Camdyn's First Ever Christmas

Shea's Christmas Card

Merry Christmas from Shea and uscity.net

http://www.uscity.net/xmas07/

What Going Green Means to USCity.Net

USCITY.NET has just added a new category that we hope will help us all. “Go Green” is the new category and it is listed on all of our state pages. I gave the job of researching the category to Carol. She decided on the category name, content and any subcategories we might need. Carol tells me she learned from this and she says: “What I do to go green is recycle, ride my bike to the store, shop on the internet (at uscity.net, of course) and turn off lights and open window to conserve energy.”

After I gave her the project, I sent out an informal survey, mostly to our employees, I asked them “What do you think of when you hear “Go Green” and what does it mean to you?” Here are a few of the answers I received.

From Our Seniors:

Going Green.... for me is beginning the process of eliminating products we use that might be harmful to the elements or to ourselves and our families. It is a little more difficult as a senior to “let go” of all the “tried and true” products that we have used for over a 1/2 century, but we are doing it. Probably the older population will be the “foot draggers” in this new environmentally safe era.

When I think of someone that has “gone green”, I figure the products they use probably don’t work as good as the “non green” but are safer. I know that’s not a good attitude, but it’s honest. I am slowly, “going green”. What it means to me is that the entire world is going to be in agreement on at least one thing, we need to clean things up for our grandchildren and their children!!!

From the Boomers:

When I think of go green I think of how happy I am that I bought my Prius two years ago, long before the gas got to this point. I also think of recycling, which I do and conserving energy in other ways - but definitely the number one thought is my Prius.

I think it means doing stuff instead of owning stuff! And doing stuff without using Earth’s resources – like biking, hiking, swimming.

Solar Power and recycling are the first things that I think of when I hear “go green”. My biggest heartbreak is what we have done to nature, in particular the waters – like the ocean and the lakes and springs and the piney forests (I’m a Florida girl).

I visited Denmark a year ago and it looked like half of their population was riding bikes instead of taking cars. That was going green to me.

From the Young Adults:

From a recent college grad: I think of the green recycling bin that I'm going to have to put out to the road when I move back home. I enjoy recycling items such as the grocery bags at Publix, but when it comes to recycling bottles and boxes at home I don't necessary do it. It is something you forget to do after you live in a dorm, or apartments for a few years.

I think about not buying stuff that has a lot of packaging – even though it makes my life easier – I am using fewer paper plates, napkins and frozen dinners. I am eating more fresh vegetables and fruit and that is healthier too!

I think about how I am riding my bike more and driving less. Going Green to me means hybrid cars, recycling and of course “We have got to save the planet for our children’s children’s children.” (This may have been a little tongue-in-cheek, I am pretty sure he was mimicking me!)

Online Shopping

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.

+++++++++++++++

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.

+++++++++++++++

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.

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

Happy Thanksgiving

We wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember to be thankful and eenjoy 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!

Proud of Our Students

USCITY.NET is proud of our college students and we are very supportive of their education. We are happy to be able to work around their school schedules and wish all of them the best of luck. Here is a little bit about them and their schoolwork:

LACEY in her own words:
Currently, I am attending DBCC and enrolled half-time just taking prerequisites. This semester is almost over but I'm taking Psychology and Art Appreciation. Next semester I'm taking Intro to Health and Oral Communications. I intentionally wanted to pursue a degree in radiography to be an x-ray tech, which is still my ultimate goal, but due to some circumstances, that is put on hold for right now. I was supposed to start the program in January; however they only accept 10 students each year. The program required 40 hours of school a week for 2 1/2 years, with some odd hours, and I'm definitely not ready to put my 14-month-old in daycare.



Tiona

Luckily right now I can work online (thanks to uscity.net) and do most of my school online also, which I'm enjoying each day while it lasts. So in turn, I changed my degree temporarily so I can get a career under my belt and be in a position to support my daughter and I. I applied for the dental assistant program, which starts in June and only lasts 10 months. I figure that I'll stay in the dental field for a little while and who knows, maybe I'll really like that and go on to pursue a degree to be a hygienist. But if not, then I can always go back to be an x-ray tech. I'm still young and I have plenty of time to experience and chose the best career path. A main thing to keep in mind is trying to think of something to keep my family financially stable.

DAVID:
David is studying "Digital Media & Graphic - Design" and next semester will be taking Web Design I, Typography, and Graphic Design Studio I & II. David says, “Hopefully when done with school, I can find a good designer job somewhere, and maybe someday run my own legit Graphic/Web/Media design studio.”

WADE:
Wade is taking general classes and working towards and AA degree at the Daytona Beach Community College. He’s not sure what he wants to do, but knows that a college degree will be helpful, if not necessary in his life. Wade is hoping that something will “grab him” while in college and he can steer his college education in that direction. Wade adds: “Too bad there is no Doctorate in Surfing…”


Wade Surfing

KRISTINA:
I am a recent graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Exercise Physiology. Even after graduation, I am still taking classes at FSU: Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry Lab, in preparation for medical school. It would be ideal for me to matriculate into a medical school beginning in 2008, but it is a competitive field, and so I may have to take a year off. In the mean time, I continue to work part time with Uscity.net, and volunteer in a medical setting.

Last January, I was offered the opportunity to get training and certification as a medical assistant; I will complete the class in less than a month in December. If I am unable to get into medical school for the 2008 year, I hope to get a part-time job as a medical assistant. I triage patients meaning I take their weight, blood pressure, heart rate, respirations, and get their reasons for their visit; I love interacting with patients. I also give immunizations, and injections, EKG’s, call patients, and anything else the doctor may require. It’s good experience toward the medical field and the career I ultimately want to have.

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!

Halloween Bumble Bee

Lacey's daughter, Tiona - Halloween 2007

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 - http://hitthislike.com/ to take a peek at some funny video and see why you should NEVER, EVER TAPE BREAD TO YOUR DOOR!!

Happy Halloween!

We here at uscity.net wish all of you a very Happy Halloween. Here are some 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.

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 stranger'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 retroreflective tape should be used to make children visible.
4. Face Design Masks can obstruct a child's vision. Use facial make-up instead.
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.
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.

BOO!

Our Babies...

Tiona Holding Camdyn

Camdyn is Home!!

We have a new baby!! After a much anticipated arrival and a little later than planned, Camdyn Michael Crawford-Irvine made his debut Sunday, October 14 at 8:23 p.m. Camdyn weighed 8 lbs, 15 ounces and was 20 inches long. He had a huge crowd there to meet him, including Mom (Delanie), Dad (Colin), Gamma (Mary), Gampa (Rusty), Mimi, Papa, Aunt Koda, Aunt Kyra, Uncle Shea and Cousin Jackie Lee. First time Gamma tells us that he was very aware and quite awake as soon as he made his arrival. And she might have mentioned once or twice that he was BEAUTIFUL too!

Camdyn got to come home on Tuesday afternoon to his new home with Mom, Dad and Baby-Dog. Everyone is doing great and we are all very happy for the entire family. Rusty, Mary and Delanie are all part of our family here at uscity.net, and so all her honorary aunts and uncles here are just as pleased as could be.

Our other”uscity.net baby” - Tiona - just turned one year old recently. Perhaps we can have one every year!!

Personal note to the Crawford-Irvine family: I am so happy for you all, sending you blessings, peace and love and I can’t wait to see Camdyn in person.

Here is a poem I have had tucked away for a few years, not sure who wrote it but I think it’s appropriate for today:

Babies are Angels that fly to the earth,

their wings disappear at the time of their birth

one look in their eyes and we're never the same

they're part of us now and that part has a name

that part is your heart and a bond that won't sever

our Babies are Angels, we love them forever.

Love to all,
Pam

Upgrading USCITY.NET Servers and Security

We have completed our server upgrades to make our site work even faster. According to an international statistics site, we are “VERY FAST” – in the top 5% of internet sites for loading time. We often get positive feedback about our speed. That goes along with our motto: “Find What You Are Looking For – Fast and Easy!”

And now we are faster than ever - thanks to our networking/programming departments, and of course, Rusty (our resident genius)!

Updating our security measures 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 easier and faster to use now.

Have a great day all!

Pam
USCITY.NET

Server Upgrades

As we strive to keep up with our growth and make everyone’s experience with USCITY.NET easier and faster, server and cluster upgrades are needed periodically. Our recent upgrades may have brought about some technical issues that possibly caused your listing to be accidentally delayed or incorrect i.e. no city listed.

Please manually check (it must be manually checked, because automated queries are not allowed) your listing(s) for accuracy and let us know – contact@uscity.net – if you have any corrections to make. If you cannot find your link, please resubmit your listing.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused to anyone.

- From the entire USCITY.NET Team

Delanie Crawford

Hi Everyone! Well, my Dad (and my boss) and Aunt Pam (another employee) came up with the idea that I will be doing blogs about everything that has being going on, and that is going on, here at Uscity.net headquarters. For those out there reading this who do not know me, I'm Delanie Crawford, Mary and Rusty Crawford’s eldest daughter.

The biggest news in my life is that I have recently found out that by the end of this year I am going to be a mommy. YAY! So that makes two young employees for this company with little ones. No offense to the other mommy's though.

Like Lacey once blogged about, we used to be neighbors, and her mom has always worked with us and for us. But back then, we could have NEVER imagined that what was once just a dream would become such a hit. And I give high congrats to my father for being such a genius. Anyways, back to the blogging project. My most recent success and goal was the "State Info" Pages. Soo below is a little update about what went on with that: As you all know, Uscity.net hosts the 50 states, and all the information you could ever need to know about them. If you’ve never taken the chance to look, each state has a "State Info" page, telling you about capitals, state icons, annual weather, and so on. Since it was time to update all the information, we decided to also make the pages more attractive. My Dad made a template for me to work with, so that what I did was go into each state, add all the information, and make sure each state had an updated seal. Doesn't sound like much, but boy it was more than you could have imagined. It would probably take a regular employee a couple days to do it, but since I am new to this, it dragged on. I finally finished after running to the bathroom maybe 100 times (I have BAD morning/night sickness), going dizzy from looking at the screen for too long, and getting side tracked by all the things my little sisters wanted me to do for them (like science projects and taking them to the movies).

But now the new state informational pages are done and you can access information for each state on population, size, the day it was admitted to the USA, whether it was the 21st state to be admitted or the 50th, major cities, and updated weather. For instance, did you know that Alaska is the largest state? Or that Colorado is bigger then Florida? Even though Florida's population is almost three times the amount of Colorado's population? Well hey, now on the page you can find that all out! Sooo, make sure you go and check it out. Just click on the state of choice, when the directory comes up look for the link "state info", click and Voila - there you have it!



Love to All,


Delanie

A Whole New Life ...

My name is Lacey and I'm attending DBCC. I am majoring in radiography, so by the time I'm 22 I will have my career in the palm of my hand. I'm a new, proud mommy of a five month old baby girl, Tiona! She is my pride and joy and the most beautiful thing in this world, and of course my whole life revolves around her now. I only want the best for her, even though in this world these days, that's going to be pretty hard, but I'm am going to try my absolute hardest. When she was three months old I tried to go back to work at a local pizza parlor, I like to waitress and it is good money. Since I'm breastfeeding, it didn't work out; she couldn't be away from me for that long and would NOT take a bottle. So within the first week I had to quit. I needed some kind of work so I turned to Rusty and Mary Crawford, hoping they could give me something. And they did! I currently work with USCity.net, thankfully, which is the most PERFECT job for me. I can make my own schedule around my daughter and school, and it's fun, educational and entertaining.

I get to surf the web and look for helpful sites, check sites for accuracy and make sure we are the best directory we possibly can be. I'm also the Volusia.com calendar administrator which lists information on daily activities in our county. I also get to do other interesting jobs that pop up from time to time. I work 30 hours a week, go to school three days and two nights, and just being a full time mommy for now! Which is the best of the best. So I definitely stay busy all the time.

It's ironic how it all started though... The Crawfords lived two houses away from me for many years. I grew up playing with their four kids; Shea, Delanie, Kyra and Koda. Meanwhile, my mother was working for them. I was too young then to understand what she was doing, and little did I know I would be working for them when I got older too. I think it's pretty cool how the site works... so much information and helpful links, like the phone number lookups on the front page (it is so much easier to use than a bulky printed one), and the weather information. I think it is cool that my Mom was there from the beginning and now I am working for them.

And, FINALLY, we are now buying a house (my boyfriend and I that is). After renting for a year and a half, we can actually call the place our home. It's a very nice house with my absolute dream kitchen! So we'll officially be starting our real family journey together.

My life has completely evolved into something entirely "new", and only for the better, and I'm so thankful for everyone that has helped me get to where I am now.