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Deaficitness
August 30, 2012 adefinty2 Uncategorized
I attended a conference last week. Some expert was talking about deafness. He was a good expert too. He has been around for many, many years and has knowledge of deafness that is right up there with the best in the world. I left the conference strangely subdued and headed to the pub. As I drank my beer I analysed what I was feeling. I realised that I was feeling a little uncomfortable because I had just spent the day listening about how deaf people were "deficits". You see deaf people have deficits and lots of them.
They have a deficit of hearing. They have a deficit of self esteem. They have a deficit in employment outcomes. Their mental health is deficit; in fact it is twice as bad as the general populace. Deaf people have a deficit of money because they have poorer employment outcomes. Consequently people who are deaf are more likely to be in poverty. The stress of life and poverty makes people who are deaf become ill more often. And so it went on. The learned speaker reeled off one deficit after another. It was depressing.
I guess to fix something you have to know what is wrong. If you are sick you cannot begin to be treated until you identify what's wrong so that a plan of cure can be implemented. Likewise if you have no money, you have to know this and get to the root problem of why you have no money. Only then can you begin to fix the problem. The car breaks down you have to find out what's wrong so you can get the right part and replace it. Knowing the deficit is important. The problem in deafness is that we seem to focus almost solely on the deficits and not on the successes and solutions.
Deficit mentality in our Society is rife. It is particularly well documented in education. Gorski from the George Mason University describes Deficit Mentality as, "approaching students based upon our perceptions of their weaknesses rather than their strengths." Gorski believes that the , "most devastating brand of this sort of deficit thinking emerges when we mistake difference—particularly difference from ourselves— for deficit." And so it often is with deafness or any marginalised group. (Source: http://www.edchange.org/publications/deficit-ideology-scornful-gaze.pdf )
Now Gorski's view of deficit mentality is one where society highlights the deficits of others to create compliance. The compliance assumes that there is a set way of behaving and to differ from that "accepted" behaviour is deficit. Deficit mentality focuses on stereotypes. For example the Government asserts that people with a disability have a right to work. But the Government also asserts that there are people with a disability who are a "cost" to society because they draw pensions which is a large part of their policy direction to get people with a disability into work.
Now of course the circumstances for each individual person with a disability being out of work are varied. But rather than look at these varied issues the interpretation that people make of people with a disability drawing on a pension and not working is that they're a burden to society, or worse – lazy. The focus is on fixing the deficit rather than viewing people with a disability as an employment asset. Rarely do we see our policy makers viewing people with a disability with an "asset" mentality.
Now the learned speaker at the conference had no intention of perpetuating a deficit mentality about deafness. He wanted only to highlight that the way society was structured meant that there were several negative consequences for people who are deaf. He highlighted several issues such as poor mental health, poor self esteem and higher incidences of poor health. He pointed out that this was for a number of reasons but the underlying message that came across was that the lot of a person who is deaf is overwhelmingly a negative one. And that is the message that people take away that not only do deaf people have a deficit of hearing but they also have other deficits that include mental health and general health issues.
Now this is ok to a point. It is ok to highlight issues. It is ok to point out that without the right support people who are deaf face many battles. The problem is that this is almost all that we talk about. Audiologist and the medical fraternity talk about "lack of" hearing and focus on "fixing" with technology such as cochlear implants or hearing aids. Deafness is deficit and it is only by becoming hearing like the majority that a person who is deaf can become equal. Very little information comes forward about people who are deaf as assets or even that deafness itself can be an asset. People who are deaf are poor and lacking. No wonder I was feeling depressed.
Some how we need a focus on how people who are deaf can be assets and highlight their assets. In community development asset based approaches are common. Asset Based approaches focus on;
Appreciating and mobilising individual and community talents, skills and assets (rather than focusing on problems and needs)
Community-driven development rather than development driven by external agencies
Perhaps it is time to develop further these "Assets Based" approaches to the field of human services. (Source: http://www.synergos.org/knowledge/02/abcdoverview.htm )
In fact this has already happened. Dr Laura B Nissen from the Portland State University has written extensively on the topic of Strength Based approaches for working with troubled youth, particularly in the area of substance abuse. Nissen describes the Strength Based approach as a way of focusing on individuals, families and communities, "In light of their capacities, talents, competencies, possibilities, visions, values and hopes, however dashed and distorted through circumstance, oppression and trauma."
Nissen explains further that the Strength Based approach is a way, "…to regard each youth, his/her family and community not only as person in need of support, guidance and opportunity, but also in possession of previously unrealized resources which must be identified and mobilized to successfully resolve presenting problems and circumstances." Nissen describes how support for troubled youth tends to focus on, "….risk and probability of re-offending, the latter on disease models and relapse." She explains that support to troubled youth does not, "… tend to include norms of regularly seeking out, amplifying and maximizing client, family or community positive qualities in the course of service provision." (Source: http://www.cimh.org/contentFiles/Strengths%20based%20Approaches%20L.%20Nissen1.pdf )
Nissen could be describing how we focus services and support to people who are deaf. She could be describing how we focus on what is wrong, how sad things are and what we must do to "FIX" these poor deaf people. Usually the focus is on finding ways to make people who are deaf fit with the norms. Very rarely do we focus on the positives and the attributes of people who are deaf.
Let's try and turn this around and replace parts of Nissen's quotes with "deaf". For example by focusing on Strength Based approaches in the deafness area we, "…regard each individual who is deaf, his/her family and community not only as a person in need of support, guidance and opportunity, but also in possession of previously unrealized resources which must be identified and mobilized to successfully resolve presenting problems and circumstances." In supporting people who are deaf we should, " … tend to include norms of regularly seeking out, amplifying and maximizing individuals who are deaf, family or community positive qualities in the course of service provision." As John Lennon sang, " Imagine, its easy if you try."
Now our deafness sector overwhelmingly focuses on the negative. In fund-raising campaigns we have TV advertisements of a young deaf person holding his face and screaming because he his frustrated at being isolated in a classroom. A few years ago there was the horrendous Cora Barclay Centre television advertisement. In this advertisement the Cora Barclay Centre filmed a young boy signing laboriously. His message was that in years gone by this was how he would have communicated and then in an almost sing song voice he exclaims, "But now their is a better way.." Implying that sign language was a lesser means of communicating and that the only way to be part of society is to SPEAK. The Hear and Say Centre, to entice people to donate, has the sickening, "Without your help Zoe's Mum might never hear her say I Love You" As if only by SPEAKING can one express love. These examples are deficit mentality at it's worst.
Some how in the deafness sector we need to change this around. We need to be discussing deafness and its strengths. Rather than focusing on the sad and the missing we need to focus on achievements and how these achievements came about. For a start, and I have said this often, people who are deaf are a thriving economy. How many people owe their jobs, cars, food on their table and houses to people who are deaf? Teachers of the deaf, audiologist, the massively rich company Cochlear, interpreters, captioners and so on. People who are deaf are no burden. In fact I would say that if any one needs to be grateful it is the people that benefit from the existence of people who are deaf.
How often do we focus our awareness and educational campaigns on successful deaf people and how they got there? Do we speak of the people who are deaf who have completed PHDs? Do we speak of the deaf lawyers, the chefs, the deaf Olympians, the teachers or the social workers? – Hell we even have people who are deaf who are audiologist. Do we speak of what they are contributing to our society? Do we highlight the life skills that they have developed to live their life's deaf that go above and beyond the ability to hear? Do we highlight how their families nurtured them? Do we pass on this knowledge to other people who are deaf and their families so that they can develop similar skills allowing them to thrive within our society?
Unfortunately the answer is – very rarely. Our fund-raisers use emotional blackmail and aim for the heartstrings. Would fund-raising not be more effective to highlight what is possible with the right support? Our academics roll off statistics about all that is wrong with people who are deaf and what a tragedy that it all is. As far as I know, in Australia, there is only one academic who focuses on strengths and what deaf people can do to become SUCCESSFUL and functioning. That person is, of course, deaf and can't even get a job in the deaf sector. In fact the sector won't even utilise that person's knowledge and skills in educating the public. The person is an asset going to waste.
Jonathan Kozol is a human rights activist and author. He has written often of inequality in America, particularly among the African American population. Kozol also believes we focus too much on human deficits. Said Kozol of African American children living in poverty, "Instead of seeing these children for the blessings that they are, we are measuring them only by the standard of whether they will be future deficits or assets for our nation's competitive needs."
And so it is with people who are deaf. By focusing almost solely on what is wrong, instead of what is right our Deafness sector perpetuates this mentality. It needs to change because as American actress and academic, Danica McKellar, states, "There are stereotypes that have been out there for a long time that tell girls that their main asset, the main thing that they are valued for, is their appearance and also that it's to the exclusion of anything else. " And this is what we do with deaf people we promote incessantly the stereotypes of deficit to the point where it becomes normalcy. It is anything but the case and the power to change this is with us.
Austar is a Dud
Finally I bit the bullet. I gave Austar the boot. I had been dealing with Austar for almost a year to try and get them to improve their captioning output and quality with no great success. Austar is the company that provides Pay TV to rural areas. It basically provides Foxtel feed to rural Australia. With over 200 channels it has a variety of stuff to watch. Unfortunately very little of it is accessible with captions. So I called them and told them I wanted to switch it off. Put simply it was not value for money. It was no easy thing to do. With Pay TV being the only way that I can watch my beloved West Ham, now back in the English Premier League, I made the call with great trepidation. But it is done and as from September the 3rd Austar will be history in our household.
Funnily enough it actually took longer to switch Austar off than it did to connect it. I called, got hold of an operator and said please switch it off. The operator then spent the next hour trying to convince me to stay on. " But Mr Kerridge, is their anything that we can do to improve our service that will convince you to stay on?" I then spent the next ten minutes explaining to them that the reason I was switching off was because of the lack of captions. I explained that even when captions were provided that they were often poor quality. Captions were missing and that sometimes captions actually ghosted. Ghosting is when captions actually duplicate, where you get two lots of the same captions making it impossible to read.
"We can send out a technician to look at the problem for you Mr Kerridge." At this I suggested that they check my file on the computer and have a look at all the communication that I had with them. I explained that they would see that there were a number of steps already tried that involved swapping set top boxes, moving the satellite dish, visits from technicians and so on. None of this, I explained to them, had made any difference.
"Yes I can see that this has happened. But Mr Kerridge what about if I reduce how much you pay by $20 a month to make up for the lack of access." I explained that this was not going to be sufficient. I explained that unless they fixed up the captioning, not only the amount of captioning but also the quality of captioning so that drop outs and ghosting did not occur, then$20 a month was not going to change anything. It simply wasn't value for money. I suggested that if they would allow me to pay for Fox Sports only so that I could continue to watch West Ham play I might consider that. "I am sorry we cannot do that Mr Kerridge" It was worth a shot, you don't ask don't get!
"Mr Kerridge, May I call you Gary?" I said that was fine. "Gary, what if we change your package to suit you so that you are watching movies, would that entice you to stay?" I explained again that unless there were increases in captioning and the quality of that captioning that there would not be much point in doing this. The issue, I pointed out, was about more and better access.
"But Gary, I see you like the Lifestyle Channel and we could offer you the full package at no extra cost?" Of course at this stage I began to wonder whether it was I or the operator who was deaf because nothing seemed to sink in. I explained patiently that they had already offered me this for free but I found out that they actually, after a month, had started charging me for it as they had for the full sports package which they had also offered free. I explained that unless there was more captioning and better quality captioning then the answer was still no.
"Ok Gary, I see it is very frustrating. But do you like documentaries, what if we provide full coverage of all documentary channels at no extra cost." I explained that there was not much point because nearly all the documentaries were not captioned . "Let me just check that for you Gary." So I waited while the operator checked. Strangely there was no reply; instead she tried a different strategy.
"But Gary you do realise that Austar have committed to increasing captions?" I pointed out that I was indeed aware. I pointed out the exact figures they had agreed to increase captioning by in the agreed period. I pointed out that they had agreed to increase from 35% of content to 55% of content. I pointed out that sport was to increase from 5% to 15%. I pointed out that this had been endorsed by our friends at Media Access Australia with absolutely no input from consumers. I pointed out that increases were pointless without increases in quality to match. And finally I pointed out that combined it meant that I could access less than 50% of all content on Pay TV so perhaps a fair price for me to pay was 50% of the actual subscription and that I be reimbursed my subscription each month that I document where the captions screw up. (Yes I was a bit fed up by this time.)
"Oh Gary that is disappointing that nothing I can offer can convince you to stay with us we will proceed with your disconnection." I said that I would stay if I could pay for Fox Sports only. It was my last effort to be able to continue to watch my beloved Hammers. "I am sorry Mr Kerridge I am not authorised to do this." Now that I was officially unsubscribed I was no longer Gary, I was back to Mr Kerridge. Interestingly enough, even though I am deaf and it's on file and although I have corresponded with them monthly for the last year or so and that they know to communicate with me either by email or SMS options, that after this phone call they still rang my voice line of my mobile four times. I rang back through the National Relay Service to see what they wanted. I was secretly hoping they were going to offer me Fox Sports. Sadly no, they wanted to know if I had changed my mind. The answer was still no.
I can't make sense as to why Pay TV is being treated with such kid gloves in regard to provision of captioning. Indeed last year they made record profits of $598 million, an increase of 8.5%. This makes them the most profitable form of television in Australia. (Source: www.crikey.com.au/2012/08/09/foxtel-australias-new-media-titan-rakes-in-950m/ )
In the same period Channel 10 profits fell 90.5%. In November 2011 Channel 9 was in such financial trouble that they had to meet with bankers to discuss debts of $2.7 billion. Channel 7 profits, which include newspaper earnings, were relatively healthy with profits recorded of $115.1 million. Clearly Foxtel is out performing Free to Air TV but it has, for some strange reason, been allowed to get away with providing only 55% access to its programs through captioning. At the same time struggling free to air channels are expected to provide nearly 100% access to captioning. Something is very wrong here. And our friends at Media Access Australia endorse this, perhaps they would like to explain because I have no way of understanding the logic. (Sources: www.sevenwestmedia.com.au/docs/financial-results/2011-preliminary-final-results.pdf – www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2011/s3370129.htm – www.theaustralian.com.au/media/ten-reports-20-per-cent-earnings-slump/story-e6frg996-12261 )
As a snap shot of what Pay TV offers you I asked my 13 year old son Finlay, via Facebook, to do some research for me. Finlay checked three of the choices on Austar and provided me with information on captioning access between 5 and 6 pm on Tuesday 21st August. He looked at Documentaries and News which provided 34 different programs in that time slot and just 9 of them had captions. My maths tells me that's a whopping 26.4% access. On Kids shows there were 10 programs showing and 8 of these provided captions at 80% access. On Lifestyle Channel there were 45 programs and 18 of those were captioned and this provided the deaf viewer with a fabulous 40% access to what was on offer. Deaf readers must all be salivating at the amount of access available because for the three options, in total, 39.3% of the programs that were offered had captions. And for this the deaf viewer is expected to pay full subscription. What a great deal hey?
So from 3rd of September Austar is no more in our household. Somehow I will watch West Ham through seeking media streams through the Internet. I and my three lads will connect the Mac to the TV through HDMI and see if we can watch it through HDMI. The three lads are devastated. It gave them another excuse to do nothing but sit on there arses and this has been taken away. The missus is jumping for glee. She is not a TV lover, she is hoping we will all clean house more as a substitute.
Joking aside the amount of access that is being provided by Pay TV in Australia is a scandal. They are the most profitable form of TV yet are being allowed to get away with murder. They will lay blame solely on the channels that they beam into our homes. They will say it is the channels responsibility to provide the access and their hands are tied. Bottom line is that Foxtel provide and promote the package, it is their responsibility to ensure that what they provide as a service is accessible through the provision of captioning. Access to captioning must increase in both quantity and quality. Neither is being provided to the deaf viewer at present time. So my advice is to the deaf viewer – switch off and take your dollar elsewhere. To Foxtel my advice is – Lift your game, its not good enough. To Media Access Australia who provided advice to the decision makers and who endorsed the agreement where Foxtel could provide only a paltry 55% access I ask – What the hell were you thinking?!
Why I am Not a Patriot
In my house we have a wall of history. The wall has posters and photos of prominent human rights activist in history. We have Nelson Mandela – "There's no easy walk to freedom anywhere" and John Lennon with the words of the song 'Imagine' among others. My favourite is a smaller photo and one that I flogged from the Internet and had professionally framed. The photo is of August Landmesser. His is not a name that is well known but he was German shipbuilder. In the photo he is at the launch of a Nazi war ship. He is in a sea of men all giving the Nazi salute. Landmesser in this photo has his arms folded defiantly and the look on his face clearly says "F*&k you." Landmesser was angry, and not without reason. He had fathered two children to a Jewish woman and was being persecuted as a result. He and is Jewish wife were later jailed and his two children placed in an orphanage. It is people like Landmesser that remind me that patriotism is bunk!
"He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder." The above quote came from none other than Albert Einstein. Einstein hated nationalism. He saw nationalism as just blind faith where men just follow others like sheep without any autonomous thought.
There are those that will argue that nationalism and patriotism are different. The late Sydney J Harris, a respected American journalist, described the difference between patriotism and nationalism as thus, "The difference between patriotism and nationalism is that the patriot is proud of his country for what it does, and the nationalist is proud of his country no matter what it does; the first attitude creates a feeling of responsibility, but the second a feeling of blind arrogance that leads to war." But for Einstein there was no difference, "Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism — how passionately I hate them!" Einstein's sentiments are clear. I agree with him whole-heartedly.
Of course there are those that will mock Einstein. They will remind us that he, among others, developed the early science that led to the development of the Atom Bomb. Consequently the Atom Bomb was used to kill and maim millions of Japanese and bring an end to World War II. Einstein was said to have felt great remorse about this as he had written to the President Roosevelt recommending that the Bomb be built. It is said that five months before Einstein died he said, "I made one great mistake in my life… when I signed the letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made; but there was some justification – the danger that the Germans would make them." It is worth noting that Einstein was born in Germany and renounced his German citizenship in 1933. He did this in disgust at developments that were happening in his home country. He was not just a great mind but a great humanitarian who stood by his principles. (Source: – http://www.optimalmodification.com/whatdidalberteinsteininvent.html )
Let's be clear, I was once one of those senseless patriots. I was born near the East End of London. In 1966, at the age of 2, my parents migrated to Australia for a better life. We were among a great influx of migrants and upon arriving in Australia resided at the migrants hostel in Wollongong. My father managed to obtain employment as a welder for Holden in Adelaide and the family moved there. We lived in the Northern suburbs of Adelaide which was, at that time, a kind of little Britain. I swear that at school the only Australian that I knew was an Aboriginal girl who had white parents, no doubt one of the stolen generation. My neighbours to the left five houses down to Goodall Road were all British. To the right a further, six houses down, they were all British except for one where Italians resided and who had the mandatory vegetable patch and glasshouses in the backyard.
My fondest memories are the FA Cup nights. In 1971 the FA Cup final was beamed live to Australia. Leeds beat Arsenal with a goal from Alan Clarke. In 1971 we went to the Holmes house to watch it. The Holmes were from Yorkshire, mad Leeds supporters and great family friends. There we had pie with mushy peas flavoured with mint. We had golden syrup dumplings for desert. You can't get much more British than that.
Over the years I became a mad England supporter. My friends were also mad England supporters. When the England cricket team came to Australia to compete for the Ashes we all cheered them on. As a teenager I wore a Harrington jacket and a T-shirt with the Union Jack emblazoned on it. I was English and proud of it and I let the world know. This is not the case anymore.
Lets be clear. I still follow the English cricket team, I still watch the FA Cup, I am still English to my bootstraps, hell I was born there. But I follow England now not from a sense of pride, but more simply because once you pick a sporting team you stick with them. To be honest I follow what ever team Australia is competing against be it Pakistan to Wojohnistan. It is kind of fun being in the minority. I follow the English sporting teams in the same way as people who follow their football team – through thick and thin. I follow West Ham United in the English football. Let me tell you following West Ham is heart breaking, they rarely win anything. But lets be honest, what is there to be proud about for having been born in England? Nothing really, it was just the card that fate dealt me. But there is a hell of a lot about England to make me feel ashamed.
England, like most of Europe has a history of greed. Systematically, for hundreds of years, England sought to plunder the world for as much of its wealth as possible. From America to Africa to India to Ireland and to Australia (to name a few) England set on a path to systematically plunder the world. It certainly is nothing to be proud of. They did so under the guise of, 'best intentions' but as the historical website Crawfurd.dk notes, " Some of the worst things imaginable happened with the best of intentions .." For the English these 'best intentions' were in the guise of civilising the natives and introducing (forcing) them to accept Christian values. The truth is really that they wanted to get rich and quick and woe betide any natives that stood in their way. Of course England are not alone in this. Other European countries like the French, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese had the same aim with equally tragic consequences.
England did so under the guise of patriotism and imagined superiority. Waving the English flag and pretending that what they were doing was for 'the good' of everyone while stealing resources that they had no right to own, England caused great harm. Particularly to the 'natives'. Put simply England stole countries and killed the original inhabitants either through violence or by introducing disease. The Australian Aborigines, the American Indians and the black populations of Africa all suffered or died in England's quest for a 'better world.' It is not something for which anyone can be proud.
In the last four hundred years there have been many, many incidents of genocides that have been attributed to the English. For example as the result of the Cromwelian wars in Ireland 200,000 women and children starved and 12,000 were sold into slavery. In the colonisation of America many millions of American Indians were slaughtered or sold into slavery. In the second Boer war in Africa 30 000 Boer women and children died in concentration camps. Closer to home 15 000 Tasmanian Aboriginals were killed or died of diseases introduced by the English, wiping out the entire race of Tasmanian Aboriginals. To this day Australian Aboriginals are a displaced and dispirited people largely as the result of the English. White Australians, mostly of English descent, continued this destruction and oppression through the White Australia Policy and the stolen generation. In all it has been estimated that over the last 400 years England has been responsible for the deaths, displacement, torture or raping of over 50 million people. Proud of my country? Not at all but I do feel a sense of real shame. (Source – http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1098555/pg1 )
I write this as a sense of patriotism is sweeping the world as the result of the Olympics. In a good natured kind of way countries point out that they are superior simply on the weight of medals that they have one. If they did not win more than another country the patriots will argue that "per head" they won more medals than anyone. In an effort to demonstrate superiority rich countries pump billions into sport to come out on top at the Olympics even though this money could be better spent on the homeless or the disabled. Others use drugs and questionable training methods, bordering on cruel. And all because they want their country to be seen as THE BEST.
I don't feel a sense of patriotism about the success of England in the Olympics. I am just in awe of the performance of individuals. I am in awe of the speed of Bolt. I am in awe of how the body can contort and jump as it does in the gymnastics. I am in awe that a marathon runner can keep a pace of almost 20kph for 2hours. I am in awe of Oscar competing with the able bods with his prosthetic legs. These are the achievements of human beings. The country they came from is not important.
Most of England's coaches were Australian apparently. Australians, by and large if they are not the original and real owners of the country, descended from British stock. The athletes that won so many medals for England were primarily black and they descended from Africa mostly. The Australian cricket team has a South African coach and the English cricket team a Zimbabwean one. The English cricket team also has a smattering of South African batsman. No one really cares about their country or origin just as long as they can take part and hopefully win. For many it is just about how much money is on offer.
What I like to be proud of is the talent and ability of PEOPLE. Who cares where they come from, we should be proud of what they have achieved. They and us should be proud that they have talent and that they have developed it to the maximum through sheer hard work. We should be proud of people like Mandella, Mother Theresa, Fred Hollows and the millions of people that seek to make a better life for those that fall on hard times. It is all about the people whatever country they are from. And for this reason I say it again – Patriotism is bunk.
The Changing Face of the Deaf Community!
In 1978 I gave up. I had struggled with my hearing loss in a mainstream school for four years. Academically my results were rock bottom. Psychologically I was a mess. My self esteem was shot. It all came to head when I was caught wagging school. I had not been to school for two weeks. What I would do is catch the bus to school and head off to the shopping centre. There I would remain until home-time. I would not be able to this today. Kids only have to have a day off and the schools are on the phone to find out where they are.
I came home one day after touring the shopping centre to be confronted by my mother. "How was school?" she asked. I lied and said it was fine. "Is that right?", queried my mother, "Then why did the school call me at work to tell me they had not seen you at school for two weeks?" The cat was out of the bag.
I basically broke down and confessed that I was not coping. I told my parents I needed to go to a deaf school. At that time I thought deaf schools were like an institution. Recently I had seen the movie on Helen Keller, The Miracle Worker, I had visions of rat infested old buildings and cruel superintendents. I imagined I would be like Oliver in Oliver Twist, begging for more food.
This was the catalyst for me to become enrolled at school that supported the "Hearing Impaired". This was a mainstream school with a unit within it that provided support for students with a hearing loss. Believe it or not, after four years with a hearing loss, attending this school was the first time I had ever met another person, young or otherwise, who had a hearing loss.
I was immediately fascinated. Deaf kids at the school actually signed. Initially I would sit on the steps and watch them. Gradually I introduced myself and began to learn finger spelling. Some were more oral and I naturally tended to mix with them because I could communicate with them. But as my signing became, "better", I began to talk to some of the, "others".
It must have been painful for them. I probably finger spelled 80% of what I said. What I signed was a cumbersome form of signs in English and sloppy finger spelling. (My finger spelling has not improved to this day.) But I was persistent. I would try to tell them jokes. They all looked at me as if I was some maniac. Nearly all my jokes involved word plays and puns. Of course for the majority of these deaf kids such word plays were meaningless.
I noted with interest that many of the students appeared to have literacy issues. They wrote in a strange sort of broken English. While it made sense, the grammar was all over the shop. The spelling was terrible. The level of written discussion was very basic and child-like. This made no sense to me at all. These kids were deaf, not intellectually disabled. It puzzled me as to why they had such poor literacy.
This was perhaps my first introduction to members of the Deaf community. As I became older I began to attend the Deaf club on Friday nights at the wonderful old 262 building in Adelaide. One of my earliest memories of the Deaf club was attending a youth group function. We met outside of 262 and caught the bus up to Monash Adult Playground on the Murray River. I had just turned 18. I remember sneaking off and having a beer at the pub over the road. Coming home and snogging with some cute young deaf girl at the back of the bus made it a trip to remember.
In those early days I met many wonderful Deaf people who have remained friends to this day but I was always struck at the diversity within the community. There were some deaf people that were very bright and I naturally struck up a rapport with these people. I remember the first night I attended the Deaf club. I was surrounded by Deaf people firing any number of questions at me. "When Deaf you?" – "Deaf you how?" – "School where?" –"Family Deaf or hearing?" This inquisition was perhaps my first introduction to Deaf culture. I learnt that when a deaf person comes to the Deaf community for the first time establishing the origins of the deafness and association with the Deaf community was par for the course. From Australia to England to Denmark the inquisition has been the same for me the world over.
But always I was struck by the diversity. There were the well adjusted "Deaf" people and there were the "Deaf" who were linguistically challenged. Then of course there were the Deaf who were linguistically proficient in sign language but who had only rudimentary English literacy. This always fascinated me. What was the cause of such linguistic diversity? Why was the spectrum of human development among the community so different? I wanted to know.
There were those that were severely deaf, those that were profoundly deaf. There were those that were oral and who would have their 'oral' conversations in the corner. There were those that were fiercely proud of their Deafness who spoke of history and culture and oppression of sign language. There were the sports groups that brought everyone together regardless of linguistic ability. If you could bowl or hit the ball to the boundary with frequency you were in the cricket team. No one cared if you couldn't structure an English sentence or linguistically you were performing the same as a 9 year old.
BUT it all fascinated me. I wanted to understand why linguistically and intellectually there were such extreme differences among the Deaf community. I read on the subject voraciously. I remember watching a very early video on Deaf history that had been made by Paddy Ladd in England.
The video told the story of deaf education. It told of the French educator Siccard, of Clerc and Gallaudet. It told of how in the past sign language had been embraced as a means of education and as a result there had been deaf lawyers, teachers, doctors and the like. It told of Milan in the 1880's where educators of the deaf decided that sign language was out and oralism was in. It told of how this oppression almost led to the destruction of sign language and the Deaf community. It told of how 'oralist' would wheel out their 'success' stories while keeping the ones who oralism had failed, (of which there were many), behind closed doors. It explained how as a result the education and development of deaf kids was severely impacted. I was appalled.
I read When the Mind Hears by Harlan Lane. As an academic Lane is oft criticised for being biased but he told an eloquent and harrowing story of oppression and how this impacted on a generation of deaf kids. I learnt very quickly that Deaf adults who had Deaf parents were generally better adapted and linguistically superior. I learnt that deaf kids given access to sign language and good sign language models earlier were better adapted and performed better academically. I learnt about age and onset of deafness and how this impacted or assisted with linguistic development. I learnt how parents and professionals persisted with oralism, even when it was clear it was failing the child. Nothing hit home to me more than reading Oliver Sacks book, Seeing Voices, where he described deafness as a preventable form of intellectual disability. Slowly I began to understand why there was such linguistic and developmental diversity among the Deaf community. The oppression of sign language and the inability of professionals to see the wood for the trees was leading to a generation of 'Intellectually limited" deaf people that was, for the most part, entirely avoidable.
And then came the cochlear implant. In the early days of the cochlear implant the Deaf community was vocal in its objection. This was entirely understandable. The Deaf community had been subject to any number of failed experiments. Oralism had failed many. Cued speech was cumbersome and clumsy form of communication. Signed English was an appalling failed experiment. The Deaf community had seen it all before. Attempts to make them 'hearing' had failed. The Cochlear Implant was another attempt and they were having none of it.
Predictably early responses to the cochlear implant from the Deaf community were emotional even violent. The Deaf community were particularly vocal about early implantation calling it child abuse. According to the Deaf community it was the child's right to decide. The child should not have an invasive cochlear implant imposed on them.
I remember one well known advocate being interviewed on TV for one of the morning shows. The advocate had apparently come upon evidence that the cochlear implant had led to paralysis of some deaf recipients. In the ensuing confusion the Deaf community thought that some unfortunate recipient had become wheelchair bound. What had actually occurred is that the cochlear implant, in a few cases, had led to facial paralysis owing to a nerve being damaged in the operation.
Ironically the cochlear implant has become the face of the new Deaf community. It is probably fair to say that many in the Deaf community saw the cochlear implant as a threat. For them the cochlear implant was going to make potential members of the Deaf community 'hearing' and as a result, over time, the numbers coming into the Deaf community would reduce. This would gradually lead to the death of the Deaf community. From my observation this has not been the case.
Young people with cochlear implants appear to still be seeking out the Deaf community. The cochlear implant is an amazing piece of technology but it does not cure deafness. While it appears to assist the recipient when the communication environment is ideal it has its limitations. Large groups and noisy backgrounds still present problems. Individuals with cochlear implants still experience the same issues as deaf people of the past. In large groups they are isolated, communication is difficult and conversation hard work.
What this means is that many young people with cochlear implants seek out other deaf people and this ultimately leads them to the Deaf community. Often it is sport that brings them together. At the recent Australian Deaf Games in Geelong it was almost as if every other participant had a cochlear implant.
Recently I attended the Deafness Forum Summit in Melbourne. Now Deafness Forum are hardly a bastion of the Deaf community. However, there were a large number of young people who had cochlear implants who attended. In between sessions you would notice them all gathering to talk. Some spoke and some signed but still, even with cochlear implants, deaf people sought each other out.
Rather than become a threat to the existence of the Deaf community it could be argued that young deaf people with cochlear implants have changed the make up of the Deaf community. These young Deaf people are different from those first Deaf people that I met all those years ago. My observation is, and lots of people are not going to like this, that they are linguistically superior to many Deaf people I met when I first entered the Deaf community..
To me it is undeniable that the cochlear implant is far superior to simple aided hearing. From what I am observing, young deaf people implanted earlier are developing much better spoken language than in the past when I first entered the Deaf community. Consequently they have better literacy and are performing better academically. I have no research to back this. It is purely observation from having met many of these young people professionally and through the Deaf community.
But still the cochlear implant can not overcome all the barriers to social participation. Still these young people seek out other deaf people to share like experiences and for ease of communication. While I am sure the cochlear implant helps in many 'hearing' social situations young deaf people with implants are, increasingly, becoming members of the Deaf community. The difference now is that many of these young people have normal language development, normal literacy and are very savvy of their needs. The diversity of linguistic and intellectual development that I first noticed when I entered the Deaf community has now narrowed. One might argue that it is now almost non-existent among the younger generation.
With this change has come a change in values. Recently, for example, there was a Facebook debate about the relevance of Deaf Australia today. Deaf Australia is, of course, the advocacy organisation that represents Auslan users. Increasingly Auslan users are becoming people with cochlear implants who have learnt Auslan as their second language. What this means is that their needs are different. While many of them will chose to access Auslan Interpreters for study or work others appear to prefer communication support through Live Remote Captioning. There are indications that many prefer English structure for their communication support. Technically though, because these people are members of the Deaf community and use Auslan, they are represented by Deaf Australia.
This group of Auslan users also have technological needs. They need maintenance on their implants. They need batteries for their implants. Some need implant upgrades and rehabilitation. Perceivably there are some young kids with implants whose parents have decided that Auslan is beneficial to their linguistic development that require early intervention. Perhaps in the future this will be provided by the NDIS.
In the past Deaf Australia simply represented mostly Auslan, interpreters, telecommunications and captioning. The question is; Have Deaf Australia moved with the times to meet the needs of this new young group of people entering the Deaf community who require representation on a variety of fronts including technology? It's easy to say that is Deafness Forums role. But is it? Particularly given that this new breed of Deaf community members are "Auslan Users"
Indeed we have a situation where Deaf adults who have been brought up in the Deaf community have decided to have a cochlear implant later in life. The reasons are varied. Some do it for professional reasons, others so that they can hear their kids and some do it simply because they want access to sound. Deaf adults are having Deaf kids and deciding to provide these kids with implants so that they have the best of both worlds. The Deaf community has changed forever.
Like it or not the cochlear implant is now part of the every day issues relating to the Deaf community. The question we need to ask is whether our representatives at Deaf Australia have kept track with the change. Are the issues that they represent relevant to this new breed of deaf Auslan users with cochlear implants. The times they are a changing and perhaps the time has come to change with them.


THIS LAPBOOK ONLY COMES IN A DOWNLOAD FORMAT. This lapbook provides hand-on practice for subtraction facts 0-0 through 12-12 while providing lots of fun on the farm! See sample pages above for more details!


text:
import itertools

import pytest
from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError

from awx.main.utils import decrypt_field
from awx.main.models import Credential, CredentialType, V1Credential

from rest_framework import serializers

EXAMPLE_PRIVATE_KEY = '-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----\nxyz==\n-----END PRIVATE KEY-----'
EXAMPLE_ENCRYPTED_PRIVATE_KEY = '-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----\nProc-Type: 4,ENCRYPTED\nxyz==\n-----END PRIVATE KEY-----'

PKCS8_PRIVATE_KEY = '''-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----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-----END PRIVATE KEY-----'''
PKCS8_ENCRYPTED_PRIVATE_KEY = '''-----BEGIN ENCRYPTED PRIVATE KEY-----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-----END ENCRYPTED PRIVATE KEY-----'''

@pytest.mark.django_db
def test_default_cred_types():
    assert sorted(CredentialType.defaults.keys()) == [
        'aws',
        'azure_rm',
        'cloudforms',
        'gce',
        'insights',
        'net',
        'openstack',
        'rhv',
        'satellite6',
        'scm',
        'ssh',
        'tower',
        'vault',
        'vmware',
    ]
    for type_ in CredentialType.defaults.values():
        assert type_().managed_by_tower is True

@pytest.mark.django_db
@pytest.mark.parametrize('kind', ['net', 'scm', 'ssh', 'vault'])
def test_cred_type_kind_uniqueness(kind):
    """
    non-cloud credential types are exclusive_on_kind (you can only use *one* of
    them at a time)
    """
    assert CredentialType.defaults[kind]().unique_by_kind is True

@pytest.mark.django_db
def test_cloud_kind_uniqueness():
    """
    you can specify more than one cloud credential type (as long as they have
    different names so you don't e.g., use ec2 twice")
    """
    assert CredentialType.defaults['aws']().unique_by_kind is False

@pytest.mark.django_db
def test_credential_creation(organization_factory):
    org = organization_factory('test').organization
    type_ = CredentialType(
        kind='cloud',
        name='SomeCloud',
        managed_by_tower=True,
        inputs={
            'fields': [{
                'id': 'username',
                'label': 'Username for SomeCloud',
                'type': 'string'
            }]
        }
    )
    type_.save()

    cred = Credential(credential_type=type_, name="Bob's Credential",
                      inputs={'username': 'bob'}, organization=org)
    cred.save()
    cred.full_clean()
    assert isinstance(cred, Credential)
    assert cred.name == "Bob's Credential"
    assert cred.inputs['username'] == cred.username == 'bob'

@pytest.mark.django_db
@pytest.mark.parametrize('kind',  ['ssh', 'net', 'scm'])
@pytest.mark.parametrize('ssh_key_data, ssh_key_unlock, valid', [
    [EXAMPLE_PRIVATE_KEY, None, True],  # unencrypted key, no unlock pass
    [EXAMPLE_PRIVATE_KEY, 'super-secret', False],  # unencrypted key, unlock pass
    [EXAMPLE_ENCRYPTED_PRIVATE_KEY, 'super-secret', True],  # encrypted key, unlock pass
    [EXAMPLE_ENCRYPTED_PRIVATE_KEY, None, False],  # encrypted key, no unlock pass
    [PKCS8_ENCRYPTED_PRIVATE_KEY, 'passme', True],  # encrypted PKCS8 key, unlock pass
    [PKCS8_ENCRYPTED_PRIVATE_KEY, None, False],  # encrypted PKCS8 key, no unlock pass
    [PKCS8_PRIVATE_KEY, None, True],  # unencrypted PKCS8 key, no unlock pass
    [PKCS8_PRIVATE_KEY, 'passme', False],  # unencrypted PKCS8 key, unlock pass
    [None, None, True],  # no key, no unlock pass
    [None, 'super-secret', False],  # no key, unlock pass
    ['INVALID-KEY-DATA', None, False],  # invalid key data
    [EXAMPLE_PRIVATE_KEY.replace('=', '\u003d'), None, True],  # automatically fix JSON-encoded GCE keys
])
def test_ssh_key_data_validation(organization, kind, ssh_key_data, ssh_key_unlock, valid):
    inputs = {'username': 'joe-user'}
    if ssh_key_data:
        inputs['ssh_key_data'] = ssh_key_data
    if ssh_key_unlock:
        inputs['ssh_key_unlock'] = ssh_key_unlock
    cred_type = CredentialType.defaults[kind]()
    cred_type.save()
    cred = Credential(
        credential_type=cred_type,
        name="Best credential ever",
        inputs=inputs,
        organization=organization
    )
    cred.save()
    if valid:
        cred.full_clean()
    else:
        with pytest.raises(Exception) as e:
            cred.full_clean()
        assert e.type in (ValidationError, serializers.ValidationError)

@pytest.mark.django_db
@pytest.mark.parametrize('inputs, valid', [
    ({'vault_password': 'some-pass'}, True),
    ({}, False),
    ({'vault_password': 'dev-pass', 'vault_id': 'dev'}, True),
    ({'vault_password': 'dev-pass', 'vault_id': 'dev@prompt'}, False),  # @ not allowed
])
def test_vault_validation(organization, inputs, valid):
    cred_type = CredentialType.defaults['vault']()
    cred_type.save()
    cred = Credential(
        credential_type=cred_type,
        name="Best credential ever",
        inputs=inputs,
        organization=organization
    )
    cred.save()
    if valid:
        cred.full_clean()
    else:
        with pytest.raises(Exception) as e:
            cred.full_clean()
        assert e.type in (ValidationError, serializers.ValidationError)

@pytest.mark.django_db
@pytest.mark.parametrize('become_method, valid', zip(
    dict(V1Credential.FIELDS['become_method'].choices).keys(),
    itertools.repeat(True)
) + [('invalid-choice', False)])
def test_choices_validity(become_method, valid, organization):
    inputs = {'become_method': become_method}
    cred_type = CredentialType.defaults['ssh']()
    cred_type.save()
    cred = Credential(
        credential_type=cred_type,
        name="Best credential ever",
        inputs=inputs,
        organization=organization
    )
    cred.save()

    if valid:
        cred.full_clean()
    else:
        with pytest.raises(serializers.ValidationError) as e:
            cred.full_clean()
        assert "'%s' is not one of" % become_method in str(e)

@pytest.mark.django_db
def test_credential_encryption(organization_factory, credentialtype_ssh):
    org = organization_factory('test').organization
    cred = Credential(
        credential_type=credentialtype_ssh,
        name="Bob's Credential",
        inputs={'password': 'testing123'},
        organization=org
    )
    cred.save()

    assert Credential.objects.count() == 1
    cred = Credential.objects.all()[:1].get()
    assert cred.inputs['password'].startswith('$encrypted$')
    assert decrypt_field(cred, 'password') == 'testing123'

@pytest.mark.django_db
def test_credential_encryption_with_ask(organization_factory, credentialtype_ssh):
    org = organization_factory('test').organization
    cred = Credential(
        credential_type=credentialtype_ssh,
        name="Bob's Credential",
        inputs={'password': 'ASK'},
        organization=org
    )
    cred.save()

    assert Credential.objects.count() == 1
    cred = Credential.objects.all()[:1].get()
    assert cred.inputs['password'] == 'ASK'

@pytest.mark.django_db
def test_credential_with_multiple_secrets(organization_factory, credentialtype_ssh):
    org = organization_factory('test').organization
    cred = Credential(
        credential_type=credentialtype_ssh,
        name="Bob's Credential",
        inputs={'ssh_key_data': 'SOMEKEY', 'ssh_key_unlock': 'testing123'},
        organization=org
    )
    cred.save()

    assert Credential.objects.count() == 1
    cred = Credential.objects.all()[:1].get()

    assert cred.inputs['ssh_key_data'].startswith('$encrypted$')
    assert decrypt_field(cred, 'ssh_key_data') == 'SOMEKEY'
    assert cred.inputs['ssh_key_unlock'].startswith('$encrypted$')
    assert decrypt_field(cred, 'ssh_key_unlock') == 'testing123'

@pytest.mark.django_db
def test_credential_update(organization_factory, credentialtype_ssh):
    org = organization_factory('test').organization
    cred = Credential(
        credential_type=credentialtype_ssh,
        name="Bob's Credential",
        inputs={'password': 'testing123'},
        organization=org
    )
    cred.save()

    assert Credential.objects.count() == 1
    cred = Credential.objects.all()[:1].get()
    cred.inputs['password'] = 'newpassword'
    cred.save()

    assert Credential.objects.count() == 1
    cred = Credential.objects.all()[:1].get()
    assert cred.inputs['password'].startswith('$encrypted$')
    assert decrypt_field(cred, 'password') == 'newpassword'

@pytest.mark.django_db
def test_credential_update_with_prior(organization_factory, credentialtype_ssh):
    org = organization_factory('test').organization
    cred = Credential(
        credential_type=credentialtype_ssh,
        name="Bob's Credential",
        inputs={'password': 'testing123'},
        organization=org
    )
    cred.save()

    assert Credential.objects.count() == 1
    cred = Credential.objects.all()[:1].get()
    cred.inputs['username'] = 'joe'
    cred.inputs['password'] = '$encrypted$'
    cred.save()

    assert Credential.objects.count() == 1
    cred = Credential.objects.all()[:1].get()
    assert cred.inputs['username'] == 'joe'
    assert cred.inputs['password'].startswith('$encrypted$')
    assert decrypt_field(cred, 'password') == 'testing123'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


a 9 month program (September to May) for recent high school graduates who seek to grow in their love and knowledge of Jesus Christ while engaging in His mission for the lost, the poor, and the uninvited both locally and globally.
live with other participants in community in Pittsburgh, PA for 5 months while receiving in-depth discipleship training and hands on ministry experience with our partners. What will a week look like?
your team will serve with one of our overseas partners for 4-6 weeks as you see first hand just how big, diverse, and engaged God's global body really is. Our 2017 cohort traveled to Thailand, serving in the mountains of Chiang Mai. Here's one of their thoughts on how it shaped him.
spend 6 weeks traveling to churches throughout the US to share the story of God's work, witness how they are engaged in their communities, and encourage their participation in His kingdom. Come with us as we visit Washington, Greensboro, Jacksonville, Denver, and Fort Collins in 2018.


text:
pycroscopy\.io\.translators\.df\_utils package
==============================================

.. automodule:: pycroscopy.io.translators.df_utils
    :members:
    :undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:

Subpackages
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.. toctree::

    pycroscopy.io.translators.df_utils.dm4reader

Submodules
----------

pycroscopy\.io\.translators\.df\_utils\.be\_utils module
--------------------------------------------------------

.. automodule:: pycroscopy.io.translators.df_utils.be_utils
    :members:
    :undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:

pycroscopy\.io\.translators\.df\_utils\.beps\_gen\_utils module
---------------------------------------------------------------

.. automodule:: pycroscopy.io.translators.df_utils.beps_gen_utils
    :members:
    :undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:

pycroscopy\.io\.translators\.df\_utils\.dm3\_image\_utils module
----------------------------------------------------------------

.. automodule:: pycroscopy.io.translators.df_utils.dm3_image_utils
    :members:
    :undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:

pycroscopy\.io\.translators\.df\_utils\.gmode\_utils module
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.. automodule:: pycroscopy.io.translators.df_utils.gmode_utils
    :members:
    :undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:

pycroscopy\.io\.translators\.df\_utils\.io\_image module
--------------------------------------------------------

.. automodule:: pycroscopy.io.translators.df_utils.io_image
    :members:
    :undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:

pycroscopy\.io\.translators\.df\_utils\.parse\_dm3 module
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.. automodule:: pycroscopy.io.translators.df_utils.parse_dm3
    :members:
    :undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:


text:
from tests.sharepoint.sharepoint_case import SPTestCase

class TestViva(SPTestCase):

    @classmethod
    def setUpClass(cls):
        super(TestViva, cls).setUpClass()

    @classmethod
    def tearDownClass(cls):
        pass

    def test1_get_app_configuration(self):
        return_type = self.client.ee.app_configuration.get().execute_query()
        self.assertIsNotNone(return_type.resource_path)

    #def test2_get_dashboard_content(self):
    #    return_type = self.client.ee.dashboard_content().execute_query()
    #    self.assertIsNotNone(return_type.value)


text:
New shopping center starting to take shape
Dec 12th, 2019 · by Mike Finney · Comments:
DOVER — Rising up in the midst of a 7.7-acre field off Del. 8 in West Dover is a new shopping center that will serve as the new home for Dunkin' Donuts, which will be moving down the road just a little bit to the east of its current site.
The new center at 1128 Forrest Ave. (Del. 8) in Dover is planning on adding thousands of square feet in retail space and up to 50,000 additional square feet of office space for the project, which began construction in early November.
The project is the most recent in an ongoing retail building boom in the state capital.
Nick Nistazos, both the owner of the Dunkin' Donuts franchise and the developer of the new shopping center, believes the new location will offer his customers greater ease-of-access and convenience. Its current location at 1230 Forrest Ave. is often cramped, with customers often blocking the right eastbound lane of Del. 8 while the drive-thru moves along or a parking spot opens.
R&R Commercial Realty — the listing agency — is still in the process of locating tenants to occupy the two remaining retail pad sites in the new center.
Mr. Nistazos said FMS Construction expects to complete phase one of construction by April 2020.
The new center comes at a time in Dover where the stock of retail space is growing quickly, said R&R Commercial Realty broker/owner Charles Rodriguez.
"The finishing touches are being put on the nearby Capital Station now — a project which turned the old vacant Playtex plant into around 60,000 square feet of class-A retail space," Mr. Rodriguez said. "There's another large shopping center expected to break ground soon just south of (Dover International Speedway) that will add another 30,000 square feet of space.
"The Loockerman Plaza project right downtown will be adding another 12,000 square feet. All that with Mr. Nistazos's project amounts to a city-wide boom in commercial space that we haven't seen in recent years. It's really encouraging for the local economy."
That's what Dover City Planner Dave Hugg has been saying all along.
"The state of the economy in Kent County is pretty good," Mr. Hugg said. "Things are progressing well. Dover is certainly setting an example. Development in the city over the past year has been proceeding briskly, continuing the pace of the previous year.
"Dover has been discovered, and our efforts to be proactive are reflected in growth in business opportunities, new facilities of all kinds, a revitalized downtown, and a leadership role in our region. And all of this is being well managed by a staff of dedicated professionals working together toward our shared goals."
Delaware State News staff writer Mike Finney can be reached at mfinney@newszap.com.
Tags:Featured

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Perfect timing: Watch out for these
Chronographs, tourbillons, skeletons and other exotic watches worth the investment
Curated By: Forbes
Image by : David Needleman for Forbes
It's Her Time: Maye Musk (Elon's mom) is the woman of the hour
There's never a bad time to be a timeless beauty, but Maye Musk is particularly savouring this moment. Having modelled for more than five decades, the South African beauty finds herself the new platinum standard in the fashion world. In May, she attended her first Met Gala just days after signing on with IMG Models—the same agency that represents Gisele Bündchen. The 68-year-old Musk began her career in the 1960s, at 15, and went on to star in campaigns for Revlon and Clinique. Then she put modelling on the back burner to raise three children, including her son Elon, the billionaire founder of Tesla. (And, yes, he gave her one—a Model S in British racing green.) A single mother, Musk went on to earn two master's degrees—including one in nutritional science—and supplemented her income as a registered dietician with the occasional photo shoot. "I'm a nerd," she confesses. "I just wanted to be the best dietician in the world—but then modelling took over." In part, she says, because she cut her hair short at 60 and let it revert to its natural color: White. "Suddenly I had this great editorial look," she recalls, and work just took off —including a cameo in a Beyoncé video. So move over, Elon. And welcome to the Mayenaissance.
—Kristin Tablang
[In picture: Cadenas Sertie watch in 18-karat white gold with diamonds by Van Cleef & Arpels ($43,400); DVF Anais gown by Diane von Furstenberg ($1,198).]
Photo essay: Mizoram and its unparalleled passion for football
On the move: Hermès and the history of motion
Football for freedom: Girls from rural Rajasthan play ball to fight patriarchy
FIFA World Cup 2022: Greatest show on Earth returns
FIFA World Cup 2022: Brazil or Germany or Argentina, who India's top CEOs and celebrities are cheering for
Tycoons of Tomorrow 2021-2022 gala event: Celebrating poise, power, potential


text:
A new forum for research on research integrity and peer review
Stephanie L. Harriman1,
Maria K. Kowalczuk1,
Iveta Simera2 &
Elizabeth Wager3
This editorial explains why we are launching Research Integrity and Peer Review, a new open-access journal that will provide a home to research on ethics, reporting, and evaluation of research. We discuss how the idea to launch this journal came about and identify the gaps in knowledge where we would like to encourage more research and interdisciplinary discussion. We are particularly keen to receive submissions presenting actual research that will increase our understanding and suggest potential solutions to issues related to peer review, study reporting, and research and publication ethics.
Welcome to the first edition of Research Integrity and Peer Review, a fully open-access journal considering submissions on all aspects of integrity in the research and publication process, including peer review, reporting, and research and publication ethics. We are excited to launch this new journal, which aims to provide a dedicated forum for publishing research into this increasingly recognized field.
Academic research affects the lives of everybody who has ever used a car, a phone, or a computer, or who has ever taken a medicine. Research also influences the way we educate our children, organize our hospitals, and punish our criminals. If that research is unreliable, we may waste money and even lives. And if that research is not communicated effectively, its conclusions may be distorted or its messages ignored [1]. For research to do good rather than harm, it must have integrity and it must be reported properly. But research is a complex activity, which may be described (using a suitably complex term) as a bio-psychosocial function—or, put more simply, prone to human fallibilities. Getting research and its communication "right" is not always as simple as it sounds.
To reap the benefits of research, we need to understand it properly. We need to consider questions such as what causes research to give misleading results, what tempts researchers to cheat, and how best to report and disseminate research findings. In other words, we need research into research, and we need somewhere to publish these findings.
Although academic enquiry—and reports of it—have existed for centuries, serious study of research is a surprisingly recent phenomenon. About 25 years ago, Drummond Rennie, a visionary editor at JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association) wrote that "the vast majority of papers written about editorial peer review had been composed in the absence of any data and were editorial effusions that expressed individual biases" [2]. He therefore established the international peer review congresses, starting in 1989, the eighth of which is due to take place in September 2017. Since the first congress, research into peer review (both of journals and for funding) has increased and evolved [3].
It is a similar story for the study of research reporting. Although randomized clinical trials as we know them today have been published since the 1940s [4], the first major reporting guideline in medical research, CONSORT (the Consolidated Statement on Reporting Trials) was only published in 1996 [5].
Since then, many other reporting guidelines have been published to guide the reporting of various study designs in a range of disciplines [6]. However, despite this pioneering work, the reporting of clinical trials, which forms the backbone of the medical evidence base, remains problematic [7]. We lack research on how best to implement reporting guidelines and other tools to support researchers and reviewers in achieving high standards in research reporting. We lack research proposing and evaluating changes in reward and research systems that aim to maximize the value of research.
The journal's third theme of research integrity has also become increasingly recognized in the last decade, having had its own international conference, the World Conference on Research Integrity, since 2007. The term "research integrity" describes a situation where research is conducted and reported in such a way that it produces useful, trustworthy results and encompasses the entire process from the planning of research right through to the dissemination of research findings. It affects (and is the responsibility of) all those involved in the process.
While the growing interest in research integrity, reporting, and publication is encouraging, huge gaps in our knowledge remain. Until now, the little research that has been done has been scattered across the literature, often inaccessible to those without subscriptions to journals. Another problem has been that research that might be applicable across a number of disciplines has remained invisible to many researchers and editors who might benefit from it, because it was published only in the journals where the research was done, so people working in other fields were unaware of it (evolutionary biologists do not generally look at anesthesiology journals, for example).
Our aims in launching Research Integrity and Peer Review are to bring this work together and stimulate interdisciplinary discussion, ensuring that all those who can benefit from these research findings have access to them. Further to these aims, the journal is fully online and open access, ensuring that such research is fully available to everyone who may benefit from it.
We look forward to receiving submissions on research and publication ethics, research reporting, and peer review. These topics will be handled by the four co-Editors-in-Chief, Maria Kowalczuk, Stephanie Harriman, Iveta Simera, and Elizabeth Wager, respectively. Like Drummond Rennie, we are less interested in "editorial effusions" but more interested in research that illuminates any aspect of these topics. The journal has a particular focus on submissions that present research and those that offer potential solutions to current controversies and limitations in the field.
While much is written about the problems and limitations, particularly of peer review, this is often in the form of blogs and opinion pieces and does not offer empirical evidence or solutions. Under the heading of research, we include not only formal, funded projects but also smaller scale initiatives or audits undertaken by journals or funders to monitor and improve their processes.
Given the lack of research and therefore of understanding about peer review, we aim to be open to experiment in this area. To ensure transparency in the peer review process, the journal will operate on an open peer review model, building on practices pioneered by BioMed Central since 2000. This involves two levels of openness: authors are aware of the identity of the peer reviewers and, if the article is published, the reviewers' reports are available to readers alongside the published article.
We hope you share our excitement at the launch of this new journal and we welcome—and thank in anticipation—our readers, peer reviewers, authors, and editorial board members. The success of this journal lies with us all—please join us for what we hope will be a fascinating and rewarding journey.
Glasziou P, Altman DG, Bossuyt P, Boutron I, Clarke M, Julious S, Michie S, Moher D, Wager E. Reducing waste from incomplete or unusable reports of biomedical research. Lancet. 2014;383:267–76. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62228-X.
Rennie D. Editorial peer review in biomedical publication. The first international congress. JAMA. 1990;263:1317.
Malicki M, von Elm E, Marušic A. Study design, publication outcome, and funding of research presented at international congresses on peer review and biomedical publication. JAMA. 2014;311(10):1065. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.143.
Hart PD. A change in scientific approach: from alternation to randomised allocation in clinical trials in the 1940s. BMJ. 1999;319(7209):572–3.
Begg C, Cho M, Eastwood S, Horton R, Moher D, Olkin I, Pitkin R, Rennie D, Schulz KF, Simel D, Stroup DF. Improving the quality of reporting of randomized controlled trials. The CONSORT statement. JAMA. 1996;276(8):637–9.
Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) Network. Available from: http://www.equator-network.org/. Accessed Apr 2016.
COMPare. Tracking switched outcomes in clinical trials. Available from: http://compare-trials.org/. Accessed Apr 2016.
We are grateful to all our Editorial Board members for their enthusiasm and support. We would also like to thank the EQUATOR Network and International Society for Managing and Technical Editors (ISMTE) for endorsing Research Integrity and Peer Review.
Our heartfelt thanks to Daniel Shanahan for all his help and guidance in developing and launching Research Integrity and Peer Review.
BioMed Central, London, UK
Stephanie L. Harriman & Maria K. Kowalczuk
Centre for Statistics in Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Iveta Simera
Sideview, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, UK
Elizabeth Wager
Stephanie L. Harriman
Maria K. Kowalczuk
Correspondence to Elizabeth Wager.
MKK and SLH are full time employees of BioMed Central Ltd., which is owned by Springer Nature. IS, EW, MKK, and SLH are co-Editors-in-Chief of Research Integrity and Peer Review, which is published by BioMed Central.
EW wrote the first draft of this editorial. SLH, MKK, and IS participated in the review, elaboration, and revision of the final article. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Harriman, S.L., Kowalczuk, M.K., Simera, I. et al. A new forum for research on research integrity and peer review. Res Integr Peer Rev 1, 5 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41073-016-0010-y
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41073-016-0010-y


Characterising the dispersion of instant whole milk powder (IWMP) into water is a complex dissolution measurement that is both manual and laborious so is normally carried out post production at industrial dryers. However, this means there is no immediate feedback so the functional quality cannot be controlled in real-time. This work proposes the idea of applying a simpler, surrogate measurement that can be implemented in the plant in order to have useful real-time information regarding the quality of the product being produced. This we term is a proxy measurement. The functional property dispersibility was used as a case study, with particle size being investigated as a proxy at an industrial IWMP plant. It was found that particle sizing could be used to provide useful information regarding the powder, with the proxy measurement being able to predict in-specification powder 97% of the time. Although the test was not as effective for predicting out-of-specification results, with an false-positive rate of 50%, the fact that out-of-specification events are rare in the industry setting means that the overall proxy measurement is still between 78—87 % accurate, and thus useful for predicting the dispersibility quality of the IWMP. Furthermore, these proxy measurements can then be combined with on-line plant information using multivariate techniques to further improve their accuracy and understand how the quality can be controlled by changing the plant processing conditions.


Here we are again. After so many years of traveling between Shanghai and the United States you would think coping with jet-lag would be routine by now. But just like the search for a cure for the common cold, looking for a way to reduce the effects of jet-lag ( read: speed up the process of getting over it) never ends.
Conventional wisdom says that it takes one day for every hour of time zone crossed to make the adjustment. Coming from the East coast of the United States that translates into 12 days, sorry not acceptable.
Every one I talk to has some personal way of dealing with the issue of jet-lag. Some embrace it and follow their natural body rhythm …waking at 3 am and falling to sleep at 6 pm until the body makes its 12 day adjustment. I believe those people don't live in Shanghai! Then there are the bulls who just force the issue. They are the irritated folks you meet about 3 pm. I am not sure they get over jet lag any faster than the rest of us weaklings.
From a scientific standpoint there are some approaches you can take to , perhaps, lessen the effects of jet-lag.
1. Drink caffeinated beverages in the early normal awake hours.
2. Have your high protein meals at breakfast and lunch to improve alertness.
3. Have a high carbohydrate meal in the evening when you want to fall asleep.
4. Stay hydrated. Airplanes are notorious for sucking fluids from the body. Drink before, during and after your flight.
5. Avoid succumbing to cravings for sweets and greasy snacks.
There is an Anti-Jet Lag diet that works on a "Feast and Fast" premise but that needs to start before you leave on your trip, just when you are trying to eat all the yummy foods from home one last time!
Is there a Jet-Lag Juice to counter the effects of time travel? Sadly not yet but that recipe would be something to work on at 3 am!


Designed perfectly for little hands to be able to grasp and shake. Rattle rotates to make a click-clack sounds as well as making a rattling noise when shaken. Textured rings provide tactile stimulation and are great for teething, whilst the crinkle fabric is ideal for auditory stimulation.


The play picks up as Kennedy is reeling following the assassination of his brother and as the 1964 presidential election approaches. Audiences are invited to "rediscover the true American Dream through Kennedy's victories and defeats.". Tickets are available at thestage.org. Works up for bidding in the silent auction will be displayed Sept. 26-Oct.10, and live auction items will be on view beginning Oct. 4 and ending with a gala event on Oct. 24. Visit sjica.org for start times and auction entrance fee information.
Margot Kidder, 69, She starred as Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve in the "Superman" film franchise of the late 1970s and early 1980s, May travel shoes,tabi shoes, leather slippers, house shoes, gift for her ,ballet flats,loafers, 13, Tom Wolfe, 88, The white-suited wizard of "New Journalism" who exuberantly chronicled American culture from the Merry Pranksters through the space race before turning his satiric wit to such novels as "The Bonfire of the Vanities" and "A Man in Full." May 14, Infection, Robert Indiana, 89, A pop artist best known for his 1960s "LOVE" series, May 19..
Alternating with bicentennial instrumental tributes to Verdi and Wagner (the "Overture to La Forza del Destino" and Siegfried's Rhine Journey from "Götterdämmerung," respectively), Graham will display her jewel-toned sound in Verdi's "Ritorna vincitor!" from "Aida" and the Immolation Scene from Wagner's "Götterdämmerung.". Morgan need not have selected the two arguably most dramatic arias from the era — the sought-after, award-winning soprano is widely-recognized for her suspenseful style — but the selections will offer an opportunity to hear a first-class operatic voice in far less than three hours.
"Your body is responding to travel shoes,tabi shoes, leather slippers, house shoes, gift for her ,ballet flats,loafers, a very stressful event," said lead researcher Michael Snyder, a professor of genetics at Stanford, The study was published in Wednesday's issue of the journal Cell Systems, Weight gain "is a systemic disease, not just affecting your fat but affecting your whole body," Snyder said, Previous research tended to link obesity to disease in a very general way, warning us that fat is a killer. But technological advances make it possible, for the first time, to record and compute the vast amount of information generated inside a thickening — or thinning — body..
Distinguished Speaker Series scheduled May 1. Joyce Maynard, Joe Loya and special guest, author and journalist Kevin Sessums, are the featured speakers at the Lafayette Library and Learning Foundation's Distinguished Speaker Series. The presentation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 1, at the library, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. In his latest, "I Left It on the Mountain," Sessums chronicles his early days in New York as an actor, his years working for Andy Warhol at Interview and Tina Brown at Vanity Fair, his HIV positive diagnosis and his addiction, and chronicles one man's spiritual redemption.


text:
Italy is getting ready to back the Belt and Road Initiative, China's plan to spread soft power around the world by building roads, railways, and bridges.
It might not sound like a big deal, but the implications are huge.
If Rome does indeed sign its support for the Belt and Road on the dotted line later this month, it'll make Italy the first of the G7, the world's most advanced democracies, to do so.
That doesn't actually mean China will suddenly start building bridges in Italy, but it does potentially put Rome in line to benefit at some point.
For China, that is a massive win.
The Belt and Road is President Xi Jinping's signature policy.
However, China has been roundly criticised for creating debt traps for smaller countries.
By that, I mean building projects that the host country will struggle to repay and which could put them in debt permanently to China.
China is also accused of saying that projects are commercial when their real interests could actually be military.
One such example is a port in Pakistan that could ultimately be used as a staging post for the Chinese navy.
The criticism of Italy's upcoming move has already started.
The US says it is skeptical that the endorsement will bring sustained economic benefit to the Italian people.
It says the Chinese program is made by China for China.
The EU is also voicing concerns, but controversy or not, the Belt and Road is forging ahead.
It's already the biggest infrastructure effort in history.
The program embraces more than 80 countries and over 2,000 deals, worth more than a trillion US dollars, have already been agreed since it began six years ago.
China says its aim is to lay the foundations for a brighter and more prosperous future for everyone.
It touts its own experience as an example.
Put infrastructure in place and China says economic growth can really take off, just like it did back home.
But opposition from America could yet hamper China's ambitions.
B1 UK FinancialTimes china belt italy road initiative
Why Italy endorsing China's Belt and Road initiative is a big deal
Jessieeee posted on 2019/03/11


The used car market for many cars and trucks is rather tight these days so the pickings are rather slim.
This shortage makes sense, when you consider the few number of new cars and trucks that were sold in the past four years.
Two examples of shortage are the Toyota Tacoma and the Subaru Impreza. You will save a little going for the used version, but chances are you can make that up with a better new vehicle interest rate. Follow the article below to see others used vehicles that are in high demand.
5 Cars You Might As Well Buy New Instead of Used – TheStreet.


text:
Electra Meccanica Shares Jump 100 Percent on Preorders Update
Bala Yogesh - October 29th, 2018
The company announced on Monday that it has received over 64,000 vehicle preorders, resulting in US$2.4 billion in potential sales.
Electra Meccanica (NASDAQ:SOLO) announced on Monday (October 29) that it has received over 64,000 vehicle preorders, resulting in US$2.4 billion in potential sales.
The company, engaged in the design and manufacturing of electric vehicles, said as of October 22, out of those preorder numbers, 23,030 are for SOLO with the remainder being for the Tofino.
SOLO, a single seater electric vehicle is the company's answer to be a major force in the electric vehicle market and is scheduled for deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Analysts say look beyond cobalt and lithium
There are many great opportunities to profit in the cleantech space
Electra Meccanica is aiming for the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of US$15,500 for the SOLO with preorders requiring a refundable deposit of US$250.
"These orders represent $2.4 billion in potential sales at the expected vehicle MSRPs, presenting a large market for us to address as we scale vehicle production with our strategic manufacturing partner," Jerry Kroll, CEO of Electra Meccanica, said in the release.
The company has an agreement with Chongqing Zongshen Automobile (SZSE:001696), the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and motorcycle engines in China, for the production of 75,000 SOLO vehicles.
Chongqing Zongshen, which is scheduled to produce these vehicles over a three-year period, owns 10.6 percent of Electra Meccanica common stock.
"We are focused on delivering an exhilarating yet affordable electric vehicle experience to consumers and businesses nationwide," Kroll said. "We are on the cusp of achieving our vision and I believe we are well-positioned to build shareholder value over the long-term."
As part of its plan to target businesses, Electra Meccanica announced in September a collaboration with 7-Eleven Canada. The company noted that the partnership has the potential to expand in the future, including the companies evaluating the use of SOLO for use in local delivery of packages.
Notably, the bulk of the preorders announced on Monday are for the company's two-seater sports car Tofino, with scheduled deliveries slated for 2020. With an MSRP of US$50,000, Tofino preorders is at 41,124 units with a US$1,000 required deposit from those looking to reserve the vehicle.
In September, Kroll spoke to the Investing News Network (INN) and revealed that Tofino has received interest not just from consumers but also manufacturers.
"There's a large amount of big players looking to work with us on that vehicle," Kroll told INN at the time.
Kroll told INN that the company has had "massive success" in preorders for the sports car. Specifications include performance between 0-100 kilometers per hour (kph) in seven seconds with a total range of 400 KM.
Following the announcement, shares of Electra Meccanica jumped over 108 percent and closed the trading session on Monday at US$4.55. The stock, which had a previous close of US$2.18, opened the trading session on Monday at US$5.60. Shares of the company had a day high of US$7.48 and a low of US$4.08. Electra Meccanica has a "Buy" ranking on TradingView with 15 verticals in favor, seven in neutral and four against.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Technology for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Bala Yogesh, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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Tags: Electra Meccanica, electric vehicles, NASDAQ:SOLO, SOLO
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text:
Emirates Postpones Start of Tel Aviv Flights
Emirates airliners are seen on the tarmac in a general view of Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates January 13, 2021. Picture taken through a window. REUTERS/Abdel Hadi Ramahi/File Photo
Dubai airline Emirates has postponed the Dec. 6 launch of flights to Tel Aviv until further notice, a company spokesperson said on Sunday, after Israel announced it would ban foreigners from entering in order to combat the latest coronavirus variant.
"The postponement comes as a result of recent changes in entry protocols issued by the Israeli government. The airline is committed to launching services to Tel Aviv as soon as the situation allows," the spokesperson said in a statement.
Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennet on Saturday said the country would ban all foreigners from entering for 14 days as it awaits more information on how effective COVID-19 vaccines are against the Omicron variant first detected in South Africa.
Emirates was set to be the third United Arab Emirates airline, after flydubai and Etihad Airways, to start direct flights to Tel Aviv since the two countries established diplomatic relations last year.


CHIMANIMANI will once again come to life this August when the country's biggest free-entry annual arts event, the Chimanimani Arts Festival begins.
The arts jamboree is slated for August 8 and 9 and is aimed at bringing together people from different corners of Chimanimani District, the nation and the world to experience the unity of purpose that prevails at its events in the scenic environment of the tourist village.
It also promotes and develops amateur performers through interaction with seasoned local and international performers.
An array of musicians and artistes from Chimanimani, Chipinge, Harare and Mutare are expected to headline the annual edition.
Speaking at a cocktail held in the capital on Wednesday, director of the Chimanimani Arts Festival, Chido Musasiwa said this year's focus will be on embracing the rich sound found in Mbira music of the Ndau people.
"This year we will be focussing on mbira music of the Chimanimani people," said Musasiwa.
Since its inception in 1998, the Chimanimani Arts Festival was marred by financial constraints which reduced the capacity of the festival to accommodate a considerable attendance and media coverage.
But the organisers' desire to showcase different art genres ranging from music, dance, theatre, drama, comedy and storytelling have kept the arts carnival going for 16 years now.
The festival aims to promote culture by exposing the audience to a wider scope of arts and crafts from outside the district.
This year's edition will be headlined by traditional groups, among them, Vibe Culture, Mazwi Mbira Crew, Batanai Unite Marimba Ensemble, Chivaraidze and Garawiro which will perform on the first day of the festival.
The next day, Saturday, will see superstar Oliver Mtukudzi, Sniper Storm, Tsitsi, BaShupi and The Eastern Gospel, Aleck Muchayi and Ngangu Band, Daniel Mirisi and The Lion of Judah, Joshua Sako and the Radiation, Shorai Chipungurana and Orchestra Warura Band, Andy Mushy, Memo and the Antiques, Assegai Crew, Tariro Ne Gitare, Jam Signal, Junior Bantan and House of Stone and DJ Irie Lion showcasing their antics.
The comical SabhukuVharazipi will also feature at the festival as well as theatrical works and films such as Nyaminyami Amajiabulozi, I want a Wedding Dress, PereteraManeta — Spell My Name, Sharing Day, Kare Kare Zvako, Mother's Day, Elelwani, Chipawo, Njube High School (Let Them), Giant Puppets, Chipawo and Let Them Trust.


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Q: How to add a UIActivityIndicator to a splash screen in a iphone application? How to add a UIActivityIndicator to a splash screen ?
Edit : I tried the following things
I created UIViewController Sub class called SplashViewController. and the code is as below, still the image is not persisting long enough .

A: If by "Splash Screen" you mean the image that is displayed when your app launches, the answer is that you can't.
What you can do is have an initial view that includes a background image that looks just like your launch image, and then add an activity indicator into that view. To the user, it will appear that the activity indicator is "part" of your launch image.
The trick is to load your initial nib as quickly as possible (keep it small and simple) so the static images transitions to a view you can manipulate right away.

A: It depends on what you mean by a splash screen. If you mean the image that is first shown when the app is run, then we have a more tricky situation. This is just a static image (Default.png) so what you would then need to do is create a view that has your splash screen image as the background, add the activity indicator view on top of it, and then add that view directly from the app delegate. When whatever you're loading is done, you can get rid of this view and proceed with the rest of your program. Probably easier to do in a NIB, but here's an idea of it programmatically:
- (void)loadView;
{
    CGRect r = [UIScreen mainScreen].applicationFrame;
    UIView *activityView = [[[UIView alloc] initWithFrame:r] autorelease];
    self.view = activityView;

    activityView.backgroundColor = [UIColor blackColor];
    activityView.alpha = 0.5;

    UIImageView *imgView = [[[UIImageView alloc] initWithImage:[UIImage imageNamed:@"Default.png"]] autorelease];
    [activityView addSubview:imgView];

    CGRect wheelR = CGRectMake(r.size.width / 2 - 12, r.size.height / 2 - 12, 24, 24);
    UIActivityIndicatorView *activityWheel = [[UIActivityIndicatorView alloc] initWithFrame:wheelR];
    activityWheel.activityIndicatorViewStyle = UIActivityIndicatorViewStyleWhite;
    activityWheel.autoresizingMask = (UIViewAutoresizingFlexibleLeftMargin |
                                    UIViewAutoresizingFlexibleRightMargin |
                                    UIViewAutoresizingFlexibleTopMargin |
                                    UIViewAutoresizingFlexibleBottomMargin);
    [activityWheel startAnimating];
    [activityView addSubview:activityWheel];
}

A: Hi Pradeep I implement this code in monotouch for ios so this code is help ful to implement your logic
#region Splash Screen
public  void  ShowSplash(){
// get the Height & Width of device Screen
float mainSrcWidth = this.View.Bounds.Width;
float mainSrcHeight = this.View.Bounds.Height;
splashScreen = new UIImageView (UIImage.FromFile ("Images/loadNew1536_2008.png"));
splashScreen.Frame = new RectangleF (0, 0, mainSrcWidth, mainSrcHeight);
//Start the thread;
ThreadPool.QueueUserWorkItem (delegate {
Load ();
}
)
this.View.AddSubview(splashScreen);
}
#endregion

#region Load() splashscreen
private void Load ()
//Sleep for 3 seconds to simulate a long load.
Thread.Sleep (new TimeSpan (0, 0, 0, 3));
this.BeginInvokeOnMainThread (delegate {
splashScreen.RemoveFromSuperview ();
splashScreen = null;
});
}
#endregion

Call the ShowSplash() method from Appdelegate Class of FinishedLaunching Method

A: UIActivityIndicators are UIViews and can be added like any other.
something like:
[myView addSubview:mySpinner];
Or just drop one in your NIB.
here's another answer:
How to use activity indicator view on iPhone?

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In Japanese, the word komorebi is used to describe the way light and leaves look when there is sunlight shining through trees. It's a simple word that describes such a simple thing, but I've always found the simplest things to be the most beautiful anyway. While in Bellingham on our road trip, my mom and I went on a hike and at one point we stopped and I took the picture below. It's not the best picture I've ever taken, but it still embodies a little bit of the light and a little bit of the leaves.
I love words, and I especially love words in other languages that don't have a direct English translation. Komorebi is one such word, and I love the meaning behind it. The simple things in life are beautiful, and looking for beauty in the ordinary can often lead to the greatest of things.