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The 2015 Marc Gasol All-Stars: Your Guide to the Most Watchable Players in the NBA
Andrew Bernstein./NBAE/Getty Images
by Zach Lowe
These are normally the dog days of the NBA season — the slog after the All-Star break, when seedings are set, tanking teams drop the pretenses, and we project first-round matchups that won't materialize for weeks. It's the perfect time for something fun, which is why we reserve this window for our annual Marc Gasol All-Stars — the 12-man roster honoring the guys I've enjoyed watching most this season.
Only the NBA is so damn good this year, there will be no dog days. We have the tightest MVP race in at least a decade; a battle for the no. 8 seed in the West featuring two historically unique freaks putting up historically freaky stat lines; a legitimately entertaining four-team battle for the last two playoff spots in the East; and the high comedy of the looming pick swap between the Hawks and Nets.
Still: Traditions matter, and it's time to name the third-annual Gasol team. Three rules:
1. I use the same restrictions as fans and coaches do in selecting the real All-Star teams.
2. I try my best to avoid actual All-Stars, though I make exceptions. We all know Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook make you leap off the couch.
3. No Hawks. I've written loving features on the subtle genius of Kyle Korver, Al Horford, and just about every underappreciated artist on this team. Enough!
Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images
Guard: Kyrie Irving
Early in the season, I told Mr. Simmons on a podcast that I didn't really enjoy watching Kyrie Irving play basketball. He's a score-first one-on-one player at heart, and though he can make the basic point guard reads out of the pick-and-roll, he hasn't learned to probe for next-level passes along the same trajectory as John Wall and Westbrook. He will never bring the purist appeal of Gasol picking out cutters from the elbow or Ricky Rubio bending defenses in ways that open up a specific pass they're not expecting.
And you know what? I don't care anymore. I was wrong about Irving's watchability. I was being snobby. This dude is electrifying, and playing Robin in a Batman LeBron-centric offense balances out his game. He was born to be the league's best secondary attacker. A lot of Irving's pick-and-rolls come after LeBron has used one to slice into the defense, meaning that when James kicks the ball out, Irving is looking at a scrambled opponent. The Cavs will sometimes give him an even bigger head start by setting flare screens as the defense converges on LeBron with the ball:
Irving has drilled 44 percent of catch-and-shoot 3s, vindicating those of us who thought his bricky numbers on those shots last season were fluky.
He's not just a secondary attacker. Irving has the freedom to demolish defenses on his own in the right situations. He runs the offense when LeBron rests, and the Cavs let him fly when he brings the ball up in semi-transition against backpedaling defenses. And if he has a favorable one-on-one matchup — which is to say if he has any matchup at all — Cleveland is happy ceding the floor to him.
Irving is shooting 47 percent on isolation plays and generating 1.1 points per possession, according to Synergy Sports. Among players with at least 50 isolation possessions, only Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki have been more efficient going rogue, and there might not be a single player in the league who can stay in front of Irving. Look what he does to Kawhi Leonard — KAWHI LEONARD — after a LeBron-Irving pick-and-roll generates a switch:
The ability to pull up in that in-between space and hit an off-balance floater — that's unfair. He shoots from weird places. He launches off of one leg, and sometimes off of the wrong leg. He shoots righty and lefty, uses every inch of the glass on his highlight layups, and can hit shots when he can barely see the rim:
How are you supposed to defend that? When you can penetrate the defense so easily, you don't have to be an ace passer to find an open man — especially since most of Cleveland's lineups feature four shooters and just one traditional big guy. Irving has also become better at threading pocket passes to the screener on the pick-and-roll. After a slow start, Cleveland's offense is scoring at a borderline top-five rate when Irving plays without LeBron — and lighting it up at historic rates when they share the floor, per NBA.com. (The defense is a different story.)
I can't wait to see this dude in the playoffs.
G: Isaiah Thomas
Can you win sixth man of the year if one team trades you because you kind of annoyed your teammates? I think you can. Boston seems thrilled to have Thomas, a mighty mite who uses trickery to finish a preposterous percentage of his shots around the rim considering his size. He freezes big men on the pick-and-roll with perhaps the league's most convincing hesitation dribble and a deadly left-to-right crossover.
Once he's in the lane, Thomas has a bottomless bag of flip shots, floaters, semi-hooks, up-and-unders, and other devices he uses — with both hands — to get the ball around and over players who stand at least a foot taller. Thomas is small, but he's damn strong, and he uses his body to create enough space to release those softy bunnies. If you're in front of him on the break, he might dribble into your chest, hit you with a little shove, and lay the ball in as you fall out of bounds:
If you're riding his hip from behind, Thomas will jut his ass and legs backward into your body and back you up just enough so that he can flick up a full-extension shot.
He's a bit of ball hog, and it frustrates some guys to stand wide open while Thomas launches a step-back jumper. There are two or three shots a game he should pocket in order to feed hungry teammates who get open because of his penetration. That is the flip side of being a fearless gunner.
Only Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have scored more fourth-quarter points per game this season, and Boston's offense is humming with Thomas running the show. The C's have piled up nearly 109 points per 100 possessions with Thomas on the floor, and have managed just 97 when he's on the bench. Thomas is killing it in the pick-and-roll for Boston, and the C's have provided him with pristine spacing — often slotting Thomas into small lineups with Jonas Jerebko at power forward.
Thomas wants to start, but his destiny may be life as a score-first bench spark plug who can carry a crunch-time offense on good days. And that's fine from the team perspective. Thomas earns about $6.8 million per year on a declining four-year deal that will look like a misprint once the cap jumps in 2016-17. A few folks around the league wondered why Boston boosted its playoff chances by snagging Thomas at the deadline, but to get a player this good for a 2016 Cavs first-rounder and Marcus Thornton's expiring contract is a goddamned heist. It's not as if Boston would have picked in the top five, anyway.
D. Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images
Frontcourt: Kawhi Leonard
Oh my god. The Finals MVP missed time with eye and hand injuries, but over the last three weeks, he has looked like a complete two-way terror — a 20-point scorer knocking down pull-ups and floaters while imprisoning whatever poor opponent happens to draw him on the other end.
Seriously: If you are anything but an expert ball handler and you are dribbling within a 20-foot radius of Leonard right now, PASS THE BALL IMMEDIATELY. Leonard is the league's best perimeter defender, and he belongs in the defensive player of the year conversation despite missing a third of the season so far. He's the unofficial captain of my Mirror Guy team for defenders who move in such precise concert with their marks that it almost looks as if the offensive player is working against a reflection of himself. Good luck shooting against him in the paint.
The Spurs have played a long game with Leonard's offense, as they do with everything. He has had more leeway to go one-on-one and pause the Spurs' whirring system while sizing up the pick-and-roll landscape:
It hasn't always paid off. Leonard mostly settles for pull-up 2s, and his shooting percentage has dipped accordingly from almost everywhere. But things are coming together at the right time, because, duh, these are the Spurs and Gregg Popovich is our overlord. Leonard is shooting 42 percent on pull-up 2s, it's a very solid number, he's getting to the line more, and he looks more comfortable dishing the kinds of interior passes that make the Spurs go:
He can make long 20-foot pull-ups and delicate 10-footers, using both floaters and an abbreviated version of his jump shot form on those shorter shots — an underrated skill. Leonard is the team's best player right now, and it's not all that close. I bet he makes the All-Star team next season, provided he rediscovers his 3-point shot.
FC: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
If you don't like MKG, you probably leave your dog's poop on the sidewalk, stand on the left side of escalators, and play your iPod so loudly on the subway that we can all hear the terrible music you like. That is to say, if you don't like MKG, I question your basic human values.
He's another Mirror Guy, only with even more in-your-jersey ferociousness. He wants to be the greatest defender in NBA history. That's his goal — not to score 20 per game or make 10 All-Star teams, but to be the best defender ever. How can you not root for that? The Hornets saved their season by buckling down on defense in January when Al Jefferson got hurt, and MKG has kept them humming on that end since.
And he never stops competing, to the point where you almost worry for his physical health. He rebounds on both ends like a power forward, and the Hornets have used him a bit there with Al Jefferson hurt again. He is a superhuman transition defender, chasing plays on which others would quit:
His remade jumper is working better, but the 3-point arc still seems miles away, and nobody guards him as he hovers 18 feet from the basket. He's still a net negative for Charlotte's spacing.1 But MKG has learned to leverage the defense's inattention, and the Hornets are scoring more efficiently with him on the floor.2
Watch Kidd-Gilchrist burn the Kings when Omri Casspi ditches him to patrol a Marvin Williams pick-and-pop:
Casspi can't regain his balance after finding Kidd-Gilchrist at the end of a cut, and MKG has been hunting little seams like this all season. It's hard to attack and finish when guys sag off of you, but MKG has learned to drive into their bodies, spin off of contact, and finish with runners off the glass. Love MKG or die.
FC: Marc Gasol
He is the team's namesake, after all, and he's back after a one-year injury hiatus. I've spent enough pixels lionizing the game's most splendid all-around big man, so let's just highlight two things here:
1. It's always cute when big men run fast breaks, but the cuteness in some cases stems from the "fat-guy touchdown" effect — the anticipation that this behemoth will screw things up or bowl someone over.
When Marc Gasol runs a fast break, he runs the damn thing:
2. Kelvin Sampson, formerly the lead assistant in Houston, once told me that one of the first things he looks for in a rim protector is the ability to "ignore the fluff" — to sniff out the decoy action happening on one side of the floor and focus on the real attack elsewhere. Sampson was talking about a 21-year-old Anthony Davis, but Gasol might lead the league in seeing through opponent fakery.
Gorgui Dieng is setting some bogus pin-down for Kevin Martin on the right side while Andrew Wiggins slips in from the left? Gasol knows your game, Flip Saunders:
Watch Gasol sneer at an Eric Gordon pin-down along the left side, focus his attention on Brow's roll to the rim, and then pivot back when the Pellies settle for a Gordon–Omer Asik action:
Marc Gasol 4eva.
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
G: Dwyane Wade
Wade's old-man smarts within Miami's uneven pace-and-space offense, now somehow featuring heavy doses of Henry Walker, are propping up his individual numbers as his hops fade. Wade's shooting a tidy 42 percent out of the pick-and-roll this season, but he's tossing away turnovers at a dangerous rate and settling mostly for low-efficiency mid-range jumpers.
He's a slithery defender navigating screens,3 but his commitment to defense comes and goes; Wade still approaches getting back in transition like a sulky kid asked to rake the leaves.
But, man, does Wade have a glorious old-man game. He can't dial up the athleticism anymore, so he relies on fakes, hesitation dribbles, and a silky touch off the glass. Look at all the tools Wade breaks out to score on the pick-and-roll:
He continues to make a Jordan-style old-man migration to the post, where he draws regular double-teams, and all the off-ball cutting he did with LeBron serves him well — especially with Goran Dragic on hand to take over more ballhandling:
He's still humiliating fools with his pump fake, even though he's a bad long-range shooter. (The starting five on the All-Pump-Fake/No-Shot team has to include Wade, Andrea Bargnani, and Pero Antic.) He uses smarts to earn all of the free throws — nearly seven per 36 minutes — that sustain his fading efficiency. He gets to the line on 19 percent of his isolation attacks, one of the best marks in the league, per Synergy.
Wade just has style. Jogging looks like effort for some guys, but Wade appears as if he's floating over the floor. His game has all kinds of elegant quirks, including a sideways no-look pitch pass he uses to swing the ball around:
Each lob pass to Hassan Whiteside is a small piece of basketball art. The Heat are hanging around the playoff race, and Wade has kept their offense afloat all season; they're scoring at a borderline top-10 rate with Wade on the floor, and they collapse when he sits.
G: Gerald Henderson
Hendo isn't for everyone, but it's mesmerizing to watch a wing who belongs in the 1980s try to fit into the modern game. Henderson is like the NBA's Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer. Your 3-point arc and intricate spacing frighten and confuse me!
Henderson and Kidd-Gilchrist make for spacing death, but Henderson wrings everything out of a skill set that may never include a reliable 3-point shot — a limitation that cost him his rotation spot for a bit earlier in the season. He can pop off screens and run sideline pick-and-rolls, and though they'll mostly yield pull-up 2s if Henderson keeps the ball, he's at least a decent midrange shooter. If you squint hard enough at Henderson's post game, all shoulder fakes and fadeaways, you can see Kobe Bryant.
When he doesn't shoot, Henderson's a solid and selfless passer who keeps the offense flowing. He's a strong defender at both wing positions, and he always does his job within Steve Clifford's scheme. Kidd-Gilchrist might have learned his "Oh, you're not paying attention to me?" cuts from Henderson:
Henderson will unleash a vicious tomahawk dunk when you least expect it — sometimes in traffic. He is one of the NBA's random great in-game dunkers.
GEORGE FREY/AFP/Getty Images
FC: Rudy Gobert
The linchpin of the NBA's stingiest defense since the All-Star break is coming to knock down your buildings, eat your children, and steal your city's food supply. I've delved into the Stifle Tower before, and you all know that opponents are shooting just 39 percent on shots near the basket when Gobert is around — the lowest mark among all rotation bigs.
Watching Utah try to squeeze out points with the Gobert–Derrick Favors big-man combo is one of the next great NBA adventures. The outcome will eventually determine the ceiling of this rising Jazz team. Utah has scored at a bottom-10 rate with that duo on the floor, and they've been even worse than that since dealing Enes Kanter.
Gobert and Favors are both at their best diving to the rim, and that doesn't figure to change even as they each stretch their skill set. There are possessions in every Utah game when they collide in the paint.
But other such big-man combos have made it work. Both Gobert and Favors are comfortable facilitating from the elbow, and Favors has honed his midrange jumper and post game. Utah's recent success with Rodney Hood in the starting lineup could hint at what might come if Utah can put enough playmakers on the floor with Gobert and Favors. Remember: Alec Burks will be back next season.
Gobert is a skilled passer on the move, and he has accepted the fact that he's not going to touch the ball on offense much. Trey Burke passes to Gobert on only 8.8 percent of the pick-and-rolls they run together, one of the lowest figures in the league, according to SportVU data provided to Grantland. Gordon Hayward, by far Utah's best offensive player, hits Gobert only about 13 percent of the time.
In the mold of Tyson Chandler, Gobert is a selfless space-sucker, and he appears OK with that. But when he does get the ball, he's winding up to dunk from about a foot over the rim, and he wants to hurt you. Gobert has worked his way into the conversations about defensive player of the year, most improved player, and sixth man of the year.
FC: Giannis Antetokounmpo
It's not just the blow-your-mind physical acts — going coast-to-coast in four dribbles, Eurostepping from the 3-point arc for a dunk, and (kind of) filling all five positions. It's that on any given possession, the Greek Freak can look like he knows nothing and everything at once. He is an empty vessel, and in a blink, he is one vision of modern basketball fulfilled.
Antetokounmpo can't shoot yet, so defenders play way off of him — kind of a problem for Milwaukee's spacing now that Michael Carter-Williams, another nonshooter, runs the offense in place of Brandon Knight.4 A Milwaukee ball handler will penetrate the paint, find it walled off, and kick the rock to Antetokounmpo, who will just kind of stand there, afraid to shoot, holding the ball as his defender sets up shop. In that moment, Antetokounmpo looks like a confused 20-year-old. And then the drive starts, and he still looks that way. He jukes one way, crosses over, spins, his arms splaying in every direction. He's a man without a plan.
Then, bam, he's at the rim or the foul line. Antetokounmpo's limbs are so all-encompassing, it's hard for a defender to get close to him without at least appearing to foul him. He's so long, he can reach the rim even after a series of moves that don't appear to have covered much territory.
His length and size figure to make Antetokounmpo a good post player, and he's indeed shooting 51 percent from the block against defenders who look miniature next to him. But he's also coughing it up a ton; Antetokounmpo has turned it over on nearly 25 percent of his post-ups, the highest figure in the league, per Synergy. He's learning on the job, and the results range from the sublime to the embarrassing.
Lately, Antetokounmpo has also been more decisive in trying jumpers and attacking off the catch against closeouts:
FC: Luis Scola
A nerd's choice, perhaps, but Scola is an all-time crafty FIBA guy scrapping against age for an Indy bench that has been a big plus all season. Scola's having a bounce-back campaign after looking borderline washed-up at times last season, and he's a pro who plays his ass off on both ends.
His pick-and-pop jumper makes him a release valve for Indy's surging offense; the Pacers make hay running a pick-and-roll on one side, drawing the defense there, and then skipping it to the other side for an open look:
He's one of the big-man screeners most likely to catch and drive, per SportVU data, and though he can't finish like he used to, Scola is still one of the game's great post-up tricksters. He's shooting 47 percent on the block, and a whopping 22 percent of his post-ups have resulted in free throws — the second-highest figure among regular post guys, trailing only Jimmy Butler. Just when you think you have Scola contained, he'll fool you with a head fake, an up-and-under, or an unexpected flick shot with the wrong hand:
He's a liability on defense, but he doesn't use that as an excuse to coast. The Pacers often ask him to hedge out on pick-and-rolls, and when he's feeling frisky, Scola will chase point guards out toward midcourt. He can't jump, but he makes a difference rotating to the rim at the right time:
Hustle is age-defying.
Wild Card: James Johnson
There is not enough James Johnson in my life right now, even if the Raps are smart to return to their original starting five. Johnson lives in the gray area between "crazy" and "close enough to crazy that it looks crazy." Players athletic enough to reside there throw opponents for a loop, and Johnson is always making plays the other team doesn't expect. Just when it looks like he has strayed too far away on a help assignment, he's springing back out to his man and blocking a 3-pointer.
Uh-oh, he's giving Mario Chalmers way too much room to make this pocket pass!
His brutal dunks draw all the highlights, but Johnson has dialed back the insanity enough that Dwane Casey calls post-ups and isolations for him out of timeouts. Turns out, he's nifty at both. Johnson is shooting 52 percent on isolations and an absurd 17-of-26 on post-ups, where he has shown both patience and a nice lefty touch, per Synergy Sports:
He can out-hang defenders for beautiful driving shots:
Johnson remains a nonshooter, but he's smart about cutting into gaps when defenders drift away from him. He's a plus defender, and the flailing Raps, down to 24th in points allowed per possession, could use more of him — both on the wing and as a small-ball power forward in the right matchups.
WC: Draymond Green
Our only repeat Gasol is the most entertaining non-superstar in the league. Draymond MF-ing Green is a living monument to everything that is great about the NBA. He entered the league as a doughy second-rounder who couldn't shoot or defend any position. Three years later, he's just good enough on wide-open 3s to be a problem, and he can defend all five positions on some (most?) nights.
His defense has been so airtight that his evolution as a driver and passer probably hasn't gotten enough attention. Teams that trap Stephen Curry on Curry-Green pick-and-rolls are making a risk assessment: Curry shooting a 3-pointer off the dribble is worse than Curry slipping a pass to Green, who can then work a 4-on-3.
Green is blowing up that math. He can catch the ball 30 feet from the rim, drive into the paint, and either take it himself or find an open shooter when the defense collapses on him. He might whip the ball out to Klay Thompson, or throw an artful wrap-around pass to Andrew Bogut in Golden State's bigger lineups. He's not just a good passer, he's an unpredictable passer.
The Warriors' small-ball lineups with Green at center are the most exciting five-man groups in the league. How are you supposed to defend this, beyond just praying that Andre Iguodala misses?
The Dubs score about 1.2 points per possession on any trip featuring a Curry-Green pick-and-roll, the ninth-best mark among hundreds of pick-and-roll combos, per SportVU data provided to Grantland.5
Sure, playing that small is scary against some Western Conference playoff teams. The Grizzlies bully everyone. LaMarcus Aldridge loves shooting over smaller guys, and the Blazers pound the offensive glass. The Thunder do, too, and if they ever get healthy, they might be able to out-small the Warriors with Kevin Durant at power forward. The Pelicans are right behind the Thunder in offensive rebounding rate.
The Spurs can slot Leonard at power forward or use Boris Diaw to beat up wing players, though Diaw hasn't been the same this season. Putting a wing on Dirk Nowitzki makes you queasy, but Dirk is limping around, and the Dubs have risked it in regular-season games.
And that's the thing: Steve Kerr seems like he's itching to risk it against even the biggest teams, and he might not think of it as a risk at all. Monitoring Golden State's playoff rotation will be fascinating, but for now, we can all enjoy Green making enemies across the league and getting the last word on Glenn Rivers.
10 Things I Like and Don't Like
1. Danilo Gallinari, Back?
The best part of Denver's mini-resurgence, other than Will Barton zooming all over the place, is watching Gallinari do Gallinari things after so many knee and back issues. Gallo was never a blow-by guy, but he's lost another half-step and can barely get around anyone at either forward position.
But he can still keep defenders off-balance with a herky-jerky driving game that creates a ton of contact. Gallo's been hitting step-back jumpers, picking-and-popping for 3s, and shooting over smaller guys who switch onto him. It has been heartening to see.
2. Larry Bird, Still Trash-Talking
The Hawks' unveiling of a statue honoring Dominique Wilkins served as yet another reminder that Larry Bird is the best:
Larry Bird on video says of Wilkins statue: "I'm pretty sure it's not made in a defensive stance." #ATLHawks
— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) March 5, 2015
Just perfect.
3. Mitch McGary Running
It's like the Kramer painting: You can't look away.
Look at all that churning effort, the weirdly stiff arms and hands, the eager glance backward that says, "Please pass me the ball, I'm open, I'm running really fast, so fast, like the wind, am I going to get the ball?" He's like a dog looking for a Frisbee.
Jokes aside, big men who run the floor suck in defenders and open up shots for teammates. Good on the rookie for playing out the ball.
4. Boston's St. Patrick's Day Alternates
They're the best sleeved jerseys in the league, edging out the Clippers' baby blues, and they're a welcome relief from the gray sleeved alternates Boston unveiled this season, which are a heretical abomination. These green, gold, and white bad boys stay true to Celtics history, and a gold-yellow shade has always felt at home on the fringes of Boston's color scheme.
5. Not Passing to a Great Dunker on a Two-on-One
Kevin Martin streaked down the floor on a two-on-one with Zach LaVine against Oklahoma City over the weekend, opted to keep it himself, and laid the ball in for a fundamentally sound two points.
BOO. If you have the league's dunk champ as your wingman, make an effort to give the paying customers some fun. There's admittedly a fine line here. The Lob City Clippers have hunted alley-oops on the break when simpler plays would do, and there is a schadenfreude when that highlight searching blows up in their faces. Even just pausing to see if there's a window for a pass can torpedo the entire operation.
Still: You have to try, or at least apologize afterward.
6. One Kind of Hack-a-Shaq
Free throws are boring, but I've never gotten riled up about the evils of Hack-a-Shaq. I kind of like watching smart coaches exploit the math, and Rivers did so nicely Sunday against the Rockets, when he had the Clippers intentionally foul Joey Dorsey with 12 seconds left in the first quarter. Dorsey is a 39 percent career foul shooter, and Rivers correctly calculated that giving the Clippers' powerful offense an extra possession was worth more than the expected points Dorsey would net on two free throws.
Mike Budenholzer has done this end-of-quarter hackery once or twice this season, and Popovich will dabble. It's just smart.
7. Mo Williams, Pushing the Pace
Williams has energized the Hornets in part by sprinting the ball up the court and generating shots before Charlotte's godawful spacing can paralyze a half-court possession. The Hornets average more than three extra possessions per 48 minutes with Williams on the floor, per NBA.com, and any attempt early in the shot clock is a good thing for a clogged-toilet offense.
8. Danny Green, Selling It
Coaches keep getting smarter about designing sets that look like typical NBA plays but quickly morph into something else. Some players assigned decoy roles really get into the play-acting, and Danny Green does some serious ACTING! on what looks like a ho-hum double pin-down for Leonard:
Did you catch that? Green is raising his arms and yelling, overdoing it in an effort to "alert" Leonard that it's time to jet around that double-pick — the common outcome on this set. But it's a ruse! Leonard is just a distraction! The real play is an unexpected pin-down for Green, and it works perfectly. Great stuff.
9. Russell Westbrook, Bursting Through "Horns"
"Horns" might be the most typical half-court starting point in the league: a ball handler up top, a big at each elbow, and a wing player in each corner. Ninety-plus percent of the time, the ball handler will either run a pick-and-roll with one of the big men or enter the ball to him and scurry off to set a pick near the corner.
But a few of the league's most explosive drivers occasionally decide to short-circuit the whole thing and steamroll right down the middle:
Westbrook and LeBron are probably the best at this. It's a smart way to punish a defender leaning early toward a potential pick, but you have to be a human rocket ship to make it all the way to the rim before help arrives.
10. Alexey Shved's Defense
Shved's been piling up stats across the box score, filling minutes for the league's most miserable watch — but if he keeps blatantly mailing in defense, he'll remain on the edge of NBA extinction. Shved treats every perimeter player like a total nonshooter, giving them a laughable amount of air space in which to drive. And when those players do drive, Shved just backs up with them, maintaining the same distance. He's allergic to contact.
This has cost him crunch-time minutes, though it has become clear that Charlotte needs him on the floor — especially given the alternatives.
That doesn't quite happen when MKG plays without Jefferson, but it does when Kemba Walker sits — thanks largely to Mo Williams's splendid turn so far in Charlotte.
Pick-and-roll ball handlers guarded by Wade have fared miserably this season, though that stat is team-dependent to a large degree.
The team's offense with MCW has been awful, but it has actually been worse when he hits the bench — evidence that Milwaukee's reserve crew has been in one big funk for weeks.
The best? Jamal Crawford–Blake Griffin.
Filed Under: NBA, Kyrie Irving, Isaiah Thomas, Kawhi Leonard, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marc Gasol, Dwyane Wade, Gerald Henderson, Rudy Gobert, Giannis Antetokounmpo, luis scola, James Johnson, Draymond Green
Zach Lowe is a staff writer for Grantland.
Archive @ ZachLowe_NBA
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Home News Pole Barns Direct offers custom solutions
Progress Edition Profile
Pole Barns Direct offers custom solutions
By Chris Kick -
The staff at Pole Barns Direct works to provide building solutions that work for each customer. They include Jennifer Bryan (left), Adam Mitchell, Reggie Stoltzfus, and his wife, Jennette.
(The following article is part of a paid placement promotion in Farm and Dairy's annual Progress edition.)
EAST CANTON, Ohio — Whether you're looking for some additional storage for your outdoor equipment, or something much larger, Pole Barns Direct has options to suit your needs.
And if your idea of a "pole barn" is a simple four-wall structure with wooden posts, you might be surprised.
Today's pole barns have evolved to include customized colors and building material — from the inside and out. You can go simple and economical, or you can select a building that is showroom quality and even fit for living space.
Pole Barns Direct has been in business since 2009, and in April of this year, the company opened at its new location at 505 Nassau St., East Canton, Ohio.
The showroom in East Canton, Ohio.
The new location, also known as the Showroom and Design Center, is easy to spot and is made from the same construction materials the company offers. The building is red on the outside, with a canopy in front, and a brick base along the entrance.
Inside, the office partitions and ceiling are all made from pole barn steel, and there are samples of different colors and building components for customers to review.
The business was started by Reggie Stoltzfus, owner, and Adam Mitchell, sales manager. Both men worked in the housing construction industry and saw an opportunity with pole barns.
Modern buildings
Although pole barns have been around for decades, today's pole barn industry has undergone a lot of change and improvements.
"The post-frame industry has changed, with a lot of features that are available now, with all of the different colors that are available for the metal roofing and siding," said Mitchell.
In the past, customers sometimes had issues with posts rotting off in the ground, but thanks to improvements like concrete posts and post protectors, that issue has mostly been overcome.
Today's pole barn can be matched to meet existing buildings, such as your house, in both color and also design. And the interior can be finished to just about any degree that a customer may want.
Pole Barns Direct offers two basic options with its buildings — either kits that the buyer intends to construct themselves, or they also provide labor and installation, if that's what the customer prefers.
The company employs five construction crews, and about 10 office staff.
Stoltzfus, who also owns Dutchcraft Truss, said the company tries to walk people through the entire process, whatever their goals may be. It usually starts with an on-site meeting to review the location and slope, a pre-construction review, construction and completion.
"We don't just drop material and build a building," he said. "There's a lot of thought that goes into each project before any material is even dropped off."
Jennifer Bryan, marketing coordinator, said the company tries to take the hassle out of construction, and provide customers the satisfaction that "peace of mind comes standard with every building."
The company offers a five-year workmanship warranty, and the manufacturer offers an additional warranty on the actual products. The higher-end siding now carries a warranty of 40 years — a substantial increase from 25-year warranties of just a few years ago.
Pole Barns Direct buys from the wholesale market and tries to offer better pricing and options directly to the customer. The company serves about 22 states, and provides construction services within about a three-hour drive from the store.
The main types of structures are residential, agricultural barns and equestrian facilities, and commercial structures. The company also re-sides existing structures and can pretty much build whatever you want.
"I don't know that we've ever built the same building twice, because it's all unique" in terms of design and location, said Mitchell.
Pole Barns Direct is accredited through the National Frame Building Association, and has an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau. The store is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can reach them online at polebarnsdirect.com, or by phone at 877-71-BARNS. They're also on Facebook at @PoleBarnsDirect.
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Chris Kick
Chris Kick served Farm and Dairy's readership as a reporter for nearly a decade before accepting a job at Iowa State University Extension. An American FFA Degree recipient, he holds a bachelor's in creative writing from Ashland University.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Download "Using Cisco UC320W with Windows Small Business Server"
Unified Communications UC320W with FXO. Be sure to read Section 1 before installation.
Application Notes for Configuring a SonicWALL Continuous Data Protection (CDP) backup solution with Avaya VoiceMail Pro - Issue 1.
Application Notes for Configuring NMS Adaptive Suite with Avaya IP Office R8 using Avaya IP Office TAPI Service Provider - Issue 1.


2 columns like above marked the lunch area. 4 ft of Latex with a 3 ft silver star - total 7 ft tall.
9 inch Foil Silver stars with foil picks make long lasting arrangements that can be used several times - or given away as keepsakes from your celebration.


Harris & Ewing, photographer. Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C . District of Columbia United States Washington D.C. Washington D.C, None. [Between 1915 and 1923] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2016885400/.
Harris & Ewing, photographer. Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C . District of Columbia United States Washington D.C. Washington D.C, None. [Between 1915 and 1923] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2016885400/.
Harris & Ewing, photographer. Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C . [Between 1915 and 1923] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2016885400/>.


Grace Community Church exists to delight in God, demonstrate mercy, and declare the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Delight in God: The purpose of our worship is to delight in God. We are thankful for God's gifts, but our desire is to delight not just in the gifts but in the Giver of gifts.
Demonstrate Mercy: God has called us to minister to the tangible needs of our community. We want to equip believers to demonstrate the Gospel in Word and deed in our community.
Declare Grace: We are a gospel-centered and gospel-driven Church. At the heart of the gospel is not advice for better living but a declaration of God's grace. This good news compels us to live differently.
We value a culture of authenticity. A culture where it is safe to be real, vulnerable, and transparent with one another. Here, it is safe to be your broken self.
We value a culture of outward focus. We believe the church is unique in that it is an institution that exists for its non-members. Here, we desire to be a church on mission in Word and Deed in the Cordova area.
We value a culture of engaging worship. We desire to worship God in a way that is contextual, thoughtful, and purposeful. We seek worship that engages corporately and individually.
The Scripture (Heb 4:12), the Gospel (Rom 1:16), and the Kingdom (1Cor 4:20) operate as our core theological values. These animating values are what produce change and fruit individually and corporately.
We believe that when someone comes to know Jesus through His Word, is set free in the gospel, and is shaped by Jesus' kingdom, there will be evidence of fruit in that person's life. These values are extremely important to us because they emphasize that real change is not external, but internal and organic (1Sam 16:7).
Grace Community Church is also a part of a larger denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). In this sense, Grace Community Church is not a community unto itself. We are connected to a much larger, historical community of faith for both support and accountability as we labor for the cause of the gospel and God's kingdom.


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What's the date when Erlong looks up in February 2018? What are the taboos of dragon head Festival
what's the date of dragon head in 2018? What does dragon head mean? Many people have said that the second dragon head in February can bring good luck for a year. The dragon head is a symbol of recovery and auspiciousness. Generally, Chinese people's habit is to be willing to cut their hair sooner rather than later. So is the way to cut their hair. Xiaobian suggested that you cut your hair in the morning. What do you know about the taboos of dragon head Festival?
It has been said for a long time that the second dragon in February raised his head. In the past, it was said that the first month should not cut his head. It was on the day when the Dragon raised his head. On this day, the Dragon Festival was celebrated to show respect for the dragon and pray for rain, so that the old God could protect the harvest. What's the date of 2018 when the Dragon raised his head?
What's the date of the month when the Dragon rises in 2018
February 2, 2018 rise time: March 18, 2018, the second day of February in the lunar calendar, Sunday.
Dragon head up Festival, also known as spring Dragon Festival, is one of the important traditional folk festivals in China. The time of dragon head up Festival is on the second day of February in the lunar calendar every year. The time of dragon head up in 2018 is March 18, 2018.
Dragon head Festival related taboo 1. After a woman gets married, she should not spend February 2 at her mother's home.
2. Women are not allowed to give birth at their mother's home.
3. When a woman marries, she chooses a woman to see off her guests and avoid using pregnant women, 'turning back' and widows.
4. No empty pot from Spring Festival to February 2.
5. It is forbidden to visit relatives, friends and patients on the first and tenth day of the lunar new year, and not to visit patients in the afternoon.
6. Don't say "close the door" in the shop. Close the door at night.
7. Do not use mulberry ('mulberry 'homophonic' mourning ') or locust ('locust' homophonic 'bad') for building wood.
8. Don't wear white shoes or tie white leg belt or white belt when greeting people. After the death of their parents, they can't be congratulated for a month.
9. Fishermen or boat owners should not say "turn over" or "slide over".
10. Don't say "jealous" or "use taboo".
11. Don't say "broken Li" or "earned Li" in dumplings during the Spring Festival.
12. Don't say "white water" when fetching water in the teahouse. It's called "white water".
13. Peddlers shouldered should not wear shoulder poles (because of "Mai" homophony "selling).
14. When using the bucket to return it to the owner, do not carry the empty bucket to the door. Carry the empty bucket in one hand, carry the shoulder pole in the other hand, or carry the water.
15. The son of CHO, who borrows boiled Chinese herbal medicine, must bring back some food. Some areas are not allowed to return, waiting for the user to pick up.
16. Pour tea and wine for the guests, and the spout shall not face the guests.
17. Ask the stranger the way, and don't call him "big brother".
18. Do not say "buy accordingly" when trading.
19. Middle aged people should not say 41, centenarians should not say 'centenarians'.
20. Brother and di should not be humorous, and should not use others' sisters as laughingstock.
21. Marriage is forbidden to meet funeral.
22. Don't face people's backs when eating. Don't face the pot and table.
23. If you have an uncle in the world, do not shave your head in the first month.
24. On February 2, you should be very careful not to use a knife to cut the needle or thread, otherwise you will hurt the 'dragon eye' and poke the 'dragon eye'.
25. When carrying water in the morning, it is forbidden for the bucket to touch the well side, or it will hurt the faucet. Many places in Shanxi and Hebei avoid carrying water in the morning. It is believed that carrying water in the morning will carry the dragon home. In Suide, Shaanxi Province, carrying water in the morning will touch the tap. Unlucky.
26. Don't grind on this day to avoid pressing the tap. Hebei Xinhe, Shandong Tengxian avoid that day grinding, afraid of the pressure of the faucet. In the area of Dongming, Shandong Province, the mill will be cleaned in the afternoon of the first day of February. The upper and lower fans of the mill shall be supported and shall not be used. Because the local people think that the stone mill is the dragon's head, so the dragon's head festival will lift the dragon's head. Up to now, although no stone mill is used for grinding the surface, it has come to this day. All noodle making machine workshops should stop working for fear of 'grinding the faucet'.
27. Eating porridge and drinking pimple soup is also taboo. Otherwise, it will be hail.
28. Don't eat noodles on February 2, because noodles are long and thin, like long whiskers. Beijing, Henan and other places in February 2 taboo eating noodles, said that eating noodles is to eat Longxu, offended Longwang, that year will be waterlogged.
29. You can't drink porridge or eat rice. People think porridge is dragon blood and rice is dragon.
30. Can't spin flowers, because 'February 2 spinning flowers, rouge dragon hair dragon claw'. Dragon claw means lightning strikes people.
31. Don't wash clothes in some places, for fear of damaging Longpi.
32. Do not cut with a knife, or cut the tap.
33. Don't go out of the house before the sun rises in the area of Wucheng, or you will 'kick the hoarding point' and smash the hope of a year's harvest.
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Keep up on the latest updates for patients, families and visitors.
Acquired Brain Injury: Inpatient Unit
Back to Areas of Care
Our goal: To provide opportunities for individuals to regain and maintain an optimal level of physical, cognitive, behavioural and psychosocial independence, based on patient and family focused rehabilitation goals.
Individuals over the age of 16 with an acquired brain injury who require intensive and comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation.
Individuals with an acquired brain injury living in the 10 counties of Southwestern Ontario (Bruce, Elgin, Essex, Grey, Huron, Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, Oxford and Perth).
For post-secondary students dealing with a brain injury, such as a concussion, please see our Return to School (RTS) program page.
Click here to learn more about our outpatient services.
Being an inpatient is just the beginning of a rehabilitation journey that continues even after patients are discharged. The length of time patients stay with us depends on the type of treatment they need. Within the first few days of their stay we work with them to plan their discharge, ensuring any community services they may need are in place when they return home.
For those seeking inpatient care, we have a fully staffed, 10-bed unit that is specifically designed for individuals with an acquired brain injury, who require an intensive and comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program. This inpatient program is one component of the rehabilitation continuum offered by Parkwood Institute to persons with an acquired brain injury.
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climate changeclimate emergencyfloodsgerman flash floodschina floodingextreme weather eventsclimate sciencezhengzhoubbcyihetan damluoyanginner mongoliadam collapsesinfrastructureclimate resiliancewildfiressmokebootleg fireoregoncanadanew york cityair pollutionparticulate pollutionepagermanybelgium
Climate Roundup: What's Burning Gilbert Grape?
Doktor Zoom
Fire damage to Castello di Amorosa Winery, 2020. Youtube screenshot, KGO-TV
Climate scientists have warned for decades that as carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels warms Earth's atmosphere, we should expect to see increasingly extreme weather events as a result. 2021 has already seen its share of extreme weather, like the recent "heat dome" in the western US. People are starting to say, Hey, this is not normal, is it? Abnormal is becoming the new normal, so perhaps it might be a good idea for the world to start moving a lot faster on the project of moving to green energy and building up our infrastructure's resilience to the extreme events that are coming. That's probably way more important than sending stupid dicks briefly into space, to say nothing of what their rockets look like. Let's take a brief look at some recent messages the planet has been sending to our inboxes, and mark them URGENT, shall we?
China: Severe Flooding In Henan Province
In Central China, Henan province has seen a year's worth of rainfall in just three days, with a peak of eight inches per hour on Tuesday. Streets and subways were flooded, and at least 25 people are dead in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital. Here's an overview from the BBC, showing people standing in neck-deep water as they wait for rescue from a subway train; at least 12 people on the train died, while others were rescued.
We'll just note that when we clicked on the video, YouTube, apparently feeling a bit ironic this morning, offered up an ad featuring billionaire Richard Branson pitching a contest that will send one lucky winner on a brief trip to the edge of space.
The extreme rainfall in Henan caused reservoirs in the region to overflow as well; some 1.2 million people have been displaced by the flooding so far, and the death toll is expected to rise. Al Jazeera reports that, 85 miles west of Zhengzhou,
authorities warned the deluge had created a 20-metre (66-foot) breach in the Yihetan dam in Luoyang – a city of approximately seven million people – with the risk that it "may collapse at any time".
Soldiers were sent to carry out an emergency response including blasting and flood diversion.
Elsewhere in China, in Inner Mongolia, in the northwest part of the country, two dams collapsed Sunday following days of heavy rain, according to state media reports cited by Reuters. Some 16,660 people had to be evacuated, 50,000 acres were flooded, and roads and bridges were destroyed, but there was no reported loss of life.
ALERT 🚨 Two dams in China's Inner Mongolia collapse after heavy rain https://t.co/b1hGIBHVhu
— Insider Paper (@Insider Paper) 1626698004.0
To the dangers of extreme weather events, we should also add the additional danger resulting from old infrastructure around the world, as Reuters also notes:
China has more than 98,000 reservoirs used to regulate floods, generate power and facilitate shipping. More than 80% of them are four decades old or older, and some pose a safety risk, the government has acknowledged.
A lack of financial resources means that nearly a third of the total number have not had mandatory safety appraisals completed, Wei Shanzhong, deputy water resources minister, told a briefing this year.
Seems like there may be a good case for doing something about all that, everywhere, and soon.
Wildfires In The US, Smoke Everywhere
In southern Oregon, the Bootleg fire complex continues to burn; as a New York Times animated data visualization shows, smoke from fires in the Western US and midwest Canada has blanketed much of the country, even causing haze thick enough to block the sun in New York City.
The smoke has been so intense that areas from Toronto to Philadelphia have issued health alerts, the Times reports:
Air quality remained in the unhealthy range across much of the East Coast on Wednesday morning as the haze pushed southward.
In recent weeks, a series of near-relentless heat waves and deepening drought linked to climate change have helped to fuel exploding wildfires. In southern Oregon, the Bootleg Fire grew so large and hot that it created its own weather, triggering lightning and releasing enormous amounts of smoke. But more than 80 large fires are currently burning across 13 American states, and many more are active across Canada.
Microscopic particulates from the fires are at "unhealthy" concentrations along much of the smoke's path, including in New York; in parts of Minnesota, air pollution due to fires in Canada reached the EPA's highest level of concern, "hazardous."
Fine particulate matter, which is released during wildfires (and also through the burning of fossil fuels), is dangerous to human health. Breathing high concentrations of PM2.5 can increase the risk of asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes.
Remember last September's Blade Runner skies from fires on the West Coast? Here's this summer's smoky East Coast, in a CBS News video montage.
Wildfires are burning across several Western states, but winds are carrying its smoke as far as Canada and New York. https://t.co/yzd5g3wWtf
— CBS News (@CBS News) 1626811213.0
Germany, Belgium Cleaning Up From Floods Too
Nearly 200 people died in Germany and Belgium last week as flash floods inundated the western part of Germany; searchers are now saying there's little chance that any more of those swept away by the floods will be found alive. The New York Times reported Monday that many of those initially listed as missing have in fact been located, but it's still expected that the death toll will continue to rise as wreckage in affected areas is cleared away and searched.
The Wall Street Journal reports that while Germany's meteorological agency issued warnings of the risk for flooding, which were also carried on nationwide TV, the disaster response may have been hampered in some areas because Germany has a decentralized system that leaves natural disaster preparedness up to the 16 federal states, some of which responded more effectively than others:
Counties that had a siren warning system, originally devised for air raids, and those that sent out fire-department trucks equipped with loudspeakers to drive through the night and warn residents to flee to higher ground appear to have done better than those who followed other protocols or didn't have those resources.
Some people who received the warning rushed to their cellars as the flooding started in order to rescue valuable items only to be overwhelmed by the sudden torrent, officials involved in the rescue said. As waters subsided, rescuers began discovering lifeless bodies inside the cellars of buildings across the flooded region. People driving on the roads as the flood hit were quickly caught up in an overwhelming water mass that threw their cars around like toys.
Parts of Germany saw two months' worth of rain in a single day, caused by slow-moving low pressure systems that climate scientists predict will become as much as 14 times more frequent across Europe during the next century.
Nice Wine Industry Napa Valley Has. Shame If Climate Change Happened To It.
We'll close with a brief look at this New York Times deep dive into how the warming climate, and the drought and fires that come with it, is endangering California's wine region in Napa Valley. In short, it's bad. Following last September's fires, many wineries have had to deal not only with the loss of much of their crops, or wine storerooms being burned to the ground, but also with the loss of insurance coverage, as insurance companies decide the businesses are just too risky to write policies for. One winery saw the price of its insurance go from $200,000 a year before the fire, to over $1 million now — for half the coverage.
One winery has suffered four hits: It lost "millions of dollars in property and equipment, along with 9,000 cases of wine," then later, the owner discovered that even the crop of cabernet grapes that escaped the fire had been so damaged by smoke that it was worthless. This spring, there's no water to irrigate another vineyard. And on top of it all, the winery lost its insurance.
The article get to the point pretty quickly: Whether you care about wine or not, Napa is probably a bellwether for much of American agriculture:
If there is any nook of American agriculture with both the means and incentive to outwit climate change, it is here.
But so far, the experience of winemakers here demonstrates the limits of adapting to a warming planet.
If the heat and drought trends worsen, "we're probably out of business," said Cyril Chappellet, president of Chappellet Winery, which has been operating for more than half a century. "All of us are out business."
Not only are the wineries and vineyards at risk of burning down in wildfires, we learn, the smoke from fires far away can ruin the region's most profitable crop, grapes for red wine. The smoke penetrates the skins of of the grapes, leaving a nasty "smoke taint" that ruins the wine made from them. This is very bad for wineries and growers:
Smoke is a threat primarily to reds, whose skins provide the wine's color. (The skins of white grapes, by contrast, are discarded, and with them the smoke residue.) Reds must also stay on the vine longer, often into October, leaving them more exposed to fires that usually peak in early fall.
Vintners could switch from red grapes to white but that solution collides with the demands of the market. White grapes from Napa typically sell for around $2,750 per ton, on average. Reds, by contrast, fetch an average of about $5,000 per ton in the valley, and more for cabernet sauvignon. In Napa, there is a saying: cabernet is king.
Between 2019 and 2020, Sonoma County growers lost half the value of their crops, going from sales of $829 million in red grapes in 2019 to just $384 million last year.
At one vineyard this year, the high temperatures and heat have prompted growers to spray sunscreen on their grapes to prevent them from turning into "absurdly high-cost raisins." Growers are also looking at covering vines with shade cloth, which is expensive, or even "[replanting] rows of vines so they're parallel to the sun in the warmest part of the day, catching less of its heat," which is costlier still.
Update/clarification: I received a very nice email from Teresa Wall, the senior director of marketing communications for Napa Valley Vintners, to clear up a bit of a misconception in the New York Times story: No, growers are not spraying sunscreen made for use on human skin on their wine grapes. Rather, it's an "organic clay based" agricultural product what protects grapes from sun and heat. We wondered about that! We bet Ms. Wall has had a hell of a couple of days since the Times story came out, and are happy to correct the wrong impression. No Coppertone in your Merlot!
And then there's the water problem. Some growers are severely cutting back the amount of grapes they're growing, and one has found a temporary backup plan that may or may not last through the harvest: Trucking reclaimed household water from the local wastewater treatment plant, where it can be had cheap:
The water, which comes from household toilets and drains and is sifted, filtered and disinfected, is a bargain, at $6.76 a truckload. The problem is transportation: Each load costs [V. Sattui Winery president Tom] Davies about $140, which he guesses will add $60,000 or more to the cost of running the vineyard this season.
And that's assuming Napa officials keep selling wastewater, which in theory could be made potable. As the drought worsens, the city may decide its residents need it more. "We're nervous that at some point, Napa sanitation says no more water," Mr. Davies said.
Now, we know that in contrast to the death and losses from floods and fires and other catastrophes we've looked at today, the problems of people producing upscale wines may feel like No Big. But as a look at the challenges the world is going to face, it's still pretty sobering, and a cautionary tale to people who think we'll all just "adapt." If a specialized, very well-funded industry is having trouble getting a harvest in Napa Valley, imagine what the giant farms in the US grain belt are going to have to deal with as the growing seasons change and the water becomes harder to get — or so abundant that the fields are underwater.
Seems like we need to do some changing, kids. Would have been best if we'd started 30 years ago, but we can still prevent the very worst effects if we make those Big Structural Changes now.
[Guardian / Reuters / Al-Jazeera / WaPo / CNN / NYT / Grist / Reuters / Guardian / CNN / NYT]
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EM Architects.
EM Architects wins prestigious award Prix Versaille Award
Edwin Mintoff Architects have been awarded the European Prix Versailles UNESCO World Architecture & Design Award for their restoration of the Macina, which is now the Cugó Gran Macina hotel in Senglea. The prize was announced by the secretariat of the Prix Versailles, in association with UNESCO and with the International Union of Architects (UIA). The firm was the prize in the Exterior Hotel Design category. The Prix Versailles is awarded in recognition of the best projects a
EM Architects have been shortlisted for another award for their Macina project!
We are delighted that we have been shortlisted for our Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour project for the Kamra tal-Periti Premju Emanuele Luigi Galizia. We have already been awarded both the Din l-Art Helwa prize for The Rehabilitation and Re-Use of Buildings and the Malta Architect Award in Hospitality, Tourism Accomodation and Leisure for our Macina project. Our submission We wanted to share with you our submissions for this exciting project. Our design began with the desire


Rosselhoznadzor, Russia's phytosanitary service, announced that it would extend its decision to lift the ban on fruit imports from Moldova. The ruling which will be enacted on September 21 would cover 46 more Moldovan companies.
The Russian Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselhoznadzor) said it would cancel the ban for another 46 Molovan companies that intend to export fruit to the Russian Federation.
This way more than 70 Moldovan companies including some from the Transnistrian region have regained access to the Russian fruit market. Rosselhoznadzor said in a press release that Russian inspectors have decided to "continue their experiment" regarding the import of appricots, peaches, cherry, apples, pears, quince, nectarines, plums, and sloes.
The decision is based on a Russian finding that Moldovan produce complied with Russian phytosanitary standards and a commitment from the Moldovan Food Safety Agency to guarantee further compliance.
Rosselhoznadzor also warned that the produce shipped to Russia must also correspond to the quarantine and phytosanitary norms of the Customs Union.
Immediately after the news broke, Renato Usatîi, pro-Moscow mayor of the city of Bălți in northern Moldova, uploaded a video clip on social networks claiming for himself the merits for the relaxation of produce shipping from Moldova.
"For 20 companies on that list I had personally pushed [for the ban lift], I had meetings [with Russian officials], " said Mr Usatîi who runs a Moscow-leaning Our Party.
On the other hand, the Moldovan authorities say they have not been informed in any official way as to what criteria the Russians had applied in selecting the passing exporters.
"For the time being we received nothing. Nor do we know what method for selection of companies was used. Every company which complies with the phytosanitary requirements is a Moldova-registered company. We can't simply draw a line between exporters from the Gagauzian region and those from the rest of Moldova," Agriculture Minister Ion Sula was quoted as saying by Publika TV.
A farmers' trade union leader, Iurie Fală, told reporters that he was not able to understand the logic of Russian authorities.
"A number of companies have invested heavily into produce quality but they were not on the list of Rosselhoznadzor," he explained. "We do not understand the criteria for selection and we can suspect corruption in the middle. Certain companies [which are on the list] expressed their reservation over the export of their fruit to Russia," Mr Fală concluded.
A producer who is also a former member of parliament said, "I have no desire to ship apples to Russia. This year the yield is half the amount of last year. They will clean out all of our cold stores and next spring a kilogram of apples in Moldova will cost more than 10 lei," explained Mr Valentin Chilat Cornaci, who owns an orchard in Ocnița, northern Moldova.
Mold-street.com has checked out who are the founders of companies that have (re)gained permits for fruit shipping to Russia.it turns out that some of them were founded during the recent months (February – May 2015) and others share a same registration address (Alexer Service, Lobi Logistic and Fructolina) or are affiliated enterprises – for example, Rusnada Fruct and Kra Fruct in Durlești, whose owners are Dana and Ruslan Cotorobai.
According to an investigation by Ziarul de Gardă, Fructolinia and Lobi Logistic are founded by friends and relatives of Deputy Economy Minister Vitalie Iurcu. Primul SRL is a limited company of Dmitrii Mironov, a nephew to Mr Iurcu, and Lobi Logistic was registered by Alexandru and Maria Vâlcu, which Ziarul de Gardă magazine described as partners and family friends to Vitalie Iurcu.
We were unable to find the names of Codru-ST, Domulterra or Alfa-Nistru, which work the largest intensive orchards.
Compared by geographic distribution, there is another curious fact. Fourteen companies are based in Chișinău, the capital, though the municipality has only 2% of all orchards. On the other hand, only thre companies are from the district of Soroca, where at least 10% of Moldovan orchards are located.
See the Rosselhoznadzor list below.
And down below there is a list made by Mold-Street.com regarding who are the owners of enterprises which are allowed to export fruit to Russia, based on data from the State Registration Chamber.
The experiment which Rosselhoznadzor mentioned started in February 2015 and then its conditions changed – on 12 June 2015 – right on the first anniversary of the fruit embargo. Rosselhoznadzor said initially that the permission for export "was an experiment and is designed to exclude Moldovan apples under the [Russian] quarantine." At that time, left-leaning and pro-Russian politicians Igor Dodon and Renato Usatîi hurried to assume a part of the merit for export relaxation.
The list from 12 June, for example, includes such enterprises as Grimafruct and Agrodenidan from the district of Briceni, and Maidan Grup, Unit-Olimp, Altîn Alma, Bakayan Com Oguzagroprom, and Pobeda Kolkhoz from the Gagauzian autonomy. Also there are unspecified enterprises from the districts of Grigoriopol, Dubăsari, Camenca, Râbnița, and Slobozia.
The Russian Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision banned Moldovan fruit in July 2014 by claiming that Moldovan producers had breached the phytosanitary rules. Moldova instead said the decision was motivated politically.
Moldovan official statistics show that the Russian ban on Moldovan fruit and vegetables did not kill the produce export. The National Statistical Bureau said fruit and vegetable exports increased by 5.5% during the seven months of this year (up to 147.7 million dollars), compared to the similar period of last year, while per total the nation's export decreased by around 16%. Produce represented the largest share and amounted to 12.8% of all exports.


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Movie Review: Ad Astra
By Nathalia Aryani | September 23, 2019
This decade has been filled with stellar space travel films, such as "Gravity," "Interstellar," "The Martian" and "First Man." "Ad Astra" is no exception.
Brad Pitt ("Allied," "The Big Short," "Word War Z") is Roy McBride, an astronaut whose work is his life, following his father's footsteps. His father was Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones, "Jason Bourne," "Lincoln," "The Company Men"), the most decorated astronaut in history, legendary explorer and space hero. The first human to reach Jupiter and Saturn, he and his crew were near Neptune on a mission called the Lima Project to search for intelligent life decades ago. They were lost and presumed dead 16 years ago.
Credit: Francois Duhamel. Copyright Twentieth Century Fox
When a series of strange electrical surges from space lead to catastrophic results on Earth, the Space Command officials think that they are caused by the anti-matter reactor from the Lima Project. The truth, as presented to Roy, is that they think Clifford found something during his mission and might likely still be alive. The continual power and communication failures would threaten mankind. Roy is brought in to make contact with his now-presumed alive father and destroy the Lima Project.
Known for his calm composure, Roy routinely undergoes and passes psychological profile and heart rate tests so he's always mission-ready. It is at the cost of his relationship with his estranged wife (Liv Tyler), however. It's obvious that underneath the impenetrable exterior and trained detachment, there is a lost little boy carrying the pain of abandonment.
The movie is visually arresting and audibly striking. There's a stunning sequence of Roy plummeting, somersaulting and spinning down towards Earth from a space tower when the power surge hits. Moon buggies traversing the lunar surface followed by pursuits towards the edge of space. Earth looks like a blue marble glowing in the dark viewed from the silvery landscape of the moon. Mars is awash in golden hues and mystery. Neptune looks cool with its blue ring of rock showers. The void of space is vast and dark.
Roy's interstellar trip to reach Neptune starts with a commercial space flight to the moon, answering a distressed call and a violent turn, and a stopover in Mars. In the Red Planet, Roy attempts to send signals to his father, the first time he's ever seen to be remotely emotional. He also meets a woman (Ruth Negga) who reveals to him the real truth about his father and the Lima Project crew.
Ruth Negga and Brad Pitt star in "Ad Astra".
Roy is more determined than ever to do what it takes to board the rocket to Neptune, although it's not without dire consequences. When his father's whereabouts and state becomes clear, Roy is hit with another layer of truth. He must come to terms with what he discovers and decides how to move forward. It questions the point when passion becomes obsession and what you think is your destiny may obscure you from reality or what really matters.
This is a Pitt-focused movie, both in narration and performance. He's able to convey both the flat emotional state that is often required of him or what he's allowed himself to feel and the depth of his troubled soul. He portrays a man in control and utterly comfortable with isolation, while carrying quiet anger, hurt, desperation and deep yearning to reconnect with his father, fear of turning into the man who abandoned him, acceptance, healing and peace of mind. Pitt restrainedly takes us through his engrossing inner journey.
"Ad Astra" means "to the stars." At the helm of director James Gray, the exploration of the stars is more of a backdrop here. Masterfully made, "Ad Astra" is an introspective character exploration and profound development of one man's relationship with himself and life.
Copyright (c) 2019. Nathalia Aryani.
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Nathalia Aryani
Nathalia Aryani is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic (rottentomatoes.com/critic/nathalia-aryani). She has a movie blog, The MovieMaven (sdmoviemaven.blogspot.com). Twitter: @the_moviemaven. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com.
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Vatican bishop: Pope's view on global warming is as authoritative as the condemnation of abortion
Father Joseph Fessio called the comments 'worse than wrong,' saying they are 'an embarrassment for the Church.'
Fri Dec 18, 2015 - 7:43 pm EST
Bishop Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo (L) and Father Robert Sirico (R) speak at the Acton Institute conference on December 3.
By John-Henry Westen
Follow John-Henry
ROME, December 18, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – A heated exchange regarding global warming and magisterial teaching between a top Vatican official and various other presenters ended a December 3 Acton Institute conference in Rome. Argentinean Bishop Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, a close advisor to Pope Francis and the Chancellor of both the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences stressed that the pope's declarations on the gravity of global warming as expressed in the encyclical Laudato Si' are magisterial teaching equivalent to the teaching that abortion is sinful.
Father Joseph Fessio, SJ, the founder of Ignatius Press who obtained his doctorate in theology under Joseph Ratzinger prior to his elevation to the pontificate, told LifeSiteNews, "Neither the pope nor Bishop Sorondo can speak on a matter of science with any binding authority, so to use the word 'magisterium' in both cases is equivocal at best, and ignorant in any case." Fr. Fessio added, "To equate a papal position on abortion with a position on global warming is worse than wrong; it is an embarrassment for the Church."
The conference, "In Dialogue with Laudato Si': Can Free Markets Help Us Care for Our Common Home?" was held at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross with over 200 attendees including members of the media, professors, and students of the Pontifical Universities.
The controversy was sparked when in his address Bishop Sorondo spoke of "global warming" saying that in Laudato Si "for the first time in the Magisterium" Pope Francis "denounces the scientifically identifiable causes of this evil, declaring that: 'a number of scientific studies indicate that most global warming in recent decades is due to the great concentration of greenhouse gases released mainly as a result of human activity.'" He repeated the point later, saying, "faith and reason, philosophical knowledge and scientific knowledge, are brought together for the first time in the pontifical Magisterium in Laudato Si'."
These points were contradicted in the presentation by Acton Institute founder and President Father Robert Sirico who said it is "important to underscore the distinction between the theological dimension of Laudato si' and its empirical, scientific, and economic claims." He explained, "The Church does not claim to speak with the same authority on matters of economics and science… as it does when pronouncing on matters of faith and morals."
Quoting the Compendium of Catholic Social Doctrine to support his point, Fr. Sirico said: "Christ did not bequeath to the Church a mission in the political, economic or social order; the purpose he assigned to her was a religious one. . . . This means that the Church does not intervene in technical questions with her social doctrine, nor does she propose or establish systems or models of social organization. This is not part of the mission entrusted to her by Christ" (CCSD 68).
Father Joseph Fessio: "To equate a papal position on abortion with a position on global warming is worse than wrong; it is an embarrassment for the Church."
When asked in a question and answer period that concluded the conference about the weight of the pope's opinions regarding global warming in Laudato Si', Bishop Sorondo distinguished between infallible statements and statements of the pope's "Ordinary Magisterium." The distinction is important because ex-cathedra statements are in Catholic teaching "infallible" or never in error and require absolute adherence by all Catholics, while some of those in the "Ordinary Magisterium" could be in error but nonetheless teachings to which Catholics should submit "in mind and will."
However, even asserting Pope Francis' reflections on global warming in Laudato Si' are part of his Ordinary Magisterium would propose a grave challenge to all those scientists who have asserted global warming is a hoax.
Comparing the Pope's teaching on global warming to the Church's teaching on abortion, Bishop Sorondo said the "judgement must be considered Magisterium – it is not an opinion."
"It is under Ordinary Magisterium," he explained, "that abortion is a grievous sin – this is Ordinary Magisterium because there is not the revelation of it." So there is an assumption of "moral doctrine," he continued, that even though the majority opinion is contrary, we accept that "abortion is a grievous sin" is Magisterium.
This led to a heated exchange with panel presenters at the conference, especially journalist Riccardo Cascioli, who objected to the suggestion that Catholics must submit to pronouncements on "scientific theories" rather than "faith and morals."
Sorondo retorted by saying, "When the Pope has assumed this, it is Magisterium of the Church whether you like it or not -- it is the Magisterium of the Church just as abortion is a grievous sin – equal (it is the same)… it is Magisterium of the Church... whether you like it or not."
Pope Francis in Laudato Si', says, "The Church does not presume to settle scientific questions or to replace politics," and that he seeks to "encourage an honest and open debate" (para 188). Nevertheless Bishop Sorondo seemed to oppose the contestability of global warming theories.
When Cascioli suggested Catholics could follow their consciences on the theoretical scientific matters, Sorondo rejoined, "If you were a scientist and had a serious (difference of) opinion," then you could follow your conscience, "but since you are a journalist it is better you follow the opinion of the Pope!" Cascioli reminded the bishop that he too was not a scientist, to which Sorondo replied, "But I am in the Academy of Science of the Pope."
When Fr. Sirico suggested that there are other experts or scientists with different opinions on the matter of global warming, Sorondo fired back, "But don't follow them, follow these. Just like in philosophy, there are many philosophers.. But the Magisterium of the Church follows the philosophy of the being, the person. There are many who say the person does not exist – the Pope does not follow them.... I say it is Magisterium."
Fr. Fessio was unabashed in his criticism. "Bishop Sorondo is unknown to me, and – judging by this statement – eminently worthy of that ignorance," he commented. "The best I can say of his remarks is that they seem to have been unprepared."
Translations from Italian were done by Maria Dalgarno.
abortion, catholic, climate change, laudato si', marcelo sánchez sorondo, pope francis
Vatican bishop: Pope's view on global warming is as authoritative as… Vatican bishop: Pope's view on global warming is as authoritative as the condemnation of abortion News By John-Henry Westen


All these concrete garages are supplied with a horizontal ribbed up and over garage door as standard. You can also choose from Vertical, Georgian, Chevron and Side Hung in a range of colours as well as wooden side hung doors – it's YOUR choice.
Lidget Compton offers on the most comprehensive choice of wall finishes available. Whilst the standard Spar finish has been designed to blend with most properties, there are customers who want something different, we have introduced our GB patented and unique Brick, Stone and textured finish. The Sectional Brick and Stone finish is a factory applied finish, and is applied using our patented method to produce a unique option. Uniquely the textured finish is site applied creating a totally seamless finish from Lidget Compton – the Best Concrete Garage.
Whilst the Lidget Compton concrete garage looks splendid as standard there is an option to have front posts made from real brick to increase the 'kerb appeal' even more. With a choice of four brick effect and two stone effect there is certainly a great chance one will appeal to you.
This Garaclad concrete garage cladding offered by Lidget Compton Concrete Garages brings a new dimension to concrete garages. When fitted your new concrete garage takes on a new look. With the attractive feather edge style boarding, made from durable and long lasting PVCu, you can see your new garage being like a work of art. Well 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. To me I would be delighted to have this is my garden. Six different colours – White, Light Grey, Sand, Cream, Light Blue and Enviro Green – to suit you. This is a very cost effective way to have a timber like garage in your garden.
Lidget Compton concrete garages offers several types of roofs to suit the individual models. Essentially there are five basic shapes of garage roof and within these basic shapes there are several colour options.
There is a large choice of optional personal or side access doors which will give you great flexibility when deciding the design of your new concrete garage. With a choice of timber, steel or PVCu in a range of sizes, styles and colours there should be a suitable option for you.
Lidget Compton Concrete Garages include as standard on all their standard height buildings, a 4ft wide timber window. On concrete garages with extra height the standard timber window will be 3ft wide. Take a look at the large range of single glazed as well as the double glazed PVCu windows in a range of styles and sizes.
Lidget Compton Concrete Garages have a large range of optional extras for your new concrete garage enabling you to customised it to suit YOU.
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Putting a concrete garage alongside your house can stop you gaining access through into the back garden. Lidget Compton has thought of this and come up with the Throughway. Essentially an extra door on the back of your concrete garage so you can drive straight through if you choose, or just move your car out of the garage and you can then carry those large items into the garden or to the back of the house.


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#ifndef BLOKAS_CV_H
#define BLOKAS_CV_H

#include <SpiShield.h>

class CV_2x2 : public SpiDevice
{
public:
	CV_2x2();

	enum Channel
	{
		CH_1 = 0,
		CH_2 = 1,

		NUM_CHANNELS
	};

	/// Set the 12bit CV value for a channel. Value can be in the range of [0;4095].
	void setCV(Channel ch, uint16_t value);

	/// Set the gate on / off for a channel.
	void setGate(Channel ch, bool on);

	/// Get the 12 bit CV value of a channel.
	uint16_t getCV(Channel ch) const;

	/// Get the gate state of a channel.
	bool getGate(Channel ch) const;

protected:
	virtual void init();
	virtual void update();

private:
	uint16_t m_channels[NUM_CHANNELS];

	bool m_dirty;
};

#endif // BLOKAS_CV_H

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The detail items list has been made for the roundhouse and roundtable project, parts were ordered, and delivered, so now they all sit in a box and are awaiting the model building stage. I look forward to adding these detail parts to the interior and exterior areas of the Roundhouse Layout Design Element (LDE) as they get built one by one. I also need to make a 3rd PlanIT drawing of where these details will get placed in the LDE so that I can visualize accurate locations. Once these items get built and placed another assessment will be made as to if more details are necessary. I already have an idea of adding miniature lighting to the inside of the roundhouse and office.


'Tis the season for the dun letters. We get them all year. "Please give us money" but they can get particularly abundant between October and December 15th. I keep thinking, "Lord, if you'd let me win the lottery, I could give this charity some cash." Somehow, that logic doesn't seem to have swayed the lottery god one bit. What do you mean I have to play to win? (sigh) There's always a catch.
Anyway, I got this in the mail recently. These are Christmas cards, return address labels and stickers, one for each card. I'm pretty inured to the pleadings of the enclosed letters. I just don't have cash to send to anyone. I make a donation to a couple of charities once a year, not at Christmas, and that's it, so your letters of misery and want don't move me. Well, I shouldn't say they don't move me, but when you have zero to give, that's what you're handing out.
I like getting these cards and address labels. I would hope it costs the charity in question a few pennies to have bulk cards printed. Labels, heck, I could, if I wanted to take the time, print my own address labels on a home printer. Merge a mailing list and you've just got the cost of someone's time to feed labels into the printer, box up the stuff and ship it. Hence, I don't feel guilt at all in taking the cards and labels and using them.
Every year, about this time, I go through the address book and count the number of cards I need. My count this year is 60. Now, I tend to buy cards that I like and I always seem to have cards left over. Two years ago, I was going to make my own cards. I still have that intention but I don't remember I was going to do that until right about now and that's no good for actually getting the cards made and mailed. So, once again, I'll need to buy a couple of boxes. Getting 5 cards from this charity, 6 from that one, 4 from another, help cut down on the total number of cards I actually need. I tend to gravitate towards cats or humor and love humorous cats Christmas cards, although they haven't been in abundance in recent years.
The stickers with this batch went into my sticker pile and the address labels went in with my address labels. I'm getting low on the labels I like so I'm probably going to have to send in an order at the end of the month, but the sheet I got with these cards will help stretch what I have.
I know a number of people chuck the whole packet in the garbage. Not me. I may not send you any money, but I certainly appreciate you sending me something I can use.


We use herbs regularly in the kitchen, but are unaware of their cleansing effects. Herbs when used judiciously, effectively cleanse our bodies. Garlic, onion, neem, tulsi, liquorice, aloe, coriander, curry leaves, ginger, turmeric, pepper, clove and cardamom are few such herbs.
Lithotrophic [crushes and expels stones].
When consumed daily in small amounts, garlic has the benefits of penicillin without its side-effects. Research shows that it helps prevent cancer, helps lower cholesterol and high blood pressure, and prevents complications of diabetes. It has immense detoxification action [due to bioactive selenium] on oxidative damage caused by metals like mercury, cadmium, lead and helps excrete them out of the system. In addition to its cholesterol-lowering potential, blood-pressure-lowering effects and anti-oxidant properties, garlic may help moderate levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is a marker for coronary artery disease. One garlic [without peeling] could be cooked with milk and raisins and consumed at bedtime for better detoxification or it could be a major ingredient to season any detoxification drink.
This herb is used in the form of seed, powder or fresh leaves. It is capable of mobilising mercury, cadmium, lead and aluminium in both bones and the central nervous system. The proteins, iron, calcium, copper and other micronutrients that coriander contains help it act as a detoxifier. Coriander increases urinary output and helps cleanse the body. It could be consumed as tea or as spice or both.
This spice helps cleanse the liver, purify the blood, and promotes good digestion and elimination. It stimulates the gall bladder for bile production, and scavenges free radicals. It is recognised as anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral too. It is a good source of vitamin C and magnesium, and an excellent source of dietary fibre, vitamin B6, iron, potassium and manganese.
This wonder herb has been an all time favourite, both as a cosmetic and a cleanser. It not only removes toxins from the digestive system but tones it up to enhance its capacity to absorb all nutrients. It is extensively used to keep liver in good condition. Aloe vera has beneficial effects on skin, liver, uterus and respiratory system.
Fennel seeds often provide quick and effective relief from many digestive disorders. They help overcome gas, cramps, acid, indigestion and many other digestive tract maladies. Recent studies have found that consumption of fennel can increase the production of bile and may also possess diuretic, pain-reducing and anti-microbial activities.
Ginger and its constituents have anti-emetic, cardiac tonic, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-hepato toxic [protects liver], anti-inflammatory effects. It also has stimulant, diuretic, immuno-stimulant, carminative, and cholagogue actions [secretion from liver and gall bladder are regulated]. Ginger is used to promote gastric secretions, increase intestinal peristalsis, lower cholesterol levels, raise blood glucose and stimulate peripheral circulation. Eating raw ginger before or with meals is recommended.
It is also known as Murraya koenigi or kadi patta. Leaves of this tree have calcium, phosphorus, iron, nicotinic acid and vitamin C and are recommended for diabetic patients, liver dysfunctions and digestive disorders. Consuming curry leaf daily improves the secretion of the liver and keeps it in balance. It acts against flatulence, sluggish stomach and intestines and enhances immunity.
The World Health Organization [WHO] supports the use of onions for the treatment of poor appetite and to prevent atherosclerosis. In addition, onion extracts are recognised for providing relief in the treatment of coughs and colds, asthma and bronchitis.
Onions are a rich source of fructo-oligosaccharides. These oligomers stimulate the growth of healthy bifidobacteria and suppress the growth of potentially harmful bacteria in the colon. In addition, they can reduce the risk of tumours developing in the colon.
Cumin is known to have cancer-protective effect due to its potent-free radical scavenging abilities as well as the ability to enhance the liver's detoxification enzymes. It has a good amount of iron and small amounts of manganese. It supplies vitamin B-complex, C, E and K, essential oils, and trace elements.
Moringa leaves contain high amounts of vitamin A [four times more than carrots], vitamin C [seven times more than oranges], protein [twice that of milk], calcium [four times more than milk] and potassium [triple the amount in bananas]. It increases the natural defences of the body as it has essential amino acids, magnesium, selenium and zinc. It has anti-oxidant properties, maintains blood glucose levels and helps cleanse kidney and liver.
It is a complete cleansing agent with multiple benefits. The anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and blood purifying properties are useful in skin disorders. Apart from wound healing, it has detoxifying benefits that help maintain healthy circulatory, digestive, respiratory, and urinary systems. Before committing to a programme of internal cleansing, consult an Ayurvedic physician.
And this caution is true for all above herbs. For quicker and larger detoxification, it is better to take these herbs under the guidance of an expert.
Ayurveda has always been a true advocator of Hippocrates profound idea – Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.