uscity.net news

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM FLORIDA'S USCITY.NET TEAM

2011-11-17T21:58:00.005-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving from the uscity.net employees from Florida!

HAVE A SAFE & HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

2011-10-29T21:10:00.000-04:00

This sweet little bumble bee is Breanna, daughter of our very own Brenda!
We here at uscity.net wish all of you a very Happy Halloween. This year Halloween falls on a Saturday night, which means more traffic and more adult parties, so drivers, be on the lookout for kids darting in and out of the streets and parents, please keep an eye on your children, especially the middle and high schoolers who often stay out later.

Here are some other tips for making tonight a treat for all of us:

If you are driving:
1. Watch for children darting out from between parked cars.
2. Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
3. Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
4. At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.
5. Remember to have a designated driver if you will be drinking.

If you are a parent or guardian:
1. Make sure that an adult or an older responsible youth will be supervising the outing for children under age 12.
2. Plan and discuss the route trick-or-treaters intend to follow. Know the names of older children's companions.
3. Instruct your children to travel only in familiar areas and along an established route.
4. Teach your children to stop only at houses or apartment buildings that are well-lit and never to enter a anyone’s home.
5. Establish a return time.
6. Tell your youngsters not to eat any treat until they return home.
7. Review all appropriate trick-or-treat safety precautions, including pedestrian/traffic safety rules.
8. Pin a slip of paper with the child's name, address and phone number inside a pocket in case the youngster gets separated from the group.

The Costume:
1. Costumes should be loose so warm clothes can be worn underneath.
2. Costumes should not be so long that they are a tripping hazard. (Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injuries on Halloween.)
3. If children are allowed out after dark, outfits should be made with light colored materials. Strips of reflective tape should be used to make children visible.
4. Since masks can limit or completely remove vision, most safety experts agree that face paint is safer than masks.
5. When buying special Halloween makeup, check for packages containing ingredients that are labeled "Made with U.S. Approved Color Additives," "Laboratory Tested," Meets Federal Standards for Cosmetics," or "Non-Toxic." Follow manufacturer's instruction for application. Remember that some children may be allergic to ingredients in face paint - "non-toxic" does not mean it is safe for skin or FDA approved. Also, washable refers to fabric, not skin.
6. If masks are worn, they should have nose and mouth openings and large eye holes.
7. Accessories Knives, swords and other accessories should be made from cardboard or flexible materials. Do not allow children to carry sharp objects.
8. Bags or sacks carried by youngsters should be light-colored or trimmed with retro-reflective tape if children are allowed out after dark.
9. Carrying flashlights will help children see better and be seen more clearly.

What the kids should know:
1. Do not enter homes or apartments without adult supervision.
2. Walk, do not run, from house to house. Do not cross yards and lawns where unseen objects or the uneven terrain can present tripping hazards.
3. Walk on sidewalks, not in the street.
4. Walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic if there are no sidewalks.

Before and After:
1. Give children an early meal before going out.
2. Insist that treats be brought home for inspection before anything is eaten.
3. Wash fruit and slice into small pieces.
4. When in doubt, throw it out.

HAVE FUN!

The Lion King

2011-08-21T11:21:00.000-04:00

I am going to see the Lion King in Orlando! I can't wait. It is coming to Orlando next spring and I am taking my neice, who is a dancer!

For those of you not in the know, The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with Elton John's music and Tim Rice's lyrics, along with the musical score created by Hans Zimmer with choral arrangements by Lebo M. and directed by Julie Taymor. It is an extravaganza of actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets.

First performed in July of 1997 in Minnesota, it was truly an overnight success! After moving to New York on Broadway, it is now Broadway's seventh longest-running show in history.

Going on the road to cities across America, like Orlando, Baltimore, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Richmond and more. Click here to see the cities and buy tickets.

USCITY.NET LOVES SMALL BUSINESSES!

2011-08-04T10:40:00.000-04:00

One of our goals here at uscity.net is to sign up as many small, local businesses as possible. Along with our usual goal of becoming the best family friendly directory in the USA, our focus this year is on the small businesses that are the backbone of the US economy.

I believe that small businesses as a whole will help lead the US out of the current economic climate. As President Obama has said: “America needed to "out-build, out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world" to win the future. Small businesses can make it and one way we want to help is by making those marketing dollars count.

We hope that if you are a business owner, or know of a great small business in your area, you will sign up with us or suggest us to that business.

Just click anywhere on this post and it will take you to our sign up page!

Happy 30th Anniversary Studio 404

2011-07-15T18:00:00.023-04:00

Studio 404 of Bend, Oregon is celebrating 30 years in business with some "30 Years In Business Special Discounts"

including a Senior Portrait Package, Family Portrait Package, Wedding Special and the popular Full Coverage Plus ($500 off on this one!)

Owned by Bend photographer and videographer Alan Huestis, Studio 404 was started in 1981. Studio 404 also offers its clients broadcast quality video production and post production services, graphic design services and stock photography and stock video clips.

Alan Huestis, chief photographer, has shot for clients around the world and is a well-known portrait and landscape photographer in the West.

With over 30 years of photographic experience, he is known for his ability to capture a variety of moods. His experience includes location, environmental, product, aerial, landscape, and portrait photography.

If you are looking for a Bend Oregon photographer, need video production services, now is the time time to call Studio 404 and ask about the 30 Years In Business Specials. If you are in the Bend area, call 541-389-6829 or if out of the area call toll free at 1-866-788-3404.

Here's to 30 more years in business, Studio 404!

Check out some more of Studio 404's excellent photography:

Have a Safe and Happy Fourth of July

2011-07-04T01:36:00.001-04:00

With droughts and wildfires all over the place, we are urging everyone to be extra careful with their fireworks, sparklers, etc. Did you know that more fires are reported on that day than on any other day of the year in the United States?

Here are a few safety tips from the National Council on Fireworks Safety:

Use fireworks outdoors only.

Obey local laws. If fireworks are not legal where you live, do not use them. And check to see if they have been recently banned because of drought.

Always have water handy. (A hose or bucket).

Only use fireworks as intended. Don't try to alter them or combine them.
Never relight a "dud" firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.

Use common sense. Spectators should keep a safe distance from the shooter and the shooter should wear safety glasses.

Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a "designated shooter."

Only persons over the age of 12 should be allowed to handle sparklers of any type.

Do not ever use homemade fireworks of illegal explosives: They can kill you! Report illegal explosives to the fire or police department in your community.

USCITY.NET wishes everyone a very happy and SAFE Fourth of July!

Some interesting facts about the 4th of July

2011-07-02T15:52:00.000-04:00

On July 2, 1776 the 2nd Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. This occurred during the American Revolution. After voting for independence, a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author prepared the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4.

I came across an interesting part of a letter at the Adams Family Papers Electronic Archives, via the Massachusetts Historical Society. This is part of a letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776 regarding our Independence Day celebrations:

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. -- I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. -- Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

We know that Adams' forecast was off by two days. Americans celebrate their independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.

Another interesting fact and a notable coincidence, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. Although not a signer of the Declaration of Independence, James Monroe, the Fifth President of the United States, died on July 4, 1831. Calvin Coolidge, the Thirtieth President, was born on July 4, 1872, and thus was the only President to be born on Independence Day.

If you wish to see what all the fireworks and partying is about, here is a copy of the document that started it all:

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Two New Additions

2011-06-21T16:11:00.000-04:00

We are doubly blessed here at uscity.net - Two babies in two months! This first picture is the son of Delanie (one of our submission queens) and the second is the grandson of our affiliate manager, Sue.

We wish them both health, happiness and a life of love and laughter!

Uscity.net down due to power outage – Our apologies

2011-06-20T18:50:00.000-04:00

We apologize to anyone who received a 403 forbidden error message (or had any problems) while trying to access our site recently. A power outage at Altantic.net caused damage to our servers and we were down for a while. We are online and accessible now (YAY!). We are working hard behind to the scenes to make sure we stay that way.

We are also taking precautions to make sure this does not happen again in the future.

Again we apologize and trust me, we are working as hard as we can to make things right. My boss has lost the few strands of hair he had left!
Please accept our sincere apologies.

Pam, Rusty, Mary and the entire uscity.net team

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-18T19:10:00.000-04:00

To anyone who has been like a Father to someone in their lives. We wish you a very special day!

Kid Rock Plays His Hometown

2011-06-07T19:00:00.002-04:00

Kid Rock has made a not particularly well-kept secret official, announcing a hometown concert for Aug. 12 at Detroit's Comerica Park.

Sammy Hagar & the Wabos will open the show, with tickets being sold here. Tickets will not be sold via TicketMaster. There will be a VIP package that includes a limited edition Kid Rock Detroit Tigers jersey.

Rock played two sold-out shows at Comerica Park in July 2009. This marks his second area stadium show of the year, having celebrated his 40th birthday in January at Ford Field.

Rock teased the Comerica show on his official website last week, writing that he was "looking forward to spending some time at Comerica Park this summer!!...and I'm not just talking about watchin' the Tigers play!!"

The Comerica stand was expected to coincide with the taping of a Comedy Central roast at the Fox Theatre, but sources say that's been called off due to logistical reasons.

Wicked the Musical Coming to Alabama

2011-06-02T10:42:00.002-04:00

Winner of 35 major awards, including the Grammy and Tony, WICKED, THE MUSICAL is the untold story of the witches of OZ before Dorothy drops in – the story of the Glenda the Good Witch and Wicked Witch of the West.

You can see this fantastic play while in NY and now in Birmingham, Alabama! Click Here For Tickets

If WICKED isn’t your cup of tea, check out these other Broadway offerings:

Anything Goes
Arcadia
Baby It's You!
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Billy Elliot
Catch Me If You Can
Chicago - The Musical
Full Monty
Ghetto Klown
Hair
Jersey Boys
Les Miserables
Lion King
Love, Loss and What I Wore
Mamma Mia!
Mary Poppins
Master Class
Memphis - The Musical
Million Dollar Quartet
Phantom of the Opera
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert
Rain - A Tribute To The Beatles
Ring Of Fire
Rock Of Ages
Sister Act
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Steel Magnolias - The Play
The Addams Family
The Book Of Mormon
The Importance Of Being Earnest
The Mother****** With The Hat
The Mountaintop
War Horse

Thank You To Our Military

2011-05-30T01:00:00.004-04:00

Let us not forget those who have made the ultimate sacrifice... and their families today. Remember that because of them, we can enjoy today and every day. Please take a few moments today to reflect on what it means to be free and what has been sacrificed so that we may remain free. Thank you to all of the military from the uscity.net family.

NFL Football Tickets Here Now!!!

2011-05-16T15:42:00.002-04:00

Who will it be in Super Bowl XLVI. My friend, Carol, assures me that the Philadelphia Eagles are going to be there. But it looks like the Eagles have a tough schedule in 2011.

As a matter of fact, the entire NFC East looks like it will be providing lots of entertainment when the 2011 season comes around.

For a list of the NFL schedules, click here.

To get your NFL tickets now, click here.

Rod Stewart in Vegas!

2011-05-10T10:53:00.002-04:00

I first heard Rod Stewart when he was singing for with Jeff Beck - two absolutely fantastic musicians. (Rumor has it that he and Beck are going to do a blues album which makes me ecstatic!) I am a big fan of this raspy voiced singer.

For those of you on the west coast or heading to Las Vegas -- the good news is that the man James Brown dubbed 'the best White Soul Singer', Rod Stewart will have a standing 2-year gig at the Caesars Palace’s Colosseum starting Aug. 24.

Stewart says “I get to fly in, do a great 90-minute show, and get home,” he says. “It’s a tremendous way to make a shilling.” Although I thought he had moved back to England for good, it seems maybe the US will get lucky and have a couple of more years with Rod on our soil.

Click here for ticket info! Sure wish I was going....

My Mother Kept a Garden

2011-05-08T01:38:00.007-04:00

My Mother kept a garden,
a garden of the heart,
She planted all the good things
that gave my life it's start.
She turned me to the sunshine
and encouraged me to dream,
Fostering and nurturing
the seeds of self-esteem...
And when the winds and rain came,
she protected me enough-
But not too much because she knew
I'd need to stand up strong and tough.
Her constant good example
always taught me right from wrong-
Markers for my pathway
that will last a lifetime long.
I am my Mother's garden.
I am her legacy-
And I hope today she feels the love
reflected back from me

HAPPY EASTER FROM ALL OF HERE AT USCITY.NET

2011-04-24T08:10:00.005-04:00

Elton John is Coming Back to the Palace!

2011-04-19T20:23:00.002-04:00

Click here for tickets.
After wrapping his US tour this month and spending the summer overseas, Elton John is returning to the Las Vegas Strip for a three-year run at Caesars Palace. The five-time Grammy winner announced Monday he'll return with his "Million Dollar Piano" show to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas starting in September.

Elton and the band will return to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace with an all-new show, The Million Dollar Piano, beginning on September 28, for sixteen shows. Elton's September return will mark the beginning of a three-year residency at The Colosseum, and his second as a Caesars Palace headliner.

He completed his first run at Caesars Palace in April 2009. "The Red Piano" was originally slated to run for three years, but was extended to a five-year run because of audience demand. John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

"Caesars Palace is just a perfect, idyllic place to play, and the show will be a gargantuan feast of music and imagery," said Elton. "I'm going to have a fabulous piano that Yamaha has been working on for four years, and that's the reason why the show is called 'The Million Dollar Piano.'"

2011-03-25T09:57:00.002-04:00

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter... E E. Cummings

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY TO ALL!!

2011-03-17T07:56:00.005-04:00

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Aid for Japan - Links on Front Pages

2011-03-16T19:24:00.003-04:00

Most of the people directly affected by Japan's earthquake and tsunami are not as concerned as we are with the nuclear fallout. After seeing and living through the earthquake and/or tsunami, with no home, no medicine and little or no water and/or food, they need aid and they need it quick. Most recently freezing wind, snow and hail storms are coming down and the need for fuel, blankets, food and water are urgent.

At least eight refineries have been damaged, as well as almost a dozen ports in the northern area. Fuel trucks, food trucks and trash collecting vehicles are there, but they have no fuel to run. The lack of supplies is rippling into the interior of Japan, especially in the north. Panic buying was widespread and that didn't help matters. Stores have run out of blankets, gas cans, fuel, milk, candles, lighters, flashlights and anything else that people preparing for disaster might need.

We, here at uscity.net, have placed a link on our front page (in the upper right corner) that will lead you to Google's Crisis Response Page, where the good people at Google have assembled tons of useful information on shelters, missing persons, phone numbers, warnings, message boards and other vital information about the Japanese disaster.

We are sending prayers, positive thoughts and energy to the people affected. But they need our financial help. Please think about posting a link to one of the agencies or to the Google Crisis Response Page (which from the sites I visited, was by far the most informative and helpful) on your website's front page too.

Here's is the link:
http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html

April is Jam-Packed

2011-03-09T13:24:00.002-05:00

April is jam-packed with top-notch sporting, musical and theatrical events.

MLB is in full-swing this month. The NCAA Final Four will take place at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. April also brings The Masters Golf Tournament, Wrestlemania, UFC 129 and the beginning of the NBA Playoffs.

Musicians on tour in April include Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne, Bob Seger, George Strait, Harry Connick Jr, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Rush, and Robert Plant.

April also features musical festivals Stagecoach and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Broadway highlights in April include the Broadway opening of the London hit Sister Act.

What Happened to Two President's Days?

2011-02-15T09:37:00.005-05:00

I remember Februarys of my school days fondly. Just back from Christmas break and usually a short January school month, we got 2 whole days off from school. We took February 12 off for Lincoln’s Birthday and February 22 for Washington’s. And we got to make Valentine ‘mailboxes’ from shoe boxes and pass out valentines at school – that was like another day off from schoolwork. Some years, I remember Mom going out to buy new sheets at the great “White Sales”.

And, to top it off, how cool it was to have a month go by with only 28 (or sometimes 29) days in it. I remember my Grandmother one February telling me it was her favorite month because she only had 28 days to spend her month’s money. (She and my Grandfather were retired) I guess we can look forward to Februarys in the future if our pensions and social security hold out...

So, how did we get around to only one holiday, always on a Monday and calling it “President’s Day”? I poked around and think I got it figured out.

Things changed in 1968 when Congress decided to create a system of federal holidays that would all fall on a Monday. The law took effect in 1971. Washington’s Birthday would now be celebrated on the third Monday in February. Congress also tried to change the public holiday to "Presidents' Day", but this never made it into law.

"It was the collective judgment of the Committee on the Judiciary," stated Mr. William Moore McCulloch (R-Ohio) "that this would be unwise.
Certainly, not all Presidents are held in the same high esteem as the Father of our Country. There are many who are not inclined to pay their respects to certain Presidents. Moreover, it is probable that the members of one political party would not relish honoring a President from the other political party whether he was in office, no matter how outstanding history may find his leadership."

Well, I gotta agree with that statement!

The term Presidents' Day is now more commonly used, I assume mostly for marketing purposes. Even though most states with individual holidays honoring Washington and Lincoln shifted their state recognition date of Washington's Birthday to correspond to the third Monday in February, some states, including California, Idaho, Tennessee, Texas and others, chose not to retain the federal holiday title and renamed their state holiday "President's Day”.

So whatever and whenever you celebrate have a Fantastic February!

What Makes Your Valentine's Day Happy?

2011-02-10T11:51:00.006-05:00

Chocolates, flowers, romantic dinners, cards - what makes your Valentine's Day special?
There will be about 190 million exchanges of Valentines this year. The southern Maryland Loveville (yep, it's a real town) post office, a popular location for sending Valentines, gets over 100 extra pieces of mail a day in early February. Oops, forgot to buy a card until the last minute, just send an e-card - instant thoughtfulness...

Having a romantic dinner is one of my favorites, but my Valentine and I usually avoid the Februrary 14 crowds and just celebrate it on another night. Here are some great restaurants in California to choose from.

Personally, I like to unplug for a few hours with my husband - turn down the lights, turn off the TV, cell phones, and computers – and then just be with each other.

And I love getting chocolates -- so many to choose from.

A lot of roses go out on Valentine's Day, but all flowers are appreciated. And, you don't have to be someone's lover to send them a rose. Different colors mean different things:

Send someone red roses to say “I love you madly, passionately and deeply!!” The demand for red roses in February makes them more expensive in February.

Yellow roses express friendship and freedom or congratulations to newlyweds, graduates, Texans, and new mothers.

Pink roses are for gratitude, joy, fun, happiness and the fight against breast cancer.

And here's a really good one - Lilac roses; they mean that you have fallen in love at first sight with the recipient and that you are captivated.

Pure white roses stand for truth and innocence. Send them to the heavenly someone you love.

Peach roses speak of appreciation and gratitude and coral roses express desire.

Whatever you do, whether it is with someone you love, a friend, a family member or yourself, we at uscity.net wish you a very Happy Valentine’s Day!

Free Trip Cancellation - GO CARDS

2011-02-07T15:12:00.007-05:00

It's been a rough couple of weeks of winter weather to kick off 2011. It's been reported that the latest storm spanned 2,100 miles, 20 states and 200 million people. That's a lot of unexpected travel delays and trip cancellations!

To weather the storms for the remainder of the season, Smart Destinations is offering you the ability the travel worry-free--in the form of free Trip Protection. This month's affiliate-exclusive coupon code is good for up to four free Trip Protection vouchers with each purchase.

With Smart Destinations Trip Protection for your GO CARDS (one voucher per card), a customer may return their unused cards at any time and receive a refund (less shipping) with no questions asked! That's up to a $20 value. Customers simply add the vouchers to their cart purchase and enter coupon code WORRYFREEWINTER during the check-out process.

Smart Destinations Go-Cards are a great value, so many attractions to see at each destination are discounted, saving you lots of $$$.

From Seattle to Miami and from Toronto to Oahu, check out the city destinations and all the discounts you can rack up. Just click anywhere on this posting.

Hurry, the free trip cancellation ends March 1

Our First Winner

2011-02-02T19:56:00.003-05:00

Congrats to Ed of Louisville! He won our first Amazon Gift Card in the Late January Sweepstakes! Our Sweetheart Sweepstakes is going on now - so sign up, no worries about selling or sharing emails - I can definitely vouch for that. Good luck and thanks to Ed for saying we made his day because that made ours!

Sweetheart Sweepstakes!

My Dad's Florsheim Shoes

2011-01-31T08:33:00.005-05:00

This week I came across the Florsheim Shoes website in our uscity.net directory. When I saw it, I was flooded with memories of polishing my Dad's shoes. He had two pairs of Florsheims (one brown and one black), I think one had a brass buckle on it and those were his dress shoes. I remember them fondly, and he took great care of them. They were stored on those wooden shoe boots and were polished every Saturday night for Sunday at church. I was honored when he finally let me do it for him. I got his polishing kit out, cleaned them, polished them and then buffed them out (buffing was my favorite part).

Florsheim Shoes has been around since 1892, and is still a leading men’s dress and casual footwear brand.

So, if you're in the market for a good quality, long-lasting shoe, check this site out - Florshiem -

And, as an added plus, you can take $20 off orders over $100 using this code: Link20 and you also get free shipping with a $100 online purchase.

Wish my Dad was around -- I would love to buy him a new pair of Florsheims!

New Hair Loss Category

2011-01-26T17:46:00.010-05:00

Since the Bible story of Samson and Delilah men seem to becoming more aware of losing hair. Long ago, people thought that the more hair a man had, the stronger and more attractive he was. Although we've come a long way, hair loss can be upsetting to some.

Not everyone feels this way, remember the Coneheads from Saturday Night Live? Beldaar's totally bald cone was a real turn-on to Prymaate!

I think most hair loss is hereditary, but other factors could be the environment, stress, genes, thyroid disease, poor diet, ponytails, braids and hair dyes. As you can see, thinning hair occurs for many reasons. It usually takes a complete and thorough examination by a physician to find out why you are losing your hair.

There are so many different treatments out there, that we decided to make a new category just for Hair Loss - and it's not just for men, but women too.

If you are looking for a way to grow that hair back, we hope our new category helps.

There's one in every state and if you know of any local businesses that treat hair loss, please let them know about our latest news here at uscity.net.

Win an Amazon Gift Card

2011-01-21T09:41:00.005-05:00

We are starting a twice monthly sweepstakes, you don't have to do anything but sign up and you just might win!

Our late January sweepstake is good until January 31st, 2011 - http://contest.uscity.net/

And I know for a fact that your email will not be sold or given away. Only those who choose to hear from us by checking a box will receive any emails from us... unless you are the WINNER!

GOOD LUCK!

Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere

2011-01-17T02:03:00.000-05:00

The following is an open letter written on April 16, 1963, by Martin Luther King, Jr., an American civil rights leader. King wrote the letter from the city jail in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was confined after being arrested for his part in the Birmingham campaign, a planned non-violent protest conducted by the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights and King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference against racial segregation by Birmingham's city government and downtown retailers.

The letter below is in response to a statement made by eight white Alabama clergymen on April 12, 1963, titled "A Call For Unity". The clergymen wrote in an open letter that although social injustices existed, the battle against racial segregation should be fought solely in the courts, not in the streets. King responded that without nonviolent forceful direct actions such as his, true civil rights could never be achieved. As he put it, "This 'Wait' has almost always meant 'Never.'" He asserted that not only was civil disobedience justified in the face of unjust laws, but that "one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.

LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL:

16 April 1963
My Dear Fellow Clergymen:
While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.

I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an
organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here.

But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.

You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.

In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action. We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case. On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the latter consistently refused to engage in good faith negotiation.

Then, last September, came the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birmingham's economic community. In the course of the negotiations, certain promises were made by the merchants--for example, to remove the stores' humiliating racial signs. On the basis of these promises, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights agreed to a moratorium on all demonstrations. As the weeks and months went by, we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise. A few signs, briefly removed, returned; the others remained. As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us. We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and the national community. Mindful of the difficulties involved, we decided to undertake a process of self purification. We began a series of workshops on nonviolence, and we repeatedly asked ourselves: "Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?" "Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail?" We decided to schedule our direct action program for the Easter season, realizing that except for Christmas, this is the main shopping period of the year. Knowing that a strong economic-withdrawal program would be the by product of direct action, we felt that this would be the best time to bring pressure to bear on the merchants for the needed change.

Then it occurred to us that Birmingham's mayoral election was coming up in March, and we speedily decided to postpone action until after election day. When we discovered that the Commissioner of Public Safety, Eugene "Bull" Connor, had piled up enough votes to be in the run off, we decided again to postpone action until the day after the run off so that the demonstrations could not be used to cloud the issues. Like many others, we waited to see Mr. Connor defeated, and to this end we endured postponement after postponement. Having aided in this community need, we felt that our direct action program could be delayed no longer.

You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. The purpose of our direct action program is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue.

One of the basic points in your statement is that the action that I and my associates have taken in Birmingham is untimely. Some have asked: "Why didn't you give the new city administration time to act?" The only answer that I can give to this query is that the new Birmingham administration must be prodded about as much as the outgoing one, before it will act. We are sadly mistaken if we feel that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor will bring the millennium to Birmingham. While Mr. Boutwell is a much more gentle person than Mr. Connor, they are both segregationists, dedicated to maintenance of the status quo. I have hope that Mr. Boutwell will be reasonable enough to see the futility of massive resistance to desegregation. But he will not see this without pressure from devotees of civil rights. My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse and buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five year old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness"--then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience. You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, at first glance it may seem rather paradoxical for us consciously to break laws. One may well ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all."

Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. Segregation, to use the terminology of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, substitutes an "I it" relationship for an "I thou" relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful. Paul Tillich has said that sin is separation. Is not segregation an existential expression of man's tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? Thus it is that I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong.

Let us consider a more concrete example of just and unjust laws. An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal. Let me give another explanation. A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law. Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up that state's segregation laws was democratically elected? Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which, even though Negroes constitute a majority of the population, not a single Negro is registered. Can any law enacted under such circumstances be considered democratically structured?

Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. For instance, I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First-Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.

I hope you are able to see the distinction I am trying to point out. In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.

Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil disobedience. In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience.

We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws.

I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.

In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn't this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God consciousness and never ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber. I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth concerning time in relation to the struggle for freedom. I have just received a letter from a white brother in Texas. He writes: "All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but it is possible that you are in too great a religious hurry. It has taken Christianity almost two thousand years to accomplish what it has. The teachings of Christ take time to come to earth." Such an attitude stems from a tragic misconception of time, from the strangely irrational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy and transform our pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.

You speak of our activity in Birmingham as extreme. At first I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. I began thinking about the fact that I stand in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community. One is a force of complacency, made up in part of Negroes who, as a result of long years of oppression, are so drained of self respect and a sense of "somebodiness" that they have adjusted to segregation; and in part of a few middle-class Negroes who, because of a degree of academic and economic security and because in some ways they profit by segregation, have become insensitive to the problems of the masses. The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up across the nation, the largest and best known being Elijah Muhammad's Muslim movement. Nourished by the Negro's frustration over the continued existence of racial discrimination, this movement is made up of people who have lost faith in America, who have absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man is an incorrigible "devil."

I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the "do nothingism" of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. For there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest. I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle. If this philosophy had not emerged, by now many streets of the South would, I am convinced, be flowing with blood. And I am further convinced that if our white brothers dismiss as "rabble rousers" and "outside agitators" those of us who employ nonviolent direct action, and if they refuse to support our nonviolent efforts, millions of Negroes will, out of frustration and despair, seek solace and security in black nationalist ideologies--a development that would inevitably lead to a frightening racial nightmare.

Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained. Consciously or unconsciously, he has been caught up by the Zeitgeist, and with his black brothers of Africa and his brown and yellow brothers of Asia, South America and the Caribbean, the United States Negro is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice. If one recognizes this vital urge that has engulfed the Negro community, one should readily understand why public demonstrations are taking place. The Negro has many pent up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. So let him march; let him make prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; let him go on freedom rides -and try to understand why he must do so. If his repressed emotions are not released in nonviolent ways, they will seek expression through violence; this is not a threat but a fact of history. So I have not said to my people: "Get rid of your discontent." Rather, I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action. And now this approach is being termed extremist. But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . . ." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime--the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

I had hoped that the white moderate would see this need. Perhaps I was too optimistic; perhaps I expected too much. I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressor race can understand the deep groans and passionate yearnings of the oppressed race, and still fewer have the vision to see that injustice must be rooted out by strong, persistent and determined action. I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in the South have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it. They are still all too few in quantity, but they are big in quality. Some -such as Ralph McGill, Lillian Smith, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Ann Braden and Sarah Patton Boyle--have written about our struggle in eloquent and prophetic terms. Others have marched with us down nameless streets of the South. They have languished in filthy, roach infested jails, suffering the abuse and brutality of policemen who view them as "dirty nigger-lovers." Unlike so many of their moderate brothers and sisters, they have recognized the urgency of the moment and sensed the need for powerful "action" antidotes to combat the disease of segregation. Let me take note of my other major disappointment. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. Of course, there are some notable exceptions. I am not unmindful of the fact that each of you has taken some significant stands on this issue. I commend you, Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negroes to your worship service on a nonsegregated basis. I commend the Catholic leaders of this state for integrating Spring Hill College several years ago.

But despite these notable exceptions, I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of life shall lengthen.

When I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama, a few years ago, I felt we would be supported by the white church. I felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leaders; all too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained glass windows.

In spite of my shattered dreams, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral concern, would serve as the channel through which our just grievances could reach the power structure. I had hoped that each of you would understand. But again I have been disappointed.

I have heard numerous southern religious leaders admonish their worshipers to comply with a desegregation decision because it is the law, but I have longed to hear white ministers declare: "Follow this decree because integration is morally right and because the Negro is your brother." In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churchmen stand on the sideline and mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard many ministers say: "Those are social issues, with which the gospel has no real concern." And I have watched many churches commit themselves to a completely other worldly religion which makes a strange, un-Biblical distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular.

I have traveled the length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi and all the other southern states. On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings I have looked at the South's beautiful churches with their lofty spires pointing heavenward. I have beheld the impressive outlines of her massive religious education buildings. Over and over I have found myself asking: "What kind of people worship here? Who is their God? Where were their voices when the lips of Governor Barnett dripped with words of interposition and nullification? Where were they when Governor Wallace gave a clarion call for defiance and hatred? Where were their voices of support when bruised and weary Negro men and women decided to rise from the dark dungeons of complacency to the bright hills of creative protest?"

Yes, these questions are still in my mind. In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? I am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great grandson of preachers. Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists.

There was a time when the church was very powerful--in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators."' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests. Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent--and often even vocal--sanction of things as they are.

But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.

Perhaps I have once again been too optimistic. Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world? Perhaps I must turn my faith to the inner spiritual church, the church within the church, as the true ekklesia and the hope of the world. But again I am thankful to God that some noble souls from the ranks of organized religion have broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity and joined us as active partners in the struggle for freedom. They have left their secure congregations and walked the streets of Albany, Georgia, with us. They have gone down the highways of the South on tortuous rides for freedom. Yes, they have gone to jail with us. Some have been dismissed from their churches, have lost the support of their bishops and fellow ministers. But they have acted in the faith that right defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. Their witness has been the spiritual salt that has preserved the true meaning of the gospel in these troubled times. They have carved a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment. I hope the church as a whole will meet the challenge of this decisive hour. But even if the church does not come to the aid of justice, I have no despair about the future. I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham, even if our motives are at present misunderstood. We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with America's destiny. Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson etched the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence across the pages of history, we were here. For more than two centuries our forebears labored in this country without wages; they made cotton king; they built the homes of their masters while suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation -and yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to thrive and develop. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands. Before closing I feel impelled to mention one other point in your statement that has troubled me profoundly. You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping "order" and "preventing violence." I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys; if you were to observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department.

It is true that the police have exercised a degree of discipline in handling the demonstrators. In this sense they have conducted themselves rather "nonviolently" in public. But for what purpose? To preserve the evil system of segregation. Over the past few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends. Perhaps Mr. Connor and his policemen have been rather nonviolent in public, as was Chief Pritchett in Albany, Georgia, but they have used the moral means of nonviolence to maintain the immoral end of racial injustice. As T. S. Eliot has said: "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason."

I wish you had commended the Negro sit inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation. One day the South will recognize its real heroes. They will be the James Merediths, with the noble sense of purpose that enables them to face jeering and hostile mobs, and with the agonizing loneliness that characterizes the life of the pioneer. They will be old, oppressed, battered Negro women, symbolized in a seventy two year old woman in Montgomery, Alabama, who rose up with a sense of dignity and with her people decided not to ride segregated buses, and who responded with ungrammatical profundity to one who inquired about her weariness: "My feets is tired, but my soul is at rest." They will be the young high school and college students, the young ministers of the gospel and a host of their elders, courageously and nonviolently sitting in at lunch counters and willingly going to jail for conscience' sake. One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Never before have I written so long a letter. I'm afraid it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure you that it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers?

If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me.

I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil-rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.

Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Published in:
King, Martin Luther Jr.

WOOT joins the USCITY.NET Directory

2011-01-13T16:09:00.005-05:00

I am so excited that Woot.com has decided to partner with uscity.net! I love the daily deals -- and I could not count them up to tell you how many woots I have acquired (woots - that's what wooters call the daily deals). Yes, I am a wooter and a happy one.

My woots include camping equipment and a very nice HD camcorder that my husand has used several times and will be using... very affordable (of course) and great quality, a Sony. I purchased an Ecomposter which I am using to make soil for my spring garden planting. It's a big spider looking thing sitting on the edge of my garden, and it's cooking up all my composting stuff.

With 6 dogs, I have purchased refurbished Roomba vacuum cleaners which are still going strong and I have several shirts from their sister' site. The shirts are a perfect fit and sooo soft - durable too. Almost every purchase I made was at less than half the price I could find online. And trust me, I am an avid online shopper. And my first stop, of course, is always uscity.net. However, if you prefer to go straight to Woot, click here!

Grandparents' Heaven - One Florida Family's White Christmas

2011-01-09T16:17:00.014-05:00

It was Grandparents’ Heaven – All of our kids and grandkids together in one place for Christmas. And Santa actually KNEW where they were!

We are a born and raised in Florida
family and this was our first White Christmas A large cabin on the side of a mountain and waking up Christmas morning to snow falling was like a dream come true. We were astounded by it and sat inside watching it fall all day. Some of us ventured out to play and walk in it.

We helped each other, loved each other and were reminded of what family is all about. I loved putting up the Christmas ornaments with the little ones helping me. The teamwork in the kitchen, helping each other, and taking turns cooking all added to our pleasure.

We had fun nights playing games, shooting pool in front of the fireplace (the cabin came complete with a pool table), laughing and having a wonderful time. We enjoyed playing Xbox games which we brought along too.
The snow and ice was amazing (although a challenge to drive in) – the first day we got there everything was normal, just very cold, the next day the lake was frozen and when you threw a rock at it, the ice would break and we could watch the hole it made and the air pockets that moved around under the ice, or the rock would slide across the surface and make a cool sound.
We walked in the “poof, poof” snow and hiked to the top of the mountain to check out the "Best View in Georgia" and it may very well be… very beautiful. We couldn’t figure out how to build a snowman. But we finally did it with big chunks of snow that were on the side of the road after the snowplow trucks went by – he did have a kind a cone head – but he was OURS! For some reason we couldn’t roll the snow like it shows in all the movies! Must be a northern thing.

Being in and seeing the snow-covered ground, the tree tops covered, everything white was something I will never forget, but the best part of all was having all of my kids and grandkids together in a magical place like that for a few days. Definitely a holiday we will all remember...

This is the story of one of our families here at uscity.net - Christmas 2010

There is Love In You

2011-01-06T05:54:00.000-05:00

Check out how our web site designer spent his Christmas holidays -- A Florida boy experiences a White Christmas!!

My Holidays 2010 - There is Love In You

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US!

2010-12-15T13:05:00.002-05:00

Wishing you a joyous, loving holiday!
Click on the link to see our holiday wishes for you all!

Great, Unique Gift for the Redfisherman!

2010-12-12T01:56:00.001-05:00

How about something definitely different and useful for that fisherman in your life, especially those who go for redfish. Leo Hiles, former charter Captain says,

"If you want to catch fish on the flats you have to re-tool how you think, how you setup, and how you locate the fish. This is the one sport where you do not need common sense, you need fish sense."

Leo Hiles the former Inshore Fishing Techniques Captain has compacted 50+ years of experience from the Mosquito Lagoon area to bring you the PROVEN techniques that produce fish.

Order your copy for only $15 plus $3 S/H
Order now don't wait!

To Order by check send check
for $18.00 (includes s&h) to:
Leo Hiles
4384 West Indian River Drive
Edgewater, FL 32141

Black Friday and Beyond

2010-11-23T11:28:00.006-05:00

A Little Less 'Crazy' in My Friday This Year

Yes, I have been one of the crazy shoppers who stand in line at 4 a.m. to pick up a big ticket item at one of the sales the day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday. I shopped online last year, got done in two hours and after two years ago, finding out that almost every single item I had purchased, I could have gotten without getting out into the cold morning and hanging out with the other crazy shoppers, I have a few hours for enjoying my garden or decorating my house for the holidays. Or just relaxing with my family. I will kind of miss the laughter and the camaraderie of most shoppers out there first thing in the a.m. but I will enjoy lingering around in bed until at least 8 a.m. and not going out until the sun warms things up a bit. (Click on the paragraph to be directly connected to the deals)

Here are just a few of the deals that can be had online between now and Black Friday and some even longer.

Woman Within – I shop here and am really happy with this online store. I think this store is either the old Lane Bryant brand or they are affiliated with Lane Bryant AND these deals are good through December 6. Free Shipping on Orders of $50 or More, plus 40% off your highest priced item with promo code WWGIFTS

The Scholastic Store Online is advertising their Black Friday / Cyber Monday Super Deals for the upcoming weekend! They promise tons of special discounts all through their site - all weekend long. AND you can take an extra 20% off plus free shipping on orders over $25 with code SSBF20 - This promo code can be applied to already discounted merchandise for huge savings of up to 75% off retail price.

For those snow sports lovers on your list, check out THE HOUSE – In business since 1982, long before most ski areas had opened the slopes to boarding. They are stocked with thousands of boards, boots, bindings and accessories. We guarantee safe delivery of your products with the absolute best guaranteed backup service you'll find anywhere in the industry.

Columbia Sportswear Company is making shopping for your loved ones super easy with their holiday gift guides, so stay warm during any adventure this winter by shopping at Columbia for the best outdoor gear to keep the fun going – For your free shipping (no minimum) here is your promo code: HOLIDAY2010!

Or for those of you looking to enter the go green movement, Clean Edison is offering 15% off your entire order for classes and materials. CE hase educated hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals in green building practices both through customized training and the largest open enrollment green training program in the nation. CleanEdison has courses in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), BPI (Building Performance Institute) Certification, Energy Auditing, Solar, Wind and Renewable Energy. CleanEdison has also developed numerous customized training programs specific to a business or organization's needs. Use the coupon code: FallDiscount2010

Don't really know what you are looking for? Check out all of our local and national business, please visit uscity.net, click on any state and start searching. Happy Shopping!

Gospel Musician Breakthrough

2010-11-15T20:16:00.003-05:00

Learn how to play gospel (or any other genre) music in weeks ... not years or even months! I just got word about the most anticipated event of 2010 for gospel musicians... and after visiting the page, I'm pretty excited about what I've seen so far. HearAndPlay is the number one

It's called Musician Breakthrough and my friends over at HearAndPlay are the ones behind it. To my knowledge, it's the first of its kind for the gospel musician community.

They are featuring 7 world-class, professional "West Coast" musicians in a pretty unique format.

Each musician is covering what they call the "5 Dimensions of the Church Service."

-Praise
-Worship
-Shouting
-Transitional
-Traditional

If you do the math, that's 35 segments... and I'm told over 16 hours in total.

If you rush over to the page, you'll find video clips of each musician playing one of these styles. There are examples from all 5 categories. If nothing else, watch them and be prepared to be blown away.

Also, by voting and commenting on their page, you can win an Apple iPad and other cool stuff worth hundreds of dollars.

Head over to the page by clicking anywhere on this post. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky prize winners!

2010-11-10T10:28:00.003-05:00

I hope that everyone reading this will take a few moments to reflect, remembering those who served our country well.

President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said:

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with lots of pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.”

Congress amended this act on June 1, 1954, replacing "Armistice" with Veterans, and it has been known as Veterans Day since.

There aren't enough words to express our gratitude to all who have served, are serving or will serve this great country. Because of you, we are free. Because of you, we can enjoy our way of life. Because of you, we do not live in daily fear for our lives. We keep you all in our prayers and we also honor the families left behind that have to play dual roles of mother/fathers, sometimes forever. It is not an easy life the military and their families live and we appreciate you all. God bless our military AND their families.

May we never forget what our country has asked of them and what they have given in return. I hope that everyone will care enough to give them the respect and honor they are due. And that everyone on earth will strengthen their resolve to build a world where there will be no veterans because there are no wars.

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween

2010-10-22T08:11:00.002-04:00

We here at uscity.net wish all of you a very Happy Halloween. This year Halloween falls on a weekend, which means more traffic and more adult parties, so drivers, be on the lookout for kids darting in and out of the streets and parents, please keep an eye on your children, especially the middle and high schoolers who often stay out later.

Here are some other tips for making tonight a treat for all of us:

If you are driving:
1. Watch for children darting out from between parked cars.
2. Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
3. Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
4. At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.
5. Remember to have a designated driver if you will be drinking.

If you are a parent or guardian:
1. Make sure that an adult or an older responsible youth will be supervising the outing for children under age 12.
2. Plan and discuss the route trick-or-treaters intend to follow. Know the names of older children's companions.
3. Instruct your children to travel only in familiar areas and along an established route.
4. Teach your children to stop only at houses or apartment buildings that are well-lit and never to enter a anyone’s home.
5. Establish a return time.
6. Tell your youngsters not to eat any treat until they return home.
7. Review all appropriate trick-or-treat safety precautions, including pedestrian/traffic safety rules.
8. Pin a slip of paper with the child's name, address and phone number inside a pocket in case the youngster gets separated from the group.

The Costume:
1. Costumes should be loose so warm clothes can be worn underneath.
2. Costumes should not be so long that they are a tripping hazard. (Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injuries on Halloween.)
3. If children are allowed out after dark, outfits should be made with light colored materials. Strips of reflective tape should be used to make children visible.
4. Since masks can limit or completely remove vision, most safety experts agree that face paint is safer than masks.
5. When buying special Halloween makeup, check for packages containing ingredients that are labeled "Made with U.S. Approved Color Additives," "Laboratory Tested," Meets Federal Standards for Cosmetics," or "Non-Toxic." Follow manufacturer's instruction for application. Remember that some children may be allergic to ingredients in face paint - "non-toxic" does not mean it is safe for skin or FDA approved. Also, washable refers to fabric, not skin.
6. If masks are worn, they should have nose and mouth openings and large eye holes.
7. Accessories Knives, swords and other accessories should be made from cardboard or flexible materials. Do not allow children to carry sharp objects.
8. Bags or sacks carried by youngsters should be light-colored or trimmed with retro-reflective tape if children are allowed out after dark.
9. Carrying flashlights will help children see better and be seen more clearly.

What the kids should know:
1. Do not enter homes or apartments without adult supervision.
2. Walk, do not run, from house to house. Do not cross yards and lawns where unseen objects or the uneven terrain can present tripping hazards.
3. Walk on sidewalks, not in the street.
4. Walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic if there are no sidewalks.

Before and After:
1. Give children an early meal before going out.
2. Insist that treats be brought home for inspection before anything is eaten.
3. Wash fruit and slice into small pieces.
4. When in doubt, throw it out.

HAVE FUN!

Life's an Adventure -- Wear It!

2010-09-26T15:25:00.001-04:00

Wintergreen Northern Wear
Wintergreen Northern Wear handcrafts the finest outdoor clothing. The outdoors is their way of life. They live, design, sew and sell our gear in Minnesota's Canadian border wilderness.

We are delighted to welcome our new member from Ely, Minnesota - Wintergreen Northern Wear. Made in the USA (in Minnesota to be exact) tested in the coldest climates on earth, WNW handcrafts the finest in outdoor clothing. The outdoors in their way of life.

A little history...
Susan Schurke developed her design talents by crafting Eskimo-style apparel from new synthetic fabrics, to be used on numerous expeditions which then became known as Wintergreen Northern Wear. In the late 70s and early 80s, Paul Shurkey and Greg Laid founded Wilderness Inquiry, a non-profit endeavor group, providing Boundary Waters canoe trips for disabled persons and Paul along with his wife, Susan teamed up with Will Steger to help run the Lynx Track Winter School, teaching dog sledding and wilderness skills to college and community groups. In 1986, Paul and Will, along with Ann Brancof and their team dogsled to the North Pole in the the first confirmed trek to the top of the world without resupply. Wintergreen clothing became a success, keeping the explorers warm throughout the 1,000-mile, 2-month journey, even as temperatures dipped to -70 degrees!

In 1990, Paul Schurke and Russian colleague Dmitry Shparo lead the Bering Bridge Expedition from Siberia to Alaska to help reconnect arctic cultures long separated by the Cold War. The US-Soviet border in the Bering Strait firmly closed and known as the "Ice Curtain" for most of this century is reopened. Presidents Bush and Gorbachev congratulate the Bering Bridge team for its role in the process. In 1997 Paul led a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences to the North Pole. Two years later he headed that
way again with a team that includes Admiral Robert Peary's great grandsons.

The Wintergreen Northern Wear company was formed in 1985 and they grew to include manufacturing facilities, a retail store and catalog, on Ely’s main street.

Wintergreen has been featured on the Today Show, Dateline and in Outside magazine. In 2005, Wintergreen opened it's second store in Duluth.

Wintergreen Northern Wear continues their efforts for ‘being Green’ and commits to mailing only one catalog per year.

In 2009, Wintergreen Northern Wear rolled out Group Sales division, offering a variety of clothing options for organizations and teams, along with a new website, which allowed connectivity into on-line communities.

Wintergreen has since introduced New Kids line of clothes and Wool Vest for Men and V-Neck Windshirts for Golfing. New owners, Curt and Becky Stacey, say their goal is to maintain Wintergreen’s integral role in the community while growing the business. And production will stay right were it is.

Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge is now a business entity separate from the Staceys’ Wintergreen Northern Wear, but the store and lodge will continue to be associated through cooperative marketing efforts. Wintergreen Northern Wear currently has about two dozen employees and independent contractors.

Now:
Wintergreen Northern Wear opened a new store, Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply, in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Stone Harbor will be the exclusive reseller of Wintergreen Northern Wear clothing in Northeastern Minnesota.

In short, these people know what works. They test it, they use it. They live, design, sew and sell their gear in Minnesota's northern border wilderness.

Wintergreen Northern Wear continues to proudly make clothing in Ely, Minnesota, making it among a few remaining clothing manufacturers in America.

As for me, my hands get cold easily and I am going online to buy some gloves right now!

Indianapolis Bead & Jewelry Store

2010-09-24T15:59:00.006-04:00

Judy & Edward Champa purchased a bead store earlier tihs year and in March of 2010 opened for business as Heirloom Classics - Jewelry and Beads. This cute little store sells beads,bead related products and finished jewelry - necklaces, bracelets and earrings and they are all handcrafted and one of a kind. Judy is the featured artist and you can be assured that whichver items you purchase, they will be unique. Classes are also offered and all are granted a warm welcome. The new business is located in the historic Fountain Square area just south of downtown Indianapolis.

545 People

2010-09-13T16:08:00.004-04:00

I got this forwarded to me for the umpteenth time the other day from someone I admire and although I had received it before, I really read it this time. Of course that was after I went to Snopes.com, Googled it and checked Wikipedia to make sure it was legit and it was… sort of. It seems that people have added some of their own editing, but as far as I can find out, below is the author’s 1995 updated version.

Charley Reese was a syndicated columnist and wrote this while working in Florida for the Orlando Sentinel newspaper and according to Snopes.com, he wrote this originally in 1985 and updated it throughout the years. It’s amazing how on point it still is. Will we ever learn??

All my fellow citizens should read it now and re-read it in November before we cast our ballots.

It's called The 545 People Responsible for All of America's Woes, and I hope you like it too.

Charley Reese was a syndicated columnist and wrote this while working in Florida for the Orlando Sentinel newspaper and according to Snopes.com, he wrote this originally in 1985 and updated it throughout the years. It’s amazing how on point it still is. Will we ever learn??

All my fellow citizens should read it now and re-read it in November before we cast our ballots.

It's called The 545 People Responsible for All of America's Woes, and I hope you like it too.

The 545 People Responsible For All Of America's Woes
By Charley Reese

Politicians, as I have often said, are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Everything on the Republican contract is a problem created by Congress. Too much bureaucracy? Blame Congress. Too many rules?

Blame Congress. Unjust tax laws? Congress wrote them.

Out-of-control bureaucracy? Congress authorizes everything bureaucracies do. Americans dying in Third World rat holes on stupid U.N. missions? Congress allows it. The annual deficits?

Congress votes for them. The $4 trillion plus debt? Congress created it.

To put it into perspective just remember that 100 percent of the power of the federal government comes from the U.S. Constitution. If it's not in the Constitution, it's not authorized.

Then read your Constitution. All 100 percent of the power of the federal government is invested solely in 545 individual human beings. That's all. Of 260 million Americans, only 545 of them wield 100 percent of the power of the federal government.

That's 435 members of the U.S. House, 100 senators, one president and nine Supreme Court justices. Anything involving government that is wrong is 100 percent their fault.

I exclude the vice president because constitutionally he has no power except to preside over the Senate and to vote only in the case of a tie. I exclude the Federal Reserve because Congress created it and all its power is power Congress delegated to it and could withdraw anytime it chooses to do so. In fact, all the power exercised by the 3 million or so other federal employees is power delegated from the 545.

All bureaucracies are created by Congress or by executive order of the president. All are financed and staffed by Congress. All enforce laws passed by Congress. All operate under procedures authorized by Congress. That's why all complaints and protests should be properly directed at Congress, not at the individual agencies.

You don't like the IRS? Go see Congress. You think the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agency is running amok? Go see Congress.

Congress is the originator of all government problems and is also the only remedy available. That's why, of course, politicians go to such extraordinary lengths and employ world-class sophistry to make you think they are not responsible. Anytime a congressman pretends to be outraged by something a federal bureaucrat does, he is in fact engaging in one big massive con job. No federal employee can act at all except to enforce laws passed by Congress and to employ procedures authorized by Congress either explicitly or implicitly.

Partisans on both sides like to blame presidents for deficits, but all deficits are congressional deficits. The president may, by custom, recommend a budget, but it carries no legal weight. Only Congress is authorized by the Constitution to authorize and appropriate and to levy taxes. That's what the federal budget consists of: expenditures authorized, funds appropriated and taxes levied.

Both Democrats and Republicans mislead the public. For 40 years Democrats had majorities and could have at any time balanced the budget if they had chosen to do so. Republicans now have majorities and could, if they choose, pass a balanced budget this year. Every president, Democrat or Republican, could have vetoed appropriations bills that did not make up a balanced budget. Every president could have recommended a balanced budget. None has done either.

We have annual deficits and a huge federal debt because that's what majorities in Congress and presidents in the White House wanted. We have troops in various Third World rat holes because Congress and the president want them there.

Don't be conned. Don't let them escape responsibility. We simply have to sort through 260 million people until we find 545 who will act responsibly.

Hot September Events

2010-09-08T21:00:00.004-04:00

Hot concerts for September include Lady Gaga, Roger Waters, Justin Bieber, George Strait, Harry Connick Jr., the Jonas Brothers, Nickelback, Rascal Flatts and Rush. Eminem and Jay-Z will play together on the same bill in concerts at Yankee Stadium and Comerica Park.

The NFL kicks off the 2010-11 regular season September 9th with a rematch of last season's NFC Championship Game featuring the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints taking on the Minnesota Vikings at the Superdome. The New York Giants play the first official regular season game at the New Meadowlands Stadium September 12th versus the Carolina Panthers. The New York Jets host the Baltimore Ravens at the new stadium on September 13th.

The United States Open Championship of Tennis runs until September 12th with the Men's Singles Final. UFC 119 takes place for the first time in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Wicked is playing Boston, Madison(WI), Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco. The Jersey Boys are playing Austin, Philadelphia, San Antonio and New York.

So Sorry!

2010-08-28T19:00:00.002-04:00

We apologize if you are having a problem getting onto our site today. Please be patient and try back a little later if you cannot access our uscity.net website. We are having intermittent crashes due to hardware issues and working our tushies off to fix it!

We do appreciate our directory users and will do our best to remedy this as fast as possible.

Thank You
The Entire USCITY.NET Team

Driving Miss Daisy

2010-08-24T19:51:00.000-04:00

On October 7, previews start for one of thenewest plays on Broadway, Driving Miss Daisy. The play, upon which the 1989 movie was based, is one of the most anticipated shows this season. The plot of the show centers on Mrs. Daisy Werthan, a 72-year-old widow living in Atlanta, GA, who totals her car and has to find a chauffeur for insurance reasons. Her son hires a man named Hoke Colburn to drive her, but at first Daisy refuses to let him drive her anywhere, instead walking anywhere she needs to go. As the story develops, the relationship between the two grows as well. Daisy begins to realize that Hoke's race affects the way people treat him and the opportunities available to him. This production of the Alfred Uhry play stars James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave.

Choosing Between tubal reversal and IVF

2010-08-09T08:12:00.002-04:00

One of my sister’s co-workers who was in her early 40s actually had this procedure (IFV) done and the result was a now 3-year old bouncing baby boy – it was really a dream come true for her and her husband and I wanted to share this article written by one of the Doctors in the clinic with our readers. We are proud to partner with the clinic and hopefully make more dreams come true.

By: H. Randall Craig M.D.
Tubal sterilization is the most common means of birth control used in the US. This permanent form of contraception will not allow you to subsequently attempt pregnancy unless you undergo another surgical procedure (tubal ligation reversal or microsurgical reanastomosis) or have an in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure.

The success of tubal ligation surgery is dependent upon the amount of fallopian tube remaining after the sterilization, and whether the surgery involved the use of cautery or burning the fallopian tube. Other factors include the quality of the male partner’s sperm, female age,, and egg quality and quantity. If the male partner has poor sperm quality (low sperm count or motility), chances for pregnancy are reduced. However, IVF with ICSI can overcome this problem. Pelvic conditions such as endometriosis or any scar tissue in the area of the tubes or ovaries would also reduce the chances for success after tubal reversal surgery. However, IVF pregnancy rates are generally not affected by these conditions, so IVF is a better option in women with significant endometriosis or pelvic scar tissue.

Because the quality and quantity of eggs decline in some women at a relatively young age, testing the "ovarian reserve" is recommended before proceeding with either tubal reversal or IVF. Maternal age is the most influential factor and a major consideration in the decision process. Fertility steadily declines each year after age 34, and dramatically declines after age 38. IVF significantly improves pregnancy rates in older women.

When considering pregnancy after tubal ligation, the majority of women choose IVF over tubal reversal surgery. However, each patient is unique and an informed decision should be made only after a comprehensive physician consultation and thorough review of your medical history.

Thank you to one of our newest members, Fertility Treatment Centerof Arizona for the article above.

August Events LIVE!

2010-07-19T14:41:00.001-04:00

August live events feature something for everyone. Concert tours in August include Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Rush, Michael Buble, Phish, Rascal Flatts, Aerosmith, Dave Mathews Band, Kiss and the Black Crowes. For tween fans Justin Bieber, American Idols Live and Jonas Brothers are set to tour this month.

Sports
The Red Sox and Yankees play a four game series at Yankee Stadium August 6-9. The UFC has live events planned for Boston, Oakland and San Diego. The first round of the US Open of Tennis begins at the end of this month.

Theatre
Theatrical musicals this month include Wicked on Broadway and in Columbus, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and San Francisco. The Jersey Boys play Broadway, Austin, Las Vegas and Louisville. For other theatre and Broadway ticket offerings, click here.

Lollapalooza and Other Festivals - Conceived and created in 1991 by Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell as a farewell tour for his band, Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring heavy metal, alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. Lollapalooza ran annually until 1997, and was revived in 2003. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. Lollapalooza has featured a diverse range of bands and has helped expose and popularize alternative rock groups. This year’s headliners include Lady Gaga, Green Day and a re-formed Soundgarden.

Other festivals in August are the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, OZZfest, Mile High Music Festival and the New England Country Music Fest.

Have A Happy & Safe 4th of July Weekend

2010-07-02T13:29:00.015-04:00

All of us here at uscity.net wish everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July Weekend!

Maybe today would be a good day to read the Declaration of Independence (The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America) - just click on this sentence!

About the Declaration of Independence

In the summer of 1776, the colonists' building desire for independence from England became an echoing call to action. Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, which was then edited by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. Jefferson took their edits and incorporated them into what would become the version finally adopted. A call was made and on July 4, 1776 the 2nd Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence and soon the document was engrossed on parchment and 56 representatives from 13 colonies signed it.

Should we be celebrating July 2 or July 4 or August 2?

July 2, 1776 is the day that the Continental Congress actually voted for independence. John Adams, in his writings, even noted that July 2 would be remembered in the annals of American history and would be marked with fireworks and celebrations. The written Declaration of Independence was dated July 4 but wasn't actually signed until August 2. Fifty-six delegates eventually signed the document, although all were not present on that day in August.

Remember to be safe...

As we celebrate the USA's Independence, please remember to be safe while driving and especially as we celebrate with fireworks. Here are a few tips to make us safe while using fireworks~

• Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
• Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.
• Avoid buying fireworks that come in brown paper packaging, as this can often be a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and could pose a danger to consumers.
• Adults should always supervise fireworks activities. Parents often don't realize that there are many injuries from sparklers to children under five. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals.
• Never have any portion of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Move back to a safe distance immediately after lighting.
• Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not fully functioned.
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
• Light one item at a time then move back quickly.
• Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
• After fireworks fully complete their functioning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding to prevent a trash fire.

WISHING A HAPPY, HAPPY WEEKEND TO ALL OF YOU FROM USCITY.NET

Happy Father's Day To All

2010-06-20T00:37:00.001-04:00

Our thanks to Bobbie Peachey for the clip art

Cruising with my Nieces

2010-06-10T14:10:00.001-04:00

In our family, when one of my nieces or nephews graduates from elementary school, they get a fun weekend with Aunt Pam – this past June, I took two of my nieces on a cruise to the Bahamas.

I found a great deal – paid a little less than $800 for the three of us. It was so cool to see cruising through their eyes – it was the first cruise for both of them and we went on the Carnival Sensation. I chose this cruise not only for price but also for the slides.

The kids were in awe just walking into the Port and going through customs. When they saw the size of the ship, they started jumping up and down and could not wait to get on. We boarded early and had a great buffet lunch and walked all around the ship.

When they spotted the pool that was open they begged to get in – we had no bathing suits, but I told them to go ahead and go in their shorts. The slides (see photo) were one of the best parts of this Carnival cruise.

I had warned them ahead of time about the size of the cabins and one of them was a little worried that she might get “claustrophobia” – we were very pleasantly surprised at the roominess. We had two bunk beds and a single with a huge window.

The best part of the cruise was just being with each other. We had late night talks and early morning walks. I am glad I didn't have them in the Kids Club that is offered, because we spent lots of quality time together. We played ping pong and danced and listened to music together, they even played a round of miniature golf. Other highlights of the cruise were the slide of course, our snorkeling trip and swimming off of a beautiful beach in the Bahamas.

Thanks to uscity.net, where I found the best deal on a cruise using some of the links on this page (click here).

Heading out to snorkel the reef

Dancing with the waiters
At the beach
Having Fun

Remembering On Memorial Day

2010-05-25T17:36:00.005-04:00

Today, we honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and remember wars past. As we enjoy our friends and families, let us not forget how much has been given so that we can enjoy this day and every day in freedom.. Let our military brothers and sisters feel our love and support. Please take at least a few moments today to remember all of those who have given their lives for us.

Opportunity for Change

2010-05-19T20:15:00.009-04:00

What do you do when you the economy has taken away your means of living and you are a single parent with a little girl to take care of? Well, as one of uscity.net’s newest members Lisa (owner of Hug Bug Children's Boutique in Maryland), says: You can – Number One: Sit there and cry because bad things happened to you OR Number Two: Fix it and move on!

Lisa decided to take the latter option and move on with her life. Lisa says:

“As an only parent, I wanted my little girl to see that sometimes what seems like a bad situation is actually an opportunity for change! So I filed for unemployment benefits and for my business license right behind it! After that I started just walking up to women with children and giving them my phone number and telling them my plan for a consignment/resale store for children.”

With the economy reeling, her idea took off. Within a month she was in her own store, which is run by her and her three year old daughter. Hug Bug Children’s Boutique sells name brand children's and maternity apparel, toys, furniture and anything else that applies. On the shelves and racks are tutus, pillow case dresses, bows, organize zebra baking kits, Tatari jewelry, musical instruments and more. The shop is now carrying new, as well as gently used items. At this great new shop that was built with the spirit of a pioneer - breaking new ground and not giving up - there are special discounts given on top of the already discounted prices, like 10% off every day for military families. Grandparents Day at Hug Bug is every first and third Tuesday of the month, and all grandparents get 10% off.

The store is very bright and colorful and also includes a play area!

Please visit Lisa and her daughter whenever you get a chance. The store is located at 6501 Crain Highway in Laplata, Maryland. Or you can call Hug Bug Children’s Boutique at 240-776-4655 to find out what they have in the store or what specials they are running.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T07:55:00.005-04:00

To all Mothers and those who have been like a Mother to someone, USCITY.NET wishes you a very Happy Mother's Day!

May is Deck Safety Month

2010-04-28T11:50:00.005-04:00

Thanks to our Virginia member, Casa Decks, for this helpful info and links to get our decks in shape for summer:

May is National Deck Safety Month as sponsored by NADRA (North American Deck and Railing Association). The concept is to promote awareness of deck safety and to provide consumer information in order to assist in inspecting their deck prior to the outdoor entertaining season. It is important to take the time to inspect and review due to potential aging of the structures and deterioration over time.

More information about Deck Safety Month, a ten point Consumer Safety Checklist and a Deck Evaluation Checklist are available for download at www.nadra.org. Make your summer season safe by participating in NADRA’s "Check Your Deck" program.

As my cousin would say: Blessed Calan Mai (roughly transalted: Blessings on the beginning of summer)

Rollin' On The River

2010-04-15T11:38:00.000-04:00

This is one of the coolest most ingenious things I have seen in a long time! Fun in the sun - fun on the water! Since I love boating, swimming - anything water related, I am loving this new invention. Imagine cruising your favorite lake or river on a jumbo party barge with double the deck space of the biggest pontoon boats. Bring your family, bring your friends, you can even bring the band! You can put a camper on it and turn it into a houseboat!

Rolling Barges are giant party barges, 17' wide and up to 32' long on the water, that fold up in the launch ramp parking lot to only 8.5' wide. They require no special permits to tow on the highway. In addition, Rolling Barge builds Rolling Floating Docks that can be trailered down the highway and launched directly into the water. If you live on or are renting a house on the water, you can bring your own dock.

The party barge folds up onto its own wheels to trailer wherever you want to go. After you are done with your fun on the water, you just fold it up and tow it home. Check out the videos on RollingBarge.com to see how it works. If you live in Oregon, you are in luck; you can rent a Rolling Barge at Lake Billy Chinook. Or you can purchase your very own. If you like being out on the water, this site is a must-see!

For more information about Rolling Barge, please send an e-mail to info@rollingbarge.com.

2010-04-04T07:43:00.000-04:00

A VERY HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!

GREEN PEST CONTROL

2010-04-02T11:47:00.005-04:00

When I think back to my childhood and how we treated roaches in our home, I shudder. My mother would not just spray the insecticide; she would drown any roach or spider she saw in it. We had sprays for ants and roaches, a spray for wasps and hornets and poison for rats (which were actually field mice) that she would use.

Back then no one had any idea of what kind of harm we were doing to the environment. We were poisoning not only the pests we were trying to control but also the birds that ate the pests and, we were most likely poisoning ourselves. We did not know about the awful effects to not only the animals, but to humans and the environment as well.

Thankfully, now more and more pest control companies are going green. USCITY.NET member Alpha Ecological is one of those businesses. Alpha Ecological stresses prevention with client education and regular inspections. They will eliminate conditions that attract pests into your home and this is the most natural way to keep your home pest free.

If your home or business is infected, a tailor made pest removal plan will be implemented. Some pest control businesses will come in monthly and spray all over the place while paying little or no attention to whether or not there are pests or pest-conducive conditions there. At my grandmother’s house, I can remember every month the pest control man came, sprayed the entire perimeter of the house, came in and sprayed inside the kitchen cabinets, all around the floor boards and in the closets. Just think of how much pesticide was used in that one house.

If bugs have invaded your home or business, Alpha Ecological will put together a safe, effective and ecologically sound plan for you, by first blocking entrances and eliminating bug-friendly practices and if needed, using a range of natural, botanical and mineral based products as well as synthetic biodegradable products that target specific pests and will use only what’s needed – a direct contrast to my grandmother’s pest control management plan.

So let’s all be pro-active on the pest control front and if you find yourself in need of professional services, please make sure that you are using a company that integrates the greener technologies. Help keep your family safe and help the planet!

Many thanks to Alpha Ecological for allowing us to post these Pest Prevention Tips from their website:

• Keep food sealed tight and stored correctly. Only feed pets as much as they can eat in one sitting. Do not let pet food sit overnight and only feed them indoors when possible.
• Routinely remove garbage and compost from the kitchen. Ensure your garbage and compost areas are secured.
• Remove/correct any sources of moisture issues such a leaky roof or plumbing, clogged gutters, poor crawlspace drainage, etc.
• If you have a hot tub, set it up as far from the home as possible. While they’re great for us, they are also an ideal harborage place for carpenter ants, termites, rodents and more, as heat and moisture are an attractive combination for many pests.
• Water lawns and gardens as minimally as possible. Or be hip and join the brown lawn brigade! (Tip if you insist on having green grass: Put an empty tuna can out with the sprinkler. When it is half-filled with water, you’re done!).
• Have air ducts cleaned and maintained regularly. Ensure there are no leaks in the duct work.
• Have your crawlspace and attic inspected every six months by a pest control technician for signs of moisture, open entry points, and possible pest activity. Invest in a crawlspace and/or attic restoration to protect your home's health and help prevent pest issues.
• Remove wood that is not necessary outside the structure (ie, boards, railroad ties and logs which are being stored or used for decoration).
• Keep firewood as far from the structure as possible. Stack it off the ground and do not allow it to lean against other structures.
• Trim shrubbery and other foliage so it is at least 6-8 inches from homes/garages/sheds

Click here for some common conducive conditions for pests.

Click here for pest identifying some common household pests.

New Member Increases Business by 25%

2010-03-20T18:56:00.000-04:00

Aircare Lifeflight Systems, one of our new members, has seen an increase of 25% in his business since listing his site on the uscity.net internet business directory. ALS is an air ambulance company that flies patients worldwide. To read more about this story, please click here.

The company has been involved in the numerous air ambulance flights of patients worldwide in a variety of emergencies and relief efforts. We are always happy to hear of our members' successes and welcome them to our directory.

If you would like to sign up for a membership in uscity.net, just click anywhere on this sentence.

Our Apologies

2010-03-18T11:01:00.001-04:00

We would like to let everyone know how sorry we are about our site being down yesterday. We are sorry for the inconvenience it may have caused to anyone. According to our IT Department, "our main power tower melted down and our equipment went off line. We have fixed the problem and our site is back up and serving you."

If you tried to reach us or were unable to use our directory, again, we apologize.

Please try us again and we appreciate your understanding.

New Biofeedback - Neurofeedback Category

2010-03-15T16:01:00.000-04:00

Uscity.net has added a new category in all states and our virtual directory – Biofeedback. We also added a subcategory of Neurofeedback. As is usual with the case of a new category, we research the category and/or find an expert in that category to help us out. One of the researchers came back to me with some interesting stuff and I thought it was worth sharing with you all. It became personally interesting when I saw that it is used for Raynaud’s Disease, which I have! It’s not really a disease to me; it just means that when my hands get cold, a few of my fingers turn white and numb on the end. So I try not to get my hands cold.

Here are some highlights from the research done by our staff. This is in no way to be considered medically correct or to be used by anyone who thinks they may need biofeedback to help them cope with an illness or disorder. I just thought I would share some useful info with our readers:

Biofeedback:
Biofeedback training is a relatively new type of therapy, coming into practice in the 1960s. Training people to improve their health by using signals from their bodies is what biofeedback treatment tries to do. Therapists can use it to regain movement in paralyzed muscles, teaching patients to relax, controlling pain and much more.

Standard biofeedback machines gauge electrical signals in muscles. The signals are “feedback” from your body. Using biofeedback, you become more aware of normally unconscious body functions such as pulse, temperature and digestion. Some patients are able to lower blood pressure, control incontinence and get rid of pain without using drugs.

Recent studies of the biology of mental illness have made possible biofeedback treatments using a type of biofeedback called neurofeedback.

Neurofeedback:
I may be letting my imagination run away with me, but I envision something looking like an old sci-fi motion picture where there sits a patient with all these electrodes attached to his head, staring at a monitor - looking like he is in a dace.

What a patient is actually doing is focusing his mind to control the patterns and beeps. The patterns and beeps come from electrical brain activity. Biofeedback machines can detect electrical impulses in the brain activity and translate them into visual or audible signals.

According to Lynda Wells, Ph.D., Trainer-Master Practitioner, “Neurofeedback is brain training for a host of neurological problems including ADD, ADHD, autism, traumatic brain injury, stroke, migraine and seizure disorders, as opposed to BioFeedback, which is more ‘thought’ driven, and intended to allow the patient to control their body temperatures, blood pressure, etc.” For more information on this and other ways to wellness, visit The Way to Wellness - Solutions for Life website.

Biofeedback and neurofeedback have been used to treat many ailments and illnesses including: Strokes - Incontinence - Epilepsy - Anxiety Disorders - Depression - ADD - Bedwetting - Night Terrors - Drug Abuse - Sleep Disorders - PMS - Autism - Headaches - Other Types of Pain - Low/High Blood Pressure - Raynaud’s Disease - Cerebral Palsy.

Evolution of the Screen Porch

2010-02-24T12:48:00.005-05:00

We caught one of our new members, Casa Decks of SE Virginia, reminiscing and wanted to share it with you. I especially liked the last part about your porch being a second living room, because that is exactly how I feel about mine:

Looking back over the last 15+ years that Casa Decks has been building decks and screen rooms in Suffolk, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach; we have noticed a distinct evolving of screen porches to true outdoor living rooms (screen porches to screen rooms).

When we first started building, the standard screen room had open rafters, was constructed using pressure treated wood with stretched screen, and had a ceiling fan centered over a patio table. Often they were low pitch shed roofs without gutters. If the interior ceilings were finished, they were normally without insulation and covered with plywood or T-111.

Fast forward to today and the patio furniture has given way to padded wicker furniture with accent rugs. Ceilings are now cathedral, insulated, and covered with t&g; wood or vinyl. The ceiling fan has remained, but may now be remote controlled with recessed lights on a dimmer circuit replacing the schoolhouse light fixture on the fan.

Ease of maintenance has become standard with no exposed wood, use of aluminum or vinyl tracked screening systems, and the ceiling insulated for both sound and heat factors. Care is now taken to match the architectural style of the home and matching the trim (soffit, fascia, gutters, etc.). This trend has continued, in that a large percentage now has matching brick skirting and use tongue and groove porch flooring

The trend as we have seen it is from the porch to a true outdoor living room. More photos of screen rooms can be seen at www.casadecks.com.

Special March Events - Nationwide

2010-02-10T18:36:00.000-05:00

March concerts include blues/rocker Eric Clapton, American rock band Bon Jovi, Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift, Canadian singer-songwriter and actor Michael Buble, musician John Mayer, Rap and R&B legend Jay-Z, Up-beat Pop sensation Black Eyed Peas and American recording artist, musician and actress Alicia Keys.

College basketball's NCAA March Madnessbegins in March with 65 teams and ends in April with the Final Four teams dueling for the championship.

On March 13th, Manny Pacquiao vs.Joshua Clottey is the main event for the first boxing match ever to be held at the Cowboys' new stadium. Additionally in March, UFC 111, with St-Pierre vs Hardy, is sure to be entertaining.

Baseball's spring training begins March 3rd for both the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues.

Plays opening on Broadway in March include a black comedy, The Behanding with Christopher Walken as well as revival of the The Miracle Worker, the story of Helen Keller. Also opening in March, from director Twyla Tharp, is a theatrical look at the songs of Frank Sinatra.

Auto Glass Repair Tips and Helpful Listings

2010-02-02T18:56:00.007-05:00

If you need your cracked/broken windshield or window on your car repaired, this will require a trained professional. Having a cracked or chipped windshield repaired improperly can actually do damage to your car’s structural integrity. It is important to find the right repair company for you. Many auto repair shops will do the repair, but are not experienced at it. Some things to look for in an auto glass company are free estimates, certifications and warranties. Remember that you not only want your vehicle to look good, but you want to make sure the frame’s structural integrity is taken care of. For those of you who have a tight schedule, there are also mobile auto glass repair companies all over the USA.

When you contact an auto glass repair shop, be sure to ask for a free estimate; if they will work with your car insurance company; how long it will take; if they are nationally certified (check out the certification); and what type of guarantee they offer.

To help those out who are in need of these types of auto repair, uscity.net has added two subcategories to already existing categories – under Automobiles we have added Glass Repair and under Glass, we added Auto Repair in each state.

We are hopeful that if you have an auto glass business, you will sign up with us for a free listing or membership and if you are looking for a repair, we hope that our directory will help you find what you are looking for in your area. Click here for an easy sign up!

The Neon Lights Are Bright...

2010-01-15T09:29:00.021-05:00

There are some great Broadway plays coming up. Click on the paragraph to view ticket information for each play (if available).

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, a revival of Arthur Miller’s drama centering on a dockworker who becomes too protective of his niece. In A View From The Bridge, Arthur Miller's most passionate drama, Liev Schreiber plays Eddie Carbone, a Brooklyn longshoreman obsessed with his 17-year-old niece Catherine, played by Scarlett Johansson. When Catherine falls in love with a newly arrived immigrant, Eddie's jealousy erupts in a rage that consumes him, his family, and his world. Opening January 24 at the Cort Theatre.

For Sinatra fans, we have Twyla Tharp’s COME FLY AWAY at the Marquis Theatre, previews start on March 1 and opens on March 2. COME FLY AWAY follows four couples as they fall in and out of love during one song and dance filled evening at a crowded nightclub. Blending the legendary vocals of Frank Sinatra with a live on stage 19-piece big band and 15 of the world's finest dancers, "Come Fly Away" weaves an unparalleled hit parade of classics, including "Fly Me To The Moon," "My Way," and "That's Life" into a soaring musical fantasy of romance and seduction.

Broadway favorites Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth will be starring in the new Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice musical inspired ADDAMS FAMILY, A NEW MUSICAL. It's an Addams Family portrait you've never seen before: Gomez, all mad impetuosity; Morticia, equal parts fire and ice; Fester, restless and romantic; Pugsley, for whom immediate gratification can't come soon enough and Wednesday, eighteen years old and finally feeling what it means to be a woman. You will see a family that's quite shockingly, and endearingly, just like yours starting April 8th at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.

Also on tap for 2010:
LOOPED at the Lyceum Theatre. First Preview: Feb. 19; Opening: March 14; starring Valerie Harper, Brian Hutchison in Matthew Lombardo's new comedy that finds celebrated actress Tallulah Bankhead in a sound studio to re-record (or "loop") one line of dialogue from her her last film.

LEND ME A TENOR, at the Music Box Theatre First Preview: March 11; Opening: April 4; Cast: Anthony LaPaglia, Tony Shalhoub, Jan Maxwell, Mary Catherine Garrison, Jennifer Laura Thompson. Ken Ludwig's 1930s-set comedy that centers on a world-famous star who goes missing before his debut with Cleveland's local opera.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET at the Nederlander Theatre. First Preview: March 13; Opening: April 11; Transfer of the Chicago musical by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux centering on Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley.

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at Longacre Theatre, First Preview: April 6 Opening: April 18. Douglas Hodge stars in this transfer of the London Menier Chocolate Factory production of Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein's musical.

AMERICAN IDIOT at the St. James Theatre is opening April 20. New rock musical using songs from Green Day's album of the same name and latest album, "21st Century Breakdown.”

PROMISES, PROMISES at the Broadway Theatre. First Preview: March 28; Opening: April 18. A revival of the Burt Bacharach-Hal David-Neil Simon musical based on "The Apartment” with Kristin Chenoweth, Sean Hayes, Brooks Ashmanskas, Katie Finneran and Tony Goldwyn.

For a list of Broadway plays and ticket information, please click here.

Happy New Year from USCITY.NET

2009-12-31T06:13:00.005-05:00

We wish you all a very Happy 2010 with health, happiness and that which makes you truly happy.

We also send our sincere gratitude for all who supported USCITY.NET and thank you for listing your businesses with us and using our directory to find what you want. We are committed to creating a community of businesses with values and quality products that make us happy to work hard to provide you with what we hope is the best experience in finding businesses in the USA and finding what you are looking for in an efficient way.

Our membership sign-ups almost doubled in 2009 from 2008. We are very thankful for that and we certainly hope that being listed in our directory is helping all our friends (especially our members and reciprocal link partners) who have asked to be listed in the directory. As we strive to be family friendly and the best directory in the USA, our focus this year was on the small businesses that are the backbone of the US economy and we hope that if you are a business owner or know of a great small business in your area, that you will sign up with us or suggest us to that business.

In trying to keep up with the times, this year have started a twitter account and a facebook page to go along with our year old myspace account. Tweeting is so much fun, even though I am new to the social networking arena, we luckily have some twenty-somethings on the payroll who help us out.

We have added several categories to help visitors to our site find what they are looking faster and easier. Some of the new categories we added in 2009 are Flea Markets, Foreclosures (unfortunately a sign of the times), Broadband, Audiologists, Energy with lots of subcategories like Conservation, Solar and Wind. Audio Visual, Air Ambulance, Snow Removal for our northern states and Skateboarding (a suggestion from one of our younger employees). We have lots of skateboarding shops and parks listed too.

As a service to those using our directory, we added Ambulances (including Air Ambulances), Charities and now are in the process of adding local Churches to the directory.

Some of the top cities for new website listings have been Honolulu, Hawaii; Raleigh, North Carolina; Sacramento, California; Phoenix, Arizona; two cities in Florida – Orlando and Miami and two cities in Texas, Houston and Dallas.

We are constantly updating our security and thankfully have had no major problems at all this year – Thanks to Bill, Rusty and Tyson.

Our founder, Rusty Crawford sends this message:

We look forward to another year of building the best directory on the planet. We are all committed to continually develop the uscity.net directory into a more useful business and resource directory. The uscity.net directory is a beacon for small businesses that are lost in the web and the its billions of pages. It is simple, and easy for any small business owner to add their listing.

Our hope to all this year is that if you do business with us, it helps you and that we make your business dealings with us as pleasant as possible. If you have a problem, please let us know and we will try and make it better. If you are happy with our service, please let us know that too. Happy, Happy New Year to Everyone!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-22T21:16:00.001-05:00

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Right Paw Obedience School Special

2009-12-20T18:12:00.002-05:00

One of our Massachusetts uscity.net members, Right Paw Obedience School is currently offering a BAIL OUT for real people with real dogs... They are offering $10 off ANY group class starting in the months of January or February 2010. Simply mention BAIL OUT on registration and take ten dollars off class fee! Sign up today! Click here for registration page.

The Right Paw Obedience School is a complete training facility offering group classes such as Kindergarten Puppy Training, Companion Dog/Basic Training, Drop-in Intermediate Obedience and Confirmation Classes as well as Private Consultations and Behavioral Evaluations. Our group classes have a maximum of eight dogs per class and we encourage the whole family to attend! Both our group classes and private consultations are held at our easily accessible, climate controlled training facility. The option to work with students in the comfort of their own home is also available.

Take advantage of this great offer as soon as possible...

Viva Las Vegas - Viva ELVIS!

2009-12-10T08:47:00.003-05:00

Here comes the King himself, Rockin’ and Rollin’, right onto the enormous screen of the new Aria Resort & Casino's Elvis Theater. This magnificent show will combine video clips of the King of Rockin’ Roll and over 40 dancers and acrobats from the famous Cirque de Soleil! Viva ELVIS will be coming to the Los Vegas on December 18th.

This tribute to the life and music of Elvis Presley is for everyone - young and old, fans and newcomers. Everyone is sure to love this entertaining film. Executive producer, Stephane Mongeau, says, "Our responsibility was to develop something that would look like what Elvis might do were he performing now. It's not a show about Elvis. It's a show with him."

The performance will showcase songs and performances, reenacted to stimulate and make you feel as if you’re right at a concert that he is performing for you. This is meant to be the ultimate Elvis comeback! Elvis is back in the building!

Click here for tickets!

Special Deals for December

2009-12-01T19:36:00.000-05:00

Ebags.com is giving us 20% off until midnight December 8th and free shipping on orders over $25 until December 17th.

Buy one get one ½ off at Famous Footwear. Buy one pair of shoes and save 50% on the second pair of equal or lesser value! Find all your favorite brands and styles like Madden Girl, Adidas, Bearpaw and more! Some exclusions apply, valid through Jan. 2, 2010.

Through December 17th, Paws Up Pet Supply is offering FREE Shipping on all orders over $50. Order you Holiday Pet Products and use coupon code HOLIDAY2009 at checkout to receive FREE Shipping.

More to come from our members and affiliates here at uscity.net!

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

2009-11-26T07:06:00.000-05:00

Spending Black Friday at Home This Year

2009-11-24T16:56:00.010-05:00

Yes, I have been one of the crazy shoppers who stand in line at 4 a.m. to pick up a big ticket item at one of the sales the day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday. I won’t be doing it this year. I went out for a half day (instead of the usual full day) last year, came home and decided to check the sales online. I found out that almost every single item I had purchased, I could have gotten without getting out into the cold morning and hanging out with the other crazy shoppers. I suppose I will kind of miss the laughter and the camaraderie of most shoppers out there first thing in the a.m. but I will enjoy lingering around in bed until at least 6 a.m. and not going out until the sun warms things up a bit.

Here are just a few of the deals that can be had between now and Black Friday and some even longer.

Just click on the paragraph that intrigues you to check out the sales:

Shop during the Holidays with these great offers from The Children's Place. 15% off with code HHHA9 now through December 6, 2009. Also, be sure to check out the great Cyber Monday and Black Friday offers. If you shop early, you will receive 20% off your entire purchase.

This one is for free delivery on select Harry & David Gourmet Gifts. The code is GIVE.

The Scholastic Store Online is advertising their Black Friday/ Cyber Monday Super Deals for the upcoming weekend! They promise tons of special discounts all through their site - all weekend long. AND you can take an extra 20% off plus free shipping on orders over $25 with code AFFTGS for even bigger savings! This offer ends Monday, November 30th.

And at Barnes & Noble, you can get free shipping in time for Christmas on any order of 25.00 or more and placed before December 20th.

Happy Shopping!

Honoring Our Veterans

2009-11-11T01:34:00.002-05:00

There aren't enough words to express our gratitude to all who have served, are serving or will serve this great country. Because of you, we are free. Because of you, we can enjoy our way of life. Because of you, we do not live in daily fear for our lives. We keep you all in our prayers and we also honor the families left behind that have to play dual roles of mother/fathers, sometimes forever. It is not an easy life the military and their families live and we appreciate you all. God bless our military AND their families.

Special November Events

2009-11-02T11:12:00.006-05:00

CONCERTS: Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Elton John & Billy Joel, Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, Kiss, Metallica, Black Crowes, Jackson Browne, Roger Daltrey, the Pixies, So You Think You Can Dance? and Brand New.

HOLIDAY FARE: The Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes in New York and other cities on tour, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and How The Grinch Stole Christmas in New York City.

COMICS: Dane Cook, Robin Wilson, Jeff Dunham, Jerry Seinfeld and Ron White.

NFL: Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings visiting Favre's old team, Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Other premium games are the New York Jets at New England Patriots, New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles. Other games of significance are the Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos, Cowboys at Packers, New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins at Dallas, New York Giants at Denver Broncos, and the New England Patriots at New Orleans Saints.

NCAA: LSU Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide and at Mississippi State Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines and at Penn State Nittany Lions, Oklahoma State Cowboys at Oklahoma Sooners, Florida State Seminoles at Florida Gators and UCLA Bruins at USC Trojans. UFC 105 will be held on November 14, 2009 in Manchester, England at the Manchester Evening News Arena. UFC 106: Lesnar vs. Carwin will be held a week later on November 21, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

BROADWAY: A revival of Ragtime, revival of two Neil Simon comedies Brighton Beach Memoirs and Broadway Bound and the world premiere of Race featuring James Spader and Kerry Washington and Wicked.

USCITY.NET Mentioned in Article

2009-11-02T11:00:00.005-05:00

Wow, I just ran across this article about the top free local marketing options and saw we were listed at #5! Thanks to Dream Systems Media for the mention.

Here is an excerpt:

USCity.net is a HUGE Internet business directory – It is not the kind of directory that is good for helping out search engine rankings by getting a listing, it is a local directory that is amazing for sending actual traffic to your site. They have such trust with the search engines that for a huge number of local searches they come up on top, and people will find you and click on you that way. For one of my sites about 15% of the daily traffic is sent to me from USCity.net
If you search for Arizona Mattress Store, you will see the results, and how the USCITY.net page ranks in the top 5. These guys do have paid options for listings, (better placement of your ad) but they do have free listings. All of my listings are free and I still see really good traffic. Just follow their instructions for listing and its pretty easy and self explanatory – especially if you have never listed with a web directory before!

To read the entire article, click here!

It's nice when someone notices all of our years of hard work.

Air Ambulance Category

2009-10-23T08:58:00.002-04:00

We have added a new category to the uscity.net directory, Air Ambulance. These aircraft used for emergency medical transportation help out when a traditional ambulance can’t get to the patient fast enough or if the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport. Common equipment for air ambulances includes ventilators, medication, an ECG and monitoring unit, CPR equipment, and stretchers; however some are almost “air hospitals.” We are getting quite a few listings in this category. Check out one of our new member listings, Air Care Lifeflight Systems, for more information. We have listings in all fifty states.

Joined in Love - Our Darling Delanie

2009-09-21T21:05:00.007-04:00

Our darling Delanie got herself married on Saturday. She found her soulmate, her one true love, Colin Irvine, and they were married in a beautiful wedding on Spruce Creek. The couple was radiant and we wish them all the best. Delanie and Colin, I hope that your marriage will last a lifetime and that as you share your innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams, your love grows stronger each day. Cherish each other always.

Tweet, tweet, tweet!

2009-09-18T14:15:00.006-04:00

All the little birds on jaybird street love to see uscity.net go tweet, tweet, tweet... That's right, uscity.net is tweeting away on twitter. Click to view our twitter page.

Remembering 9-11

2009-09-11T06:43:00.000-04:00

September 11 - It's still hard to believe this happened, even though we saw it and lived through it. We remember the 3,000 victims who died eight years ago today - in New York City, in Washington, D.C., and in a field in Pennsylvania. To their families and their memory we give our love, respect and gratitude. We honor the many acts of heroism and compassionate response that helped those who survived. Let us strengthen our resolve to unite as a people to find peace and a better way. And we send comfort, joy and peace to those who lost a loved one, a friend, or an associate.

New Tour & New Album for TSO

2009-09-10T17:14:00.004-04:00

A wonderful Christmas tradition that gets bigger and better each year is the tour of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra which astounds fans with an annual breathtaking extravaganza each holiday season. If you have experienced this show you'll want to see it again. And if you haven't, then you are in for a great surprise. The 'Night Castle' tour starts on November 1st in Omaha, Nebraska – travels across the USA and ends up in Nashville, Tennessee on January 3rd. Click here to view tour dates/cities and ticket information for the 2009 winter tour.

You can also pre order their long-awaited double album 'Night Castle' which will be released on Tuesday, October 27th at CD Universe now, just click anywhere in this paragraph.

Security Measures

2009-09-08T17:48:00.002-04:00

Apparently while I was on vacation, we were once again updating our security measures – which is an ongoing process here at uscity.net.

Why we need to continually upgrade our security measures is something that has always bugged me. I supposed that we were trying to stop people from hacking us. So, I went online to find out why people do this. A few things I found out were that the way I was using the word “hacking” and the meaning of hacker is different. The main definition for hacker (in a computer related sense) is: “Computer Slang. a. a computer enthusiast. - b. a microcomputer user who attempts to gain unauthorized access to proprietary computer systems.” [dictionary.com]

I also found out that the ‘good’ hackers call these other people crackers. I guess because they try to crack the code to get into another person’s computer.

What irks me, besides taking up valuable time from people who are trying to make a living, enhance people’s internet experiences, etc. is this: if you are smart enough to hack into a system, why not just get a job programming or networking, do something worthwhile and get paid for it?!?

Well, that’s my rant for now!

Our wish is for everyone who uses uscity.net to have a good experience and we want you to let us know how we can make your use of our directory better. If you ever have any comments or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to let us know. Just leave us a comment below.

Our reciprocal link program is doing very well and we have also upgraded our sign up system to make it easier for everyone. We really do want our site to be faster and easier for everyone. These are not hollow words like some company mottos.

We hope you will find our site easy AND fast!

Have a great day all.

Pam
USCITY.NET

R.I.P. Senator Ted Kennedy

2009-08-26T11:36:00.002-04:00

Ordinary Americans, like me, are deeply saddened today by the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy. I consider myself a middle class ordinary American. I have never known government without a Kennedy.

Ted Kennedy was only one of a handful of politicians whom I would trust to use government for helping the us - the middle class. I fear that his passing will cause us to be far worse off than when he was watching over the laws that passed.

And, will bipartisanship ever be? Although Obama and McCain both bellowed about their bipartisanship during their campaigns, it was Senator Ted Kennedy who demonstrated it throughout his political life.

President Obama said it well: "Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time."

My sincerest and deepest sympathies to the Kennedys, Teddy's extended family and the country. R.I.P. Senator Kennedy.

National Football League's 90th Season

2009-08-11T18:12:00.006-04:00

September 10 kicks off the National Football League’s regular season this year. This will be the league’s 90th birthday. Another birthday being celebrated this year is the Dallas Cowboys - the team has been around for 50 years. The Cowboys are trying to set a National Football League attendance record when the team starts playing in its new stadium. $29 party passes are being sold to fans who won’t have seats - the party pass tickets are on sale now for the Cowboys’ first two pre-season games and two regular season contests in the new stadium. The home opener is Sept. 20 against the New York Giants. “More fans can be at the stadium and, although they won’t all have a seat, they will definitely be a part of the action and experience on game day,” team owner Jones said.

According to the league’s website, the league drew its biggest U.S. attendance at Super Bowl XIV on Jan. 20, 1980 with 103,985 spectators at Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

For tickets to the games, including preseason games, click on this sentence.

Mission Trip to South Florida

2009-08-08T09:42:00.018-04:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was written by a member of the Teens in Action youth group at the New Smyrna Beach United Church of Christ, where I am a youth leader. I was with them for a week on this trip and am always amazed at how loving, kind and hard working these teens can be - and their parents are more amazed when I tell them about it!!

Another mission trip down and we still can’t seem to get enough! This year, 10 teens and 4 chaperones attended the TeamEffort mission camp in St. Petersburg, Florida. We worked at the Good Samaritan Mission. They collect and distribute food, blankets, sleeping bags, and clothing to low income residents, most of whom are from the migrant farming community of Wimauma.As well as the food and clothing, Good Samaritan is now providing a day care, well child exams, immunizations, computer classes, woodworking classes, and a place for all to worship. One of their main missions is to help the workers between growing seasons and for the family members who do not travel. Along with the woodworking classes, they are starting new sewing classes, in hopes of giving them a skill that they may use at the mission and throughout their lives by learning how to mend and alter clothing - and learning to make clothing using patterns. They are hoping to reach out to even more who are in need.Many of the people they serve are detached from our society – they come here simply to work, send money back home and do not become part of our society. It is Good Sam’s intention to teach these people that they too can contribute and make a difference. They are taught to give back to the community - to become an active and contributing part of the Family of Man to which we all belong.We had plenty of bonding time on this trip, because we were rained out every day – usually not until after lunch, but we did have one full day of being with each other, teaching each other and we felt more love for each other every day.While at the Good Samaritan our group built a deck and a wheelchair ramp. Although it rained for much of our trip, we did what we could to help make life a little easier for the owners of the mission. Our group worked together cutting boards, hammering nails into the deck, carrying materials, keeping our group hydrated, swatting flies, and encouraging others to keep it up!Each night we attended chapel where we sang worship music, played games, and listened to the counselors as they shared their personal testimonies. Every night we focused on a different word of TeamEffort’s motto, “Pray as you go”. Each counselor has something to add to the week, and we were lucky to be able to hear what they had to offer. The overall goal of the trip was to encourage the attendees to be servants of God, with Jesus being the example we should look up to. There were moments that were surreal during the final day as we gave countless hugs, remembered the moments we shared together throughout our lives at the UCC, laughed, cried, and spoke openly. By the end of our trip we grew much closer to each person in our group, whether it was chaperone or teen.One of teens told me that when they started on the trip, they thought it would be cool because we were going to make a huge difference by building something for someone who needed it, but after getting there, it was more about spirituality and bonding with our group.

The bond built during the trip with ourselves, our friends, our family (for many), and with God especially, is stronger than ever. And, we did help build a wheelchair ramp, sorted books to be given away and cleaned bathrooms.

From Me: I want to brag a little about our teens. One of the groups there was asked to clean the bathrooms by someone at the mission. This group asked if they could just go sort some clean books instead. But several teens in our group rolled up their sleeves and got to work scrubbing floors, toilets and a baby changing table, so that both rooms were totally disinfected and shining when they were done.

Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman on Broadway

2009-07-09T18:16:00.006-04:00

Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman will co-star in the two-character Keith Huff play 'A Steady Rain', which will begin previews Sept. 10 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. Click here for ticket info.

Directed by Tony Award nominee John Crowley, the production will play a strictly limited 12-week engagement through Dec. 6. Opening night is scheduled for Sept. 29. "A Steady Rain," according to press notes, "is a new American play that tells the story of two Chicago cops who are lifelong friends and their differing accounts of a few harrowing days that changed their lives forever."

The production will feature set and costume design by two-time Tony Award winner Scott Pask, lighting design by two-time Tony Award nominee Hugh Vanstone and original music and sound design by Mark Bennett.

A Steady Rain was first produced in 2006 at New York Stage and Film's Powerhouse Theater. It had its professional world premiere in 2007 at Chicago Dramatists and was remounted in February 2008 at Chicago's Royal George Theatre winning Jefferson Awards for Best New Work and Best Production.

Playwright Huff is also the author of Pursued by Happiness, Gray City and The Bird and Mr. Banks. His recently completed works include The Detective's Wife and Tell Us of the Night, which round out a trilogy of Chicago cop plays that began with A Steady Rain.

Brenda, Our Newest Employee

2009-06-23T21:37:00.006-04:00

Hello!

My name is Brenda and I am a mommy of a little red head named Breanna. She is my little angel and means absolutely everything to me.
I enjoy being able to stay home with her. Working here at uscity.net gives me that opportunity. I was working for an ice cream shop but, now I'm happy to say that I was able to quit that job. I clean condos every Saturday morning. It's really good money if you do a lot of them. I just went through a divorce... that was fun... I have seven dogs. No need for a security system... come to my house and you'll see/hear why..... I enjoy going to the beach and playing pool. I ride my bike a lot which really chills me out. I just recently lost over 60 pounds... pretty proud of myself for that. I love my friends and family. I live with my boyfriend Shea He's amazing. Besides my daughter, he's the best thing that's ever happened to me. He and his family are a major blessing in my life. In the future I hope to go back to school. I'd like to get my nursing degree someday.
For now, I'm taking life one day at a time.

~*Brenda*~

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

2009-06-21T02:00:00.000-04:00

To all you Dads and all you who are like a father to someone, have a very happy day and we wish you much love and happiness!

Radical Honesty, What A Concept!

2009-06-20T11:39:00.001-04:00

This piece was written by the nephew of our founder, Rusty Crawford. We would like to share it with everyone here now:

Radical Honesty, What A Concept!

"Have we become so adept at lying, that we've forgotten that we are, in fact, lying?"

On Friday, January 16th, 1999 John Stossel of the ABC 20/20 News team did a story on Brad Blanton's book "Radical Honesty: How to transform your life by telling the truth." I watched it because I wanted to find out what exactly he meant by "radical."

As it turns out, Radical Honesty is... well... honesty.

What astounded me most about the program was that people thought telling the truth was a radical idea. Don't you find that just a bit odd?

At the end of the story, Barbara Walters even warned viewers, "don't try this at home without someone trained in this." Tears ran down my face as I rocked with laughter and disbelief. Don't try this at home?!? Honesty?!?

Are we so lost that we regard honesty as a dangerous pursuit without a trained "non-liar" at our sides?? Has the world become so warped that we consider telling the truth, a dangerous exercise? It seemed extremely bizarre to me.

But upon reflection, maybe it's not so bizarre. Haven't all of us been taught that it's better to lie to someone than to hurt their feelings? That there are just some things you simply never, never tell another? We're not supposed to tell anyone when we've had an extramarital affair, especially not our spouse. And God forbid we’re honest with each other about sexual matters.

But have we become so adept at lying, that we've forgotten that we are, in fact, lying? Have we forgotten how to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Perhaps we were taught to lie because we as a society believe we actually CAN hurt another emotionally. We believe we have the power to make another person feel something emotionally. "You know how it is when you decide to lie and say the check is in the mail, and then you remember it really is? I'm like that all the time."
- Steven Wright

So who's responsible for how we or another chooses to respond to words? If you truly had the power to make people feel certain emotions, then you should be able to create other people's reactions at will. If you said the same thing to a thousand people, you should be able to get an identical emotional response from all of them, right? But the fact is, you’d get as many different responses as there are people. Each would react according to their belief systems and interpretations of your meaning.

Let’s do a silly exercise. Lets go around the country saying, "you have a big fat behind" to everyone we meet, regardless of their physical size. Men, women and children - no one escapes our little experiment.

Now, what do you think the reactions would be? You'd think most would be upset, wouldn't you? But you'll find some children will run away, and some will giggle. Some women will breakdown right in front of you and some will smile and say thank you. Some men will knock your lights out, and some
Will look at you like you've lost your mind. One statement, thousands of reactions.

The surprising thing is, the size of their derrière wont even be the deciding factor in how they respond. Some people think their tuckus is huge, even though they're tiny. In some cultures, large bottoms are considered attractive. Some people LIKE them.

So where is your power? What about your ability to make someone feel angry or hurt?

Seems each individual you spoke to, made the decision about how they would respond. People's responses are based on many factors, all of which are personal and have nothing to do with you.

If people understood everyone is responsible for their own emotions, we'd feel freer to say what we think and feel. Most times, it's our own lack of trust in ourselves to be able to deal with other's reactions, that is the stumbling block to our honesty. "How will I feel if this person reacts badly" we ask ourselves. "I might feel guilty, so I'll tell a little lie."

Because face it, sometimes people will get angry and hurt in reaction to our honesty. But the alternative of living lives filled with lies is not much of an alternative. We end up walking around on eggshells, monitoring our every word, and trying to predict how others might respond. It's a slow, awkward process of communication.

I agree with Dr. Blanton. Honesty about everything truly does open the doors to intimacy, love, and dynamic relationships. Without it, we're all just actors on a stage, reading our scripted lines. And to some degree, I think everyone knows we're pretending to be truthful. It's like we're all walking around holding dead chickens in our hands, making deals with each other.

"Pretend you don't see my chicken, and I'll pretend I don't see yours." It's a scam, but one we're pulling over our own eyes.

I have this impossible dream about everyone on earth standing up, and all at the same time shouting out, "I'm a liar!” And as we all look at each other, we could start anew and begin fresh. Then, we could continue our lives with a willingness to trust that its okay to think and feel what we do, and have
the courage to speak our truth.

Imagine being real and genuine with each other. Imagine what the world would be like if you could actually believe what people tell you. It might get a bit rocky at times, but it would "radically" change the world.

So maybe honesty is a radical idea in this day and age, but lets do our part in "telling the truth" so honesty becomes common place. The love that would follow would be far from common.

BLINK 182 REUNION TOUR

2009-06-04T13:49:00.005-04:00

Blink 182 is Back - That’s what Mark Hoppus told everyone at the Grammy Awards in February where the band appeared together for thefirst time in four years.
After an inauspicious start in DeLonge’s family garage, Blink (as they were originally called) soared to fame after their “Enema of the State” album in 1999, which to some fans was the end of the “real punk sound”. However, this is the album that shot the band into the mainstream, generating hit singles and an unbelievable amount of airtime on radio and MTV. “Enema of the State” sold over 15 million copies. The new name Blink-182 came about due to the threat of a lawsuit from a band that already had the name Blink.

The band’s popularity continued with the release of albums “Take of Your Pants and Jacket” in 2001 and “Blink-182” in 2003.

In 2005, friction in the band caused a cancelled tour and DeLong quit the band.

It looks like DeLong is back and so is Blink 182. Now it’s Reunion Tour time for the band. According the band’s website, special guests on the tour will be Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday, Panic at the Disco, The All-American Rejects, Chester French and Asher Roth.

The band is proud to announce that there will be tickets priced as low as $20 (lawn tickets with no hidden fees, parking fees, etc.) “$20 and you are at the show!” stated Mark Hoppus.

For tickets to the Blink-182 concerts, click here.

Energy, Foreclosures and Audiologists

2009-05-28T16:05:00.000-04:00

What the heck do energy, foreclosures and audiologists have in common?

They are all new categories in the uscity.net national website link directory!

USCITY.NET added a few new categories this year in an effort to simplify finding what you want in our directory. The most popular category we have added is Energy – we have numerous resources for energy conservation, gas, solar and wind energy listed in every state.

Usually I am excited to add a new category, but adding Foreclosures wasn’t so. Realizing that this is what many people are facing and are interested in, we added it but it is something I hope not many people need to use.

Other additions this year are: Broadband, Flea Markets and Audiologists.

If you would like to be listed in our directory, please click here and find the best category match for your business and join us!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T15:42:00.001-04:00

A mother is someone to shelter and guide us,
To love us, whatever we do,
With a warm understanding and infinite patience
And wonderful gentleness, too.
How often a mother means swift reassurance
In soothing our small, childish fears,
How tenderly mothers watch over their children
And treasure them all through the years!
The heart of a mother is full of forgiveness
For any mistake, big or small,
And generous always in helping her family,
Whose needs she has placed above all.
A mother can utter a word of compassion
And make all our cares fall away,
She can brighten a home with the sound of her laughter
And make life delightful and gay.
A mother possesses incredible wisdom
And wonderful insight and skill -
In each human heart is that one special corner
Which only a mother can fill!

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!

2009-05-05T09:45:00.000-04:00

OLE!

Saving Money With USCITY.NET

2009-04-15T10:38:00.006-04:00

10 Ways to Save Money Using USCITY.NET

Here is the top ten list our gals came up with to help you save money!

1 - Movies! Rent movies instead of going out, join Blockbuster or Netlix.
2 - Credit! Get your credit report and rating for free or find financial help.
3 - Bartering! Trade goods and services instead of using cash you really don't need to spend.
4 - Selection! You can get groceries (even gourmet) to camping gear to movies to cell phone supplies... all in one quick place. Carol looks for clothing for her daughter.
5 - Vacations! Carol loves searching for vacation deals – cheap cruises and - flights - (Check Expedia, Travelocity, etc.)
6 - Gardening! Grow your own vegetables and flowers.
7 - Eating! Instead of eating out, make cooking at home an adventure - look for new recipes.
8 - Online Shopping! Look for online ordering with no shipping fees – (Save time, impulse buying, no gas)
9 - Coupons! If your house is like mine, the Sunday newspaper ends up all over the place, so I check all the weekly ads online at uscity.net.
10 - Time! Sue shops while dinner is cooking. Pam searches for deals while she is on hold – loves her speaker phone.

2009-04-02T09:11:00.005-04:00

April 2009 is poppin’ with top-notch sporting, musical and theatrical events.
Sports plays a huge part in the top April 2009 events beginning with the NCAA Basketball. The Final Four will be held at Ford Field in Detroit April 4-6.

Defending 2008 World Series Champs Philadelphia Phillies open the MLB 2009 season versus the Atlanta Braves on Opening Night April 5th. New Yankee Stadium will officially open for regular season Yankees baseball on April 16th as the Yankees face Cleveland. However, on April 3rd the Chicago Cubs will visit New Yankee Stadium to play the Yanks in an exhibition game. The New York Mets will open Citi Field for regular season baseball on April 13th with a game versus the San Diego Padres.

The 2009 NBA Playoffs begin April 18th. The NHL Regular Season ends April 8th with the playoffs scheduled to begin shortly after.

Stagecoach 2009 features Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Reba, Kid Rock and others April 25th & 26th at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The 2009 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will be held April 17-19 in Indio, California and features Paul McCartney, Leonard Cohen, The Killers, Amy Winehouse, Franz Ferdinand, The Cure and My Bloody Valentine.

Broadway highlights in April include The Philanthropist starring Matthew Broderick 9 to 5: The Musical, Waiting for Gogot starring Nathan Hale and the Broadway debut of the off-Broadway hit Rock of Ages. April also features two separate touring versions of the Broadway-smash Wicked with stops and extended dates planned for Birmingham, Jacksonville, Portland, Salt Lake City and San Francisco.

Spending Down, Bartering Up

2009-03-18T16:27:00.003-04:00

As consumers become more careful with their spending and looking for ways to save cash, some are turning to bartering. Bartering can be a good way to get rid of things you don’t use anymore and getting things you want. If you look, you can find just about anything you want on the many bartering sites online. But, BE CAREFUL. With bartering becoming more popular, there is sure to be more scamming going on. Use only trusted named sites or sites you have researched. Look for references when available.

The first thing to do is to find the right spot to barter your goods or skills and there are many specialty sites for just that. There are sites for jobs, housing, DVDs, CDs, video games, clothing, etc. Check out the different kinds of bartering links on our uscity.net internet business directory by clicking here.

Once you find the site(s) that are a good match, be sure to provide enough information for both what you are seeking and what you are offering. For example, if you want to unload all those novels sitting in the library gathering dust, don’t just say “books” - list the titles, genre and the authors of the books. Remember that people will be looking for a favorite author or a certain type of book. To be found in a search, the more words you have – the easier it will be to find your items or services. Pictures are always a good idea too. Ads with photos often get more attention than just words.

To be on the safe side, for the more expensive swaps, you may want a simple contract drawn up. You should also consider how far are you willing to travel or who will pay for shipping. Don't forget to get references when trading for services, especially someone who may coming into your home.

Bartering is not only good for the pocketbook, but can also help save our environment by recycling items no longer used.

One drawback to bartering is time. It not only takes time to post your items, but there will be phone calls and/or emails to answer and the time of getting your stuff out of your house or getting what you want into your home. Of course, if you have been laid off or lost your job, this might be just the thing for you.

To help our uscity.net users, we have some newly listed barter/trade sites in our Barter category.

News Page Updated

2009-02-17T09:27:00.009-05:00

We have updated and streamlined our news page at uscity.net – click here to see it. Our updated online news page at http://news.uscity.net/ has prompted two of our employees to stop subscribing to their local newspapers.Our new page makes it easier than ever to get the news you want WHEN you want it. The bottom screen has different categories (like World News, Entertainment, Sports, Politics, Business and more) - you can scroll down the thumbnails on the right hand side for all the stories within that category.

Although one of my friends will continue reading her down-home community newspaper that comes out once a week, she discontinued her local/national newspaper. The other employee only gets his news online now and he gets it all here. I asked my friends why and here are some of the printable reasons they came up with.

Reasons given for using the online versus print news were: 1. Convenience – you can sit down at your computer, click on national news and listen while answering email or other computer tasks 2. Ease – it is so much easier to read the news online whenever I want to, no looking for the paper and no gathering it up from wherever my husband put it. 3. Current - Its way more up to date – the news is up to the minute, instead of up until deadline last night. 4. Less Advertising - My newspaper kept getting more advertising and less news – you literally had to look around all the ads to find the news. 5. Less Mess - no newspapers to recycle (although what are we going to wrap our fish scraps in and wash our windows with now?)

A New Look

2009-02-03T07:29:00.006-05:00

Check out our new front page – it’s out of this world! Actually it is OF this world, with a view from OUT of this world. Our front page features a satellite photo featuring our part of the world – the good ole’ USA! And, when you scroll over the USA, you get a map that makes it easy to find the state you are searching for.

We are rolling out our front page for the second time since November. The front page has been updated, formatted, re-formatted and we have finally come up with a front page that works on all computers – if you loved our classic page, all you need to do is click on the classic look page on the left hand bottom of the page, and if you are using uscity.net on a widescreen, click on the widescreen page on the right hand bottom of the screen. We hope everyone enjoys the new look and the versatility of our front page.

Of course, we kept the easy to use yellow and white pages on the right and left that are easier to use than any telephone book ever!

And I also hope you will use our directory to find what you are looking for – our national web link directory has over 1.3 million business links. We have national links like, Amazon (one of my favorites) and Disney Shopping, along with tens of thousands of local links, like Massachusetts’s Yolanda's Pet Sitting and Errand Service, Florida’s Trompe L'Oeil Faux Finishing and California’s Sun Xtender® Solar Batteries.

We also feature informational sites – Texas’ Electricity Bid, useful sites like Background Checks.com and the Anger Coach website, for those who are in need of help and for businesses or groups who need anger management training, the AJ Novick Group. We list government agencies, schools and churches.

Anyone who qualifies can be listed in our directory – we are “G” rated and do not have links to any adult sites or sites promoting anything illegal, guns, violence, or sales of hard alcohol. For a full description of what we do and do not list in our directory, go to Our Guidelines page. Businesses that share our commitment to quality information and support for parents and children are always welcome. If you own a business you would like listed, please click here!

Our Lead Graphic Artist, Shea Crawford – who is constantly updating and upgrading our look, came up with this design to make our site more appealing. We hope you like it and thank you for using uscity.net.

NOLA - Great Fun, Great Food, Great People

2009-01-30T14:17:00.001-05:00

I am just back from a spur of the moment trip to New Orleans I took with my husband, who was seeing about an out of state job. We had a terrific time. We ate red beans and rice, jambalaya, muffalatos, po'boys, seafood and of course, beignets (a fried French pastry we ate at the world famous Café Du Mond). Food is a very important part of New Orleans (also something I am way to fond of!) and we tried our best to taste all we could in the three days we were there. To visit some of the websites of the many restaurants in New Orleans, click here. We rode the streetcars everywhere and it was FREEZING. We walked along the Mississippi, hung out in Jackson Square (photo above) and window shopped in the antique/gift/voodoo stores. They have great old bookstores too.
One of the really cool things about this trip was how the streetcars took us everywhere we wanted to go. This is me all bundled up on the streetcar.

I loved the live music - jazz, blues, rock, rap, opera - you name it, they got it - would you believe that the only type of music I did not hear was zydeco! I just now realized it. But we did meet a true blue French Creole who played the 'frottoir' which is a washboard with no wooden frame and two straps that go on your shoulders, you strum it either with thimbles on your fingers, just your fingers or sometimes a whisk broom.We were just walking down the street and listening to all the bands - sometimes dancing in the street (mostly me dancing, and George holding me - LOL) and we did stop in one blues bar on our last night there - before we could get to our seats, the singer grabbed me and started whirling me around the dance floor while he sang to me, George didn't even know and he kept on walking to his seat, it was really funny. After their set, the bass player came over and sat with us for a while and we heard his Katrina and the aftermath story. Sadly, he had lost an uncle, the uncle who started him out playing his music. Our hearts went out to him and to all these people affected by Katrina and its’ aftermath and we felt honored to meet them, share their memories with them and learn their stories.

My favorite part of New Orleans was the people we met -- almost all of them had been through Katrina and they were so upbeat about their lives, it made me ashamed. No "poor pitiful me" for them, they were happy to be home (even if there was no physical home) and ready to re-build - their lives and their community. We met one guy who had seen dead bodies floating down the street next to the hotel where we stayed and one whose neighborhood was entirely wiped out. They are a lively, patient, spiritual bunch.

Hurricane Katrina took over 1800 lives and displaced almost one million people,many residents of lower-income areas like the 9th Ward, are permanently displaced because they have no money to rebuild. Some of these people had homeowners insurance, but because of loopholes and laws which allowed insurance companies to NOT pay them, they will not be able to rebuild and some not even able to come “home”.

According to those we met, the French Quarter was up and running very soon after the storm and the people we met, most of whom had either rebuilt or lost their home, understood that the area needed to put money into tourism because that would be the best way to bring money back to their area. The businesses on Bourbon Street and around Jackson Square were the first to open.

We also visited Audubon Park in the Garden Districtand walked around, enjoying the live oaks and swans. On our way to New Orleans, we stopped in Biloxi and went into our first casino. We liked the Hard Rock the best. We stayed across the street and lost $6.00, gambling, decided to go get some snacks at the bar in the hotel and I found $50.00 on the floor. So I guess I will take my luck where I find it. Lucky is what I feel for getting to know the good people of New Orleans and I wish for them only the best and hope that we get a chance to meet again.

On the way home, we stopped in Mississippi at a state park and ate some muffalatos we had gotten in New Orleans. Mmmmmmmmmuffalatos - what a sandwich!

For more information on what to do and see around the New Orleans area, visit the New Orleans City Guide by clicking on this sentence.

George on Bourbon Street

2009-01-20T15:57:00.001-05:00

- The Dead to Tour -
The surviving members of the Grateful Dead: bassist Phil Lesh, guitarist Bob Weir, and drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann will be touring for the first time in more than four years, with nearly twenty shows spread across a month from mid-April through mid-May!

According to the official website - “The lineup for this edition of The Dead will be the same one that rocked the house at Penn State last fall at the Obama benefit”. Deadheads for Obama is the name given to the February 2008 reunion concert of three former members of the Grateful Dead at the Warfield in San Francisco. The show was an act of support for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, and featured former Dead members Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, and Mickey Hart, as well as John Molo, Jackie Greene, Steve Molitz, Mark Karan and Barry Sless. This was the first time that Lesh, Weir and Hart had been on stage together since 2004.

So Deadheads, fans and anyone nostalgic for a time when our music was all on vinyl and got scratched easily (but we didn’t care much), this tour might be for you.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2008-12-31T22:05:00.000-05:00

A 2008 Christmas Story

2008-12-17T10:41:00.000-05:00

Although this has nothing to do with uscity.net, I felt compelled to add this to my blog this year. Merry Christmas!

This year as we reflect on the story of Mary and Joseph's journey toward Bethlehem, many of us can relate to them passing through uncertain terrain and worrying about the future. The financial crisis our country is going through affects some more than others, but everywhere there is anxiety threatening to divert our attention from the blessings we do have.

Christmas surprises are all around us. An acquaintance of mine is a single mother, who had a good paying job, and just finished getting her college degree while working fulltime in November. Everything looked great. Then came a very disrupting diagnosis from the doctors. She is very ill, an illness I cannot pronounce or even try to spell. Basically, they are trying different types of drugs to stop the progression. And two weeks ago, she got laid off – showed up for work, was met at the gate by a security guard who looked her name up and his 'list', and then handed her paycheck to her and said “we will call you if you are needed in the future.” She was not even allowed back in to get her things from her locker.

I talked to her and she told me that this time in her life had been a revelation – in the midst of all her problems, she sees glimmers of hope and knows without a doubt (for the first time in her life) that she is NOT alone. So many people have stepped up to help with the rent, help with her healthcare, buy food, offer a shoulder to lean on, say prayers with her and for her - AND her daughter will be having more presents under the tree than she ever has. The mother of one of the families who has helped her, (even though her own husband had been laid off in Mid-October) told me that this year is not the year to scale back and tone down. This year is a time for lavish, extravagant gifts of sharing, friendship, joy and most of all, hope. If you can give hope to someone, you are not only asked to, but you are required to.

This kind of sharing is what it's all about in my book.

I hope you all have the opportunity to share something this season and I wish you love, peace, blessings and joy this holiday season.

Merry Christmas,
Pam