The morning had been chaotic, the kids were whining about going to school and the dog had vomited on the new carpet. It was a Monday. By the time she got on the highway, Sue was ready to murder someone. She had an appointment in 45 minutes and the traffic was crawling. What the hell was the holdup? Finally there was clear road ahead, and she put distance between herself and the chugging trucks. This was good. It looked like she would make her meeting after all.
Suddenly there was a huge SUV behind her. It had appeared out of nowhere, it was flashing its lights and someone was shouting at her. She couldn't hear what they were saying but it didn't look good and she could see a fist and a rude sign. Sue felt herself start to panic, she was already doing 140km, and there was a string of trucks in the left lane, and a bakkie full of children in the right lane, there was nowhere to go. The SUV was so close now it was almost touching her bumper. Her hands were sweating on the steering wheel and her heart was pounding so loudly she was battling to breathe. Its lights were glowing with a demonic red glare.
She tried to speed up and get out of the way, but as she did the bakkie lurched into the lane in front of her. All those children - what if it stopped suddenly? She had to brake but the SUV from hell was almost upon her. She couldn't see in as the windows were tinted dark and all she could see were lights flashing and all she could hear was shouting. She slowed down a fraction, giving the bakkie enough time to get out of the way, and then she turned her attention to the SUV. She managed to get into the left lane, between two alarmed truck drivers, and let it pass. The she slotted in behind it and proceeded to tailgate, hooting, shouting abuse and driving dangerously close to its bumper. Now she could see more if the occupants, who looked terrified as they tried to get away. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She looked quite mad. No wonder they looked so scared. Too bad, thought Sue, revving her engine. You asked for this. I also have an SUV and I know how to use it.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Buckle up- your dog.
I saw a funny thing the other day. A woman was driving with her dog in the front passenger seat of the car. At first glance it looked like two blonde out for a ride until the dog turned around. Gave me a giggle, until I considered the consequences of having your beloved pet unrestrained in the front seat of the car. I remember how our dog loved the car and hanging his
face out of the window breathing into the wind. Like many spoilt andbpampered dogs he knew which was his seat and often I would take the back
seat to the dog. But the dangers are clear, the dog won’t wear a seat belt and no self respecting dog will sit in the back seat. Here we can’t count the bag dogs,(any canine small enough to fit into a handbag) which are more accessory than animal. But what if the driver were to brake hard or be rear ended? The dog will end up through the windscreen or worse on the drivers lap. And what about the danger to other road users, as a moment of
distraction could turn good doggie into a cause for a death.
So in the interests of animal anti- cruelty there should be a law against
this kind of thing. Sure the dog likes sitting in the passenger seat but the
risks are high. The dog must be protected from him or her self, as in this
case the dog does not know what its best interests are. And of course we
can’t discriminate. What about cats then? They would be unlikely to be
content with sitting quietly for a country drive and soon would demand
attention or the chance to drive the car.
The SPCA should get involved, dangerous dog transportation could be up
there with neglect. WE must protect our pets.
So if we believe that our animals are worthy of legal protection, please
explain how sane, intelligent people persist in driving with children on
their laps, not in car seats, with their noses pressed up against the rear
window, standing up between the driver and passenger seats, etc.
The risks are huge and well documented. In a collision any unsecured item in
a vehicle becomes a missile. Try this simple test. Balance a cool-drink on
the passenger seat and drive at 60 km. Brake suddenly and see what happens
to the cool-drink. Yup on the floor. Oh you weren’t wearing a seat belt,
sorry about that, we should have warned you. See what happens when you have
to stop suddenly.
So in the interests of animal and human rights we must all pull together and
talk some sense into those members of society who do not believe that the
laws of physics apply to them and gravity is merely a myth. Today do your
part, don’t let friends risk the lives of their innocent pets and equally
innocent children. Talk some sense into them, for the sake of their kids.
face out of the window breathing into the wind. Like many spoilt andbpampered dogs he knew which was his seat and often I would take the back
seat to the dog. But the dangers are clear, the dog won’t wear a seat belt and no self respecting dog will sit in the back seat. Here we can’t count the bag dogs,(any canine small enough to fit into a handbag) which are more accessory than animal. But what if the driver were to brake hard or be rear ended? The dog will end up through the windscreen or worse on the drivers lap. And what about the danger to other road users, as a moment of
distraction could turn good doggie into a cause for a death.
So in the interests of animal anti- cruelty there should be a law against
this kind of thing. Sure the dog likes sitting in the passenger seat but the
risks are high. The dog must be protected from him or her self, as in this
case the dog does not know what its best interests are. And of course we
can’t discriminate. What about cats then? They would be unlikely to be
content with sitting quietly for a country drive and soon would demand
attention or the chance to drive the car.
The SPCA should get involved, dangerous dog transportation could be up
there with neglect. WE must protect our pets.
So if we believe that our animals are worthy of legal protection, please
explain how sane, intelligent people persist in driving with children on
their laps, not in car seats, with their noses pressed up against the rear
window, standing up between the driver and passenger seats, etc.
The risks are huge and well documented. In a collision any unsecured item in
a vehicle becomes a missile. Try this simple test. Balance a cool-drink on
the passenger seat and drive at 60 km. Brake suddenly and see what happens
to the cool-drink. Yup on the floor. Oh you weren’t wearing a seat belt,
sorry about that, we should have warned you. See what happens when you have
to stop suddenly.
So in the interests of animal and human rights we must all pull together and
talk some sense into those members of society who do not believe that the
laws of physics apply to them and gravity is merely a myth. Today do your
part, don’t let friends risk the lives of their innocent pets and equally
innocent children. Talk some sense into them, for the sake of their kids.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Save the planet
There are an estimated 6.7 billion people in the world, and 9 billion are
projected for 2042. 1.2 Billion live in China, where those that can afford
to ride bicycles. Imagine 6 billion cars on the roads, and worse still
imagine the air quality, already poor in urban areas getting a whole lot
worse. There are about 600 million vehicles on the road, give or take a
million. That’s a whole lot of petrol consumption and a bit fat carbon
footprint.
This current handwringing fit has been brought on by watching The Eleventh
Hour. Not much fun, even with Leonardo de Caprio narrating the environmental
crisis. A slew of environmental experts and civic leaders paint a bleak
picture of a world on the brink of catastrophic environmental breakdown. The
role of vehicle emissions and industrial pollution is outlined, and more
alarmingly is the question of whether the planet can support so many people.
While numerous other species go extinct every year, people just keep
multiplying and of course all aspire to the lifestyle we define as
successful and western. Instead of worrying about where our next meal comes
from, and instead of cultivating or building we go shopping. Consumption
beyond our needs has become part of the dream of success that we are taught.
To have so much and to spend our money on meaningless things and watch
others go without basics like food and shelter. We rationalise that if they
are not successful it must be their fault. Maybe they didn’t understand the
Secret properly.
It doesn’t make sense to set up a series of wants that can never be met.
Forget basic needs of peace, security, food, or meaningful work. The ratio
of food eaten by Western beef as opposed to that eaten by the third world,
or Africa is shocking. The tragedy is that through exporting their culture
we are all to some extent influenced by the American lifestyle and aspire to
a Rodeo drive shopping experience. Even worse is the possibility that we are
getting there. The countries that have worked so hard to attain a modicum of
western living don’t want to hear that it is the path to hell, as for so
long they have been deprived. Just like the high protein and fat of a
western diet leads to disease in our bodies, the high consumption and
turnover of natural resources leads to environmental disease.
Since solutions don’t exactly grow on trees, it is up to the generations who
have benefitted most from development to make the change. With the highest
education levels and better health care than ever before and freedoms hard
won, if we know better shouldn’t we be doing better?
I was shocked when a friend asked me if I walked the short distance from
home to the coffee shop. It hadn’t even occurred to me to do so, and this is
only about a kilometre away. So it means a mind shift and the chance to get
some exercise and save some fuel. Who knows, it could be just the thing to
get fit, lose weight and have the body you’ve always dreamed of.
projected for 2042. 1.2 Billion live in China, where those that can afford
to ride bicycles. Imagine 6 billion cars on the roads, and worse still
imagine the air quality, already poor in urban areas getting a whole lot
worse. There are about 600 million vehicles on the road, give or take a
million. That’s a whole lot of petrol consumption and a bit fat carbon
footprint.
This current handwringing fit has been brought on by watching The Eleventh
Hour. Not much fun, even with Leonardo de Caprio narrating the environmental
crisis. A slew of environmental experts and civic leaders paint a bleak
picture of a world on the brink of catastrophic environmental breakdown. The
role of vehicle emissions and industrial pollution is outlined, and more
alarmingly is the question of whether the planet can support so many people.
While numerous other species go extinct every year, people just keep
multiplying and of course all aspire to the lifestyle we define as
successful and western. Instead of worrying about where our next meal comes
from, and instead of cultivating or building we go shopping. Consumption
beyond our needs has become part of the dream of success that we are taught.
To have so much and to spend our money on meaningless things and watch
others go without basics like food and shelter. We rationalise that if they
are not successful it must be their fault. Maybe they didn’t understand the
Secret properly.
It doesn’t make sense to set up a series of wants that can never be met.
Forget basic needs of peace, security, food, or meaningful work. The ratio
of food eaten by Western beef as opposed to that eaten by the third world,
or Africa is shocking. The tragedy is that through exporting their culture
we are all to some extent influenced by the American lifestyle and aspire to
a Rodeo drive shopping experience. Even worse is the possibility that we are
getting there. The countries that have worked so hard to attain a modicum of
western living don’t want to hear that it is the path to hell, as for so
long they have been deprived. Just like the high protein and fat of a
western diet leads to disease in our bodies, the high consumption and
turnover of natural resources leads to environmental disease.
Since solutions don’t exactly grow on trees, it is up to the generations who
have benefitted most from development to make the change. With the highest
education levels and better health care than ever before and freedoms hard
won, if we know better shouldn’t we be doing better?
I was shocked when a friend asked me if I walked the short distance from
home to the coffee shop. It hadn’t even occurred to me to do so, and this is
only about a kilometre away. So it means a mind shift and the chance to get
some exercise and save some fuel. Who knows, it could be just the thing to
get fit, lose weight and have the body you’ve always dreamed of.
It's in the bag.
How embarrassing to be the cliché, a woman with a handbag bulging with
necessities, from make up to medicine. What about the un-losable documents
that we often carry in our hand bags, okay in some cases, it’s a bit of a
suitcase. For me a handbag is one of the easily accomplishable signs of
femininity because if I could manage without one I would stuff everything I
needed into multiple pockets and that wouldn’t be very ladylike would it?
So we are stuck with a portable cornucopia of necessary and unnecessary
items, as in who put the remote control in my hand bag because it wasn’t me?
And the horror when that handbag is out of your sight or stolen with your
life inside.
If you have ever been through the expense and time wasting incurred in the
loss of even the smallest bag and its contents then the fact that insurers
have added handbag insurance to car insurance should come as a blessing.
Insurers seem to have recognized that women often carry their lives in their
handbags and have added handbag cover or portable possessions cover to their
quotes. I went to *www.hippo.co.za* for insurance
quotes online, and after you have had your fun trying to insure the Rolls or
Aston Martin, try it with your car. I got back quotes ranging from R 441 to
R 610. The cheapest premium of course had the highest excess, of R 5300,
from Budget Insurance High Excess and this included Road side and Medical
Assistance and portable possessions cover up to R 2000, plus had a 14 day
money back guarantee. Budget Insurance offered R 518 monthly premium and an
excess of R 2800 included roadside assistance, and medical assistance and
portable possessions cover up to R 2000.
The highest premium of R 610 from AA insurance included AA membership, a
cash back bonus and had a R 2800 excess. First for Women included handbag
cover of R 2000, cost R 471 monthly and had options to take out Cash Back
plus. Woolworths have also entered the insurance market and their online
quote was monthly premiums of R540 with a R 3550 excess and R 2000 grocery
cover and R 2000 hand bag cover. Auto and General’s premium was R 550 with a
R 2550 excess and a service charter and online claim facility.
If you shop around and here word of mouth is a great indicator of who pays
and who does not, you can improve your insurance costs. The area you live in
and whether your vehicle is in a lock up garage make a huge difference to
your costs.
Oh and you have to be a woman. Finally, being a woman, and a woman of a
certain age, at least pays when it comes to insurance, so take that guys. We
pay less.
necessities, from make up to medicine. What about the un-losable documents
that we often carry in our hand bags, okay in some cases, it’s a bit of a
suitcase. For me a handbag is one of the easily accomplishable signs of
femininity because if I could manage without one I would stuff everything I
needed into multiple pockets and that wouldn’t be very ladylike would it?
So we are stuck with a portable cornucopia of necessary and unnecessary
items, as in who put the remote control in my hand bag because it wasn’t me?
And the horror when that handbag is out of your sight or stolen with your
life inside.
If you have ever been through the expense and time wasting incurred in the
loss of even the smallest bag and its contents then the fact that insurers
have added handbag insurance to car insurance should come as a blessing.
Insurers seem to have recognized that women often carry their lives in their
handbags and have added handbag cover or portable possessions cover to their
quotes. I went to *www.hippo.co.za*
quotes online, and after you have had your fun trying to insure the Rolls or
Aston Martin, try it with your car. I got back quotes ranging from R 441 to
R 610. The cheapest premium of course had the highest excess, of R 5300,
from Budget Insurance High Excess and this included Road side and Medical
Assistance and portable possessions cover up to R 2000, plus had a 14 day
money back guarantee. Budget Insurance offered R 518 monthly premium and an
excess of R 2800 included roadside assistance, and medical assistance and
portable possessions cover up to R 2000.
The highest premium of R 610 from AA insurance included AA membership, a
cash back bonus and had a R 2800 excess. First for Women included handbag
cover of R 2000, cost R 471 monthly and had options to take out Cash Back
plus. Woolworths have also entered the insurance market and their online
quote was monthly premiums of R540 with a R 3550 excess and R 2000 grocery
cover and R 2000 hand bag cover. Auto and General’s premium was R 550 with a
R 2550 excess and a service charter and online claim facility.
If you shop around and here word of mouth is a great indicator of who pays
and who does not, you can improve your insurance costs. The area you live in
and whether your vehicle is in a lock up garage make a huge difference to
your costs.
Oh and you have to be a woman. Finally, being a woman, and a woman of a
certain age, at least pays when it comes to insurance, so take that guys. We
pay less.
Nyctalopia
Little old ladies tend not to drive at night. Perhaps the elderly
don't have the most cracking night lives, but the reason they would
probably give you is that they are night blind.
When your mother told you to eat your carrots so you would have good
eyesight she was right. According to the website.healthvitaminsguide.com,
night blindness is caused by a lack of Vitamin A, and is due to
problems in dark adaption. When headlights blind you and you really
can't see after they pass, it may be time to check your vitamin A
intake.
Nyctalopia is the official term for night blindness. This is the
inability to adapt to dark lighting conditions. According to the
healthvitaminsguide website, "The retina is supplied with a chemical
called rhodopsin or visual purple. Light falling on the retina brings
about chemical changes in the rhodopsin and other substances in the
rods and cones. However large amounts of Vitamin A are needed to bring
about those changes. If there is a lack of vitamin A night blindness
can be the result. Other causes of night blindness include; Cataracts,
retinal degeneration such as retinitis pigmentosa, trouble adjusting
from low to high levels of light, certain medications, and birth
defects".
Yellow lenses can help with this problem, and your optician can advise
you of the best solution. How do you get enough Vitamin A? Since we
can't produce it in our bodies it must be part of our diets. Found in
green plants, and bright colourful vegetables such as carrots and
tomatoes, carotenes are changed into Vitamin A in the liver.
Another nice big word xerophthalmia, meaning dryness of the cornea can
also be a symptom of a lack of Vitamin A. Alarmingly according to
Www.healthome.co.za a chronic deficiency can eventually lead to
permanent blindness.
And that is the reason to eat your carrots, and keep a good balanced
diet. The joys of driving at night will be yours with a high intake of
Vitamin A and perhaps a bit of kindness to your liver.
don't have the most cracking night lives, but the reason they would
probably give you is that they are night blind.
When your mother told you to eat your carrots so you would have good
eyesight she was right. According to the website.healthvitaminsguide.com,
night blindness is caused by a lack of Vitamin A, and is due to
problems in dark adaption. When headlights blind you and you really
can't see after they pass, it may be time to check your vitamin A
intake.
Nyctalopia is the official term for night blindness. This is the
inability to adapt to dark lighting conditions. According to the
healthvitaminsguide website, "The retina is supplied with a chemical
called rhodopsin or visual purple. Light falling on the retina brings
about chemical changes in the rhodopsin and other substances in the
rods and cones. However large amounts of Vitamin A are needed to bring
about those changes. If there is a lack of vitamin A night blindness
can be the result. Other causes of night blindness include; Cataracts,
retinal degeneration such as retinitis pigmentosa, trouble adjusting
from low to high levels of light, certain medications, and birth
defects".
Yellow lenses can help with this problem, and your optician can advise
you of the best solution. How do you get enough Vitamin A? Since we
can't produce it in our bodies it must be part of our diets. Found in
green plants, and bright colourful vegetables such as carrots and
tomatoes, carotenes are changed into Vitamin A in the liver.
Another nice big word xerophthalmia, meaning dryness of the cornea can
also be a symptom of a lack of Vitamin A. Alarmingly according to
Www.healthome.co.za a chronic deficiency can eventually lead to
permanent blindness.
And that is the reason to eat your carrots, and keep a good balanced
diet. The joys of driving at night will be yours with a high intake of
Vitamin A and perhaps a bit of kindness to your liver.
Musical cars
One of the best things about your own car, is having full control over
the music. No sharing of the remote, no compromises on what to play.
No need to accomodate other peoples tastes. So if today is a "to the
limits save your eardrums" Black Sabbath retrospective, it's your
choice. WIth the windows rolled up and the aircon on, no one need ever
know about that little thing you have for the Blarney Brothers, or
your embarrassing need to play Achey Breaky Heart at full volume. The
point is that the windows do roll up, and for good reason.
Imagine your brand new Mercedes, everything about it speaks quality
and class. Now imagine blasting Britney Spears through the speakers.
It would never do, not when you could choose Beethoven or if
particularly militant, Wagner. Even Gregorian chants would go down
better. And when the windows are rolled up, no one can hear you sing.
There is a growing popularity of Karoke again, it's most distressing,
for those who can't sing and for those of us who have to listen to
those who think they can. Keep your choral ambitions for the shower,
or your car, when no one is watching.
The funniest thing is when you hear the music before you see the car,
and imagine a massive passion wagon, based on the volume. By the time
it comes round the corner, you have imagined a bus full of raging
partyers. Then you see that its a Golf with the back half given up to
disco. In these tough times does having a portable party in the boot
incease the value of a car? Hope so.
A friend decided I needed the whole taxi experience and took me
reluctantly on the musical journey. You know sitting in the very back
seat on the sub- woofers. So much vibration, it didn't matter how
badly it drove, I was more concerned with the shaking in my bones.
Now I know how strawberries feel in the blender.
Recently sitting in traffic, growling along to Hip Hop Pantsula, my
calm was shattered by a high pitched whining. Sounded like an air raid
or a very sick cat, coming from the taxi next door. No one in mortal danger. Just Celine Dion.
the music. No sharing of the remote, no compromises on what to play.
No need to accomodate other peoples tastes. So if today is a "to the
limits save your eardrums" Black Sabbath retrospective, it's your
choice. WIth the windows rolled up and the aircon on, no one need ever
know about that little thing you have for the Blarney Brothers, or
your embarrassing need to play Achey Breaky Heart at full volume. The
point is that the windows do roll up, and for good reason.
Imagine your brand new Mercedes, everything about it speaks quality
and class. Now imagine blasting Britney Spears through the speakers.
It would never do, not when you could choose Beethoven or if
particularly militant, Wagner. Even Gregorian chants would go down
better. And when the windows are rolled up, no one can hear you sing.
There is a growing popularity of Karoke again, it's most distressing,
for those who can't sing and for those of us who have to listen to
those who think they can. Keep your choral ambitions for the shower,
or your car, when no one is watching.
The funniest thing is when you hear the music before you see the car,
and imagine a massive passion wagon, based on the volume. By the time
it comes round the corner, you have imagined a bus full of raging
partyers. Then you see that its a Golf with the back half given up to
disco. In these tough times does having a portable party in the boot
incease the value of a car? Hope so.
A friend decided I needed the whole taxi experience and took me
reluctantly on the musical journey. You know sitting in the very back
seat on the sub- woofers. So much vibration, it didn't matter how
badly it drove, I was more concerned with the shaking in my bones.
Now I know how strawberries feel in the blender.
Recently sitting in traffic, growling along to Hip Hop Pantsula, my
calm was shattered by a high pitched whining. Sounded like an air raid
or a very sick cat, coming from the taxi next door. No one in mortal danger. Just Celine Dion.
The illusion of motion
I scared a taxi driver today. One of those fearless bandits of the byways lost it and used his hooter like a aspirant vuvuzela performer. I was minding my own business, putting on makeup and looking for my keys when there is this frantic hooting from behind. All because I was unconsciously rolling back, just a little bit. Usually one is so aware of any motion in a vehicle that we even
imagine it when none exists. The illusion of reverse motion is the
best word we have come up with to describe that sensation of brake
failure, when in a stationary vehicle, you feel like you are sliding
backwards. It's explained that you have as a reference point a moving
vehicle. It's that traffic light creep speed that does our brains in,
too slow to be obvious we assume it's not moving. But I believe there
is a word out there, one word to describe it. If you know please tell me.
In old western movies the wagon wheels seem to be going backwards, we
know they are not, but the eye is fooled by the spinning spokes. Like
when children spin around and around and make them selves dizzy, and
suddenly the earth is spinning. Well it's spinning all the time but
that is the only time we can see it. If the earth is moving at 106
211km per hour, and we can't feel it until we make ourselves dizzy
then that explains the lapse of perception when our brains can't
conceive of exactly how fast we are going. That explains why in a
luxury vehicle without the reference points of straining engine, or
rough road surface we feel like we float in a world above the road,
and how quickly that speedometer moves up, imperceptibly, and before
we know it we are hitting 180Km and don't even feel it. After a trip
averaging 120Km it always feels like you are hitt8ngh an invisible
wall when you have to slow to 60. The motion follows you through your
day.
A motoring myth I would love a decisive answer on is whether
freewheeling will save fuel. Some say it does, and others say it's
inadvisable, dangerous and what is saved on fuel is spent on braking.
If you can prove it either way would love to know.
imagine it when none exists. The illusion of reverse motion is the
best word we have come up with to describe that sensation of brake
failure, when in a stationary vehicle, you feel like you are sliding
backwards. It's explained that you have as a reference point a moving
vehicle. It's that traffic light creep speed that does our brains in,
too slow to be obvious we assume it's not moving. But I believe there
is a word out there, one word to describe it. If you know please tell me.
In old western movies the wagon wheels seem to be going backwards, we
know they are not, but the eye is fooled by the spinning spokes. Like
when children spin around and around and make them selves dizzy, and
suddenly the earth is spinning. Well it's spinning all the time but
that is the only time we can see it. If the earth is moving at 106
211km per hour, and we can't feel it until we make ourselves dizzy
then that explains the lapse of perception when our brains can't
conceive of exactly how fast we are going. That explains why in a
luxury vehicle without the reference points of straining engine, or
rough road surface we feel like we float in a world above the road,
and how quickly that speedometer moves up, imperceptibly, and before
we know it we are hitting 180Km and don't even feel it. After a trip
averaging 120Km it always feels like you are hitt8ngh an invisible
wall when you have to slow to 60. The motion follows you through your
day.
A motoring myth I would love a decisive answer on is whether
freewheeling will save fuel. Some say it does, and others say it's
inadvisable, dangerous and what is saved on fuel is spent on braking.
If you can prove it either way would love to know.
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