Articles written by Richard Para

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About me - Richard Para

My career in the investment community spanned thirty-five years. Twenty-five of those years were spent with the firm of Merrill Lynch followed by time spent as a senior investment analyst for an on-line investment firm.

During my free time I became intensely

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Religion & Spirituality > Atheism & Agnosticism Testimonies: Why I am an athiest: 6 of 36
Atheists are non-believers. False! I am an Atheist and I believe. I believe anything; anything that is presented to me provided it is supported by verifiable evidence. Why must I have supporting evidence?Try to imagine a court of law based solely on faith rather than evidence."Did you steal that money?""No I did not!""Next ca... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Baseball Do baseball salaries buy championships?: 3 of 18
My answer to the question at hand is yes and no; but mostly yes! Wait, wait, I can see your eyes rolling to the back of your head. Please, allow me to explain we have some complex issues to address here.In order to assemble a championship team championship caliber players and coaches are required. Right? Duh! Let's say that I... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Constitutional & Contract Law Should a woman have the right to choose abortion?: 84 of 428
Abortion is one of the most highly charged debates of our time. This debate, for the most part, has become emotionally driven overwhelming reason, logic and evidence. No reasonable solution to any problem has ever been solved on the basis of emotion. Emotion tends to mask the truth and is therefore used extensively by those w... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Pulitzer Center What would be the most dramatic difference, in terms of U.S. foreign policy, between a President John McCain and a President Barack Obama?: 13 of 52
Negotiate with anyone; negotiate without conditions, set clear-cut, definitive timetables for pullout of troops deployed in hotspots such as Iraq or Afghanistan, let it become clear to all that the change in foreign policy is toward Pax Americana; this is the agenda of Barrack Obama as he appeals to all the reasonable people... More..
Personal Finance > Managing Debt Debt: How much debt is too much?: 7 of 23
Debt in many ways is similar to fire. When under control fire will warm your home and cook your food. That same fire, when it is out of control, will not only destroy your home but may even take a life along with it. Most of us recognize the benefits and dangers associated with fire and deal with it accordingly. But, what abo... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Inspirational: 17 of 55
The Man Who Killed the AntichristThere is no finer time of day than the breaking of dawn. It is the promise of a new beginning, a fresh start, the first step toward a more fulfilling life and all of the unknown wonders that are about to unfold. No one enjoyed the freshness and joy of the morning more than the gray haired, eld... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Economy Should we replace our tax law with a flat tax or a national sales tax?: 5 of 14
The concept of a flat or national sales tax is so elegantly simple and supremely effective as a revenue generator that to debate the subject seems to me to be totally irrelevant. However, thankfully, our nation is a democratic society and debate in reference to any changes is absolutely required. Between the two new tax propo... More..
Personal Finance > Stock Market Investing in EFTs: 4 of 10
ETFs are the place to be if you are serious about wealth building. They are an even better place for your long term investment dollars than Mutual Funds and here's why.Mutual funds (managed portfolios) were created in order to overcome one of the major risks associated with the participation in the stock market and they have ... More..
Travel > Travel (Other) Has Muslim extremism damaged world tourism irrevocably?: 9 of 20
Those of us who can recall airline travel in the days of: "Would you like steak or salmon?" Get all teary eyed as we remove our shoes before entering an electronic search monster and then are forced to watch as a complete stranger rifles through our carry-on. Understandably the gourmet meals are gone forever due to inflationa... More..
Personal Finance > Bonds Why bonds fluctuate in value: 12 of 21
Bonds fluctuate in value primarily because interest rates fluctuate. When the bond is a direct obligation of the U. S. Government, interest rate fluctuation is the only reason for its fluctuation in value.We all are aware of the fact that when we purchase a bond we are loaning our money to the issuer of the bond. Our compensa... More..