The Lucky Cabin

This is the second part of the first impressions of the remaining seven housemates as the first week of Big Brother 7 draws to a close.

Glyn Wise
Win Odds: 33/1
Fervent Welshman Glyn is also up for the first eviction and still Dons the red shorts he wore on opening night as he has not been given his suitcase. Like Bonnie, Glyn is very quiet and early indications suggest he is another example of terrible miscasting. However, being a man, he will survive the first eviction at the expense of a female opponent, i.e. Bonnie, and will treat the nation to his emaciated body for another week at least.

Grace Short
Win Odds: 22/1
Grace, who admitted “the fame would be nice” before entering the house would not be undone by the Imogen / Sezer pairing and, spying a glossy magazine deal of her own, soon latched on to Mikey and shared a kiss on day six. Other than that, she has done little in the house thus far, but is unlikely to be voted out any time soon.

Sezer Yurtseven
Win Odds: 22/1
Sezer would like to think he is more popular than he actually is, but he may get a shock should he be put up for eviction. He is looking at house survival from a “safety in numbers” perspective and has formed an alliance with love interest Imogen, George and the pairing of Mikey and Grace, using their London social lives as a basis for common ground. He is battling for the role of alpha male in the house but could find himself come unstuck, as Maxwell did in last year’s show.

Lea Walker
Win Odds: 40/1
Lea has adopted the role of “mother” in the house but is another housemate who could find themselves up for eviction sooner rather than later. She hasn’t done anything to upset the other housemates and has fought their corner when Shabaz was acting appallingly during his short stay. However, she has not formed any real alliances and may find herself picked off within the next few weeks.

Bonnie Holt
Win Odds: 66/1
Bonnie (or “Bonneh” as she pronounces it) has done very little to justify her “chatterbox” personality since entering the house and is red hot favourite for the first eviction. Bonnie has melted in to the background and has been hardly noticeable on the highlights shows bar a few harsh words for Shabaz and moaning to Big Brother about not receiving her suitcase. This Rosie Webster look-a-like is like a fish out of water away from her native Loughborough and is one of several horribly miscast house mate members this series. Gone on Friday and won’t be missed.

Dawn Blake
Dawn was ejected from the Big Brother house after eight days but threatened to leave on her own accord shortly after Shabaz walked on day six. She was officially expelled from the house due to receiving “coded communication” from the outside world but was not a particularly popular housemate in any case. She was accused by Nikki, although not to her face, of stinking out everyone elses clothes with her body odour due to not showering for four days.

Shabaz Chauhdry
Shabaz was another example of dreadful miscasting. The producers were hoping for an older, more extreme version of last year’s Kemal, but what they got instead was a mentally deranged idiot who couldn’t cope with living and interacting with other people. He lasted six days before leaving of his own accord and won’t be missed in the slightest.

David Walker runs free Big Brother bets and Grace Short websites. Updated Big Brother 7 articles are available at both of these websites.

When my old Olympus digital camera got broke while caving during a family camping trip, I had mixed feelings. For quite some time I had felt that the quality of some of my pictures was hampered by the limitations of that camera, but I did not look forward to spending the money on a new one.

The old camera wasn’t bad, but there were certain situations where it was difficult to get good pictures with it. When taking pictures at my son’s basketball games, for example, the camera would slow the shutter down to try to improve the exposure, and this would cause the fast-moving players to just look like a blur. The flash was of no help, because it didn’t work well from that distance. All I could do was change the ISO sensitiviy, and that made the pictures grainy. Also, the camera was slow, so I’d often miss a good picture by about half a second. At football games, I had another problem; the players were just so far away that the camera’s zoom wasn’t enough.

For a while, I tried using my old Yashica 35 mm film camera. I even bought a fairly large telephoto lens off ebay and managed to get some really nice football pictures that way. Unfortunately, though, I found that I wasn’t saving any money by not buying a new digital as the photo processing was so expensive, especially by the time I added the extra cost of asking for cd’s. Also, the Yashica had a manual focus, which allowed maximum control, but sometimes I wasn’t quick enough with the focus and the shot was spoiled. Worst of all, since I couldn’t see the pictures until I’d paid for the processing, a couple of times I found that there were few if any good shots on an entire roll. With digital, I would have simply taken a lot more shots and deleted the bad ones.

So, finally I decided I needed a new digital, but I was spoiled by the control that the Yashica gave me. Simple point-and-shoot was not good enough. I wanted a camera with good optical zoom (digital zoom is just a marketing gimic) that would give me the ability to take control of more of the camera’s features. I also wanted a camera with a quality lens (an oft overlooked feature in consumer cameras), but I did not want to spend a lot of money. I finally settled on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 3MP Digital Camera with 12x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom.

Everybody looking at digital cameras seem to look mainly at MP (megapixels), but 3MP is good enough for photo quality 8X10’s if you don’t do a lot of cropping and enlarging. So, that’s a great area for potential cost savings. Personally, I’d rather spend my money on features that will actually help me take better pictures, not just bigger ones. And the Lumix is loaded with such features. Consider also that if you get a higher MP camera, you also need a bigger, more expensive memory card as well.

This camera is admittedly too large to be pocketable, which may be an issue for some people, and if you use the adapter for filters it makes it even more bulky. However, it’s pretty light weight (due largely to the battery type) and I like a camera that fits into the hand nicely instead of feeling like a toy. Also, there is a reason why professionals lug around those big cameras. It’s because they take better pictures… if you know how to use them properly. Most people don’t realize that a telephoto lens is not just for taking pictures of things far away. They are also great for portraits. And for taking pictures of my son’s football games, the more zoom the better.

One of the great thing about this camera for me is that my wife, who wants things to be simple, can use the camera in “simple mode”. So, she can take great pictures of kids birthday parties and such without having to learn all the features of the camera. I have also used the “simple mode” sometimes, but for basketball games and other extreme situations, I have the option of using shutter-priority or manual modes, and have been able to achieve better results. And with the 12X optical zoom, the camera is great for football games too.

I’ve seen postings on the internet where people who have bought digital cameras are wondering why they can’t seem to get good pictures in certain situations. The answer is simple. Most cameras are made for the average user who wants something small and simple. They aren’t made to work well in extreme situations.

In this article, I have described what my needs were when buying my camera. Your needs may be entirely different, and may also change over time (as mine have). However, if you carefully evaluate your individual needs and take into consideration the pros and cons of different cameras before you buy, you will surely avoid some annoying surprises.

The author, Greg Bonney, is the owner of Bonney Information and E-Commerce and founder of Scoutcamping.com (http://www.scoutcamping.com).

Copyright © 2005 Bonney Information and E-Commerce.

Sacrifices have to be made as soon as your result from the pregnancy test proves positive. Bungee jumping stops as of now, cut down on the intake of alcohol and tobacco. It is common sense to follow the rules from all medical advisors which in return will help you to understand the needs of your new unborn child.
By adhering to all advice from your doctor/midwife may help making the birth a pleasant experience.

Women who have mothered broods of babies know what to expect in the delivery room like water off a ducks back to these professionals. But for the first child expectant mother it is a whole new world. Mums to be for the first time will experience either fear/happiness all because of the unknown.

All mother’s have a story to tell about their time in the delivery room and should these tales be told to you in an attempt to ease your fear then all I say is, listen to what you want to hear.

The fear factor is what most first time female species experience in pregnancy, fear of pain being top of the list but in fact having to face the unknown holds a stronger presence in causing unnecessary stress which I hasten to add is, not good for you or your baby. If having babies were so bad why do women go on rising the numbers in family editions.

Women’s needs and wants differ greatly in pregnancy, you will find some enjoy the whole nine month cycle very fulfilling where as others see it as a taboo gaining excess weight/ fear and pain . Things you normally would do before conceiving will have to be approached in a different manner depending on the chore or task because of the new life you are carrying.

Expecting a baby is a doddle nothing changes apart from having a figure like a sumo wrestler and forget any plans of squeezing in and out of tight places. No matter how much you breathe in, it just isn’t happening. Unfortunately there are women who have difficult pregnancies so this is why it is important to listen and heed all medical advice…

There will be times you go off your food and suffer heartburn you may even experience a little back pain, but hey guess what, so do a million other people. Discomfort towards the delivery date is to be expected because we have an infant ready to make his/her grand entrance into the world to meet mummy/daddy. So be prepared for a few kick in the ribs.

Cries of sheer jubilation when it is all over, this is when cradling your new born in your arms you know it was all worthwhile.

A few tears may flow before the birth when labour kicks in with pain pangs coming every two to three minutes. Labour pains can only be explained in comparison with severe stomach cramps.

The magical potion to put a stop to labour pains is the actual birth.

Some women sail through the actual birth but for those who need help in dealing with the discomfort there are pain killing antidotes… Bringing an infant into the world can be a fabulous experience; but because women carry babies differently there are choices and options for delicate procedures in the delivery room on how matters are conducted in theatre.

Regardless of the mother’s personality delicate/rough the end result is the same, a bouncing baby boy/girl and if lucky one of each.
Listen to all medical advice given then that way you have a 100% chance of having a perfectly healthy baby.

Women who stuck by the rules and still lost a child then all I can say is that your little boy/girl must have been a very special baby for the lord to have chosen for his angel.

Want whats best for your children, give them a head start in life. Check out this site with proven results, without an education you are depriving the kids of a chance in life. www.allaboutonlineeducation.com

Landlords and rehabbers take notice - you may soon be focused on the new concepts of “Virtual Real Estate Investing“. What is meant by “Virtual Real Estate Investing” ranges from online games like SecondLife (where real profit can be made) to the use of internet technologies to make normal real estate investors more profitable.

To separate fact from fiction, I asked Bryan Ellis for comments. He’s the man many consider to be the father of this new form of investing.

When I began using the term virtual real estate investing in the late 1990s, I did so because I saw clear parallels between the strategies used for profiting from physical real estate and those that would create income in the online world, said Ellis.

An example of the similar nature of “virtual” and “physical” real estate Bryan Ellis likes to point out is the methods of making a profit from domain names compared to physical real estate. He points out that control of a domain name or even a specific web page is much like controlling a real estate property ” those assets can be monetized in similar ways: By selling them for a profit, by leasing them, by offering advertising, etc.

The similarities really are obvious. Consider this: If you own a piece of real estate in a desirable neighborhood, your real estate has value because other people are interested in that location. Similarly, ownership of a desirable domain name is valuable for the same reasons. Regardless of the type of asset, you can sell or lease or use any number of strategies to turn the assets into cash.

In our next installment of this series on virtual real estate investing, Bryan Ellis will share the internet analogies to the physical concept of real estate development.

Hordes of gambling buffs should have stumbled upon the phrase “offshore sports betting” recently, though some maybe aren’t totally convinced of what that symbolizes. A foreign betting web site primarily works extraneous to the territory of a distinct nation instead it could be a live gambling site that has all of their file servers inside the borders of a land in which world wide web based betting isn’t at the moment forbidden. Briefly therefore, it is a sports gambling website operating outside the state of the customer. Online sports betting world wide web sites are by and large modulated via three organizations. They are the OSGA (the Offshore Gaming Association), the IGC (Interactive Gaming Council) and the Fidelity Trust Gaming Association FTGA.

UCLA F Mbah a Moute to enter draft

The OSGA are an unbiased watchdog institution that supervises the modern overseas betting industry, they are trying to supply the paying public the ability to swiftly choose good companies to play gambling games on, without having to worry. It tries to assure the concerns of gamblers, additionally they don’t impose any association fees. The OSGA are a well-qualified not to mention impartial third party agency who reveal neutral viewpoints, suggested by your responses, objective analysis, phone calls, prompts and in addition supplies industry information.

The IGC is a non-profit-making organisation. The administration has been established to supply a forum for interested participants to discuss questions and also to boost mutual concerns in the international interactive sports betting trade, to establish trustworthy and dutiful professional standards and practices which enhance customer faith in world wide web based wagering merchandise and benefits, also to work as the sports betting industry’s global strategy defender and in addition the council supplies an info base.

The Interactive Gaming Council have made a reputation for upholding reliability, candor also sincerity thanks to its rigid ideals, and in addition its allure to concerns of exemplary standing. The Interactive Gaming Council regularizes offshore sports gaming via employing a characteristic ten point standard policy instructions and also bills betting business concerns fees for featuring their logo. Discontented gamers can, should they like, disclose any of their problems to the IGC.

The Fidelity Trust Gaming Association was formed in a venture to present a standard which will improve the procedures of internet based sports gambling trading operations. The agency trust that through associating solely with reputable companies, they are able to work out an alliance of the most sportsmanlike and professional offshore gaming operations internationally. So, in summary there are councils which survey the dealings of world wide web based sports gambling and which should hopefully work to ease any uneasiness felt by doubters. On-line gambling sites are totally harmless, since personal data shouldn’t be necessary and the payouts not to mention the betting odds should be exactly as uniform and honest as in your familiar Vegas-style bet. They wipe out travel outlay, but preserve of a casino, however today you are in a position to bet in your house.

Nominated for 39 Emmys, including 4 nominations for Outstanding Drama Series in just six short seasons, Northern Exposure is one of the most unique television shows of its time. Half-drama, half-comedy, the show built itself a large cult following, experiencing widespread critical acclaim as well as viewer popularity. The brainchild of St. Elsewhere creators Joshua Brand and John Falsey, Northern Exposure premiered in July 1990 on CBS, lasting only five years (cancelled in July 1995). But the show’s cutting edge wit and originality have earned it a place among the most hallowed and venerable of TV classics…

Northern Exposure follows the exploits of recent medical school graduate Joel Fleishman (Rob Morrow) who, failing to read the fine print in the government papers accompanying his student loans, is forced to practice medicine for several years in the frozen tundra of Alaska. Even more unsettling is that he’ll be the only doctor in the small logging township of Cicely, a place filled with oddball characters and never short of strange occurrences. The wealthy entrepreneur, ex-NASA astronaut Maurice Minnifield owns Cicely and is determined to turn it into an ideal vacation paradise (with Fleishman being part of his plan). Other notable characters throughout Cicely include beautiful bush pilot (and Fleishman love interest) Maggie O’Connell (Janine Turner), KBHR radio deejay Chris Stevens (John Corbett), aspiring filmmaker Ed Chigliak (Darren E. Burrows), and husband/wife team Holling (John Cullum) and Shelly Vincoeur (Cynthia Geary) who run the local watering hole, The Brick. With its classic “fish out of water” theme, Northern Exposure provides some memorable moments as hero Joel Fleishman learns to appreciate the finer points of rural Alaska…

The Northern Exposure (Season 3) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “The Bumpy Road to Love” in which Maggie learns of Rick’s extensive past of lovers when a statue is commemorated in his honor. Meanwhile, a disagreement hinders Maurice’s pursuit of Officer Semanski and Joel is kidnapped by a reclusive mountain man and his hypochondriac wife… Other notable episodes from Season 3 include “Jules et Joel” in which Joel gets injured, prompting a visit from his twin brother Jules, and “Things Become Extinct” in which Joel experiences feelings of isolation as he searches for other Jews living in Alaska…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Northern Exposure (Season 3) DVD:

Episode 16 (The Bumpy Road to Love) Air Date: 09-23-1991
Episode 17 (Only You) Air Date: 09-30-1991
Episode 18 (Oy Wilderness) Air Date: 10-07-1991
Episode 19 (Animals ‘R’ Us) Air Date: 10-14-1991
Episode 20 (Jules et Joel) Air Date: 10-28-1991
Episode 21 (The Body in Question) Air Date: 11-04-1991
Episode 22 (Roots) Air Date: 11-11-1991
Episode 23 (A-Hunting We Will Go) Air Date: 11-18-1991
Episode 24 (Get Real) Air Date: 12-09-1991
Episode 25 (Seoul Mates) Air Date: 12-16-1991
Episode 26 (Dateline: Cicely) Air Date: 01-06-1992
Episode 27 (Our Tribe) Air Date: 01-13-1992
Episode 28 (Things Become Extinct) Air Date: 01-20-1992
Episode 29 (Burning Down the House) Air Date: 02-03-1992
Episode 30 (Democracy in America) Air Date: 02-24-1992
Episode 31 (Three Amigos) Air Date: 03-02-1992
Episode 32 (Lost and Found) Air Date: 03-09-1992
Episode 33 (My Mother, My Sister) Air Date: 03-16-1992
Episode 34 (Wake Up Call) Air Date: 03-23-1992
Episode 35 (The Final Frontier) Air Date: 04-27-1992
Episode 36 (It Happened in Juneau) Air Date: 05-04-1992
Episode 37 (Our Wedding) Air Date: 05-11-1992
Episode 38 (Cicely) Air Date: 05-18-1992

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Northern Exposure (Season 3) DVD.

If you’re a traveler and a photographer you’re blessed with the opportunity of a lifetime to capture moments in time from throughout the world and allow others to experience the world through your photography. Your adventures will become others dreams and inspiration. Often a particular photograph could make someone want to follow in your footsteps. Just one photograph could trigger the travel bug in someone and the next thing you know, you, the photographer, and enhancing people’s lives through the use of your camera.

Besides the impact travel photography has on others, it’s also very rewarding to the travel photographer. Chances are you would have had a camera on you anyways, so why not apply the creative principles of art photography to help enhance the pictures you take.

How to take the best travel photographs
There are two types of travel photography.

1) The “stand in front of that sweetie” brand and the “spontaneous and interesting” brand. Unfortunately most travel photography falls into the former category. We’ve all seen this type of photographer before, and regrettably most of us are guilty of it as well. We will try and capture the shot of something for no other purpose than to just prove we were there. The result is an often scripted, uncomfortable, predictable and visually boring picture. These types of pictures clog photo albums. Page one; the family in front of a water fountain. Page 2; the family in front of a monument. Page 3; the family in front of a sign that says something only funny to tourist. Congratulations, you’ve taken the same shots, in the same position as thousands and sometimes millions of other people. Let’s now turn our attention to the other brand of travel photography, the spontaneous and interesting brand.

2) with this type of photography you are still free to capture the tourist site and you are still allowed to include yourself in the picture. However, there will be a stark difference in both composition and character engagement. Let’s say for example that you and your family have gone on a kayaking for the day. Some people may line the kayaks up, gear up and stand in front of the kayaks, throw their thumbs in the air and “click”. The picture is taken. When you get home to look at your shot you realize that the picture didn’t capture the peacefulness of kayaking, the calming backdrop of mountains or the scared look on sisters face when she had to duck under a log. You’ve simply captured proof that you’ve been there and done that. A better idea would be to have someone on shore (because you probably don’t want a camera in a kayak unless you’re very skilled), and have them take pictures of the action while its happening. Even if you have to recreate events, it is still better than the scripted and visually boring alternative. Obviously capturing the moment spontaneously is best, but recreation finds itself in second place if that’s the only other option.

Likewise if you’re in Rome and you’d like to get a picture of your friend and the Coliseum all in one, try quickly pulling out your camera while they are looking at the size of the structure and snap a shot of the wonder and curiosity in their eyes. Often this takes some preplanning with however you’re with. You will need to tell them; “Look, when I take out the camera I don’t want you to stop what you’re doing and “say cheese”. Just keep doing what you’re doing because I’m trying to capture our unpredictable and beautiful life as it unfolds”. It may take a couple of times before they stop turning and looking your way, but once you get this down pat as a team, your pictures will turn out much better.

John S
Stare Online Photography School
http://www.starephotography.com

This is more commonly known as ‘cot death’.

This usually occurs in young babies from the ages of one week to two years.

There is no explanation for this despite lots of research being carried out and is a most traumatic time for all concerned.
Research into the subject have found that there are certain preventative measures which can reduce the risk however this does not mean that it can be reduced altogether.

The following is a list of preventative measures

1. Both parents should stop smoking prior to pregnancy

2. Do not let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby

3. Always place your baby on his or her back when placing him or her down to sleep in the cot. Place your baby as near to the foot of his or her cot as you can. This measure prevents the baby being free to wriggle about and being able to move the bedclothes

4. Never place a pillow in the cot and use as firm mattress as possible

5. Never wrap your baby up in bedclothes. Keep your baby’s head uncovered and pull the bedclothes up to shoulder height only

6. Never have too many heavy bedclothes on the bed. Use light sheets and blankets which can be added and removed as necessary

7. Never have the room too hot. Do not place the cot too near to any heat source such as a radiator or fire. Keep the temperature of the room constant

8. Try and keep your baby in the same room as you for the first six months. If this not possible then purchase a baby monitor and carry out regular checks during the night on your baby

Sudden and unexplained infant death syndrome must be investigated by the police.

This adds further distress to the grieving parents as many questions will be asked and also the baby’s bedclothes may be taken away for forensic examination.

There may also be a ‘post mortem’ carried out on the baby to establish the cause of death. When a post mortem is carried out, there may be biological samples taken aswell as parts of the baby’s brain. These samples need to be analysed and the results may take up to six weeks.

Once a post mortem is carried out and a cause of death established, a death certificate will be issued by the pathologist. This certificate will be needed for funeral arrangements to be made. If a cause of death is not established at the post mortem, then the baby will be kept in storage until the results of the samples have been established. After this then the baby will be released and a death certificate published.

Most undertakers have special pricing arrangements for ‘baby deaths’.

Gillian Docherty writes for the Unique baby names, Childhood diseases site, and http://www.top-100-baby-names.name

If you are still unsure about getting the correct exposure, there is a cheap but very effective device called an 18% grey card that can limit your frustration, if used correctly.

When light falls upon a certain object; if the object is too dark your camera or meter will automatically give you an over-exposed reading. This also happens when we take a reading from something that is too

bright - the meter gives us an under-exposed reading.

We need to find a mid-tone object for our meters to read the proper exposure.

Sometimes if we are taking pictures in a high contract scene a mid-tone object is impossible to find. 18 % grey is the mid-tone between pure white and pure black.

An 18% grey card will record the exact light that will touch any object. Start by placing the grey card where you are going to take your reading, point your camera or light meter at the grey card - your meter should read the exact light that falls upon the card.

These cards can be used for all types of photography. If you are taking a portrait place the grey card beside the subjects’ face. This will give you an exact reading and help to capture perfect skin tones.

We don’t need to understand the full science of how this works, but knowing a little doesn’t hurt. All light-meters are calibrated to produce an exposure of 18% The grey card reflects the exact same reading.

This card only costs a few Euro, and most decent camera stores should sell them. The 18% grey card should become an important part of your equipment. The grey card can be used if you shoot with digital or film cameras, and whether you use black and white or colour film.

TJ Tierney. Award winning Irish Landscape Photographer. If you are looking for more tips visit: Photo tips. To view some of his images visit his on-line gallery: Pictures of Ireland.

Should your toddler have ear tubes inserted to help prevent ear infections? The inner ear is full of air and is connected to the outside through the eustachian tube that opens into the back of your mouth. Young children have narrow eustachian tubes that can close and fill with fluid that causes ear pressure and pain. If your doctor sees fluid causing the ear drum to bulge outward, he knows that the eustachian tube is closed and often prescribes antibiotics and a cortisone-type nasal spray. Antihistamines do not open eustachian tubes. Doctors sometimes remove tonsils and adenoids or give allergy injections, but these treatments have an extraordinarily high failure rate.

Since the eustachian tube enlarges as a child grows, the tube usually opens by itself in time and it is rarely necessary to perform surgery. However, if the doctor feels that fluid in the drum can interfere with a child’s hearing or school work or that permanent damage in possible, it is reasonable to relieve this pressure by punching a hole in the ear drum and inserting a tube to keep it open. Research shows that the buildup of fluid in the inner ear is probably caused by inactive cilia, the small hairs that line the eustachian tube and sweep fluid toward the mouth. Erythromycin antibiotics can stimulate the cilia, remove fluid from the inner ear and help to relieve the discomfort.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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