Neon Lights Are Bright Again!

The broadway stagehand strike is over! Click here for your Broadway Tickets!

Shopping Online

Before writing this blog, I decided to do an informal survey of why and if people shop online. I say informal, because I emailed friends and family to do this survey. The survey consists of men, women and teens ages 13 to 89. The people that answered the survey come from all walks of life and varied incomes - families, retirees, newlyweds, parents, couples and singles; professionals, blue collar workers and students.

I emailed approximately 60 people and 49 responded.

REASONS TO SHOP ONLINE:

#1 Reason – (no shock to me) – I don’t have to leave home!

#2 Reason – It is easier to compare prices and items, you can compare items from different stores without traveling to each store or calling on the phone. The prices are generally lower than store shopping. A lot of respondents say that sometimes when in the store, they will ‘settle’ just so they can get on with their lives.

#3 Reason – It’s faster – no standing in lines, no traveling, faster checkout. As one new Mom put it “I can take my time to shop rather than be rushed everywhere by my kid or my man”. I can remember times when I had to deal with that too, kids want to got the toy department, teens want to go to electronics, men want to go look at tools or some other department and all I need is some bath towels!!! Shop from home and you are simply shopping for what YOU want.

#4 Reason – You don’t have to deal with grumpy customers and cashiers and pushy salespeople.

#5 Reason – It’s easier to find out information on the products you want. "In the store all you have to go on is the information on the box or - if you are lucky – a salesperson who knows about what they are selling without the pressure of a commission.

One of the retirees said:

I like shopping online because they just don’t send the big catalogs home anymore and I loved shopping like that when my family was younger. Now I go online to Sears.

One of my friends who lives up north said:

Living in the "snow and cold" just sitting in my recliner Christmas Shopping for the family, is "Hog Heaven" for me!! I try to shop smart and combine orders so I often times can get "Free Shipping" if over a certain amount. I also comparison shop and will often times open 3 or 4 screens with different "stores" on each one.

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Out of the 49 people responding, six prefer shopping in the store and their reasons were:

1 - I can’t buy clothes without trying them on.
2 - I like interacting with people at the store.
3 - I don’t like using a computer.
4 - I’ve been burned buying online before.

I must say I am on the side of the 43 who prefer shopping online and agree with all the reasons they gave. However, I am not that picky about clothes and I get plenty of interaction with people in my daily live. I also have NO problem sitting at a computer. Another reason I have that no one else mentioned, was that when I go into a store, I usually come out with more than I went in for, and that makes shopping online much more economical for me.

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Dealing with the last reason for buying in a store, here are some tips to help you have a happy online buying experience:

Do your homework on the website you are thinking about purchasing from. Make sure it is a legitimate business, one you know of. It’s not a good idea to buy from a business that does not provide contact information and I like seeing a physical address. One exception to that, for me, is Amazon.com – I have dealt with them for years and have had very good experiences with them.

Make sure the website is secure – look for “https:” at the beginning of the URL or look for the little padlock icon that symbolizes (but doesn’t guarantee) a higher level of security.

Be VERY CAREFUL if you are responding to an offer coming from an unsolicited email or do like I do, and ignore them ALL.

Also, make sure your computer has a firewall and the latest anti-virus software. And NEVER, EVER open unknown e-mail attachments, including those contained in what appears to be a company you do business with.

If you think you have been scammed, you can go online and file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center run by the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and contact your local police. I would also file a complaint directly with the company you did business with.

Since part of our business here at uscity.net is online shopping, we want everyone to have a safe and happy shopping experience. If anyone has any other ideas to make our online shopping safer or happier, just leave us a comment below.

The Grinch(es) Can’t Steal Christmas, Judge Says

Although the stagehand strike continues, a judge ruled that “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” will reopen at the St. James Theatre in New York City. The Grinch has been closed since November 10, when the strike began. It reopened Friday.

Grinch producers argued in the case that the production should be able to reopen because they had negotiated their own contract with Local One prior to the strike - the reason for the separate contract was that the musical holds 12 to 15 performances per week instead of the usual eight. Approval from theater owners was not granted and Grinch producers went to court – the ruling to open the show has been announced.

According to a press release: “Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! — The Musical is narrated by Max the Dog, who relates "the Grinch's fiendish plan to steal Christmas from the holiday-loving Whos. However, the Grinch soon discovers there's more to Christmas than he bargained for." The show includes the songs "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and "Welcome, Christmas," which are heard in the animated version of the Seuss classic, which is aired annually on television. Broadway composer Albert Hague (Plain and Fancy, Redhead) penned the music to the TV songs, which had lyrics by Seuss.“

The St. James Theatre is located in Manhattan at 246 West 44th Street. For ticket information, click anywhere on this sentence.

Happy Thanksgiving

We wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember to be thankful and enjoy those you are close to. Always remember, we have No Day But Today!

Namaste and lots of love to you all from Mary and Rusty!

Happy Thanksgiving

Today is a day to share food with friends and family, and to find ways for sharing our love, friendship and food with those around us.

We should remember that food did not just magically appear and gives thanks for the farmers and farm workers who plant and harvest, and for the workers who package, transport and sell it to us.

Food and the sharing of food is the work of many people. Today, before we eat, we should think of new ways to share our prosperity with all who labor. We need to be a people of sharing and thanksgiving everyday.

peace, love and blessings!
pam

Be Thankful You Can Make A Difference

I will be celebrating Thanksgiving this year with my husband's family. I am looking forward to seeing my nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephew. We don't get to see them as much as we would like to, so I'm excited about going. There will be about 20 of us all together. I am especially looking forward to playing with my one year old grand niece, Cami. - I have only seen her twice since she was born!

Just wanted to share some "thankfulness thoughts" with you all.

I am thankful for all the love I have in my life - from family, friends and people I don't even know.

If you haven't said "I love you" to someone today, do it! (If you have... do it again!)

I am thankful that I CAN make a difference - and so can YOU.

Not only that but you have an obligation to make that difference, even if it as simple as volunteering once a month or smiling at someone lonely.

I am thankful for leaders who can remain focused with their eyes on social justice; those who motivate people and orchestrate programs to help others less fortunate than ourselves.

Let somone who motivates you know they are appreciated.

I am thankful for everyone who has helpled me in trying times and for those that have led me in the right direction.

Thank someone special in your life.

I am thankful that, unlike most of the people of the world, I have so much: a safe place to sleep at night, a car to drive, all the modern conveniences such as refrigerators, stoves, air conditioning, access to health care, computers, sound systems - things that we often take for granted.

Stop for a minute and think about all the people all over the world that do not have these things.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a day in which we gather to reflect on our bountiful blessings.

This year, perhaps we should begin the celebration by reflecting on those things that might not be so obvious because, ironically, they are sometimes too obvious to see.

Love to all,
Pam

A New Look

We have a new look for our front page
- our Lead Graphic Artist, Shea Crawford, has come up with a very cool new look for our internet business directory - uscity.net. Shea says he was going for a more futuristic look and it took a lot of trial and error. And, according to early reports from our users, people like it a lot, so Shea, your hard work has paid off. We liked it so much; we incorporated his header onto our state pages too.

Spotlight on Shea
Besides his outstanding work in graphic designing, Shea is a talented musician, photographer and artist. Of course, trying to get Shea to talk about himself is somewhat akin to pulling teeth, so I turned to his mother to get the scoop.

Shea is a very talented young man who is practically self-taught at everything he does. His dad started teaching him guitar when he was 5 years old after”Nanny” bought him his first guitar. He picked it up immediately and then just took off on his own, learning as he went.

He started taking pictures in high school just for fun and he really enjoys it. His pictures are very unique as he sees things quite differently than we do – he has no color vision at all and he is considered “legally blind.” To view his gallery, you can go to http://www.ixium.net/gallery. Also in high school Shea was quite the video game expert.

Shea was planning on a college career to help him with his love of graphic design, but when he went to the university and asked his professor questions he could not answer, he decided to learn that on his own too. Of course, he did have his Dad to ask, since Rusty is our resident computer genius. For a short list of websites Shea has done check out the list of links at the bottom of this blog.

Nowadays, Shea is really into music – he plays in a band called Radon Moon and his Mom says Shea likes the fact that there is so much (musically) accessible online – underground and all sorts of music available from other countries

He is also working his new video projects, like the one we blogged about earlier, a show called HitThisLike.

Shea loves hanging out at his own home with his friends and he has recently custom designed a fence surrounding his property. He and his friends painted it and it really is a work of art.

Shea totally re-did this Volusia County, Florida website The Volusia Community.

A few of Shea’s commercial websites:

Atlantic Plaza
Acousticon
Seacoast NSB
Love Heals
Dian Marhsall
American Martial Arts
Jordan Health Clinic
Ponce Inlet Properties
Heath’s Natural Foods
Little Drug Company
Jim Ownby Realty
Rio Rancho Home Properties
Deming/Sunshine Valley Properties
Rio Communities

Shea’s photography

2 Worlds 2 Voices

Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson will join up for a "2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour" starting January 17 in Ohio, and continue in the South and Midwest USA. Tickets for the first few shows are on sale now. Click here for more information.

Here are the dates and places:

January 2008

17 - Dayton, OH - Ervin J. Nutter Center

18 - Louisville, KY - Freedom Hall

19 - Morgantown, WV - West Virginia University

24 - Norfolk, VA - Norfolk Scope Arena

25 - Winston-Salem, NC - Lawrence Joel Complex

26 - Fayetteville, NC - Crown Center

31 - Valley Center, KS - Kansas Coliseum



February 2008

1 - Tulsa, OK - Mabee Center

2 - Bossier City, LA - CenturyTel

7 - Saint Charles, MO - Family Arena

8 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse

9 - Rockford, IL - Metro Center

14 - Tupelo, MS - Bancorpsouth Arena

15 - Jonesboro, AR - ASU Convocation Center

16 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center

Indy 500, Springsteen, Judds and MORE!

Tickets will be selling out quickly for all three 2008 world-class events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - the 92nd Indianapolis 500, 15th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix.

Additional dates have been added to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's first full scale tour of the US and Europe since 2003.

The Judds are reuniting in 2008 for the 2008 Stagecoach Festival. Mother (Naomi) and and daughter (Wynonna) will perform on the first night of the May 3-4 festival. Also on the bill are Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and Gretchen Wilson. The 2008 Stagecoach lineup also includes Dwight Yoakam, George Jones, Big & Rich, Dierks Bentley, Taylor Swift, Trace Adkins, Earl Scruggs, Shooter Jennings and Ralph Stanley.

On Sale Now: Celine Dion; Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood (Blind Faith Reunion); Dancing with the Stars Tour; Avril Lavigne; Michael Bublé; OZZY with Rob Zombie; Beyonce in Vegas; James Blunt; Matchbox Twenty; Smucker's Stars On Ice and Toby Keith.

The following touring theatre events are also going on sale this week: Monty Python's Spamalot; Avenue Q; Disney's High School Musical National Stage Tour; The Color Purple Detroit; and the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Happy Veterans Day

We, here at uscity.net want to wish all veterans, veterans' families, loved ones, those who pray for them, those who send letters and packages to them and everyone who keep them in their thoughts a HAPPY VETERANS DAY!

The guys and gals who serve our country do not do it for the medals or the glory and they choose to serve (unlike some other countries around the world). The do their job to the best of their ability they are all heroes.

To all our veterans from whatever era, thank you for your service and we wish you a Happy Veterans Day!

Here is some military humor sent to me by a colleague that I hope will bring a smile to your faces!

Never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder.

The enemy invariably attacks on two occasions:
a. When they're ready.
b. When you're not.

If at first you don't succeed, then bomb disposal probably isn't for you.

"Aim towards the Enemy" — instruction printed on US rocket launcher.

When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is no longer our friend.

Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate. The bombs always hit the ground.

If your attack is going too well, you are walking into an ambush.

We hope you enjoy your day!

Rentals in California

Realtors have seen a swing in the real estate this month with more people wanting to rent than this time last year. We have many realtor links in the uscity.net internet business directory and, according to a one local realtor rentals are more popular than every. Uscity.net has added two new member sites this week, both offering rental finding services in California - “Apartment Hunters” specializing in Los Angeles rentals and “Rent in San Francisco”.

If you are looking for a place to rent in California or elsewhere, check out our apartment and real estate listings in your state. And if you are offering rentals, there are lots of useful links for here for you too.

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Tickets Update:

With football on the minds of many this time of year, tickets for football events are strong. If you are looking for tickets to your favorite NFL team’s events, check us out.

We also have tickets for college games.

Hottest tickets sales are the
Dallas Cowboys
Green Bay Packers
San Diego Chargers
Ohio State Buckeyes
and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The uscity.net online ticket sales offers tickets to tons of sporting events, along with Broadway and Los Vegas shows, concerts and theater offerings.

Great Country Music and a Good Cause

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has contributed more than $220 million to scholarships, research, endowments and other educational and youth programs

Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana fans who were unable to get tickets to her concert in Houston can see the popular star perform at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo- Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana, will perform on Sunday, March 9 as part of her Best of Both Worlds Tour, which features Cyrus singing as herself and the Hannah Montana character from her Disney show.

More Country
Other entertainers include Tim McGraw on March 3, Faith Hill on March 4 and Rascal Flatts on March 11. Tickets will go on sale Jan. 12.

Tickets
Rodeo officials also announced mini-season tickets for nine of the 2008 shows. Mini-season tickets, which go on tomorrow, are separated into two packages that contain specific dates. Full season tickets for all 20 shows are on sale.

Other Hot Tickets This Week:
Bon Jovi - Michael Bublé - Bruce Springsteen - Iron Maiden - Jerry Seinfeld - Tool - Jersey Boys in Chicago - NASCAR

2008 Olympic Tickets Demand High

Over 1½ million tickets to the 2008 Beijing Olympics will be up for grabs on a first-come, first-serve on Tuesday. We have some on sale already. The games next year will run from August 8th to the 24th. Given China's population of 1.3 billion and the excitement the Olympic Games are engendering, domestic demand is likely to be overwhelming. We are expecting soccer, gymnastics, diving and basketball events to be in the most demand. Click anywhere on this post to find tickets available now.

Hit This Like

All of our employees have a great sense of humor and some are very creative - one of the creative ones is our Lead Graphic Artist. Shea and his buddies, Danny and John are launching a new TV show, "Hit This Like". Click here to take a peek at some funny video and see why you should NEVER, EVER TAPE BREAD TO YOUR DOOR!!

I was talking with our marketing directory, Mary, this morning and mentioning how videos on your website can be very entertaining and can disperse information much quicker than reading text – she told me that as a matter of fact, she had an air duct cleaning company from Maryland sign up earlier this week and he had one on his website (Air Duct Pros). Here at uscity.net, we recently added news videos on our site, which has gotten a LOT of positive feedback from everyone.

Tickets Update
Hottest Tickets for Today: Wrestlemania XXIV, Hannah Montana, Wicked, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Jersey Boys, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Van Halen, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Cirque Du Soleil.

New Shows Added For: Ozzy Osbourne, Stevie Wonder, Jonas Brothers, Jonathan Davis, Robin Thicke, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Van Morrison.

Have a wonderful day, watch a funny video and smile :)
Pam