Posts by Robert Ringer
The Curse of the Lottery
The story 20/20 did on Jack Whittaker, winner of $315 million in the Powerball multi-state lottery in 2002, was heavy, to say the least. (Since he opted to take a one-time payout, Whittaker actually received “only” a little over $113 million after taxes.) His is yet another in a long line of tales about people who suddenly find themselves immensely wealthy – and subsequently miserable.
Read MoreA Tale of Two Winners
“Leo” had a good strategy for handling big paydays. Throughout his career, whenever he received a big chunk of income, the first thing he did was carve out an amount sufficient to cover the income taxes he would have to pay on it and put the money in a special bank account.
Read MoreAllowing for Unforeseen Circumstances
The reality is that unforeseen circumstances are an integral part of everyday life. And the only way you can exert any degree of control over them is to make the necessary allowances in advance.
Read MoreKicking the Can Down the Road
To overly simplify it, the catalyst for our fiscal predicament is the eat-drink-and-be-merry bunch affectionately referred to as “baby boomers.”
Read MoreHillbama Magic
Politicians are always cautious about raising taxes too fast, for fear of inciting the masses. After all, a revolt could result in their failure to be reelected
Read MoreThe Power of Detachment
There are many things from which you can detach yourself, and one of the most important is the habit of judging people, actions, and circumstances as being right or wrong, good or bad.
Read MoreThe Hero Within You
To the extent you work at spreading the gospel of liberty to others – explaining to as many people as possible why liberty must be given a higher priority than all other objectives – you are a hero.
Read MoreThe Rocky Balboa of New Zealand
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill New Zealand hero Sir Edmund Hillary and his climbing partner, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, became the first men to conquer Mt. Everest. An amazing feat! But Hillary isn’t the only New Zealander whose accomplishments still inspire me.…
Read MoreAbstract Phenomena
“Everything in nature contains all the power of nature. Everything is made of one hidden stuff.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Autism-spectrum disorders are a result of damage to certain cells in the right hemisphere of the brain. Among other things, such damage can cause difficulties in the processing of abstract thoughts and ideas. Which, in…
Read MoreIf You Can Keep Your Head
“Insanity in individuals is something rare, but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs it is the rule.” – Friedrich Nietzsche In a fit of insanity, I relented. I let my wife talk me into stopping off at a supermarket on the way back from D.C. You would think that, as a professional social observer, I…
Read MoreCharades
“There are some people who live in a dream world , and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.” – Douglas H. Everett I recently received an e-mail from Wayne Holt of Houston, TX . It stated, in part: “I am stunned by the indifference…
Read MoreSuccess Loves Speed
“There are no speed limits on the road to excellence. We can’t be fined for speeding.” – David W. Johnson Last January, Bob Bly wrote an article for ETR titled “The Best Business Advice You’ll Ever Get.” In it, he credited Joe Vitale with making him an extra $200,000 a year. The philosophy that was…
Read More