Now You Will See the Full Power of the Social Side....and Maybe Win $200

Want to have a chance to win $200.00 and see the power of Social Media like Facebook, Twitter, and Blogging? Well then, join us on this experiment. Go to Lancaster Online's website by clicking HERE, when you're finished reading this list. We suggest opening a separate window in your browser before doing this! From that landing page, you fill out your personal information. You must vote for at least 10 categories to be entered in the contest, and the deadline is June 18th, 2010.

Of course, we REALLY want you to vote for U-Stickit Graphics as the #1 Sign Co. in Lancaster, PA. You will find the Sign Co. Category listed under the Miscellaneous section. We ALSO want you to support some of our local business friends on our local Facebook and Twitter networks. Here is a list of some of them. If you know of a business that isn't shown here,and either have a Twitter Account, Blog, or a Fan Page on Facebook, and it relates to one of the categories, please let us know and we will update this blog to include it. It's a long list, but your vote could mean $200 for you and so much more to these great companies!

This is what you do. Click the link above, and then refer back to the list below, to cast your vote! You will get a confirmation after you are finished voting, and will need to confirm through your email in order for your votes to count.


FOOD & BEVERAGE

Bakery: Bliss on Broad

Banquet Facility:

Beer Distributor:

Brewery: Appalachian Brewing Co.

Buffet/Smorgasbord:

Candy Store: Bonbonniere

Casual Dining Restaurant: Lancaster Dispensing Co., Annie Bailey's

Caterer: Leboon's Catering

Chinese Buffet:

Chinese Restaurant:

Convenience Store: Turkey Hill

Deli:

Diner:

Discount Grocer:

Family Restaurant:

Farmer’s Market: Lancaster Central Market

Fast Food Restaurant:

Fine Dining Restaurant: John J. Jeffries

Grocery Store: Darrenkamps

Italian Restaurant:

Japanese Restaurant:

Mexican Restaurant:

Outdoor Dining:

Place For A Business Lunch: Isaac's

Place To Buy A Birthday Cake: Bliss on Broad

Place To Buy A Burger: Annie Bailey's

Place To Buy A Cheesesteak: Hot Z Pizza

Place To Buy A Cup Of Coffee: Square One Coffee, Prince St. Cafe

Place To Buy A Milkshake: Sonic

Place To Buy A Shoo-Fly Pie:

Place To Buy A Wedding Cake:

Place To Buy An Ice Cream Treat: Sonic

Place To Buy Donuts: Fractured Prune

Place To Buy Pizza: Hot Z Pizza

Place To Buy Ribs:

Place To Buy Seafood:

Place To Buy Subs: Hot Z Pizza

Place To Buy Water Ice: Rita's

Place To Buy Wings: Hot Z Pizza

Seafood Restaurant:

Steak House:

APPAREL (MEN’S AND WOMEN’S)

Bridal Shop:

Custom Jewelry Store: ja sharpe, BB Bellezza

Fine Jewelry Store: Ream Jewelers

Place To Buy A Suit:

Place To Buy Shoes:

Women’s Clothing Store:

AUTO SALES AND SERVICE

Auto Dealer Service Department:

Auto Repair Center:

Body Shop:

Car Dealership:

Car Wash:

Motorcycle Dealership:

Place For Auto Painting:

Place To Buy A Used Car:

Place To Get An Oil Change:

Tire Store:

HOME AND GARDEN

Appliance Store:

Audio/Video Store:

Bedding/Mattress Store:

Cabinetry: Plain and Fancy cabinets:

Carpet Cleaner:

Custom Countertops:

Custom Framing:

Deck Treatment:

Decorating Service:

Duct Cleaners:

Electrician:

Fireplace Dealer:

Floor Covering Store:

Furniture Store: Gehman's

Garage/Entry Door Dealer:

Garden Center:

Greenhouse:

Hardware Store:

Heating/AC Dealer:

Home Builder:

Home Improvement Center:

Home Security Service:

Insulation:

Kitchen/Bath Remodeler: MBC Remodelling

Landscaper: Tomlinson Bomberger

Lighting Gallery:

Locksmith:

Outdoor Furniture: Patio at Penn Stone

Pest Control Specialists: Tomlinson Bomberger

Place To Buy a Vacuum Cleaner:

Place To Buy Lawn Machines/Equipment:

Place To Buy Window Treatments:

Plumbing Company:

Roofer: J.V. Heidler Co.

Satelite TV Provider:

Septic Service:

Spouting:

Water Garden Designer/Supplier:

Window Dealer/Installer:

PETS

Kennel:

Pet Grooming Salon:

Pet Supply Store:

Place To Buy A Pet: That Fish Place

Veterinarian:

KIDS

Dance Studio:

Day Camp:

Day Care Center:

Favorite Pediatric Practice

Karate/Tae Kwon Do Studio:

Place For Child's Birthday Party:

Place For Teen Birthday Party:

Place To Get A Child’s Haircut:

Toy Store:

MEDICAL

Assisted Living Facility:

Birth Center:

Chiropractor:

Dental Practice:

Eye Care Center:

Family Practice:

Gastroenterology Practice:

General & Vascular Practice:

Hearing Specialist:

Home Health Care Agency:

Hospital:

Obstetrical Practice:

Ophthalmologist:

Orthodontic & Surgical Practice:

Orthopedic Surgical Practice:

Physical Rehab Center:

LEISURE

Bowling Alley:

Fitness Facility: Body & Soul Fitness

Gentleman's Club:

Golf Course:

Hotel/Motel/Lodging: Hilton Garden Inn Lancaster

Live Theatre: Fulton Theater

Miniature Golf Course:

Movie Theater: Penn Cinema

Night Club:

Party Supplies:

Place To Buy Archery Supplies:

Place To Buy Athletic Footwear:

Place To Buy Bicycle/Bicycling Supplies:

Place To Buy Golf Equipment:

Place To Buy Pool/Spa Supplies:

Place To Buy Sports Equipment:

Place To Get Party Rentals:

Travel Agency:

ART/ANTIQUES
Art Gallery: The Infantree

Artist

FINANCIAL
Convenient Bank: UNCB

Credit Union:

Drive-Thru Bank: UNCB

Favorite Bank: UNCB

Financial Planner: Ryan Landgraff, Jeremy Walter

Friendliest Bank: UNCB

Friendliest Teller (Include Name/Bank/Branch):

Insurance Agency: Baron Insurance Group

Place To Use ATM:

SHOPPING
Arts And Crafts Store:

Card Shop:

Consignment Shop:

Department Store:

Discount Store:

Fabric Store:

Gift Shop (Be Name Specific):

Hobby Store:

Shopping/Outlet Center:

Thrift Shop:

HEALTH AND BEAUTY
Beauty Salon:

Drug Store/Pharmacy:

Health Food Store:

Laser Hair Removal Center:

Men’s Grooming:

Nail Salon:

Place For A Haircut:

Place To Buy Therapeutic Shoes:

Skin Care Service Provider:

Spa:

EDUCATION
College:

Place To Take College Courses:

Private School:

Tutoring Service:

MISCELLANEOUS

Commercial Cleaner:

Dry Cleaner:

Laundromat:

Law Firm:

Limo Service:

Maid Service:

Photographer: The Wiebners, Miville Photo, PhotOle, Beth Cardwell

Place To Buy Awards And Trophies:

Radio Station: WXPN

Real Estate Agent: Geoff Geoghan

Real Estate Company:
Sign Co.: U-STICKIT GRAPHICS!

Remember, if you see a local company that is currently involved with Social Media, we would love to put them on the list, so let us know! Voting deadline is by Friday, June 18th!

Hopeless?

I wonder if anyone actually ever called the Crisis Hotline from this bridge. I mean, if they're at that point, are they really going to stop to read the sign, and then break down and pick up the phone? Or maybe they're just trying to give themselves a slight bruising. Good thing it clearly states that "Jumping from this bridge is fatal and tragic". Well, hopefully they won't pick this day among all of them to choose to end it all. Or if they are, hopefully they can use their cell phone to call the Crisis Hotline. I tell ya, that would be enough to push them over the edge. Here they come out to this bridge, ready to end it all, and then they see there is a glimmer of hope....except....

We hope all of you know that there is always something to live for. There IS always hope. If you're living in despair, and don't know where to turn to, we're here for you. Don't throw in the towel. You don't have to figure it out on your own. We at U-Stickit Graphics are here to show you that there is help....help for all those plain windows without lettering....help for all those company vehicles without advertisement....help for all those signs that need refurbished or created. We're here for you. There's always hope.

Fish Are Good Kissers

I'm sure a lot of us have done embarrassing things while under the influence. It could have been telling a secret we shouldn't have. Maybe you tripped and fell. Possibly you even got sick and spewed everywhere. Maybe you sang a horrific rendition of "Sweet Caroline". Some of these consequences just come with the territory, and you've probably learned your lesson, and will try to drink with some moderation next time. However, this sign warns of how alcohol impairs your judgment so bad, that you could do one of the most unspeakable acts. You could make-out with a fish. Please remember, if you're going to drink and boat, make sure you don't cheat on your spouse with some little sleazy trout that isn't worth it. Oh sure, her scales may shimmer in the sun. She may have the best looking pouty lips you've ever seen, but remember where your loyalty lies.

To see why so many of our clients remain loyal to us, don't just take our word for it. Check out just some of the few testimonials we've received.

We Predict You Will Get a Kick Out of This

Welcome to Madame Moron's Psychic Readings. We can communicate with dead loved ones. We can tell you about your one true love. We can tell you about where you will be 5 years from now. Just don't ask us to know if you are coming to the door. We won't have any foreknowledge of that. We can see into the depths beyond our natural plain, but not past our front door.

Here at U-Stickit Graphics, we predicted that this blog would make you giggle or smile. We see signs, vehicle lettering, and other projects in your future....and we predict you will contact us to help you with your project.

CAUTION: You May Be a Complete Idiot

This sign should say, "Caution, if you really need a sign to know this, maybe you should just save us all the hassle, and jump already." Caution signs are necessary to warn of potential hazards, but this is really ridiculous. I often assume that when there is a sign stating such an obvious warning, there is often a moron behind it that inspired it. I think the management at this facility should also post these signs on this balcony:

• CAUTION: Please be aware that the balcony is not a sandwich. Don't try to eat it.
• CAUTION: Please be aware that there is a restroom in your hotel room, and this is not part of it.
• CAUTION: Please be aware these sign are for idiots.
  

At U-Stickit Graphics we make all sorts of signs, customized to your specific needs. If you feel the need to post the usual warnings, we can make whatever you need. If you feel the need to remind people to exhale after inhaling, we can help with that too.

Some Families Should Just Work for The Man

Yeah....this picture practically doesn't even need my commentary. Butt? I can't imagine many businesses the Butt family could go into without having someone giggle when seeing their advertisements or listing in the Yellow Pages. I know of a person I follow on Twitter that has this last name. I can't imagine that is easy to live with. Especially with immature types like myself. I guess Butt Drilling may have been an alternative to these entrepreneurial enterprises that the Butt family could have went into:

• Butt Painting
• Butt Landscaping
• Butt Consulting
• Butt Photography

To see how U-Stickit Graphics has helped local business owners improve their "bottom" line, check out our website!

What's Going On Up There?

What exactly is going on here? Ok, so look up, and you will see 2 men racing up the stairs, 1 on foot, and one in a wheel chair? It appears that the guy in the wheelchair is winning. His foot is clearly on the top step.

Either that, or maybe the walking man just shoved the guy in the wheelchair, backwards down the steps?

I really like how the guy walking up the steps appears to be dancing, putting his front foot on his tip toes, and has jazz hands. No matter what is going on here, I really need to get to the top of the steps to see what is going on. The curiosity is killing me! To see what's going on with us, check out our website!

I Would Rather Die Than Lose $200

Before you grab a hold of those electrical wires, and have thousands of volts of raw energy frying your living tissues, you need to seriously think! I mean, seriously think, is it worth losing $200? I mean, if it were only $50 on the line, you may not give it a second thought, but $200!

Money is hard to part with. We spend so much time of our life working to make a good living, only to have some authority try to take it away from us when we try to enjoy the finer things of life like high voltage electrocution. To see some electrifying advertising on signs, banners, and vehicles, that business owners were happy to invest their hard-earned money in, check out our website!

Warnings Can Be Dangerous!

Is it just me, or does the placement of this sign seem to serve onlookers rather than those potential victims? It's like the sign says, "Hey, look over and watch this guy with the red mohawk hit his head, it's hilarious!"

But wait! Look at the diagram on the sign. Now look at the picture. It looks like the guy in the sign is hitting his head on...the sign! If the sign wasn't there in the first place, there wouldn't be anything for the guy to be warned about!

To check out our signs without mohawk-sporting guys on them, check out our website!

Everything Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

Maybe the stand owners were trying to tell Jewish people that they could eat smoked turkey legs as a kosher alternative to ham. Then again, if they never had ham in the past, how would they know if this slogan was correct? I've had smoked turkey legs a few times in the past, and I have never caught myself saying it tasted like anything else, and if I were to own a stand like this, I don't know if this would be the great tag-line I was looking for. Of course it could have been a better alternative to any of these slogans:

• Smoked Turkey Legs: "You know beef? Chicken? Yeah, this tastes nothing like them."
• Smoked Turkey Legs: "Pink poultry that won't make you sick."
  
• Smoked Turkey Legs: "It's like Thanksgiving meets Marlboro."

Having a great tag-line or slogan on your banners or signs is always a good idea. Just make sure it is sending the right, and most important message. To see some great messages we have sent using signs and banners, check out our website!

EMERGENCY Bread & Milk!!!

Thanks to local Tweep & Facebooker, Ryan for snapping this pic just before 2009's first snow storm hits. How was it ever decided, that the 2 most essential items you need in preparation for a snow storm was bread and milk? I can think of plenty of things we could grab to eat in the house before chomping on some bread and washing it down with a big glass of moo-moo juice. It just kind of strikes me as being an odd selection of priorities. In fact, here are 10 things I think should come before you really need bread and milk:

10) Hot Cocoa/Tea/Coffee
9) Blankets
8) Snow Shovel/Snow Blower
7) A Bunch of Movies
6) Sleds
5) Gloves
4) Snow Boots
3) Video Camera to record vehicles stuck outside as you laugh inside in the warmth
2) iPod with Earphones, so you can drown out the sound of the kids fighting, as cabin fever sets in.

AND THE #1 THING YOU MUST BE STOCKED UP ON BEFORE A SNOW STORM........TOILET PAPER! Because face it, what would we do if we ran out of that? (Don't answer that).

To see some hot EMERGENCY vehicles we've lettered, or to check out the ways we have helped business owners pay for their bread & milk, check out our website!

Can I Buy a Gift Certificate for My Neighbor's Dog that Craps on My Lawn?

One of the great things about being in business for yourself, is having the power to make all the decisions, yourself. In big companies you have to run everything through committees and focus groups. In partnerships, you have to hope your partner doesn't reject every creative idea you come up with. Poor Nina here, would have benefited from having another opinion on her company tag line. Of course, she could have done worse. She could have come up with one of these instead:

• "If someone's going to shoot your loved ones, why not me?"
• "Will shoot your dog in my studio, or at your home."

To see some vehicle lettering with great slogans, check out our website!

Unauthorized Parking Pays Off

Sweet! Fifty bucks! Well...at least that would cover the towing bill, perhaps. I wonder how hard it would be to find the $50? Do you think it's just laying in the parking spot? Or maybe the tow truck driver carries around a wad of fifties with him, and will peel one off when he picks up your car.

Spell check isn't the only tool you should use when making signs. We've all done this with emails, etc. "Find" is, after all, a word spelled correctly. Sometimes it just takes a second look, a second opinion, or a second grade education.

To see some of the beautiful, and correctly spelled signs we have done, check out our website!

Here Kitty, Kitty...

Well, leave it up to another pic from my Los Angeles trip, to make an appearance in Stickit Notes. We were strolling through a local Ralph's Grocery Store, when I spotted this... Cat Sand? I checked on Wikipedia to see if there is a common usage of this term, but could only find that the words cat and sand, more often refer to a Sand Cat, a small wild feline. I am assuming that what we on the east coast, call "Kitty Litter", is indeed "Cat Sand" on the West Coast. Either that, or people build sandboxes for their cats to build castles in their back yards? Perhaps cats enjoy the beach as well, but require a specific variety of sand?

When I snapped this pic, of the "Sand", I didn't even notice the other item right above it, "Premium Pet". I wonder what defines a pet as being "Premium". Is that an anti-dog slur? Are they insinuating that all other pets are basic, but cats are more prestigious? How rude! It was probably those kitties themselves that posted these signs. Those cats think they are so cool.

To see what some of the coolest cats I know have said about us, check out our website.

Bathroom Sinks Make Great Souvenirs

This morning, my wife noticed this puzzling sign at BWI Airport. I can see why it prompted her to send me the pic with the caption, "Huh? The water? The faucet? The mirror? The counter?" I mean, what exactly is going on here? Wherever you find signs like these, there has most likely been an offense that warranted the posting of such sign. This begs the questions, did someone try to remove the counter top? Did some would-be terrorist try to assault someone with a motion-sensing faucet? Or are you allowed to take any of these items, but simply just not allowed to take the little sign? Hmmm.......?????

If you want to see some signs that actually make sense, check out our website.

Attention: Clumsy Smokers Only Have $540 in their Bank Account

Truly puzzling isn't it? One would hope there was some reason or logic behind the specific amount of a fine for starting a fire at this lookout point in Los Angeles, CA., where I visited the other week. Maybe they did a study among arsonists and clumsy smokers and determined that their attention threshold was reached at $541? Maybe they mounted a hidden camera by this sign, and no one looked at the sign until it reached $541? Sometimes when you want to drive a simple point home, you need to create some confusion. Whatever the reason, I found it amusing.

To see some of the ways we drive some points home, check out some of our work on our website.

Caution: Do Not Cut Your Butt on the Saw!

The other week, I visited Universal Studios, in sunny Los Angeles, CA. This sign's meaning would only be obvious, if it were used at the specific location where I found it...on an escalator. Of course, my twisted mind imagined how funny it would look to post this in a woodworking shop, on the side of a saw indicating, "Caution: Do Not Cut Your Butt on the Saw!" Or possibly, every parent should have one of these to remind their children, "Unless You're a Toddler, Don't Come Down the Steps Like This!" Maybe this sign could have another practical use at a public pool stating, "No Cannonballing!" Whatever the message of the sign, be sure its placement is congruent with the message. This will insure there is always a universal interpretation. Good signs aren't just pretty, they state the message so that everyone understands it the same.

To get a look at some good signs we've done, visit our website.

Ever had Leprosy?

The next few blog entries will be courtesy of my recent trip to Los Angeles, CA. This billboard made me laugh for quite awhile. I mean, leprosy? People still get that? In this day and age, and in L.A.? Obviously, they are lobbying for the importance of animal research here. Either that or L.A. has a huge epidemic with Leprosy! As usual I haven't done any research about this sign, but if their only goal was to catch attention, they definitely hit their mark with me! That should be the goal of most signage. Engage the target by capturing their attention and to make them think about your message more than the split second they see it, while passing by. I just wonder what the slogans were that got shot down? Here is a list of a few that possibly didn't make the cut.

• Ever had Scurvy?
• got polio?
• Bubonic Plague got you down?
• Not Typhus again!

For ways we've tried to catch public attention, check out our work on our website!

To Ring or Not to Ring, That is the Question!

Thanks to local Tweep, Sean McDermott, for finding this beauty. These instructions are enough to give one a headache! Quite the moral dilemma here...to ring or not to ring? That is the question. And which choice would you make? My mischievous temperament makes me gravitate towards the Ring side. The curious side of me really wants to find out what happens when I push that button!

This little contradiction is sort of what we face every day. One person tells us "Yes" and another tells us "No". It's up to us to go with our gut, and see what happens. Most times, life is a bit of trial and error, to see if what we learned growing up was right or wrong-if it works or if it doesn't.

Good luck with your daily choices,
Chad

I Demand a Pee-Test!

This photo submission comes from Paul Rothrock, a fellow local tweep. He just hit the tip of my ranting iceberg on this when he tweeted, "I find this sign sexist. Why can't it be new 'parent' parking?" That's one point-I mean, what if Paul has his young child and his newborn in the vehicle, and his wife is resting at home? Why can't he and other new daddies be entitled to the same parking privileges as the moms?

And how do we know this sign isn't being abused? What exactly is a "new" mother. Is there a time-frame when this expires? Also, what stage of pregnancy does a woman need to be in to take advantage of this parking spot? Do they need to be visibly pregnant? Shouldn't there be a security guard waiting to "pee-test" each of the female parkers?

I have some other suggested signs that we should consider for Special Parking spots:

• Hung-over Individual Parking
• OMG it's Freakin' Pouring Parking!
• Just Returning my Redbox Movies Parking
• I'm Feeling Rather Lazy Today Parking