Happy Holidays to ALL!

Wishing you a joyous, loving holiday!



Click on the link above to see our holiday wishes for you all!

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!!!!

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!

545 People Responsible for All of America's Woes

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.

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.

Opportunity for Change

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.

Have a Happy and Safe July 4

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 Mother's Day!

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

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)

A VERY HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!

Our Apologies

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.

Evolution of the Screen Porch

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.

Good-Bye 2009 - Welcoming 2010

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, 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 uscity.net 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 it's 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!