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Places in the Heart is a 1984 drama film that tells the story of a Texas widow who tries to keep her farm together with the help of a blind white man and an African-American man during the Great Depression. It stars Sally Field, Lindsay Crouse, Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, John Malkovich, Danny Glover, and Terry O'Quinn. The film was written and directed by Robert Benton and filmed in Waxahachie, near Dallas, Texas. Places in the Heart opens in Waxahachie, Texas in 1935 to scenes of the town and the sounds of a church choir singing "Blessed Assurance", often known as "This is My Story". Edna Spalding (Sally Field), places the final dish at the table. As the dinner begins there are reactions to gunshots in the distance. Sheriff Royce Spalding has a chance to eat a few bites before deputies come calling. At the railway yards a young black boy is staggering around obviously drunk. He is still drinking from a bottle while firing off a revolver. The Sheriff approaches cautiously and calls him...
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Sherman Morss shares the following article from World Wildlife Magazine. He has a personal connection with Kevin Pourier, who participates in the Native American exhibits at the PEM. Check out Kevin’s gorgeous art and website here: Buffalo Horn Artforms. Thanks so much to Sherman!

Monarch Heroes: Across the Country People are Taking Action for Monarchs

In the Lakota language, plants and animals are known as Wamakaska—“Sacred Beings of the Earth”—and the Lakota People believe that these species came before us to teach humans how to live. For Oglala Lakota artist Kevin Pourier, no species has been more influential than the monarch butterfly. Pourier first became aware of the power and beauty of these insects during a traditional ceremony. The connection grew deeper when he saw a photo of Sitting Bull from the late 1800s, and noticed a monarch wing tucked into the famed Lakota leader’s hatband. Today, Pourier honors these iconic butterflies through his internationally renowned artwork. Using sustainably harvested bison horns, Pourier creates monarch-themed sculptures that both modernize a traditional Lakota art form and encourage others to cherish the monarch butterfly.

Marshall Field became a conservationist the day he read Rachel Carson’s environmental clarion call,Silent Spring. The fifth-generation businessman and philanthropist joined WWF’s Board of Directors in 1973 and has been a stalwart champion of wildlife ever since. For years, Field focused on supporting efforts to save tigers, but his goals shifted when he heard of the rapidly disappearing monarch butterfly. He visited the insect population’s winter roosting grounds in Mexico, years before the population hit its 2013 nadir. “You had to yell to be heard over the sound of the butterflies beating their wings,” he recalls. The experience captivated him. “I think their migration is among the most mysterious natural phenomena there are,” says Field. “And if I’m interested in something, I’m going to get as many other people as I can interested, too.”

When Sister Kathleen Storms became director of the 200-acre Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat in Wheatland, Iowa, she saw few butterflies or bees on the grounds. Corn and soy crops covered the neighboring lands around the retreat; the region’s pollinator habitat was largely gone. Storms said she wanted to replant native flora, not only “for beauty, but also for the benefits they provide.” In fact, Our Lady of the Prairie has used the Conservation Reserve Program for the past two decades to secure natural spaces that make room “for quiet reflection.” Having grown up on a chemical-free dairy farm in Minnesota, Storms says she’s devoted to sustainable living, “to preserve this wonderful gift of creation, especially as we face climate change.”

Monarch Butterflies Awakening in the Morning Light, Gloucester

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August 4, 2012

Showing off your background

Hey peeps.  It's time for another challenge over at CMC.  If you don't make a lot of cards with background images you will love this one. This fabulous pine cone image is from Squigglefly.  I usually would of made this image small enough to be on a panel on a card with background paper behind it.  But how cool does it look as a background?  Got cha thinking now do I?  I colored my image with Copic Markers and ShinHan Art Touch makers.  I have the wood tones set of ShinHan makers and they worked fabulous on these pine cones.  Here are the colors of Copics and Touch makers:

93, 92, 102, 98 - Touch Markers
BG93, BG95 - Copics

I used my clear Spica pen to add a little sparkle but I don't think you can really see it in this picture.  Suzanne works wonders with both sets of markers.  Yes, Suzanne I'm a CMC junkie!!  If you have not taken any of Suzanne's classes you are sooo missing out on getting your skills up using your makers.

Speaking of classes Suzanne has a new on-line class debuting on August 31 that focuses 110% on all hair types, styles and colors.and your can pre-register right now for $45.  Also if you are in the Boston or NYC area Suzanne will be teaching her CT class in Stafford Springs the weekend of August 22nd.  She will be teaching the All About Hair class in person as well.  So head on over to CMCRoad for all the details.

Gotta run and I sure do hope you join in on the fun.  You have until  August 17th to make your project and load it up on the CMC site.

Hugs and love~

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what if we just did?

Hint: I’m reading Acts.

Acts like things you do. Actions. Movements. Speakings. It is not a passive thing.

I read about Apollos in Acts chapter 18 today. This guy’s special. He was from Alexandria in Egypt, and he knew almost nothing about Jesus.

So: ought not Paul to be remarking what an eager learner this fellow was, or how regularly he sought out teaching an instruction? Perhaps we should be reminded that this guy was always sitting in synagogues, at the feet of Paul, always listening and soaking things up. After all, he knew ONLY about John’s baptism of Jesus.

This is where God does his usual thing, which is an unusual thing. (God is not boring. Remember that. Your life maybe won’t shock you so much after.)

Apollos is known for teaching.

But –

No, you read it right. Teaching. Now, clearly there were some missing elements of his teaching, because Acquilla and Priscilla took him to their home and taught him all that he needed to know to more fully declare the beautiful gospel.

He started teaching way before that though. Can you imagine standing before a learned crowd that studied and memorized the scriptures from the time they were children, and explainng to them the ways of your Savior? Put yourself there: wrap your toga a smidge tighter so that when you gesture wildly in joy at the things God’s done, it doesn’t slip. And explain again how with a simple *dunk* John put Jesus under the water – so reluctant to baptize the Christ! – and when Jesus stood up with water dripping from his beard and off his nose and with his tunic stuck to him all wrinkly, like any human, the voice of His Father, God himself, opened heaven like soft praise and a Dove-Spirit descended down.

Seriously, what if we did that? I know it’s scary. I know you won’t understand the Greek and Hebrew roots of scripture without deep and regular study. I know you won’t be able to contextualize every passage, understand the dual meanings of various prophesies, tear apart the insinuations of the beatitudes, etc.

Gosh, people. Does it take all that? Yes, it is beautiful and instructive and helpful and each of us should have a buddy in Bible School so that we learn better how to learn and what to learn. But does it take all that? Do you need to know each verse in order to tell people the offensive good news of the Gospel?

I don’t think so. Let me explain it differently.

Suppose I write a book. It’s a famous book. It’s the best selling book in the history of everness. That kind of famous. Now further suppose it is a life-changing book. So naturally, after I change your life, you want to help other people. (I happen to have an inflated view of my life. JK. It’s an example. Just keep reading.)

Naturally, in order to learn more about this life-changing-ness, you go to college:  you pick a school that writes books about my book and that teaches from my book and all the professors have read my book (most of them anyway.)

Or, you could phone me. Read my book, read it again, phone me again (I’m readily available. 867-5309… haaaaahahaha). Read it some more. Memorize a bit.

Really though. Do you think that the people God made – however Godly and wise and learned – can teach you more about his book than he can? But somehow, we take that arrogant view, I think. And not intentionally. But it can happen.

[This is a radical concept even to me. I kind of just discovered it as I wrote it. Somebody remind me to read this again in a while!]

You know, I have friends in Bible school and I highly commend them. For the longest time, I assumed they were better than me. They’re majoring in Biblical Studies and I’m in Literature. I majored in Literature because I love Literature. I questioned myself as to whether that was a bad thing. No, no I don’t think so. (Mostly that’s a discussion for another time.) But I tried to condone my choice by arguing that the disciples were loud, uncouth fishermen, and they understood the Gospel. If uneducated men working the “fall-back” career of the day could be disciples, couldn’t I? I get that my attitude wasn’t right about it. I felt guilty and I was trying to rationalize.

However. I think now that I found the correct answer in the incorrect way. If volatile, thunderous fishermen can be chosen ones; if self-saving wishy-washy Peter can be an agent of grace; if men who don’t understand what Jesus and the scriptures have been saying about his resurrection can be apostles; then by golly grace, so can I.

Below – Caribou Coffee asks: if you could talk to one historical character: who? Yes, you people. Yes.

So let’s do it. Lets be out there and teach. Let’s explain the grace we do know instead of waiting for more. Let’s teach what we have and share what we’ve been given. We can receive more instruction and we should wholeheartedly seek it, but we should not let it stop us.

If all you know is the baptism, teach the baptism.

to April

You said you were ordinary.

You did not know how spectacular your ordinaryness is. I want to tell you.

This post is to every woman; every ordinary woman. Dear April – for you are an April to somebody, probably several somebodies, – please know that people mean this all to you, just like I mean it to April.

to April: You thought you were ordinary. You thought you were skiing and snowshoeing and enjoying jokes and laughing heartily and being blessed and enjoying a snippet of winter. And sure, you were. But for each little “Darlin'” and “Lamb” and for each time you sat down next to me, or let me come skiing or snowshoeing; for each time you laughed uproariously and snorted that special, ridiculous little snort; for each time you frowned over a pine cone and saved it for later, when you had a pencil – your ordinariness was what I needed.

I don’t remember the first time you called me Lamb or Darlin’. It was probably the first time I addressed you (which took a while; I was shy.) But you meant it, that first time. You still do. You mean it when you talk with anybody. That, my Dear Ordinary April, is the kind of ordinary we crave.

I don’t know how often you snowshoed up here, or how often you took people with and how often you wanted to go alone. (I get that, by the way.) I don’t know how often you wanted to share the wonder of the woods with one of your darlins, but I do know that I loved it. I could hear – each time you mentioned how the carnivorous plants worked down in their Black Spruce Bogs, or pointed out the Leatherleaf sticking steadfast and up all through winter – I could hear how much you cared.

We tramped (you tramped and I tripped over the super-sized feet I wasn’t used to) through the bogs and over the ridges and up the trickling gullies and you asked all about Colorado and my school and the things you knew I cared about. That’s the kind of ordinary that speaks, Love. April I don’t know how often you’ve spoken in front of a crowd, because you got all shaky and your little tears made tears on the rest of our faces too, but I know that you miss it here, and yet you went. You crave your winter and you humbly walked into a vacillating summer. You love those familiar bog plants and spruces, those carnivorous little traps and the frozen places you can only walk on one season of the year. But you left, because you care more about God than winter, and more about His work than familiarity, and more about God’s people than your people.

Bless you, April. You’re a quiet kind of ordinary. I don’t see you on stages, and we don’t chat about your Bible education because you’re not enrolled in any seminary. But for all the deep lessons I learn from great, God-filled sermons, and for all the new exciting teachings I crave at the hands of those being formally educated in things I may never know – for all that, April, your ordinary has made me laugh as heartily; it has taught me much love and how to snort a little when I laugh; it has taught me to care about people, not how they dress, but also how to wear fun colors (admittedly, “Jim”, you take the cake with color.) Gosh – I barely chat with you. Even here we weren’t talking all the time. Mama’s your best bud – you Lucy and Ethel duo.

You didn’t know all this, did you? You didn’t know how deep you reach with that monosyllabic “Lamb”; you didn’t know tripping through brush on the banks of Black Spruce Bogs was a love lesson greater than any professor could cover in a quiz; you didn’t know laughing that singular laugh was gonna tickle me happy like life can go on, even when I’m melting in a place I wouldn’t have chosen to be. That’s your ordinary, April. That’s you just doing your ordinary thing. And you know what makes it extraordinary and spectacular and beyond anything I’d learn from a sermon or a classroom or a book? I see that you are ordinary and I can recognize that you have been with Christ.

wpid-2015-02-26-10.18.04-1.jpg.jpeg wpid-2015-02-22-04.39.35-1.jpg.jpeg wpid-2015-02-22-04.39.52-1.jpg.jpeg

Now – you other Aprils. Sweeties, all of you.

Stacy: Psh, we still barely chat. But you let me pull you aside at church one busy night and ask you all worried and confused how one ought to do mission trips. And you, sweet seasoned veteran, helped. You told me what I needed to know, and you reassured me. Thank you.

Michelle: Gosh – when you walked through the front door (how terribly cliché the beginning of that sentence sounds!) I just kind of went “She’s coming! Yay!” and I honestly couldn’t even remember your name. I think you’re a little crazy. Your laugh just gets out there and makes a joke better. Still, you know how to lean in and look someone in the eyes and give deep true advice. Plus there’s a bunch of other things – like the whole crazy we-love-camping thing – that make you an epic lady. Oh: I am a lit major, so read that word “epic” for all that it is worth.

Esther: Them sweatpants though! Thanks to you, I was a few degrees farther away from actually freezing the … off.

Roxanne: Never once did you bring up that job I irresponsibly missed and here I was kinda shamed the whole time – but we just gasped and shrieked between the polar plunge and the sauna; we competed in broomball and whooped sledding down that supah-sketch hill – you just being all gracious and forgiving and forgetting and me just being all grateful. Thanks, lady.

Lacey: Okay, how do some people just kind of know what I need? Cuz we just practiced a bit that first night and then we came down the stairs and I did that little awkward walk-fast-so-you-get-away-without-saying-goodbye thing (gotta love my awkward, eh?) and you just said “Gianna,” and I turned around, “Thanks for being so flexible.” and you hugged me, and that was darned amazing. Yup. Do I sound like a sap? Anyway.

So, April and all you Aprils, Yeah. You’re ordinary. I’m ordinary. But people need your ordinary.

*I* need it.

Thank you for sharing your ordinary.

colorado; because yes

If ever you wanted the shortest version of where hereafter and when, there it is.

Just that. Peeps, I ain’t even exaggerating.

It started two years ago when my brother went to Colorado for a semester at Focus on the Family. Mum and I visited him for two days. (I don’t take long to decide if I love something.)

Then last year it dawned on me that I was a senior. In college.

Crap. Aren’t seniors supposed to have like… a plan?

So I took Colorado and this whole “plan” thing and stuck them together in a mental stew and let them simmer. Actually, I just sort of slept on it for nine months. Legit. Then September rolled around and I was all “Hey, I should move to Colorado for a few years.”wpid-2015-02-24-06.07.02-1.jpg.jpeg

So that’s what I’m doing. Moving to Colorado. Don’t know how long. Don’t know who I’ll meet. Heck, I only know three people in the whole of Colorado Springs, and one in Denver. But they have mountains there, so I’m sure that will tide me over until I make some friends.

I do hope you don’t think I’m joking. Really, I’m quite serious. I woked one morning, and I was tired of thinking and contemplating and sleeping on it and freaking out. So hey. Why not?

Which became: So chyeah!

I think I’m ready. I’m ready to take this world by the toes and shake it out, just to see what tumbles out of the pockets. I’m ready to get my feet wet cannonball into the oceanous world. I’m ready to be brave, and burn my fingers a little. I’m ready to shade my eyes at how bright the future could be (Haaaaahaha sorry) and I’m ready to engage the tough stuff of being all by my selfie. With, of course, the amazing support of my family and friends and blah blah because I gots ta say it but it sounds dreadfully cliche.

So. Here’s to wet feet and happy days. Here’s to climbing mountains and being a tad too flippant. Here’s to meeting the new crazies and warmer winters and good coffee and new adventures and more. If you want to know what more, come to Colorado Springs and I’ll fill you in, nice ‘n’ tip-top full. Yep. But you might have to sleep on the floor. Kitchen floor. Or the bathtub. Because I promise I will be paying a tiny rent for a tiny place. I am only I, after all.

Oh: the questions you’re going to ask me.

No. It is not a boy. I image if I were moving somewhere for a boy, you’d have heard about him already.

Why Colorado? Because Colorado’s awesome. Duh. They have mountains there, I hear.

I’m not leaving tomorrow. Or today. (Gosh that’d be sweet.) Not til summer, actually. Yup yup.

Ummmz. If you haz more questions, jes’ ask!


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Romantic, sensual and feminine, the Piper gown was inspired by the fuss free bride who oozes sophistication and charm. Piper is easy to wear, easy to move in and can be worn with a regular bra for added shape and support. Handmade in our Australian studio with a combination of luxurious European laces in a fresh ivory tone, the Piper features a body hugging silhouette with a flattering V-neckline, statement sleeves and a sleek skirt with a front side split.

  • Handmade in our Australian studio, delivered worldwide
  • Made to a standard dress size and height
  • Models wear standard XS (Australian size 8) sample
  • Stretch French lace
  • Fresh ivory tone
  • Figure hugging stretch fit
  • Flattering V-neckline
  • Statement sleeves
  • Front side split
  • 40cm train
  • Fully lined with stretch lining
  • Can be worn with a bra

“Piper is the paired back, rebellious younger sister gown to our iconic Francis. For the woman wanting ‘WOW’ whilst keeping it cool, calm, collected and completely effortless. Piper is an intriguing and sublime dress that celebrates shape, luxury and perfectly restrained drama. I imagine a girl would marry Mick Jagger in this dress” GLL Founder, Megan.

“The Piper is designed for the romantic, rebellious bride. The sultry split and deep V neck are flattering and feminine while the contrast sleeves pack an edgy punch. Piper embodies a timeless and modern elegance. She is for the ultimate seductress!” GLL Stylist, Bec.

* We understand how important the ordering of your wedding gown is and our team are there for you throughout the entire process. Our Stylist team are here to assist you with any styling advice you may need via email ([email protected]), phone, live chat and Skype everyday. After you place your order you will be taken care of by Hilary and Karlie until delivery.

Size, Fit + Extra Details

The Piper is made to a standard size and height (155cm shoulder to floor).

Our models wear a standard all-over Australian size 8 (XS). To view the International Size Conversion chart and Measurement chart visit our INFO page.

Models measurements (Picture 1):
Height: 177cm
Bust: 79cm
Waist: 61cm
Hips: 85cm
The model is a size XXS-XS. The sample worn is a standard, ready-made size XS.

Models measurements (Picture 2):
Height: 175.5cm
Bust: 85cm
Waist: 63.5cm
Hips: 91cm
The model is a size XS. The sample worn is a standard, ready-made size XS.

Due to the easy-fit nature of our gowns (all with a high degree of stretch elements) the fits are versatile. If you are between sizes then you would choose your size depending on how body-hugging you would like your gown. Generally we would recommend ordering a size up if your are between sizes. We are here to help you throughout the process. You can contact our Stylist team if you have any questions regarding styles and sizing - [email protected]

Our Styling Tips

- Henri veil
- Rose gold Gaia earring or Virtue Pearl earring
- Dosa heel in nude

Special Notes + Questions

Can I wear a bra?
You can wear a normal bra for extra support if required.

What underwear do I wear?
We recommend wearing skin coloured, seamless underwear.

Is the dress see-through at all?
The Piper is fully lined with a stretch ivory lining. The sleeves are unlined to highlight the beautiful lace detail on the skin.

What does this dress feel like to touch?
The Piper feels soft and luxurious. It has been handmade with a stretch French lace.

How long does it take for my dress to be made?
The Piper is a ready-to-wear style available for immediate purchase. It has been made to a standard size and height (155cm shoulder to floor).

How is my dress made?
All of our dresses are designed and hand made at our studio on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Can I alter the design of my dress?
We would love to give every bride what they request in terms of alterations, however each and every one of our gowns undergo intensive design processes to ensure that the fit, feel and balance of each dress is absolutely perfect. Therefore, we do not offer customisations, unless stated.

What if I lose/gain weight?
Our designs are crafted from luxurious French stretch lace, so often if you drop a size in weight, the original size still fits beautifully. If not, it is also very easy to have the dress altered by a professional seamstress if you would like it to be a little more fitted.

We deliver worldwide and sell exclusively through our website and three showroom locations. International orders are sent via UPS Express, which takes between 3-7 business days to arrive. Domestic orders are sent via Australian Express Post, which takes between 1-3 business days to arrive.

GST added to Australian based orders


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God tested Abraham: A Sermon for Proper8, Year A 2016

Marc Chagall, The Sacrifice of Isaac, 1966

We’ve been reading the story of Abraham these past few weeks, and today we hear the most dramatic episode in his story. Indeed, this may be one of the most dramatic stories in all of scripture. It confronts us with a horrific dilemma and its implications concerning God’s nature and the nature of the relationship between human beings and God, the nature of faith, are deeply unsettling. Continue reading


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Edah: Bringing Our Community Together With Online Communications

edah_with_megillah.jpgEdah’s Jewish learning programs for K-5 students were already ahead of the curve when it came to understanding how to engage students, families and communities. Edah’s experiential and project based learning infused with rich Hebrew and Judaic content has been reaching children who participate in its programs since 2010. Parents directly benefit from Edah too. The regular updates on educational units, family programming, and retreats provide family learning opportunities connected to the Jewish calendar. Even our organization’s name “Edah” meaning “community” speaks to the intergenerational and social nature of our educational philosophy and approach. Until recent months, Edah’s communications existed in a very basic set of website, email, and facebook group channels.

Participation in Darim’s Social Media Boot Camp for Educators was an indication of Edah’s intention to strengthen our community’s online networks by increasing our web presence and utilizing digital communications tools. One message that came across in all sessions of the Boot Camp was that a functioning, enhanced online network could strengthen Edah’s community. By community, they meant not only our community of participants, but also our larger community of stakeholders and funders that have supported our emergence and growth. Joshua Venture Group’s May 29, 2013 report Change the Conversation, Change the World echoes the need to remain visible to funders and align with funding priorities – two aspects of organizational sustainability and growth that can be achieved in large part through the online communications world.

edahs_basic_social_system.jpgIn spring 2013, Edah built a Facebook page, connected it with our Twitter account, launched a new colorful website and set up a blog. While Edah has been building an extensive library of multi-media documentation of our innovative “complimentary” Jewish educational program, we now have tapped into the critical digital systems that will more efficiently present our work to families, stakeholders, and colleagues alike. The private Edah Facebook group that was set up when we began in 2010 continues to serve its purpose well, as a hub where parents, staff, lay leaders, and our wider network members share information about Edah and community interests.

For our afterschool and out-of-school programs, the outstanding Edah educators put in tremendous effort to provide our students with integrative learning stations, and to equip our youth with authentic and engaging ways to absorb Hebrew and Judaism and deepen their personal Jewish identity. For our camp and special day programs, educational leaders have the freedom to develop adventurous participatory storytelling, creative and artistic multi-sensory exploration, and project-based studies. Bright excerpts of Edah life can now be viewed, understood, shared, and enjoyed through our new social channels.

The biggest internal change that was required by our renewed focus on social media is that Edah is building communications into our business infrastructure. It takes time to grow comfortable in all the online platforms in order to manipulate each to serve its purpose effectively for the organization, so it helps that our staff person responsible for the communications system has experience utilizing the online tools. Now that our basic system is almost in place, our next step is to establish a regular communications calendar routine that involves educators, administrators, and leadership to capture and share the exciting Edah curriculum and media out into virtual realms.

In Edah’s environment of thriving Jewish learning, leaders and educators do not struggle with concepts like emotional intelligence, empathy and middot, digital learning, inclusivity or design thinking. Our savvy leadership has its finger on the pulse of research regarding learning, in general, and Jewish learning, in specific, and helps apply that to our own program as well as through Nitzan – a network of innovative Jewish afterschool programs throughout North America that Edah leaders catalyzed and facilitate. We look forward to applying our social media strategies and new online systems to upgrade our broader professional collaborations through Nitzan’s website and other upcoming web-based venues.

Wendy Kenin is the Coordinator for Edah.  This year Edah participated in the Social Media Boot Camp for Educators, a year long program generously funded by The Covenant Foundation.  Thisseries of blog posts this spring chart the learnings of the 10 teams in this year’s cohort.

This article first appeared on Darim Online and Edah Community blogs.

About greendoula

Birthing babies, social movements, and new world paradigms!

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Archive for the ‘Mercury’ Category

FERC Issues Policy Statement on Advising the EPA on MATS Extensions

Photo by Titus Tscharntke. Some rights reserved.

Photo by Titus Tscharntke. Some rights reserved.

This guidance used to be just a glimmer in the commission’s eye. But as of May 17th, it’s official. That’s when FERC released its Policy Statement on the Commission’s Role Regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.

The Policy Statement specifically explains how FERC will provide advice to the EPA for it to rule on requests for Administrative Orders (AO) to operate in noncompliance with EPA’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. Last week’s Policy Statement was drawn up with consideration of all comments FERC received on a January 2012 white paper soliciting input on the staff’s position on the topic. (Our original post on the topic describes the standards and the EPA/FERC relationship in a bit more detail.)

Van Ness Feldman’s recent Alert on the topic sums up nicely both the Policy Statement and its implications:

FERC’s new Policy Statement provides that for each such extension request, it will advise EPA whether failure to grant such an extension might lead to a violation of a FERC-approved Reliability Standard.  It will not, however, recommend to EPA that the Agency grant or deny such extension requests, and will not advise EPA on potential impacts that are not within FERC’s jurisdiction over reliability standards.

The Policy Statement has a narrow scope limited to case-by-case input to EPA on the potential reliability issues raised by individual generators retrofit or deactivation timelines that fall within FERC’s reliability jurisdiction.  FERC’s input is not binding guidance to EPA.  Moreover, the Policy Statement does not address the broad scope of reliability concerns that industry and policymakers have raised in connection with the Utility MATS rule.  Concerns such as system resource adequacy and safety, coordination to schedule outages among generators within a region, and the potential regional reliability impact of multiple base load generators that choose to deactivate rather than comply with the Utility MATS rule are not addressed in FERC’s Policy Statement.  The limited scope of the Policy Statement may prompt renewed calls by policymakers as well as industry for a more comprehensive, coordinated regional process to address the broader reliability concerns with the Utility MATS rule.

FERC Waxes Poetic on Advising EPA about MATS Extensions

Photo by Pull Strings, Push Shapes. Some rights reserved.

The same day that the EPA released the final rule on Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for power plants, it also published a Policy Memorandum outlining how it intended to handle requests for extensions in complying with the new rule. Yesterday, FERC announced how they intended to give the EPA a hand.

Section 112(i)(3) of the Clean Air Act establishes that affected sources must be compliant with MATS within three years, with an extension of up to one year available in certain cases. In addition, under Section 113(a) of the CAA – 42 USC 7413(a) – certain affected sources can obtain another one-year extension through an administrative order (AO).

The EPA’s Policy Memorandum addresses AOs issued for sources that “must operate in noncompliance with the MATS for up to a year to address a specific and documented reliability concern.” This extension would help bridge the gap when electric generating units may be needed to operate “to maintain the reliability of the electric grid when they would prefer, or could be required, to halt operations temporarily (until controls [needed to bring the unit into compliance with the new rules] can be installed).”

And this is where FERC steps in.

Because under the Federal Power Act, FERC is the regulatory agency charged with overseeing the reliability of the bulk power system, EPA plans to take advantage of FERC’s prowess. Although “the EPA’s issuance of an AO is not conditioned upon the approval or concurrence of any entity,” states the Policy Memorandum, “the EPA intends to consult, as necessary or appropriate on a case-by-case basis, with FERC and/or other entities with relevant reliability expertise.”

On January 30th, 2012, FERC released a white paper outlining the staff’s position on how FERC should advise the EPA on the requests for extensions. For instance, “Staff believes that the Commission should not permit entities to intervene in the preparation of the Commission comments to the EPA.”

One would hope not.

FERC is currently soliciting comments on the white paper under Docket No. AD12-1-000.

Two “Big Deal” Final Rules Released: Mine Safety Disclosure and Mercury and Air Toxics Standards

Photo by Grayskullduggery. Some rights reserved.

December 21st marked a day of great regulatory importance as both the SEC and EPA released final versions of rules that have been in the works for years.

The SEC published Final Rule 33-9286, “Mine Safety Disclosure,” – which implements Section 1503 of the Dodd-Frank Act – a grandiose 364 days after the proposed version hit the Federal Register. The new rule will dictate how mining companies must disclose information about mine safety and health in certain SEC filings. Now that the rule has finalized (it becomes effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Regsiter), we hope to see examples of this disclosure from more companies than just Monarch Cement Co.

Even earlier in the day came the news that the EPA had revealed its new, finalized rule setting national standards to limit mercury, acid gases and other toxic pollution from power plants. Grist called the rules a “Big Deal,” waxing poetic about how the rules “will make America a more decent, just, and humane place to live.” Grist wasn’t the only one who thought so – we thought they were landmark, too. To read more about the standards, check out the EPA’s “MATS” page.

So go ahead and mark December 21st down in your calendar. It may just go down in history.

EPA Issues Landmark Mercury Pollution Standards for Power Plants

Photo by Flickr user Kansas Poetry (Patrick). Some rights reserved.

On March 16th, facing down a final court deadline, the Environmental Protection Agency unveiled the proposed rule for the first-ever national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants from coal-and-oil-fueled power plants, and the first significant legislation of its kind since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1990. These standards were developed based on the practices and results from the best functioning national plants, and would primarily regulate toxic gases such as mercury, arsenic, chromium, and nickel, as well as requiring mandatory safety upgrades and employment of effective pollution control devices for most U.S. plants. These changes have been in the works since December 2000, when the EPA first re-examined the standards proposed in the original Clean Air Act.

In a fact sheet published alongside the rule itself, the EPA offers a number of encouraging statistics that will result from the new standards. The new technologies employed would prevent 91% of mercury and acid gases and 55% of sulfur dioxide burned in power plants from escaping into the air. By 2016, according to the EPA, the legislation will prevent as many as 17,000 premature deaths and 11,000 heart attacks annually, with 120,000 fewer cases of aggravated asthma and 12,000 fewer emergency room visits. And while the rule is estimated to cost $10.9 billion annually, it will theoretically also save workers and affected persons between $59 and $140 billion in health costs, and could create as many as 31,000 short-term construction jobs implementing the new technology and 9,000 long-term utility-based jobs.

As the EPA has recently come under scrutiny from Republican lawmakers for enforcing new climate rules that the GOP argues could cripple the already troublesome federal budget, these new emission standards may be looked upon with some skepticism. However, the EPA, in their press release for the rule, assures skeptics that the new standards align strictly with an executive order signed into action by President Obama in January that requires new regulation by federal agencies to be as cost effective as possible.

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Archive for the ‘Particle Pollution’ Category

Two “Big Deal” Final Rules Released: Mine Safety Disclosure and Mercury and Air Toxics Standards

Photo by Grayskullduggery. Some rights reserved.

December 21st marked a day of great regulatory importance as both the SEC and EPA released final versions of rules that have been in the works for years.

The SEC published Final Rule 33-9286, “Mine Safety Disclosure,” – which implements Section 1503 of the Dodd-Frank Act – a grandiose 364 days after the proposed version hit the Federal Register. The new rule will dictate how mining companies must disclose information about mine safety and health in certain SEC filings. Now that the rule has finalized (it becomes effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Regsiter), we hope to see examples of this disclosure from more companies than just Monarch Cement Co.

Even earlier in the day came the news that the EPA had revealed its new, finalized rule setting national standards to limit mercury, acid gases and other toxic pollution from power plants. Grist called the rules a “Big Deal,” waxing poetic about how the rules “will make America a more decent, just, and humane place to live.” Grist wasn’t the only one who thought so – we thought they were landmark, too. To read more about the standards, check out the EPA’s “MATS” page.

So go ahead and mark December 21st down in your calendar. It may just go down in history.

The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule: Keep Your Dirty Air to Yourself

Photo by jepoirrier. Some rights reserved.

Though the implementation deadline for the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (“CSAPR”) is just a few short weeks away, many folks’ defiant response has been: Keep your Cross-State Air Pollution Rule to yourself.

The final rule, published by the EPA in the Federal Register on August 8th of this year, endeavors to reduce air pollution by limiting power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOX) that cross state lines. By 2014, this rule is estimated to prevent a whopping 13,000 to 34,000 premature deaths annually.

However, not everyone is as excited as the EPA about the reduction in premature deaths.

Two bills currently working their way through Congress include sections or amendments aiming to hobble the act. An amendment in the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act of 2011 (H.R. 2401) would delay action on CSAPR until an interagency panel has an opportunity to investigate the economic impact of various air emissions rules. H.R. 2891, America’s Energy Independence Act, proposes to delay the initial compliance deadline of CSAPR for ten years.

And Congress members aren’t the only ones squawking. At least eight states, and several private companies, have consolidated seven separate cases against the EPA into a singular challenge to the rule. Jenner & Block has more on the super-case, EME Homer City Generation, L.P. v. EPA No. 11-1302 (D.C. Cir. filed Aug. 23, 2011).

Because the displeasure has been so loud, many owners or operators of the subject power plans – high on the idea that the rule might not survive pending legislative and legal challenges – are unlikely to “install expensive pollution control technologies or to engage fully in CSAPR’s emission allowance markets,” despite the pending compliance date, according to a recent Client Publication from Shearman & Sterling.

Still, it hasn’t stopped companies from fretting: There have been at least 250 appearances of the terms CSAPR or Cross-State Air Pollution Rule in SEC filings since the rule was finalized, many in the vein of: “If finalized, the rule’s new requirements to control mercury emissions could result in implementation of additional technologies at power plants that could negatively affect fly ash quality,” or “The Cross-State Air Pollution Rules, if commenced on January 1, 2012, could adversely affect cost of operations at our Roanoke Valley Energy Facility.”

You can read more about the CSAPR here.

EPA Issues Landmark Mercury Pollution Standards for Power Plants

Photo by Flickr user Kansas Poetry (Patrick). Some rights reserved.

On March 16th, facing down a final court deadline, the Environmental Protection Agency unveiled the proposed rule for the first-ever national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants from coal-and-oil-fueled power plants, and the first significant legislation of its kind since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1990. These standards were developed based on the practices and results from the best functioning national plants, and would primarily regulate toxic gases such as mercury, arsenic, chromium, and nickel, as well as requiring mandatory safety upgrades and employment of effective pollution control devices for most U.S. plants. These changes have been in the works since December 2000, when the EPA first re-examined the standards proposed in the original Clean Air Act.

In a fact sheet published alongside the rule itself, the EPA offers a number of encouraging statistics that will result from the new standards. The new technologies employed would prevent 91% of mercury and acid gases and 55% of sulfur dioxide burned in power plants from escaping into the air. By 2016, according to the EPA, the legislation will prevent as many as 17,000 premature deaths and 11,000 heart attacks annually, with 120,000 fewer cases of aggravated asthma and 12,000 fewer emergency room visits. And while the rule is estimated to cost $10.9 billion annually, it will theoretically also save workers and affected persons between $59 and $140 billion in health costs, and could create as many as 31,000 short-term construction jobs implementing the new technology and 9,000 long-term utility-based jobs.

As the EPA has recently come under scrutiny from Republican lawmakers for enforcing new climate rules that the GOP argues could cripple the already troublesome federal budget, these new emission standards may be looked upon with some skepticism. However, the EPA, in their press release for the rule, assures skeptics that the new standards align strictly with an executive order signed into action by President Obama in January that requires new regulation by federal agencies to be as cost effective as possible.

EPA Boils Down Final Rules to Bare Essentials, Conservative Groups Still Emitting Concerns

In April 2010, after three years of delayed litigation, the EPA released its proposed Boiler MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology) rules that would govern emission standards for commercial, institutional and industrial boilers, solid-waste incinerators, and furnaces.

The rules, long-awaited by environmental groups and clean-air industries alike, aimed to make significant cuts to emissions of hazardous air pollutants (“HAP”s) like mercury, dioxin, soot, hydrogen chloride, and carbon monoxide.

Photo by Andy Dingley. Some rights reserved.

The proposed rules received over 4,800 comments over the 45 days they were open in the Federal Register, and with pressure from both sides of the issue, the EPA requested an extension to finish drafting the final rules in January 2011. District Judge Paul Friedman denied the agency its requested 15 month extension and gave a 30 day window for the agency to comply, and the final rules were submitted on February 23, 2011.

The EPA estimates that the final rules cut the cost of compliance by a significant 50%, with the figure associated with implementing the rule estimated at $1.8 billion, as opposed to the $3.6 billion figure associated with the proposed rules.

The most significant difference between the proposed and final rules was that biomass boilers were changed to be included with coal boilers in one single solid-fuel category, which eased considerably the standards for biomass boilers emitting less than 25 tons of combined toxins annually.

Response to the final rules has been divided by party and agency lines, with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) claiming that they were issued hastily and under pressure of court-ordered deadline. The Council of Industrial Boiler Owners has stated that the rules are too costly, and that adhering to their standards could cause many facilities to shut down, estimating a potential 300,000 jobs lost as a cost.

The EPA, on the other hand, is optimistic about its rules and estimates it could create as many as 2,200 new jobs. Likeminded environmentalist organization the NRDC estimates that the new emission standards could save 6,500 lives and prevent 46,000 cases of asthma and bronchitis annually. As the back and forth continues, the EPA has encouraged companies and agencies to offer their feedback on the rules, as their opponents, such as Upton, prepare to combat them.

You can find a copy of the final rules, along with related international news and agency materials in this knowledgemosaic Spotlight, published on our Keep Current news page.

Danger in the Air in Afghanistan and Iraq (and it’s not what you think)

Photo by Greg Henshall. Some rights reserved.

About two weeks ago, the GAO released a report scolding the Department of Defense (DOD) on their enforcement of burn pit operations procedures and solid waste management. The GAO initially was asked to report on “(1) extent of open pit burning in Afghanistan and Iraq, and whether the military has followed its guidance; (2) alternatives to burn pits, and whether the military has examined them; and (3) extent of efforts to monitor air quality and potential health impacts.” Their conclusion? DOD needs to improve “adherence” to guidance on burn pit operations and waste management, as well as consider alternatives to current procedures.

According to the DOD, soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq each generate about 10 pounds of solid waste per day. The efficiency of the process means that most of this waste is burned in open pits, despite the abundant smoke and other emissions associated with the practice. DOD and the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) have only recently provided specific guidance and policies on the management of these burn pits. GAO investigators found that many burn pits inspected were failing to comply with the published guidelines – burn pit operators routinely burned items that are now prohibited (such as plastics and aerosol cans) and failed to monitor or document emissions from the pits. Additionally, burn pits were often used for stretches of time that exceeded recommendations (it is suggested that burn pits be replaced incinerators when practical).

As the GAO points out, U.S. environmental protection laws do not normally apply overseas. Therefore, the military has developed its own policies and guidelines for the management of solid waste during military operations. In September of 2009, CENTCOM published Regulation 200-2, which finally detailed “minimal acceptable standards for solid waste disposal” and burn pit operations. In March of 2010, DOD issued Memorandum 09-032, which prohibited “the disposal of covered waste in open-air burn pits during contingency operations except when no alternative disposal method is feasible.” Following the guidance wouldn’t just eliminate the more toxic elements in resulting emissions – it would ideally prevent some of the pollution altogether. The DOD memo was to be incorporated into DOD Instruction 4715.5, which established general environmental standards “for protection of human health and the environment at DoD installations in foreign countries.” (A complementary DOD guidance document on the environmental compliance standards is available here.)

What happens when you fail to follow the directions? According to the EPA, the kind of particle pollution produced by open pit burning is associated with the following health problems: “irritation of the airways, coughing, or difficulty breathing; decreased lung function; aggravated asthma; development of chronic bronchitis; irregular heartbeat; nonfatal heart attacks; and premature death in people with heart or lung disease.”

The GAO reports that “some veterans returning from both conflicts have reported pulmonary and respiratory ailments, among other health concerns, that they attribute to burn pit emissions.” To date, more than 200 current and former servicemembers have joined together for a class action suit against Kellogg, Brown, and Root (KBR), one of the contractors hired to provide burn pit services in Iraq. They allege that exposure to air pollutants due to the contractor’s negligent management of burn pit operations has resulted in serious health problems. The MDL Docket Report for the case can be found here. The District Court for the District of Maryland has published an Order and a Memorandum Opinion on the case (In re KBR Burn Pit Litigation, RWT-09-2083). KBR has responded to the accusations online with “Facts About Burn Pit Litigation.”

The GAO report concluded with six recommendations for helping the DOD adhere to “relevant guidance on burn pit operations and waste management.” When given a chance to review the draft report, the DOD concurred with almost all of the GAO recommendations, and explained the ways in which they hope to improve operations. One hopes these improvements can help prevent at least some of the perils of war.

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Do Not Judge

Discipleship Study - Character - Matthew 7:1-2- Do Not Judge - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Study – Character – Matthew 7:1-2- Do Not Judge – Growing As Disciples

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1-2 (NIV)

My Job

I am certainly not qualified to be a judge others, of that I am positive. I have no doubts about that in my mind whatsoever. Why do you say that? I have made so many mistakes. I have gone where I shouldn’t have gone. I have done what I should not have done. I’m not talking about a rare misstep or an occasional mistake. No, I have repeatedly gone astray and missed the mark. I have stepped out of bounds. I have sinned against you and others in my thoughts and words and deeds. I have even known what would be the good and right and true thing to do and I have deliberately gone and done just the opposite. Where did that lead you? All my sin led me straight to rock bottom. It was then and there that I cried out to you. You brought me to my senses. You turned my life around. You forgave my sin and cleansed me of my unrighteousness. You set me on a new path of loving, following and serving you. Yes, I did. But, I have not forgotten about where I was when you rescued me from a life without you. I was without hope in the world. You have given me a completely new life to live in you. That’s right. So, I have it firmly established in my mind that I am not qualified to be a judge of anyone else. Beyond that, I have no desire to be the judge of anyone else. Why is that? Judging others is just not my job.

What is your job? If you don’t want to get involved with judging others, what do you want to do? Instead of judging others I would like to bless and encourage others. Instead of dragging others down and discouraging them with judgement, I would like to spur others on to bigger and better things in life. Like what? I would like to help others to come to love and follow and serve you. I would like to help others to come to know you and walk in your ways. I would like to help others to discover the joy there is in doing what is pleasing to you. These are the desires of my heart. These are the things that I want to do. These things are part of my job. How do you know this is your job? How did you come to receive this assignment? This is the work that you have given me to do for you. Doing these things have become the desire of my heart that you have given and will grant to me. That’s right. As you bless others in these ways your life will reap rich blessings from me. You will bear fruit for my kingdom and bring glory to my name. I will use you to accomplish my purposes and fulfill my plans. That is what I want.

Lord, I have plenty of my own flaws. I have made mistakes. I have taken missteps. I have missed the mark. I have sinned. Nothing would suggest I am qualified to be a critic who judges others. Help me to bless and encourage others rather than judge them. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship study guide click here:

Character – Matthew 7-1-2 – Do Not Judge – 4 Page Discipleship Study Guide

Individual users may save the Discipleship study guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted

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“Dark Clouds” Loom on an Otherwise Sunny Labour Day Picnic

Members of the CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) Local 241 couldn’t enjoy their Labour Day as much as they would have liked, for they’re concerned that some members might be looking at their last Labour Day as employees of the City of Guelph.

At the annual Labour Day Picnic in Riverside Park this afternoon, Local 241 President Paul Clulow took a moment to break from the music and festivities to tell his brother and sister union members that there might be a fight coming to secure good, local union jobs at the City of Guelph.

The City initiated the first of three reviews earlier this year after the pilot was approved by council in 2016. Solid Waste Resources was the first, with boulevard maintenance and Guelph Transit rounding out the initial trio of services to be reviewed. The first completed review will be Solid Waste, and CUPE’s leaders are reading the writing on the wall.

“The bottom line is that there’s a consultant that has come into the City of Guelph, Dillon Consulting, and we’ve actually asked for the tender and everything else to see what the hidden agenda is, and [the City] won’t provide it,” said Clulow. “So I think there’s a lot of suspicion.”

That suspicion is that Dillon, a consulting firm based in Kitchener, is going to recommend to council that Solid Waste Resources be privatized in some capacity. The department is multifaceted with employees working in collections, public drop-off, hazardous waste collection, and the waste facility itself, and Clulow thinks that the Dillon report will suggest that contracting out some of those services could result in cost savings for the City.

This is not a foregone conclusion. The agenda for the special September 18 meeting has not yet been released (it should be posted online this coming Thursday or Friday), but the City Clerk has saved the date in the council and committee meeting calendar. CUPE 241, which represents 345 full-time and part-time outside employees, is also saving that date for an information picket and solidarity rally before the meeting. Members of 241 will also likely be delegating at this council meeting.

“We need to raise our voices on September 18, and make sure that we’re there to say that this is not the place to start with privatizing. This service is working fine, and we need more enhanced public services, not privatizing them out,” said Janice Folk-Dawson of the Guelph and District Labour Council.

Clulow says that this is a matter of “community values”, and that Guelph’s status as a leader on waste management is at stake. “Guelph holds history with that recycling plan,” he explained. “The diversion rate is 68 per cent. That’s huge, so if you contract that out, you know that you’re not going to get the same result with a contractor than when it’s in public hands.”

In the next week, CUPE will unveil its advocacy campaign on behalf of those public sector workers, radio ads will played on the local airwaves, a website has been set-up to gather names on a digital petition, and members from the national office of CUPE have been dispatched to offer “a lot of players and researchers”, according to Clulow.

Obviously, CUPE is also hoping to rally people to reach out their councillors to speak favourably about keeping public sector jobs in the public sector. Some of those councillors were sitting nearby as Clulow addressed the crowd in the above video.

“I think the councillors that you see here today, it would be safe to say that they are in favour of public services, and we’ll see where that goes,” Clulow said after his speech.
“I think business reviews are fine, and they should be done all the time, but I think that if the conclusion is foregone, it’s inappropriate,” said Ward 3 Councillor Phil Allt afterward. Allt was joined by Ward 2 Councillor James Gordon and Ward 5 Councillor Cathy Downer at today’s event.

“I believe in keeping public services public,” Allt added. “I am not convinced that there are many savings in terms of privatizing something. I think all this does is move jobs, and move profits, out of Guelph.”

While some are hoping for political support in the struggle, others smell politics in what might be proposed in the service review reports.

“We find it quite interesting [Solid Waste] is where they chose to start when the auditors report in 2015 came out and said that actually our solid waste recycling was a very viable operation, well-managed, and serving the community well,” said Folk-Dawson.

“We’re very curious as to why that service review is happening at this point, and to us, it would appear it’s pretty political,” Folk-Dawnson added. “It seems to us that we have a mayor that’s looking at privatizing most of the services, and when he gets a report from one group that doesn’t go in his favour, he’ll go to another group.”

This isn’t the first time accusations of being in favour, if not being an outright proponent, of privatization have chased Mayor Cam Guthrie. In 2011, then Councillor Guthrie proposed the idea of exploring the possibility of privatizing Guelph’s waste collection. This was six years after council heard that contracting out waste collection would cost the City $30 more per tonne versus the status quo and a publicly-owned service.

While privatization hasn’t explicitly been a part of the service review, it nonetheless has been a consideration. “Private collection is part of the scope of the review,” Guthrie said in an interview with the Mercury in 2015. “I will be the first to hit the no button on this if it doesn’t make sense, [but] We’ll never know if we don’t do the audit. We owe it to the community to find out.”

In the meantime, Clulow and his team are getting in fighting shape, and he’s advising other unionized employees in the other sectors being reviewed do the same.

“They should be, and Guelph Transit is one of them,” Clulow said. “They’re in negotiations right now. I’m not sure what’s on the table, but I imagine they’re dealing with something in language issues that opens the door to service review changes. I’m only assuming that, but putting one-to-one together, I think it’s going to be interesting.”

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text:
The Poison Path/The Flowery Path

Nepenthe: “such as drinck, eternall happinesse do fynd” – Edmund Spenser

Ziggarut - Vimana VI - Gwyllm
Ziggarut – Vimana VI – Gwyllm

Dear Friends,
It has been a hectic week or two since I last published Turfing. This year has been nothing if not change. As I write, I look out my window over green hills, and incredible blue skies. Though out of the way, our new home has some wonderful benefits. I am not so keen on the commute, as I have found that at certain times it is mayhem. So used to not commuting, as in ever.

This edition covers The Poison Path/The Flowery Path in poetry, writing and song. I hope you enjoy it!

On The Menu:
The Links
Perfume Tree – Too Late, Too Early
Psychoactive Poetry
Paul Devereux: Do Psychedelics Allow Interspecies Communication?
The Machine – Moons of Neptune
The Links:
Interesting Link On What’s New…
Massive Mushrooms, Zombie Fungus
The Churning Of The Law(s)…
Perfume Tree – Too Late, Too Early

Psychoactive Poetry

Entheogenic Eyes - Gwyllm
Entheogenic Eyes – Gwyllm

A Glass Of Ayahuasca

in my hotel room overlooking Desamparados’ Clanging Clock,
with the french balcony doors closed, and luminescent fixture out
“my room took on a near eastern aspect” that is I was reminded of Burroughs
with heart beating—and the blue wall of Polynesian Whorehouse, and
mirror framed in black as if in Black Bamboo-and wooden slated floor
and I in my bed, waiting, and slowly drifting away
but still thinking in my body till my body turned to passive wood
and my soul rocked back & forth preparing to slide out on eternal journey
backwards from my head in the dark
An hour, realizing the possible change in consciousness
that the Soul is independent of the body and its death
and that the Soul is not Me, it is the wholly other “whisper of consciousness”
from Above, Beyond, Afuera—
till I realize it existed in all its splendor in the Ideal or Imaginary
Toward which the me will travel when the body goes to the sands of Chancay
And at last, lying in bed covered my body with a splendid robe of
indian manycolors wool,
I gazed up at the grey gate of Heaven with a foreign eye
and yelled in my mind “Open up, for I am the Prince of eternity
come back to myself after a long journey in chaos,
open the Door of Heaven, My Soul, for I have come back to claim
my Ancient House
Let the Servants come forth to Welcome me and let Silent Harp make music
and bring my apparel of Rainbow and Star show me my shoes of Light and
my Pants of the Universe
Spread forth my meal of myriad lives, My Soul, and Show up thy
Face of Welcome
For I am the one who has dwelled in the secret Temple before,
and I have been man too long
And now I want to Hear Music of Joy beyond Death,
and now I am be who has waited to Welcome myself back Home
The great stranger is Home in his House of Joy.”

or words or thoughts or sensations & images to that effect.

Thus for an instant the Sensation of this Eternal House passed thru my hair
tho I couldn’t liberate my body from the bed to float away—
tho did glimpse the foot of the thought of the gate of Heaven—

Then opened my eyes and Saw the blast of light of the real universe
when I opened the window and looked at the clock on the R R Station
with its halfnaked man & woman with clubs, creators of time and chaos,
and down on the street where pastry venders sold their poor sugar
symbolic of Eternity, to Passerby-and great fat clanking beast of Trolley
with its dumb animal look and croaking screech on the tracks
Powered by electric life,, turned a corner of the Presidential Palace
where Bolivar 200 years ago in time planted a secret everlasting Fig-tree
and a fog from another life crept thru its own dimension
Past the cornice of the hotel and travelled downward in the street
To seek the river-had a bridge with little humans crossing, faraway
—and up in the hills the silver gleam of sunlight on the horizon thru thick fog
—and the Cerro San Christobal—with a cross atop and Casbah of poor
consciousness ratted on its hip—
and overall the vast blue flash & blast of open space
the Sky of Time, empty as a big blue dream
and as everlasting as the many eyes that lived to see it
Time is the God, is the Face of the God,
As in the monstrous image of the Ramondi Chavin Sculptured Stone Monument
A cat head many eyed sharp toothed god face long as Time,
with different eyes some upside down and 16 sets of faces
all have fangs—the structure of one consciousness
that waits upstairs to Devour man and all his universes
—turn the picture upside down—the top eyes see more than the human bottom rows
Indifferent, dopey, smiling, horrible, with Snakes & fangs—
The huge gentle creature of the Cosmic joke
that takes whatever form it can to Signify that it is the one that has come to its Home
where all are invited to Enter in Secret eternally
After they have been killed by the illusion of Impossible Death.

~ Allen Ginsberg
Lima, Peru
May 1960
No Safe Place

Behind the white picket fence
on the sunny porch where I fed
my morning habits a fatherly voice
I grew up on antipsychotics

In the local bar comparing the ages
of psychedelic acoustics wondering
was the Invisible Temple always here
and have the routes changed a good-old
Freak says goodbye with hand games
to me a complete stranger declaring
You’re too smart for your own good

In the woods surrounded by the hum
of vegetable silence dialogue with Others
comes in nighttime motions topographies
delineated by fireflies and loons mumbled
messages from sleeping partners skry
There is no safe place for Magicians
and Shamans or Poets
under any phase of our Moon
The only Absolute
Change and Return
the gate to what
you tried

to forget
This tree
This field
The crack of a ball
That Chord
The moment before
you fell from the cliff

Not a care in the world a dog biting your heels
The Buddha eats strawberries
The Christ has a last meal

and nowhere and nothing will ever be the same.

~ Dr. Con
Bread, Hashish And Moon

When the moon is born in the east,
And the white rooftops drift asleep
Under the heaped-up light,
People leave their shops and march forth in groups
To meet the moon
Carrying bread, and a radio, to the mountaintops,
And their narcotics.
There they buy and sell fantasies
And images,
And die – as the moon comes to life.
What does that luminous disc
Do to my homeland?
The land of the prophets,
The land of the simple,
The chewers of tobacco, the dealers in drug?
What does the moon do to us,
That we squander our valor
And live only to beg from Heaven?
What has the heaven
For the lazy and the weak?
When the moon comes to life they are changed to
And shake the tombs of the saints,
Hoping to be granted some rice, some children…
They spread out their fine and elegant rugs,
And console themselves with an opium we call fate
And destiny.
In my land, the land of the simple
What weakness and decay
Lay hold of us, when the light streams forth!
Rugs, thousands of baskets,
Glasses of tea and children swarn over the hills.
In my land,
where the simple weep,
And live in the light they cannot perceive;
In my land,
Where people live without eyes,
And pray,
And fornicate,
And live in resignation,
As they always have,
Calling on the crescent moon:
” O Crescent Moon!
O suspended God of Marble!
O unbelievable object!
Always you have been for the east, for us,
A cluster of diamonds,
For the millions whose senses are numbed”

On those eastern nights when
The moon waxes full,
The east divests itself of all honor
And vigor.
The millions who go barefoot,
Who believe in four wives
And the day of judgment;
The millions who encounter bread
Only in their dreams;
Who spend the night in houses
Built of coughs;
Who have never set eyes on medicine;
Fall down like corpses beneath the light.

In my land,
where the stupid weep
And die weeping
Whenever the crescent moon appears
And their tears increase;
Whenever some wretched lute moves them…
or the song to “night”
In my land,
In the land of the simple,
where we slowly chew on our unending songs-
A form of consumption destroying the east-
Our east chewing on its history,
its lethargic dreams,
Its empty legends,
Our east that sees the sum of all heroism
In Picaresque Abu Zayd al Hilali.
~ Nizar Qabbani

Do Psychedelics Allow Interspecies Communication?
by Paul Devereux

Dharma Wheel - Gwyllm
Dharma Wheel – Gwyllm

Societies of the past have used the psychedelic experience to strengthen, renew and heal the spiritual underpinning of their social structures. The ever-deepening social unease that Western civilisation seems to be caught in is the real source of our ‘drug problem’: natural hallucinogens are not the problems in themselves, it is the context in which they are used that matters. If there were orderly and healthy structures and mechanisms for their use and the cultural absorption of the powerful experiences – and knowledge – we could separate these from the culture of crime that surrounds them now. In short, the problems are not in the psychoactive substances themselves, but in a society, which on the one hand wants to prohibit, mind-expansion altogether and on the other chooses to use mind-expanding substances in a literally mindless, hedonistic fashion.

Perhaps only a shock of some kind could break our society free from the patterns of thought and prejudices that lock it into this crisis. The desire for such a shock may be hidden within the widespread modern myth of extra-terrestrial intervention. In fact, we do not have to look to science fiction for a real otherworld contact: it already exists in the form of plant hallucinogens. If we see them in the context of a ‘problem’, it is only because they hold up a mirror in which we see our spiritual, social and mental condition reflected. And they hold that mirror up to us as one species to another just as surely as if they were from another planet. Indeed, that champion of the psychedelic state, the late Terence McKenna, argued that the ancestral spores of today’s hallucinogenic mushrooms may have originated on some other planet. (This is not as fringe an idea as it sounds, for even some ‘hard scientists’ – the late Francis Crick, co-discover of DNA, among them – have suggested that the germs of life may have had extra-terrestrial origins, brought to Earth by means of meteorites or comet dust.) The psilocybin family of hallucinogens, says McKenna, produces a “Logos-like phenomenon of an interior voice that seems to be almost a superhuman agency…an entity so far beyond the normal structure of the ego that if it is not an extraterrestrial it might as well be.”

Other ‘psychonauts’ have emerged from the altered mind states enabled by plant substances with similar impressions. For instance, New York journalist Daniel Pinchbeck wrote about his various initiations with plant hallucinogens in his Breaking Open the Head (2002). In one ayahuasca session with Amazonian Secoya Indians he found himself wandering in a visionary space where he encountered beings that “never stopped changing” their forms. “The shaman and the elders seemed to be inhabiting this space with me… They sang, their words unintelligible, to these creatures, interacting with them… I had no more doubts that the Secoya engaged in extradimensional exploration.” Or, again, two of the three molecular biologists brought to the Amazon to experience ayahuasca trances by anthropologist and writer, Jeremy Narby, felt that they had communicated with an “independent intelligence.” Narby himself feels that in their ayahuasca altered states shamans plumb the molecular level of nature and that, to put Narby’s idea crudely, ayahuasca – with its trade-mark visionary snakes – has the ability to communicate information concerning the double-helix coil of DNA (The Cosmic Serpent, 1998). Indeed, to allow contact with the “mind of nature.”

We have already noted that the idea that ontologically independent beings (‘spirits’) or intelligences are contactable through plant-induced trances is standard in most if not all shamanic tribal societies, but to posit such a thing in modern Western societies is viewed as tantamount to insanity, a nonsense notion to be dismissed out of hand. In other words, we can’t discuss it without forfeiting all credibility. This problem concerning the inability to explore certain ideas has been addressed by Oxford-based researcher, Andy Letcher. He uses Foucauldian discourse analysis to critique the models, the ‘discourses’ employed by the West in dealing with the content of altered mind states. These include pathological, prohibition, psychological, recreational, psychedelic, entheogenic discourses. Each has its own imposed boundaries; they are cognitive constructs. Letcher notes that some of these discourses or approaches to hallucinogenic substances ignore the subjective experience of the altered mind states involved, or else place it within an inner, psychological framework rather than it being a case of simply seeing more, of being in a wider frame of consciousness. He critiques even the entheogenic discourse as relying on a “God within” model, divine revelation that does not by any means occur in all altered states. However diverse they might be, all these discourses can be used within the norms of Western culture. Only one discourse crosses that “fundamental societal boundary,” what Letcher refers to as the animistic discourse – the belief that the taking of, say, hallucinogenic mushrooms occasions actual “encounters with discarnate spirit entities.” Because of the deep-rooted modern Western assumption that consciousness cannot occur in any other guise than human (the ultimate hubris of our species, perhaps) discussion of a conscious plant kingdom, or of that providing a portal through which contact with other, ontologically independent beings or intelligences can occur, is simply not possible within the mainstream culture. “It nevertheless remains a phenomenon in need of further scholarly research,” Letcher rightly insists.

It is a remarkable fact that plant hallucinogens are hallucinogenic precisely because they contain the same, or effectively the same, chemicals as are found in the human brain, and so act on us as if we were indeed engaged in an interspecies communication. “The chemical structure of the hallucinogenic principles of the mushrooms was determined…and it was found that these compounds were closely related chemically to substances occurring naturally in the brain which play a major role in the regulation of psychic functions,” Schultes and Hofmann have observed, for instance. This challenges the view held by many people that taking a plant hallucinogen is somehow ‘unnatural’. Certainly, mind-altering plants take the brain-mind to states that are not “normal” by the standards of our culture, but the ‘normal’ state of Western consciousness cannot claim to be the one-and-only ‘true’ state of consciousness. (Indeed, judging by the mess we manage to make of our societies and of the natural world around us it may even be an aberrant or pathological state of mind that we are culturally locked into.)

“If one were to reduce to its essentials the complex chemical process that occurs when an external psychoactive drug such as psilocybin reaches the brain, it would then be said that the drug, being structurally closely related to the naturally occurring indoles in the brain, appears to interact with the latter in such a way as to lock a nonordinary or inward-directed state of consciousness temporarily into place… There are obviously wide implications, biological-evolutionary as well as philosophical, in the discovery that precisely in the chemistry of consciousness we are kin to the plant kingdom,” writes Peter Furst.

These are probably the same kind of chemical changes that occur during the course of long and intensive spiritual exercises, but it takes a rare person to achieve sufficient expertise in such techniques to arrive at experiences that match those accessible through hallucinogen usage, which are certainly very ‘real’ in a subjective sense. It is a culturally-engineered cliché to dismiss such states as being somehow delusional. They are subjectively no more delusional than the experience of daily life. The human body is an open system, taking in material from the environment and expelling matter into it all the time, and we really shouldn’t think of taking in natural chemicals for visionary and mind-expanding functioning as any different, any less natural, than taking in gases from the air for their chemical benefits to the body, or chemicals and compounds in animal and vegetable matter to provide food, or fermented fruits and vegetable matter to provide delicious, refreshing or inebriating beverages, or vitamins to augment healthy functioning, or medicines when we are ill, or caffeinated teas and coffees when we want to be energised. “Ethnobotanists now realize that psychotropic plant species extend further than had been suspected, as though nature truly wanted the human species to get in touch with its floral neighbors,” Richard Gehr muses. “As plant species die off at a furious rate, the issue is no longer what they are trying to tell us, but whether we will get the message in time.”

That message may be to do with the need for us to change our minds, or, at least, to broaden our cognitive horizons. The plant kingdom could be urging us to allow the ability to ‘switch channels’ in consciousness terms to let them become a recognised and acceptable part of our emerging global culture. Hallucinogen-using ancient and traditional societies had and have exceptional sophistication when it comes to understanding and navigating alternate states of consciousness, whereas we are still quite primitive and inexperienced in this regard. The manual for using expanded consciousness is a textbook we have not read – or, more accurately, recalled. Not that simply widening our collective experience of consciousness will act like a magic wand and remove all problems and obstacles, but it would help us to make wiser, more whole-some decisions in coping with them. If Western civilisation is truly to advance, we surely must learn to operate within the multi-dimensional capacities of our minds, rather than using the police to conduct an indiscriminate war on the means of doing so. A workable balance has to be struck between protecting the well-being and the orderly functioning of society as a whole, and allowing the human brain-mind to explore its full potential. We are smart enough and complex enough and able enough to make it possible to do both. There are no excuses.

The Long Trip is available from Amazon US and Amazon UK
The Machine – Moons of Neptune

“For although nepenthe has calmed me, I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are still men. This I have known ever since I stretched out my fingers to the abomination within that great gilded frame; stretched out my fingers and touched a cold and unyielding surface of polished glass.”
― H.P. Lovecraft, The Outsider

Our Lady Of The Tryptamines - Gwyllm
Our Lady Of The Tryptamines – Gwyllm


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The Chronicles of Barcelona, Part XI – Finding Money Has Never Felt So Sweet.

So you remember how I had the ATM problem in Barcelona, right?

Did I even record that?

Just in case: let’s review real quick…

  1. Get into Barcelona.
  2. Figure cash would be nice.
  3. Go to ATM.
  4. Put card in ATM.
  5. ATM asks for card.
  6. Card is in ATM.
  7. Card does not come out of ATM.
  8. Spanish airport people are of no use.
  9. Try to use credit card.
  10. Credit card needs PIN.
  11. I have no PIN.
  12. Exchange the 15 pounds I have for 16 Euros.
  13. Make my way to the hostel on 15 pounds.
  14. Ask my parents for PIN.
  15. Parents have no PIN.
  16. Parents ask bank for PIN.
  17. Bank requires a week’s notice to give PIN.
  18. I have no money.

Fast forward to the morning after…And I found twenty pounds in my emergency kit that I had the foresight to pack myself!!

Okay, it’s not much of an emergency kit, per se. More of like a…girl emergency kit. Chapstick and hand cream and perfume and things like that. Though I also have a USB, a band aid, a swiss army knife, a Shout wipe, and of course, twenty bucks, now in every kind of currency.

So I went through the rest of the trip (which really wasn’t all that difficult, since most places took card, but it was still mildly stressful, lol) with twenty pounds and sixteen euros. And I didn’t end up using the twenty, so…sixteen Euros.

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Watercolor Bouquet + Color Burst

Hello everyone! Jenny here! Today is the last day of Kathy‘s 30Day Coloring Challenge. For today, I created a card featuring The Ton Stamp’s Watercolor Bouquet stamp set and coordinating die. I had so much fun with emboss resist technique using the Color Burst Powders and I love that the pigment look so vibrant and rich!

Here’s the card!

I started the card by stamping the Watercolor Bouquet image on watercolor cardstock in Versamark ink. I stamped the bouquet repeatedly across the whole panel and heat embossed in between with white embossing powder. When all the stamping and heat embossing was done, I gave a light spritz of clear water and sprinkled Ultramarine Blue and Prussian Blue Color Burst Powder. I spritzed more water and I heat set the panel. I splattered white opaque watercolor for more interest. I let it dry completely and die cut the panel using the largest die from The Ton’s Large Double Stitched Rectangle Dies.

Next, I stamped one more Watercolor Bouquet image on vellum this time. I heat embossed the image in white and die cut it out using the Coordinating Die. I also stamped sentiment (borrowed from the Basic Banner Stamp set) on black cardstock, heat embossed in white, and cut it down to a small banner.

On a white A2 card base, I adhered the watercolored background panel. Then I adhered a banner (white cardstock & Glossy Fine Silver Glitter Adhesive paper) and adhered the vellum cut out on top. I also popped up the sentiment banner with foam tape and embellished the card with Glass Slippers Sequins from The Ton.

That all from me today! Hope you enjoyed today’s project and thank you for stopping by! Happy crafting!

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Equine Touch

Equine Touch in sunny Portugal

Hannah is a qualified Equine Touch and VHT Practitioner.

Equine Touch is a non-invasive form of bodywork which is a fantastic gift for your horse. It helps to highlight areas of concern as well as increasing the general wellbeing of your horse.

Equine Touch works on an holistic level; that is, it addresses the equine as a whole without paying any particular attention to any named problem as such. On a practical level it consists of a series of gentle moves performed over specific points in predetermined patterns which are sometimes interspersed with observation periods to allow the equine to recognizes and process the effects of these subtle procedures.

These procedures have the effect of inducing deep relaxation, releasing hypertonic and traumatized muscles, encouraging muscle tone recovery from injury and atrophy, reducing the pain spiral, and assisting in detoxification and lymphatic drainage. The horse through these series of gentle moves is trained to rebalance not only physically but emotionally, energy blocks are released, unwanted structures appear to dissolve, and the flow of Ki is stimulated through the meridians, allowing the equine to attain and maintain the ideal state of homeostasis in which its own innate healing power is able to work to its maximum potential.

The Equine Touch has been described by leading equine vets as the ‘ultimate hands on therapy for horses’.

VHT is the human equivalent of Equine Touch. It’s very effecttive for helping sore shoulders, bad backs, arthritis and general aches and pains.

As your horse has to compensate for your imbalances, it’s an invaluable tool for riders as you can release your muscles and tight spots before riding. Great to improve body awareness and general wellbeing.

If you get stiff or sore while riding, VHT combined with riding tuition will help discover where you tense up and teach you how to stay effortlessly balanced and pain free while riding.

Visit for more info

Click here for case studies and articles

Click here for more information about area, prices and booking.

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201 Days of X-Files – Season 1 Episode 2 – Deep Throat

As difficult as making a workable pilot that’s actually good and entertaining, making a second episode isn’t necessarily a walk in the park (though this could be said about all TV episodes and pretty much all television in general). While the pilot introduced us to the idea of the show and set up what it’s going to be about, this episode needs to keep people watching (again, this could be said about any episode of TV, but especially a second one). And Deep Throat does a great job of continuing this.

Since the Pilot didn’t use the opening credits and theme song, this is the first time we get to see them in all their early 90s glory. Really I’d say that, aside from the cell phones and computers that Mulder and Scully use, this is the aspect of the show that has aged the poorest. If you produced a TV show with the writing or the cinematography of The X-Files today, it would hold up. If you produced a TV show with these opening credits, people would not take it seriously.

Yet, I say that with a ton of affection, because these opening credits (specifically the theme tune) are some of the most iconic and classic parts of The X-Files, and is one of the biggest influences on pop culture. All somebody has to do is whistle a tune similar to the iconic theme, and you immediately picture aliens and conspiracies. It’s a little cheesy, yes, but it’s really memorable and has lasted as a part of pop culture over the years. It’s cheesy, but it’s rightfully beloved.

deepthroat2Another tangent, but this year I was lucky enough to be able to go to a convention with Gillian Anderson as a guest and go to the Q&A panel. The entire panel, the audience and Gillian had a running joke about shoulder pads. And oh god, are there ever shoulder pads. Add fashion to the things that aged poorly from these early episodes.

The thing that I’m mostly getting from this episode, though, is less the paranormal angle and more of the government conspiracy. Both of those things walk hand in hand throughout The X-Files’ run, but the real intrigue in this episode isn’t what paranormal thing happened to Col. Budahas, a military test pilot, but instead the further exploration of the government conspiracy, in particular with the introduction of the character Deep Throat (obviously borrowed from the famous Watergate scandal informant using the same pseudonym).

This is even the case back in the pilot – the discovery of the metal implant is secondary to the shot of the Cigarette Smoking Man filing it away at the Pentagon. When I was a teenager, the paranormal aspects of the show intrigued me, but now, as an adult, I am finding the conspiracy angle much more compelling.

That’s not to say that this episode’s main plot isn’t compelling; it certainly is. I’m just drawn much more to the idea that the government is covering up what’s happening to these test pilots than to the potential UFO connection. This is a testament to the writing of the show – it utilizes the paranormal aspect, but the biggest strengths are in the writing and the characters. But while UFO technology is a core aspect of the episode, government cover-ups are the real core of this episode. Even though Mulder and Scully work for the government, they still have to fight against the government, a very compelling fight.

For being a fairly episodic show, I enjoy how Mulder and Scully are slowly getting to know one another, starting to get close with one another but still not completely being on the same page. Their relationship is developing nicely, and these two characters are the heart of the show. They’ve gotten to the point where they can joke around and Scully can start using her patented “I can’t believe you’re actually saying this” look. This is also the first time where Mulder abandons Scully to go investigating on his own, despite the consequences – something that happens more than once on this show.

With these two characters, this episode is a bit of a shift – while Scully is arguably the protagonist of the pilot, Mulder gets a lot more screen time in this episode. Since this is an episodic show it does work that both characters can be protagonists in their own right, but I generally prefer Scully as a protagonist. Still, this is hardly a complaint, but merely an observation that this episode made a shift to be in both Mulder and Scully’s perspectives, but especially Mulder’s. Scully’s part in this is honestly a lot cooler than Mulder’s, though, as she gets Mulder back by holding military personnel at gunpoint.

Ultimately this is a great follow-up to the great pilot, and does a lot to set up Mulder and Scully as characters as well as the overall conspiracy storyline as a whole. 8/10

201 Days of X-Files – Season 1 Episode 1 – Pilot

As the new mini season of The X-Files is fast approaching, I’ve been wanting to do a rewatch but I’ve also been wondering how to do it. Luckily, Fox has done the timing for me, and is having an unofficial rewatch. They aren’t airing these episodes (they want you to buy the DVDs or do Netflix), but it is a nice idea to get fans back into the thing.

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been wanting to do a rewatch and possible review series for a good long while now, but now seems as good a time as any to do so.

Reviewing a pilot is an interesting thing. There are so many considerations that go into making a pilot that it’s hard to treat it as a normal episode of television. It’s made to entice TV executives to order more episodes, but it’s also made to get TV watchers to keep watching the show. It’s supposed to be the start of the story but also is supposed to show what a typical episode might look like. Pilots are also notoriously shaky – some of my favorite TV shows have pilots that I would flat out tell people to skip, or insist “no it gets better, believe me.

With all that being said, The X-Files actually has a fairly remarkably good pilot. While it’s not a perfect episode (I think the “this is based off of true events” angle is a bit hokey), and there are certainly much better episodes throughout the series run, it does a pretty fantastic job of introducing the basic premise of the show and getting across the general feel of the show. The firs meeting of Mulder and Scully, for example, has dialogue where he’s explaining why he’s a believer and why she’s a skeptic, and it perfectly conveys what their interactions are going to be.

The scenes featuring just Mulder and Scully, in particular their first meeting and when they bond in his hotel room, are the strongest scenes of the episodes. The chemistry between the two of them is already there in full force, which makes their partnership relationship wonderful to watch. Honestly, their relationship works almost TOO well right away; it feels like they are already trusting each other from the getgo, which doesn’t quite work with the narrative.

The rest of the plot is pretty typical X-Files, but again goes a long way in establishing the tone of the show. Possible abductions! Lost time! Possible conspiracy! While the merit of the entire mythology arc has been debated a lot (I personally like them but I understand that there are serious flaws with the mytharc), this episode does a fantastic job of getting to the core of the mytharc and Mulder’s journey.

It’s also almost remarkable how the visual tone of the series is established. This show still looks great, and in part that’s because the cinematography (in particular the lighting) still looks wonderful. When I took a film production class in college, The X-Files was used as an example of effective lighting, and that’s not wrong. The use of shadows and chiaroscuro lighting gives The X-Files some unique visuals, and it looks great.

The acting is pretty solid for the most part. Gillian Anderson is the always wonderful and David Duchovny manages to hold his own with her. Some of the guest actors aren’t too great (Theresa Nemman’s actress is a little shaky) but, for being a TV show in the early 90s (before film actors and production started to migrate to TV) the acting is solid.

Ultimately this episode (and most of The X-Files) holds up remarkably well for being over 20 years old. The strong writing, characters and cinematography make it work really well. There are a few elements that feel dated (certainly the technology they use is quite dated), but as a show this holds up. I first became an X-Files fan in late 2005 – early 2006, and the show worked well on first watch then, but it still works now.

While there are definitely better, more ambitious episode of The X-Files, this is just about a perfect pilot episode and a great introduction to a great series. 8/10.