Strut Mount Bushing: Key to Volvo Drive Comfort and Performance

Swedish automaker Volvo is one of the industry movers able to start the about-face from the blast-and-cast school of sports wagon manufacturing. Making room for passenger comfort in performance vehicles, Volvo cars feature an integrated suspension setting that boasts of a best-in-class drivability. Composed of a number of STRUT tower braces and STRUT links, the Volvo suspension assembly is incorporated to the car chassis, which facilitates even weight transfer along the car suspension. With the Volvo STRUTS all braced up for chassis flex during high-speed turns, the Volvo frame is strengthened and makes the car resistant against body roll.

The Volvo STRUT tower brace unifies the car?s STRUTS and sway bars. Collectively, these bars and towers form a frame within the car frame and absorb chassis flex, sparing the car cabin from excessive roll especially during hard cornering. Newer Volvo models come stock-fitted with a STRUT tower brace. Older Volvos can have their suspension setting unified with a simple drill-and-bolt procedure. Because the front suspension turns left and right during steering, front STRUTS are mounted and require no drilling, while rear struts are drilled on to the car chassis.

Volvo rear and front STRUTS are designed to take the brunt of chassis flex. They are steel braces built for durability and can even be reused. They are mounted on heavy-duty chrome shaft MOUNTS to withstand stress. Front STRUT MOUNTS, however, need to have pivot points to allow the front wheels to steer. STRUT MOUNTS at the head of the Volvo suspension assembly have rubber joints with BUSHINGS and bearings to provide a flexible coupling. Front STRUTS with a rubber coupling are used on compact Volvos that have a McPherson STRUT assembly. This type of STRUTS can also be used on the rear end of the car if it is capable of a four-wheel drive. In most cases, fixed chrome shafts are used on rear STRUTS to make the car better equipped against chassis flex.

When the Volvo hug curves, stress is absorbed by the STRUTS and flows down the mounting points. The chrome shafts of the rear STRUT MOUNTS dampen the stress, while the rubber portion of the front STRUT MOUNTS are susceptible to wear out its BUSHINGS and bearings in the face of chassis flex. While the shaft MOUNTS can accommodate the rerouted chassis flex, the BUSHINGS and bearings can give in and reduce the flexibility of the pivot points. On account of the usual stress that the Volvo front STRUT braces meet, STRUT MOUNT BUSHINGS and bearings are suspension assembly parts that necessitate regular maintenance.

A worn out STRUT MOUNT BUSHING can make steering hard and negate the cabin comfort that the Volvo suspension provides. It results in erratic steering and makes a creaking and popping noise. Even at cruise speed, a busted MOUNT can rear its ugly head in the form of excessive play in the suspension. This can break the rubber portion of the MOUNT and snowball into disproportionate bounce and front STRUT collapse. In most cases, the creaking noise precedes the erratic steering, and is one way to tell if the Volvo STRUT MOUNT BUSHING has gone past its peak performance.

John Garrett is an automobile mechanic who knows every crook and cranny of his truck. He's also a vintage car enthusiast , and he's dedicated to fixing and restoring them. He is a motorist who believes in continuous research and improvement. Understand more about Volvo Strut Mount Bushing

Stellenbosch Is The SecondOldest City In South Africa

With its temperate Mediterranean climate, beautiful surroundings, magnificent backdrop of mountain ranges, modern facilities and close proximity to all major places of interest in the Cape Peninsula, Stellenbosch is the ideal get-away holiday destination.

Soon after the Cape of Good Hope had been established, the newly-appointed Governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, set out on a discovery journey east to explore the wild and untouched land beyond the Cape Peninsula. On 6 November 1679 he came across a river running through a beautifully green, fertile valley. He named the river Eerste Rivier (First River) and the surrounding area Van der Stel Bosch (Van der Stel's bush).

Before long, news of the finding of this fertile valley spread and the first families settled there in 1680. The settlement later became known as Stellenbosch, and is the second-oldest city in South Africa. The warm summers and winter rainfall provided an ideal farming environment, and by 1682 the settlement had become an established town. In 1685 it became the seat of a magistrate, whose authority extended over 25 000 square kilometers. The first school was built in 1686, followed soon afterwards by the first church.

A yearly celebration on Simon van der Stel's birthday was held in honor of the founder. This tradition was started in 1686 and included games, parades, festivities and dances. As the celebration took place on October 14th, it was a celebration of spring at the same time. The highlight of the celebration was when marksmen shot at a wooden parrot to win the main prize, and to this day the hill where this event took place is still known as Papegaaiberg (parrot hill).

Simon van der Stel launched a project to plant oak trees and the mighty trees still line the streets of Stellenbosch. The town is appropriately known as Eikestad, or the Town of Oaks. Unfortunately a recent disease has affected the trees, and the towering oaks are slowly dying. Fortunately, since the oak trees are a symbol of Stellenbosch, the town council started planting new trees soon after the discovery of the disease.

In 1866, the Stellenbosch Gymnasium was founded. In 1880 it changed its name to Stellenbosch College, but was renamed in 1887 to Victoria College in honor of Queen Victoria. In 1918 the college officially became the University of Stellenbosch, known affectionately as Maties. The University has over the years become the heart of Stellenbosch and is regarded as one of the best in the world.

During the year, the estimated 17 000 students fill the town with a cheerful vibe and bustling activity in the hostels, lecture halls, restaurants, coffee shops, bars and discos. Holidays are the times when the tranquillity of the natural surroundings and the comparative quiet in the streets allows Stellenbosch a chance to breathe and prepare for the influx of young people that is sure to follow with the next semester.

Stellenbosch is a treasure of beautifully restored buildings - elegant Cape Dutch, Victorian and Georgian architecture can be seen particularly in historic Dorp Street, which is reminiscent of the rich and colorful past. Several international businesses have their headquarters in this historical university town. Just outside Stellenbosch, nestled between the majestic Simonsberg, Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek, Twin Peaks and Helderberg mountains, a clean industry settlement has been established at Techno Park.

Once a quiet little village, Techno Park has become a centre for industry, business and education, as well as the heart of the wine industry.

Wine and the are of winemaking are woven into the history of Stellenbosch. From its humble beginnings with Simon van der Stel and the Huguenots, the valley has evolved to becoming the centre of the Cape's wine industry, and produces some of the finest wines in the country. The famous Stellenbosch Wine Route, established in 1971, allows you to enjoy our fabulous local wines while undertaking entertaining and fun expeditions into the countryside. Stellenbosch is an amazing place to be.

Events and activities take place throughout the year - music, street, wine and art festivals delight both young and old. Outdoors enthusiasts can partake in hiking, mountain climbing, horse riding and cycling, while sports fans can attend international sporting events.

Stellenbosch has a bustling sidewalk caf? scene in the French tradition, excellent restaurants and coffee shops, modern shopping facilities and a vibrant Nightlife. A peaceful, cheerful town and its friendly people, a never-ending choice of entertainment and activities and a breathtaking valley with majestic mountains embracing it - this is what makes Stellenbosch such a special tourist and conference destination.

Gerald Crawford was born in South Africa, studied electronics, telecommunication, eco-travel and african travel concepts. He taught responsible tourism in South Africa. If you have any questions or comments please e-mail me on. E-mail Address: southafricantravelarticles@12234455.co.za Website Address: www.12234455.co.za

Never Look Back Baseball History Leroy Satchel Page

Never Look Back

New Year resolutions come and go -- except for me.

Many years ago ? none of your business how many -- I adopted a set of good intentions propounded by the legendary African-American baseball player Leroy Paige.

He was best known as ?Satchel? ? a nickname he acquired as a young boy carrying luggage for nickels at the Mobile, Ala., train station.

I had the pleasure of interviewing the renowned star when he earned a living barnstorming the country with a back-up team from the old Negro League.

At that time, I was a rookie sportswriter for the Flint (Mich.) Daily Journal and relegated to the least assignments ? black baseball players so regarded prior to World War II.

There aren?t many of us old baseball fans around to recount the feats of Satch who may have been the greatest pitcher of all time. My evaluation of Satchel is hard to prove because he played the game before blacks were accepted in the major leagues.

* * *

There were many professional Negro baseball teams in my days of sports writing. Black players were famous in big cities where there was a population of African-Americans large enough to support a team.

In addition to Paige, there was Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston who often back-flipped to catch a fly ball, Jody Johnson and Pop Lloyd ? just to mention a few.

They played for such teams as the St. Louis Stars, East St. Louis Cubs, Chicago American Giants, Kansas City Monarchs, Washington Homestead Grays, Birmingham Black Barons and Pittsburgh Crawfords.

Though not nearly as well paid as their white counterparts -- $60 a month plus eats and lodging was typical ? Negro League players played heads-up often-unorthodox baseball. A few stars such as Paige and Gibson drew $125 a week.

After the World Series, pick-up teams of white major league players toured Negro League towns to play exhibition games. In these contests, African-American teams regularly trounced the white stars.

The opportunity to learn new tricks was the principal reason major leaguers went barnstorming in the Negro League.

* * *

Satchel brought the Kansas City Monarchs to Flint to play the leading team of the pro-competent Industrial League. The Monarchs, with Paige on the mound, walloped our local boys -- but with a grace and skill that brought fans to feet many times.

He had an accurate fastball with which he could nip the corners. Opposing batters claimed it disappeared on its way to the plate.

His curve had drop that made grown men cry. It was like rolling a ball off a table.

To show off in exhibition games, Satchel would pitch an inning while seated in a rocking chair on the mound, or call in the outfield to sit behind him while he fanned out the side.

Once Gibson led off the first inning with a single and then razzed Satchel. Irritated, Satchel waved his teammates to the dugout, ignored Gibson who sauntered to third and then struck out the next three batters.

Satchel?s most devastating pitch was the ?hesitation.? In some mysterious manner, he could pause in mid-delivery for a millisecond. It was just enough to confound the best batters.

He let me swing against that pitch in the exhibition warm up. I struck out on three throws and quit for the day.

* * *

Breakthrough for blacks aspiring to the major leagues came in 1947. Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson for the old Brooklyn Dodgers. Thereafter, the Negro League faded for lack of good players.

Satchel was signed up by the Cleveland Indians in 1948 as the oldest rookie ever to play major league baseball. He racked up a 6-1 record with a 2.48 ERA that year to help the Indians win the American League pennant.

He pitched one inning in the 1949 World Series won by Cleveland.

Satch retired a couple a couple years, then came back to play a season with the St. Louis Browns. However, the great Paige was then somewhere in his late forties ? an old man by baseball standards. He professed not to know his age.

With much of youthful speed gone from his fast ball, he relied on breaking stuff, including the hesitation speech.

He did right well until they outlawed the hesitation. Satch was dropped from the roster but played in the 1952 and 1953 All Star games.

Twelve years later, at the dubious age of 59, Satchel pitched three innings for the Kansas City Athletics to become the oldest player to pitch in a major league game.

Roy Campanella chaired a committee to select some players from the old Negro League for a special section of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The committee concluded two years of work without making any recommendations. It was too difficult to choose from the hundreds of candidates.

Nevertheless, the first African-American to be enshrined at Cooperstown ? on the basis of record, not skin color ? was Satchel Paige in 1971. He died in 1982.

Sometimes I wonder if he had any regrets that the color barrier was not broken before his prime, instead of in his declining years.

But then I dig out the clipping of that interview of so long ago and re-read the sage advice he gave a young sportswriter for a long and happy life ? pearls of wisdom I adopt every January as my road map for the coming year:

1. Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood.

2. If your stomach disputes with you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts.

3. Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you go.

4. Go light on the vices, such as carrying on in society. The social ramble ain?t restful.

5. Avoid running at all times.

6. And, finally, the admonition that made Satchel Paige immortal: Never look back. Something may be gaining on you.

January 16, 2000 .

Click here to see this article on Lindsey Williams's website

.

Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at:

LinWms@earthlink.net or LinWms@lindseywilliams.org

Website: http://www.lindseywilliams.org with over a thousand of Lin's Editorial & At Large articles written over 40 years.

Also featured in its entirety is Lin's groundbreaking book Boldly Onward, that critically analyzes and develops theories about the original Spanish explorers of America. (fully indexed/searchable)

David Hicks: Why has he not yet been bought to trial in Australia?

David Hicks: Why has he not yet been bought to trial in Australia?

Habeas Corpus: Law a prerogative writ directed to someone who detains another in custody, commanding them to produce the other person before the court. It is mainly used to test the legality of an imprisonment. Macquarie Dictionary

David Hicks is charged with conspiracy, attempted murder and aiding the enemy. But the charges are significant for what they do not spell out. Though they are extremely serious, there is no allegation that Hicks killed or specifically harmed anyone.

His captors insist that he trained in al-Qaeda camps, guarded a Taliban tank at Kandahar airport and travelled to Konduz in northern Afghanistan to join Taliban engaged in combat against US-led forces. They say he intended to kill coalition combatants in Afghanistan between September and December 2001. They insist he aided al-Qaeda and the Taliban in the context of armed conflict. There are, however, some puzzling aspects, such as the claim that Hicks translated al-Qaeda training material into English from Arabic, a language of which he is believed to have had only a limited command.

The legal limbo in which Hicks and other detainees are held means they have been unable to invoke the writ of habeas corpus. They are held on Cuban soil, leading to the technical legal argument that this exempts them from the protection of the US constitution and the normal legal protections to which a prisoner is entitled. They have been held as enemy combatants, not prisoners of war, and so have been denied the protections of the Geneva Convention. Yet the charges against Hicks relate to warlike conduct.

Through the willing surrender of two of its citizens to this process, the Australian Government has set a dangerous precedent that should alarm all Australians. The military commission that will hear the case against Hicks is an extension of the US executive, not an independent tribunal. It is answerable ultimately to a US President who has called those in Guantanamo evil people.

This is second-class justice. Even alleged terrorists are due their day in court. Nothing in these latest developments overtakes belief that the fate of Hicks should be decided under Australian law or before a properly constituted international tribunal, not by the US military.

[Major Michael Mori - Military Lawyer for David Hicks claims the five year delay, so far, in bringing David to trial is due to the fact that he did not violate any international law so the US had to make up charges and an unfair system that would rubber stamp the charges without question. Had the US used a real court system like the courts-martial, we could have had a trial within the first year. But of course, David would have been acquitted which would not have served the political agendas in the US and Australia.
All David has wanted is a fair trial and Australia did nothing to obtain that for him since a fair trial would have proven David's innocence.

David's father Terry said the United States government was keeping his son in detention at the Cuban naval base as a scapegoat following the release of other western prisoners, including fellow Australian Mamdouh Habib.

Mr Hicks said David was the only westerner left among 540 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

I think David's the token white fella, he told the Australian Associated Press [AAP.

They're going to try and make an example out of him, particularly to the western world, that this is what happens if you play with fire.

David Hicks was granted British citizenship in December 2005 but his five-year battle for freedom again fell into limbo when the British government appealed the High Court ruling.

The US and the British governments have an agreement that British detainees will not face the US military commission.

But unlike the nine other Britons who have been released from Guantanamo Bay, Hicks has been charged - with conspiracy to commit war crimes, attempted murder and aiding and abetting the enemy.

November 8, 2006: Irish rockers U2 used the opening concert of their Australian tour to campaign for terrorist suspect David Hicks to be released from Guantanamo Bay.
The super group's front man, Bono, raised the Hicks case during a concert at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre in Brisbane. Bono, said Hicks should be released from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, where he has been since 2001. We call for David Hicks to be brought back to Australia, he said.

Although Australian Attorney General Philip Ruddock announced in August that the government would push for Hicks' return to Australia, Canberra has not made any such statements since that time.

In September, Ruddock said he had demanded the trial be dealt with as quickly as possible. We want to see it resolved as soon as possible, but we have to be realistic, he was quoted as saying in the September 29 Sydney Morning Herald.

This sounds good, but the truth is that neither Ruddock nor John Howard have pressed Washington to release Hicks, as the Blair government did for the Britons incarcerated in Guantanamo.

Australians are outraged at Hicks being denied justice and a News poll taken over September 1-3 found that more than 55% believe Hicks will not receive a fair trial under US jurisdiction.

John Howard, Phillip Ruddock and foreign minister Alexander Downer's acquiescence to the new US military commission law means that they are also in favour of denying habeas corpus, and possibly not just for Hicks.

A message sent from Australia's Washington embassy to Mr Howard's office in July 2005 outlines the findings of the US Navy investigation. The message, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, said an extraordinary effort was made by the US Navy to investigate allegations of abuse.

It concluded: The Australian Government's regular visits to Mr Hicks have enabled us to assess firsthand [the US Department of Defence's treatment of Australian detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
The Department of Defence treats all detainees humanely. They are provided food, religious materials, shelter, medical care, mail service, reading materials and clothing.

Despite the Australian Government's acceptance of US Navy investigation, allegations of abuse against Mr Hicks and other detainees continue to be made.

He's pretty down. He's not well and it's very hard talking to him, Terry Hicks said.

Explaining to him about the British citizenship, he's now at that point where he doesn't really care.

David had been sexually and physically tortured and had endured 18 months' solitary confinement during his incarceration, I think that would bring anybody to their knees, his father said.

Terry Hicks slammed the Australian government for its lack of support, particularly after its involvement in the cases of drug traffickers Schapelle Corby and Van Tuong Nguyen.

Terry says here will be an appeal against US legislation that provides a new framework for military trials. The new legislation also allows tough interrogation and the indefinite detention of terrorism suspects.

It was recently signed into law by US President George W Bush.

Terry Hicks says there is not much change to the last model for US military trials, which was ruled invalid by the US Supreme Court.
David's defence team will ... appeal against this, it'll have to go through the Federal Court of America to start with, then it'll work its way through the Supreme Court.

That could take upwards of two years, so David will be stuck there for another two years. he claims.

Claims of abuse emerged, with an affidavit from a US marine who said guards bragged about routinely beating inmates.
The marine told of one guard who bragged about slamming the head of a detainee into a cell door. His statement said other guards spoke of hitting detainees and denying them water.

Former US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld: 'Detaining enemy combatants provides us with intelligence that can help us prevent future acts of terrorism. It can save lives and, indeed, I am convinced it can speed victory.' Rumsfeld approved a range of measures for use against reluctant prisoners, including solitary confinement - which could be administered in repeated, back-to-back doses of 30 days - chaining people for hours in chilled or heated interrogation rooms, and what he euphemistically called 'sleep adjustment' - in other words, deprivation.

Vincent Cassard, head of the Red Cross inspection team, said the relentless interrogations were having serious consequences for the detainees' mental health.

The International Committee of the Red Cross [ICRC feels that interrogators have too much control over the basic needs of detainees that the interrogators attempt to control the detainees through use of isolation. The interrogators have total control of the level of isolation in which the detainees were kept; the level of comfort items detainees can receive; also the access for basic needs.

Cassard gave the example of interrogators' deciding that unco-operative detainees would not be allowed books. Again Cassard told him that the Red Cross team had heard so many prisoners say that books and other 'comfort items' were confiscated for refusing to talk that they believed this must be true. Miller replied that 'he would listen to the allegations, but he had given the ICRC the accurate facts'.

Major-General Geoffrey Miller made no secret of his belief that subjecting the unco-operative to harsher conditions had boosted the yield of intelligence. 'We are developing information of enormous value to the nation, enormously valuable intelligence,' he said with passion. 'We have an enormously thorough process that has very high resolution and clarity. I think of Guant?namo as the interrogation battle lab in the war against terror.'

Shafiq Rasul, one of the Tipton Three from Staffordshire, who was freed in March 2004, described the effect of Miller's system, which after three months' in solitary led him to make a false confession of attending a 9/11 planning meeting with Osama bin Laden and the fanatical Mohamed Atta in Afghanistan in January 2000. He was told the meeting had been videotaped.

Rasul claims,' the walls [of the interrogation room were rusty, and they seemed to be soundproofed. There was no ventilation; it was hot in there. One interrogator told me that anyone who was in Afghanistan was guilty of the murders of 9/11 - even the women and children killed by the American bombing.

'But they said my position was much worse, because the meeting in this video was to plan 9/11, and loads of people had told them that this guy in a beard standing behind bin Laden was me. I told them that in 2000 I didn't leave the country that I was working at the Wednesbury branch of Currys, who would have my employment records. They told me I could have falsified those records - that I could have had someone working with me at Currys who could have altered the data the company held, and travelled on a false passport.'

Finally, as his isolation continued and the interrogators deployed their full range of techniques, Rasul said, he cracked. In a final session, a senior official had come down from Washington: 'My heart is beating, beating, I'm saying it's not me, it's not me, but I'm thinking: I'm going to be screwed, I'm on an island in the middle of nowhere, there's nothing I can do.
This woman had come down and she plays me the video. I say: Are you blind? That doesn't look anything like me. But it makes no difference. I'd got to the point where I just couldn't take any more. Do what you have to do, I told them. I'd been sitting there for three months in isolation, so I say, Yes, it's me. Go ahead and put me on trial.

The time has come for the Australian public to stand up and demand that their government return David Hicks home to face his so-called wrong doings here in Australia. With the ever growing threat of a terrorist attack here in Australia, it would seem good practice for our court system to trial Hicks for possible terror allegations.

About the Author

Australian Writer
jamiestone4870@hotmail.com

Sports Party Banners: Announcing the Big Game!

Whatever the sporting event, you can recognize your team, and advertise the big event with your own sports banner. Whether it is the big little league game of the season, or the state college championships, appropriate banners can be purchased online, or even made at home. Sports banners come in a wide variety of styles and materials, from the hand held banners for team fans, to flag type banners to hang outside your home, to street spanning, professionally made banners.

Should you want to make your own sports banner, they are really easy to make, and sometimes, especially if you are in a hurry, home made banners are the best, because you can make one quickly and easily. If you have children who take part in sports, consider buying felt in appropriate colors, cutting out triangles, gluing on letters to spell out the team name (they can also be cut from felt) and gluing them to craft sticks or lengths of wood dowels, even consider personalizing them with player's names for the parents!

Sports banners are also appropriate for end of the season celebrations. These parties, especially for young athletes, are milestones, and personalized sports banners can be that little something special to make those events something that will be remembered for a lifetime. Sports banners can be the focal point of the whole evening.

Take simple white paper, print, computer print, or affix stick on letters, decorate with appropriate mascot symbols, balls, bats, or other sports accessories, and thread lengths of nylon line through holes in each end, and hang it up! Take it even further by hanging the sports banners with basketball or soccer net, painting Styrofoam balls to resemble baseballs or softballs, or using small children's versions of balls and bats, and adding photos of the players. Consider allowing the players to decorate their sports banner with hand prints or autographs for a personal touch.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies (http://partysupplieshut.com), using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has a huge selection of free party games, coloring pages, word find, word scramble, printable baby and bridal shower activities. A huge variety of custom party banners for kids and adult birthday parties, theme events and holiday celebrations. Choose the fonts, colors and banner style to match your party.

Two Top Parenting Issues with Teenagers

Raising teenagers can be like a day at an amusement park, lots of fun but also full of ups and downs, moments with floors dropping out, twisters, laughs, screams and all. But just as you plan your amusement park agenda, mapping out a basic plan, you can do the same with many top teen issues for the most positive experience possible.

Self-Esteem & Fitting In

The teenage years are a time of internal and external growth, where teens face mixed emotions daily and bodily growth differently in nearly each individual. And a major concern among teenagers is their self-esteem; i.e. focusing on how much they feel accepted, valued and loved by others in light of all this transitional phase in their lives.

You can help by encouraging them to find things they are good at; different subjects in school, sports and other after school activities (chess, crafts, photography, etc.) Offer plenty of praise and go light on the criticism. And help them find plenty of helpful resources along the way; library books, school counselors, coaches, mentors, tutors, etc. Have your teen invite friends over often so you can meet them, too, and leave them to their game / tv room with plenty of snacks and music.

Growth (External / Internal) & Sex

Help your teens value their own appearance by offering compliments and praise for clothing choices, even if it?s simply in a t-shirts color choice. They want to experiment and wear clothing like their piers and like some adults, but do guide them in ethical and moral choices, leaving abusive language phrases off shirts, and making sure private body parts are covered.

As sexual maturity comes into play, also reflected in clothing style choices, make sure to acknowledge this stage and not run from it, especially with seductive clothing and late night outings. Take charge and remind your teen that while it?s great to want to be attractive, sex can and most often does lead to parenting and that?s a very serious issue. Make sure your teens understand your opinion on this area. And if you don?t have one yet, it may be time to get involved and take a stance. Life, lives could be at stake. So don?t leave this topic left hanging because you are uncomfortable. You may be much more uncomfortable if you do nothing.

Keep in mind, there are plenty more teenage issues for parents to deal with, some easy and some not so easy. Get to know your teen better and stay tuned. Or zoom ahead by grabbing your copy of: The Teenage Parenting Guide.

For More Free Tips on parenting visit my site =>Teenage Parenting at http://www.parentingteenage.com

Ten Tips for a Top Safari

For many people, an African Safari is an experience they want to cherish forever, and for good reason. A Safari experience is a special, soul-awakening adventure. It will excite. It will inspire. It is the experience of a lifetime.

To help ensure that your African Safari is all these things, we've put together:

Ten Tips for a fantastic Safari experience

Plan

Vital to any successful travel experience is proper planning. This is as important for an African Safari as it is for an intercontinental overland adventure trip. I will of course concede that the latter may take a fair bit more work...

Clothing

This is Africa and casual clothes are the order of the day. Neutral-colours are recommended such as beiges, browns and khakis to avoid alarming the game. Comfort is key to a pleasurable experience, so take along lightweight comfortable clothing.

Footwear Comfortable enclosed walking shoes are advisable. This especially important if you intend to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of a bush walk.

Sun Protection

Take along a hat, sunglasses and sun protection cream.

Photography

Whether you're planning on getting that once-in-a-lifetime Safari snap or merely looking to have some kind of photographic record to share your safari experience with friends back home, remember to pack plenty of extra film or digital storage media and batteries.

Passports, Visas and customs concessions

Ensure that you have your valid passport. In some instances a Visa may be required as well. Confirm the specifics with your travel agent to ensure a trouble-free experience.

You will also need to acquaint yourself with the customs restrictions of the country you are visiting as well as your own country so that you don't experience any problems when entering either country.

It's also usually a good idea to make copies of all your important documentation and note down your traveler's cheque numbers. Store this information separately from the originals as a backup.

Time differences

Southern Africa is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. If you are traveling across time zones, your body will need to adjust during the first few days of your trip. Bear this in mind when planning your trip.

Malaria precautions

Umlani is situated in a medium-risk malaria area. Proper precautions are therefore recommended.

Most brands of malaria medication need to be taken at least a few days before you are to be exposed to a malaria risk. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for detailed advice about the type of protection best suited for your situation.

Visitors are also advised to use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants to limit the risk of mosquito bites. This is especially true during the dusk to dawn period, when mosquitoes are most active.

Game Viewing

Wild animals are by their very nature potentially dangerous. The animals you are likely to see while out on safari are not pets. Of course, your guide will know all about this and will advise accordingly to ensure maximum safety and maximum enjoyment for all concerned. Listen to your guide at all times.

When is the best time for game viewing?

At Umlani game reserve, wildlife viewing is highly enjoyable throughout the year.

In the main wildlife areas, most rain falls during the South African summer encouraging lush vegetation but making game harder to spot.

From May to Nov, the grass is short and game is easily spotted. From August through to mid October, the last months of the dry season, game tends to concentrate near waterholes, making these ideal game viewing areas.

About the Author
The Umlani Bushcamp was founded in 1989 in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, now part of the Kruger National Park. This luxury game lodge represents the ultimate in combining five-star comfort with the adventure of an African safari.