Usher Surname Meaning and Family History

Usher is an occupational surname for a servant or courtier who served as an officer of a court to introduce strangers, or usher visitors in and out of meetings in large houses or palaces. It may also have originated as an occupational surname for the under-master of a school or who worked as a gatekeeper. The name derives from the Middle English usher,  Old French ussier, or  huissier, from the Late Latin ustiarius, meaning  door or gate.   Surname Origin:  French,  Irish, English Alternate Surname Spellings:  USSHER, USSIER, HUISSIER Famous People with the USHER Surname James Ussher - 17th-century Archbishop of ArmaghRichard Usher - English clown  and theatre designerAndrew Usher, II  - successful Scottish whiskey distillerDavid Usher -  Ã‚  English-born, Canadian singer songwriter and recording artistHezekiah Usher - first known bookseller in the American colonies Where is the USHER Surname Most Common? The Usher  surname, according to surname distribution information from  Forebears, is most prevalent in the United States, where it ranks as the 4,706th  most common last name. Usher is much more common based on population percentage in Belize, however, where it is the 10th most common surname. It is also found in England, Australia and South Africa. WorldNames PublicProfiler  data indicates  that the Usher surname is somewhat more commonly found in the North of England, as well as in the Midlands region of Ireland, the Northern Territory of Australia, Ontario in Canada, and in the Otorohanga, Stratford, Waimakariri and Taupo districts of New Zealand. Genealogy Resources for the Surname USHER Usher Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as an Usher  family crest or coat of arms for the Usher surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. USHER Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Usher ancestors around the world. Search the forum for posts about your Usher ancestors, or join the forum and post a query about your own Usher ancestors. FamilySearch - USHER  GenealogyExplore over 240,000 results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Usher surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. USHER Surname Mailing ListFree mailing list for researchers of the Usher  surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages. GeneaNet - Usher RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Usher surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Usher  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Usher  surname from the website of Genealogy Today. Ancestry.com: Usher SurnameExplore over 600,000 digitized records and database entries, including census records, passenger lists, military records, land deeds, probates, wills and other records for the Usher surname on the subscription-based website, Ancestry.com. Usher Surname - GeniRead more about the history of the Usher surname and search for Usher family trees on the genealogy website Geni.com.----------------------- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back to  Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins

A Critical Study Of Lareau s Reflection - 931 Words

According to Lareau, class positions have a very strong influence and control over the life of the family precisely childrearing. In the critical study of Lareau’s reflection, the language that we use, the time that we spend, and the influence of kin ties are very important in the upbringing of our children. Basically she focused on the middle class, working class, working poor, for blacks and whites. Sociologist have defined this classes: â€Å"Middle class is composed of â€Å"white collar† workers with a broad range of education and income:they constitute about 30 percent of US population. Working class or lower middle class mostly â€Å"blue collar† or service industry workers who are less likely to have college degree: they constitute about 30 percent of the U.S population. Working poor: Poor educated manual and service workers who may work full time but remain near or below the poverty line they constitute 20 percent of the U.S Population†.The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology: W. W. Norton StudySpace.The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology: W. W. Norton StudySpace. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2016. Lareau used the above classes to explain how parents should get involved in their children’s lives she gave a distinction of how each of this classes would benefit from their parent involvement in their upbringing. According to to Lareau the reaction of the middle class towards their children are very negative because they assume they have put their children in good schools,Show MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesand permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturers

My Best Friend, My Person free essay sample

Most fans of the show Grey’s Anatomy are familiar with the phrase, â€Å"You are my person.† Meredith Grey uses this phrase to describe her friendship with Christina Yang. When you call someone your person, you are describing them as the one human being you can’t live without, someone with whom you share an unbreakable bond, and the only person you can’t stay mad at. Your person is your partner in crime, your other half, and most importantly, your best friend. When describing myself as a child, the first words that come to mind are, â€Å"scared,† and, â€Å"insecure†. I found myself constantly searching for someone that I could call my person. I never had many friends growing up, nor did I have many throughout most of high school. I had a group of people I sat with at lunch, but that was as far as our relationships stretched. I was scared and insecure, even at the age of 17. We will write a custom essay sample on My Best Friend, My Person or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I constantly ached for the sense of security that I assumed came with having a person. My junior year of high school, I felt as if I had a person. I had a friend that was there for me through thick and thin, but, on the inside, I knew that she wasn’t truly my person. She had another friend that always came before me, and that shot me back to the scared and insecure mindset that I had been trying to avoid. I kept searching, and when I least expected it, when I was sure I was meant to have no one, I found them. On the last day of spring break 2017, I met Alex. At first glance, he was a tall, awkward boy whose arms were a little too long for the rest of his body. His laugh was reminiscent of a chipmunk, and if I’m honest, I thought he was a little too enthusiastic about everything. I quickly learned that while first impressions are important, you should still never assume anything until you truly get to know someone. Two days later, the day of SAT testing, I was in full panic mode. I was trying my best to hide my anxiety. I snapchatted Alex, just to say hi, and he asked me what was wrong. I remember being confused, this person, that I had met only two days before, was concerned? How did he know that I was upset, anyway? I expressed my concern for the test, and Alex said, â€Å"Well, from what I can tell, you’re pretty smart. Don’t freak yourself out!† I know it seems strange to remember such a small thing, but that was the moment that I realized that Alex is my person. What I didn’t expect to realize is that your person doesn’t bring you security or safety, but rather, they help you discover those things within yourself. Through Alex, I have learned things that I never thought I would know. I learned small, seemingly unimportant things. Things like: how it can be fun to just walk around for awhile, or how loud I can scream before anyone gives me a strange look, or how to eat 50 chicken nuggets in one sitting. Those seemingly small things taught me to live life for me, and to do things I think are fun, instead of conforming to what the people around me are doing. For years, I searched for my person. In a matter of days, Alex went from the tall, awkward, slightly annoying kid I met downtown, to my best friend. With his friendship, I went from insecure, scared, and sad, to confident, independent, and happy. Thank you Alex, for being my person.

Railway Disaster Prevention System Using Gis and Gps Essay Sample free essay sample

Railway industry has a valuable function in economic development of each state. India’s monolithic rail web is hit by an norm of 300 accidents a twelvemonth. Accident direction in railroad determination devising has to see the undermentioned two issues to avoid or extenuate the amendss: ( I ) accident bar and development of an dismaying system to foretell and dismay before the happening of accidents. ( two ) decrease of negative effects of accidents after its happening through proper exigency and direction services. To accomplish the above-named aims. necessary stairss have been taken to imitate train motion. accidents and inveigh accident direction system. The major jobs in the simulation include. ( I ) the deficiency of appropriate information. ( two ) the job of doing existent accident scene environment due to human and cost issues and ( three ) jobs in executing a comprehensive trial on the system. CURRENT TRAIN ACCIDENT SENARIO IN INDIA: 150 old ages after it foremost chugged on class of a glorious ongoing journey. We will write a custom essay sample on Railway Disaster Prevention System Using Gis and Gps Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Indian Railways bears a instead double differentiation today. It is the 2nd largest rail web under one direction but with a record figure of accidents. From a ‘Puffing Dragon’ to ‘Electrical Giant on rail’ and so a line of life to the state. Indian Railways has come a long manner but its substructure and the system has non. It has been killing people on a regular basis. thanks to antediluvian substructure. sick care. and worst of all — HUMAN ERROR. blamed for two-thirds of about an estimated 400 â€Å"consequential† rail accidents that take topographic point in a twelvemonth. Last twelvemonth accounted for 460 accidents. Twenty-five of them were hits. No admiration. the slow modernization of Indian Railways has made foreign media frequently dubs it as a turn overing railroad museum pulling nostalgic train fans from all over the universe. says MK Mishra. former member of Indian railroad board.  © GIS Development Map World Forum Hyderabad. India But the Secretary Railway Board R K Singh differs. â€Å"The Accident Collision Device and Railways Vision 2050 undertakings besides a host of new safety commissariats will shortly give adequate replies to the skeptics. † he said. A Railway Ministry study has found alcohol addiction among field staff to be a major cause of human mistake taking to mishaps. and suggested breathalyzer trials and random cheques for the staff among other steps. says CM Khosla. another ex-member of the Board. Statisticss show that 76 per cent of the accidents take topographic point because of derailments following human mistake. track jobs or adverse weather conditions. Collisions lead to about eight per cent of the bad lucks. In 1968 the Railway Board in response to the Railway Accidents Inquiry Committee set a mark of 0. 36 as the figure of hits per MTK. But the figure remains for the books. Railway Ministry. after all. has now woken up to the pressing demand to stem the putrefaction in the 66. 80 0-miles long web that transports over 13 million people and dozenss of goods each twenty-four hours through over 13. 000 trains across India. The Railway Budget 2002-2003 has made particular commissariats for safety of the riders. It has planned Rs 17. 000 crore Particular Railway Safety Fund ( SRSF ) to replace antique assets in following six old ages. Under the move. about 17. 000 kilometer of path will be renewed. over 3. 000 Bridgess rebuilt and signal cogwheels will be replaced at about 1000 Stationss. There are over 120. 000 steel Bridgess. a batch of which are ageing and accident-prone. The ever-surging traffic makes the railroads all the more vulnerable to accidents. The Railway Minister Nitish Kumar has farther announced debut of 25 new trains and 16 inter-city train services to be called as Jan Shatabdi Express. The ruddy tape has added to job. Railway safety recommendations are rarely implemented to the full. if at all. Statutory investigation by Commissioner of Railway Safety is ordered after about every bad luck but action is normally taken against low-level functionaries. most of them whipping boies. Sometimes. eccentric theories are expounded for the accidents. When the Trivandrumbound Island Ex press from Bangalore plunged into Quilon river in 1989. killing 107 people. the investigation concluded that the accident was due to a ‘freak typhoon’ that hit in the split-seconds when the train crossed the river span. Hyderabad. India Experts say that though most of the rail accidents in India were evitable. the bad lucks will necessarily happen in such a mammoth and old system. built by the Britishers during the Raj. Intelligent investing in engineering and equipment is the key to safe rail travel. they say Introduction TO GIS A ; GPS SYSTEM: A figure of turn uping and positioning scientific disciplines and engineerings have been employed to expeditiously manage railroad accidents. Among them geospatial information system ( GIS ) as a placement and planetary placement system ( GPS ) as a placement system have been extremely considered as extremely efficient. â€Å"A geographic information system ( GIS ) is a computer-based tool for function and analysing things that exist and events that happen on Earth. GIS engineering integrates common database operations such as question and statistical analysis with the alone visual image and geographic analysis benefits offered by maps. † ESRI Components of GIS Hardware: Hardware comprises the equipment needed to back up the many activities of GIS runing from informations aggregation to data analysis. eg. web-enabled GIS. web waiters. digitiser. GPS informations lumberman to roll up informations in the field. Software: package is indispensable for making. redacting and analysing spacial and attribute informations. therefore these bundles contain a myriad of GIS maps inherent to them. eg. ArcView. ArcInfo. Erdas. ILWIS. Geomatica. etc. Datas: Data is the nucleus of any GIS. There are two primary types of informations that are used in GIS. A geodatabase is a database that is in some manner refe renced to locations on the Earth. Geodatabases are grouped into two different types: vector and raster. Coupled with this information is normally informations known as property informations. Documentation of GIS datasets is known as metadata. Peoples: Well-trained people knowing in spacial analysis and skilled in utilizing GIS package are indispensable to the GIS procedure. GIS is the scientific discipline and engineering of spacial and attribute information integrating and can be expeditiously used to supervise and pull off railroad accidents. The Global Positioning System ( GPS ) is a satellite-based pilotage system made up of a web of 24 orbiters placed into orbit by the U. S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications. but in the 1980s. the authorities made the system available for civilian usage. GPS works in any conditions conditions. anyplace in the universe. 24 hours a twenty-four hours. There are no subscription fees or apparatus charges to utilize GPS. How it works GPS orbiters circle the Earth twice a twenty-four hours in a really precise orbit and transmit signal information to Earth. GPS receiving systems take this information and usage triangulation to cipher the user’s exact location. Basically. the GPS receiving system compares the clip a signal was transmitted by a orbiter with the clip it was received. The clip difference tells the GPS receiver how far off the orbiter is. Now. with distance measurings from a few more orbiters. the receiving system can find the user’s place and show it on the unit’s electronic map A GPS receiving system must be locked on to the signal of at least three orbiters to cipher a 2D place ( latitude and longitude ) and track motion. With four or more orbiters in position. the receiving system can find the user’s 3D place ( latitude. longitude and height ) . Once the user’s place has been determined. the GPS unit can cipher other information. such as velocity. bear ing. path. trip distance. distance to finish. dawn and sundown clip and more. The GPS orbiter system The 24 orbiters that make up the GPS infinite section are revolving the Earth about 12. 000 stat mis above us. They are invariably traveling. doing two complete orbits in less than 24 hours. These orbiters are going at velocities of approximately 7. 000 stat mis an hr. Here are some other interesting facts about the GPS orbiters ( besides called NAVSTAR. the official U. S. Department of Defense name for GPS ) :  © GIS Development The first GPS orbiter was launched in 1978. A full configuration of 24 orbiters was achieved in 1994. Each orbiter is built to last about 10 old ages. Replacements are invariably being built and launched into orbit. A GPS orbiter weighs about 2. 000 lbs and is about 17 pess across with the solar panels extended. Transmitter power is merely 50 Wattss or less. What’s the signal? GPS satellites transmit two low power wireless signals. designated L1 and L2. Civilian GPS uses the L1 frequence of 1575. 42 MHz in the UHF set. The signals travel by line of sight. intending they will go through through clouds. glass and plastic but will non travel through most solid objects such as edifices and mountains. A GPS signal contains three different spots of information — a pseudorandom codification. ephemeris informations and farmers calendar informations. The pseudorandom codification is merely an I. D. codification that identifies which satellite is conveying information. You can see this figure on your Garmin GPS unit’s orbiter page. as it identifies which satellites it’s having. Ephemeris information tells the GPS receiving system where each GPS orbiter should be at any clip throughout the twenty-four hours. Each orbiter transmits ephemeris informations demoing the orbital information for that orbiter and for every other orbiter in the system. Almanac information. which is invariably transmitted by each orbiter. contains of import information about the position of the orbiter ( healthy or unhealthy ) . current day of the month and clip. This portion of the signal is indispensable for finding a place. Beginnings of GPS signal mistakes: Factors that can degrade the GPS signal and therefore affect truth include the followers: Ionosphere and troposphere holds — The satellite signal slows as it passes through the ambiance. The GPS system uses a constitutional theoretical account that calculates an mean sum of hold to partly rectify for this type of mistake. Signal multipath — This occurs when the GPS signal is reflected off objects such as tall edifices or big stone surfaces before it reaches the receiving system. This increases the travel clip of the signal. thereby doing mistakes. Orbital mistakes — Besides known as ephemeris mistakes. these are inaccuracies of the satellite’s reported location. Number of orbiters seeable — The more satellites a GPS receiving system can â€Å"see. † the better the truth. Buildings. terrain. electronic intervention. or sometimes even heavy leaf can barricade signal response. doing place mistakes or perchance no place reading at all. GPS units typically will non work indoors. underwater or resistance. Satellite geometry/shading â₠¬â€ This refers to the comparative place of the orbiters at any given clip. Ideal satellite geometry exists when the orbiters are located at broad angles relative to each other. Poor geometry consequences when the orbiters are located in a line or in a tight grouping EXISTING TECHONOLGY IN INDIA: The bing conventional signaling system most of the times relay on the unwritten communicating through telephonic and telegraphic conversations as input for the determination devising in path allotment for trains. There is big range for miscommunication of the information or communicating spread due to the higher human intervention in the system. This miscommunication may take to incorrect allotment of the path for trains. which finally leads to the train hit. The statistics in the development states demoing that 80 % of worst hits occurred so far is due to either human mistake or wrong determination doing through miscommunication in signaling and its execution. The existent clip screening of existent current places of the trains at assorted locations is possible with the uninterrupted trailing of rail traffic with the Geographic Positional System equipment installed in the trains. The latest developments in the GPS engineering will give the positional truth of about 2m. Practically talking these truth degrees may non do to turn up the train on exact peculiar path on which the train is really going. But the existent clip dynamic location information provided by GPS equipment can be utilized as the input for the signaling system to assistance as the polish tool for determination devising in allocation of the path for trains. The range for the human mistake can be eliminated by effectual use of incorporate system as a cross cheque step against the determination of signal and besides can be continuously supervise the system even after implementing the determination with mention to the dynamic screening of the existent clip motion of the trains on the path. The proposed system contains two major constituents of Geographic Information system. The inactive information contains detailed function of the rail net work as a spacial database in GIS platform. The Dynamic informations sing the motion of rail traffic collected through the GPS equipment installed in train. signaling cabin and station supervisor’s cabin. The GIS enabled â€Å"Rail following system† takes the input signals from the close by GPS installed in trains and continuously displays the places of the trains in the locality of the interested country to enable the determination shapers of signaling to see the realistic state of affairs. The existent clip informations can be obtained by utilizing cyberspace services and centralized through which all the station are linked. Control Room Railway Traffic Monitoring utilizing GIS and GPS. This dynamic screening of realistic place of the trains avoids dependence of the signaling crew merely on the unwritten communicating. Thus the human mistake in communicating can be minimized. For farther sweetening of the system the signaling determinations taken by the crew can be crosschecked with the uninterrupted monitoring of existent clip informations available with in the system by any superior prior to implement the determination. This can be done by digitising the paths which will assist us in turn uping the existent clip place of the train. utilizing Arc View Gis package. ROLE OF GIS IN RESCUE MANAGEMENT: Locating the site of accident becomes really simpler as inputting the approximative Latitude and Longitude can make it. or the site can be searched by the names of the locations nearby. The handiness can be analyzed more realistically with assistance of the route cyberspace work maps in the locality of site of accident. Finding out the needed resources becomes simpler. speedy and accurate as the information base contains the information about about all the resources available like Police. Administration. gross governments. medical installations with inside informations about the figure of beds. specialisation etc. fire contending installations with available substructure. and other resources like voluntary organisations and particular constabulary forces etc. Finding out optimal paths between different resource locations to accident site. The system besides helpful in topographic and demographic analysis to better the effectivity in the planning and execution activities. The system besides provides buffer analysis to ease effectual planning and use of the available resources in the needed buffer zones of the affected countries. The system besides provides really eas y agencies to add and update the records of the database so that the regular updating can be simpler undertaking. The system provides uninterrupted supervising on deliverance activities and facilitates dynamic planning of schemes to run into the altering demands of the deliverance activities with regard to the electric resistance of the execution of planned schemes. Cost EFFECTIVE: Any engineering in the universe if it is non cost effectual. it has got no relevancy. So this engineering can be cost if implemented decently. Although this engineering have high installing cost ab initio but: †¢ †¢ †¢ Will cut down the work force required. Will decidedly cut down train accident. And one train accident leads to loss of nucleuss of rupees. which can be saved and be used by authorities for modernisation of railroads. Late running of trains can be prevented to big extend.  © GIS Development Decision: Railway has long been considered as the safest transit media. Acknowledging the demand to better the efficiency of the transit systems. it is necessary to look into the accidents and happen out velocity. lading tunnage. It is necessary to look into the accidents and happen out the indispensable methodological analysiss for optimal direction of information and resources available in railroad deliverance operations. The statistics show a immense figure of accidents are due to human mistakes. Therefore. holding a systematic manner for railroad operation direction and decrease of human intercession or commanding activities and public presentations could play a important function in cut downing the figure and impact of accidents. Reliable. accurate. precise. up-to-date and structured geospatial information is the key for determination devising. Integration of GIS as a system for optimal acquisition and direction of geospatial informations and GPS as a dependable agencies of posi tioning and pilotage could pave the manner for an intelligent determination devising in railroad organisations to forestall or extenuate immense sum of homo and economic losingss. The developed system has proved to be successful in a figure of issues like finding of the best way to acquire to the accident location and perform exigency services. The system could be installed on a Personal computer or laptop with minimal 64 Mbyte RAM with an AutoCad system which is used as a graphical media. The system has been implemented in a existent traffic environment with the ability to reply a figure of spacial. non spacial and incorporate questions. ACKNOWLEGMENT: The writers are like to take this chance to show their profound gratitude to Mr. Anuj Kumar Singh. Lecturer. Symbiosis Institute Of Geoinformatics for supplying support and encouragement to fix this paper. We are besides highly indebted to Mr Brigadier K. K. V. Khanzode. VSM. Director. Symbiosis Institute Of Geoinformatics. for his sort cooperation and suggestions and perennial beginning of encouragement. Last but non least we are really much thankful to the Dr. Hrishikesh Samant. Member. Technical Committee. Map World Forum for accepting this paper. Mentions: 1. Burrough. P. A A ; R. A. McDonnell ( 1998 ) . â€Å"Principles of Geographical Information System † . Oxford. University Press. Inc. . New York. 3. Aronoff. S. ( 1989 ) . â€Å"Geographic Information System: AManagement Perspective† Ottawa. WDL Publication. 4. Madani. A. ( 2001 ) . â€Å"Intergration of GPS and GIS withEmphasis on Automatic Vehicle Tracking and NavigationSystem ( AVTNS ) † . M. Sc. Thesis. Eng. Faculty. University of Tehran. Iran.5. Derekenaris. G. . Garofalakis. J. . Makris. C. . Prentzas. J. . Sioutas. S. A ; Tsakalidis. A. ( 2000 ) . †Integration of GIS. GPS and GSM engineerings for the effectual direction of ambulances† . ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www. elsevier. com/locate/compenvurbsys ) . 6. Fundamentalss of Geographic Information Systems- Lillisand and Keefer 7. GIS Development magazines 8. World Wide Web. indiastat. com

4 Tips for Stand-Out Carnegie Mellon Essays

4 Tips for Stand-Out Carnegie Mellon Essays SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Carnegie Mellon is ranked among the top 25 universities in the nation, so you’ll need to have an impressive application- with stand-out essays, of course!- in order to get admitted. Applicants must submita total of four Carnegie Mellon essays,three of which comprise the Carnegie Mellon supplement. Keep reading to learn what the current Carnegie Mellon essay prompts are, what topics you could write about, and what qualities make for a great Carnegie Mellon essay. Feature Image: Mathieu Thouvenin/Flickr What Are the Carnegie Mellon Essay Prompts? In addition to thepersonal statement you must write for the Common App (for which you get to select one out of seven possible prompts), Carnegie Mellon requires all applicants to submit three supplemental essays; theseessays make up the Carnegie Mellon Supplement. Applicants are not allowed to submit other supplemental materials with their applications, such as websites, artwork, or resumes. (Note that the only exception to this is ifyou’re applying to a school that requires additional materials, such as the School of Architecture.) Each essay may be up to 300 words long, making them a little shorter than your typical personal statement for college, which is usually around 500-600 words. So what are the Carnegie Mellon essay prompts? Let’s take a look: "When we‘re connected to others, we become better people," said Carnegie Mellon University‘s Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture. At Carnegie Mellon you‘ll have the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse community of scholars, artists and innovators. Given the students, faculty, staff and resources that have been available to you as a student, how have you collaborated with others, in or out of the classroom? Or, what lessons have you learned from working with others in the past, that might shape your experience in the future? Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time- what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study? Consider your application as a whole. What do you personally want to emphasize about your application for the admission committee’s consideration? Highlight something that’s important to you or something you haven’t had a chance to share. Tell us, don’t show us (no websites please). As you can see, each Carnegie Mellon essay you must write will focus on something different about yourself.Specifically, you must explain the following in your essays: For Essay 1, how you have collaborated with others (on projects) For Essay 2, what you plan to major in and why For Essay 3, something you want to emphasize about yourself How should you write each Carnegie Mellon essay? We give you specific tips next. All Carnegie Mellon Essay Prompts, Analyzed In this section, we’ll go over the three Carnegie Mellon essay prompts in detail, giving you key tips so you can ensure your essays stand out from the rest of the crowd. Carnegie Mellon Essay 1: A Collaborative Experience "When we‘re connected to others, we become better people," said Carnegie Mellon University‘s Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture. At Carnegie Mellon you‘ll have the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse community of scholars, artists and innovators. Given the students, faculty, staff and resources that have been available to you as a student, how have you collaborated with others, in or out of the classroom? Or, what lessons have you learned from working with others in the past, that might shape your experience in the future? This first Carnegie Mellon essay prompt might appear complicated, but let’s try to break it down. What is this prompt really asking you to do? The first part of the prompt is explaining Carnegie Mellon’s diversity and ongoing commitment to fostering collaborative environments.Clearly, Carnegie Mellon strongly values teamwork and students' abilities to work well with others in order to produce interesting, successful projects. The second part of the prompt is the question (or rather the questions), which we can divide into three major ideas: Have you ever collaborated with others (such as students, teachers, etc.) on something? What did you learn about yourself from this experience? What kind of role do you think this experience play in your future? The first step to answering this prompt is to come up withone specific experience you want to write about.Here are some examples of potential topics: A group project you did for school, what role you played in that project, and what you gained from the experience. For example, did you delegate roles? Take charge to ensure everything was completed on time? Fix a major problem that almost compromised your project? A team sport you play or used to play. Was there a specific time you led others to success? Or maybe your team struggled to get along and you came up with a solution to get everyone to work together. A volunteer effort you worked on with others.Perhaps you assisted with a winter holiday food drive or raised money for a children's charity. What did this experience teach you about collaboration? A group task you must do for a part-time job. For instance, maybe you work at a video game store and must take turns with your co-workers in stocking new games and helping customers. Has this experience had an effect on how you approach or view teamwork? This is a great essay in which toemphasize your leadership skills if you assumed some sort of leadership role in a group project or activity. If you didn’t take on a leadership role, that’s totally OK- just focus on what role you did play on the team you were part of and explain what this experience taught you about working together to accomplish a shared goal. Another thing to remember is to be as specific as possible.Don’t be afraid to use people’s names and delve into your feelings about the project or activity you did with others. For example, maybe the experience you're writing about was a challenge in the beginning- maybe your group couldn't agree on a science project to do for the school science fair. However, onceyou had everyone write down their project ideas and share them with one another, your group was at last able to decide on a project idea. As a final tip for this essay prompt,be clear about how this experience has affected you and might impact your future (at Carnegie Mellon).Maybe that experience working on the group science project taught you the importance of giving everyone a say in the brainstorming process, so you’ll ensure this happens with any group projects you work on at Carnegie Mellon, too. Carnegie Mellon Essay 2: Your Intended Major Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time- what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study? Though it might look a little wordy, all this Carnegie Mellon essay prompt is really asking is, "Why this major?"More specifically,this prompt wants you to relate the intellectual path you've taken by explaining the experiences, people, and/or events that have led you to want to major in this particular field. By far the most effective way to answer this prompt is to tell a compelling story about how you came to be interested in your intended major.Think about the most important moments from your life that showcase your love of what you want to study, and then write about those. For example, say you plan to major in musical composition.You could start off by recounting the first time you tried to write a piece of music on your family’s piano and how hard it was. However, you really enjoyed the process of creating something new. This prompted you toenroll in weekly piano lessons; you also continued to compose piano pieces in your spare time. As a sophomore, you decided to enteryour school’s talent show and ended up winning with a musical piece you’d composed. While you don’t need to stick to chronological order, using this organization ensures your essay is easy to follow and clearly illustrates how you progressed from someone who knew nothing about the field to someone now highly devoted to it. In addition, be sure to focus on not only how you became interested in your major but also how this journey of discovering your passion has affected you and your goals.For example, perhaps you want to major in architecture because you hope to use your skills to encourage eco-friendly living and therefore combat the effects of climate change. It’s also a good idea to mention, explicitly or implicitly, how Carnegie Mellon will help you accomplish your goals in your intended field.You could talk briefly about a particular faculty member in your field whom you hope to work with, an expensive piece of equipment offered at Carnegie Mellon, or specific professional opportunities available to students. Finally, be careful not to exaggerate.Don’t say you suddenly developed an interest in literature after reading The Great Gatsby for English class if you actually loathed the book or had a passion for literature well before then. It’s OK if there wasn't one single moment in your life that made you realize this major was the right one for you.Instead of acting as though some particular incident was more significant than it actually was, just focus on the overall journey you took to get to the point you’re at now- that is, the major you’ve chosen to pursue. What defines you? Carnegie Mellon Essay 3: Something Important About You Consider your application as a whole. What do you personally want to emphasize about your application for the admission committee’s consideration? Highlight something that’s important to you or something you haven’t had a chance to share. Tell us, don’t show us (no websites please). This essay prompt is the most open ended of the three and a great opportunity to really dig into any important attributes of yourself that you feel you didn’t get to write enough about or at all in other parts of your application. Did you write about something in another essay, such as the one you wrote for the Common App, that you wish to talk about more here?Do you want to write about something that’s important to you and that you haven’t had a chance to elaborate on yet? Your topics are pretty endless here- just make sure whatever you write about for this essay is revealing something important that you think the admissions committee should know about you. This could be a specific personality trait- maybe you want to emphasize your leadership skills by talking about your role as team leader at the local youth club- or something about your life that’s had a major impact on how you see yourself and your future. Here are some topics you could write about (but don’t feel limited by these suggestions!): A specific incident that holds importance for you, and what it taught you about your academic and/or professional interests, your goals, your personality, etc. Someone you know who has impacted you in a significant way, and how that person has specifically influenced your interests and/or goals An explanation for something that negatively impacted your grades or another part of your application- for example, perhapsyou spent a lot of time taking care of a sick relative during your sophomore year of high school, which caused your grades to dip slightly A particular interest, passion, hobby, or skill you have, and what you've gained, either intellectually or emotionally, from it Once again,don’t try to write about what you think the CMU admissions committee wants to read- be honest about what’s important to you and why.If you volunteered somewhere a few times but didn’t enjoy it or gain anything valuable from it, do not write about it here! Similarly,don’t be afraid to focus on something seemingly mundane. Just besure you’re using the topic you choose- even if it’s pretty commonplace- to ultimately reveal something important about you. So, no, it'sprobably not a good idea to write about how you spend hours on Instagram every day, since this hobby isn’t really revealing anything significant about you, your goals, or your personal growth. 2 Real Carnegie Mellon Essay Examples + Analysis In order to write a great Carnegie Mellon essay, it helps to see what kinds of essays actually got applicants accepted to this prestigious university. Here, we give youtwo real Carnegie Mellon essay examples we found online and explain what makes them successful. Note: This year’s Carnegie Mellon essay prompts are new, so the following essays are in response to older prompts with different word limits. Despite these differences, being able to see the kinds of stories successful applicants have told should give you a clear sense of what topics, details, and styles might work well for your own Carnegie Mellon admissions essays! Carnegie Mellon Essay Example 1 This first of the two Carnegie Mellon essay examples comes from the college essays website Essays That Worked.The essay is quite long- more than 650 words!- and was written in response to the following (old) supplemental Carnegie Mellon essay prompt: Why Carnegie Mellon University? And now here's the essay: As a child who hid behind her parents and never uttered a word whenever strangers were near, I was no stranger to people deeming me shy. As I got older, however, I found my voice more comfortably through music, through art, and through writing. Playing Mozart’s Violin Concerto in the Kennedy Center, for instance, unleashed a swell of emotions through the intricate art of storytelling with my violin. I was drawn to writing stories and sharing ideas with my peers, starting my editor career in fifth grade. Five years later, I co-founded my high school’s literary magazine, Muses, which provides a platform for all voices while fostering connections among students. I was twelve years old when an HTML class through Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth program introduced me to a modern language of communication: computers and the internet. Falling in love with coding and website design, I utilized my newfound knowledge to design a website for my National History Day project, which won the school competition. In high school, I joined programming club, took the rigorous computer science classes, and designed Muses’ website. This year, I created a conceptual online boutique store, which won first place in Maryland Future Business Leader Association’s E-business competitive event. In the summer of 2016, I interned in an NCI melanoma research lab. This experience completely changed how I viewed the importance of technology to modern communication. We had obtained genotypes from thousands of melanoma patients and controls, but a new question arose: how could we extract the useful information from a massive data file, akin to finding a needle in a haystack? Under the guidance of a bioinformatician, I performed an association test between melanoma associated variants and survival outcome to identify the risk loci that might affect patient survival. Catering to the needs of the scientists, I wrote an app by R code that organizes and manages melanoma genotype information; extracting the information of a particular genotype and its association with melanoma was now a couple clicks away. From this work, I learned how to translate large data into solutions, while using the correct data format and data structure. I realized that modern technology not only helps us commu nicate more efficiently, but also provides a system upon which we can solve global problems. With a strong background in computer science and communications, I hope to incorporate both into a future career of building data systems, conducting research, and consulting for organizations that serve underrepresented citizens. One project I want to tackle is the modification of social media algorithms so that media created by minorities and/or for minorities will appear on users’ radars. The algorithm would analyze the user’s demographics and deliver news relevant to those traits, such as discoveries about Asian health issues showing up on Asian users’ feeds. Carnegie Mellon’s encouragement of interdisciplinary studies under the Information Systems major would allow me to accomplish this and so much more. As someone who attacks calculus and creative writing with equal enthusiasm, IS’ objective of providing students with a broad background in the humanities and sciences is very appealing. As someone who learned to work as a team in a research lab , I believe CMU’s emphasis on collaboration and student innovation would push me to further improve my teamwork and problem-solving skills. In particular, I hope to take advantage of CMU’s Technology Consulting in the Global Community program, receiving guidance from both CMU’s renowned faculty and international technology experts. To that end, the Social and Decision Sciences major, my second choice, would also prepare me to utilize similar decision-making and analysis skills to solve social problems. We live in a world where communication through technology connects communities across the globe, more so than ever before. The future of exploration and innovation requires us to develop efficient ways of communication- we need a combination of scientific expertise and knowledge grounded in the humanities to accurately convey ideas, solve problems, and make the planet a better home for us all. An education at Carnegie Mellon would propel me in this endeavor. Here’s why this Carnegie Mellon essay works so well: It has an honest, compelling narrative that flows well. This applicant begins by explaining how they've always been considered shy yet how, through various endeavors in fields such as writing, communication, and technology, they've managed to transcend this assumption. This story is raw and honest, and it highlights the applicant's most notable accomplishments in an appropriate and relevant manner. It’s extremely specific. The applicant uses concrete details to explain their background and why Carnegie Mellon is an ideal fit for their goals and interests. In addition, the essay makes note of specific qualities of CMU, from its "encouragement of interdisciplinary studies" to its Technology Consulting in the Global Community program, giving us a clear indication of why the applicant is so interested in attending this school. Concrete details are essential for a good Carnegie Mellon essay. Carnegie Mellon Essay Example 2 This second Carnegie Mellon essay example comes from the website Free Test Prep (now called BWS Education Consulting) and is, like the essay above, quite long at about 600 words- that’s double the current word limit. It was written in response to the following (old) Carnegie Mellon essay prompt: Please submit a one-page, single-spaced essay that explains why you have chosen Carnegie Mellon and your particular major(s), department(s) or program(s). This essay should include the reasons why you’ve chosen the major(s), any goals or relevant work plans and any other information you would like us to know. If you are applying to more than one college or program, please mention each college or program you are applying to. Because our admission committees review applicants by college and programs, your essay can impact our final decision. Please do not exceed one page for this essay. Here is the essay: What would be best for me? I spent a lot of time trying to find colleges to apply to and Carnegie Mellon made the list. I believe it would be essential for me to attend a research university. I want to be able to know that what I am working on (research, experiments, etc.) is current, ground-breaking, game-changing. I want to feel that what I’m doing matters. I’ve spent years in elementary and middle school only to discover that my achievements (and no, I don’t only mean my perfect attendance awards) did not grandfather in for the rest of my academic life. High school did not care whether I attended elementary regularly or about any of my pre-secondary school achievements. College applications only want to know what I have done throughout these past four years. I feel that Carnegie Mellon will provide me with an environment that will let me grow and change as the world is growing and changing. What I do here will matter and carry on to whatever graduate school I may be at or whatever career path I choose to tread. In the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, one can choose from several Higher Level (HL) courses to fulfill the three required. My campus chose to make English and History mandatory HL’s. I chose to take HL Psychology as my third. This focused two-year class has revealed my interest in psychology as a lifelong study and future career. I have always been interested in human behaviors, how and why people make their decisions, how both internal and external factors can and do influence everyday life. As this class has progressed, I have found myself enjoying these studies more and more. I have been very successful in this class and want to apply the knowledge and skills I have learned to real-world situations. Psychology HL requires students to complete two experiments, one in our junior year and one in our senior year. Additionally, we complete an Internal Assessment (IA) of the experiment done early senior year. My group had to create an experiment based on three past studies and go through the process of analyzing the validity of our results after performing the experiment on student participants. We tested the effect of researcher expectations on participant performance, using the studies of Rosenthal and Jacobson (1966); Stangor, Carr, and Kiang (1998); and Crisson, Seta, and Seta (1989). The objective of this project was to reflect on what we did, how it was done, and what could have been improved on. Although we had to accept our null hypothesis, that researcher expectations had little or no effect on participant performance, we were able to understand what went askew and know what to correct so we could improve the performance, given the opportunity to do it again. I found performi ng the experiments live exciting; I had to be wary of creating bias or unconsciously affecting others. It made me become more analytical; more understanding of the fact that many factors can influence behavior and more understanding of my own role in affecting others. I’m applying to Carnegie Mellon into the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. I believe that my two years in HL Psychology have prepared me well for whatever is demanded of me. I hope to take advantage of all the programs available at Dietrich College, such as the HSS Academic Advisory Center and HSS Career Connections. I expect to thrive during these next four years, prepared enough to head on into graduate school for a PhD in Psychology. Here’s why this Carnegie Mellon essay works so well: It’s tightly focused. This essay centers on the applicant's desire to study psychology, a topic that is made clear quickly and acts as the focal point throughout the essay. We learn that the applicant initially developed an interest in psychology through their high school's IB Program and that they intend to eventually get a PhD in the field. It goes into significant detail about a specific incident. In order to showcase their passion for psychology, this applicant wrote a detailed description of an experiment they conducted, what they learned from it, and how this knowledge will allow them to succeed at CMU. 4 Tips for a Great Carnegie Mellon Essay As you now know, you’ll need to write three essays for the Carnegie Mellon supplement.Here are some general tips to keep in mind as you begin to work on each Carnegie Mellon essay. #1: Use Highly Specific Details Don’t rely on catch-all phrases to get your points across in your essays. Instead, try to think of real, concrete examples you can use. Specific details will make each Carnegie Mellon essay you write (and your application as a whole!) stand apart from others; it also proves to the admissions committee that you know what kinds of opportunities are available to you at Carnegie Mellon. #2: Avoid Exaggeration- Be Yourself! Many students think they need to write about topics that sound "impressive," but this isn’t actually what admissions committees want.What they really want is to learn more about who you are, what you sound like naturally (on paper, of course), and what you value in life. This is why it’s so important for you to clearly channel your voice in your writing.For example, it’s OK to tell a joke or focus on a lighthearted topic if you would describe yourself as a comedian. Just make sure that, no matter what kind of topic you choose or how you write,you're ultimately making a bigger, important point about yourself- one that ideally emphasizes essential facets of your personality, your experiences, and/or your ambitions. #3: Don’t Repeat Anything You’ve Written for Your Common App Essay Carnegie Mellon requires all applicants to submit the Common App essay in addition to the three essays described above, so you’ll want to ensurethere’s not too much overlap between them. While it’s OK to elaborate on a specific topic or point that you briefly mentioned in another essay, don’t end up writing about the same experience more than once. The point of these essays is to showcase various aspects of your personality and life, and you won’t succeed if all you’re doing is repeating yourself in each Carnegie Mellon essay! Repetition: good for making pretty patterns, bad for college essays. #4: Edit, Polish, and Proofread Our final tip is to take a lot of time to edit, polish, and proofread each Carnegie Mellon essay you write.Look over each essay multiple times to catch typos and other technical errors, such as grammatical problems, and spelling mistakes. You should also be on the lookout for the following problems: Any inconsistencies in style, tone, voice, tense, etc. Any areas that are unclear, vague, or awkwardly worded or placed Any irrelevant details or descriptions that don’t add anything important Once you've edited and changed your essays a few times, give them to someone you trust, such as a teacher, mentor, or parent, and have that person offer feedback on how you could improve your writing. Here are some key questions to ask this person to think about as they edit your essay: Is the topic/theme effective and appropriate for a college essay? Does the essay sound as though you wrote it (and not someone else)? Does the voice sound like your authentic voice? Does the overall organization make sense? Is there a story, and does it flow well? Does the structure successfully get the main point across? Are the details specific and relevant? With all these tips in mind, you should definitely be able to write a great Carnegie Mellon essay! What’s Next? You'll need to use the Common App if you're applying to Carnegie Mellon. Get tips on how to write a great Common App essay with our expert guide. Thinking of applying to other great schools likePrinceton, Brown, or Columbia? Then be sure to check out our guides to learn how you can write amazing essays for these schools' supplements. Learn more about Carnegie Mellon's admission requirements by visiting its school page in our extensive database. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

13 Successful People Who Overcame Homelessness

13 Successful People Who Overcame Homelessness People so often make assumptions about what homelessness is and means and who falls victim to it. Similarly, they make opposite assumptions about success. Before you decide you know what either means in life, consider this list of rich and famous people who formerly struggled with homelessness. 1. J LoWhen Jennifer Lopez left her mother’s house when she was 18 to become a dancer and lived on her own, some nights sleeping on a cot in a dance studio until she caught her big break.2. Steve JobsYou might not realize that Steve Jobs was a college dropout. He was also homeless for a brief period, having relinquished his dorm room. Leaving college was ultimately the right call for him, but he did have to spend a while collecting soda bottles to be able to afford to buy food for himself.3. JewelJewel lived out of her car as a teenager, and only pulled herself out of that situation when she got her first record deal.4. Sylvester StalloneBefore Rocky, the film star found himself homeles s and had to sell his dog for $50. After he sold the script, he bought his best friend back for $3,000.5. Halle BerryWhen struggling to make it as an actress, Halle Berry spent time in a homeless shelter. She went on to win an Academy Award.6. Chris PrattChris Pratt reportedly spent time living out of a van in Hawaii until he launched his career with Cursed Part 3. 7. Jim CarreyMaybe his great sense of humor comes from the fact that he and his family lived in a VW bus they parked all throughout Canada when he dropped out of high school. They even spent a while living in a tent on his sister’s lawn with their van parked in her driveway.8. Dr. PhilMr. Self Help himself was once homeless, and living in a car with his father in Kansas City as his father completed an internship in psychology.9. Suze OrmanWould you believe the financial self help star was homeless for four months in 1973 and lived out of her car? She’s worth about $35 million now.10. Daniel CraigBond, James Bond used to have to sleep on park benches when he was a struggling actor in London. He’s now 46 and worth over $65 million.11. Ella FitzgeraldElla had some very hard times as a young woman. And indeed was homeless for a period of time just before she headlined at the Apollo theatre in Harlem and debuting her career in 1934.12. Hillary SwankWhen she moved to LA to start her acting career, she and her mother slept in their car.13. Kelly ClarksonThe American Idol star lost her first LA apartment to a fire and had to live out of her car or in shelters before her big audition.

My Community Needs Assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Community Needs Assessment - Assignment Example The soils are very fertile with Black Belt and Delta areas being dominant. Mississippi’s terrain is flat with small differences in the state (Mississippi, 2011). There is a bountiful background of cotton farming in Mississippi commencing in early 1800’s. Venture in cotton propelled the economy of Mississippi to one of the affluent states in the union before the civil war and obligated the use of slaves. Mississippi joined confederacy as the second state at the time of civil war. The slaves were set free after the war flopping the cotton industry. Many communal customs that emerged prior to the war were enhanced by the state’s economy and isolation persisted into1950’s (Mississippi, 2011). Mississippi’s population estimate was 2,978,512 with majority being locals. Females occupy half the population and there is a mixture of whites and African Americans at sixty and thirty-seven percent respectively. Latino is less than 3percent. The little Chinese population is mainly in Delta (Mississippi, 2011). Mississippi is the poorest in America (Handley, 2011). The estimate of the Goss state product was about $98billion in 2010 with 45,191 people getting welfare and 277,690 children taking part in free lunch program (Mississippi, 2011). Figures of insolvency children rose from 16.4 to 33.7percent in the past 10 years with present poverty at over 21percent. Unemployment rate is more than 10percent with the inhabitants earning the least income of less than $30,000 annually. Nevertheless, the state has lowest living cost. The population is Christian with Protestants being the majority mainly Baptists and Methodists. The Roman Catholic is predominantly in the south. There are a few Jewish. Additionally, Buddhists and Muslims are present but in excessively small numbers (Mississippi, 2011). Mississippi is among the unhygienic states in America in ten years continuously (Associated press, 2011). Obesity is rampant with African American among the most obese at 42.6

How the Global Finacial Crisis impacted Egypt Term Paper

How the Global Finacial Crisis impacted Egypt - Term Paper Example One effect of the challenges was a disruption of the reforms that were later resumed in 2004. This paper will discuss how Egypt’s economy was impacted by the crisis, what the government’s response was in terms of policies, and the nation’s current economic status. An understanding of Egypt’s economy before the 2008 crisis helps in understanding and analyzing how the economy was impacted. The economic reform policies that had run from 1991 to 2007 met most of the terms set by international institutions, donors and lenders and included broader incentives to the private sector’s role in all monetary activities. The greatest negative impact was felt, rather than by the banking sector, on the real economy (Altintzis 1). This was occasioned by the fact that among the reforms that preceded the financial crisis, the government had put limits to the level of integrating the banking subdivision into the global financial system. Instead, banks had been consoli dated into larger corporations with restructured management as the government did away with toxic debts, reducing the impact of the crisis on the sector, while the economy’s growth rate and the stock market suffered the most. According to a report by the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, the losses by commercial and production sectors alone due to the crisis were estimated at US$4 billion for the year 2008/2009 (Altintzis 1). The greatest negative impacts on the real economy can be listed as the decline of GDP between 2007/8 and 2008/9 from 7.2% to 4%; a drop in domestic investment; a decline in the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI); an increase in the rate of return migration accompanied by reduced remittances; collapse of the capital market; a pronounced strain on payments balances; volatile oil prices; and reduced tolls from the Suez Canal that previously generated 70% of the nation’s foreign exchange (Altintzis 1). The implication is that the economy was impacted in a complex manner, with the nation being exposed to true economic shocks and the government remaining relatively protected in terms of financial shocks. The worst hit portion of the population was the lower and middle income earners, who spend 45% of the earnings on food. The government was soon faced with the need for an urgent response to the financial crises as from mid 2008 to 2011, food prices became unaffordable to 40% of Egypt’s population that was below the poverty line (Radwan 40). The slight improvement in annual growth rate did not reach the poor as only the wealthy benefited from it, increasing the poverty percentage to 50. The result was a socioeconomic instability that was politicized leading to the 2011 revolution. Among the policy changes to alleviate the effects of the crises, a bill was endorsed into law by parliament with the intention of protecting the 40% citizens below the poverty level as well as the lower and middle income groups. The bill reflected a fiscally and socially neutral package characterized by a decrease in energy subsidies as well as increased fees on the registration and licensing of automobiles and using cement raw materials. There was also an increase on cigarette sales tax with various income tax exemptions abolished. In particular, the

Bob Crachit Essay Example for Free

Bob Crachit Essay How does Dickens use imagery and language to present the character of Ebenezer Scrooge in Stave one of A Christmas Carol? Charles Dickens started writing A Christmas Carol in the 18th Century. Whilst writing the novel he was experiencing a world that had totally forgotten about Christmas and had no time for it. It was the industrial revolution, things were changing and with it the people were. They did not have time to enjoy Christmas they were more bothered about earning money. This is the kind of character Scrooge is which I will explain later on. Being in this kind of world affected Dickens novel; but it also influenced him to create a character called Scrooge. Who wouldnt care about Christmas; and only caring for business and money. Dickens knew that if he could get people into the Christmas spirit by attracting their attention to his novel. But little did he know he was about to re-inject the Christmas spirit into Britain. Dickens kicks off his extravagant novel by introducing a dead character with the name of Marley who he chose to create as a Ghost. By starting off his novel like this Dickens is directly addressing the reader by using the word You: You will therefore permit me to repeat emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail. By addressing the reader like this it automatically draws the reader into the story as though they are experiencing what Dickens is trying to make them experience by making them apart of the story by being addressed directly. It also makes the reader want to know more for example they might want to know why Marley is dead and therefore this makes them read on. The main character of the novel is named Scrooge. He is present by dickens as a: Squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! By doing this it makes the reader think that Scrooge is an old, mean, miserable man. Of which has no friends in existence excluding his past. Dickens mentions that Scrooge is: Squeezing Meaning that he would Squeeze every last drop out of anything he could, not only money but make people work over their limit. For example Bob Cratchit, his apprentice would work as hard as he could each day, and make Scrooge feel that Bob hasnt got away with easy money. Scrooge is described by Dickens in many different ways; for example Dickens compares him with other things:External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, nor wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he. In this small paragraph dickens has used a good use of imagery weather imagery. He compares Scrooge with the weather and shows that he a cold person who could never be warm hearted. Dickens shows that Scrooge has no feeling, nothing can chill him, and nothing can warm him. Scrooge is immensely described as worse than the weather: No wind that blew was bitter than he This meaning nothing could be worse than Scrooge; Dickens insults his own character with no grief. Nothing could be worse than having Scrooge on your case he is bitterer than the wind. Dickens goes on to downgrade Scrooge to nothing by saying rain, show, hail and sleet could: Boast an advantage over him, they often came down handsomely and Scrooge never did. This meaning that the weather could come down gently and calmly but Scrooge is an old man who is not gentle or calm instead fierce and very uptight. Myself as a reader I would feel that Scrooge is an old hag who is most likely very lonely and despises everyone but himself; and that he is very selfish and would never spare a penny to anyone but himself. I would also feel that Dickens is trying to get across a strong description of Scrooge. When Dickens was describing Scrooge a key line is: The cold within him froze his old features. The line above has no meaning, for example it adds to his description and as a reader it could feel as though the cold within him has frozen his good side like an ice age. It exists inside him but he cant release it. Another example is: Hard and sharp as a flint This is a simile; it shows two sides of Scrooge. Flint is a rock; which was used by humans in the Stone Age. It was used for two things, which shows two sides of Scrooge. They used it for warmth which shows that Scrooge could have a good side in him, and they also used it for weapons, to harm things i. e. a tool could cut you. This shows the bad side of Scrooge he is two faced. Once the reader hears about Scrooges appearance, we think as if Scrooge was a ghost, or he was dead with his corpse still existing. Dickens uses adjectives like: Blue lips Red eyes These lines make us think as if Scrooge was dead because he has frozen lips and bloodshot eyes as if he doesnt sleep. It makes the reader feel aware of how dangerously scary Scrooge looks to go with his attitude and lifestyle. The place in which Scrooges house is situated also shows his personality. His house is away from other houses and is in the middle of a business district. Also, inside his house it is dark and gloomy he double locks the doors as if to lock himself away form the world. His house sets the scene for later in the novel. His house reminds the reader of a haunted house; linking Scrooge with his description of being like a ghost. Scrooge doesnt like Christmas. The word which he uses to sum up Christmas is: Humbug Meaning nonsense. Scrooge makes a speech about Christmas to his nephew, part of it is: Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas! Whats Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, and not an hour richer This sums up what he feels about Christmas. He doesnt see the fun side of it, or the religious side of celebrating a special time in the Christian faith. He just looks at the gloomy side, and thinks it is a waste of time. Also Scrooge talks bout money, saying you find yourself a year older, and not an hour richer, and also saying it is just a time where you have to pay the bills showing again he is thinking bout his money and nothing else. Scrooge also says that the poor dont have a right to be happy: What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? Youre poor enough. Hes saying that the poor should be unhappy, that they are not rich enough to be happy, and that they should be gloomy and sad and not have the right to have a good time. This shocks the reader. Before, the reader just feels that Scrooge is gloomy and lonely, but now they feel as though Scrooge is a cold-hearted, nasty, mean old man who doesnt care about anybody but himself. Later in the novel we find out more about why Scrooge may be like this. I think Scrooge thinks this way about Christmas because of how he was treated by his father when he was a child. His father used to leave him alone and not take him home from boarding school but leave him there in a dull little room reading books. Scrooge once fell in love with a woman called Bell. This brought the Christmas spirit into him but then they broke up and that made Scrooge go back to hating Christmas. When people saw Scrooge in the street nobody would stop him to talk, everyone would leave him alone and not dare speak to him. Even the blind mens dogs appeared to know him; and they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and then would their tails as thought they said, no eye at all is better than an evil eye This sentence shows what everyone thought of Scrooge.

The Philosophical Investigations Essay examples -- Philosophy Philosop

The Philosophical Investigations ABSTRACT: The Philosophical Investigations is an inherently pedagogical work. Wittgenstein claims throughout his later writings to be teaching a method and this method is both philosophical and pedagogical. It is the claim of this paper that if we do not take Wittgenstein's methodological claim seriously, we do not engage with the text in the manner for which it was written. Consequently, we begin and end in the wrong places and the text becomes (in the words of Wittgenstein) 'variously misunderstood, more or less mangled and watered-down.' Â §1 is philosophically and pedagogically complex. It presents the philosophical problems to which Wittgenstein will respond in the text which follows and it also, significantly, presents their solution. An investigation of the philosophical and pedagogical questions raised in the opening remark of the Investigations will demonstrate that we have not yet begun to use Wittgenstein's method and his writings to their full potential. The Philosophical Investigations is an inherently pedagogical work. Wittgenstein claims throughout his later writings to be teaching a method, and this method is both philosophical and pedagogical. According to Moore and Fann he remarked to the effect that it did not matter whether his results were true or not, what mattered was that a method had been found (Moore 1993: 113). During the 1930s Wittgenstein also described the Investigations as a textbook; 'a textbook, however, not in that it provides knowledge (Wissen), but rather in that it stimulates thinking (Denken)'. (1) He claimed that the remarks which he wrote enabled him to teach philosophy well. (2) Although generally acknowledged within the secondary literature, these me... ...hers. Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1968) Philosophical Investigations, trans. G. E. M. Anscombe, Oxford: Basil Blackwell. __________ (1969) The Blue and Brown Books: Preliminary Studies for the 'Philosophical Investigations', Oxford: Basil Blackwell. __________ (1980) Culture and Value, eds. G. H. von Wright and H. Nyman, trans. P. Winch, Oxford: Basil Blackwell. __________ (1982) Wittgenstein's Lectures 1932-1935, ed. Alice Ambrose, Oxford: Basil Blackwell. __________ (1988) Wittgenstein's Lectures on Philosophical Psychology 1967-47, ed. P. T. Geach, London: Harvester Wheatsheaf. __________ (1993) Philosophical Occasions 1912-1951, eds J. Klagge and A. Nordman, Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company. __________ (1993) 'Philosophy' in Philosophical Occasions 1912-1951, eds J. Klagge and A. Nordman, Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company.

Interest Groups Essay

Introduction As we all know there are types of groups that are playing important role in the administration in the mechanism of government especially in terms of decision making or legislative body. These groups are known as Interest Groups and Pressure Groups. Basically interest group is defined as any collection of people organized to promote a goal they share or to resist some objective of the government of other groups. It is also defined as an organized group that tries to influence the government decisions without putting their members in governmental position. While pressure group is an interest group that exercises pressure on the government to obtain laws, policies & decisions compatible with their special interests. Basically pressure group is an interest group with higher degree of involvement in politics. In Malaysia, there are various types of interest groups in order to obtain the rights for what they represent. Interest groups in Malaysia such National Union for Teaching Profession (NUTP), The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (CUEPACS), Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) aggregates and articulate information regarding to their respective interest in order to influence the government decision based on their interests. However, there are disadvantages for the existence of interest groups. This will be the main idea of this assignment. Simplified Characteristics of Interest Groups Simplified Functions of Interests Groups 1. Mechanism for Political Representation- The interests of the people are represented in an organized way. It means that the people doesn’t have to directly go to the government but instead have interest groups to represent for them as the groups are established. It allows people to be involved in political process without being in a politica party for examples the NUTP, FOMCA and CUEPACS 2. Mediator between the Public and the Government- This is a linkage function between the people and the government. The interest groups provide necessary informations needed by both the people and the government 3. Interest Articulation (voice out the interests)- They voice out interests based on their interest groups and also voice out any interest of the public that is related to their interests 4. Influence the Government- This is the main function of the interest group. They influence the decisions but have no intention to take over the government and makes sure that the government focu ses on their interests. 5. Supplement Government Agencies(assist,enhance,help)- Conduct surveys and research to provide information to the government which the results will help government to adopt better public policies. Types of Interest Groups 1. Anomic Group- separates from social norms, spontaneous (informal), often involves violence 2. Associational Group- formal, distinct and established, effective procedures, active participants in political process. 3. Non- Associational Group- not formal, has similar characteristics & interests, reflect social/ethnic/cultural/religious interests 4. Institutional Group- exists within the government, highly involved in political & social activities, lobby from within the government. Simplified Methods of Gaining Influence The Demerits or The Disadvantages of Interest Groups * There are various demerits of interests group if it is not well managed and observed. 1. Some of the methods used to gain influence can lead to negative effects -Methods like Bargaining can lead to bad effects because it is similar to lobbying whereby the public policy is influenced directly. It also invloves secret negotiations which is usually related to the national budget. When this happens and if not observed carefully, the allocation of the money can be wrongfully distributed. If it happens, the interest groups may misuse the allocation given and the people they represented MAY NOT be included or the money won’t be used for the better of the people they represent. -Another risky method is the method Propaganda. In propaganda the usage of mass media and other methods to spread information to the public is on a massive scale. If the information or awareness spread by the interest group is false or with hidden agenda, it may cause the people to be wrongly influenced or mi ssunderstanding of the government policy. The people may retaliate for no legitimate reason which may cause damage to a peaceful nation. -Other than that, other methods like direct method like boycotts, demonstrations and strikes may cause commotion. This types of influencing methods are prone to be violent regardless of which party initiate violence first. -Indirect methods like being a member of parliament which is also a member of interest group may misuse his/her power in order to influence the governmernt decision. The member of interest group is a spouse to a bureaucrat may also lead to the misuse of power in order to influence the government decision. For example if a bureaucrat has a wife who is in an interest group, the potential of the husband to listen to every request to his wife relating to her interest group is very high. Not only that, it can be a bad thing too if a retired bureaucrats who join NGO or other groups that have connection with junior bureaucrats whereby t he juniors may listen to every request of their seniors. The juniors may provide confidential information of government policies to the retired bureaucrats. -Methods like illegalities may also be used especially in desperate times. Illegalities ranges from extortions, bribery, arson, blackmail and many more. 2. The existence of certain types of interest groups can produce adverse effects. -The existence of an interest groups like Anomic Groups which derived from the word Anomie meaning separation from social norms. This group is not a formal group. Usually it comes from dissatisfaction of the people. When this happens, it usually involves violence. This type of group may produce protests, racial riots and so on in order for their interest to be prioritized. 3. Biased -Interest groups can be considered biased because they are only prioritizing their interest or interests related to them. They do not really care about other interest of the people as a whole and care about better policy for the people genereally. They just prioritize their interests. Information provided is one-sided. 4. One Track-Mind (Runs Undemocratically) -The interests groups usually do not care about others interest and opininons. They also refuse to listen or to take care of other interest. They consider other interests or opinions are wrong. They do not let what others have to say or wants if it is contradict to their core interests. 5. Pluralism (as in United States) -Critics of pluralism contend that there is no such thing as the common good because there are so many conflicting interests in society: What is good for one person is often bad for others. They argue that the interest groups interfere with democracy because they seek benefits for a minority of people rather than the greater good of the majority. The National Rifle Association, for example, has repeatedly blocked new gun control legislation despite the fact that a majority of Americans actually want stricter gun laws. Other critics argue that the interest group system is really effective only to economic interest groups, which have greater financial resources at their disposal. Nearly two-thirds of lobbyists in Washington represent economic groups. Critics also argue that interest groups tend to ignore the interests of the poor in favor of middle- and upper-class Americans, who have more time and money to contribute 6. Corruption -Corruption takes place in the interest groups whereby the bribery is done between the interest groups and the interest provider (policy makers/government). In corruption, the bribery can be in many forms such as gifts and money. The bribery is performed in order for their interests being implemented. The irresponsible authority personnels will accept the bribery and in return the interest of the interests groups will be prioritized. 7. Influenced by wealth -This can be explained by the more money or fund the interest groups has, the more tendency of their interests being prioritized is higher. Conclusion Interest group is basically an organized group of people that tries to influence the government without being in the governmental positions. Various methods can be or are being used in order for their main objective which is to influence the government in order to get their interests priotized. But, there are negative side which is the demerits to the interests groups. Bottomline is, interest groups has it own merits and demerits in order for it to function as an interest group. The demerits can be abolished with proper procedures and proper preventive measures. If not the interest groups may be useless. Resources 1. 90% of this content is studied, aggregate and filtered from the notes made by Sir Fairuz Hidayat PAD170 Chapter 6 notes. 2. Another 10% is scouted, filtered, studied from the internet. 3. http://www.sparknotes.com/us-government-and-politics/american-government/interest-groups/section5.rhtml 4. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110412030051AAPzyYE 5. https://www.google.com/#q=disadvantages+of+interest+groups

Case Analysis: the Early Bird †Electric Power Load Despatching

Case Analysis: The Early Bird – Electric Power Load Despatching The Early Bird – Electric Power Load Dispatching Electric utility firms have, for more than two decades, used marginal productmarginal cost concepts to generate and dispatch electric power in a more efficient, lowercost manner. Southern Company, the nation’s third largest utility, refers to its load dispatching method as the â€Å"Early Bird† system. Southern’s Early Bird is designed to provide automatic, computerized control of all the company’s power production and transmission facilities. The Early Bird continuously calculates the marginal cost of delivering additional kilowatts of electricity to Southern Company customers anywhere in the company’s service area; then, as electricity demand rises or falls at points throughout the system, Early Bird transmits â€Å"raise† or â€Å"lower† impulses to the company’s generating units and routes the correct amount of electricity along the most economical transmission path to the end user. Periodically, Southern Company engineers test the operating efficiency of every piece of power-generating equipment the company has in service. The purpose of the test is to determine how much fuel, labor, and other variable inputs are required to produce electricity with that unit and, subsequently, to calculate a production function for that generating unit. Experience has shown that revised production function equations must be calculated from time to time because normal wear and tear, maintenance problems, and mechanical efficiency vary over time and from generator to generator, depending on who manufactured it, when it was purchased, how long it has been in service, and the reliability with which it has performed. In other words, the production function for a given generating unit shifts by sufficiently large amounts over time to make it worthwhile to update the input-output equation. The equations for the production functions of each generating unit are then fed into Early Bird and combined with information as to fuel prices, wage rates, and other variable input prices to obtain marginal cost functions; from these, MC values can be calculated for a particular generating unit at whatever rate it is being operated. In addition, because there is a loss of electricity in the course of â€Å"shipping† it through the transmission wires, Southern engineers make studies to determine the transmission loss coefficients from generating units to distribution substations. These, too, have to be updated several times a year since the transmission loss depends not only on the distance factor but also on the varying load characteristics of the system and changes in the transmission grid. The marginal cost equations, together with the transmission loss coefficients, are the nucleus for Early Bird’s control of power generation and transmission. When, during the course of a day, the demand for electricity picks up, the Early Bird system is programmed to compare the marginal costs of generation at each on-line unit and then to send impulses to raise the electricity output of the unit (or units) where MC is lowest. Simultaneously, another Early Bird program analyzes the transmission loss coefficients to calculate how best to allocate the increased load on the transmission grid so as to minimize transmission loss to the many substations and end-user locations. In similar fashion, when electricity demand falls off (as work shifts end and businesses close at the end of the day), the Early Bird system automatically sends impulses to reduce electricity generation at those power units where MC is highest and reroutes the remaining load to maintain maximum transmission economy and load-generation balance. At periods of peak demand, when on-line generating units are already operating at or near their minimum cost points, and assuming that water levels in Southern’s dam reservoirs are ample, Early Bird sends impulses to Southern’s hydroelectric facilities to open the gates and generate enough power to get across the peak. Southern’s power system control center is also equipped to forecast short-term loads for the next hour, day, or week. For example, weather data from all round Southern’s four-state service area are fed into the Early Bird network several times a day to help forecast heating and air-conditioning loads. The hourly, daily, and weekly Early Bird forecasts of upcoming load demands are used to preplan the mix of generating units to put on line and those to put on standby, to schedule maintenance, and to determine whether to exchange blocks of electricity with neighboring utilities. For instance, approximately 15 minutes prior to the beginning of an hour, Early Bird calculations as to the next hour’s generating and transmission costs are made; this information is then compared immediately with similar information obtained from adjoining utilities having interconnections with Southern’s transmission network. If it is determined that it would be more economical for Southern to buy a â€Å"block† of electricity from an adjacent company than to generate the electricity needed itself (because at the forecasted generating rates the other company will have lower MC than Southern), then an order is placed for that unit at a price set forth in the interchange agreement between the two companies. On the other hand, if Southern’s marginal costs are lower than those of its neighbors, then it may agree to sell a block. The exchange of electricity among interconnected companies based upon marginal cost calculations is common throughout the electric utility industry. As bigger and faster computers have become available, the functions of the Early Bird system have been expanded to permit. 1. Reductions in unnecessary â€Å"load-chasing,† with resultant savings on maintenance; 2. Monitoring the current operating status of generating units, line flows, voltages, station breakers, and switches as a basis for assessing the prevailing degree of security (reliability) within the system: . Altering the dispatch criteria to allow for reducing power output at a particular facility because of unexpected air or thermal pollution, yet doing so in a way which entails the least increased costs to the system; 4. Operating hydro, steam, combustion, and nuclear generating units in a mix which seeks to minimize fuel costs; and 5. Monitoring temperatures, oil pressures, stream flows, and so on at unattended hydro stations to give early notification of potential troubles.

Analyse the dramatic qualities of act three scene five of Romeo and Juliet

Analyse the dramatic qualities of act three scene five of Romeo and Juliet 1. Brief introductionIn this scene Juliet rows with her parents about getting married to a suitor named Paris. She does this in a typical teenage manner.It is dramatic because Romeo her husband has stayed his last night with her. So after he leaves she weeps but her mother thinks it will help to cheer her up if she gets married, Which would be bigamy.2. Basic contentThis scene is after Romeo and Juliet's marriage, which was done without their parents knowing.At the beginning of this play Romeo seems to be hopelessly in love with Rosalyn. Proclaiming that she is the only girl for him.At the Capulet ball Romeo sees Juliet and decides that he is now in love with her. He starts to woo her and she thinks the same of him. Also Paris realises that Romeo is there.Just before this scene Romeo is rushed out of his wife's room by the coming of Juliet's mother to her bedchamber.Romeo and Juliet, Act I-Scene_3. Lady Capulet and ...This is Romeos last night with her.The audience knows that Juliet is married to Romeo and she cannot get married again for it will be bigamy and she will be evicted from the church.3. The scene itselfWhat is dramatic about Romeo's leaving?When Romeo leaves, Juliet says, "Then window let day in and let light out" this is dramatic because by saying this she is really saying that Romeo is her life and she cannot live without him. Also Romeo has just stayed his last night with Juliet, Which was against the law because he was meant to be out of the city the day before. This says that Romeo is willing to give his life for time with Juliet, Because if he gets caught he is sentenced to death.What is dramatic about Juliet's conversation with her mother?When Juliet speaks to her mother (Lady Capulet) the audience know s that she is weeping for her loss of Romeo not for her loss of Tybalt. Her mother is under the impression that she is weeping for the loss of her cousin. So in a vain attempt to cheer her up she tells her of marriage plans.These are not happi ly accepted because she is married to the man she thinks is her one true love, she throws a tantrumWhat is dramatic about Lady Capulet's response?Lady Capulet says, "I would the fool were married to her grave". This is dramatic because she is saying that she wishes Juliet was dead. All because she will not marry the man they want her to, which was not uncommon in those times. But still this is a very extreme thing to say to your daughter.She says this after she has fetched lord Capulet. Which means she is showing him how much this is bothering her and that he should act in the same manner.What is dramatic about Lord Capulet's response?Lord Capulet's response is dramatic because of the way he throws his voice at Juliet in a hateful way. This is not the way you would expect a father to treat his beloved daughter. Lord Capulet says "out, you green-sickness carrion! Out, you baggage!" This shows his rage at this point towards his daughter. He tells her that if she will not do what he wa nts she will be thrown out onto the streets. In this time this meant either death by starvation or a life of prostitution.What is dramatic about the nurse's betrayal?The nurse's betrayal is dramatic because before Romeo and Juliet were married she was encouraging Juliet to marry him. The nurse says, "I think it best you married with the county. O, he's a lovely gentleman! Romeo's a dishclout to him." this show she has completely changed her opinion. She is now disrespecting Romeo and saying that Juliet would be better if she committed bigamy. In this time bigamy was punishable, the priest would have been expelled from the church and Juliet would have been banished from the city. So when the nurse says her short speech it is almost like she is saying she doesn't care for Juliet anymore, even after all those years she brought her up and cared for her.What is dramatic about Juliet's soliloquy?Juliet speaks about her aloneness in her soliloquy. This is dramatic because she has no one to turn to, she has lost her friend the nurse and she has lost her husband. So the only person she can talk to is the friar. She also says that if all else fails she will commit suicide. This is a typical teenager thing to do.4. Fathers and daughtersThis scene suggests that fathers in Shakespeare day were less loving towards their daughters. They probably saw their daughters as more of a way of gaining money and respect rather than a love child. Daughters probably had little control over whom they married, and may have spent their lives with men they hated. Daughters seem to be unwanted until they were suitable for marriage. Then they were forced to marry whom the lord/lady wished them to.5. ConclusionThe most dramatic part of the scene is where lord Capulet loses his temper and threatens to throw Juliet onto the streets, Because he is her father, he brought her into this world, and he should be showing a lot more compassion than he is in this scene. I think that Lord Capulet is usual ly a cheerful man and his rage is most uncommon. I also think that he does not see his action's as out of line because he see himself as king of the household and that he has everything at his command. Juliet seems to be a typical teenager, she cries get her own way then, when she doesn't, she starts to say that she will kill herself. Shakespeare wanted to make his audiences think that his play was the most dramatic so they would come to see another of his plays.

Lion Facts

Lion Facts Lions (Panthera leo) are the largest of all African cats. Once roaming most of Africa, as well as large parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, today they are found in patches in Africa and one population on the Indian subcontinent. They are the second largest cat species in the world, smaller than only the tiger. Fast Facts: Lion Scientific Name: Panthera leoCommon Name: LionBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 5.5–8.5 feet longWeight: 330–550 poundsLifespan: 10–14 yearsDiet: CarnivoreHabitat: Groups in Africa, and IndiaPopulation: 23,000–39,000Conservation Status: Vulnerable Description About 73,000 years ago, ancient shifts in the African climate segregated the lions into small groups, and over time characteristics evolved to match the separate environments: some larger, some with larger manes or darker coats. The largest of these was the Barbary lion of North Africa, which measured some 27–30 feet long with a long, serpentine tail of 3.5 feet. Geneticists have identified two subspecies of lion: Panthera leo leo (found in India, North, Central, and West Africa) and P. l. melanochaita (in Eastern and Southern Africa). These lions have coats that range in color from nearly white to tawny yellow, ash brown, ochre, and deep orange-brown. They have a tuft of dark fur at the tip of their tail, are typically about 5.5–8.5 feet long and weigh between 330 and 550 pounds. Male and female lions exhibit sexual dimorphism: Female lions are smaller than males and have a uniformly colored coat of a tawny brown color. Females also lack a mane. Males have a thick, woolly mane of fur that frames their face and covers their neck. Lions closest living relatives are the Jaguars, followed by leopards and tigers. They have two recognized extinct ancestors, the American lion (Panthera atrox) and the cave lion (Panthera fossilis). Aprison Photography/Getty Images Habitat and Range Although they primarily are found in savanna areas, lions can be found everywhere in Africa, except the tropical rainforest and the interior of the Sahara desert. They live in habitats from sea level to the mountain slopes up to 13,700 feet, including Mt. Kilimanjaro. The dry deciduous Gir forest of northwest India contains a lion preserve known as the Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. Surrounding the sanctuary is an area inhabited by ethnic Maldharies pastoralists and their livestock. Diet Lions are carnivores, a subgroup of mammals that also includes animals such as bears, dogs, raccoons, mustelids, civets, hyenas, and the aardwolf. Lion prey preference is for medium to large ungulates like gemsbok and other antelopes, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, and wildebeest; however, they will eat almost any animal, from rodents to rhinoceros. They avoid animals with sharp horns (like sable antelope), or animals smart enough to graze in large herds (like elands). Warthogs are smaller than lion typical preferences, but since they are common in the savannas, they are common parts of lion diets. In India, lions eat domestic cattle when available, but mostly consume wild Chital deer. Lions drink water when available, but otherwise, get required moisture from their prey or from plants like tsamma melons in the Kalahari desert. Behavior Lions live in densities between 1.5 to 55 adult animals per 38.6 square miles (1 square kilometer). They are social creatures and live in groups of about four to six adults called prides. Prides typically include two males and three or four females and their offspring; the adults leave the pride to hunt in pairs or singly. Prides in India tend to be smaller in size, with two females. Lions play-fight as a means of honing their hunting skills. When they play-fight, they dont bare their teeth and keep their claws retracted so as to not inflict injury on their partner. Play-fighting is a training and practice exercise, to assist in efficiency in tackling prey and to establish relationships among the pride members. It is during play that lions work out which members of the pride are to chase and corner their quarry and which members of the pride are the ones to go in for a kill. Reproduction and Offspring Lions reproduce sexually. They mate year-round, but breeding usually peaks during the rainy season. Their gestation lasts between 110 and 119 days. A litter usually consists of between one and six lion cubs, the average is between 2–3. Newborn cubs are born weighing between 27–56 ounces.  They are blind and deaf at first: their eyes and ears open within the first two weeks. Lion cubs begin to hunt at 5–6 months and stay with their mothers until they are between 18 months and 3 years. Females reach sexual maturity at 4 years and males at 5 years. Luxy Images/Getty Images Evolutionary History Today there are less than 40,000 lions on our planet, but lions were much more common and widespread in the past: They disappeared from Europe during the first century CE, and from the Middle East and most of Asia by 1950. Modern cats first appeared about 10.8 million years ago. Lions, along with jaguars, leopards, tigers, snow leopards, and clouded leopards, split off from all other cat lineages early in the evolution of the cat family and today form what is known as the Panthera lineage. Lions shared a common ancestor with jaguars which lived about 810,000 years ago. Conservation Status The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies all subspecies of the lion as vulnerable, and in 2013, the ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System in the United States classified P.l. leo as endangered, and P.l. melanochaita  as threatened. Threats Major threats to lions include habitat and prey loss resulting from a growing human population and climate change, as well as invasive species, agricultural effluents, diseases like canine distemper, and human retaliation for lion attacks. Illegal hunting and poaching for medicinal purposes and trophies have also impacted lion populations. Legal sport hunting is considered a useful management tool, providing needed income at sanctuary facilities if it is conducted at a sustainable offtake of about one male lion per 775 square miles. Levels higher than that have been documented in several countries in Africa as detrimental to the overall lion populations. Sources Bauer, H. et al. Panthera leo (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T15951A115130419, 2016Bauer, H., and S. Van Der Merwe. Inventory of Free-Ranging Lions Panthera Leo in Africa. Oryx 38.1 (2004): 26-31. Print.Evans, Sara. When the Last Lion Roars: The Rise and Fall of the King of the Beasts. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018.Hayward, Matt W., and Graham I. H. Kerley. Prey Preferences of the Lion (Panthera Leo). Journal of Zoology 267.3 (2005): 309–22. Print.Riggio, Jason, et al. The Size of Savannah Africa: A Lion’s (Panthera Leo) View. Biodiversity and Conservation 22.1 (2013): 17–35. Print.Singh, H.S. The Gir Lion: Panthera Leo-persica: a Natural History, Conservation Status, and Future Prospect. Gujarat, India: Pugmark Qmulus Consortium, 2007.Species Profile for Lion (Panthera leo ssp. leo). ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2016.Species Profile for Lion (Panthera leo ssp. melanochaita). ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2016.