The Fall of Rome

The Fall of Rome From its early days as a monarchy, through the Republic and the Roman Empire, Rome lasted a millennium ... or two. Those who opt for two millennia date the Fall of Rome to 1453 when the Ottoman Turks took Byzantium (Constantinople). Those who opt for one millennium, agree with Roman historian Edward Gibbon. Edward Gibbon dated the Fall to September 4, A.D. 476 when a so-called barbarian named Odoacer (a Germanic leader in the Roman army), deposed the last western Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, who was probably partly of Germanic ancestry. Odoacer considered Romulus so paltry a threat he didnt even bother to assassinate him, but sent him into retirement.* The Roman Empire Lasted Beyond the Fall The Byzantine Emperor vs. the Western Emperor:  At the time of the coup and for the two preceding centuries, there had been two emperors of Rome. One lived in the east, usually in Constantinople (Byzantium). The other lived in the west, usually somewhere in Italy, although not necessarily the city of Rome. The emperor whom Odoacer deposed had lived in Ravenna, Italy. Afterwards, there was still one Roman emperor, Zeno, who lived in Constantinople. Odoacer became the first barbarian king of the western empire.The Roman People Lived On:  While this bloodless coup in 476 is a frequently accepted date for the Fall of Rome and the beginning of the Middle Ages, it was not, at the time, a major turning point. Many events and tendencies led up to it and there were many people who continued to think of themselves and who continue to be thought of as Romans.Europes Kingdoms (From the Ashes of the Roman Empire): The following resources relate to the end of the Roman Empire and the Fall of R ome. This includes theories about the Fall of Rome (including lead) and several of the Roman emperors whose actions hastened the end of the Roman Empire in the West. There is a section with information on important men whose origins were far from the city of Rome. Causes of the Fall of Rome Theories on the Fall of Rome Non-Romans Who Impacted the Fall of Rome GothsGoths Origins?Michael Kulikowsky explains why Jordanes, our main source on the Goths, who is himself considered a Goth, should not be trusted.AttilaProfile of Attila, who is known as the Scourge of God.The HunsIn the revised edition of The Huns, E. A. Thompson raises questions about the military genius of Attila the Hun.IllyriaDescendants of the early settlers of the Balkans came into conflict with the Roman Empire.JordanesJordanes, himself a Goth, abridged a lost history of the Goths by Cassiodorus.OdoacerThe barbarian who deposed the emperor of Rome.Sons of NubelSons of Nubel and the Gildonic WarIf the sons of Nubel hadnt been so eager to do away with one another, Africa might have become independent of Rome.StilichoBecause of personal ambition, Praetorian Prefect Rufinus prevented Stilicho from destroying Alaric and the Goths when they had a chance.AlaricAlaric TimelineAlaric didnt want to sack Rome, but he did want a place for his Goths to stay and a suitable title within th e Roman Empire. Although he didnt live to see it, the Goths received the first autonomous kingdom within the Roman Empire. Rome and Romans Fall of Rome Books:  Recommended reading for a modern perspective on the reasons for the fall of Rome.End of the Republic:  Content related to the men and events from the Gracchi and Marius through the turbulent years between Julius Caesars assassination and the start of the principate under Augustus.Why Rome Fell:  476 CE, the date Gibbon used for the fall of Rome based on the fact that it was then that Odoacer deposed the emperor of Rome, is controversial- as are the reasons for the fall.Roman Emperors Leading to the Fall:  You could say Rome was on the verge of falling from the time of its first emperor or you could say Rome fell in 476 CE or 1453, or even that it hasnt yet fallen.   End of the Republic *I think its relevant to point out that the last king of Rome was also not assassinated, but merely expelled. Although ex-king Tarquinius Superbus (Tarquin the Proud) and his Etruscan allies tried to get the throne back by warlike means, Tarquins actual deposition was bloodless, according to the legends the Romans told about themselves.

Aunt Ethel Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aunt Ethel - Movie Review Example When she bakes a pie she cleans the oven right then so she won't have to wait for it to heat up again. She usually serves her vegetables fresh because it takes no time to cook them. Aunt Ethel also saves time shopping. When she goes to the grocery she gets enough food for a month. On her way to the supermarket she also does any other shopping she has to do. Aunt Ethel always takes a list and her entire shopping route is planned ahead. She also finds a way to save her leisure time. Aunt Ethel will knit while she watches TV. When she goes for a walk, she takes a book to read. Her exercise period consists of mowing the lawn and raking the leaves. There is no time that Aunt Ethel isn't saving time. down. Aunt Ethel's shoes are all slip-ons so she won't have to spend the energy tying them. Some people say that Aunt Ethel drinks Ensure just so she won't have to chew her lunch. She does her part for global warming by saving gasoline. She never drives when it's cold because it will waste gas while the car warms up. When going down a hill she turns the car off and lets it coast down. At a stoplight she turns the car off rather than waste fuel by idling. Environmentalists would be proud of Aunt Ethel's electricity saving methods. The low wattage bulbs she uses are hard on her eyes, but they save electricity. The water at Aunt Ethel's is always cold because she keeps the hot water off until she is ready to use it, and then it's barely tepid. In the winter she saves electricity by burning wood instead of using her electric heater. If the world runs out of energy it won't be because Aunt Ethel used it all. Aunt Ethel likes to save her money more than anything else. She can save money on the most common household items. She uses old newspapers to clean her windows instead of using paper towels. When she cleans her windows she uses vinegar rather than the more expensive window cleaners. Her family secret, a concoction made with baking soda, is the only cleanser she keeps in her kitchen. Her money saving ideas also reduce her food bill. Aunt Ethel can make the best chicken soup out of a leftover chicken. She will add a broth to this soup made from the parts of vegetables that most people would discard. For desert she makes bread pudding out of her stale bread. Because her wardrobe [Name] Page 3 Essay 1 is so stylish you would never guess how few dollars she spends on clothes. She saves money by shopping at yard sales and thrift shops. She tries to shop for articles that match so her wardrobe has a wide variety while only purchasing a few items. If she finds an item with a little wear she mends it. Whether in the home, the kitchen, or the closet Aunt Ethel is always saving money. Aunt Ethel may appear to be a cheapskate, but she is simply being practical with her time, her energy, and her money. At her golden age she realizes the value in saving time by utilizing it wisely. She has also come to value the scarce resources of energy and money and has found creative ways to conserve both. When Aunt Ethel pinches a penny Lincoln does not cry out in pain, he simply says thank you for being

Stress Levels at Work in Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stress Levels at Work in Canada - Essay Example Their prime focus is to train the employees and contribute to their knowledge building process which makes them competent enough to handle the stress generated from incompetency and job insecurity amidst technological changes. Â  This is why the specific code of conduct and leadership opportunities are available at Ericsson Canada to develop their personality and assist them in their personal strategies to cope with stress. Employee empowerment is also a part of the initiative (Ericsson n.d). Â  Health Canada is a healthcare organization which puts greater emphasis on stress management of employees because they ultimately have to provide caregiving and health care services to other patients. Their prime objective in the stress management drive is to reduce the instances of non-healthy habits which employees resort to when stressed. As such, it involves cessation of smoking, programs for weight control and dietary habits and overall stress management techniques (Loo 1993). Â  Thus, its stress management and wellness program emphasizes more on physical fitness and developing capabilities to remain fit and fine. This will ultimately improve the caliber of employees to handle the work pressure and reduce the levels of stress. Â  Devon Energy is an energy company in Canada where employees face common instances of job insecurity and compensation concerns due to fluctuating oil prices and global turmoil. Being regulated more by political and economic pressures, the company has put in place stringent ethical and compliance rules which do not allow the employees to cross the acceptable behavior boundary (Ethics Point 2010). Â  Emergency health services and better perks and incentives are introduced to motivate the employees for better performance. This allows them to take a little amount of stress in a positive way and as a challenge to develop their abilities.

Difference in the Leadership Styles Between Japan and America Essay

Difference in the Leadership Styles Between Japan and America - Essay Example If they are paying for the product, they want to ensure that the quality is worth it. Roudan Al-Roudan discussed Levitt’s prediction and most of the class disagreed with his ideas. Each of the topics was discussed after doing substantial research with the help online sources as well as books and journals. Let us now look into their topic individually for a better understanding. Yousef Al-Awadhi started this topic with the idea that there is no clear definition of leadership in particular. It is unpredictable and considered to be very diverse and each of the different forms has very distinctive definitions (Achua and Lussier, 2000). Leadership is determined with the help of various attributes such as quality, effectiveness, behavior, connection designs and of course the position of the leaders (Yukl, 1998). In most of the cases, a leader can simply be defined as a person who guides his or her subordinates towards a particular pre-defined objective for the welfare of an organization. Likewise, there are various definitions and each of them is different to one another in terms of the leadership styles and recognition. Researchers have used many methods to determine each of these leadership styles and their outcome in the long run (Yukl, 1998). There are many studies which discuss the link between leadership styles and culture. In a similar manner, the researchers found out that leadership styles vary from culture to culture (Han et al., 1996). He then went on the take the example of two countries, Japan and USA. Both of the countries have distinctively different leadership styles and culture. The earlier researches done by several writers gives us the idea that leadership styles also differ with respect to the organization and its religious differences.

Article Analysis of Gasoline Consumption Essay Example for Free

Article Analysis of Gasoline Consumption Essay Gasoline is one of the most demanded resources that Americans count on to get us from point A to point B in our vehicles, and it is also used to help us heat our homes. Ethanol with gasoline can be combined for a blended gasoline, which is better for some vehicles. The following information is from two articles appropriate for this topic. In the first article, â€Å"Trends in U.S. Gasoline and Ethanol Use, and Petroleum Production and Imports† by Dr. Robert Wisner, a Biofuels Economist with the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, states that â€Å"Several decades ago, the U.S. was a net exporter of petroleum products. However, that picture has changed dramatically in recent years as gasoline consumption trended upward and environmental constraints on new wells plus declining production from existing wells failed to keep pace with rising domestic demand. U.S. energy policies in the early 1990s were altered to encourage increased production of biofuels, in part because of a desire to reduce the nation’s dependence on imported oil† (Wisner, 2011). The demand for gasoline and oil is unbelievable. Some observers suggest that oil company collusion, anticompetitive mergers, or other anticompetitive conduct (not market forces) may be the primary cause of higher gasoline prices. If the market price of gasoline is higher than the equilibrium price, a negative slope in the demand and curve will result. The negative slope of the demand curve for buyers will mean that the quantity demanded will be less than the equilibrium quantity. A positive slope of the supply curve for sellers will mean that the quantity supplied will be greater than the equilibrium quantity; hence the quantity supplied will be greater than the quantity demanded. If the market price of gasoline is below the equilibrium price will result in a negative slope and if that happens, the demand curve ensures that there will be a greater quantity demanded than at the equilibrium price. A positive slope of the supply curve ensures that there will be a smaller quantity supplied than at the equilibrium price. Hence the quantity demanded will exceed the quantity supplied. This excess demand will force consumers to spend more time looking for sellers who have the goods available, and to spend more time waiting in line if they do find a seller with the good. These search costs and queuing costs will lead some consumers to offer more for the good, and hence the price will tend to rise. Dr. Wisner also states in the article that â€Å"future trends in the nation’s use of these fuels will depend on a number of factors including the health of the economy and employment levels, automotive technology, the rate at which consumers accept hybrid automobiles, and the possibility of a sharp increase in government-mandated fleet average fuel mileage requirements in the years ahead that has recently been advocated by administration officials. Blending of ethanol with gasoline is mandated to increase sharply in the 2012-2022 period† (Wisner, 2011). Price elasticity of demand is elastic when the percent change in demands is greater than the percent change in price. Inelastic is the opposite. So, I would have to say that gasoline is inelastic because the demand for gas is high and even though prices are rising, people are still buying gas, just not as much as they want to purchase. If there are substitutes (such as electricity or liquid fuel) for a gasoline usually will be elastic. If there are no substitutes it will be inelastic because it is a necessity. I know that no one is happy about gas prices rising, but everyone sure does get excited when the prices drop. When the price of gas increases, consumers will not purchase as much of the product as they would when prices decrease. In the second article, â€Å"Explaining the variation in elasticity estimates of gasoline demand in the United States: A meta-analysis† by Molly Espey, published in Energy Journal; states that Espey examined 101 different studies and found that in the short-run (defined as one year or less), the average price-elasticity of demand for gasoline is -0.26. That is, a 10 percent hike in the price of gasoline lowers quantity demanded by 2.6 percent. In the long-run (defined as longer than one year), the price elasticity of demand is -0.58; a 10 percent hike in gasoline causes quantity demanded to decline by 5.8 percent in the long run. In conclusion, if the price of gasoline continues to rise, there will be a decrease in the demand of the product. If the price decreases, there will be an increase in the demand of the product. When prices are high, demand is low and when prices are low, demand is high. The prices of gasoline will fluctuate because demand is always high. References: http://www.agmrc.org/renewable_energy/energy/trends-in-u-s-gasoline-and-ethano l-use-and-petroleum-production-and-imports http://www.ftc.gov/reports/gasprices05/050705gaspricesrpt.pdf

The Influence of Media in Brazilian Families Essay -- Television, Tele

This essay explores the representational meanings in my collage work Media and Me. This work, which the main theme is the Television, was crafted in two parts – which is reflected on the structure of this essay. In the first part I address to the influences of television in my homeland, Brazil, through family representation in Telenovelas. The essay will examine how this influence might be linked to cultural changes in the structure and identity of Brazilian families, including mine. The other part of the collage explores the use of internet to access television and how it is affecting the television industry. I will therefore, go through some of the technological, cultural and economic effects caused by, highlighting the struggle of broadcasters with online competition and user-generated content (UGC). The influence that telenovelas in Brazil impose on national identity over the years might be linked to profound cultural changes (Porto, 2010) and also linked to my family and myself. This is because of the everyday presence of this genre in the lives of most inhabitants of this country and the portraying of their culture and, in conjunction with other social factors, could have lead to those changes. The images of families on the collage identifies one instance, due in part to this influence, how the standard family size abruptly shrinks in the last four decades (Gorney, 2010). The pictures of novelas ¹ showing a large number of family members coincide to those of my parents and grandparents, and contrast to the ones below of smaller families and my own. More specifically, for instance, my paternal grandfather had eighteen siblings while the one sister. What now is called the modern Brazilian family might be linked to the ... ... of the series Family Guy broadcasted – accessible to USA audience only – on the 20 november 2011 by Fox Network was already available for viewing on the next day at the Megavideo website. While in the UK, BBC Three is still exhibiting last year's season. I have used pictures of programs I watch through this and other related websites. This essay covered different aspects of Television represented in my collage: its role in the family identity and structure, and as an industry struggling to survive the upcoming technology. Through this art composition, I tried to represent the conception of media illustrating Television as a medium technology but also as part of a cultural, social and economic sphere. Moreover, I explored how it affects me by connecting those aspects covered with my own experiences, being them with my family or in the new ways I use this medium.

London Ambulance Service Failure

The London Ambulance fiasco ? The London Ambulance Service (LAS) Computer Aided Despatch (CAD) system failed dramatically on October 26th 1992 shortly after it was introduced: †¢ †¢ †¢ The system could not cope with the load placed on it by normal use; The response to emergency calls was several hours; Ambulance communications failed and ambulances were lost from the system. ? A series of errors were made in the procurement, design, implementation, and introduction of the system.  ©Ian Sommerville 2004 Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 1 London Ambulance Service ? ? Managed by South West Thames Regional Health Authority. Largest ambulance service in the world (LAS inquiry report) †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Covers geographical area of over 600 square miles Resident population of 6. 8 million people (greater during daytime, especially central London); Carries over 5,000 patients every day; 2,000-2,500 calls received daily, of which 1,3001,600 are emergency calls.  ©Ian Sommerville 2004 Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 2 Computer-aided despatch systems ? Provide one or more of the following: †¢ †¢ †¢ Call taking; Resource identification; Resource mobilisation; Ambulance resource management. CAD software & hardware; Gazetteer and mapping software; Communications interface (RIFS). Radio system; Mobile data terminals (MDTs); Automatic vehicle location system (AVLS). ? Consist of: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢  ©Ian Sommerville 2004 Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 3 T he manual system to be replaced ? Call taking †¢ Recorded on form; location identified in map book; forms sent to central collection point on conveyor belt; Form collected; passed onto resource allocator depending on region; duplicates identified. Resource allocator decides on which resource to be mobilised; recorded on form and passed to dispatcher; Dispatcher telephones relevant ambulance station, or passes mobilisation instructions to radio operator if ambulance already on road; ? Resource identification †¢ ? Resource mobilisation †¢ ? Whole process meant to take < 3 minutes. Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 4  ©Ian Sommerville 2004 Concept/design of the CAD system ? Existing systems dismissed as inadequate and impossible to modify to meet LAS’s needs †¢ Intended functionality â€Å"greater than available from any existing system†. To consist of Computer Aided Dispatch; Computer map display; Automatic Vehicle Location System (AVLS); Must integrate with existing MDTs and RIFS (Radio Interface System). Near 100% accuracy and reliability of technology; Absolute cooperation from all parties including CAC staff and ambulance crews. ? Desired system: †¢ †¢ ? Success dependent upon: †¢ †¢  ©Ian Sommerville 2004 Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 5 Problems: Procurement (i) ? Contract had to be put out to open tender †¢ Regulations emphasis is on best price; 35 companies expressed interest in providing all or part of the system †¢ Most raised concerns over the proposed timetable of less than 1 year until full implementation. ? Previous Arthur Andersen report largely ignored †¢ †¢ Recommended budget of ? 1. 5M and 19 month timetable for packaged solution. Both estimates to be significantly increased if packaged solution not available; Report never shown to new Director of S upport Services. ? Only 1 out of 17 proposals met all of the project team’s requirements, including budget of ? 1. 5M. Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 6 Ian Sommerville 2004 Problems: Procurement (ii) ? Successful consortium †¢ †¢ †¢ Apricot, Systems Options (SO), Datatrak; bid at ? 937k was ? 700k cheaper than the nearest bid; SO’s quote for the CAD development was only ? 35k †¢ Their previous development experience for the emergency services was only for administrative systems. Ambiguity over lead contractor. Systems manager: Career ambulance man, not an IT professional, already told that he was to make way for a properly qualified systems manager; Analyst: Contractor with 5 years experience working with LAS. ? 2 key members of evaluation team: †¢ †¢  ©Ian Sommerville 2004 Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 7 Problems: Project management ? Lead contractor responsible †¢ †¢ Meant to be SO, but they quickly became snowed under, so LAS became more responsible by default; No relevant experience at LAS or SO. ? ? Concerns raised at project meeting not followed-up. SO regularly late in delivering software †¢ Often also of suspect quality, with software changes put through ‘on the fly’. ? ? Formal, independent QA did not exist at any stage throughout the CAD system development. Meanwhile, various technical components of the system are failing regularly, and deadlines missed. Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 8  ©Ian Sommerville 2004 Problems: Human resources & training (i) ? ? ? ? ? Generally positive attitude to the introduction of new technology. Ambiguity over consultation of ambulance crews for development of original requirements. Circumstantial evidence of resistance by crews to Datatrak equipment, and deliberate misleading of the system. Large gap between when crews and CAC staff were trained and implementation of the system. Inability of the CAC and ambulance staff to appreciate each others’ role †¢ Exacerbated by separate training sessions. Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 9  ©Ian Sommerville 2004 Problems: Human resources & training (ii) ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Poor industrial relations. Management ‘fear of failure’. CAD system seen as solution to management’s desire to reduce ‘outdated’ working practices. System allocated nearest resource, regardless of originating station. System removed flexibility in resource allocation. Lack of voice contact exacerbated â€Å"them and us†. Technical problems reduced confidence in the system for ambulance crews and CAC staff.  ©Ian Sommerville 2004 Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 10 System problems Need for near perfect information †¢ Without accurate knowledge of vehicle locations and status, the system could not allocate optimum resources. There were numerous possible reasons for incorrect information being passed back to the system. Numerous technical problems with the system, including: †¢ Failure to identify all duplic ated calls; †¢ Lack of prioritisation of exception messages; †¢ Exception messages and awaiting attention queues scroll off top of screen. ? Poor interface between crews, MDTs & the system †¢ ? Unreliability, slowness and operator interface †¢  ©Ian Sommerville 2004 Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 11 Configuration changes ? Implementation of the system on 26 October involved a number of significant changes to CAC operation, in particular: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Re-configuring the control room; Installing more CAD terminals and RIFS screens; No paper backup system; Physically separating resource allocators from radio operators and exception rectifiers; Going ‘pan London’ rather than operating in 3 divisions; Using only the system proposed resource allocations; Allowing some call takers to allocate resources; Separate allocators for different call sources. Ian Sommerville 2004 Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 12 So, what happened? ? ? Changes to CAC operation made it extremely difficult for staff to intervene and correct the system. As a consequence, the system rapidly knew the correct location and status of fewer and fewer vehicles, leading to: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Po or, duplicated and delayed allocations; A build up of exception messages and the awaiting attention list; A slow up of the system as the messages and lists built up; An increased number of call backs and hence delays in telephone answering.  ©Ian Sommerville 2004 Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 13 Why did it fail? ? Technically, the system did not fail on October 26th †¢ †¢ Response times did become unacceptable, but overall the system did what it had been designed to do! Failed 3 weeks later due to a program error – this was a memory leak where allocated memory was not completely released. Management; Union; System manager; Government. ? It depends who you ask! †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢  ©Ian Sommerville 2004 Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 14 Lessons learned ? Inquiry report makes detailed recommendations for future development of the LAS CAD system, including: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Focus on repairing reputation of CAD within the service; Increasing sense of ‘ownership’ for all stakeholders; They still believe that a technological solution is required; Development process must allow fully for consultation, quality assurance, testing, training; Management and staff must have total, demonstrable, confidence in the reliability of the system; Any new system should be introduced in a stepwise approach.  ©Ian Sommerville 2004 Software Engineering Case Studies Slide 15