text:
Collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs") are debt obligations collateralized by mortgage loans or mortgage pass-through securities (collateral collectively hereinafter referred to as "Mortgage Assets"). Multi-class pass-through securities are interests in a trust composed of Mortgage Assets and all references in this section to CMOs include multi-class pass-through securities. Principal prepayments on the Mortgage Assets may cause the CMOs to be retired substantially earlier than their stated maturities or final distribution dates, resulting in a loss of all or part of the premium if any has been paid. Interest is paid or accrues on all classes of the CMOs on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis. The principal and interest payments on the Mortgage Assets may be allocated among the various classes of CMOs in several ways. Typically, payments of principal, including any prepayments, on the underlying mortgages are applied to the classes in the order of their respective stated maturities or final distribution dates, so that no payment of principal is made on CMOs of a class until all CMOs of other classes having earlier stated maturities or final distribution dates have been paid in full.
On October 31, 2017, CME Group, the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, had announced its intent to launch bitcoin futures in the fourth quarter of 2017. "CME Group's Bitcoin futures will be available for trading on the CME Globex electronic trading platform, and for submission for clearing via CME ClearPort, effective on Sunday, December 17, 2017 for a trade date of December 18" as per CME's officials statement.
Fundamental securities analysis is not used by ProShare Advisors in seeking to correlate a Matching Fund's investment returns with its index. Rather, ProShare Advisors primarily uses a passive or mathematical approach to determine the investments a Matching Fund makes and techniques it employs. While ProShare Advisors attempts to minimize any "tracking error," certain factors tend to cause a Matching Fund's investment results to vary from a perfect correlation to its index, as applicable. See "Special Considerations" below for additional details.
If you want to speculate on the price of a cryptocurrency then the use of a Contract for Difference (CFD) is an option to consider. You won't actually own the cryptocurrency, which means you don't face the hassle and hurdles of trying to buy via one of the unregulated exchanges. Instead, a CFD is a financial instrument which allows you to speculate on price movements.
You will then be able to trade futures contracts just like they are bitcoin spot. If price goes up on spot, a good futures exchange will have its contracts also going up in price, and then you can sell and get out. However, the price of the futures contract is dependent on others trading it. So if nobody else is trading it and bringing the market price of the contract along with changes in the underlying asset, then it's useless and you are forced to hold it until settlement to realize any of the profit/loss from the position.
Subject to the general supervision by the Board, the Advisor is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities and derivatives for each of the Funds and the selection of brokers and dealers to effect transactions. Purchases from dealers serving as market makers may include a dealer's mark-up or reflect a dealer's mark-down. Purchases and sales of U.S. government securities are normally transacted through issuers, underwriters or major dealers in U.S. government securities acting as principals. Such transactions, along with other fixed income securities transactions, are made on a net basis and do not typically involve payment of brokerage commissions. The cost of securities purchased from an underwriter usually includes a commission paid by the issuer to the underwriters; transactions with dealers normally reflect the spread between bid and asked prices; and transactions involving baskets of equity securities typically include brokerage commissions. As an alternative to directly purchasing securities, the Advisor may find efficiencies and cost savings by purchasing futures or using other derivative instruments like total return swaps or forward contracts. The Advisor may also choose to cross -trade securities between clients to save costs where allowed under applicable law.
•	Tax Risk — In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded a regulated investment company ("RIC") and its shareholders, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from "qualifying income," meet certain asset diversification tests at the end of each taxable quarter, and meet annual distribution requirements. The Fund's pursuit of its investment strategies will potentially be limited by the Fund's intention to qualify for such treatment and could adversely affect the Fund's ability to so qualify. The Fund can make certain investments, the treatment of which for these purposes is unclear. If, in any year, the Fund were to fail to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded a RIC and its shareholders, and were ineligible to or were not to cure such failure, the Fund would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation subject to U.S. federal income tax on all its income at the fund level. The resulting taxes could substantially reduce the Fund's net assets and the amount of income available for distribution. In addition, in order to requalify for taxation as a RIC, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make certain distributions.
A Bitcoin futures contract is exactly what you would expect from the example above, replacing pork bellies with Bitcoin. It is a contract that enables you to buy Bitcoin at a predetermined price at a specific point in the future. For example, if today's Bitcoin price is 8,000 USD per BTC and you expect it to rise to 10,000 USD per BTC in 4 weeks, then entering a contract which allows you to buy Bitcoin at 9,000 USD in 4 weeks is highly attractive.
Yields on U.S. government securities depend on a variety of factors, including the general conditions of the money and bond markets, the size of a particular offering, and the maturity of the obligation. Debt securities with longer maturities tend to produce higher yields and are generally subject to potentially greater capital appreciation and depreciation than obligations with shorter maturities and lower yields. The market value of U.S. government securities generally varies inversely with changes in market interest rates. An increase in interest rates, therefore, would generally reduce the market value of a Fund's portfolio investments in U.S. government securities, while a decline in interest rates would generally increase the market value of a Fund's portfolio investments in these securities.
A number of companies that provide bitcoin-related services have been unable to find banks that are willing to provide them with bank accounts and banking services. Similarly, a number of such companies have had their existing bank accounts closed by their banks. Banks may refuse to provide bank accounts and other banking services to bitcoin-related companies or companies that accept bitcoin for a number of reasons, such as perceived compliance risks or costs. The difficulty that many businesses that provide bitcoin-related services have and may continue to have in finding banks willing to provide them with bank accounts and other banking services may be currently decreasing the usefulness of bitcoin as a payment system and harming public perception of bitcoin or could decrease its usefulness and harm its public perception in the future. Similarly, the usefulness of bitcoin as a payment system and the public perception of bitcoin could be damaged if banks were to close the accounts of many or of a few key businesses providing bitcoin-related services. This could decrease the price of bitcoin and have an adverse effect on the price of Bitcoin Instruments and therefore adversely affect an investment in the Funds.
Crypto Facilities and the CME Group have been calculating and publishing the Bitcoin Reference Rate (BRR) since November 2016. Such an official rate is a prerequisite of options trading in the traditional markets. The BRR is calculated based on the rates from the biggest exchanges: Bitstamp, GDAX, itBit, and Kraken. More concretely, it is calculated based on all Bitcoin vs. USD trades on the participating exchanges between 3 and 4 p.m. London time. To calculate the BRR, the hour between 3 and 4 is divided into 12 intervals of 5 minutes. For each interval, the volume-weighted median of the Bitcoin price is calculated (statistically, the median, in contrast to the average, prevents single outliers from distorting the price). The BRR is then the average of these 12 median values. More details about the calculation of the BRR can be found in the BRR whitepaper.
From time to time, proxy issues may pose a material conflict of interest between Fund shareholders and the Advisor, the Distributor or any affiliates thereof. Due to the limited nature of the Advisor's activities (e.g., no underwriting business, no publicly traded affiliates, no investment banking activities and no research recommendations), conflicts of interest are likely to be infrequent. Nevertheless, it shall be the duty of the Committee to monitor potential conflicts of interest. In the event a conflict of interest arises, the Advisor will direct ISS to use its independent judgment to vote affected proxies in accordance with approved guidelines. The Committee will disclose to the Board of Trustees the voting issues that created the conflict of interest and the manner in which voted such proxies were voted.
through direct investments/short positions in the securities and/or through investments with similar economic characteristics. For the purposes of each such investment policy, "assets" includes a Fund's net assets, as well as amounts borrowed for investment purposes, if any. In addition, for purposes of such an investment policy, "assets" includes not only the amount of a Fund's net assets attributable to investments providing direct investment exposure to the type of investments suggested by its name (e.g., the value of stocks, or the value of derivative instruments such as futures, options or options on futures), but also cash and cash equivalents that are segregated on the Fund's books and records or being used as collateral, as required by applicable regulatory guidance, or otherwise available to cover such investment exposure. The Board has adopted a policy to provide investors with at least 60 days' notice prior to changes in a Fund's name policy.


On 7th March 2015, 10 of our student volunteers with Ms Kwok and Mrs Laver had an opportunity to visit the People's Food Bank which is one of the charity projects run by St. James' Settlement.
People's Food Bank is a non-governmental charitable organization in Hong Kong with more than 60 years of history. It aims at helping the needy to cope with social challenges. It is a relief center that provides food assistance. Its mission is to provide food to the needy on a temporary basis, relieve hunger and to promote social cohesion by encouraging people to donate.
During the service, our students helped to distribute dinner boxes which were prepared by St. James' Settlement and to give scarfs, napkin flowers and paper cranes which were made by our students and PTA parent volunteers for the service users. Service users were very pleased to receive our gifts. Also, our students had a chance to know more about the operation of food banks in Hong Kong. Students enjoyed their service experience and would like to serve the service users again in the nearer future.


A: OH: 2 7/8", OL: 11 5/8", OW: 8 1/4" B: OH: 1 5/8", OL: 11 5/8", OW: 8 1/4"
Wig box with cover. Painted white with transferred, cut-out, tinted engravings. A: Box with fower prints and figures in landscape around sides. B: Arched top cover with scene of men and women in 18th-century costumes seated at table, playing cards.


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Q: How to search for a string in pandas dataframe and match with another? I'm trying to compare 2 columns (strings) of 2 different pandas' dataframe (A and B) and if they match a piece of the string, I would like to assign the value of one column in dataframe A to dataframe B.
This is my code:

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

A = ['DF-PI-05', 'DF-PI-09', 'DF-PI-10', 'DF-PI-15', 'DF-PI-16',
       'DF-PI-19', 'DF-PI-89', 'DF-PI-92', 'DF-PI-93', 'DF-PI-94',
       'DF-PI-95', 'DF-PI-96', 'DF-PI-25', 'DF-PI-29', 'DF-PI-30',
       'DF-PI-34', 'DF-PI-84']

B = ['PI-05', 'PI-10', 'PI-89', 'PI-90', 'PI-93', 'PI-94', 'PI-95',
       'PI-96', 'PI-09', 'PI-15', 'PI-16', 'PI-19', 'PI-91A', 'PI-91b',
       'PI-92', 'PI-25-CU', 'PI-29', 'PI-30', 'PI-34', 'PI-84-CU-S1',
       'PI-84-CU-S2']

import random
sample_size = len(A)
Group = [random.randint(0,1) for _ in range(sample_size)]

A = pd.DataFrame(list(zip(A,Group)),columns=['ID','Group'])
B = pd.DataFrame(B,columns=['Name'])

clus_tx = np.array([])
for date, row in B.iterrows():
    for date2, row2 in A.iterrows():
        if row2['ID'] in row['Name']:
            clus = row['Group']
        else:
            clus = 999
        clus_tx = np.append(clus_tx,clus)

B['Group'] = clus_tx

What I would like to have is a np.array clus_tx with the length of B, where if there is an element with the string that matches in A ('PI-xx'), I would take the value of the column 'Group' from A and assign to B, if there is no string matching, I would assign the value of 999 to the column 'Group' in B.
I think I'm doing the loop wrong because the size of clus_tx is not what I expected...My real dataset is huge, so I can't do this manually.

A: First, the reason why the size of clus_tx is not what you want is that you put clus_tx = np.append(clus_tx,clus) in the innermost loop, which has no break. So the length of clus_tx will always be len(A) x len(B).
Second, the logic of if statement block is not what you want.
I've changed the code a bit, hope it helps:
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

A = ['DF-PI-05', 'DF-PI-09', 'DF-PI-10', 'DF-PI-15', 'DF-PI-16',
       'DF-PI-19', 'DF-PI-89', 'DF-PI-92', 'DF-PI-93', 'DF-PI-94',
       'DF-PI-95', 'DF-PI-96', 'DF-PI-25', 'DF-PI-29', 'DF-PI-30',
       'DF-PI-34', 'DF-PI-84']

B = ['PI-05', 'PI-10', 'PI-89', 'PI-90', 'PI-93', 'PI-94', 'PI-95',
       'PI-96', 'PI-09', 'PI-15', 'PI-16', 'PI-19', 'PI-91A', 'PI-91b',
       'PI-92', 'PI-25-CU', 'PI-29', 'PI-30', 'PI-34', 'PI-84-CU-S1',
       'PI-84-CU-S2']

import random
sample_size = len(A)
Group = [random.randint(0,1) for _ in range(sample_size)]

A = pd.DataFrame(list(zip(A,Group)),columns=['ID','Group'])
B = pd.DataFrame(B,columns=['Name'])

clus_tx = np.array([])
for date, row_B in B.iterrows():
    clus = 999
    for date2, row_A in A.iterrows():
        if row_B['Name'] in row_A['ID']:
            clus = row_A['Group']
            break
    clus_tx = np.append(clus_tx,clus)

B['Group'] = clus_tx
print(B)

The print output of B looks like:
           Name  Group
0         PI-05    0.0
1         PI-10    0.0
2         PI-89    1.0
3         PI-90  999.0
4         PI-93    0.0
5         PI-94    1.0
6         PI-95    1.0
7         PI-96    0.0
8         PI-09    1.0
9         PI-15    0.0
10        PI-16    1.0
11        PI-19    1.0
12       PI-91A  999.0
13       PI-91b  999.0
14        PI-92    1.0
15     PI-25-CU  999.0
16        PI-29    0.0
17        PI-30    1.0
18        PI-34    0.0
19  PI-84-CU-S1  999.0
20  PI-84-CU-S2  999.0

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Good Samaritan Regional Health Center, a 142-bed, 500,000-square-foot hospital and Medical Plaza in Mt. Vernon, IL, used TEC® products for the successful installation of a wide variety of flooring and wall materials.
Contractor Flooring Systems Inc. used TEC® to prepare surfaces for both dry and wet environments. The LiquiDAM® Penetrating Moisture Vapor Barrier was applied to the concrete substrate. Blocking moisture vapor was an especially important consideration with the sheet vinyl used in patient rooms, as sheet vinyl installations tend to have a very low moisture tolerance. Smooth Start™ Self Leveling Underlayment, PerfectFinish™ Skim Coat and Fast-Set Deep Patch readied the substrate prior to the application of adhesives.
For information on where to purchase TEC surface prep, tile adhesives, floor adhesives and grouts and caulks, visit our Where to Buy or email us.
Nice job you guys. Great testimony.
Thanks Tom! Ron at Flooring Systems did a great install.


Simlawn Landscaping works with a wide variety of landscaping stones. Often times we find our customers choosing stone instead of mulch. The stone options have proven to be much less maintenance over time. Below are some photo's of a small retaining pond that Simlawn Landscaping utilized decorative river rock to help with the theme of the stone building on the customers property.
Here we have some small beds that used to be filled with old red mulch and weeds. The maintenance program on beds like this is very simple. Simlawn Landscaping is able to spray weed preventive once or twice a year to keep these beds looking fresh. The customer chose a really nice Mojave red stone for this project and it happens to match the accent color on his building nicely.


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West Hants council reaffirms its anti-fracking stance
One arrested in connection with Exhibition Street fire in Kentville
'A perfect storm:' Canning couple thankful for quick-thinking first ...
British Motoring Festival to celebrate 10th anniversary in Windsor
Mini invasion: British Motoring Festival celebrates tenth anniversary ...
Kings County resident frustrated with poor maintenance, lack of ...
Kings-Hants People's Party of Canada candidate supports freedom of ...
Canada's Man in Motion receives honorary degree at Acadia convocation
Wendy Elliott
Published: May 15 at 11:41 a.m.
Updated: May 17 at 10:43 a.m.
On receiving his Doctor of Humanities from Acadia University, Rick Hansen, Canada's Man in Motion, was applauded warmly. - Wendy Elliott
Rick Hansen and Dr. Nancy Nason-Clark watched closely as degrees in theology, education and arts were handed out. - Wendy Elliott
Rick Hansen was generous and signed his graduate's program after the ceremony on May 12. - Wendy Elliott
Anne Louise Steeves of Toronto and Mary Sweatman of Gaspereau were the two Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies recipients. - Wendy Elliott
Rick Hansen continues to champion accessibility
WOLFVILLE, N.S. —
"The key thing is we only have our stories," Rick Hansen said. "On our journey here we celebrate tenacity, courage and determination."
Speaking to Acadia University graduates May 11, Canada's Man in Motion shared the story that rocked him to the core. At the age of 15, he was thrown against a large steel toolbox while riding in the back of a pickup truck, following a fishing trip. He was paralyzed.
After lying in a hospital bed for what seemed like an eternity, he was not in a good state of mind.
"I had no idea what I was going to do. The world was a black, dark canvas of despair that had to be filled in with colours and shapes."
Fortunately Hansen said he met a man named Stan Strong, who was injured in the 1930s and in hospital for four years. Strong embodied joy and taught the young teen to practice mindfulness.
Bob Redford, his coach and Phys ed teacher, also encouraged him – even after Hansen was initially not accepted into the University of British Columbia's Phys ed program.
It was his role models, Hansen said, that enabled him to find hope in the midst of pain. He went on to participate in the 1982 Pan American games in Halifax, in wheelchair track, and then the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where athletes with disabilities were included for the first time.
Hansen found that he did not have to use his legs to represent his country. He determined that attitudes toward the disabled had to change to remove the kind of barriers he'd faced.
Social justice takes generations, Hansen told the graduates. He added that he is sometimes asked if he wished he could have changed the past.
"There was a time when I would have sold my soul, when I thought God abandoned me in the back of that pick-up truck, but I'd never trade my life now for the use of my legs."
He said he hoped that "each and every one of you wake up in the morning with a fire in your belly. That you can develop that spirit in this journey toward making the world healthy and inclusive for all."
Through his foundation, Hansen envisions a national system where future buildings are rated and certified as being accessible, which could then be used to help score a city's accessibility. The town of Wolfville just released its first plan for accessibility – the first of its kind in the province.
Dr. Nancy Nason-Clark, a scholar, author and speaker, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity. Over 20 years ago, she founded the Religion and Violence Research (RAVE) team at the University of New Brunswick as a means of providing support to families of faith that have been shattered by domestic violence.
Nason-Clark described her work "between the steeple and a shelter" in the face of intimate partner abuse.
She called upon the graduates to practice gratitude, to be part of the solution to societal problems and to choose peace and truth in a world of extremism.
ACADIA U GRADUATES OVER 800
Just over 800 graduates received degrees during Acadia University's 177th Convocation ceremonies May 12 – 13 in Wolfville.
Acadia president Dr. Peter Ricketts started the ceremony by expressing his pride in Acadia's graduates.
He spoke of the late Jeremy Ingham who died in late 2018 after receiving a special convocation last October.
"He was a man of substance," Ricketts said, calling on Ingham's peers to "be motivated to focus their talents toward the benefit of others."
"I would like to congratulate all members of Acadia's Class of 2019," said Ricketts. "Convocation represents a milestone achievement – not an end but a new beginning – for students and it is a wonderful time to celebrate with family and friends."
Sunday afternoon's ceremony featured the first graduating class from Acadia's Africentric Master of Education Counselling Cohort, an educational partnership between Acadia and the Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Institute.
Designed to address the under-representation of African Nova Scotian counsellors and Africentric perspectives in Nova Scotian school and community services, the School of Education recruited and hired qualified African Nova Scotian counsellors and anti-oppression educators to work with the students in a number of courses, while the institute provided teaching assistance on Africentric perspectives, theory, and practice.
The cohort worked part-time on weekends, evenings, and in summer schools, to complete the degree in the summer of 2018 – adding 17 newly qualified, Africentric, and passionate counsellors to Nova Scotian schools and community agencies.
During the ceremony for this graduating class, Acadia recognized the late Trevor Boyd, a member of that cohort and graduate of Acadia's Bachelor of Education program who taught in the Chignecto Region. His sister accepted his degree after he died suddenly last year.
Following a tradition that began in 1848, the university conferred five honorary degrees over two days of ceremonies.
The five recipients included: Rick Hansen and Dr. Nancy Nason-Clark on May 12 and on Monday, they were: Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, Acadia benefactor David Huestis and Elder Joe Michael.
Dr. Cicin-Sain is a global expert on ocean and coastal governance who leads a global movement to incorporate oceans within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
A Mi'kmaq elder, Joseph Michael, is an inspirational spiritual leader within Nova Scotia's Mi'kmaq community and a retired RCMP officer who developed the RCMP's Aboriginal Community Policing model that is in use today.
A familiar presence on stage, Ray Ivany was named as Acadia's first President Emeritus. Ivany served as Acadia's 15thPresident and Vice-Chancellor from 2009 to 2017.
Mini invasion: British Motoring Festival celebrates tenth anniversary in Windsor
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Make a splash with latest pool trends
The essential tool kit for first-time homebuyers
MY HANDMADE HOME: Making a DIY Adirondack chair
Updated Jul 12, 2019 at noon
COLIN AND JUSTIN: Take it outside
STREAMLINE YOUR STUFF: Annual Design Walk in Annapolis Valley sparks joy
Kings-Hants People's Party of Canada candidate supports freedom of speech, 'libertarianism'
The Hants Journal Tweets
Follow @HantsJournal

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


At Your Table make it easy for you to hire a personal chef in LA for just about any occasion. We've handpicked the very best personal chefs in LA each with individually designed menus. From Beverly Hills to Bel Air, Hollywood through to Brentwood, we've got you covered. From highly acclaimed award winning chefs to the newest creatives in the kitchen. Simply choose your menu then sit back, relax and enjoy being the perfect host as one of our expert chefs prepares your chosen menu in the comfort of your own home or chosen space.
We specialize in creating intimate dinners for smaller groups in and around Los Angeles but can work with you to build the perfect event that best suits your needs. We can offer canapés, 3 course menus or 5 and 7 course tasting menus. If you had something else in mind please let us know and we can suit our offering to meet your specifications.
You don't have to be a movie star to feel like one when you're dining in Los Angeles. The constant sunshine, tropical plants, and magenta sunsets that set the sky on fire envelope the city, and everyone in it, with an aura of laid-back glamour. But it's not all old Hollywood, beaches, and beautiful people. Los Angeles is undergoing an exciting renaissance that's transforming the city into something fresh, cutting-edge, and unexpected.
Here's everything you need to know about eating well in Los Angeles in 2018.
Out of town, A-list chefs are flocking to Los Angeles.
In the past, entrees meant meat. But things are changing as vegetarian and vegan foods become more popular. Veggie-focused cuisine is no longer exclusive to specialty restaurants – delicious vegetable main dishes are commonplace in the best restaurants across the country now. And top chefs can't seem to resist the gorgeous, high-quality, year-round produce available in Los Angeles as they create more seasonal and produce-driven dishes.
Also, thanks to the rise of ride-sharing, L.A. diners are able to stay out late and enjoy a few extra drinks without a worry about driving themselves home. Because unlike walkable big cities with public transportation, going out for a nice dinner in Los Angeles used to be a cumbersome event. More diners seeking the best dining experiences equates to more opportunities for big-name chefs to succeed – and they're showing up by the dozen, ready to make their mark on the city.
California has given us the culinary genius of female trailblazers Alice Waters, Judy Rogers, and Suzanne Goin. Women were a huge driver behind new California cuisine and the obsession with local ingredients that it ushered in. Chefs like Niki Nakayama, April Bloomfield, Dahlia Narvaez, Sarah Hymanson, Sarah Kramer, and Roxana Jullapat are continuing the legacy set by their groundbreaking predecessors while becoming legends in their own rights.
Female chefs shouldn't be a novelty or anomaly and these talented chefs are setting a new standard. Female chefs shouldn't be deemed remarkable because of under-representation; they should be celebrated because they cook incredible food… and in Los Angeles – they are.
Middle Eastern cooking is in high demand – with a focus on Israeli cuisine.
With such similar climates and local produce, it's no wonder that Middle Eastern food is so delicious and popular in Los Angeles. Olive oil, lemon, and pomegranate feature in many Israeli dishes and you can easily find these fruit trees are tucked away in many Los Angeles yards.
But L.A.'s Middle Eastern food isn't all hummus – just watch Michael Solomonov's Netflix special to see for yourself. Israeli food, more than any other Middle Eastern cuisine, celebrates the best flavors and textures that the region offers. Israel's culinary identity is an evolving mash-up of adopted traditions, inherited from immigrants from every Middle Eastern and Mediterranean country. It's a fusion of the entire region refined into something new but familiar, borrowed but distinct, and healthy but decadent.
Rustic Canyon – Family style platters of plant-based food sourced from ranchers, fishermen, and local farmers dedicated to sustainable agriculture. Their menu changes frequently to showcase seasonal produce. Michelin-starred Executive Chef Jeremy Fox delivers exciting and delicious dining.
Bavel – Chefs Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis of Bestia bring an irresistible Middle Eastern menu to L.A. With diverse family roots lead back to Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, and Israel they've shared the best foods from each of these cultures for your dining pleasure at Bavel. Just make sure you've secured a reservation – this recently opened restaurant fills up fast.
Republique – Referred to as a "super-bistro" by the Los Angeles Times, Republique lures you in with the promise of an unexpected take on the familiar. From french fries to duck-liver mousse – each dish offers an unexpected and brilliant twist. What else could one expect from chefs as accomplished as Walter and Margarita Manzke?
Tasting Kitchen – There's a lot more to this Venice favorite than pasta and charcuterie – though we don't suggest missing out on one of the most delicious plates of carbs you'll find anywhere. Tasting Kitchen offers some of the best cocktails, creative plates, and a can't-miss brunch. Just make sure to get a reservation so you don't miss Chef Casey Lane's magic.


The SLEIC has three job openings available. We are eager to add additional expertise to our growing center. You may learn more about the Director of Human MRI Facility, Research Associate Statistical, Analytic, and Programming Specialist and the Research Associate Human Neuroimaging Specialist appointments on our website.


Property Location When you a stay at Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa in Windermere, you'll be on a lake, within a 5-minute walk of Lake District and Old Laundry Theatre. This 4-star hotel is 3 mi (4.8 km) from Hill Top and 0.2 mi (0.3 km) from World of Beatrix Potter.Rooms Stay in one of 106 guestrooms featuring flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and digital programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with bathtubs or showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include safes and desks, and housekeeping is provided daily.Amenities Relax at the full-service spa, where you can enjoy body treatments and facials. If you're looking for recreational opportunities, you'll find a health club, an indoor pool, and a sauna. Additional amenities at this hotel include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and wedding services.Dining Enjoy British cuisine at The Restaurant at Macdona, a restaurant where you can take in the garden view, or stay in and take advantage of the 24-hour room service. Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge. Full breakfasts are available daily from 8 AM to 10 AM for a fee.Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include express check-out, dry cleaning/laundry services, and a 24-hour front desk. Planning an event in Windermere? This hotel has 4971 square feet (462 square meters) of space consisting of conference space and meeting rooms.
Hotel Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa cost depends on the season and prices can be much different basing on selected dates. The diagram below illustrates price changing dynamic for Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa hotel by months. For example, the lowest prices - on the average $186 - are in April, and by June hotel Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa cost grows on the average up to $348.


text:
import { createStore, applyMiddleware } from 'redux';
import logger from 'redux-logger';
import rootReducer from './reducers';

const middleware = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production' ?
  [] :
  [logger()];

const store = createStore(
  rootReducer,
  applyMiddleware(...middleware)
);

export default store;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Voter Fraud: Report Describes In Detail The Total Breakdown Of The GA Election System, Noting Ballots Everywhere, Missing Chain Of Custody, And More
(Republican Insider) – An election official from Fulton County, Georgia recently admitted that chain of custody paperwork that is legally required according to state law is missing from the 2020 presidential election.
According to a report from Gateway Pundit, the current secretary of state for Georgia, Brad Raffensperger, is the individual who is completely and totally responsible for all of this.
And as if that information alone isn't enough to raise suspicions, John Solomon, along with Just the News, recently reported that an audit of documents has revealed that there are more than 100 batches of absentee ballots are now missing in Fulton County.
Could this turn out to be the real reason that Fulton County officials have lawyered up with a criminal defense team?
"The 29-page report revealed that an election official was caught double-counting ballots at the State Farm Center in Atlanta, Georgia. This follows news first reported by The Gateway Pundit that election operative Ruby Freeman was also caught tripe counting stacks of votes late at night at the counting center after GOP observers were sent home," the report says.
"The author of the 29-page November Fulton County report, Carter Jones, also released a 14 page report in January on the election irregularities in Fulton County Georgia," the report adds.
"This 14 page document also details several instances of voter fraud and a complete breakdown of the system," it continues.
If you take a look at the second page of the report, you'll see that Jones describes the counting center as being in total chaos and lacking proper control. The chain of custody rules were ignored at the State Farm Center.
Keep in mind this was the largest ballot processing area in the whole state.
Back on December 4th, the Gateway Pundit published a report that contained a video of Ruby Freeman working alone in a private cube with trays of ballots, going right past open boxes of ballots, with no election observers anywhere to be found.
Of course, Twitter removed the tweet containing the video, but it can also be found on YouTube.
On her own page, Ruby goes on to brag about her "Shaye" being her supervisor. Apparently, from the footage in the video, Shaye and Ruby are pretty tight with each other. Check out a few posts from Ruby's Facebook page.
The election workers were each given a private, secret cube. Ruby then goes to her desk and pulls out a tray of ballots and places them on her desk. No supervisor or GOP observer is anywhere in the area.
After that, Ruby leaves the ballots on her desk as she goes to take a break. Pretty shady, right?
Almost 24 percent of the ballots in the state of Georgia were missing chain of custody documentation. That's a whole lot of ballots, folks. How can anyone look at all of this information and not see the obvious voter fraud?
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David Judd June 22, 2021 At 2:47 am
SHOCKER, ABSOLUTE, MASSIVE FRAUD TOOK PLACE IN THE 2020 ELECTION THAT IS ALL COMING TO LIGHT. DEMOCRATS ARE SHAKING IN THEIR BOOTS. ABC, NBC, AND CBS KEPT IT OUT OF THEIR DAILY NEWS. YOU WILL PAY THE PRICE YOUR FECKLESS COVERAGE OF THE ELECTION. ZUCKERBERG, DORSEY, GOOGLE WILL ALL PAY A PRICE AS WELL. ZUCKERBERG SHOULD GO TO PRISON FOR BUYING VOTES! DOMINION WILL BE INDICTED. BIDEN AND HARRIS SHOULD BE REMOVED AND TRUMP REINSTATED AS THE RIGHTFUL WINNERS – AND SOON!
Wayne June 22, 2021 At 2:56 pm
yup the 2020 election was a total disaster that was a steal for the democRATS !!! Election laws need reform , but not HR1/s1 which would further approve of the democRAT tactics !!! Voter ID laws in all 50 states, which would not be controlled by democRATS or the Motor vehicle department as Senator Machin suggests !!! Must have proof of citizenship !!!
Lorraine E Blazich June 23, 2021 At 2:44 am
Even Joe Biden said that the 2020 election would be more corrupt than any election ever held in our history. He was 100% correct and the RINO party has never done and will never do anything to correct the theft. Surprise! Surprise! The RINO party is worthless and does more damage than good. We need a new political party to replace the worthless 'republican' party and it should be called the Conservative Party. For many years we have had only one political party in our country and it is the liberal democrat party. The RINO party is an insult to the intelligence of the American people.


text:
PDRA
The Wes Buck Show
Lucas Handing Top Fuel Wheel to Crewman Crampton
By Drag Illustrated | October 14, 2013
Morgan Lucas will climb out of the cockpit of the GEICO/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster in 2014 to devote more time to the family business, Lucas Oil Products.
In his place, Lucas has promoted longtime crewman Richie Crampton, who recently earned his Top Fuel competition license during a test session at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis.
"I have been blessed to make a career out of driving a Top Fuel dragster thanks to amazing partners like GEICO and Lucas Oil," Lucas said. "I'll still own the team and be very involved with the day-to-day operations; I just won't be attending as many events. For sure, I'll miss all of the great fans who make our sport what it is today and the intense competition on the track.
Richie Crampton
"The future looks bright. Richie has shown a lot of talent in every role he's played for us, and I have the utmost confidence he will do an outstanding job driving the car in the coming seasons. The team chemistry is there and so is the talent. We need to keep it all together so Aaron (Brooks, crew chief) and the guys can continue to compete for championships."
Crampton, a 33-year-old from Adelaide, South Australia, has been with Morgan Lucas Racing since its inception in 2007. As a young man in Australia, he raced go-karts before moving to drag racing at the age of 16. His first foray into Top Fuel racing came as a crewman with Cowin Racing, which competed in both the U.S. and Australia. Crampton also has worked with Don Schumacher Racing and once served as a driving instructor for Bill Blomgren's Drag Racing School. He is licensed to compete in Super Comp, Top Alcohol Dragster, and Top Fuel.
"This is certainly a dream come true," Crampton said. "In this day and age, it's not very often you have crew guys getting a chance to move up and drive the car. I'm honored that Morgan and Aaron think enough of me to give me this chance. I'm blown away that I'll have GEICO, Lucas Oil, and Toyota on my side. As I said, this is something I've been dreaming about since I was a boy, and now it's happening.
"I feel like a sponge soaking in all the things that are coming at me so fast. I'm sure we'll be on a bit of a learning curve, but I hope to catch up quickly and put us in a position to win rounds, win races, and be a part of next year's Countdown to the Championship."
Richie Crampton (left)
The team will continue to promote GEICO as its title sponsor in 2014, making Crampton one of the top spokesperson for the insurance giant. They also will banner Lucas Oil, one of the largest growing brands in his native Australia, and Toyota, which sells cars and trucks on a global basis.
"First of all, we thank Morgan for his years of exceptional work promoting GEICO," said Vince Giampietro, Senior Manager, Experiential Marketing and Brand Promotion, GEICO. "We completely understand his decision to be further involved with the business side of Lucas Oil, and I think it speaks volumes about this young man that he is willing to get out of the car and apply 100 percent of his focus to the family business. We know how hard a decision this was for him.
"At the same time, we are excited to see how Richie does in the race car. By all indications, he did a great job in testing and Aaron was very impressed with his ability. We not only expect Richie to run for Rookie of the Year in 2014 but the championship as well. This team has proven again and again that they are fully capable of contending for the Mello Yello Top Fuel title. Plus, Richie has the right accent to promote GEICO, so it should be a very easy transition."
Lucas, who will become a father for the first time in early December, plans to run a handful of races in 2014 in a separate Lucas Oil/GEICO-branded dragster to honor the two main companies that have supported him in his career. The team is now producing its own chassis from its shop in Brownsburg.
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Copyright © 2019 Drag Illustrated Media, LLC.
Pat Musi Racing Engines Leads PDRA Nitrous Wars at Midseason Point
Lizzy Musi's Dominating Run In Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings Continues With Third Straight Win
Jeff Jones Scores First MWPMS Win At Xtreme Raceway Park
Garlits, Muldowney & Beswick Back As Grand Marshals For O'Reilly Auto Parts World Series of Drag Racing
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DI DRIVER BLOG PRESENTED BY WELD RACING: Megan Meyer
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Image Title: Non Slip Bath Mat Within Kiwi Rubber Ltd Plan 18. Filename: non-slip-bath-mat-within-kiwi-rubber-ltd-plan-18.jpg. Image Dimension: 442 x 336 pixels. Images Format: jpg/jpeg. Publisher/Author: Agustin Reinger. Uploaded Date: Sunday - May 13th. 2018 09:57:36 AM. Category: Architecture. Image Source: interiordesign.net.
Tap The Thumbnail Bellow to See Related Gallery of "Non Slip Bath Mat Within Kiwi Rubber Ltd Plan 18"


The Vintage Channel Strip consists of three plug-ins, reproducing the sound characteristics of classic 1970's EQ and compressor devices. The Vintage Open Deck is a four-in-one tape saturation plug-in, that brings back the rich sound of legendary open-reel tape recorders. The Vintage Stomp Pack includes five ultra-realistic emulations of sought-after vintage guitar effects.
multi effects and DSP processing. Yamaha developed the worlds first rack mounted multi effects processor, and have a long history in providing professional audio solutions to almost every top recording studio around the world.


So sweet! I love her in blue and the great little dots to accent!
Darling card! I love the background and Ruby!
to the flowers is a great idea.
Simply beautiful!! Ruby is just gorgeous!!
So so cute!! AWESOME creations and release!
This is cute! :) Love the tone on tone background.
So pretty. I like the addition of the Nuvo drops.


A curated list of articles not written by Barry that you may find helpful.
Lundy Bancroft is an author, workshop leader, and consultant on domestic abuse and child maltreatment.
Find out more about Lundy here.
Contrary to fathers' rights propaganda, father perpetrators (along with stepdads and caretaker boyfrends) dominate the most vicious crimes against children: sexual assault, abusive head trauma, murder-suicides, crimes involving gun violence, and other similar forms of physically violent/fatal child abuse.
Newsweek article concerning "parental alienation"
Are "Good Enough" Parents Losing Custody to Abusive Ex-Partners?
By Stephanie Dallam -- updated 2008 for the Leadership Council on Child Abuse & Interpersonal Violence.


text:
import logging

from ray.rllib.utils.annotations import DeveloperAPI
from ray.rllib.evaluation.metrics import collect_episodes, summarize_episodes

logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

@DeveloperAPI
class PolicyOptimizer:
    """Policy optimizers encapsulate distributed RL optimization strategies.

    Policy optimizers serve as the "control plane" of algorithms.

    For example, AsyncOptimizer is used for A3C, and LocalMultiGPUOptimizer is
    used for PPO. These optimizers are all pluggable, and it is possible
    to mix and match as needed.

    Attributes:
        config (dict): The JSON configuration passed to this optimizer.
        workers (WorkerSet): The set of rollout workers to use.
        num_steps_trained (int): Number of timesteps trained on so far.
        num_steps_sampled (int): Number of timesteps sampled so far.
    """

    @DeveloperAPI
    def __init__(self, workers):
        """Create an optimizer instance.

        Args:
            workers (WorkerSet): The set of rollout workers to use.
        """
        self.workers = workers
        self.episode_history = []
        self.to_be_collected = []

        # Counters that should be updated by sub-classes
        self.num_steps_trained = 0
        self.num_steps_sampled = 0

    @DeveloperAPI
    def step(self):
        """Takes a logical optimization step.

        This should run for long enough to minimize call overheads (i.e., at
        least a couple seconds), but short enough to return control
        periodically to callers (i.e., at most a few tens of seconds).

        Returns:
            fetches (dict|None): Optional fetches from compute grads calls.
        """

        raise NotImplementedError

    @DeveloperAPI
    def stats(self):
        """Returns a dictionary of internal performance statistics."""

        return {
            "num_steps_trained": self.num_steps_trained,
            "num_steps_sampled": self.num_steps_sampled,
        }

    @DeveloperAPI
    def save(self):
        """Returns a serializable object representing the optimizer state."""

        return [self.num_steps_trained, self.num_steps_sampled]

    @DeveloperAPI
    def restore(self, data):
        """Restores optimizer state from the given data object."""

        self.num_steps_trained = data[0]
        self.num_steps_sampled = data[1]

    @DeveloperAPI
    def stop(self):
        """Release any resources used by this optimizer."""
        pass

    @DeveloperAPI
    def collect_metrics(self,
                        timeout_seconds,
                        min_history=100,
                        selected_workers=None):
        """Returns worker and optimizer stats.

        Arguments:
            timeout_seconds (int): Max wait time for a worker before
                dropping its results. This usually indicates a hung worker.
            min_history (int): Min history length to smooth results over.
            selected_workers (list): Override the list of remote workers
                to collect metrics from.

        Returns:
            res (dict): A training result dict from worker metrics with
                `info` replaced with stats from self.
        """
        episodes, self.to_be_collected = collect_episodes(
            self.workers.local_worker(),
            selected_workers or self.workers.remote_workers(),
            self.to_be_collected,
            timeout_seconds=timeout_seconds)
        orig_episodes = list(episodes)
        missing = min_history - len(episodes)
        if missing > 0:
            episodes.extend(self.episode_history[-missing:])
            assert len(episodes) <= min_history
        self.episode_history.extend(orig_episodes)
        self.episode_history = self.episode_history[-min_history:]
        res = summarize_episodes(episodes, orig_episodes)
        res.update(info=self.stats())
        return res

    @DeveloperAPI
    def reset(self, remote_workers):
        """Called to change the set of remote workers being used."""
        self.workers.reset(remote_workers)

    @DeveloperAPI
    def foreach_worker(self, func):
        """Apply the given function to each worker instance."""
        return self.workers.foreach_worker(func)

    @DeveloperAPI
    def foreach_worker_with_index(self, func):
        """Apply the given function to each worker instance.

        The index will be passed as the second arg to the given function.
        """
        return self.workers.foreach_worker_with_index(func)


Ipswich Civic Centre – a premiere entertainment venue and community-focused function centre – has recently invested in the Acme lighting technology.
Located in the heart of the Ipswich CBD, the multi-faceted centre is a leading cultural destination in the area, hosting numerous touring performances, corporate functions, conferences, community events, wedding receptions, school formals, graduation ceremonies and eisteddfods throughout the year.
The ULA Group team worked closely with Nicholas Burke, Senior Technician in the venue, to upgrade the lighting rig in their George Hogg Auditorium – the venue's largest theatre / formal dining room. With a capacity of over 750 guests in theatre seating configuration and 600 guest for cocktail style functions, the selected lighting fixtures needed to be versatile to cater for all types of events.
"They are amazing lighting fixtures, very versatile, perfect fit for the Civic Centre and a variety of the acts they host", comments Pascal Bonnet from the ULA Group.
Acme lighting XA-500 Framing fixtures were selected after a favorable shoot-out against other lighting fixtures in the same class available on the market.
And after the client found out that ULA Group offers 3 year warranty on all Acme lighting fixtures, they couldn't go past the deal. The budgets allocated for the purchase of new lighting technology allowed them to buy 12 units instead of 8 planned fixtures.
They have been using the new fixtures for over 2 months now and are very happy with their performance and versatility.


We recently sold our highly profitable Manuka (Jelly Bush) Honey enterprise. The word "Manuka" is currently a point of contention between NZ and Australia with NZ claiming the name. But with a little research shows Australia can also give claim to the name. Manuka is a suburb of Canberra famous for its Cricket oval. Manuka is not only New Zealand in name but Aboriginal as well, the local Aboriginals would meet at Manuka to conduct special healing ceremonies. Manuka (the place) is a point where two geographical fault lines meet.
Ever since we built up our Manuka enterprise beekeepers have been asking what is the secret to produce Manuka Honey? The simple answer is Beebuild. A special scientific (www.beebuild.com.au) developed Pollen Replacement Supplement, high in amino acids including the 10 essential for European Honey Bees diet. Note- don't be caught using cheap extended Chinese pollen- because the pollen grains are being found in the honey, adding to the New Zealand claims that Australian Manuka Honey's are blends. Bees consume, depending on hive strength, 1-2 kg of pollen per week, per hive.
When working Jelly Bush do not bring in strong triples, for they will eat your honey crop. A good double is my preference. Start feeding Beebuild the moment you put the bees down. This will enable the field bees to zero in on the Beebuild feeder. Do Not leave it go until the hive stored pollen has been used. Yes it can be an expensive exercise. (Yet nearly half the price of imported Chinese Pollen).
Do a cost benefit analysis. Take in the cost to produce good bees, the expense to transport and deliver to site, getting bogged once or twice, this all adds up. Our sites were on loose white sand and the sinking feeling is one part of Jelly Bush production I won't miss. The labor cost x 2 men. We got to the stage where we left the bees on site all year round. This saved a lot of hard work.
This was our year: Winter (April to July): Wallum country- Tee Tree Heath, Sand Pea, Wild Flowers etc. August: Leptospermum scoparium, Sand Pea, Coastal Gum. September: L. scoparium, L. polygalifolium. October: Leptospermum polygalifolium. November: Leptospermum whitei. December: L. whitei, Leptospermum liversidgei, Grass Trees, Blue Berry Ash. January- late February: L. liversidgei, Saw Tooth Banksia.
As you can see there are other species flowering alongside the 4 main Leptospermum + 3 other Leptospermum species like L. trinervium.
Even with these other species Beebuild was always on offer, checked and topped up every week. As soon as the honey super was full it would be under supered and taken at the first opportunity. I found that on Jelly Bush you needed to keep your bees tight. If there was a dearth in production, we placed vinyl, or heavy black plastic over the brood nest with a 30mm gap all round to allow the bees access to top super. This helped the hive to conserve stores.
When you notice that things are improving we would remove the vinyl-plastic giving the hive, at the same time, a good couple of handfuls of Beebuild to kick start the hive again. If the brood box starts to honey themselves in, remove the two outer frames of honey replace them with two good newly drawn brood comb, with Beebuild rubbed into them. Place these two comb 2 spaces in from the side wall. Do not place brood comb into honey super. Take it home with you. (disease control). This may seem like a lot of work, but with the rewards- up to 12 times that of normal honey price, even blind Freddy could see the benefits.
Warning don't over stock the resource. We maintained half loads per site 50-60. Don't forget to requeen annually, March- February is an opportune time.
You may also need keep a backup apiary, on good build conditions, to supply that bit of extra brood or that odd Queen or two that somehow goes missing.
Bee Race preferred. We have tried both Yellow and Black lines and found Blacks keep a tighter brood nest with good stores around the brood.
Take home message Bee Build works. Those who use it are able to produce large crops of honey on flowers which are known for Bee Number Collapse. Short life span -skinny bees not fat bees.
Acknowledgement:- Dr D. Sommerville, Dr R. Manning, RIRDC "Fat Bee Skinny Bee" RIRDC Publication No. 05/054. Dr C. Davies QDPI Food Science Lab., Mr. Peter Warhurst QDPI Apiary Officer, Mr. Thomas Harding Research Assistant.


The Sanskrit word "Sankalpa" has been interpreted to mean a "resolution" or "intention", usually in association with the practice of Yoga Nidra. According to Swami Saraswati, "sankalpa has the potential to release tremendous power by clearly defining and focusing on a chosen goal." The focus of this blog post is to illustrate the subtle, yet powerful myofascial connections between the diaphragm and iliopsoas muscle all the way down to the feet in Triangle pose. Understanding and visualizing these connections in Trikonasana will enable you to do the same in other poses.
Figure 1: Myofascial connections between the diaphragm, psoas and lower extremity.
The diaphragm, as we all know, is the central muscle of breathing. It operates mostly unconsciously, though we can consciously influence its rate and depth of contraction. As the central muscle of breathing the diaphragm is inextricably linked to our life force and thus, our emotions and energetic body. Practicing yoga asanas influences the diaphragm in subtle ways, particularly through its connection to the psoas muscle. In fact, every pose has a slightly different effect on the diaphragm, and thus on its energetic connections.
Figure 2: Myofascial connections between the diaphragm, psoas and lower extremity in Trikonasana.
Visualization is a powerful tool you can use to access these connections. So, before we go on to the details of anatomy and biomechanics, spend a few relaxed moments looking at figures 1 and 2, which illustrate these myofascial connections. Look at the images and then picture the connections within your body (click on the image for a larger view). Repeat this exercise two or three times, devoting five or ten seconds to each visualization. Note how you can feel the connections within yourself. Please complete this process before proceeding with the details of anatomy and biomechanics.
The thoracic diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities. The contractile part of this muscle is located peripherally, inserting onto a central tendon (that is not connected to a bone). The origins of the muscle are divided into costal and lumbar portions. The "costal" portion originates from the inner surface of ribs seven through twelve. The "lumbar" portion has both medial (closer to the midline) and lateral (further from the midline) aspects. The medial aspects of the diaphragm arise from the front of the first three lumbar vertebrae (L1-L3). The lateral aspects arise from three tendinous arches. The first tendinous arch is associated with the abdominal aorta, and the second and third with the psoas major and quadratus lumborum muscles respectively. Figure 3 illustrates these structures.
Figure 3: The diaphragm-psoas connection.
Engaging the diaphragm with the glottis open expands the ribcage and produces a pressure gradient by lowering intrathoracic pressure. The negative inspiratory pressure causes air to be drawn into the lungs, thus equalizing the gradient. These fluctuating pressure gradients also facilitate blood flow, particularly venous return to the heart.
Conversely, contracting the diaphragm after exhalation with the glottis closed (as in Nauli) also produces a pressure gradient. In this case the negative inspiratory pressure draws the abdominal contents upwards (and the abdomen in). Engaging the diaphragm on exhalation with the glottis closed is a form of eccentric (or isometric contraction), whereby a muscle is engaged in its lengthened state, but does not shorten.
Engaging the abdominals during exhalation passively stretches the diaphragm by raising the intra-abdominal pressure and lifting the abdominal organs upward against the muscle. Note that engaging the abdominals on exhalation also tensions the thoraco-lumbar fascia, which serves to stabilize the lumbar spine and sacroiliac joint. Click here for more information on this particular connection.
The psoas major muscle originates from the vertebral bodies of T12 and L1 through L4 (lateral surfaces and discs), with a deep layer originating from L1-L5 (costal processes). It combines with the iliacus muscle, which originates from the inside of the ilium (the iliac fossa) to form the iliopsoas muscle. The iliopsoas then runs over the brim of the pelvis to insert onto the lesser trochanter, a knob-like structure on the upper, inside of the femur (thigh bone). The iliopsoas crosses multiple joints and is thus considered a polyarticular muscle. When contracting on one side it can act to flex and externally rotate the femur and/or laterally flex the trunk (as in Trikonasana) or tilt one side of the pelvis forward. When the iliopsoas contracts on both sides it can flex both femurs and the trunk. Bilaterally contracting this muscle lifts the trunk from supine position (lying on the back). Figure 4 illustrates the iliopsoas muscle. Click here for a technique on isolating and awakening this important muscle to use it consciously in yoga poses.
Now, return to the images illustrating myofascial connection between the diaphragm, the psoas and the lower extremities (figures 1 and 2). Spend a few moments in relaxed visualization of these key structures. Note how your body awareness has deepened in the brief period between now and when you first looked at them. Integrate this process into your daily practice.
Sankalpa and creative visualization are two of the eight components of Yoga Nidra, as described by Swami Satyananda. Though typically performed during the deep relaxation phase of an asana practice, visualization and intent can be worked with during the asanas themselves. Swami Saraswati beautifully describes the process of Sankalpa as a series of stepping-stones that are used to cross a wide river.
Our books are designed to facilitate this experience. They are based on many years of formal study of anatomy and biomechanics and use carefully designed vivid images that stimulate the visual cortex of the brain, in essence "lighting up" the muscles that are engaging in each part of the body during each pose. In fact, many practitioners say that they can actually "feel" the muscles when looking through The Key Muscles Yoga and The Key Poses of Yoga. The Yoga Mat Companion series deepens this visual experience by illustrating each pose in a step-wise fashion. This visual experience then translates to improvement in your asanas. Click here to page through all of our books.
But I would like to know if there are books traslated in Portuguese.I would like to leave as an important heritage to my 4 children and for my 4 grand children.
Tank your for preetcious time you give to all.
You offer so much valuable information! Thank you -- I share it all with my yoga students and yoga teacher trainees!
Great to hear, Peggy. Thank you for sharing it with your students and trainees!
impresionante artículo! Gracias por compartirlo!
Your workshop in Costa Rica only will be in english? could be with translation in spanish?
I would gladly interpret at a future workshop as I could not afford to otherwise. Mil gracias.
Any chance of you coming to South Africa? Cape Town?
Thanks for sharing such informative topics. Great.
I am new to yoga but love it. I am wondering if a beginner in yoga would struggle in the workshop?
I have been practicing Yoga off and on for a long time. I love your blog and the beautiful anatomy illustrations. They are extremely helpful and motivated me to buy your books and restart practicing Hatha Yoga.
I recently had total hip replacement and because many of the tendons and ligaments to the head of the femur were cut, I cannot perform many of the old asanas that I used to do for fear of popping out the hip joint. I showed my surgeon some illustrations of asanas and asked if I could do these again... His response was "On purpose?"
But in all seriousness, there is a growing segment of the population (like me) who are older and could benefit from Yoga. Can you do some posts or even a book on dealing with joint replacement in practice and how to strengthen the areas so one can do a more full Yoga workout?
I wait 4 you soon in Argentina! Thanks 4 this excellent info; are you annoucing in this news letters when are you coming?
This is excellent, the graphics plus the explanations, I love it, many thanks!!
Ray, in this post you wrote about the myofascial connection between diaphragm, psoas and lower extremity (TFL and peroneus, according to figure 1??). I agree with diafragm-psoas linkage of course, but I don't understand how is it myofascially connected to the external side of the leg, if they don't belong to the same muscular chain? In Uthittha Trikonasana I think that the linkage is made via obliques muscles. Please, could you explain it better. Thank you very much!
Thank you Ray for the detailed explanation. I'm really interested in fascial topics, I couldn't imagine the conecction of deep fascia and the periosteum, that's amazing. I will follow your future post in the blog. I think that biomechanical and anatomical comprehension is essetial for understanding the 'asana' and performing it the best. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
I wait with baited breath for these postings. They are so helpful and informative for my own practice and have become invaluable in explaining postures and cues for my classes. I have purchased all the books in the series yet, the postings always seem to follow what I'm working with in my practice and help to convey vital yogic anatomy to the students who attend my classes.
Thankyou very much for this beautifully written and very informative article.
The illustrations are amazing and very helpful also.
This is my second read through. When I purchased some of your books a few years back I recieved a poster of the iliopsoas. I glued it to a poster board and still have it. I am anxious to get home so I can be "awed".
Your post are really worth taking the time to do several reading sessions. There is so much to take in that the second time through was even greater than the first!!!
Hi. Love your posts. Is there a chance you will come to Israel for workshop?
Wonderful post, but I have a discussion point.An eccentric contraction is one in which the muscle contracts to slow its rate of lengthening. For the diaphragm, this would require something to create a force against its inferior aspect while at the same time the muscle is contracting in a manner to push back against this inferior force but with less force than the one on its inferior aspect.
Could this occur when we are inverted, letting the glottis relax, but using the diaphragm to slow exhale ?
Partially closing the glottis on exhale will create a force within the thorax, which the force pushing from the inferior side of the diaphragm must overcome for the diaphragm to fully lengthen. Potentially this allows the diaphragm to let go. In direct opposition to the statement in this post, which is suggesting that the diaphragm is contracting to exert an upward force against the glottis created force, the diaphragm cannot contract and exert a force in a superior direction. It can only decrease superior exerted forces in the thorax, Right?
Maybe we should consider this - wouldn't that be an interesting effect of ujjayi breath? by contracting the abdominals to draw in the abdomen, and contracting the glottis to increase thoracic pressure, might the diaphragm be able to move passively during exhale? would that give it more R&R?
Thank you and wondering if you have any plans in the future to animate the movements? It would be great to see the psoas elongating when bending then coming back to rest.
Thank you for this--very helpful on the connection between diaphragm and psoas. I'm not an anatomy expert by any means, but I feel I'm getting a handle on it through your posts. After reading this one I'm wondering if you have any advice on how to avoid over using the psoas in Navasana and Padangusthasana? Teachers always tell me to straighten my back or use my core more, but I still find I'm mostly using the hip flexors, and frankly it feels like I'm doing more harm than good in these poses.
Una información muy interesante. En el caso de una persona con el diafragma bloqueado y rígido ¿qué posturas aconsejarías practicar para flexibilizarlo?
As always, thank you for sharing, I gave my books to two teachers, will order more ;) I recommend your site to anyone interested in yoga... Each posture with the engaged muscles is so clear, everyone is learning something ;) A major help to enter a posture and benefit from it.
thank you very much. enlightening as always!


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Bid Start Date: March 18, 2019, 10:43 a.m.
Bid End Date: May 1, 2019, 4 p.m.
The Town of La Ronge is seeking proposals to design and build community way-finding infrastructure. This Request for Proposals (RFP) invites all interested parties to submit a proposal that speaks to all or parts of the scope of services requested.
The Town is using this opportunity to seek submissions from local contractors and artisans that may showcase our unique identity, and local talents. Proposals will be accepted from all interested parties, but proposals from within the Lac La Ronge area may be given preference.
There are two specific projects contained within this RFP, and proposals will be accepted for either or all of the projects. Joint proposals are welcomed that address different phases of the design and build elements. The contract will be awarded to those individual(s) or partnership proposals that meet the below criteria in a unique, creative and cost-effective way.
• Display "Town of La Ronge" on the structure.
• Minimum display board size 72x48 inches; Maximum total structure width 12 feet and height 10 feet from ground level.
• Display area bottom minimum 36 inches from ground level.
• Display board material durable to withstand repeated penetration tacks, staples and other fixing hardware.
• Structure to include awning, cover or roof type structure to protect from elements; minimum extension of 8" from display board.
• Construction materials must be weather resistant.
• Display area will be illuminated by solar powered lighting.
• Must be secured in place to prevent movement.
• Minimum display board size 42x30 inches; Maximum total structure width 5 feet and height 8 feet from ground level.
• Display area bottom minimum 40 inches from ground level, maximum 48 inches.
• Display board area must be protected by clear viewing cover, or propose a display method of an all-trail map with an additional area to place smaller individual trail maps.
• Successful bidder will be responsible to remove and dispose of existing structures where applicable.
(v) Successful contractor/artisan is responsible for all disposal/landfill fees.
The Town requests that proposals anticipate all design and construction work to be completed by July 31, 2019. Reasonable accommodation to this timeline may be granted by the Town for proposals that outline unique timeline needs.
Any changes of design, material or timing of the accepted project require notification to the project manager in advance of those changes being acted upon. Reasonable accommodation will be considered by the project manager, and details of those changes appended to the contract executed if acceptable to the Town.
Community Notice Kiosk locations subject to change.
The Town of La Ronge reserves the right to award all or part of the contract.
Fixed Price, including applicable taxes.
Each element of this RFP may be bid on separately.
Detailed budget breakdowns will be reviewed in the selection process and should provide insight into creative use of materials, opportunities for alternative materials with differing costs, and bulk pricing of materials used for RFP elements.