text:
Simon Kinberg, executive producer on Star Wars Rebels and Lucasfilm story group member, teased more crossovers between the show and other Star Wars content.
More from Dork Side of the Force
- Daniel José Older named a High Republic Adventures character after someone special
- How animation changed Star Wars: Ewoks and Droids
- Kelleran Beq comes to Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
- The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal becomes No. 1 on IMDb’s Starmeter for 2023
- Unwrapping the Star Wars LEGO Advent Calendar: Day 7
In an interview with Moviefone, Star Wars Rebels executive producer Simon Kinberg hinted more Easter egg-style crossovers will be happening between Rebels and other Star Wars content, like The Clone Wars series, spinoff films, and beyond.
That’s the whole point of having a Lucasfilm story group, which Kinberg is also a member of: content control. The word “control” can be burdened with offensive connotations, like not letting originality and creativity take the lead in storytelling. That’s not the goal of the story group, however; it’s all about connecting the dots and creating a bigger fictional universe anyone can enjoy, no matter which part of the Star Wars canon they started with.
"“I’m very excited… I think part of the fun of the way they’re building the universe is that it is interconnected between the different movies and even beyond the movies … It’s something that was true in comic books going back, the way that you’d have interconnections between characters and stories. Even sometimes from DC to Marvel. I like the way that those stories are told in the larger tapestry.”"
via Entertainment Weekly
For example, fans of The Clone Wars will note the return of several characters original to that series in Star Wars Rebels, like Ahsoka Tano, Captain Rex, and Hondo Ohnaka. Most recently, we learned The Clone Wars alum Saw Gerrera will be making his debut in the medium of live action in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
"“What’s lovely is, obviously, we’ve brought in characters from ‘Clone Wars’ in the second season, and we keep sort of bringing characters from the original movies and sort of deepening the relationships between our core characters, the Ghost crew,” says Kinberg. “So it’s trying to balance the two different things, like the original cast from the first season with ‘Clone Wars,’ with characters from the original movies, and maybe even feeding into future movies.”"
According to Moviefone, even more characters from other areas of Star Wars canon are slated to cameo in the third season of Star Wars Rebels premiering this fall. (We hope that includes a certain fan favorite character, whom Dave Filoni gave us reason to believe is going to break through the wall between canon and Legends.)
It’s a great day to be a Star Wars fan, because with the story group regulating canon, crossovers can be meaningful and fun and not just throwaway adventures which are only cool because of the characters/ships/places involved. From now on, crossovers will (hopefully) make sense and have a legitimate reason for happening. Not only that, but they will happen across all mediums, including the blockbuster live action films. And I’m excited to hear from Kinberg Star Wars Rebels and Rogue One are only the beginning.

domain: entertainment


The site works online as a normal web site and, if it is installed as a Progressive Web App (PWA) (see below), it is available offline with full functionality. The Buddha's Words PWA makes it simple to install, ensures the content is available offline and automatically updates the content when you are connected to the internet. The technology which makes installation and updating easy is only found in recent versions of browsers such as Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari and Firefox for Android (but not the desktop version). If you'd like to access the site content while offline, it needs to either be installed as a PWA from one of the supported browsers or to download the archived site, extract it and copy the site to your device.
1: To Install as a Progressive Web App (PWA).
Open https://thebuddhaswords.net in either Chrome or Microsoft Edge (other browsers we've tested don't have the support yet for PWA's). If you haven't already installed it, an installation icon should be showing in the top right hand corner of the Chrome browser.
Click on the installation icon to install the PWA to your device.
In Microsoft Edge, click the three dots at the top right hand corner of the browser and choose Apps | Install the Buddha's Words
Allow about ten minutes for it to fully install. (The whole site takes up around 130Mb of disk space)
Installing onto a Mac OSX Device.
Install the PWA from either Chrome or Microsoft Edge.
Installing onto an iPad or iPhone.
Install the PWA from Safari.
2: Installing From an Archived Version of the Site
You may be in a situation where internet connectivity is poor or, you can't get the PWA to work or you just want a working version of The Buddha's Words on your USB drive, computer or Android device. In such circumstances you'll need to download the latest version, extract the files from the either the Winzip or 7-zip archive then copy it to the computer or device.
We've provided both zip and 7-zip archives with identical content. The 7-zip archiving is more efficient but not as easy to use (or as ubiquitous) as zip archives.
Installing onto a Windows Computer or USB drive.
If you're installing it to a Windows computer create a folder somewhere and extract the files into it. For this example, we'll assume you are creating a folder called bw on your C drive. i.e. C:\bw. Once the files are extracted into the folder, navigate to the home folder (in this example C:\bw\home\) and click on index.html to open it in your default browser (depending upon your Windows Explorer settings, you may not see the .html ... that's OK). The browser will need to support running java - for example Chrome and Firefox work well. Once the Home Page of the Buddha's Words opens, it might be a good idea to bookmark it so that you can come back to it without going through the previous steps.
The process is the same if you're installaing onto a USB drive however bookmarking will probably not be consistent because the drive letters of USB drives can change.
3. Installing onto an Android Device.
It's probably easiest to get the files extracted and working on a PC as above and to then connect your Android device to the PC via USB and copy the whole folder to the main storage of the device. (In this way you maximise your chances of it working correctly although in many instances, copying the files to the SD card can also work).
However you want to do it, you will need to end up with the files in a folder somewhere on your Android device in exactly the same structure as they were extracted. To check that you have all the files, as a guidleine there should be 4,677 files in 24 folders taking up 131Mb of disk space. If your count is a lot lower you'll need to repeat the process). We'll asssume in this example that the complete set of files are in the main storage of your Android device in a folder called bw.
You won't be able to open the Home Page just by navigating to it with the browser that came with your Android device. You will need to find out the file path and somehow get that path into a suitable browser. In the last year or so, security has been increased and this prevents most browsers from accessing files stored locally. Fortunately the free, Open Source Kiwi Web Browser is more forgiving in this respect and is our recommended way to run The Buddha's Words on an Android device.
The latest version of the Kiwi Browser to be tested is 107.0.5304.74 and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.
Alternatively, if a future version of Kiwi Browser introduces tighter security for files on a local disk, a copy of a tested version in APK format can be found here.
Use the built-in File Manager to navigate to where you've copied The Buddha's Words. For example, if you've copied the files to your main storage into a folder called bw you'd navigate to bw\home\index.html and long press it to open it in your default browser. Once it's open, create a bookmark to it so you don't have to repeat the process.
Alternatively, using the file manager that came with your Android, navigate to where you have copied \home\index.htm and note the file path. If you copied it to your main storage into a folder called bw the path may be file:///storage/emulated/0/bw/home/index.html however there is a lot of inconsistency between android device manufacturers. :-/
4. Installing onto a Mac OSX Device.
- Download the .zip file from Google Drive.(by default it will go to your Downloads folder). If the file hasn't 'unzipped' by itself, double-click the .zip file and you will get a folder containing The Buddha's Words.
- Move the folder to somewhere more useful, maybe Documents or Desktop. (Optionally) rename the folder BuddhasWords or something meaningful to you.
- Open the folder and scroll down to the home folder and open it.
- Double click on index.html. The Buddha's Words will open in Safari or your default browser.
- You may like to bookmark it to make it easier to find later (Command+D)
5. Installing onto an iPad or iPhone.
You will need:
- The .zip archive of The Buddha's Words from Google Drive..
- Documents by Readdle (free from the App Store - click on this link)
Once you have the .zip file of The Buddha's Words downloaded to your iPad/iPhone:
Mac only using AirDrop.
- On the Mac - ensure Wifi and Bluetooth are turned on.
- Enable AirDrop receiving on your iPad/iPhone. (See https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT204144)
- Select the .zip of Buddhas words in a finder window and click the 'share' button at the top.
- Choose AirDrop
- When you see your iOS device's name, click on it and then accept the transfer on your device.
- Choose to transfer it to Documents.
6. Using The Buddha's Words on your IOS device.
- Open Documents on your iOS device.
- First time only: The .zip should be directly in the main Documents folder.
- Tap on the .zip and it will expand to make a folder with the same name as the zip file. (You can delete the .zip file at this point).
- Tap to open the Buddhas Words folder, scroll down to the home folder and open it
- Tap index.html
If it doesn't work ...
you've followed the instructions above and
you're using one of the recommended browsers
... and it still doesn't work, please email the Buddha's Words team detailing the problem you're having and we'll do our best to help. Please see the Contact Page for our contact details.
If it does work ...
Please let us know if you come up with anything that you found works well. Please also send us your suggestions. Thanks!


Rating is available when the video has been rented.
This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.
Uploaded on May 19, 2009
Del The Funky homosapien performing live (with A-Plus) " Get it Right Now." The track is the first single off his free download album "Funkman." The performance is from May 18, 2009 in Salt Lake City at Urban Lounge.


A much-touted EU fund meant to help countries replace weapons shipped to Ukraine is increasingly unable to cover an influx of reimbursement requests — and it hasn’t even sent out its first payment.
Days after Russia’s war began, the EU set up a €500 million pot, encouraging countries to arm Kyiv and ask the EU to foot the bill. After looking at the receipts it received, Brussels determined it could cover about 85 percent of the costs, according to estimates shared by three diplomats.
Then the EU authorized an even bigger pot — eventually totaling €1.5 billion. That’s when the flood of receipts started. The EU got so many requests that it calculated Brussels could only cover roughly 46 percent of the asks, the estimates show.


text:
We are returning to the Eagles Locker Room to offer live music for Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s Reach & Raise fundraiser.
You never know where the chant may find you …..
I am thrilled to announce that on Saturday, February 23rd I will be at the Philadelphia Ethical Society building for a full day event in collaboration with dear friend and amazing songwriter/sacred artist David Newman.
David and I will be offering an afternoon workshop on the ‘Attitude of Gratitude’, as well as heating up the evening together with Kirtan concerts featuring Winter Love Fest band Shawn Hennessey, Taylor Jamison, Jon Dichter and Mira.
To register for the workshop/concert or just the evening concert please click Eventbrite here.
Our community sponsored event will also host local vendors sharing their festival and hand made goods.
Philly, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and DC friends come Love it up!
For Tickets and Registration: EVENTBRITE
Have you ever chanted in a salt cave?
I have not… but soon will!
The salted walls will be humming ~
It is always so beautiful when our India soul hearts meet!
Looking forward to offering this workshop at my dear friends/yoginis Josephine and JC Russells’ new yoga studio in Keene, New Hampshire.
Come explore the many aspects and energies of Life that are reflected by the Deities throughout Vedic Philosophy.
How does sounding the Divine names apply to us in this modern day world?
In this 3 hours together we will explore the sacred, mysterious and visceral vibration of Lord Krishna. With colorful story telling, silent Japa mantra, meditation, inspirational chanting and spontaneous dance, each a direct connector to the Divine song … How do our bodies, minds and hearts respond?


As a proud supporter of the local independent record store former The Jam front man declared a very special release for this year’s Record Store Day.
A double a-side single ‘Flame-Out!’/‘The Olde Original’ will be available as a strictly limited 7" vinyl single on Saturday 20 April. The single comes in a Virgin house bag featuring the ‘Virgin Twins Logo’ designed by Roger Dean.
Undercover.fm is looking forward to Paul Weller’s latest news that we went through the archives to uncover our interview with him.
Paul recorded the brand new tracks especially for the release and said, “It’s great to do a record that’s released specifically for Record Store Day. There’s so few record shops left that we should all treasure those remaining.”
You can only pick up the 7" vinyl release at participating independent record shops from Saturday 20 April and copies are strictly limited – once they’re gone, they’re gone. But wait! There’s good news for Weller fans who live in the 21st century – the ‘Flame-Out!’/‘The Olde Original’ single will also be released digitally. You’ll be able to download the single worldwide for one month only from Sunday 21 April.
Paul stopped by the most famous independent record store in the world, Amoeba Music, recently to pick out some of his favourite albums from the racks.
Tags:paul weller, interview, music, record store day 2013
You can now watch this video on LG connected TV and all brands of smartphones globally! Relax in your lounge room and enjoy uctv.fm.


text:
Faith has apparently copped a plea in the case and has worked out a deal with L.A. prosecutors. She was originally facing 2 counts of DUI, agreed to plead “no contest” to the lesser charge of reckless driving instead.
As punishment for her crime, Faith has been sentenced to 36 months of probation and must also pay $300 in fines. She also has to complete a 3-month alcohol program and must not drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in her system.
Kim Kardashian plays a corpse as she is photographed “playing dead” in a coffin to help raise awareness about World AIDS Day and money for the Keep a Child Alive charity.
The 30-year-old reality star is just one of many celebs, including Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, who are participating in the Digital Life Sacrifice event. The stars have all committed to killing online communications including Twitter and Facebook until $1 million is donated to the cause.
“Kim sacrificed her digital life to give real life to millions of others affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India,” says the ad. “Visit BuyLife.org or text ‘KIM’ to ‘90999’ to buy her life now.”
“You’re always texting your friends,” says Alicia Keys, founder of Keep a Child Alive. “Now, you’re going to text to Buy Life.”
The superstar singer is currently performing on his “OMG” tour with Trey Songz by his side. Check out Usher’s personal backstage video tours as well as more photos from his last stop in Kansas City below: Continue Reading…

domain: celebrity


text:
Search Tags: applause
Looks like Lady Gaga's hip surgery was a success, because the pop star's dance moves seem intact in her new "Applause" video, which debuted Monday on "Good Morning America."
Monday - 08/19/2013, 10:53am EDT
, September 21, 2014
Now: 67 °FToday: Partly sunny, a t-storm late in the p.m.
Hi: 84 °F | Lo: 61 °F

domain: artistic


text:
Radiology practices are struggling to retain adequate radiologist staffing to cover their clinical duties. A study by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute® (HPI) showed that between 2014 and 2018, approximately 40% of radiologists went through job separation.1 Radiologists may leave practices for multiple reasons, including shifting radiology positions, retirement, termination and transitioning to a career outside of radiology.2
The annual workforce surveys conducted by the ACR Commission on Human Resources in 2018 and 2019 both demonstrated a wide-open job market.3,4 Following the Great Resignation that spun off of COVID-19, the number of job postings at the ACR Career Center have further increased to record levels. Radiologists are a practice’s most important and valuable asset. Without them, the practice can’t thrive. The AMA estimates that the cost to replace a physician in a practice is around $1 million.5
So, what can leaders do? One critical leadership skill some leaders overlook is listening.6
First, leaders need to meet with their radiologists individually to hear what interests them most. Previous research suggests that physicians who spend at least 20% of their time doing what they enjoy most experience less burnout.7 Radiologist burnout has been associated with intention to leave.8 By supportively channeling resources to help radiologists focus on their career growth, organizations are more likely to retain their physicians. For instance, practices can create leadership opportunities for radiologists who are interested in management.
Second, leaders need to offer a safe space to genuinely hear their radiologists’ concerns regarding the practice. Individual radiologists on the front lines as local leaders may offer practical solutions to operational issues such as workflow, staffing and ergonomics. Innovative solutions then can be brought forward into the practice that can help the organization grow and move forward. For example, an individual radiologist may be aware of an AI solution that can help streamline local radiology worklists that ultimately may be scaled to benefit the whole enterprise. By listening, leaders are afforded unique opportunities to leverage empathy and emotional intelligence to improve the practice’s operations.
Third, and perhaps most important, the long-term benefit of repeated listening by leaders is trust and loyalty among their radiologists. By being open, sincere and transparent, leaders can engage in conversations that lead to a long-term dialogue, which in turn can initiate effective change.
This month’s cover story on wellness within the profession offers insight on how radiologists can fend off burnout at their practices. It also includes observations and best practices that can help leaders solidify relations with their radiologists and retain their most valuable resource: people.

domain: news


text:
Mostly unreleased stuff with some previously available stuff, divided into "Prognostic Strawbs" and "Archive Prog". A good album, but a very weird way to have released the rare stuff.
1) Heartbreak Hill- a live version from the originally shelved album of the same name (Dave Cousins, Andy Richards,Chas Cronk, Jo Partridge, Tony Fernandez) 7:25
2) Through Aphrodite's Eyes- from "The Broken Hearted Bride" (Cousins,John Hawken, Cronk,Dave Lambert,Rod Coombes) 7:17
3) Something For Nothing...


text:
Bill Payment Assistance
For some customers, including seniors on fixed incomes, energy expenses can be a financial burden. In fact, there are those right here in our community who cannot afford the energy to meet their basic needs. For those who cannot afford such an expense, this can lead to difficult decisions about how to allocate their limited resources.
Our local Energy Assistance Program is designed to help income-qualifying households cover their energy costs and reduce the financial burden that they face. If you believe you or someone you know may qualify, we encourage you to establish your income eligibility through the federally funded Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP).
Where to Apply for WHEAP - Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program
St. Croix County & Pierce County Residents
Call 715-265-4271 or visit the website at https://westcap.org/
The following verifications are required to apply:
- Proof of Social Security Number for all household members
- Proof of your heating and electric costs for the most recent 12 months.
- Proof of all earned and unearned income for the three months prior to the month of application (this includes interest and dividend income).
Commitment to Community is part of the Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP). These funds are for your non-heating electric costs and are included in your application for WHEAP, funds for RFMU customers are distributed by RFMU and occur automatically after your qualified application with WHEAP has been processed. This can take several weeks. RFMU will mail you a letter with the amount you are eligible for based on your WHEAP application these funds will be applied to the electric portion of your utility bill.
See resource list for local agencies that may be able to provide assistance or additional resources for you.

domain: finance


text:
Ingredients to make Chattai Samosa
For coating :
- 1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour (Maida)
- 3 table spoon Ghee/oil
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon ajwain
For Filling :
- 3 medium Potatoes
- 1/2 cup green pea
- Half tea spoon Cumin seeds
- Onion sliced one medium
- 1 table spoon Ginger Garlic paste
- Half Tea spoon red chili powder
- 1 Tea Spoon Coriander Powder
- 1/2 Tea spoon garam masala powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 Tea spoon dry mango powder
- 2 table spoon finely chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste :
- Freedom Healthy Oil for Deep frying
- How to make Chattai Samosa dough: –
- Add flour, oil, ajwain salt.
- Add water to knead a soft dough.
- Keep the dough covered for 20 minutes.
For Filling :
- Heat oil and add cumin seeds.
- Add onion slices and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add ginger garlic paste and saute until raw smell goes.
- Mash the potatoes and add in masala.
- Now add all powered spices and salt.
- Add green peas and cook 2 minutes.
- Add coriander and black pepper powder.
- Filling is ready.
How to make Chattai samosa coating :
- Roll the dough and cut into two long rectangles
- Place 1 rectangle over the other and place the filling in the center.
- Fold 1 side over the FILLING and 2 nd side too. Leave two sides.
- Cut the remaining two slices into thin strips ,equal on both the sides.
- Apply thin layer of water Start forming the chattai by alternating the strips.
- When the strips are all interlocked,seal them with fingers dipped in water.
- Shallow fry on medium flame till golden brown
- Serve hot with sauce or green chutney.

domain: food


Seattle’s Frank Clark is one of the league’s top sack artists.
He currently is tied with Carolina’s Mario Addison for No. 9 in quarterback takedowns this season with 7.5. He contributed one to that total in the Seahawk’s 25-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Skip to 6:45.
He also has 16 total tackles, three forced fumbles, a recovery and an interception in 2018.
Clark isn’t the only former Michigander making top-10 stat lists. Minnesota punter Matt Wile is a special teams weapon for the Vikings.
In a 24-9 victory over the Lions, he booted four punts for 163 yards (40.8 average) with a long of 45. He landed three inside the 20-yard line, giving him 18 on the year.
That lands him at the No. 7 spot in the league at pinning opponents behind their 20. He’s also in one of the 10 best in net punting (40.7) and in total yardage (1,781).
He completed 23-of-35 throws for 294 yards and a score, which was a game-clinching 55-yarder to embattled wide receiver Josh Gordon.
The win was the sixth straight for New England, which also continued Brady’s dominance against other elite signal-callers.
Tom Brady is now 11-2 against Super Bowl winning QB’s since 2013.— Kirk & Callahan (@KirkAndCallahan) November 5, 2018
Brady has 2,494 passing yards on the season, and stands 1,347 away from becoming the fourth quarterback to reach 70,000 career yards (Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre). At 505 touchdowns to just 99 interceptions, he’s impressively over a 5-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio for his 19-year career.
As if you didn’t know he was good already.
- Jabrill Peppers still shows versatility as a box safety in Cleveland. Among his six tackles in a 37-21 home defeat to Kansas City, he also demonstrated relentless effort on this perimeter blitz to pressure Patrick Mahomes.
#Browns bring Peppers off the edge here. Great effort to close with speed, spin off, and get up to make the hit on Mahomes arm. He will leave some plays on the field, but I never question Peppers effort. #BrownsFilmBDN pic.twitter.com/AK3Nt2et00— BrownsFilmBreakdown (@BrownsFilmBDN) November 5, 2018
He also fielded a single punt, falling forward for a yard.
- Former Wolverine and Auburn Tiger Blake Countess fielded three kicks for 88 yards — including a long of 37 — in the Los Angeles Rams’ 45-35 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
- Backup Seahawks safety Delano Hill played the entire second half against the Chargers. He filled the stat sheet with three tackles, including one for loss, and a pass deflection.
He filled in for the injured starter, and earned praise for his performance.
While the #Seahawks lost on the scoreboard on Sunday, they also lost three starters to injury, including safety Bradley McDougald.— Corbin Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) November 6, 2018
But in his absence, Delano Hill took an "obvious step forward" and filled in admirably for Seattle:https://t.co/12yIOa4CZF
- Panther wide receiver Devin Funchess hauled in four catches for 44 yards in a 42-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s totaled 445 yards on 36 receptions for the year, including three touchdowns.
- Former teammates Taco Charlton (Dallas) and Chris Wormley (Baltimore) each tallied lone tackles in their respective contests. Charlton’s Cowboys dropped a 28-14 decision to the Tennessee Titans on Monday night, while Wormley’s Ravens fell 23-16 to rival Pittsburgh.
The former has 16 total stops on the year, while the latter has 11. Charlton’s Dallas teammate Jourdan Lewis did not make the box score.
- Viking linebacker Ben Gedeon acquitted himself well in coverage against the Lions, breaking up a pass on a wheel route to prevent a score.
He has been participating mostly out of head coach Mike Zimmer’s nickel packages this season, after racking up 37 tackles in 2017.
- Rookie defensive tackle Maurice Hurst is one of the few bright spots on the 1-7 Oakland Raiders.
Look at my guy Maurice Hurst making plays. Already OAK's best defender. pic.twitter.com/yERQNkosfT— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) November 5, 2018
He fought his way to three tackles in a 34-3 Thursday night drubbing to the San Francisco 49ers. He has 17 total stops on the year, including two sacks and three batted passes.
Teammate Leon Hall failed to record a statistic from his nickel corner position.


CARSON CITY — Nevada tax authorities are poised to address the state's long-unlawful property-tax-assessment system Monday by adopting a quick-fix regulation that won't work, says a leading property-tax-appraisal expert.
"There is not much bang for the buck" in the State Board of Equalization's proposed regulation, said Richard Almy, the former executive director of the International Association of Assessing Officers and a foremost expert on the methodology Nevada tax regulators are proposing to adopt.
Almy is widely considered to be among the world's authorities on property-tax assessment and is senior technical director of the IAAO's textbook, Property Appraisal and Assessment Administration. Almy made his comments after reviewing the state Board's proposed regulations.
The five-member state Board has scheduled for passage March 1 a regulation adopting a statistical tool called "ratio studies" as the basis for determining whether the state's 17 elected county assessors are valuing similar property equally across the state as required by the Nevada Constitution.
State law has long required that regulations ensuring statewide equalization be written, but neither the State Board of Equalization nor the Nevada Tax Commission ever actually produced such rules. Now the Board — after holding only a single two-hour workshop in early February that discussed adopting the IAAO standards for ratio studies — appears to be rushing to put a regulation in place.
Individual taxpayers, county assessors and the Nevada Taxpayers Association criticized the proposed regulations, urging that more time be taken before adoption. The state Board's agenda for its upcoming meeting, however, shows the regulations scheduled for adoption.
Almy's criticism comes at the same time as the head of the state Department of Taxation is also expressing doubt about the effectiveness of using ratio studies to determine statewide equalization.
"The ratio study isn't the end all and be all for equalization," said Dino DiCianno, executive director of the state tax department.
DiCianno said ratio studies, while far from full proof, could still assist the state Board in making a "judgment call" on whether property taxes are equalized.
"Does it ensure [equalization] completely? Maybe, maybe not," he said.
Rather than relying on ratio studies, Les Barta, a property-tax expert and Incline Village property owner who has been a leader in an eight-year property-tax revolt, said the state Board should be following two recent Supreme Court rulings requiring county assessors to only use appraisal methodologies adopted by the Nevada Tax Commission.
"There is minimum mention of the state Board's predominant duty to determine whether uniform appraisal methodologies have been used by county assessors," Barta said during a Feb. 11 tax department workshop on the proposed regulation.
The Nevada Supreme Court ruled in 2006 and 2008 that county assessors must only use appraisal methodologies that have been expressly approved by the state Tax Commission.
The commission, however, has been slow to implement detailed, uniform appraisal methodologies, and what regulations have been passed are under challenge in state court as being too vague.
The Tax Commission is also in violation of state statute for failing to provide assessors a tax manual prescribing appraisal methodologies. The commission hasn't published the tax manual since 1999.
State Board Chairman Anthony Wren, a Reno appraiser, did not return a phone call Thursday seeking comment in response to Almy's criticism. Wren is pushing for quick adoption of the regulations.
"This is something that has not been rushed through," Wren said at the Feb. 11 workshop.
Almy said ratio studies are very useful in a market-based property-tax system to measure equalization of property assessments. Nevada, however, abandoned a market-based property-tax system in 1981, adopting a unique model called "taxable value."
No other state in the country uses a taxable-value system where land is valued at market price and improvements at replacement cost new, less 1.5 percent depreciation per year based on the age of the structure.
In market-based property-tax systems, ratio studies are used to compare the assessed values determined by tax authorities to market sales. A consistent ratio would indicate that property taxes are being assessed equally across political jurisdictions.
In Nevada, however, the proposed state Board regulation merely calls for ratio studies to compare the tax department's determination of taxable value of a sample of properties with a county assessor's determination of assessed values of the same properties.
By law, county assessors first determine the taxable value of a property, and multiply it by 35 percent to determine assessed value. In ratio studies conducted in the past for the Nevada Tax Commission, the tax department routinely used county assessors' appraisals rather than doing their own.
Under such a scenario, said Almy, the tax department's application of the ratio studies accomplishes little more than checking the math of the county assessors.
Almy said that only if the tax department conducts independent appraisals of property could the ratio studies provide some degree of state oversight of county assessors.
Even then, he said, the ratio studies proposed by the Board will fall short of being a useful tool for determining whether equalization is occurring. That's because neither the county nor the state measures the valuations against market values.
"Market value," he said, "is the only objective yard stick to measure against."
Asked whether there is any statistical method that Nevada regulators can adopt to effectively measure whether statewide equalization is occurring in the state's taxable-value system, Almy said: "I don't know."
Almy also said adoption of the proposed regulation is not cost-effective.
"The taxpayers in the state of Nevada are not getting much for the money they will spend on it," he said.
County assessors, individual taxpayers and the Nevada Taxpayers Association have also leveled criticism of the state Board's proposed regulation.
Carole Vilardo, president of the Nevada Taxpayers Association, questioned whether the Board had the authority to adopt the regulations, some of which appear to fall under the purview of the Tax Commission.
Vilardo suggested that the state Board and the Tax Commission hold a joint meeting before adopting any regulation. Currently, the Board and the Commission are scheduled to hold separate meetings Monday.
The Clark County Assessors Office questioned how much authority the state Board has over elected county assessors, including whether the state Board could order a county to conduct a reappraisal.
"There is a certain amount of authority that the state Board has over the process of equalization, but I'm not sure that extends to authority in all cases to tell [assessors] what to do," said Clark County Deputy Assessor Jeff Payson.
"The assessor is a statutory officer and elected official and I think that needs to be considered when the state Board asks them to submit and perform certain things," he added.
Brent Howard, a Las Vegas accountant, criticized the regulations for failing to make them easily understandable to taxpayers and providing vague guidelines on how assessors conduct appraisals.
"The regulation does not give us a uniform and equal application of the law and assessment of property values," Howard said. "I think the state Board should be involved in making this an easy process for the taxpayer to understand."
Suellen Fulstone, a Reno attorney representing North Lake Tahoe property owners who have been challenging state and county property-tax authority, cited numerous shortcomings with the proposed regulation.
"Ratio studies were developed for use in market-value appraisal jurisdictions where actual sales provide an objective standard," she said, echoing Almy's criticism.
She also questioned whether the state Board has the legal authority to adopt ratio studies as its standard to measure statewide equalization and whether it can delegate authority to the tax department to do the studies.
"There is no statutory authority for the [state Board] to discharge its duty of statewide equalization by performing one or more ratio studies," she stated in comments submitted to the state Board.
"The [state Board] itself cannot perform ratio studies and there is no authority for it to delegate its duty of statewide equalization by directing the [tax] department to perform ratio studies," Fulstone stated.
Maryanne Ingemanson, president of the Village League to Save Incline Assets, a nonprofit taxpayers group leading the North Shore Lake Tahoe tax revolt, said more litigation will likely result if the state Board adopts the proposed regulation.
"If in fact they pass this mess, which is against state statute, then it will just have to be used against them in court," she said.
Barta, who is also a member of the Village League, cautioned the state Board at the conclusion of the Feb. 11 workshop about passing the regulations without more scrutiny.
"It's never a good idea to ram through regulations as fast as these are being done," he said. "There needs to be more vetting."
John Dougherty is the principal of InvestigativeMedia.com and has long been one of America's leading investigative reporters. He has been retained by the Nevada Policy Research Institute to report on critical issues of Nevada governance.
- Property-tax conflict enters Nevada governor's race
- Chief Justice highlights state's failures on property taxes
- Flying blind on property taxes
- Long and bitter tax-appeal season expected
- How to appeal your property-tax bill: System requires action before tax actually levied
- Why your property taxes rose when the property's value fell: Lawmakers' 2005 ‘relief' bill was badly written, most likely unconstitutional
- Clark County caught up in property-tax mess: Assessor Schofield using unapproved valuation methods
- Board of Equalization reschedules hearing: Session expected to shed light on assessment methods
- County assessors fight state request to appear: State Board of Equalization members discuss subpoenas
- Nevada's property tax shaft: More egregious than the public realized
- For more than a decade, Nevada tax panel breaks law: State continues in ‘dereliction' of duties
- The birth of a rebellion: Why Nevada's property-tax system may soon crumble
- Stage set for property tax showdown: Washoe County controversy only 'tip of the iceberg'


text:
People in the US and around the world are planning for the holidays. Some holiday traditions are being postponed, while others will look very different this year in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In general, you can stay safe by:
- Always wear a face mask, all times outside your of residence, unless and until you have arrived at your pod/family gathering
- Frequently washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or using hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol
- Avoiding touching your face
- Avoiding contact with sick people
- Getting your seasonal flu vaccine
- Limiting contact with commonly touched surfaces and items
- Using EPA-approved disinfectants where possible
In addition, you should not host or participate in in-person events if you or someone in your household:
- Has been recently diagnosed with COVID-19 and doesn’t meet the criteria for being safe around others
- Is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
- Is waiting for viral test results
- May have been exposed to COVID-19 in the last 14 days
- Are at higher risk of severe illness
These tips are meant to supplement your community health and safety regulations as well as CDC recommendations. If you think you’ve been exposed or start experiencing symptoms, get tested and notify anyone that you have been in contact with.
The safest place to be is at home having a virtual or small celebration with your household. If you’re traveling, social distance where possible and wear coronavirus PPE like a face mask and face shield in public settings. Keep an eye on the community levels of COVID-19 in your area as well as where you’ll be traveling to, and be prepared to change your plans.
When possible, do your holiday shopping online. When in-person shopping, support small local businesses, wear a mask, and social distance. Plan to shop on less-busy shopping days and in less-crowded stores. Be mindful of restaurants and restrooms, where it’s harder to keep your distance.
Visiting Family and Friends
It is recommended that you quarantine for 14 days before visiting anyone you don’t live with. Wear a mask and practice social distancing at all times. Keep gatherings as short and small as possible. While it’s safest to stay outdoors, that’s not always feasible: if you have to be indoors, avoid crowded, poorly ventilated, or fully-enclosed spaces, and increase the ventilation by opening windows and doors if conditions permit.
Safety Supply Experts at PK Safety
As your workplace safety partner, we keep our equipment and information up to date to make sure that you remain safe at home, on the job, or in a pandemic. If you have safety questions, read our COVID-19 safety plan, contact our safety experts online or call 800.829.9580.

domain: medical


text:
People die because of cyber wars, even if no bullets are ever fired. Instead, they die in emergency rooms that no longer have power, from broken medical communication networks, and from riots. All of this has happened before. It will happen again. And now, with Russia poised to invade Ukraine and Russian cyberattacks already in motion, we can only hope and pray that what promises to be the first major European war since World War II doesn’t spark the next World War.
If it does, I fear the proximate cause won’t be Russian T-90 main battle tanks trying to smash their way into Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. It will be the Russian GRU Sandworm hacking group launching a cyberattack that perhaps wrecks the European Union power grid; or knocks out major US internet sites such as Google, Facebook, and Microsoft; or stops 4G and 5G cellular services in their tracks.
To read this article in full, please click here


Banbury rockers Lake Acacia release new single
Banbury rock trio Lake Acacia are back from a winter break with a new logo and a new single released today (Friday, March 22) ahead of their second EP, Broken Circuits, later in the year.
Consisting of Adam Budd on lead guitar and vocals, Joe Homer on drums and Tim Groethe on bass the new single, Desynthed, takes a swipe at the technological world of social media and computers none of us can escape.
The band have also taken control of their creative output producing the video for Desynthed themselves.
Joe said: “I recently got into photography and videography so trying to do more stuff ourselves. Adam does studio recording so he’ll record our new music.”
The release of Desynthed comes follows a busy 2018 with the band featuring on BBC Introducing and playing at ever larger venues.
Joe said: “It was a competition in September and if we won we got to support Flogging Molly at the O2 in Cowley.”
Adam added: “We played the downstairs room. We’ve played upstairs but the downstairs room is the one you want to play. It was nerve racking.”
The band return to the Oxford O2 tonight as support for The Treatment. For more information and to watch the band’s new video visit www.lakeacacia.co.uk.


text:
Normalization Committee Has Lost Direction, Says Dan Kweku Yeboah
Dan Kweku Yeboah, a former spokesperson of the Normalisation Committee has taken a swipe at the interim Ghana FA body, claiming "leadership has lost direction".
The award-winning broadcaster resigned from his role on Friday after months of internal ridicule.
Media reports suggest that he had a frosty relationship with Normalisation Committee boss Dr Kofi Amoah, who kicked against his appointment.
According to Kweku Yeboah, who works with Accra-based Peace FM, has revealed the leadership of the interim body has lost direction, leading to his decision to quit in an image redemption strategy.
"The intentions of the president of Ghana Nana Akufo Addo was noble. He did everything to ensure we avoided a global ban from football," he told Peace FM.
"There was so much goodwill from Ghanaians at the beginning but we can't say the same for today.
"The leadership has lost direction. The NC leadership has lost direction.
"We criticized The former administration but this is not the sort of leadership we bargained for in all honesty," he added.


text:
Former champion jockey Moore made to wait for arm surgery after horror fall
Ryan Moore will have to wait until Tuesday to have surgery on his broken thumb and his broken humerus.
Different specialists are required
to operate on the three-times champion jockey, and that is the first day
they are both available.
Moore remains in St Richard's Hospital in Chichester after breaking his upper arm and thumb in a nasty fall at Glorious Goodwood on Saturday that could put him out for the rest of the season.
First aid: Ryan Moore receives attention after his horror fall
Waiting game: Ryan Moore
He was brought down when riding the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Verdant in the Toyo Tires Summer Handicap.
'Because of the severity of the injury, he's going to have a specialist to fix his thumb and a different specialist to do surgery on his shoulder,' said his father, West Sussex trainer Gary Moore.
'They can't get the two surgeons at the same time until Tuesday, so we're just going to have to sit tight until then.
'They didn't want to have one surgeon do one job and then Ryan have to go through it all again with another one. They want to do the two together. "He has to have pins in his shoulder and pins in this thumb.'
The injuries are a big blow to the rider. He is not only retained by Stoute but has also become a leading choice for Aidan O'Brien in the absence of a stable jockey at Ballydoyle.
Moore had also been involved in a fascinating tussle with reigning champion jockey Paul Hanagan and Silvestre de Sousa in this year's title race.
Most watched Sport videos
- Henrikh Mkhitaryan: I've always dreamt of playing for Arsenal
- Arsenal footballer Alexis Sanchez boards jet to Manchester
- Arsenal star Mesut Ozil enjoys a stroll around London
- Liverpool boss Klopp left frustrated after Swansea upset
- 'My players needed this win': Zidane on Real trashing Deportivo
- Young Oscar Murphy plays golf with his idol Rory McIlroy
- Premier League transfers: Sanchez and Mkhitaryan swap confirmed
- Blackpool and England legend Jimmy Armfield dies aged 82
- Tributes pour in for ex-England captain Jimmy Armfield
- Premier League sackings: Which managers have faced the axe?
- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on 4-1 win over Crystal Palace
- Kyle Edmund in profile: Who is Britain's new tennis star?

domain: sports


text:
Plan, oversee, coordinate and participate in City sponsored programs and projects related to local agriculture, community gardens, food forests, wildlife habitat on agricultural properties and other related projects; coordinate assigned activities with other divisions, outside agencies and the general public and perform the more technical and complex tasks relative to assigned area of responsibility.
Job descriptions are intended to present a general list of tasks/duties performed by employees within this job classification. Job Descriptions are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.
Education and experience directly related to the minimum requirements below may be interchangeable on a year for year basis.
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in natural science, natural resource management, agriculture, agronomy, food systems, sustainability, or urban planning; and
Three (3) years of agriculture experience in program or project management.
Possession of a valid Driver’s License or the ability to obtain by date of hire.
Possession of a City Operator’s Permit (COP) within 6 months from date of hire.
- Operations and activities of sustainable and regenerative agriculture, organic farming and agriculture
- Principles and practices of farm and garden management
- Principles and practices of agricultural and local food systems
- Principles and practices of innovative agriculture technology and regenerative agricultural
- Methods and techniques of fundraising for agriculture-related programs
- Principles of financial management
- Knowledge of educational programs and resources
- Pertinent Federal, State and local laws, codes and regulations
- Oversee and facilitate local agriculture and sustainable food systems
- Coordinate assigned activities with other divisions, departments, agencies and organizations
- Recommend and implement goals and objectives for providing agricultural programs and services
- Research, analyze and evaluate new service delivery methods and techniques
- Communicate clearly and concisely
- Perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work including City officials and the general public

domain: agronomy


text:
Utility crypto tokens play an important role in improving user experience and driving engagement on crypto platforms. These tokens are specifically created to act as a means of exchange within the exchange ecosystem, offering various advantages and incentives to their users. One such token that has gained prominence is the WhiteBIT Token (WBT), released by the reputable crypto platform, WhiteBIT. Let’s discuss it in more detail.
Benefits WBT Users Receive
WBT cryptocurrency plays a vital role in the WhiteBIT’s ecosystem, offering various advantages and rewards to its holders to enhance their trading experience and engagement on the platform:
- One of the key benefits of owning WBT is the opportunity to receive significant discounts on trading commissions. Users who keep their WBT on the Main balance can enjoy fee reductions of up to 90% on taker fees and up to 100% on maker fees. It results in substantial savings, making WBT an appealing choice for traders.
- WBT introduces an innovative concept called “holding”. By choosing to lock WBT, users can unlock additional benefits beyond the standard fee discounts. Holding participants will have a forced maker fee structure. That means they are exempt from regular maker fees, which is lowering trading costs and promoting active participation in the exchange.
- WhiteBIT recognizes the significance of seamless transactions and grants holders exemption from blockchain fee payments. Holders are eligible for a certain number of complimentary withdrawals of ERC-20 tokens and ETH per day, facilitating efficient and cost-effective management of assets.
- Another valuable benefit of owning WBT is the provision of free AML checks. Holders receive a specific number of complimentary AML checks, streamlining compliance procedures and ensuring a secure trading environment.
In addition to its practical advantages, the WhiteBIT token plays a vital role in promoting community engagement and growth within the WhiteBIT exchange. By offering an increased referral share to users who deposit WBT in holding, the exchange encourages users to invite new participants. It fosters an engaged community and expands the platform’s user base.
The WhiteBIT token provides value beyond the exchange itself, serving as a valuable digital asset in the cryptocurrency landscape. As more users adopt WBT and participate in the WhiteBIT ecosystem, the WBT price and significance are expected to increase.
You can buy WBT on its native exchange WhiteBIT as well as on Gate.io, Huobi, Bitfinex, and MEXC. WhiteBIT token to USDT is one of the most traded pairs on these platforms.
To summarize, the WBT crypto is a versatile and valuable utility token, offering numerous benefits and incentives to its owners and holders. As cryptocurrency exchanges continue to evolve, utility tokens play a crucial role in shaping the future of digital asset trading and investment.

domain: economics


text:
This is a slightly revised version of a paper I wrote for Dr. Michael DeAngelis‘ Cinema of Peace class, which was taught at DePaul University during the winter 2013 quarter. I am currently in the process of sending this paper out for publication. Also, be aware that this paper contains spoilers for both films. Also, because this paper is currently unpublished, I would ask that if you want to quote it or cite it in any way, please contact me for permission first. Thank you.
FAUNS, PHANTASMS AND PERSISTENT MEMORY: EXPLORING NATIONAL TRAUMA AT THE INTERSECTION OF FANTASY AND REALITY
The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) is a trauma that is specific to the nation of Spain, but one that had far reaching consequences that touched several other nations far beyond Spain’s borders. Indeed, the conflict drew soldiers from France, Germany, the Soviet Union and even China, and is often seen as a precursor to World War II (Raychaudhuri, 2001). It eventually took on a significance that went far beyond a Spanish cultural context, with people around the world viewing it as a battleground between fascism and Communisim, and an ideological conflict between oppression and freedom (Preston, 1996, p. 6). The Spanish Civil War left its mark on countries such as Wales, which is home to numerous Spanish Civil War memorials. However, while the Spanish Civil War would have an impact on Spain (and the rest of the world) for decades to come, those within Spain’s borders were not interested in memorializing the conflict, but rather were content to forget that it ever happened. There was a collective effort to forget the trauma caused by the war and the nearly three decades of fascist oppression that followed (Brinks, 2004). Unfortunately, even when an entire nation chooses to forget, the trauma nevertheless remains, and in this case it cast a shadow over not only Spain’s national history, but over the history of the entire world as well.
One way of remembering tragedy is through art; in particular, through popular art, such as film (Narine, 2010). Countless directors have turned their attention to the traumatic history of their nations as a way of exploring how that trauma has affected both the citizens and the national identity. Occasionally, though, directors from outside a particular nation will opt to explore a traumatic event that affected that nation, and sometimes this can provide a different perspective on the events of a conflict such as a war or genocide. Such is the case with Guillermo del Toro, a Mexican director who specializes in horror and fantasy. Del Toro chose to explore the consequences of the Spanish Civil War with The Devil’s Backbone (2001) and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), a pair of films that use a combination of horror, fantasy, magical realism, and children’s fairy tales to illuminate and reinforce the traumas of fascism and war, rather than obfuscate or gloss over them.
Similar to the artistic refugees who fled Spain during Franco’s rule, del Toro is familiar with navigating trauma (Kermode, 2006). Hailing from Mexico, an unstable nation that has grown increasingly violent due to the influence of the drug trade, del Toro left his homeland shortly after his father was kidnapped in 1997. After this event, del Toro refused to live or work in Mexico any longer (Hanley, 2007). Thus, del Toro is familiar with the idea of exile, an idea which informs both of these films, particularly Pan’s Labyrinth, which is all about escaping the horrors of war by retreating into a fantasy realm. In fact, del Toro uses fantasy as a way of exploring the traumatic events of the civil war, as well as a way to emphasize the need to remember even in the face of trauma. In The Devil’s Backbone, del Toro uses literal ghosts to stand in for the memories that haunt individuals after a trauma, just as he uses the existence of a fantasy realm to represent the past in Pan’s Labyrinth (Fig. 1). In both instances, he is using fantasy as a way of rejecting the desire to forget trauma, and reinforcing the notion that no matter how much a nation might want to sweep memories of a conflict or war under the rug, the memories will still remain, and have an impact upon the lives of the citizenry long after the events occurred.
Del Toro’s position as an outsider allows him to stand back from the trauma of the civil war and examine it critically, even when those within the nation would prefer to forget that it happened. It is his decision to examine it through the lens of fantasy, however, that provides more insight into why it is important to engage in the act of remembrance, even when an entire nation would rather retreat into the realm of willful forgetting. Indeed, there was a prevailing attitude of “out of sight, out of mind” in Spain during the postwar years (Hartney, 2009, p. 191). Ellen Brinks (2004) explains this desire to forget in detail, writing:
“…this era, which represents Spain’s first attempt at democracy, continues to stand as a disavowed core of national identity, whose pathological dissociation is less about survival than a simple will-to-forget a violence that turned a nation’s political factions, and consequently its citizens, against themselves.” (p. 294)
Nevertheless, the specter of the Spanish Civil War has continued to linger over the entire nation, and as a result it has entered the realm of national myth (Raychaudhuri, 2001). When an event occurs that is as wide ranging and profoundly traumatic as a civil war that grips an entire nation and sends out ripples that affect other nations, it is only natural that it eventually take on a mythic quality, especially in the face of memorials erected in other nations to honor the dead and valorize the heroic figures that emerged during the conflict (Hartney, 2006; Raychaudhuri, 2011). Thus, the Spanish Civil War has taken on an air of the fantastic, and therefore it is no surprise that filmmakers such as Guillermo del Toro should examine the trauma of the war through the lens of fantasy.
THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE: HORROR AND THE GHOSTS OF PERSISTENT MEMORY
Set in 1939, on the eve of General Francisco Franco’s victory of over the left-wing Republican forces, The Devil’s Backbone tells the story of 10 year-old Carlos, who is dropped off at a boy’s orphanage after his father, a Republican war hero, is killed during the war (History Learning Site, n.d.). Once there, Carlos meets the kindly caretakers, Carmen and Dr. Casares, and quickly runs afoul of both Jaime, the schoolyard bully, and Jacinto, the brutish handyman who came of age in the orphanage. More importantly, Carlos soon discovers that there is a huge, unexploded bomb sitting right in the middle of the orphanage’s courtyard, and that the orphanage is haunted by the restless spirit of a boy who disappeared under mysterious circumstances right around the time that the bomb fell from the sky (Fig. 2).
According to scholars such as Roger Clark and Keith McDonald (2010), “Intertextual strategies which meld images of fascism with fairy-tale tropes deconstruct the fact/fiction dichotomy and suggest that fantasy is an important tool for reading historic trauma” (pp. 54-55). Furthermore, there is a long cinematic tradition of examining the Spanish Civil War via the fantastic, from Heart of the Forest (1978, dir. Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón), and extending to The Last Circus (2010, dir. Álex de la Iglesia). This tendency to deal with a traumatic reality through the act of creating a fantasy is evident in The Devil’s Backbone when Dr. Casares tells Carlos about the stories the villagers invent to deal with children who are born with bizarre spinal deformities, which they refer to as the titular “devil’s backbone.” The villagers deal with the trauma of the birth of a malformed child by inventing a fantasy that allows them to make sense of the awful thing that has occurred. By examining the horrors of war through the lens of fantasy, del Toro is engaging in a similar act. With The Devil’s Backbone, he is attempting “to write a history, such as the villagers do through religion, that could confer meaning upon what look like horribly random, meaningless events” (Brinks, 2004, p. 300).
The most potent and obvious metaphor in The Devil’s Backbone is that of the ghosts as memories of the war. The boys at the orphanage represent the nation of Spain as a whole, but due to their distance from the war — which is taking place all around them but only exists in the background of their everyday lives — they could also be seen as representing modern Spanish audiences who also would have been far removed from the traumatic events of the civil war at the time of the film’s release. Similar to the way that the film serves as a reminder of that event, the ghosts of Santi and later Dr. Casares serve to remind the boys that they are not as far removed from the trauma as they might like to think. Santi, in particular, is a stark reminder of the horrors of war, because his death is so closely linked to the unexploded bomb that sits in the courtyard of the orphanage. Bombs are an indelible symbol of war, particularly in regards to the history of the Spanish Civil War, which was the first time bombs were used against a civilian population on such a large scale (Brinks, 2004). This link between the bomb and the war is further reinforced by the fact that it was dropped by a German plane, and the Germans were the allies of the Falangist forces during the war (Hartney, 2009). Therefore, the bomb becomes emblematic of how war intrudes upon the lives of ordinary citizens, and it also links Santi’s death to the war. In this way, his ghost is made to serve as a reminder of the war, and he comes to serve as an illustration of the ways in which a trauma can affect a nation long after it has occurred.
However, Santi is not the only spirit who serves as a reminder of the trauma of war. There is a conflict in the orphanage between the intellectual Dr. Casares and the emotional, hypermasculine Jacinto, and it is one that mirrors the events of the war that is taking place outside the walls of the remote orphanage (Fig. 3). During the climax of the film, Dr. Casares, who represents both the Republican loyalists and the Spanish intellectual class, is wounded in an explosion, and he eventually dies trying to protect the children of the orphanage from Jacinto, a stand-in for General Francisco Franco’s Nationalist forces. As it was Jacinto who caused the explosion in an effort to steal the Republican gold stored in a safe in the orphanage’s kitchen, injuring or killing the children and allies of the Republican loyalists, the conflict that plays out inside the orphanage becomes a microcosm of the larger war that is gripping the nation (Chun, 2002; Lázaro-Reboll, 2007).
Eventually, Dr. Casares returns as a ghost who is dedicated to protecting the boys from Jacinto and his accomplices, and thus, another connection to the war is formed. Within the context of the film, the boys eventually come to stand in for the young soldiers who fought in the Spanish Civil War, a fact which is emphasized by the final shot of the film, which sees the boys — who themselves have been wounded in the explosion that killed Dr. Casares — hobbling on crutches and limping away from the site of their own personal trauma. It is an image that is repeated time and time again in the real world, whenever young men are sent into combat, and return home, wounded and broken. As the boys leave the orphanage, Dr. Casares’s ghost steps from the shadows and watches them go (Fig. 4). The brief scene serves to illustrate that even though the Republican loyalists wanted to protect the citizens of Spain from the creeping fascism of Franco and his Falangist forces, they were nevertheless unable to actually prevent the trauma that would haunt the nation for decades.
This link between ghosts and the act of remembrance is established during the film’s pre-credit sequence, in a bit of voiceover narration provided by Dr. Casares, who intones:
What is a ghost? A tragedy condemned to repeat itself time and again? An instant of pain, perhaps. Something dead which still seems to be alive. An emotion suspended in time. Like a blurred photograph. Like an insect trapped in amber.
Immediately, then, the ghosts are positioned as dead things that only appear to be alive, a description that could also apply to the concept of the past, which no longer exists in the present moment, but can be brought back into existence via the act of memory. Additionally, the ghosts are positioned alongside both tragedy and pain, which are often caused by traumatic events such as war. Furthermore, they are linked to emotions and photographs, both of which provide a link to the past (Fig. 5). In this case, it is the negative emotions caused by the trauma that must be navigated by those who are trying to come to terms the events of the Spanish Civil War. Similarly, there is an abundance of photographic evidence which exists to document the horrors caused by the war, and thus they serve as a reminder of the trauma. By positioning the ghosts of Santi and Dr. Casares in relation to these stark reminders of Spain’s national trauma, they become explicitly linked to memories of the war, and therefore serve as stand-ins for the act of remembering a “war that due to the victory of the nationalists and to collective amnesia and avoidance, does not get remembered or told” (Brinks, 2004, p. 301).
However, while the ghosts are the most evocative metaphor for the act of remembrance in the film, del Toro does not rely solely on fantasy as a way of exploring the traumas of the Spanish Civil War. He is also drawing parallels between the conflict and life inside the remote orphanage, a tactic that is made profoundly more effective thanks to del Toro’s choice to focus on children as both the observers and victims of the trauma in both The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth. In the case of the former, the boys at the orphanage come to represent the youth of Spain, who were the primary combatants in the conflict (Fig. 6). More importantly, though, they represent youth as a concept; as it is primarily young people that are sent to fight in wars around the world, then Carlos, Jaime, Gálvez, and the rest of the boys act as stand-ins for young soldiers around the world throughout time. This connection is underscored by the fact that they are living in an orphanage that is dominated by a massive, unexploded bomb that sits in the courtyard and casts a shadow of destruction over the boys’ tiny corner of the world. With this single image, the film is implying that young people the world over exist in the shadow of war, both those that occurred in the past, and those that have yet to occur. That the bomb is linked so closely to the death of Santi, yet another young person cut down at an early age, it also comes to serve as another reminder of how war leaves nothing but death and destruction in its wake. In time, though, the bomb becomes just another part of the landscape, and the boys eventually learn to ignore it.
It is important to note that both Dr. Casares and Carmen, the other caretaker at the orphanage, seem almost entirely oblivious to the existence of the bomb in their courtyard. It as though they have had more time to come to terms with the trauma caused by the bomb because they are older and more removed from it, and thus they have at last made their peace with it. However, the fact that the bomb is so central to the landscape of the orphanage, and so closely linked to Santi’s death, indicates that it serves as yet another indicator that as much people would like to forget, the specter of war is always looming and could explode at any moment. This is another indication of why it is important to engage in the act of remembrance, as facing the fact of a trauma in the past might lead to the avoidance of another similar trauma in the future.
Another way that del Toro explores the need to remember the traumatic events of the Spanish Civil War is by exploring the characters’ need to forget, even for a moment, that their nation is being ravaged by the horrors of war. One way he does this is by employing a tactic that has been used by other films that examine national traumas, and that is through the motif of the radio. Similar to films such as The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979, dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder) and A City of Sadness (1989, dir. Hsiao-hsien Hou), del Toro allows the events of the war to touch the lives of the central characters through their use the radio. In the case of The Devil’s Backbone, he makes use of this trope at the beginning of the film. Carlos, the young boy who serves as the film’s central protagonist, is being driven to the orphanage by his guardians, both of whom are Republican loyalists. As the car trundles along, a news report is blaring over the radio, and while the words are not translated on the DVD, it is safe to assume that it is a story about the conflict. Carlos, however, appears to be blissfully unaware of the horrors that are gripping his nation as he sits in the back seat and reads his comics. Indeed, Carlos is not even aware that his father has died in the war, and the boy seems to have completely forgotten about him, as he does not mention his father once throughout the film. This is yet another way that the characters retreat into the act of forgetfulness when faced with trauma, but it is also another way that del Toro emphasizes the need for remembrance. Carlos may have forgotten his father, but by transforming the orphanage into a microcosm of the Spanish Civil War itself, del Toro reinforces the notion that individuals who try to forget traumatic events are doomed to suffer similar fates (Chun, 2002). This is an idea that is explored further in Pan’s Labyrinth, but one that begins to emerge here in The Devil’s Backbone.
The motif of the radio is continued throughout the film, though it is used differently than in films like The Official Story (1985, dir. Luis Puenzo), in which the events of the conflict or trauma gripping the nation are related via the radio. Instead, the characters in The Devil’s Backbone use the radio as a way of escaping the trauma, and to forget for a time that it is occurring just outside their walls. Jacinto is seen trying to fix an old radio, and when he finally gets it to work (by hitting it; thus, he is using an act of violence to engage in the act of forgetting, implying that humanity is doomed to continue the cycle of violence unless people are willing to face their memories) he tunes it to a station playing jaunty music, rather than one that is relaying news of the civil war (Fig. 7). In this way, Jacinto and the residents at the orphanage are engaging in an act of willful forgetting, and simply trying to live their lives independent of the trauma of war.
This need to forget is echoed later in the film, when Dr. Casares learns that Nationalist forces are moving in the direction of the orphanage, and he implores Carmen to gather up as many of the boys as they can fit in the truck so that they can escape before their lives are further affected by the war. Carmen is reluctant to leave, reminding him about the gold that is so important to the cause, and in reply Dr. Casares screams, “Fuck the cause!” This is another indicator that oftentimes, people simply want to escape from the trauma that is affecting their nation, and that they are more concerned with just living. However, the twin specters of the bomb in the courtyard and Santi’s ghost serve as reminders that no matter how badly people want to forget about war and conflict, they are always there, casting a shadow over everything people do and say.
Finally, the film’s temporal structure is another way that del Toro stresses the need for remembrance. Near the middle of the film, Jaime tells Carlos about what happened the night Santi died. The story plays out in a flashback in which Jacinto accidentally kills Santi and then hides his body in the stagnant pool in the basement of the orphanage. Because Jacinto represents the Nationalists forces and Santi represents the Republican soldiers, the act takes on a wider importance and further symbolizes the conflict that is taking place outside of the orphanage. Furthermore, Jaime witnesses the whole thing but is unable to stop it from happening, and later simply tries to forget about it. As a result, Jaime comes to symbolize the Spanish people who spent decades trying to forget the trauma of the Spanish Civil War and the ensuing fascist regime. Thus del Toro is using the flashback as a way of both critiquing the collective desire to forget what happened, while simultaneously stressing the importance of remembrance. This is then reinforced by the appearance of the unexploded bomb, which lands in the courtyard not far from Jaime shortly after he witnessed Santi’s murder. This implies that no matter how much people want to forget about trauma, it is impossible to completely repress these memories because there will always be some sort of reminder, whether it be the aftermath of a previous trauma or the specter of one yet to occur. Furthermore, by using the appearance of Santi’s ghost as the inciting incident for the flashback, del Toro is implying that people who have experienced a trauma, either on an individual or national level, are haunted by the memories of it, and it is another way in which he uses fantasy to explore the need for memory.
FANTASY, FAIRY TALES AND THE TRAUMA OF PERSISTENT MEMORY IN PAN’S LABYRINTH
Del Toro continues to explore the trauma of the Spanish Civil War through the lens of fantasy in Pan’s Labyrinth, which is set in 1944, roughly five years after the civil war and well into the rise of General Francisco Franco’s fascist government (Zipes, 2008). Whereas The Devil’s Backbone is structured like a gothic ghost story, Pan’s Labyrinth appropriates the narrative structure of a fairy tale, which is then contrasted with the more realistic horrors of war. As Jane Hanley writes, “the audience’s engagement with the film draws heavily on childhood fear and fantasy and brings the narrative structures associated with those experiences to bear on the emotions articulated in an adult text” (2007, p. 35). Furthermore, both the protagonist and antagonist in the film are living in the shadow of their fathers, both of whom died during a war. This death impacted both characters greatly, and serves as yet another reminder of how people are affected by trauma long after the event actually occurred, even if they are trying to forget it by retreating into a fantasy world. Most importantly, though, the film concludes by mixing triumph and tragedy, pointing out that even though people touched by trauma may succeed in retreating into a fantasy world, the trauma nevertheless continues in the real world. In this way, the film continues to explore the need to remember trauma through fantasy, implying that even though people might want to retreat into a fantasy as a way of dealing with trauma, they are not necessarily escaping it so much as they are simply trying to deny it. Thus, it is important to remember the trauma, even while indulging in flights of fancy.
As the film opens, the protagonist, Ofelia, is dying in reverse. She is lying on the ground and breathing heavily as a trickle of blood makes its way back up into her nose. The film then cuts to the fantasy realm, and a narrator relates the story of an immortal princess who fled from her kingdom to become a human. The film then cuts to a time before the first shot of Ofelia dying in reverse, and a line of text informs the viewer that the story is taking place in Spain 1944. Ofelia is sitting next to her very pregnant mother in the backseat of an expensive looking car, and she is reading from a book of fairy tales. Ofelia’s mother looks over and sighs, and doesn’t hesitate to inform Ofelia that she is too old to be filling her head with such nonsense. This is followed by Ofelia finding a strange stone which she inserts into a rather menacing statue by the side of the road that runs through the woods surrounding the mill where the primary action of the film takes place. As soon as she places the stone into the slot on the statue, a large stick bug pops out, and flies to the labyrinth of the film’s title. In essence, Ofelia has unlocked the door to the fantasy realm that will parallel her journey during the conflict, and allow her to deal with the horrors unleashed by her wicked stepfather, the cruel and vicious Captain Vidal. Thus, del Toro is immediately illustrating the conflict between reality and fantasy, and emphasizing the role that fantasy plays in dealing with trauma. Additionally, by structuring the film in the form of an extended flashback, opening with Ofelia’s death and then taking the audience back to the beginning of the story, del Toro is also pointing out the need to remember, and reinforcing the notion that even though fantasy can help an individual deal with a trauma, it cannot allow them to actually forget what caused the trauma in the first place.
Del Toro uses the idea of an underworld, a world that exists beneath and apart from the real world, to explore the notion of using fantasy to deal with trauma. While there is a strong implication at the end of the film that Ofelia’s fantasy world actually exists, it nevertheless serves as a metaphor with how people use fantasy to navigate the traumas that affect them (Fig. 8). Indeed, there is a long tradition in children’s literature of exploring the intersection of childhood and war, as well as the connection between fantasy and trauma (McDonald, 2010; Hanley, 2007). This intersection is explored within the very geography of the film: the labyrinth is located in the woods behind the mill Captain Vidal has confiscated to use as both a home and a base for his troops. Thus, the film is illustrating that fantasy and reality often exist side by side, and that even when we try to retreat into fantasy, reality is often waiting for us right next door.
Ofelia descends into labyrinth and meets the faun. At first, the faun appears as a looming, menacing, and diseased figure. The faun is there to remind Ofelia of her past life as the immortal princess who fled her kingdom, but also to help her return to the loving arms of her real mother and father. Therefore, the faun represents the act of remembrance, and he serves to emphasize the need to hang on to memories of the past, even in the face of trauma. Furthermore, it is important that the faun lives in the fantasy realm to which Ofelia retreats, and that he occasionally enters her world, in the same way that the real world occasionally treads upon the fantasy realm, as when Captain Vidal enters the Labyrinth late in the film, or when he discovers the magic chalk Ofelia uses to escape the confines of her room in the attic. This is another way del Toro is reinforcing the idea that even when individuals use fantasy to cope with trauma, the trauma still exists, and that is why it is important to engage in the act of remembrance.
However, the very notion of the underworld creates another connection between Ofelia’s fantasy world and the conflict that is occurring beyond its borders. The labyrinth, the cave of the giant toad, the hall of the Pale Man, and even the kingdom from which Ofelia fled all exist underground, and thus they evoke the bunkers people would have retreated to during the war, or the caves where the rebels hide out from Captain Vidal and his forces (Hartney, 2001). It also seems to imply the idea of descending or retreating from the horrors of war. The conflict between the fascists and the rebels takes place aboveground, often far above it in the case of Franco’s aerial bombing campaign. This represents the real world. Ofelia descends into her fantasy realm, as a way of escaping the monstrous Captain Vidal, only to find herself confronting still more monsters (though none as terrible as Captain Vidal, who proves that even the most terrifying nightmares pale in comparison to real life wickedness). Furthermore, it is only Ofelia’s death that allows her to return to the underground kingdom of her birth, implying that death is the only thing that will allow an individual to ultimately escape from the specter of trauma. This is another way that fantasy parallels reality within the film, and another reminder that even when an individual tries to forget a trauma by retreating into fantasy, its effects still remain.
The parallels between the real world and the fantasy realm are continued during Ofelia’s journey into the dining hall of the Pale Man, a horrifying monster who at once symbolizes Franco and his desire to devour the freedom of Spain, and the Catholic Church, which stood by and allowed this to happen (Kermode, 2006). The creature sits at the head of a long table overflowing with food, yet he appears emaciated and starved, his sickly skin hanging flaccidly off his bones (Fig. 9). It is a tableau that mirrors the dinner scene that took place earlier in the film, with Captain Vidal hosting members of the church and the upper class, and laying out his vision for the future of Spain (Smith, 2007). Thus, the parallel between the monster and the fascist forces is made explicit. However, the creature is also being used as a way of implicating the church in the rise of the fascists. Aside from a downturned mouth that makes the creature appear as though he is constantly frowning, as if he is in a perpetual state of disapproval, the Pale Man has no face. Instead, a pair of eyes sits on a plate before him. When the creature awakes, it is revealed that he has stigmata on his hands, and that it places the eyes in these holes in order to see. The combination of the eyeless face with the stigmata on the hands seems to imply that the creature is meant to stand in for the church, who became complicit in the rise of the fascists when they turned a blind eye to the conflict and sided with Franco and his forces. This becomes another way in which the fantasy realm comments upon the real world, and another way in which del Toro explores the trauma of the conflict through the lens of the fantastic.
Ofelia soon learns that it is not food the Pale Man desires to eat, but children. In this way, the creature comes to represent the leaders on both sides of the war, old men who sent countless young men and women, boys and girls to their deaths (Fig. 10). Similarly, the paintings on the wall of the Pale Man’s hall bring to mind the nightmarish images of the Nazi death camps during World War II, a motif which is emphasized by a pile of discarded children’s shoes in the corner (Clark and McDonald, 2010). Thus, del Toro is invoking the specter of yet another war, and illustrating how fantasy may allow individuals a temporary escape from the memory of trauma, but it cannot protect them from it entirely. In addition to this, the faun describes the Pale Man as inhuman, and this draws a link to the inhumanity of war in general. More specifically, however, del Toro is using the Pale Man as a way of implicating General Francisco Franco as a murderer of children and young men, and this is another way that he is using fantasy to explore the traumatic events of war. However, Franco is not the only power-hungry man who has sent children and young people off to war, and therefore it could be argued that del Toro is using the film as a way of condemning all war, while simultaneously emphasizing the need to remember malicious dictators like Franco in order to prevent another one from taking his place.
It is important to note here that both The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth feature children as their protagonists, as this is central to the theme of exploring trauma through fantasy in both films. According to Guillermo del Toro, “Fascism is above all a perversion of innocence, and as such a perversion of childhood” (Fox, 2006, quoted in Hanley, 2007, p. 38). Thus, by exploring the horrors of war and fascism through the lens of children, del Toro is also exploring the loss of Spain’s own national innocence. Like Ofelia, who finds herself under the thumb of Captain Vidal, Spain found itself under the thumb of Captain Vidal. Thus, just as Ofelia lost her sense of autonomy under the rule of her wicked stepfather, Spain also suffered a loss of autonomy during the rule of the fascists (Clark and McDonald, 2010). Del Toro goes on to explain that during the 1960s, Spain found the courage to resist the fascist dictatorship, and this newly found sense of rebellion and self-expression was not unlike that of the United States in the 1960s (Kermode, 2006). This would indicate that Spain reached an age of independence, not unlike a teenager who reaches a certain age and suddenly desires independence from his or her parents. Thus, the link between childhood and nationhood becomes another way for del Toro to explore the trauma of the civil war and its aftermath.
Furthermore, by exploring this trauma through the lens of childhood, del Toro is also placing emphasis on the act of examining trauma through fantasy. Often, adults will tell children stories as a way of protecting them from the horrors of the real world. In Pan’s Labyrinth, Ofelia is retreating into the fantasy of the fairy tales she loves so much as a way of escaping the horrors of the conflict that is gripping Spain. However, Ofelia is unable to escape from the trauma no matter how much she wishes she could, and this in turn is commentary on the need to shield children from trauma as a way of protecting them. Indeed, this theme is repeated throughout both Pan’s Labyrinth and The Devil’s Backbone, as del Toro does not shy away from showing the affects of war on children. In fact, the appearance of two of the child actors from The Devil’s Backbone as doomed rebel soldiers in Pan’s Labyrinth creates an intertextual connection between the two films, and implies that even though the boys from the orphanage escaped the war in the former film, they still cannot outrun the trauma of the event, which continued to hang over Spain for decades to come (Fig. 11).
This idea returns at the end of Pan’s Labyrinth, which mixes triumph and tragedy as a way of illustrating how even though individuals may try to forget about a trauma that has affected them, they cannot escape the reality of the situation. Ofelia liberates her newborn baby brother from the clutches of Captain Vidal, an act which symbolizes the need for Spain to experience a rebirth through the act of liberation. Captain Vidal chases Ofelia into the labyrinth, where he shoots her and leaves her to die as the film returns to the shot from the beginning of the film, only this time it is running forward. As Captain Vidal emerges from the labyrinth carrying the baby, he is confronted by the rebels, who take the baby and then kill the cruel captain (Fig. 12). This would seem to imply that the rebels were victorious, and that everyone would live happily ever after in true Hollywood fashion. However, the historical reality of the situation is that the fascists remained in power until Franco’s death in 1975, and thus the happy ending is not nearly as cut and dried as it at first appears. This is echoed by the fate of Ofelia, who returns to her father’s kingdom in the fantasy realm, but in reality is left to die at the edge of the labyrinth. Despite the evidence that the fantasy realm is real, there is still the fear that it simply existed in Ofelia’s mind. If this is the case, then her fate is similar to that of the rebels and of Spain itself; she may have escaped the tyranny of Captain Vidal, but they have not escaped the rule of the fascists. This is yet another way that del Toro addresses the trauma of the Spanish Civil War, and the oppression of the three decades that followed it.
Most importantly, though, Ofelia represents the future. She represents the generation who grew up under the tyranny of the fascist regime, but also the generation who would someday rise up and throw off the yoke of oppression. While Ofelia dies in the real world, she nevertheless returns to the underground kingdom of her mother and father, and resumes her role as a princess. It is a triumphant scene, with the citizens of the underground kingdom applauding and cheering for her, as the benevolent king and queen, her father and mother, gaze down at her with love and affection. So while her story ends tragically in the real world, with her lying dead and the fascists continuing their rise to power, it nevertheless concludes with a happy ending in the fantasy realm. In one sense, this could be del Toro acknowledging the fact that the rebels ultimately lost their struggle, and that Spain would fall under the oppression of the fascists for the next 30 years. At the same time, though, the fascist regime would eventually fall, and Spain would regain its identity as a free nation (Hartney, 2006).
There is an idea of death and rebirth in both the fantasy realm and the real world. Ofelia must die in order to be reborn as the immortal princess of the fantasy realm. Similarly, Spain died and then was reborn as a fascist dictatorship, which in turn died and gave birth to another Spain, one the was free of the oppression of Fanco and the fascists (Clark & McDonald, 2010). In both cases, the idea of memory looms large. Ofelia forgot that she was once an immortal princess from an underground realm, just as Spain tried to forget the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, the trauma that led to the nation falling under the tyranny of fascism. In each case, it led to an eventual rebirth, but it was only through the painful act of remembrance that both Ofelia and Spain were able to achieve this rebirth. Thus, the film is once again illustrating the need to remember in the face of trauma, even when retreating to a fantasy realm seems preferable.
It is painful to remember, especially in the face of events that had such a far-reaching and long-lasting impact as did the Spanish Civil War. However, as Guillermo del Toro illustrates, it is important to remember, because even when an individual tries to forget, the event still occurred and the memories continue to linger. Just as Jaime tried to forget about Santi’s death, or Ofelia forgot that she was an immortal princess from an underground kingdom, Spain tried to forget the horrific events of its own past, even as the consequences of those events lingered for decades after they occurred. Thus, by using fantastic elements such as ghosts and fairy tale kingdoms to serve as literal stand-ins for the memories of trauma, del Toro reinforces the idea that people cannot escape the past, no matter how hard they try. He also illustrates the need to keep these memories fresh as a way of preventing similar traumas. Just as Ofelia forgot her mortal life when she reentered the kingdom of her father, she nevertheless died in the real world, and the rebels found themselves under the oppressive rule of General Francisco Franco and the forces of fascism. Thus, although they tried to forget the traumatic events of the civil war that happened only five years prior, the people of Spain still found themselves living under oppression for the next 30 years. Perhaps, had they remembered what was at stake, they might not have suffered such a fate. This is why it is important to remember, no matter how painful those memories might be. Films like The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth help viewers do just that.
Brinks, E. (2004). “Nobody’s children”: Gothic representation and traumatic history in “The Devil’s Backbone”. Jac, 24(2), 291-312.
Chun, K. (2002). What is a ghost?: An interview with Guillermo del Toro. Cineaste, 27(2), 28-31.
Clark, R., & McDonald, K. (2010). “A constant transit of finding”: Fantasy as realisation in Pan’s Labyrinth. Children, 41, 52-63.
Hanley, J. (2007). The walls fall down: Fantasy and power in El laberinto del fauno.”. Studies in Hispanic Cinemas, 4(1), 34-45.
Hartney, C. (2006). With Spain in our hearts: The political fantastic of Guillermo del Toro’s Laberinto del fauno (2006) and El espinazo del diablo (2001). Literature & Aesthetic, 19(2), 187-201.
History Learning Site. (n.d.) Timeline of the Spanish civil war. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/timeline_spanish_civil_wa.htm
Kermode, M. (2006, December). Girl interrupted. Sight & Sound, 16(12), 20-24.
Lázaro-Reboll, A. (2007). The transnational reception of El espinazo del diablo (Guillermo del Toro 2001). Hispanic Research Journal, 8(1), 39-51.
Narine, N. (2010). Global trauma and narrative cinema. Theory Culture Society, 27(4), 119-145.
Payne, S. G. (1994). Regional historiography of the Spanish Civil War. European History Quarterly, 24, 403-410.
Raychaudhuri, A. (2011). The Spanish Civil War and its (Welsh) afterlives: Memorialisation as a political act. Word & Text: A Journal of Literary Studies and Linguistics, 1(1), 151-163.
Smith, P. J. (2007). Pan’s Labyrinth (El laberinto del fauno). Film Quarterly, 60(4), 4-9.
Zipes, J. (2008). Pan’s Labyrinth (El laberinto del fauno). Journal of American Folklore, 121(480), 263-240.
Aragón, M. G. 1978. Heart of the Forest.
de la Iglesia, Á. 2010. The Last Circus.
Del Toro, G. 2001. The Devil’s Backbone.
Del Toro, G. 2006. Pan’s Labyrinth.
Fassbinder, R. W. 1979. The Marriage of Maria Braun.
Hou, H. 1989. A City of Sadness.
Puenzo, L. 1985. The Official Story.

domain: library


text:
Onyx Crisologo celebrates wife Nikki on Women’s Day
Onyx Crisologo is celebrating his beloved wife Councilor Nikki’s existence on International Women’s Day, believing her might.
“There is no limit to what women can accomplish,” the Quezon City congressman said.
“Happy Women’s Month! As Councilor Nikki Crisologo has accomplished so much for our district, so can you!”

domain: sociology


text:
Tags: Adobe After Effects, CS3. A, free, download, software, registered, full Version Adobe After Effects CS3About Adobe After Effects CS3Adobe After Effects CS3 is a.
Download Crack Adobe After Effect Cs6 Free download Review Adobe after effect CS6 may be the new edition of the classic software centered on animations and effects for videos. Free Mp4 Video Software Download. This version has considerably enhanced the motion graphics and motion picture effects. Free Hand Software Download For Windows 7. There has been huge improvements made, like the chance to help keep one open project loaded around the cache although you’re focusing on another project. The combination along with other programs in the Adobe after effect Suite continues to be enhanced, not just for Adobe Premiere, furthermore Illustrator. Now, you’ll have a devoted command for creating shapes on vector layers. However the finest improvement of the version may be the new Ray-tracked three dimensional rendering engine.

domain: design


text:
Posts Tagged ‘Suffolk Theater’
by Bernadette Starzee Published: May 15, 2013
Tags: concerts, drinks, Economy, entertainment, food, Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo, movies, plays, restaurant, Riverhead Diner & Grill, shows, Suffolk Theater, theRiverheadProject
Some businesses in downtown Riverhead have noticed a bump in business since the Suffolk Theater opened its doors amid much fanfare March 2.
by LIBN Staff Published: March 2, 2013
Tags: alcohol, bars, booze, Chef Tom Schaudel, classic cooking technique, cocktail, Cointreau, eateries, fish, game, Hendricks gin, lemon twist, liquor, Lord Suffolk, maraschino liqueur, Panama Hatties, restaurants, signature drink, Suffolk Theater, sweet vermouth
Try the Lord Suffolk at the Suffolk Theater grand opening.


text:
Diversity and inclusion (“D&I”) has been much discussed at conferences and webinars, and a “buzz” word lately in the corporate world. If you follow any of the job boards, D&I positions are popping up every day with creative titles and at all levels. I have seen some of my former colleagues in HR and in Employee Relations with their portfolios transformed to be now in charge of D&I initiatives.
For those of us who have been championing gender equality and anti-racism in the workplace for some time, it feels like the world is finally catching up. We are not the lonely voice in the room anymore, but has the law caught up?
I recently spoke to the Law Times to answer the question of whether D&I is regulated. In other words, as an employer, am I legally required to have a D&I program?
The answer is… sort of.
There is legislation with basic obligations that touch upon D&I:
1. The Human Rights Code. It prohibits discrimination in employment based on protected grounds including race, place of origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, family status.
2. The Employment Equity Act for federally regulated employers, which aims to achieve equality in the workplace and “to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment experienced by women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities…”
3. The Pay Equity Act for federally regulated employers recently came into force, which aims to achieve pay equity through proactive means by “redressing the systemic gender-based discrimination in the compensation practices and systems of employers that is experienced by employees who occupy positions in predominantly female job classes...” Note that Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI have pay equity legislation for the public sector, but not for the private sector. Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia have no specific legislation on pay equity.
4. Accessibility legislation. This includes the Federal Canada Accessible Act, and provincial legislation such as the Ontario Accessibility Standards for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. These legislation aims at the removal of barriers in employment, buildings, and the provision of services, amongst others.
5. The Workers Compensation Act and related policies, which are designed to address harassment and bullying in the workplace.
The current state of the law is a bit of patchwork, with many gaps remaining. Employers can meet their strict legal obligations in bits and pieces, but they are not legally required to have a fulsome D&I program. So why do it? As a lawyer and a workplace investigator, I can tell you that organizations where D&I is not entrenched, have lower psychological safety and a higher degree of workplace conflict. They are at a higher risk of litigation. If you still think that a Board of Directors or an executive team of mostly the same gender or the same race will keep your organization and your employees thriving in today’s world, then think again*. But also ask your MBA’s and they will tell you all about the business case for D&I. I quote in my presentations from this McKinsey study, full of gems and available for free.
*I briefly worked for an organization with zero diversity in its board and executive team and it was hell on wheels. I don’t list it on my Linkedin profile. So don’t go looking for it.
This blog is not intended to serve as legal advice, and only provides general information.
Every situation must be considered on its own facts. Need legal advice? Contact us by phone at 604 535-7063 or email [email protected].

domain: law