text:
Meglena Kuneva, European Commissioner for Consumers, will give a keynote speech at a conference in Brussels on 27 January, which will look at measures that can be taken to tackle the health risks that personal music players can pose to listeners. Last October, an opinion from the EU Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) found that 5-10% of personal music player listeners risk permanent hearing loss if they listen to a personal music player at high volume settings for more than one hour per day over a period of at least 5 years. The conference will bring together EU Member State experts, scientists, industry, consumer organisations, standard makers, MEPs and other stakeholders, to discuss precautions that users can take, technical solutions that industry could apply to minimise hearing damage, and whether there is a need for further regulation or revision of existing safety standards to better protect consumers.
EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, said, "I am concerned that up to 10 million people in the EU, who are frequent users of personal music players and mobile phones at high acoustic levels, may be unknowingly damaging their hearing. In the light of the recent scientific advice, we need to act quickly, to look again at the controls in place, to make sure they are fully effective and keep pace with new technology so that consumers benefit from the highest safety standards."
The event
The one day conference, hosted by the Commission, will bring together key stakeholders from all relevant sectors, including representatives from Nokia, Apple, the French Ministry of Health, the UK Royal National Institute for Deaf People and the Spanish Confederation of Consumer and Users. It will take place on 27 January (9.00-18.00) at the Centre Albert Borschette, Brussels. Registration will be on a first-come-first-served basis, and can be done by e-mail to the following address: email@example.com, providing your name, function and contact details. Footage will be available on EbS.
In recent years sales of personal music players have soared, in particular those of MP3 players. Overall, in the EU, it is estimated that roughly 50 to 100 million people may be listening to portable music players on a daily basis.
In the last four years, estimated unit sales range between 184-246 million for all portable audio devices and range between 124-165 million for MP3 players. Across the EU, many millions of people use personal music players daily and, if they use them inappropriately, put themselves at risk of hearing damage.
A European safety standard already exists restricting the noise level of personal music players to 100 dB, but there is increased concern over hearing damage from excessive exposure to such sources. Such damage can be prevented to a large extent by measures such as reducing the noise exposure levels and duration. The EU Scientific Committee opinion highlighted that users of personal music players - if they listen for only 5 hours per week at high volume control settings (exceeding 89 decibels) would exceed the current limits in place for noise allowed in the workplace. Users listening for longer periods risk permanent hearing loss after 5 years. This approximates to 5-10% of the listeners, which may be between 2.5 and 10 million people in the EU.
Press release on the Scientific Committee's Opinion on personal music players: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1492&type=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en


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October 25 & 26, 2013, at Timber Creek Inn & Suites in Sandwich, Illinois
May 8, 2013 – Springfield, IL. The Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) announces its 2013 Fall conference to be held on October 25 and 26 in Sandwich, Illinois, at the Timber Creek Inn & Suites and Convention Center.
Using The Way They Were as this year's theme, a variety of presenters will offer lectures to assist attendees in identifying the "they" in genealogical research. In addition, a focus on "were" will explore the importance of capturing family stories and ancestor anecdotes to round out a family's history.
Besides attending genealogy focused lectures and social events, conference goers can visit the Sandwich area which offers a variety of venues for historical sightseeing. These include area museums, tours of the Naper Settlement in Naperville, and the world famous Mies van der Rohe glass home, as well as the Farnsworth House, on the banks of the nearby Fox River.
Conference details will be available soon at the ISGS website at http://www.ilgensoc.org. For room reservations, contact the Timber Creek Inn & Suites at (866) 992-7335 or visit http://www.timbercreekinnandsuites.com (mention the ISGS conference to secure the group rate).
Questions about the ISGS 2013 Fall Conference can be emailed to the Conference Chair, Howard Manthei, at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Mark your calendar! We look forward to seeing you in Sandwich this Fall!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
What's New
Mascara Font Family by Canada Type
Mascara is one of those organic extremes that usually make people's jaw drop in big silent awe.
The way such things are built is usually quite simple, given the right software and/or tools. In this case, we superimposed the drawings from two of our unfinished script fonts, and merged their outlines to end up with a result of branches, grass, roots, or whatever it is one sees around the letter forms.
Broken scripts like Mascara are normally used to issue one of many possible design statements, spanning quite a range of purposes, such as expressing an elegant confusion in a design's overall mentality, showing mixed emotions through a scribal old-modern environment, maintaining an organic elegance in goth design, or simply emphasizing the personal element in a visual communication.
Tags: Casual Script, Distressed, Font, Formal Script, Graffitti, Handwritten, Special Effect, Urban


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every grain of rice counts
all it costs you is time.
My donation to date to
The United Nations
World Food Program:
71,680 grains of rice
updated 6-24-08
A bit of narcissism
Friday's Child
As in ... "You SO own me!"
Warning! Mood swings!
"I have seen the sea when it is stormy and wild; when it is quiet and serene; when it is dark and moody. And in all its moods I see myself." --Martin Buxbaum
Feeling emotional.
Day of the Week Poem
We lost it all to
Hurricane Katrina
1 Dead in Attic
Chris Rose
2002 acclaimed series
on New Orleans'
hurricane vulnerabilities
Katrina Information Network
Katrina 2 Years Later - CNN Report
Matter of Grey Matter
September 11, 2001 --
I began daily injections of Copaxone in June of 2005. Although I seem to have permanent symptoms from my last exacerbation, my last MRI revealed no new lesions and no new scarring.
devastating effects of MS
My Champions are:
Candy, Pen and
Glenda, my sweet Flutterby
I'm honored & humbled
Multiple Sclerosis and
the Aspartame Hoax
resigned 4/16/08
Ear Candy
to soothe a savage beast,
To soften rocks,
or bend a knotted oak.
-- William Congreve --
Listen: Windows Media Player
Project Playlist
.:: Diablo Tristram Village ::.
Matt Uelmen
Little known tidbit about Friday: I paid $600 for my very first computer in 1996. It was built to spec for one reason ... so I could play Diablo. I became addicted to the music of Tristram Village. To me, it's musical valium.
I am loved!
A thoughtful token
that changes often
from my sweet friend,
Candy @ Daily Thoughts previous tokens
From precious Smallstar ...
From my dollface, Melly Girl
And I love!
Gratis Graphics
If you requested a graphic and it's not here then it's probably here.
If time and health allow, I'm willing to make custom group hugs. Request on taggie. Specify colors & names. Group hug without names is fine ... whatever. Two to four huggers.
Recent Mouse Doodles
Compassion in action
[x] Don't almost give. GIVE!
Gifts, believe me, captivate both men and Gods, Jupiter himself was won over and appeased by gifts. -Ovid-
Joined || Cliques
<!--the ageless project-->
100% Certifiably Insane!
.:Recently Joined:.
[ Sine qua non ]
[ captivation ]
[x] She Inspires Us
[x] Friday's Child
[x] Mistress Anne
[x] The Wild At Heart
[x] Tempus Fugit
[x] HOUSE rules
[x] The truth is out there
[x] JANE
[x] Moonlight
[ titillation ]
Hoops & Yoyo
Contact Me
Be The First To Know
.:: Sunday, August 03, 2008 ::.
Merrily Muttering ...
"Rules are, there are no rules." There are no right or wrong answers. Don't limit yourself to one word responses; just say anything and everything that pops into your head.
Go get your mutter on ... there or here in my comments. Have a muttering good time, y'all!
Unconscious Mutterings Courtesy of LunaNina
And in the end, the love you take
is equal to the love you make
Chronicled :: 1:19 am :: Friday's Child
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TAG. I try to acknowledge everyone, but sometimes the challenge that MS presents doesn't afford me the energy. If you find that I've overlooked your tag, please blame my fatigued and addled brain and not my <3.
Thank you to Deirdre who INSPIRED this "I'M NOT DISSING YOU" announcement.
Feed Me, Roll Me, Button Me Up
... or ...
Blogroll me, baby!
... or ...
Link Me
Blog Fodder
Unconscious Mutterings
Don't Assume!
Disclaimer & Copyright
Friday's Child - All rights reserved
"friday's child is loving and giving


text:
Arizona pedophile targets Modesto businesses by suing for disability discrimination
Each year since 2001, except when incarcerated, Robert McCarthy has left his Arizona home for short trips to California. That's where the money is when you want to sue for disability discrimination.
McCarthy is a 59-year-old pedophile who stole his dead brother's identity to illegally obtain food stamps and disability payouts, and to keep the alimony flowing from his ex-wife. He also posed as his brother in suing 57 California businesses before he was caught and sent to prison for fraud and sex crimes.
As he has done in numerous other California communities before and since, McCarthy rolled through Modesto, Ceres and Turlock on a four-day trip in May 2013, spending $500 on hotel rooms, alcohol, an ashtray and other items. Six months later, he sued 13 of the places he'd visited, saying they did not accommodate him and his wheelchair.
He passed through Merced County in January 2013, staying in an Atwater hotel and buying a quart of motor oil at a Merced Buick dealership. Three months later, he sued both businesses. He also sued a Los Banos hotel and a Merced restaurant on other occasions.
All of his lawsuits claim that the Arizona resident "intends to return … in the immediate future" to patronize the businesses he sued. McCarthy asks that judges order the companies to become wheelchair-friendly – and to award McCarthy $4,000 for each of the multiple problems he detects, and to triple the amounts to teach the companies a lesson. Defendants range from small, minority-owned liquor stores in poor neighborhoods to a Ford dealership, a Napa Auto Parts store and downtown Modesto's DoubleTree Hotel. One target, Gas N Shop Mini Mart on South Ninth Street, had lost a 28-year-old family member to a robbery and murder three years before.
In a Modesto lawsuit, McCarthy complained that the painted symbol at a handicapped-accessible parking space had faded. Another time, he said he had trouble signing for a credit card because a service counter was a few inches too high; the owner says records show that McCarthy paid with a debit card that required pushing buttons, not a signature, and that the shop has a low counter for people in wheelchairs that McCarthy did not use.
One Modesto business spent more than $50,000 on efforts such as repaving a parking lot, replacing toilets, and lowering mirrors and soap dispensers. Most coughed up a few thousand dollars to avoid trial, which can be more expensive than paying a lawsuit to go away.
McCarthy's San Diego attorney, David C. Wakefield, said such lawsuits are "noble efforts" to help the disabled and criticized media for having "a bias towards the business community." His office had filed McCarthy's lawsuits using the identity of McCarthy's late brother 13 years ago, and Wakefield is accused of fraud in an unrelated civil lawsuit for suing on behalf of allegedly blind and wheelchair-reliant clients.
Wakefield's former partner, Theodore Pinnock, signed some of McCarthy's early lawsuits, before McCarthy was convicted in 2004 on theft and child pornography charges and sent to prison for 17 months. Pinnock later was disciplined by the State Bar of California for pocketing money that should have gone to a disabled child client and for trying to mislead a judge. Pinnock eventually was disbarred for misappropriating money received from disability settlements.
Lawsuits on a roll
Soon after McCarthy's release from an Arizona prison in 2005, he resumed his "business trips" to California and has sued 189 companies since. In all, he has sued at least 254 businesses, according to a Modesto Bee review of court documents throughout California.
In a brief telephone conversation, McCarthy said he was expecting a nurse's visit and did not have time to talk about his trips to Stanislaus and Merced counties. He did not answer or return subsequent calls.
Wakefield surmised in an email that exposing McCarthy's past is an attempt to divert attention from their crusade of standing up for disabled rights.
In addition to McCarthy, at least three other partnerships of attorneys and disabled clients have brought at least 52 discrimination lawsuits against businesses in Stanislaus and Merced counties.
Most business owners contacted by The Bee know little about the people suing them. One said a plaintiff took issue with the parking lot and never came in his shop. None was aware of McCarthy's sordid past.
Fraud and pedophilia
McCarthy's older brother, Georg, was less than 2 years old when the toddler was run over by a car in 1955 near the family home in Massachusetts, according to a court document filed by police in Chandler, Ariz. Robert McCarthy was 2 months old. He contracted polio about the same time and has used a wheelchair since age 20, the probable cause synopsis said.
At some point, McCarthy used his dead brother's name to get a Social Security card, two Visa credit cards, a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards card and a Wells Fargo Bank account. McCarthy used his own photo when obtaining identification cards in Massachusetts and Arizona and a United States passport, pretending to be his brother for each, the report said. And McCarthy used his brother's identity to file dozens of lawsuits with Wakefield's firm, all alleging that California businesses violated requirements set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
"Investigators believe he did this to avoid detection by police, DES (Arizona Department of Economic Security), Social Security and his ex-wife," the synopsis reads. "Due to the fact that he was receiving assistance from his ex-wife, he did not want to stop that flow of money. Nor did he want to stop the flow of 'free' money from DES and Social Security," the document said, estimating that the otherwise unemployed McCarthy had fleeced nearly $14,000 from the government.
McCarthy, who went through bankruptcy in 1995, would not have been eligible for as much welfare if he had truthfully reported his income from California lawsuit settlements, the document said.
Detectives found much more than expected when they showed up at McCarthy's doorstep with a search warrant in 2003.
While checking his computer, detectives discovered more than two dozen digital magazines with explicit photos of children engaging in sexual acts with men, and child pornography books and magazines in his bedroom. McCarthy was charged with seven felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, as well as theft and forgeries. A plea deal to reduced charges in 2004 sent him to prison for 17 months, after which he was placed on probation and required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Upon McCarthy's release in 2005, a judge in Arizona denied his request to live next to a playground. However, the judge granted permission for him to visit California with a probation officer's approval. McCarthy told the officer that his "visits would be short, two to three days," and in his report, the officer wrote, "I believe (his) travel plans could be worked out."
Three months later, McCarthy resumed filing lawsuits in California in his real name. He has brought several each year since, all with Wakefield's help.
In an email, Wakefield said Rules of Professional Conduct governing California attorneys prohibit him from discussing McCarthy. "It appears that you intend to employ the very common tactic of attempting to divert attention from defendants' failure to comply with the law, with personal attacks on those individuals who file to enforce the law," Wakefield said. " 'Attack the messenger' is a very commonly used diversionary tactic."
Sued over 'false claims'
In a previous email, Wakefield said media are biased toward businesses because they provide advertising. With their many lawsuits, disabled plaintiffs and their attorneys save taxpayers money by enforcing access laws, relieving government agencies of that regulatory burden, he said.
One of Wakefield's former clients, Noni Gotti, is suing him in an ongoing case, saying he and his now-disbarred partner filed 240 lawsuits on her behalf but without her consent, "many if not all of which contained false claims," Gotti's lawsuit reads. Some of the lawsuits she objects to alleged that she was discriminated against because companies failed to accommodate her blindness or wheelchair needs in hopes of "extracting quick financial settlements." But she sees well enough to drive and has never used a wheelchair, her lawsuit says.
The lawsuit, filed in San Diego Superior Court in 2012, says Wakefield and Pinnock conspired to make Pinnock "chief apologist for an enterprise they created to bring large numbers of false and inappropriate claims against small businesses which most likely lacked the financial resources to defend them." Pinnock, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, served as their frontman because he could generate "considerable sympathy," the lawsuit says, until Pinnock was disbarred in 2012.
The lawsuit cites Southern California media exposés of some people Wakefield has represented, including Jon Carpenter, a convicted child molester who became a quadriplegic after an apparent suicide attempt in a Utah prison. He filed nearly 1,000 ADA lawsuits in Los Angeles County alone, the LA Weekly reported last year; Wakefield's firm represented Carpenter in at least 94, Gotti's lawsuit says.
Wakefield said, "I have not represented Mr. Jon Carpenter for at least five years, if not more." He called Gotti's lawsuit "meritless."
David Peters represents Gotti and the group Lawyers Against Lawsuit Abuse. He has consulted 1,200 businesses sued for disability discrimination, none involving McCarthy.
McCarthy's past could be relevant, Peters said, because cases often "come down to the plaintiff's credibility."
"How would you know if his claim is false?" Peters said. "Do you have to take the word of a convicted pedophile?"


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Articles in the lou urwin Category
2010 Villain series, 2011 Pro Event Coverage, Featured Post, JK Team Posts, Rock Star, Videos, Villain, Whitewater, ben marr, dane jackson, jacksonkayak.com, katya kulkova, lou urwin, marier-pier cote, pat camblin, photos, rockstar, rush sturges, trip reports, trips, villains, whitewater grand prix »
The Whitewater Grand Prix was an experiment to say the least. Pat Camblin had a vision of an event that our sport hasn't seen yet. A competition combining 6 different events, both race and freestyle, over 14 days, chasing the best whitewater in Quebec.
The idea was always there, but no one know for sure what [...]


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Air France Flight 447 went down on June 1, 2009, in a heavy high-altitude thunderstorm en route to Paris from Rio de Janeiro with 228 passengers.
A few days after the crash Brazilian military planes sighted wreckage from the missing Airbus A330-200 floating in the Atlantic Ocean about 600 miles from the coast of Brazil.
The plane sank to the ocean floor, taking the lives of all aboard and creating a mystery that lasted more than two years: How could a well-maintained modern jetliner, built to withstand electrical and physical buffeting far greater than nature usually offers, have gone down so silently and mysteriously?
Flight 447 had encountered bad weather and turbulence about four hours after takeoff from Rio, and Air France said an automated warning system on the plane beamed out a message about electrical problems 15 minutes later. The signals were not sent as distress calls, and they were not read for hours, until air traffic controllers realized that the plane's crew had not radioed in on schedule.
It was not until May 2011 that the so-called black boxes were retrieved from a sandy plain 3,900 meters below the surface. Decrypting the data on the recorders of the plane gained new urgency after a French judge in March 2011 placed both Airbus and Air France under formal investigation on accusations of involuntary manslaughter in the case. On May 27, 2011, French air safety officials issued a report saying that a loss of consistent speed readings — likely due to icing of airspeed sensors on the plane's wings and fuselage — set off the chain of events that ultimately led to the crash.
But a more detailed report, released by French investigators on July 29, 2011, appears to support suggestions by outside experts that fundamental errors by the pilots caused the crash. Though the report stopped short of any final conclusions, initial findings indicated that the two co-pilots — David Robert, 38, and Pierre-Cédric Bonin, 32 — at the time the plane ran into trouble had never been trained to fly the aircraft in manual mode at high altitude.
Nor had they been instructed how to promptly recognize and respond to a malfunction of their speed sensors at high altitude — both crucial skills that experts say should have helped them to avert disaster.
The panel's final report, released in July 2012, said there was a "profound loss of understanding" among all three pilots about what was happening after the autopilot disconnected. The pilots then struggled to control the plane manually amid a barrage of alarms, a situation further confused by the faulty instructions displayed by an automated navigational aid called the flight director.
The report by the Bureau of Investigation and Analysis, concluded that the errors that followed were the outcome of a confluence of factors beyond the competence of any individual pilot.
Details from the July 2012 Report
The final report portrayed a cockpit rapidly consumed by confusion and unable to decode a welter of alarms to determine which flight readings could be trusted, with one pilot's apparent reliance on a faulty display cementing the plane into its fatal stall.
The report offered an answer to a central puzzle: the consistent and aggressive "nose up" inputs by the pilot at the controls, which added to the loss of lift. Pilots are normally trained to point the nose of the aircraft down in a stall to regain speed.
The report said that the readings being gathered by the automated flight director — which uses cross hairs superimposed over an artificial horizon to indicate the required positioning of the plane — would have resulted in repeated calls for the plane's nose to be lifted.
Details From the May 2011 Report
The chronology of the flight's final moments confirmed suspicions that a loss of consistent speed readings, probably a result of icing of the plane's airspeed sensors, was the first of a series of incidents that brought down Flight 447. Faulty airspeed indicators can mislead pilots into flying faster or slower than the plane can handle.
However, according to the July report, investigators found that the loss of valid speed readings lasted for no more than a minute of the plane's terrifying four-minute descent. Even without any access to reliable airspeed data, the situation was salvageable, they said.
Moreover, they found that the aircraft continued to respond to the commands of the pilot at the controls up until the impact with the water. Those commands, however, were consistently inappropriate for a plane approaching a stall at high altitude: Instead of pointing the nose down in order to regain speed, the pilot at the controls aggressively drove it higher, worsening the loss of forward momentum and depriving the plane of essential lift.
First Sign of Trouble
The report said the first indication of trouble appeared three hours and 40 minutes into the flight, and 10 minutes after the captain, Marc Dubois, 58, had gone to the crew rest area for some sleep, a normal procedure for a long flight.
As the plane entered a zone of mild turbulence, the autopilot and autothrust functions of the plane suddenly disengaged — probably, the investigators said, because of speed sensor icing. But in less than a minute, "the airplane was outside its flight envelope following the manual inputs that were mainly nose-up," the report said. As abruptly as the plane climbed — at 7,000 feet per minute, more than twice the rate at takeoff — its recorded speed declined, dropping almost instantaneously from 275 knots to 60 knots, the minimum valid velocity recognized by the plane's computers.
A stall warning sounded twice. The pilots tried several times to call the captain back from his rest area. However, the investigators noted, "neither of the pilots made any reference to the stall warning" — a departure from standard industry procedures.
Angle of Attack
About a minute later, the captain returned to the cockpit. The plane's airspeed readings continued to fluctuate wildly. Meanwhile, its nose was pointing upward from the airstream at about 16 degrees — far beyond the maximum angle of around 5 degrees that is considered to be safe at high altitudes, where the air is thin. But the pilots could not know this, the report said, because that information — known as the angle of attack — is not directly displayed in the cockpit. As the plane plunged toward the sea, its angle of attack continued to increase, at one point exceeding 40 degrees.
The report also noted several instances where the pilots failed to communicate sufficiently with one another. When the captain left for his rest period, for example, he did so without giving clear operational instructions to the co-pilots. And when the co-pilots began troubleshooting, "there was no explicit task sharing" between them.
As the confusion mounted in the flight's final minute, the pilot at the controls ceded to the pilot in the second seat, saying, "Go ahead, you have the controls." But the flight data indicate that the plane then received inputs from the control sticks of both seats simultaneously. The report conspicuously avoids any speculation about why none of the three pilots — who had more than 20,000 total hours of flight experience — appears to have challenged the course of action taken by the pilot at the controls, leaving safety experts perplexed.


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STOCKTON - A judge issued Sarah Dutra a new sentencing date of Oct. 29 for her part in the 2001 high-profile slaying of Woodbridge attorney Larry McNabney.
STOCKTON - A judge issued Sarah Dutra a new sentencing date of Oct. 29 for her part in the 2001 high-profile slaying of Woodbridge attorney Larry McNabney.
Dutra's attorney, San Joaquin County Deputy Public Defender Keith Arthur, asked for the later date to give him time to read through volumes of court documents in Dutra's case. San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Thomas Testa sought a summer hearing.
Superior Court Judge Cinda Fox ruled on Dutra's side, saying the new hearing was significant for Dutra, and her attorney needs enough time to prepare.
"The difference could be five years of this woman's life," Fox said. She pointed out that Testa had tried Dutra and knew the evidence, while Arthur was recently assigned to Dutra's case.
Dutra, 26, is back in the Stockton court after receiving the maximum term of 11 years in state prison.
Dutra was convicted of helping McNabney's wife, Laren Sims, feed the attorney a horse tranquilizer, then burying him in a vineyard outside Linden. Sims, 36, wrote a confession, then hanged herself in a Florida jail.
A rare appellate court decision last year found that Superior Court Judge Bernard Garber, who oversaw Dutra's trial, didn't have the right to order the maximum prison sentence. The decision sent Dutra back to trial court and Fox's courtroom.
In the new hearing, Fox will seat a jury to hear an abbreviated version of the trial and help Fox decide if Dutra's sentence stands or not. If Dutra receives a lower term, she could leave prison on time served.
Arthur argued for more time, saying that over this weekend alone, he read through 81/2 pounds of police reports from Dutra's court file, which includes about 5,000 pages of evidence and several hours of recordings.
Contact reporter Scott Smith at (209) 546-8296 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Equity Point Centric
Hostel in Barcelona
Among our hostels in Barcelona, the Equity Point Centric hostel sits proudly alongside all the modernist masterpieces, swanky hotels and chi-chi boutiques, like a cuckoo that's muscled into the very plushest of nests.
Let yourself be seduced by Barcelona and its enchanting streets, busy with people and full of life The only modern and cosmopolitan European city with over four kilometers of beaches that open the city to the Mediterranean sea. Equity Point Centric Hostel is located in the Barcelona's Eixample district, which constitutes a unique model of European urban planning. Get ready to enjoy the finest examples of Modernist architecture, with works by masters such as Antoni Gaudí, Domènech i Muntaner and Puig i Cadafalch.
Why this location for a Barcelona Hostel?
The hostel on Barcelona's most exclusive location
Equity Point Centric hostel is situated on an impressive and completely refurbished Modernist building in the best location ever dreamed for a hostel in Barcelona. Centric Point is Equity Point's flagship hostel next to Plaça Catalunya and The Ramblas. The hostel is totally focused on the international traveler. From the hostel travelers desk you can book all kind of tours and activities to socialize and discover Barcelona. Altogether, it makes it one of the most spectacular hostels in Europe.
Right in the heart of Barcelona – the most elegant Barcelona hostel
The hostel is located on the most elegant avenue and the best architectural walk in Barcelona. The quantity and quality of Modernist buildings you can find on this street is unrivalled not only in Barcelona but in any city of the world: Passeig de Gràcia.
We are glad to offer you this hostel in the heart of Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona, because this street was designed from the beginning to be Barcelona's Grand Avenue, and is also home to Gaudí's most accomplished work and one of Modernism's best examples, the Pedrera or Casa Milà. Today passeig the Gràcia is an eminently commercial avenue, in the style of the great European boulevards. That's why we are so proud of having a hostel in this location.
Persons under the age of 18 years are only allowed to stay in private rooms or dormitory rooms that are booked for use of one family or group of persons, and can not share dormitory rooms with other guests. People under 18 years old must travel with their parents or legal tutor.
Credit card payments will be charged with an euro per night and person.
C/ passeig de Gracia 33, 08007 Barcelona
Bookings & modifications:
Tel +34 188.8.131.52
Skype name: equitypointcentric
Last minute comunications:
Tel +34 184.108.40.206


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You'll marvel at the large collections of 40,000 shells, antique radios and the vintage machinery, alongside the Blacksmith Shop and intriguing Boot Repair Shop, all at the Highfields Pioneer Historical Village.
You'll find everything in working order, including the 1912 Marshall Portable Steam Engine which is used to drive the vintage machinery on special days such as the Easter Vintage Festival. The 1928 Dennis Fire Engine on display is one of the original Toowoomba Fire Trucks. The 1925 Model 'T' Ford Truck was restored in the restoration workshop at the Village in 1993, and is one of many vintage vehicles on display. The B.J. Palmer Boot Repair Shop is a real piece of local history and is a reminder of time when life was much simpler.
Billy Tea and Damper served with butter and Golden Syrup is available everyday from 10am to 4pm.
Run entirely by volunteers, dedicated to preserving the history of the Darling Downs for future generations!
|Cost AUD
|Valid From
|$6 - $6
|Children aged 5 to 15 years are AUD6 each. Under 5 years are free.
|Indicative Prices
|$10 - $12
|Adults AUD12. Concession AUD10.
|Opening Hours
|All year
|10am - 4pm
|25 December 2019
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


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When I was in college, I was an architecture student. Our studio program was very demanding, and when our final projects were due at the end of each semester, my classmates and I would be working late into the night on drawings or models, with trips to the local diner for coffee and sticky buns. I would get very little sleep, with even a few all-nighters. But the coffee and sugar kept me going, along with the pressure of producing a great project. I'd head back to my parent's house for the semester break, and invariably, I'd end up in bed with a cold or flu. My body needed a rest, and my immune system was worn out from the stress. I was a prime target for any virus or bacteria that came near me.
It's not just these intense bursts of stress that effect us this way. Lower levels of chronic stress can be even worse. Most people have regular sources of stress in their lives. And if you're living with HIV, that's certainly a source of chronic stress.
The Toll of Stress
Stress is any physical, chemical or emotional situation that causes tension or strain and that requires our body or mind to compensate in order to maintain internal balance and harmony. Confronting HIV is a constant physical stress on your immune system. If you are taking medications, that's a constant chemical stress. And for many, the emotional strain of living with HIV may include strained family relationships, trying to keep your HIV status a secret at work, or dealing with feelings of guilt, anger or depression.
All these types of stress can induce the "fight or flight" response. The body recognizes stress as a signal to prepare for action. The adrenal glands secrete the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, and these stress hormones flood the body. Heart rate and blood pressure rise, respiration quickens, oxygen flows to the muscles, and immune cells prepare to rush to the site of an injury. The blood becomes more acidic. Non-essential functions, like digestion, are put off until later. When the stressful situation has calmed down, another set of adjustments returns the body to a normal state. These biochemical effects are useful for emergency situations; however, in everyday life, fighting or fleeing is not usually an option in the face of a stressful situation. So we endure stressful situations, sustaining doses of adrenaline and cortisol over a long period. As life's challenges come one after the other, our bodies have little chance to recover from the physical effects of this increased level of adrenal hormones. Our bodies lose their ability to maintain critical balance and illness and disease is the result. Healing of all kinds requires a state of rest, which may be impossible with chronic stress.
Your already overworked immune system would really appreciate you giving it some help and support instead of the added challenge of a state of stress. Hopefully, this understanding about stress will inspire you to take some action to reduce the stress or at least counter the effects of stress in your life. Reducing stress and its effects can be best accomplished with a multi-disciplinary approach that involves mind, body and spirit.
Meditation usually comes to mind when people think of stress-reducing techniques. There are many studies to prove its effectiveness not only for stress reduction, but for improved immune system function. There are a variety of types of meditation, but they all involve quieting the mind, giving it a break from the usual ceaseless chatter. Many people say they don't have the time or the inclination to sit and meditate, but you can bring mindfulness to your everyday activity and achieve similar stress-reducing results. What do I mean by this? For example, when walking down the street, instead of letting your mind dwell on all the things you need to do, or replaying unpleasant past events or current fears, bring your attention to the movement of your body. Be aware of each step, the feel of your feet against the pavement, the rhythm of your breathing. Notice the sounds around you, but don't actually listen to them. If you can do this, you should notice a very different calmness when you arrive at your destination. Another similar idea is to bring the same kind of attention to preparing a meal. Focus on the action of the knife cutting the onions and carrots, notice your movements through the kitchen, and again, bring your attention to your breath.
If you can take even five minutes to sit and let go of stress, here's a simple technique that works wonders. Sit comfortably in a chair with a straight spine. Close your eyes and start by noticing your breath. Breathing through your nose, notice its rhythm, and that the air going in is cooler and the air going out is warmer. Then progressively start relaxing each part of your body, working from your feet up. Let each part relax, and let all the energy drain out through your feet, to the floor, and into the earth. When you've finished working your way up to your face and head, notice if there's still an area that feels tension or discomfort. Breathe into it and let it go. Then notice your breath again. He has it changed? Come back to your body by gradually wiggling toes, fingers, feeling your clothes against your body, and then slowly opening your eyes. This quick relaxation meditation will let you release a lot of built up stress. You can ask a friend to guide you through it to keep you focused.
Exercise is one of the best ways to manage pressure and stress. Choosing the correct exercise for a particular type of stress is essential. Group sports are an excellent option for relieving emotional tension, as are weight lifting and martial arts training. These activities help bring a person out of their heads and into their bodies. By contrast, someone suffering more from physical stress should not choose activities that apply more force to the body. For these people, yoga or tai-chi would be more appropriate. Cardiovascular exercise on a regular basis is an important way to keep the heart strong, boost your immune system and release built up stress. Stretching exercises will help release tension and allow for physical relaxation to occur. It's important to take into account your own capabilities when starting an exercise program. You don't want to challenge yourself to the point of adding more stress to your system. Be aware of your energy level and the need for recovery from exercise sessions.
There is something you already do every day that can have a profound impact on countering the effects that stress has on your health and wellbeing ... Eating!
Some commonly consumed items really add to the burden that stress places on our bodies. If you reconsider the relationship between stress and adrenaline, what would you think would be the main thing to try to avoid during times of stress? Yes, caffeine. Caffeine is a non-nutritional source of energy. It gives you energy by stimulating the production of adrenaline. And if you're under stress, the adrenaline in your body is already elevated and creating problems for you. Research has shown that people who consume caffeine may experience an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, feel more stressed and produce more stress hormones (adrenaline). The body needs rest for healing to occur, and with adrenaline pumping through on a continual basis, there isn't much opportunity for a restful state. So, you have to ask yourself, how much stress can you afford to intentionally add to the stress sources you can't control?
The next big target in the battle against stress is sugar and refined carbohydrates. These foods cause a fast rise in blood sugar level, initiating insulin production and resulting in a subsequent drop in blood sugar -- usually to a level below what would be balanced. This hypoglycemic state creates low energy, fatigue and mood swings. The solution becomes more sugar, starting the cycle all over again. These ups and downs in energy are very stressful on a body trying to maintain balance.
Animal foods elevate brain levels of dopamine and norepinephrine -- both are hormones associated with higher levels of stress and anxiety. So eating a lot of these foods creates a condition where your body is even less able to handle the effects of stress. This doesn't mean you need to be vegetarian, but during times of particular stress, it would benefit you to cut way back on the amounts of meat you are eating.
Our nutritional needs increase during times of stress, and food is the key to providing the body with extra reinforcement it needs so that our reserves are not completely depleted during stressful periods.
Most of the food in the typical American diet is also acid-forming. As mentioned, stress also creates an acidic condition, and this is an ideal breeding ground for viruses and bacteria. So one important dietary goal is to have more alkalizing foods to help bring the pH into balance. The foods that are the most alkalizing are fruit and vegetables. So you've probably heard how important it is to eat these, but this is a benefit that is rarely discussed.
Dark green, yellow and orange vegetables and fruits are rich in minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals, which boost immune response and protect against disease. They replace the minerals that are depleted from the body by stress. Other alkalizing foods include sea vegetables, miso, tamari, sea salt.
Protein and mineral rich foods are important in dealing with stress. Vegetable proteins from whole grains and beans, sea vegetables, fish, and organic eggs are beneficial choices.
Whole grains also promote the production of the brain neurotransmitter seratonin, which increases your sense of wellbeing. A bowl of oatmeal or other whole grains for breakfast gives you a calm energy to get your day off to a great start. A carbohydrate snack will activate soothing serotonin about 20 minutes after being eaten. This is why people under stress are drawn to sugar. But this creates more problems than solution.
Magnesium is beneficial for relaxing the muscles and is calming to the body-sources are whole grains, beans, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Chocolate happens to be a good magnesium source; however, most chocolate contains many other harmful ingredients. Look for high quality, dark chocolate to satisfy that occasional craving.
Other Helpful Solutions
Just drinking more water can have enormous benefit. Most people are in a constant state of mild dehydration, which is stressful to the whole system. Water helps to neutralize an acidic condition, and it makes everything work better, especially the kidneys, a primary organ responsible for eliminating harmful wastes and toxins from the body.
Herbal teas such as chamomile can be very relaxing. Having a cup after a meal can also help greatly with reducing the craving for dessert.
Chewing food fully makes the food more alkalizing and starts the digestive process, aiding in proper assimilation of nutrients. Eating on the run strains your digestive system and contributes to stress. Conscious chewing forces you to slow down, pay more attention to what you are eating, be in the moment. So, sit down and take time to chew and enjoy a good nourishing meal.
Life will always present stressful situations for you to cope with. Being HIV-positive is a lifelong challenge that can best be faced if you can prepare your body and mind to better handle the stress, recover more effectively, and hopefully prevent the harmful effects. You can make a difference to your health through the choices you make every day.
Gary Rosard is a certified Holistic Health Counselor with offices in Manhattan and South Orange, NJ. He offers nutrition and lifestyle counseling in a supportive, caring way that focuses on the whole person, not just the symptoms. Visit his Website at www.healthworks.cc or call (917) 494-9574 to discuss your health concerns.


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From search engines to social networks, people around the globe mostly use electronic devices for three primary purposes: relationship building/maintaining, information gathering and entertainment viewing. In fact, more than six-in-10 global respondents in Nielsen's Global Digital Landscape Survey say they currently use electronic devices to connect with family and friends (65%), get news (63%), listen to music (63%) and/or take pictures/videos (61%). But what does the future use of electronic devices look like, and where are the best opportunities for growth?
By gauging respondents' willingness to use an electronic device for 14 unique activities, four common areas of interest rise to the top around the globe.
The recent Global Digital Landscape report also discusses:
For more detail and insight, download Nielsen's Global Digital Landscape Report.
The findings in this survey are based on respondents with online access across 60 countries. While an online survey methodology allows for tremendous scale and global reach, it provides a perspective only on the habits of existing Internet users, not total populations. In developing markets where online penetration has not reached majority potential, audiences may be younger and more affluent than the general population of that country. Additionally, survey responses are based on claimed behavior, rather than actual metered data.


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Blackhawks' turn to respond after Game 2 lossby Staff Writer / Chicago Blackhawks
CHICAGO -- The Detroit Red Wings needed a performance like the one they put on the ice Saturday at United Center.
After talking about their tired legs following a series-opening loss to the rival Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Wednesday, the Red Wings needed to come out skating fast, hitting hard and putting on offensive pressure in waves.
That's exactly what they did. The Red Wings evened the best-of-7 series 1-1 with a 4-1 win, seized home-ice advantage for the remaining five games, and gave the Blackhawks their first loss on home ice in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Now it's up to the Blackhawks to respond.
"They have the momentum right now, so we've got to get it back somehow," Chicago forward Patrick Kane said. "That starts with maybe letting this one slip behind us and getting ready for the next one. That's what we'll try to do and try to have a good start to Game 3."
That would be Monday in Detroit (7:30 p.m., NBCSN, CBC, RDS).
Kane's first goal of this postseason, at 14:05 of the first period -- his second in 20 playoff games since scoring the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in overtime of Game 6 of the 2010 Final -- but Detroit's relentless push washed away that 1-0 lead in impressive fashion.
The Red Wings scored twice in each of the final two periods and snapped an eight-game losing streak against Chicago, including regular-season meetings from the past two seasons. They sent a message Saturday, responding in kind to what the Blackhawks did in Game 1, and backed up their vow to be much better than they were Wednesday.
This time, it was Chicago's turn to talk tough about the next game.
"I wouldn't say it's a wake-up call," Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "I think we know exactly what we need to improve on and do it right away. There's no time to waste in the series and we know going into their building it's going to be even more difficult than it was today. So, turn the page and make sure we're better in Game 3."
The bar wasn't set too high by their Game 2 showing.
The Blackhawks were outshot 30-20, gave the puck away seven times and -- like the Red Wings in Game 1 -- struggled to get out of their zone and through the neutral zone on the attack. After the first 10 minutes, which was Chicago's best sequence, Detroit's suffocating defense made it tough to get any offensive flow going.
Toews, in particular, was hounded by Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg, who picked up the physicality on his counterpart captain from the Blackhawks. Not long before Zetterberg found Brendan Smith with a pretty feed for Detroit's second goal late in the second period, Zetterberg knocked down Toews from behind in front of the Red Wings' net -- clipping the back of his helmet with his stick -- then gave him another shot to the back to prevent him from getting up.
No penalty was called, and Toews said he wasn't happy with the lack of penalties in response to Detroit's increased physicality. However, he also seemed to realize it's up to Chicago to fight through it.
"They were just better prepared to play," Toews said. "They were tougher on the puck and there was a lot of hooking and holding. You couldn't really go out there and skate with the puck. We've just got to be scrappier. We've got to find a way to get through that stuff and find our way to the net. We weren't really battling for position out there."
That started to happen a little more in the third period, but by then it was too late. The Red Wings already had inflicted too much damage, and all that remained was breaking down what went wrong before Game 3.
"They controlled the puck a lot and we didn't," Kane said. "They kind of used our own game against us, playing puck possession, keeping it in [our end], and we were chasing it all game."
The Blackhawks will practice at United Center on Sunday then fly to Detroit, intent on taking back both home-ice advantage and momentum. They also are preparing for the series to be long and difficult, if that's what it takes to advance.
"It's one game," Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook said. "I mean, we're not happy. We're [ticked] off about [Game 2], but at the end of the day it's one game and both teams would be stupid if they thought they were going to come in here and either team was going to win four straight. It's a series we knew was going to be a battle."
Author: Brian Hedger | NHL.com Correspondent


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Eating well after treatment
Eating well is important for everyone, including cancer survivors. Eating well will help your recovery by allowing your body to regain strength and rebuild healthy cells. It will also help you feel better overall and help you get back to your usual activities.
It's also important for cancer survivors to eat well because they may be at increased risk for other health conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis (weakening of the bones). Healthy eating and maintaining a healthy body weight can lower your risk of these and other conditions, including the risk of developing some types of cancer.
Many people wonder if changing the way that they eat can prevent cancer from returning, such as eating vegetarian or cutting out all red meat. For now, research hasn't answered this question. But we do know that eating well can help prevent some cancers from developing in the first place.
- Check with your healthcare team about any food or diet restrictions that you may need to continue after treatment.
- Talk to a registered dietitian for tips on how to create a nutritious, balanced eating plan or if you need to follow special guidelines.
- If you lost too much weight during your cancer treatment, you may need extra calories and protein in your diet until you reach a healthy weight again.
- Discuss alternative diets that restrict or make promises about a certain food with your healthcare team.
- Don't try to make dietary changes all at once, but slowly work back into your usual eating pattern.
- Try to include healthy foods and eating habits as part of your daily routine. Canada's Food Guide can help you make healthy food choices.
Vitamin or mineral supplements
The best way to get vitamins or minerals is to eat a well-balanced diet, which usually provides enough of the recommended amounts you need to stay healthy.
Taking a regular-strength multivitamin and mineral supplement for your age group every day is usually okay, but check with your healthcare team just to be sure.
Making progress in the cancer fight
The 5-year cancer survival rate has increased from 25% in the 1940s to 60% today.


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Savor Bristol Bay Week in Seattle: July 4-10
It's almost summer time and with summer comes fresh wild salmon to restaurants, seafood markets and backyard BBQ's! In the Pacific Northwest we are savvy to the fact that not all salmon taste the same. Depending on their species, what the fish were feeding on and the river run that the salmon are a part of each fish will vary slightly and have its own unique taste profile. This gives many reasons to serve a variety of sustainably caught wild salmon from the waters of Washington, Oregon and Alaska.
Slow Food Seattle is partnering with Trout Unlimited to celebrate our nation's largest wild salmon fishery during Savor Bristol Bay Week: July 4-10.
Bristol Bay's salmon and story are coming back to the Northwest during the peak of the fishing season. Each day more chefs from our Slow Food Seattle Restaurants are saying "Yes" to featuring Bristol Bay salmon on their menus during Savor Bristol Bay Week. In the July Slow Food newsletter we'll provide a list of places you can go to "Vote with Your Fork" for Bristol Bay.
We are planning a number of events in the Seattle area so you can be a part of the celebration. Four events are planned for the Savor Bristol Bay week:
Tuesday, July 6 & Thursday, July 8 - Two free screenings of the award winning documentary RED GOLD at Roy Street Coffee, both showings will be at 7:30pm.
Wednesday, July 7 - Wild Salmon cooking class and dinner with Chef Becky Selengut at Edmonds PCC, 6:30pm to 9pm. Come Savor Bristol Bay and learn new ways to prepare Bristol Bay salmon at home as well as information about Bristol Bay's salmon fishery and the things that make it so unique. (Tickets here; RSVP details on Facebook). On the menu: Quinoa cakes with wok-smoked king salmon and herbs; Bristol Bay salmon with watercress soup, chile oil and croutons; Slow cooked sockeye salmon with Columbia Valley red wine sauce and braised fennel.
Until July brings us the opening of Bristol Bay salmon season, you can learn more about this amazing place and wild salmon fishery from Trout Unlimited's online sources:
WhyWild is part of Trout Unlimited's Pacific Salmon Program with the purpose to educate and engage the salmon marketplace in Trout Unlimited's wild salmon and steelhead conservation efforts from California through Alaska. From fish facts to what wine to serve when you "eat it to save it" you can find it all things wild salmon on this website!
Save Bristol Bay – This Trout Unlimited website will give you an overview of Bristol Bay – the place, the people, the environment and the issues – all presented with beautiful images that inspire and move you to learn more about the incredible Bristol Bay watershed and how to preserve it for future generation of both people and animals.