2014 YEAR-END WRAP-UP

BRYCE ON LIFE

- My most popular columns this year.

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To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

This is my last column for the year as I prepare to enjoy the holidays and rest up for 2015. As has become customary, I'm going to use this opportunity to review my top essays from the past year.

As you know, I write on a variety of subjects, such as management, systems, technology, social issues, politics, and observations of our changing world. Sometimes my work is instructional and informative, other times it is controversial or humorous. I certainly hope it isn’t boring. By the number of subscribers I have, their comments, and the hits I have on my web site, I do not believe this is the case.

For my year-end column, I researched my statistics to see which were my most popular articles and speculate on their popularity. Herein, therefore, are my “greatest hits” for 2014.

SAYING GOODBYE TO A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER

Without a doubt, this was my #1 column of the year. In it I described the passing of two high school teachers who had a profound effect on me. This allowed me to comment on the long term effect teachers have on their students. True, many of my classmates enjoyed it, but I also heard from several teachers and students on this one. I evidently hit a nerve.

BEWARE OF A PERIOD AND TWO SPACES

This column discussed the use of punctuation in a job resume. Frankly, I was surprised by how popular it became with the public. Those who took typing classes years ago could particularly relate to it.

RETIREMENTLAND

This was a personal favorite of mine where I provided a tongue-in-cheek description of what retirement is really like. I received considerable e-mails on this one, most loving it, others resenting how accurate I was in describing the various retirement activities.

THE OBAMA JUKEBOX

I write a lot of political commentary, but this was my most popular as people could relate to the sound bites the president regularly serves up, and how they should be translated.

LIFE IS UNFAIR

Here, I provided a humorous description of the "Murphy's Laws" that regularly drive us crazy. The public enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.

IT'S ME, RIGHT?

A political piece laced with humor. This was another favorite of mine, and a column several people could relate to. One reader said, "So funny Tim - But maybe entirely too true."

MORE EVIDENCE OF TECHNOLOGY ADDICTION

This is part of an on-going series of articles where I discuss the dangers of technology addiction. I believe this is something many people tend to overlook.

BUILDING TEAM MORALE THROUGH LEADERSHIP

As part of my consulting practice, I wrote this essay which was derived from management concepts in the acclaimed movie, "Twelve O'Clock High." These simple concepts were taught by the military for many years following World War II.

IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICE

Another essay from my consulting practice where I discussed the need for customer service. This generated substantial comments.

ITALIAN RED SAUCE - IT'S PASSIONATE

This was an unusual column where I discussed the unique taste of Italian Red Sauce, and that everyone claims to have the best recipe. I received considerable comments on this one (most purporting to have the best sauce).

Through my hit counters, I also discovered what my most popular column was prior to 2014. Far and away, it was:

THE REMINGTON RAND ADDING MACHINE, MODEL 41013-10

I'm not sure why this was so popular, as I was describing an ancient adding machine we had in our office. Evidently, it was the same type of machine many other people used in the past. I believe they missed its simplicity, effectiveness, and sound.
 

For me personally, 2014 will best be remembered as the release of my "Bryce's Uncommon Sense" series of books, where I discussed politics, management, change, and the American character.

I want to thank all of my readers who commented on my columns this year, both in print and on the radio. Although I may not have time to respond to everyone, rest assured I read all of your comments, both good and bad. Thank you. It’s nice to know people are listening.

Happy New Year.

Keep the Faith!

NOTE: My column will return January 5th

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2014 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

NEXT UP:  WELCOMING A NEW CONGRESS - What to expect over the next two years.

LAST TIME:  FINDING PERFECTION IN IMPERFECTION - Beware of the perfect potato chip, peanut, or person.

Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) "The Town Square" with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern); WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington "The Morning News" with hosts Dave Ettl & Lance Tormey (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube.

FINDING PERFECTION IN IMPERFECTION

BRYCE ON LIFE

- Beware of the perfect potato chip, peanut, or person.

(Click for AUDIO VERSION)
To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

I do not know what kind of potato chip you like, but I tend to avoid the national brands and enjoy the local variety. For some reason, I have a problem with a perfect potato chip. You know, it is perfectly round and pure in color without a blemish. To me, it seems rather sterile and too good to be true. It lacks imagination (and taste). Instead, I prefer a chip with a little character. Maybe it is slightly burned on the edge or the skin somehow survives the cutting process and remains on the chip. Either way, I find them tastier than the perfect chips.

The same is true with peanuts. If there is a can of nuts on the table, I'll zero in on those peanuts that are browner than the others or perhaps still have the skin on them. Likewise, I'll do this with a can of mixed nuts. I'm also not a fan of plain white bread, particularly those soft loaves of bread we typically feed to kids. I like something with a little more imagination, such as rye, pumpernickel, sourdough, or a nutty whole wheat. And, Yes, I love the crust and heels of such breads. As for the crust, the crunchier the better. As to the heel, it is something all fathers have to eat whether we like it or not (I think it is in our job description).

I guess what I am saying is, while most people desire purity, I tend to gravitate towards a little imperfection. In terms of food, imperfection offers a bolder taste; it takes a typically bland pure product and gives it some character, thereby perfecting the taste. In other words, imperfections can lead to perfection.

The same is true with people. Those who seem to have perfect teeth, skin, hair, smile, who always say the right thing at the right time, and seem too be good to be true, I find rather boring. Maybe such people make me cognizant of my own imperfections, but I tend to prefer people with a gap in their teeth, balding, possess an interesting accent, or have some distracting foible. To me, such people are aware of their imperfections, work to overcome them and, by doing so, are much more interesting than the perfect people. The world would be very bland and uninteresting if everyone was perfect. Again, here is where imperfection leads to perfection.

I am certainly not suggesting we should all become nonconformists and dress avant-garde, or go out of our way to distract others by drawing attention to ourselves. Instead, we should just understand our imperfections, do not become obsessed by them, and enjoy the company of others. I think there is a tendency for people to focus on people's shortcomings as opposed to their strengths and assets. When we do this, we miss the delicious brown peanut.

Some time ago I came up with the Bryce's Law, "Never trust a person who doesn’t have at least one known vice (e.g., drinking, smoking, swearing)." If they do not exhibit at least one imperfection, they are probably too good to be true and masking other imperfections. As for me, I'll keep looking for the brown potato chip, dark peanuts, and the guy with the bald spot. They may be imperfect, but they will likely have more character and are more interesting than those who purport themselves to be perfect. They aren't.

As my father liked to say, "Don't forget, the last guy that was perfect they hung on a cross."

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2014 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

NEXT UP:  2014 YEAR-END WRAP-UP - My most popular columns this year.

LAST TIME:  A SUGGESTION TO SOLVE THE "GULF OF MISTRUST"  - My solution is considerably simpler than the President's (and less expensive).

Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) "The Town Square" with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern); WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington "The Morning News" with hosts Dave Ettl & Lance Tormey (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube.

A SUGGESTION TO SOLVE THE "GULF OF MISTRUST"

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- My solution is considerably simpler than the President's (and less expensive)

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To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

In the wake of the Mike Brown shooting and resulting riots in Ferguson, Missouri, President Obama claims to be looking for ways to heal the country. In a speech before the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's annual awards dinner on November 29th, the President claimed "a gulf of mistrust" exists between residents and police in too many communities. The question thereby becomes, is he telling the truth or is this nothing but more rhetoric to stir up the country?

Obama has since proposed spending millions of dollars on body cameras and retraining the police to become more restrained when dealing with black crime. Frankly, the money would be more wisely spent on retraining the thugs in the community, or better yet, work on ways to improve the family unit in the black community. Let us not forget, Michael Brown, was a product of a broken home. This may have added to his taking drugs, robbing the convenient store, and his rage against the police.

The President has also called for meetings at the White House to consider ways to overcome the alleged problem that "people distrust the cops." Attending the meeting were civil rights leaders, representatives of law enforcement, and politicians. Also participating was Al Sharpton, the IRS deadbeat, Media Pig, MSNBC dunderhead, and poster child for racial unrest who is still warmly welcomed at the White House for some strange reason. Nothing was immediately forthcoming from these meetings other than to reenforce the perception the cops are not to be trusted.

As I mentioned in my book, "Liberal Kryptonite," the liberal playbook calls for instilling a sense of fear in the populace. Whereas law enforcement was generally considered the good guys prior to Ferguson, now the president and the left want you to believe they are bad and not to be trusted. This is an interesting sleight of hand that is aided by the main street media. What the President, Eric Holder and Al Sharpton are suggesting is the Ferguson Grand Jury decision was meaningless, and they will not be satisfied until Darren Wilson is put away for Brown's death. Even if Wilson is prosecuted and found innocent, this will not satisfy the Left. They will continue to protest and play upon the white sense of guilt over slavery (again).

We will likely hear the mantra of "a gulf of mistrust" for quite some time. It's like running a television commercial over and over again until you know, "15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance." The idea is to intentionally create a barrier between blacks and whites which, in turn, perpetuates racial discord thereby causing blacks to form ranks under the Democratic party.

If the President, Al Sharpton, Eric Holder, et al, were seriously concerned about black/white relations, why is it they failed to comment on the Mobile, Alabama case where an 18 year old unarmed white male, Gilbert Collar, was shot by a black police officer, Trevis Austin. What is good for the goose should be good for the gander, right? Wrong. Liberals are fully cognizant that disharmony is caused by portraying the minority as the innocent victim. It does not work when a person from the majority is the victim.

Mr. President, here is a suggestion for you; I believe I have the answer for solving your problem; if you really want to overcome the "gulf of mistrust" between the people and law enforcement, have the communities commit fewer crimes. Eliminate the drugs, promote morality and family values, and condemn thuggery. The police will then have less to do and tensions will relax. Simple, isn't it?

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2014 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

NEXT UP:  FINDING PERFECTION IN IMPERFECTION - Beware of the perfect potato chip, peanut, or person.

LAST TIME:  FERGUSON EXPOSES RACISM  - History repeats itself.

Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) "The Town Square" with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern); WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington "The Morning News" with hosts Dave Ettl & Lance Tormey (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube.

FERGUSON EXPOSES RACISM

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- History repeats itself.

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To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

Last month Officer Darren Wilson was not indicted for the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. I listened patiently to the prosecutor's explanation of the decision. As someone living several hundred miles away, I had no reason to doubt the Grand Jury discharged their responsibilities with due diligence. They digested considerable physical evidence and sat through many hours of witness testimonies before rendering their decision. It all seemed rather cut-and-dry to me. Evidently, it wasn't to many others in Ferguson who went on a rampage of destruction. What we witnessed was a wilding where the buildings of innocent merchants were ransacked and destroyed. One can only assume the rabble believed themselves to be above the law and turned to vigilantism.

We saw this same type of reaction in the Treyvon Martin case. In the rabble's mind, George Zimmerman was guilty until proven innocent. Even then, there was still unrest.

Actually, the upheaval in Ferguson is reminiscent of the Watts riots of 1965 whereby a black motorist was arrested for reckless driving by a white motorcycle cop. Word got out about the incident, a crowd formed, and escalated into six days of riots and violence. As in Ferguson, the National Guard was called in to help maintain order. Regardless, hundreds of businesses were looted and burned, thousands were arrested, and 34 people killed. The parallel between Ferguson and Watts is simply too uncanny to overlook, even if the two events were separated by a half a century.

In 1965, Democrat Lyndon Johnson was in the White House. The era was marked by Civil Rights and race relations. Prior to the Watts Riots, Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and in 1965 the Congress passed the rest of his "Great Society" legislation which lives on in the form of programs for welfare, Medicare, education reform, consumer protection, and the War on Poverty. In other words, great changes were in the offing for America, until Watts erupted thus igniting a series of race riots throughout the country.

As in Ferguson, the rioters of Watts showed little respect for the law. The ensuing violence had less to do with race relations as it did about simple thuggery. The same is true in Ferguson. The rioters only wanted an excuse to steal and destroy. Michael Brown was just the excuse to unleash their fury. In reality, those that rioted in Ferguson had no true regard for the tragedy of Michael Brown.

So here we are, nearly 50 years after Watts with another Democratic president who is perhaps the most racially divisive in history. Exit polls from the recent 2014 mid-term elections evidence-of-progress reveals both blacks and whites believe race relations have gotten worse, not better. Among blacks, unemployment has risen, as well as poverty under Mr. Obama. Many are simply giving up and becoming wards of the state, thereby stoking racial unrest.

So, were the Ferguson riots triggered by racism, or was it simply disrespect for the law? Actually, it was a little of both. As in Watts, Ferguson was a tinder box ready to explode due to the discord in the black community. The rioters simply wanted to vent their frustrations, not so much about Martin but about their lives in general. Whether the Grand Jury indicted Officer Wilson was immaterial, they were going to riot regardless of the verdict.

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2014 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

NEXT UP:  A SUGGESTION TO SOLVE THE "GULF OF MISTRUST" - My solution is considerably simpler than the President's (and less expensive).

LAST TIME:  THE ARROGANCE OF THE LEFT  - Are Americans stupid?

Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) "The Town Square" with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern); WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; The Glenn Pav Show on WTAN-AM (1340) in Clearwater, FL, Mon-Fri (9-10am); and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington "The Morning News" with hosts Dave Ettl & Lance Tormey (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube.

THE ARROGANCE OF THE LEFT

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- Are Americans stupid?

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To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

MIT Professor of Economics and architect of Obamacare, Dr. Jonathan Gruber, put his foot squarely in his mouth when a video recently surfaced where he was quoted as saying about the Affordable Care Act, "Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage. And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really, really critical for the thing to pass." In other words, the American voter was taken for granted and assumed to be incompetent to manage his own affairs. More importantly, Gruber's comments signifies the arrogance of the left and to what lengths they will go to pursue their hidden agenda.

Interestingly, the major television networks gave the story little, if any, air time. This is strange as Gruber basically suggested the Obama administration had misled the Congress and the country over his signature legislation. The lack of reporting of such a story smacks of a conspiracy and confirms the left's manipulation of the mainstream media.

We also saw evidence of this when TV reporter Sharyl Attkisson was pushed out of CBS News. According to Politico, Attkisson, "who has been with CBS News for two decades, had grown frustrated with what she saw as the network's liberal bias, an outsized influence by the network's corporate partners and a lack of dedication to investigative reporting." The lesson is clear, the left owns the main street media and there is no room for anyone who doesn't play ball with them. The same is true in Hollywood as well.

As I wrote in my book, "Liberal Kryptonite," to get their way, lying and deception is an integral part of the liberal playbook. We have witnessed this in such things as Global Warming, the War on Women, and now Obamacare. The intention is to create fear and outrage, thereby spinning public opinion. Normally, these claims cannot be substantiated, but in Gruber's case, he accidentally let the cat out of the bag.

As another example, just prior to Thanksgiving, the White House quietly released plans for a whopping 3,415 new regulations, with several aimed at assisting the EPA. This, of course, was not picked up by the main street media and the public is unaware of the story. This is a back door maneuver engineered at a time when the American public is distracted by a major holiday. As an aside, this is certainly not the first time (or the last) the Obama administration has tried such a maneuver. It has been my experience, attorneys want to regulate everything; our actions, our perspectives and our way of life. This is just another way to promote social engineering. Such programming of the American people is unnatural and inhibits freedom and business. We need less regulations, not more.

It is this elitist mindset, as typified by Gruber and others, that should upset Americans. Basically, they are saying to the people, "You are stupid, but not to worry, we'll do the thinking for you."

So, are Americans stupid? Well, they voted Obama into office twice, so we know they can be easily fooled and manipulated. However, I would like to believe Americans are not as stupid as they are portrayed by liberals, if given the facts. I still believe in the sanctity of the human spirit. It is our respect for the rights of the individual and our ability to work as a team in times of crisis which makes America great. In contrast, the left sees the people as nothing more than cattle which have to be prodded accordingly.

The truth is, we ought to thank Gruber for teaching us this important lesson.

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2014 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

NEXT UP:  FERGUSON EXPOSES RACISM - History repeats itself.

LAST TIME:  ESSAYS ON THE AMERICAN SCENE  - One of four new books from Tim; this book includes humorous descriptions of the human condition in America.

Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) "The Town Square" with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern); WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; The Glenn Pav Show on WTAN-AM (1340) in Clearwater, FL, Mon-Fri (9-10am); and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington "The Morning News" with hosts Dave Ettl & Lance Tormey (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube.

ESSAYS ON THE AMERICAN SCENE

BRYCE ON LIFE

- One of four new books from Tim; this book includes humorous descriptions of the human condition in America.

(Click for AUDIO VERSION)
To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

The following are excerpts from the Introduction of my new book, "ESSAYS ON THE AMERICAN SCENE," one of four new books I recently introduced, available in paper and Kindle eBook formats from Amazon.

"If the mind really is the finest computer, then there are a lot of people out there who need to be rebooted."
- Bryce's Law

Americans are interesting creatures. As a heterogeneous society, we bring the best and the worst to the table. On the one hand, we are stubbornly independent, we resist cooperation, and ready to fight our neighbor when his kid accidentally kicks a ball on our property; On the other hand, we can be tremendously kind and generous, and ready to come to the nation's defense if attacked. Americans prefer to react to disasters as opposed to planning. It's an inherent part of our character which the rest of the world is well aware of; as Japan's legendary General Yamamoto said after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

America is a melting pot of ideas and customs from around the world, which is both our strength and weakness. We love to bicker about our government, yet are unwilling to do anything about it. We are easily swayed by the media who spins our perspective on current events, diverts our attention from true issues, and castigates anyone who is not politically correct. America is a nation split between hard workers and freeloaders. Whereas half of the country believes and pursues the American dream, the other half believes they should do nothing but dream.

Perhaps America's biggest commodity is entertainment, which is closely followed by the rest of the world. Our entertainers see themselves more as free-spirited artists and role models as opposed to laborers. They are quick to offer their political opinions which seems odd to me. This is like the court jester offering advice to the King.

Although I write on many topics, I find the foibles of the American people to be particularly interesting. What I am including herein our observations of phenomenons or events we tend to overlook or have forgotten about.

From the outset, let me warn the reader I am not always politically correct. You will also encounter some profanity along the way, but I am more interested as to why we use it as opposed to the simple use of it. I apologize in advance if this offends you, but please realize I am trying to make a point. Hopefully you will see the humor in what I am describing.

After reading these essays, some of you will accuse me of dwelling on the past too much. Maybe, but it is probably better than what we are experiencing today. In reality, I am trying to contrast the human character of yesterday to today. We cannot appreciate where we are going unless we know where we've been.

There are eight sections in the book:

1. HOW WE COMMUNICATE - some observations as to how we send and receive messages.

2. HUMAN NATURE - describing what we are about and what makes us tick.

3. FOOD - a handful of essays on what we like to eat.

4. SHOPPING - where we go and how we barter.

5. THAT'S LIFE - interesting episodes of how we live.

6. SPORTS - some perspectives on baseball, fishing, and sports in general.

7. SPECIAL DATES - commentary on some important days to remember.

8. ENTERTAINMENT - remembering some class acts.

9. EPILOGUE - concluding comments.

As to what makes me tick, you first have to remember I graduated from college with a Bachelor's degree in communications, hence my fascination with our vernacular and histrionics. I never tire of hearing new words injected into our culture, particularly from people in advertising. I also spent over thirty years as a management consultant, specializing in information systems and computers. Because of this, I was fortunate to have toured quite a bit of the world, visiting companies of all sizes and shapes, and people from the trenches to the boardroom. It was a very enlightening journey. This also caused me to write on a myriad of subjects, everything from business management, to systems and technology, politics and religion, and the ever-changing world around us. Although I try to make a legitimate point with each of my essays, I try to sprinkle in some humor to make them more palatable.

I hope you will be pleased.

Tim's "Uncommon Sense Series" is available in paperbook and eBook format. For information, click HERE

NOTE: Tim is available for radio interviews and lectures. Click to REQUEST SPEAKER.

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2014 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

NEXT UP:  THE ARROGANCE OF THE LEFT - Are Americans stupid?

LAST TIME:  LIBERAL KRYPTONITE  - One of four new books from Tim; this book 

includes my political writings warning America about the liberal agenda.

Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) "The Town Square" with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern); WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; The Glenn Pav Show on WTAN-AM (1340) in Clearwater, FL, Mon-Fri (9-10am); and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington "The Morning News" with hosts Dave Ettl & Lance Tormey (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube.

LIBERAL KRYPTONITE

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- One of four new books from Tim; this book includes my political writings warning America about the liberal agenda.

(Click for AUDIO VERSION)
To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

The following are excerpts from the Introduction of my new book, "LIBERAL KRYPTONITE," one of four new books I recently introduced, available in paper and Kindle eBook formats from Amazon.

In the Aesop fable, "The Ant and the Grasshopper," the ant represents industry and the grasshopper portrays the fool who would rather fiddle as opposed to store supplies for the winter. It is a lesson of capitalism versus socialism. Whereas the ant works earnestly during the summer, the grasshopper pleads for help from the ant during the winter, who only rebukes him for his idleness during the summer.

If Aesop were to write the story by today's standards, I think it would go something like this:

"As the ant struggled and worked to eek out a living, he would be forced to pay the grasshopper a handsome entertainment fee for listening to his fiddle. Even though the grasshopper refused to seek honest employment, the government took half of the ant's food supplies and gave it to the grasshopper who claimed he was entitled to it. The more industrious the ant became to compensate for his declining food supplies, the more the government took. By wintertime, the ant and his family faced exhaustion and famine. In contrast, the grasshopper now lived comfortably in the biggest ant hill with an abundance of food. In desperation, the ant knocked on the grasshopper's door to beg for some food. The grasshopper laughed and slammed the door in the ant's face whereupon he perished in the snow."

As a footnote, the grasshopper perished shortly thereafter as there were no other ants remaining to farm the food.

I, for one, have no intention of going the way of the ant in this latter version.

 

Years ago, when I was still in college, I came upon the following quote by Laurence M. Gould, President Emeritus of Carleton College in Minnesota:

"I do not believe the greatest threat to our future is from bombs or guided missiles. I don't think our civilization will die that way. I think it will die when we no longer care. Arnold Toynbee has pointed out that 19 of 21 civilizations have died from within and not from without. There were no bands playing and flags waving when these civilizations decayed. It happened slowly, in the quiet and the dark when no one was aware."

Gould's message had a profound effect on me. I too believe America will be destroyed from within, not by external forces. Indeed, history will inevitably repeat itself.

In our case, it will be caused by liberals who want to overturn the American way of life; who want to redistribute the wealth, eliminate God from our culture, reject American exceptionalism, subvert the United States constitution, and replace it with autocratic rule. In so doing, government will become bloated, bureaucratic and control every aspect of our lives, thereby realizing George Orwell's prophetic "Big Brother." Make no mistake, liberals do not support the middle class, they want to destroy it as they know this is where the real power resides in our country. Without a middle class, Socialism blooms.

Behind this is a deep-seated belief the people are not smart enough to do what is best for themselves and the world overall, that they must be controlled and coerced like cattle. Liberals believe the world should be led by the selected few who know what is best and control others accordingly, thereby creating a slave state; people who will do their master's bidding as long as they are taken care of. Under this approach, you are to allow others to do the thinking for you, share everything, own no property, you are expected to behave a certain way, and you will be rewarded accordingly with food, housing, freebies and drugs. More than anything, liberalism is about social engineering and control.

For centuries, immigrants had to adapt to the American culture. They were asked to learn the English language and conform to the country’s laws, rules and regulations. Today it is just the reverse; the American public is being asked to learn immigrant languages and customs, and adapt to their laws, and rules. One could even suggest that illegal immigrants today have more rights and privileges than American citizens. This is unnatural; the individual should adapt to the culture, not the other way around.

Obviously, this dictatorial form of government is in sharp contrast to our current form which provides certain unalienable rights for the individual. The supposition here is that a monarchy can rule better than a democratically elected republic. Interestingly, this was the reason we fought the Revolutionary War, to eliminate monarchies and provide a government for and by the people.

The left consists of attorneys, government bureaucrats, and pseudo-intellectuals such as teachers and college professors who have trouble surviving in a capitalist world and, as such, are determined to undermine it. They are self-righteous do-gooders who believe they possess exclusive knowledge of what is best for society. Their immoral tactics include undermining our current form of government and way of life, create doubt and suspicion among our youth and the poor, brainwash the public, and control the media. They operate covertly behind the scenes and will go to any extreme to get their way, legally or illegally.

They are not interested in honest debate but rather visceral attacks aimed at character assassination, anything to cloud the issue and distract the audience. Their tactics include lying, cheating, creating false rumors, or any other method to get their way. They are gorilla fighters as opposed to people of honor. Their weapon of choice is fear. Because they have the ear of the media, it is easy for them to spread cataclysmic fear and innuendo about such things as global warming, gun control, the wars on women and energy, racial and economic inequality, the greedy rich, the evils of big business, and the separation of church and state. This is enforced through carefully crafted sound bites that are easy to memorize and recite. They are not interested in protecting our borders as they are counting on the votes of millions of illegal immigrants, nor are they interested in having an accurate voting system so they can illegally manipulate it. They want to take the country by hook or by crook. Their efforts would be laughable if it wasn't true. They are masters of perception manipulation.

The lifestyle promoted by liberals is not a natural one. Under a socialist approach, there are no losers (or winners for that matter). Work is no longer considered a natural extension of the human spirit, nor is risk. Consequently, liberals are promoting a program that will ultimately kill ambition, exploration, invention, and entrepreneurship. More importantly, it kills our sense of craftsmanship and productivity and turns us into a second class country. Basically, it will be turning the clock backwards 250 years.

Liberals are the true enemies of the country, not outsiders. The point of this book, therefore, is to familiarize yourself with the enemy. To do so, I am enclosing essays which may seem innocent on the surface yet are despised by the left, which is why I refer to it as "Liberal Kryptonite."

Bottom-line: The Liberal agenda is moving slowly and silently, but they are moving nevertheless. As Gould said, "It happened slowly, in the quiet and the dark when no one was aware."

Our very way of life is at stake.
 

There are eight sections in the book:

1. PRELUDE - Introductory comments to understand the American character.

2. PROBLEMS - Problems in economics and culture.

3. LIBERALS - Describes their character.

4. THE MEDIA - How the press is spinning the news to brainwash people.

5. CAPITALISM - Arguments in favor of.

6. HISTORY - Important historical stories supporting the American way of life.

7. POTPOURRI - Various other articles pertaining to government.

8. EPILOGUE - Concluding comments.
 

"But he hasn't got anything on," a little child said.

"Did you ever hear such innocent prattle?" said its father. And one person whispered to another what the child had said, "He hasn't anything on. A child says he hasn't anything on."

"But he hasn't got anything on!" the whole town cried out at last.

The Emperor shivered, for he suspected they were right. But he thought, "This procession has got to go on." So he walked more proudly than ever, as his noblemen held high the train that wasn't there at all.
- The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson

Tim's "Uncommon Sense Series" is available in paperbook and eBook format. For information, click HERE

NOTE: Tim is available for radio interviews and lectures. Click to REQUEST SPEAKER.

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2014 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

NEXT UP:  ESSAYS ON THE AMERICAN SCENE - One of four new books from Tim; this book includes humorous descriptions of the human condition in America.

LAST TIME:  ESSAYS ON OUR EVER CHANGING WORLD   - One of four new books from Tim; this book describes cultural changes and why they occur, particularly due to technology.

Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) "The Town Square" with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern); WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; The Glenn Pav Show on WTAN-AM (1340) in Clearwater, FL, Mon-Fri (9-10am); and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington "The Morning News" with hosts Dave Ettl & Lance Tormey (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube.

ESSAYS ON OUR EVER CHANGING WORLD

BRYCE ON LIFE

- One of four new books from Tim; this book provides lessons well suited for those aspiring to become effective managers.

(Click for AUDIO VERSION)
To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

The following are excerpts from the Introduction of my new book, "ESSAYS ON OUR EVER CHANGING WORLD," one of four new books I recently introduced, available in paper and Kindle eBook formats from Amazon.

"If anything in life is constant, it is change."
- Bryce's Law

In our youth, it seemed every day was a new experience for us. Our parents may have tried to shield us from getting hurt and the evils of the world, but we were eager to explore and discover the world around us. In my day, my bicycle was indispensable. I drove it everywhere it seemed; to baseball fields, to streams for fishing, to the grocery store to collect money for soft drink bottles, to other neighborhoods to visit my friends and club houses, to run errands for my parents, to fields and parks where my friends and I would maintain forts and hideouts (and plot skullduggery), to the community pool, and, of course, to school. It was not unusual to have dinner at our friends' house where we learned about Italian cuisine, as well as delicacies from China, Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, France, the Baltic countries, not to mention Jewish cuisine and Southern Fried Chicken. The father of one of my friends was a baker and we learned about different types of breads and pasties. The mother was an excellent cook and always had a fresh pot of soup on the stove.

In school, we learned to read, write, and the multiplication tables. My favorite course though was Mr. Hamilton's Social Studies class where we learned about the famous explorers like Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, Captain James Cook, and many others. We also learned about American frontiersmen, such as Lewis & Clark, Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, Kit Carson, etc. As Baby Boomers, we learned about the heroes of World War II, such as James Doolittle, Douglas MacArthur, Winston Churchill, and Dwight Eisenhower. All of this fueled our imagination. It was also in this particular class where it was announced President Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas and school was suspended in observance of his death and funeral. This is when we began to realize the importance of staying abreast of the world around us.

In lunch hall, the flights of the Mercury space program were shown on television and we all became familiar with the names of the astronauts: Carpenter, Cooper, Glenn, Grisson, Schirra, Shepard, and Slayton.

This was the "Golden Age of Television" with just three basic channels to watch: ABC, CBS, and NBC. We dutifully watched "The Wonderful World of Disney," "The Ed Sullivan Show," Jackie Gleason, and many others. At the movies, we were enthralled with "60,000 Leagues Under the Sea," "Swiss Family Robinson," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "How the West was Won," and many others. Over time, we watched the movies change to include nudity, and swearing. The arrival of James Bond also seemed to change the way films were made.

As youngsters we would of course listen to the music of our parents, but this all changed with the arrival of the Beatles and the "British Invasion."

We were taught a deep respect for the presidency, as well as other government officials, but the Watergate Scandal changed that forever. Today, most Americans look at politicians with contempt.

Time seemed to pass quickly during our youth. As we matured into adulthood we worked at a frenzied rate as we learned to adapt to our professional lives. When we found our stride, things seemed to slow down and we began to take things for granted. We inevitably had children of our own and watched them go through the same turmoil of maturation as we did. Now it was their turn, and we helped them any way we could. However, the clock continued to slow down and we didn't recognize the changes occurring around us. Then, one day, we woke up and learned the "Twin Towers" in New York had been destroyed, that another suicide attack had been made on the Pentagon, and another in Pennsylvania. Slowly we came to the realization things were no longer the same; that we were at war with terrorists who possessed a religion we didn't understand, that our technology had radically changed, and the business world was somehow different. We found we could no longer operate with Standard Operating Procedures.

In reality, the world had never stopped changing, we were just not paying attention. This is the purpose of this book, to examine the changes around us and how to cope with them. We'll discuss changes in our culture, fashion, vernacular, business, and even in the medical community. Such changes affect our attitudes, morality, priorities, and general interests. Some of this you will undoubtedly recognize, others you will not. A lot of this will simply be things we overlook or take for granted. The more cognizant we are of change, the better we can adapt or devise the means to thwart it. For example, kids no longer use bicycles the way we did in yesteryear. Some do not even know how to drive them.

There are six sections in the book:

1. Understanding Change - where I discuss how to adapt to change and the outrage normally associated with it.

2. Cultural Changes - noting the interests of youth, our speech, and other items we take for granted.

3. The Effects of Technology - more than anything, our rapidly changing technology is affecting our perspectives and thinking patterns.

4. Changes in Business - describing how we act and behave in the office today.

5. Changes in the Medical Community - due to new government regulations, we risk losing a generation of doctors.

6. Closing

7. Epilogue

These are my observations from over 30 years in the business world, coupled with extensive experience in the computer industry. Not surprising, I am particularly sensitive to the effects of technology on the human being. I believe technology influences our perspectives and enhances our sense of instant gratification. We want everything faster, not slower, thereby influencing our perspectives on life. We become more quickly frustrated and impatient for results. This leads to such things as "Road Rage." To illustrate, it was the evening rush hour on a Friday, the end of the work week, and I had been working on the computer all day. I was tired and had arranged to visit a friend after work where we would smoke a cigar and have some libations. He lived only three miles from my office, and as I drove to his house on a country road, I found myself behind a motorist who appeared to be going painfully slow. I suddenly found myself tailgating him and uttering expletives for him to go faster. I then recognized my anger and asked myself, "Why are you getting upset? Your friend will still be there even if it takes a few more minutes. Just relax." And I did. I then felt my anger subside and my blood pressure go down. The other motorist was barely maintaining the speed limit, but my problem was rooted in the technology I had been working with all day. Interestingly, as I slowed down, I realized there was another motorist behind me who appeared to be as agitated as I had been.

Since 1971, our corporate logo has been, "Software for the finest computer - the Mind." If I have learned anything in my professional career over the years, it is the realization that life is not about technology or managing numbers; it's about people, and how we socialize in both our personal and professional lives.

Tim's "Uncommon Sense Series" is available in paperbook and eBook format. For information, click HERE

NOTE: Tim is available for radio interviews and lectures. Click to REQUEST SPEAKER.

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2014 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

NEXT UP:  LIBERAL KRYPTONITE - One of four new books from Tim; this book includes my political writings warning America about the liberal agenda.

LAST TIME:  THE FACTS OF LIFE REGARDING MANAGEMENT    - One of four new books from Tim; this book provides lessons well suited for those aspiring to become effective managers.

Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) "The Town Square" with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern); WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; The Glenn Pav Show on WTAN-AM (1340) in Clearwater, FL, Mon-Fri (9-10am); and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington "The Morning News" with hosts Dave Ettl & Lance Tormey (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube.

THE FACTS OF LIFE REGARDING MANAGEMENT

BRYCE ON MANAGEMENT

- One of four new books from Tim; this book provides lessons well suited for those aspiring to become effective managers.

(Click for AUDIO VERSION)
To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

The following are excerpts from the Introduction of my new book, "THE FACTS OF LIFE REGARDING MANAGEMENT," one of four new books I recently introduced, available in paper and Kindle eBook formats from Amazon.

When I graduated from college I became immersed in computers, specifically how they were applied to expedite corporate information systems. This led me down a path of management consulting where I was fortunate to have toured quite a bit of the world, visiting companies of all sizes and shapes, and people from the trenches to the boardroom. It was a very enlightening journey. I learned a lot about technology, but more importantly I learned a lot about people. For example, I discovered systems fail more for the lack of people procedures as opposed to computer procedures. To illustrate, my firm had a large manufacturing customer who designed a new “state-of-the-art” shop-floor control system whereby they wanted to spot errors along the assembly line and then quickly react and correct the hiccup. From a software perspective, it was a well thought-out and elegant solution coupled with an integrated data base. There was just one problem; it didn’t work. Consequently, we were called in on a consulting basis to try and determine what was wrong. We carefully examined the architecture of the system overall, not just the software, and quickly found the problem; Whenever an error occurred on the shop-floor, an error message was displayed on a computer screen for the shop-floor supervisor to act upon. Unfortunately, nobody told the supervisor about the computer screen, the messages, or procedurally how to respond to it. We wrote a simple procedure for the supervisor who then read and responded to the errors properly and the system ran perfectly thereafter. Our client thought we were geniuses; we thought it was nothing more than common sense.

Unlike the computer which will do anything you instruct it to, right or wrong, writing for the human being is actually more difficult. People are more emotional and can be lazy and uncooperative at times. Writing for people, therefore, can be an arduous task. Such scenarios led me to the conclusion we often take people for granted in companies today. They are certainly not machines, but flesh and blood with all of the foibles of being human.

Here in the 21st century, the corporate world seems to have embraced "micromanagement," a top-down, dictatorial form of management. Although I will discuss this in more detail within the pages of this book, I consider micromanagement a Master/Slave relationship which has little regard for the human spirit. I believe in the dignity of all forms of work and that the human being must lead a worthy life. As such, I fervently believe in "Managing from the Bottom-Up" whereby people are trusted and empowered to perform their work, and supervise themselves.

Within this book, I am less interested in promoting a cockamamie theory of management, such as "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin," and more concerned with practical advice on managing people. What is discussed herein is based on actual observations and proven techniques found to be sound and practical for business management.

There are eight sections in the book:

1. THE NATURE OF WORK - describing the dignity and morality of work.

2. PERCEPTIONS - what we act upon, and the basic theories of management.

3. MANAGEMENT - the skills required to be an effective manager.

4. SPECIAL SUBJECTS - topics related to management; e.g., Customer Service, Work Measurement, etc.

5. SOCIALIZATION SKILLS - techniques for improving your people skills.

6. EPILOGUE - concluding comments.

7. QUOTATIONS - related to management.

8. BRYCE'S LAWS - those related to management.
 

I always viewed "management" as a people oriented function, not a mechanical function (which is why "man" is used as part of the word). I define it as, "getting people to do what you want, when you want it, and how you want it." The corporate landscape has changed considerably since I first entered the work force in the 1970's. Thanks to changes in government regulations and socioeconomic conditions, we have witnessed substantial changes to corporate cultures in terms of communications, fashion, socialization, morality, and how we conduct business. Despite all this, one thing has remained constant: the need to get a job done, and this is the domain of the manager.

Quite often management is taken for granted, that it comes naturally to people. It doesn't. I see companies spending millions of dollars on technology but little on improving the skills of its managers. To me, this is putting the cart before the horse. Some people are afraid to manage; probably because they do not know how to or because they live in fear of a lawsuit. Others devise harebrained schemes to manage their area (usually involving the manipulation of numbers). There is actually nothing magical to management; all it requires is a little common sense. However, as I have learned over the last 30 years in business, if there is anything uncommon today, it is common sense. I wrote this book because management is not naturally intuitive to people, nor is it painless.

This book is well suited for those aspiring to become effective managers, as well as for those who require a refresher or change of focus. It should also be read by workers to better understand what is required of a manager, thereby lending him the support he desperately needs to fulfill his duty. Some of you may not like what I have to say, and I warn you that I am not always politically correct. Regardless, my observations are based on years of experience traveling around the world and visiting with hundreds of different types of corporations where I have seen a lot of successes, as well as a lot of snafus.

Throughout this book you will hear about such things as corporate culture, empowering the workers (managing from the bottom-up), and the need for developing the socialization skills of the next generation of our workers; in other words, the human elements of management. This is one reason why our corporate slogan is "Software for the finest computer - the Mind," for in the end, it is the human-being that matters most, not our technology.

Tim's "Uncommon Sense Series" is available in paperbook and eBook format. For information, click HERE

NOTE: Tim is available for radio interviews and lectures. Click to REQUEST SPEAKER.

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2014 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

NEXT UP:  THE FACTS OF LIFE REGARDING MANAGEMENT - One of four new books from Tim; this book provides lessons well suited for those aspiring to become effective managers.

LAST TIME:  WHAT ARE WE GIVING THANKS TO? - What kind of grace do you give at turkey time?

Listen to Tim on WJTN-AM (News Talk 1240) "The Town Square" with host John Siggins (Mon, Wed, Fri, 12:30-3:00pm Eastern); WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; The Glenn Pav Show on WTAN-AM (1340) in Clearwater, FL, Mon-Fri (9-10am); and KIT-AM 1280 in Yakima, Washington "The Morning News" with hosts Dave Ettl & Lance Tormey (weekdays. 6:00-9:00am Pacific). Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube.