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T. Subramanian Vs. State of Tamil Nadu [2006] Insc 9 (4 January 2006)
S B Sinha & R V Raveendran Raveendran, J.
This appeal by the accused is against the judgment dated 8.10.1999 of the Madras High Court in C.A. No.627 of 1992, convicting him under Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947 (for short 'the Act').
By the said judgment, the High Court reversed the judgment dated 29.7.1991 passed by the Special Judge, Thanjavur District at Kumbakonam in Special Case No.2/1988 acquitting the accused.
2. The case of the prosecution was as follows :
2.1) The appellant was working as the Executive Officer of Sri Swarnathaneswar Temple, Chithaimoor, Tamil Nadu from September, 1985.
2.2) That one Shivashanmugam (PW-1) was in occupation of six cents of temple land (situated behind his house). PW-1 approached the appellant in June, 1987 for securing a patta in his favour in respect of the said land. The appellant told him to apply to the concerned authorities, namely, the Deputy Commissioner and the Assistant Commissioner (Endowments) and that he would help him in securing the patta. On 2.7.1987, the appellant sent word to PW-1 to meet him. PW-1 along with his friend (PW-2) went and met the appellant. The appellant then demanded Rs.450 to help PW-1. Subsequently, the appellant reduced the demand to Rs.300 and enquired as to how much money he was having. PW-1 stated that he was having Rs.100/- and paid the said sum of Rs.100/- to the appellant. The appellant told PW-1 that only if he (PW-1) paid the balance amount, he would make arrangements for transfer of patta. He reiterated the demand on 9.7.1997 when PW-1 and PW-2 again met him and paid Rs.250/- towards lease arrears due by PW-1.
2.3) As PW-1 was not willing to pay the bribe, he gave a complaint (Ex. P-1) to the Inspector-Vigilance and Anti- Corruption, Thanjavoor (PW-13) on 10.7.1987. At that time, PW-2 accompanied PW-1. PW-13 prepared the FIR (Ex.P-20).
Thereafter, PW-13 introduced the complainant to two witnesses, namely, Kulandaivelu (PW-3), an Engineer, and Santhanagopalan, a Clerk. PW-1 handed-over Rs.200/- (that in 4 currency notes of Rs.50 each) to PW-13. Their numbers were noted and after explaining the procedure, the currency notes were coated with a chemical and returned to PW-1. Thereafter, PW-1, PW-2 and PW-3 were instructed as to how they should act when they went to meet the appellant.
2.4) Thereafter, PW-1, PW-2, PW-3, PW-13, the Deputy Superintendent of Police and Santhanagopalan went to Chithamoor. They reached at about 8.15 p.m., parked the vehicles near the temple and PWs.1 to 3 were sent inside. PW- 1 and PW-2 went inside and PW-3 stood near the door. PW-1 stated that he had brought Rs.200/- demanded by the appellant and gave the chemically treated currency notes to him. On receiving the same, the appellant stated that he has received PW-1's petition and he would finish the work. PW-2, who accompanied PW-1, also requested the appellant to do the needful. Then they came out and gave the agreed signal. The Inspector of Police and Deputy Superintendent of Police, who were standing outside came inside. On the appellant being identified by PW-1, he was asked whether he had received the amount. The appellant was holding the amount in his right hand, shifted it to his left hand and thereafter kept it on the table. Necessary chemical test was conducted and the amount was recovered. On query from the Inspector, the accused explained that PW-1 had paid the amount as due by Thyagarajan (PW-6) to the temple by way of lease arrears.
Mahazar, sketch and search list were drawn up.
3. On behalf of the prosecution, 13 witnesses were examined in Ex. P-1 to P-21 marked, apart from MO 1 to 3.
On behalf of the defence, DW-1 and DW-2 were examined and Ex. D-1 to D-10 were exhibited.
4. The case of the defence was as follows :
4.1) On 10.7.1987, PW-1 came along with PW-2 and stated that one Thyagarajan (PW-6) who was due in lease amount to the temple, had requested him (PW-1) to hand-over Rs.200 towards his lease rent arrears. The complainant received it and offered to give the receipt. But PW-1 told that Thyagarajan would himself come and collect the receipt the next day. He offered the said explanation when the Police Inspector sought his explanation immediately after the incident.
4.2) According to the appellant, the complaint by PW-1 and the subsequent trap was an act of vengeance by PW-1 (in connivance with PW-2 and PW-6) in view of their nurturing enmity towards him. First reason for the enmity was the dismissal of one Dhanapal, PW-1's cousin, who was an employee of the temple and on account of certain misconduct committed by him, (vide Ex. D-7 dated 16.1.1986) in pursuance of action taken by the appellant. Eversince then, PW-1 and PW-2 were nurturing a grudge against the appellant, thinking that he was responsible for the dismissal of Dhanpal.
The second reason is that PWs.1, 2 and 6 had committed trespass/encroachment on the temple land and the appellant as the Executive Officer had filed a case being O.S. No.309/87 and obtained an order of injunction against them. As their attempts to illegally occupy the temple land were frustrated by the appellant, in order to wreak vengeance, the trio had hatched a conspiracy to involve him in a criminal case. The enmity is also proved by the complaints (Ex. D-6 dated 3.10.1985 and Ex. D-1 dated 18.10.1985) which had been given by PWs.1, 2 and 6 against the appellant to the Deputy Commissioner, Religious & Charitable Endowments, and to the Revenue Tehsildar, Mannargudi, with a demand to transfer the appellant.
5. The Special Judge considered the evidence in detail. He held that the appellant had given a reasonable and satisfactory explanation for receiving Rs.200 from PW-1 in the presence of PW-2, by stating that the amount had been tendered by PW-1 as having been sent by PW-6 towards his lease rent arrears. He also held that the prosecution had failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt the three essential ingredients, namely, the demand, delivery and acceptance of the sum of Rs.200/- by the appellant as illegal gratification. Consequently, by judgment dated 13.7.1991 the appellant was acquitted.
6. The State preferred an appeal. The High Court allowed the appeal by its judgment dated 8.10.1999. The High Court held :
a. that the prosecution had proved that the accused has received the sum of Rs.200 (MO-1 series) from PW-1;
b. that the evidence of PWs.1, 2, 3 and 13 established that the said amount was received as illegal gratification in connection with grant of patta in favour of PW-1 in respect of 6 guntas of temple land; and though the appellant was not authorized to grant patta, he had to initiate a note recommending the grant as the Executive Officer of the temple and, therefore, there was a reason for the demand, and acceptance was established;
c. the defence case that PW-6 had sent the said amount through PW- 1 towards lease rent cannot be accepted in view of PW-6 in his evidence denying that he had sent any lease rent through PW- 1, though he admitted that at that time he was in arrears of lease rent in a sum of Rs.200/- to Rs.500/-.
Consequently, the High Court convicted the appellant under Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the Act. As the appellant alleged that he was already 67 years of age, and had retired nearly 9 years ago, that he had a daughter of marriageable age, that he did not own any property and was residing in a rented house and that he and his wife were not keeping good health, the High Court took a lenient view and awarded the sentence of imprisonment till the rising of the court and payment of Rs.1000/- as fine; and in default to undergo RI for one month. As the accused was present in court, he underwent the sentence also. The said conviction and sentence is challenged by the appellant in this appeal.
7. Mere receipt of Rs.200/- by the appellant from PW-1 on 10.7.1987 (admitted by the appellant) will not be sufficient to fasten guilt under Section 5(1)(a) or Section 5(1)(d) of the Act, in the absence of any evidence of demand and acceptance of the amount as illegal gratification. If the amount had been paid as lease rent arrears due to the temple or even if it was not so paid, but the accused was made to believe that the payment was towards lease rent due to the temple, he cannot be said to have committed any offence. If the reason for receiving the amount is explained and the explanation is probable and reasonable, then the appellant had to be acquitted, as rightly done by the Special Court. In Punjabrao v. State of Maharashtra [2002 (10) SCC 371], the accused, a patwari, was on a campaign to collect loan amounts due to Government. The complainant therein was admittedly a debtor to the Government. The accused explained that the amount in question was received towards loan. This Court accepted such explanation (though such explanation was not immediately offered as in this case, but was given only in the statement under Section 313) holding thus :- "It is too well settled that in a case where the accused offers an explanation for receipt of the alleged amount, the question that arises for consideration is whether that explanation can be said to have been established. It is further clear that the accused is not required to establish his defence by proving beyond reasonable doubt as the prosecution, but can establish the same by preponderance of probability." In Chaturdas Bhagwandas Patel v. The State of Gujarat (AIR 1976 SC 1497), this Court held that the burden that rests on an accused to displace the statutory presumption that is raised under Section 4(1) of the Act, is not onerous as that cast on the prosecution to prove its case. But such burden has to be discharged, by bringing on record evidence, either direct or circumstantial, to establish with reasonable probability, that the money was accepted by him, other than as a motive or reward as is referred to in Section 161 IPC.
In State through Inspector of Police, Andhra Pradesh v. K. Narasimhachary [2005 (8) SCALE 266], we have reiterated the well recognized principle that if two views are possible, the appellate court should not interfere with the acquittal by the lower court; and that only where the material- on-record leads to a sole and inescapable conclusion of guilt of the accused, the judgment of acquittal will call for interference by the appellate court.
8. We may briefly refer to the evidence keeping the said principles in view. The evidence no doubt established that PW- 1 accompanied by PW-2 went to PW-13 and gave a complaint, that a trap was arranged, the currency notes were chemically treated, that PW-1 delivered the chemically treated currency notes (Rs.200/-) to the appellant in the presence of PW-2, that the appellant received the said amount, that the same was recovered by the raiding party from the appellant, and that the appellant's hands turned pink when dipped in the chemical solution. The above evidence no doubt proves that a sum of Rs.200/- was paid by PW-1 to the appellant. But the crucial question is whether the appellant had demanded the said amount as illegal gratification to show any official favour to PW-1 and whether the said amount was paid by PW-1 and received by the appellant as consideration for showing such official favour. The evidence clearly shows the contrary as will be evident from the following :
a. One Dhanapal, cousin of the complainant - PW-1, was dismissed from service of the temple on 16.1.1986 by an order of dismissal (Ex. D7) issued by the appellant in his capacity as Executive Officer of the temple, for misconduct, on action initiated by the appellant. This is established by documentary evidence as well as oral evidence of DW-2 (one of the trustees of the temple);
b. The appellant as Executive Officer of the temple, has taken several steps to prevent encroachment and collect the arrears due to the temple. He had initiated legal action against PWs.1, 2 and others when they attempted to encroach upon the temple land and, therefore, they were inimical towards the appellant.
This is clear from the evidence of DW-2.
c. PWs.1, 2 and 6 were signatories to the complaints (Ex. D-1 and D-6) given in year 1985 to the Revenue Officer and to the Deputy Commissioner of Religious & Charitable Endowment seeking transfer of the appellant. This is established by evidence of DW-2.
d. PW-6 was in fact due in a sum of Rs.400 to Rs.500 towards lease rent to the temple (admitted by PW-6).
Within 15 minutes to half an hour of the alleged payment of illegal gratification (trap), when asked to explain the possession of the said sum, the appellant explained that it was paid by PW-1 on behalf of PW- 6 towards the arrears of lease rent with a request that the appellant should issue a receipt to PW-6 the next day.
e. PW-2 is a close friend and confidante of PW-1 and PWs.1, 2 and 6 had a common grievance against the appellant in view of the action taken by him to protect the temple land from encroachment.
f. Neither PW-1 nor PW-2 nor PW-3 say that the appellant demanded any money as illegal gratification on 10.7.1986. The evidence is that PW-1 went in along with PW-2 and handed over the sum of Rs.200/- to the appellant saying that he had brought the amount. There is nothing about the payment being made or received as illegal gratification. On the other hand, DW-1, a clerk in the temple has stated that on 9.7.1987 at about 11 a.m., PW-1 came to the temple office and informed the appellant that PW-6 had given him money for paying lease rent, that he had spent the amount and he will come and pay it the next day. This shows that the payment on 10.7.1986 was towards the arrears due by PW-6.
g. The High Court did not consider the explanation offered by the appellant for the receipt of the money nor the previous enmity harboured by PW-1, PW-2 and PW-6 towards the appellant. Nor did it hold that the decision of the trial court was erroneous or perverse.
Re-appreciating the very evidence (on which the trial court had reached the conclusion that the payment was not by way of an illegal gratification but was towards lease rent due by PW-6 and paid through PW-1), the High Court relying on the evidence of PW-1, PW-2 and PW-6 concluded that the payment was by way of illegal gratification. In particular, it relied on the denial by PW-6 that he had sent any amount through PW-1, against the appellant. But the mere denial by PW-6 that he had sent the money through PW-1 cannot be a ground to hold the appellant guilty. If PWs.1, 2 and 6 had hatched a conspiracy to involve the appellant in a criminal case, naturally PW-6 would deny having sent the amount through PW-1. The explanation given by the appellant immediately after the incident clearly explains all the circumstances and raises not only a reasonable but very serious doubt about the amount having been received by him as illegal gratification.
10.The evidence throws out a clear alternative that the accused was falsely implicated at the instance of PWs.1, 2 and 6. If two views were possible from the very same evidence, it cannot be said that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the appellant had received the sum of Rs. 200/- as illegal gratification. We are, therefore, of the considered view that the trial court was right in holding that the charge against the appellant was not proved and the High Court was not justified in interfering with the same.
11.We, therefore, allow this appeal, set aside the order of the High Court and restore the order of the trial court, acquitting the appellant of the charge.


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The Model 1880s? is the holster for the single action shooter on the budget of the working cowboy. It is reminiscent of the rigs worn in American Westerns in the 1950?s and 60?s. The holster is high-ride and is now available for both a strong side draw and cross draw. It is constructed of premium full-grain natural tan saddle leather. Available in natural tan. Fits belts up to 3" wide.


The businesses need to deal with a large database and manage them to perfection for future use. Using the large excel files is sometimes a hassle if the employees are not well versed. Though most of the companies hire employees after checking their capability, the requirement might change with the advancing technology. It is therefore necessary to get the training sessions conducted for the employees from time to time so that they remain updated with the technology and carry out their work with a high level of perfection. Chicago Computer Classes is one of the leading companies that posses a team of highly qualified and experienced professionals who can train your staff as per your requirements.
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I was terminated as a performance supervisor for filing a complaint on a fellow supervisor for breaking the zero tolerance policy. He verbally assaulted me with a barrage of curse words for asking a simple question. The incident was witnessed by another supervisor and she told our manager what occurred.
I wrote a report and gave it to my manager to give to Human Resources. I found out my manager and the person I filed on are good friends and the person's wife works in HR. They promised they would investigate my complaint but that never happened, although I had a witness. Also, the supervisor has another similar complaint on file.
HR called me into the office and told me while they investigate I would have to turn my badge in and that I was off work until further notice. I asked HR why I was being punished, I am the victim? HR told me it is company policy (NOT TRUE).
I turned my badge in on 06/19/2015 and on that Monday 06/22/2015 HR called me and told me I was terminated for my attendance. I was dumbfounded. I told HR I have never been written up for anything and company policy states you have to be written up before you are fired. I asked for my termination letter and never received one.
What they did is illegal right? What recourse do I have here? Do I have to get an attorney? Thank you for any direction you can give.
A Whistleblower is defined as any person, or group of persons, who speak out about possible wrongdoing. The term comes from policeman who at the turn of the 20th Century blew their whistles to alert the public of a impending danger or a crime in progress.
Today, Whistleblowers are generally employees who work for corporations and government agencies. These Whistleblowers are often put under great pressure when considering reporting wrongdoing.
The Illinois Whistleblower Statute can be found under Section 740 ILCS (Whistleblower Act). "Employee" means any individual who is employed on a full-time, part-time, or contractual basis by an employer.
From the facts you present Rodney, you may have a viable claim against your company for violation of Section 740 ILCS. Because Whistleblower claims (especially against a large company) can be complex and hard-fought, you would be well-advised to seek legal advice.
For more information about Illinois's Whistleblower law see this page.


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Home Sections Sales and Marketing
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Sweet Sales
By BusinessWest Staff February 5, 2008 898
Getting to the Heart of the Valentine's Day Impact on Business
Even when the displays of candy and flowers abound, and red paper hearts adorn every shop window, it seems most shoppers still forget about Valentine's Day until it is upon us. This means some retailers and restaurants see a late surge in activity, but however brief, it still warms the heart during the cold — and quiet — midwinter blues.
Kathie Williams, co-owner of Richardson's Candy Kitchen in Deerfield, has one specific visual she associates with Valentine's Day every year: a parking lot full of pickup trucks.
"People — men — do not plan ahead for Valentine's Day," she said, noting that her business will ring 75% of its Valentine's Day sales on Feb. 13 and 14, and there are markedly more male shoppers than female. "It's a very last-minute holiday. But it's also one of our top holidays, and provides a great midwinter boost."
These are just a few of the hallmarks of Valentine's Day when it comes to its impact on the marketplace. One is that, unlike any other holiday, it brings the 11th-hour shoppers out in droves. Another is that, for many niche retailers such as Richardson's — confectioners, florists, jewelers, and the like — it's a robust day for sales in an otherwise desolate stretch of winter.
Consumers, too, tend to think of Valentine's Day shopping as a frenetic time, but while greeting card aisles and restaurants might be packed on Feb. 14, Valentine's Day is not a major event across the board. The occasion still leans very heavily on a specific set of traditional, romantic items, and the late, day-of rush to the stores also makes marketing new promotions or products a challenge.
Jillian Gould, senior marketing manager for the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, said it's a holiday that seems to sneak up on most shoppers, and many tend to rely on time-tested purchases: flowers, candy, and jewelry.
"We've found it difficult to advertise for Valentine's Day — consumers haven't really responded, and I think that speaks to the lack of planning," she said. "The activity is very last-minute, and it's mostly men. Valentine's Day in the mall looks very similar to Christmas Eve at 4 p.m."
Gould added that while Feb. 14 is historically a busy day at the mall, the average consumer will spend only about $100 on Valentine's Day purchases, making this a relatively minor shopping day for department stores, clothiers, and other outfits with a broad range of offerings.
In fact, Valentine's Day doesn't even pull in the largest number of sales of some of those traditional items often associated with it. Gould said it's the fourth-largest holiday for confection sales, behind Halloween, Easter, and Christmas, and the third-largest for greeting card sales, behind Christmas and Father's Day.
"Many consumers will spend a lot on this holiday, but they're not making the typical purchases we see during other times of the year," she said. "They're still looking for specific types of things, and because of that, it's not a huge day for everyone. But for some retailers, it's a very big deal."
Love in Bloom
One such retailer is Brad Parker, owner of Longmeadow Flowers and Gifts, which has three locations in Longmeadow and Springfield. As a specialty gift, food, and clothing retailer as well as a florist (with delivery capabilities), Parker's business is well-suited for Valentine's Day, and takes measures to prepare for what is the company's single busiest day of the year.
"There are busier periods — Christmas, certainly, and Mother's Day to a lesser extent — but barring bad weather, this is the biggest day, and it continues to grow."
Parker agreed that most Valentine's Day shoppers are still looking for traditional gifts, but he added that he's seeing a move toward more innovative, personalized combinations and arrangements within this vein.
"People are getting away from the 'balloon and a teddy bear'-type things," he said. "They might want something traditional or romantic, but not run-of-the-mill."
In his stores, Parker said unique pieces of jewelry sell well, as do gourmet foods and clothing such as pajamas and robes. From a floral point of view, Parker said roses are still by far the holiday's best seller — he expects to sell upwards of 12,000 this year — but a dozen long-stem red roses are not the only option.
"Roses are still the big flower, but people are choosing colors other than red," he said. "People are less afraid to ask for ideas, and many more men are walking into the cooler and choosing their own arrangements."
Parker said that this year, he'll attempt to target last-minute shoppers, in an effort to extend these new shopping patterns over a greater period of time. Until the 10th of February, for instance, the stores will offer anyone who orders their roses ahead of time a lower, locked-in price.
"After that, the prices can double," he said, "So we're really trying to get people to understand the value of ordering things ahead of the rush."
Williams said she, too, is careful to put her advertising dollars where they matter — mostly, toward late campaigns (largely radio) run on Valentine's Day or the day before. Still, for the most part, she said this is a holiday that just doesn't benefit from aggressive marketing.
"Valentine's Day sells itself," she said.
Heart and Parcel
And while it may not return the same sales figures as other traditionally busy times of year including the Christmas season and the back-to-school rush, Valentine's Day does provide a boost in foot traffic during an otherwise flat time of the year. With the holiday rush behind them, retailers in particular have months to go before the next large-scale consumer-driven occasion — Mother's Day.
"It is a great time for a holiday," Gould said of the retail scene in February. "Christmas is huge, and January is busy with gift-card shopping, but then there's a lull. Even those stores that don't expect big sales will try to capitalize on Valentine's Day, by positioning relevant items and small impulse buys."
Martha Salem, one member of the family that owns and operates the Salem Cross Inn in West Brookfield, agreed with Gould, saying that restaurants, too, hope for a brisk Valentine's Day, but like many retailers, don't rely heavily on any aggressive marketing to pull new diners in.
"We advertise in local papers, but we find that, truly, the best form of advertising is word-of-mouth," she said. "Still, we do hope for a good Valentine's Day and weekend. It's an important holiday during what can be a long season."
Salem added that it's not an occasion that demands or requires a lot of bells and whistles. Simple recipes for success, she said, both in the kitchen and otherwise, work best.
"We don't feel that the public's response has changed much; people are still looking for a nice, romantic spot to share quality time with their loved one," she said. "We do find that people seem to be drawn toward our fireplace cooking — our prime rib roasted in the fireplace, and chowder made from scratch — nothing more than good food in a quaint location."
Similarly, Williams said chocolate is a trusted standby that will probably never go out of style.
"Luckily for us, people love chocolate any day of the year," she said.
And yet, there's only one day of the year that Richardson's Candy Kitchen sells it by the truckload.
Tags: Restaurants
By BusinessWest Staff February 10, 2015
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News February 16, 2016 - No comments
Confirmed: Dark Souls Xbox One Backward Compatibility Coming 0 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 0 user reviews.
Confirmed: Dark Souls Xbox One Backward Compatibility Coming
Update: Microsoft has opened pre-purchasing for Dark Souls III. The product listings confirm yesterday's leak regarding Dark Souls backward compatibility.
The game is being sold at two price points on the Xbox website and Xbox One console. The standard $59.99 edition and the $84.99 version that includes the season pass both offer up (for a limited time) a digital copy of Dark Souls playable on Xbox One.
The product page suggests that codes will be delivered in seven to ten days, suggesting that you'll be able to play it digitally on Xbox One quite soon.
Original Story (February 15, 2016 @ 12:55 p.m. Central):
The page has since been pulled down, but a cached version reveals the Xbox One edition of Dark Souls III will include a backwards compatible version of Dark Souls free for those who pre-order. You can click the image above to see the full page as it existed, including the free game offer.
We've reached out to Bandai Namco for conformation and will update this story if and when we receive a response. If this is truly the case, then this doubles as two announcements: The free game included as a pre-order bonus, and future backwards compatibility for the Xbox 360 version of the first Dark Souls on Xbox One.
For more on Dark Souls III, check out all of our features from when the game appeared on our cover by clicking the banner below. Dark Souls III releases on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on April 12.
[Source: Xbox.com (cached), via Wario64 on Twitter]
For now, this is unconfirmed. It seems Microsoft may have inadvertently pulled the trigger on the page early. But with games like the Xbox One version
of Fallout 4 including a code to download a backwards compatible Xbox
360 version of Fallout 3, this seems like a pretty safe bet. If this truly is the case, then that means the whole Dark Souls trilogy will be playable on Xbox One, which is a good thing.
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European PSN/PS+ Update – February 16th
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Is the success of brainwashing measurable?
June 1, 2020 • Ethics and Quality, Media and Politics, Recent • by Ferenc Vicsek
New research project seeks to establish the effectiveness of Hungarian government propaganda.
In the last few decades, political propagandists have added an impressive number of new weapons to their armoury. Social networks have been flooded with disinformation used as a tool of political manipulation. Bodies set up to monitor the trustworthiness of information set before the public have been circumvented.
In some parts of Europe, governments have gained enough power to overturn fundamental rights. The coordinated overhauling of media regulation and the media market has made it possible for large sections of the media to be put at the service of political propaganda. Though freedom of speech and a free press may in theory still exist in certain countries, this does not necessarily mean that the electorate is well informed.
Three independent Hungarian research organisations recently joined forces to devise a way of measuring the extent to which the information made available to the public is distorted for political purposes, and the extent to which this misuse of information achieves its purpose. The Political Propaganda Indicator (PPI) was modelled on the "Democracy Index" created by Freedom House and the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) devised by Transparency International. The PPI measures the percentage of a population that forms an opinion based on notions that have been proven to be false or can easily be refuted, and thereby clearly demonstrates the success of mass brainwashing techniques.
Information chaos
There is inevitably a discrepancy between the amount of information available in a society and the extent to which that information is absorbed by society as a whole. Though diverse sources of information – including both independent media and mass media consumed by large numbers of people – may be available, this counts for little if the information produced reaches only a narrow sector of society. When we consider the extent to which people need to inform themselves about important issues when they decide how to vote in an election, this poverty of information is all the more disturbing.
More people than ever now regularly consume news online, but what has increased is not the amount of available information but rather of informational chaos. The dissemination of fake news via online platforms is the new weapon in the arsenal of political propaganda. It is an easy matter to spread disinformation by means of robots and fear-driven shares, and in the new media age lies travel far more quickly than the truth.
A tool for combating brainwashing
Though it is now easy to bypass the checks and balances set up to prevent false information from taking root and to facilitate the dissemination of trustworthy information, in the long term we can but hope that society's self-defence mechanisms will kick in, and that people will base their opinions on verified facts and not make decisions based on lies, conspiracy theories and false ideologies. The Political Propaganda Indicator could play a vital role here, by informing the public as to whether the level of risk arising from the extent to which the population is properly informed is increasing or decreasing over time.
The PPI can indicate the effectiveness or otherwise of a national brainwashing scheme and can give an idea of the extent to which corrective mechanisms have succeeded in countering it. In 2019, the newly elected members of the European Commission declared that there was a still a long way to go in the battle against fake news. "Large-scale automated propaganda and disinformation persist and there is more work to be done […] We cannot accept this as a new normal", Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Věra Jourová, Commissioner for the Security Union Julian King, and Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society Mariya Gabriel said in a joint statement issued on 29 October 2019.
Contrary to the facts
Devising the PPI measuring method, formulating a set of statements for use in the pilot project and evaluating the results was very much a team effort. The project was instigated by the Dimenzió Média Foundation (Ferenc Vicsek). The market and social survey research company Závecz Research (Tibor Závecz, Klara Megyeri) took the lead on the methodology front. Finally, Merték Média Monitor (Gábor Polyák) played an important role in evaluating the results.
During the summer of 2019, Závecz Research carried out a representative telephone-based survey using a sample of 500 respondents. The aim was to find out from our sample the extent to which Hungarians had come to accept certain news items that clearly constituted political propaganda as true, even when reliable sources had already shown them to be untrue – in other words, despite the fact that these news items were demonstrably contrary to the facts and were being used for propaganda purposes as part of a propaganda campaign. We looked at how likely our respondents were to have encountered specific claims made by individual propaganda campaigns, and how likely they were to believe these claims. We did not examine the veracity of the claims.
We also tried to assess the level of media literacy of the Hungarian electorate, by investigating the extent to which voters who get their news from the rather peculiar Hungarian media system are aware of how important it is only to trust news stories that have been reported by several major and credible news sources.
We strove to ensure that claims from across the political spectrum were included among the issues highlighted in our survey. We were aware of the limitations of the pilot project, which were mainly due to the fact that the limited funds available to us allowed us to investigate the public perception of only 15 claims. However, we believe that with suitable adjustments for local conditions, this method could be used to measure the influence of populist political propaganda and the distortion of the true facts in practically any country that claims to be democratic.
A detailed description of the background to the Political Propaganda Indicator and an account of how the pilot project was conducted can be found here.
The following diagrams illustrate some of the findings of the PPI pilot project designed to establish the effectiveness of Hungarian government propaganda. They show that with some topics, more than four out of ten people believe the messages being put out by government propaganda, even when these statements are demonstrably untrue.
Opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views, policies or positions of the EJO.
If you liked this story, you may also be interested in "Simple Yet Sophisticated: How Hungary's Pro-Government Media Use Images".
Sign up for the EJO's regular monthly newsletter or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Top image: Detail from "IS-Propaganda" (Twitter trending topics 2019) by Marco Verch. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 | Source: Flickr
Tags: brainwashing, Dimenzió Média Foundation, disinformation, European Commission, Mértek Média Monitor, Propaganda, Trust in News, Závecz Research
Ferenc Vicsek
Ferenc Vicsek has spent more than four decades working as a journalist. During the 1980s and 1990s, he worked mainly for the Hungarian public broadcaster, in both radio and television. Since 2000, he has worked in the independent broadcasting sector and has played an active role in the community radio project Civil Rádió. He is currently the president of the Dimenzió Média Foundation, which seeks to counter the impact of disinformation in Hungary. He is also the head of the economic policy and media science section of the Hungarian Journalists' Association (MÚOSZ).
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Trump tells FEMA not to send more money to California for forest fires
By Brett Samuels and Timothy Cama - 01/09/19 10:03 AM EST
President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump's newest Russia adviser, Andrew Peek, leaves post: report Hawley expects McConnell's final impeachment resolution to give White House defense ability to motion to dismiss Trump rips New York City sea wall: 'Costly, foolish' and 'environmentally unfriendly idea' MORE said Wednesday that he has ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to withhold funding for California unless the state improves its forest management to prevent wildfires.
"Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forrest (sic) fires that, with proper Forrest (sic) Management, would never happen," Trump tweeted.
"Unless they get their act together, which is unlikely, I have ordered FEMA to send no more money," he added, calling it a "disgraceful situation in lives & money."
Trump later retweeted the statement with "forest" correctly spelled.
Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forest fires that, with proper Forest Management, would never happen. Unless they get their act together, which is unlikely, I have ordered FEMA to send no more money. It is a disgraceful situation in lives & money!
FEMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), of which FEMA is a part.
FEMA and DHS are currently without funding amid a partial government shutdown that has lasted 19 days and counting.
Trump has at least twice before threatened to withhold disaster funding from California for its wildfires and pressed the state to fix what he sees as major flaws with its forest management practices that cause or exacerbate fires.
Local officials and fire experts, meanwhile, have criticized Trump for ignoring the impact that climate change is having on the length and severity of fires — and denying climate change science — while giving too much credit to forest management.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who was sworn-in on Monday, responded to Trump via Twitter, telling the president that Californians "should not be victims to partisan bickering." Newsom said he's already moved to modernize the state's forest management and emergency response practices.
"We have been put in office by the voters to get things done, not to play games with lives," he said.
Disasters and recovery are no time for politics. I'm already taking action to modernize and manage our forests and emergency responses.
The people of CA -- folks in Paradise -- should not be victims to partisan bickering.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 9, 2019
California passed a comprehensive law last year aimed at wildfires. Among other changes, it puts new resources into clearing out brush, dead trees and other biomass that contributes to fires.
A majority of forest land in the state, however, is owned by the federal government.
Wildfires ravaged the state in 2018, with the Camp Fire in Northern California killing at least 85 people and destroying thousands of buildings. The wildfire was the deadliest in the state's history and racked up an overall damage cost of $16.5 billion, according to reinsurance firm Munich Re, which on Tuesday named it the costliest disaster of 2018.
As the Camp Fire raged in November, Trump threatened to withhold federal payments to the state unless officials addressed forest management. The president ultimately issued a disaster declaration for California that freed up federal funding.
Congressional Democrats from California quickly slammed Trump and doubted his ability to withhold FEMA funds over forest management.
"It's ridiculous. That is reprehensible. These are families who are devastated and struggling to rebuild, and it will be a long rebuilding process," Rep. Ami Bera Amerish (Ami) Babulal BeraLA Mayor Eric Garcetti endorses Biden Even in a time of impeachment, health care is on the agenda Global health is the last bastion of bipartisan foreign policy MORE (D-Calif.) told reporters. "That's just the vindictive nature of President Trump."
Rep. Jim Costa James (Jim) Manuel CostaGroup of House Democrats reportedly attended the White House ball China, US officials: 'Phase one' trade deal could slide into next year Fresno congressman calls for Senate to take up gun legislation after deadly mass shooting at football party MORE (D-Calif.) said "shouldn't be tweeting what he doesn't know about."
"We're doing a hosting of new management tools for our forests that are cutting-edge," he told The Hill. "And this notion he came up with that raking forests would prevent forest fires is just nonsense."
Costa added that Trump is unlikely to be able to pull FEMA money, saying it is "without precedent."
Sen. Kamala Harris Kamala Devi HarrisParnas pressure grows on Senate GOP Sanders defends vote against USMCA: 'Not a single damn mention' of climate change The Hill's Morning Report — President Trump on trial MORE (D-Calif.), meanwhile, tweeted that federal policymakers "should work together to mitigate these fires by combating climate change, not play politics by threatening to withhold money from survivors of a deadly natural disaster."
Californians endured the deadliest wildfire in our state's history last year. We should work together to mitigate these fires by combating climate change, not play politics by threatening to withhold money from survivors of a deadly natural disaster. pic.twitter.com/uMopf0Z05i
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 9, 2019
And Rep. Ro Khanna Rohit (Ro) KhannaRep. Ro Khanna: You can't claim you're resisting President Trump and hand the Pentagon a blank check Sanders campaign co-chair calls for progressive unity amid senators' fallout The Hill's Morning Report — President Trump on trial MORE (D-Calif.) said in a tweet that Trump's biggest flaw is "not being aware of what he doesn't know."
This is a factually incorrect threat to citizens in California. The President has a responsibility to consult science and experts. His biggest flaw is not being aware of what he doesn't know. https://t.co/VCmGAGmLav
— Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna) January 9, 2019
—Miranda Green contributed to this report, which was updated at 2:30 p.m.
Tags Kamala Harris Donald Trump Ro Khanna Jim Costa Ami Bera


If you are looking for a balanced career, and you have excellent organisational skills and a head for numbers, bookkeeping could be perfect for you. However, with people taking Accredited Bookkeeping Courses in London on a daily basis, if this is something that you think that you could be interested in, you will also have to enrol on a bookkeeping course to ensure that you have the most chance for success.
Instantly being able to apply for jobs – Even those with no job or bookkeeping experience can start applying for jobs as soon as they have completed and passed one of these courses. This is because the skills learnt on these courses are highly beneficial to businesses of all kinds and therefore in high demand. What makes this even greater is that many of these courses are 'short courses' meaning that people can complete them in far less time than many other qualifications.
Having more choice – Every single business, regardless of industry or size, is required to 'keep books' this manes than bookkeepers are always in high demand. Because of this more and more bookkeeping companies are opening and expanding on a weekly basis across the UK, opening up exciting new roles for those who have recently completely bookkeeping courses. Those holding certifications from these courses are more likely to get the new roles than those that do not.
Option to be own boss – One of the great things about learning bookkeeping is that it enables people to become their own bosses, should they wish. Many people after taking these courses choose to set up their own practices and become as sole traders in order to have more flexibility and earn more. Some people even opt to participate in a little bit of freelance bookkeeping alongside their every day jobs.
Knowing how to use latest software – People that take part in bookkeeping courses get to learn all of the latest software, enabling them to ensure that their accreditations and are qualifications are up-to-date. This is especially important within the bookkeeping industry as employers are always looking for people that know how to use the latest tools and can bring something new to their businesses. Because of this, even professional bookkeepers sometimes choose to enrol on these courses in order to ensure their knowledge is completely up-to-date.
Able to earn more money– Bookkeeping is an incredibly rewarding job, and it pays too! Bookkeepers on average get paid great salaries and those that choose to take these courses typically get paid slightly more too!
Basic Steps for How to Sell on Amazon FBA?


text:
package jme3test.scene;

import com.jme3.app.SimpleApplication;
import com.jme3.asset.plugins.HttpZipLocator;
import com.jme3.asset.plugins.ZipLocator;
import com.jme3.light.AmbientLight;
import com.jme3.light.DirectionalLight;
import com.jme3.math.ColorRGBA;
import com.jme3.math.Vector3f;
import com.jme3.scene.Geometry;
import com.jme3.scene.Spatial;
import com.jme3.scene.shape.Sphere;
import com.jme3.util.SkyFactory;
import java.io.File;

public class TestSceneLoading extends SimpleApplication {

    private Sphere sphereMesh = new Sphere(32, 32, 10, false, true);
    private Geometry sphere = new Geometry("Sky", sphereMesh);
    private static boolean useHttp = false;

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        TestSceneLoading app = new TestSceneLoading();
        app.start();
    }

    @Override
    public void simpleUpdate(float tpf){
        sphere.setLocalTranslation(cam.getLocation());
    }

    public void simpleInitApp() {
        this.flyCam.setMoveSpeed(10);

        // load sky
        rootNode.attachChild(SkyFactory.createSky(assetManager, "Textures/Sky/Bright/BrightSky.dds", false));

        File file = new File("wildhouse.zip");
        if (!file.exists()) {
            useHttp = true;
        }
        // create the geometry and attach it
        // load the level from zip or http zip
        if (useHttp) {
            assetManager.registerLocator("http://jmonkeyengine.googlecode.com/files/wildhouse.zip", HttpZipLocator.class.getName());
        } else {
            assetManager.registerLocator("wildhouse.zip", ZipLocator.class.getName());
        }
        Spatial scene = assetManager.loadModel("main.scene");

        AmbientLight al = new AmbientLight();
        scene.addLight(al);

        DirectionalLight sun = new DirectionalLight();
        sun.setDirection(new Vector3f(0.69077975f, -0.6277887f, -0.35875428f).normalizeLocal());
        sun.setColor(ColorRGBA.White.clone().multLocal(2));
        scene.addLight(sun);

        rootNode.attachChild(scene);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Jatni to Khurda distance is 8 KM.
Jatni to Khurda travel time is 0 hours and 8 minutes. Jatni Khurda distance is 8 KM. we are providing various distance for various mode of travel; If there are any other mode of transport between Jatni and Khurda alike flight, ferry, train , walk and bycycle. You can use our distance tool to get the flight distance, train distance and road distance. Our driving direction from Jatni to Khurda helps you to plan your travel properly and make your journey more convenient. Jatni to Khurda road map assist you when you drive by your car and other own vehicle. If you are going from Jatni to Khurda first time, do not worry, we are assisting for your travel with more travel information. We are trying to provide the the following travel time and distance if it is available between Jatni to Khurda. Jatni to Khurda train and train timings, Jatni to Khurda bus timings.
Jatni to Khurda road map is most important one for you to accomplosh your travel . Some time it is very difficult to travel to the new place without know the exact route map, so you can use our route map from Jatni to Khurda . Our website has been using google road map from Jatni to Khurda which consist of most of the roads and lanes, petrol pump, hotels, tourist places, train route and more.
Jatni to Khurda driving direction is comming from google map , you can get direction for various travel routes and shortest route. You can select you travel route based on your vehicle, even small lane can be used to travel by bicycle. Some shortest route can be used only for car and small vehicle. Some longest route may be broad one and it may be in good condition to reach Khurda.


Take your party to the next level by creating these inexpensive team lanyards or stickers for each player. The lanyards help identify your Captains and help everyone stick with their team. Simply laminate, punch and thread a vinyl string through to create lanyards for the whole party...or buy a pack of 50 lanyard kits like these on Amazon (see affiliate link below).
This kit contains a full sheet of all eight team colors. Each sheet has two CAPTAIN tags and ten WWARRIOR tags. The kit also contains two multi-color pages for smaller batch printing.
These files are for personal use only. You may print as many as you need for personal use. Please do not share, sell or alter this file in any way.


BAMKEN SALES & SERVICE is a Western Australian owned & managed business which has been operating successfully since 1995, serving the needs of the community in the area of food preservation by dehydration utilising the excellent Ezidri dehydrators.
ln addition to providing sales & service for the range of Ezidri dehydrators & accessories we also provide sales & service for the Ezivac vaccum sealing system & all associated accessories.
Other products in our range include the SUSHEZI sushi maker which certainly assists in the speedy manufacture of perfectly formed professional looking sushi, and also very easy to use.
We also still provide the original style extremely popular APPLE PEEIER, CORER & SLICER units.
Another very well credentialed product we have available is TECHNI-ICE, ice replacement for both COLD & HOT applications.
BAMKEN SALES & SERVICE is also the only authorised service agent in Western Australia for the Ezidri food dehydrators & Ezivac vacuum packing systems. We also service the long superseded HARVEST MAID dehydrator range.


text:
Toyota Highlander Performance
The Toyota Highlander is a refined SUV that can easily go from running errands to camping in the wilderness without missing a beat. That's because the Toyota Highlander performance really utilizes the best of modern engineering to create a strong, safe, and efficient vehicle. With options like the 3.5L V6 or the hybrid powertrain, anyone can find an exceptional Highlander that meets their daily demands. Let's take a deeper look at the performance specs of the latest Toyota Highlander, and why not visit Elgin Toyota for a test drive?
2.7L 4-Cylinder - The Highlander's standard engine is a well-balanced 4-cylinder with 185 hp and up to 1,500 pounds in towing capacity.
3.5L V6 - Upgrade to the optional V6 on higher trims to unleash 295 hp and 263 lb-ft of torque, along with up to 5,000 pounds in towing capacity!
3.5L V6 Hybrid - The Highlander hybrid model shows off a net system hp of 306, and its EPA-estimated fuel economy reaches 30 mpg in the city.
Automatic Transmission - Choose between the standard 6-speed or 8-speed electronically controlled automatic, or opt for the hybrid's EVCT with sequential shift mode.
Find Your Perfect Match
Because there are so many Toyota Highlander trim levels to explore, you can easily find the perfect SUV for your lifestyle within the lineup. Let's say you want a strong and reliable SUV that makes your morning commute a joy. The standard 185-hp 2.7L 4-Cylinder engine is a great option, paired with the standard Toyota Safety Sense P suite of driver assistance safety technologies. You'll feel total peace of mind when you get behind the wheel. What if you're looking for an eco-friendly option with tons of green technology? Try the Highlander hybrid models that generate up to 30 mpg in the city!
The Highlander may be a perfect vehicle for your everyday needs, but what about those who crave adventure? Consider opting for the available 295-hp 3.5L V6 powertrain, which can tow up to 5,000 pounds! And while the standard powertrain is offered with front-wheel drive, the available Dynamic Torque-Control All-Wheel Drive optimizes your power and braking for ideal handling both on- and off-road.
More From the Toyota Highlander
Trim Levels