Sample Speech #3: A Toast to the Toastmasters
le Ladies and Gentlemen – this is a box. It might be an hour of work. It functions just fine. It gets the job done, and it will last forever.…
Guardrails & Probability of Failure Nonsense
Perhaps the most common tool used to discuss retirement planning, and especially planning withdrawals from a retirement account is the use of Monte Carlo Simulation. In fact, you can find…
Sample Speech #2: Male Bovine Excrement
Opening - 1:00 Minute This is a copy of the album Power, from the Temptations back in 1980. This was the last hit record for the group and the title…
Sample Speech #1: It’s All About the Shoes
This is a sample speech that won several contests in my district. I provide it here for anyone looking for ideas or sample speeches to get started in Toastmasters or…
Normal Doesn’t Mean “Normal”, it means normal
I ran across an important quote today that is particularly enlightening about attitudes towards investment returns. It relates to the Laplace-Gaussian distribution, but before I Explain further, ask yourself a…
Investing has Been Solved (Sort of) – Part II
Let’s get the idea that will enrage most people out of the way first. When it comes to long term investing (and there is no other kind) our simple rule…
Investing Has Been Solved (Sort of) Part I
Before you freak out and scream – “no it hasn’t you idiot, my situation is different,” let me explain that you are absolutely right, but that has nothing to do…
More 4% Nonsense
Whatever you do in this space, don’t ever admit that the 4% rule is nonsense. If you do, you will be publicly flogged and left for dead for being such…
Risk and Investment Returns are Positively Related
I begin with a beautiful illustration from William J. Bernstein’s book, The Four Pillars of Investing. I will quote him directly here to be sure to not take credit for…
I Don’t Have Anything to Talk About – Really?
As President of a Toastmasters club in Frisco, Texas, I often find myself asking relatively new club members about delivering a speech ASAP. I often get one of 3 common…