one way of limiting water wastage by the industries. The provision of dependable, clean drinking water can be achieved once the government has established piped water in all villages. This will ensure that every homestead has access to safe drinking water. Also, the government should sensitize citizens to the importance of harvesting rainwater. This will act as one way of limiting water wastage by citizens. As such, the government should come up with ways to provide the poor with harvesting materials such as roof tanks or even build them underground water storage (Nilanjana, para. 6-10). Also, the government should restrict the

Taking Online College Courses to Earn a Degree

Taking Online College Courses to Earn a Degree Online college courses can help you earn a degree, improve your resume, or develop a new skill just for fun. If you’re  interested in starting online college courses, this article will help you get started. Taking Online College Courses That Lead to a Degree A growing number of students are taking online college courses to earn their degrees. Some students earn entire degrees online, some transfer traditional college credits to an online program, and some transfer credits from their online college courses to a traditional school. Online college courses are convenient and many can be taken asynchronously, making it possible to be enrolled in a course and engaged in discussions even though you do not need to log on to a website at a specific time. Online college courses in thought-heavy topics (such as English, humanities, math, etc.) tend to be more common than online college courses covering action-specific subjects. If you are interested in taking online college courses that lead to a degree, make sure that the school you’re choosing is properly accredited. Keep in mind that many traditional and online colleges do not easily accept credit transfers. If your plan includes transferring schools at some point, talk to counselors at both schools to make sure that your online college course credits will be approved.   Taking Online College Courses for Professional Development Even if you don’t want to earn an entire degree through the internet, you can take online college courses to improve your resume and develop skills that are valued in the workplace. You may choose to take online college courses ala carte. Or, you may enroll in an online professional development program. Many programs like the  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Stanford Center for Professional Development allow students to take a sequence of shorter online college courses leading to a professional certificate in a subject like project management, computer security, information technology, or sustainable energy. Check with your workplace or experts in your field to see how a particular online college course will be received in your industry. For example, some computer certification courses that are highly coveted for secretarial work would be considered unnecessary for those employed in a managerial position. Many students are able to take online college courses for free by asking their employers to cover the cost of their tuition. Tuition reimbursement programs are designed for employees that complete coursework or earn degrees related to their position or a position they may qualify for. Even if your employer doesn’t have a formal tuition assistance program in place, he or she may be willing to work with you to subsidize coursework that will help you do better at your job. Taking Online College Courses for Personal Enrichment Online college courses aren’t all about profit and degrees. Many students enroll in online college courses just to learn a skill they are interested in or explore a subject they are curious about. Some schools will allow students to take a class pass/fail so that students do not need to concern themselves with receiving grades. As an alternative to taking online college courses through formal enrollment, you may want to explore many of the free online classes that are now available. Dozens of traditional colleges make their course lectures, assignments, and reading guides openly available to the public as open courseware. By taking free online college courses, you won’t have access to an instructor to help you through the content. Nor will you receive graded feedback. However, you will be able to work at your own pace and learn without paying a dime. There is coursework available on just about every subject, from math to anthropology. Another option is to take advantage of the many free online courses offered outside of the education system altogether. While these aren’t technically â€Å"college† classes, many independent organizations and individuals offer in-depth instruction on a wide variety of topics. For example, Khan Academy provides down-to-earth video lectures on dozens of math topics. Many virtual learners have found these resources easier to understand more than when taking many traditional courses.

Impact of Natural Disaster on obesity of the residents of New Orleans Essay

Impact of Natural Disaster on obesity of the residents of New Orleans - Essay Example However, the main focus of the paper shall be obesity in New Orelean, and the impact it is having on it's inhabitants, and lastly the conclusions and recommendations by our study shall be presented. But before discussing about Obesity in Nre Orleans, it is important to know what we mean by obesity. According to Graves, " obesity referes to having a body mass index (BMI) over 30. That ... would be like a 5-foot-8-inch person weighing 197 pounds. The National Institutes of Health defines morbid obesity as a BMI above 40." (Graves, bestofneworleans.com). It is a well known fact that New Orleans is the city that loves to eat. It's no wonder, that this passion is reflected on the appearance and health of dwellers. The estimated quantity of overweight people in the New Orleans is 60% percent. The officials say it is obesity that is the cause for most diseases the New Orleans dwellers suffer from. They also add that the obesity-related diseases account for more than half of Louisiana's health care budget. (Sell, bizneworleans.com) However, obesity has serious, long-term consequences. The incidence of type II diabetes has increased in U.S. children in parallel with the rising prevalence of obesity (Rocchini 854-855). Hypertension, hyper-cholesterolemia, heart disease, asthma, mental health concerns (e.g., depression and low self-esteem), and orthopedic disorders have all been linked to obesity (American Academy of Pediatrics 424-430). However, obesity is the single major health problem in the United States that is rapidly becoming worse (Sturm 2002). Nevertheless, the problem of Adult Obesity is related to children's food habits, the foundation of which lies in the understanding that a juvenile's physical and mental environment is a primary determinant of his or her health and well-being when they grow up(World Health Organization (WHO) 2003). The knowledge that complex interactions exist between the childhood obesity and adult obesity is not new. Indeed, one of Hippocrates' aphorisms was "for, in general, you will find the forms and dispositions of mankind to correspond with the nature of the country." (Sallis et al. 179-185) As the field of community health grows as a specialty, so does the body of research by leading scientists and clinicians who seek to further our understanding of the impact of environmental disasters on the physical growth on the residents, such as obesity. (MacIntyre et al. 213-243) In 2005 Men's Fitness ranked New Orleans the seventh fattest city in the country. In 2004 it was on the twenty second place. The quantity of obese people in New Orleans is growing rapidly with each passing year, and thus the quantity of those, who suffer from the obesity-related diseases, also increases. New Orleans dwellers become less active, and eat more. On the contrary, one of the reasons of this process is that the fast foods are gaining popularity in New Orleans, like in other American cities. The contemporary pace of life often