Your input is needed at the Home of Uncommon Sense

The Home of Uncommon Sense is slowly but surly coming into the 21st century when it comes to technology. We now have the capability to digitally record my speeches, presentations and seminars. And as a test I am considering making audio recordings of my semimonthly Real Men’s Class available for download at the Home of Uncommon Sense. As I am sure you know, this would be no small task.

It would require a substantial amount of time and energy to edit and make the files available for download; thus, requiring a significant investment of both time and money on my part. I don’t mind making such an investment. But I want to make sure that I am not doing so simply for my own edification.

So what I need to know is:

Is this something you would like to have available?

Would you subscribe to the Uncommon Sense Update to gain access to these files?

If I were to add a “Voluntary Donation” button to help raise some money to cover the cost, would you contribute?

If you could take the time to enter your thoughts in the comments field, I would be most appreciative. Your input would really be helpful!

Craig DeLuz

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www.craigdeluz.com

George Carlin's Views on Aging. Too funny and too true!

I’m not one who normally goes around quoting George Carlin, but his perspective on how we look at getting older was too true to not share.

I recieved the following via email:

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. "How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them "

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.


Craig DeLuz

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www.craigdeluz.com

Anonymous attacks on the internet are now against the law?

Attention Bloggers and Blog Commenters! Are you tired of receiving personal, sometimes libelous attacks by anonymous posters? Well last week, President Bush signed into law a bill that could make such anonymous attacks illegal.

Cnet News is reporting:

It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity.

In other words, it's OK to flame someone on a mailing list or in a blog as long as you do it under your real name.

As a blogger who publishes commentaries under my real name, I cannot express how happy I am to see this legislation pass. My blog, like many that allow comments has been infested by individuals who have leveled personal attacks, some boardering on slanderous. And while I do welcome those who disagree with me to comment. I believe it is a true act of a coward to do so anonymously or as has happened in some drastic cases, pretendinb to be someone else.

As a matter of fact, there is one poster who has infested many of the blogs at the Western Alliance. This individual has hurled personal insults and engaged in character assassination all while using fake names. And on several occasions, this individual has even gone as far as to pretend to be members of the Western Alliance. Now we have tracked all of these comments to either an IP address registered to an address in Lincoln, California or to Clear Channel Communications, which owns two Sacramento area talk radio stations 650AM KSTE and 1530AM KFBK. So we have a pretty good idea as to the identity of this anonymous poster. But to date we have chosen not to out this individual, even though his actions have been of questionable legality.

Well now there is may be no doubt that what this poster has been doing is illegal. So, I would like to issue a warning to him and his kind, that your anonymous assaults will no longer be tolerated. No longer are your taunts merely acts of a coward who doesn’t have guts to publicly stand behind your words. Now they are against the law!

So feel free to express yourself! But know that you may run afoul of the law by doing so anonymously.

Craig DeLuz

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www.craigdeluz.com

Miscommunication about miners’ deaths teaches important lesson about faith. (Video Here)

Lost in all the uproar and commotion concerning the false reports about 12 of the 13 West Virginia Miners being alive is the sad story of what went on until they learned that unlike previously reported, only one miner had survived.

John Casro, in a 7 minute interview with CNN (Video Here) tells of how those waiting in the church first got the false report that all but one of the minors was alive and how they would come to know the truth… that all but one had perished.

But what was saddening to me was the tale he told of how families and friends of the believed survivors reacted to the family of the one miner believed to be dead. Castro recalls, “The pastor asked people to come to the altar and pray for the one that was gone.” He continues on, stating that only two or three people came up to pray for the one miner who was believed to be lost. “I couldn’t understand the other four or five hundred people.”

Now I realize that not everyone of those folks were Christians. But I still find it sad that during the three hours that they were waiting to see the miners they thought to be alive, that more people could not find it in their heart to pray for the family of the miner who was thought to be the lone casualty. What a blessing they could have been to that family who was grieving the loss of their loved one. Unknown to those who didn’t pray, the peace and comfort they enjoyed wouldn’t last.

Upon hearing the news that earlier reports were incorrect, fights broke out amongst the crowd at the church. Officials who broke the news were called hypocrites and liars. And as the pastor attempted to comfort the crowd by encouraging them to look to God, one individual replied, “What has God done for us?”

It is easy to believe in God during the good times… when we think he has done something great for us. That does not require faith. But it does require faith to believe in God during the tough times… when tragedy occurs. And faith is not a passive thing. It means that we believe his word and his will. Subsequently, we should follow his direction.

You see, he never promised that we would never go through storms. But he does promise that if we have faith, he will be with us and take us to the other side. Praying that God would comfort and give peace to the family of the dead miner is what God would have wanted them to do. And perhaps in doing so, they would have prepared themselves for the disturbing news that awaited them.

Luke 6:38 says “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." What had God done for them? He gave them an opportunity to find peace in the midst of pending despair. Sadly, few chose to avail themselves of it.

I applaud the faith of John Casro and those few who chose to pray when the man of God asked them to do so. I can only pray that when confronted with similar circumstances, I would demonstrate such faith. Unlike many of those who have been quoted or people I have seen interviewed, Casro's faith clearly has not been shaken. And it is obvious that although he mourns the loss of his friends, God has granted him peace.

Craig DeLuz

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www.craigdeluz.com

2 out of 3 Americans don’t know the Star-Spangled Banner. Campaign to re-teach the national anthem starts today!

Imagine you are at a sporting event, community gathering or political rally where the national anthem is being performed and you notice that most of the people in attendance aren’t singing. Why not? Could it be those few obscure notes that most of us couldn’t reach on our best day? Nope! Chances are people aren’t singing because they don’t even know the words.

A recent survey reveals that two-thirds of American adults don’t even know the words to the Star-Spangled Banner; the world’s most recognizable national anthem. Well, despite the fact that patriotism is no longer considered politically correct in the United States, a group of music teachers are launching a national campaign to re-acquaint our students with the National Anthem.

The Miami Herald is reporting:

A recent survey by Harris Interactive shows that two out of three Americans can't recite all the words to the Star-Spangled Banner, arguably the world's most famous anthem.

Now a group of music educators has launched a campaign to re-teach the anthem throughout schools across the United States. Called the National Anthem Project, the nonprofit group plans to host contests for students and parents to see who can sing the anthem, written by Francis Scott Key. Singing begins at a pre-game event at today's FedEx Orange Bowl followed by an inaugural ceremony on Wednesday.

Bravo for them! I can only hope that their efforts aren’t thwarted by the liberal educrats who have made concerted efforts to stop any form of patriotism; arguing that it may offend and even discriminate against some students who do not wish to participate.

Craig DeLuz

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www.craigdeluz.com

Great commercial honoring our troops (Video Here)

A good friend emailed this commercial to me and asked me to pass it on.

I loved it. And so will you.

(Click Here for video)


Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense...
www.craigdeluz.com

Voter approved "Targeted Tax" measures may miss intended targets

Tax and spend liberals plan to put multiple measures before California voters in 2006 to increase taxes on specific groups in order to support increased spending in specific areas. However, evidence is mounting that revenues from such taxes often do not reach their intended targets.

The Orange County Register published an article this weekend stating:

California voters may be asked to approve new taxes on alcohol, cigarettes and high incomes next year that could dramatically expand the state's budget for preschool, public safety and health care.

These are exactly the kinds of taxes that have the best chance of winning voter approval: targeted taxes that take money from a relatively small group of people – such as the rich or smokers – and require that the proceeds be dedicated to a specific program, such as early childhood development or health care.

These taxes are popular because the outcome is predicted.

"People have a general feeling that government wastes their money, so if they see, 'Here's a tax, and we will spend it only on this purpose,' the probability of it passing is higher,'' said John Ellwood, public policy professor at UC Berkeley.

An examination of recent voter-approved tax measures shows that the measures do indeed bring in money, but after that things don't always go as expected.

The article goes on to point out how voter approved initiatives have brought billions of dollars in additional tax revenue into state coffers and how those revenues have often been redirected by state lawmakers or misspent by the agencies directed to administer the funds. It also points out how people are illegally and legally finding ways to avoid paying these new taxes.

What is not addressed is a discussion of who will be required to foot the bill for these new programs once tax revenues fall short of expectations. Any guesses?

_________________________________________

Two here are two previous posts on ballot box budgeting measures targeted for 2006.

Ballot Box Budgeting…Tax hikes & increased govt. spending coming to a ballot near you!

And

"Wealth Tax" Initiative qualifies for circulation in California…


Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense...
www.craigdeluz.com