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Dr. Sunil Clifford Daniel Vs. State of Punjab
[Criminal Appeal No. 2001 of 2010]
1. This appeal has been preferred against the impugned judgment and order dated 1.4.2009, passed by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh in Criminal Appeal No. 399-DB of 2000, by which it has affirmed the judgment and order dated 21.8.2000 passed by the Sessions Judge, Ludhiana in Sessions Case No. 28 of 1996, convicting the appellant under Sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter referred to as the 'IPC'), and awarded him a sentence to undergo RI for life and to pay a fine of Rs.2,000/- and in default of this, to undergo further RI for a period of 3 months. The appellant has further been sentenced to undergo RI for two years and to pay a fine of Rs.1,000/- and in default of this, to undergo further RI for a period of 2 months under Section 201 IPC. It has further been directed that the sentences would run concurrently.
2. The facts and circumstances giving rise to this appeal are as under:
A. The appellant got married to Dr. Loyalla Shagoufta, deceased, on 29.10.1993. Both of them being qualified doctors, were working in the Christian Medical College (hereinafter referred to as 'CMC'), Hospital Ludhiana. The relationship between the husband and wife became strained and they have been living separately since June 1994.
B. As per the appellant, a petition for divorce by mutual consent was filed on 20.2.1996, under Section 28 of the Special Marriage Act, 1954 in the Court of the District Judge, Ludhiana, and both parties therein, appeared before the District Judge, Ludhiana on the first motion of the case. However, they were asked to wait for the second motion.
C. On 9.3.1996, the appellant handed over a set of blood stained clothes to Dr. B. Pawar, the Medical Superintendent, (PW.1), stating that when he came to his room that day, the same were found therein. Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1), informed the police about the said incident on the same date.
D. Dr. Loyalla Shagoufta, wife of the appellant, had informed her mother Smt. Victoria Rani (PW.2), who was living in Jagadhari, District Yamunanagar, by way of a telephone call on 6.3.1996, that she would visit her on 8.3.1996. However, she did not reach Jagadhari on 8.3.1996. Victoria Rani (PW.2), then came to Ludhiana on 10.3.1996, and found that her daughter was missing. Smt. Victoria Rani (PW.2) then lodged FIR No. 16 of 1996 on 10.3.1996, at 9.40 p.m. wherein being the complainant; she expressed her apprehension that the appellant herein, had abducted her daughter with the intention of killing her.
E. In the meanwhile, Dr. Namrata Saran, one of the residents of the hostel in which the deceased resided, also informed Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1), Medical Superintendent that the deceased had in fact been missing from the hostel since 9.3.1996. After an enquiry it came to light that the deceased was on leave from 9.3.1996 to 16.3.1996.
F. Piara Singh, ASI (PW.13), took up the investigation of the case and went to the appellant's hostel, however, his room No.2010, was found to be locked. A police party searched for the appellant, among several other places, in the house of Mr. Rana, one of his relatives, but he could not be traced/found anywhere. Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1) handed over the blood stained clothes given to him by the appellant, to the I.O.
G. On 11.3.1996, Vir Rajinder Pal (PW.14), SHO, Police Station, Ludhiana received a wireless message at 9.00 a.m., from the Police Chowki at Lalton Kalan, which is about 20 k.m. away from the main city, informing him that the dead body of a female had been found, lying in the bushes, near the main road. The Investigating Officer took Victoria Rani (PW.2) with him, while accompanied by other police personnel, and recovered the body of the deceased from the said place.
H. Immediately after the recovery of the dead body, Vir Rajinder Pal (PW.14), visited the room of the appellant in the hostel and conducted a thorough search of the same, in the presence of Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1), Medical Superintendent.
I. The post-mortem of the deceased was conducted by a Medical Board consisting of three doctors, including Dr. U.S. Sooch (PW.11), on 11.3.1996. He opined that the deceased had died by way of strangulation and a corresponding ligature mark was found on her neck. She also had several grievous injuries to her head.
J. On 11.3.1996, the Investigating Officer came to know, in the course of interrogation that, the appellant had used the car of one Dr. Pauli (CW.2), and that a blood stained mat was lying in the dicky of the said car. The police hence took possession of the said car and mat, and sent the mat for preparation of an FSL report.
K. The appellant was arrested on 11.3.1996, and his room in the hostel was searched yet again, by one Ashok Kumar, Head Constable from the Forensic Department, who scraped some blood stained earth from the floor of the room. He also found a pair of blood stained white V-shaped, Hawaii chappals. Photographs of the said room were also taken. During interrogation, the appellant made a disclosure statement on 13.3.1996 to the effect that he would be able to help in the recovery of some relevant material from a place where he had hidden it. The appellant then led the police party to a place behind Old Jail, Ludhiana. From there, after removing some garbage etc., one blood stained gunny bag, a blood stained dumb-bell and one blood stained tie, were recovered.
L. The said recovered articles alongwith the clothes etc., found on the body of the deceased at the time of the post-mortem, and the blood stained clothes given by the appellant to Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1), which were subsequently handed over to the Investigating Officer, were sent for FSL report.
M. The FSL and serological report was then received, and it revealed that, all the articles recovered by the police during investigation, including the blood stained floor of his room, a part of the Hawaii chappals, and the recovered tie, contained human blood, with the sole exception of the mats found in the dicky of the car. The blood stains herein, had dis-integrated and it was therefore not possible to ascertain whether the same also contained human blood.
N. The police completed the investigation of the case and submitted a charge sheet against the appellant. The case was converted from one under Section 364, to one under Sections 302 and 201 IPC. The appellant was thus charged, but as he pleaded not guilty, he claimed trial. The prosecution examined 15 witnesses and two court witnesses were also examined under Section 311 of Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (hereinafter called as `Cr.P.C.').
O. After the conclusion of the trial and appreciation of the evidence in full, the learned Sessions Judge, vide judgment and order dated 21.8.2000 found the appellant guilty on both counts and hence awarded him the aforementioned punishments.
P. Aggrieved, the appellant preferred Criminal Appeal No.399-DB of 2000 before the High Court, which was dismissed by the impugned judgment and order dated 1.4.2009. Hence, this appeal.
3. Mrs. Kanchan Kaur Dhodi, learned counsel appearing for the appellant, submitted that the investigation was not conducted fairly. She stated that the appellant herein, had no motive whatsoever to commit the murder of his wife, and that they were going to separate very soon, as both parties had filed an application seeking divorce, by mutual consent. Further, no recovery was made from the room of the appellant in the hostel, rather the objects recovered had been planted. The appellant did not make any disclosure statement. Thus, even the recovery made from the place in close vicinity of the Old Jail, was not made in accordance with law, as there was no independent witness with respect to the said recoveries, and the recovery memo also, was never signed by the appellant. It is therefore, a case of circumstantial evidence. The courts below failed to appreciate that the chain of circumstances is not complete. Hence, the appeal deserves to be allowed.
4. Per contra, Shri Jayant K. Sud, AAG, appearing for the State of Punjab, has opposed the appeal, contending that the circumstances in the present case, point towards the guilt of the appellant without any exception. The deceased was surely killed in the room of the appellant. Recoveries were clearly made in view of the disclosure statement made by the appellant. Law does not require the recovery memo to be signed by the accused. He also stated that the appellant disappeared after the said incident and could only be arrested after a period of two days. It is the appellant alone who could explain the circumstances surrounding the purpose for which he had borrowed the car of Dr. Pauli (CW.2), and why he had wanted to hire a taxi to go to Jagadhari, as admittedly, his relations with his wife had been very strained. The appeal clearly lacks merit and is therefore liable to be dismissed.
5. We have considered the rival submissions made by learned counsel for the parties and perused the records.
6. Dr. U.S. Sooch (PW.11), was among the members of the Board of Doctors, who conducted the post-mortem of the body of the deceased on 11.3.1996, at 5.00 p.m. and found the following injuries on her person:
"1. Well defined ligature mark 9" x 3.4" placed horizontally on the front of neck and both lateral sides of the neck, in the middle of neck and on the right side of the neck reaching below the lobule of the right ear. On exploration of the ligature the subcutaneous tissue was ecchymosed with laceration of underneath muscles and the hyoid bone was fractured. The larynx and trachea were congested.
2. An abrasion 1/2 " x 1/2" on the tip of the chin.
3. Abrasion 3/4" x 1/2" and 1" below the angle, of left mandible.
4. Lacerated wound 2, 1/2" x 1" x bone deep obliquely placed on the right fronto parietal region and 1" inside the hair line near the midline.
5. Lacerated wound with badly crushed margins 2, 1/2" x 1/2" bone deep on the right occipital region.
6. Defused swelling 3" x 2" on the right occipital region across the midline. Therefore, it is evident from the aforementioned injuries, as also from the medical report, that the deceased Loyalla Shagoufta was, without a doubt, a victim of homicide.
7. Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1), Medical Superintendent, deposed to the extent that the deceased was supposed to be on leave from 9.3.1996 to 16.3.1996, and that on the date of the said incident, she was not present in her hostel. Further, the appellant had reported to him, that when he came back to his room, he had found some blood stained clothes therein. The clothes were thereafter collected in a bag, and were kept in the office of Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1), and the possession of the same, was subsequently taken, by the police.
8. Smt. Victoria Rani (PW.2), mother of the deceased supported the case of the prosecution. She deposed that her daughter's marriage with the appellant had been quite strained, since no child could be born out of the wedlock and hence, they had started living separately. Her daughter had informed her by way of a telephone call, that she would visit Jagadhari on 7.3.1996, but she never came. Therefore, the complainant, Victoria Rani (PW.2), came to Ludhiana to search for her daughter, but she was found to be missing. Thus, she submitted a complaint to the police, on the basis of which, an FIR was lodged, wherein, she expressed her doubts with regard to the intention of the appellant, as in her opinion, he had been wanting to get rid of her daughter, and therefore, he could have kidnapped her for the purpose of killing her and fulfilling his purpose, once and for all.
9. Some of the witnesses, particularly Sarabjit Singh (PW.7), Security Guard of the hospital, Anil Kumar (PW.9), a Cook, working in the canteen of the Junior Doctor's Hostel and Joginder Singh (PW.12), did not support the case of the prosecution and turned hostile. However, the evidence of Kirpal Dev Singh (PW.8), is highly relevant. He deposed in court that he was providing services of a taxi and would park the same in the premises of CMC Hospital, Ludhiana. On 8.3.1996, the Canteen Contractor Joshi, had asked him to talk to Dr. Sunil of CMC, who wished to hire his taxi to go to Jagadhari. Accordingly, he went to speak to the appellant and became aware of the fact that the appellant wished to travel to Jagadhari on 9.3.1996. He then went to the appellant's hostel with his taxi on 9.3.1996, but was told by him that his wife had presently gone to collect her salary from Lalton Kalan and therefore, asked him to come again at 10.00 a.m. Thus, the said witness went to the doctor's place again, at 10.00 a.m. but he was yet again asked to come later, this time at 11.30 a.m. It was then, that the said witness told the doctor that he was no longer willing to go to Jagadhari and he may engage another taxi, for this purpose.
10. Piara Singh, ASI (PW.13), deposed that he came to know about the said incident and henceforth went to CMC Hospital, Ludhiana, on 10.3.1996, after receiving the complaint made by Victoria Rani (PW.2). However, he found room No. 2010 of the said hostel occupied by the appellant to be locked from the outside. He then went alongwith a police party, to the room of the deceased but found that, this too had been locked from the outside. The witness then attempted to search for the appellant, and for this purpose, he also went to the house of Mr. Rana, who was a relative of the appellant and was living in close proximity to the hospital in Ludhiana itself, but the appellant could not be found either here. He continued his search at various other places, including hotels but was unable to find the accused. On 11.3.1996, he stated that he had accompanied Vir Rajinder Pal (PW.14), and had therefore participated in the recovery of the dead body of deceased Dr. Loyalla Shagoufta from Lalton Kalan. He further deposed that on 13.3.1996, one gunny bag, one iron dumb bell and one tie were recovered in the presence of panch witness, Randhir Singh. A disclosure statement was also made by the appellant, in his presence to the effect that, these articles were related to the murder of the deceased and he had offered to help recover the same.
11. After recording the evidence led by the prosecution, the statement of the appellant was recorded under Section 313 Cr.P.C. The appellant denied all the allegations made by the prosecution and pleaded innocence. He stated that the blood stained clothes had been left in the balcony of his room, when he was not present therein and that he had produced the said clothes before Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1), Medical Superintendent, prior to the lodging of the FIR.
12. Vir Rajinder Pal (PW.14), supported the case of the prosecution in full, giving complete details from the very beginning of the incident, as he was posted as the SHO, Police Station, Ludhiana on 10.3.1996. He deposed regarding the recoveries made from the room of the accused, after the checking of the room and the preparation of seizure memos. The keys of the car parked in the premises of CMC hospital, one blood stained mat, duly attested by the panch witnesses, and a photocopy of the registration certificate of the said car, were taken into possession, as also the recovery of the blood stained clothes, which were handed over to him by Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1). He further deposed with regard to how the appellant was arrested as also about the items that were recovered from his body, the recovery of the blood stained floor from the appellant's room and the V-shaped pair of Hawaii chappals. The articles were all sealed and sent for FSL. He finally deposed regarding the manner in which the body was recovered, how the panchnama of recovery was prepared, and also about the manner in which, the post- mortem was conducted.
13. Dr. Pauli (CW.2), deposed that on 9.3.1996, he was contacted by the appellant at 6.00 p.m. and was told by him that his wife was missing, as a result of which, the appellant was in need of his car. Dr. Pauli (CW.2), therefore, gave his car to the appellant, bearing registration No. CH01-5653. The appellant returned after a duration of 11/2 hours, parked the car outside the hostel, and handed over the key to the said witness. The possession of the said car was taken by the police on 11.3.1996, and the blood stained rubber mat was then recovered from the dicky of the car. The said mat was sealed and taken away by the Investigating Officer (PW.14).
14. The trial court after appreciating the evidence on record came to the following conclusions: "However, various pieces of circumstantial evidence discussed above i.e. blood scratching lifted from the hostel room in occupation of accused production of various blood stained clothes by the accused before the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital and the recovery of blood stained neck tie and dumb-bell on the basis of a disclosure statement suffered by the accused and the blood stained car mat recovered in the case leave no manner of doubt that Dr. Mrs. Loyalla Shagoufta was first done to death in the hostel room no. 2010 in occupation of the accused by strangulating her as well as causing various injuries to her and thereafter the accused appeared to Dr. Pauli CW.2 to remove the traces of evidence appearing against him and was liable for the murder of Dr. Mrs. Loyalla Shagoufta deceased as well as for causing dis-appearance of the evidence. Dr. Loyalla Shagoufta in fact appeared to have been murdered in the hostel room in occupation of the accused. Various blood stains recovered from that room are a clear pointer to the fact that she was murdered in that room.
None else could commit the crime in that room except with the knowledge and consent of the accused when the accused alone was in occupation of that room and was responsible for the crime committed in that room. Production of various blood stained clothes by the accused before the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital also goes to show that he was fully involved in the crime. On the fateful evening he also borrowed car from Dr. Pauli CW.2, which was used by him in removal of the dead body from the place of crime and the recovery of a blood stained mat from that car also goes to show that he in fact removed the dead body in that car.
All this shows that he in fact murdered his wife Dr. Mrs. Loyalla Shagoufta and later on removed her dead body to cause dis-appearance as well as for causing dis-appearance of the evidence against him." So far as the motive is concerned, the court came to the conclusion that there was sufficient motive to kill the deceased, as the appellant wanted to now get rid of the deceased. More so, the appellant could not explain how the deceased happened to meet her death in his room. The court noted that though there were minor discrepancies in the story, the same were not fatal to the case of the prosecution and added that the case of the prosecution was fully supported by the FSL report and therefore, on such grounds, convicted the appellant.
15. The High Court concurred with the finding of the trial court observing as under: "Non-production of copy of Divorce Petition shows that the appellant-accused had the motive to eliminate the deceased. Admission of the appellant-accused before Dr. B. Pawar that blood stained clothes were found lying in his room and later on change of stand when examined under Section 313 Cr.P.C. that the blood stained clothes were lying in the balcony of the Junior Doctor's Hospital show that the prosecution story inspires confidence. Firstly, Dr. Shagoufta was murdered. Blood stained clothes were recovered from the room and by arranging car of Dr. Pauli dead body was thrown in the area of village Lalton Kalan. Dead body lying near the road is suggesting that the appellant-accused was in hurry to dispose of the dead body, that is why, after 11/2 hours key of the car was returned to Dr. Pauli. Tie, dumb-bell and gunny bag were recovered as per disclosure statement and the recovered articles were found to be stained with blood. On 9.3.1996, Dr. Yogesh through Sarabjit Singh, Security Guard summoned the appellant-accused to Operation Theatre, but nothing on the file that the appellant-accused had attended the Operation Theatre to assist Dr. Yogesh. PW.7 Sarabjit Singh had gone to the room of the appellant-accused with the request that services of the appellant-accused are needed in the Operation Threatre. Sarabjit Singh is not related to the deceased. So, there was no idea to disbelieve him. As per post-mortem examination, death was due to strangulation as well as by causing various injuries. Neck tie recovered as per disclosure statement suffered by the appellant-accused was found to be stained with blood."
16. The instant case is a case of blind murder and is based entirely on circumstantial evidence, as there is no eye-witness to the said incident.
17. In Sharad Birdhichand Sarda v. State of Maharashtra, AIR 1984 SC 1622, it was held by this court that, the onus is on the prosecution to prove, that the chain is complete and that falsity or untenability of the defence set up by the accused, cannot be made the basis for ignoring any serious infirmity or lacuna in the case of the prosecution. The Court then proceeded to indicate the conditions which must be fully established before a conviction can be made on the basis of circumstantial evidence. These are: (1) the circumstances from which the conclusion of guilt is to be drawn should be fully established. The circumstances concerned 'must' or 'should' and not 'may be' established; (2) the facts so established should be consistent only with the hypothesis of the guilt of the accused, that is to say, they should not be explainable on any other hypothesis except that the accused is guilty; (3) the circumstances should be of a conclusive nature and tendency; (4) they should exclude every possible hypothesis except the one to be proved; and (5) there must be a chain of evidence so complete as not to leave any reasonable ground for the conclusion consistent with the innocence of the accused and must show that in all human probability the act must have been done by the accused". Thus, in a case of circumstantial evidence, the prosecution must establish each instance of incriminating circumstance, by way of reliable and clinching evidence, and the circumstances so proved must form a complete chain of events, on the basis of which, no conclusion other than one of guilt of the accused can be reached. Undoubtedly, suspicion, however grave it may be, can never be treated as a substitute for proof. While dealing with a case of circumstantial evidence, the court must take utmost precaution whilst finding an accused guilty, solely on the basis of the circumstances proved before it.
18. Admittedly, the appellant, after handing over the said blood stained clothes to Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1), on 9.3.1996, became untraceable as a result of which, he could only be arrested on 11.3.1996, at 6.00 p.m. Though this circumstance was not taken into consideration by the courts below, the learned standing counsel appearing for the State has relied upon it very strongly indeed before us.
19. This Court has considered this issue time and again and held that the mere act of absconding, on the part of the accused, alone does not necessarily lead to a final conclusion regarding the guilt of the accused, as even an innocent person may become panic stricken and try to evade arrest, when suspected wrongly of committing a grave crime; such is the instinct of self-preservation. (See: Matru v. State of U.P., AIR 1971 SC 1050; State thr. CBI v. Mahender Singh Dahiya, (2011) 3 SCC 109; and Sk. Yusuf v. State of West Bengal, AIR 2011 SC 2283). In view of the above, we do not find any force in the submissions advanced by the learned counsel for the State.
20. In a case of circumstantial evidence, motive assumes great significance and importance, for the reason that the absence of motive would put the court on its guard and cause it to scrutinize each piece of evidence very closely in order to ensure that suspicion, emotion or conjecture do not take the place of proof.
21. In Subedar Tewari v. State of U.P. & Ors., AIR 1989 SC 733, this Court observed as under: "The evidence regarding existence of motive which operates in the mind of an assassin is very often than (sic) not within the reach of others. The motive may not even be known to the victim of the crime. The motive may be known to the assassin and no one else may know what gave birth to the evil thought in the mind of the assassin."
22. Similarly, in Suresh Chandra Bahri v. State of Bihar, AIR 1994 SC 2420, this court held as under: "In a case of circumstantial evidence, the evidence bearing on the guilt of the accused nevertheless becomes untrustworthy and unreliable because most often it is only the perpetrator of the crime alone who knows as to what circumstances prompted him to adopt a certain course of action leading to the commission of the crime. Therefore, if the evidence on record suggest sufficient/necessary motive to commit a crime it may be conceived that the accused had committed it."
23. Thus, if the issue is examined in light of the aforesaid settled legal proposition, we may concur with the courts below on the said aspect.
24. In Jackaran Singh v. State of Punjab, AIR 1995 SC 2345, this Court held that: "The absence of the signatures or the thumb impression of an accused on the disclosure statement recorded under Section 27 of the Evidence Act detracts materially from the authenticity and the reliability of the disclosure statement."
25. However, in State of Rajasthan v. Teja Ram, AIR 1999 SC 1776, this Court examined the said issue at length and considered the provisions of Section 162(1) Cr.P.C., Section 162(1) reads, a statement made by any person to a police officer in the course of an investigation done, if reduced to writing, be signed by the person making it. Therefore, it is evident from the aforesaid provision, that there is a prohibition in peremptory terms and law requires that a statement made before the Investigating Officer should not be signed by the witness. The same was found to be necessary for the reason that, a witness will then be free to testify in court, unhampered by anything which the police may claim to have elicited from him. In the event that, a police officer, ignorant of the statutory requirement asks a witness to sign his statement, the same would not stand vitiated. At the most, the court will inform the witness, that he is not bound by the statement made before the police. However, the prohibition contained in Section 162(1) Cr.P.C. is not applicable to any statements made under Section 27 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (hereinafter called 'Evidence Act'), as explained by the provision under Section 162(2) Cr.P.C. The Court concluded as under: "The resultant position is that the Investigating Officer is not obliged to obtain the signature of an accused in any statement attributed to him while preparing seizure memo for the recovery of any article covered by Section 27 of the Evidence Act. But if any signature has been obtained by an Investigating Officer, there is nothing wrong or illegal about it."
26. In Golakonda Venkateswara Rao v. State of Andhra Pradesh, AIR 2003 SC 2846, this court once again reconsidered the entire issue, and held that merely because the recovery memo was not signed by the accused, will not vitiate the recovery itself, as every case has to be decided on its own facts. In the event that the recoveries are made pursuant to the disclosure statement of the accused, then, despite the fact that the statement has not been signed by him, there is certainly some truth in what he said, for the reason that, the recovery of the material objects was made on the basis of his statement. The Court further explained this aspect by way of its earlier judgment in Jackaran Singh (supra) as, in this case, there was a dispute regarding the ownership of a revolver and the cartridge recovered therein. The prosecution was unable to lead any evidence to show that the crime weapon belonged to the said appellant and observations were made by this Court in the said context. The court held as under: "The fact that the recovery is in consequence of the information given is fortified and confirmed by the discovery of wearing apparel and skeletal remains of the deceased which leads to believe that the information and the statement cannot be false."
27. In view of the above, the instant case is squarely covered by the ratio of the aforesaid judgments, and the submission advanced in this regard is therefore, not acceptable.
28. Most of the articles recovered and sent for preparation of FSL and serological reports contained human blood. However, on the rubber mat recovered from the car of Dr. Pauli (CW.2) and one other item, there can be no positive report in relation to the same as the blood on such articles has dis-integrated. All other material objects, including the shirt of the accused, two T-shirts, two towels, a track suit, one pant, the brassier of the deceased, bangles of the deceased, the under-garments of the deceased, two tops, dumb bell, gunny bag, tie etc. were found to have dis-integrated.
29. A similar issue arose for consideration by this Court in Gura Singh v. State of Rajasthan, AIR 2001 SC 330, wherein the Court, relying upon earlier judgments of this Court, particularly in Prabhu Babaji Navie v. State of Bombay, AIR 1956 SC 51; Raghav Prapanna Tripathi v. State of U.P., AIR 1963 SC 74; and Teja Ram (supra) observed that a failure by the serologist to detect the origin of the blood due to dis-integration of the serum, does not mean that the blood stuck on the axe would not have been human blood at all. Sometimes it is possible, either because the stain is too insufficient, or due to haematological changes and plasmatic coagulation, that a serologist may fail to detect the origin of the blood. However, in such a case, unless the doubt is of a reasonable dimension, which a judicially conscientious mind may entertain, with some objectivity, no benefit can be claimed by the accused, in this regard.
30. Learned counsel for the appellant has placed very heavy reliance on the judgment of this Court in Sattatiya @ Satish Rajanna Kartalla v. State of Maharashtra, AIR 2008 SC 1184, wherein it was held that in case the Forensic Science Laboratory Report/Serologist Report is unable to make out a case, that the blood found on the weapons/clothes recovered, is of the same blood group as that of the deceased, the same should be treated as a serious lacuna in the case of the prosecution. The appellant cannot be allowed to take the benefit of such an observation in the said judgment, for the reason that in the aforementioned case, the recovery itself was doubted and, in addition thereto, the non- matching of blood groups was treated to be a lacunae and not an independent factor, deciding the case.
31. A similar view has been reiterated in a recent judgment of this court in Criminal Appeal No. 67 of 2008, Jagroop Singh v. State of Punjab, decided on 20.7.2012, wherein it was held that, once the recovery is made in pursuance of a disclosure statement made by the accused, the matching or non-matching of blood group (s) loses significance.
32. In John Pandian v. State represented by Inspector of Police, Tamil Nadu, (2010) 14 SCC 129, this Court held: "The discovery appears to be credible. It has been accepted by both the courts below and we find no reason to discard it. This is apart from the fact that this weapon was sent to the forensic science laboratory (FSL) and it has been found stained with human blood. Though the blood group could not be ascertained, as the results were inconclusive, the accused had to give some explanation as to how the human blood came on this weapon. He gave none. This discovery would very positively further the prosecution case." (Emphasis added)
33. In view of the above, the Court finds it impossible to accept the submission that, in the absence of the report regarding the origin of the blood, the accused cannot be convicted, upon an observation that it is only because of lapse of time that the classification of the blood cannot be determined. Therefore, no advantage can be conferred upon the accused, to enable him to claim any benefit, and the report of dis-integration of blood etc. cannot be termed as a missing link, on the basis of which, the chain of circumstances may be presumed to be broken.
34. When the appellant herein made a disclosure statement, a panchnama was prepared and recovery panchnamas were also made. The evidence on record revealed that the same were duly signed by two police officials, and one independent panch witness, namely, Randhir Singh Jat, who was admittedly, not examined. Therefore, a question arose regarding the effect of non-examination of the said panch witness, and also the sanctity of the evidence, in respect of recovery made only by two police officials.
35. The issue was considered at length by this Court in State, Govt. of NCT of Delhi v. Sunil & Anr., (2001) 1 SCC 652, wherein this Court held as under: "But if no witness was present or if no person had agreed to affix his signature on the document, it is difficult to lay down, as a proposition of law, that the document so prepared by the police officer must be treated as tainted and the recovery evidence unreliable. The court has to consider the evidence of the investigating officer who deposed to the fact of recovery based on the statement elicited from the accused on its own worth. We feel that it is an archaic notion that actions of the police officer should be approached with initial distrust. At any rate, the court cannot start with the presumption that the police records are untrustworthy. As a proposition of law the presumption should be the other way around. That official acts of the police have been regularly performed is a wise principle of presumption and recognised even by the legislature. Hence when a police officer gives evidence in court that a certain article was recovered by him on the strength of the statement made by the accused it is open to the court to believe the version to be correct if it is not otherwise shown to be unreliable. It is for the accused, through cross- examination of witnesses or through any other materials, to show that the evidence of the police officer is either unreliable or at least unsafe to be acted upon in a particular case. If the court has any good reason to suspect the truthfulness of such records of the police the court could certainly take into account the fact that no other independent person was present at the time of recovery. But it is not a legally approvable procedure to presume the police action as unreliable to start with, nor to jettison such action merely for the reason that police did not collect signatures of independent persons in the documents made contemporaneous with such actions."
36. One Randhir Singh Jat had been the Panch witness for the disclosure Panchnama and Recovery Panchnama. He has not been examined by the prosecution. No question was put to the Investigating Officer (PW.14), in his cross-examination, as to why the prosecution had withheld the said witness. The I.O. was the only competent person to answer the query. It is quite possible that the witness was not alive or traceable.
37. It is obligatory on the part of the accused while being examined under Section 313 Cr.P.C. to furnish some explanation with respect to the incriminating circumstances associated with him, and the Court must take note of such explanation even in a case of circumstantial evidence, to decide as to whether or not, the chain of circumstances is complete. The aforesaid judgment has been approved and followed in Musheer Khan v. State of Madhya Pradesh, (2010) 2 SCC 748. (See also: The Transport Commissioner, A.P., Hyderabad & Anr. v. S. Sardar Ali & Ors., AIR 1983 SC 1225). ?
38. This Court in State of Maharashtra v. Suresh, (2000) 1 SCC 471, held that, when the attention of the accused is drawn to such circumstances that inculpate him in relation to the commission of the crime, and he fails to offer an appropriate explanation or gives a false answer with respect to the same, the said act may be counted as providing a missing link for completing the chain of circumstances. We may hasten to add that we have referred to the said decision, only to highlight the fact that the accused has not given any explanation whatsoever, as regards the incriminating circumstances put to him under Section 313 Cr.P.C.
39. In view of the above, a conjoint reading of the complete evidence and material on record, suggests as under:
i. The deceased Loyalla Shagoufta had informed her mother residing in Jagadhari, on 6.3.1996 that she would reach there on 7.3.1996. However, she did not make it there. Therefore, Victoria Rani (PW.2), that is, mother of the deceased, came to Ludhiana to search for her daughter on 10.3.1996.
ii. On 9.3.1996, the appellant handed over certain blood stained clothes to Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1), Medical Superintendent, stating that he had found the same, in his room, when he returned from the hospital. Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1), informed the police about the said incident, on the same date.
iii. On 10.3.1996, Victoria Rani (PW.2), filed a complaint about the incident and an FIR was lodged. The Investigating Officer went to the room of the appellant, as well as of the deceased, in their respective hostels but the rooms were found to be locked from the outside. He then made an attempt to search for the appellant at the residence of his relative Mr. Rana, and also in other dhabas and hotels, but was unable to trace him, despite his efforts to do so.
iv. On 11.3.1996, Dr. Namrata Saran, informed Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1) that the deceased had been missing from the hostel since 9.3.1996. On the same day, Vir Rajinder Pal (PW.14), SHO, received a wireless message from the Police Chowki at Lalton Kalan, that the dead body of a female was lying in the bushes near an area of thoroughfare, close by. He then rushed to the place along with Victoria Rani (PW.2), and recovered the dead body of the deceased and went on to prepare the panchanama etc. The room of the appellant was searched, but no recovery was made from the room.
v. During the course of the investigation, Vir Rajinder Pal (PW.14), SHO, realised that the appellant had borrowed the car of Dr. Pauli (CW.2). Thus, the said car which was parked in the same compound, was taken into possession by the police, and a mat having blood stains on it, was recovered and sealed.
vi. On 12.3.1996, experts were called and the room of the appellant was searched. Blood stains were found on the floor, which were scraped off and along with the same, a pair of V-shaped Hawaii chappals, also having blood stains on them, were recovered. The said articles were sealed.
vii. The appellant was arrested on 11.3.1996, as he was produced by Joginder Singh (PW.12), and made a disclosure statement in the presence of police officials and also one Randhir Singh, the panch witness, and the panchnama was prepared and in it, he stated that, he would help in the recovery of articles, used while committing the murder of the deceased. On the basis of the said disclosure statement, he led the police party to the Old Ludhiana Jail and aided in making recoveries of a gunny bag, a dumb bell and one tie, as the same had been hidden below garbage and bushes. The same were duly recovered and panchnama was prepared. All the materials so recovered were then sent for FSL/serological report, and the report received stated that all the said articles contained human blood etc. except for a few, wherein the blood had dis-integrated and as a result of this, no report could be submitted.
viii. On 11.3.1996, the dead body of the deceased was sent for post- mortem examination by a Board of doctors including Dr. U.S. Sooch (PW.11), and various articles of the deceased, including her bangles etc. were taken into possession by the police.
ix. In his statement, under Section 313 Cr.P.C., the appellant changed the version of his story, from the one given to Dr. B. Pawar (PW.1), stating that blood stained clothes handed over by him, were found in the balcony, interconnecting various rooms, as against his original statement wherein he had disclosed that he had found them in his room. He could not furnish any explanation with respect to how the blood stained clothes were found in his room.
x. Kirpal Dev Singh (PW.8), a taxi driver, though did not identify the appellant in court, yet was not declared hostile by the prosecution, deposed that, on being asked by the canteen contractor Joshi, he had gone to meet the appellant on 9.3.1996, who told him that he wanted to go to Jagadhari. At that time, he was told to come later, as the wife of the appellant had purportedly gone to collect her salary from Lalton Kalan. Admittedly, the appellant and his wife, the deceased were living separately and they did not have a cordial relationship. In such a fact-situation, the appellant would not have hired a taxi to go to Jagadhari. More so, if the deceased was living separately, it was not possible for the appellant to say that his wife had gone to Lalton Kalan, to collect her salary. The evidence of Dr. Pauli (CW.2), makes it clear that the appellant had in fact taken his car, used it for one and a half hours, and then brought the same back, and parked it in the hostel compound, after which he handed over the keys for the same to Dr. Pauli (CW.2).
xi. The nature of the injuries mentioned in the post-mortem report makes it crystal clear that the deceased died of strangulation i.e. asphyxia, and she also had several injuries to her head, which could have been caused by a dumb bell, which was one of the materials recovered and found to have blood stains on it.
xii. As the appellant had a strained relationship with his wife, he no doubt wanted to get rid of her. Although he has claimed that the petitions for divorce by mutual consent were pending before the court, he has never submitted any documents with respect to this before the court. Thus, inference may be drawn that the appellant did in fact wish to get rid of his wife.
xiii. As the recoveries of the blood stained gunny bag, dumb bell, tie etc. were made on the basis of the disclosure statement of the appellant himself, the chain of circumstances is therefore, complete.
40. In view of the above, we do not find any reason to interfere with the concurrent findings recorded by the courts below. The appeal lacks merit and is therefore, dismissed accordingly.
.....................J. (Dr. B.S. CHAUHAN)
.....................J. (FAKKIR MOHAMED IBRAHIM KALIFULLA)


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Who doesn't love a good bowl of noodles? It's a world-wide craze, as you see variations of these wonderful creations in many nations across the globe. I love how straight and neat they come in the box, all lined up next to each other and in perfect order...until they are thrown into the violent chaos of the boiling water, and then they scramble and tangle into mess of starch. But depending upon what delectable sauce you top them with, the end result is yummy.
Sometimes I feel like this is a picture of my mind. On a good day, I wake up with my thoughts and emotions all lined up and in order. And then I open my eyes. The issues and busy-ness of the day ahead of me pour in and the noodles begin to get all tangled up. It's in this chaos that fear and worry weave themselves into the mix and God's peace seems far from me.
Then the noun becomes a verb as the negative noodling sets in. Thoughts of not being equipped. Not good enough. Of what people think. Doubt that my prayer will be answered. That I'll never see the breakthrough. And on and on.....until I rise up and say NOT TODAY.
The Fearless 365 Week Sixteen Challenge: BE FEARLESS TO SAY "NOT TODAY!" Greater is the power of Christ that lives on the inside of me than any fear or circumstance I might face in this world. That is a promise from God. For me AND for YOU. We need to use this verse as the stick to draw a line in the sand, along with the words "NOT TODAY"
This song below will strengthen and encourage your heart to have the courage to stand your ground. Take the time to read and meditate on these powerful lyrics. (The video is embedded below.) This song is a much better message to be noodling around in your head than the lies of fear.
Let this be your war cry today...tomorrow...and every day.
Fear is just a liar running out of breath.
If you haven't read last week's blog, Going Deep, take some time to do so HERE. So many of the fears we wrestle with have roots that run deep. It's going to take a deep relationship with God to demand those roots shrivel up.
Posted on June 22, 2017 by Molly Venzke and filed under Fearless 365.


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Home Culture and Language Is Iceland a part of Scandinavia?
Culture and Language
Berglind Ros
Iceland is often referred to as a part of Scandinavia. Is this true? Well, opinion often varies, even among Scandinavian people! Evidence suggests there is one right answer. Many don't realize some people make specific distinctions between Scandinavian and Nordic countries. Looking at a map of Scandinavia, it's understandable why there's some confusion. All of these northern European countries have some overlap, both culturally and linguistically. In the eyes of some, there are differences. Let's look at a definition of Scandinavia, which countries make up Scandinavia, and see if Iceland is actually a Scandinavian country.
What is the Definition of Scandinavia?
The first recorded use of the word "Scandinavia" originated around the late 18th century. The word was born from the popular Scandinavian movement which was growing popularity throughout Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. The ideology was simple. Denmark, Norway, and Sweden would cooperate and support each other given their close proximity, shared culture, and similar language. They realized that they could accomplish much more if they banded together and helped each other. So, now we know the driving force behind the word and a semi-official list of Scandinavian countries. Where did the word itself come from? What is it's etymology?
Scania: The First Map of Scandinavia
Scania was historically a region of modern-day Sweden ruled by the Danes. The Danish King Harald Bluetooth took control of the region in the 10th century. Scania is a low land coastal area that is much different than the other mountain regions of Sweden. Land disputes over Scania fueled the fire for the decades-long wars between the Swedes and the Danes. This land was eventually returned to the Swedes and is a favorite region of the country.
It's important to note, that all of the peoples of mainland Scandinavia originated from a handful of Germanic tribes on the peninsula. Norway, Denmark, and Sweden collectively form the geographic peninsula of Scandinavia. This is generally the traditionally accepted definition of where Scandinavia is. The languages of these countries (and Iceland) also originated from the same Germanic tribes.
Difference Between Nordic and Scandinavian
So now we must answer the question: Is Iceland a Scandinavian country or something else? That is a hard question answer, as there is much debate around the subject. Swedes and Danes might say one thing. Icelanders might say another. And even not all Icelanders are on board with Iceland being a part of Scandinavia. See, Scandinavia is most often a geographic and cultural classification. All three members of Scandinavia have languages, traditions, religions, and histories that are very closely related. Some consider Iceland not to be Scandinavian, even though it shares many of these linguistic, historical, and religious ties.
Iceland is an island nation, like Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and other provinces. Technically these island nations aren't Scandinavian due to their geography. But there are plenty of cultural, historical and linguistic ties that do put Iceland in the category of being a Scandinavian country. Confusing things even more, Finland is connected to Scandinavia but isn't Scandinavian. This is mainly because the history, language, and culture of Finland are wholly different from its neighbors to the west.
Finland isn't a part of Scandinavia because of the vast linguistic and cultural differences between the peninsula and Finland. Yet, Iceland, Greenland, and other nations have very similar cultures but aren't "Scandinavian". These other countries, along with the Scandinavian countries, are Nordic. Nordic is a bit of a catch-all phrase in my opinion. Scandinavians would argue that Iceland is Nordic, due to it not being centrally located or connected to Europe. However, they would also say that while Finland neighbors Sweden, and shares other similarities, Finnish is just too different from Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish. I know, it is confusing.
So, Is Iceland Scandinavian Or Not?
There is no real conclusive answer, and I think it depends on the person. Again, you must remember we are speaking about geographic and cultural constructs that hold no real weight in reality. Many Icelanders are fiercely proud of our culture. We also know that our forefathers originated in Scandinavian countries. In fact, Denmark ruled Iceland up until the early 1900s. So, when some think we are not a part of that culture it can upset some people. Some say Nordic, while other say Scandinavian. For me, personally, I say that Icelandic culture, history, and language is too closely tied to that of Scandinavia for us not to be Scandinavian. But, that's just me. What do you think?
Nordic culture
scandinavian countries
scandinavian culture
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


KEY FEATURES: SHRUB to 3m. LEAVES mostly opposite, oval to oblong, to 5cm length. FLOWERS terminal clusters; pink, white or purple; to 3cmØ; petals wrinkled; stamens long golden (~40); buds smooth, glossy. FRUIT dry-capsule, oval, to 1.5cm.
SIMILAR SPECIES: See under Crape Myrtle Tree (Lagerstroemia speciosa).


The Tigers are making free agent catcher Victor Martinez their top priority among all free agent hitters, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. If Martinez signs in Detroit, he'd likely share the catching duties with Alex Avila, spell Miguel Cabrera at first and start occasionally at DH. The Red Sox expected the Tigers to pursue Martinez and are eyeing John Buck in case V-Mart signs elsewhere.
The Orioles, Rockies and Rangers are among the teams with potential interest in Martinez. He batted .302/.351/.493 with 20 homers in 2010 and has already heard from six interested teams even though his Type A status likely means he'll cost a top draft pick. Earlier today, Morosi suggested that it's in Martinez's best interest to sign sooner rather than later.
If they do this say goodbye to Dunn. They need a hitter like Martinez but they also need a HR bat. Knowing DD that doesn't mean he has to come from the free agent market.
Good point. He has been known to pull off a blockbuster in his day.
This is unsurprising. I wont be jumping for joy but I wont toss myself off the ambassador bridge either, if this happens.
Sounds like martinez willn't be coming back to Boston. He was great for'em. I think the sox will turn to maike napoli or russel martin for there replacement. Maybe buck.
If Martinez signs then the Tigers need to seriously get some starting pitching, otherwise they're going to be playing a lot of 9-7 games all year.
Seriously need to get some starting pitching? We need a number 4 starter. You make it seem like we need 3-4 starting pitchers. We have verlander, scherzer, and porcello. Pretty strong 1-3 carrying two aces in verlander and scherzer (second half).
Still finished 12 out of 14 teams in Era though, they need a solid # 3 like a kuroda or pavano. That will take the pressure of Porcello and let him develope a little more.
I totally agree with you. Pavano scares me because of what happened in New York, but he has been great with the Twins and great in dominating the Tigers. But people make it seem like our rotation was in shambles. Bondo and Gallaragga just werent cutting it. We played Bondo cause of the money we owed him and him being a life long tiger. Just like we will continue to play Guillen when he comes back because Leyland loves him, instead of releasing him. But I do like our top three and letting Porcello get more development would be great. He does have high upside though.
Porcello could bust out big time, he has stud written all over him. If he can K 1 to 2 more batters per 9 innings he is going to be a star. When he first came up they told him to abandon his curve and toss sinkers all day. He has all the green lights to do what he wants this year and it's just a matter of time before the K's pile up.
Agreed. I wonder if Andy Oliver gets a legitimate shot at the rotation next year, another guy with a high ceiling. If he can start locating his pitches, he's going to be a real force in that rotation.
Maybe give Oliver another year in the minors, have a rotation of Verlander, Scherzer, Porcello, Kuroda/Pavano, and Galaragga. Sign Kuroda/pavano for two years and bring up Oliver in 2012. Galaragga is a super two and if he can regain some of his rookie form trade him off for some prospects.
Phil Coke is starting this season.
Coke will not be in the rotation, its all talk just like Bonine, Figaro, and Miner.
I believe Coke will be in there, and I would like to see it. Don't even mention Coke's name with Bonine, Figaro, and Miner….
Hahaha right on. Coke is way better than those guys, who are pretty much mop-up innings eaters. I'm not sold that Coke can be an effective starter, plus I really liked him out of the back end of the bullpen. I do believe they'll give him every possible chance to show he can start though.
I might be the biggest Phil Coke fangirl on the internet but … I don't want him starting the season in the rotation. I want him in the bullpen.
Oliver needs more time to polish up in the minors. Phil Coke will get a shot at the rotation before Oliver. I believe Andy will be in the rotation sometime in 2012.
12 out of 14 true but porcello and scherzer struggled the first couple months of the year, porcello for much of it. If both really have turned the corner they wont finish in the bottom half of the AL. Plus no more starts can be given to bonderman or willis, another big part of the inflated starters era. I like the suggestion of kuroda in that he is exactly what the Tigers need: a middle of the rotation innings eater.
Meant no slight, except that I'm not convinced by Scherzer despite his nice finish, and don't see him as an ace yet. Porcello has ability but he's still a baby and I always need to see it again before I'm convinced these two are for real. I would like to see Detroit go get some experienced starters to help JV carry the load. It's a long season and stuff always happens, especially with pitching, so that's my thinking.
They just need a solid 4 or 5 man in that rotation and Oliver will be that guy. He is a can't miss prospect and seems like the major league ready. The top of the rotation is absolutely steller…I don't know how you could ask for a better 123 than JV, max, and porcello.
You can ask for Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels. Also, you understand the phrase "can't miss prospect" is utterly worthless in an argument? Absolutely I agree that Oliver appears to have a bright future but this year his performance showed the kid is at least one more year away. Detroit does need a solid #4 because Galarraga is a good 5 at best which is why I had mentioned signing a kuroda type (short-term deal innings eater), but Detroit appears intent on sticking to in-house options.
I wouldn't classify Oliver as "can't miss". There have been plenty of so-called "can't miss" prospects who … missed.
As a Sox fan I'm not mad at all…hopefully they don't sign a higher ranked FA…the Red Sox will get the highest possible pick for him.
Agree it's an either or between Dunn and Victor Martinez. I'd rather have Martinez, even if he only catches 50 games over life of contract. Tigers need professional hitters – he'd immediately be the second best hitter in lineup by a huge margin.
I wonder though – if VMART signs with Tigers – if Tigers would now think differently about needing Magglio back?
I'd say no. If they're serious about pursuing Martinez, they still need to fill a corner outfield spot and nab a number 3 hitter. Maggs and Martinez complimenting Cabrera in that lineup creates a great opportunity for a lot of runs to be driven in as they are all at least .300/20/100 guys. That still means Jackson and (Rhymes?) still need to get on base though to set up those situations, I'm mainly concerned about Rhymes' ability if you played him a whole season. I wonder if with some legitimate protection in the lineup Raburn and Peralta start mashing behind them.
Bringing in martinez would help the Tigers out tremendously as he offers great offensive numbers and is a switch hitter. He has to know he's knockin on the door of his DH years.
Vmart was great during his time with the Sox, great player to have on any team. I wouldn't mine the Sox resigning him but I think they have bigger priorities and I believe Buck can be a good replacement for him.
It will be devastating for the Red Sox if Martinez bolts, and there is no guarantee they will even get Buck.
Ya but come on man. He V-mart signs elsewhere nobody is going to outbid the redsox for Buck.
I like the idea of Martinez a lot more than I like Dunn. Vmart is a much better fit because he can catch, play first and DH so he opens up the lineup really well. He'd be a great start to bettering the Tigers but before they can even think about upgrading they need to resign maglio. The won't be any better off by trading his bat for another unless they plan to keep adding hitters and in my opinion, mags is the best all around hitter on the market…I don't care how old he is.
4 years/44 million should get it done. Don't see any team offering 5 years. Also don't down play the Venezulan roots that are in Detroit with Magglio (think he will be resigned), Cabrera, Guillen and Gallaraga. Can catch twice a week against lefties, then dh or spell Cabrera at first. Also when he catches, Maggs can DH against righties and get him out of the field with Casper Wells. Raburn has earned the right to play everyday. He's improving in the field and has a plus arm. If you combine his last two years which is just over 600 abs he batted .285 31 hrs 100 or so rbi with 98 runs. Then can use money to fill out bullpen and hopefully had a top notch starter via trade. I would stay away from Crawford (love his game but not worth the 7 yr./$120 million) and Dunn (Comerica not suited for low avg. power hitter). Would leave oney to add pieces in future off-seasons.Ordonez and Martinez will both bat around .300 20-25 hrs and 100 rbi which is a perfect place for Cabrera to bat between.
whoa dude. I think you're undervaluing Dunn just a little bit. He might have a low average, but he draws walks. Even though he can't run, that still compensates for his low average.
They don't need someone who walks, they need someone who can hit situationally, which dunn can not do. I agree with Aaron in that Dunn is a bad fit for Detroit. His avg is too low, he has way too many K's and would have mediocre power numbers because of Comericas size. On top of that, there isn't a position he can play adequately. His glove is awful and for te money the are a ton of better players for Detroit ESPICIALLY if you are just payig him to dh. Dunn is a good player, just a bad fit in Motown.
and I never said he was a good fit, I was just trying to verify his value. I completely agree that the Tigers need a situational hitter. V-Mart brings that to the table, definitely.
I think Dunn is a really good player but not just not a good fit for Detroit. Dunn would be strictly DH and I am always leery of a player coming over to AL from the NL. Only a few have made the adjustment and keep their numbers (ie Abreu, maybe Drew. Luke Scott). Can't think of many others. I think the most homeruns one could expect to be hit at Comerica is the 38 hrs. Cabrera hit this year. Down the line i rightfield is rather reachable but right center is absolutely massive. I would project a .250 avg. 30 hrs and 80 walk season for Dunn in Comerica which is very productive but would rather have Vmart able to catch and play some first and bat .300 or so 20 hrs. and 100 rbi. I think he will cost less than Dunn, showed he can hit in the AL, and could be everyday catcher if Avila doesn't show any growth.
Don't forget Jhonny Peralta, V-Mart's BFF from their Cleveland days.
Getting Martinez would be a good pick up, but I'm not so sure Dave should give him more than 3 yrs. The dude's what, 33 or something? And I would CERTAINLY like to see the next acquisition be Crawford! Man, can you imagine our outfield with Crawford, Jackson and whoever wins the rightfield job? And the extra speed on the bases as well.
I think I would prefer Martinez/Werth at this point, with resigning Maggs.
Werth is the one hitter I would stay away from. I don't know, the guy just gives me a bad feeling that he will be a bust away from Philly.
I agree. VMart has proven he can hit anywhere, in Cleveland's Pitcher-Friendly stadium with no protection in the lineup, in addition to Boston's high pressured, AL East lineup. DD should get this done.
Why? Anything specific? Or just a "vibe" you get from him? Is it the mangy beard? Personally, I think he looks kind of like a homeless guy. But we shouldn't hold that against him.
Tigers top 3 pitchers Verlander-Scherzer-Porcello can be as scary as anyone, and they have enough young guns in Oliver, Crosby, Schelereth, Turner, Coke and Furbush to be excellent #4 and #5 starters. Turner has #1 Ace potential and Crosby Oliver and Schelereth each have #2 pitcher potential. Their rotation can compete with anyone if it meets expectations. It was the offense that was in question.If they get VMart early, they have a great sales pitch to make to top free agent Carl Crawford with their stellar pitching of now and for the future, in addition to a better offense than the Angels and the Giants, and an offense that would be on par with Boston's without Adrian Beltre in their lineup. They also have as much money as anyone to get him. Even after signing VMART to say a 12MM a year contract, that still means they only would have committed 23MM (Vmart 12MM+Peralta 5.5MM+Inge 5.5MM this offseason, which is over 25MM shy of what they could commit this offseason with the expiring contracts of Magglio (15MM), Bondo (12MM), Robertson (11MM), Willis (11MM), Seay (3MM). While some Tigers salaries are going up from arbitration and backloaded contracts, the Tigers still have plenty of room to even resign Magglio and offer Crawford a 20MM a year contract. Not saying that he's worth that much, but Detroit sometimes has to overpay to land the top free agents.
I like the idea of picking up V-Mart. I hope we don't have to go as high as 12M, but that might be his level. I hope we don't have to go longer than 4 years. But my preference is to also add starting pitching. I'm sorry, but I just don't see why people are so high on Porcello. He's young. He's a high draft pick. But his stats are just mediocre. With Scherzer, you hope that his 2nd half can be repeated and that he doesn't fall back into bad habits that got him off to such a lousy start. Oliver and Crosby are still prospects. I see the need for a solid #3, maybe even a #2. Kuroda or Pavano would give you a #3 that can go deep in games. Something the Tigers struggle with unless they are willing to throw 125+ pitches a game (Verlander, Scherzer).


Natalie Wainwright, Associate – Tenant Representative, Cushman & Wakefield Commerce in Las Vegas, has been elected president of Commercial Real Estate Women of Las Vegas (CREW LV), a vibrant and growing state chapter of the largest commercial real estate network dedicated to Influencing the success of the commercial real estate industry by advancing the achievements of women. She served the last 12 months as president-elect and begins her year as president on July 1, 2017.
In her role with Cushman & Wakefield Commerce, Wainwright has five years of commercial real estate experience and is part of the Vegas CRE team, a leading tenant representative team focusing on working with businesses of all sizes create and implement a real estate strategy that supports the business.
CREW LV is a non-profit organization. This group consists of over 90 CREW chapters within the United States and Canada, with over 10,000 members. Now in its 18th year, CREW Las Vegas is committed to encouraging and expanding opportunities in networking, education, leadership development and civic philanthropy for women and men, in all facets of real estate.


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Q: Where can I get templates for MediaWiki? I have noticed that a lot of mediawiki-based websites use such templates as Robelbox, Ambox etc. Where can I get them and how should they be installed?

A: You can directly copy templates from Wikipedia. A nice example is the Keypress template.

A: This task is a bit more involved than just exporting and importing.
A "simple" overview can be found here -> How to add Wikipedia templates to your own Mediawiki

*

*Upgrade our MediaWiki to the latest stable version, hoping to match      Wikipedia's one.

*Install the Scribunto extension and properly configure it.

*Export/Import the LUA modules used by the (meta)templates you want to    use and import them in your MediaWiki.

*Export/Import the Wikipedia templates you want to use, together with    all the required metatemplates, and import them in your
  MediaWiki.

*Copy the relevant CSS classes from the Wikipedia's Common.css file    and paste them in your MediaWiki's Common.css.

*Activate MediaWiki IstantCommons feature to automatically fetch the    Template image files from the commons.wikipedia.com repository.

A: It's a PITA and unfortunately (unlike extensions or media files) there is no repository of canned templates. Templates load other templates which load others in turn, etc.
Go to Wikipedia and copy the name of the template you're after, go to Special:Export and paste the name of the template in the big text box, e.g. Template:Infobox. Check "Include templates" and check "Include only the current revision, not the full history", (or the file will be too big). Click Export to dump a .xml file of the template. Then import this into the destination wiki.
After it has been imported open the template for editing, check the list below the edit box "Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page:". If there are any red links repeat the above steps for these templates as well. You might also need to copy styles in MediaWiki:Common.css page and Javascript in MediaWiki:Common.js  before everything works. Finally edit the templates to customize for your wiki.
If it still doesn't work and you have messy pages of braces and if statements, then you need to install the ParserFunctions extension. If there is {{#invoke: }} in template code you'll also need to install the Scribunto extension.
MediaWiki Help:Templates explains the process in more detail.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Corbin Design developed a beautiful design for this sign family. Stylized shield and window elements give these signs a welcoming feel. The inclusion of the leaves and bud elements tie the signs to the local flora.


text:
Meet the Mortals Behind China's 'God Songs'
It's not easy making the music that everyone loves — or loves to hate.
Qian Zhecheng
2019-08-09 13:04:15 + video
BEIJING — Song is the name, and song is his game. While some musicians take months to compose, record, release, and promote a track, Song Mengjun and his team can get it all done in a matter of hours.
The 29-year-old hit-maker has plenty of tricks to keep the ideas flowing. His team monitors China's most popular streaming apps for trending search terms, and then brainstorms ideas based on these keywords. In April, when a group of astronomers announced they had captured the first image of a black hole, Song put out his track "Monster From the Black Hole" within 24 hours, ensuring that it would ride the crest of internet searches to the top of the charts.
Song's company, Beijing Yunmao Culture Ltd., releases roughly two songs each day. Despite their heavy workload, the staff does not appear stressed when Sixth Tone visits the studio. Most of the dozen employees wear bulky headphones, so the studio is quiet as their fingers flick between piano and computer keyboards. Every now and then, a few will drift into the stairwell for a smoke, but they always return to their desks before the cigarette burns down to the butt.
A Beijing-based music company shares their recipe for success for making viral songs. By Tang Xiaolan and Fu Xiaofan/Sixth Tone
The music that Yunmao makes doesn't fit into any one genre in particular: The company cheerfully pivots to whatever the market desires on any given day. But Chinese listeners refer to these viral, flash-in-the-pan hits as shenqu — "god songs".
There's nothing divine about the production process. Yunmao operates like a mass manufacturer, building god songs on an assembly line. Song demonstrates the process for Sixth Tone in his studio: First, he borrows the backing track from a well-known song by Taiwanese singer Jay Chou, mumbling the rhythm into a mic. Then, his co-worker puts it together with a melody on the keyboard, adding in other audio samples from their vast database of demos, while another two compose lyrics on their laptops. In less than half a day, there's already a rough cut.
Every track is quick to make and quick to get stuck in your head. "No one will give you a minute," Song says, explaining that songs only have seconds to capture an audience's attention. His infectious tunes cut right to the chorus, because he believes his target youth demographic likes to rush to the climax.
This is music for the age of short attention spans, instant gratification, and search engine optimization. And it's lucrative: "9277" — one of Yunmao's top hits — raked in almost 10 million yuan ($1.55 million) in 2018. On major music streaming platforms like Kugou, god songs often outperform releases from big-name pop stars when it comes to listens and downloads in the long run. More clicks mean more cash.
Album covers from Yunmao's creations in Beijing, May 2019. Tang Xiaolan/Sixth Tone
China's music market is growing fast. There are approximately 33 million paid music subscribers in China, according to the managing director of Sony Music in China, Andrew Chan, in a 2019 report released by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) which also stated that in 2018, China became the seventh-largest music market in the world. The streaming market in particular is skyrocketing, with a year-over-year growth of 35% in 2018, according to the IFPI.
For Song's team, licensing what they consider high-quality music, such as for TV shows, only makes up 30% of Yunmao's income. The company's biggest revenue stream comes from licensing their god songs. But while god songs are amassing plays and profits, they're also attracting critics who claim they're dumbing down music with their brainless lyrics and borrowed beats.
It's dirt off his shoulder for Song. "The era of doing offline music has passed," he says. "The future is about cashing out online."
♫ But you don't really care for music, do you? ♪
Song used to sing a different tune when he was a student at the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in southern China's Guangdong province. "I used to detest god songs," he recalls.
He performed more than 400 gigs as an undergrad, while also moonlighting at a local radio station to boost his marketing and promotion skills and undertaking a second major in art management. When he dropped his first album, he was proud of his work — but sales were meager.
One of Yunmao's staff members adds audio samples to a melody in Beijing, May 2019. Tang Xiaolan/Sixth Tone
Disillusioned, he moved to Beijing and started working at a record company, where he noticed that the most popular songs weren't what he would have considered good music. "The market doesn't care about your academic standards," he says. He learned how to apply digital-first, market-driven pragmatism to music production, and the rest is history.
Independent musicians like Beijing's Ma Yuyang complain that this mentality is squeezing them out of an already difficult market. "When more people give their attention to god songs, it seriously impacts us indie musicians who use real soul to make music," the 30-year-old says.
Why would you force dishwashers or doormen to like your choice of music?
- Yang Junlong, music promoter
Ma has put out two albums in the eight years he's been in the indie music scene. He's sold around 3,000 copies in total — not bad for indie releases, he says. But when he later collaborated with a god song writer on one single, to his surprise it became a big hit that quickly boosted his fame and fortune. Nonetheless, Ma still looks down on musicians who churn out formulaic hits in the pursuit of profit. He attributes the success of god songs to Chinese audiences' static tastes which lead songwriters to play it safe instead of following their creative instincts.
Song disagrees: He argues that too many artists are self-absorbed, obsessed with expressing their own feelings instead of adapting to the new opportunities created by speed, connectivity, and changing music consumption patterns. Where once people settled for listening to whatever was played on the TV and radio, now there are more people actively accessing music through all kinds of platforms. "You cannot control what listeners are exposed to," he says, and more than ever, it's consumers driving the trends rather than music professionals.
Music promoter Yang Junlong goes further. "China has a population of 1.4 billion. Why would you force dishwashers or doormen to like your choice of music?" he says.
♬ Rake it up, break it down, bag it up ♪
Making the music is one thing. Marketing it is another. And that's where hype man Yang excels: "Learn to Meow," the first release from his studio, dominated the Chinese music market in 2018. Despite having a simple refrain — "Let's all learn to meow, all together meow, meow, meow, meow, meow" — sung by relatively unknown performers Xiao Feng Feng and Xiao Pan Pan, it quickly won the hearts of millions of Chinese netizens, making it to Billboard Radio China's top 10 list of the year's most popular music, as well as finding many fans overseas.
The song's success was in large part thanks to Yang's viral marketing campaign. He commissioned half a dozen social media influencers to come up with a simple dance routine to accompany the song. Then his team tweaked their choreography and hired even more popular influencers to perform the final version and upload their clips to short video platform Douyin — which operates overseas as TikTok. In two days, "Learn to Meow" surged from 2,000 to 80,000 views on Douyin.
A GIF shows various versions of "Learn to Meow" on the app Douyin. From Douyin
Soon, it seemed everyone on Douyin was meowing, pawing the air, and tweaking their whiskers. The trend quickly caught on with TikTok users in South Korea and Japan, and YouTubers even created cover versions of "Learn to Meow" in Indonesian, Ukrainian, Tagalog, and several other languages.
Yang utilizes various tactics for promoting music, but his core strategy always involves audience participation — or rather, meme-ability. He believes a good god song should always have an irresistibly catchy 15-second refrain that can be sampled for background music. That helps it spread on China's largest short video platforms, Douyin and Kuaishou.
Though the two sites share 60% of their user base, they require slightly different strategies, according to Yang. Strong rhythms are more important for Douyin — a 15-second video platform that is more popular with worldly, well-off millennials and is known for memes such as beauty transformations and pranks — while Kuaishou, with more rural working-class users, favors songs that tell a story.
Even so, penning god song lyrics isn't too strenuous, according to Ding Zhaoyu. The 24-year-old college student is both an indie musician and a part-time god song lyricist for a music agency. "What they require is pretty routine," she says. "I think even people who barely know music could do it." While she believes that a "real musician" should try to make a statement or extend their practice beyond replicating a formula, she also recognizes that a job's a job. Indie music alone isn't enough to pay the bills.
To some critics, however, the problem with god songs isn't just a matter of taste. While Song was a god in the god song scene, it was his songs that were famous, not him — until a plagiarism accusation made him notorious.
A pianist rearranges the melody according to Song Mengjun's instructions in Beijing, May 2019. Tang Xiaolan/Sixth Tone
♫ I walk the line ♪
In 2016, music critic Deng Ke accused Song of copying Jay Chou's song "Nocturne" with a nearly identical rhythm in "The Distance of a Centimeter". Millions of loyal Jay Chou fans then waged an internet war that pushed Song's name into the headlines.
Song explains that while he used a similar backing track — which Song calls a "beat" — the resemblance did not exceed eight bars, which is commonly considered fair use.
Guo Chunfei, a senior partner specializing in copyright law at Tiantai Law Firm, tells Sixth Tone that there's no law specifying the eight-bar rule in China, although it's often discussed at law conventions. "Rulings on music plagiarism are always subjective, based on the judge's decision," Guo says. Judges make rulings with the help of music specialists like critics, professors, or a third-party assessor, Guo explains, but the criteria vary from case to case.
Music copyright disputes overseas are equally contested. In 2018, Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams' "Blurred Lines" was judged to have infringed the copyright of Marvin Gaye's 1977 song "Got to Give It Up". The pair was ordered to pay Gaye's estate nearly $5 million and ongoing royalties, following a five-year legal battle that saw more than 200 musicians file an amicus brief in support of Thicke and Williams because they felt the judgment would adversely affect the industry.
Recording and production equipment in Yunmao's studio in Beijing, May 2019. Tang Xiaolan/Sixth Tone
"All music shares inspiration from prior musical works, especially within a particular musical genre," said the document, signed by artists such as Linkin Park, Weezer, and Jennifer Hudson. "By eliminating any meaningful standard for drawing the line between permissible inspiration and unlawful copying, the judgment is certain to stifle creativity and impede the creative process."
The debate over fair use and inspiration rose again this summer, when Katy Perry, her collaborators, and her record label were asked to pay nearly $2.8 million because of similar instrumental elements between her 2013 hit "Dark Horse" and 2008's Christian rap song "Joyful Noise." For Chinese god song makers, however, the issue has been ongoing since the first wave of the viral hits. In 2006, singing group Phoenix Legend was accused of plagiarizing six bars from a folk song in their tune "Above the Moon." After two years, the court ruled that it counted as plagiarism, though the plaintiff only won 20,000 yuan in compensation — 10% of what they had asked for.
"The cost of plagiarism is still quite low," Guo says, adding that, while China's copyright law has expanded to match international standards, the penalties are much less severe. When plaintiffs win, the payouts are often only a couple hundred yuan — not even enough to cover the attorney fee.
Song Mengjun's colleague raps into a mic for a new song in Beijing, May 2019. Tang Xiaolan/Sixth Tone
Wang Shu, a composition lecturer at Shanghai Conservatory of Music, says that there's nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from existing works but that artists must acknowledge their sources and aim for originality. Wang says that Song's music is like fast food, which might hit the spot for contemporary audiences, but is likely to change as musical appreciation grows alongside with living standards in China.
"Art should guide people instead of just catering to the market's appetite," Wang says.
Song believes he can do both. He's been investing 30% of his company's profits into training promising singers who he believes have star potential beyond the god song formula. But he also takes pride in his ability to wrangle the holy trinity of music, math, and marketing.
"Nowadays, making music is just like trading stocks, looking at the data all day," he says.
Editors: Qian Jinghua and Hannah Lund.
(Header image: Screenshots of "god songs" on the app Douyin. Re-edited by Fu Xiaofan/Sixth Tone)


Home » Australasia » Why we loved New Zealand.
We loved New Zealand. Absolutely and totally loved it. It was the most consistently beautiful country I have ever been to, the people were incredibly friendly, the Kiwi dollar is worth next to nothing so it was much less expensive than expected, there are 10x more sheep than people, there is free wi-fi (and wedding magazines!) in almost every public library, the sub-of-the-day only costs NZ3.90, and their wine regions are compact enough to bicycle around, among many other wonderful things.
Though we spent a few days in Christchurch our NZ trip felt like it really started when we picked up Mr. Bean, our campervan. If you haven't ever heard of Wicked Campervans they are basically an old van with the back seats ripped out and replaced with a convertible bed/table and a small kitchen. They are also highly obnoxious – they are spray painted with sketchy quotations and brutal drawings. The worst one ever was spotted by Jon in Melbourne "You say tomato, I say f*** you" with HUGE F*** YOUs along the side of the van. (Not with "*'s" either!) Needless to say we were a little worried about our van but lucked out with Mr. Bean. Other than the left hand side of the van having a huge spray painted Mr. Bean flipping the bird to innocent bystanders, it was actually pretty tame. But can any one tell me what "Ringo… Is the Fonz" means? That was our quotation. I still can't figure it out.
After we picked up the van we set off on our three week camping tour! We weren't quite sure of much about being in a campervan – least of all where we could do free camping since we weren't prepared to pay $25 a night for a campsite, but we were soon to be schooled in the art of finding places to sleep for free. At about 9pm our first evening we drove up to beautiful Lake Tekapo where we saw several campers on the side of the lake. So, we pulled over and determined that no one was really supposed to be there… but we decided that there was safety in numbers and joined the group! This lake was an amazing place to start our epic road trip. This is also the start of the list of strange, dare I say 'exotic', places we slept, including: Department of Conservation (DOC) parking outside of multi-day hikes, parking garages, lake-sides, several parking lots outside of tourist attractions, and one actual campsite. Surprisingly, no one ever bothered us about our free camping and more often than not the other free campers were kiwis!
New Zealand's South Island is chock full of some of the best scenery ever, and it just keeps going! Basically for 10 days we drove through mind-boggling beauty. If it wasn't breathtaking, chances are it would only last for a few minutes before you would turn the corner to discover another amazing sight. Some of the highlights of the South Island included the famous Milford Sound as well as Wanaka & surrounding area. It was following the spectacular Rob Roy Hike near Wanaka that we picked up the best hitchikers ever! Best because they were non-threating (a girl about our age and her mom) and also because Sally, the daughter, invited us to come stay with her and her boyfriend Rob when we arrived in Auckland about 2.5 weeks later!
The South Island is also the home of the Marlborough Region – this region doesn't cater to smokers as it's name would suggest but to another common vice. NZ Marlborough white wines are becoming famous around the world. The region is extra good because it is quite small and we were able to rent bikes to tour the wineries for the day. I must say wine tours by bike are by far the best type of wine tours! Cycling up to (yet another) beautiful cellar door, doing a tasting and then hopping back on your bike and repeating is a great way to see the area. We managed to stop at 10 wineries and a spirits distillery during our time in Blenheim!
Next up we crossed over to the North Island. Though not as spectacular as the South Island there are certainly many beautiful things worth visiting. This is also the volcanic part of NZ meaning geysers, steamy lakes, bubbling mud pools and hot springs! The capital city of Wellington, just across the straight from the South Island, is a very appealing city and it's award winning Te Papa museum includes a colossal squid – well worth a visit.
The natural highlight of the North Island was certainly Tongariro National Park. This is the location of the most famous day hike in NZ, the Tongariro Crossing. Since we weren't interested in paying $30 each for a transfer to and from the start and end points of the day hike, we chose instead to do an out and back hike up Mt. Ngauruhoe, a conical volcano. This was probably the hardest hike I have ever done but the views from the top made it totally worthwhile. Basically once you start up the volcano it is a straight up scramble to the top. The whole side of the volcano is simply loose gravel and sand and therefore in every step you take you lose about a half step worth of ground. Despite the difficulty in getting up the volcano the sense of accomplishment at the top is incredible, the views are simply amazing, and going down is SO easy! Jon basically ran down the whole mountain!
The next day Jon decided it was time to jump out of an airplane [editor's note: Jon had had enough of Al at this point]. Taupo is probably the world capital for skydiving and accordingly the price is right and they let you jump from 15,000 ft! He loved it, and I didn't really like watching, but was very glad when he made it back alive. After this we did a much tamer activity… Segway riding! Then, we ticked the boxes on sights to see in the North Island including Rotorua and the Bay of Islands (where we finally hired a jetski for a 1/2 hour) and spent our last three days in Auckland.
As you may recall from earlier in this post – our hitchiker Sally had invited us to stay with her when we came to Auckland. We took her up on this offer and had a wonderful time with Sally and her boyfriend Rob in Auckland. They are English but have been living in NZ for about three years. They were wonderful hosts and we got on really well! It was a really nice way to spend the last three days before setting off to "travel" again. If you are reading this – thanks guys!
All in all, NZ was a wonderful country to visit. It is right up there on my list of best places we have been and I would recommend it for anyone looking for somewhere amazing to spend a holiday! And, with the NZ dollar being really low once you get there it is a pretty affordable vacation!
I have so so much advice to give (we actually just gave a three week itinerary to some people we met a few days ago). Send me a facebook message before you go and I'll tell you how to get to the highlights! Mr. Bean was special that is for sure. Is your brother still there?
I love that it is you guys doing this trip which means outstanding organization which I can later mooch off of and take the benefit of without having to actually do myself. I will definitely be in touch before I make any definitive plans. And yup, my brother is still in Christchurch.


We make these full hoops known as the rosie band which are full hoop diamond bands encrusted with small diamonds we only make them with high quailty stones & they are made in 4 different styles. We make them in white gold, platinum, rose gold & yellow gold. Prices depend on finger size & metal they start from $695 -$1450. These usually have to be bespoke made to order but we do keep stock samples to show you in the shop. These make great wedding bands or are perfect to use as a stacker ring.


This author Linh Pham has created 19 entries.
Regina is a hearty city in Saskatchewan, home to the Wascana Centre Park, Royal Saskatchewan Museum, RCMP Heritage Centre, Legislative Building, and the Casino Regina. There are many criminal lawyers to choose from in Regina, but make sure you choose the best choice – consider experience, reputation, and success.


Gibbs finally realizes what a home really is.
"Hey, Duck. I'm ho-" Jethro came to an abrupt halt as he stood in the doorway of his house and stared. He was tempted to go back outside and make sure he was in the right house.
"Ah, Jethro. Welcome home," Ducky called, hurrying out into the hall. He stopped in front of Jethro. "Jethro?" His tone was less exuberant. "Is something wrong, my dear?"
Jethro shook himself and looked down at a somewhat ill at ease looking Ducky. He gathered Ducky into his embrace. "Course not, Duck. I was just -" He broke off. "Nothing. It's . . . You've been busy."
Ducky leaned into the embrace, his head rested against Jethro's shoulder. "Yes, I'm afraid the days went even more slowly than I'd anticipated. I do hope you're not . . ." He moved back, and gazed up at Jethro; he still looked somewhat ill at ease.
Ducky glanced away. "Well, it is your home. I know I am now . . . But it is still essentially your home. I should have -"
Jethro shook his head. "No, Duck," he said, his tone low. "It was my house. Now it's our home."
"Hasn't been a home since - Ah, you know, Duck." And it hadn't been. Suddenly standing there in the hall Ducky had given a new lease of life to, Jethro realized he hadn't had a home for far too long. He'd just had a house. Now he had a home.
Now he and Ducky had a home. He gathered Ducky closer and kissed him.
"So," he said, finally releasing Ducky. "You made any more changes I should know about?"
Ducky's eyes twinkled; all the ill at ease signs had fled. "One or two."
Ducky smiled. "Why do you not come with me and find out?" He held out his hand.


This upcoming Wednesday marks the most important annual event in Canadian politics; the introduction of the budget. At the moment the Canadian economy is faring well: it is expected to grow 2.4% in 2017, the jobless rate has returned to pre-recession lows, and the price of oil has risen to $50/barrel, $10 away from the threshold needed for Alberta to produce oil profitably.
The budget is expected to be relatively modest, a precursor to what is anticipated to be a more substantive fall economic update. The highlights in next week's budget are likely to be significant infrastructure investment, a new innovation initiative, and a tax credit review. The innovation program comes as Canadians are seeing wages rise slowly however, with uncertainty south of the border, the tax credit review is unlikely to result in major changes to the current regimes. Finally, the government may choose to address skyrocketing real estate prices in the country's largest cities which is attracting considerable foreign investment.
The official opposition has stated that the Conservatives would like to see no new tax increases, no policies that will increase costs to seniors, and a plan to balance the budget in the future. As for the NDP, Canada's third party would like to see the closure of tax loopholes benefiting the rich, and actions taken to improve the status of first nations communities. This mirrors the topic of the first debate in the party's leadership race, a considerable portion of which was devoted to inequality in the Canadian economy. Conservative leadership hopefuls have advocated for lower income tax rates, and frontrunner Maxime Bernier would like to further cut corporate welfare. Michael Chong on the other hand has proposed a carbon tax to make up the difference in cuts to income tax.
The general consensus, however, is that the whatever the fiscal choices the government makes, it is a budget that will be designed to bide time before making radical change. The Trudeau administration likely preferring instead to wait and see what happens south of the border. While the Canadian economy is likely to benefit from a bolstered US economy, it is unclear what a 'Trumped Up' NAFTA will look like. Canada is the chief destination of exports for 35 of 50 states and it would be foolish on the part of the United States to underestimate the importance of the relationship it enjoys with Canada. That being said Canada should be prepared to stand up to the administration if its demands are too extreme. While NAFTA has made a positive impact on the lives of Canadians (and Americans), no agreement is better than an unfavourable agreement.
Importantly, the demise of NAFTA does not mean an end to US-Canadian trade. Even with the American withdrawal from the TPP, Canada has broadened its traditional free trade horizons participating in new trade agreements. Canada's signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union (CETA), highlights that Canada need not abandon free trade should the US adopt more protectionist policies.
The budget comes as Trudeau is enjoying increased popularity, and the economy is showing promising, albeit preliminary, signs of recovery. As a result the government will likely introduce a prudent budget, hoping not to upset these positive signs as they bide their time to see what these tumultuous times may bring.
 [footnote]David Cochrane and Karina Roman, "Bill Morneau planning cautious budget for March 22 as he waits on Trump," CBC News, March 7, 2017, accessed March 14, 2017.
 The Globe and Mail, "With 2017 federal budget date set, Liberals keep one eye on Trump," The Globe and Mail, March 8, 2017, accessed March 14, 2017.
 Theophilos Argitis, "How Prime Minister Trudeau fares in a pre-budget scorecard: Canada economy watch," Financial Post, March 13, 2017, accessed March 14, 2017.
 Erica Alini, "How the 2017 federal budget could affect your wallet," Global News, March 10, 2017, accessed March 14, 2017.
 David Cochrane and Karina Roman, "Bill Morneau planning cautious budget for March 22 as he waits on Trump," CBC News, March 7, 2017, accessed March 14, 2017.
 Elizabeth Thompson, "Jobs, pipelines dominate NDP debate as 4 leadership contenders square off for 1st time," CBC News, March 12, 2017, accessed March 14, 2017.
 Andrew Coyne, "Tory leadership race reviving interest in cutting income taxes — and it's about time," National Post, March 6, 2017, accessed March 14, 2017.
 Andrew Coyne, "If Donald Trump gives up on free trade, Canada doesn't have to follow," National Post, March 10, 2017, accessed March 14, 2017.
 The Canadian Press, "Canada-EU trade deal at a glance," The Toronto Star, February 15, 2017, accessed March 15, 2017.
 Nanos, "Nanos Weekly Tracking," Nanos Research, March 14, 2017, accessed March 15, 2017.
 David Paddon, "Canadian economy to grow by 2.4% in 2017 to match U.S., OECD predicts," The Toronto Star, March 7, 2017, , accessed March 16, 2017.


text:
Q: Python Class property not taking arguments properly This Class should accept an argument to the Keys property, but when I try MyUserInstance.Keys('foo'), it doesn't work.  Instead it says TypeError: Keys() takes exactly 2 arguments (1 given).  How is it wrong?
# User
class User:
    def __init__(self,
            Username = 'New User',
            **kwargs):
        self.Username = Username
        self.__dict__.update(kwargs)

    @property
    def Keys(self,collection):
        try:
            return {k:1 for k in db.UserPreferences.find_one({
                'Type':'VisibleKeys',
                'UserID':self._id,
                'CollectionName':collection})['Keys']}
        except:
            return None

    def __repr__(self):
        return '<User: "%s">' % self.Username

A: Keys is a bound property of an instance of your class. That means you must first have an instance.
user = User()
user.Keys = "foo"

Also get rid of the collection arg. Thats a getter. You can only define the arg on setters.
It looks like it really should be just a method. So actually, get rid of the property decorator and use:  user.keys("foo")
You can read about how to define getter, setter, and deleter here: http://docs.python.org/library/functions.html#property
Also python convention would normally reserve the uppercase for class names. It would be User.keys


Edinburgh Public Library, has two pencil and wash drawings of the Head of the West Bow, by the photographer Neil Stewart.
William F Stewart was a professional photographer in 1896.
He was a member of EPS in 1880 or earlier, and exhibited 5 photographs at the 1890 EPS Exhibition.