Monday, September 30, 2019

Effects of Children Essay

Children have a big impact on a relationship and the communication between two parents. Adding children into any relationship takes change and communication on both ends. It can be harder depending on the different relationship situations. Children change not only your personal relationship but also the relationships you have with friends and family. I asked three different parents that I know the same three questions. The questions were: 1. What change was least expected after your baby was born? 2. How did communication with your partner and others change after having a baby? . How did having a child affect your marriage or relationship? Each of the answers I received was similar. All of the parents expressed that their lives and relationships changed a lot after having children. Their relationship with friends and with their partner became a challenge. Two out of the three said they expected the challenges while one said she didn’t expect so many issues to arise with her partner. A big issue that was mentioned by all three was the fact that the time between them and their partner was cut down drastically. That became a relationship breaker for one. She chose her daughters needs over the needs of her relationship. The communication patterns described by the parents did not follow the Guidelines for Effective Communication in Families. They differed because the communication and equity was not followed. One parent chose her time and energy needed to be focused on her child and put her relationship on hold. This in the end broke up her relationship. The other two followed the guidelines to an extent but not completely. Communication is tampered no matter what way you look at it. Men and woman look at parenthood different and that may be the main reason why children have such an effect on relationships. Communication is key in any relationship. There has to be a level of understanding and respect from both ends to balance any kind of friendship or intimate relationship. Children can change a lot of things in our lives. If two people are not on the same page in a relationship or about the choices that have to made with children it can ruin the relationship all together.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Filipino Psychology Essay

Arts in the Philippines started even before the colonization of the country. It has different fields and expressions which are mostly religious. In any way, these native arts are on the verge of being lost now since the masses are all focused on foreign cultures forgetting their own. Painting Filipino painting as a whole can be seen as an amalgamation of many cultural influences, though it tends to be more Western in its current form with Eastern roots. Early Filipino painting can be found in red slip (clay mixed with water) designs embellished on the ritual pottery of the Philippines such as the acclaimed Manunggul Jar. Evidence of Philippine pottery-making dated as early as 6000 BC has been found in Sanga-sanga Cave, Sulu and Laurente Cave, Cagayan. It has been proven that by 5000 BC, the making of pottery was practiced throughout the country. Early Filipinos started making pottery before their Cambodian neighbors and at about the same time as the Thais as part of what appears to be a widespread Ice Age development of pottery technology. Further evidences of painting are manifested in the tattoo tradition of early Filipinos, whom the Portuguese explorer referred to as Pintados or the ‘Painted People’ of the Visayas. Various designs referencing flora and fauna with heavenly bodies decorate their bodies in various colored pigmentation. Perhaps, some of the most elaborate painting done by early Filipinos that survive to the present day can be manifested among the arts and architecture of the Maranao who are well known for the Naga Dragons and the Sarimanok carved and painted in the beautiful Panolong of their Torogan or King’s House. Filipinos began creating paintings in the European tradition during 17th century Spanish period. The earliest of these paintings were Church frescoes, religious imagery from Biblical sources, as well as engravings, sculptures and lithographs featuring Christian icons and European nobility. Most of the paintings and sculptures between the 19th, and 20th century produced a mixture of religious, political, and landscape art works, with qualities of sweetness, dark, and light. Early modernist painters, such as Damian Domingo, were associated with religious and secular paintings. The art of Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo showed a trend for political statement. Artist such as Fernando Amorsolo used post-modernism to produce paintings that illustrated Philippine culture, nature and harmony. While other artist such as Fernando Zobel used realities and abstract on his work. In early 80s other unique folk artist exists, one of these is Elito Circa as amang pintor, the famous Filipino folk painter. He uses his own hair to make his paintbrushes, and signs his name with his own blood on the right side of his paintings. He developed his own styles without professional training or guidance from masters. Literature The literature of the Philippines illustrates the Prehistory and European colonial legacy of the Philippines, written in both Indigenous and Hispanic writing system. Most of the traditional literatures of the Philippines were written during the Mexican and Spanish period. Philippine literature is written in Spanish, Filipino, Tagalog, English and other native Philippine languages. Some of the well-known Filipino literatures are Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo, Florante at Laura, Ibong Adarna and among others which are still being studied by Filipino students nowadays. Dance Philippine folk dances include the Tinikling and Carinosa. In the southern region of Mindanao, Singkil is a popular dance showcasing the story of a prince and princess in the forest. Bamboo poles are arranged in a tic-tac-toe pattern in which the dancers exploit every position of these clashing poles. Music The early music of the Philippines featured a mixture of Indigenous, Islamic and a variety of Asian sounds that flourished before the European and American colonization in the 16th and 20th centuries. Spanish settlers and Filipinos played a variety of musical instruments, including flutes, guitar, ukelele, violin, trumpets and drums. They performed songs and dances to celebrate festive occasions. By the 21st century, many of the folk songs and dances have remained intact throughout the Philippines. Some of the groups that perform these folk songs and dances are the Bayanihan, Filipinescas, Barangay-Barrio, Hariraya, the Karilagan Ensemble, and groups associated with the guilds of Manila, and Fort Santiago theatres. Many Filipino musicians have raised prominence such as the composer and conductor Antonio J. Molina, the composer Felipe P. de Leon, known for his nationalistic themes and the opera singer Jovita Fuentes. Modern day Philippine music features several styles. Most music genres are contemporary such as Filipino rock, Filipino hip hop and other musical styles. Some are traditional such as Filipino folk music. Architecture The Nipa hut (Bahay Kubo) is the mainstream form of housing. It is characterized by use of simple materials such as bamboo and coconut as the main sources of wood. Cogon grass, Nipa palm leaves and coconut fronds are used as roof thatching. Most primitive homes are built on stilts due to frequent flooding during the rainy season. Regional variations include the use of thicker and denser roof thatching in mountain areas, or longer stilts on coastal areas particularly if the structure is built over water. The architecture of other indigenous peoples may be characterized by angular wooden roofs, bamboo in place of leafy thatching and ornate wooden carvings. The Spaniards introduced stones as housing and building materials. The introduction of Christianity brought European churches, and architecture which subsequently became the center of most towns and cities. Spanish architecture can be found in Intramuros, Vigan, Iloilo, Jaro and other parts of the Philippines. Islamic and other Asian architecture can also be seen depicted on buildings such as mosques and temples. The Coconut Palace is an example of Philippine Architecture. Contemporary architecture has a distinctively Western style although pre-Hispanic housing is still common in rural areas. American style suburban-gated communities are popular in the cities, including Manila, and the surrounding provinces. Cinema The advent of the cinema of the Philippines can be traced back to the early days of filmmaking in 1897 when a Spanish theater owner screened imported moving pictures. The formative years of Philippine cinema, starting from the 1930s, were a time of discovery of film as a new medium of expressing artworks. Scripts and characterizations in films came from popular theater shows and Philippine literature. In the 1940s, Philippine cinema brought the consciousness of reality in its film industry. Nationalistic films became popular, and movie themes consisting primarily of war and heroism and proved to be successful with Philippine audiences. The 1950s saw the first golden age of Philippine cinema, with the emergence of more artistic and mature films, and significant improvement in cinematic techniques among filmmakers. The studio system produced frenetic activity in the Philippine film industry as many films were made annually and several local talents started to gain recognition abroad. Award-winning filmmakers and actors were first introduced during this period. As the decade drew to a close, the studio system monopoly came under siege as a result of labor-management conflicts. By the 1960s, the artistry established in the previous years was in decline. This era can be characterized by rampant commercialism in films. The 1970s and 1980s were considered turbulent years for the Philippine film industry, bringing both positive and negative changes. The films in this period dealt with more serious topics following the Martial law era. In addition, action, western, drama, adult and comedy films developed further in picture quality, sound and writing. The 1980s brought the arrival of alternative or independent cinema in the Philippines. The 1990s saw the emerging popularity of drama, teen-oriented romantic comedy, adult, comedy and action films. The Philippines, being one of Asia’s earliest film industry producers, remains undisputed in terms of the highest level of theater admission in Asia. Over the years, however, the Philippine film industry has registered a steady decline in movie viewership from 131 million in 1996 to 63 million in 2004. From a high production rate of 350 films a year in the 1950s, and 200 films a year during the 1980s, the Philippine film industry production rate declined in 2006 to 2007. The 21st century saw the rebirth of independent filmmaking through the use of digital technology and a number of films have once again earned nationwide recognition and prestige. II. PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION. The sense of freedom that goes with the realization that psychology need not be imported from the United States of America brought new vigor, new meanings, and new directions for Philippine psychology. An intriguing redefinition of psychology itself is foreseen with the Filipino psychologist’s growing interest in the arts. Imbued with dynamism and a commitment to indigenous Filipino psychology in music and the arts, Felipe de Leon Jr. led the Sikolohiyang Pilipino movement as the fifth president of the association, promoting consciousness in people’s arts. De Leon distinguishes people’s art from specialist art. The first includes traditional, indigenous, ethnic and folk art. To be sure, people’s art exist everywhere in the country, especially among our rural and urban populations whose education is more or less synonymous with the life process in the community rather than with the artificially structured, essentially theoretical, mental learning that occurs in a formal setting such as a school. It is an art integrated in myriad ways, with everyday concerns, interests, functions and activities. Specialist art on the other hand, is a product of the individuals who received formal schooling and training in liberal arts, fine arts, literature, music, dance, drama or film in schools. Folk art reflects the concept of kapwa and is a rich source for understanding the Filipino worldview. The openness, as well as the present gradual development of mass-based artists whose aesthetic interests lie in depicting the peeks, depths, hardships and aspirations of contemporary Filipino life undoubtedly touch on pakikiisa, the highest level of kapwa psychology. Delineating the Filipino psychology and worldview is a contribution towards liberation—by not simply describing the Filipino outlook as seen in his arts, in his behavior and culture, but in moving him to action on the basis of his own worldview and on his own terms. The surge of interest in the arts changes the self-image of the Filipino psychologists themselves and, perhaps, even their identity. After all, it can be argued that psychologists must move closer to art not in order to avoid psychology but precisely to approach its very core.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Air Conditioning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Air Conditioning - Essay Example res and unendurable steaminess thousands of people may turn on possibly one of the biggest inventions and developments of all time, which is the air conditioners (Varrasi, 2011). The air conditioner is basically a machine that is used to control the temperature and humidity level of a space. The air conditioner generally serves to distribute conditioned air in places that are occupied, especially by humans, thereby making it more comfortable for habitation. Although there are risks in using air conditioners, the benefits definitely outweigh the risks. This paper will discuss the air conditioner. First, the paper will discuss the history of air conditioning. Secondly, the benefits and the advantages of air conditioning will be discussed. This will be followed by the risks and disadvantages of air conditioners. The paper will close with a summary and conclusion. Throughout human history, several attempts have been made to avoid the discomfort that comes with a lot of heat. To this effect, humans have made several attempts to keep cool during hot summer months. Humans took refuge in shades and found comfort in the protection that they offered against the sun and hot grounds during prehistoric times, much as they do the same today as noted by Kreider (2008). With time humans started relying on architectural designs to achieve the same goal. To-date many buildings and constructions are simply designed to take advantage of natural ventilation. While this is the case, the fundamental idea behind air conditioning found application in ancient Egypt as noted by Kreider (2008). In ancient Egypt, people commonly hung reeds moistened with trickling water in windows. The water that evaporated from the reeds cooled the air that blew through the window into the house. As this happened, the air also got more humid. Ancient Romans on their part circulated water drawn from aqueducts through building walls to keep the buildings cool. While this was the case in ancient

Friday, September 27, 2019

Class Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Class Discussion - Essay Example The only way to eliminate the problem and develop financial globalization is by creating a common worldwide currency (Mohan 39). This paper will discuss why a global economy requires a global currency. The movement of capital and goods across country borders is accompanied by inevitable transaction costs and commissions (Bonpasse 189). Having a single currency minimizes on these costs and improves trade efficiency. Increasing volumes of trade and investments across borders creates a strong partnership between exporters and importers around the globe. Both parties would be beneficiaries of a common currency. Two or more countries trading in the same currency are likely to conduct trade up to three times more than if they were using different currencies (Bonpasse 204). Globalization of currency makes the world an optimal currency area as economic integration makes countries react and adjust in similar ways in their responses to external trends. The closer the trade links countries have , the more related their business cycles are. Therefore, currency convergence may lead to an increased flow of international trade. Multiple currencies also imply uncertainties, because traders are not always quite sure what foreign goods will cost, or what foreign buyers will be willing to pay for their products. At the same time, as globalization grows and volumes of international transactions rises, both independently and in comparison to the world output, the cost of having multiple currencies also goes up (Bonpasse 241). As posed by a research conducted in the United States, most national currencies are a trend of the twentieth century, and international, cross border currencies are the best solution for the future (Hausmann 96). The researcher provides that in the broader perspective, farmers in Africa will be able to get equal pay for their produce as farmers in America, and laborers in Asia will also receive the same pay as their peers around the world. A positive effect of having a global currency is the reduction of the gap between the rich and the poor. There is evidence pointing towards the forces driving the globalization process, in relation to wealthy countries, indicating that they are narrowing the per capita income gap between themselves and the globalizing nations (Aart 103). For instance, India, Bangladesh and China were among the poorest nations in the world a few decades ago, but they have significantly influenced the narrowing of worldwide inequality, thanks to their economic expansion (Aart 104). In an era when international interdependence and integration in trade and economy are on the increase, a standardized and universal system of currency will be among the various complementary measures that will assist in simplifying and facilitating interaction and understanding among the nations (Mohan 76). A single, common currency would serve like a global language, enhancing communications around the world traders. It would eliminate the cur rent difficulties presented by speculation, instability and uncertainty. It would also provide a strong foundation for installing and growing a global economy. It would significantly reduce the cost and risk of doing business internationally. Within the present trading system, more than one trillion dollars are traded every day as investors seek to get best returns with the least risk involvement (Mohan 89). This movement of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Evaluate the effect of the technological change on the business Essay

Evaluate the effect of the technological change on the business environment of ''TOYOTA IN THE EU'' - Essay Example Notably, technological environment is interlinked with other attributes of an economic environment, such as regulatory policies, GDP growth rate and demand of national as well as international market. These components have been recognised to be changing in the European economic environment. For instance, technological environment of the European Union (EU) has been noticed to favour nanotechnology and communication technology rather than other technological innovations. Consequently, this shall have a great impact on the performance of businesses which are entirely based on the technological environment, e.g. Toyota. With this concern, objectives of the paper shall be to assess various changes occurring in technological environment of the EU economy and its impact on the performance and/or organisational operations of Toyota in EU. The discussion of the paper will be thereby focussed on identifying opportunities and challenges which are likely to be witnessed by the company due to th e technological change in its business environment. Subsequently, the paper shall also intend to recommend few significant measures for the company. 2.0. Changes in Technological Environment of EU In modern day perspective, economic environment and its components possess a crucial role in influencing the growth of an economy. Few major components of economical environment of an economy are its political, economical, social and technological environment. Most economies, along with the EU have become largely depended on its technological growth which defines environmental aspect as one of the most crucial phenomenon of 21st century. Evidences reveal that technological environment of the EU is changing rapidly with a strong influence on social and economical environment at large. For instance, the member countries which are part of the European Union, such as Denmark, Germany and Poland are recognised to be largely depended on coal industry. Consequently, these economies release higher amount of greenhouse gases and generate larger amount of heat than other economies in the union. On the contrary, technological trends of the union are recognised to be focussed on NBIC technology, i.e. biotechnology, nanotechnology, information and communication technology and cognitive science. This forced the countries to set up end-of-pipe technologies, which in turn shall reduce hazardous impact of technological development on natural environment of the union (Eurostat, 2010). Another major trend of the technological environment of the European Union was the enforcement of tax on NOx in Sweden and similar taxation policies on technological practices which are harmful for environment in other countries. Remarkably, almost 7% of technology based firms of Sweden initiated to imply the available ‘abatement technologies’ in 1992 and one year later, number of firms using these technologies increased to 62%. Thus, the taxation policies also had a great influence on busin ess sector of the economy (OECD, 2010). With a growing concern of eco-friendly technology, regulatory framework of the union is also promoting eco-technology and innovations. Due to this fact, most technology based companies are tending to incorporate renewable technologies in their organisational operations. Governing bodies of the union also enforced

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Organization's Compensation and Benefit Plan Research Paper

Organization's Compensation and Benefit Plan - Research Paper Example As the discussion stresses one of the factors that makes them successful at it would be providing their employees not only with the minimum wage, social security contributions for each employee, whether a non-exempt or exempt, and the FUTA or the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, which most companies adhere to as it is mandated by law; they also provide more opportunities for success for their employees such as the entrepreneurial opportunities for its protein-boosted managers. We all know that a lot of companies look at applicants in a bad light once their working record reveals a short-term service in their past workplaces because of their desire for career growth. However, the Jamba Incorporation has a different mindset on this one. For them, this is a good sign from an employee that has a lot of potentials to be an asset to a company, having the ability to possess utmost ownership in the business, which results in increased responsibility and loyalty. Thus, they provide entrepreneuri al opportunities to their managers by giving them a percentage of the store’s cash flow for a bi-period, depending on how they run a certain branch’s business. Aside from that, they give credit to their general managers’ ability to increase their yearly sales by giving them money that accrues in a retention account which stretches over a three-year period.This paper highlights that once the manager has served the Jamba Incorporation for three years, the bonus is immediately paid to them. Another bonus their employees enjoy would be that when a general manager completes a three-year term and decides to sign another three additional years with an employee, he or she is given a three-week paid sabbatical which is not charged against their vacation leaves while general managers can look forward to $1,000 bonus if he or she is able to promote an assistant manager to general manager. All this is an application of the principle of providing â€Å"benefits in kind or b onuses,† which means that as an employee gets his or her monthly wage which is taxable, a company can practice a retention system by providing bonuses in cash such as these in exchange of a business they close for the company which is not taxable. This indeed has created a generation of employees that are motivated to do more and be at their best all the time. Another great compensation plan that Jamba awards its employees is that they provide all their managerial employees with stock options.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

A proposal for company market expansion scheduled for completion by Research Paper

A proposal for company market expansion scheduled for completion by 2023 - Research Paper Example It is an American company with its headquarters in Stamford. The company offers both hotel and leisure services. Some of the properties owned by the company include spas, resorts, vacation properties and hotels. More over, the corporation owns and operates franchises (Great Britain & British Oversees Trade Board, 2004). Background information of the Starwood Hotel and Resorts Starwood Hotel is an effusive incorporated owner, worker and franchisor of hotels. The company was initially established by the real estate investment firm called Starwood Capital. The intention of the formation was to take advantage of the tax break. Frits Van Paasschen is the current CEO. The Starwood Hotel and Resort Company have a chain of brands spread across the globe. They include Westin, Sheraton, W Hotels, St. Regis, Le Meridien, Aloft and Element. The company has over 1,134 properties in over 100 nations (Gibler, Gibler, & Anderson, 2010). Moreover, it has a global employee capacity of 154,000. Starwoo d enjoys massive marketing and customer retention through its program â€Å"Starwood Preferred Guest†. The program allows members to redeem points for services offered such as room stay and flights. It is imperative to note that the luxury hotels and resorts incorporated in the Starwood Company offer unique and authentic experiences that evoke lasting memories. Moreover, for any global voyager, the collection offers an entrance to the world’s most exhilarating and attractive destinations (Gibler, Gibler, & Anderson, 2010). The luxury hotels and resorts have exceptional and cherished appearance of the location, native charms and treasures. Starwood hotels and Resort Company embrace cultural diversity. This is the sole reason as to why it has extensively established across the globe. The company sustains an associate and clientele base as diverse as the globe’s population. The diverse brands spread all over the world give Starwood a distinctive cultural identity w hich accommodates diversity. This trend of operation embraced by the company’s management as created distinctive appeal in the global market. It is factual that, expanding the operations of the company to the United Arab Emirates may not be faced by cultural based complication (Hudson, 2010). This practice has enhanced the company’s objective of inclusion of people of all races with diverse political, economic and social backgrounds. Indeed, the culture of diversity in Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is further enhanced by unique blending and mining of the associates’ talents from across the globe. The top management commitment to ensure cultural diversity is enhanced in a shared responsibility with the chain of associates spread globally. According to the company’s interests, the Starwood intends to reduce the socio-cultural gap among the employees drawn from across the globe. This kind of integration satisfies the company’s values of internationa l cooperation and amalgamation (Hudson, 2010). This practice remains the key motivation to the success of the numerous centers of the company located all over the globe. Literature review The new market in the United Arab Emirates The extent and enormity of how much the UAE has developed in nature, predominantly in the last decade, is exemplary, even beyond the international standards. This tremendous expansion in political, social and economic areas has put the UAE in the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Coordinating public secondary and post-secondary education with Essay

Coordinating public secondary and post-secondary education with projected economic demands - Essay Example o raised, may buy learning materials for the students, build more learning institutions, given to the needy students to aid them pay their fees among other uses. Co-curricular activities may also get funding from the externally raised money (Dennison, 2011). This leads to improved standards of the education system and the number of those joining the learning institutions increases tremendously. Tutors get better pay, which serves as a catalyst to their motivation in work and thus leading to maximum input in their job, hence maximum output is achieved (Garrod & Macfarlane, 2009). However, due to the stiff competition from the various stakeholders, the government faces many challenges in trying to level the opinions of different stakeholders. This interferes with the key matters and prevents the search for viable solutions to the problem. Higher education institutions- They are supposed to maintain accountability and transparency in the system as well as contenting the people’s interest in its fairing. They coordinate all the matters pertaining to higher education and formulate a plan of action in case of any uncertainties. The decisions passed to all public and post secondary education system pertaining the education sector comes from the higher education institutions. They are the key formulators and implementers of the policies in the education system (Saunders, 2011). Fair implementation and execution of the policies leads to effective, equitable, and fair education system that fit the needs of the stakeholders. The institutions have a responsibility to ensure satisfaction is achieved by all the associate parties and in the best way. Students and graduates- These are key stakeholders directly affected by the education system in any country. This is because of the...This paper presents the thorough comparison and analysis of the systems of public secondary and post secondary education, and also outlines the challenges experienced in coordinating these s ystems with needs of an economy. There are various stakeholders in public and post secondary education system and each has a responsibility. Stakeholders, who include policy setters and governing board members and all those persons who have invested in higher education and the beneficiaries of higher education, have a role to play. Their inclusion and contribution to the education system cannot go unnoticed and their reward comes from their effort and sacrifice. The public and post secondary education has become a public issue rather than a private one because of its influence on the economy. The economy of any country has to grow through the contribution of the education. The level of expertise in the market comes as a result of the level of education the individuals employed in different sectors have. The education sector has to produce quality and reliable graduates to work in the market and improve the production. The other major reason why the education sector has become public is the politics. The influence of politics on the economy has contributed to worldwide concern on the issue The campaign for the need of education must tighten up to encourage and increase the number of graduates. This will help improve the skills of the labor available in the market and thus high production a guarantee.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest Essay Example for Free

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest Essay 1. What does the play say about marriage? The play says many things about marriage.   One is that marriage can be quite complicated when there is deceit even if the feelings involved are genuine.   Another is that there are so many trivial things that society considers â€Å"important† that disregards the true meaning of marriage.   Another is that parental consent and money still play an important role in matrimony. 2. What is the significance of the names? The word Earnest means sincere. However, the play showed how that sincerity is downplayed by the many trivial things that society expects from individuals.    Ms. Prism’s name is also significant because it was her character that finally shed light on the true background of Jack – who later became truly Earnest. 3. Suggest some of the things that Wilde is poking fun at in this play. Wilde made fun of the way women can be so assuming of relationships as can be seen with Cecily’s account of how she and Algy became engaged and how Gwendolyn fled from her mother to go to Jack.   The author also made fun of the way society can be deceived by many aspects of a person beside his true self (e.g. names and money).   This was especially evident in the way the name Earnest became so important that Algy and Jack had wanted to be re-baptized with it. Marriage was also funny because it gave too much importance on money and family background before it considers the true person. 4. What is your favorite character and why? I loved the character of Ms. Prism because at first she seemed to be only a minor character but in the end, the story actually centered on her misgivings.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Save Trees Essay Example for Free

Save Trees Essay A coalition of environmental organizations working directly with Canadian companies to develop practical and economic ways to shift their wood and paper use away from ancient and endangered forest products to ecologically sound alternatives. Conservatree – www. conservatree. com: American non profit organization dedicated to converting paper markets to EP papers. Reach for Unbleached – www. rfu. org: Canadian registered charity working for a sustainable pulp and paper industry. ABPBC (Association of Book Publishers of BC) – www. books. bc. ca/ecokit. php: eco-kit for book publishers online. Magazine Paper Project – www. ecopaperaction. org: American non profit encouraging magazine publishers to switch to recycled paper. ReThink Paper – www. rethinkpaper. org: American non profit – more info, more resources. Almost half of the trees harvested in North America go to the production of paper Produced with the assistance of and the BC Gaming Commission For one source of EP office paper, see the Office Paper Buying Club at www. rfu. org Buying EP paper is the focus of the companion brochure – â€Å"Buying EP Paper. † Money saved using paper saving tips in this brochure can easily offset any initial cost differences of purchasing EP paper. Potential organizational benefits of an EP paper policy include favourable public image, employee pride and contentment, competitive differentiation, socially responsible investing advantages. Pulp paper is one of the most environmentally demanding and damaging industries in the world ? $50 ? $500 ? $100 ? $1,000 ? $250 ? Other $____ 1984 1994 2004 Global paper consumption has more than tripled over the past 30 years. How’s recycling working? Reach for Unbleached Box 39 Whaletown, BC Canada V0P 1Z0 Phone: (250) 935-6992 In Canada we recover only 44 % of all paper products used, including only 15 % of printing and writing papers and magazines. Over 90% of all office and printing paper is made with virgin fibre. | | Paper reduction techniques Machines n Purchase photocopiers that have double-sided copying capacity. Program double-sided copying as the default. n Purchase fax machines that use plain paper to eliminate the need to copy thermal sheets. Electronics n Create letterhead stationary using software templates and make it available to all. n Use e-mail instead of paper memos. n Don’t print all your e-mails. n Send out and keep reference documents electronically – don’t make hard paper copies. Software adjustments n Changing the print and other settings in software programs can save paper up to 50% by reducing the margins, font size and line spacing. Set the default to these settings, altering the parameters when necessary. (See www. rfu. org for more details on software adjustments. ) n A software program like www. ineprint. com will print more than one page to the sheet. Use the right paper for the job n Choose the most eco-friendly paper for a job – highest recycled content, unbleached, etc. Premium, extra white glossy paper is only occasionally necessary – for fine art reproduction, photographic prints, etc. n Use lighter paper (less weight) when feasible. This reduces the amount of fibre needed and also saves money in postage. n Use non-coated paper. Coated paper is in most cases less desirable for recycling mills because the clay coating is not recyclable. Work with your vendors Many of the following ideas could reduce vendor costs – enabling you to negotiate for advantages in other areas. n Ask suppliers to first send information electronically; then decide whether or not you need a hard copy. n The following shipment strategies from suppliers can save money for both you and your vendors. n Boxes, filler, etc. cost money. Ask vendors to colour code materials to help identify materials for recycling procedures. n Re-usable containers can be shipped back to suppliers. n Product packaging contributes significantly to purchasing costs. Ask vendors to reduce packaging. n Set up incentives for paper suppliers to sell you less product by helping keep track of your inventories and eliminating excess stockpiles, e. g. custom stationary that could become obsolete. n Provide inter-office envelopes to vendors for incoming invoices that need to go through more than one hand before payment. Many companies now consider their vendors as partners, not just product suppliers. In this spirit of partnership, they are working together to save money and improve environmental performance. Reward employees who come up with other paper-saving ideas. email yesterday More Paper reduction tips n Reduce a legal size sheet to letter size. n Make smaller notices, forms and letters – print two on each sheet of paper and cut it in half. n Use two-way envelopes to send out invoices customers can refold envelope for return payment. n Circulate office reports in a forwarding mailing envelope – saves making copies. n Use on-demand publishing or printing for books, manuals, catalogues, etc. – only print for immediate needs.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Emerging Technologies Of Century Computer Science Essay

Emerging Technologies Of Century Computer Science Essay This paper outlines the two emerging technologies and their impact on society and on business. Emerging technology, the name it self implies the technologies that are emerging or growing with time as result of researches in those technologies. Some of the emerging technologies are nanotechnology, cloud computing, biogenetics, robotics, artificial intelligence etc. Here we are discussing two prominent emerging technologies of 21 century, * nanotechnology and * Cloud computing. Nanotechnology is a dominant technology in all areas in coming decades. It will have revolutionary changes in health sciences, energy resources such as water etc. Many business organizations are interested in investing nanotechnologies to gain the fruit of the technology Cloud computing is a virtual emerging technology that increases the speed of the computing applications at lower costs. It permits us to perform unlimited applications and data storage either with in organization or over internet. Now we discuss these two technologies in brief. Introduction: Emerging technologies are bringing revolutionary changes as because of growth in technology. In the present paper we are discussing brief about the two emerging technologies, cloud computing, nanotechnology. And in each technology a brief explanation of technology, its growth and applications is presented. And the discussion leads us to social and business impacts of both technologies in positive and negative faces with the evidence from statistical data. Lets start with the cloud computing. Cloud computing: The idea about the cloud computing is very complex. Of the several meanings, Lets go with one of the meaningful definition. What perfectly is a cloud computing? From its easiest form, the terminology, â€Å"cloud† will be a metaphor which originates from the symbol of cloud on a flowchart of the network designer, which is indicating that the information about the packet will be sent over the Internet. â€Å"The term ‘cloud computing encompasses many areas of tech, including software as a service, a software distribution method pioneered by Salesforce.com about a decade ago. It also includes newer avenues such as hardware as a service, a way to order storage and server capacity on demand from Amazon and others. What all these cloud computing services have in common, though, is that theyre all delivered over the Internet, on demand, from massive data centers.† While the cloud computing has been move into IT jargon in the most recent days, the market at the consumer point of view is using more longer. More people in the united states are connecting to the Web services over the some variety of service with cloud service, containing web based emails. In the same manner, Google and Amazon are the largest companies which are using â€Å"cloud† from so many years. And as The Economist (Oct. 25 2008) notes, â€Å"Firms that provide enterprise software as a service (SaaS) over the Internet, such as Salesforce.com and NetSuite, have grown steadily.† Fresh businesses, without any legacy funds to protect, and with the easiness which are presented by Information Technology resources which are being provided over the off-premise position in metered quantity (as much or little as needed) and quality which are likely to find out the cloud facilities which are mainly appealing. Upton now the conclusion is very clear for the customers in the enterprise. They are hesitating to invest large investments and want to have services from outside. Some of the barriers which may be needed to overcome are data availability, security, geographic location of programs, having small support of commercial ISV. Now days many MNC companies are struggling with old hardware, requirements of power and with very complex data centers. To overcome this situation they have to adopt a hybrid computing model called cloud computing. How to make cloud vision to reality â€Å"cloud computing† means the computing which dynamically facilitates access to the measurable services, which are shared to each other in a network that may be private or public. These services takes place from IT services which are basic ( like storage, power for computing etc. to computing services which is specific for industry (like logistics, healthcare and finance). In this cloud computing the storage is infinite and programs can be accessible anytime, anywhere. What could Cloud computing enables: 1) Previously new and fresh business models which were not implemented because of technical limitations in existing system. 2) Business ideas which may need less consumption of computing power and preventive measures. 3) Information sharing without the very high coordination costs, reductions of cost and increase in some IT service responses to companies, governments and mostly for individuals. 4) According to some studies cloud computing have good effect on economic progress. 5) In future millions of new jobs can be get through Cloud computing because of the development of many of tiny business. There are many doubts to develop cloud in any disruptive technology. Some doubts are about the delays to develop the cloud, and some doubts are the effect of privacy laws and restrictions. 6) Some are concerned about the possibility of long delays or problems in the development and deployment of cloud. Four types of cloud players are emerging:  § Providers of Cloud Amazon, Google and also dozens more and more; they have their own set up of the hardware.  § Publishers of Cloud Vendors contribution web services ,SaaS, and application expansion platforms for making cloud applications  § Enablers of Cloud Companies that make platforms, standards, tools, etc. enabling continuous grid computing in the cloud by providing the groundwork for inventiveness (SLAs) Service Level Agreements. GRAPH 1: MEMORY BENCH MARK DISK AND PERFORMANANCE Impact on business: Mediation is a secret weapon The importance of a intercession layer is not distinctive to cloud computing. From the provider changes the mediation of the is created by the enterprise. This is the most single perilous architecture improvement a company could make when the cloud is using, because that permits the inventiveness to alter on their self-terms and which is not be given by the exterior provider. Continue to consider service level management Mediation also helps a secondary key advantage, which of policy and control enforcement. Addition of mediation layer which offers the enterprise with the perceptibility into how the cloud computing will be used and and also controls to declare enterprising of standards. To determine optimizing business and determining the risk Visibility is critical. Mediation permits watching of the vendors servicing level contracts to authorize that theyre transporting as assured in methods that are significant for the business. Keep a focus on security: Reasonably, security has the information technology executives largest protest linked with the cloud computing. All most all the noticeable mechanisms of safety with an external dealer apply, but the cloud computing enlarges the problem, and also the fear. To address the security over the cloud, the data safety must change up the load, the similar way that Information technology value will be done. Information technology wants to the attention on the data layer safety, meanwhile the subordinate layers are outside its controlling. Corporations that twitch the change to the cloud would find where security is being strongly combined with their setup stack at the network layers primarily, to the socket where it converts hard to mocker infrastructure and security apart. However, by touching to the cloud, the well level of mechanism through the network will be lost, and the security at the upper layers should take over. That should go without any aphorism that cloud computing is motionless immature. As a result, corporations should evade putting the information which is in the cloud without having a facsimile elsewhere. Which is Just similar all the things else, stock in a possibility plan, plus testing the plan, is very critical. Impact on society: Cloud computing which will have the considerable impact on the step of economic progress. Cloud computing might possibly donate almost a million fresh jobs from the expansion of numerous hundred thousand minor businesses in the next years. Cloud might also offer leap fogging growth chances to emerging nations. Nevertheless, as with any disorder technology, there persist so many questions and doubts about the environment in which cloud will develop. Some are troubled about the likelihood of extended stays or problems in the expansion and deployment of cloud. Others are worried about the possible control of cross border privacy laws or other controlling limitations. A strong, multi investor dialogue to measure together areas of risk and promise. Nano technology: Nanotechnology makes use of materials of size less than 100 nanometers. In practical the width is about 1/800 of human hair and 1/70th of red blood cell diameter. The purpose of nanotechnology is to produce the materials in atomic scale. In coming decades nanotechnology brings revolutionary changes in computers in terms of speed, data storage. â€Å"Nanotechnology is the principle of atom manipulation atom by atom, through control of the structure of matter at the molecular level. It entails the ability to build molecular systems with atom by atom precision, yielding a variety of nanomachines† (Mick Wilson and et.al 2002 NANOTECHNOLOGY ) Characteristics of nanotechnology: The materials formed by nanotechnology exhibits different properties compared to conventional material. According to the arrangement of nano partials in a material, they exhibit different properties physically, chemically and biologically. In general, we cannot predict the material properties by physics and chemistry. Electricity laws which hold good for big materials may not work for nonmaterial. For example a material acts as a conductor at its normal size and it may act as insulator at nano sizes. Rapid Development: Nano technology is emerging rapidly in 21 century. It was not in use until the year 1959.a magazine of science named the year 2001 as â€Å"break through of the year†. At present nanotechnology is involved in hundreds of different applications. NSF(national science foundation )expected nano services and materials will have $1 trillion market in business by 2015. Many countries are depended on nano technology because of its ability to produce products in different areas using nano technologies. Applications: It has a wide range of application areas, which will help in increasing human life standards in developing countries. Some important nanotechnology applications are * Energy production, storage and energy conversion * Agriculture productivity * Construction * Food storage and processing * Health applications such as diagnosis disease * Water purification systems * Health monitoring * Vector and pest detection control * Drug delivery system * Air pollution control. Impacts of Nanotechnology on society Each technology has good and also adverse impacts on society. When coming to nano technology, it has potential to make revolutionary changes in people lives across the world. It helps in reducing global warming; Fuel consumption is decreased by the fuel additives and water purification system with greater efficiency. Military services use these technology for detecting enemies and producing advanced weapons. In negative, it act as a weapon for terrorism. Terrorists make use of nano technology to produce toxic weapons. In medical sciences, diagnosis disease can treated by this technology. If the growth of this technology fallows the same flow, in future computer think as a machine. The life span of human will be increased as a result of DNA repair, improved improved drugs and medicines. ( Mihail C.roco and William sims binbridge,2001) Impact of nanotechnology on business: Innovations of new technology and developments in existing technologies will affect the economy of the country. As because of its demand and applications in wide areas such as medicine, electronics, computers etc., all countries around the world investing massively in nanotechnology. * In 2006, the amount spent globally for research and development in nano technology reached $12.4 billion, which is 13% more than invested in 2005. * The amount spent by the governments of all nations in the world is about $6.4 billion for the year 2006 where as for the year 2005 is $5.9 million. From the year 2005 to 2006 the investment growth is 10%. * Established business organizations spent $5.3 billion for research and development on nanotechnology in 2006. The growth is 19% from the past year 2005. * As because of growth, the nanomarket is expected $1 trillion for the year 2015. Conclusions: The two emerging technologies namely cloud computing and nanotechnology is attracting the attention of the world by its rapid growth. In future cloud computing makes great changes in computer world. Internet and computer applications in future may be come simple than now. In coming decades we can expect revolutionary changes in the world which leads to nano size electronics instead of chips now we are using , medical nano applications increasing the lives of people. And it also shows impact on social life of human. References: Mihail C.roco and William sims binbridge,2001 NANO SCIENCE AND NANO TECHNOLOGY. Mick Wilson, et.al 2002 NANOTECHNOLOGIES Mark ratner, Daniel ratner ,NANOTECHNOLOGY Dr. james canton 1999, â€Å"The statagic impact of nano technologyon the future of business and economics.† http://www.mediaplanet.com/ http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/irvi/irvi_32biotechnology.html

Thursday, September 19, 2019

That Evening Sun Essay -- Literary Analysis, William Faulkner

Critical Analysis of That Evening Sun In That Evening Sun, William Faulkner approaches the story through an anecdotal style that gives meaning to the story. The narrator uses the anecdote that happened to him to convey the story’s underlying meaning that people are restricted by social class and race, not realizing this meaning himself at the time. The era of racism pertains to the meaning of the story, discussing the aversion of southern white people to help those different from them, focusing on the restrictions that society has placed on social class and race separation and the desire to maintain the division. The anecdotal style in That Evening Sun allows the narrator, Quentin, to have a viewpoint and an attitude that is more mature. Since he tells the story now that he is an adult, and the anecdote comes from a memory as a child, the details are focused on smaller things. To exemplify, we see how Quentin takes time to notice Nancy’s eyes by recalling, â€Å"they looked like cats’ eyes do† (296). Information is also given to the reader in a vague way, showing how little Quentin understood about the events that took place. Quentin for instance, didn't know what the "swelling" under Nancy's dress was, and without question assumes that the bump is a â€Å"watermelon† because that’s what Jesus says it is. The reader must assume that since Nancy said to Jesus that the baby, â€Å"never come off of your vine, though† that the child is not Jesus’. The reader doesn’t acquire this knowledge from Quentin’s understanding, however, since he is not mature enough, rather interprets it from Nancy’s words. The effect of having Quentin as an adult tell a childhood story is that the reader is made aware of the casual observations that he thought were imp... ...morality of racism, just the fact that racism is present and that’s the way it was at that time. In the story, the reader can see Nancy’s feelings and thoughts, therefore we view her as a real person, but during the time she was simply a black woman and Quentin is showing that it wasn’t racism that was intentional, rather it was an upbringing that shaped the way black people were viewed. Furthermore, Jason’s repetition of â€Å"I’m not a nigger,† is not meant in a callous way, rather is meant in a â€Å"that’s just how it is† way. The social commentary on racism and it â€Å"just being there† is hidden through the children’s ramblings. The comments of the children show how much the children paid attention to the ways adults were presenting racism. The point of this being to show a memory that came from youth and concentrated on blacks just being the lower social class and race. That Evening Sun Essay -- Literary Analysis, William Faulkner Critical Analysis of That Evening Sun In That Evening Sun, William Faulkner approaches the story through an anecdotal style that gives meaning to the story. The narrator uses the anecdote that happened to him to convey the story’s underlying meaning that people are restricted by social class and race, not realizing this meaning himself at the time. The era of racism pertains to the meaning of the story, discussing the aversion of southern white people to help those different from them, focusing on the restrictions that society has placed on social class and race separation and the desire to maintain the division. The anecdotal style in That Evening Sun allows the narrator, Quentin, to have a viewpoint and an attitude that is more mature. Since he tells the story now that he is an adult, and the anecdote comes from a memory as a child, the details are focused on smaller things. To exemplify, we see how Quentin takes time to notice Nancy’s eyes by recalling, â€Å"they looked like cats’ eyes do† (296). Information is also given to the reader in a vague way, showing how little Quentin understood about the events that took place. Quentin for instance, didn't know what the "swelling" under Nancy's dress was, and without question assumes that the bump is a â€Å"watermelon† because that’s what Jesus says it is. The reader must assume that since Nancy said to Jesus that the baby, â€Å"never come off of your vine, though† that the child is not Jesus’. The reader doesn’t acquire this knowledge from Quentin’s understanding, however, since he is not mature enough, rather interprets it from Nancy’s words. The effect of having Quentin as an adult tell a childhood story is that the reader is made aware of the casual observations that he thought were imp... ...morality of racism, just the fact that racism is present and that’s the way it was at that time. In the story, the reader can see Nancy’s feelings and thoughts, therefore we view her as a real person, but during the time she was simply a black woman and Quentin is showing that it wasn’t racism that was intentional, rather it was an upbringing that shaped the way black people were viewed. Furthermore, Jason’s repetition of â€Å"I’m not a nigger,† is not meant in a callous way, rather is meant in a â€Å"that’s just how it is† way. The social commentary on racism and it â€Å"just being there† is hidden through the children’s ramblings. The comments of the children show how much the children paid attention to the ways adults were presenting racism. The point of this being to show a memory that came from youth and concentrated on blacks just being the lower social class and race.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Human Influenced Climate Change :: Global Warming Essays

Arguments Against Climate Change These are some of the arguments used to prevent effective action on climate change. Climate change is not occurring This was the original argument used by the carbon industry to discredit climate change and global warming. Today the vast majority of world experts on climatic issues agree that it is changing, and that the evidence is there for everyone to witness. Climate change is good for us A more recent argument used by the carbon industry to confuse the issue of climate change and global warming with the intention of stopping effective action on climate change. Their approach falls into two categories: 1. CO2 fertilisation This concept relates to the fact that CO2 is sometimes a limiting growth factor for plants. The theory goes that with increases in atmospheric CO2 our agriculture will become much more productive. However, the storms, floods, fire and drought that are already playing havoc with agriculture are likely to have a significant negative impact, along with the longer term flooding of coastal areas. 2. Some parts of the world will be better to live in In theory some parts of the world might benefit, from a human point of view, due to global warming. However, at current rates of warming, local ecosystems will collapse and any objective measure of global benefits versus suffering would show much more suffering than benefits gained. Climate change is natural, therefore we should do nothing Climate change is natural and natural climate change is occurring constantly. However, natural climate change has been overtaken by human induced climate change which is causing the majority of climate change we are seeing today. Even if the climate change we are seeing today was totally natural, the disastrous impact is already being felt. It's unclear how much of today's climate change is caused by humans, therefore we don't really know if we should do anything Similar to the above argument and equally nonsensical. We can see and feel the impacts of our changing climate and we should do something about it regardless of the cause. The climate has been much hotter/colder in the past This argument suggests that because the climate has been more extreme in the past we shouldn't worry about it changing. It conveniently ignores the fact that if we reached either past climate extreme, much of our society and ecology would not survive. Climate change has been faster in the past Well it hasn't for the last 800,000 years. Ice core data shows that the fastest rate of CO2 increase over the last 800,000 years was 30 ppm in 1000 years.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Philosophy of Filipino Culture

Philosophy of Filipino Culture May 20, 2010 Crossing Cultures: A Philosophical Reflection on Filipino Culture and Cultural Transition Experienced by Third Culture Kids Oh it's a mystery to me. We have a greed, with which we have agreed†¦ and you think you have to want more than you need†¦ until you have it all, you won't be free. Society, you're a crazy breed. I hope you're not lonely, without me. – Eddie Vedder (Society) In a world that is becoming increasingly smaller as globalization takes its universal toll on countries and cultures, the sentiments expressed in the lyrics of this song often resonate with the individual trying to find a sense of identity through society and feeling overwhelmed by it. As we have learned in class, an individual tries to concretize him/herself by acting in the world as a â€Å"dynamic X. † This characteristic, as explained by Max Scheller, is a universal factor inherent in everyone that drives us as humans to try to find our identity in a world that is constantly changing around us. Being a â€Å"Dynamic X† we ourselves are constantly changing, and we triangulate our sense of identity by comparing ourselves to the society around us to try and develop a sense of who we are through achievement, careers, personal preference of music, movies, literature and – most importantly – our name. It is through our name that we present ourselves and our capacity for historicity to the world. It is also through our name that we are known and recognized as part of a society. Considering the inherent characteristic of being a â€Å"Dynamic X† and how we use it to derive a ense of identity, the most influential factor which we use as a reference to triangulate our identity is culture. Culture, as we have learned in class, tells us how to be a person amongst others. The culture to which we are born into is something that we are affected by without having a conscious choice in how it affects us. As we develop into adults, we imbibe the cultural values, c ustoms and traits around us and form who we are through them. This process of imbibing a culture is forever ongoing, giving merit to the characteristic of being a â€Å"Dynamic X†. In its most general definition, culture can be seen as a code of systems and meanings which are unique amongst different diversities of people. Generally, most people are born and raised in one dominant culture to which they identify with as their own. Reflecting on this definition of culture and how we go about imbibing it as we develop our sense of identity, the question that this paper will attempt to answer is â€Å"what happens if a person grows up in several different cultures and how does it affect their own sense of identity? Falling into this unique and growing demographic, I personally have experienced growing up in several different cultures around the world. Being the son of a missionary couple, I have lived in three drastically different countries and cultures throughout my life. Having spent my early childhood years living in Jos, Nigeria, I assimilated into my identity certain â€Å"African† characteristics that I still feel have a hold on who I am today. Spending the bulk of my educational and developmental years here in the Philippines, I have also categorized my identity as being half-Filipino, an epiphany of sorts that only took place in my life after having experienced life alone in Philadelphia, PA U. S. A. All my life I have grown up with the mentality that the U. S is my â€Å"home. † Even though my mother is a full blooded Filipina, we were conditioned as children to believe that the U. S is where we would ultimately settle. This shaped my sense of identity significantly while growing up as I utomatically assumed that because I was an American citizen at birth I was 100% American. All that changed, however, when I graduated high school here in the Philippines and started college in the U. S. I soon found myself to be far different from the Americans around me. Several aspects of American culture, one that I associated as my own growing up, became increasingly difficult to relate to. I finally decided during my sophomor e year in college to move back to the Philippines to finish my studies. I regard that decision as one of the best ones I have made in my life. As I moved back here however, I also felt a severe distance and separation from the culture around me. This feeling led me to the realization that I was considerably different from people born exclusively into Filipino and American cultures. It was during my first months living back here that I realized I was a textbook example of what is known as a Third Culture Kid. According to sociologists David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken, a â€Å"Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a signfificant part of his or her developmental years outside the parent’s culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK’s life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background. † Throughout the last half of the 20th century, the TCK demographic has been growing significantly as international travel and commerce have been made extremely convenient. Being a type of identity, however, the TCK experience does not fully encapsulate what it means to be an individual, as the second sentence in the definition above points out. Lacking the option to â€Å"own† a culture or be fully recognized as a member of a society definitely affects the sense of individual identity of the TCK growing up. As experienced by me, the longing to be a fully integrated member of a culture or society can create extreme insecurities and dysfunctions in a person if they do not focus on the advantages of what a TCK identity has to offer the world. Using my TCK identity as a framework for understanding the Filipino culture, hich I consider now to be the closest to my heart in terms of who I am, I will attempt to reflect on certain aspects of it that I found difficult to relate with and transition into my own sense of identity. Looking at these difficulties I experienced while transitioning back into the Filipino culture, a better sense of who I am – the fundamental question of philosophy – can be achieved. Also, in regarding these observations as lessons learned on my part, I can better understand how I interact and deal with people here in the Philippines, which has been a longing of mine for quite some time now. The first aspect of Filipino culture that struck me as cultural barrier was Language. Even though I grew up here in the Philippines for the majority of my life, I was raised in an English speaking home and school system. Although I can understand Tagalog fluently, and speak it well enough to get around the city and hold casual conversations, my accent is what ultimately distinguishes me apart from other Filipinos. Filipino culture, while heavily influenced by American culture, is at the point were to fluently spoken English is somewhat looked down upon by the majority of the masses living here. A reason for this can obviously be found in the shift from English to Tagalog as the language used in the educational system that took place a couple decades ago. This attitude towards English speakers has also been enhanced due to the rise in BPO and call centers here in Manila. Having trained communication skills in two different call centers here, I can say with conviction that people who work there, a large and growing percentage of workers aged 19-35, have a subtle disdain for the language that makes it difficult for fluent speakers of English to be accepted as members of this culture and society. This, obviously makes sense since the national language of this country is and should always be Tagalog. It does, however, create difficulties when trying to transition into this culture; difficulties aided all the more by the fact that casual joking about English speakers (i. e. nosebleed jokes etc) have practically become a social norm. ( Reflecting on this cultural barrier as a TCK and Filipino citizen, I’ve come to realize the importance of language as a tool for the transmission of culture and values, as was stated in Berger and Lukmann’s article on Institutionalism. Having undergone two years of being made fun of (lightly) for my Kano accent while speaking Tagalog, I have also realized that my identity as a TCK can adapt to the cultural bantering with a healthier attitude now days. I no longer feel insecure about my â€Å"baluktot† Tagalog and have come to accept that the Filipino culture pokes fun of me without any malice – a characteristic of our culture that I have come to admire. Another aspect of the Filipino culture that I have had difficulty relating to and integrating into my own identity is the Shame-based aspect of it. Having gone to an American based international school system, my attitude towards confrontation and humor was definitively American. This differs drastically from the Filipino culture, where shame is regarded as the ultimate social taboo. In American culture, there is a mutual understanding that confrontation and directness is the norm when addressing issues between people. This trickles down into the humor of Americans, which is based on practical jokes and oriented more towards embarrassment. This difference in mentality can create a lot of offense to Filipinos. On the other hand, the shame based cultural aspect of the Philippines can also create confusion to Filipino-Americans like me, who have experienced instances where a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† might not necessarily mean it. The confusion caused by this aspect of Filipino culture has dissipated over the time I’ve spent integrating myself into it. I feel now that my humor is more Filipino than American, and I can understand the dynamics of the shame based culture works. In general, I feel that overcoming this transition into Filipino culture has significantly helped me understand who I am as a Filipino-American. All in all, these aspects of Filipino culture, which have been overcome and assimilated by me have made me realize how much my identity is inclined and oriented towards this culture. Another aspect of culture that we learned about in class was that it changes after behavior changes. Being passed down from generation to generation, this characteristic also defines culture as constantly changing. The most significant realization that occurred to me about my identity as a TCK in relation to this definition of culture was that I have been more prepared to adapt and tackle change. As technology develops faster and faster, the rate of change in cultures worldwide increases. The unique advantage that I have as a TCK is that change and transition has been occurring in my life ever since I could remember. With the culture of ours gradually morphing into a culture of pressure to achieve, others who are not used to change and transition might not handle it as well as I can. This is the main advantage of being influenced by multiple cultures while growing up and I can say that as the world continues to demand individual responses to change, I am perhaps better equipped to handling them because of my TCK experience.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Oedipus

Mr.. Lenitive You will write an essay, on one of the topics below. Your essay will Include at least three examples (quotations) from the play to support your thesis. Please follow PAP format guidelines: typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8. 5†³ x 1 1 with 1†³ margins on all sides. Please use Times New Roman font. All essays will be uploaded on turning. Com. Any essay not uploaded on this site will not be graded. Paper copies of your essay will be due on Monday, March 19.This essay will be worth 50 points. I know you all will do well. Get to writing scholars! Option #1 – Fate Many of the characters In Sophocles' plays seem to have a desire to break free from the control of the fate the gods have determined for them. Based on what you have read in Antigens, what is Sophocles trying to teach his audience about a humans ability to control his/her fate? In doing so, analyze how the characters behave as a result of knowing what their destinies will be.What are t he effects of discovering their destinies? Option #2 – Conscience vs.. Society Characters In the play must choose between following what society says is the right hint to do and following what they believe In their hearts to be the right thing to do. Often, choosing to follow the conscience Is the more difficult road to walk. In Antigens, Identify the difficult choices the characters make and analyze the effects that these choices have on the characters' lives.Option #3 – Tragic Hero Aristotle identifies the tragic hero as a character who falls from a lofty position because of a tragic flaw (hamster)–normally that flaw is pride (hubris). Identify the tragic hero in Antigens. Analyze the scenes in which the character displays pride and identify the effects that this pride has on the character's life. How could his/her life have been different If he/she had behaved In a less prideful manner?Introduction 110 Should include a hook, connector (including author and ti tle), and thesis statement Body 10 Should answer the prompt directly and completely with organized paragraphs Evidence 10 Specific quotes and paraphrases of events should be used as support to answer the prompt Conclusion 110 Restates what was proved and provides a final thought Follows Directions 15 Correct font, font size, etc. Grammar/Mechanics/Spelling 15 Total 50 Oedipus Realism and Naturalism (Literary Genres) Realism Is an attempt to reproduce faithfully the surface appearance of life, especially that of ordinary people In everyday situations. As a literary term, realism has two meanings: in general, realism refers to the representation of characters, events, and settings in ways that the spectator will consider plausible. The setting is common and the characters are consistent, recognizable types. What happens in the narrative should be the kind of thing that happens In real life.Historically, Realism (usually capitalized) refers to a movement In 19th century European and American literature and theatre that rejected the Idealism, elitism, and romanticism of earlier verse dramas and prose fiction in an attempt to represent life truthfully. Realist literature customarily focused on the middle class (and occasionally the working class) rather than the aristocracy, and it invoked social customs and economic detail to create an accurate description of ordinary human behavior. Naturalism Is a school of fiction and drama In which the characters are presented as rodents or victims of environment and heredity.Influenced by evolutionary theory, naturalism portrays human beings as natural creatures set apart from other animals only by virtue of their intelligence. Society is a veneer of civility under which simmer ruling urges of fear, lust, and acquisitiveness. No supernatural entities appear, and the world runs on an unforgiving natural law of cause and effect, the strong preying upon the weak. Plots move forward through the conflict of inner motive and outward circumstance, with characters thrown Into social and economic milieus that more or sees fall to meet their preemptively needs.Naturalism was formally developed by French novelist Mile Cola in the sass. In naturalism, events should be reproduced with sufficient exactness to demonstrate the strict laws of material causality. Important America Naturalists writing fiction include : Jack London, Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, Theodore Dresser. Theodore Dresser Sister Carrie An American Tragedy Charles Dickens Great Expectations Oliver Twist Gustavo Flutter George Kissing Stephen Crane Frank Norris Mile Cola A Sentimental Education New Grub StreetMaggie: A Girl of the Streets and Other stories (All of it) Macerate Nana As you read, concentrate on the manners in which your chosen authors employ the traits of Realism and Naturalism in their works. Annotation and marking of significant passages as they pertain to character/motivation/setting/symbolism/metaphor, etc, would be advised. Upon your return to school following summer break, you will be met with an Nicolas essay assignment based upon your reading/comprehension/facility with Realism and Naturalism as they pertain to the novels chosen for summer reading. Oedipus Every human being makes choices, but what leads us to make our choices? Some may believe that everything In life Is predetermined by God. Predestination is the belief that whatever will happen in your future is already fixed. However others may believe that everything is a matter of free will. Belief in Free will is the belief that your own choices lead you to your destiny. In Oedipus Rexes the idea of predestination is the most important theme of the play.The main Characters Oedipus,Coast and Alias all try to escape their destiny and take taters Into their own hands but do not escape from their fate. Oedipus speaks to the people of Thebes from his palace and tells them that there Is nothing he can't do to save his city. He asks for the person who committed the crime to come forward. â€Å"Only banishment will be his punishment† (Page 31). When no one comes forward, Oedipus calls the prophet Eateries in hope that he will disclose what he knows of the murder. The prophet is rel uctant to tell the King what he knows.Oedipus responds, â€Å"What? Something you know, and will not tell? You mean to fall us and to see your city perish? † (Page 35). Eateries Informs the King that It is better not to know. Oedipus will not take that as an answer so. He continues to threats the prophet until finally, Eateries says, â€Å"Then hear this: upon your head is the ban your lips have uttered – from this day forth never speak to me or any here. You are the cursed polluter of this land† (Page 35). Oedipus believes that he is playing a trick and rejects Eateries' testimony and begins to place the blame on Croon.Eateries replies, â€Å"Not Croon either. Your enemy Is yourself' (Page 36). Nevertheless, Oedipus has been doomed with fate and nothing he could have done would change his destiny. An example in the story that supports the idea of predestination is when Eateries identifies the murderer of Alias as Oedipus. Also Eateries foreshadows when saying, â€Å"A revelation that will fail to please. A blind man who has eyes now; a penniless man, who is rich now. â€Å". This prophecy is saying that in the future there will be a man that is blind and poor, opposite of what he is now. He Is talking about Oedipus.The plot of the story leads up to show also that when Oedipus tries to run away from his prophecy, he actually runs Into It. No matter what Oedipus does, he can't escape his fate. His actions don't alter the outcome of his fate; they just alter the way in which the predestination occurs. Oedipus, after discovering his dead mother and could no longer bear what he had done, he blinded himself. â€Å"Her dress was pinned with golden broaches, which the king snatched out and thrust, from full arm's length, into his eyes – eyes that should e no longer his shame, his guilt. (Page 61) The blind Oedipus demands Croon, now king of Thebes, to banish him from his city, as he had earlier demanded be Oedipus had no idea this woul d be directed to him. It therefore proves that no matter what you do, there is no way to change your destiny once the gods have decided it. Oedipus' fate was determined, not by him, but by an unknown force. He and his family understood this by the end of the play, with these words being said, â€Å"Chance rules our lives, and the future is unknown† (Page 52).It has been discussed how fate plays an important role in the lives and actions of King Oedipus. Evidence of predestined events can be found, beginning with the oracle's promise of the demise of Oedipus' father and the marrying of his mother, to Eateries' prediction of a blind and exiled man. All his life, try as he may to run away from his fate, Oedipus ended up running right into it. Oedipus realizes that, in the end, he could do nothing to change the course of the fateful events that made up his life.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

How to Teach Language Through Poetry

The use of literature in the EFL classroom through three different perspectives. Exploring poetry as a strong option.. Most of the time literature is mainly related to reading and writing, but it may play the same meaningful role in teaching speaking and listening if we design creative activities. Teachers can use literature in the classroom for different purposes such as reading aloud and dramatizing a poem, teaching pronunciation, and many other activities. There are many advantages of using literature in the EFL classroom.To talk about the general advantages of literature can be a broad approach thus; we will not focus on them. Instead, we will have a look at the benefits from three different perspectives: literature as genuine and authentic material, as a good language source and as a bridge to get the learner interested and also, we will mention poetry as a strong option to develop students’ skills. MATERIAL Literature is authentic material that makes students travel to f oreign countries and fantastic worlds. This keeps our students motivated and promotes favorable attitude toward learning.Poems, novels, and stories can bring powerful emotional responses to the classroom. Furthermore, students can relate their own real lives to the stories they read. Literary texts help EFL students to improve language learning. However, literature by itself is not enough; teachers need to use imaginative techniques for integrating literature work with language teaching. It is also necessary to bring motivating methodology and to choose the right material to keep students interested. LANGUAGE Language is the most prominent feature of literature.Through literature students learn about syntax and discourse, different structures, functions, and the different ways of connecting ideas, all these help students to develop their writing, listening, reading and speaking skills. As they use literature they learn about language structure without even noticing, this helps to de velop their communicative competence, what as we know, is the ultimate aim of English learning. LEARNER In the classroom the use of literature encourages learners to get involved ith the stories they read or hear; the understanding of the words becomes less important as they get involved in trying to figure out what is happening with a character or the end of a story. Students may also like using literature if the activities are oriented towards enjoyment and creativity instead of memorizing or following grammatical rules. Literature can be seen as the bridge between the learner and the culture of the people whose language they are studying; in order to get the learners interested in the culture, we have to carefully select the literary texts according to their interests and level of comprehension.WHY DO WE USE POETRY WITH THE LANGUAGE LEARNER? Poetry is a short piece of imaginative writing, of a personal nature and laid out in lines. In this sense, poetry is a product of the langua ge and a tool to teach it, a tool to teach grammatical clues and a product when students make a composition of any topic. Most of the poems include metaphors. Students can use cognitive skills by making comparisons between two different things and finding their similarities. The figures of speech used in poetry such as metaphors, similes and personifications help students to have a better understanding of the use of language in an unconscious way.Poetry is a way for teaching and learning basic skills. It can be used as an enjoyable and a rewarding tool with the properties of rhyming and rhythm. It helps students to easily learn with the supra-segmental aspect of the target language, such as stress, pitch, intonation. Using poetry while teaching English can have many benefits: * It encourages creative writing. * It helps students appreciate sounds words and patterns. * It develops phonic skills. * It makes students express feelings and opinions. * It provides a great opportunity to p lay with language. It reinforces the ability to think and to experiment with students’ understanding of the world. * It helps to acquire vocabulary, creativity and imagination. * it reveals, restates, reinforces and affirms those things which we think are true. * It gives the chance to discover and explore the use of the language. * It generates collaborative activities (pair and group work). Poetry and the four skills We can develop the four skills while using poetry: Poems are good to reinforce grammar structures and to improve writing abilities, bringing out creativity and rhythm in the classroom since students have to use their imagination to write.Also, poems help to develop oral and mental capacities. They should be read aloud to reinforce the student’s phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and vocabulary as well as to sharpen their receptive language skills by learning rhyming, sounds, stresses, pauses, alliteration and syllables. Ideas for using poetry in the c lassroom * Discussing the theme of a poem and writing out personal experiences related to the theme. * Deducing meanings from the context. * Completing a paraphrase of a poem (cloze-style). * Choosing the best paraphrase among a few. Predicting what’s coming next after reading only one verse at a time. * Ordering jumbled stanzas or lines in the correct sequence. * Rewriting a part of a poem in one’s own words and ideas to offer different messages. * Filling an omitted word, phrase, or line in relation to its context. * Discussing similarities and differences between poems of the same subject or theme. * Identifying any aural or musical qualities in the poem (rhyme, alliteration, and simile). * Reading aloud poems (choral reading) and making a song. This teaches intonations and stress. Using visuals images such as paintings to help pupils envisage settings, historical periods, etc. * Imitating o parody the style of poem. * Acting the poem: mime, role play, performance, etc. * Making a peer or group composition, writing together. Useful Web sites www. readwritethink. org/lessons/lesson_view. asp? id=391 www. poetryteachers. comh www. poetry4kids. com www. poetryzone. co. uk www. michellehenry. fr/poems. htm www. poemhunter. com www. tooter4kids. com/classroom/poetry_in_the_esl_classroom. htm www. teachingenglish. org. uk/think/literature/poems_prod. html http://www. youtube. com/user/b4uguy#g/u Conclusions Using poetry in the classroom is a great tool, but we cannot forget that we have to choose the right material, so students can maximize their learning. It has to be interesting and adequate for each student level, reading about new things is usually interesting for students. Learners will benefit from literature; we are responsible of putting in touch our students with material that catches their interest, so they want to read and listen more, which turns out in further and richer learning.Also, it can create opportunities for personal expression as well as reinforce learner? s knowledge of lexical and grammatical structure giving the opportunity to develop their communicative and cognitive skills. Many teachers think that including poetry in the EFL classroom can be a very heavy and useless work. However, we have analyzed some of the benefits that working with poetry can bring to the learning process. Also, we pointed that not only it is useful but also, students can have great fun if we choose the correct activities and poems.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Ecotourism in Malaysia

G. DEVELOPMENT OF ECOTOURISM IN MALAYSIA -Mohd Director, Nawayai Zoo Park Yasak Melaka Malaysia Department of Wildlife and National 1. Historical Background Until the 1970s, tourism was not regarded as an important economic activity in Malaysia. The Tourism Development Corporation of Malaysia (TDC) was set up in 1972, with the responsibility to act as a development authority, but the sector was given a low priority. Dut partly to limited financial allocations, TDC faced constraints in the effective performance of its catalytic role. As a result, Malaysia remained a relatively unknown destination, while other countries in the region such asSingapore, Thailand and Indonesia built on their established reputations as mass tourism destinations. During the 1980s, tourism became an increasingly important industry worldwide. Investment in new facilities and capital equipment reached around $US 350 million per year, representing 7. 3 per cent of total worldwide capital investments. Almost 6. 5 per cent of the world's workforce were employed by the industry. Among the main reasons for this growth were increased personal income and leisure time, improvement in international transportation systems and greater public awareness of other parts of the world due to improved communications. These developments were felt by Malaysia as well as other countries. Recognizing that tourism can playa role in economic and social development, as well as in fostering national integration and unity, the Malaysian government undertook a series of positive initiatives to stimulate the development of the tourism sector. These included the following: (a) The government established the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (which became the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism in 1990). This provided an institutional framework for the planning, coordination, and regulation of tourism, and for the first time tourism was accounted for within the framework of recognized economic activities; By virtue of the Tourism Industry Act of 1992 and the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Act of 1992, the new Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism took over from TOC the function of formulation and implementation of policies, licensing and enforcement aspects of the tourism industry. TOC thereafter became known as the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (or Tourism Malaysia for short), with a role concentrated on marketing and promotion; The Investment Incentives Act was revised in 1986 to include the tourism sector, thereby giving additional stimulus to tourism investment, such as the Pioneer Status Investment Tax Allowance, Industrial Building Allowances, and tax exemption for large foreign group tours; In 1990, the federal government set up a Ringgit Malaysia (RM) 120 million special fund for tourism to stimulate its development, including small and medium scale enterprise. b) (c) (d) During the Fourth and Fifth Malaysia Plans (1981-1985 and 1986-1990) significant attention was given to the tourism sector, with increased public allocations for marketing and promotional activities, infrastructure and product development. Expenditure was RM 125. 5 million under the Fourth Plan and RM 132. 1 million under Fifth Plan. The Fifth Plan period culminated in Visit Malaysi a Year 1990, which generated a high international profile for Malaysia and attracted 7. 4 million tourists as well as revenues of RM 4. 5 billion. Under the Sixth Malaysia Plan (1991-1995), the government therefore increased the public allocation for tourism development to RM 533. 9 million. This allocation has been used to provide and expand the physical and social infrastructure, facilities and services required to support the future growth of the tourism sector. (See Table 1. ) Visitors have come to Malaysia for many years to see wildlife, scenery, forests and beaches. The numbers are very difficult to assess, except at a few sites such as Taman Negara and Kinabalu Park. There, the numbers have climbed steadily over the past 30 years. The well-known sites are mainly large with multiple attractions, but they also include one or two places with a single major attraction, notably Rantan Abang in Terengganu with its turtles, or Rafflesia sites in Sabah. Some smaller sites have attracted fewer visitors, but are known internationally among a sector of the potential market. Examples include Fraser's Hill and Kuala Selangor, both of which are of particular interest for birdwatchers and are now on the regular itineraries of some specialist and general tour companies. 84 1. Development allocation for tourism under the Fifth and Sixth Malaysia Plans (AM million. ) Fifth Plan (1986-1990) Sixth Plan (1991-1995) Allocation Preservation Beautification of national/historical and environmental heritage protection Tourist accommodation Cultural product development Facilities and infrastructure OtherTotal 1. 5 2. 0 2. 5 2. 5 79. 2 52. 8140. 5 0. 7 0. 0 2. 5 2. 5 76. 7 49. 7 132. 1 *$US = AM 2. 5 4. 1 171. 7 43. 6 112. 9 157. 4 7. 2 533. 9 The market in specialist adventure activities (four-wheel drive, microlight, whitewater rafting, etc. is more recent but is rapidly expanding. Most of these activities only marginally qualify as ecotourism when practiced in parucularly careful ways, and some are harmful to the environment. They are indicative of the conflicts that can arise between adventure tourism, nature-based tourism and ecotourism, both in objectives and practice. Despite the fact that some tourists have pursued activities that could be defined as ecotouri sm for manyyears, attention to this market component from the tourism sector itself has been slight. Only a few tour operators have long and consistent records in ecotourism. Many others have sporadically explored this sector with varyingsuccess, low investment, and low expertise. Various reasons could be cited for their lack of success. Among the tour operators leading groups to Taman Negara are several very big companies, but as this is only a tiny part of theirtotal business and income, client dissatisfaction may have little influence upon the companies. Many ecotourism businesses remain small, or face difficulties in obtaining clientele and close down. The sit~ation for ecotourism in Malaysia is, therefore, very similar to the experience in many other countries. One difficulty in assessing progress in ecotourism is the shortage of reliable data. Tourist numbers as a whole are not easy to analyse and not much effort has yet been made to look at the ecotourism or nature-based tourism sector in particular. In 1994/95, for the first time Tourism Malaysia questionnaires included questions about whether tourist had visited Taman Negara, Bako National Park, Gunung Mulu National Park, the Niah Caves r Kinabalu Park. No statistics exist on how many visitors like to go fishing, mountain climbing or walking in the forest, nor are there detailed visitor profiles of different nationalities in relation to nature. Nevertheless, the number of tour operators interested in ecotourism or nature tourism and the number of individuals hoping to be ecotour or nature tour guides are increasing. Interest is also expressed through a number of workshop and s eminars relating to ecotourism. Recent examples are the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah) Seminar on Nature Tourism as a Tool for Development and Conservation (Sabah, Malaysia, March 1994), the Seventh PATA Adventure Travel and Ecotourism Conference (Balikpapan, Indonesia, January 1995) the ESCAP Expert Group Meeting on Ecotourism and Development in Asia and the Pacific (Bali, Indonesia, March 1995) and the PATA Heritage Conference on Tourism: A Force for Conservation of Nature and Culture (Phuket, Thailand, September 1995). Two public exhibitions on nature-based and adventure tourism have been held in Kuala Lumpur. A pilot training course for nature guides has been established, and the Malaysian Tourist Guides Council has arranged a tour guide refresher course with components on ecotourism and agrotourism. If as has been suggested, 7 per cent of travel worldwide is nature-related, then in 1994 Malaysia probably attracted 505,000 ecotourists from overseas. If, however, half of all non-ASEAN visitors to Sabah and Sarawak carry out some nature- or culture-related activity, there may have been as many as 571,000 ecotourist visiting Malaysia in 1994. Revenue would have been about RM 655 million. Current Situation The main thrust of governmental policy on tourism is contained in the Tourism Policy Study by Peat Marwick(1992), together with materials in the Sixth Malaysia Plan, Mid-Term Review and the forthcoming Seventh MalaysiaPlan. Sarawak has a Second State Tourism Master Plan (1993) and the Sabah State Tourism Master Plan was completed in early 1996. 85 2. Expenditure Allocation Programme Table There are about 2,000 registered tour and travel agencies in Malaysia, and it is estimated that about 800 take bookings for travel to nature-related destinations. However, many of these act only as intermediaries and pass on these bookings to a relatively small number of companies which deal with particular destinations. There are thought to be about 30 companies specialising in nature and ecotourism. There are about 3,500 registered tour guides, of whom the majority have full (general) guiding licences. A smaller number are specialized in specific skills. There is no detailed breakdown of the number of guides with guiding skills for each ecotourism activity, but a basic pool of resources is available in most fields. Some Malaysian specialist guides are of international repute. Participation by non-government organisations in ecotourism is limited but increasing. There are a number of state, regional and national trade organisations and tourist guides' associations which are beginning to investigate ecotourism and to provide training. So far, training courses have not been formalised. About 20 sites in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak account for the vast majority of ecotourism by overseas tourists. The same sites are visited by many Malaysian tourists. Recreation by Malaysians in Peninsular Malaysia takes place in a network of Recreational (Amenity) Forests and a number of sites elsewhere in the forests. It is estimated that about 7 to 10 per cent of all overseas tourists are involved in ecotourism activities, while up to 14 per cent express an interest in walking, hiking and trekking. This amounts to about 512,000 to 1,024,000 overseas tourists per year. The number of Malaysians visiting the same sites is close to or exceeds the number of overseas tourists. The involvement of individuals from local communities is uneven. At some sites (for example, Kinabalu Park) local residents are closely involved in guiding, staffing and gaining financial benefits from the park's operation. Sites exist in which the local community forms a passive component of the tourism product. Sites also exist in which the local community has, in effect, been excluded from tourism development, but these are none of ecotourism developments. Where local residents are involved in ecotourism, there tends to be a shortage of training and management opportunities for them. National Ecotourism Policy The National Ecotourism Plan was developed to provide a more integrated approach to achieve specific national objectives, such as those contained in the Five Year Plans and other documents, within the field of ecotourism. It should contribute towards producing a more distinctive Malaysian tourism image and identity and contribute towards direct involvement of local populations, enhanced training, interagency and inter-sectoral cooperationand, most importantly, fostering environmental protection and preservation. This plan is in the process of adoption by the federal government. The National Ecotourism Plan will include the following elements of implementation: (a) adopt and promote a clear definition of ecotourism; (b) adopt and promote a clear policy on developing ecotourism; (c) strengthen the Ecoand Agro-Tourism Implementation Committee; (d) implement legal changes to support implementation of the Plan; and (e) establish a monitoring and evaluation programme. The National Ecotourism Plan will include site planning and management. This includes actions to: (a) (b) (c) Establish Establish planning procedures application for ecotourism developments; development; system of ecotourism areas; areas; rocedures management for ecotourism Expand and improve Elaborate Implement Establish Establish Establish of a nationwide (d) (e) (f) (9) (h) (i) development guidelines and management for ecotourism; plans for ecotourism a series of pilot ecotourism additional ecotourism projects; products at Taman Negara and other sites; and promote a consistent marketing strategy; and ecotourism. Identify and promote fiscal measures to encourage Actions to strengthen institutions and build capacity under the National Ecotourism Plan include: (a) (b) Establish a Human Resources Development Plan; Ensure local community participation in ecotourism; 6 3. (c) (d) (e) (f) Investigate Establish the feasibility of an accreditation scheme for ecotourism; and promote ecotourism product development; for ecotourism guides; and Establish training and promote certification Upgrade standards of tourist literature. REFERENCES Economic Planning Unit for the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Sustainable Development, 1993. Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism of Malaysia. Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism of Malaysia. Malaysian Malaysian National ConselVation Strategy: Towards Tourism Policy Study; 1991. Plan, Malaysia, 1996. National Ecotourism 87