Where driving without due care and attention used to be something of a defence, it is now far more of an offence. Momentary lapses of concentration are no longer an excuse in a court of law, in fact, in some instances; it can be enough to land you in jail.

Organisations such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) have been lobbying for this change in the law for a long time and now different parts of the country have varying levels of punishments for the offences depending on the severity of the results of the careless driving.

What is surprising is that people dont really seem to take driving without due care and attention very seriously. In fact, people seem to side with the offenders and advise them on how to avoid their punishment. In an online forum we found one case where a man was charged for wheel-spinning his car on gravel by going very fast and kicking up lots of dust and gravel. The officer that charged him says in his report that there was a petrol pump nearby and it was open, and so could have caused a large accident and many potential injuries. The question he put on the forum was that if he could prove that the petrol pump was closed would that benefit his case in any way. And surprisingly, dozens of people replied with advice about how to get out of the charge and how to prove that something in the officers report was wrong!

Every year there are thousands of deaths or serious injuries on the roads as a result of negligent driving and we dont really take notice. Tens of thousands of people lose their licences every year because of careless driving, at least temporarily and many of them just turn up back behind the wheel without a valid licence! Even though the people in the surrounding neighbourhood may well know about it, most people will not pull them up on it, and this is what causes most of the motoring offences on our roads.

Though driving without due care and attention is a relatively lower ranking offense when compared to drunk driving or cell phone driving, it still is one of the biggest causes for accidents, and needs to be addressed with greater authority.

I don’t know whether you have ever used a handheld, indoor bug zapper, but I think that they are marvelous. I?m talking about the handheld type that looks like a child’s plastic, toy tennis racquet. They come in two basic kinds. I prefer the rechargeable bug zapper, because batteries end up up costing more than the indoor bug zapper itself, although you could always buy rechargeable batteries, but then they are dear as well.

My wife and I like to spend time in the garden. We meet friends there, dine there and in general loaf about outside, as do most folks about here, when they are not working. What’s more, it?s much cooler outside than inside. A comfortable chair, a few snacks, a cool drink and a book or a companion and life does not get much better. In fact, it’s idyllic.

That is until about six or seven o’clock when the first wave of mosquitoes have judged that the sun’s rays have lost enough strength that they will not evaporate and they come out searching for blood. Some evenings are worse than others, of course. Usually, the mosquitoes are pretty tolerable, especially seeing as I have discovered the indoor bug zapper. (I don’t know why it is referred to as an ?indoor bug zapper?, it is just as effective outdoors as in).

It’s not that I want to kill things, but I find it difficult to have sympathy for mosquitoes. Nevertheless, I do get a certain amount of enjoyment from seeing and hearing mosquitoes and other bugs literally blow up with a flash and a spark as they come into contact with the electric and ground wires of the indoor bug zapper. These electric bug zappers are capable of packing quite a charge, especially if the batteries are new or the pack is wholly charged.

The other day, I found a new use for my handheld, indoor bug zapper. I’ll tell you how it came about. I was in the garden, as normal, and my bug zapper was close at hand as the first squadron of mosquitoes was expected. I had my book in one hand and the bug zapper on my knees, when my wife asked me to go to the store for her. No problem, therefore, I set off on the five minute walk.

I was half-way there when I realized that I had the indoor bug zapper in my hand, but it was not worth taking it home and beginning the journey again. Anyway, on my return trip, I had my small bag of groceries in one hand and the indoor bug zapper in the other, when a local tyrant of a dog came running out of a garden right for me. This has occurred often and, although he has never bitten me yet, it is quite intimidating. He stood there glaring at me with teeth bared and his ‘pack’ of sundry neighborhood pals came out to surround me and join in.

I don’t really know what the best course of action is in this situation. I have tried holding my ground, but the intimidation just goes on and I have tried to keep walking, but he gets worryingly close by on occasion. This time, I unexpectedly lashed out with the indoor bug zapper and just caught him on the snout. Well, I’m not sure whether it hurt him, it did not seem to too much, but it gave him a very nasty shock in more ways than one, I can tell you! He leapt about four feet into the air as if he were on a pogo stick and then ran for all he was worth with all his pals following him. It was very gratifying after six months of aggravation from this dog.

Anyway, I don’t take my indoor bug zapper everywhere with me, but I will in future, if any more local dogs bother me. I know it works a treat. I have seen that one since, but he keeps far away from me and doesn’t utter a sound. I think I would take my indoor bug zapper with me, if I were wandering in an unknown part of town or the park nevertheless.

The electric bug zapper is the best way of clearing the area around you of insects, especially the flying ones such as mosquitoes. The hand held bug killer vaporizes any insect from a mosquito to a gnat instantly on contact with a pleasingly loud, electrical ‘crack’!

However, this does not mean to say that the indoor insect zapper cannot be operated outdoors, so long as it is not raining. It should be handled just like any other high voltage electrical equipment. Keep the hand held bug killer dry and please do not use it when you are standing in water!

Models do vary greatly, but there are basically only two kinds of electric insect killer: the battery operated bug zapper and the rechargeable electric bug killer. Both are equally effective at killing bugs and employ the same principle.

The electric insect killer looks like a ‘junior’ tennis racquet, but with three sets of ’strings’, which are in fact wires. The innermost network of wires becomes live at the push of a button while the other two networks, one on either side, are earths.

When a bug is caught between the wires of the electric bug zapper, it creates a short, which evaporates it instantaneously with a loud crack. The hand held insect zapper will kill other insects too, but they tend to fry rather than explode.

I have been using the rechargeable sort for more than five years and am extremely satisfied with the electric insect killer. In fact, the electric bug zapper has come a long way over the last few years. A fully charged indoor bug killer is strong enough to last for several hundred swipes and will hold it’s charge, when unused, for weeks without any significant discharge.

The rechargeable battery unit will put up with intensive use for the best part of a year, although its ability to hold a charge for several weeks slowly reduces after six or seven months.

The latest indoor insect killer I’ve had has a main on/off switch, an LED that comes on when it is activated (the brightness of this light also indicates the battery’s strength) and an LED that comes on when it is plugged in for recharge.

The instructions say that it should be (re)charged for sixteen hours. I usually put mine on charge over night once or twice every week or two, although the hand held bug zapper shows a marked increase in performance with only a couple of hours charging.

The latest version I’ve used also comes with a strong light called a ‘headlamp’. I have found this very handy when walking in the garden, but I’m unsure whether it’s meant to lure the flies in the dark so that you can zap them if you’re feeling bored or just vindictive, rather like an Anglerfish.

I’ve used the headlamp on my electric bug killer for that too, but the beam uses a lot of battery power. All in all, the hand held insect zapper is a big asset to any outdoor event. The indoor bug zapper is useful to ‘clean out’ your bedroom before retiring; it’s unbeatable for evening mosquitoes and it will clear a lunch table of wasps too.

Have you ever used an indoor bug zapper? If you haven’t, or if you are interested in getting an indoor bug zapper, just click one of the links to our website or blog.

Car maintenance is not an option. Even if you know nothing about how a car works or have no mechanical aptitude whatsoever, there’s a few simple steps you can take to keep your car running in top form. This simple maintenance will save you time and money, as well as making for a safer, better performing vehicle.

–A clean car is a happy car: The outside of your car isnt as important as whats under the hood, but it is still important. In addition to the aesthetic benefits of a clean car theres a number of practical matters it addresses. Keeping your windshield clean inside and out is crucial for safety. Keeping the rest of the car clean prevents rust and corrosion.. And when youre cleaning your car, dont forget.

–Clean the undercarriage of the car: This is especially true if you live anywhere it snows”all of the salt and other gunk your car gets underneath it will rust out your body faster than anything. I dont care how cold it is, you should give your car a good bath at least once a week during the winter, and make sure to get underneath the wheel wells and the undercarriage of your car.

–Rinse your engine: Keeping the engine clean helps your car run cooler, and washing away crusty oil, battery acid, etc, will help prevent damage to engine parts.

–Change and/or clean your air filter: Change your filter every time you change your oil filter. While it won’t kill you to change your filter less frequently, they’re so cheap and easy to replace there’s really no reason to put it off. In between changes, give the filter a good spray with a compressed air hose and blow out the filter chamber as well.

–Check and change your oil: Check the dipstick level every time you stop for gas, and don’t run your car without the appropriate amount of oil. An older vehicle may burn oil, but if you have a new car that is burning oil it needs to be checked out. Change your oil frequently”at least every 5,000 miles and better still, every 3,000 miles. Change your filter when you change the oil or youre going to be pumping clean oil through a dirty filter which defeats the purpose. Oil changes are a pretty easy job even for those without much of a mechanical background, and drive thru oil change businesses are ubiquitous in any decent sized market. Most of these places do a decent job and charge a reasonable fee. Many also take care of several other of the maintenance tasks on this list.

–Other fluids: Change your anti-freeze every year, and eyeball the coolant reservoir anytime youre under the hood to make sure that its full. Check the transmission, brake and power-steering fluids frequently, and top off when necessary.

–Take good care of your tires: Check your air pressure levels with a tire gauge at least once a week, keeping them filled to manufacturer specified levels. Check the spare tire–if you have a ‘real’ tire as a spare make sure it’s properly inflated, and even if you have a ‘donut’ temporary spare make sure it isn’t damaged. Rotate your tires every few months or more frequently if you drive a lot of miles. This will insure even wear, and along with proper inflation will prevent countless problems as well as saving you time and money.

Emergency tools and equipment: The specifics of what you should have in your car for emergencies will depend on the type of driving you do and where you do it. Everyone should have the basics–a tire gauge, pliers (slip joint and needle nose), adjustable wrench, flat head and Phillips screwdriver. Buying quality tools will be more expensive up front but will save you money in the long run. Jumper cables aren’t a bad thing to have, and a flashlight is also essential. If you live or travel somewhere it snows frequently, you’ll also want to keep salt, sand, a small shovel and a blanket just in case you get snowbound and have to sleep in your vehicle. An emergency cellphone charger is also a good idea.

–Auto club membership: Just a great investment that will pay for itself the first time you lock your keys in your car or need a tow. AAA is the best known, but there are many others. Most credit card and cellphone providers offer this type of service, and a growing number of car manufacturers including VW and Mini Cooper offer it free of charge for new car buyers. At minimum, they should offer free towing, trip continuation insurance, lockout service, free maps, and some other bells and whistles. Keep in mind, however, that all roadside assistance companies aren’t created equal. Compare what they offer, and consider the type of driving you do–if you frequently travel through remote areas you’re better off going with a bigger company due to their larger network of covered providers.

None of these tips require any significant mechanical competence or even more than a basic knowledge of how the car works. Still, they can help save time and money, extend the life of your vehicle and provide a safer driving experience.

If you are planning a vacation with kids then each and every detail has to be perfectly planned. First step is deciding on what place to visit. Have a family discussion rather doing it alone. This will give an opportunity to meet the needs of all the family members. The place you select should be a fun to everyone. Search the net to identify the best family vacation spots like the Yellow Stone National Park. The U.S is one of the best families outing place. It is highly affordable. You can be involved in various activities like trekking; canoeing, camping and the bubbling geothermal mud spots offer great enthusiasm to children as well as adults. Select a place like this with numerous activities involved.

Next is mode of journey. If the place you are planning is near, it is best to go by drive. This will be full of fun. You can even stop and rest wherever you like. But if it is another country or too distant, consider the aspects of convenience and budget before making a decision. Do not try to be too stingy, be reasonable. Just to save a few dollars if you select an itinerary with great amount of waiting time between flights then your kids will be pissed off and become cranky especially if they are of very small age.

Major task is finding an accommodation. For example, if you have 4 kids, then you may have to book two rooms or find some connecting rooms which may not be possible at the last minute. Hence, make arrangements for accommodation months ahead. Another factor to be considered while making accommodation arrangements is the extent that the kids can enjoy at that place. If you book a room in the midst of a city, you will definitely enjoy doing all the shopping, visiting places but the kids won’t. Select a place that is either near to a beach or an amusement park with a number of rides for the children to enjoy.

Some people who take long vacations with children suggest that renting a house is the best option that saves a good amount of money. While making hotel reservation know about the amenities they serve like a refrigerator may be a must for you to keep the baby bottles, if they have their own kitchen, so that it would be helpful if the kids feel hungry and if the hotel offers any dishes planned especially for children. Do not forget to check the reviews about the hospitality services of the hotel.

If you are traveling with kids have a first aid kit with you all the time, especially if your trip involves activities like trekking where the chances of injury are great. If your children have certain allergies do not forget to take care about it.

Have some ready to eat foods or fruits to meet the unexpected needs of the children. Obviously they are just kids and love to snack frequently.

Last note, plan perfectly to give your children a platform to explore themselves, have fun, learn new cultures, adventure they love to have and everything they wish to have.

An African safari or an African Hunting trip can be very rewarding and exciting. Common sense and careful preparation will make this a safe and memorable trip. If you feel you are ready for an African safari, think again. Even if you are traveling to a country you are familiar with, it is still very important to be aware of the physical conditions and safety. Here are tips on what to do before leaving home and while you are abroad.

Prior to leaving home be sure you’ve sufficient data regarding the country you’re visiting, including that on customs and security concerns. These can be acquired from the travel guidebooks and Directory. Insure that you’re updated about the current issues and changes in the government.

Remember to make a computer scan of your passport, write your passport number down and potentially learn it in case you lose it. It?s important that you note down the diplomatic mission offices to the country you are going to. This ensures easier processing of your documents in case you lose or misplace them. .Photocopy any official documents you might have with you, scan them and email them to your self so that you can access them wherever you are. The internet cafes are almost in every Major and small centre districts of Africa so you would have no trouble over this.

It’s imperative to have a medical exam for a healthy vacation. Remember you are looking forward to relishing the most wonderful time, so you don’t want to become ill to upset all your plans. Should you have a chronic illness( suchlike diabetes, high blood pressure, sinus difficulties or even nervous disorder), consult your Doctor of Medicine, who can give you a letter explaining the health trouble in English and the specifics .

It?s important to read the health tips for the traveler. Diseases like Malaria have to be avoided. Some of the things you will eat won?t go down well. Be armed! Make sure you have seen your dentist recently. And it is also advisable to pack a medical kit with pain killers , repellants , bandages , and an antiseptic cleaners, for your self and children traveling with you If you are on regular medication , take care to pack enough to last the travel time .

Ensure that you?re insurance coverage is valid in case you become sick or injured abroad. Some insurance companies specialize in overseas travel insurance and may allow you to buy short-term coverage. Set a limit on your credit card, so if it is stolen, thieves will be unable to takeout a large amount of money on it.

Clothing is really significant. Please make sure to understand the climate and weather conditions prior to your safari. If you’ve employed a safari operator, contact the company for recommendation on clothing during the specific time period of your trip. Remember that decency is preferable by all the African nation.

To relive symptoms of jetlag, eat lightly, drink a lot of fluids but avoid alcohol and caffeine a few days after your trip. Try to relax and sleep on your flight so you can be energetic once you reach your destination .Try to sleep when locals do in order to get used to the local time.

Use 2 pocketbooks. Obscure one of them with necessary property in your jacket pockets. Fill the additional with a little sum of money. Just in case of an attack you will be able to hand this one over. Do not count your money in public, as you could become a target for stealers Remember what notes you have in your pocket and billfold. Keep larger denominations distant from snoopy eyes.

Do not take any taxi you find ? check to see if it belongs to an official company. Ask the hotel reception about rates you can expect to pay when you use a taxi. Always set a price before getting in the taxi or ask for a meter to be used. Pick up the hotel?s business card. You can always present this to a taxi driver if you cannot find way back especially in the local language.

These iare a few pointers on journeying to Africa. Whenever you’re preparing for a Safari or a Hunting expedition, some countries to definitly visit include Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Republic of South Africa, Republic of Botswana and Rwanda. Careful preparation and gearing up will make your vacation to Africa a travel to cherish.

Traveling around the world is great but if not done in the right way, could turn into a horrible experience. There are only a few tips and trick you need to know. Travel isn’t as hard as people think but does require to do some things and make some plans. Here are some tips that will help you in your travels as you make your way around the world.

Rest assured, several tips and strategies have been developed for minimizing the risks of street crimes. One, carry travelers checks rather than cash. Travelers checks can be used like cash in most countries abroad and carry the added benefit of being able to be canceled if stolen and also the fact that they can be cashed by the individual named on the check.

Budgeting is an important part of travel. You’ll have many chances to spend money while you are traveling and if you are not careful, you’ll find you constantly overspend. Make sure you create a tight budget before you go overseas so that you can accurately divide up your money. Otherwise, you run the risk of always spending. It’s easier it is to spend than it is to save!

That being said, being familiar with your surroundings is perhaps the second most important tip to carry with you when traveling abroad. Try to stay in main tourist areas or on busy and well lit and open streets and throughways. If you need to travel into more “local” spots be sure you go during day time and always with people you trust and who can speak the local tongue if you yourself are not able to do so.

Learning the language of the place you are going to visit is also good. This will help you get around easier. If you can say a few phrases you will be able to move around and ask the locals for help. Not everyone might speak English, especially when you get outside the major tourist areas making it really necessary to know some phrases. Moreover, the locals will be really happy and more helpful.

Traveling around the world is not hard. If you follow these tips and advice while you are away, you will find that you have a much easier time while traveling. Keeping an eye on your money, keeping a clear head, and knowing where things are will help go a long way in helping to make your long term trip much better.

Remember, there will be a whole lot of people there aside from you who will be vying for your customer as well, so be on your toes and keep yourself alert and in tip top shape. Keep in mind that all your fellow artists sans competitors will have products equaling or even exceeding the workmanship of your own. Think of ways for your own product to stand out, and by that I don’t mean making your table as gaudy and brash as possible. Advertise, but do it subtly, and do it with consideration. It is also considered rudeness to muscle in on your fellow artist’s space.

Personal appearance. Pay attention to what you wear. It will be the first thing your customer will see on you, hence almost all first impressions usually come from what you are wearing for the occasion. A power suit, for example, would exhibit class and finesse, and oftentimes it would also denote elite-ness and a very expensive atmosphere. A casual jogging outfit, would denote the idea of fitness, and would easily suit a more fitness-themed routine.

The important thing is to dress neatly, appropriately and properly at all times. People come and go, and you have but little time to draw their attention towards you. And by drawing their attention, I mean that in a positive way.

Don’t humiliate yourself of course, other than it would cause them to laugh at you, it would also demean yourself and make you lose more customers (especially those that were planning to take a look at your craft but decided against it because of your little shenanigans).

Sample sizes. Lay out your craft in small, easy to handle and easy to see samples. You don’t have to display the actual things you are going to sell, but just display samples that portray similar quality to your actual product.

Basically, I got caught by the street dancing and the merry making. After 27 years of my life, this was the first time I truly enjoyed a festival fair. And that’s saying something, because I rarely, RARELY ever enjoy myself in any of these shindigs. So, what was different with this festival fair?

For one thing, I had realized that variety does indeed wonders for the shopaholic’s heart. When a person is faced with much excitement and happiness and revelry and all that pizzazz, the thing is that, his serotonin levels rise.

Serotonin makes people happy (you could call it the happy hormone if you like. Wink wink!) And when people are happy, it usually makes them go buy more, without the usual regard and limit for the budget (which is somewhat a bad thing for them and a good thing for you. Hey, it’s not the best way, but it’s one way of the world you can use to your advantage!)

So it’s a good idea to time your booth or your fair in a local town festival, instead of going solo or going pro. You’d need all the happy people you can get to indulge you in your craft. Remember, a happy person can be a good customer. Of course, you’d want to have a happy customer rather than a frowny customer now, wouldn’t you?

Another good thing about timing your booth or your craft table in a festival is that you never need to worry about publicity, exposure or a lack of audience. It’s a town festival. Everyone is expected to go there, or at least be there. And with that, you get the attention of a full range of demographics, from the youngest of the bunch to the oldest daddy senior of the family. You also get a full range of cultures, both home grown to foreign and exotic people.

As said, respect and service do actually raise the overall value of your goods by a good margin. If there is something that you should remember, is that it is important to interact with your customer with as much enthusiasm with your subject as possible. Being that you are the proprietor and owner of your table or booth, you should be the one who exhibits the most excitement for your product. It’s like giving away your puppies to people whom you know will take care of them well enough.

Make the customer feel important. Prioritize them. Let them know that you, in the least, care about their welfare. If in any case, put their feelings and personalities above yours. The kooky part is that. We, not only have to be sellers, but we also have to function as ego boosters. Let them feel loved, wanted, and important. They will reciprocate and you will get yourself a valued client.

Of course, there is a difference between plain flattery and rotund comments. Sure, you need to be the ego booster, but have the rep to back that up. There’s no point for you to kiss up to the costumer if you are just a fibber, a tall-tale teller, someone who’s not at all that reliable. Reputation can also make or break your career here. Your client’s loyalty, your referrals, the way other customers (specifically the prospecting ones anyway).

Look out for what you wear, because it can also command the aura that you are depicting. If you would compare either a sandal-wearing guy, with sweaty arms and a greased undershirt versus a somewhat-casual guy, with a clean shave and a warm smile, you’ll have an idea who’s going to win in the customer wars.

Every little bit makes as to who you are in the eyes of the customer. It’s not a necessity that you have to wear a suit and tie, but being clean also helps with your reputation.