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Tips For Driving A Rental Car In The Rain

Although the rest of the country may be dry in winter, we all know when it rains it pours in the Western and Northern Cape. We also know that driving in the rain can be dangerous and quite disastrous. Moreover, we understand that driving an unfamiliar rental car is not just infuriating, but perilous as well. However, if you were to drive in such inclement weather conditions, here are a few tips to help you prevent accidents caused by rainy climate. Who knows? You might even save yourself from having to pay car hire damages.

The road is slippery:

Without a doubt, the roadway you'll be driving on will be slippery, and the biggest issue with driving in the storm: is traction. Traction mostly occurs when the pavement is wet and develops a firm slick surface which causes tyres to lose grip, making it difficult to stop quickly. Should your rental car slip or hydroplane, it is advisable that you avoid abruptly stepping on the brakes as this can spin your car. Instead, firmly grip your steering wheel and slow down.

By all means, avoid using cruise control.

Don't drive through puddles:

It's storming, so chances of coming across a huge puddle in the roadway are high. You might have an impulse to drive through it. Please, resist that urge. The danger here: that water could be hiding a gigantic pothole. Even more hazardous: water splashing up into the car's engine compartment could damage the electrical system. You don't want to damage a hired car, right? Right.

Your headlights must be on:

Turning your lights on will not only assist you see the road clearer, but it will also help other drivers see you. But, you must try to avoid turning on the high beams as they can actually obscure your vision further. If you're driving a car equipped with fog lights, try to flip them on. The low light from these headlamps may help upsurge your visibility in the rain.

Keep at a distance:

When it's raining it takes longer to have control over the car. You won't be able to stop, brake or turn as quickly. The other vehicles on the road won't as well. So driving slower and keeping a distance between you and other drivers is crucial.

If you can, keep your tyres and steering ranged with the car driving in front of you. Why? Because, the car in front of you is shifting and pushing water away, clearing the roadway, while, it creates a better driving surface for you.

Avoid driving next to big cars:

Trucks and buses make big water splashes that can hit your windshield and briefly block your sight.

Driving on a muddy road:

Now, you've ventured from the wet tarred roads of the city, into the mud-coated country roads. In this case, two things may happen: you might get through it without an incident, or you may get stuck.

One thing is guaranteed though, you will skid. But, don't hit the brakes. Be aware of where your front wheels are pointing. Drive slowly. Driving slowly will decelerate your vehicle, and ensure you gain traction. Once you're in control of the rental car again, keep going.

What if you get stuck? Keep a steady pressure on the gas pedal. Press your accelerator. Doing so will create a light wheel spin, which will whirl the mud from the tread, giving the tyres a grip again. If that doesn't work, turn the steering wheel back and forth. Moving the wheels, may allow the tread a chance to gain enough grasp to keep your car moving.

Should your car be unable to move forward, try to throw the transmission into reverse. Chances are: you might return to a dry roadway. Slowly ease onto the accelerator, and hopefully, out of the mud. Once you're out - before resuming to normal speed, give the tyres a chance to kick the sludge out of the tread.

Clean the rental car:

You don't want to pay for car rental damages! So clean the car, because mud holds moisture against metal, which leads to rust and corrosion. Dried mud on a drive shaft, may throw it out of alignment and cause damage.

Things to Be Considered While a Choosing Payday Loan

A payday loan is a short term loan that is often used to cover up unexpected expenses and it is paid into your bank account directly. In order to apply for this type of fund, it is vital that you should fill up the application form properly and that you should fill up a few other forms as well. If you follow this type of online application procedure, it is vital that you only have to spend a few minutes for this purpose. Once it is approved, there is possibility that the total amount of money will be deposited directly into your bank account. For this type of application process, all you have to do is to write your bank account number as well as Social Security Number on the application form. Here are a few things that you should consider before you apply for this type of fund as quickly as possible.

The first step that you should follow is to contact at least four or five lenders and that you should ask them to provide price estimates as quickly as possible. It is vital to remember that they all may provide different types of price quotes and it is important that you should choose someone who offers a price rate that suits your requirement. Plus, you may ask him if you have to pay anything extra at any point of time.

When you look out for this type of fund, the thing that you should follow is to gather knowledge about its repayments terms. Repayment is the exact time that is allowed to the borrowers to repay the loan successfully. It is vital that you should be able to repay it within the prescribed period of time and it is also important to note that you may also have to face a penalty if you can not repay it within that period of time.

However, there are a few lenders who allow you to extend that period of time up to six months. Therefore, the next step that you should follow is to ask about the necessary action that he should adopt if you do not have an adequate amount of money to repay it within the stipulated period of time. All you have to do is to apply for an extension at least two days before your scheduled date of loan repayment. It is vital that he should give you this kind of facility. He may ask you to pay the interest rate within the stipulated period time and he may also encourage you to repay the rest of the amount as quickly as possible.

Your next step is to find out the details of repayment terms as much as you can. All you have to do is to ask him about the exact date within which you have to pay off this kind of fund as soon as possible. It is important to remember that you will not be charged a penalty if you pack back this kind of fund prior to the specified period of time.

It is vital that you should find out the details of customer support that is offered by him. It is advisable that you should choose someone that provides excellent customer service and that listens to your problem whenever you approach it at any point of time.

The final step that you should follow is to contact your local business bureau as quickly as possible and that you should find out if there is any kind of complaint being launched against him at any point of time. Plus, you should also check out if there is any sort of negative review or comment being written by the customer on any social networking site at any point of time.

Better Mileage, Greater Efficiency With Aerodynamic Cars

With the rising market prices of oil getting higher and higher it really is a good idea to start cutting the costs you spend for gas. There are a number of ways to do this but what will be discussed here is your car's aerodynamics. Aerodynamic cars achieve better mileage and efficiency, so optimizing your car to be aerodynamic means saving gas money in the long run.

It is said that for highway driving conditions about 15% -20% of the total energy required to push you car along the highway is used up by the driveline. If you do not know what a driveline is then it's time you know that it is the drive shaft; it transmits rotational power from the transmission to the differential. Moving on, it is said that about 25% -30% of the same energy used to move your car down a highway is wasted by tire rolling resistance. It's also said that 60% of that same energy is wasted by air drag. This means that the friction produced by your car as it hits air slows it down, causing your car to use up more fuel in order to maintain your speed. However, aerodynamic cars do not have a problem with air drag along its hull; this means that these cars can save more fuel.

Optimizing the aerodynamic of your car is not rocket science. However, there are some aspects of this science that are applied to the way rockets are designed. Even the US military, air force, and navy are inventing ways and designing tanks, planes, and ships to become more aerodynamic, because they too recognize the potential efficiency that aerodynamics can achieve. It is only natural that the automobile industry will also soon catch up with its own aerodynamic cars. Even today, cars are getting smaller and sleeker. It is part of their design to reduce the air drag. Almost every part of the car is designed to be as efficient as possible.

To those of you who feel that it is not yet time to trade up your old car for one of those new aerodynamic cars, here are some ways to optimize you car for better efficiency and mileage. One good way to reduce air drag is by lowering the car. Lowering your car reduces the effective frontal area. This means that as your car passes through air it will be like a warm knife cutting through butter instead of a chopstick cutting through butter. However, caution has to be kept in mind as this can work only to a certain point and it is not safe to have a very low car. Another way to improve efficiency is by cleaning up the front of the car. This means that to have a smoother front can greatly improve your car aerodynamics and grant better efficiency. There are a lot of other ways to improve your cars aerodynamics but these two are the easiest and cheapest to do.

Father's Day Luxury Gift Giving Ideas

Prepare for Father's Day this Sunday, June 17th, 2012 by getting a thought and personalized gift ahead of time. Avoid the last minute stress of searching for the right gift for your dad by shopping now - buying a Father's Day gift with plenty of time allows you the freedom to be really creative and thoughtful in your gift giving. We specialize in supplying high end gifts and hope to provide insight for you into how to make some of our favorite men's gifts personal to your dad.

1. L'Objet Crocodile Leather Picture Frame
For a sentimental gift with a personalized element, browse the crocodile leather picture frames from L'Objet. Your dad will love placing this designer frame in his office or room - not only does it exude luxury, but it will remind him of his loving children. We love the idea of ​​including a black-and-white photo of the two of you from childhood; the black-and-white augments the nostalgia and looks classy and timeless.


2. King Baby Lion's Head Ring
For a less traditional gift for possibly a more edgy dad, look to the King Baby Studio rings, like this Lion's Head Ring. The King Baby Studio Lion's Head Ring is one of the more popular rings from this designer - the handcrafted sterling silver ring embodies both high quality materials and rebellious images of a lion. It's chunky, masculine and trendy, a great gift for dads.


3. MacKenzie-Childs Magazine Bin
MacKenzie-Childs latest collection of business gifts will have his office or den dressed for success. Look to this masculine & stylish Courtly Checked magazine bin to keep his favorite reads organized. This sturdy magazine bin from MacKenzie-Childs is perfect for the number 1 man in your life - place it in the mud room, office or living room and he can toss magazines, books and other items into one, organized place. You can trust the quality and craftsmanship that are central to the MacKenzie-Childs name but do not fret about the girly, romantic themes typical to the MacKenzie-Childs furniture or serveware. Include a subscription to a manly magazine to further personalize this gift for your father.


4. Michael Aram Carving Board
If your dad is an entertainer, enjoys cooking or simply enjoys fine cuisine, think about getting him a food-oriented gift. This carving board made from oxidized Acacia Wood is a gorgeous, and manly, option for any dinner party or special occasion. With this Michael Aram carving board, your dad can carve and serve the meat on the same place. Add a Michael Aram meat fork as a finishing touch. Perfect for the grill master in your life.


5. GG Collection Memo Note Holder
A memo note holder from the GG office collection is the perfect gift for a career-minded man. Whether he works from a home office or the corner office, this gorgeous and high-end memo holder will daily serve as a reminder of his loving gift-giver. To better personalize this gift, you can include customized sticky notes or memo pads with his name or initials - or a cute memo! Go the extra mile and combine this GG Collection memo holder with some of the other designer desk accessories- like a stacked document tray, letter holder or desk blotter.

Use your creativity and intuition to take each of these ideal Father's day gifts and make them special for your own Dad.

Promotional Products Startup Guide For New Companies

If you have either bought or are starting a new business from the ground up, one of your most immediate needs is to establish your brand in the market place as soon as possible. Certainly one of the best and most cost effective ways to accomplish this is with the help of promotional products. However, I am not writing this article to convince you of the importance of using promotional products but rather to help you with the process of implementing this type of marketing approach. In this article, I will be discussing a kind of mental checklist that will be necessary to help make this process go much more smoothly for you. Keep in mind that I will be providing you a general rather than a comprehensive guide to the ordering process as with more than 850,000 promotional products and growing in our industry I could not in this small article cover all the necessary guidelines for ordering each product. Nevertheless, I will address some of the key considerations that will help you in the selection and ordering process for most promotional products.

One of the first areas in this process you must address is to come up with a budget. Your thinking here should be first to come up with a total budget and then to break that total budget into segments which should include a price range for each promotional product you want to order. Don't forget to compensate for costs other than the actual product in your budget such as shipping, taxes, and any fulfillment costs that might be incurred in delivering or packaging the promotional item. As part of this budgetary process you will want to decide on how many different types of promotional items you will want to purchase. Once you have decided on how many promotional products you will be using in your marketing effort, you will need to figure out how many of each individual item you will want to order. This really then becomes more of a mathematical function of how many promotional items you will be ordering and how much you have budgeted for the entire promotional product program.

With the financial aspect of the promotional product program figured out your thought process should move to the marketing aspects so you can then zero in on the precise products that will accomplish your branding mission. This is where you need to begin to ask yourself some important questions. It is through the questioning process that you will define your entire approach to getting the appropriate and most effective promotional product and still stay within your budget. Questions such as: who will you be targeting with these promotional products? What is the message and impression you want the product to convey to the person receiving it? Where will the promotional product be given out? Although I can think of many more questions that I as a professional would ask to better define your goals lets limit it to these three very important questions for now. Let's briefly discuss the first question: who will the products be given to? Actually this question can best be answered by asking and answering a series of other questions like: will the products be given to current customers or prospects? Will the products be given to men, women or children? What position does the recipient hold in an organization? These are just a few questions you will need to ask yourself in defining your target and thus determining an appropriate and effective promotional product. With regards to the second major question I presented concerning the message and impression you want to convey to your customer, you will need to examine why you are giving the promotional product out in the first place. Do you want to give the promotional product out to create awareness of a new product or service your company is introducing? Perhaps, you want to use it to directly boost sales and give it as a gift with purchase which we call a premium in the industry. There are many ways to help your business grow with the help of promotional products, in fact, to many to mention here in this article. But the way to find out how you can best use them is by questioning and understanding your own company's needs. Finally, the last major question involves the logistics and the distribution of the promotional products. For example, where will the promotional products be given out? Will your sales people be giving out the promotional product during sales calls or maybe at a tradeshow? Maybe your company will be hosting a seminar and hand some products out there. Still another possibility would involve mailing out products to customers such as gifts acknowledging their support and creating good will and loyalty to your company and brand. However you choose to get the product to your marketing target distribution and logistics should be an important consideration in your decision to purchase certain promotional products.

Having touched on the marketing aspect of choosing to promote your brand with promotional products, it is now time to turn your attention to what essentially is the nuts and bolts part of the actual ordering process. This part of your marketing efforts involves specific choices that you will have to make regarding each product most of which have their own unique characteristics. Once you actually decide on a promotional product, things like size, color, specific features, and options available for that product should be thought out. You will then need to decide how you want to customize the product. Things like the number of ink colors you will want to imprint on an item, how many sides on a product will be imprinted and in the case of an embroidered product the size and location of the embroidery will come into play. Finally,you will need to make sure that you have your artwork done by a graphics professional who can put it in the proper format to submit for actual production. Although there are many products and possibilities for the creative and effective use of promotional products, with a little thought on your part the basic guidelines I have outlined in this article will provide you with a good starting agenda. Of course, a top professional promotional product supplier with extensive experience and the technology necessary can help and fill in the important missing gaps and take you the rest of the way to successfully completing your marketing mission.

Marine Grade Boat Carpet Vs Outdoor Carpeting

When it comes time to replace your boat's carpet, the most common question consumers have is "What is the difference between marine grade boat carpeting and the outdoor carpeting offered at local carpet and hardware stores?"

Though there are many similarities, and the look or feel is very similar, there are many key features which make these two carpet styles very different. These specific features are the determining factors of how long your new carpeting lasts. Not only will marine grade carpeting last longer, but it will also maintain its look and feel under the harsh marine elements for years to come.

Marine Grade Boat Carpet Features:

• Rubber Backed







• Ravel Resistant







• Fade/UV Resistant







• Stain Resistant







• Mold/Mildew Resistant







• Rot Resistant







• Weather-proof







• Polypropylene Yarn







• Non-Flammable







• 3 Year Warranty







• Porous Backing for Quick Drying

Though some of these features may also be found in standard outdoor carpet, you will notice one major difference. The one key factor which makes these two styles of carpet so different is the carpet's rubber backing. Marine grade boat carpet has a true rubber backing which the polypropylene UV resistant yarn is directly woven into. This enables the carpet to be breathable, making it resistant to moisture which causes mold, mildew, and rot overtime. Due to constant exposure of your boat's carpet to the harsh marine environment, the above features are crucial to look for when searching for replacement carpeting for your boat. Many carpeting suppliers and stores will endorse their outdoor carpet for replacement on boats, but the fact of the matter is when boat manufacturers are installing carpeting, they always use marine grade carpeting.

There are many reasons why you shouldn't use the outdoor carpeting you find a local carpet and hardware stores. What you will find with almost all outdoor carpeting is that it has an indoor carpet backing with rubber applied to it. This primary backing is a woven or non-woven fabric in which the yarn is inserted by tufting needles. After the yarn is inserted, a secondary backing that consists of another fabric is laminated onto the primary backing to increase its dimensional stability. Due to these organic and fibrous backings, it is almost certain that deterioration will happen quickly with any marine application. Not only will these backings deteriorate, but the threading will disassemble from the rubber applied to its backing. With the carpet having multiple backings it creates breathability issues, resulting in excess moisture underneath the carpet causing sever mold and mildew damage. In most cases not only will the carpet disassemble, but it will also cause future issues with the wood flooring and decking of the boat. Overall outdoor carpet may be a cheaper and more convenient solution, but in the long run it may turn into a much more costly project.

When the time comes to replace your boat's carpet, make sure you look for the recommended replacement marine grade carpet, manufactured to handle the harsh marine environments and abuse. Not only will it look better and last longer, but it will protect your investment.