text:
ASEAN Strategic
The leading roles of ASEAN and Japan in East Asian geopolitical trends
With USA-China competition in the region evolving, a common approach to traditional security is needed, writes Bhubhindar Singh, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Regional Security Architecture Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. As the next two important entities in the contemporary strategic landscape, he suggests, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and Japan could determine the outcome of East Asian regional stability.
From left, USA Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, USA Secretary of State John Kerry, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida and Minister of Defense Tsunori Onodera
EAST ASIA IS AT a critical historical juncture as two major geopolitical trends unfold: the strategic rise of China, and the impact of China's rise on the long-standing position of the United States of America in East Asia.
As US-China competition evolves, both Japan and ASEAN have to assess their strategic policies. Japan and ASEAN are the next two important entities (in no particular order) in the contemporary strategic landscape whose decisions could determine the outcome of East Asian regional stability.
China's rise has been the main story of this century. Despite Beijing's repeated assurances on its 'peaceful rise' strategy, China's behaviour continues to provoke many questions about its intentions.
This suspicion stems from China's strengthened territorial claims in both the South China Sea and East China Sea, including rapid land reclamation to enlarge the islands and reefs in the South China Sea that alarmed the other claimant states, the US and Japan, and the militarisation of claimed islands, through the deployment of anti-aircraft missile systems on Woody Island.
Escalation of China's assertiveness
Most projections agree that China's assertiveness in the maritime domain will escalate. This is especially true for the South China Sea dispute, as China clearly regards this sub-region as its own 'backyard'. China's assertiveness has resulted in run-ins between not only the other claimant states, such as the Philippines and Vietnam, but also with its long-standing partners, such as Malaysia, and with Indonesia, a neutral actor in the dispute.
The second key trend is to keep the US engaged, interested and committed to East Asia. China's strategic rise challenges America's traditional role as the main source of stability in the region. Though US abandonment fears have been a constant feature in East Asia's strategic landscape, two factors make this concern more pressing today.
The first is the acquisition of asymmetric technology by China and North Korea, namely the anti-access/anti-denial capability (ballistic missiles, submarines and other weapons) that directly limits the United States' ability to access its military bases in Northeast Asia, and in turn, weakens America's extended deterrence capability.
The second factor originates from America's policy in the Middle East. For East Asia, the Middle East is a constant source of distraction of US attention and resources. With the situation in Syria and the threat from ISIS escalating tensions, America's involvement in the Middle East will only be heightened, further reinforcing the concerns of the East Asian states.
Responses naturally differ
Japan and ASEAN's responses to the geopolitical trends have naturally differed. For Japan, the shifts resulted in a greater clarification of its national security objectives and strategy. Internally, it has strengthened its military capabilities, revised its defence strategy to focus more on the south-west region, lifted the arms exports ban, and increased defence spending.
Externally, it has strengthened defence cooperation with the US. A key development was the signing of the new 2015 Guidelines of Japan-US Defence Cooperation – the first upgrade since 1997 – authorising Japan to help defend the United States and other allies, even when Japan is not under attack (known as collective self-defence missions). Japan has strengthened its security relations with like-minded countries (Australia, India), formed security partnerships with claimant countries in the South China Sea dispute (Philippines and Vietnam), and engaged in robust defence diplomacy efforts bilaterally and multilaterally (ADMM-Plus).
On the other hand, the impact on ASEAN is as yet unclear. This is no surprise, as ASEAN is a collection of 10 states with individual national interests. However, one clear impact has been the more visible fracture within ASEAN.
The differences between pro-China, anti-China and neutral camps have become starker. The 2012 and 2015 ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meetings are good examples of this, as ASEAN countries failed to reach a consensus on how to express China's behaviour in the South China Sea in the joint communiqués released during those meetings. In April 2016, this fracture made headlines again as the foreign ministers of China, Laos, Cambodia and Brunei met to agree on a consensus that the South China Sea should be resolved between China and the claimant states, rather than through the China-ASEAN framework.
Though clearly in response to China's rise, Japan's comprehensive strategic policy is largely accepted by the ASEAN states, because Tokyo's moves are largely perceived as defensive measures. However, Japan should avoid any destabilising behaviour over the unresolved historical legacy issue, such as visits to the Yasukuni Shrine. This reduces Japan's goodwill and supports the view that Japan can be a destabiliser. Also, Japan should avoid any anti-China balance-of-power strategies that could fuel regional perceptions that Japan is trying to create an anti-China coalition.
ASEAN disunity challenge
For ASEAN, it is important that the region remains the convening institution for East Asia – a strategy that has worked well in engaging great/major powers in the region, as well as sustaining its relevance in the regional landscape.
Addressing ASEAN's disunity is the most important challenge for the next decade. ASEAN has to decide the tipping point for when China or America's actions become detrimental to regional stability, and devise a common approach for challenging this. This is not a push towards the creation of a common foreign and security policy such as the European Union, but a common issue-based approach.
As the 50th anniversary of ASEAN approaches, it is no longer a choice but a necessity for it to start talking about common approaches to traditional security. As a source of stability both individually and through the US-Japan alliance, Japan has an important role in sustaining ASEAN's centrality in the regional security landscape ensuring a cooperative Japan-ASEAN collaboration brings stability to a tense region.
Bhubhindar Singh is Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Regional Security Architecture Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. First published in The Asia and the Pacific Policy Society Policy Forum. Read the orignal article
ADMM-Plus ASEAN China Japan Military Security South China Sea USA
AANZFTA
ADMM-Plus
ASEAN | Economic Development | Labor Migration
ASEAN Business Club
ASEAN Regional Forum
ASEAN-BAC
ATIGA
Dialogue Partner
East Asian Summit
ISEAS
Non Tariff Barriers
People-Smuggling
Philippines UNCLOS
ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting to add "finishing touches" to the formal launch of AEC single market
Economic Ministers of the 10 ASEAN member states meet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 22 to 25 August to put the finishing touches to the formal establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by the end of this year.
Dato' Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry Malaysia will chair the 47th ASEAN Economic Ministers' (AEM) Meeting that is expected to deliberate on, among others: the implementation of the AEC measures, especially the completion of commitments agreed to under the AEC 2015 Blueprint; the work on developing the ASEAN Post-2015 Economic Vision 2025 and strategic action plans for the next 10 years; and development of the ASEAN SME Master Plan 2016-2025.
The AEC seeks to formally establish a single market and production base among the 10 Member States of ASEAN.
"The eventual integration of national economies into a single regional bloc is expected to facilitate the creation of a seamless trade and investment regime in ASEAN. It will also pr…
SMEs need their own regional strategic plan covering the ASEAN single market
Recognising the considerable progress that the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have made towards an AEC single-market, single-production base, H.E. Suh Jeong-in, South Korea'sAmbassador to ASEAN, warns that once borders open up, fierce competition from every direction, including multinationals, is simply inescapable. To boost preparedness and opportunities for Southeast Asia's micro and small-medium enterprises, he recommends their preparation of a strategic plan to cover the emerging regional market.
IN EARLY AUGUST, I took a trip from Khon Kaen in Thailand to the border of Laos. It took four hours to drive across this East-West Economic Corridor. Driving eastward, I arrived at the Special Economic Zone in Savannakhet, where I saw a Nikon factory.
Thailand used to be the single largest producer for Nikon cameras in ASEAN. Since 2014, however, Nikon has diversified its operations by expanding its manufacturing line to Savannakhet.
I would say sea…
The illusion of ASEAN & how literature can help our sense of belonging
The 10-member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have different languages, different religions, different cultures, different governmental and social systems, and different levels of economic development. Okky Madasari, an Indonesian author and co-founder of the ASEAN Literary Festival, explains how literature and books in general can nurture and build a sense of being part of something bigger, and ultimately a sense of belonging and an ASEAN identity:
THIS MONTH the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) celebrated its 49th anniversary. What does it mean for us?
For almost half a century, ASEAN has been a big illusion fed to all of us. In school we were taught about ASEAN and told that we were "ASEAN people", without ever understanding what that meant or using the term outside of our classrooms.
We use many other personal factors as a source of our identity – country, religion, ethnicity – but never our membership of ASEAN. I can say that I…
Australia appoints Ms Jane Duke as Ambassador to ASEAN in Jakarta
AUSTRALIA HAS announced the appointment of Ms Jane Duke as next Ambassador to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), based in Jakarta. Ms Duke replaces outgoing Ambassador Simon Merrifield who was appointed Australia's first resident Ambassador to ASEAN in 2013.
Australia became ASEAN's very first Dialogue Partner in 1974, only seven years after the regional association was formed. A Joint Declaration on ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Partnership was adopted in 2007 and upgraded to a Strategic Partnership in 2015. The relationship is being further enhanced with the convening of biennial Leaders' Summits.
Australia participates in several regular consultative meetings with ASEAN, including the ASEAN Regional Forum, the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus, the East Asia Summit, the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum, the Post Ministerial Conferences, and the Senior Officials' Meeting on Transnational Crime + Australia Consultation.
The ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Fre…
Assessing the impact of Brexit on future ASEAN relations with the EU and UK
Less than 12 months ago, David Cameron was the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to visit the Jakarta headquarters of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) where he urged the European Union to "jump-start" long awaited negotiations on a free trade agreement with the ASEAN Economic Community. According to the UK-ASEAN Business Council total UK exports to the six largest ASEAN economies in 2012 were equivalent to over three times the UK's exports to Brazil, twice India's, and 50% more than Japan's. UK goods exports to ASEAN were rising more rapidly than British exports globally and UK services exports to ASEAN exceeded those to either China or Japan. Now, following his country's historic vote to leave the EU, Mr Cameron has announced his resignation as Prime Minister from October. Dr Tang Siew Mun, Head of the ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, examines the repercussions for Southeast Asia:
IN A MOVE THAT IS reverberating in the Bri…
ASEAN streamlines and prioritises tasks for next phase of regional connectivity
As the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) "kicks-in" the next phase of regional connectivity by concentrating on five strategic area, Ms Sanchita Basu Das, a Fellow at the ASEAN Studies Centre, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, identifies several reasons why the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 is noteworthy:
AT THE 28th ASEAN Summit held recently in Vientiane, the region's economic integration process advanced into its next phase. The Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 was adopted to continue the aims expressed in MPAC 2010. This new plan concentrates on five strategic areas:
1. Sustainable infrastructure aims to bring together existing resources to provide holistic support for infrastructure projects, including project preparation, improving productivity, and capability building.
2. Digital innovation strives to harness the full potential of digital technologies by establishing regulatory frameworks to spur new digital services, cultivating a culture of sha…
Copyright © www.AseanStrategic.com 2011-2018
© ASEAN Strategic 2011-2018


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Just another flight to Cali
Mini-dramas unfold on a Colombian odyssey. First of two parts.
By Elliott Neal Hester
Having finished with the dinner service, halfway through a three-hour flight from Miami to Cali, Colombia, I am sitting in the last row of passenger seats, reading a disturbing article in the Miami Herald. Yesterday, Elvia Cortes, a 55-year-old rural Colombian woman, was literally blown to bits when she refused to pay a 15-million peso ($7,500) extortion demanded by leftist guerillas. The assailants had placed a tube containing explosives around her neck, rigged it to a detonator belt around her waist, and demanded that the Cortes family pay up. If they refused, the bomb would be set off by remote control. While police and military bomb experts tried to disarm the device, it exploded. Ms. Cortes and one officer were killed, four others were injured.
I shake my head while reading, finding no comfort in the fact that this particular act of violence occurred outside of Bogota, rather than Cali -- our destination. As is the case with most large Colombian cities, the government and police control Cali. Venture past the outskirts of the big city, however, and the roads give way to unimaginable lawlessness. Here you're likely to run into leftist rebel groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (the group suspected of murdering Elvia Cortes) or the National Liberation Army. If you manage to slip past them unmolested, you'll probably be stopped by right-wing militias who've been known to slaughter those who they believe support the leftists. Then there are bandits, and of course the drug cartels ...
When a passenger call light blinks on, I place the newspaper on the adjacent seat and get up to answer the call. The last six rows of seats are empty, save for one male passenger from Arizona. He asks for another Budweiser. When I return, I ask what brings him to Colombia. He hesitates. His eyes flicker suspiciously as if he were a stockbroker deciding on whether to give insider information to a stranger. Suddenly, he breaks into a big smile. "I'm going to get married," he says. He whips out a photograph of his fiancie. She lives in Cali and is drop-dead gorgeous. I stare at the photo a couple of seconds longer than I should. Judging by the number of attractive local women on the airplane, however, it seems that beauty is abundant in Colombia's third largest city. The women sitting in 14-C,16-A, 21-A, 21-E, 22-B & C, and 25-D, E, & F could easily be finalists in the Miss Universe Pageant.
My Lonely Planet guide to South America claims that Cali has the most beautiful women in Colombia, and Colombia has the most beautiful women in all of South America. I take another look at the photograph and agree with LP's assessment. Las calenas, they are called. After another sip of beer, Mr. Arizona tells how he and his senorita hooked up.
The fiancie, it seems, had registered with an agencia matrimonial, or marriage agency. The same agency to which Mr. Arizona belongs. He tells me that Cali is rife with similar organizations. He heard about marriage agencies on the Internet. "You fly down, look through a book of photos, pick the woman [or women] you want to meet and the agency arranges an introduction," he says. "The rest is left up to you." Mr. Arizona goes on to tell me that some women are looking for a green card, others are looking for excitement. Most are hoping to find true love. He confesses that on a previous trip, he fell head over heels in love with his very first date. But after subsequent meetings she confessed her true feelings. "She told me I was too short."
I wish him luck with his marriage, then walk toward the aft galley and begin a conversation with a passenger from Oklahoma. He is not traveling to Cali to meet women. He is coming for sport. As it turns out, he is a wrestling coach for the U.S. Olympic team. The Pan American Games are being held here in a few days, and a few spots remain open on the U.S. freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling teams. "The team to beat is Iran," he says, in a soft-spoken Oklahoman twang.
"Iran?" I say.
"Iran. They've got one of the best wrestling programs in the world."
A few minutes before landing, I walk through the cabin to do a seat belt check. The man seated in 10-C does not have his seat belt fastened. I suggest that he do so, but he doesn't respond. I look at his face more closely and notice that his eyes are wet. I ask if he is OK and he shakes his head. No. He is definitely not OK. I drop to one knee and listen to his story. As it turns out, he is traveling to Cali for the funeral of a friend. His friend, a young Colombian man, was driving a Ford Explorer near the better-watch-your-ass zone on the outskirts of the city. He was killed for his automobile by leftists rebels or right-wing militias or members of a drug cartel. Maybe it was an independent car-jacker. Nobody knows for sure. The funeral is tomorrow. The murder, he says, will probably go unsolved.
I squeeze his shoulder and look directly into his eyes. He really appreciates the fact that I am taking the time to listen. He does not say this, but I can tell by the sad smile that struggles beneath his moistening cheeks.
While walking down the aisle toward my jump seat, I remember an incident that occurred on a flight from St. Thomas to Miami. It happened a couple of days after the island had been battered by a killer hurricane. On board was an American woman traveling with her young daughter. Their clothes were dirty, their blonde hair greasy and unkempt. But the strangest thing was that they had no carry-on luggage -- not even a purse between them. After take-off, the woman began to sob uncontrollably. I sat in the empty seat beside her and put an arm around her shoulder. She cried non-stop for nearly 15 minutes, then regained composure long enough to tell her story. As it turns out, her home was completely destroyed. She had no insurance. No job. No money. No belongings, save for the clothes on her back. Because water was scarce on the ravaged island, she and her daughter hadn't bathed in three days. She apologized for the smell. I told her not to worry about it. They were flying to Connecticut "to live in my mother's tiny living room," she said. This revelation opened the floodgates once more. She let loose the miserable gut-clenching cry of a woman whose life had been completely destroyed. I held her for the entire two-and-a-half-hour flight, abandoning my role in the meal service without protest from an understanding crew.
The memory fades as I strap into my jump seat in the rear of our Boeing 757.
As the aircraft descends into Cali, something goes wrong. Suddenly, the aircraft pulls up. Or so it seems. There is a powerful thrust from the engines, a noticeable trembling of the fuselage. I trade a glance with my colleague who is seated across the galley. "Are we aborting landing?" he asks, in a voice much calmer than one would expect. I peer out the tiny galley window, unable to tell for sure. "Dunno," I say.
We are both a little nervous, and for good reason. It was here, on Dec. 20, 1995, that an American Airlines 757 headed down a valley toward the Cali airport, veered off course and crashed into a mountain. Four people survived; 159 did not. Neither of us mentions this. Working flight attendants rarely discuss airplane disasters. Especially while the plane they're on is vectoring toward a landing strip. I close my eyes and try not to think of the mountains, focusing my attention instead on the beautiful images flickering on the dark screen of my eyelids: 14-C,16-A, 21-A, 21-E, 22-B & C, and 25-D, E, & F.
When the gear wheels kiss the runway I am relieved. I do not mention this to my colleague. If he is relieved, he does not mention it to me. (Later, the captain gives a very rational, albeit technical explanation about our approach. It was routine. "No, the landing was not aborted," he adds.) We stand at the back of the plane in silence, watching as passengers deplane. There is a knock on the right-hand galley door. Airline security. A small uniformed woman enters the aircraft and asks if I locked the liquor carts. Of course I locked the liquor carts. I nod my head, she smiles and turns to frisk a catering representative who enters the plane behind her.
For obvious reasons, security is a huge issue in Colombia. Tomorrow morning, when we arrive at the Cali airport for our return flight to Miami, we will pass through three security checkpoints. At the second checkpoint all passengers are frisked by hand. Sometimes the crew is frisked, sometimes we are not. Carry-on items are subject to inspection at all three checkpoints. The last time I was here, two security officers at the first checkpoint were playing with an automatic hand gun. After my bag passed through the X-ray machine, I reached down to grab it. I noticed then that the security officer was holding a gun in his outstretched hand. He pulled back on the slide, pulled the trigger several times, and nodded approvingly to his comrade. On a previous pass through the first security checkpoint, a different officer toyed with a nickel-plated revolver. He spun the chamber once and smiled at his co-worker, oblivious to the widening eyes of me and my crew.
This is what we'll go through tomorrow morning (minus the gun play, perhaps), exactly ten hours from now. At present, the entire crew -- four flight attendants and two pilots -- are waiting for me in the jet bridge. I am the last to leave the aircraft. Together, we roll our crew bags down the jet bridge and past the immigration checkpoint. There, in a long queue of passengers, I notice familiar faces: the groom from Arizona, the Olympic wrestling coach, the grieving friend, the lovely occupants of 14-C,16-A, 21-A, 21-E, 22-B & C, and 25-D, E, & F. I wave to all of them as we skirt immigration. They all wave back and smile.
Outside the airport, a mob of maybe 200 people are waiting to greet their loved ones. The faces are black, white, brown, olive -- the Cali region, according to my guidebook, is one of the more ethnically diverse areas of Colombia. The crowd is like a solid, multi-hued wall. We push through a crack in the surface, dragging our roll-aboards over shuffling feet that seem oblivious to the parade of tiny wheels. Above the crowd, I see the curved slope of our crew van. The driver sees us and gives a quick wave. One by one, he places our bags in the van's rear compartment. We pile in through the side door, but when the driver turns the key in the ignition, the engine fails to start. He tries again and again without success. Suddenly, the captain loses it. "This is the third damned time this has happened this month," he cries. Because the driver doesn't speak English, he fails to respond. The Spanish-speaking flight attendant chooses not to relay the captain's message.
After a few minutes, we crawl out of the van. The captain rushes into the airport, toward company operations, to arrange secondary transport to the hotel. While he is gone, I mention that in 14 years of flying, I can't recall a single instance when the crew van has broken down: not in Buenos Aires, Madrid or the Dominican Republic. Not in Brussels, St. Martin, Mexico City, Ecuador, Venezuela, Jamaica, Boise or anywhere else. "We take van transport for granted," I say. The crew shares my sentiments. And so does the crew van, apparently. As if by magic, the engine turns over and roars.
When the captain returns, we pile into the van and pull away from the curb. He makes a few abrasive comments to the driver and tells the Spanish-speaking flight attendant to translate. Patricia, an English-speaking flight attendant, interrupts. "Why don't you learn Spanish and tell him yourself," she says. Patricia and the captain begin to argue. "He needs to get a new van," the captain exclaims. "How do you think passengers would like it if our airplane engines failed to start?"
"It happens at least once every day," I say. The Captain ignores my comment.
For about five seconds, a peaceful silence settles inside the van. As if prompted by some unheard question, the captain barks at Patricia. Seems he didn't get a chance to make his point. Patricia barks back. They go back and forth, back and forth, yelling at each other like an old married couple. The other crew members are quiet. I look out the window, watching a South American moon play peek-a-boo from behind a drifting veil of clouds.
In less than 30 minutes we are in downtown Cali. There are a few glittering high-rise office buildings here, and lots of neon lights. But the surrounding area is rife with stubby, one-story buildings that are beaten and shabby. While waiting for the green light, just one block away from the hotel, we hear a loud popping noise. This is followed by a five-second hiss. It's the hose to the air conditioning unit, the driver says. He'll have to fix it before picking us up tomorrow morning. And as we pull into the driveway of the Intercontinental Hotel, a palace fit for kings and queens, the captain starts bitching again. Apparently, the Cali Intercontinental does not receive the satellite television channels he prefers.
Elliott Neal Hester
Elliott Neal Hester has been a flight attendant for 15 years. He has also written for National Geographic Traveler, Men's Fitness, Glamour, Maxim and Caribbean Travel & Life. Out of the Blue appears every other Friday. E-mail your tale of life in the sky to Hester. For more columns by Hester, visit his column archive.
MORE FROM Elliott Neal Hester

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Access 2010: Find students with select grades I have just made an Access 2010 database for analyzing students' grades in an exam. I was able to get grades for all students right. There are six subjects. Finding who got A in all six was easy, but what I want to do now is find who got A grade in any five out of six. Similarly, who missed A in any two subjects. Who failed in one subject? Two subjects? I just couldn't find a way to do it. Any help is greatly appreciated.
PS: What I have on my mind is a form with two text or combo boxes where you put Grades in one and Subjects in the other to get the result. For example, you select B in the first and Three in the second to get the list of students who got B grade in any three subjects. Only I don't know how it can be done.
What I did to find students who got A for all subjects: Used A as the criteria in the query.
SELECT
    exam_grade.SNAME,
    exam_grade.[Language Score],
    exam_grade.[English Grade],
    exam_grade.[Language Grade],
    exam_grade.[Phy Grade],
    exam_grade.[Chem Grade],
    exam_grade.[Bio Grade],
    exam_grade.[Math Grade],
    exam_grade.DIVISION,
    exam_grade.Result
FROM exam_grade
WHERE (((exam_grade.[English Grade])="A")
    AND ((exam_grade.[Language Grade])="A")
    AND ((exam_grade.[Phy Grade])="A")
    AND ((exam_grade.[Chem Grade])="A")
    AND ((exam_grade.[Bio Grade])="A")
    AND ((exam_grade.[Math Grade])="A"));

A: As you're storing each subject in its own column (rather than being decomposed into rows) you'll always have to specify every subject in every query. This does make the queries more conceptually simpler as then it's just a matter of doing boolean logic:
Students who had any 'A' grade:
SELECT
    exam_grade.SNAME,
    exam_grade.[Language Score],
    exam_grade.[English Grade],
    exam_grade.[Language Grade],
    exam_grade.[Phy Grade],
    exam_grade.[Chem Grade],
    exam_grade.[Bio Grade],
    exam_grade.[Math Grade],
    exam_grade.DIVISION,
    exam_grade.Result
FROM
    exam_grade
WHERE
    exam_grade.[English Grade]  = "A" OR
    exam_grade.[Language Grade] = "A" OR
    exam_grade.[Phy Grade]      = "A" OR
    exam_grade.[Chem Grade]     = "A" OR
    exam_grade.[Bio Grade]      = "A" OR
    exam_grade.[Math Grade]     = "A"

Students failed any subject:
....
WHERE
    exam_grade.[English Grade]  = "F" OR
    exam_grade.[Language Grade] = "F" OR
    exam_grade.[Phy Grade]      = "F" OR
    exam_grade.[Chem Grade]     = "F" OR
    exam_grade.[Bio Grade]      = "F" OR
    exam_grade.[Math Grade]     = "F"

...and so on for each query you have.
You can simplify this by adopting a decomposed database structure, like so:
CREATE TABLE Students (
    StudentId bigint PRIMARY KEY IDENTITY(1,1),
    FirstName nvarchar(50),
    LastName nvarchar(50)
)

CREATE TABLE Subjects (
    SubjectId bigint PRIMARY KEY IDENTITY(1,1),
    Name nvarchar(50)
)

CREATE TABLE Results (
    StudentId bigint,
    SubjectId bigint, -- composite key with StudentId, assuming no student can take the same subject twice
    Grade     char(1) -- though storing the numeric score would be more flexible
)

Then to find students that failed any subject (for example)
SELECT
    Students.FirstName,
    Students.LastName,
    FailedResults.FailedCount
FROM

    (SELECT
        Results.StudentId,
        COUNT(*) As FailedCount
    FROM
        Results
        INNER JOIN Subjects ON Results.SubjectId = Subjects.SubjectId
    WHERE
        Results.Grade = 'F'
    GROUP BY
        Results.StudentId
    ) As FailedResults

    INNER JOIN Students ON FailedResults.StudentId = Students.StudentId

this way you just add rows to the Subjects and Results table without needing to add columns and re-edit your queries.

A: According to your example and what do you want to do and just following your logic because I think that you have an algorithm for resolve, I can suggest this:
First, you need to put a value for each grade, for example I simplify the grades in three.
POSIBLE GRADES A,B,C WITH THEIR VALUES

*

*A = 3

*B = 2

*C = 1

Then you need to sum the changed values, like this:
 SELECT * FROM
    (SELECT id_student,
        CONVERT(INT,CASE language_grade
            WHEN 'A' THEN '3'
            WHEN 'B' THEN '2'
            WHEN 'C' THEN '1'
        END)
        +
        CONVERT(INT,CASE english_grade
            WHEN 'A' THEN '3'
            WHEN 'B' THEN '2'
            WHEN 'C' THEN '1'
        END)
        +
        CONVERT(INT,CASE chem_grade
            WHEN 'A' THEN '3'
            WHEN 'B' THEN '2'
            WHEN 'C' THEN '1'
        END) AS RESULT
 FROM test) TB
 WHERE RESULT >= 6

Well, following your form example, you can select 'A' grade in first combobox, Then you put number 2, this mean that you want at least 2 subjects with at least 'A' in grade, if you that you grade 'A' has value of three, you can multiply that value to the number put in the second textbox, and that result is 6, so you can deduce else rigth? ;). (Dont forget to use equal,greater than or equal, etc, to change your query.)
PSDT
I know that this isn't access sintax, but if you can "translate" to access sintax, this will work.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: How to represent a 50 digit integer with an array of int? The guidelines call for the following:
BigIntegers will be represented with 50 digit arrays of int (where each integer in the array is an integer in the range 0..9).

You will have a class called BigInteger that has the following methods:
BigInteger( ) --- initialize the BigInteger to 0
BigInteger(int n) --- initialize the BigInteger to the value of n
BigInteger( BigInteger n) --- a copy constructor

My question is, what is the most effective way of going about this? Currently, I have:
public class BigInteger {
    int[] BigInteger = new int[50];

    public BigInteger() {
        for(int i = 0; i < BigInteger.length; i++) {
            BigInteger[i] = 0;
        }
    }

Which seems to work, but only for initializing the array to 0.... I have checked around Stack Overflow, but am coming up empty. Could someone point me in the correct direction on how to go about this?

A: I'm not a java guy but what about that.
public BigInteger() {
    for(int i = 0; i < BigInteger.length; i++) {
        BigInteger[i] = 0;
    }
}

public BigInteger(BigInteger bigInteger) {
    for(int i = 0; i < BigInteger.length; i++) {
        BigInteger[i] = bigInteger[i];
    }
}

public BigInteger(int n) {
    String nstr = n.toString(); // not sure
    int pos = 49;
    for(int i = nstr.length - 1; i >= 0 ; i--) {
        BigInteger[pos] = Integer.parse(nstr [i]); // parse each char, you get the idea
        pos--;
    }
}

Edited thanks to @Andreas.


I see Leica will not be the only one with a monochrome only digital camera.
Phase One have announced the IQ 100MP Achromatic. A 100 MP sensor for medium format thats monochrome only. Its great to see innovation like this.


The chair series Comet has grown into a complete family, the chair concept allows you to customize your own favorite, a neater chair or exclusive armchair based on your own needs. Comet XL moves Comet to the executive level, with its higher back and more generous seat width. Comet XL chair/armchair is a conference chair for meetings and activities with extra demands on comfort and class.
Comet XL conference chair comes with or without armrests, always on wheels. Options: height adjustable with gas spring, lockable tilt. Comet XL also comes as a lounge chair, see "easy chairs and sofas".
Powder coated or chromium plated 4-feet alt 5-feet swivel base with memory return 360°, casters in chrome black or white. Seat with frame of glassfibre reinforced polyurethane. Inside seat shell is covered with high resilent polyurethane foam.
Powder coated or chromium plated 4-feet base on glides. Frame of wood with high resilient polyurethane foam.
Möbelfakta applies on Comet XL Conference chair & armchair swivel base with steel frame, powder coated armrest and upholstered with Oekotex or EU Ecolabel textile.
Height adjustable with gas spring.


Kitchen Remodeling | J&J Construction, Inc.
Remodeling a kitchen is one of the best ways to increase the value of your home. It also creates a common gathering place that is more functional, efficient and beautiful. Though kitchen remodeling can be somewhat costly, it is more useful to think about it as an investment rather than just a cost. The cost of remodeling your kitchen can vary according to many different factors. From the size of the kitchen to the intricate design details, the cost of the kitchen remodeling project is an area that must be considered carefully. J&J Construction will help you decide on a budget and stick with it.
Whether your budget is big or small, it is important to stay within your limits so when your kitchen remodeling project complete, it is something you can enjoy rather than worry about the final price tag for your new design. You can avoid going beyond what you can afford by careful planning and sticking to the plan.
Start by making a priority list, which will often include the things about your kitchen that make you absolutely crazy. Maybe it's the color of the cabinets and countertops or the faucets, sink and appliances are outdated. Maybe you've always dreamed of a gourmet cooking space with a kitchen island or deep sinks? We will make sure your vision is the cornerstone of our design for you.
There are no cost constraints when you are coming up with design ideas for your remodel or renovation. If there are custom cabinets or expensive countertops you are interested in, that's just fine. Place these on your priority list in the appropriate place. When it is time to budget, J&J Construction will assist in helping you find comparable, more affordable, items that will give your kitchen designs the overall look and feel you want without the high costs.


Gateway's interpretation of the Vodacom Durban July 2014 theme is the influence that fashion has had in film, depicted by classic actresses through the ages. "Old Hollywood Glamour" is the phrase on every fashionista's lips. Award-winning designers, Paledi Segapo of PALSE Homme, Terrence Bray and Andre Martin take us through their styling tips as well as what the audience can look forward to when they attend the fashion show on the 4th of July at the Wave House.
"When I think Old Hollywood Glamour the first thing that comes to mind is the jazz era and inspiration borrowed from 'The Great Gatsby" film. Over the top glam, elegance and no cutting of corners," says founder and creative director of PALSE Homme, Paledi Segapo. According to Segapo, a lady can be overdressed but never over elegant. For men, he suggests fedoras (a felt hat), fitted blazers and brogue shoes (a style of low-heeled shoe or boot traditionally characterized by multiple-piece, sturdy leather uppers with decorative perforations).
When asked about what the audience can look forward to at Gateway's Vodacom Durban July Preview Fashion Show, Segapo said, "I've appropriately themed my show segment, Walk…Live…Jazz! It will comprise of a reflection of old school look and feel evidently channeling the jazz era. The fit and silhouette will be modern classic and extremely unorthodox looking. The emphasis of this collection is the cut, cloth and fit".
"To interpret Old Hollywood Glamour men should go for a tuxedo or a formal suit accessorized with a silk scarf. Ladies should keep it simple – a beautiful long bias cut dress and gorgeous jewellery," says internationally recognized and multi-award winning designer, Terrence Bray.
Street wear designer, Andre Martin has decided to add 'street vibe' to the fashion show segment. "I've decided to work with street wear in a formal way. Show goers will see the Life by Andre Martin winter 2014 collection which is available in stores. I will be styling ten astonishing looks using this latest collection," says Martin.
Tickets to see Gateway's Vodacom Durban July Preview Fashion Show and Concert are now available at Computicket for R50 per ticket. Gateway VIP members are invited to take advantage of the services of a specially recruited personal stylist, Sabrina Maingard of The Fashion Nanny, during the promotional period. Sessions are limited and will only be available until 28 June 2014, make sure to book early. VIP members can book their session by simply burning points 3000 and selecting a time slot at the VIP kiosks.
Meeting the client and establishing their vision for their outfit and the function they will be attending.
Look out for Gateway Theatre of Shopping on Facebook and Twitter (#GatewayJulyFashionShow).


text:
Peruphasma transversatum är en insektsart som först beskrevs av Andrew Nelson Caudell 1913.  Peruphasma transversatum ingår i släktet Peruphasma och familjen Pseudophasmatidae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Spökskräckor
transversatum

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Ethan Linch advice in Slate Magazine is foolish because he uses poor science and analysis to make his point. What's his motivation for this piece?
They might want to stay with what they do well. Whatever that is, it's not backpacking.
For better information, check out Wes Siler's article for Outside Magazine.