50 Synonyms for Villain

50 Synonyms for Villain 50 Synonyms for â€Å"Villain† 50 Synonyms for â€Å"Villain† By Mark Nichol The store of synonyms for villain is so well stocked that it seems, well, villainous to employ that relatively colorless word in favor of many worthy substitutes especially in humorous contexts. Here’s a roster of appropriate alternatives. 1. Baddie: a bad person, especially a villain or a villain’s underling in a novel, a film, or a television program (usually lighthearted) 2. Beast: a reprehensible person, especially one with coarse, violent habits 3. Black sheep: an amoral, dishonorable person 3. Blackguard: a reprehensible person 4. Brute: a violent person 5. Bully: a violent person, especially one who intimidates or hurts weaker people 6. Cad: a thoughtless, uncaring man 7. Caitiff: a coward or a reprehensible person 8. Cutthroat: a vicious person 9. Dastard: a coward, or a deceitful or treacherous person 10. Desperado: a criminal, especially in the Old West 11. Devil: an evil person 12. Evildoer: a person who commits evil acts 13. Fiend: a malicious or wicked person; alternatively, an addict, a fanatic, or a person extraordinary talented at something 14. Fink: a reprehensible person (lighthearted) 15. Goon: a man who intimidates, injures, or kills in the service of another 16. Heavy: see baddie (more serious in connotation than its close synonym) 17. Heel: a reprehensible person 18. Henchman: a subordinate to a villain; alternatively, a right-hand man 19. Hoodlum: see bully 20. Hooligan: see bully 21. Hound: a reprehensible person; alternatively, an avid collector or searcher 22. Knave: a deceitful person 23. Malefactor: one who treats another person poorly or commits a crime 24. Meanie: an unkind person (lighthearted) 25. Miscreant: a criminal or a violent person; alternatively, a heretic 26. Monster: an extremely wicked person; alternatively, a cruel or deformed person 27. Ne’er-do-well: a worthless person 28. Outlaw: a fugitive from justice 29. Rapscallion: a dishonest or mean-spirited person; also, a mischievous person (often lighthearted, as are most of its close synonyms) 30. Rascal: see rapscallion 31. Reprobate: a depraved person 32. Rogue: a dishonest or reprehensible person; also, a mischievous person, or a vagrant 33. Rough: a violent person 34. Rowdy: see rough 35. Ruffian: see bully 36. Savage: see brute 37. Scalawag: see rapscallion 38. Scamp: see rapscallion 39. Scapegrace: see rapscallion 40. Scofflaw: a person who flouts laws 41. Scoundrel: see rapscallion 42. Serpent: a treacherous person 43. Shark: a devious person 44. Snake: see serpent 45. Thug: a violent person, often in the employ of another 46. Tough: see rough 47. Varlet: see knave 48. Villainness: a female villain 49. Viper: see serpent 50. Wretch: a reprehensible person; alternatively, a miserable person Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:25 Subordinating Conjunctions26 Feel-Good WordsHow to Write a Proposal

Odyssey Book IV - Summary of the Events

Odyssey Book IV - Summary of the Events Odyssey Study Guide Contents Telemachus and Pisistratus arrive at the court of Menelaus and Helen where they are welcomed, bathed, oiled, dressed, and feasted even though the royal couple is making their childrens wedding preparations. After they eat Menelaus hazards a guess that they are the sons of kings. He says that few among mortals have as much wealth as he although he has also lost much, including men; the one whose loss he most laments is Odysseus. He doesnt know whether Odysseus is dead or alive but when he sees how moved Telemachus is, he silently deduces that he is the son Odysseus left in Ithaca as a baby. Helen comes in and voices Menelaus suspicion. More stories bring more tears until Helen doses the wine with a pharmacopeia from magical Egypt. Helen talks about how Odysseus disguised himself to get inside Troy where only Helen recognized him. Helen helped him and said that she regretfully longed to be with the Greeks. Then Menelaus tells about Odysseus work with the wooden horse and how Helen almost undid it all by tempting the men inside to call out to her. Telemachus says its time to sleep, so he and Pisistratus sleep outside in the colonnade while the royal couple goes to their indoor bedroom. At dawn, Menelaus sits beside Telemachus. Menelaus asks why Telemachus came to Lacedaemon. Telemachus tells him about the suitors, which Menelaus says is shameful and Odysseus would do something about if he were there. Menelaus then tells Telemachus what he knows about Odysseus fate, which involves the story of meeting Proteus, the Old Man of the Sea, at Pharos. Proteus daughter, Eidothea, tells Menelaus to take 3 men (whom she covers with sheep skin) and wait until her father has finished counting his seals and fallen asleep. Then Menelaus is to grab Proteus and hold on regardless of whether Proteus becomes a lion, a boar, water, or fire. Only when Proteus stops morphing and starts asking questions should Menelaus let go and ask him how he can get out of Egypt. After gaining the necessary information about sacrifices and doubling back down the Nile, from Proteus, Menelaus inquires about Odysseus and learns he is being held by Calypso. Menelaus asks Telemachus to stay a while so he can gather together gifts. Telemachus says he wants to get going on his quest, but appreciates the gift offers. Theres only one problem, Ithaca is ill-suited to horses, so could he please exchange the kind offer of horses for something else? Menelaus agrees and thinks well of him for asking. Back in Ithaca, the man who lent the ship to Telemachus wants it back and asks the suitors if they know when it will return. This is the first the suitors know that Telemachus is gone. Penelope also hears about it for the first time and is distraught. She questions Eurycleia who dissuades Penelope from notifying old Laertes about his grandsons departure. The suitors plan to ambush and murder Telemachus on his return. They sail out to wait in a cove. Penelope is comforted by a dream phantom of her sister, Iphthime, to reassure her of Telemachus divine protection. Book III Summary|Book V Read a Public Domain translation of Odyssey Book IV. Odyssey Study Guide Contents This book suggests that Helen may have gone willingly to Troy and then later regretted her decision. Menelaus may not have entirely forgiven her. He changes the topic from her helpfulness towards the Greeks in her narrative about Odysseus to the related one of the men inside the horse who are tempted by her voice to call out to her. It is not clear why it matters whether Menelaus makes it back before Orestes does to kill Aegisthus, murderer of Agamemnon. Proteus tells Menelaus that because he is the husband of Helen, who is the daughter of Zeus, he will end up in a good spot in the afterlife, in the Elysian Fields. Telemachus had told his nurse Eurycleia about his plan but hadnt wanted his mother to know for fear she let on too soon. He had good reason as her tearful behavior shows. Had the suitors known any earlier, they might have killed him before he had accomplished anything. Mentor was recognized in the ship in which Telemachus set sail, but he was also seen in town. This doesnt present a problem. It is simply assumed that one, presumably the one with Telemachus, is a god in Mentor-disguise. Telemachus didnt turn down a present but asked if he could have something else instead because the present was unsuitable. I dont think we do that very much today because we are afraid of hurting feelings, but perhaps people today would react as Menelaus did perfectly amenable to replacing it with another. Near the start of the book, the familiar theme of hospitality creeps up. Menelaus is prepping for weddings, but when he hears there are strangers on his shore, he insists that they be properly entertained, and all, of course, before he questions his visitors. Odyssey in English Odyssey Study Guide Contents Telemachus - Son of Odysseus who was left as a baby when Odysseus went off 20 years earlier to fight in the Trojan War. Menelaus - king of Sparta and brother of Agamemnon. When Menelaus married Helen, a promise was extracted from all the rejected suitor-princes that they would come to the aid of Menelaus should anyone try to abduct her. Helen - daughter of Zeus and wife of Menelaus. Paris took her to Troy and the Greeks came to take her back, fighting the Trojan War over her. On her return, she and her husband Menelaus are long delayed in Egypt where Helen learns some of the magical properties of herbs. Pisistratus - Youngest son of Nestor. Younger brother of Trojan War fighters Antilochus and Thrasymedes. Pisistratos accompanies Telemachus on his journey. Proteus - the Old Man of the Sea. He herds seals and can change into any form. Menelaus has to hold onto him no matter what shape he changes into. His daughter is Eidothea, who not only helps Menelaus against her father, but s laughters four seals in order to provide covering for the men. Penelope - the faithful wife of Odysseus who has been keeping the suitors at bay. Iphthime - sister of Penelope, daughter of Lord Icarius and bride of Eumulus. A phantom of her is sent to comfort Penelope. Eurycleia - the old faithful servant who kept Telemachus secret when he left Ithaca and didnt want his mother to let on to the suitors. Antinous - The ringleader suitor who is approached for information about the ship Telemachus borrowed. He gathers together the suitors chosen to ambush and murder Telemachus. Profiles of Some of the Major Olympian Gods Involved in the Trojan War Poseidon Zeus Athena Notes on Book IV

Entrepreneurial Action Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Entrepreneurial Action - Coursework Example Future Plans 10 14. Funding request 10 15. Exit strategies 10 Executive Summary Solo Pasta Restaurant is a pasta restaurant located on Holloway Road 7N. The business is owned by four partners that contributed equally to fund the business. Our aim is to grow the business seeing profits in the first year and build recognition and awareness of the business. Ultimately we plan to expand into other markets. Competition is mainly from fast food eateries i.e. McDonalds and a new business that will compete directly with us. Business Idea Concept Solo Pasta Restaurant will serve a variety of pasta, sauces, vegetables and meat. Our service will be unique in that the customers can design his pasta bowl with whatever they want on the pasta. It will seat forty (40) patrons and employ four (4) employees. The planned target market would be first students, because of the location and working adults, as these are the two groups of people that eat out the most. Solo Pasta will offer a twenty percent ( 20%) discount to college students. Solo Pasta will employ skilled workers that can provide for fast friendly service and produce quality foods. In addition to the pasta dishes, Solo Pasta will offer hot drinks and breakfast baguettes. Mission Solo Pasta Restaurant’s mission is to provide quality products with fast friendly service. ... Objectives Solo Pastas objective is to breakeven or post a profit in the first year of operations. We also want to gain 30% of the targeted markets by the end of the first year of operations. SWOT Analysis Strengths Solo Pasta was first to open at its location and it has already began to develop a loyal clientele. Many of the same customers stop in for coffee or tea and breakfast baguettes day after day, and the same is true of our lunch and dinner clientele. Many of our customers have taken advantage of our promotions of free coffee and twenty percent (20%) student discounts. Financially Solo Pasta is exceeding the breakeven point on a daily basis as of the second month of operation. Furthermore we offer a unique product and service by allow customers to design the contents of their pasta bowls. Solo pasta has above average quality of product and excels in customer service. Additionally our location is a benefit as we are in the heart of north campus and close to the tube on Hollowa y Road. Weaknesses Solo Pasta utilizes no outside funding. This limits the amount that can be spent on advertising. Solo Pasta has a limited number of seating capacity. Presently, Solo Pasta does not offer a carry out service. Opportunities Solo Pasta could seek out investors to increase the amount of funds available for advertising. Solo Pasta could develop a carry out service to increase number of daily customers they could serve. Solo Pasta could run additional promotions to increase sales. Solo Pasta could advertise on local or collegiate television and radio stations. Threats Solo Pasta face a threat from the new restaurant that just opened. The threats posed by the new restaurant, unlike other eateries on Holloway, serve

Legal Policies and Procedures to Refer a Student with a Perceived Essay

Legal Policies and Procedures to Refer a Student with a Perceived Impairment for Evaluation - Essay Example The assessments that are done and the parental meetings between school administrations and the family are a central part of helping children gain a good and solid educational experience. The conclusion defines that without the implementation of IDEA many years ago there would still be many children missing out on the right to learn in a public environment. It also concludes that although there are still many issues that need to be worked out it is a positive influence in the educational system and does make a difference for many special needs children and the families. IDEA was first initiated in 1975 in order to provide all children the right to a public education in the United States (Department of Education 1997). The history can relatively speak for itself because before IDEA's implementation into the educational system there was no place for special needs children and they were left shut out of the school system. Research defines the approximate percentage of young people who were facing disclusion to have been at 1 million and then another 100,000 did not receive the appropriate services that they desperately needed (Department of Education 1997). ... Now those with learning disabilities and other special needs have excelled in the public schooling environment and have gone on to colleges and universities all around the world. They have definitely surpassed what legislators and other policy makers had ever thought they had the ability of achieving so these are all very positive things. When a truly in-depth comparison is done one can see how way back in the seventies when children were often housed in institutions, today they have made great strides. Today, three times the number of children that were in those state institutions have developed the knowledge and social skills to be able to go on to college and many people with several disabilities now have opportunities to work in public environments where beforehand they did not (Department of Education 1997). Obviously it is remarkable how certain policies and specialized programs can make a difference in thousands of people's lives. The Six Key Components of the Original IDEA When President Ford initially signed this program into the United States Educational system there existed six original components of it that laid out the strategic framework and clearly defined eligibility and other requirements that were a fundamental part of it (Associated Content 2006). The first section of the 1975 IDEA act was titled, "Entitlements and Allocations" (Associated Content 2006). This area was meant to bring about a way to implement the program into the system in the most logical fashion possible. Many of those that had been involved with the induction of this program had to work to find ways to bring cohesion into the public school system utilizing a humanitarian proposal that allowed for all students

Storm on the Island Essay Example for Free

Storm on the Island Essay The poets, who wrote the four poems in question, all put forward their personal views upon the aspect(s) of nature which their pieces are themed around. In Seamus Heaneys poem, Storm on the Island, the theme is implied simply in the title. Heaneys poem explores the effects a storm has upon island dwellers where there is no natural shelter. He relates how weak and defenceless we humans are compared to these natural happenings. The way in which we are forced to shelter and protect ourselves from this nothing which has the power and might to change everything in our lives. The unmistakable sense of peoples fear of natures fury is shown throughout the poem. Human and Nature seem to be at war with each other- nature versus man- with Nature the dominant adversary but humans still grimly hanging on. The two sides almost appear to be at a stalemate. For try as it might, the storm has not beaten man- and man can only find means to protect himself- being too weak to retaliate. Heaney presents the storm as an unwanted and vicious foe but does recognize Natures absolute and unrivalled power. Nature is shown to be brutal, strong and overpowering- without mercy to the island dwellers. The other post 1914 poem- The Field Mouse by Gillian Clarke, presents a view which totally opposes Heaneys idea of Nature dominating over man and man being the victim. In fact it completely reverses the idea and has instead man being the one at fault, and shows Natures innocent beings (e. g. the field mouse) as the ones who suffer because of our stupidity and greed. It portrays how the innocence of the vulnerable is shattered by stronger forces through the story of a field mouse fatally injured by a harvester. She presents humans as the tyranny- the plague of nature- destroyers of lives, beauty and innocence through our greed, arrogance and selfish ignorance to the people and things around us- nature as the wronged- the helpless- the meek. Clarkes poem compared to the less descriptive- though just as effective Storm on the Island are very similar in theme, as both concentrate on the seeming battle between man and nature- though the poets are in different minds on who is the most destructive. Heaney concentrates on the natural occurrences that disrupt and destruct peoples lives- but are unavoidable- whereas Clarke focuses on the destruction and consequences Humans force upon nature and the innocent. The actions which are not unavoidable and could easily be averted. Each of the four poems are set out in different styles and structure to add to the overall effect of the poems. Storm on the Island is mostly blank verse. Twenty lines without rhyme, but which is structured in strict iambic pentameter of 10 beats per line. This produces an almost methodical and solemn rhythm to the poem which adds to the seriousness of the situation the Island dwellers find themselves in, for if they did not devise methods of protecting themselves from Natures fury, it could be fatal to them. The field mouse however differs. Gillian Clarke sectioned the poem into three stanzas beginning, middle and end. The first stanza introduces the separate scenes of haymaking and war and compares the two. Though haymaking initially is thought of to be a peaceful and naturalistic event, Clarke manages to turn usually innocent images into deadly, warlike scenes.E. g. summer, the long grass is a snare drum. When the idea of summer is presented, we generally perceive a warm, happy peaceful time- as with long grass, we think naturalistic scenes. Long grass is home to plenty of creatures- snakes, rabbits, pheasants, mice etc. As it is home to many creatures and it is therefore considered a safe haven for them. However, Clarke dispels this idea and instead of having it safe, has it a snare drum. Snare- entrapping, harsh- warlike. Drum conjures up the idea of marching to war- the drums in the background providing the solemn funeral like March. The 2nd stanza introduces the mouse injured by their hay making- caught in the tractors blade. An innocent creature killed because of humans. Due to the underlying images and hints of war in the previous stanza, our minds are tuned to this idea of war destroying the innocent, so when given a mouse killed by humans, we think of the innocent civilians who are caught in the crossfire of the war in Europe who have nothing to do with the conflict but ironically due to being neutral are hurt. The third stanza portrays the consequences of our actions upon nature- Before the days gone, the field lies bleeding, The dusk garden inhabited by the saved, voles, frogs, a nest of mice. It disconcertingly again tunes our minds to human war- the refugees fleeing their homes to escape death or injury. The destruction and woe that war brings- the field lies bleeding- And again our poisonous actions on nature. The poem is highly metaphorical- using combinations of varied linguistic devices to achieve its end ambition of procuring a sense of guilt and remorse in the reader. Metaphors and personification (e. g. the field lies bleeding) are used with great skill- blending two similar stories into one. By using a simple field mouse injured by a harvester in summer to represent innocent civilians casualties caused by caught in the cross fire of a war they play no part in, she evokes feelings of pity and shame inside the reader which then also transfers on to the civilians. She also produces scenes of natural innocence and transforms them into images desecrated by human hands (e. g. a child running through killed flowers and the death of the mouse) to embed her point of our contamination and cruelty upon nature and its creations. Her choice of language is also highly emotive and the feelings of shame and guilt rest largely upon her language. Perhaps this is merely a coincidence, but I received the impression, that the two pre 1914 poems were much more idyllic nature wise and were more centred upon the beauty and creations, whereas the other two struck me to be more about human interference with nature and the affect nature has on human lives. This is almost definitely due to the huge world wars of 1914 onwards which took place and the after shocks which followed. Though this is only a guess, it would explain the rather sudden change on the outlook of our lives and nature. Millions of people had died suffered and had had their homes destroyed- creating misery, devastation and thousands of refugees. Storm on the Island even has some likeness to the Blitz. Having to build improved safer shelters to protect themselves from the bombardment and rage of the storm reminds us rather of people having to build air raid shelters and take refuge in the underground to protect themselves from the deadly bombings in world war two.

God is the Key to Happiness :: Happiness Essays

Who do you think has the best life on the earth? People with a lot of money, or people who are famous? When I was ten years old, I used to think that people who have money, just like Bill Gates, have the best lives on the earth. But then when I got older, I thought that people who are famous and also have money are the ones with the best lives on this earth, Just like LeBron James. In the age of thirteen, I used to dream that I was going to have one of these lives in the future and I can become someone like LeBron James. But what should have been a wonderful dream was turned into a personal fear and disaster of losing a friend and classmate, Just after my teacher asked one of my classmates and my friends that what do you want from god to give you as a Christmas present, and my friend answered: nothing because he had everything that a young boy dreams to have: a big house, lot of money, sport cars and expensive toys. He was from a rich family and his parents did not care of what he was doing or where he was, they just gave him as much money as he wanted to do anything he wanted. He was someone really famous in our school and people wished to have a life like him. But this dream did not last so long after we found out that he is not in school for a week. Our teacher said as he was going to read the prayer in the morning: let?s pray for John as he is having some hard time in the hospital right now. Every single person in our class was shocked because of John. No body could believe that such an amazing life can turn to a disaster. John, the happiest person on the earth, who said that he does not need anything in his life got in trouble with a deadly disease which could cause death in few months, he got in trouble with blood cancer in his early life and doctors told his parents that he was not going to survive more than 2 months. I imagined the time that John told our teacher that he does not need anything and he is the happiest man on the earth which was kind of right by that time, just like Magic Johnson when he was talking to media about his life.

Global Financial Crisis Essay

The global financial crisis started to demonstrate its effects in the mid of 2007 and continued in 2008. Around the world a large number of the financial institutions collapsed, stocks fell and the entire world was under stress. The crisis unraveled in the USA, UK and then spread around the world. This meltdown of the financial systems will affect the lives of almost everyone around the globe. The genesis of the financial crisis was the collapse of the US sub-prime mortgages. Many people defaulted on their repayments of these loans. Basically, a sub-prime mortgage is a type of a loan made to borrowers who do not have a good credit history and are unable to qualify for the high interest rates in the market. It has a diversified product range from mortgages to car loans to credit cards. These loans started out in 2001 when the interest rates were historically lowest in US. At that time, the demand for the real estate was on high because of these low interest rates. The builders kept on investing in the construction of the houses even though the demand for property saw a decline after a while. Due to this huge boom, the property became so over valued that it saw the worse decline in prices in 2006 (University of Iowa, 2008). This made most of the investors and leaders became unwilling to refinance the sub-prime loans and were strict in their policies. This raised the interest payments which some of the investors were unable to afford. Hence more and more people stared defaulting. Around 3. 6 million home owners lost their homes due to the mortgage defaults. There have been around $100 billion worth of Sub-prime mortgage leans defaults from the low-credit worth people. At the same time, the world saw the world stock prices falling in most of the places which made large number hedge funds insignificant. This collapse in demand for the securities which were backing the sub-prime mortgages forced 90 of the firms into declaring bankruptcy (Acharya, 2007). These crises in the sub-prime mortgage and the declining world stock prices led to the global financial crisis in July 2007. Investors had also over indulged themselves in the sophisticated financial instruments such as the derivatives thinking they were reducing the risk associated with the assets. As people started earning money through it, they started taking more risk and hence earning more money. The real problem arose when the market turned towards speculative in nature. This means that with each loss the investor went with more risk to cover up the earlier losses and earn a higher profit. The financial instrument that the bank expected to will reduce its risk created the greatest problems for it. This is how the derivatives became a problem in the current world and one of the causes of the destruction of the banks around the globe (Shah, 2009). This shattered the confidence of the investors. People now did not want to buy the assets or securities but they wanted their money back. Therefore, this created a crisis situation for the investor confidence around the globe. The western economies were also affected by the process of securitization. It is a process by which the financial assets are backed by the real assets through the use of instruments such as the derivatives. The sub-prime mortgages were risky and under rated when compared in isolation but as soon as these loans were gathered together with other debts to diversify risk, they become more attractive and over-rated. Soon when the stocks fell in the international market, most of the securities lost their value. This caused a large deficiency in the capital of the banks and therefore, they were forced to tighten their credit policies around the world. For example: Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy on September 15, 2008. It was the largest bankruptcy filed in the US history because it held a major share of the assets in the US. Its share value had fallen to less than $1. The bank had given out excess amount of the sub-prime mortgage loans which were backed by securities but it had no way to pay back the depositors. It had started facing severe problems when the credit policy was tightened across the world. Sine they were refused to be bailed out, they had filed for bankruptcy with the US government. This had a direct effect on almost all the banks in the US and abroad that were holding the assets of the Lehman Brothers and hence this caused a ripple effect globally. The whole world was affected with the sub-prime mortgage defaults because the world is a global village now and all the businesses in it are inter-related with each other. The credit housing market had indirectly affected all the other markets around the globe. The lenders developed strict policies for the credit facilities and hence decreasing the consumer spending. Demand for the goods and services decreases, profits declines and hence less investment and production. This leads to the layoffs, less household income and therefore less consumer spending. Due to the financial crisis, it is estimated that approximately 80 million people could be forced to live in poverty. The developing economies will be experiencing slow growth rates due to the decline in the export demand. This is due to the diminishing demand of the goods and services globally (Hodgson, 2007). The world GDP is expected to grow at a rate of 0. 5% which is slowest since World War II. The global financial crisis that unraveled in 2007 did expose some serious flaws in the regulations internationally as well as domestically and the global financial system. The major cause of the global financial meltdown is the weak regulatory mechanisms, inadequate transparency, insufficient competition and poorly designed incentive structures. The banking system in the US is the most unregulated sector of the financial institutions. It could create and sell many diversified products making them look secure and attractive. When the loans were being given out, there was very little risk analysis being done and that also with the imprecise and inaccurate data and models. The strict regulation of the sub-prime mortgage and low interest loans would have reduced the chances of the financial meltdown. In the US there is no notion of a central bank that controls the other financial institutions such as the insurance companies, mortgage banks and banks. The US federal government preferred self regulation of the financial institutions under the rule of Chairman Alan Greenspan. This provided for the relaxed and simple environment where different institutions came together to produce and flood the market with sophisticated and diversified products and made them look very attractive and safe. The investors invested in these banks as they did not have the right information about the negative consequences which were never released. This type of policy does result in growth but at the same time it also results in mismanagement and less control. Most of the firms present in the world were resistant to bring any change in themselves which would otherwise have brought strong competition in the market. The people have now called for better regulation and reforms for the financial sector both internationally and domestically. They want the developing nations to have some voice in the formation of these policies and shaping up the global economy. The simple and well designed policies will be easy to implement. They will protect the financial institutions in the short run and bring innovation and diversification in the products in the long run. The most important is that the banking sector in the USA needs to be regulated heavily by a central bank. They should be regulated in a way that they have the minimum required amount of deposits. The Bank of England deputy governor Sir John Gieve suggests that the capital and the liquidity requirements for the bank should be increased and made stricter along with the tough restraints on the building up of the risk. At the same time, the loans should be made difficult to get in good times. These banks need to provide the investors with the adequate information when they are making their decisions. The rating agencies in USA as well as around the world must have stricter reforms and should be heavily regulated so that they properly rate the assets using appropriate models and data. It is also suggestive that there should be a single international rating agency that will rate the assets worldwide. The IMF and the World Bank reforms will play an important role in the future. They need to go about a structural change in their policies because their â€Å"one fit all solution† was a disaster for the developing economies. They had earlier realized that the financial crisis in the developed world will sweep into the developing world and harm it further. Even then they were unable to find a clear solution. Therefore, they need to change their policies and must include the say of the poorer nation while making the new policies. The international bodies and the banks need to be more transparent in their operations and the enforcement of policies so that there no further objections rose to it (Shah, 2009). References Shiller, R. J. (2008) The Sub-prime Solution, Princeton University Press.Fraser, D. , Gup, B. , and J. Kolari (2007) Commercial Banking: The management of risk, John Wiley & Sons, Australia. Heffernan, S. (2005) Modern Banking, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, England. Koch, T. and S. Scott MacDonald (2003) Bank Management, Thomson South Western, OH45040, USA. Laeven, L. and F. Valencia (2008) Systemic Banking Crises: A New Database, International Monetary Fund, Washington. Rose, P. (2002) Commercial Bank Management, McGraw Hill Irwin, Boston. Faber, Marc. â€Å"Gloom & Doom economist: credit crunch will spread. † CNBC 19 May. 2008. Nazar, Yousuf, â€Å"The fall of US financial capitalism. † Dawn 22 September. 2008. Acharya, M. (2007) Credit crunch – the big picture, The Star, http://www. thestar. com/article/247510 [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009] CNBC, (2007) Gloom & Doom Economist: Credit Crunch Will Spread, http://www. cnbc. com/id/24703745 [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009] Credit Crunch, (2007) Crunch Time for Credit? An Inquiry into the State of the Credit System in the United States and Great Britain, http://www. creditcrunch. co. uk/home/article. php? story=20070905083913327 [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009] HM Government, http://www. realhelpnow. gov. uk/credit-crunch-causes-why. php [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009] Hodgson, A. (2007) Global credit crunch: turbulences and outlook, Euro monitor international, http://www. euromonitor. com/Global_credit_crunch_turbulences_and_outlook [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009] Nazar, Y. (2008) The fall of US financial capitalism, Dawn, http://www. dawn. com/2008/09/22/ebr1. htm [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009] Gieve, J (2008) Speech, John Gieve: the credit crunch and the UK economy, http://www. bis. org/review/r080924e. pdf [retrieved on Mar 05, 2009]

Wal-Mart Strategic Audit

Offering products at everyday low prices is one of Wal-Mart’s many strategies. The company value chain helps identify activities associated with how Wal-Mart achieves their many strategies. First, Wal-Mart’s supply chain management is extremely cost effective. For example, Wal-Mart has been known to imitate competition’s successful merchandising concepts. Another cost-effective method in Wal-Mart’s supply chain management is their ability to track the movement of products through the entire value chain. Whether the product is in shipment, in distribution center inventory, in-store inventory or on the shelf, or at the cash register, Wal-Mart can track it in real time. Their capability in streamlining supplies among stores and suppliers has helped them maintain appropriate inventory and track what sells and what doesn’t. Operations and distribution strategies have also helped Wal-Mart achieve low prices. Wal-Mart’s strategy has been to plot stores outside of large cities and within 200 miles of existing stores. Clustering stores together in small areas, Wal-Mart relies on word-of-mouth advertising to win over consumers in larger cities. Because stores are close together, distribution costs are below average. Furthermore, Wal-Mart seeks to meet different customers’ needs with four distinct retail options; these include discount stores, supercenters, Sam’s Clubs, and neighborhood markets. Each store concept has a specific range of store size, total employment, and estimated sales. One of Wal-Mart’s foremost strategies is to provide superior service to customers. Every store has a â€Å"greeter† near the entrance to welcome customers, offer them a shopping cart, and direct them toward where their items are located. Rule number eight in Sam Walton’s 10 Rules for Building a Business is to â€Å"Exceed our customers’ expectations. If you do, they’ll come back over and over. † Alternative Strategies Wal-mart Stores Inc. is known to most as the low price leader but Wal-mart also has a controversial image. Being a multibillion dollar business does not excuse one from problems. Over the years Wal-Mart has been one of the most scrutinized businesses in America. Wal-Mart has had to deal with employee disputes over health benefits, wages, hours, and labor. They have faced opposition from the communities, banks, elected leaders, and unions in many of the small towns they have expanded to. Many argue that Wal-Mart stores can have a negative effect on the community, because Wal-Mart has driven out other local competition by driving the prices down. Some have even gone to great lengths to stop Wal-mart stores from entering their cities. Wal-Mart’s goal is to treat their customers like family while providing them with quality goods at lower prices but Wal-Mart’s image is deflating. Why? What can be done? The challenge facing Wal-Mart, especially in this trying time of economic hardship, is to boost its perceived value to the customer by improving the quality of their goods while keeping themselves differentiated from their competitors. There are several options that Wal-Mart can utilize in order to change their image. There are three significantly different options to follow that Wal-Mart should analyze and take action. One option is Wal-mart needs to target the higher margin, discretionary sales. Different products need to be the center of the marketing efforts, for example more fashionable merchandise. To entice the style conscious advertising should also be shifted to towards the higher margin sales. The second option is unionization. By unionizing a company such as Wal-Mart, the costs would be immense in initial start up while they may balance out future legal costs. If Wal-Mart allowed for unionization, their perceived image will change dramatically. A third option is creating a strategic alliance or a joint venture with local farmers. By creating a new image through marketing or through unionization we now can create a new enticing atmosphere drawing in a diverse consumer. Strategic Evaluation of Alternatives Higher Margin Target Market Wal-Mart has always had a smaller margin 30%, compared with Target at 45%, on discretionary items, like furniture, electronics, sporting goods, entertainment and apparel. Wal-Mart can attract the style conscious consumer a few different ways. One way is by offering high-quality clothing items. This can be done by scouting out up and coming high-end designers at fashion/art schools and working with them to design clothing lines that would appeal to not only the Wal-Mart shoppers but also the urban market consumers to bring in more upscale customers and wider profit margins. Styles and variations can be done by target marketing, by age, income, lifestyles. Then pricing structures and marketing methods can be set up for each dominant market. The pros for this strategy are simple, profit and a diversity among the consumers; attracting a different kind of customer. By attracting this target market you open the door to more crowded stores, possible price increases, and thereby you may find the original Wal-mart consumer shopping elsewhere. Unionization By using a functional strategy to implement unionization, Wal-Mart’s perceived image would change dramatically. They would be viewed publicly as a caring employer that wants to offer the best benefits to its associates, attracting better workers thus creating better customer service and longevity of their associates. Due to the negative publicity that Wal-Mart has encounter about its workers pay and benefits, this would be seen as a positive action. Wal-Mart has had to work hard to clear their name from bad press relating from their business practices, from low pay and stingy health benefits, to ligation issues. Wal-Mart is a multi-billion dollar company where their top executives are some of the richest in the country, however, their employees are barely making minimum wage at the highest, and are facing the harsh reality of being unable to support their families. As a multi-billion dollar company, providing benefits would be a great opportunity for Wal-Mart to help employees and the economy but it will also help revive the company’s current image into something much more positive. A union would help establish and maintain the program plus it would also create team unity which in turn would create a more positive work environment. Not only would it bring more customers to the store, it will cut down on its lawsuits. The introduction of a union may even cut costs because the company would then be held to more strict guidelines, resulting in less legal issues. However, the cost of implementing a union would be great. Employees may also be leery of paying union dues. Strategic Alliance or Joint Venture with local farmers Wal-Mart could expand its business to include partnerships with local farmers utilizing a cooperative strategy, by creating a strategic alliance or a joint venture with local farmers. These local farmers will benefit from the large scale business that Wal-Mart would offer. Wal-Mart by buying locally are reducing their environmental stamp, giving back to the community and enabling their consumers to purchase fresh produce thus creating an image of helping communities. The local farmers could grow produce, including organic, that could be stocked in local locations, advertising this within store with locally grown signs above each product, depicting the location and photo of the farm/farmer would make consumers aware that purchasing these products will benefit their local community. Moving into organic foods will create new challenges for Wal-Mart's well-known supply-chain system. The wholesale organic foods market is made up of many small suppliers selling perishable goods that require complicated handling. Recommended Strategy; Strategic Alliance or Joint Venture with local farmers Wal-mart has managed to develop a brand name synonymous with low cost products but not necessarily quality products. This image has attracted a core lower-income consumer which organic products may not appeal to. However, Organic products represent a new, growing category of demand for all retailers. Many consumers today are actively buying American made and grown products with an increase of interest in organic products. Wal-mart has the opportunity now to diversify its target market to include the heath conscious consumer. Having a Joint venture or strategic alliance with local farmers will create an image of helping local communities, increase sales, reduce costs, and create a loyal customer base by using the local farmers Implementation A. Wal-Mart can increase profits by using local markets. Buying locally from the farmers will reduce transportation cost and increase product freshness. B. Wal-Mart will lead the food markets by using local farmers exclusively. C. Research and Development will be implemented at the local store manager level. The supply and expected demand will also be determined at the local level. Strategic Manager: Julie Communication: Online Meetings Accountability: Upd ate, determine needs for local markets Frequency: Quarterly Evaluation and Control. Wal-Mart’s evaluation and control of the implementation of a strategic alliance or joint venture with local farmers process starts with setting performance standards. Wal-Mart will set performance standards that will allow guidelines to be set that will define the differences between actual and desired results. These standards will help to ensure that Wal-Mart is able to catch any issues related to the implementation and implement new procedures if needed. Wal-Mart can begin by analyzing the overall market they would operate in using a benchmarking process. The benchmarking process would enable Wal-Mart to better understand the services, products and competitors that it would be going up against in this market segment. By utilizing this process Wal-Mart will have a better understanding of their competitors, the process they use and possibly the ability to do it better. Once Wal-Mart has analyzed its competitors, the monitoring of the implementation begins. In the evaluation and control process Wal-Mart needs to begin to set up a control system that would enable Wal-Mart to monitor departments within each store. These systems would then enable them to maintain quality standards, monitor pricing, follow current trends and have the ability to implement any necessary changes to the system within each store immediately. There should be multiple control systems to ensure that management is able to provide feedback within each corporate level, enabling them to be able to resolve any issues prior to the completion of the implementation. Wal-Mart is known for â€Å"everyday low prices† and maintaining their edge as the low cost leader is important during this process.

Art History Female Figures in Ancient Greek Sculpture

Art History Female Figures in Ancient Greek Sculpture The ancient Greeks were one of the oldest civilizations in the world. It thrived more than 4,000 years ago. The years between 2000 B.C. and 146 B.C. were the years of the Ancient Greece Empire’s prosperity. Greek culture, ideas, religion, and art were spreading all over the world day by day. Ancient Greek sculpture deserves attention because of its uniqueness and richness. Greeks had a wonderful opportunity to use different kinds of marble, bronze, stones, and wood. There were several periods in ancient Greek sculpture, and each of them had its own characteristics. The most known periods were Archaic (650 – 480 BCE), Classical (480 – 431 BCE), Late Classical (404 – 323 BCE), and Hellenistic (323 BCE – 1st century AD). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Art History: Female Figures in Ancient Greek Sculpture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The development of female figures in ancient G reek sculpture was noticeable during those times; each period added something new; the influence of other countries and their cultures was reflected in almost each piece of work, and female sculptures were one of the brightest examples. Ancient Greek sculpture was characterized by numerous works of nude women. However, it does not mean that Greek men had a kind of disrespect to their women. Ancient Greek women were portrayed rather respectfully. If nudity is considered to be a sign of sex or predilection for sex, it is necessary to admit that ancient Greek sculptors used males as sex objects oftener than they used females. Most of the sculptors in Ancient Greece were men, and the role of women was to inspire their men. Men used women as models for their sculptures to present the images of real women, real life, with its advantages and disadvantages. The Archaic period started in 650 BCE and lasted until 480 BCE, and it was one of the earliest periods in ancient Greek art. The ancien t Greek sculptures of the Archaic period had lots in common to those of Egypt sculptures. Egypt influence reflected on both male and female sculptures. â€Å"During this period of intense creativity, the great traditions of monumental stone sculpture and temple architecture appeared.† (Davies 159) Female figures of the Archaic period were usually called ‘kore’ (maiden). The peculiar features of the figures of that time were draped clothes and read hair. One of the brightest examples of archaic sculptures was Draped Female (created in about 530 B.C. Special attention was paid to female haircuts – new hairstyles were elaborated for each sculpture. After 550 BCE, stone was changed into bronze; such changes allowed sculptors to play with light and impress the viewer. Women nudity was one of the most brilliant devices, which were used to underline the realism. The Classical period in ancient Greek sculpture presented the most exciting pieces of art. In spite of the fact that the Persians Wars blew up the economical and other spheres of the Empire, Greek found out new technologies and methods to improve the situation. The classical Greek style was characterized unbelievable freedom of movements and feelings. Greek sculptures represented people’s life with its speed, changes, and emotions. Even if female Greek sculptures could not move, the artists, as magicians, made people believe that at the beginning, that sculpture moved, and now it was frozen, for those, who observed it. Women’s nudity was not forgotten as well. In order to help own husbands, women spend days and nights posing. Such idea to present moving people raised ancient Greek sculpture once again and proved that talented people can save their country and its traditions even by means of art. â€Å"The sculptures of the classical period show an obsession with the human figure and with drapery.† (Hellander et al. 71) The Late Classical period in the ancient Gr eek sculpture was known as a period of artistic decline. The Peloponnesian War was the major reason of why Greece lost its supremacy. The influence of Christianity made lots sculptors create less naked sculptures (and it was the key of all Greece sculptures ever). During the Late Classical period, the large components of all sculptures were portrait statues. Sculptors paid more attention to people’s features. It was a novelty for those times. After people paid attention only to female’s bodies, naked bodies, such changes turned out to be rather significant. It became more popular to present males’ portraits. Lots of sculptures were devoted to men, who defended the Empire. The image of women was almost forgotten. In 336 BCE, it was Alexander, who saved the Empire and spread the influence of Greece all over the world again. The Hellenistic period started in 323 B.C. and lasted until the end of the first century of A.D. It was a kind of revival of Greek sculpture. This period is usually compared with the Classical one. Greeks again started portrayed young women and created nude figures using marble and bronze. They had a chance to appeal to the lower preferences of their masters. This is why, the Hellenistic period was also known by its ugly, comical, and sensual themes. The major purpose of art was to represent the world as it was during that concrete period of time. One of the brightest examples of the sculptures from the Hellenistic period is The Venus de Milo, a representation of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty.Advertising Looking for essay on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The role of women is crucial indeed. It does not matter whether we regard a woman as a wife, friend, mother, or muse. Without women, this world would be dull and boring. Even in sculpture, women play a very important role. Specially, it concerns Ancient Greece, to be more exact, the ancient Greek sculpture. Greek sculptors got used to create male figures to underline their power and significance for the country. However, the role of female figures still remain considerable. Each period of ancient Greek sculpture created certain limitations and added something new. The material for sculptures changed as well. First, it was wood and stone, with time, Greek sculptors started to use marble and bronze. Such changes provided people with the opportunities to enjoy colours and lights for lots of years. Davies, P. J. E., Denny, W. B., Hofrichter, F. F., Jacons, J. F., Roberts, A. M., and Simon, D. L. Jason’s History of Art: The Western Tradition. Prentice Hall, 2006. Hellander, P., Armstrong, K., Clark, M., Deliso, C., Hannigan, D., and Kiriakopoulos, V. Greece. Lonely Planet, 2008.

Understanding and Using Record Data Types in Delphi

Understanding and Using Record Data Types in Delphi Sets are ok, arrays are great. Suppose we want to create three one-dimensional arrays for 50 members in our programming community. The first array is for names, the second for e-mails, and the third for number of uploads (components or applications) to our community. Each array (list) would have matching indexes and plenty of code to maintain all three lists in parallel. Of course, we could try with one three-dimensional array, but what about its type? We need string for names and e-mails, but an integer for the number of uploads. The way to work with such a data structure is to use Delphis record structure. TMember Record ... For example, the following declaration creates a record type called TMember, the one we could use in our case. Essentially, a record data structure can mix any of Delphis built-in types including any types you have created. Record types define fixed collections of items of different types. Each item, or field, is like a variable, consisting of a name and a type. TMember type contains three fields: a string value called Name (to hold the name of a member), a value of a string type called eMail (for one e-mail), and an integer (Cardinal) called Posts (to hold the number of submissions to our community). Once we have set up the record type, we can declare a variable to be of type TMember. TMember is now just as good variable type for variables as any of Delphis built-in types like String or Integer. Note: the TMember type declaration, does not allocate any memory for the Name, eMail, and Posts fields; To actually create an instance of TMember record we have to declare a variable of TMember type, as in the following code: Now, when we have a record, we use a dot to isolate the fields of DelphiGuide. Note: the above piece of code could be rewritten with the use of with keyword. We can now copy the values of DelphiGuide’s fields to AMember. Record Scope and Visibility Record type declared within the declaration of a form (implementation section), function, or procedure has a scope limited to the block in which it is declared. If the record is declared in the interface section of a unit it has a scope that includes any other units or programs that use the unit where the declaration occurs. An Array of Records Since TMember acts like any other Object Pascal type, we can declare an array of record variables: Note: Heres how to declare and initialize a constant array of records in Delphi. Records as Record Fields Since a record type is legitimate as any other Delphi type, we can have a field of a record be a record itself. For example, we could create ExpandedMember to keep track of what the member is submitting along with the member information. Filling out all the information needed for a single record is now somehow harder. More periods (dots) are required to access the fields of TExpandedMember. Record With Unknown Fields A record type can have a variant part (not to be confused with Variant type variable). Variant records are used, for example, when we want to create a record type that has fields for different kinds of data, but we know that we will never need to use all of the fields in a single record instance. To learn more about Variant parts in Records take a look at Delphis help files. The use of a variant record type is not type-safe and is not a recommended programming practice, particularly for beginners. However, variant records can be quite useful, if you ever find yourself in a situation to use them.

Rise of the Civil Rights Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rise of the Civil Rights Movement - Essay Example Tindall and Shi (pp. 45-69) mention that this modern movement also had significant twentieth-century roots with the pre-World War I founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and The National Urban League; the Marcus Garvey "Back to Africa Movement" in the 1920s; President Franklin Roosevelt's 1941 executive order to prohibit discrimination in federal employment (as a result of pressure by A. Philip Randolph of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters—the largest black labor union); the formation of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) by James Farmer in 1943; President Harry Truman's executive order to desegregate the armed services in 1948; and Thurgood Marshall's successful argument of the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas case (1954) before the U.S. Supreme Court to incorporate public schools. This landmark case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which had declared that separate facilities were equal, a judicial endorseme nt of Jim Crow laws. In reversing Plessy, Brown stated that "separate was not equal" and made a full circle back to the 14th Amendment on which Marshall's argument heavily depended.Combine this rich historical context with the immediate sense of horror in the black community over the murder of teenager Emmett Till in the summer of 1955 in Mississippi and one can see how Rosa Parks, often called the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement, was ready and willing to deny her seat to a white man on December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama. The courageous act of this black seamstress from Montgomery gave birth to the Montgomery Improvement Association that, in turn, sponsored the year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott (December 1955 to December 1956), which saw, as well, the emergence of a new black leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For all intents and purposes, that year ignited the new civil rights movement and became a turning point in American history (Garrow, pp. 78-89). Who were the Major Leaders and What Strategies did they employ Soon after the success of this boycott, in 1957, several civil rights leaders including King, Ralph Abernathy, Bayard Rustin, Ella Baker, Harris and Clare Wofford, and Stanley Levison formed the Southern Negro Conference on Transportation and Nonviolent Integration with the primary purpose of integrating buses. The name was soon changed to Southern Negro Leaders Conference and, to be as clear as possible about its source and expanding mission, it received its final designation as Southern Christian Leadership Conference-the SCLC became the virtual center of the movement, and its first president, Dr. King, was the heart of that center. Upon King's death, the mantle of leadership was passed to Abernathy, King's close friend and associate. After a decade with Abernathy at the head, SCLC became a weaker organization and lost its effective voice. In 1977 Joseph Lowery, a Methodist, took the reins and for the next twenty years returned the SCLC to it original vibrant witness for civil righ ts.