Vortex of Freedom Blog

The New Home of "Vortex Blog"

2008-06-21T17:41:00.002-04:00

I have been blogging on WordPress for a while. I prefer the features of WordPress over Blogger. See you there. :)

Domain Name for Sale

2008-04-11T08:42:00.000-04:00

The "Vortex for Freedom" website, domain name, and all associated intellectual properties, are for sale. It was a difficult decision to make, but this has been a difficult time for me.

Artificial Inflation and the Real Damage

2008-03-08T09:41:00.004-05:00

The reason why I call it "Artificial Inflation" is because this inflation is not caused entirely by supply and demand. It is also caused by bad decisions inspired by greed.

Back when the housing boom was in its infancy, it was harder to get a mortgage. The criteria set for obtaining a mortgage was higher than it is today because lenders do not like dealing with foreclosures.

Demand in some areas were well ahead of supply in some areas. House prices started escalating in these areas. This is a natural result of the "supply and demand" curve. Prices leveled off when the demand could no longer be met because people who wanted a mortgage could not get one.

Prices would have stayed level or increased accordingly with inflation if everything was left alone. However, restrictions on borrowing were lowered. People who could not afford to get a $100,000 mortgage were suddenly able to get a $150,000 mortgage. This sudden flow of money caused an artificial extension of the housing boom and prices skyrocketed.

Banks are now realizing that the lax restrictions have hurt them. The people who could not afford the $100,000 mortgage are now having their homes foreclosed because they cannot afford the $150,000 mortgage they are now saddled with. Banks are receiving less money, which means that there is less money in circulation for businesses to borrow to create jobs.

If we end up bailing out the mortgage companies, it will be done with printing up more money because we do not have the money to give them. This will result in further weakening of the dollar and higher inflation.

Republicans, I Hope You're Happy!

2008-03-04T23:22:00.004-05:00

Any chance of a smaller, more fiscally responsible government died today as John McCain became the presumptive candidate after wins in Vermont, Rhode Island, Ohio, and Texas.

John McCain will increase spending, as will whomever gets the Democratic Party nod. By voting for McCain, you have mortgaged future tax cuts to pay off future debt. The likelihood for real campaign reform has diminished.

We are virtually guaranteed that much of the Democratic Congress's agenda will pass. And by trying to fund two wars and an ever-increasing socialistic society, the nation will be on the verge of bankruptcy.

We need to educate ourselves before we can educate our children. Unless America wakes up and unites behind a third party candidate, our country is doomed.

The Candidate With Hope

2008-03-04T15:49:00.003-05:00

Barack Obama has been preaching the message of hope. His message has resonated with millions of Americans. Some people have even carried out the message of hope with a change in their predicament and their lives.

Hillary Clinton is one of those people. She has lost 11 straight primaries and caucuses. Obamamania has been sweeping the land, but Clinton keeps plugging away. She has not given up (as others have begged.)

Voters in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont vote today. The momentum is starting to swing back towards Clinton. The "3AM Phone Call" ad has given her campaign a much needed boost. The dealings with Rezko and the NAFTA fiasco are beginning to resonate with people and dealing a blow to Obama's campaign.

Barack Obama preaches the "Audacity of Hope." Hillary Clinton is living it. Oh, the irony.

Blog Overhaul

2008-03-03T13:14:00.002-05:00

I want to change this blog from Blogger to WordPress. I want to move the WordPress Blog to http://blog.vortexoffreedom.org (where this blog currently resides). I want to convert the blogs currently on Blogger to WordPress.

The Issues America Will Face in the 2012 Election

2008-02-27T08:37:00.006-05:00

The problems we will be facing in 2012 will be the same issues we are facing today. Neither Clinton, Obama, McCain, nor Huckabee have a viable plan to make Social Security solvent, reduce the debt, save America from attack from terrorists, or make health care more affordable.

There are four options to fix the Social Security problem: Raise Social Security taxes, raise the retirement age, lower the benefits, or privatization. Raising taxes will hurt an already struggling economy. The retirement age has already been raised from 65 to 70, raising it will only make more elderly Americans below the poverty line. Many jobs that Americans are working requiring physical activity will become very difficult once a worker turns 65. If workers have to work those type of jobs past their 70th birthday, their bodies might not be able to handle the workload and they will either be forced to retire or be fired before they can collect Social Security.

None of the candidates listed above are suggesting a balanced budget, let alone reducing the debt. While none of the candidates' plans will result in deficits as atrocious as the ones we have been experiencing, we can no longer afford to run up thd debt. It is approaching out annual Gross Domestic Product. The first $700 billion of the budget will have to go towards the debt (assuming we start paying off the debt). The longer we wait, the more we have to wait to start paying off the debt.

The Republicans' plan is to continue the surge may seem sound. The truth is that the longer we are in Iraq, the more people will feel that we are antagonists. We need to start pulling troops out as soon as possible, leaving enough troops to protect those rebuilding the country. None of the candidates have a sound policy on immigration. Our borders will remain open (especially with social spending being rampant on illegal aliens). The most sensible way to reduce the mass influx of illegals is to cut off all social spending to them.

Health care is expensive. It is expensive because of over-regulation from on side and lax rules where money is being wasted. We need to quit spending money on health care and make those who have been benefiting form health care money more accountable on how they spend their money.

We need a candidate who knows the real issues who will tackle them. We need the President and Congress to flip the bird at special-interest groups and fix the problems they have caused.

Nader's In - Democrats Need to Shut Up!

2008-02-25T16:56:00.005-05:00

Every four years, Ralph Nader throws his hat in the ring. He announced yesterday that he is running for President for 2008. This angers the hard-core Democrats.

Democrats claim that Ralph Nader stole votes from Al Gore in 2000. Ralph Nader deserved those votes. Democrats are disillusioned into believing that their candidate is entitled to every liberal vote and that the Democratic Party is the only party entitled to run a liberal candidate.

This is the Democrats' biggest problem. Their platform is all about entitlements and it has spilled beyond the programs. They should be more concerned about what the Constitution entitles us to (Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness, Bill of Rights, etc.) and less concerned about social entitlements. Social entitlements are a theft of taxpayers' money and of Americans' liberties.

Two shows Saturday!

2008-02-21T12:28:00.004-05:00

"Vortex of Freedom" Radio Show SATURDAY 2:30-3:00PM and 6:00-7:00 Eastern

2:30PM - "New Hampshire Primary Recount Appeal"Michigan Republican Presidential Candidate Albert Howard who paid $55,600 to initiate the New Hampshire Primary Recount files Petition of Appeal to the New Hampshire Ballot Law Commission c/o Office of the Secretary of State, William Gardner State House Concord, New Hampshire 03301 documents submitted on February 15, 2008. Subject of Petition: Appeal of results of the Presidential Primary recount completed February 11, 2008; examination of contested ballots in that recount. Relief Requested.

6:00PM - "And for Other Purposes"

Vortex of Freedom takes a close up look at laws and why many of them do not do what they were intended to do.

Call-in Number: (347) 215-7969

Something About Ethics

2008-02-21T08:35:00.009-05:00

I am going to start off by saying the issue is not about an alleged extra-marital affair. The issue is about voting for someone with strong moral character.

John McCain served admirably during Vietnam. He has fought against wasteful spending. He has (for better or for worse) stood up against his party and supported what he felt was right and just.

But John McCain and his policies are not perfect. "McCain-Feingold" is little more than assurance that an incumbent can keep his or her job as long as desired. It made things difficult for anyone willing to challenge the incumbent as well as for candidates who are neither Democratic nor Republican.

Let's assume that the relationship between John McCain and Vicki Iseman was platonic. Iseman is a lobbyist who represents various groups ranging from education to transportation to telecommunications.

One company was Glencairn Ltd, a client of Alcalde & Fay. The clients of Alcalde & Fay contributed thousands to McCain's 2000 campaign. Ms. Iseman was a representative of the company. McCain wrote letters to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on behalf of Glencairn Ltd urging it to uphold agreements that allow television companies to own two stations in a same city.

McCain also introduced a bill offering tax breaks for stations owned by minority companies. Ms. Iseman also represented companies who would benefit from such legislation.

As long as we have foxes guarding the hen house, we are going to have a shortage of hens. In the months to come, there will be more stories like these coming out about McCain, Obama, and Clinton. The only way to get rid of the problem is to quit voting for the people who cause the problem.

A Good Day to Work

2008-02-18T07:52:00.006-05:00

Today is "Presidents' Day," a day which many federal, state, and local government offices are closed.

I have a love-hate relationship with the above statement. Any occasion which the government closes down is a joyous one. Below is a list of holidays:

New Year's Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents' Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans' Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

Why do we observe Columbus Day? He was 0-4 in finding a route to India. He never set foot in what is now the United States. Why isn't Constitution Day a national holiday. It is only THE document that makes America the countryy of hope, freedom, and liberty.

A "DIfferent" Kind of Candidate

2008-02-15T18:23:00.003-05:00

Parts of Ahmnodt Heare's Platform:

War with Iraq is wrong. We should be fighting Canada for allowing
William Shattner and Celine Dion to infiltrate our country.

I am for gay marriage. Married people have less sex than single
people. That will teach them.

I would repeal all laws that protect stupid people. Lord knows
they're not an endangered species.

Ahmnodt Heare's claim to fame is creating a 60-second ad which won critical acclaim. It featured celebrity "endorsements" including former House Majority Leaded Tom DeLay.

His ideas are out there (although I love his position on "stupid people"). I think his tagline says it all: "On Election Day, tell your fellow Americans, 'Ahmnodt Heare'!"

Free Speech

2008-02-13T16:44:00.004-05:00

It's easy to support free speech when you agree with it. It is easy to speak freely when there is no fear of retaliation. It is more difficult when the free speech is controversial or if the person expressing him or herself is abrasive. A free society recognizes that all free speech be protected.

I think the cartoon above is in poor taste. That aside, Westergaard had something to say. It provoked thought and emotion. The freedom of expression often comes with a price. It can come with praise and admiration if people agree with the point of view. It can come through a rebuttal or a boycott if people disagree.

Nobody should ever be assassinated or arrested just because one expresses him or herself in a manner that is controversial. Intimidation is not the way to silence voices of dissent. The best way to silence a controversial statement is to make a stronger argument.

A Case for a National Primary

2008-02-13T06:41:00.004-05:00

Iowans had a potpourri of candidates in which to chose from when they went to caucus last month. Republicans had 11 candidates to choose from while Democrats had eight. The Republicans were down to five candidates and the Democrats slimmed down to three. Both parties had a candidate suspend his campaign by Super Tuesday.

John McCain has all but clinched the Republican nomination. Barack Obama is pulling away from Hillary Clinton. Twenty states have yet to vote. Voting for the President could be academic by the time primaries come to Pennsylvania in April and North Carolina in May.

Both Parties have a peculiar habit of knocking out their better candidates early. Bill Richardson, the only Democratic with executive and international experience, was knocked out before Super Tuesday. Mitt Romney is a former governor with over 25 years of international business experience.

A national day of primaries and caucuses would give hope to the better candidates whom for various reasons, seem to do poorly in Iowa and New Hampshire. People in Pennsylvania and North Carolina need to feel as part of the process as much as voter in Iowa and New Hampshire.

People say that a National Primary day would lead to a greater likelihood of a brokered convention. The current system is all about the parties and nothing about the voters.

Washington GOP Caucus

2008-02-10T09:28:00.002-05:00

Republicans | Polls | County Results
Candidate Votes % of votes Delegates won
McCain 3,468 26% 0
Huckabee 3,226 24% 0
Paul 2,799 21% 0
Romney 2,253 17% 0
Uncommitted 1,729 13%
87% of precincts reporting - as of 9:30AM EST 2/10/08

The polls closed yesterday early in the evening. Since this is a caucus, it should only take a few hours to count all the votes. All the votes were counted in Kansas for both parties' caucuses before voting ended in Washington. 13,500 votes have been counted thus far. There are approximately 2,000 votes left to count. How long is this supposed to take? Is this another case of Paulophobia? The Spokane NBC affiliate reported that Ron Paul won Spokane County by a large margin.

How long does it take to count a total of 15,500 votes?

"Vortex of Freedom" Radio Show - Saturday 6PM Eastern

2008-02-10T09:07:00.001-05:00

"Vortex of Freedom" Radio Show SATURDAY 6PM EST

DUH! It's the Economy - Why We're Screwed

The show will take a look at our present economy and look at the programs the presidential candidates plan to offer.

Call-in Number: (347) 215-7969

The RNC, the DNC, and Their Lemmings

2008-02-06T06:15:00.001-05:00

I have come with some conclusions from the "Super Tuesday" results: America wants a leader. Americans are so desperate for "leadership" that it does not matter where they are being lead.

The economy is a major issue in this election. Our deficit spending is out of control. We are currently saddled with a $9.2 trillion debt. The FY 2009 budget proposed by President Bush ($3.1 trillion) could add the debt to almost $10 trillion by this time next year. Most of the candidates would add to the debt in future years.

The Republican candidates are talking about cutting taxes. Cutting taxes will create added revenue to the Treasury. The Democrats are talking about making the rich pay their "fair share." Neither party has talked about cutting spending beyond "pork barrel spending." The Democrats would drastically increase social spending. Most of the Republicans would increase military spending.

The ugly monster approaching from the rear-view mirror is Social Security. 80 million Americans will retire over the next 20 years. This means 80 million fewer people paying payroll taxes and 80 million more people getting monthly checks from the government. A huge debt plus a massive payout obligation adds up to a huge mess.

One Republican candidate has a viable plan to address the current debt and future deficits. Republicans opted instead to ignore our economy and fall off the cliff. John McCain is the most fiscally "conservative" of the three Republicans who the lemmings will give their vote. His proposals will give a "mere" $6 billion addition in deficit spending. Romney will increase the deficit by almost $20 billion and Huckabee will increase it by over $50 billion, Ron Paul's budget will reduce the deficit by over $150 billion, but since the most fiscally conservative candidate has been labeled as a "lunatic", he has not received enough votes to remain viable.

The Republicans' fiscal calamity is a picnic compared to the offering from the two most popular Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Senator Clinton's proposals would add a $210 billion deficit while Barack Obama's will bring an additional $280 billion.

Americans are lemmings because we rather be lead than be free. We rather throw money at problems than try to fix them ourselves. The problems still exist because nobody wants to handle the problems Americans face. Enjoy the dive.

"Vortex of Freedom" Radio - "The 'Libertarian' in You"

2008-02-03T21:36:00.000-05:00

"Vortex of Freedom" Radio Show SATURDAY 6PM EST

The "Libertarian" In You

Many people want government to leave them alone. But people tend to vote for candidates who want more government. This show will examine this paradox and how people can guard themselves against them.

Call-in Number: (347) 215-7969

Paulophobia

2008-02-02T07:29:00.001-05:00

"Paulophobia" is in the establishment. They are the people who will only interrupt a boycott of mentioning Ron Paul with a slanderous, ill-researched piece written by a two-bit hack.

Paulophobes are easy to spot. They suffer from the following symptoms:

The inability to count to four. "All three Republican candidates would rather face Hillary."
The need to exclude the smartest candidate.
The need to limit the smartest candidate in debates in which he somehow got included in.
The need to ask pointless questions to the smartest candidate i.e. "Are you electable?"

Ron Paul is a loon. If he was sane, he would recognize how important it is to send other people's sons and daughters to die for oil. A lunatic like Ron Paul would not know how to run up the federal debt to $1 trillion, never mind the $9.3 trillion the sane people have. And Ron Paul ought to be committed to a mental institution for suggesting that government officials abide by the Constitution. Sure George W. Bush swore to uphold and defend the Constitution twice, but even he knows it's just a "God damned piece of paper!"

I would love to write more, but I have to help the "lunatic" take over the asylum.

The "Mitt and John Show"

2008-01-31T07:41:00.000-05:00

The Republican Party shot itself in the foot last night. Most of the debate was McCain and Romney bickering like spoiled children over who would be a better leader. Ron Paul was given a whole nine seconds to answer whether he would have appointed Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court before being abruptly interrupted by Anderson Cooper . Huckabee got the "on Paul Treatment" by not being allowed to say much.

The whining at the debate makes me wonder if either McCain or Romney will have the muster to be a great muster.

Other notes: Mitt Romney is not a Washington "Outsider." Outsiders do not get to become members of the Council of Foreign Relations (A powerful Washington foreign policy think tank)
Ron Paul won the debate last night, especially on the economy. He was the only candidate who has emphasized that cutting spending is as important as cutting taxes.

That wasn't an earthquake in Southern California last night. It was Ronald Reagan rolling in his grave.

"State of the Union" Comments - The Path to Bankrupcy

2008-01-28T21:58:00.000-05:00

Bush keeps talking about increasing funding. How are we going to pay for this?

"State of the Union" Comments - Iran

2008-01-28T21:53:00.000-05:00

Here we go again... How are we going to pay for a war if we get into one?

"State of the Union" Comments - We'll Always be There

2008-01-28T21:46:00.001-05:00

The President talks about eventually reducing troops, but suggested that roops will always be there to oversee.

"We will not rest until this enemy has been defeated." - What a crock of shit! This is nothing more than perpetual war with no hope for peace. Republicans can never be considered fiscally conservative if they accept this style of foreign policy.

"State of the Union" Comments - Maybe it's Just Me

2008-01-28T21:45:00.000-05:00

The Iraqi vets attending the State of the Union Address don't seem too glad to be there nor do they seem to believe Bush.

"State of the Union" Comments - Terrorism

2008-01-28T21:37:00.000-05:00

Freedom is not dropping bombs, It is not nation-building, it is not what Bush is talking about. Adding 3,200 troops to Afghanistan will do nothing.

How much longer will this "surge" be taking place? I don't see Obama or Hillary Clinton ending this war any time soon.