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Thursday, May 31, 2018

THE SMOKE AND MIRRORS OF THE DEMOCRATS

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- Without a viable platform, what else can they do?

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

The Democrats are desperate. Regardless of what the Main Stream Media says, they are losing ground to the Republicans going into the 2018 midterm elections. We have discussed how the MEDIA twists the facts in their favor and the steps taken by the Democrats to change VOTING regulations, both of which hit below-the-belt. This desperation hints at the power struggle going on within the party itself with the progressive's trying to retain control. If they lose in November, they'll likely lose in 2020 and forfeit control of the party.

The latest sign of distress is represented by the Democrat's recent calls for "Draining the Swamp," a slogan coined by President Trump. Since they have no policies of substance to sell to the American public, other than to reverse the actions of the president, they are setting down a smoke screen to confuse and mislead voters, a little slight of hand if you will.

The truth is, the Democrats have already been branded as an integral part of the swamp by the president, so it is unlikely anyone will buy into their argument other than their own constituents. This is just the point; instead of offering viable proposals to help the economy, protect our borders, and secure the safety of the country, they are doing nothing more than "smoke and mirrors." Even their new theme of "A Better Deal for Our Democracy," stems from an earlier time (Teddy Roosevelt invented the "Square Deal" and Franklin Roosevelt introduced the "New Deal"). However, the "Better Deal" lacks substance, leaving the Democrats without a legitimate platform to run on. This is why they will lose.

Donald Trump's Contract with the American Voter represented his platform, a lot of which he delivered on, but not everything, such as a proposal for Congressional term limits. Nonetheless, his "contract" was much more substantive than the "Better Deal" of the Democrats. This is what the American voters are looking for, but will not get from the Democrats. Instead, they will get smoke and mirrors. Their mantra may be appealing to their own party, but certainly not to Republicans. More importantly, they are offering Independents no compelling reason to vote for their party.

So, why the smoke screen? What are they trying to hide? Frankly, it's the economy which is now booming under Republican control. President Trump's approach to lowering taxes and reducing regulations is putting more money in the pockets of Americans and reducing unemployment. It is this approach which runs contrary to the Democrats who want higher taxes and bigger government. This explains why they will never admit the economy has improved and why Rep. Nancy Pelosi demeans it as just "crumbs." The Trump approach promotes capitalism, and the Democrats want to promote socialism. It's a shame young people do not comprehend the differences between the two, which the Democrats are counting on going into November.

One last thing; time and again, the party talks about America as a Democracy, something which it most certainly is not, and I get tired of hearing this. It is a "Republic" meaning we elect representatives to vote and act on our behalf. In a true Democracy, the public would vote on everything. We do not, which is what we elect representatives to do for us. The Democrats' excessive use of the word makes me wonder if anyone in the party truly understands how our government works. I guess this explains why they do not understand or appreciate such things as the Electoral College.

Until such time as the Democrats get serious and quit trying to deceive American voters, they will continue to lose. Yes, they should be worried. Their ship is sinking and instead of fixing the hole or manning the life boats, they are content re-arranging the deck chairs.

Keep the Faith!

P.S., Be sure to see my video, "The PRIDE Renewal Tour," on YouTube.

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 40 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 © 2018 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

YOU KNOW YOU ARE GETTING OLDER WHEN...

BRYCE ON LIFE

- The subtle and not so subtle signs of aging.

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

As we grow older, we begin to observe signs of aging. Such signs are usually small and subtle, so we only become cognizant of such changes slowly, usually just before it is too late to do anything about it. Perhaps the most noticeable involves how our bodies are physically changing. This goes well beyond losing strength and speed, which we expect, nor is it the obvious signs of a receding hairline, or how our hair grays. Even our weight is anticipated, such as too much or too little. These are all to be expected. What I'm talking about are the little things we tend to overlook, such as hair growing where it should not, such as in our ears, nose, or out of a forehead or shoulder. Maybe worse is the realization your body hair has disappeared and your skin is now as soft as a newborn babe.

Such changes also include our mental acuity, our power of observation, and even our sense of humor. To illustrate....

Our taste of food changes with time. Whereas we used to consume considerable portions, that might be highly seasoned, we find ourselves reducing our intake, either because a doctor has ordered us to do so to minimize sodium, sugar and fat levels, or our priorities change and we no longer enjoy gorging ourselves. In other words, the portions become smaller and more bland. In turn, this affects our gastro-digestive system thereby reducing our "health habits" to something looking like dog kibble. Further, any change in the quantity of food, or type, turns our bowels into a musical theater, sounding like the wood wind section at a greasy spoon.

In terms of libations, instead of milk and colas, we now consume diet soft drinks, coffee and iced tea, something we abhorred in our youth. For alcohol, we have either given it up completely or only allow ourselves an occasional drink at the end of the day to help us relax, usually a strong belt of whiskey as beer and wine now gives us a touch of the wind.

Food and drink affects our ability to sleep through the night. Eventually, there comes a time when we no longer can sleep through the evening and typically wake-up at least three times to pee. We try sleeping aids, such as Ambien or an aspirin "PM" drug, to help us sleep, but this only makes you pee even more.

Arthritis starts to slip into your body, and you begin to regularly feel pain in your skeleton or muscles, particularly in your lower back. This is the result of a lifetime of sprains, strains, broken bones and bone spurs which come back to haunt you with a vengeance. At first, you try to take the pain in stride, but you inevitably succumb to Advil or Aleve and devour them like after-dinner mints. Backs, necks, shoulders, legs, fingers, feet and hips continue to ache, so you begin wearing back braces, and Ace bandages for knees and elbows, not to mention athletic tape to hold you together, and special shoes to walk. Now, with all of the paraphernalia you wear, you start to look something like Robocop.

You are not as nimble as you remember in your youth. The fluidity of motion is simply gone. Whereas you marveled at your prowess on the playing fields years ago, now you walk more carefully, preferably with a shopping cart in front of you to maintain your balance. Bending over is avoided at all costs and squatting is simply out of the question.

Then there is the matter of snot. You never had allergies in your youth, but your head is now swimming in nasal mucus, making you very attractive to the opposite sex. There is so much of it, you wonder why you never invested heavily in Kimberly-Clark or Kleenex years ago. Colds lasted but a day or two when we were in grade school, sometimes allowing us to stay home and be pampered by Mom. Now colds last weeks, if not months, and the only thing to truly comfort us is Jack Daniels.

When you now get together with friends, you notice the conversation has turned from such things as family, work, jokes, religion, news and politics, to sciatica, shingles, strokes, goiters, COPD, cancer and heart disease. You complain about your sagging skin and debate what dermatologist offers the best procedure to correct the problem. After a night of talking about such ailments, you become a Hypochondriac and try to self-diagnose your problems, which the pharmaceutical companies count on. The best word of advice here is to turn the conversation back to family, work, jokes, religion, news and politics.

For some strange reason, the packaging of products is strengthened as you get older. Whereas tearing open a plastic bag, opening a tin can or plastic prescription bottle was once considered child's play, the wrapping mysteriously gets harder to open. It is also at this time you discover your repertoire of vulgar expletives has expanded. Coincidence?

Because you fear the possibility of suffering a stroke, you take aspirin regularly or some kind of blood thinner. The only problem is, you now bruise more easily, and your skin color changes from a healthy glow to a pasty white with purple blotches. Not surprising, you begin to wear long sleeve shirts even on the hottest days.

Sex becomes less frequent than when you were younger. Instead of three or four times a week, you are lucky to get it every three or four years. It's kind of like dancing; you remember how much you enjoyed it, but are no longer sure you remember all the proper moves. Television ads now have men convinced they cannot perform without a pill to act as a sexual picker-up. I still don't quite understand why the ads show couples in separate bath tubs and not in the bedroom where they belong.

You find you are no longer taking a couple of vitamins a day, but a couple of handfuls of pills instead. In addition to vitamins and pain relievers, you are now taking pills to clear your head, dry out your sinuses, make you sleep, and get you horny. The doctor prescribes dozens more, all with Latin names impossible to pronounce, for a variety of medical woes, and you take supplements for calcium, fish oil, glucosimine, condroitum, diet pills, testosterone, stool softeners, antacids, anti-gas, etc. To manage all of this, you buy plastic boxes with dividers listed by day to sort the number of pills you have to consume, which is now in the hundreds. The boxes remind you of your fishing tackle box, and if you are not careful, you might find yourself fishing with a hook baited with Viagra rather than a worm.

Your eyesight weakens, but you realize this was slowly developing over the years. What you didn't expect was to hear terms such as "macular degeneration," "cataracts," and "glaucoma." You then start to ask yourself why you ate all of those rotten carrots over the years. More troublesome though is the loss of hearing which you didn't anticipate. Now you start to wonder if the heavy-metal rock songs you listened to over your headphones in college had anything to do with it. You become perturbed with people who suggest you get a hearing-aid as you feel it is an affront to your age. The truth is y__ better g__ off y___ a__ and g__ o__ ASAP.

So far, I have concentrated on the physical aspects of aging, but there are other nuances we begin to notice as well:

In your youth, you may have been the spelling bee champion of your school, but now you can no longer remember the names of friends, places, or your school. Your math still works fine, but names elude you. Thank God for crossword puzzles to jog your memory.

Your memory also starts to elude you. Whereas you can vividly recount the day when Kennedy was shot years ago, you cannot seem to remember what you had for lunch today, or the beginning of this article.

You have difficulty adapting to the latest technology, be it a smart phone, tablets, streaming media players, or something on the Internet. This hinders our ability to drive a car as it is now dependent on the latest technology. Between XM radio, GPS maps, voice activation, and music players, we start to forget how to put the car in Drive or Park. We also develop a dependency on our grandchildren who are now charged with the responsibility of programming all of the electronics in the house. Without them, we are lost.

At family get-togethers, you are expected to pick up the check. This denotes seniority in the family tree.

You find yourself arguing with inanimate objects - and losing. Your temper flares when you stumble at what seems to be the simplest of tasks. In reality, it is not the fault of a tool or piece of equipment, it is you. Because you have performed a task a million times before, you become easily irritated when something goes awry on the millionth and first try.

You find yourself attending more funerals than weddings, baby showers or graduations. Whereas you danced and drank at many such parties years ago, now you find yourself living a more sedate existence, and miss the fun and friendships of the early days, particularly the revelry.

You discover the morals of the newest generation no longer match your own. This is projected in the fashions, food, and entertainment of the day, which you simply do not comprehend, nor the news. In response, you find yourself spending more time with your pets as opposed to people who do not understand you. In fact, you actually like your dogs and cats better than people as they do not argue with you. As such, you treat them better than a grandchild who lacks manners. At least, with a pet you can train them, but not somebody else's child.

The biggest change of all is the fact you have gotten smarter over the years, not just because of experience, but because you recognize your limitations, and conduct yourself accordingly. Instead of impulsively jumping up to perform a difficult task, you stop and say, "Wait a minute. Let me think about that first."

Interestingly, women generally believe men age better and more gracefully, and men feel likewise about women. The truth is none of us really like it and we're all embarrassed by our looks, no matter the superficiality of our perceived imperfections. We need to get over this. Just pour yourself a drink with a friend and enjoy the moment. We are simply not kids anymore.

Keep the Faith!

P.S., Be sure to see my video, "The PRIDE Renewal Tour," on YouTube.

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 40 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 © 2018 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

HELLO? IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?

BRYCE ON TECHNOLOGY

- Human contact deteriorates with the proliferation of technology.

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

Every time we introduce new technology to business, we see it as a way to accelerate sales, improve customer service, and lower costs. I wonder if this truly happens or are we only training the human spirit to accept a new way of operating. I find today's technology very dehumanizing and is causing us to lose the common touch. It seems all of it is designed not necessarily to improve communications, but to avoid human contact.

We started seeing signs of this years ago when voice mail was introduced. Instead of someone talking to a client and taking a message, it was stored on a machine and conveniently forgotten, much to the chagrin of the frustrated customer. This has only gotten worse over the years, and "voice mail jail" is now a natural part of our way of life. We have acclimated. Even though it was claimed to improve customer service, it has only made it worse.
There are, of course, many other examples we are all familiar with now:

Banks and financial institutions want you to communicate through their web page, not with a teller. They also want you to process all of your transactions by computer, so they do not have to be burdened by paper any longer, such as printed checks, deposit slips, and mailing monthly statements.

The processing of travel tickets and hotel reservations is now left to the individual, not a travel agency, and frankly, it is not as easy to navigate as they would have us believe. After all, they are all produced by programmers who are more in tune with technology than the human being.

Newspapers and magazines will soon be a thing of the past as there is a push to transmit news and information exclusively over the Internet, not in paper form. Mark my words, there will come a time when someone will make a posting on social media saying, "Does anyone remember what this was?" (showing a picture of a newspaper).

Finding a job is now void of human contact. Even if you go to a store and ask for work, they point you to a small kiosk where you can post your application on-line. They frankly do not want to be bothered by physically meeting a person in order to size him/her up.

Projects are now managed by analyzing numbers, not by human contact. Studying numbers is important as it acts like the speedometer and odometer to an automobile, but they are certainly not a substitute for driving.

This to me is all rather sad as it means we have lost the common touch. In a way, it reminds me of a story told by the late Les Matthies, the legendary "Dean of Systems," who told me the story of a little old lady who received an invoice from a company stating she owed them $0.00. Naturally, she assumed this way a mistake and discarded the bill. Next month, she received another invoice from the company stating, "Second Notice! Our records show you have not yet made payment in the amount of $0.00." Again, she thought it was inconsequential and destroyed the bill. Another month passed before she received the next letter from the company, "THIRD NOTICE! Our records indicate you have not yet paid your bill of $0.00. If you do not make restitution, we will have no other alternative than to turn it over to our collection agency for handling." This strongly worded letter disturbed the lady as she didn't want to get into any trouble. Wanting to solve the problem, she decided to send a check to the company in the amount of $0.00. "There, that should solve the problem," she said triumphantly. Unfortunately, another letter came from the company one month later stating, "Thank you for your payment of $0.00. Unfortunately, you forgot to pay the late fee of $0.00. Please remit promptly. Thank you."

This story seems to sum up our feeling on technology in our lives today. Instead, of reaching out to people and talking with them, we prefer to go on autopilot and avoid human contact altogether.

It has long been a Bryce's Law that, "As the use of technology increases, social skills decreases." By avoiding human contact we compound the problem of interacting with others. Progress has never been a bargain; you have to pay for it. We may have invented some new and imaginative ways to communicate and access data, but the price is the loss of common sense and being able to work effectively with people.

Technology may improve efficiency in some areas, but may cause crippling problems for those whom it was intended to support, be it the prospect, the customer, the vendor, or the employee; you know, the human-being.

Keep the Faith!

P.S., Be sure to see my video, "The PRIDE Renewal Tour," on YouTube.

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 40 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 © 2018 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

FAKE VOTES

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- First we had Fake News, now we have..., a bigger problem.

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

There is an old axiom in poker which says, "When your opponent is sitting there holding all the aces, there is only one thing left to do, kick over the table." In other words, if you know you cannot possibly win, it is time to change the rules of the game. Coincidentally, this is the philosophy of progressive Democrats as we approach the 2018 mid-term elections, particularly as it applies to voting.

There was a time when we respected the integrity of a citizen's vote. Originally, only land owners were given the right to do so, based on the premise they would be responsible voters. This changed over the years to allow any citizen to vote, assuming they were registered. This included people of all races and socioeconomic conditions, women, and even youth (18 years of age).

To encourage people to vote, the political parties helped register voters, as well as provided transportation to get people to their voting precincts, all perfectly legitimate. This started to change though as people began to dig up names from the cemeteries and have the dead vote, or encouraged people to vote multiple times in different precincts, all of which, of course, is illegal. However, such shenanigans are reaching new absurdities as we approach the 2018 mid-term elections. For example:
Electoral Votes

The electoral college devised by our founding fathers is a brilliant way to balance voting between our rural and metropolitan communities. By doing so, candidates are forced to appeal to both groups, not just one. However, the Democrats do not appreciate this (or understand it) as they blame the college for electing Mr. Trump president, and not Mrs. Clinton who won the national popular vote.

To overcome this problem in the future, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact was created to have a state award its electoral votes to the candidate winning the popular vote in the country, not their own state. Even if the popular vote in the state went to one candidate, they would have to award their electoral votes to possibly another candidate winning the national vote. In other words, you are allowing the country to make the decision for you, not the people of your state. If this sounds unconstitutional, it probably is and will likely be challenged in court.

To date, eleven states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation to participate in this program, including: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Yes, these are all strongholds for the Democrats, certainly not Republicans.

Remarkably, these states also rate among the worst in terms of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University's Ranking of States by Fiscal Condition, to wit:

WA-#26
HI-#27
CT-#37
RI-#38
NY-#39
VT-#40
CA-#43
MD-#46
MA-#48
IL-#49
NJ-#50

I will find this all particularly amusing if Mr. Trump wins the popular vote in the 2020 presidential election, whereby they would be compelled to award their electoral votes to the president, and not the Democrat candidate they voted for.

Prisoner Votes

There is a movement afoot to give felons the right to vote. We have seen evidence of this in New York, Louisiana, and Virginia, but many other states are looking into this, including Florida. The premise is to allow convicted felons, who have been released and are still on parole, to vote. In other words, their sentence is not yet completed, yet Democrats want to give them the right to vote. It's one thing for the criminal to regain his/her rights following completion of their sentence, quite another to be allowed to vote while under such term of sentence. The Democrats are pushing for this as they believe it will cause the criminals to vote for their candidates.

Identification Cards

Voter identification has long been a bone of contention between Democrats and Republicans. Whereas the GOP wants to assure the integrity of the vote, Democrats claim it is a racist attempt to prevent minorities from voting.

One new twist to this recently emerged in Chicago which has produced a new identity card available to anyone, including illegal immigrants, allegedly to allow residents to use public transportation. However, it has been confirmed the new card will be accepted as identification when voting. In other words, you do not need to prove your citizenship in order to vote in the City of Chicago. Watch for other cities controlled by the Democrats to follow suit.

Lowering the Voting Age

Back in 1970, the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18. The thinking at the time was that if a young person was old enough to serve in the military, he/she should be allowed to vote. At first, this was embraced by young people, but over the years, their voting record can be described as "spotty" at best.

However, a new movement is underfoot with the Democrats attempting to lower the voting age to 16. It is slow in taking root, but the Democrats became inspired following the recent march on Washington in support of gun control by young people.

The big question of course is whether 16 year olds are knowledgeable and mature enough to vote responsibly, or will they just be a pawn of the Democrats and news media. Frankly, I'm surprised they stopped at 16, and didn't seek the vote of 12 year olds for the same purposes.

Again, this is all being staged to embrace the ideology of the Left and secure votes for Democrats.
Voter Fraud Commission

Shortly after assuming office, President Trump appointed the Voter Fraud Commission chaired by Vice President Mike Pence. The purpose was to investigate voter fraud. Unfortunately, states controlled by the Democrats resisted and refused to hand over data from the 2016 Election to the commission, thereby making it impossible to verify any wrong-doing. So strong was the opposition by the Democrats, one could only suspect something was indeed wrong. Nevertheless, because of their refusal, Mr. Trump cancelled the commission in January.

Conclusion

It appears to be rather obvious the progressive Democrats are desperate for a win in the Fall. As I have said repeatedly, their future is in peril should they lose in either chamber of the Congress this year, which is why they are pulling out the stops and going to any lengths to win. This is so flagrantly obvious, it makes you wonder why there isn't a national uproar over this.

The left cannot possibly win playing fair, which explains why they have a full court press on to change the rules. As such, they will concoct any scheme to usurp the rule of law and sanctity of the ballot, to win, which is why I refer to this as "Fake Votes."

They are not interested in winning fairly and squarely, but any way possible, legal or otherwise. In other words, they are willing to kick over the poker table instead of suffering through the embarrassment of another loss.

Let's hope American voters wake up to this soon before we no longer recognize the American electoral system.

Keep the Faith!

P.S., Be sure to see my video, "The PRIDE Renewal Tour," on YouTube.

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 40 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 © 2018 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Thursday, May 17, 2018

IN PRAISE OF POLKA MUSIC

BRYCE ON MUSIC

- It can hardly be called "depressing."

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

As I was growing up, I didn't think too much of the polka, that festive music originating from Europe. I was exposed to it in Chicago where I lived for a few years. Even then I thought it was nothing more than a curiosity and not a serious form of music. More recently though, a polka show surfaced on WZIG-FM (104.1) here in Palm Harbor where my audio columns are played (click to STREAM). At first, I tuned in just to listen to something different as I drove around locally, but I quickly became a fan of it. Let me explain why.

First, the "Polka Happy Hour" is played on Wednesday's from 5-6pm with "Wackie Jackie" as the host. Aside from the silly name, he is a polka aficionado who explains what the various songs mean and how they originated. He is a veritable encyclopedia of polka knowledge who obviously enjoys the music genre and turns it into an enjoyable hour of entertainment. Some people might say to me, "What, you listen to polka? Are you crazy?" Probably so, but I became attracted to it as it is lively fun, as opposed to the Rap rubbish on the radio.

It has been my observation polka music usually addresses one of three themes: a pretty girl, good food, or a good drink, all of which is sung as a lively and merry tune. After awhile, a lot of the polka music starts to sound the same, but it is the lyrics that make each song unique. The songs are meant for people to have fun, I don't think there has ever been one produced intended to be sad or depressing. In fact, polka is one of those music genres that is impossible to sing anything other than festively. Death, taxes, shootings, illnesses, disease, politics, et al, have no place in polka music, and therein is why people enjoy it so. It is very "up," definitely not "down."

There is relatively few polkas well known by the general public, such as the Pennsylvania Polka, the Beer Barrel Polka, and She's Too Fat Polka. As to this last one, people who are politically correct may be offended as it talks about a woman who is overweight. There are many others the PC police would be bothered by the message of the song. Those who enjoy polka though, know it is only done in jest and are not offended in the slightest way. As an aside, a personal favorite of mine is, "You Cannot Teach the Japanese to Polka." I do not believe our friends from the land of the rising sun would object to this, and would likely agree with the premise. Like everyone else, they would laugh.

Polka is fast paced, fun, and frankly, a little frivolous. If you haven't listened to it in a while, give it another try. I don't believe you can wear a frown while listening to polka music. No doubt, there would be less stress in the world if there was more polka.

Keep the Faith!

P.S., Be sure to see my video, "The PRIDE Renewal Tour," on YouTube.

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 40 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 © 2018 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

WHO ARE AMERICA'S FRIENDS?

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- We want to believe we have many friends, but do we really?

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

Have you ever been out to a large family dinner at a restaurant? Typically someone picks up the check for the entire party, such as a rich uncle. During the meal, he is kidded and listened to, but he is always expected to pick up the bill, with tip. It gets interesting when, one day, the family sits down at the table and the waiter asks who will be taking care of the bill at the end of the meal. The family is aghast when the uncle speaks up and says, "Separate checks." Suddenly, the uncle isn't quite so funny anymore, nor do people listen to him during the meal; in fact, he is ostracized and accused of being cheap. This pretty much describes America's relationship with other countries.

On May 8th, President Trump announced the United States was withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. This sent shock waves through our European allies as they had hoped we would stay in it, believing the Iranians would keep their end of the bargain and not develop nuclear weapons down the road. Mr. Trump didn't read it the same way and saw it as producing long-term problems. It must be remembered this agreement was never ratified as a treaty by the Senate as the Obama administration didn't want to see the Congress upset one of his landmark achievements.

Following America's withdrawal, protests were formed in Iran, American flags were burned, and "Death to America," was chanted by protesters and members of the Iranian parliament. Then again, this was also done when the agreement was first signed, so nothing has really changed; the Iranians never did like us, and probably never will.

This is another example of Mr. Trump's "Big Stick" foreign policy where we no longer cajole countries into trying to see things our way. Whereas other presidents hoped to entice countries into working together, Mr. Trump is more results oriented, likely because of his business background. Time and again he has been using his "America First" mantra as an intricate part of his foreign policy.
We have used the "carrot and stick" approach for many years, but what did we get in return, loyalty? Hardly. For example, in December 2017, the United Nations held a resolution disapproving of America's recent decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, something many past presidents had promised to do, yet failed to deliver. The vote passed 128-9 with 35 countries abstaining. Among those countries voting against the United States included our "friends," the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

Others also voted against the United States, including many receiving generous foreign aid from America, including:

(From FY2017) -

Afghanistan - $977M
Bangladesh - $179M
Brazil - $25M
Congo - $395M
Cuba - $7.3M
Egypt - $143M
Ethiopia - $939M
Ghana - $167M
Iraq - $529M
Jordan - $813M
Lebanon - $116M
Libya - $64M
Nepal - $181M
Nigeria - $684M
Pakistan - $485M
Somalia - $416M
South Africa - $360M
Sudan - $151M
Viet Nam - $81M
West Bank/Gaza (Palestine Auth) - $285M
Yemen - $573M
Zimbabwe - $154M

Source: USAID

In all, $21B was spent on foreign aid last year, which is used for such things as disasters, poverty relief, technical cooperation on global issues, including the environment, U.S. bilateral interests, and socioeconomic development. However, this does not include military aid which would probably double the figures shown. Yet, all of these countries voted against the United States, thereby creating an embarrassing moment for us.

If you study the individual donations listed here, which is only a partial list, one can only wonder if there is a better way of spending this money, particularly in our own country instead of giving it to our "friends." Don't we still have a national debt?

In refuting the resolution, UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said, "The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation. We will remember it when we are called upon to once again make the world’s largest contribution to the United Nations. And we will remember it when so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit."

The Palestinian Authority has declared it will not with work the Trump administration in peace talks because of the Jerusalem decision, and will negotiate with other parties instead. Fine. I'm sure they will not need the $285 million they are currently receiving from our country.

Countries ask their rich "Uncle Sam" for money for a variety of reasons, such as to cooperate with American military policy, payola, and because they desperately need it. Whatever the reason, they have to learn to play ball with the administration. A vote against the United States, such as what happened at the United Nations, should be felt in the pocket book.

We would like to believe the European countries are our friends, particularly the United Kingdom. The truth is, it is a myth. Even Australia, Canada, Mexico, and the Philippines, long considered friendly to the United States, opted to abstain as opposed to rejecting the UN resolution outright. We should know by now, the other countries only want deals favoring their countries, and not our own. This is what Mr. Trump has been warning us about since he began to run for president. There is nothing wrong in helping others in time of need, but it should come with the stipulation they will support us in return. Otherwise, it is a Win-Lose proposition and as our president can tell you, the only good business relationship is when both parties prosper.

Keep the Faith!

P.S., Be sure to see my video, "The PRIDE Renewal Tour," on YouTube.

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 40 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 © 2018 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Thursday, May 10, 2018

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM GENERATION Z?

BRYCE ON SOCIETY

- Are they the same as the Millennials?

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For far too long we have belabored the strengths and weaknesses of the Millennials (aka, Generation Y), but what about their successors, Generation Z? This is the Generation born between the late 1990's and the middle of this decade. This is a generation who is now getting ready to graduate from High School and enter college, but what can we expect from them?

Whereas the Baby Boomers were responsible for the Millennials, Generation X begat Gen Z, and hopefully they will do a better job than the Boomers who, frankly, dropped the ball along the way.

Generation Z has no recollection of Bill Clinton or the scandals surrounding him, or George W. Bush for that matter. They were also too young to truly remember 911. They primarily remember Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. More recently, they have heard about North Korea, Iran, and Cuba, but have no recollection of the events surrounding them, such as the Korean Armistice, the American hostages in Iran under President Carter, or the Cuban Missile Crisis and Bay of Pigs under President Kennedy. They have also heard of numerous terrorist attacks and school shootings. In terms of academics, they have grown up in an age of testing and technology. Just about all of them are intimate with smart phones, social media, eCommerce, and other features of the Internet, much more so than the Millennials.

In school, they have excelled in the areas of math, science, and foreign language (primarily Spanish). Unfortunately, they are weak in terms of their knowledge of government, history, and speech. Their sense of socialization is different than their predecessors, as the media has been highly influential in their lives since infancy. I am also concerned about their interest in reading as paper books, newspapers, and magazines are disappearing. They may not be too informed about current events or history, but they are perhaps the most educated generation to date.

Whereas prior generations were hungry and understood the value of a dollar and an education, it is yet unclear the priorities Generation Z possesses. The recent shootings in Parkland, Florida triggered an outburst of outrage, but it is uncertain how much of this was sincere, and how much was orchestrated by politicians. Nevertheless, it was the first such political reaction by high-schoolers since the 1970's.

The proof in the pudding will be in November which represents the generation's first opportunity to vote in a major American election. If the turnout is low, we will know we have produced another generation of apathetic voters, but I am not yet convinced it will turn out this way.

I have been reading there are significant differences between the Millennials and Generation Z. From what I've heard, Gen Z looks upon the Millennials as irresponsible and foolish. Whereas, the Millennials have shown signs of embracing liberal doctrine, Gen Z is more conservative in nature.

According to a 2015 report from Goldman Sachs, "Gen-Z is more conservative, more money-oriented, and more entrepreneurial than the millennials were."

This was echoed by another report in 2016, "My College Options and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) today presented the results of a new national survey of approximately 50,000 'Generation Z' high school students (ages 14-18) attitudes on the 2016 presidential election which found that the majority identify as Republicans – in sharp contrast to Millennials – and overall would vote for Donald Trump."

If this is true, it is likely Generation Z will become more politically and economically influential than the Millennials.

Maybe Generation Z represents a correction in society, just as we experience in the stock market. Whereas the Millennials may have gone too far left, it appears Generation Z is turning to the right instead.

Keep the Faith!

P.S., Be sure to see my video, "The PRIDE Renewal Tour," on YouTube.

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 40 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 © 2018 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

THE 2018 MID-TERMS, WHAT TO EXPECT

BRYCE ON POLITICS

- Yes, voter turnout will be higher, but nothing like 2016.

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

The Democrats want us to believe the mid-term elections are all sewn up, and the Republicans should acquiesce and let Rep. Nancy Pelosi re-assume the Speaker of the House. In other words, they want the American public to believe it is a done deal and the GOP cannot possibly retain control. Not so fast. First, we are hearing this through the Main Stream Media (MSM), which is not the most reliable source of information and certainly no friend of the current administration. The question though becomes, is the country really as bad as the Democrats claim? According to the MSM, yes it is, but the data suggests otherwise.

Under Mr. Trump, we have seen tax cuts putting more money into people's pockets, an improved economy and jobs picture, less people on welfare, a stronger defense, tighter security on our borders, reduced government bureaucracy, jobs are returning to our shores, and Mr. Trump's "big stick" policy appears to be working, just as it did for Theodore Roosevelt. The idea he might win a Nobel Peace Prize is more mind boggling to the Democrats than to Republicans when Mr. Obama received one in his first year in office for doing nothing more than being elected.

The problems the Democrats have are threefold:

First, they offer no significant policy proposals other than to repeal Mr. Trump's actions, this includes undoing his tax cuts and raising taxes. Sen. Bernie Sander's proposal to guarantee every American a lifetime government job can best be described as a "boondoggle," something that will appeal to youth and the unsophisticated.

Second, the Democrats have a bad reputation for voting in mid-term elections, naively believing they are inconsequential. By claiming they have already won the election, they run the risk of discouraging Democrats from voting, after all, "it's a slam dunk, right?" If anything, by taunting the Republicans they are only encouraging them to get out the vote.

And third, the party is embroiled in a struggle for control, pitting the left-leaning progressives against moderates. Should the Democrats lose in November, the progressives could lose control which explains why they are pulling out the stops for this contest, even though their financial resources remain depleted.

It ultimately comes down to whether the country likes the direction Mr. Trump has set us on or not. The Democrat's "resistance" movement was created to stop Mr. Trump as he represents a roadblock in the socialist agenda.

So, what is at stake this year? Three things: the economy, security, and the Supreme Court. Besides the progress Mr. Trump has made in terms of the economy, the GOP has a better track record of running state governments, with fiduciary responsibility, than the Democrats. Should the Democrats take over, illegal immigration will once again run rampant, bringing drugs and crime into the country.

This particular race will likely affect the future of the Supreme Court as Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy (81) is rumored to be retiring soon. Also, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (85) is not far behind, yet she will likely stay on as long as possible with a Republican in the White House.

The Democrats believe their best bet is in the House of Representatives, where they have been zeroing in on any perceived weakness of a Republican candidate. The MSM has been helping them by spreading fake news in predicting a "Big Blue Wave" is in the offing.

The Republicans are pushing back though, particularly in senate races where they will aggressively challenge Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

Make no mistake, the Republicans understand the importance of the 2018 election as much as the Democrats. They may not be as desperate as the Democrats, buy they are just as determined. This election is certainly not about Russia, which is nothing but a clever political ruse, but about the direction of the country. If Americans like what they see, they will stay the course.

One variable that may very well seal the fate of the Democrats is if peace is secured between the two Koreas. If this miracle materializes, the progressives are done for.

Keep the Faith!

P.S., Be sure to see my video, "The PRIDE Renewal Tour," on YouTube.

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 40 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 © 2018 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Thursday, May 3, 2018

THE ELEMENTS OF SOCIALIZATION

BRYCE ON LIFE

- and why they are deteriorating.

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Recently, I was waiting in line at the check-out lane of my local pharmacy. An elderly gentleman was ahead of me and moving rather slowly. He appeared to have a slight problem understanding the cashier, perhaps it was his hearing or simply his age. I sensed the clerk was becoming impatient with him as the line was beginning to grow, but instead of trying to be friendly and help him, she rushed him through the transaction in order to get rid of him. It was embarrassing for him, and I was a bit bewildered why the cashier was rude to him.

I have noted the decline of our socialization skills for quite some time, primarily pinning the blame on our addiction to technology, but I think it goes well beyond this. I may not be a social worker by training, but I do have a degree in interpersonal communications and have observed the interplay of people in business over most of my career.

It occurs to me, there are three fundamental elements to socialization: Communications, Courtesy, and Values. I find it intriguing how these elements have changed over the years.

COMMUNICATIONS - is more than our ability to use a smart phone, but rather our ability to give and take, meaning to listen or read, and speak or write. It's not about the technology we use, which will always change, but the interplay between people. This includes being able to read and transmit body language and facial expressions.

Our powers of persuasion are ultimately based on the three canons of speech: Ethos (ethical appeal), Pathos (emotional appeal), and Logos (logical appeal). Regrettably, high school courses in speech have taken a back seat to other curriculum and, in some cases, have disappeared altogether. As a result, young people find it difficult to form arguments and appear to be content parroting what others say, such as the news media.

As a communications major, I would love to see speech classes reinvigorated, be it through classes, inter-school debates, or in-school for that matter. I would even go so far as to allow students to stand on a soapbox in a courtyard to present their ideas. People should be assessed not for just what they say, but their ability to defend their position. We must remember communications is a two-way street, not unidirectional.

COURTESY - denotes our sense of decorum, the rules for interaction. This is based on such things as respect, empathy, patience, cooperation, and common sense. However, students are being taught contempt for authority, not respect, for people such as teachers, coaches, managers, government, law enforcement, and yes, even parents. As such, there is a disregard for the other person's point of view, not empathy. This means we prize individualism over teamwork and cooperation. The technology of today promotes instant gratification, not patience, and; thanks to our dependency on technology to do the thinking for us, common sense is no longer common. All of this tempers our thirst for knowledge, our inquisitive nature, which is now limited to only what we want to know, representing our comfort zone. In other words, we are content letting others do the thinking for us.

VALUES - represent our sense of right versus wrong, our ethics. This has been clouded over the years as we have become more tolerant and permissive of changes in our morality. Today, people naively believe it is acceptable behavior to do whatever they please, that it is somehow sanctioned by the Constitution. The truth is, this is simply not so. The Declaration of Independence claims we are endowed by our Creator "with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

The Constitution and Bill of Rights details our freedoms and rights, such as the freedom of speech and religion, the right to bear arms, to be free of unreasonable search, a right to a speedy and public trial, a trial by an impartial jury, a right to confront witnesses, and more. However, there is nothing specifying a right to a job, a right to higher education, a right to become a citizen, a right to free stuff, and certainly no right to do whatever we want. Yet, this is commonly believed by people today. This is what common law is for, to specify the penalties for such things as murder, mayhem, assault, rape, robbery, disturbing the peace, etc.

We now live in a time where it is commonplace to express outrage through marches and riots, where the rhetoric is visceral, if not obnoxiously salacious and slanderous. Again, many people believe this is an acceptable form of conduct, guaranteed by the Constitution. Again, this is not so. Under the first amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people PEACEABLY to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

In other words, there is nothing wrong with gathering to march or protest. However, when it violates local ordinances, due to such things as violence, destruction of property, or the use of obscenities, then it is no longer peaceful and violators are eligible for arrest.

I have seen numerous videos on the Internet where a law enforcement officer is confronted by a passerby in the performance of his/her duty, some to the point of interference. This normally results in the arrest of not just the original person in question, but also the passerby who confronts the police, naively believing they are immune from arrest. I find it particularly humorous when the passerby is arrested, and the original suspect is set free, all because he/she felt they had the God given right to interfere with a police investigation.

So, the reasons explaining why our socialization skills are deteriorating is rather simple: Technology has had an adverse effect on our attitudes, we have not been properly trained in how to communicate or practice common courtesy, and we are misinformed as to what rights and freedoms we possess. It is no small wonder our socialization skills are being stunted. In fact, it almost seems to be premeditated.

For more information on our changing world, be sure to see my video, "The PRIDE Renewal Tour," on YouTube.

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 40 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 © 2018 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

READING BETWEEN THE POLITICAL LINES

BRYCE ON POLITICS & THE NEWS MEDIA

- "Liar, liar, pants on fire."

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

I have discussed problems with the Main Stream Media (MSM) on more than one occasion, but as the mid-term elections are rapidly approaching, I have spotted another example of media corruption which voters should be made aware of, specifically, the misrepresentation of voting data.
I first noticed this with the special Congressional election in Pennsylvania's 18th district held in March, where the Democrat candidate squeeked by the Republican by just 755 votes. Prior to this, the New York Times made the observation, "In 2016, Mr. Trump won the district (PA-D18) by double digits..." This was parrotted by the political talking heads on television repetitively. So much so, I became suspicious and decided to investigate their claim.

The first thing I did was go to the Pennsylvania Board of Elections to see what data was available pertaining to the 2016 presidential election on a "district" basis. I quickly discovered, there is no such data as presidential election results are reported on a "county" basis, which is quite common.

Knowing this, I then tried to piece together the data based on the counties in the district. This was not easy to do as District 18 consists of "parts" of Allegheny, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. This complication explains why there is no presidential election data available on a district basis. Nonetheless, here is what I was able to compile:

ALLEGHENY
- Trump - 257,488
- Clinton - 363,017
GREENE
- Trump - 10,394
- Clinton - 4,157
WASHINGTON
- Trump - 58,941
- Clinton - 34,436
WESTMORELAND
- Trump - 116,427
- Clinton - 59,506
TOTAL
- Trump - 443,250
- Clinton - 461,116


Here, we see Mrs. Clinton was actually the winner of this area, not Mr. Trump, but we must remember District 18 consists of "part" of Allegheny County, the largest prize. If we were to cut the county's figures by half, Mr. Trump would win the district by only six percentage points, hardly the "double digits" reported by the MSM. In other words, the MSM is spreading falehoods to the public.

So, I challenge the press to reveal their sources for making such a bold claim. I'm betting there is no such data and this was a fallacious statement designed to mislead the public and encourage "The Blue Tide" to vote.

The victory by the Democrats was widely trumpeted by the MSM to indicate the tide is turning, thereby rebuffing the president, and will likely turn the House of Representatives back to the Democrats. Democrat Conor Lamb may have won the Congressional seat for now, but he faces re-election in November.

ARIZONA's DISTRICT 8

Like Pennsylvania, a special election was held in Arizona on April 24th for District 8. Like PA-DI18, the Arizona District is just a portion of Maricopa County, as represented by the north and west suburbs of Phoenix.

Prior to the election, I spotted an e-mail from a Democrat Fund Raiser. The verbiage was remarkably similar to what we heard in Pennsylvania, to wit:

"If you'd asked me a year ago if I thought Arizona's 8th congressional district was going to be a competitive seat for Democrats, I might have said no. The district has been considered safely Republican for years and Donald Trump won it in 2016 by more than 20 points."

This too was parroted by the media, including CNN who wrote, "President Donald Trump carried the district in 2016 by 21 percentage points." (4/23/2018) Naturally, I became suspicious again and checked the presidential election data in Arizona. Like Pennsylvania, I could find no data on a "district" basis, only by "county." From this perspective, I discovered Mr. Trump won Maricopa County by 2.9 points (47.7% - 44.8%), not the "20 points" claimed by the Democrats. Once again, I started to smell a rat.

The e-mail I received went on to claim:

"But we've seen in 2018 that any district can be competitive if we go for it. Dr. Hiral Tipirneni has been organizing on the ground and talking to voters directly -- and guess what? Two polls this week have her up or tied."

Again, my spider senses told me something was wrong and I looked it up and found two polls:

The first one, from Emerson College in Boston, had the Democrat candidate up by one point. Emerson is a fine school for the Creative Arts, but I question their surveying methodology.

The other poll was based out of Phoenix (part of Maricopa County), OH Predictive Insights, which was sponsored by the local ABC affiliate. According to the poll, the Republican candidate was up by ten points and indicated the Republican will win the race convincingly.

Interestingly, Republican Debbie Lesko did, in fact, win the contest, by a decisive margin of 5.22 percentage points, more than Mr. Trump took in all of Maricopa County. Following her win, the silence from the media was deafening. Had the Democrat won, the hoopla would have been as loud as what followed in Pennsylvania. Why would that be? Hmm...

If anything, the media sounded more like sour grapes following the Republican's victory. For example, "CNN has projected that Republicans won the special election in Arizona's 8th Congressional District, but once again Democrats have overperformed in a deep red district, in another sign the national environment is in the their favor."

THE BOTTOM-LINE

The distortion of the facts by the MSM is reprehensible and denotes their loyalty as they are materially assisting the Democrats get elected. All of this is being done to suggest a "Blue Tide" is rising and will recapture the Congress in November, thereby becoming more of an impediment to the Trump administration.

The lesson here is simple, the next time you read or hear about how Mr. Trump won a congressional "district" by a wide margin, know that the news media is presenting you with a bold-faced lie. And if they top it off with polls that do not seem to make sense, they are probably a figment of someone's imagination, someone in the Democrat party.

And the main stream media wonders why they are no longer trusted by the American public. Go figure.

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 40 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 © 2018 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim's channel on YouTube. Click for TIM'S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.