Rental Cars in Ontario: Understanding Late Fees

By Amy Nutt

Ontario car rentals are much the same as those elsewhere in that, if you fail to return the vehicle at the correct time, you'll be charged extra. While this can be frustrating if you were stuck in traffic and didn't make it back to the rental company within the specified time frame, it's pretty much a universal rule.

When renting a vehicle in Ontario, it's a good idea to know what the late fees will be. Every car rentals service will differ in price, so it's always a good idea to get the details from them before you even leave the lot. However, there are some reasonable similarities that will give you the gist of late fees in Ontario.

What to Expect for Late Fees

There are generally two main types of late fees. The first begins from the time you were supposed to return the car and continues until you actually return it. Lately, these prices have gone up quite a bit, meaning that if you are more than a couple of hours late, it's actually cheaper to take the day rate instead. The usual late fee is around 2/3 of the daily rate, but is charged per hour. For example, a car that costs $55 per day will cost you $30 or so per hour that you keep it past the return time.

The second type of late fee is far more onerous. Rather than just charge you for the hours you are late, these fees are retroactive. So you will end up paying $30 per hour for the ENTIRE time you had the vehicle, from the first pickup. It's very important to check with the company on their late returns policy before signing anything, as this will all be in the contract.

Why Charge Late Fees?

Despite the fact that it seems quite unfair to the consumer to charge late fees, rental companies have a reason for doing this. Often, only a few select vehicles are rented from any given location. That means that the car you`ve rented is probably rented out to someone else shortly after you return it. The company will need time to clean the vehicle and inspect it for damage before it can be handed over to the new driver and they allow for this time.

However, imagine that you return the car three hours late. The anxious customer has been waiting for half an hour for his car and now it's just arrived. The employees must rush to inspect and clean the vehicle before they can give it to the now irate client. It's very possible that they will lose business this way, hence the higher rates.

Car rentals in Ontario are no different from those elsewhere. They need to be earning money and late returns cost them. However, many rental companies still have a grace period that extends anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour past the necessary return time.

Avoiding Late Fees

There are a few ways to avoid late fees when renting a vehicle in Ontario. - Plan for an extra half hour in case of traffic. - Don't forget to plan for filling up the gas tank. - Call ahead if you're going to be late and let them know . . . sometimes you can waive the late fee. - Forget the grace period. Even if there is one, plan to return on time. - Have the clerk update your pickup time if you arrive late, otherwise you`ll return the vehicle at the same time and still be considered late.

Car rentals can be tricky if you don't pay attention. There is no need to pay late fees if you stay on top of things and plan accordingly.

About the Author:

Provides a wide selection vehicles for your rental car needs. Choose from economy, standard and intermediate sizes including pickup trucks for your next car rental Toronto.

Holiday Dinner Planning Made Easy

By Jana Banks

The holiday is nearly here and you've decided to host the gathering at your place this year. If you're new at this, you'll find out that if you don't plan ahead, you'll end up like many have, scrambling just hours before the meal, frazzled. And your kitchen will look like it too. That's when you might also find yourself wondering just how your grandmother or aunt was able to do it and make it look simple. Don't worry, you can do it too with a few simple planning tips no host or hostess could do without.

That's right, surviving your holiday dinner has everything to do with planning. And you'll not just be planning the cooking, but the hosting as well. You'll want to consider where you're guests will be sitting. Go ahead and take a check of your dinnerware supplies including glasses, silverware, and serving sets. Once you have a handle on your serveware, you also want to take into account who the guest will be. Will it be your picky aunt and cousins who analyze everything or will it be a more casual gathering with a few friends.

Then you can start mulling over the menu. Will you need to make someone's sentimental favorite, like a homemade apple pie? Is your friend yearning for her favorite green bean casserole? You can't be all things to all people, so don't pressure yourself to cook everything to please everybody. And hopefully you've kept the guest list a manageable size too.

If this is your first holiday hosting, you might not want to take on too many dishes at once, so take a good look at your list and think about editing it down to something comfortably manageable. While you'll surely want to take into account some of the sentimental favorites, and maybe a new favorite of your own, plan on keeping it rather simple. You'd be surprised at how people will still enjoy a scaled down dinner. Concentrate on the quality rather than the quantity of the dishes. Gather your recipes and prepare your shopping list. Take one last review of your kitchenware to make sure you have all of the tools you need.

Now that your kitchen is in order, let's move onto the food list. Make a list of the items you'll need for all of the dishes and double-check it so you can avoid running out to the store on the holiday for last minute items. If the meal is based on a ham, turkey, or roast as a main dish, be sure that you've got it or ordered it a couple of days ahead of time. You can then move forward to buying the rest of your needs for your drinks and sides, holding off until the day or two before for the most perishable foods.

Another good idea is to tackle the big housecleaning a week ahead of time, including a good thorough cleaning and shining of the kitchen. If you're at all tight on space, try to eat the items you have in stock rather than buying too many groceries unrelated to the holiday. You'll be glad you did, as it will give you more room in your cabinets and fridge. The day before the holiday, it's also a good idea to lay out your supplies and tools in easy reach of your cooking area so you can get the morning off to the right start.

Now the best way to ensure a stress free day is to get out your recipes the night before and review them so you can schedule the prep and cook times. Try and prepare any dishes you can the night before if possible. These simple steps in advance will really pay off and make your whole day go much smoother. Put your list in a convenient spot and check of the tasks as you go. Take a deep breath, and try to remember to enjoy the day!

About the Author:

You can prepare your holiday meals in a lot less time by having qualitykitchenware in your home. Need more storage containers? Check out these great Glasslock containers from Kinetic for glass food storage containers to store your holiday leftovers in.

The Cost, Speed and Effectiveness of Drinking Water Filters

By David Eastham

There are three main water filter systems to consider today, distillation, reverse osmosis and multi-stage or selective filtration. In this article you will see they differ in cost per gallon of water produced, effectiveness, required maintenance and filtering speed. You will also find the information you need to choose a solution for your drinking water problems.

Any of these filters are far better than continuing to use your body as a filter, but, depending on your water problems, you will find that some of them are clearly better than others.

Let's start with reverse osmosis (RO) systems since they are the biggest sellers.

The main filter in these systems is a semi-permeable membrane about the thickness of a piece of cellophane. Water that has been pre-filtered to remove most of the large particles is forced, under pressure, against the membrane and only particles the size of a water molecule, or smaller, can go thru. For the water conditions most of us have in the US, there is a far better way of doing what this stage does because:

1) Chemicals such as pesticides, drugs, chlorine, synthetic organic chemicals, etc. are not removed in the stage of the process since their molecules are smaller than water's. A carbon filter must be used in combination with RO systems to finish the job.

2) Steady pressure is required to force the water molecules thru the membrane and, even then, only about a third of the molecules can be pushed through the filter. The remaining two-thirds is flushed with the filtered contaminants.

3) RO systems are slow, yielding less than one gallon per hour of filtered water and, consequently, they also require a storage tank to give an adequate supply of water for bathing.

4) This stage will get the lead out, but it also removes the minerals our bodies need such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. At that point, the water water has gone from being neutral to being slightly acidic, and some medical professionals believe such water is unsafe to consume on a long-term basis.

The RO systems require considerable maintenance and they produce comparatively expensive water at about 18 to 24 cents per gallon.

Next up is the distillation system (D).

When the sun heats the earth the warm, moist air rises, cools in the upper atmosphere and falls back to earth again as rain or snow. That is a good example of distillation process.

In the D system, water is passed over a heated coil; the water vaporizes, goes into a cooling chamber and condenses back to a liquid. During this process inorganic compounds like lead, calcium, potassium and other minerals are removed.

All bacteria, even bacteria that are resistant to chlorine such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia will be killed in this stage of the process.

The D systems have the same drawback as the RO systems, however, in that they remove the bad metals like lead but take out the beneficial trace minerals as well.

A wide range of synthetic organic chemicals, drugs, etc. also escape the filtering effects of D systems. Since they vaporize at a lower temperature than water, they remain in the water the whole way. Because of this, just like the RO systems, these units must be used together with carbon filters.

Utility bills rise with D systems because they are very wasteful, cleaning only about 20% of the water used. The cost for using D systems to clean up a gallon of water is in the area of 20 cent to 26 cents.

The last systems we will look at are called multi-stage or selective filtration systems.

Activated charcoal or carbon has long been viewed as the best technology for removing chemicals compounds such as chlorine, chlorine byproducts, herbicides, pesticides, drugs, etc., so, the earlier versions of these systems simply ran water through a cylinder filled with a granular form of activated charcoal.

However, these basic designs:

1) Gave water a chance to pass along the walls of the filter and the charcoal so some of the water did not get filtered and,

2) There was a lack of confidence over these filters' ability to stop the extremely small, chlorine-resistant cysts such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

A new technology was developed which made the two complaints mute. This new technology kept the filtering power of activated charcoal but changed its form. First, they mixed the activated charcoal with a resin that had been chemically charged and compressed the mix into a solid block composed of submicron pores.

The problems were eliminated since the water could no longer bypass the filter and the cysts were removed by the filter's tiny pores.

And chemical pollutants are obviously filtered out by the activated charcoal.

What about the filter resin that covers the adsorption area of the charcoal?

When the resin comes in contact with the water, its chemical make up causes the ions of any heavy metals present in the water, such as lead or sulfur, to break their bonds with the water and jump to the resin like a strong magnet to steel. Lighter metals such as potassium or calcium are not involved in the ion exchange, so, they, the healthy minerals, stay in the water.

When you think of the "Rube Goldberg-ness" of the RO or D systems it is easy to understand why selective filtration technology is leading the industry. Independent laboratory tests have proven the produce the highest quality water and initial costs are more than competitive.

They work simply (no pumps, storage tanks or electricity), efficiently, quickly and very economically, producing a gallon of filtered water for less than 10 cents with virtually no maintenance required.

Whatever you do from this point on, please, use some type of filter for your water other than your body.

About the Author:

David Eastham has done extensive research on such topics as reverse osmosis to discover the best way to provide good, clean drinking water. Go here now for his selections as the best dollar for dollar buys, and the best products overall, in home water filtration technology.

Review of Sanyo HEC-DR6700K Massage Chair

By Steve Esquire

This is a product review of the high end Sanyo DR-6700 massage chair. Sanyo boasts a full line of massage chairs. The DR-6700 is the model just below the DR7700 which is the top of the line model for Sanyo. We will evaluate some of the advanced electronic features and massage functions of the DR 6700. Here is our evaluation of the Sanyo DR6700 massage chair recliner.

Warranty is the first thing we want to cover and get out of the way. We are amazed at the pace in which features and functions are being added to massage chair. On the flip side of this we also advise our customers to make sure they get sufficient warranty coverage for their long term protection.

Sanyo provides the warranty coverage for the DR-6700 massage chair. The warranty coverage is as follows: You get three years coverage for the roller mechanism. This is the device that provides the massage for your back, neck and shoulders. Otherwise, the rest of the chair gets 1 year for both parts and labor. One good part of the coverage is the one year of in home technician service.

The DR 6700 comes with 4 automatic massage programs. These are one-touch massage programs. They are based around the following themes: Stiffness, Recovery, Fine and Relax. With the touch of a button, the DR6700 will provide a full body massage for the time set. These programs run the whole chair, so all you have to do is sit back and relax.

There are also many manual options for your relaxation needs. If you have a particular trouble spot or area, then you can switch to manual mode and use a manual massage. The manual massage techniques are as follows: Gap, Shiatsu, Kneading, Tapping and Combo. Each of these techniques is specialized with a particular movement to loosen or revitalize tight and sore muscles.

There are many adjustments you can make with the in the manual massage mode. You can select the roller width adjustment. The rollers in the chair back can be set at a wider or narrower depending on where you would like the massage to penetrate. Also, you can adjust the intensity of the massage. You can make it softer or more vigorous. If you are tender, then a softer mode may be appropriate, whereas if you want deeper penetration you can set it stronger.

There are even more options on the area of your back that you would like to target. Choose from neck and shoulders, lower back, lower body and quick course. You can select the massage technique that you wish and then have it focus in these regions. This is very helpful if you have stiffness in a particular area.

Sanyo is know for its advanced electronics, are any integrated into the DR-6700 massage chair? Yes, there are some very interesting electronics, such as a stiffness detector. The stiffness detector is based on lie detector technology. It monitors your pulse rate and also your perspiration level. It then feeds this data to the computer which then can identify where then tension is residing in your body and adjusts the massage program.

Need a good lower body massage? This Sanyo model comes equipped with an air compression massage system for the lower body. A compression massage uses a squeezing action to relieve tired, aching muscles. The air compression massage targets the legs, calves and feet. They have also integrated a heater to warm the bottoms of your feet.

The DR-6700 massage chair has some very nice features to compliment its massage therapy. The stiffness detector is certainly unique, but actually pretty effective. Good thing it doesn't ask you questions! The manual massage treatments like the Grip massage are fabulous. We do like the automatic programs that Sanyo has developed. We wish the labor for the warranty coverage was a little longer. Overall, this is a solid massage chair that can meet your long term massage therapy needs.

About the Author:

Check out more regarding Sanyo Massage Chairs at our website. We have massage chair reviews on each Sanyo Massage Chair for your perusal. Be informed and take your time and research the best massage chair for your requirements. There are many excellent massage recliners and we take the time to assist your find the perfect massage chair for you.

What Are The Most Comfortable Contact Lenses On The Market?

By Amy Nutt

Leonardo da Vinci was said to have invented the concept of the contact lens in 1508. Since the penning of his historic and innovative Codex of the eye, Manual D, the contact lens has greatly evolved and is the option of choice for corrective wear.

Developed as an option for men and women who needed visual enhancement but didn't like to appearance or hassle associated with eyeglasses, the original lenses were originally very hard. They also had a myriad of drawbacks, like popping off the cornea and getting lost. A version of the earlier hard contacts lens still exists today, and are now called gas permeable (GP or RGPs or rigid gas permeable). Unlike their predecessors, they allowed oxygen to pass through the lens to the eye, which makes them healthier to wear.

Unfortunately, like their predecessors, these hard contacts are still a bit uncomfortable.

Enter soft contact lenses, which were also gas permeable and far easier on the eyes. Yet and still, even among the softer lenses, some are more comfortable than others.

So, what kind of contact lens offers the highest comfort?

Disposable contact lenses

Disposable contact lenses come in single day, weekly, or monthly use. These contact lenses often offer a higher degree of comfort because and there is less of a chance of protein buildup and warping, which can feel scratchy to the eye. To date, many soft contact lens buyers say that these lenses are the best ones on the market in regards to ease of wear, however, they may not be the ultimate option for true vision correction.

Color contact lenses

Color contact lenses can be fairly easy on the eye if they are the soft variety. Although most color contacts are used to produce an aesthetic effect, ease of use is still very important. Because these contacts are most often come in the soft lens, they are generally very comfortable. Some companies even make them with a prescription in them, although the prescription may not be as strong as with plain lenses.

Gas permeable lenses

As stated before, gas permeable lenses are often harder but with the proper fitting they can be a bit healthier and easier to wear than soft contact lenses. This is due to the fact that they allow oxygen into the cornea, which is important since this delicate part of the eye needs oxygen to 'breath'. For this reason, they are also called the 'breathable' contact lens.

Hybrid lenses

Hybrid lenses can offer the best of both the gas permeable and disposable contact lens. These lenses are often comprised of a GP center and softer outer ring. This makes the contact lenses a bit easier to wear while giving all the benefits of gas permeable contacts. The lenses are a great option fro people who suffer from astigmatism as they may not be able to wear certain soft lenses.

All of the above lenses including color contacts have their pros and cons, and in the end, it is really up to you to decide which type best fits your lifestyle. Some people who are very active seek soft lenses because they stay in place far easier than gas permeable. On the other hand, others have vision correction problems that soft contacts can't fix and need to get gas permeable or hybrids.

If you are interested in getting contacts, or just want to switch to a far more accommodating brand, be sure to make an appointment with your ophthalmologist. He will be best able to tell you what would be a good fit, and knows which contact lenses have been reputed to yield the highest amount of comfort.

About the Author:

When looking for contact lenses, colored contacts and special effects lenses, be sure to shop online for huge savings when compared to retail prices.

Massage Recliner Review: Sanyo HEC-DR 6700 K Massage Chair

By James Knolan

We will present a systematic review of the Sanyo DR-6700 massage chair recliner. This is one of the higher end Sanyo massage chairs. Sanyo is known for integrating many advanced features into their recliners. This review will cover five main categories ranging from warranty coverage to massage therapy. See how this high end massage chair is rated.

Warranty & Customer Service: One of the first areas you want to check out with a massage chair that you are interested in is the warranty coverage. Massage chairs are complex machines and you just want to make sure in the unlikely event something goes wrong that you are protected. Let's look at the warranty coverage for the DR6700. The roller mechanism which is what provides the back massage is covered for three years. Parts and labor are covered for one year. Sanyo also provides you with one year of in home technician service. The parts and labor is rather short. The good part of the warranty is the 1 year technician service. We rate the warranty an 18.

Comfort & Ergonomics: Believe it or not some massage chairs are only comfortable to sit in when they are running. A massage chair needs to double as a recliner in our humble opinion. The DR-6700 cradles the body when you sit in it. The padding makes for a plush seat. The adjustable head pillow can be positioned to support your head well. The main functions of the chair are ran from the remote and it is in an accessible location. We give the DR6700 an 18 for comfort and ergonomics.

Ease of Use: This category takes a look at how easy the chair is to use for the average person. We have seen some overly complicated remotes which require too many steps to get the chair to do what you want. The remote control has 4 automatic programs which operate off one touch. Manual programs are a little bit more involved which requires a few steps to get the chair where you want. The intensity and width adjustments have a nice phased LED to show the power levels. Overall, we rate the Sanyo DR6700 a 17 in ease of use.

Key Features: There are many interesting features in the DR6700 massage recliner. The two that stand out the most are the Grip massage technique and the physical shape sensor. The Grip massage is a manual massage technique included in the 6700. The Grip makes use of the specialized GK rollers used by Sanyo. The Grip massage can come over the shoulders and provide a gripping action to soothe the tops of the shoulders. The physical shape sensor detects if your body shifts in the chair. When a shift is detected, it adjusts the massage to better target your body in its new position. Talk about massaging a moving target! We give the DR-6700 an 18 in this category.

Massage Therapy: The DR 6700 has 4 automatic one-touch massage programs. The programs are as follows: Stiffness, Recovery, Fine and Relax. There are also manual massage techniques which include the following: Grip, Shiatsu, Kneading, Tapping and Combo. Each of these techniques is specialized with a particular movement to loosen or revitalize tight and sore muscles. In manual mode, just select the intensity of the massage to be more or less invigorating or select the width of the rollers to cover the areas of your back that you need attention. Target specific areas by selecting the region which includes: neck and shoulders, lower back, lower body and quick course. You have a lot of good options to choose from with the DR-6700. Our rating of the massage therapy is 19

We rate this massage chair recliner 90 points out of 100. Sanyo has integrated some unique electronic functions into the DR-6700. The physical shape sensor and the stiffness detector are unique to Sanyo. We are somewhat concerned with the warranty coverage only having 1 year parts and labor for a high end massage chair. The massage therapy programs are well designed and effective. This is a very good massage chair and the DR6700 should be one for you to check into further.

About the Author:

Would you like to learn more about the incredible Sanyo Massage Chairs? Peruse all the exciting features of the full line of Sanyo Massage Chair. Sanyo is famous for its unique electronic compliments to its invigorating massage therapy.

What to Expect In a Car Rental Contract

By Amy Nutt

While each rental company will have its own contract, there are some standards that cover the basic areas of every car rental agreement. If the contract has anything different in it, the company is obligated to point this out to you, though it is still a good idea to look through any paperwork before signing it.

A car rental agreement is basically a contract between the lender of the car and the renter who will be using it. These usually favor the lender, but if you pay attention to the extras, you'll be able to keep things pretty fair.

Standard Requirements from the Renter

Every rental cars contract will require the presentation of a valid driver's license. This is standard. Only drivers whose names are actually on the rental agreement can drive the vehicle . . . if someone else is driving and has an accident, you`ll be liable for everything, even if you purchased insurance.

Age is another issue. While you can drive at 16, you can't rent a car at this age. Most states require drivers to be 21 or older before they can legally sign a contract and rent a vehicle. This does vary somewhat, though and if you are traveling outside the country, you will want to find out what the standard age is.

Contract Sections Dealing with Potential Problems

There is always the risk that a vehicle will get dinged or even destroyed while in the renter's hands. For this reason, there is usually an optional insurance that you can purchase at the same time as you rent. Many people actually have this covered under their usual auto insurance, so check this first, before buying extra insurance.

Any tickets, speeding, parking or otherwise, that are incurred during the lease of the vehicle will need to be paid by the renter. Any damage is usually fined, so it pays to take a walk around the vehicle and point out any damages that are already in existence. Be sure these are marked and signed on the contract so you have proof that they didn't occur while you were driving.

There should also be well laid out consequences for things like returning the vehicle late or with an empty gas tank. Returning the car to a different location than where you rented it is something that often comes with a fee, as well. Be sure to read this part carefully, since you can save quite a bit of money by paying attention and making sure that you bring the vehicle back in the proper condition.

Possible Restrictions of Use

Every contract will tell you how you can use the vehicle that you are renting. Most won't allow you to cross a border or go off-roading in a truck rental or car rental. Some areas will have very specific rules, while others will depend on the type of vehicle that you are renting. Some companies will allow you to use only up to a certain number of kilometers or miles within the time period specified. If you go over this limit, you`ll end up paying premium prices. This makes it cheaper to stay in the area.

It's important to always read through the rental car contract before you sign it, just in case there are any surprises. You won't have any defense if you just don`t read it. Most rental forms are fairly short, so you don't need to waste too much time checking it and learning about what your responsibilities are. This also prepares you for the possibility of problems, since you will already know how these are commonly dealt with. Car rentals are a great convenience and it helps to understand the contract.

About the Author:

Canadian owned and operated Ontario car rental company offers a wide variety of vehicle choices for all your car rental Toronto and truck rental requirements with locations from coast to coast.

Grilling Steaks

By Gary Pearson

Many people like and prefer to have grilled steaks. Grilling steaks is not hard; however there are some techniques that you can use to help you grill your perfect steak. Here are some insider tips to properly preparing your steak to go on the grill.

There are different ways in which people cook the steak. There are some who put it on the grill just after removing from the freezer while others keep it in the refrigerator at night so that the steak gets soft before it is grilled. For best result the steaks should be removed from the freezer and kept outside for some time so that it comes to the normal temperature slowly before it is grilled. If the steak is not thawed correctly then it will be uneven when the cooking is done. Some parts will be more cooked than the others depending on how frozen it was.

You may not realize it but preparing the steak well before putting it on the grill holds a lot of importance. It is also needed to trim the extra fat like you do for other types of meat. The fat does not allow the steak to be grilled well and evenly. Cover the meat after you have added all the spices for some time so that all the flavors have been soaked by the steak. It is good to keep it for some time but avoid keeping it for more than a day.

The grill should be heated at the right temperature. You can bring the temperature to maximum on a gas grill for this and if you are using a charcoal grill allow the coal to come to its full heating capacity. Remember that the charcoal is at the maximum temperature when the color turns white. You can make the grill hotter by covering it for some time and it will not harm it in any way. You should have the correct temperature to cook the steak well and so you should make the grill as hot as possible

The way it cooks on the grill depends on how well you have prepared the steak. If you follow the tips mentioned afore, you can be sure that your steak will be cooked to perfection and you will enjoy it.

About the Author:

Gary Pearson is an accomplished niche website developer and author.