text:
Drought hampers Nevada boating
Some lakes close boat ramps, marinas dredge at Lake Tahoe
Drought hampers Nevada boating Some lakes close boat ramps, marinas dredge at Lake Tahoe Check out this story on rgj.com: http://on.rgj.com/1v7zJMQ
Jeff DeLong, jdelong@rgj.com Published 1:00 a.m. PT June 26, 2014 | Updated 7:14 a.m. PT June 26, 2014
Andrew Cobourn, left, and Brian Limacher launch a Nevada State Park boat into Lake Tahoe at the Sand Harbor boat launch in Incline Village on June 15 . The launch is expected to close around July 1 due to low water levels.(Photo: HILARY SWIFT/ RGJ)Buy Photo
The irony doesn't escape Aaron Rudnick.
To maintain legally mandated flows of the Truckee River, the federal water master released more water from the Lake Tahoe Dam into the river earlier than usual this spring. That allowed Rudnick to start renting rafts to folks wanting to drift that slow-moving stretch of the river between the dam and the Alpine Meadows area a few weeks ahead of normal.
Problem is, early season business is slow and he doesn't know how much longer he'll be able to operate during this drought-impacted year. He's concerned Truckee River Raft Co. will miss the busiest part of the summer season, that he could be forced to pull his rafts out of the water even before the Fourth of July.
"Right now it's OK, but in a few weeks it's going to be awful," Rudnick said. "It's the first time we've had the water but not had the people, ever."
Most years, hundreds of people daily rent rafts in a season that often lasts through summer until Labor Day. This year, Rudnick expects to shut down operations by mid-July at the latest, idling more than 80 seasonal workers at significant economic cost to the Tahoe City area.
"It's not looking very good," Rudnick said.
In Nevada, other popular boating destinations are in worse shape. The boat ramps at Lahontan and Rye Patch reservoirs are closed. Boaters can still launch from shore, but they do so at their own risk. Rangers warn of rock and sandbar hazards.
Boats need water, and in this third year of drought, it's a scarce commodity.
"In general, it's reduced," Nevada State Parks administrator Eric Johnson said of boating-related recreation in western Nevada.
The three-year drought has resulted in two back-to-back years of low water at Lahontan, which has experienced a 90 percent reduction in boating activity compared to 2012 and an associated drop in camping of 30 percent in May and 40 percent in June. June boating at Rye Patch was down 49 percent and camping 51 percent.
Lake Tahoe is low as well, but of course still has lots of water. Despite that, Johnson reports a 53 percent reduction in the number of boats launched at popular Sand Harbor State Park in May 2014 compared to May 2012 — 146 vessels compared to 308. The Sand Harbor boat ramp is expected to close by July 1.
Last winter, declining water levels prevented popular paddle wheel tour boats from entering Emerald Bay. Spring snowmelt raised lake levels sufficiently to allow the M.S. Dixie II and Tahoe Queen to return to the landmark site and, for now, business and boating conditions are good, said John Kenny, general manager of the tour boat operation.
"We're doing good right now. It's going to get tougher later," Kenny said. "Realistically, we might have some problems, but we're hoping for a full season."
Tahoe's marinas are starting a busy summer, but some have already conducted or are planning to dredge channels to keep it that way. Among them is Tahoe Keys Marina, which needs to dredge to allow sailboats to enter and leave the marina, said manager Chad Holdren.
Dredging was recently completed at Meeks Bay Resort, said Bob Hassett, who manages the marina there as well as at Tahoe's Camp Richardson Resort and Round Hill Pines Beach Resort.
Lake Tahoe might actually benefit from the drought as boaters leave other drought-ravaged lakes such as California's Folsom Lake and take their vessels to Tahoe, Hassett said.
"We're in better shape than many places because we have so much water here," Hassett said. "We're hoping for a very good year just because we are in better shape than many places."
Lowering water levels at Tahoe will bring problems later in the summer as more obstacles come near the surface in places where they are normally deep underwater.
"It's going to be an issue this year," said Chief Travis Fraser of the U.S. Coast Guard's Tahoe station. "Rocks that were covered by 1 or 2 feet of water last year might be covered by only an inch or two."
That could make for a dangerous, hull-crunching hazard. Fraser's advice to boaters: Take it slow in unfamiliar areas and make sure you have required life jackets and other lifesaving gear, a marine radio or at least a cellphone to report problems.
"As the water lowers and boating traffic increases, the potential is high" for accidents, Fraser said. "The thing to do is slow down."
BOATING AT NEVADA STATE PARKS
• Lahontan Reservoir: Boat ramps closed; 90 percent decrease in boating activity compared to 2012.
• Rye Patch Reservoir: Boat ramps closed; 49 percent decrease in June boating activity compared to 2012.
• Sand Harbor State Park: Boat ramp should close soon; 53 percent decrease in May boating activity compared to 2012.
• Lake Tahoe Marinas: Open and busy; some are dredging channel openings.
Nevada drought: The most crucial facts and figures
Drought could bring back Mormon crickets
Editorial: Preventing fire crucial as drought continues
Deepening drought threatens Nevada's very way of life
10 things you should know about the drought
Drought: Nevada farmers watching the land die
Drought stresses Nevada wildlife
Kelly Scott: We need to discuss how we use water
Read or Share this story: http://on.rgj.com/1v7zJMQ
Bullwinkle?! Young moose spotted near Elko
Report: Las Vegas' air pollution ranks among worst in US
June 28, 2018, 8:58 a.m.
Lake Tahoe clarity sinks to all-time low in 2017
June 15, 2018, 11:21 a.m.


text:
Basketball History
How many basketball championships has Kentucky won?
Kentucky has won 8 National Titles: 1948,1949,1951,1958,1978,1996,1998 and 2012. They have also been conference regular season champions 47 times and Conference Tournament Champions 23 times.
Q: How many basketball championships has Kentucky won?
How many sec basketball championships has Kentucky won?
how many sec championships has Kentucky won in mens basketball
How many college basketball championships does Kentucky have?
They have won 7 championships :)
How many NCAA men's basketball championships has Kentucky won?
How many national championships has the Kentucky men's basketball team won?
How many basketball ncaa championships has the Kentucky wildcats won?
Seven titles.
How many SEC Championships has Kentucky Wildcats Basketball Team won?
In what years did the University of Kentucky win National Championships in Basketball?
The Kentucky men's basketball team has won seven national championships, won in 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996 and 1998.
What school has won the second most NCAA mens basketball championships?
Kentucky!!!
What school has won the second most mens ncaa basketball championships?
Kentucky.
What coach has won 4 NCAA basketball championships?
Adolf Rupp - Kentucky
Who won more NCAA championships out of Louisville and Ky basketball team?
kentucky did
How many NCAA national basketball championships has Sooners won?
They have won zero National Championships in basketball
Who has more NCAA basketball championships Kansas or Kentucky?
In men's basketball, Kentucky has more NCAA basketball championships. Kansas' men's basketball team has won the NCAA championship three times while Kentucky's men's basketball team has won the NCAA championship eight times. In women's basketball, neither team has a championship.
How many champions has Kentucky won in March Madness?
Kentucky has won 7 NCAA Basketball Championships - 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996 and 1998.
How many men ncaa basketball championship has the University of Kentucky won?
1948,1949,1951,1958,1978,1996,1998,2012 total of 8 ncaa championships
How many national championships has Texas El Paso won?
In mens basketball? 1 in 1966 over Kentucky.
How many SEC teams have won NCAA basketball championships?
3 teams have won a total of 7 championships: Kentucky - 7 times Florida - twice Arkansas - once
How many NIT championships has Kentucky won?
Kentucky has won the NIT 2 times.
How many NCAA championships has Kentucky won in all sports?
They have 19 in cheerleading and 8 in men's basketball for a total of 27.
How many men's basketball championships has UK won?
8 championships
How many championships have UCLA won in basketball?
Tennesse basketball has won how many NCAA championships?
100000 NCAA Championships
How many conference championships has Kansas won in basketball?
Kansas has won 51 conference championships in basketball, more than any other college basketball team
How many NCAA basketball championships has Kansas won?
The men's basketball team has won three championships: 1952, 1988 and 2008. The women's basketball team has never won the NCAA championship.
How many NCAA Mens Basketball Championships has Kansas won?
3 national championships

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Flaming Mane Decorative Pillow Case - 14x20"
Inspired by the strength and creativity of my beloved horse Arrow, I have created a powerful representation of his essence. When channeling his energy for this horse card I felt as though his spirit was going to gallop right through me and the resulting piece of equestrian art is absolutely striking. This blank card can be easily used as a horse greeting card, thank you card, or birthday card. This zentangle art is a beautiful reminder of your inherent strength and your ability to break down barriers.


Amaryllis, Inc. is a premiere floral and event design studio. Our personal service, focus on detail and unique solutions set us apart. Whether orchestrating an intricate event or delivering a beautiful arrangement, you can be certain Amaryllis will provide superior attention, exceptional quality and a custom designed product. We will completely transform your event with not only our incredible floral component, but also our décor features such as lounge furniture, specialty props and fabric draping.
Amaryllis is recognized as a leader in the special events industry, renowned not only in the Washington DC area but throughout the East Coast and beyond. There is nothing standard about anything we do!
55 Reviews for Amaryllis Inc.
I recommend Amaryllis to anyone. Rick does an amazing job with his floral creations. His company has done my brother, sister, and my wedding. I told Rick to run with his ideas and he made my wedding a dream come true! Thank you!
I didn't personally have much interaction with them as my wedding planner and mother took the lead on the flowers/decor - but everything was absolutely stunning, and they were very accommodating in putting together multiple proposals for us to make sure that we stayed within our budget. Super professional.
The flowers were beyond beautiful - especially the bridesmaids' bouquets which were almost iridescent - so pretty!
Going to their warehouse for the decor meeting picking out the flowers/tables/lighting/etc. was one of my favorite parts of the wedding planning process, too!
We cannot say enough wonderful things about Christopher! He is a true artist! He has impeccable taste and was able to bring our vision to life seamlessly. The quality of the flowers and the inventiveness of the props made our day unique and beautiful. Their props are unparalleled in the industry. He listened to all of our ideas and was able to deliver exactly what we had in mind at a level that we had not ever imagined. He was flexible and wonderful to work with--always wanting to make sure that he was responding to our budget and providing us with the look that we had intended. They are clearly the best florist in the Washington area and we can't say enough good things about how they made our day so magical and beautiful.
The cream of crop! Amaryllis is amazing! Their designs are truly pieces of art! They are innovative, unique, cutting edge, brilliant artists, they don't miss a beat. Wonderful team to work with, we have filmed events that they have created for decades now and they still manage to wow us at each and every event we do together, they are unforgettable events!


text:
Rockaways' Playland (New York, N.Y.) | Rockaway Beach (New York, N.Y.)
Benji Plotch, Full Interview
Authors: Benji Plotch interviewed by Richard Lee
Date: Time Period: 1960 - 1970
Subject: Hurricane Sandy, 2012
Type: Oral history
Description: Benji Plotch recalls going to both Coney Island in Brooklyn and the Rockaway Playland in Queens as a young boy. His favorite attraction were all the games that were available at Playland.
Rockaway - Off to the Races at Rockaways' Playland
Subject: Amusement parks
Type: Postcards
Description: A midway greyhound race at Rockaways' Playland, Beach 98th Street, Rockaway Beach.
Rockaway - Rockaways' Playland Fun House
Subject: Amusement parks | Roller coasters
Description: Rockaways' Playland fun house on the midway at Beach 98th Street.
Rockaway - The Riddle of Davey Jones' Locker, Rockaway Playland
Description: A fun house called "The Riddle of Davey Jones' Locker" at Rockaway Playland on Beach 98th Street, Rockaway Beach.
Rockaway - "I Was in Cinerama!", Atom Smasher Roller Coaster
Authors: Shorecolor Co.
Description: Postcard advertising "This is Cinerama", a 1952 full-length film designed to introduce the widescreen process Cinerama. It featured a first person POV of the Atom Smasher roller coaster that was locat ... More
Rockaway - Midway at Rockaway Playland, Rockaway Beach
Authors: Braunstein's, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Description: Midway at Rockaways' Playland, Rockaway Beach. Playland was opened in 1902 by William Wainwright, and closed in 1986.
Rockaway (New York, N.Y.) (5)
Rockaway Beach, Queens, NY (5)
Locations discussed: Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York (1)
Benji Plotch interviewed by Richard Lee (1)
Braunstein's, Brooklyn, N.Y. (1)
Shorecolor Co. (1)


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text:
Home » Africa Is My Home: A Child of the Amistad (Hardcover)
Africa Is My Home: A Child of the Amistad (Hardcover)
By Monica Edinger, Robert Byrd (Illustrator)
Hard to Find--Contact us for More Info
Sarah Margru Kinson , age nine, is held on the slave ship Amistad, headed for America. This beautifully illustrated book tells the remarkable true story of Sarah's return to her home, Africa.
— From Africa is My Home
Inspired by a true account, here is the compelling story of a child who arrives in America on the slave ship Amistad —and eventually makes her way home to Africa.
When a drought hits her homeland in Sierra Leone, nine-year-old Magulu is sold as a pawn by her father in exchange for rice. But before she can work off her debt, an unthinkable chain of events unfolds: a capture by slave traders; weeks in a dark and airless hold; a landing in Cuba, where she and three other children are sold and taken aboard the Amistad; a mutiny aboard ship; a trial in New Haven that eventually goes all the way to the Supreme Court and is argued in the Africans' favor by John Quincy Adams. Narrated in a remarkable first-person voice, this fictionalized book of memories of a real-life figure retells history through the eyes of a child — from seeing mirrors for the first time and struggling with laughably complicated clothing to longing for family and a home she never forgets. Lush, full-color illustrations by Robert Byrd, plus archival photographs and documents, bring an extraordinary journey to life.
Monica Edinger is an educator and reviews children's books for the New York Times, The Horn Book, and other publications. She began her teaching career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone. Monica Edinger lives and works in New York City.
Robert Byrd is the illustrator of the Newbery Medal–winning Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz as well as numerous other award-winning books. He lives in Haddonfield, New Jersey.
Edinger tells the story of Margru's long journey home, supporting her fictionalized narrative with primary sources like news clippings and engravings. The best of Byrd's exquisite ink-and-watercolor pictures show Margru sleeping under New England quilts while dream images of Africa wreath her head.
[A] remarkable story of resilience, faith, and hope... With more than 40 stunning illustrations, this unique narrative should find an appreciative audience.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
[T]his book makes an important part of history accessible to child readers...
This well-known story is personalized as seen through the eyes of Magulu, and is created by the author using letters, newspaper articles, maps, journals, and engravings. Several of the maps and engravings are used to supplement the beautiful artistry of the award-winning illustrator
—Library Media Connection
Edinger avoids sensationalism without underselling the more disturbing parts of the story... An author's note describes Edinger's motivation in seeking out Margru's story and traces some of her research methods, but it is her skill in imagining Margru's life from those original sources that opens up this episode in history to young readers.
Margru's descriptions of the strangeness of life in America and her homesickness for Sierra Leona are incisive and heartbreaking. Meticulously incorporated throughout the book's design, along with reproductions of archival materials, Byrd's (Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!) folk art–style ink-and-watercolor illustrations vividly capture the landscapes and people of West Africa, Cuba, and the U.S.
The storybooklike narrative of a child torn between two worlds is captivating, and Byrd's finely lined color illustrations add to the story, as do reproductions of historical documents.
The prose is taut, and Magulu has a friendly voice, while Byrd's sprightly, delicately lined ink and watercolor illustrations are filled with deep visual detail. A few archival document reproductions are interspersed, captioned in Magulu's voice, adding to the sense that readers are having a conversation with the past.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
[F]ascinating. A little known story filled with original research that's a great read from start to finish. ... [N]othing comes close to "Africa Is My Home" in terms of sure research, heart, blood, sweat, and tears... it works so well on the page as to seem effortless.
Compelling... Narrated in a remarkable first-person voice, this fictionalized book of memories of a real-life figure retells history through the eyes of a child — from seeing mirrors for the first time and struggling with laughably complicated clothing to longing for family and a home she never forgets. Lush, full-color illustrations by Robert Byrd, plus archival photographs and documents, bring an extraordinary journey to life.
—KidsReads.com
Finding beauty amid tragedy, Africa Is My Home offers middle grade readers a remarkable glimpse of this overlooked yet significant moment in American history.
—BookPage Online
[A] remarkable story... Robert Byrd's illustrations soften the suffering, without ever denying it. An excellent author's note explains that the somewhat fictionalized story is based on a real child.
—The Sunday Plain Dealer
Publisher: Candlewick
Publication Date: October 8th, 2013
Juvenile Fiction / Historical / Africa
Juvenile Fiction / Historical / United States / 19th Century
Juvenile Fiction / People & Places / United States / African American
Paperback (February 24th, 2015): $8.99
Prebound (February 24th, 2015): $18.60


Mudroom cubbies are the classic solution to entryway clutter. The solid construction with beadboard and sturdy hooks will stand up to daily use, and the time-tested English design will always be in style.
They're absolutely beautiful, even when they're full of coats and shoes.
This set of cubbies was built for a busy family with five children. The foyer was originally empty, and rain gear and shoes tended to pile up near the doorway.
We worked with the kids' mom to design a solution that could hold lots of backpacks and knick-knacks. The lower level of hooks is at the perfect level for the youngest children, while teenagers and grown-ups can reach the highest shelves.
School mornings are much easier now that everyone's coats and school supplies are in one place.
If you've always dreamed about having the classic English-style entryway, now is your chance!


text:
José del Carmen Domínguez Saldívar, beter bekend als Pepe Domínguez (Dzidzantún, Yucatán, 16 juli 1900 - Havana, Cuba, 11 januari 1950) was een Mexicaanse dirigent, componist, musicus en docent.

Biografie
Domínguez werd op 16 juli 1900 geboren in Dzidzantún, Yucatán. Zijn ouders waren Joaquín Domínguez Lizama en Severina Saldívar, en was de oudste van vijf kinderen. Hij studeerde aan het Instituto Literario de Yucatán in de stad Mérida en aan de Escuela Normal de Maestros. Hij werkte als leraar op het platteland in de gemeente Cansahcab.

In 1918 begon hij zijn werk als componist. Vier jaar later verhuisde hij naar Mérida om een duet te vormen met Ernesto Paredes en later met Felipe Castillo. In 1927 leidde hij het ''kwintet van Mérida''. Hij was ook omroeper bij het radiostation XEZ-AM. Tot zijn composities behoren onder andere de werken "Aires del Mayab", "Beso asesino" (samen met Carlos Duarte Moreno), "Granito de sal", "Manzanita", "Muñequita", "La rosa", "Manos de armiño", "Flor del mal", "Almendra roja", "Dentro de mí" en "Pájaro azul".

Op 49-jarige leeftijd overleed Pepe Domínguez op 11 januari 1950 in Havana. Hij ligt begraven op het Cementerio General de Mérida in Mérida.

Mexicaans componist
Mexicaans dirigent
Mexicaans musicus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


NSW Premier Mike Baird will meet with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key during his first official visit to New Zealand as Premier.
Mr Baird will visit Wellington and Auckland during his visit from Sunday 16 August to Tuesday 18 August 2015.
"We have strong cultural, diplomatic and business links with New Zealand and the purpose of this visit will be to look at ways to grow our economies and share knowledge on good governance," Mr Baird said.
"The New Zealand Government is excelling in the area of customer service delivery so I want to look at ways we could learn from their experiences.
Mr Baird will also meet with Deputy Prime Minister Bill English to discuss infrastructure planning, financing and delivery.
Opportunities for NSW and New Zealand to cooperate through the G20 Global Infrastructure Hub will be discussed at a meeting with the inaugural CEO of the Hub Chris Heathcote and representatives from the New Zealand Government.


text:
Home > Trends in undiagnosed HIV-1 infection among attenders at genitourinary medicine clinics, England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 1990-6.
Simms, I and Rogers, P and Catchpole, M and McGarrigle, CA and Nicoll, A (1999) Trends in undiagnosed HIV-1 infection among attenders at genitourinary medicine clinics, England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 1990-6. Sexually Transmitted Infections , 75 , pp. 332-336.
PDF ( Trends in undiagnosed HIV-1 infection among attenders at genitourinary medicine clinics) - Published Version
URL: http://sti.bmj.com/content/vol75/issue5/
This paper described the trends in seroprevalence of undiagnosed HIV-1 infection among attenders at 15 genitourinary clinics in England, Wales and Northern Ireland between 1990 and 1996. The results showed that in 1996 the seroprevalence of undiagnosed HIV-1 infection was 5% in homosexual men, 0.48% in heterosexual men, an 0.33% in heterosexual women. Between 1990 and 1996, there was a significant linear decrease in the seroprevalence of undiagnosed HIV-1 infection among homosexual and bisexual men within and outside London equivalent to yearly decreases of 7.65% and 10.73% respectively. However, seroprevalence among homosexual and bisexual men under 25 years of age did not decline either inside or outside London. Seroprevalence among heterosexual men declined outside London equivalent to an average annual decrease of 14.54%. There was a significant increase among male heterosexuals inside London equivalent to a 8.09% increase per annum. Seroprevalence over time was unchanging among female heterosexuals both inside and outside London.
Seroprevalence was significantly higher among those who injected drugs than those who did not report injecting in the following groups: homosexual and bisexual males within London, male heterosexuals both within and outside London and female heterosexuals within London. The study highlights a significant burden of undiagnosed HIV-1 infection more than 15 years since the HIV epidemic began. Methods of offering HIV testing need to be reassessed to extend the practice of routinely testing for HIV in GUM clinics. HIV transmission among young homosexual and bisexual men continues. The contrasting trends between homosexual and bisexual men, injecting drug users, and heterosexuals attending GUM clinics indicate these groups should be considered separately. The substantial HIV seroprevalence in each group indicates that they should be priorities for targeted HIV prevention.
Irish-related, Open Access, Article
BMJ Publishing
Contains tables and bibliographic references.
G Health and disease > Disorder by cause > Communicable disease
VA Geographic area > Europe > Northern Ireland
T Demographic characteristics > Homosexual, gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender, LGBTQI
VA Geographic area > Europe > United Kingdom > Wales
VA Geographic area > Europe > United Kingdom > England


text:
Q: Regex to match asterisks, tildes, dashes and square brackets I've been trying to write a regex to match asterisks, tildes, dashes and square brackets.
What I have:

const str = "The] quick [brown] fox **jumps** over ~~the~~ lazy dog --- in the [woods";
console.log(str.match(/[^\]][^\[\]]*\]?|\]/g));
// [
//     "The]",
//     " quick ",
//     "[brown]",
//     " fox **jumps** over ~~the~~ lazy dog --- in the ",
//     "[woods"
// ];

What I want:
[
    "The]",
    " quick ",
    "[brown]",
    " fox ",
    "**jumps**",
    " over ",
    "~~the~~",
    " lazy dog ",
    "---",
    " in the ",
    "[woods"
];

Edit:
Some more examples/combinations of the string are:
"The] quick brown fox jumps [over] the lazy [dog"
// [ "The]", " quick brown fox jumps ", "[over]", " the lazy ", "[dog" ]

"The~~ quick brown fox jumps [over] the lazy **dog"
// [ "The~~", " quick brown fox jumps ", "[over]", " the lazy ", "**dog" ]

Edit 2:
I know this is crazy but:
"The special~~ quick brown fox jumps [over the] lazy **dog on** a **Sunday night."
// [ "The special~~", " quick brown fox jumps ", "[over the]", " lazy ", "**dog on**", " a ", "**Sunday night" ]

A: You may use this regex with more alternations to include your desired matches:

const re = /\[[^\[\]\n]*\]|\b\w+\]|\[\w+|\*\*.+?(?:\*\*|$)|-+|(?:^|~~).+?~~|[\w ]+/mg;
const arr = [
'The special~~ quick brown fox jumps [over the] lazy **dog on** a **Sunday night.',
'The] quick brown fox jumps [over] the lazy [dog',
'The] quick [brown] fox **jumps** over ~~the~~ lazy dog --- in the [woods'
];

var n;
arr.forEach( str => {
  m = str.match(re);
  console.log(m);
});

RegEx Demo

A: You can use this regex to split the string. It splits the string on text between one of the delimiters (**, ~~ or []) and either a matching delimiter or the start/end of the string; or on a sequence of hyphens (-). It uses a capture group to ensure the string matched by the regex appears in the output array:
((?:\*\*|^)[A-Za-z. ]+(?:\*\*|$)|(?:~~|^)[A-Za-z. ]+(?:~~|$)|(?:\[|^)[A-Za-z. ]+(?:\]|$)|-+

const re = /((?:\*\*|^)[A-Za-z. ]+(?:\*\*|$)|(?:~~|^)[A-Za-z. ]+(?:~~|$)|(?:\[|^)[A-Za-z. ]+(?:\]|$)|-+)/;
const str = [
  'The] quick [brown] fox **jumps** over ~~the~~ lazy dog --- in the [woods',
  'The] quick brown fox jumps [over] the lazy [dog',
  'The~~ quick brown fox jumps [over] the lazy **dog',
  'The special~~ quick brown fox jumps [over the] lazy **dog on** a **Sunday night.'];

str.forEach(v => console.log(v.split(re).filter(Boolean)));
.as-console-wrapper { max-height: 100% !important; top: 0; }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Storing a Database for a JavaFX program I am currently developing a JavaFx program for a friend's company. I need to store information, so I am using an embedded database (mostly likely derby). Since the database needs to be outside of the application, I need to store it somewhere on the computer. I am wondering where should I store the database on the personal computer? Last time I created a similar application I just had the application and the database in the same folder, but that is very cumbersome and unappealing for users.

A: FYI. JavaFX and JavaDB( Derby)  will have to be added as dependencies past Java 6.
That said, the derby database in production is created in the folder the .jar is executed from.
Video with your answer
Note that you can do this with a any RDBMS you choose too. It does not have to be derby.
Have a look at this
https://www.javatpoint.com/java-jdbc


text:
namespace IndexML.Wordprocessing
{
    using System;
    using System.Collections.Generic;
    using DocumentFormat.OpenXml.Wordprocessing;

    /// <summary>
    /// OpenXml utility class for manipulating table cells.
    /// </summary>
    public class TableCellIndexer
    {
        #region Fields & Constants

        private readonly IList<TableIndexer> childTables;
        private readonly IList<ParagraphIndexer> paragraphs;

        #endregion

        #region Constructors & Destructors

        public TableCellIndexer(TableCell toIndex)
        {
            if (toIndex == null)
            {
                throw new ArgumentNullException("toIndex");
            }

            this.Cell = toIndex;
            this.childTables = new List<TableIndexer>();
            this.paragraphs = new List<ParagraphIndexer>();

            // Again, we forgo linq here for performance reasons. One time
            // through the loop should be enough.
            foreach (var element in toIndex.Elements())
            {
                if (element != null)
                {
                    if (element is Paragraph)
                    {
                        this.paragraphs.Add(new ParagraphIndexer(element as Paragraph));
                    }
                    else if (element is Table)
                    {
                        // This could get nasty with lots of nested stuff.
                        this.childTables.Add(new TableIndexer(element as Table));
                    }
                }
            }
        }

        #endregion

        #region Properties

        /// <summary>
        /// Gets the wrapped cell.
        /// </summary>
        public TableCell Cell { get; private set; }

        /// <summary>
        /// Gets an enumeration of the paragraphs inside the cell.
        /// </summary>
        public IEnumerable<ParagraphIndexer> Paragraphs
        {
            get
            {
                return this.paragraphs;
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Gets an enumeration of the child tables inside the cell
        /// </summary>
        public IEnumerable<TableIndexer> Tables
        {
            get
            {
                return this.childTables;
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Gets the text for the cell. This simply concatenates the text of all enclosed
        /// paragraphs. Tables are ignored.
        /// </summary>
        public string Text
        {
            get
            {
                string text = string.Empty;
                foreach (var p in this.Paragraphs)
                {
                    text += p.Text;
                }

                return text;
            }
        }

        #endregion

        #region Public Methods

        /// <summary>
        /// Casts the indexer to a TableCell element. Any changes made to the raw element will not
        /// be reflected in the indexer.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="indexer">The indexer to cast.</param>
        /// <returns>The element that the indexer wraps, or null if <paramref name="indexer"/> is null.
        /// </returns>
        public static implicit operator TableCell(TableCellIndexer indexer)
        {
            return indexer != null ? indexer.Cell : null;
        }

        #endregion
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


IBC SOLAR is a leading global solutions and services provider for photovoltaics and energy storage. Since 1982 the family-owned and operated company offers complete solutions for power production from solar energy and covers the entire spectrum, from planning to the turnkey handover of photovoltaic installations.
IBC SOLAR has launched a new subsidiary in South Africa for Southern Africa. The scope of our local business activities is being an integrated solar systems and services provider, wholesale of PV components and operating through an installer network system.


text:
Kosoko in his Chameleon. Photo courtesy EMPAC
Jaamil Olawale Kosoko's Career Presents a Syllabus for Change
Brenda Dixon-Gottschild
Jaamil Olawale Kosoko is a conundrum, a puzzle whose pieces must be mixed to match. It's appropriate that Chameleon is the title of his most recent project. Like the old-world lizard of the same name, the Nigerian-American performance artist/poet/curator/educator changes colors—moods, modes—and shakes things up, right before your eyes. As an improviser, none of his performances are the same. His art finds its own logic as it travels a mysterious inner trajectory with episodes of grief and terror, wit and healing, sometimes wrapped around one another.
Angela Davis said about the films of Ava DuVernay, "It's art that can begin to make us feel what we don't necessarily yet understand." That's true for Kosoko's major performance works—Chameleon (2020), Séancers (2017), #negrophobia (2015) and Black Male Revisited (2013). He uses voiceovers, spoken word, live soundscape, archival and live video projection, performance collaborators and, at the center, his own Black performing body, to reveal a selected, complex version of what he terms his "curated life." His mirror reflects back on the spectator in ways that invite us to pause, ponder and reassess how we see what we see.
Kosoko in Chameleon
Courtesy EMPAC
As Kosoko claims, "Not every story is a dance story. Sometimes you have to write it. Not every concept lends itself to the stage." In Belgium, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, the United Kingdom, Finland and Norway he's performed full works and also shared his works-in-progress as movement-lecture-performances in museums, galleries, libraries and black-box spaces. His poems have appeared in a solo collection, Notes on an Urban Kill-Floor: Poems for Detroit (Old City Publishing), and in journals such as American Poetry Review and the Dunes Review.
Holding an MA in curatorial studies from Wesleyan University and writing essays on the subject, Kosoko has also provided his managerial savvy to events by emerging and established artists in the greater New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia areas. In addition, he makes films and podcasts to accompany or announce his performances. This spirit of trying various media to see what a particular story demands is part of what makes his work so compelling.
Kosoko belongs to a generation of diasporan performance artists whose concerns dig deeply into the sources of their angst and the mother lode of their identities: African; Caribbean; North American; peripheral; othered; authentic; essential—the unapologetic outliers. Divested of the need to play it safe, they are rooted in their own cultural entitlement that empowers them to pursue a millennial, Afro-futuristic course as movers, writers, thinkers, lecturers, producers—as multidimensional creatives. They are shape-shifting imaginers of extraordinary worlds, dredging up and leaving exposed past stereotypes and closeted ghosts, and transforming trauma into catharsis along the way.
Dana Michel (Canada), Kettly Noël (Haiti; Mali), Nia Love and Okwui Okpokwasili are fellow travelers on this road. Senior visual conceptual performance artists Lorraine O'Grady, William Pope.L and Sherman Fleming, as well as dancers Ishmael Houston-Jones and Bill T. Jones, are ancestors in this genre. Tim Miller, Holly Hughes and Karen Finley are lurking in the wings as seconds.
They all belong to the same aesthetic family tree, and Kosoko has created his own branch. He is the quintessential embodiment of James Baldwin's assertion that "all art is a kind of confession, more or less oblique. All artists, if they are to survive, are forced, at last, to tell the whole story; to vomit the anguish up."
Born in Detroit, Michigan, a hardscrabble home life exposed Kosoko to emotional and verbal trauma. He described it as "the theater of the house; the policing of gender, sexualities, behaviors." Nevertheless, grassroots performance modes at social gatherings, parties, cookouts and just hanging out—so significant in African-American urban settings—were part of his upbringing.
It was not until he attended the Interlochen Arts Academy as a teenager that he was introduced to formal artistic training. He confesses that his two years there, from 1999 to 2001, changed his life. Accepted as a poetry major, he also studied writing and photography. Later, intense yoga training in retreats at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health was another lifesaver. Drawing upon his many talents, he created a particular mode of embodied performance art as a way to explore and untangle the grief of his early years.
The COVID-19 pandemic was the most recent terror/trap in the life of this Black male queer artist, but transforming to keep going was already part and parcel of his modus operandi. Deftly pivoting to virtual reality, Kosoko is making optimal use of digital platforms, including Discord (a gaming and communications interface) as well as Zoom, Instagram and the webinar function, allowing him to intersect his talents so that the poet/scholar seamlessly engages in the virtual performance space.
Last spring, he transformed the co-commissioned EMPAC, New York Live Arts and Wexner Center for the Arts premiere of Chameleon into a series of visual installments honoring Earth Day (April 22). In his own words, this experience helped him "listen to how the work wished to behave, transform, respond." The performance morphed into "an act of digital protest and community interactive learning" and included conversations, readings, movement workshops and lecture-discussions.
For the fall semester 2020, he was engaged by the UCLA World Arts and Cultures/Dance department as the Alma Hawkins Visiting Chair—virtually, of course. He is also the recipient of a 2020–21 Wexner Center Artist Residency Award, for which he is creating "a second compilation of movement-based, visual choreopoems," he says. He is one of a select cadre of artists to be awarded the coveted Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Fellowship for 2020.
Kosoko's work is taking flight in an era when it seems the winds of change are finally acknowledging that Black Lives Matter—not as a catchphrase, but as specific and exceptional as the life and work of Jaamil Olawale Kosoko.
Framing the Unruliness of Life and Loss in a Black Box - The New ... ›
Artist Talk with Jaamil Olawale Kosoko ›
Jaamil Olawale Kosoko ›
This Artist Proposes a Community Space 'to Dream, to Imagine ... ›
afrofuturism choreography performance art jaamil olawale kosoko


Our friends at Zendesk recently posted on customer service trends currently on the rise. Though we agree on several of their points, I think it's necessary to expound upon certain trends they briefly glossed over. Among others, they mention self-service in their trends report. However, I think this is more than a fad or trend, but an actual movement of customer service. People are beginning to become more familiar and comfortable using the resources at hand to solve the problem themselves. It could be scouring an FAQ page, tutorial videos, or the rest of a company's knowledge base. Obviously, this is also a trend which WalkMe is built upon by supplying interactive tip balloons to help users through their tasks. WalkMe's new search engine feature also endorses self-service by providing a one-step tool that will search through a company's entire knowledge base as well. The current customer lives in a DIY-centric world. Solving an issue has become an empowering hobby that continues with customer service. In her latest guest post, our own resident customer service expert, Stefanie Amini, discusses the current self-service market and her view on where it's headed. All in all, we agree with Zendesk's view on the customer service industry but we felt obligated to discuss one of the trends in greater detail as believe self-service will only continue to grow. Zendesk also provided their findings on self-service in this creative infographic.


text:
Editorial / News / Politics
How to end Nigeria's Apartheid economy
by adminer2 · Published June 14, 2014 · Updated April 9, 2017
Prof Samuel Zalanga teaches at Bethel University, Saint Paul, Minnesota. In this special piece for Baobab Media, Zalanga traces Nigeria's tragic circumstance to decades old impunity of her ruling class at operating an Apartheid Economic System that has cut down the potential of the country and brought abject poverty to the people. To end this vicious circle will require a cessation of Nigeria's anti-people resource distribution.
Neoliberalism's Challenges to the Struggle for Human Dignity in Nigeria –
Economics as social and moral philosophy
'IN STRICT ECONOMIC TERMS, THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY IS A KIND OF APARTHEID SYSTEM OF RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT THIS IS AN APARTHEID SYSTEM CONCEPTUALIZED, DESIGNED AND OPERATED BY BLACK MINORITY ELITES AGAINST A BLACK MAJORITY POPULATION. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION LIVES UNDER THE DICTATORSHIP OF POVERTY'
The moral and ethical implication of neoliberalism has been articulated by late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She was stringently opposed to state intervention in the form of providing subsidy for public social services such as higher education, and public assistance to the poor, middle and working classes. Thatcher asserts that: "Economics are the method, but the object is to change the soul."
What this means is that neoliberalism is not just about public policies to achieve the efficient allocation of scarce resources through the strict application of market criteria and rationality as many economists and gullible people tend to believe. Rather, the main target of neoliberal economics is the transformation of the human soul with a view to creating a new person who fits the new social and economic order that is envisioned. TO this extent, it has become the new secular religion of humanity.
This strategic vision obviously highlights the tension between neoliberalism and Abrahamic religions that are very dominant and popular in Nigeria (i.e., Islam and Christianity). The two religions in their ideal expression are committed to molding human beings to become ethical, moral and caring persons that think globally while acting locally. It is this concern and tension that informs the subject matter of my reflection here. Neoliberalism is characterized as market fundamentalism because it is an approach to public policy decisions, human relations, and organizational leadership that has a "single-minded' focus on economic priorities."
Because the main priority of neoliberalism is the efficient allocation and use of scarce resources, this commitment becomes the organizing principle and value-orientation through which human beings are viewed, evaluated and valued, and decisions about who gets what, when, how and where are made. While the application of market fundamentalism may mean pain and suffering to many people, the proponents of the idea believe that you cannot make an omelet without breaking an egg. In effect, right from the beginning this approach to economics believes some people are destined to suffer.
The question is just who are those expendable and disposable human beings? Did God create them too? Do they deserve respect as human beings with dignity? Unfortunately, the two dominant religions in Nigeria have not been known to engage in systematic study of the moral and ethical foundation of an economic system that they have taken for granted and even use it as a sign of God's blessing on their followers. Yet, if they were to be careful and think deeply in theological terms, they would realize that there is a fundamental moral and ethical conflict. That such depth of reflection and critical interrogation of social reality is lacking is lamentable.
"The challenge here is that the vision of the market as we know it today and the vision of the two dominant religions in their ideal expressions are at logger heads. If they seem not be at logger heads in Nigeria, it is simply because of the distortion of the two religions by the culture of greed and moral and ethical duplicity."
The moral vision of market fundamentalism is one of atomistic individualism, as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher observes: "There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families." Thatcher is not wrong in calling on people to be socially responsible and not totally dependent on the government. No freedom is viable without a sense of social responsibility. But in doing so she elevates the role of the individual to an idolatrous level and diminishes the role of the state and the institutional structures of a society that socially shape a human being.
Consequently, she was committed to dismantling the welfare state through the privatization of as many public services as possible, insisting that people should raise themselves by their bootstraps. Those that are old enough in Nigeria know that this is exactly what happened in Africa starting from the 1980s. For those born after that period, they have not known any other way of doing things except the neoliberal way. This means that there is a whole generation of Nigerians that have grown up in a mean society, with distorted and vitiated human ethics in the name of neoliberalism. Of course members of the older generation are the ones who brought this problem upon the nation, and yet they do not suffer the consequences of the situation. It is the ordinary person that suffers the impact.
Thus, this short reflection is inspired by my desire to explore the role that the marginalization of any serious moral and ethical discussion has played an important role in transforming the individual and society in a Nigeria that has become dominated by neoliberalism following the collapse of Soviet communism and the embracing of free market capitalism by China. Some say China is not fully capitalist because of the important role played by their government in the economy and society.
But if this is the test case for being capitalist, then none of the advanced western nations can claim being capitalist since at the time of their initial economic growth and development, and even today, the state continues to perform important role in shaping the economy and society. In the market society of today, we face the phenomenon of the increased "colonization" of more spheres of human life, endeavors, enterprise and relations by deep market rationality which is the organizing principle and the normative worldview in a market society. This colonization of human endeavors by the market has serious consequences and implications for many institutions in the Nigerian society and indeed African societies at large.
The expansion of market rationality is in many respects functionally equivalent to a secular "evangelical project" that is as deeply and equally committed to transforming human beings and society as religious missionaries are. In this respect there is an unholy intercourse between neoliberalism and greed in the church or worship places that is packaged and sanitized as "God's blessings." Christianity and Islam ultimately promises a "heaven" to human beings at the eschaton while the market also promises "the age of high mass consumption" as the ultimate goal of economic development as envisioned in W.W. Rostow's book titled: "Five Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto."
The challenge here is that the vision of the market as we know it today and the vision of the two dominant religions in their ideal expressions are at logger heads. If they seem not be at logger heads in Nigeria, it is simply because of the distortion of the two religions by the culture of greed and moral and ethical duplicity. Indeed, the market vision of a society and the religious vision are in many respects in direct conflict with each other because both make total and exclusive claims on human beings. The terms for survival of religious organizations and believers in a market society are primarily dictated by the market, often with no regard for religious priorities or sensibilities. The tension between the two is necessitated by the fact that ideally, religious people have to live out their faith and commitment in a market society that operates on a different logic and is committed to bringing more spheres of human life under its control.
They are often compelled to adapt to the dictates of the market in order to survive and flourish, although there is variation in how different religious traditions and organizations pursue this. For instance, the idea of a follower of a follower of Christ having four private jets when Jesus, the son of God as claimed in Christianity refused to live like Herod, Pharaoh or Caesar, demonstrates the extent of distortion of the teachings of Christ. But the ministers are the judge, the jury and the prosecutor. Rather than delve into a detailed discussion of key policy components of neoliberalism, at this I will focus on some moral, ethical and social consequences of neoliberalism and the implications of that for the Nigerian society.
Three Moral, Ethical, and Social Consequences of Neoliberalism
At the center of the religious vision of human beings and human society is a moral and ethical calling that is accompanied by certain social, cultural and institutional expectations. At least this is the case in the ideal expression of Islam and Christianity. In this section, I want to draw the reader's attention to only three areas of profound tension, if not conflict between the moral and ethical implications of neoliberalism vis-à-vis the two dominant religions in Nigeria, assuming the believers care to reflect deeply.
First, under neoliberalism, one sees a systematic and real shift from the religious concept of human dignity to a functional conception of what it means to be human even though this is not formally and officially stated. In orthodox religious teaching, one's dignity as a human being is rooted in the person being created by God almighty. But under neoliberalism, while in theory people still maintain their God-given status and dignity as human beings, in reality and practice, their dignity and status in a neoliberal economy is contingent upon achieving certain statuses. The statuses are: their human capital, their effective purchasing power as consumers, their entrepreneurial status or capacity, and whether the people produce any commodity that is crucial to the functioning of the economic system.
Without any one of these statuses in the affirmative, the people are irrelevant in terms of the calculus and function of the economy and society (even if they are religious) except as nuisance and liability to the system. Indeed, the people can veritably be described as "surplus people," to the extent that over 200, 000 of them can be killed by earth quake as was the case in Haiti some years ago. Yet it would not affect the operation of the global capitalism market. Because the market always produces winners and losers, without charity or compassion, many persons who are systematically categorized as "surplus people" in a neoliberal economy and society can easily perish without upsetting the system.
What this means of course is that under neoliberalism, there is a gradation of citizenship to the extent that one's value or status as a citizen / human being and what one can enjoy as a citizen / human being is contingent on the person's valuation in the neoliberal marketplace instead of a guaranteed God-given dignity. While the religious vision of human beings and human society is trying to create a moral, ethical, and caring person that is God-fearing, under neoliberalism, the human, and human dignity are being made fragile and diminished in concrete reality if not validated by the market.
Human beings that represent the epitome of neoliberal human personality are persons that are self-calculating and always committed to pursuing their selfish interests in a presumably enlightened manner in the marketplace; they are entrepreneurial, innovative and audacious. They also see themselves as human capital, have independent measure of utility as individuals, and are not inspired in their behavior by any divine principles of moral and ethical order except moral principles that have emerged spontaneously through the process of economic and social exchange in the marketplace. They only pursue actions that further their own selfish-interests as they define it.
This observation is buttressed by the fact that in Nigeria, there is too much religion but poverty has indeed increased just as religion has expanded and the economy has also expanded from 1960 to date. According to World Bank data 60% of Nigerians are living in poverty. Corruption, dishonesty and the oppression of one group of human beings by another has increased just as the two dominant religions are expanding and penetrating the Nigerian society. Not even the passage of a law against homosexuality is enough to increase Nigeria's credit score of righteousness in heaven because God hates hypocrisy, especially by those who commit sins but they are oblivious to their own trespasses out spiritual hubris.
The problem for many religious people in Nigeria here is that the official claim of all religions is that a relationship with the Divine will transform a human being to become a better person. The person's worldview, ethics, morality and aspirations will be transformed for the better by virtue of the relationship with the Divine. When this transformation takes place, it will have positive impact on social relationships, and when social relationships are transformed for the better, the culture will be transformed for the better. And when that happens, the society will be transformed for the better. Overall, this will lead to historical transformation that is better and brings humans closer to the Divine truth of God.
But in Nigeria, we see a situation where religion has expanded but the expansion has not produced the results that we expect based on the ideal claims of the two religions. The religious journey has not brought Nigerians closer to the Divine truth of God in the past fifty years. Actually in spite of it, they have been pushed even far away from the truth of God. For those who expect that Islam and Christianity will transform Nigeria for the better by bringing redemption in the future, they need first to explain why in spite of the fact that the two religions have expanded exponentially in the past fifty, yet we have not seen the kind of expected idealistic transformation that one would expect when religion is working effectively in the lives of people and the public affairs of a society. This is the research question and it is a legitimate one given what we see taking place in Nigeria today.
Second, under neoliberalism, many decisions are made that degrade or undermine human dignity for the ultimate goal of achieving market efficiency in the allocation of scarce resources and increasing organizational, national and economic competitiveness. The consequences of such decisions under normal circumstances are reasons for great lamentation and regret because of the pain and suffering they impose on others i.e., "The Wretched of the Earth" as Frantz Fanon characterized them. But in practice, the market society encourages people to faithfully absorb such decisions that otherwise de-humanize human relationships. In this respect, neoliberalism is engaged in the reconstruction of human beings and disciplining them to become socially abnormal i.e., abnormal or disordered personality.
"In Nigeria, there is too much religion but poverty has indeed increased just as religion has expanded and the economy has also expanded from 1960 to date."
When workers or more precisely citizens are encouraged to tolerate the violation of certain moral and ethical principles that would normally be taken seriously in ideal religious communities for the ultimate goal of increasing efficiency and economic competitiveness, this amounts to what Soren Kierkegaard calls "the teleological suspension of the ethical" i.e., condoning ethical and moral abuse in the present for the sake of an ultimate virtuous goal. In this context, Patrick Buchanan, an American conservative politician lamented on this kind of moral and ethical consequence of neoliberal capitalism when he noted thus:
Unbridled capitalism is an awesome force that creates new factories, wealth and opportunities that go first to society's risk takers and holders of capital. But unbridled capitalism is also an awesome destructive force. It makes men and women obsolete as rapidly as it does the products they produce and the plants that employ them. And the people made obsolete and insecure are workers, employees…
Third, the moral and ethical dimension of neoliberalism can also be distilled from the following statement credited to late Nobel Laureate, Professor Milton Friedman of the Chicago School of Economics, on the question of the social responsibility of corporations in society given the huge amount of power they have accumulated in today's economy and society. Friedman asserts that:
But the doctrine of "social responsibility" taken seriously would extend the scope of the political mechanism to every human activity.
It does not differ in philosophy from the most explicitly collectivist doctrine. It differs only by professing to believe that collectivist ends can be attained without collectivist means. That is why, in my book Capitalism and Freedom, I have called it a "fundamentally subversive doctrine" in a free society, and have said that in such a society, "there is one and only one social responsibility of business–to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud.
What Friedman is promoting is the privatization of social responsibility. He assumes that the legal system and customs of a society are inherently fair and just and so operating within their limits necessarily brings about justice. This is a kind of society whose concept of justice is mechanical and procedural, otherwise nothing substantive is guaranteed. From the sociological point of view, Friedman and persons like him are not completely wrong in conceptualizing law in society the way he did, but they are naïve in ignoring how social and political inequality in every human society and the inequality in the distribution of wealth and variation in ethical commitment in different societies, affect the content and process of law-making.
"Of course institutions such as the banks may have become more efficient because they are strategically situated to serve the interests of the powerful elites and their international collaborators."
This means we should not just focus on the law but also examine the forces that shape the election of those who make the laws and the content of the laws. Laws are not made in heaven and sent to the legislature for approval. This situation results in a situation where laws even when framed in neutral language, tends to allow well-organized social groups, rich and powerful people to have a disproportionate influence on the system to make it reflect their interests in a pluralistic society.
By way of conclusion, I would like to highlight some concerns based on the foregoing analysis that indicate the desperate nature of the Nigerian situation. First, even if one believes that the state has an important role to play in shaping economic and human development, the unfortunate reality in Nigeria is that the characteristics of the state or government are not the types that enhance economic and human development. The current informed scholarship on economic and human development has clearly established that an effective state is critical for promoting and shaping economic and human development. But not all states or ruling elites in developing countries can do that. The question then is: can we transform the Nigerian state or government from being a predominantly predatory one to a developmental state (i.e., one that promotes the necessary conditions for economic and human development)? Such states do not come into existence through miracle.
Second, even if one was a proponent of free market capitalism, which most Nigerians in my view are, the Nigerian society does not have all the necessary preconditions for that kind of capitalism to flourish as we see it sometimes in other countries, as problematic as it may be. As it is, the Nigerian economy is just being milked for the benefit of a small percentage of the elites and their coteries. In strict economic terms, the Nigerian economy is a kind of apartheid system of resource distribution and consumption. The only difference is that this is an apartheid system conceptualized, designed and operated by Black minority elites against a Black majority population. The great majority of the population lives under the dictatorship of poverty.
Looking at Nigeria, one does not need to be a White or European person before he or she can oppress another human being as many tend to assume because of the legacy of colonialism. In effect, either way, we have a long way to go irrespective of whether our goal is supporting an active role for the state / government in shaping economic and human development, promoting free market capitalism, or a combination of both strategies.
Third, whether the reader is predisposed to the Wild West type of free market capitalism or state-led economic and human development, effective social institutions are necessary in both cases. Unfortunately, Nigeria's social institutions have been going through relative decline in terms of their institutional capacity. Whether it is the military, educational institutions, regulatory institutions etc., there have been marked decline in institutional capacity today compared to the mid-1970s.
"If we understand what the problems of the country are and acknowledge differences among the people, we can unite for the sake of salvaging the nation. Such a momentum will reverse the course of national decline and stagnation."
Of course institutions such as the banks may have become more efficient because they are strategically situated to serve the interests of the powerful elites and their international collaborators. The question then is: how do we get our institutions to function effectively and competitively in a globalized economy? The issue is not getting Nigerian institutions back to their 1970s capacity level but we have to compare what we have today with what is necessary to compete effectively in the global economy since Nigeria has embraced neoliberal capitalism, which is dog eat dog system of competition characterized by winners and losers.
Fourth, some scholars argue that for both the government and the market, to function effectively, we need strong civil associations of citizens who are willing to organize and hold both market and state institutions accountable. Such civil society associations also organize to contribute to national development through the voluntary mobilization of private resources for community and national development, outside the strict framework of the market or the state / government (i.e., civil society associations or organizations). Unfortunately, while there are many progressive civil society associations in Nigeria, there are more associations in the country that are engaged in socially unproductive behavior that create "public bads" instead of "public goods." Some of the associations that produce "public bads" are groups engaged in corruption, promotion of ethnic chauvinism, religious bigotry and class oppression. Many of the country's citizens are not also "functionally educated" given our technologically-driven world of the 21st century.
Assuming the market, the state and civil society are not functioning effectively, one can still expect the religious institutions in the country to play an exemplary role in reforming society. Unfortunately, while it is true that there are some religious leaders in Nigeria that are working hard and sincerely to make a positive difference, their impact has not created a tipping point for moral and ethical reformation, which will in turn help in transforming our public institutions. The trend in the country is in the direction of greater moral and ethical decline. This is because many or all the problems and challenges in the broader Nigerian society are reproduced in the inner sanctum of the religious institutions.
In this respect, Alexis de Tocqueville said of the United States in the 1840s that Christian teachings promote egalitarianism, while Christian institutions promote structured inequality. In Nigeria, the two religions have not been known to have developed a public brand that is identified with the struggle for social justice or a more just society. There are many religious organizations that are, however, known to have "prosperity gospel" and "divine favor" as their brand. These are not brands that lead to economic and human development for all citizens. Those who pray for divine favor expect that even if the ship of the nation will sink, because of divine favor, they, as individuals will be saved. They are not concerned about everyone in the nation as such being saved, but they are primarily concerned about themselves and people like them. It is a parochial view of humanity. They want God to bless them and at best their co-religionists but not others.
One scary thing about all the preceding analysis is that for the great majority of Nigerians, they are investing more and more of their brain power and energy towards survival and security concerns, i.e., basic needs as Maslow's hierarchy of needs characterized it. Apart from armed robbery, criminal abduction, Boko Haram ,etc., people have to worry about how they could be negatively impacted in their places of work because of their ethnicity or religion, depending on the social climate in their organization, local government and state. According to research in psychology and the social sciences, human intelligence, innovative capacity, and creativity develop as human beings live in a conducive social and physical environment that has resources which can positively stimulate and challenge them so that they can discover their potentials and freely develop such potentials. Such an environment only exists for a small percentage of Nigerians today. Consequently, one can legitimately make the case that the insecurity in Nigeria (broadly conceptualized) has contributed to the retardation of the development of the intelligence, creative and innovative capacities of the average Nigerian as he or she spends most of his or her time thinking about how to cope with survival.
In some cases, ordinary Nigerians have lost hope that hard work and honesty can enable them achieve their legitimate aspirations since much of what one achieves in Nigeria today depends on his or her social connections and money, instead of hard work and honesty. This, of course, means that insecurity has diminished the capacity of many Nigerians to exercise their creative abilities and energies in innovative ways that would contribute to their personal and national development. The greatest resource of a nation is the creative energies and innovative capacities and determination of the citizens of the country. But in this case, the dysfunctions of social institutions in Nigeria have undermined the main resource and potential of the country.
I will conclude by citing this warning from British scholar, Alexander Pope, which I think is relevant for Nigerians who think that to modernize, especially in a world dominated by western civilization is an easy task. Alexander Pope equated modernizing in the modern world with learning. He observed in this respect that:
A little learning is a dangerous thing ;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring :
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.
If Nigeria wants to modernize and become part of the modern world, then the country and her people should realize that haphazard modernization "is a dangerous thing." It destroys the past without fully creating a reliable or effective future. So if the Nigerian people want to really modernize and live in the modern world, they should go for it up to a point where they will be stable rather than become "intoxicated" by social problems. If however the country does not want to be part of the modern world, well, let it make that decision.
There is, however, a warning though: Manuel Castells argues that such nations will later become part of the 4th world. I hope Nigeria will not lag behind in the 21st century to become part of the 4th world having being left behind by hitherto Third World countries that have moved ahead in East and Southeast Asia. If we understand what the problems of the country are and acknowledge differences among the people, we can unite for the sake of salvaging the nation. Such a momentum will reverse the course of national decline and stagnation. Forget about Nigeria being the largest economy in Africa. That does not make any difference to the life of the ordinary Nigerian.
Prof Samuel Zalanga teaches at Bethel University, Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is Associate Editor for Africa, Journal of Third World Studies. He is also on the board of Media Board of Baobab Media.
Tags: How to end Nigeria's Apartheid economy
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Appreciate the warning re: fraud, although in my experience (and looking online as well) it's the U.S. Bank, rather than MetaBank MasterCard GCs that are especially prone to fraud. I've had zero issues with hundreds of MetaBank GCs, although those have been Visa not MC.
It will be interesting to see if they are better protected with MetaBank vs USB. I agree with the VGC I have not seen issues on those outside of people tampering with them in store.
I stopped in Staples on Friday and the Mastercards in store are now Metabank and not U.S. Bank. So that should solve the problem of the security issues with the Mastercards.
Thanks. What's the pin on these if you want to make a debit purchase? Is it the last 4 digits like the vgc? I need to pay my property taxes as a debit transaction, they only charge $1 per debit card.
I haven't bought them in a while and can't remember if it is the last four or if they give you the pin inside the package. Hopefully someone else can help out.
I didn't see a pin inside the package. So to be safe I went online to update the pin. It worked fine when I unload.
My question too. MCs are not easy to use for anything besides just regular purchases, in my experience. Would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.
In Mark's post , he has a link on How to Liquid vgc/mcgc.He listed the many options you can do. I did mine at Walmart using BB.
I have only been able to use vgc at Walmart, for MOs. I'll try mc again — I have a small stash of them which I would LOVE to be rid of.
There is a cancel trick with MCGC at Walmart. If you google it you should be able to find some Flyertalk threads that have the info on what process you need to do.
I purchased a $200 mastercard giftcard at Staples and its not showing 5x points. On another note, I went to another Staples and bought $1400 in mastercard and thats showing up as 5x point.
Wonder if they are cracking down.
I doubt – probably just a coding error or something. Glad it messed up the $1400 transaction instead of the $200 one.


One on the most tragic natural disasters in recorded history.
One of the most tragic and shocking natural disasters in human memory. Marko was one of the first people to arrive to the scene of destruction.
Tsunami force: several tonnes of metal boat shoved 1.5km inland!
Tsunami: "Bang Muang" When would the bodies stop coming!?


text:
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Xml;

namespace Pulse.Core
{
    public static class FFXIIICodePageHelper
    {
        public static FFXIIICodePage CreateEuro()
        {
            return Create(Encoding.GetEncoding(1252));
        }

        public static FFXIIICodePage CreateCyrillic()
        {
            return Create(Encoding.GetEncoding(1251));
        }

        public static unsafe FFXIIICodePage Create(Encoding encoding)
        {
            byte[] buff = new byte[256];
            char[] chars = new char[256 + 0x2C10];

            fixed (byte* buffPtr = &buff[0])
            fixed (char* charsPtr = &chars[0])
            {
                for (int b = 0; b < 256; b++)
                    buffPtr[b] = (byte)b;

                encoding.GetChars(buffPtr, buff.Length, charsPtr, buff.Length);
            }

            CreateAdditionalCharacters(chars);

            Dictionary<char, short> bytes = new Dictionary<char, short>(chars.Length);
            for (int i = chars.Length - 1; i >= 0; i--)
            {
                char ch = chars[i];
                switch (ch)
                {
                    case '\0':
                        continue;
                }
                bytes[chars[i]] = (short)i;
            }

            return new FFXIIICodePage(chars, bytes);
        }

        private static void CreateAdditionalCharacters(char[] chars)
        {
            //chars[256] = 's'; // Spanish

            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8141)] = '、';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8142)] = '。';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8145)] = '・';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8146)] = '︓';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8148)] = '︖';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8149)] = '︕';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8151)] = '_';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x815B)] = '—';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x815C)] = '―';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x815E)] = '/';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8160)] = '〜';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8163)] = '…';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8169)] = '(';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x816A)] = ')';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8173)] = '《';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8174)] = '》';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8175)] = '「';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8176)] = '」';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8179)] = '【';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x817A)] = '】';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x817B)] = '+';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x817C)] = '-';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x817E)] = '✕';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8181)] = '=';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8183)] = '<';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8184)] = '>';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8187)] = '∞';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8193)] = '%';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x8195)] = '&';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x819A)] = '★';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x819B)] = '◯';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x81A0)] = '⬜';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x81A2)] = '△';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x81A6)] = '⁜';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x81A8)] = '→';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x81A9)] = '←';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x81AA)] = '↑';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x81AB)] = '↓';
            chars[FFXIIIEncodingMap.ValueToIndex(0x81F4)] = '♬';
        }

        public static void ToXml(FFXIIICodePage codepage, XmlElement node)
        {
            XmlElement charsNode = node.EnsureChildElement("Chars");
            XmlElement bytesNode = node.EnsureChildElement("Bytes");

            foreach (char ch in codepage.Chars)
            {
                XmlElement charNode = charsNode.CreateChildElement("Entry");
                charNode.SetChar("Char", ch);
            }

            foreach (KeyValuePair<char, short> pair in codepage.Codes)
            {
                XmlElement byteNode = bytesNode.CreateChildElement("Entry");
                byteNode.SetChar("Char", pair.Key);
                byteNode.SetInt16("Byte", pair.Value);
            }
        }

        public static FFXIIICodePage FromXml(XmlElement node)
        {
            XmlElement charsNode = node.GetChildElement("Chars");
            XmlElement bytesNode = node.GetChildElement("Bytes");
            if (charsNode.ChildNodes.Count != 11536) throw Exceptions.CreateException("Неверное число дочерних элементов узла '{0}': {1}. Ожидается: 11536", charsNode.Name, charsNode.ChildNodes.Count);

            char[] chars = new char[256 + 0x2C10];
            Dictionary<char, short> bytes = new Dictionary<char, short>(256);

            for (int i = 0; i < chars.Length; i++)
            {
                XmlElement charNode = (XmlElement)charsNode.ChildNodes[i];
                chars[i] = charNode.GetChar("Char");
            }

            foreach (XmlElement byteNode in bytesNode)
                bytes[byteNode.GetChar("Char")] = byteNode.GetInt16("Byte");

            return new FFXIIICodePage(chars, bytes);
        }
    }
}


Credit Unions That Start With "M"
Municipal Credit Union was chartered on 01/01/1917. Headquartered in New York, NY, it has assets in the amount of $2,096,409,712. Its 379,725 members are served from 18 branch locations. Deposits in Municipal Credit Union are insured by the NCUA.
Employees (and their spouses, parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren) or officers of the State of New York employed in the City of New York.


text:
Point Reyes National Seashore
RRI, CBD & WWP vs. National Park Service & Cicely Muldoon
Staff attorney(s):
Lizzy Potter
Laird J. Lucas
Client(s):
Resource Renewal Institute
To Protect:
Tule elk
Date won/settled:
On July 12, 2017, Advocates for the West reached a settlement agreement with the National Park Service. Under the agreement, the NPS will prepare a General Management Plan Amendment and an Environmental Impact Statement "that, at a minimum, addresses the lands currently leased for ranching in Point Reyes and in the north district of Golden Gate National Recreation Area."
In July 2016, the Court denied the National Park Service's motion to dismiss our case. The Court agreed with our fundamental legal argument that NPS has a mandatory duty under the Park Service legislation to ensure the National Seashore is managed under an updated General Management Plan (GMP), and that our claims challenging current ranching authorizations for lack of environmental analyses did not constitute an impermissible programmatic attack on the agency's ranching program.
In August 2016, we filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction supported by dozens of declarations and exhibits from our clients. That motion asks the Court to stop the Park Service from issuing new long-term ranching leases and a Ranch Plan which presupposes that ranching will continue indefinitely at the Seashore, until the Court decides the merits of our case. Our final brief is due at the beginning of November and hearing on the motion is scheduled in December.
7-12-17 Pt Reyes Settlement
8-2016 Injunction Motion Filed
7-15-16 Order Denying Motion to Dismiss
Case Information:
February 10, 2016 – Advocates for the West teamed up with the San Francisco-based law firm Keker & Van Nest to file a lawsuit in federal court seeking to require the National Park Service to update its General Management Plan and prepare an Environmental Impact Statement prior to adopting a proposed ranching plan to issue long-term permits for cattle ranches in the Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, California.
After Congress enacted legislation establishing the Point Reyes National Seashore in 1962, the federal government purchased private ranches and land in the park for millions of dollars. Ranching was not mandated by the legislation, but rather allowed under two narrow circumstances: time-limited reservations of rights for former landowners or general leases with conditions to protect the park. Nearly all reservations and leases have since expired.
The lawsuit alleges that the agency is violating federal law by failing to revise or replace a badly outdated general management plan for the National Seashore. Adopted in 1980, the general management plan fails to address current conditions such as climate change, increasing visitation and recreational use, and threats to wildlife. Over the last two decades, the Park Service repeatedly announced its intentions to update its 35-year-old management plan for the Seashore but abandoned the planning process without explanation. It is now moving forward on a Ranch Comprehensive Management Plan that could extend permits for cattle ranching in the park for up to 20 years.
Under federal laws, the National Park Service is obligated to ensure that wildlife and other natural resources receive "maximum protection" and are left "unimpaired" for the enjoyment of future generations. The lawsuit asserts that the Park Service failed to ensure compliance with these requirements when authorizing beef and cattle ranches at the National Seashore. Further, the agency has never taken a hard look at the environmental impacts of current ranching authorizations, which the lawsuit alleges also violates the National Environmental Policy Act.
We and our clients, Resource Renewal Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, and Western Watersheds Project, are committed to ensuring the NPS finally does its job and protects the Point Reyes National Seashore, now and into the future.
Case Filings
2-10-16 Point Reyes Complaint Filed
5-27-16 Plantiffs' Opposition


text:
Sefton Council Planning Applications week beginning March 1st 2021
Planning applications received and decided by Sefton Council as at 1st March 2021.
The list of received applications can be found below.
Two storey extension to the side of 1 Boundary Drive, Crosby, Liverpool, Merseyside, following the demolition of the existing garage.
Erection of a new external loading canopy / shelter at Unit 5a, Valentines Building, Topham Drive, Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside.
Proposed development of 206 dwellings, including access from Park View, including car parking, landscaping and public open space, following the demolition of Orchard Farm and outbuildings on land off Holgate, Thornton, Merseyside.
Two storey extension to the side and a single storey extension at 205 Liverpool Road, Lydiate, Liverpool, Merseyside, involving a balcony to the rear of the dwellinghouse.
New first floor bay window to the front and a dormer extension to the rear of 3 Granville Road, Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside.
Prior approval submission for a proposed rear extension at 76 Brooke Road West Brighton Le Sands, Liverpool, Merseyside, projecting 6 metres from the rear wall of the original dwelling house with a height of 3 metres at the eaves and a maximum height of 3 metres.
Detached double garage, after demolition of the existing shed at 157 Oriel Drive, Aintree.
Change of use of a redundant commercial space on the first floor of 2A - 2D Curzon Road, Waterloo,Liverpool, Merseyside, to residential to create one flat.
Conversion of the existing dwelling at 12 Walmer Road, Waterloo, into four self-contained flats, including the construction of an external staircase and entrance to the rear elevation.
New storage shed in the rear of the garden at 36 Brenda Crescent, Thornton Liverpool, Merseyside.
Single storey extension to the rear of 1 Carr Lane, Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside, following the demolition of the existing outrigger and conservatory.
Construction of a dropped kerb at 268 Guildford Road, Birkdale.
Single storey extensions to the side and rear incorporating a garage of the dwelling house at 4 Eden Drive, North Crosby, Liverpool, Merseyside.
Two storey extension to the side, single storey extension to the rear and porch to the front of 9 Gorse Way, Formby, following the demolition of the existing garage.
Single storey extension to the rear of 53 Glenwyllin Road, Waterloo.
Single storey extension to the front of 17 Carrs Crescent West, Formby, incorporating a porch and a detached granny annexe to the rear.
Certificate of lawfulness for the existing installation of solar panels to the rear of 125 Westfields Drive, Bootle, Merseyside, including a single storey porch extension to the front and a new driveway.
Section 211 Notice of Intent for tree works in the West Birkdale conservation area to prune two trees within the garden of 35 Westbourne Road, Birkdale.
Recently decided planning applications for the same period:
Non-material amendment to approved application DC/2020/00728 to rationalise the roof structure of 8 Sedbergh Avenue, Aintree. Status: Approved.
Approval of details reserved by conditions 1 ,2, 3 ,4, 5, 6, 7 ,9, 10, 11 and 14 attached to approved application DC/2019/00004 for land next to 3 and 4 Brickfield Close, Lydiate, Merseyside. Status: Approved.
Section 211 Notice of Intent to carry out tree works within North Meols Conservation area to fell three trees and crown lift one tree within the grounds of Meols Hall Estate, Southport, Merseyside. Status: Approved.
Creation of a new site entrance at 82 Derby Road, Liverpool, Merseyside and a new parking deck on adjacent land. Status: No objection.
Section 211 notice of intent to carry out tree works within West Birkdale Conservation area to prune six trees within the garden of 26 Westbourne Road, Birkdale. Status: Approved.
Construction of a vehicular access from Cromer Road, including a dropped kerb at 85 Waterloo Road, Birkdale. Status: Conditionally approved.
Prior approval submission for a proposed rear extension at 49 Duke Street, Formby, projecting 5.97 metres from the rear wall of the original house with a height of 3 metres at the eaves and a maximum height of 3 metres. Status: Prior Approval Required and Refused.
Conversion of the existing garage to a habitable room at 4 Cantlow Fold, Ainsdale, involving alterations to the garage roof and front elevation of the dwelling house. Status: Conditionally approved.
Single storey extension to the side and dormer extension to the rear of 197 Guildford Road, Birkdale. Status: Conditionally approved.
Certificate of Lawfulness for a proposed single storey extension to the rear of 1 Bartons Close, Southport. Status: Certificate Not Issued.
Single storey extensions to the front, side and rear of 62 Marina Crescent, Netherton, Bootle, after demolition of the existing garage (alternative to application reference DC/2020/01827). Status: Conditionally approved.
Change of use from retail with storage to three self-contained dwellings at 9-15 Ashley Road, Southport, with internal alterations and alterations to the existing shop fronts and associated car parking for no 15 (resubmitted application of DC/2020/00712). Status: Conditionally approved.
Single storey extension and relocation of the existing plant room to the roof at first floor level to the rear of 9 Chapel Lane, Formby. Status: Conditionally approved.
Construction of a new shop front to a retail unit at 29 Brows Lane, Formby. Status: Conditionally approved.
Single storey extension to the side and rear of 97 Moor Lane, Crosby, following the demolition of the existing rear extension. (Alternative to DC/2020/00883 granted 13.7.2020 Part Retrospective). Status: Conditionally approved.
Single storey extension to the rear of Seton House, Formby Fields, Formby. Status: Conditionally approved.
Single storey extension to the rear of 2A Dorbett Drive, Crosby, including a single storey extension to the side/front and external alterations to the side and rear of the house, following the demolition of the existing outrigger. Status: Conditionally approved.
Two storey extension to the rear of 43 St Andrews Road, Crosby, including alterations to the existing side extension and garage roof, porch extension and alterations to the front of the house. Status: Conditionally approved.
Single storey extension to the side of 234 Northway, Maghull, Liverpool, Merseyside, following demolition of the existing garage. Status: Conditionally approved.
Single storey extension to the rear of 16 Mill Lane, Southport. Status: Conditionally approved.
Two storey extension to the side of 21 Byron Road, Lydiate, Liverpool, Merseyside, including a single storey extension to the rear and dormer extensions to the front and rear. Status: Conditionally approved.
Dormer extensions to the front and rear of 25 Mersey Road, Crosby, and roof works incorporating hip to gable extension. Status: Conditionally approved.
Approval of details reserved by conditions 1,2,3,4,5,6,10,12 attached to approved application DC/2019/01243 for 93 Marshside Road - formerly known as land severed from the side of 97 Marshside Road, Southport. Status: Approved.
Single storey rear extension at 44 Brownmoor Park, Crosby. Status: Conditionally approved.
Tree Preservation Order application to re-coppice a tree, the remedial pruning of a tree and removal of a failed Poplar tree within G2 (lies within TPO152) on land at Mill Weir Gardens, Sefton, Merseyside. Status: Conditionally approved.
New 2m high boundary wall/railings/gates to the front of 2 Church Road, Formby, (alternative to application DC/2020/01006) and construction/alteration to vehicular access to Church Road. Status: Conditionally approved.
Change of use from a clinic/surgery at Kings Park Surgery, 81-87 Stanley Road, Bootle, to commercial services on the ground floor and eight self-contained apartments to the first and second floors. Status: Conditionally approved.
Certificate of Lawfulness to confirm that the property is a single private house at 17 Norwood Avenue, Southport. Status: Certificate Issued - Existing Use.
Change of use of a former British Telecom depot and warehouses to form a self-store/lock-up facility at Unit 1-7 Blowick Business Park, Crowland Street, Southport, including demolition of the existing structures to the rear and the installation of storage units. Status: Conditionally approved.
Approval of details reserved by conditions 3, 4 and 5 attached to approved application DC/2018/01458 and approved application DC/2020/02258 for land off Maghull Lane, Maghull Lane, Melling. Status: Approved.
Portacabin next to the main Maintenance Facility at The West Lancashire Golf Club, Greenkeepers Maintenance Facility, 4 Hall Road, West Blundellsands, for use as a rest room due to COVID-19 restrictions on social distancing for Greenkeeping Staff. Status: Conditionally approved.
New part-single/part-two storey extension to the rear of 10 Graburn Road, Formby, including a two storey extension to the side, and single storey extension to the front, following the demolition of the rear extension. Status: Conditionally approved.
A retrospective application for a new single bay jet wash at BP Service Station, Southport Road, Formby. Status: Conditionally approved.
Change of use of the Basement and Ground Floor from a pub to two self-contained apartments at The Linacre Hotel, 46 Linacre Lane, Bootle. Status: Conditionally approved.


text:
Q: Implemention of Neural Networks I'm trying to understand how to implement neural networks. So I made my own dataset. Xtrain is numpy.random floats. Ytrain is sign(sin(1/x^3).
Try to implement neural networks gave me very poor results. 30%accuracy. Random Forest with 100 trees give 97%. But I heard that NN can approximate any function. What is wrong in my understanding?
import numpy as np
import keras
import math
from sklearn.ensemble import RandomForestClassifier as RF
train = np.random.rand(100000)
test = np.random.rand(100000)
def g(x):
    if math.sin(2*3.14*x) > 0:
        if math.cos(2*3.14*x) > 0:
            return 0
        else:
            return 1
    else:
        if math.cos(2*3.14*x) > 0:
            return 2
        else:
           return 3
def f(x):
    x = (1/x) ** 3
    res = [0, 0, 0, 0]
    res[g(x)] = 1
    return res

ytrain = np.array([f(x)  for x in train])
ytest = np.array([f(x) for x in test])
train = np.array([[x] for x in train])
test = np.array([[x] for x in test])

from keras.models import Sequential
from keras.layers import Dense, Activation, Embedding, LSTM

model = Sequential()
model.add(Dense(100, input_dim=1))
model.add(Activation('sigmoid'))
model.add(Dense(100))
model.add(Activation('sigmoid'))
model.add(Dense(100))
model.add(Activation('sigmoid'))
model.add(Dense(4))
model.add(Activation('softmax'))
model.compile(optimizer='sgd',
          loss='categorical_crossentropy',
          metrics=['accuracy'])

P.S. I tried out many layers, activation functions, loss functions, optimizers, but never got more than 30% accuracy :(

A: I suspect that the 30% accuracy is a combination of small learning rate setting and a small training-step setting.
I ran your code snippet with model.fit(train, ytrain, nb_epoch=5, batch_size=32), after 5 epoch's training it yields about 28% accuracy. With the same setting but increasing the training steps to nb_epoch=50, the loss drops to ~1.157 ish and the accuracy raises to 40%. Further increase training steps should lead the model to further converging. Other than that, you can also try to configure the model with a larger learning rate setting which could make the converging faster :
model.compile(loss='categorical_crossentropy', optimizer=SGD(lr=0.1, momentum=0.9, nesterov=True), metrics=['accuracy'])

Although be careful don't set the learning rate to be too large otherwise your loss could blow up.
EDIT:
NN is known for having the potential for modeling extremely complex function, however, whether or not the model actually produce a good performance is a matter of how the model is designed, trained, and many other matters related to the specific application.

A: Zhongyu Kuang's answer is correct in stating that you may need to train it longer or with a different learning rate.
I'll add that the deeper your network, the longer you'll need to train it before it converges.  For a relatively simple function like sign(sin(1/x^3)), you may be able to get away with a smaller network than the one you're using.
Additionally, softmax probably isn't the best output layer.  You just need to yield -1 or 1.  A single tanh unit seems like it would do well.  softmax is generally used when you want to learn a probability distribution over a finite set.  (You'll probably want to switch your error function from cross entropy to mean square error for similar reasons.)
Try a network with one sigmoidal hidden layer and an output layer with just one tanh unit.  Then play around with the layer size and learning rate.  Maybe add a second hidden layer if you can't get results with just one, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's unnecessary.
Addendum: In this approach, you'll replace f(x) with a direct calculation of the target function instead of the one-hot vector you're using currently.