Virtues of Saint Monica and Rebekah Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Virtues of Saint Monica and Rebekah - Essay Example Saint Monica of Hippo is a Christian saint and the mother of Saint Augustine (Bohol Philippines Travel Guide). Saint Monica was a Berber descent, the indigenous people of North Africa, but she has never showed an attitude of an unschooled, undisciplined person. Instead, she grew to be virtuous despite the many temptations to be proud and rebellious (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). Saint Monica’s virtues were highlighted in her marriage. Although she was brought up a Christian but her parents married her to an older pagan, Patricius, who was also occupying an official position (Pope Hugh). The character of her husband was a true test to her faith. His temper was said to be violent and he was observed to have been of dissolute habits, making Monica's married life far from being a happy one (Pope Hugh). Patricius was also written to have given to adultery while married to Monica. Patricius was written to have been annoyed with Monica’s alms deeds and habit of prayer (Bohol Philippines Travel Guide). Saint Monica also received quite an amount of hurts from her mother in-law who seemed to dislike her (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). Monica was living in a society with prevalent domestic violence, but something in Monica made her different from the rest of the women and she enjoined them to follow her steps. What made Monica survive the tests of faith and why she was able to convert her husband and her children to faith in Christianity? During the difficult times that Monica was facing, she did not rebelled against God. Her situation seemed to have brought her closer to God rather than away from him. "Monica attended church daily and cultivated the virtue of patience" (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). Her advice to the other advised other wives, who were beaten was to hold their tongues around their husbands, rather than proudly withstand them (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). Her virtue was that of submission of obedience, as Saint Augustine, her son said that although domestic violence was prevalent that time, her mother was never beaten by his father because of her obedience (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). Specifically, she was quoted saying "If you can master your tongue, not only do you run less risk of being beaten, but perhaps you may even, one day, make your husband better" (Bohol Philippines Travel Guide). These virtues and wisdom, in addition to her sweetness and patience made her exercise a veritable apostolate am ong the wives and mother in her community. Monica bore her burdens patiently that's why even though her husband was causing her pain, their life together was relatively peaceful (Women for Faith & Family). She also continued with helping other people despite the resistance from her husband. It was because she exercised the power of prayer that she was able to withstand the temptations to be in despair and to rebel against her husband. Through much prayer, she was able to convert her husband into Christianity a year before he died. It took her 30 years to pray for her husband (Bohol Philippines Travel Guide). It was such a marvellous victory for Saint Monica. More victoriously, she was also able to win her mother-in law through her gentleness, respectfulness and patience (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). Aside from being patient, gentle, obedient, respectful and fervent in prayer, Monica showed persistence in asking help for her son. It was written that Monica asked help from a bishop who also used Manichaean before he became a Christian for several times although she was always rejected. In the end, the bishop consoled Monica saying, "the child of those tears shall never perish" which she took as a sign from God (Women for Faith & Family). Monica's persistence was shown more dramatically when she followed her wayward and dissolute son

Comparison of the Vietnam War and Trojan War :: compare contrast

The Vietnam War and the Trojan War were two separate tragedies that took place in very different time periods yet. They have many things in common such as their senselessness, the brutality shown, and the way the soldiers were treated when they returned to their homeland. In this paper we will touch on those three topics explaining the petty causes of the war and how cruelly the opposing potencies attacked the enemy. Also, we will discover the great similarity in how the soldiers were treated upon returning from the war and how the war affected their lives. Most historians view the nature of the Vietnam War as rooted in the history of the French colonies in Vietnam and the growing ethnic, political, and economical division between Catholic and Buddhist Vietnamese. (Brigham, Robert, Hoffman, Kenneth) At the end of World War II, Japanese forces in Indochina turned over power to Vietnamese Nationalists. Japan had created an independent Vietnamese government. Japan allowed this government to be displaced by the Viet Minh under Ho Chi Minh. (The History Place, Beginner’s Guide) The next month, a British force landed in southern Vietnam and occupied Indochina. (The History Place) The French eventually gained back some control over parts of Vietnam. In early 1946, the French began a series of dual negotiations with the Chinese and Viet Minh over the future of Vietnam. After failed negotiations with the French over the future of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Minh retreated into remote parts of the countryside to fight a small-scale insurgency against the French. (The History Place, Beginner’s Guide) Though the U.S had no direct role in the return of the French to Indochina, Washington’s desire for a more uniform European economy and European cooperation on a variety of other things required French cooperation. Because successive French governments threatened to become more uncooperative in Europe if the United States refused to accede to their demands overseas, Washington committed itself to a policy of supporting the French in Indochina. (The History Place, Wikipedia) In this way we can see that the United State’s involvement in the Vietnam War was manipulated and â€Å"arranged† by the French who needed help and knew that the United States would have no choice but to accede to their proposal. The Trojan War was also manipulated although not in the same way. Eris or Strife, the goddess of discord, after not being invited to a wedding party for the gods devised a plan to spoil the wedding.

Mittal Steel in 2006

Mittal Steal in 2006: Changing the Global Steel Game Industry Analysis Although steel was a highly demanded good, the industry as a whole was largely unprofitable. One reason for this was that the industry remained highly fragmented in contrast to their suppliers and even some of their buyers, who were considerably more consolidated. Aside from the increased competition that fragmentation contributed to, it also degraded the steal industry’s bargaining power to raw material suppliers and in some cases, such as the auto industry, the buyers.The resulting high fixed costs, volatile raw material prices, and intense price competition fueled unstable profitability. Adding to the fragmentation issues was a lack of differentiation in the market. For the longest time there were really only two production possibilities. One, being vertically integrated and producing higher-grade steel at a higher cost of operation, or two, de-verticalize and focus on low cost, low-grade steel productio n. Depending on the production selected, the resulting accessible customer base was limited.This lack of differentiation further fueled the limited bargaining power of steel manufacturers. As stated above, steel was highly demanded. The problem was that the growth of that demand remained quite stagnate for nearly 20 years. It wasn’t until the explosion of growth in the Chinese construction industry, attributing to 25% of total steel consumption, that the steel industry saw any profitability. In an industry where customers demand a low cost and a consistent product, being able to maintain a reliable supply while being as cost efficient as possible was key to a firms success.Though there was a spike in Chinese demand, only those strategically positioned could access the true value of the Chinese market. This was because the steel industry operated primarily on an intra-regional basis. Many factors attributed to this, but a firm’s dependence on raw material access, and tr ying to avoid high transportation and tariff costs, as well as delivery lags, were the primary reasons for high regional trade. In order to access the benefits of regional trade, firms had to expand their operations through high FDI in the form of M&A’s.This gained them access to highly profitable regions and it allowed firms to spread their risk over a larger area, reducing the impact of demand fluctuations in one particular region. The reason many of these M&A opportunities existed was because of a major shit from government owned steel plants to privatization. Through privatization, FDI opportunities became possible in many countries, thus make intra-regional trade more accessible and attractive. Consolidation & Integration Recognizing that the dynamics of the market were changing, LNM was quick to take advantage.He was steadfast in his belief that they only way to create sustained success was through consolidation and integration. With increased privatization opportunitie s available, LNM began a series of M&A’s that would gain him access to regions that were highly profitable, had lower labor costs, and would position him to have higher bargaining power with suppliers. LNM made the first moves in the industry toward consolidation, and was this strategic initiative that has since driven the evolution of the industry to where it is today.A major source of value creation was derived from their technological lead in DRI. LNM decided early on to focus their operations around â€Å"integrated minimills†, which was untraditional at the time. Through this structure he was able to capture the maximum value of his operation, using scrap in the minimills, then reverse integrating into DRI. Once unreliable, DRI technology had advanced so much that it’s output was now comparable to the quality of integrated steel plants.This technology stronghold provided them better quality steel at a cheaper cost of production, providing them with a huge c ompetitive advantage. Additionally, It was this technology, aided by a proven SWAT team and protocol, which supported their ability to transform underperforming government owned plants to profitable ones in a short period. LMN’s initial approach was to resurrect distressed government owed plants then breath new life into them through technology sharing and smart practices.He soon sought larger targets that would provide him not only economies of scale, but also provide competitive advantages through geographic scope. Starting with Karmet, he began to shift his targeting toward plants that were either highly integrated, possessed significant mineral rights, or supplied a strategic geographic advantage. Through designing their activity architecture in this way, Mittal steel became the world's largest and most integrated steelmaker; providing strong positions in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.The result of their strategic positioning, combined with their focus of coordi nation through KIP and KMP, made Mittal the first firm in the industry to operate as a transnational organization. Each plant provided its own uniqueness, providing different capabilities and skills that could be harnessed for the good of the whole organization. There was also a heavy flow of people, materials and finances between the interdependent plants, but at the center of it all was the Mittal Steel directing tight coordination and a shared strategic decision making process. On a regional level, they operated through regional hubs.This allows Mittal’s positioning of adjacent plants to source from the same suppliers, increasing their bargaining power and reliability of supply, while not jeopardizing cannibalism of sales as each plant’s customer base was unique to their location. Mittal’s vertical integration in mining and low cost position helps support profitability and helps to  reduce capital expenditure needs. They are the most diversified steel  co mpany in the world in terms of asset  location and market presence. They also have a diverse product range, including both flat and long steel.As such, Mittal is not overly dependent on any single  region, product, or end market. These benefits are somewhat mitigated however by the risks associated with Mittal’s rapid expansion through acquisitions. These include such things as institutional risks associated with emerging markets and uncertainties regarding the integration of newly acquired assets, although Mittal's  integration track record has been successful to date. Arcelor Acquisition In light of the above information, I believe that Mittal should pursue the Arcelor acquisition aggressively.Mittal Steel & Arcelor complement each other in terms of geographical coverage and product mix, as there is no significant overlap. Mittal has strong positions in the U. S. market; low-cost operations in Central and  Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa; and vertical raw-material i ntegration. Arcelor is the leader in higher value-added products with strongholds in Western Europe and Brazil, as well as a focus on Russia, India, and China. I believe that the positioning of Arcelor’s plants and resource capabilities would integrate nicely to Mittal’s activity architecture.There would be very minimal duplications of effort, and many of the regions that Arcelor operates are in prime locations to source raw materials. The addition will only strengthen Mittal’s integrated transnational value chain. Through acquisition, Mittal would produce nearly 110 million tonnes of steel per year, making them three times as large than their next competitor. Although this can lead to diseconomies of scale, in Mittal’s case, as the largest player in the steel industry both globally and in the key markets, the combined group would enjoy significant bargaining power.Additionally, through shared expertise, the combined entity would be in a better position t o develop the high growth region of China and South East Asia. Arcelor’s alliance with Nippon and Mittal’s acquisition of Karmet and stake in Valin will provide access to critical Asian markets. Regardless of the â€Å"synergies† the acquisition will create, caution still needs to be exercised by Mittal. There are evident signs that the acquisition will not be welcomed by Arcelor, assuming that Mr. Dolle’s canceled meeting and unreturned phone call was an indication to his temperature on the proposal.If the acquisition turned hostile there is a good chance Mittal would have to overpay for Arcelor, which could have adverse affects to it investment ratings. At the current bid price Mittal would already have to leverage â‚ ¬5 billion and would be in debt by â‚ ¬11. 5 billion. Although they have a good track record of ROI and the industry as a whole has seen a spike in ROIC, they do not want to spend more than they have to. Despite the favorable history and perceived synergies, Mittal should pay at a maximum â‚ ¬27. 1 billion for the deal. They should obviously try to pay as close to the current bid as possible, but at â‚ ¬27. billion they are still in a position where they could access the capital needed given their successful history. Also, at the mark of â‚ ¬27. 1 billion their debt would raise to â‚ ¬20 billion, but with an EBITDA of over â‚ ¬5. 5 billion annually, not to mention the added revenues from the acquisition, the debt could be confidently paid off in a reasonable timeframe. If the bidding exceeds the mark of â‚ ¬27. 1 billion, the negotiations should be ceased and Mittal should pursue other opportunities to continue their global footprint expansion.

The Heart Essay examples - 1801 Words

â€Å"The heart† The Heart is a very important organ in the body. It is what keeps your blood flowing and your organs going. It is a tireless muscle that pumps more than two thousand gallons of blood every day. The blood that is pumped is filled with nutrition and oxygen (Colombo 7). It travels through out your body in less than sixty seconds. So it needs to be taken extra good care of. When abuse is put on the body, the heart’s performance is not at its best. The Heart is a major organ that needs loving and care. Everyone has only one and by abusing it, they are cutting their live span little by little. People can live their lives freely but how they choose to live them could be the difference between life and death. The heart is a pump†¦show more content†¦This is why patients who are in comas or vegetable states live because although they may have no nerve function, their heart beats on. The heart is what keeps all living breathing species alive, animals or humans. If the heart was to shut down but the nervous system continued and was active, it would not matter. The entire body would shut down because once the supplier no longer delivers what is needed; organs will no longer function correctly, therefore causing irreversible damage. Arteries are what carried the rich oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the organs throughout the body. The Veins are what bring back the carbon dioxide blood to the heart. It then has to be put through a cycle so that it can be shipped back out. Blood travels from the right atrium through the tricuspid valve, to the right ventricle. From there, it is pumped to the lungs, the oxygen-rich blood goes to the left atrium and then through the mitral valve to the left ventricle where it goes to the aorta to be pumped around the body (Colombo 7). What looks to be a complicated process that would take hours or minutes is actually done in a matter a seconds. As the population ages heart failure is expected to increase exceptionally. About twenty-two percent of men and forty-four percent of women will develop heart failure within six years of having a heart attack. â€Å"Thirty years ago patients would have died from their heart attacks!† (Couzens)Show MoreRelatedThe Heart Of Heart And Heart1569 Words   |  7 PagesFundamentally, the heart works as a pump for blood to the various parts of the human body. It is made up of four chambers with two sections, upper and lower, on each side. The heart’s right side pumps blood to the lungs to be oxygenated then the blood returns to the heart’s left side for pumping into the body’s circulatory system that consists of blood vessels that transport the blood throu gh all body organs. Heart failure does not necessarily translate to the complete non-performance of the heart. 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When someone has a heart attack their blood that produces the oxygen for your heart can not get to your heart because it becomes blocked. Therefore, your heart cannot get the oxygen that it needs to sur vive. This is a scary thought because if the blood can notRead MoreLab Report Heart Dissection Of The Heart1033 Words   |  5 PagesReport Heart Dissection The heart is a fantastical organ. The fact that it can circulate blood throughout the body in a quick span of time and make sure every limb and organ is nourished is astounding. The wonder is only increased when we look upon the heart in an Aristotelian sense, as something created and working towards a function, where every part is there for a reason. If we keep in mind the purpose of the heart while looking at the way it is structured with veins, arteries, and the heart itselfRead MoreThe Heart Of Heart Failure1167 Words   |  5 PagesAmericans have been diagnosed with heart failure† (Mancini Colombo, 2015, p. 2542). Heart failure is a condition where the heart does not pump as efficiently; therefore, it does not meet the needs of the body. There is a growing number of heart failure patients each year. â€Å"More than 300,000 deaths per year are attributed to heart failure, and the annual cost to manage these patients is close to $40 billion† (Mancini Colombo, 2 015, p. 2542). Since the heart failure population is steadily growing