Likelihood of Inter-State War in Southeast Asia

Likelihood of Inter-State War in Southeast Asia Critically assess the likelihood of inter-state  war in Southeast Asia in the 21st Century. TAN SEOW LIM INTRODUCTION South East Asia – a region consisting of 11 countries scattered around the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean and carries great diversity in cultures, languages and religions with Islam being the dominant one in the region). With around 620 million habitants, it is also considered one of the most populated regions in the world. With very rich heritage, it also has its fair share of conflicts from the old days to current and thru the years, every nation are trying to rebuild despite some countries with political instability, and strengthen its own economy in order not to be left behind in the competitive world. The forming of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is in a way aims to accelerate the economic growth, social progress, socio-cultural evolution among its members, protection of regional peace and stability, and opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully[1] . This essay will attempt to discuss the likelihood of inter-state war in the region in the 21st century with consideration of impact due to global trends, the effect of economic interpendence and terrorism in the region which may pose a bigger threat to national security. THE ECONOMICAL AND POLITICAL ARENA OF SOUTH EAST ASIA The countries, being in a strategy location and access to plentiful of natural resources together with their diversity and increasing integration, are a magnet for not only China but also for Europe and US to invest in. Politically, the region provides stability in a part of the world that is rapidly reshaping the global balance of power. As a result, its continued development—which depends on investments in infrastructure and education, as well as improvements in business climate—is important for the rest of the world. The ten countries have a combined GDP of $1.9 trillion and an average per-capital income close to that of China. Being a consistent good performer, they would have been a ninth largest economy if they are a country[2]. Thanks to the loosening of control by the military junta n 2011, Myanmar has also gradually opened up their market for foreign investment in the past two years. And being an emerging economy with great potential, it cannot be neglected. Th e developing economies in Vietnam and Cambodia have also performed economically well since they open up its market few years back. [3] ASEAN, who has played a pivotal stabilizing role in both the region and the world, has also aim to create an economic community which is a single market for goods, services, investments, and skilled labor by 2015. With its determination and shows of economies usefulness, it has also drawn in partnership with various countries like China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and India in introducing various initiatives in boosting the economies in the region. United States commitment to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will also determine the economy of the next century for S.E.A. Amidst its developing economic potential, the political arena among the S.E.A. countries poses another challenge which may jeopardizes the progress and worse, may derail and setback the efforts put in thus far. The political turmoil in Thailand – it’s all too familiar partisan politics has been playing out in the street wanting to unseat Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of the controversial and now exiled ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Only consolation is the military has yet to stage the 82nd coup thus far. The country has been without a proper government since December 13 and the election last done in February was considered void due to the protest causing some areas not able to conduct a proper election. The Thai economy was also badly hit and will deteriorating further if the turmoil continues with no end in sight. And as recent, the opposition has planned to boycott the July election yet again and called for Yingluck to resign. Myanmar also faces daunting cha llenges in its path to reform. The military junta’s refusal to remove clause 59(f) from the constitution, which bars from the presidency anyone whose spouse or children are foreign citizens. This effectively bars Miss Suu Kyi from standing for president. While Mr Thein Sein may be supportive of removing the clause, the internal resistance from the military junta has thus far been effective in blocking it. In the words of Mr Thein Sein â€Å"if the political demands made by the public are larger than the current political system can accommodate, we can all end up in political deadlock†¦.we could lose all the political freedom we have achieved so far. I would therefore like to urge all of you to handle such a situation with care and wisdom.†[4] This deadlock in political reform, a largely inscrutable bureaucracy, will definitely slow down the progress of development in the country. Cambodia, under the rule of authoritarian prime minister Hun Sen, has also seen tens of thousands of protestors going on the street recently to protest against flaw in election system which led to the win by Hun Sen’s party. With the instability in the political situation in the country, it is difficult to attract investment in the country. The situation is further stressed by the lack of skilled workers in the country. Indonesian will be having its presidential election this year and will decide the next President to lead this economy into the next century. Being the largest economy in S.E.A and world’s 3rd largest democracy, it will set the path and determine the progress in S.E.A. economy. With the colourful economic and political situations in the S.E.A, it is unimaginable to think that each and every country in this region would want to risk being in the last of the league in the developing economy. While ASEAN may have a known policy of not interfering in internal politics of member states, they have in the past shown to be able to come to some agreement amicably to settle their inter-state disputes as in the case of Thailand-Cambodia territory disputes which was the worse since the forming of ASEAN in 1967. It would also be disastrous if any country, having dealt with their internal politic turmoil, would want to get into another inter-states conflict instead of banding together to move together boost the region’s economy. ECONOMIC INTERDEPENDENCE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA Economic interdependence between inter-states has been known to prevent any conflicts or escalation in any conflicts. It is not restricted to just South East Asia countries. I am a believer in such advocacy. Evident over current quarrels between China and Japan over the islands – barren rocks known in China as the Diaoyu islands and in Japanese as the Senkaku islands, the conflict will not escalate mainly due to the continual reliance on the each economy. China is in need of Japanese products like machinery for its production and Japan in need of raw products from China likewise. Even in the tense atmosphere in July 2012, Japanese companies are still doing business in China e.g. a city in Chongqing hiring the Mitsui Group to develop an industrial park aimed at attracting foreign investment[5]. The leaders in both countries know very well how a deteriorating economy will damage its standing in the world. Both leaders also has a heavy responsibility to revive their economies and having been relying on each other’s economy for decades, re-strategizing and reduce or cut off reliance on each other is not an option. In South East Asia, the forming of ASEAN serves to ensure peace in the region by promoting trading in the regions as one of its aim. Along the way, member states have also came out with initiatives in propelling the economy in the region – in 1992, the integrating of its member economies by the establishment of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and later in 2003, the members further committed to forming an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), a single production base and market, by 2020. Seeing the significant and importance of the AEC, the member states agreed to advance the formation to 2015 in 2007, though the progress is slow down due to political situation in some member countries. All these initiatives require the co-operation of the member states, every one of them, in order to form a strong magnet to attract investment to the region. Thus far, with its strategic location, abundant natural resources, quality human resources and growing economies, ASEAN has engaged economicall y, by way of trade and investments, with all the large economies of the world. Even with the region facing the Asian financial crisis which dented ASEANs economic credibility and standing, they were able to quickly recover from this crisis and individually, most of the ASEAN countries are now enjoying positive growth rates of 4%-7%. It has shown the robustness of the economy despite the fall. This economic standing, with its political and strategic weight, has encouraged the ASEAN to explore an enhanced geo-political role for itself in the Asia Pacific and the global community[6]. With this standing and development, no one state would want to be left behind and not play its role in pursuing and getting the fruits of the ever revolving flourishing economy. Even East Timor, the only nation in the region yet to join ASEAN, has officially applied to be a member of the association in 4 March 2011, hoping to reap the fruit and to take advantage of the opportunity. But as ASEAN members believe the group should focus on helping poorer nations which are already members of Asean like Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos – to prepare for the opening of the groups free trade zone in 2015 and that East Timor unable to meet some of the joining criteria, the approval has been put on hold. As can see, the economic interdependence among the nations is so strong and required that any inter-state conflicts is a near impossible, even in the next century. It has been decades and proven that the region has always been a very strong trading zone due to its vast natural resources. It i s undeniable. There may be occasions where conflicts happen but those were resolved amicably thought some disputes like the Spratly islands is still on the card involving Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnams with China and Taiwan. Through the years, the association, with its founding aim to promote peace and stability, has also developed key mechanisms for dispute settlement e.g the 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), the 1996 Protocolon Dispute Settlement Mechanismand subsequentlythe2004 Protocol for Enhanced Dispute Settlement Mechanism (EDSM) for disputes relating to ASEAN economic agreements, and the provisions of the 2007ASEAN Charter that serve as an overarching framework for dispute settlement in ASEAN etc. All these and other agreement are meant to provide a channel for the members in settling disputes. As such, the likelihood of inter-state war in South East Asia is near impossible. TERRORISM THREAT IN THE S.E.A. REGION Terrorism poses a serious and real threat to the world and it knows no border, nationality and religion. It was probably taken for granted till the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers of United States in 11 September 2001. I was stationed in Peace Prairie Detachment in Dallas, Texas and received a call from a colleague that morning. He mentioned:†Switch on the TV. Two airplanes hit the tower!† I remember telling him to not joke as I was dead tired after having returned early in the morning from work. But after switching on the TV and seeing what happened, I then realised the ideology is a clear danger. That day changes the world. Everyone is fighting against terrorism till today; sometime I feel it has become an excuse for some countries to eradicate opposing factors in the country. In South East Asia, the terrorist attack on Bali on 12 October, 2002 was a wakeup call for Southeast Asian governments. It demonstrated the severity of terrorism. The horrified act was done by a terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) whose cell in Indonesia has been blooming with sufficient support from Al Qaeda to infringe further damage in the later years. Though Indonesia has done very well in its fight against the terror cells situated in its territory, especially its counter terrorism tactical force, Detachment 88 who has killed and captured nearly 800 Indonesian terrorists and extremists, JI itself has transformed into an ideological organization and several new splinter groups emerged. They include a dozen operational groups of Al Qaeda in Indonesia such as Lashkar Hisbah, Tawhid Wal Jihad and Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT)[7]. All these development have been a worrying trends and the need for all S.E.A. countries to work together to fight or guard against them cannot be over-emphasized. Fortunately, these threats have not caused any conflicts among the countries in the region and have been quite successfully been contained in respective country. The arrest of 11 ter rorists, whom are suspected of having links to terrorists in other countries, in Malaysia lately does show the needs for every country in the region to not let their guard down. The co-operation of the states also resulted in the arrest of a number of terrorist figures, quashing more terrorist cells. All these co-operation further enhanced the cohesiveness of the countries in the region and more openness and solidarity, it does help in the lessening the possibility of conflict among states in the region. CONCLUSION Amidst the peace and stability in the region, Singapore continues to play its responsible and neutral role in fostering good relationship with the neighbouring countries and that, we have been doing an excellent job playing a good brother’s keeper. Occasionally, we may have some little argument with the neighbouring states but with good foreign and open relation, we were able to overcome amicably. The need to continue to maintain a strong defence to deter potential aggression must be a continual emphasis not only for its peace and stability but also to continue to attract investment to the country to maintain a robust economy and indirectly, contribute the region’s development. I am confident to say that possibility of inter-state war in the next century is highly unlikely. Bibliography Aseanweb – Asean Motto. Asean.org. Retrieved 8 August 2011. Vikram Nehru 7 July 2011 Southeast Asia: Crouching Tiger or Hidden Dragon? Available:http://carnegieendowment.org/ieb/2011/07/07/southeast-asia-crouching-tiger-or-hidden-dragon/fuzd Politics in Myanmar, Not so fast (2014) The Economist [Online] Available: http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21595920-aung-san-suu-kyis-road-presidency-grows-longer-and-more-winding-not-so-fast (8th Feb 2014) ERIA Policy Brief, No. 2012-01, January 2012 Rohan Gunaratna, After Bali: Southeast Asia Under Threat, 2012.  Available : http://www.pvtr.org/pdf/commentaries/RSIS1912012.pdf (10 October 2012) [1] Aseanweb – Asean Motto. Asean.org. Retrieved 8 August 2011. [2] Vikram Nehru 7 July 2011 Southeast Asia: Crouching Tiger or Hidden Dragon? Available: http://carnegieendowment.org/ieb/2011/07/07/southeast-asia-crouching-tiger-or-hidden-dragon/fuzd [3] Vikram Nehru 7 July 2011 Southeast Asia: Crouching Tiger or Hidden Dragon? Available: http://carnegieendowment.org/ieb/2011/07/07/southeast-asia-crouching-tiger-or-hidden-dragon/fuzd [4] Politics in Myanmar, Not so fast (2014) The Economist [Online] Available: http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21595920-aung-san-suu-kyis-road-presidency-grows-longer-and-more-winding-not-so-fast (8th Feb 2014) [5] Katz, Richard, Mutual Assured Production: Why Trade Will Limit Conflict Between Japan and China. Foreign Affairs 92(4): 18-22 [6] ERIA Policy Brief, No. 2012-01, January 2012 [7] Rohan Gunaratna, After Bali: Southeast Asia Under Threat, 2012. Available : http://www.pvtr.org/pdf/commentaries/RSIS1912012.pdf (10 October 2012)

Threats :: essays research papers

Anthony, soaked in his own perspiration after a friendly soccer match, barged through his classroom door angrily, with his soccer ball within his arm. He sat down, disposing his gear- grassy socks with its stink, goalkeeper’s gloves – into an NTUC Fairprice plastic bag. The thirteen-year-old then lay back in his chair, deep in thoughts, unaware of the quietness of an empty classroom late in the afternoon. â€Å"Boy, what an idiot you are! If you do not turn up for the next soccer practice, I’ll replace you with that boy from 1C, that Weixiang!† – The sight of his soccer match, Mr. Anderson, yelling into his face kept flashing within Anthony’s mind. The pot-bellied English man had a reputation for deafening his students with his voice, not much difference from using a loud hailer. Anthony is proud of his position, as goalkeeper of the C’ Division soccer team of the school. Never could he imagine Weixiang, that scrawny egg-shaped spectacles-rimmed nerdy homo-sapien replacing that post due to missing a few soccer practices for the sake of competing at Counterstrike games with his long-timed rivals at the cybercafe nearby. It is a hard-earned achievement for Anthony Tan, previous top-scorer in his lowly unheard Primary School; he has intentions of converting from his library-dwelling old self, to the sporty, sociable stud of Bukit Timah Secondary School. The ‘stud’ packed his school bag. His eyes felt dry. â€Å"Darn. I have been wearing these contact lenses since six this morning,† he thought, rubbing his left eye with the back of his hand. All he wanted to do was to shoot his way home to remove the irritating focuses. Anthony swung the bag across his back in a fashionable manner – similar to those American kids on TV hanging out at their school lockers. He dribbled his favorite ball – most desired 13th birthday gift, indication of start to teenage-hood. Out of the dark classroom, along the dimly lit corridors, attempting to make his way out of the school compound while showing himself as a well-inspired fan of Paolo Maldini. Dribbling on, with pillars in place as his defenders. He stopped. Slowly, in a dramatic manner, our hero ascended his right leg to a certain level. Anthony gave the soccer ball a hard deserving kick. How he wished it was the head of his Mathematics teacher. Our friend then discovered – venging anger on non-living objects with the hint of cruel imagination does cure vengeance within the heart.

Hagar Currie Shipley from the novel “The Stone Angel” by Margaret Laurence and Edgar Gallant Essay

Through the character Hagar Currie Shipley from the novel â€Å"The Stone Angel† by Margaret Laurence and Edgar Gallant, we can see that life experience and religion have certain affects on people which may change as they grow older. Those impacts can be for the good or the bad. These decisions are made by the people who experience something so great that had changed their minds. When someone goes thought something that might have changed their lives then they sometimes become a different person. Hagar Shipley is often found in contact with her past but not with her emotions. She had been thought a lot in her life and one thing was holding her back which lead her to make the decisions she did. On the other hand, Edgar Gallant, uses his emotions to share his past with his relatives and loved ones. Being this way Edgar became the person he is now. These two people are unique in their own ways but they still have certain similarities with their lives experiences. First Paragraph Hagar Shipley’s life experience has an important affect on her present self since she keeps on leaving the present whenever she feels uncomfortable. In her old age, she escapes the present through daydreaming and wanders around in her past in search of a situation where she had control instead of having to deal with the present situation. For example when Hagar is given Barium by the doctor at the hospital and she is wondering what will happen next: â€Å"I’ve waited like this, for things to get better of worse, many and many a time. I should be used to it. So many years I waited at the Shipley’s place†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We see here that Hagar does not feel comfortable in the present being given a substance she does not know. Therefore Hagar leaves the present in search of a situation she has been in previously where she knows what will happen. Hagar does not only escape from the present mentally but also physically. Even though Hagar is a very proud woman, she becom es progressively more powerless to care for herself and therefore becomes an unbearable tension on her son, Marvin and his wife, Doris. This tension becomes even worst as she takes a trip away from home leaving them stranded, not knowing where she has disappeared: â€Å"Oh dear, you threw an awful scare into us. Why should you go and do such a thing, anyway, mother? When I came back from the store, and found you weren’t there, I nearly when out of my mind. Its been so worrying for us, and we felt so awful, having to go to the police. They looked at me in such a funny way, as though I should’ve taken better care, but how on earth was I to know you’d do a thing like that?† We see here the problems that Hagar has inflicted upon her son and his wife. We do not hear very often of an old lady of ninety two years old running away from home. Hagar needs care because she has become a child. Hagar was never a child because her father made her grow up faster then her age. So as Hagar looks into her past at her childhood she sees a grown up child, so in her old age, she became the child she never was. Hagar’s college education was not a very important part of Hagar’s life even though it has prevented her to live the care free of a young growing women. In those days, college was not the same for girls and boys. We can see this through a quote from Jason Currie: â€Å"It’s not the same for you-there’s no women here to teach you haw to behave like a lady.† Jason was sending Hagar East to learn how to become a lady, not for work related knowledge. This is shown by Jason when Hagar come home two years later: â€Å"Do you think I sent you down East for two solid years just so you could take a one-room school?† Hagar’s father did not need her to learn to do any type of work, he had sent her there for her to be pretty and know how to behave herself like a lady to show off to the entire town to show off his daughter. â€Å"You’re a credit to me. Everyone will be saying that by tomorrow. You’ll not work in the store. It wouldn’t do.† We here realizes that Jason has sent his daughter Hagar to college so that he could be proud of her. Hagar is also very proud as we can see when her father hits her: â€Å"I wouldn’t let him see me cry. I was so enraged.† This is pride, she has inherited from her father. Her father then realizes that she will not let him see her cry and says: â€Å"You take after me, you’ve got backbone, I’ll give you that.† From this quote, we can see that Hagar’s pride comes directly from her father. Hagar once said:† â€Å"Pride was my wilderness and the demon that led me there was fear.† She has been afraid of being unrespectable which is why she decided to go to college and was easily convinced that it was she that should go and not Matt. Afraid of needing too much and giving too much, Hagarâ€℠¢s pride is both unsettling and inspirational. Second Paragraph Edgar Gallant’s life experience and past memories have an important effect on his life and relationships with others. Edgar had a very interesting past that affects him even today. His past affects his career as a volunteer in the later years of his life as he helps out others with his knowledge. He has been asked to take part in over a dozen organizations due to his previous success in his life’s work. Not thinking he has fulfilled his dream and what he was sent here to do, he has accepted to help out in about nine different association for the public usually as a president or vice president of comities. Edgar Gallant uses his past, not to hide, but to enrich his every day’s work. Unlike Hagar, Edgar has usually worked in a team thinking that several brains are better then one, sharing information to reach a better solution that one could not come up with alone. Edgar does not hide his emotions, he believes that hiding a certain part of them is good in the work environment because of the professional look and rational approach to have in a work environment with work partners. On the other hand, he is very open towards his family and shares everything with them. He has shared hi time between work and family always leaving enough time to carry on his duties as a responsible father. Sharing his feeling with his wife and children, he was able to create a feeling of trust and educate his children in the way he thought was best. Edgar found that sharing some degree of emotion show as well as the rational view of things was the best approach in family situation. It is good to show emotion to a certain degree. One does not want to overwhelm, but share his problems with his family. â€Å"I have always consciously made an effort not to let emotion dominate reason.† This shows that he shares his emotions with others but does not let them take over by keeping a rational look on things. Edgar was never really proud in the same way as Hagar. He was often given position he though were above his expertise, but decided that since others had that trust in him, that he would not deceive them so he went on to do what was expected of him, never letting anyone down. Third Paragraph Hagar’s take on religion has changed throughout her life. In her younger age, Hagar was very religious and went to church with her father. Then she found out that her father was having an affair with Lotions mother and since then she started being less religious. After John’s death Hagar stopped being completely religious. She prayed for him to live, but to no avail as she explained to Mr. Troy. She feels that praying is useless because god will not respond to her in the end. Edgar’s take on religion has also changed with age. When he was a boy, his family was very religious. At the age of 13, he was sent to a boarding school which had a priests where all his companions and teacher were extremely religious. As soon as he left the boarding school, he then realized that he did not agree with some of the religious concepts he was taught. From then on he decided to take a different look on religion. As he got old he leaned more about the world and that added to his concepts to religion which was also a reason why it changed. Just like Hagar, Edgar does not currently practice a certain religion but has beliefs of his own inspired from the Catholic Church and books. Edgar has changed his view on religion due to philosophical books, religious texts from other religions and his work which is about social justice and truth to the people. Due to his knowledge as he grew older, he has come to realize that not one religion is true, but that all of them have something good and that religious belief is a sum of all of them. He also mentioned that there is not way of knowing which religion is the right one so taking bits from all of them can maybe create a better understanding from all of them. He also did not let religion take over his life which enabled him to work more frequently. From her childhood as a daughter of a Scottish merchant to her marriage, Hagar has fought a long and wrong battle for freedom and respect. In the end she realises her wrong doings when it became too late, she has gone with her life without thinking about her actions and the consequences. When someone does not know if they are at fault they keep repeating those actions until its too late to reverse them. Edgar on the other hand has nothing to look back on, he knew exactly what he wanted and went right for it. In Edgar’s case he was raised by and worked hard to earn respect which in the end he was granted respect by others. The work he has done for the society is incredible and he is still doing so in a manner that will benefit the society and him self. He will not stop working until he probably can’t function anymore. The benefit that he is getting out of it is the joy of being able to make a difference. Hagar unfortunately realized this near the end of her life, when time was running out. She realized this when she only performed one task to help out the girl in the hospital. If only she realised that helping others is rewarding and makes a difference, then she could have started at an earlier age. Whether it’s a person’s character or religion, as one grows older their views change. This could include a change in heart or opinion.

Health, Behavior and Optimal Aging Essay Example

Health, Behavior and Optimal Aging Essay Example Health, Behavior and Optimal Aging Paper Health, Behavior and Optimal Aging Paper The authors presented a Life Span Development Perspective to help people better understand the process of aging. The experiences and thought patterns of individuals as they accumulate through the years have an important impact in their latter behavior and psychological makeup. If these experiences were processed and internalized well, then the aging individuals could engage in what the authors call Optimal Aging. The health of aging individuals are deteriorating. They no longer have the strength and the vigor they used to have. This could become the source of discontent and frustration if they are not able to handle the process of aging. But as they realize the importance of growing old and they relish what they have done through the years, they can maintain positive behavior and avoid the negative emotions and frustrations so often associated with the process of aging. The rate of aging can also be affected by certain psychosocial factors. The immediate environment of the aging individuals such as the family, the presene of caregivers and the existence of a supportive community can help them deal with the realities of aging and they can still enjoy the company of their friends and their relatives. On the other hand, the process of optimal aging can not be dealt with by an individual alone, it should be with the help of others. Through optimal aging, the individuals going through the process of aging could enjoy adulthood and the late years of life without feeling worthless. If they can engage in physical and social activities suited to their age, they can live meaningfully and happily. Reference Aldwin, CM, Spiro, A, Park, CL (2006). Health, Behavior and Optimal Aging: A Life Span Development Perspective. In Birren, JE Schaei, KW. Handbook of the Psychology of Aging (6th edn). California: Elsevier Academic Press.

A Typical Homeschool Day

A Typical Homeschool Day According to the National Home Education Research Institute, as of 2016, there were approximately 2.3 million homeschooled students in the United States. Those two-million-plus students hail from a variety of backgrounds and belief systems. The NHERI states that homeschooling families are, ...atheists, Christians, and Mormons; conservatives, libertarians, and liberals; low-, middle-, and high-income families; black, Hispanic, and white; parents with Ph.D.s, GEDs, and no high-school diplomas. One study shows that 32 percent of homeschool students are Black, Asian, Hispanic, and others (i.e., not White/non-Hispanic) (Noel, Stark, Redford, 2013). With the wide diversity found in the homeschooling community, its easy to see why its difficult to label any day a typical homeschool day. There are as many ways to homeschool and as many ways to accomplish each days goals as there are homeschooling families. Some homeschooling parents model their day after a traditional classroom, even starting  their day reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The rest of the day is spent doing sit-down work, with a break for lunch and perhaps recess. Others arrange their homeschool  schedule to suit their own needs and preferences, taking into account their own high- and low-energy periods and their familys work schedules. While there is no typical day, here are some organizational generalities many homeschooling families share: 1. Homeschooling Families May Not Start School Until Late Morning. Since homeschoolers dont need to dash for the school bus, its not uncommon for homeschooling families to make their mornings as calm as possible, starting off with a family read-aloud, housekeeping, or other low-key activities. While many homeschooling families get up and get school started around the same time as children in a  traditional school setting, others prefer to sleep later and avoid the drowsiness that plagues many school kids.   This flexibility is especially helpful to families with teenage students. Studies have shown that teens need 8-10 hours of sleep each night, and its not uncommon for them to have trouble falling asleep before 11 p.m. 2. Many Homeschoolers Prefer to Ease Into the Day With Routine Tasks. Although some children prefer to get their most difficult tasks out of the way first thing, others find it stressful to dive into complex subjects first thing. Thats why many homeschooling families opt to start the day with routines like chores or music practice. Many families enjoy beginning  with morning time activities such as reading aloud, completing memory work (such as math facts or poetry), and listening to music or creating art. These activities can help kids get warmed up for tackling new tasks and skills that demand more concentration. 3. Homeschoolers Schedule Their Toughest Subjects for Prime Time. Everyone  has a time of day in which they are naturally more productive. Homeschoolers can take advantage of their peak hours by scheduling their toughest subjects or most involved projects for those times. That means that some homeschooling families will have math and science projects, for example, completed by lunch while others will save those activities for later in the afternoon, or even at night or on the weekends. 4. Homeschoolers Really Do Get Out for Group Events and Other Activities. Homeschooling isnt all sitting around the kitchen table hunched over workbooks or lab equipment. Most homeschoolers try to get together with other families on a regular basis, whether for co-op classes or outdoor play. Homeschooling families are often active in the community with volunteer work, drama teams, sports, music, or art. 5. Most Homeschooling Families Allow for Regular Quiet Time Alone. Education experts say that students learn best when theyre given some unstructured time to pursue their own interests and  privacy to work without someone watching over their shoulder. Some homeschooling parents use quiet time as a chance to work with one child individually while the others are busy on their own. Quiet time also gives kids the opportunity to learn how to entertain themselves and avoid boredom. Other parents choose to have quiet time for the entire family each afternoon. During this time, they can enjoy their own down time by reading  a book, answering email, or taking a quick power nap. No two homeschooling families are the same, nor are two homeschool days. However, many homeschooling families do appreciate having a somewhat predictable rhythm to their days. These general concepts for organizing a homeschool day are those that tend to be fairly common  in the homeschooling community. And even though the homes of many homeschooling families look nothing like a traditional classroom, you can bet that learning is one of the things that homeschoolers do all day, at any time during the day or night. Updated by Kris Bales

The Safety and Reliability Issue of Robotic System with Artificial Research Paper

The Safety and Reliability Issue of Robotic System with Artificial Intelligence - Research Paper Example Since artificial intelligence is dissimilar to human intelligence, it is incapable of taking independent decisions. Moreover, it is incapable to respond properly in unfamiliar situations. Artificial intelligence need to be advanced a lot before human can trust it for doing independent works. INTRODUCTION â€Å"Robots are physical agents that perform tasks by manipulating the physical world. They are equipped with sensors to perceive their environment and effectors to assert physical forces on it†1. The huge success of robots in doing extremely risky works with utmost precision has developed huge interests in the scientific world about using robotic systems for artificial intelligence. Even though human like behavior cannot be expected from robots, it is widely believed that robots can match human intelligence to a much closer level than once anticipated. It is a fact that robots need human supervision or intervention for safe functioning. However, current robots need less supe rvision from human elements and they are intelligent enough to make necessary changes in its functioning based on the changes in the environment. Robots are currently used for people to conduct remote controlled video conferencing, navigation, rescuing, assisting and lifting of soldiers in the war fronts etc. It is difficult to define artificial intelligence or AI in few words. Generally speaking "Artificial intelligence is the science of making machines do things that would require intelligence if done by men" 2. The history of artificial intelligence started along with the discovery of computers in by Charles Babbage. Even though the possibilities of using artificial intelligence or robots are infinite, still people have many concerns about the reliability of using robots for artificial intelligence purposes. After all, robots are machines and machines cannot think as human does. It should be noted that even well experienced individuals are struggling to take appropriate decisions in this ever changing world. Under such circumstances, the reliability of depending artificial intelligence for executing complex jobs which need logical and quick decision making is highly questionable. This paper analyses the Safety and Reliability issue of Robotic System with Artificial Intelligence. SAFETY AND RELIABILITY ISSUE OF ROBOTIC SYSTEM WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Incredible speed in execution is the major advantage of robots controlled by artificial intelligence. Moreover, robots exhaust much slower than humans and therefore it can perform huge volumes of works compared to humans and that also within no time. In manufacturing units, robots can perform complicated works with utmost precision so that manpower requirements can be reduced considerably. Robots with artificial intelligence can handle million of calculations within seconds and therefore, it can perform preprogrammed jobs with ease. Because of the above ability a computer or robot can beat a human in a chess match. The development of mobile robots was driven by the desire to automate transportation in production processes and autonomous transport systems. The former lead to driver-less transport systems used on factory floors to move objects to different points in the production process in the late seventies. New forms of mobile robots have been constructed lately like insectoid robots with many legs modeled

Strategic management in the tourism industry Essay

Strategic management in the tourism industry - Essay Example However other airports in London like Heathrow and Gatwick which have a much wider passenger base have much more advanced communication systems built by the likes of Siemens. (Businesswire, 2001). Another strength that is available to Luton over all other airports is its geographic location. It is situated in London which is not only the centre for business in the UK, but also one of the major tourist attractions that is offered by the European Union. People who are either on vacations or on business tend to visit London throughout the year. Therefore the number of passengers arriving in London based airports is fixed and sees a constant gradual increase every other year. But considering in London, there are four other airports, Luton strives to compete with the traffic generated throughout London (Greater and the City). Each of these airports caters to a different market and a different geographic segment thus each airport remains competitive and unique. The airport boasts of having a spacious parking lot where passengers can leave their automobiles over short or long periods of time. The valet parking system frees the owners of having to find their own parking space and provides the assurance of security to the owners who can have peace of mind while they are on their trip. In comparison, Heathrow and Gatwick which caters to a much higher number of passengers and parking area is unable to accommodate passengers who want to leave their cars in walking distance from the airport. (Luton-Airport, 2008) Another major strength of Luton airport which can be noted is the number of destinations which Luton airport passengers get to go to. Luton airport forwards passengers to 85 destinations worldwide. Being the 5th largest airport in UK, its passenger base has been increasing by 5% for a few years now. Compared to Gatwick's growth by 2.5% and Stansted's growth by 10%, one can say that Luton's growth has been average yet steady. Weaknesses of Luton Airport Due to the fore mentioned strengths, Luton has a large passenger turnover rate. Thus more passengers equate to more luggage and baggage being brought into and sent out of the airport. The sheer amount of baggage being transferred results in quite a few cases of lost baggage over time. Luton does not yet have sufficient resources to fully manage the problem of the handling of luggage and is facing problems in this regard. But even with the best technology and hi-fi RFID systems implemented by Heathrow airport to track the luggage, the first day at the opening of the new Terminal 5 saw a great deal of problems. In