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Charcoal-like biochar improves soil hydration and enhances agricultural production while it curtails nutrient leaching, increases nitrogen available to plants and reduces the release of gas pollutants. A new study by researchers at Rice University and North Dakota State University gathers current and potential sources of government support to promote the production and use of biochar. Credit: Ghasideh Pourhashem, from the January 11, 2019, Rice University post. Read more Biochar holds promise for sequestering carbon and cleansing polluted air.
Fans rave about its virtues. Some are skeptical but want to learn more. So, wanting to learn, possibly use, I typed in '2018 2019 Biochar pros cons'…carefully read the latest noncommercial posts and their comments threads.
A few years ago a knowledgeable gardener I know raved about biochar. Now, some years later, recently a friend sent an article that turned the tables enough to make me want to check it out. One is how it was compared with natural soil that is replenished with biochar by forest fires. Two is how Biochar has several soil sustainable features, but foremost is how it keeps Carbon in our soil hundreds, maybe even 1000s of years! And that is to say nothing of its water holding capacity! Carbon is the foundation of our soil ecosystem. Three: Also, I recalled how amazingly my winter and summer garden plants grew last year. It started with a collusion of happenstance. I planted quite late, Dec 10, 2018 during the Thomas Fire ash fall. The ground was literally solid white with ash and chunks. But this winter my plants didn't do nearly as well. Hmm… Granted, the ash is not biochar, but it's a relative – it came from the high heat of a forest fire.
Right now, planet wide, by many, Biochar is considered crucial to our planet's sustainability. Using it is a regenerative practice that will help our plants not only weather extreme conditions, but thrive!
There are technical discussions, both pro and con, in a language all their own, to simple explanations for the home gardener. The main research is in consideration of farmers with vast tracts of land that could have significant impact on climate change.
Nov 29, 2018 From a field day presentation at California State University-Fresno, here are some points from Suduan Gao, a research soil scientist with the USDA San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center in Parlier. She talked of the potential of applying a biochar amendment to help in water and nutrient management.
Biochar is charcoal used as a soil amendment. It is made from biomass through thermal decomposition [fire]. Gao said it increases water use efficiency and nitrogen retention, reduces leaching, cuts nitrous oxide emissions and reduces ammonia emissions.
Gao said nitrogen dynamics are influenced by biochar and are highly affected by irrigation levels.
She said ammonia volatilization loss was substantially higher when fertilizer was applied only a few times in a larger amount than when it was applied more frequently in smaller amounts.
"Soil accumulates more nitrogen at lower irrigation levels than at higher irrigation levels," Gao said. "The accumulated nitrogen, however, can be all leached during the rain system." [Fertilizing after rains is more better!]
She said there were no significant biochar effects on ammonia, nitrous oxide and soil nitrate concentration, but there was a significant interaction between biochar and irrigation.
PROBLEMS WITH BIOCHAR? Fabulous or Fantasy? Is it too good to be true? There are extensive rebuttals to its use, even warnings that it's not all the fans say, can even cause harm!
Nov 18, 2010 DR MAE-WAN HO said 'Turning bioenergy crops into buried charcoal to sequester carbon does not work, and could plunge the earth into an oxygen crisis towards mass extinction.' She further says: …implementing the biochar initiative could be dangerous, basically because saving the climate turns out to be not just about curbing the rise of CO2 in the atmosphere that can be achieved by burying carbon in the soil, it is also about keeping oxygen (O2) levels up. Keeping O2 levels up is what only green plants on land and phytoplankton at sea can do, by splitting water to regenerate O2 while fixing CO2 to feed the rest of the biosphere.'
- She cites: A ten-year trial in Swedish forests showed that buried charcoal appear to promote the breakdown of humus, the decomposing plant matter on the forest floor, thus completely offsetting the carbon sequestered in the charcoal.
- She discusses examples of the stability of biochar stating that it isn't always stable. [In a 2012 Mother Earth News post, Editor Dr. Kehres (Journal "Humus and Agriculture") summed up a symposium: "Biochar appears over-rated — the biochar claim to 1,000 year stability is revised downwards to 10 to 100 years, roughly the same as compost."]
- She warns that things that happen so fast now that we have the internet and huge commercial organizations, a lot goes on without public awareness or understanding and no testing. Since this one expressly claimed climate change remediation, it was touted to be necessary immediately. Some fads are found to be faulty later.
- She gets into comparisons of interest to gardeners, stating that Biochar effects on soil fertility are not always positive. Field trials were conducted on cleared secondary forest with 15 different amendment combinations of chicken manure (CM), compost (CO), forest litter, chemical fertilizer (F), and charcoal (CC) applied once on rice and sorghum, and followed over four cropping cycles. Chicken manure gave by far the highest yield over the four cycles (12.4 tonne/ha). Compost application came second at about half the yield, but was still four times higher than chemical fertilizer. The control, leaf litter (burnt and fresh), and charcoal treatments gave no grain yields after the second season, and were discontinued. Further, in combination with compost, charcoal amendment decreased yield by about 40 percent compared to compost alone, and only improved yield in combination with chemical fertilizer.
Read the comments on this page for rebuttals and further information. It is suggested Biochar is not THE answer, but part of a complex mix of possibilities.
This 2013 Mother Earth News post Biochar: Not All It's Ground Up to Be? states the appropriate use of Biochar depends first on soil type. Some soils retain nutrients very well without any amendments like biochar. Tim Crews says: 'If you're cropping on soil types other than Ultisols or Oxisols and you manage your organic matter (residues, manure, compost, etc.) well, you don't need biochar. It won't do anything for your fertility.'
Second, a 'situation in which biochar could provide benefits is on very sandy soils in arid climates, because of its ability to improve such soils' water-holding capacity, reducing drought stress on plants. But making biochar requires large quantities of bulk plant material, and the biochar factory needs to be close to the source of that material; therefore, the product would have to be manufactured in or around highly productive lands or on vast areas of unproductive lands, and then be hauled long distances to the arid environments where it's to be applied.' Not only is the available quantity of crop residue per acre too small, but to haul residues off of cropland to a biochar plant would be to further rob the soil of organic matter, while paying a price in energy and other resources as well. After all that, some 'studies that found yield increases with such heavy application found that after a few years, soil carbon was no higher in biochar-treated plots than in control plots.'
Biochar has been under discussion for years! When you are doing your own questing about it online, look for current posts and research. Note whether the post is on a commercial site, a university, posted by a farmer, if the poster is knowledgeable, what their credentials are or aren't, if they have experience. Remember that universities make money from research grants on popular topics and sometimes the donation is made by a company. Go to permaculture sites for a look at possible long term possibilities, concerns. Look for pros and cons.
In 2018, the agriculture application segment accounted for 71.1% of the total biochar demand. That makes sense because they have the biggest land holdings. [But it also means 28.9% is used by others, including home gardeners! That's a big % considering the sizes of their small gardens!] Quoted from a Biochar fan, he says 'However, a large number of farmers still lack in knowledge about the product and its benefits.' My question back to him was 'Do you know what % of farmers use biochar?'
Some say Biochar alone added to poor soil has little benefit to plants, but when used in combination with compost and organic fertilizers, it can dramatically improve plant growth while helping retain nutrients in the soil.
When would you, a home veggie gardener, use biochar?
First, are wood ash and biochar the same thing? Yes and no. Biochar is made at 450 °C/842 degrees F with low oxygen and wood ash is made at 870 °C from the same mixed hardwood. What about BBQ charcoal? Not the same thing as wood ash or biochar! Not recommended for garden use.
How do you even know if you need Biochar? Was there a forest fire ever there and you already have it? They say biochar comes from such fires and lasts 100 to 1000 years, or 10 to 100 depending on where you read… That translates to the question whether Biochar is considered to be stable or not and under what circumstances.
Have you been applying wood ash from your fireplace regularly? Some gardeners say Yes, used it for years, readily absorbed, amazing crops! Great substitute for lime to raise pH. Others say it's grey death. It has a high pH that throws off the balance of your compost/soil, can kill off the microbes that are producing your compost. Poster Mr Bill says: 'Charcoal chemically functions like a sponge, absorbing many organic compounds. When placed in nutrient rich soil, it absorbs the excess nutrients and traps them in the soil. As the carbon in the charcoal is annexed by fungal colonies, those nutrients are released over time. By tying these nutrients up in the soil with charcoal, they resist erosion and release at regular intervals, rather than the feast or famine spikes in levels that occur with manual fertilization by humans.
However, '…added to poor soil, or soil deficient in even one nutrient (which may not be obvious), the charcoal's sponge-like absorption can compete with the roots of plants for the nutrients, leading to increased disease susceptibility or irregular growth hazardous to the plant.' So it's good with good soil, bad with deficient soil.
Lord knows even a 10X20′ community garden plot has varying soil content within the plot for many reasons. In my case, I trench in kitchen waste given to me by neighbors. One eats lots of bananas, hence peels. One is a super juicer, greens, carrots, etc. + lettuce and avocado. Another is a senior tea drinker, so little bags along with old snacking grapes, a few eggshells, a bit of coffee and citrus peels, etc. I get them when they have enough. They put them in a bucket outside my door. I take them to the garden and trench them in where compost is needed most. Sometimes a certain kind of plant never thrives in one area no matter what I do. It would take a lot of soil testing to sort out these small areas. I do my own remediation by adding store bought fluffy compost, and chicken manure in general. Most of the time it works fine.
FYI! If you are using or opt to use wood ash as an amendment, DO NOT mix the wood ash with nitrogen fertilizer; a reaction can occur releasing ammonia gas.
Be careful with your choice to use biochar. Is your garden flourishing because it is high on temporary soil amendments that will be spent this season? Is one area doing great, another adjacent area not doing so well; great for one plant but not another? Does your summer or winter garden do well and the other season doesn't? Plus, all Biochar is not created equal. Its pH and ash content vary depending on the temp it was created at and the feedstock (what was burned) used, whether that was contaminated or not. In general Biochar raises soil pH. You need to use the right amounts. In a community garden 10X20′ plot, where the soil pH varies within the plot, you don't have room to test/experiment. The increase in soil pH with alkaline biochar will be higher in acid soils than in originally alkaline soils. However! If a biochar has less ash content it will decrease soil pH because of the organic matter content.
Clearly, fireplace ash that is added every season or spring, doesn't function the same as biochar that lasts 100 to 1000 years. It is either used up or leached away by watering, otherwise, your garden would have the highest pH in history! If biochar can't be removed from your soil, and lasts for 100 to 1000 years, and your soil is unfavorably balanced, you may need to adjust your soil for a long time. Ironically, it works best where you already have a super flourishing garden!
Note, the type of fire makes another difference. There is increased growth after a forest fire, but slash and burn techniques have a long term bad effect in just a few years. Definitely not sustainable. Wildfires get much hotter, average over 1600°F, than farmer-made controlled burn fires kept under 1000°F to clear a field. Wood burns differently at different temps; the coals have a different structure. Forest fires burn hot at the center with low oxygen and you get Biochar. Big difference. All fires are not equal.
Mr Bill made a convenient list for us home gardeners!
• Use on rich soil with no deficiencies
• Use to correct acidic soils, or amend the pH of the char before application
• Never use on acid loving plants like blueberries [strawberries, celery, beans]
• Add to compost after composting has finished, not during composting. The recommendation for application is about ½ cup per cubic foot of finished compost. [That's not a lot!]
• Use in moderation
• Never use char from pressure-treated or painted wood.
• Don't use petroleum based fire starters or fluids if you intend to use the ash.
• Fires started with alcohol or non-paraffin wax are acceptable for garden use.
• Be mindful of your nutrient levels and pH when using char, test regularly for best results.
• Not all char is equal, refuse from wood gasifiers or efficient wood stoves is preferable to that from your campfire, fireplace or grill, but all are acceptable for use given the correct use of your discretion.
HOW to MAKE OUR OWN BIOCHAR?!
Though it's been many years since the Biochar cure has been offered and raved about, using biochar on a mass basis has not been implemented to an extent that is making a planet wide difference. But that doesn't mean we can't use it individually. The simplest way to do it is right where you will use it, just like the Amazon Indians did 2000 years ago.
First check your legal situation before you go for it! Per the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District where I live: A burn permit is required for all outdoor burning activity except recreational (campfires) and cooking (BBQ). This includes: Agricultural Burning (see definition) … Residential backyard burning (permitted only in the unincorporated areas of the Santa Ynez Valley)
Highly flammable gases are released during pyrolysis, so make it outside, well away from buildings, animals and people!
Barbara Pleasant, famed author of 5 garden books, throws in her two cents! 'Last year, I committed one of the great sins of gardening: I let weeds go to seed. Cleaning up in fall, I faced down a ton of seed-bearing foxtail, burdock and crabgrass. Sure, I could compost it hot to steam the weed seeds to death, but instead I decided to try something different. I dug a ditch, added the weeds and lots of woody prunings, and burned it, thus making biochar. It was my new way to improve soil—except the technique is at least 3,000 years old.'
Barbara words the process more simply… What's biochar? Basically, it's organic matter that is burned slowly, with a restricted flow of oxygen, and then the fire is stopped when the material reaches the charcoal stage. Unlike tiny tidbits of ash, coarse lumps of charcoal are full of crevices and holes, which help them serve as life rafts to soil microorganisms. The carbon compounds in charcoal form loose chemical bonds with soluble plant nutrients so they are not as readily washed away by rain and irrigation. Biochar alone added to poor soil has little benefit to plants, but when used in combination with compost and organic fertilizers, it can dramatically improve plant growth while helping retain nutrients in the soil.
She speaks of the Amazonian 'dark earths,' terra preta, that 'hold plant nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium and magnesium, much more efficiently than unimproved soil. Even after 500 years of tropical temperatures and rainfall that averages 80 inches a year, the dark earths remain remarkably fertile…' They were produced this very way, burning. …composts and other soil-enriching forms of organic matter last longer. …increased productivity by making nutrients already present in the soil better available to plants. …organically enriched soil retains nutrients for decades rather than for a couple of seasons. This charcoal releases its carbon 10 to 100 times slower than rotting organic matter. See the details See Twin Oaks Forge for making charcoal in a barrel!
Why buy commercial Biochar?
Jeremy Menefee says, first, because they use more advanced tools and techniques than the home producer can easily acquire, commercially-produced biochar is usually more consistent in composition and charred under ideal temperatures.
Second, they are able to produce inoculant tailored to specific uses. Vermont Biochar, for example, produces (by hand) several versions ideally suited for either leafy annuals, root crops, or shrub or woody perennials. Each uses a different composition of inoculant to tailor it for the specific application.
Experienced permaculturist Jeremy also says to Biocharge your Biochar! Even commercial biochar producers say their products benefit from being biocharged again once it's on your property, to tailor it to your site conditions. Here are two easy methods he recommends.
1) Compost charging Even if you buy inoculated biochar, rather than producing it on-site, it will be improved by maturing in your compost. You can use as much biochar as you want, up to about an even 1:1 ratio with the compost, so don't worry too much about overdoing it. The Biochar doesn't break down in the process. You may have shorter compost times! Some experts recommend adding both manure and bones.
Quick tip: If you have time, a great way to get the most out of your biochar is to spread it an inch thick or less into your farm animal bedding. Then, when the bedding is spent, add it to the compost pile. [LOL Black Sheep?!] The biochar is essentially 'double-charged' in this way. Also, in addition to stacking functions of your animal bedding, this can help reduce odors. Anecdotal evidence suggests it can also reduce illness among your animals!
2) Rapid Charging! The other way to inoculate your biochar is a bit more labor-intensive, but you can complete the process in hours or days, not months. First, fill a 55 gallon (210 litre) drum with fresh water and biochar. If you are using municipal treated water, let it sit for a couple days to remove any chlorine. Then add compost tea or worm castings and leachate to the barrel with some soil from the area where you will use the finished biochar. For example, if you are going to apply the biochar to your fruit orchard, add some soil from around a robust and healthy tree in that orchard. This will help charge the biochar with the ideal microbiology for your specific orchard.
Once everything is well mixed, insert a long tube such as a length of PVC pipe into the barrel and direct air from a blower into the tube, or use a pond aerator and air stones. Aeration supercharges the inoculant and gives the beneficial microbes a massive head start, and helps them adhere to the biochar. Continue this for 12-24 hours.
Be careful when applying dry Biochar!
Wear a dust mask such as the 3M™ 8511 Particulate Respirator – N95 to protect your lungs. Moistening biochar can help a lot with dust control. Some Biochar is shipped with about 30% moisture content to help with dust control. Protective eyewear will reduce the chance of getting dust in your eyes. Wear gloves! Wear rubber boots that can be cleaned easily! Apply evenly on a dry, windless day. Mix thoroughly into the soil before planting.
How much do you apply? Doing it right depends on what kind of soil you have and it's tested content, its pH, how much you want to raise the pH if at all. And, of course, none, if you don't need it or your situation isn't right for it!
There are different answers!
- A company says: From everything we have seen in our own use and through the research of others a good "rule of thumb" is 10% of the planting area should be biochar. If your soil is absolutely horrible you should probably start with a 50/50 mix of biochar and compost and apply about 1/4 lb per square foot.
- Typically home gardeners use 5-10% biochar in the top 6 inches of their soil.
- A gardener says: If bought, follow the instructions on the bags, but I would suggest 50/50 with soil and the same for containers, and see your results the first season before you adjust quantities.
- Farmer Jeremy Menefee says: It takes about 10 pounds of biochar to properly cover 100 square feet. For potted plants, use pure biochar at a ratio of about 1:16 with your potting soil – about ½ cup per gallon of soil. This ratio is good for raised beds as well, one gallon of biochar per 16 gallons of soil. If you inoculated your biochar in compost (at ratios up to 1:1), just apply compost as normal – the presence of biochar doesn't change the amount of compost used.
How to apply? Simple!
- Made your own in place? Just add amendments of your choice, especially compost, and till it in.
- Purchased, preferably inoculated? Lay on about 1/4″, amendments and till it in. If you don't have much, spread it out and add more each time you amend.
- If you're not able to till, spread out your inoculated Biochar, cover with mulch to hold it in place, let Nature do the work for you.
Biochar IS big business. There is university research devoted to it for sustainable reasons. They make huge grant monies from it. Yale and Cornell, Ames Iowa, Delaware, Missouri, North Dakota, Rice U in Houston Tx to name just a few schools. Government is in on it too, for example the USDA's Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans. There are subsequent conferences, magazines, books, products at your nursery.
USBI Biochar 2019 – is the largest event in North America dedicated to advancing the sustainable production and use of biochar through scientific and engineering research, policy development, field practice, and technology transfer. It will focus on bridging scientific, industrial, practitioner, and policy gaps in biomass utilization for biochar and bioenergy production. June 30 – July 3 at Colorado State University in Fort Collins Colorado.
BIOMASS Magazine – Beyond the Hype
Check out the BioChar Journal …we want our readers to be confident that what is written in the Biochar Journal is based on sound science and practicality.
Local gardeners might see various products at their nursery. A blend in snowy Maine might be quite different than in SW SoCal droughty areas. Before you order up online, take this into consideration. When buying locally, look on the package to see where it was made, then check out those ingredients. The bag shown here is definitely intended as a pH raiser; it has biochar and lime!
For those of us gardening at community gardens, we need to think of what the next gardener's soil needs might be after you leave. What if they primarily want to plant acid loving plants, those blueberries, strawberries, celery or beans? In keeping with rotating crops, planting in a different place each year, to avoid soil diseases various plants are susceptible to, we may need to stay flexible – amend each season or year with regular or acidic compost per patch as we go.
If you have a good size parcel of land for veg gardening, that you plan to keep for many years, soil test different areas. You might coordinate your Biochar choices with the land's own natural flow, plant accordingly. Some sites say it takes about a year for the Biochar/soil relationship to be fully established. If you are planting in raised beds/containers, where soil is leached of nutrients due to higher soil temps, drying, in those structures and frequent watering to compensate, replacing spent soil/compost each year, Biochar isn't going to work for you.
Making your own Biochar is cheap, but a lengthy process you hope you do right. Probably wise to have someone experienced with you when you do your first processes. First there is gathering the right materials, selecting the right place and technique for the kind of results you want, doing the burning. Then there is the biocharging process for it to do its best work. Buying Biochar can be pricey if you get the best, inoculated. If you put it where it can be used to best advantage, that is worth the one-time expense.
Your final decision to use or not use Biochar may be based on your instinct. You may decide not to use it at your current location or in a specific area of your garden. You might move, or be visiting in another gardener's location and feel it is the right choice for that place. Maybe you will decide to wait and see. Honor your feelings. You might not save the planet today, or maybe you will by using succinct educated choices.
Bless you for being a garden guardian, a caring Earth Steward.
The Green Bean Connection newsletter started as correspondence for the Santa Barbara CA USA, Pilgrim Terrace Community Garden. All three of Santa Barbara city community gardens are very coastal. During late spring/summer we are in a fog belt/marine layer area most years, locally referred to as the May grays, June glooms and August fogusts. Keep that in mind compared to the microclimate niche where your veggie garden is. Bless you for being such a wonderful Earth Steward!
Love your Mother! Plant bird & bee food! Think grey water! Grow organic!


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Some lucky parishioners got a visit from Jon Kitna at a very special breakfast yesterday, called "Porn And Pancakes: NFL Style." It's precisely nothing like you're imagining.
Kitna appears to be fitting in well after his first year in Dallas. He was the special guest at Waxahachie Bible Church for yesterday's porn and pancakes, a Christian alternative to fighting porn addiction that's sweeping the nation.
It's the brainchild of Craig Gross, a pastor who made the mistake of setting up shop in Las Vegas. At yesterday's breakfast, interested male participants enjoyed pancakes, a comedian, Jon Kitna, and a good God-based talk about the dangers of pornography. The FAQ:
Is Porn and Pancakes R rated? No.
Should I bring my son? Yes.
Should my son be 11 years or older? Yes.
Can I bring my dad? Yes.
Should my dad be ready to talk afterwards? Yes.
Why just men? That's how we started.
Will there be nudity? Ahhh, no.
Will we have to wear name tags? No.
Do you use Grade A or Grade B syrup? Whatever is cheapest.
Will you talk about masturbation? Yes.
Can I bring my men's group, youth pastors, lead pastors? Yes.
Will we learn about personal accountability? Yes.
Is porn a 57 billion dollar a year business world wide? Yes.
We know Kitna's bona fides when it comes to Christianity (though maybe not so specific an event as this), but we're not sure what qualifies him to discuss porn and/or pancakes. If you, or anyone you know was at the event and would like to share, don't be a stranger.
(Thanks to David for the tip)
Weekly Announcement [Waxahachie Bible Church]

subset: commoncrawl


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By Lauryn
Aug 25,2020
I never knew a customised dress could be stitched in less than a week. I ordered this dress on 5th of April and received it on 21th of April. Unbelievable speed and the customer service was also fantastic. As I have a big bust line, I ordered two sizes bigger than my size with an intention of altering it. However, I contacted the seller and asked them if they can customise it. They obliged with no additional expenses and did a dress looking exactly as it is in the picture with a bigger cup size to fit my bust very well and are smaller waistline. If at the top of the dress, it is very pretty and the applique work in the top is also exquisite. If someone had asked me a year back if I would be buying my wedding dress online, I would have laughed them off, but somehow when I laid my eyes on this dress I just couldn't get over it. Thank you for such a beautiful dress and wonderful customer service.
By bethany
Aug 17,2020
A very nice pretty dress! It is custom size and fits me well. I will wear it at my reception. Thank you for the gorgeous dress!
By TeNai Leake
Aug 14,2020
The dress looks little different in person and I am not saying that in a bad way. I am saying because in person you can see the beautiful detailing on the front.
The dress is made with lot of attention and you can understand it only when you can see it in person.
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May 21, 1944 - October 24, 2013
Wurtsboro, NY
Roger A. Smolenski Sr. of Wurtsboro, NY, formerly of Orange County, passed away on Thursday, October 24, 2013 at Castle Point Veterans Hospital. He was a heavy equipment operator. The son of Henry and Olive Messenger Smolenski, he was born on May 21, 1944 in Middletown, NY. He was 69 years old. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy.
Roger is survived by his loving wife, Beverly at home; son, Roger Smolenski Jr. of Wurtsboro; three brothers: Leonard and his wife, Peggy of New City, NY, Gerald Smolenski of Montgomery, Henry J. Smolenski and his wife, Carol of Newburgh; sister, Sharon Smolenski of Nyack; two grandchildren, Eric and Sierra Smolenski, and 20 + nieces and nephews.
Cremation was in Cedar Hill Crematory. Burial of ashes is private.
Memorial contributions may be made to Castle Point VA Hospital; Route 9D, Castle Point, NY 12511.
Arrangements are by the Gridley-Horan Funeral Home, Inc. 39 Orchard St., Walden, NY www.gridleyhoran.com


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Venue: Gillie's, Blacksburg
Organizations: Justin Craig
Date: Friday, August 30, 2019
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Event Types: Music
Cost: Free
Gillie's presents Justin Craig in concert on Friday, August 30, 2019.
Justin Craig is a classical and jazz guitarist residing in Blacksburg, VA. He and his wife Marci are registered Suzuki guitar instructors at the Renaissance Music Academy. They specialize in starting young guitarists as early as age three. Justin divides his time between teaching, performing, arranging and teaching courses as Virginia Western Community College.
• https://soundcloud.com/justincraig
• https://www.facebook.com/pages/Justin-Craig-Guitar/110875879037539
There is no cover charge however tips for the musicians are appreciated.
For more information, visit: http://gilliesrestaurant.net/ or https://www.facebook.com/gilliesblacksburg or call 540-961-2703.
Want to hear the latest on what's happening with local events in the New River Valley?
Click here to Sign-up for our Email Newsletter.
Also join NextThreeDays on Facebook and Twitter.
Click here to Sign-up for our Email Newsletter.
Also join NextThreeDays on Facebook and Twitter.


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Pundits declared evangelicals among Election Day's losers. Conservative Christian leader James Dobson confessed he was grieving. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State said religious right leaders "kept their own flock in line, but the majority of Americans were unmoved."
But few are writing obituaries this week for the Christian right, which has been wrongly considered dead after setbacks like the demise of the Moral Majority and crumbling of the Christian Coalition.
White evangelicals remain a large, loyal and organized Republican voting bloc that delivered Tuesday for John McCain but could not offset the battery of factors working against Republicans in 2008.
One pressing question in the wake of Barack Obama's historic victory is whether the Christian right can grow its own ranks or take positions with broader appeal. Some Republicans believe a tight embrace of social conservative values turns off independents and moderates, but many Christian right leaders resist compromise and contend that, if anything, the GOP has strayed too far from its principles.
At a crossroads
Once again, conservative evangelicals engaged in politics find themselves at a crossroads.
"Do they want to be an oppositional force, lambasting the administration at every turn, which can help their organizations raise money?" said Mark Rozell, a political science professor at George Mason University. "Or do they find ways to intersect with new leadership and either try to minimize damage to their agenda or move forward issues where they can find consensus? It's an important turning point for the movement."
Exit polls showed McCain carried white evangelicals 74 percent to 24 percent — not far off George Bush's 79 percent to 21 percent margin over John Kerry in 2004.
Six in 10 white evangelicals ranked the economy as their most important issue — slightly less than the voting population as a whole. One difference that emerged was over terrorism: 14 percent of white evangelicals identified that as their top issue, compared with 7 percent of all other voters.
The exit polls did not ask about abortion or gay marriage, but polls throughout the campaign showed those issues ranked low with voters regardless of religion.
Several Christian right leaders, however, dwelled not on the presidential result but on the success in California, Arizona and Florida of constitutional amendments that, in effect, banned gay marriage. In Florida, however, gay marriage wasn't enough to tilt the pivotal battleground state to McCain.
"Conservative politicians lost. Traditional values succeeded," said Tom Minnery, a vice president of Dobson's Focus on the Family. "It ought to tell them to get a clue about the importance of marriage. We were frustrated that Sen. McCain would not speak out about marriage strongly and repeatedly."
Other political news of note
Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
House Speaker John Boehner became animated Tuesday over the proposed Keystone Pipeline, castigating the Obama administration for not having approved the project yet.
- Budget deficits shrinking but set to grow after 2015
- Senate readies another volley on unemployment aid
- Obama faces Syria standstill
- Fluke files to run in California
- Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
Still others pointed to how Hispanics and African-Americans — who overwhelmingly backed Obama — sided with white evangelicals in rejecting gay marriage.
"There is a common thread among these different ethnic groups, and it's church. It's faith," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. "If Republicans want to reach into those ethnic groups, really the only bridge they can cross over are the social issues. But they have to be true to them."
Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said immigration is another issue that holds promise.
"Social conservatives are open to some sort of immigration reform that will be far less offensive to Hispanic voters than some of the more nativist forces" within the Republican family, he said.
But make no mistake. These leaders have no intention of shifting focus from their big three issues: abortion, gay marriage and judges.
'Hateful immigration rhetoric'
Obama's election might open the door to a different breed of evangelicals — those who advocate consensus-building and expanding the agenda to include global poverty and the environment.
Joel Hunter, an Orlando, Fla., megachurch pastor, fits that definition. Hunter, 60, is anti-abortion but also signed a statement on climate change and has denounced "hateful immigration rhetoric." He also delivered the closing prayer at this summer's Democratic National Convention and prayed with Obama by phone Tuesday before the president-elect took the stage in Chicago's Grant Park.
"What really works in this country is not inciting the base, but making partnerships with people with different views to advance your agenda," Hunter said. "Those who don't will marginalize themselves politically. I don't think advancement of a cause primarily by attack is the way of the future."
On gay rights, Hunter said evangelicals can find a home in coalitions that support restricting the institution of marriage to one man and one woman but advocate that gays be able to form legal relationships short of marriage — and that no one face job discrimination.
Even on a divisive issue such as abortion, evangelicals have found success in promoting laws on parental notification, late-term abortion bans and prohibiting federal funding for abortion, Rozell said.
Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals, has clashed with culture war-oriented leaders over his activism to combat global warming. He said white evangelicals' support for McCain is not a repudiation of a broader issues agenda.
"Evangelicals, whether showing it at the ballot box or not, are showing a larger palette of concerns," Cizik said. "... There is a spiritual renaissance occurring here and it is broad-based."
Young drawn to wider agenda?
There was some evidence Tuesday that younger evangelicals are drawn to a wider agenda. While younger white evangelicals did not vault en masse to Obama, the Democrat made significant inroads. Exit polls showed the proportion of white evangelicals under age 30 who backed Obama this year was double the 16 percent who supported Kerry in 2004.
Four years ago, white evangelicals under 30 were even stronger Bush supporters than those over 50.
"It's too early to say this portends really badly for Republicans in the future and means Democrats are going to pick up a lot of support from the evangelical community for the next 20 years," said D. Michael Lindsay, a Rice University sociologist who specializes in evangelicals and politics. "Younger evangelicals desperately wanted a change because they were so disappointed in the Bush administration."
Obama and the Democrats will have to deliver on issues dear to young evangelicals or they'll become disillusioned by more empty rhetoric and vote Republican again, he said.
Most evangelicals won't agree with Obama, but they can learn from his positive brand of politics as they regroup under an administration movement leaders fought so hard to prevent, said Mark DeMoss, an evangelical public relations specialist who initially backed Mitt Romney and voted for McCain.
"I don't like the fact that a lot of evangelicals are taking this view of Barack Obama, that he's the anti-Christ or something," DeMoss said. "I'm going to disagree with him politically on probably a whole lot of things — maybe everything. But we ought to try to win on the strength of ideas."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The Trade Tank is a worthy upgrade with the new cockpit and accurate paint scheme but the tool is starting to show its age. It's not that it's outdated looking, its the noticeable weak assembly of the toy now. It's been consistent in the line for a long time, this is it's 5th release! The small antenna on the top is losing detail with plastic flash and looking rough and the turret falls off fairly easily. Plus the large cannon does not stay on that great either.I picked up two of these and will pick up x2 Naboo Fighters and x2 of the new WM Vulture Droid. Unless there is more new stuff shown at TF that's all I plan on buying. I passed on the redecos and re-release stuff. (On a Mid-Size vehicle side note I have never seen the Mandalorian gunship and guess I won't to even consider buying it.)
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Three more French-language tutorials and one video tutorial make up this week on WordPress.tv:
First, our friends at WP Channel have produced yet another great set of WordPress tutorials: Configurer les clés de sécurité secrètes dans le wp-config.php, Optimiser la base de données MySQL de WordPress, and Intégrer un module Facebook Connect sur votre blog WordPress.
Also, Scott Ellis has provided us with another nice tutorial. In Building The Ultimate Website Content Map, Part One, he discusses some of the work that happens before you get going in creating a WordPress site—figuring out how you're going to organize it. Past tutorials from Scott on custom fields and using sort order have been well-received, and all are worth your time.
This week, I'd like to focus on the community aspect of WordPress.tv. As with both Scott and the videos from WP Channel this week, some of the best tutorials and walkthroughs on WordPress.tv are videos that were produced by WordPress users and community members just like you.
As we're entering a pretty quiet time for WordCamps—approaching the holiday season—WordPress.tv has had some pretty slow weeks recently. It doesn't have to be so! You've seen what others in the community are capable of. Why not take the time to compose your own video tutorial and submit it for publication here on WordPress.tv?
To get you started, you can check out our submission guidelines or a handy list of screencasting resources that Michael put together earlier this year. Then, pick a topic! Find something about WordPress that excites you or that you feel you're skilled with. Think about how you would teach someone how to do something or use a plugin, theme, or feature as well as you do. Then, get recording!
When you have your video together, contact us and we'll be happy to take a look. If you have any questions, either contact us through the same form or feel free to leave a comment here—we'll be happy to help you figure things out!


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The Best Brake Lever Ever!!!!!
I love this brake lever! When odyssey came out with this, they knew what they were doing with it! It coming in 3 sizes (Small, Medium, and Trigger) and its simple design and easy to take-off clamp is my favorite part. I've ran the same lever for as long as it has been out for. It will last a long long time!
Doesn't fit the snafu gyro cables, so i had to make my own little thing to make it work! The lever itself gets worn out and jimmies all over the place, which gets annoying after awhile, but you soon get use to it.
This lever will last you a long long time! Odyssey knew what they were doing when they made this. If your lever is broken or worn down. but everything else still works, you can easily change the lever with what ever other lever that odyssey makes. It's cheap, affordable, and can be easily be taken off your handle bars.


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For a couple of years I've been walking my dog through a path in the woods. There's a creek in there too, and where the path wends through it's flat, so the creek flattens out. It's more like a wetland, really, and it's popular with ducks. There's also a blue heron that comes by, when things are quiet.
I've been trying to get a photo of that heron for almost a year. Last May, I managed a grainy shot of the heron that's only visible with either 1) a magnifying glass, or 2) a hearty imagination. (See "Sasquatch in the Suburbs" for previous middling photographic attempts.)
But last week on a quiet weekday morning, there he was again! But my standard-issue dog-walking equipment includes my cheap old cell phone, not a camera with a zoom lens. So, I snapped a photo:
To assist with definitive identification, I even circled the blob heron this time. Can't you see he's facing to the right? Can't you admire his noble profile? Can't you tell I need to start bringing a better camera?
To answer your question: No, National Geographic has not called about the photo rights. But I'm sure it's only a matter of time.


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Police arrest man accused of tying up, assaulting ex-girlfriend
Keith Kammerdeiner found at downtown Pittsburgh 'T' station
Police have arrested a man accused of holding his ex-girlfriend against her will and sexually assaulting the woman at her Armstrong County apartment.
Keith Kammerdeiner, 37, was taken into custody overnight when officers found him at a Port Authority "T" station in downtown Pittsburgh.
According to investigators, Kammerdeiner went to his ex-girlfriend's Worthington apartment early Thursday morning and sprayed her with Mace during an argument.
He then wounded the woman with a knife, tied her up and sexually assaulted her, police said.
Witnesses said the woman ran into Worthington Market on Old Butler Road shortly after 2:30 p.m. and asked to use the phone because she had been tied up and held hostage at knifepoint.
The woman was treated at an area hospital for minor injuries and is expected to be OK.
Kammerdeiner faces several charges, including sexual assault, aggravated assault and unlawful restraint.


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2012 saw its share of finely crafted prestige films sure to join next month's Oscar race, as well as Hollywood blockbusters that made millions at the global box office.
Among the year's most effectively moving stories about the strength of the human spirit are the movie musical "Les Miserables," the historical drama "Lincoln," the Indian parable "Life of Pi" and the retirement comedy "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel."
Also making most lists of the best films of 2012 were the nail-biters based on true stories "Argo" and "Zero Dark Thirty," the addiction drama "Flight," and the quirky, melancholy comedies "Moonrise Kingdom" and "Silver Linings Playbook."
The latest installment in the James Bond spy franchise "Skyfall" and Peter Jackson's return to Middle Earth "The Hobbit" were among the biggest crowd-pleasers of the year, along with the superhero blockbusters "The Dark Knight Rises," "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "The Avengers," and animated family flicks "Brave," "Wreck-it Ralph," "Paranorman" and "Rise of the Guardians."
"Hope Springs" and "This is 40" were among the most thoughtful and provocative relationship movies of the year, mining for laughs the pitfalls of marriage for two generations -- retirement-age couples and middle-age Generation Xers.
While 282 films qualify for Oscar nominations in January, only a maximum of 10 can run for Hollywood's top honor -- Best Picture.
As 2012 came to a close with reviews in and critics groups passing out prizes, five films emerged as Oscar frontrunners -- "Les Miserables," "Lincoln," "Zero Dark Thirty," "Silver Linings Playbook" and "Argo."
"Les Miserables" is a lavish adaptation of Cameron Mackintosh's beloved stage musical, featuring stellar acting and vocal performances by Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Russell Crowe and Samantha Barks.
Set in 19th century France, the story of poverty, forgiveness and redemption follows Jean Valjean after he is freed from 19 years of slavery for having stolen a loaf of bread to feed his starving nephew. He breaks his parole by not checking in with authorities, prompting Javert to hunt him down for the rest of his life. Now free and with the help of a merciful priest, Valjean reinvents himself as an honest, small-town mayor who helps others whenever he can even when doing so puts him at risk for being caught and sent back to prison.
Fantine works in his factory until she has an altercation with some of the other women and gets fired for being a troublemaker. Valjean is too distracted by the arrival of Javert to aid her at the time and she is forced to sell her hair and teeth and become a prostitute to pay the unscrupulous Thenadiers to continue caring for her young daughter Cosette, alongside their own daughter Eponine, at their inn. Moved by the dying Fantine's story, Valjean vows to raise Cosette as his own, which he does, all the while dodging Javert. Cosette grows up, adored by Valjean but isolated until she meets by chance and falls in love with revolutionary Marius, who has also stolen Eponine's heart.
Coming in at nearly three hours, the film is an emotional roller coaster. Although most of the main characters don't make it to the end of the movie, it wraps on a hopeful note. Bring tissues.
While Hathaway is all but assured a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her haunting portrayal of the doomed Fantine, Jackman's excellent depiction of Valjean will likely lose the Best Actor trophy to double Oscar-winning chameleon Daniel Day-Lewis, who plays America's 16th president Abraham Lincoln in "Lincoln."
Directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tony Kushner, the film is an adaptation of the book "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It follows the president through the tumultuous months leading up to his 1865 assassination at the age of 56 and co-stars Sally Field as Lincoln's unhappy wife Mary Todd Lincoln, Tommy Lee Jones as Radical Republican Congressional leader Thaddeus Stevens and David Strathairn as Secretary of State William Seward.
Spielberg does a masterful job of making the audience feel like it is actually inside the White House quietly observing the commander-in-chief as he deals with the most complicated issues of the day -- namely the abolition of slavery and ending the Civil War.
Day-Lewis so fully embodies the iconic leader, it seems as though he has stepped out of the history books onto the screen. Although he plays the role with great intelligence and gravitas, he also is quite witty at times, making the character appear fully realized and human. His co-stars Jones and Field are shoe-ins for supporting Oscar nominations while James Spader and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also offer powerful performances as, respectively, a relentless political operative and Lincoln's oldest son.
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and penned by journalist-screenwriter Mark Boal -- the team behind "The Hurt Locker" -- the drama "Zero Dark Thirty" follows CIA agent Maya's leadership of a decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden, which culminated in the 2011 Navy SEALs killing of the terrorist leader. The film has sparked some controversy, mainly about the real identity of Maya, how Bigelow and Boal gathered their information for the movie and whether the film endorses torture as essential for getting information out of suspects.
Those issues aside, it is widely agreed the film is a taut, thrilling portrayal of a recent event, anchored by Jessica Chastain, considered the frontrunner for the Best Actress Oscar.
In the film, Maya plays a woman trained to quash her emotions and who has no life outside her work. Her dedication pays off when she figures out where bin Laden is, then haunts her superiors until they OK an attack on his compound in Pakistan. After her mission is complete, she appears exhausted, relieved and more than a little lost without an immediate direction to follow. The film co-stars Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle and James Gandolfini.
"Silver Linings Playbook" is writer-director David O. Russell's adaptation of Matthew Quick's novel by the same name. Set in contemporary Philadelphia, it follows actor Bradley Cooper's character Pat as he tries to adjust to life outside the mental institution where he was treated for severe anger issues after the breakup of his marriage. Determined to win back his estranged wife, he enlists the help of a young widow, played by Jennifer Lawrence, who has problems of her own.
Robert DeNiro plays Pat's football-obsessed dad and Chris Tucker his best friend from the mental hospital in the movie about a dysfunctional family trying to help each other through the tough times. Alternately hilarious and heartbreaking, the film has been generating Oscar buzz for Cooper, Lawrence and DeNiro since it screened in September at the Toronto International Film Festival.
"Argo" was another Toronto hit, which has since earned great reviews and Oscar steam.
Directed by and co-starring Ben Affleck, "Argo" is based on the amazing true story of how the U.S. and Canadian governments worked together to rescue six American diplomats during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis by training them to pretend they are members of a Canadian film crew staying in the home of the Canadian ambassador in Tehran while they scout locations.
To get the scheme to work, Affleck's CIA agent character consults two Hollywood producers to help him make the project look more credible by securing a real screenplay, creating a poster to advertise the fake flick and setting up a production office.
Affleck expertly captures the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction vibe of the story while making it crystal clear how high the stakes are, how little time they have to get everything done and what will happen to the diplomats if the mission fails. The result is a frequently funny, fast-paced movie deftly delivered by Affleck and co-stars Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Tate Donovan, Richard Kind, Victor Garber and Clea DuVall. It was written by Chris Terrio, based on the non-fiction books "The Master of Disguise" by Antonio J. Mendez and "The Great Escape" by Joshuah Bearman.


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Huntington Prep star Montaque Gill-Caesar will remain in the class of 2015, Coach Rob Fulford told the Herald-Leader on Wednesday.
UK has been recruiting the 6-foot-6 prospect for more than a year, and he was seen as a possibility to reclassify to 2014 following this season. Instead, Gill-Caesar will return to Huntington Prep for one more season before heading to college.
Other top schools that have expressed interest in the Canada native include Michigan State, Kansas and Duke. He is considered a five-star recruit in the class of 2015.
If James Young and the Harrison twins leave UK for the NBA this year, the Wildcats will be thin in the backcourt next season. Those departures would make Dominique Hawkins the only returning scholarship guard to go along with incoming recruits Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker.
Gill-Caesar, who is listed as a small forward and plays on the wing, was seen as the most likely high school player to join UK's class of 2014 until Wednesday's announcement.
He will play for the Toronto-based CIA Bounce squad in the Nike EYBL this spring and summer.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


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Microsoft's Xbox 360 dashboard update has sneaked in something extra: the hoped-for addition of DivX playback functionality.
The Xbox Team's official blog includes an AVI file support FAQ, which says the console now "supports files encoded using MPEG-4 Part 2, Simple and Advanced Simple Profile", which the team adds are "often referred to as Xvid or DivX video files".
Another FAQ on the web page, entitled 'What exactly does the Xbox 360 support for AVI?', also mentions support for .divx file extensions.
However, the site warns that while some files authored for DivX devices may contain additional functions, such as menus or subtitles, the console won't support these. It also states that, in some cases, the console may not even be able to play the file at all.
The Xbox 360 will only support content encoded with DivX version 5.0 or later.
DivX support for the Sony PS3 was announced last month. This was followed by speculation that DivX was working to incorporate its software into another major games console.
More information about Microsoft's Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update is available on its website.
Thanks to Register Hardware reader John for the heads up.


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It has barely been reported that the "fucksaw" demonstrators led an hour-long discussion after their shocking act. Can we extrapolate from this fact that some knowledge about human sexuality may have been gleaned? That some 19-year-old from Peoria might not think his new girlfriend is weird or disgusting when he stumbles upon her leather closet? That we all got here from fucking, that we do it in a lot of different ways, and someone should probably be studying it? Or would it just be easier and more satisfying to be scandalized?
- Joseph Bernstein, who calls J. Michael Bailey's Sexuality class the best of his undergrad career.


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Search the indicated locations to find all 135 collectibles in the game (15 Focus Boosts, 40 Mnesist Memories, 25 SAT Patches, and 55 Scaramechs). Note: After finding a collectible, you must reach the next checkpoint for it to save the collectible. If you die, you will have to collect it again. If you miss a collectible entirely, you will have to replay the episode again to collect it.
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
You will unlock the Logic Bomb S-Pressen (special move) automatically while playing through the story. At the beginning of Episode 7, there will be a lot of enemies, which is a great location to get the "Dropping L-Bombs" achievement. Customize your longest combo, and incorporate as many Cooldown and Chain Pressen as possible (purple and blue buttons). After triggering the first bomb, quickly perform this combo to cool down your S-Pressen, then use it again. If you have obtained the Focus Boost collectibles, you should have at least one bonus Focus slot at this point in the game. This will allow you to trigger a new S-Pressen quickly, without having to attack a lot of enemies.Easy "Leader Of The Pack" achievement
In Episode 7, you must fight two Mourners at the same time. They will summon smaller enemies who fight for them (sidekicks). You cannot kill any of the small enemies or else you will not get the "Leader Of The Pack" achievement. However, attacking them is necessary. You need to power-up and use your Sensen DOS to make the Mourners vulnerable to your attacks. Before the fight, create a short combo with only Power and Chain Pressen. Use this combo against the Mourners to inflict a lot of damage quickly. You should also create a combo with Cooldown Pressen. Use it against the sidekicks to cool down your Sensen DOS. Keep doing this, and only attack one of the Mourners. If you accidentally kill one of the sidekicks, you can restart the checkpoint and try again.Easy "Out Of The Friend Zorn" achievement
You will encounter the first Zorn at the end of Episode 3. This enemy cannot be missed, as it is a mini-Boss. You can only damage it with your Spammer weapon. Keep shooting the Zorn's arms as quickly as possible. After both arms have been destroyed, the Zorn will start using shockwaves. Aim at the Zorn and evade the shockwaves, then shoot the glowing spot on its chest. Next, you will just need to complete a simple mini-game requiring you to press three random buttons at the correct time. Successfully complete the battle in under two minutes to get the "Out Of The Friend Zorn" achievement.Easy "Rust In Peace" achievement
Towards the end of Episode 6, you will reach a long corridor with a glowing, blue line in the the middle. This is after the room where you see Dr. Quaid and have to fight his henchmen and robots. As you progress through the corridor, you will see a damaged Zorn robot on the left. Simply shoot it to get the "Rust In Peace" achievement.Easy "The Wheat And The Chaff" achievement
In Episode 4, during the second part of the Boss fight against Madame (when she only has half of her health remaining), shoot Madame to make her vulnerable to your attacks. When she creates clones of herself, use the "Rust In Pieces" or "Sensen DOS" ability to reveal the real Madame, allowing you a few seconds to cause damage to her. You must also attack the normal enemies to power-up your special moves. Defeat Madame without hitting any of her clones to get "The Wheat And The Chaff" achievement.
You will encounter the first Skinner in Episode 1, after climbing the wall with broken pipes, which is just a few minutes after the episode begins. Skinners are basically a larger version of the normal enemies you fight in the first episode. Stay as far away from the Skinner as possible. After a few seconds, he will run in your direction using the charge attack. Evade his attack five times in a row by pressing A to get the "You Missed Me" achievement.Achievements
Accomplish the indicated achievement to get the corresponding number of Gamerscore points:
- Script Kiddie (10 points): Finish the game in Script Kiddie Mode.
- Errorist Agent (20 points): Finish the game in Errorist Agent Mode.
- MemHunter Elite (50 points): Finish the game in Memory Hunter Mode.
- I know kung fu (20 points): Equip 17 Pressens at least once in your Combos.
- Float like a butterfly (20 points): Beat Kid X-Mas in under 5 minutes without dying.
- You missed me (20 points): Dodge a Skinner's charge five times in a row.
- The wheat and the chaff (20 points): Beat Madame without hitting any of her clones.
- Leader of the pack (20 points): Beat a Mourner without beating its supporting sidekicks.
- Out of the friend Zorn (20 points): Beat a Zorn in under 120 seconds.
- The fallen (20 points): Make 50 Leapers fall off walls.
- It's all in the details (30 points): Find all Mnesist memories.
- I do like spam! (20 points): Finish 15 Enforcers off with the Spammer.
- Machines do it better (20 points): Use the Sensen RIP to make robots knock 20 human enemies out.
- Fury lover (30 points): Reach x14 with the Sensen Fury.
- Fuzzy logic (40 points): Hit 5 enemies at once with a Logic Bomb while they are stunned by the Sensen DOS.
- The shield is down! (20 points): Destroy 20 Heavy Enforcer shields.
- Fiat lux! (20 points): Beat 15 Stranglers without using the Sensen DOS.
- You focus (20 points): Find all Focus Boosts.
- Gotta patch them all! (20 points): Find all SAT Patches.
- Pest control (30 points): Find all Scaramechs.
- Droning by numbers (30 points): Get hit 5 times by a drone during a playthrough, on any given difficulty.
- God is a DJ (40 points): Find and activate all interactions in all memory remixes.
- Unbelievable truth (20 points): Reach all memory bugs in all memory remixes.
- Mix'em all (20 points): Land 10 Combos that combine the four different Pressen types.
- Queen of the hill (20 points): Survive the entire Leaking Brain assault (episode 3) without using Power or Regen Pressens.
- Can't touch this (20 points): Defeat 5 Elite Enforcers without using Combos or Spammer attacks.
- Dropping L-Bombs (20 points): Trigger two Logic Bombs in less than 15 seconds.
- 8-hit wonder (20 points): Perform 40 8-hit Combos.
- Serve the servant (20 points): Beat 20 robot enemies.
- 400 (50 points): Beat 400 enemies.
- Lord of the ring (20 points): Beat 15 enemies by making them fall off a platform.
Additionally, there are 19 secret achievements:
- Dead man's chest (10 points): Finish episode 0.
- Forged alliance (10 points): Finish episode 1.
- Christmas is over (10 points): Finish episode 2.
- Jail break-in (10 points): Finish episode 3.
- Murder incorporated (10 points): Finish episode 4.
- Are you my mummy? (10 points): Finish episode 5.
- Mind craft (10 points): Finish episode 6.
- Towering inferno (10 points): Finish episode 7.
- Rust in Peace (20 points): Destroy the Zorn that chased you in the prologue.
- Final overload (20 points): Destroy H3O.
- Open mind (10 points): Perform your first memory steal on Bad Request.
- Power off (20 points): In the final memory remix: have Jax short-circuit, but keep everybody safe.
- Happy birthday (20 points): In the Scylla memory remix: have Scylla and Nilin avoid the accident and get on their way home.
- Trigger unhappy (20 points): In the Forlan memory remix: have Forlan get the gun, argue with Alexia but not kill her.
- You talkin' to me? (20 points): In the Olga memory remix: have David awaken and talk to Olga.
- Biter bit (10 points): Remix Charles.
- Birthday crash (10 points): Remix Scylla.
- Crime of passion (10 points): Remix Forlan.
- Medical malpractice (10 points): Remix Olga.


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During this stretch of downtime in our NFL year, I wanted to keep the discussion lively by diverting our attention to non-football things. (Actually, with free agency about to begin, I think other NFL team blogs are busy speculating about what their GMs might do – in the land of cheese and bratwurst, we don't have to debate about which free agents to go after because we know TT isn't giving much thought to it).
Inspired by comments from the previous post (and following Ace's suggestion in particular), I've decided I'm going to try to name my top 20 movies. Now, I don't know much about movies and movie history (like readers Schaef, Brother Dan), so be prepared for a fairly unsophisticated list. But I won't apologize for the list because these are the ones I just happen to like the best. I should note, as will be obvious from my list, that I'd rather watch a comedy than any other kind of movie (watched Stir Crazy last night, a movie with some quality moments – Gene Wilder is tremendous in this movie). I know many "purests" (especially those who decide on Oscar winners) often dismiss comedies, but I think it takes as much talent or more than drama acting to pull off making your character truly hilarious. (One quick disclaimer, I reserve the right to change this list at any time because it's so hard to think of all the movies I really like when I don't have much time to think about it.) Anyway, here it goes:
- Airplane
- A Shot in the Dark
- Caddyshack
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Being There
- The Mission
- The Jerk
- Bottle Rocket
- Waking Ned Devine
- A Christmas Story
- The Deer Hunter
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- Napoleon Dynamite
- The Godfather
- Once
- Dumb and Dumber
- Office Space
- Sling Blade
- Blazing Saddles
- Hoosiers
(By the way, for those of you who read the previous post about the Shawshank Redemption, please note that IMDB.com, THE movie website, conducted a survey to come up with readers' top 250 movies…Shawshank = #1. Also note, that I do fall prey to the trendiness of picking the Godfather, though I would say that part of the reason I like that movie so much is that my wife and I watch it on Italian dinner night – we drink nice Italian wine and eat the ____ out of some high, high quality pasta).


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MY RIDE- Rose Purdy- 1984 Volvo 240
"It's a work truck," says Rose Purdy, who runs her Mobile Auto Detailing business out of her Volvo wagon.
"The back is my workshop," she says, gesturing to cleaning supplies and equipment filling the rear of the car. "The front is my office."
Purdy's had her current ride for three years, but it's the fourth Volvo 240 wagon she's owned, all models between 1980 and 1984. "I'm a fanatic," she laughs.
The draw of the 240? "It's super strong, sturdy, very safe," she explains. And they're affordable, too, especially for Purdy, who paid $1,000 for the car and does all her own repairs.
"I've always gotten my money's worth," she says.
Rose Purdy
What drives you? Call 295-8700 ext. 239, then pull up in front of Hook headquarters at 100 Second St. NW, and tell us why you love your ride. Each week's featured driver will receive a free car wash courtesy of H&H Quality Car Care.


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- News
- Business
- Sports
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- Lifestyle
- Health
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OTTAWA — In the face of Jack Layton's death, the New Democratic Party's interim leader has just one job: holding a disparate and potentially fractious caucus together, political analysts say.
Nycole Turmel, a rookie MP, surfaced Tuesday for the first time since the announcement of Layton's passing, to express gratitude to the thousands of Canadians who have shared in the party's mourning, and to thank Prime Minister Stephen Harper for allowing a full state funeral Saturday.
In the weeks ahead, Turmel will need to bring coherence to the party as some New Democrats start lobbying openly to fill the leadership hole. Parliament resumes Sept. 19, the day Layton said he would be back at work as leader of the official Opposition — an unprecedented role for the party.
Turmel said Tuesday that, following the recommendation of Layton in a letter he wrote days before his death, she intends to stay on as interim leader until the permanent successor is elected. That election isn't expected to happen until next year, and Turmel said she hasn't started thinking about that step.
"We haven't worked on the details (of a leadership convention) at this point. We'll do that, (but) this week we want to grieve," she said.
The time between now and the convention could be very rocky for the NDP, said Maxwell Cameron, director of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions at the University of British Columbia.
The key to the NDP's victory in Quebec was Layton's success and popularity there, he said.
"With that out of the picture, we're back looking at a perilous situation for the NDP. The gamble, the plan they took was going to be a difficult one to execute. And it was going to take a seasoned politician to pull it off," he said.
Without the right person at the helm, the NDP strategy, which focused on building support in Quebec, could crumble and take the caucus down with it, Cameron warned.
Both Turmel and Thomas Mulcair, the party's deputy leader and its first member to win a seat in Quebec, acknowledged it won't be easy to fill the large shoes now left empty.
Both MPs said their party will remain focused on spreading Layton's message.
"We have an obligation — that's what he gave us as his legacy. It's important for us to continue that, and Canadians are entitled to it," Turmel said.
Turmel arrived in Parliament after the May 2 election with dozens of new NDP MPs from Quebec who pulverized the Bloc Quebecois and Liberals in the province.
Less than three months after the election, and with one quick Parliamentary session under her belt, Turmel found herself swept into the office of the leader of the Opposition after her caucus followed the advice of its ailing leader and accepted her as interim leader.
In his letter released posthumously, Layton stood firmly behind Turmel, though she has faced controversy already. First she was forced to field questions and criticisms about her bilingualism and her brief political resume, then about previous memberships with the separatist parties Bloc Quebecois and Quebec Solidaire.
But Turmel, who represents Hull-Aylmer, Que., should be able to weather the storm because she has the support of her caucus — demonstrated through its unanimous decision to have her stand as interim leader, said Nelson Wiseman, associate professor political science at the University of Toronto.
And as a Quebecer who supported the province's federal party, she has demonstrated her allegiance to the social values of the voters largely responsible for helping the NDP win its place as official Opposition, he said.
"Also, Turmel has natural organizational and analytical skills," Wiseman said of the former president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. "Being head of that union is a challenging, demanding job."
Still, as the party's new face, Turmel will have to exercise a huge amount of discipline or risk losing everything for the party, Cameron said.
"It's true Layton brought the party to unprecedented success," he said. "But if the party can act in a disciplined, mature and responsible way, then they have a fair amount of time to convince the electorate that they are still a credible alternative."


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Making Music: Sterling Bank
On the surface, it's an unlikely match: "I'm a 36-year-old African-American musician with a big beard, and he's a middle-aged white guy who owns a bank," says Brian Owens, founder and CEO of L.I.F.E. Cultural and Performing Arts, of his friendship with Sterling Bank founder and chairman Ken Poteet. The Sterling Bank for L.I.F.E. Community Partnership is a new, recently formed entity, specifically geared to leadership development through music, art and technology. (The acronym stands for Leadership, Innovation, Faith and Excellence). Owens says his friendship with Poteet is born of strong faith and a commitment to common ideals. They both believe in community, and are changing the lives of St. Louis area youth.
"Art can be a driving force in change," says Owens, a singer who is a St. Louis Symphony Artist in Residence and Ferguson resident. "The driving force of Sterling Bank for L.I.F.E. is to mentor and raise up the next generation of leaders by providing them with the best possible experiences they otherwise might not have."
Owens says they use music in different ways for the various L.I.F.E. programs, which are either already in existence at area middle and high schools, or planned for the near future. For example, an eight-week therapeutic songwriting program at Confluence Academy-Old North helps middle-schoolers who have suffered the effects of urban trauma; the Remix Project forms high school ensembles that uniquely combine different music styles. (Earlier this year, the Remix Project Ensemble debuted at Peabody Opera House before an audience of more than 3,000 people). And in 2017, in partnership with the St. Louis Symphony Education Department and Youth Orchestra, a concert compiled of both the Remix and songwriting projects will take place (location to be determined).
Poteet says he wants no applause for the bank's financial involvement with L.I.F.E., and stresses that his friendship with Owens has never had anything to do with the monetary support (now in the six-figure range) the bank provides. "All I saw was a good, faith-based person doing the same things that are important to me—building relationships and community one person at a time," Poteet recalls. "I call us 'the odd couple,' but we truly see each other and understand our different cultures." He adds that Sterling Bank has a history of involvement in community partnerships.
For the past two years—again with financial backing from Sterling—Owens organized an outdoor concert on the parking lot of Ferguson Heights Church of Christ. The concert, he says, combined music of all styles in representation of L.I.F.E.'s overall philosophy of integration and cultural cross-pollination. Last year, the concert included music like hip-hop, R&B, opera and Japanese soul, and was filmed for a PBS special called 'Soul of Ferguson.' Another event this fall is in the early planning stages.
"Music is the universal language," Owens says. "It's the one neutral space where we can experience the same things regardless of who we are and where we come from."
Sterling Bank for L.I.F.E. is a creative community partnership committed to enriching the lives of St. Louis area youth through music, art and technology. For more information on programs, contact Brian Owens at email@example.com. Pictured on the cover: Brian Owens and Ken Poteet, Sterling Bank Chairman & CEO.
Featured image: Brian Owens (center) with current L.I.F.E. students
Photos: Tim Parker Photograph
Cover design: Jon Fogel
In High Spirits: The GatesworthSeptember 21st, 2020
Volunteer Power: Assistance League of St. LouisSeptember 21st, 2020
A Better STL: Veiled Prophet FoundationSeptember 8th, 2020
Hope, Love & Art: West County CenterSeptember 8th, 2020
Ride for a Cure: Pedal the CauseAugust 24th, 2020


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Guy Beats On Man He Thought Was Australian In Florida!
"Fort Lauderdale Police are looking for a suspect in connection with a beating that happened at an Andrews Avenue gas station last month. Police say the charming, American-Eagle-bedecked gentleman at right was standing in line at the Shell Station at 1144 S. Andrews Ave. on February 19 when he spontaneously turned around and told another man to "back up six inches." The victim, 50-year-old Michael Stocker, says the agitated man then called him a "limey fuck." When asked for clarification, Mr. Plaid Shorts clarified that he suspected Stocker was Australian."Posted by http://www.facebook.com/thataintordinarybruh
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PBS Digital Studios started its "Icons Remixed" series with a charming Fred Rogers video that was hugely successful this summer, and followed it with "Happy Little Clouds" from Bob Ross and "Keep On Cooking" with Julia Child.
Now, they're back with "In Your Imagination," a remixed Reading Rainbow video that not only highlights great little phrases that are both funny and profound (I will never get tired of Levar Burton saying "I love maps," I don't think) but also reminds you just how long Burton has been working on this project — which went off the air in 2009 after 23 years and 155 episodes, but which has been relaunched, thus far as an app, by Burton himself.
I'm not sure I love it more than the Mr. Rogers video, but it's lovely. You can listen to Mandalit del Barco's story from Tuesday's Morning Edition at the link above.
Let's hear now how an old beloved cultural touchstone in this country is being reworked for a contemporary audience. It's a long-running public TV show for kids. NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports.
MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE: PBS cancelled "Reading Rainbow" in 2006 after 23 years of teaching children about the joys of literature. But it lives again on YouTube with its host LeVar Burton in Auto-Tune.
The remix is a mash-up of clips with Burton encouraging young viewers to read. This year, Burton also launched an app that repurposes content from the original TV show. He told the website Tech Crunch that fans are also reworking the theme song.
BARCO: The "Reading Rainbow" Auto-Tune version is just the latest in PBS's new Icons Remixed series. It started last summer with the classic Mr. Rogers lacing up his sneakers and singing to kids.
BARCO: And Bob Ross talking about painting landscapes.
BARCO: And Julia Child reveling in the joy of cooking.
JASON SEIKEN: Right, this crazy Auto-Tune thing.
BARCO: Jason Seiken is vice president of PBS Interactive.
SEIKEN: We decided that we really needed to take a different approach and get much more in tune with the gestalt of the Web, retaining the PBS quality but put a YouTube sensibility around it.
BARCO: Seiken says the first three videos had more than 13 million views and thousands of comments from people nostalgic for their old PBS favorites.
SEIKEN: The comments kind of mostly fall into a couple of categories: I can't believe I'm crying man-tears over this, and I can't believe this is an official PBS production.
BARCO: Now PBS is asking its digital audience to decide who to auto-tune next. How about Bob Villa fixing up an old house, or Alistair Cooke from "Masterpiece Theater"? Mandalit del Barco, NPR News.
MONTAGNE: This is NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.