General Mills Essay Example for Free

General Mills Essay On December 8, 2000, management at General Mills proposed a plan to acquire Pillsbury, a baked-goods producer. Pillsbury is currently controlled by Diageo PLC, one of the world’s leading consumer goods companies. The deal specifies that General Mills is to create and thus issue additional shares of common stock to Diageo in exchange for complete ownership of the Pillsbury subsidiary. If the deal is executed, Diageo will become General Mills’ largest shareholder. The consideration to Diageo would include 141 million shares of the companys common stock and the assumption of . 142 billion of Pillsbury debt, making the deal worth over $10 billion. In addition, the agreement will contain a contingency payment, as up to $642 million of the total transaction value may be repaid to General Mills at the first anniversary of the closing, depending on its average stock price at that time. In this report, we will calculate and analyze various costs and benefits associated with the transaction to determine whether or not General Mills’ shareholders should vote for the proposed acquisition. If approved, General Mills will become the fifth largest food company in the world 2. OVERVIEW OF GENERAL MILLS, INC. General Mills manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. It has a strong presence in the United States, as it is the nation’s largest producer of yogurt and the second largest producer of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. The company owns many product segments that are marketed under high-profile brand names, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Cheerios, and Big G. Each of these businesses in the United States was mature and offered relatively low organic growth. Because of this reason, the firm has pursued numerous expansion opportunities that have successfully positioned General Mills as a market leader. Its expansion efforts have proved successful, as General Mills had annual revenues of about $7. 5 billion in the fiscal-year 2000. Although highly profitable, General Mills is facing increased competition in the food industry, as rivals are consolidating and becoming more difficult to compete against. Therefore, General Mills must be able to recognize and thus act on potentially high-yielding investments that will allow the company to expand despite the slow-growth food industry. Through a program of aggressive share repurchases in the 1990s, General Mills had increased its book value debt-to-equity ratio dramatically compared with its peers. Despite this fact, General Mills still maintains an investment grade bond rating from the rating agencies. 3. OVERVIEW OF DIAGEO PLC AND PILLSBURY COMPANY Diageo is one of the world’s leading consumer goods companies formed in 1997 through the merger of GrandMet and Guinness. Its product portfolio consisted of prominent alcoholic-beverage brands such as J;B, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Gordon’s, Tanqueray, and Guinness as well as the Burger King fast food chain and Pillsbury. Pillsbury is a baked goods company that operates under Diageo. Pillsbury is one of America’s best-recognized names in the food industry. Marketing its goods under the popular Dough Boy character, Pillsbury has successfully positioned its brand and has created a longstanding platform for success in the food industry. The company also controls several other high-profile brands, such as Green Giant, Old El Paso, and Progresso. Not too far behind General Mills, in 2000, Pillsbury generated annual revenues of $6. 1 billion. 4. OVERVIEW OF GENERAL MILLS’ ACQUISITION OF PILLSBURY On December 8, 2000, management of General Mills recommended that its shareholders authorize the creation of more shares of common stock in order to acquire Pillsbury. The transaction between Pillsbury and General Mills will involve a stock-for-stock exchange that would pay Diageo over $10 billion; 141 million shares of common stock in addition to the assumption of $5. 142 billion in debt. This debt figure includes Pillsbury’s existing debt of $142 million, along with $5 billion in new borrowings that will be distributed to Diageo in the form of a special dividend before the deal is closed. After the transaction is completed, Diageo will own about 33% of General Mills’ outstanding shares. If approved, the transaction would result in Pillsbury operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Mills. This essentially means that Pillsbury is completely controlled by General Mills, as General Mills would own 100% of Pillsbury’s stock. Diageo is primarily divesting its holding in Pillsbury in exchange for a substantial holding in General Mills. The transaction also includes a rare contingency payment, which specifies that $642 million of the transaction cost will be set aside by Diageo in an escrow account for one year following the closing of the deal. If General Mills’ average stock price is above $42. 55, Diageo is to transfer the $642 million back to General Mills. If General Mills’ average stock price is below $38, Diageo will only pay $450,000. If the stock price is between these two values, the escrow fund will be split on a pro-rated basis. It is important to note that there are two main constraints involved with the transaction. First, General Mills does not want Diageo to own in excess of 33% of its stock. Second, General Mills does not want to lose its investment-grade bond rating. 5. GENERAL MILLS’ STRATEGIC MOTIVES FOR ACQUIRING PILLSBURY Acquiring Pillsbury can provide General Mills with two main potential benefits. The first potential benefit for acquiring Pillsbury is growth. The acquisition of Pillsbury gives General Mills the opportunity to double the size of its empire. If the transaction is approved, General Mills will become the fifth largest food company in the world. By acquire Pillsbury, General Mills would create value for shareholders by providing opportunities for accelerated sales and earnings growth. These opportunities would be exploited through product innovation, channel expansion, international expansion, and productivity gains. In addition to growth, the transaction would also create positive synergies for General Mills through cost savings. General Mills’ management is motivated to close the deal because they believe that the two companies will grow faster together than either would alone. In other words, General Mills hopes to increase the value of the combined enterprise through synergy, which will benefit Diageo as well as the other shareholders of General Mills. The acquisition should accelerate earnings more quickly than if GM remains smaller and continues to focus solely on its core products. If General Mills acquires Pillsbury, it will be able to combine the capital, resources, and technology of both firms, resulting in greater efficiencies and increased capacity for future expansion efforts. The transaction would also result in at least $645 million in pretax savings between fiscal year 2001 and 2003 ($25 million in fiscal 2001, $220 million in 2002, and $400 million in 2003). These savings are the results of supply chain improvements, efficiencies in selling, merchandising, and marketing, as well as the streamlining of administrative activities. 6.   The deal would be economically attractive if the benefit is greater than or equal to the cost of the acquisition. In other word, the deal would be considered economically attractive if: Value of Pillsbury + Synergies + Clawback Stock Paid + Debt Assumed If the benefit is greater than or equal to the cost of the acquisition, value will be created for the shareholders. In other words, General Mills’ shareholders, which will include Diageo, will be benefit from the transaction. 6. 1. VALUATION OF PILLSBURY (WITHOUT SYNERGIES) Pillsbury was valued by both Evercore Partners and Merrill Lynch using three valuation methods: comparable firms (LTM EBITDA and LTM EBIT), comparable transactions (LTM EBITDA and LTM EBIT), and discounted cash flow (With and Without Synergies). Since synergies will be calculated separately in our discussion, it is important to value Pillsbury without synergies first (in other words, we need to find the value of Pillsbury by itself). The values that Evercore Partners and Merrill Lynch came up with are between $8. 4 billion and $13. 21. For our analysis, we will use these numbers as our estimated standalone value for Pillsbury with $8. 4 billon as the low value and $13. 21 as the high value. 6. 2. VALUE OF SYNERGIES (COST SYNERGIES) If the transaction is approved by shareholders, General Mills’ management team believes that the deal would create cost savings of $25 million, $220 million, and $400 million in 2001, 2002, and 2003 respectively. These savings are the results of supply chain improvements, efficiencies in selling, merchandising, and marketing, as well as the streamlining of administrative activities. However, through positive synergies between General Mills and Pillsbury, we believe that the cost savings will last longer than three years. Below is the discounted cash flow valuation of cost synergies given the following assumptions: a. WACC = 9. 3% b. Annual Inflation = 2% c. Free Cash Flow Perpetual Growth Rate = 2. 5% d. Tax Rate = 40% Based on the analysis above, the net present value of cost synergies is about $3. 24 billion. This number is very significant considered the valuation of Pillsbury itself is only worth between $8. 4 billion and $13. 21 billion. Synergies will be an important factor in our consideration when we provide our recommendations later in the report. 6. 3. VALUE OF CLAWBACK As part of the agreement between General Mills and Diageo, a contingent payment clause is included in the transaction. The terms of this payment specify that up to $642 million of the total transaction value may be repaid to General Mills at the first anniversary of the closing, depending on its average stock price for the 20 trading days prior to that date. If General Mills’ average stock price is above $42. 55, Diageo is to transfer the $642 million back to General Mills. If General Mills’ average stock price is below $38, Diageo will only pay $450,000. If the stock price is between these two values, the escrow fund will be split on a pro-rated basis. Exhibit 1 shows the payoff diagram for this contingent payment. With the stock price on the x-axis and the payoff amount on the y-axis, we are able to show the payoff amount (according to the terms in the contingency plan) with respect to the price of General Mills’ stock. As shown in the graph, the payoff is flat at $450,000 when the stock price is in between $0 and $38. However, the payoff begins increasing when the stock price is between $38 and $42. 55. The closer the stock price comes to $42. 55, the higher the payoff amount to General Mills. Once the stock price reaches $42. 55, the payoff is flat again, as General Mills is to receive a fixed amount of $642 million regardless of the price increase after it reaches the point of $42. 55. Some financial professional called this contingent payment â€Å"claw-back† provision because it would reclaim some value for General Mills if its share price rose. This contingent plan serves an important purpose in this transaction. Since General Mills and Diageo had differences in opinions with regards to the value of General Mills’ stock, the contingency payment serves as a â€Å"deal saver†. The entire transaction was about to fall apart over a price disagreement. General Mills didn’t want to pay more than $10 billion, whereas Diageo didn’t want to accept anything less than $10. 5 billion. Therefore, the contingency payment established the â€Å"bridge the gap† in purchase price. In addition, General Mills believes that its stock is undervalued, whereas Diageo believes the stock price will stay the same or decrease within a year. In other words, General Mills thinks the stock is worth more than it is trading for. It serves as an opportunity for General Mills to take advantage of its perception of the strength of its stock. From General Mills’ point of view, the contingent payment is equivalent to a bull spread: a long call with exercise price of $38. 00 and a short call with exercise price of $42. 55. Using Black Scholes option pricing model, the analysis below shows the value for this combined position. From the analysis above, the present value of the contingent payment (Clawback) is between $195. 43 million and $331. 63 million. If the deal is approved by shareholders, Diageo will own 141 million shares of General Mills’ common stock. To determine the value of General Mills’ stock payment to Diageo, it is important to note that General Mills’ board of directors approved the merger in July of 2000 but General Mills’ executives did not ask the shareholders for creation of more shares of its common stock until December of that year. Due to this reason, the average stock price of July and December will be used to calculate the value of General Mills’ stock payment to Diageo. Using the average price of the July stock price ($35.50 per share), the value of General Mills’ stock payment to Diageo is $5. 006 billion (141 million shares x $35. 50/share). Using the average price of the December stock price ($41. 00 per share), the value of General Mills’ stock payment to Diageo is $5. 781 billion (141 million shares x $41/share). 6. 5. VALUE OF DEBT ASSUMED If the deal i s approved by shareholders, General Mills will take on $5. 142 billion in new debt. This debt figure includes Pillsbury’s existing debt of $142 million, along with $5 billion in new borrowings that will be distributed to Diageo in the form of a special dividend before the deal is closed. This is one of the factors that shareholders should consider when making the decision to whether or not to vote for the deal. It is important to note that General Mills already have a higher increase in debt to equity ratio compared with its peers due to aggressive share repurchase back in the 1990s. General Mills may lose its investment grade bond rating if it has too much debt on its balance sheet. Now that we have all the components of costs and benefits for the acquisition, let’s put it all together to see if the acquisition of Pillsbury will be economically attractive to shareholder. In other word, will the acquisition of Pillsbury create value for shareholders? The table below summarizes the costs and benefits of Pillsbury Acquisition. Based on the analysis above, the benefits for both low and high end of the acquisition are higher than the costs of the acquisition. Due to this reason, the acquisition of Pillsbury is economically attractive to both General Mills’ managements and shareholders. 7. RECOMMENDATION FOR GENERAL MILLS’ SHAREHOLDERS Based on the cost and benefit analysis, the acquisition of Pillsbury is a promising investment. Acquiring Pillsbury can help General Mills create synergies through both income / earning growth and cost savings. One key information that all shareholders should keep in mind when making decision is synergies. As shown in the calculation above, synergies account for a large part of the benefit side of the acquisition. If shareholders vote for this deal, they are making a big bet on the creation of synergies between the two companies. If synergies cannot be created between the two companies, no value will be created for the shareholders. Exhibit 1: Payoff Diagram for the Contingent Payment (Clawback) Payoff $38 $42. 55Stock Price

life :: essays research papers

I felt the warmth of my mother’s hands on my soft skin while she held my face. Her soft voice whispered in my ear â€Å"good night†. It was a cold winter night after Christmas as my mother tucked me in to bed, like she always had. After telling me good night her lips hit my cheek to give me the last kiss she ever would. As she walked out, I told her â€Å"I love you with all my heart and always will.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the, morning the warmth of the sun hit my face and woke me up like any other morning, but something was different, something just wasn’t right. I lay in my warm bed, trying to ascertain why I wasn’t feeling right. I jumped out of bed and woke my little brother up to go eat breakfast. As we walked down the hall, I heard my dad pouring a cup of hot coffee. â€Å"Daddy is mom still sleeping,† I asked. Mom will be gone for a while but baby, don’t worry he told my brother and me in a sad voice. We will be just fine. I didn’t understand why my mom would be gone though. I asked myself â€Å" will she ever come back?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Seven years have gone by and still my mom is gone, and my life has changed more than I thought it would. â€Å" Jess, get Drew’s clothes ready for school tomorrow,† my dad would admonish me every night before going to bed. Making sure my brother would be ready for school every morning, making sure he ate breakfast before he left for school, and making sure his homework was done everyday was what my mother used to do every morning and day; but now she is gone. Now that she is gone I have to take that place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now that I am the only lady in the house, I have to be the mother. No more going out on Friday nights with my friends, no more doing whatever I want. Every Friday, my friends would go out to the movies, and have fun without me. I had to stay home and make sure everything was right for my family. Now I have responsibilities like my brother who is now like my son. He thinks of me as not only a sister but a mother too. When you hear an eight year old boy call you mom and you are as young as me, it’s the scariest feeling you can have.

Dishonesty in Hamlet Essay

â€Å"Many critics have suggested Hamlet chronicles the perils of life within a largely false and dishonest world. To what extent has this been your experience of Shakespeare’s play?† The world we currently know has experienced many stages and eras such as the Renaissance era and the New World Era. In each of these eras, falsehood, dishonesty, deceit and revenge all seem to grow rich, however remorse and guilt grow poor. Like a domino effect, with all this tremendous falsehood come fatal and destructive dangers in life. Whether it be due to the risks of overthinking, or perhaps the risks of taking action, they seem to grow exponentially with time. William Shakespeare portrays evidently this changing world and it’s forever increasing perils of deceit throughout the play Hamlet, representing the aftermath of lying and its effects on everything around us, specifically the Great Chain of Being and Nature itself. The world the audience is shown as they enter Hamlet is stuck in a phase between the Renaissance and New World Era. The men of the Renaissance era were warriors and put trust in themselves, whereas in the New World, more men are thinkers as they have lost a sense of existential trust. This transition is essentially portrayed in the allusion to the story of the Helen of Troy, recited by Hamlet himself in Act 2 Scene 2 where Pyrrhus, a son who vows to avenge his dead father, seeks revenge on his murderer, Priam. Pyrrhus goes on to slay Priam, but before doing so, â€Å"like a neutral to his will and matter [does] nothing†. However after this pause, he is able to follow through with his mission. Pyrrhus hence portrays a true warrior. Similarly, we see in Act 3 scene 3, Hamlet following in Pyrrhus’ legacy to avenge his father, however there is a detrimental difference in Hamlet’s methods. Hamlet, being a thinker from the new world, pauses before striking King Claudius, however he does what Pyrrhus would not dare do – think. Essentially, Hamlet changes what should have occurred, and in turn causes a ripple effect where Polonius, Ophelia, Gertrude, Rosencrantz, etc. all die. This ultimately demonstrates how Shakespeare intends to chronicle how as the world changes and becomes less trusting with one’s self, the perils of overthinking life become more and more real and indeed cause the perils of death. All this change in the world and the ever-increasing deceit add up and cause a significant rupture and destruction of the Great Chain Of Being (GCOB). Where a king should be a descendant of the original king, instead of Hamlet becoming king, Claudius takes his position. Claudius’ crown is an extensive metaphor for a mask he wears in which it makes himself feel much more evocative and powerful, something he is not. Throughout the entire play, Claudius’ life is ultimately an existential lie. Portrayed through a metaphor used in Hamlet’s conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Act 2 Scene 2 that â€Å"Denmark’s a prison†, Shakespeare suggests that the city has spiralled into destruction, violence and unlawful sins. Also with the use of the metaphysical appearances of the ghost of Old Hamlet in multiple scenes, the audience is brought to conclude that the dishonesty of King Claudius has inflicted disruption to each and every person in Denmark. Hamlet tells the story of a real life Machiavel and how his villainous actions cause downfall and havoc to all life in Denmark. Ultimately, the anecdote of King Claudius is used to represent how one’s dishonesty to himself, and to everyone around him, create dangers to not only himself, but to nature and society itself. The idea that lies and deceit cause disturbances to every person’s lives is further enhanced by the use of structure in Hamlet. In almost every scene in which lies are being told (such as Act 2 scene 2 where Hamlet insults Polonius with his lies and where Rosencrantz and Guildenstern attempt to lie to Hamlet, and again in Act 3 Scene 2 where Hamlet teaches the players how to act or, in other words, lie, and so forth) the structure changes from Shakespeare’s famous iambic pentameter, to structure less speech. This use of transitory structures is Shakespeare’s method of metaphors to demonstrate that as people become more and more dishonest, they begin to destroy the unadulterated harmony of life and how its sequences should play out, pushing it into madness and confusion. Shakespeare attempts to portray to his audience his idea that the more lies and dishonesty, the more the perils of causing death and destroying the true sequence of events that are meant to be followed, falling back on the idea of disturbances of the GCOB. An old myth states that if you keep making faces as the wind changes, your face will remain that way. Analysing this further, if you wear a mask in many different situations, you soon begin to wear that mask forever. Shakespeare alludes to this myth in Act 2 Scene 2 where Hamlet says he is â€Å"but mad north-north-west† but â€Å"when the wind is southerly, [he] know[s] a hawk from a handsaw†. In Act 1 Scene 5, Hamlet states how he will â€Å"put on an antic disposition†, in other words put on a metaphorical mask whenever he is around those he does not trust. Shakespeare’s allusion to the myth suggests that if Hamlet continues to act like someone he is not, he will remain that way – he will remain to be crazy. Essentially, Hamlet’s dishonesty with himself and with those around him foreshadows his downfall, and, ultimately, his death. By alluding to the myth in one scene, and portraying how Hamlet is indeed wearing this mask as the wind changes in another scene, it can be extracted that Shakespeare intended to show a developing story of the dangers of lying and wearing masks to cover up the truth. If in your own world, you must lie to yourself, and continuously lie and deceive yourself, indeed you will remain that way, and henceforth lead on to much more fatal things such as becoming permanently insane. This notion of wearing masks to cover up one’s true identity is evident throughout the course of Hamlet. It is again seen where Polonius hides himself behind an arras in Act 3 Scene 4, spying on Hamlet and his mother’s conversation. Essentially, Polonius’ choice to hide behind an arras and lead himself into dishonesty unravels and causes him to be accidentally murdered. The demonstration of the consequences of lying and deceiving is genuinely strong here, where it does not lead to simply madness nor pain, but the worst punishment of our current world – death. This irreversible consequence demonstrates the desperation of Shakespeare to get his message across that with lying and dishonesty, there is a chain reaction and it may possibly lead to death, ultimately the greatest peril of life. There is a specific order in which the world works, and when one lies, or deceives those around them, indeed they denature the destined sequence of events in life. In doing so they form a sense of confusion and cause even more dishonesty with everyone around them. In conjunction with the above, it is overly simplistic to conclude that William Shakespeare depicts the ever-increasing dishonesty and deceitfulness throughout Hamlet and in turn successfully and evidently chronicles the consequences and aftermath of these sinful actions.

Behind The Deception Created By Apple s Claim Essay

Behind the deception created by Apple’s claim, â€Å"We focus on making the world’s best products and enriching people’s lives,† their employees lack the basic rights their consumers, unlike them, receive. The Chinese government, the host of the largest labor force globally, is distinguished for their unwillingness to protect the civil liberties of their people. Corporations flock to China, most notably Apple and Walt Disney, in order to abuse the loose enforcement of their laws, cutting costs by infringing upon the rights of their employees. Through the years, several investigations have examined these greedy corporations, discovering the magnitude of human rights denied to their employees. The malpractices of these firms are hidden behind the joyfulness of their products; the Chinese government should shield their citizens against human rights violation rather than protecting a company s bottom line. Specifically, companies should not have the authority to disrespect their employees, place them in hazardous conditions, provide them with an inhumane salary as well as employ minors. The immensity of the Chinese working force enables not only entices large firms to come to China, but it enables them to abuse their employees, knowing that their people are replaceable. This strategy creates a cruel environment, where a mistake could either cause one to be fined or fired; tolerance and understanding makes humans different than the senseless machines they are protected from becomingShow MoreRelated Ultimate Love in Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel Essay3138 Words   |  13 Pagesforbids Tita to marry her true love Pedro because tradition says that the youngest daughter must care for her mother until her death. When Pedro marries Titas oldest sister in order to be near Tita, it begins a life-long conflict filled with passion, deception, anger, and pure love. 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Essay on The Bible Among the Myths Summary - 3696 Words

SUMMARY OF JOHN N. OSWALT’S BOOK THE BIBLE AMONG THE MYTHS David Strickland Old Testament Introduction - OBST 590 June 1, 2013 Introduction The author, John N. Oswalt, was first introduced to the subject of this book in his seminary studies in the 1960s. Oswalt introduces his book with a narrative of the similarities and differences that exist between the Old Testament and the literature of the Ancient Near East. Prior to the 1960s scholars believed that the Old Testament was unique and did not resemble the literature of the surrounding cultures, but now there has been a shift in thought. Many scholars believe today that the Old Testament is virtually identical to Ancient Near East writings. This issue of differences and†¦show more content†¦Oswalt starts his definition process by discussing the debate of whether the Bible has a distinctive view of reality. Until fifty years ago most scholars believed that biblical literature did not share the characteristics of myth. Today there has been a radical shift in opinions, such as the possibility that mythical thought and mythical literature are at the v ery heart of Israel’s religion.1 Oswalt believes that this change is based on assumptions and not on new discoveries. The problem of definition encompasses the first obstacle when defining a myth. The validity of a definition must be evaluated. The first problem is that a definition must be broad enough to include all the items that share common characteristics but narrow enough to exclude items that only have a few common characteristics. The second problem has to do with the nature of the definition and whether it provides a description or an evaluation. Oswalt groups definitions of myth according to their type as either historical-philosophical or phenomenological. He then subdivides historical-philosophical into etymological, sociological and literary. Etymological definitions of myth emphasize the falsity of what is being described and are frequently too broad. In sociological definitions of myth, truth is seen as relative. Perception of something being true makes it tru e. Oswalt labels his final subdivision of historical-philosophicalShow MoreRelatedChapter Summary: The Bible Among the Myths Essay5414 Words   |  22 PagesIntroduction Oswalt first learned about the issues in â€Å"The Bible Among the Myths† while taking a class taught by Dennis Kinlaw at Asbury Theological Seminary. His interest in the subject has grown since with graduate study and his own classes which he taught. William F. Albright, his students, and G. Ernest Wright led the rethinking of the evolutionary paradigm within the philosophy of Idealism. Although they believed the differences between the ways the Israelites thought and their neighbor’sRead MoreEssay on Book Summary of the Bible Among the Myths2904 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction Author John N. Oswalt begins The Bible Among the Myths: Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature? with a concise and well-written introduction that whets the reader’s appetite, compelling one to continue reading. He begins by informing the reader that his novel has been in the works dating all of the way back to the 1960s, when he attended the Asbury Theological Seminary. Oswalt quickly points out that one of the main points that the book will focus on is determining if â€Å"theRead MoreEssay about Book Summary The Bible Among the Myths2835 Words   |  12 Pageswas unique among other beliefs in the Ancient Near East but they now view the Old Testament as identical to other religions of its day and time. The author also discusses the vital philosophical distinction between â€Å"essence† and â€Å"accident.† When removing an essential feature of an object, it will cease to be itself but if you remove an accidental feature of an object, there will be no change in the object’s essential being. The author also introduces the characteristics of myth. 1) ThatRead MoreBook Summary: the Bible Among the Myths by John N. Oswalt Essay3529 Words   |  15 PagesABSTRACT John Oswalt, in his book The Bible Among the Myths, presents his position to the reader that the bible is different and separate from other writings of the Ancient Near East. He asserts the Bible is both historically accurate and theologically sound. He makes the defense the Bible was divinely inspired and revealed to humanity and unique from other Ancient Near East literature. There was a time when the Bible, and the Israelite religion was different from its neighboring societies.Read MoreMs Paul2146 Words   |  9 PagesBible Among the Myths Malcom College English 093 Ms. Smith 01/23/2012 Introduction The book is an analysis of the Biblical view of the world and compares it other works in the Ancient Near East of that time with the development of the Bible. This is done by an in-depth analysis of the underlying beliefs inherent in mythology and the Biblical text. Of primary significance is the authors portrayal of the Biblical insistence on monotheism and divine transcendence compared to the polytheisticRead MoreThe Gods Of The Ancient World1105 Words   |  5 Pagesdirectly in the King James Version of the Bible, such as Ashtoreth, Diana and Lilith. Although, the word ‘prostitute’ exists only once (Lev 19:29), still, prostitution happens to be identified with various words; such as â€Å"whore(s), whoredom(s). harlot(s), pollute or polluted;† (which can mean prostitute) that encounters being mentioned frequently. The prophets of the Bible warned regarding whoring after other gods and goddesses and the cult prostitutes developed among the numerous idols the Israelites lustedRead MoreThe Convictions Of A Person s Convictions910 Words   |  4 PagesThis is a list of rules, self-defined rules. We adapt to those rules and expect others to do the same. Next is libertinism. Libertinism, is explained as taking liberties. We take liberties in that the Bible has not directly forbidden specific things so we are not breaking any rules by doing them. Among these limits are four convictions to avoid. They are convictions that are little more than superstition, convictions that attract attention for a selfish ego, convictions generated by an unwillingnessRead MoreThe Cyclops Scene In Flannery OConnors Good Country People1508 Words   |  7 Pageswhat it literally is. Symbolism helps the reader remember the ideas or characters a writer wants the reader to remember. This is true for Good Country People. Good Country People focuses on a young woman named Joy, who has an artificial leg. A Bible seller named Manley Pointer comes into her life, a nd eventually he steals Joy’s artificial leg. Flannery O’Connor, the author of Good Country People, was a boarder of Robert and Sally Fitzgerald (Alexander 2016). Robert Fitzgerald is known as oneRead MoreThe Myth Of Epic Of Gilgamesh 1879 Words   |  8 PagesHistory 10 Professor Chrissanthos 4 October, 2016 From Myth to Religion The Sumerian myth â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh† is known to be the oldest written fictional story of all time. The original script, discovered on 12 clay tablets in ancient Sumeria, covers the adventures of a real historical figure (Ralph): the Sumarian King of Uruk, who lived sometime between the years 2750 and 2500 B.C. (Epic) The adventures of Gilgamesh were so popular among the people of that era (the earliest written versions ofRead MoreThe Core Essence Of Servant Leadership From A Biblical Perspective1605 Words   |  7 Pages‘Servant Leadership’ from a Biblical perspective, which might be able to provide practical, theological, and hermeneutical insights in order to develop leadership competency and a healthy prosperous ministry, as oppose to the current secular ‘leadership’ myths and fascination in our church, culture and society. Admittedly, over the years I have always admired and strived to adopt a servant leader attitude in all my endeavo rs. Equally, the paper will reflect on ‘Servant Leadership’ through the lens of Jesus

How Truth Was Defined By Medieval Europeans - 1696 Words

Eric Green Urban British Literature 1st 3 December 2015 How Truth Was Defined By Medieval Europeans In life majority of people believe telling the truth is the correct way of living. Truth has endured the world throughout time and is seemingly unanswerable to those who do not understand it because this subject appears in every culture. Truth goes along with universal questions such as what is beauty, justice, and power. And love but none have a direct answer because they are all dependent on the culture they are currently being described in. Even within these cultures these questions have different answers because of the various regions; for example medieval Europe had multiple cultures that traversed throughout everywhere and caused truth to be defined by the beliefs of that region. Medieval Europe lasted from the 5th to the 15th century and began with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire causing this time to become known as the dark ages because the great civilizations of Rome and Greece had been conquered. Very few people during this time could read or write and because of a lack of knowledge. Medieval Europeans used their superstitious beliefs to explain the world around them. Because of how Medieval Europe was set up the definition of truth was very general compared to smaller civilizations. In the United States today we have fused other cultures’ definitions of truth into our own and thus make our definition of truth divergent from medieval Europe. AmericanShow MoreRelatedNational Identity Over the Course of Time: Peter Sahlins Essay972 Words   |  4 Pagesthroughout history have always sought to define who they are as a collective whole. Over the course of time, it was this that helped bind nations together through a collective sense of national identity and belonging. Although there are some set definitions that people use to define who collectively are, such as their own language and national history, this is not the only explanation of how groups of people have conceived who they are. In reality, communities have primarily conceived who they are byRead MoreHistorical And Philosophical Movement Of The Renaissance1596 Words   |  7 Pages14th century. The renaissance profoundly affected European Intellectual life through the introduction of different perspectives, ideas, innovations, literature, art, science, religion among many other aspects that continue to shape modern philosophy. By focusing, on ideas presented by Southern, Petrarch, and Burckhardt I will argue that the historical and philosophical movement of the renaissance progressed the writings and concerns of the medieval times through the emergence of humanism and freeRead MoreIn defense of the Indians by Las Casas and On the Cannibals by Montaigne1345 Words   |  6 Pagesto overpower majority and take control. This is the situation which occurred between the Natives and the Europeans during the 1513 conquest. The Spanish Conquest of Central and South America and the voyage to the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492 brought the Spanish crown a great amount of wealth. The native inhabitants which resided in the Americas prior to the discovery, saw what was once their home being taken away from them and being completely devoured by the Conquistas. In Defense ofRead MoreA World Lit Only By Fire800 Words   |  4 Pagesimpartial. It is structured into three separate sections: The Medieval Mind, The Shattering and One Man Alone. The first section effectively talks about the substantial events that occurred in the year 500; this includes the fall of the Roman Empire and the reasons that lie behind its fall. Manchester continues on by speaking of the Dark Ages that instantaneously followed the collapse of the Roman Empire. He speaks of the Black Death and how Europe experienced multiple â€Å"climatic changes†, such as severeRead MorePluralism As An Ethical Imperative For A Democratic Communication1126 Words   |  5 PagesPluralism as an ethical imperative for a democratic communication The concepts of civil rights and citizenship are rooted in the Enlightenment and the liberal revolutions of the 18th Century, in which the individual was at the core of the intellectual, philosophical, and political concern. 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Controlling Communicable Disease

Questions: 1.Description of the communicable disease (causes, symptoms, mode of transmission, complications, treatment) and the demographic of interest (mortality, morbidity, incidence, and prevalence). 2.Describe the determinants of health and explain how those factors contribute to the development of this disease. 3.Discuss the epidemiologic triangle as it relates to the communicable disease you have selected. Include the host factors, agent factors (presence or absence), and environmental factors. (The textbook describes each element of the epidemiologic triangle). 4.Explain the role of the community health nurse (case finding, reporting, data collecting, data analysis, and follow-up). 5.Identify at least one national agency or organization that addresses the communicable disease chosen and describe how the organization(s) contributes to resolving or reducing the impact of disease. Answer: 1. Introduction Healthcare service providers are highly concerned about the communicable infectious diseases. The unhealthy and indiscipline life style of modern human beings lead to several different kind of diseases, most of which are infectious and communicable through one person to another person. There are several communication diseases such as chicken pox, tuberculosis, hepatitis B, HIV etc. Among them HIV is the most critical diseases, which become the main headache of the health care service provides, because HIV is increasingly spreading in the society. HIV is mainly spreading by the means of risky sexual behaviour as well as unprotected sex; due to unprotected sex the HIV virus enter to the non-HIV person from the HIV person. This is a fatal disease, which destroy the immune system of the human beings. There are several determinants, which accelerate the growth of the diseases in our society, such social and cultural background, economic factor, which influences the peoples to perform this type of unruly, risky and unprotected sex and that are main cause of HIV. The community nurses play vital role in the treatment of the HIV, several organizations also put great emphasis in preventing as well as treatment of the HIV patients Description of the disease HIV causes one of the most critical diseases called AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.HIV is the abbreviation of human immunodeficiency virus. If once in life you have HIV, it will be with you for the rest of your life (Noah, N. 2006). It is a typical blood borne disease, which transmits during sexual intercourse, it also can occur during breast-feeding and during the birth process.HIV disease can occur if one has the infection with HIV 2 OR HIV 1They are both retrovirus and they belong to the Retroviridae family. Scientists believe that a kind of chimpanzee in the region of West Africa is the source of HIV in human. That is why according to the research it can be, said that HIV may have come from apes to human beings. There are no specific physical findings to HIV. Manifestations may include the following points. Generalized lymphadenopathy may be, referred as a presenting symptom and it is very common too. Flulike illness, malaise, generalized rash are the acute manifestations HIV virus destroys the cells of the human body. It destroys the immunities power of the body. 2. Description of the determinants Many factors can affect the health of communities and individuals. The factors such as genetics, locality, the state environment, relationships with family and friend and income and education levels all have substantial impact on health. The determinants of health are: The economic and social environment, The physical environment, The behaviour and characteristic of the individuals The health disparities in sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/Aids are, linked to complex bend economic and social determinates. HIV can be, developed under various conditions, all around world with the consequent variations in the rate of transmission and mode of transmission. In the developed countries men who have sex with the men after that needle sharing the drug user is increasingly concentrated in marginalized and poor sectors of population. The structural and social intervention that focuses on the education, job security, housing, health services, social and income exclusion are addressed to the root cause of the HIV vulnerability. The physical environment can also leads to development of HIV is closely tied to the employment conditions. The people who have low level income can put them to higher risk of exposure to the contaminants that are harmful to the health. 3. Discuss epidemiologic triangle According to the epidemiologic triangle of Aids distinguishes the determinants into three levels, which includes individual, social and structural. The individual aspect can be, described based on the biologic, demographic and behavioural risk factor, which can influence the risk of transmission and progression of AIDS in the society. The social level in the epidemiologic process includes the essential pathways by which the society and system of network structures link individuals to society (Bennett, L., Searl, S. 1982). The system of network is at the centre of understanding the perceptive of diffusion and discrepancy division of HIV/AIDS in the residents of the subgroups. The structural factor mainly related to the social and economic factor of the population along with the established laws and policies in order to avoid issues related to this communicable disease. The Cultural context, social networks, neighbourhood effects and social capital are the important social level facto rs in HIV/AIDS epidemiology. There are five main categories of structural-level factors; they are legal structures, the policy environment, structural violence and discrimination, war and militarization and demographic change. Role of community nurse Collection of the data, case finding and analysis of the data related to the cause and prevention of HIV disease is very crucial for the nurses. There are certain principles followed in nursing for the treatment of HIV. The nurses should have the ability to identify the desired stage of illness of the disease. Proper data should be, collected related to the cause of the diseases. Complete analysis is very crucial and it should be, executed with the help of the doctors as well as the professionals of the health care centres. Appropriate methods should be, adopted by the nurses related to the finding of the cause of the disease. Nurses should execute their proper skills for the treatment of the patients. There should be proper food choice provided to the patients from the nurses as well as there should be proper washing of the hands of patients as it is a communicable disease. There should be proper preventive measures guided from the nurses to the patients relating to the spraying of this disease. Analysis of the data helps in proper identification of the disease and helps to provide proper solution to the disease (Hawker, J. 2005). 4. Organization that address the communicable disease CDC helps in providing perfect resolution for the prevention of the HIV disease. The organization implements advanced technical methods in the prevention of this disease. First of all the organization identifies the occurring of this disease. Then it implements various methods of effective treatment and provides proper guidance to the patients related to the food choice and proper washing of the hands. These methods help in not spraying of the disease to the other people. It provides resolution to the patients related to HIV meditations, prevention programs and provides guidance related to high risk of the disease. Screening as well as treatment of the disease HIV plays a vital role in curing of this particular disease. Conclusion HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus is the virus that affects a human being to suffer from AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. In this disease the symptom worsens as the infection increases. HIV affecting the person in the fluids of the body causing the disease to spread from one person to another as the person comes in contract through passing the blood or through sexual contact. The social determinant of the disease is huge as this disease is not accepted in the society. There are activities conducted by NGOs providing knowledge about the disease and ways the patients should be, treated. Even the discrimination between different classes or sections of society effects the treatment of the disease. This disease is infectious bringing the triangle or the three corners as; Agent, Host and Environment. The Epidemiologic Triangle should be broken in order to stop the continuation of the disease. The roles of the community nurses are to spread awareness of the disease in the family members, friends and the community. References Noah, N. (2006). Controlling communicable disease. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press.Hawker, J. (2005). Communicable disease control handbook (2nd ed.). Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Pub.Bennett, L., Searl, S. (1982). Communicable disease handbook. New York: Wiley.