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Intellectual Conservative PoliticsIowa.com Weekly Weblog No Runny Eggs
This is the personal weblog of Aakash Raut, established Sept. 2002. It will cover current affairs, worldwide & national topics, local & university events, and provide insight and commentary on contemporary issues and the news from his perspective. Enjoy! --------------- ARCHIVES Sept 2002 - Now -------------
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E-mail - uisconservative-at-yahoo About Aakash 
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Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Last night (actually, this morning), I was looking through Adrianne Truett's fine weblog (I finally updated the blogroll link), and I came across this interesting entry. Interestingly, I am actually leaving this afternoon, with my family, to go to my cousin's wedding; she is getting married on New Year's Eve in West Palm Beach... on the beach! She met her soon-to-be husband through medical school (both of them are doctors), and this should be a great event. Since I'm going to be away, I decided to do something that has never been done before at this weblog... though many other bloggers do it. Until I return next year (actually, it's just Jan. 2nd when I'll be back), a guest blogger will taking over here. Say hello to Nathan Averbeck (a.k.a. NateDogg). This is the first time since I started this weblog (over two years ago... wow!) that I've had a guest blogger... so be nice to him! :-) Well, I gotta go... Maybe I'll get to do some blogging from Florida, though I don't know how much time (or internet access) I will have from there. (Then again, it's been difficult, off late, to find the time for blogging from here at home!) Thank you, Nathan, for agreeing to blog here while I'm away. Good luck! Saturday, December 25, 2004
Friday, December 24, 2004
Merry Christmas... Eve! I hope that this season has been filled with merriment and goodwill for all of you... and that you feel free to be able to share the Truth about this holiday with friends, family, and others, as we honor and reflect upon the birth of our Savior. Oh, how the time passes! - Christmas Eve 2002 at University Blog Check out this disturbing news article from World Net Daily. It seems that the official White House website [whitehouse.gov] may be indicative of the mentality that has affected the White House, and the federal government. I also noticed the special section that is featured at that site, on this season: www.whitehouse.gov/holiday "A Season of Merriment and Melody" Say what?? I guess that the White House seems to have overlooked something important - I saw this hanging on someone's wall some years ago: Update: Bill Hobbs certainly hasn't forgotten that (via Sean Hackbarth). Neither has "King of Fools." Update (1/04/05): I just found an article on this issue featured at the website of someone who I just found out about from the Sobran's links page. "Season of Merriment and Melody"... my left foot! I also want to point out that I found an entry a little while ago, posted by Mrs. Friedrich at the great "Backwater Report" site (then "Blogs for Peroutka"), on how President Bush and the White House website are promoting "Kwanzaa". Apparently, this is not the first year that they have done this. Via the article that Mrs. Friedrich linked to (by Joe Farah), I was able to find this 2002 article by Paul Mulshine, a great conservative columnist who I recently discovered. (He was added to the [partial] compilation of conservative columnists who opposed the Iraq war, in this past entry.) Here's some info and perspective on Kwanzaa from the VDare website... also check out their current home page for info on their annual "War Against Christmas" competition. Update (12/27/04): After that recent World Net Daily article was posted at FreeRepublic (you should be able to guess the reaction of them Freepers), someone posted the President's Christmas Message from two years ago. Notice the difference between then and now. Thursday, December 23, 2004
She looks good in that dress... Yesterday's World Net Daily had some really good news items. Among them was this one, which I found interesting [this past entry might explain why]. After this, I was just thinking of my prom... actually, "proms" - I remember that my date in '98 had a good dress, and my date the following year did as well (the latter one ended up actually somewhat matching my tux!). Anyway, best of luck to Miss Jacqueline Duty... [latest news] I just found this web page, with a larger photo that looks better than the one in that WND piece. Check out the home page of the Kentucky Division of the SCV, which features this news story. This is the high school that Jacqueline went to. (She is in college now.)  The principle of the school is D. Sean Howard. According to the lawsuit, he arrived at Jacqueline's car with two police officers, and prevented her from entering the dance. The suit alleges that Mr. Howard "intimidated [her] by physically striking the vehicle in which she was sitting." The key article about this recent news is from the Lexington, KY newspaper. In addition to Principle Howard, school superintendent Ronnie Black is also named in the suit. "It was a very difficult decision," said school superintendent Ronnie Back. "We don't have a policy on these things; we decide them on a case-by-case basis. We decided it would be problematic if she wore it and made our decision." This was a dress that Jacqueline says that she had been working on for four years - it was custom-made, and she says that she had to work two jobs in order to pay for it. Mr. Howard allegedly called her the Friday night before the prom and told her not to wear it. The day before that (Thursday, April 29th... the prom was on Saturday, May 1st), he had called her into his office. She did not have another one readily available, and she came to prom anyway, hoping that the school officials would let her attend. The aftermath of this incident allegedly prevented her from receiving a number of college scholarships. "They called her into the office on Thursday (April 29) and told her she couldn't go to the prom if she wore her dress," Mrs. Duty says. "She called me crying. She said she'd been told that if she wore the dress, she'd be suspended and not be allowed to graduate." I just found an informative article from back in May, when these events were taking place. It was posted at the great Liberty Post site (a refreshing alternative to the declining FreeRepublic). The quotes above are from that article. Click here for something neat. Update: Here are some other photos that I came across that seem to be interesting: Click on these thumbnails for a larger picture. I will probably be removing some of these and other front-page images soon, due to loading time concerns.  -----  -----   -----  -----   -----   When life gives you lemons... The Bravo television station has been having a lot of trashy programming off late; it has been nice, therefore, to have noticed that, within recent days, they have been frequently showing the well-known '80s movie Working Girl. [Check out an encyclopedia entry on that film; here's the DVD or the soundtrack CD.] It was around this time of the year three years ago when the U.S. Postal Service released a television ad, featuring a song - A web search showed me that it was Carly Simon's hit song, "Let the River Run," which was featured in this movie, for which it won the 1988 Oscar Award for Best Song, as well as a Golden Globe. It was some months later that I saw that film on TV; since then, I have seen parts of it when it has been re-shown. I think that that is an uplifting and inspirational movie - and that it can be viewed that way by men as well as women. The same is true for the film Legally Blonde (don't laugh) - that film could be inspiring for anyone who is struggling or who is having trouble in school, and in law school (and from what I've heard about law school, that includes just about everyone). I don't know if I'll ever end up going to law school, but if I do, then that might be something to rent during the tough times (perhaps The Paper Chase would be appropriate as well??... I don't know; it's been awhile since I've seen that one). Stories like those which form the plot lines of the aforementioned movies are meant to be inspirational, and (despite the female-based overtones of the first two I've mentioned above) the symbolism of works like this should apply to anyone who is struggling to overcome obstacles, regardless of gender, race, age, or status in life. Right now, I have been struggling with a tense academic situation; there is a ton of course work that I have gotten behind on, and the semester is over... I'm supposed to be on break, and I was hoping to finish my undergraduation this term. I need to get this work finished and turned in ASAP. But as I've mentioned before, it has been extremely difficult to focus and concentrate... and this time period can be stressful for other reasons as well, which I blogged about last year. I am going to need all the inspiration and energy that I can get. ...Let the river run I was glad to find out yesterday that I am not the only student blogger who finds inspiration from Melanie Griffith and Carly Simon. (And his post has to do with law school, as well... where I may be some day.) It sucks having all this work to do right around Christmastime; and it affects my ability to blog as well. :-( Gotta go... Tuesday, December 14, 2004
There's still time... The semester is now complete, but my course work - quite unfortunately - is very much not. I wish that things had gone better for me these past couple of weeks; if they had, I may have had some good stuff up here - especially with respect to the 'Spirit of America' blogger challenge. I have, in fact, done one entry on this great effort, and on my team, the 'Fighting Fusileers for Freedom.' I would have liked to have been doing more posts on this (sorry, John!), like my teammates have been doing... but things have not been working out. Please see my previous post (below) on this challenge, and please consider making a donation to this great cause. To contribute to this project, via our 'team' (the Fighting Fusileers for Freedom), please go to this web page: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/challenge/t/45 Here is an updated list of my teammates. I will try to post something more about the 'blogger challenge' before I get to bed. (Which may, once again, be very late...) Remember - The 'blogger challenge' ends at 2:00 AM central time on Wednesday, December 15th. Yikes - That's just a few hours away! I really wish that I could have blogged more about this. Well, please try to contribute as much as you can before that time. Thanks! Update (12/16/04): Here is a listing of my fellow team members, on the Fighting Fusileers for Freedom: Team Members (in alphabetical order) Some of these are non-bloggers. A Black and White World A Texan Abroad AFSister Argghhh! The Home of Two of Jonah's Military Guys Army of One As I See Things Baboon Pirates Barb Ben's World Blackfive Boudicca's Voice Brain Shavings CPTHAM CandyUniverse CatHouse Chat Chapomatic Cowboy Blob's Dean's World Dog Snot Diaries Drink this... Inside Allan's Mind Instapilot Intelligent Intercourse Jason's Blog Mind of Mog Mossback Culture Neutral Not Exactly Rocket Science OkieMinnie Me Pedophiles for Kim Jong-Il Quality Weenie Random Fate RedNeck Ramblings Right Wing Nut Jobs Unite SMASH Secure Liberty Seven Inches of Sense Sgt Hook She Who Will Be Obeyed! Southern By Blog!! Target Centermass Technicalities The BLOG The Last Amazon The Patriette The Razor The Tiger in Winter University Blog Wizblog baldilocks dustmybroom.com Many bloggers posted a couple of days ago on Spc. Thomas Wilson's important question to our beloved Secretary of Defense, regarding the widespread concern over the perceived inadequacy of armor protection for our military humvees in Iraq. In the early morning hours Monday (that was just yesterday... it seems like longer), I posted a comment to as many of these blog entries as I could, asking them to check out the interesting commentary about this issue that was currently at the home page of 'Soldiers for the Truth' - a great pro-soldier, pro-America organization that I have mentioned before. I am checking that site again now - that material is still up there. Check out that site: SFTT.org --------- (12/17/04): I've been meaning to comment more about this and related issues... I wish that these papers would write themselves. For some pro-Rumsfeld items, check out the latest at the Politics Weblog of The Detroit News Online. I actually went to that blog after going to their [very excellent] pre-election editorial, in which they gave their presidential "endorsement." Check it out! (Keep in mind that The Detroit News is a pro-Republican newspaper... See what they say about President Bush and the Iraq war.) Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Monday, December 06, 2004
The Half-Naked Bill Many of us are very busy at this time, in the midst of a hectic finals week... I definitely have a ton of work to get in - especially considering that I've gotten behind, due in part to all of the political and election-related events. However, I saw something last night at the home page of the great Team America PAC, that requires me to post something now, in the hope that something can still be done to prevent the passage of a phony "security" bill that has been stripped of its armor, and for which its success may do our country more harm than good. 
Jam the phone lines!! Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) has caved in to White House pressure, but the brave Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) is still sticking up for us. The original version of the House bill [H.R. 10] was fully clothed (attempts to strip it were overcome), and it passed overwhelmingly [roll call]. Then, after pressure from the White House and other powerful groups, the key measures were stripped from the bill. The American Conservative Union had thought, a few weeks ago, that this new bill was dead, which it deserved to be. [Note: It wasn't just the ACU - many believed that this watered-down bill wasn't going to pass this year.] But apparently, it has been revived, and is on the verge of being passed. Related news and views: - 9/11 Families organization backs Sensenbrenner, and opposes this bill - Sensenbrenner's Sense - GOP's cheap-labor wing is brewing poisonous politics - National security necessitates secure borders - No reform is better than bad reform - Protect our citizens! (It's better to have no bill at all, rather than a weak and ineffective one.) - Immigration reform crucial to security - More info from the 'John and Ken Show' - Update: Kill Bill II: Even the neocon Center for Security Policy think tank agrees! ... "Kill (the) bill" It is better to re-schedule the job interview than to attend it wearing only your underwear. Once you've blown your first chance, it's hard to get anything major accomplished. Help send a wake-up call to Washington - Let them know that we can no longer afford to play politics with our national security, and that they need to stop pandering to Big Business interests and ethnic lobby groups. This is something that conservatives, liberals, libertarians, Republicans, Democrats, independents, and others should all be able to agree upon. If you don't have much time, focus on these four U.S. House members to contact with your frustrations about this bill. (For Rep. Sensenbrenner, you won't have to convince him to oppose the bill - of course - but you might want to thank him for sticking up for our nation's security.) Saturday, December 04, 2004
Student Affairs Tonight's CR Christmas Party was okay... A lot of people couldn't show up, though. Final exams begin on Monday, and this end-of-the-semester period is a stressful time for many of us. A couple of months ago, some students at UIS (who were chosen by the admissions department, I think), started offical UIS student weblogs. Some of us others who are students at this university were already blogging. Here are the weblogs of some of my fellow UIS students, who I know: Matt Wallace John Kelly Gabrielle Wiegand Kate Johnson After I started this blog (it was shortly after moving onto campus, at the beginning part of the Fall 2002 semester), I thought that I was the only student blogger here at UIS. I later found out, after a cool conversation with this guy, that I wasn't even the first. I just saw that there's another non-newbie blogger at UIS who I kind of know... He is part of a group blog that started at about the same time as the aforementioned one, but is also still running as of today. And no discussion of student-run websites at UIS should be completed without a mention of Brad Ward's famous TwoSouth.com site... I don't know how long it's been running, but I do know (as I've said before) that Mr. Ward is very good at this type of thing - a lot of people are aware of that by now. I just saw that his personal home page has been redone. There are some other good students websites at UIS; I may go over some of them in the future. For now, best of luck to everyone on finals!! I have to prepare, right now, for the annual UIS College Republicans Christmas Party, which is this evening. For last year's party, Santa Claus (who happens to be a Republican... you didn't know that?), dropped some surprises off for the attendees. Perhaps he will again. Before any more time passes, however, I should blog here about an exciting opportunity that I recently discovered for us to contribute to the goal of bringing peace and success to the people of Iraq. I am a newbie to this project, so I am not sure about the specifics, but I do know that the organization doing this is credible and well-established. 'Spirit of America' is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that has been working to help our troops better serve the people of Iraq, during this turbulent time period. For the 2nd year in a row, bloggers have been invited to assist in these efforts, by hosting a fundraising drive for Spirit of America. In fact, this "Friends of Iraq" Blogger Challenge has taken the form of a friendly competition, with bloggers either raising funds as individuals, or joining 'teams,' to get as much donated as possible to help this worthy cause. I have chosen to join a team called the "Fighting Fusileers for Freedom," led by our friends John and Beth Donovan. Please contribute what you can to this cause... It is totally legitimate, and your donations are tax-deductible. To contribute to this project, via our 'team' (the Fighting Fusileers for Freedom), please go to this web page: http://www.spiritofamerica.net/challenge/t/45 
For more information about this "Blogger Challenge," go here. 
Here is a list of my teammates (in the 'Fighting Fusileers...') - I'm probably supposed to copy and paste a listing of all of them in this entry, but I'm too tired (or too lazy) to do that right now... I will have more information posted here about this worthwhile challenge soon. Until then, please contribute what you can. Update: Like him, I've procrasinated, and haven't yet linked to the inaugural entry for our team's efforts in this fundraising drive (by John Donovan) or the 2nd entry (by Dean Esmay). Since then, there have been a couple of more entries... I think that each of us is supposed to do one for each day of this 'blogger challenge'. This 'blogger challenge' competition ends at 2:00 AM central time (3 AM eastern, midnight pacific) on Wednesday, December 15th. |
