And then there was the young lady yesterday who wrote down that at the age of 25 she wanted to be an assistant in a lab drawing blood. There is nothing wrong with that but it seemed like a limited dream for our afternoon game. When I asked her about her career choice she looked so down and so sad. She could not ever find a way to escape the reality of the life she was living to try to think in bigger terms. She told me she thought about being an orthopedic surgeon but . . .She shrugged,  her eyes dropped to that place where if you could look behind them you could see where the pain was coming from. “I don’t think, well, it’s just too much. I don’t think it’s for me.”

I have to say this hurt my heart. Of all the students that day she was the one with the best speaking voice, the one who asked the most questions. The one who didn’t seem to have any limitations when it came to doing the workshop. But she was stuck in a reality that had been forced on her. Where did that force come from, I wondered? She walked with slumped shoulders and when she thought no one was looking she had this veil of sadness that shaded her eyes. Perhaps she didn’t make good enough grades to get into college or medical school. Perhaps she had been told by her family that she should get a good safe job and that was it. She could have been the oldest of many and forced into getting a job to help support her siblings. She could have seen the reality of how hard it is to make it out of certain circumstances and decided to give up before her life started. But somewhere along the way she saw something in orthopedic surgery that called her. And then the call was dropped.

She had a lot of limitations and she was barely 16 years old.

Perhaps we are all victims of the limitations society puts on us until we discover how to bypass them. For me being told my book was not something to be published saddened me for years. I could not get past the powers of the publishing rejecting me but I had to accept it. Or did I? Now I feel a new power since I decided to self publish. I am the master of my fate.

But how do we make young people who only see life through their parents eyes, parents who are barely surviving, see beyond that horizon?

This isn’t a racial issue.  It is an economic one but it started off racial. For years people of color were only allowed to succeed so far. When we started fighting for equal rights whites fought back. There was no desire to share the wealth of this nation, and other nations, with descendants of slaves. In fact during World War II black newspapers pushed a double V for Victory campaign. Victory overseas from the aggressors we were fighting and Victory at home from the racism that was felt by people of color. Why fight for a nation that treats you like half a citizen? It was such a powerful campaign the J. Edgar Hoover tried to get Attorney General Biddle to declare many of the black newspaper national threats. He didn’t succeed. Campaigns to get better jobs for people of color helped change the face of the United States workforce. Today, though there are limitations, those who dream of making something of their lives by hard work in jobs once help only by whites and a handful of blacks can come true.

Unless someone tells you to limit your dreams.

For my generation it was get a safe job in education. Something that would not make waves in society. Something that always promised a mediocre income. For this generation the sky is the limit. A black man CAN be president of the United States. Just start there.

But it is in the homes and classrooms where young people are forced to box themselves in limitations forced on them by those they think care about them.

When the fake party was over and they sat before me with their sodas and cookies (I gave real refreshments ) I asked them what they had learned about being in social situations. The young woman with the limitations said nothing while the others bubbled with responses. Not wanting to single her out I made a suggestion to them all, the only thing I could think to say to make them step outside of their limitations. I told them they must think of the future as theirs and create their own businesses and companies. Working for themselves, I told them, would help them as well as their families get ahead.

Perhaps it will help her look at the limitations she has placed on her young life. Perhaps she will find a way to become that surgeon.

Sad to say, perhaps nothing will happen at all.

The news media accounts say that he was in a park and that a complaint was made. The cop that shot Dean is reported to be so distraught that he is under sedation and unable to give a statement some 3 days later. He hospitalized in the very same hospital that Dean died in 3 hours after he was fatally shot.

People are speculating that Dean was engaged some unsavory activity and that when the undercover” cop arrived something went awry. I don’t know why Dean was shot and murdered but what I do know is that Dean Gaymon was a loving family man. I do know that he doted on his mother and he loved his family. I do know that he not only cared about his children he also cared for his children and his sister’s children as well.

About 7 years ago Dean’s niece was a participant is a debutant cotillion sponsored by the church his dad was pastoring. I choreographed the Father/Daughter Waltz. Dean’s dad and niece were having quite a difficult time of it. Dean stepped in and in his gentle way took his father’s place, when he did, the arguments ceased, the waltz was learned and the cotillion’s Father/Daughter dance was a beautiful, elegant success.

Some mean and horrible accusations have been hurled by those who never knew Dean and by those who thought they did. He may not have been a perfect person, who is? Nonetheless, no matter why he was in that park in Newark or what he was or wasn’t doing there is, in my mind, no justification for him to have been shot down. There is nothing he could have been doing that would have warranted deadly force. He had no weapon so he couldn’t have posed a threat to the life of the office. If he became unruly and force was needed then why didn’t the officer maim him? He was no street thug, not that being so would have been justification for this murder.

There are those who ask, “Why this did happen, was it because he was an African American male? Was it because he said something that triggered some rage the cop? Was it a mistake in identity or just a blatten disregard for Human life?

There is so much violence and wanton killing in our society. Our children are killing each other, men and women kill others because they look differently or dress differently or worship differently. We kill people because of sexual preferences or because of or their racial or ethnic identity. We hate because we don’t understand and we don’t understand because we refuse to and we teach our children to do the same.

Four little children are now forever without their father, a wife has been widowed, left to raise her children alone, a mother’s heart is broken never to mend, a father seeks answers and justice as his family must now find a new normal because life as they knew it will never, ever be same again. There is someone missing, someone who will always be missing.

Tomorrow some other mother’s heart will also become broken, never to mend. Tomorrow some other children will cry for their daddy who will never return home. They may be in Newark, New Jersey or in Afghanistan. They may be in Brooklyn, New York or in Somalia. They may be in Compton, California or in Sudan or in Tulsa, Oklahoma or in Yemen. No matter where the shootings occur someone innocent will suffer the pain of death. Some mother will be racked with an indescribable pain at the loss of her child. Some father will seek justice and maybe even revenge. Some child will become fatherless or motherless or orphaned, and for what, to settle a score, to gain wealth and power to reclaim turf or to prove a point?

Dean’s family is one of faith. Their faith is in God. They believe that God makes no mistakes and that he will put on you no more than you can bear. It was by faith that I survived the death of my youngest child so I understand from where their strength comes. But, all the faith and all the strength doesn’t negate the senseless killing that goes on day after day after day, week after week after week and year after year after year.

I am saddened by the senseless shooting that murdered a father, a not so perfect man, soft and gentle DeFarra “Dean” Gaymon.

The Emancipation Proclamation signed into law in by President Abraham Lincoln was a political maneuver. It listed the states that it would apply to while exempting several slave holding states. The proclamation did not include the border states of Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, or Delaware, all slave-holding states, because they did not declare secession from the Union. Tennessee having come back under Union control, Virginia was listed but, exemptions were specified for the 48 counties that were in the process of forming West Virginia. Also given specific exemption were New Orleans and thirteen parishes in Louisiana. So The Emancipation Proclamation it did not free all slaves. It was Lincoln’s attempt to hold the Union together and keep slavery from expanding. In addition, Lincoln was afraid of France and Brittan coming to the aide of the session Southern states which could cause the Union to loose the war. He believed that the proclamation made the War Between the States all about slavery so by signing it, he could ensure that Britain and France would not enter the war because citizens of Britain and France would not support a cause that supported slavery even though France once practiced brutal slavery in the Caribbean, the French First Republic voted for the abolition of slavery in all French colonies. Lincoln may have not be a fan of slavery but his motives were not about freeing men women and children from a brutal amoral institution that denigrated people, destroyed cultures and families and still affects this country today. No, Lincoln wanted to preserve the Union.

During World War I African Americans joined the military in an effort to be fully recognized as equal American citizens. And while Black soldiers served in segregated units they were also involved in protest against racial injustice at home and abroad. The NAACP fought against discrimination and segregation in the United States military during WWI and WWII.
During the Korean War, the all-black 24th Infantry Regiment, which served during the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II and the beginning of the Korean War, was disbanded as a political gesture to end segregation in the U.S. Army.  During the Vietnam War the highest proportion of blacks ever to serve in an American war were assigned to serve in the infantry. The percentage of black combat fatalities in Vietnam was 14.9 percent. Rather high don’t you think?
African American soldiers have willingly gone to war to “defend” this country and protect the freedoms or White America during and since the slave era. They did so mistakenly believing that they were proving their patriotism and winning freedoms they were denied at home simply because of the color of their skin. So please, Mr. Gray, please do not shout “Emancipation Proclamation” at me. I understand better that you what it meant then and what it means now.

Attitudes may be changing, true, but, the fact remains that discrimination and segregation part of this nation. Tiger Woods’ victories exposed the still segregated country clubs. The military has a few African American in the top command but not in proportion to the number serving in combat or in the kitchen. When an elected official can callously publicly used racial slurs to defame the president and political opponents have depicted President Obama with racially insulting caricatures then I worry about the morale of the American African children who dream of being President the United Sates of American one day.

So while you and others are concerned about the morale of our troops I’m concerned about the morale of the single mothers who can’t properly feed and clothe their children I’m concerned about the morale of families who are losing their homes to foreclosure and the teachers who are being laid off and the low level state and federal employees who are being forced to take unpaid furloughs. I’m concerned about the morale of the students and the people who just lost their unemployment benefits while high paid law makers with health insurance go on vacation. I’m concerned about the morale of the Americans who can not afford health insurance and for American women who are denied health insurance because they have a preexisting condition called being female.

I do feel for the families with loved ones engaged in these wars. I do feel for the young men and women fighting these wars. I have friends who have children serving. I have family members serving and they do so by choice. I don’t mean to be callous it is just how I see it.
When all, not some, of America’s freedoms are fully available to me and people like me then I can share your sentiments. When people like me no longer hear buzz statement like, “You have great job experience but we can’t hire you because you are over qualified” or until banks and lending institutions no longer discriminate against people like me trying to get a home loan at a decent rate. Or predatory lending no longer disproportionately affect people like me and people who want to work can find decent paying jobs then maybe I too can share your sentiments on troop morale. Until then, I’m sorry I just can’t.

Twenty-seven little words packed with so much meaning, and causing so much debate.  The recent McDonald v. Chicago decision seems to put to rest nearly fifty years of debate; especially when teamed with District of Columbia v. Heller.  These two decisions hold that the Constitution of the United States extends the individual right to arms and that the Second Amendment is applicable to every city and state.  Did they make the right decision?

To determine the answer to this question, a review of the history of the amendment and its meaning is required. One way the King reduced the colonists’ liberties, was by quartering the Redcoats in individual homes. These troops also took over the buildings of governance in the colonies.  Further, the game laws were written in such a way as to disarm most “subjects”.  The Redcoats also confiscated many arms in the colonies.  With this history, the colonists feared a strong military ruled by a powerful central government.  The Second Amendment was codified as a pre-existing right.  The very text of the amendment says so implicitly in the declaration “shall not be infringed”.  The Federalist papers and contemporary writings of the late 18^th century show that people feared a powerful central government.  The anti-federalists, including Patrick Henry, James Monroe and Thomas Jefferson, insisted that a Bill of Rights be created to protect individuals from a strong federal government.   They advocated clearly defined and enumerated rights providing explicit constraints on government.  They believed that the peoples’ power should stay close to the people, and that allowing a strong army to be controlled by the executive, would be used to intimidate and subvert the liberty of the people.  While traditional local militias would be a safeguard against national military power, the right of citizens to bear arms would be the best safeguard against a strong central government.  Being the final arbiter of what is necessary and reasonable, the people would prevent the federal government from overstepping its’ bounds.  They also understood that any attempts to subvert liberty would have to be done over time and gradually.  The delegates to the Constitutional convention had understanding of the need not to overstep their authority.  As such, the powers delegated to the federal government were specific and very limited.

            The discussions of the Second Amendment and its functions centered on the rights of self-defense, to deter undemocratic government, and to repel invasion.  Text of the discussion included… “it is to be made use of when the sanctions of society and law are insufficient to restrain the violence of repression”.  A proposal to add the words “for the common defence” next to the words “bear arms” was soundly defeated.  The Second Amendment was adopted December 15, 1791.

The first century of the amendment drew little controversy or argument over its meaning.  The link between the US and English Bills of Rights, and the codification of existing rights, not creation of new rights, has been acknowledged by the US Supreme Court.   Further historical examination supports this theory.  North Carolina and Rhode Island agreed to ratify the Constitution, only after the Bill of Rights was added.  Federalist Noah Webster stated “an armed populace will have no trouble resisting a threat to liberty”.  The 1776 Pennsylvania Constitution confers the right, “the people have a right to bear arms in defence of themselves and their state”.  The 1784 New Hampshire Constitution states, “non-resistance against arbitrary power, and oppression is….destructive of the good and happiness of mankind”.  Published in 1803, St George Tucker’s legal reference said the amendment was without qualification, condition or degree, and expressed hope that we “never cease to regard the right of keeping and bearing arms as the surest pledge of liberty”.  In 1825 William Rawle declared:  “No clause could, by any rule, be conceived to give to congress a power to disarm the people…this amendment may be appealed to as a restraint”; a general prohibition against abuse of government power.  Lysander Spooner, an abolitionist, stated that the object of all of the Bill of Rights is to assert the rights of individuals against the government.  Nunn v. Georgia, 1846, concluded that any law precluding the open carrying of arms was in violation of the Constitution, and thereby void.  It further reasoned that the prefix of the Second Amendment showed that it originated from fear that the governments’ power was not sufficiently limited.  Even Dred Scott v. Sandford, 1856, states that slaves who become citizens have the right to “keep and carry arms wherever they want”. 

In recent years, there has been much discussion of the phrases “well regulated militia” and “bear arms”, and their purported meaning of military applications.  However, early constitutional provisions in ten of the states speak of the right of the citizens or people to bear arms in defense of themselves.  Further, it was the militia which was to be regulated, not the people.  The citizens were the governor on the militia.  The evidence, proofs and discussions of this meaning are too numerous for a column.  Suffice it to say, both phrases were regularly applied in the individual context.  The right to have arms for ones defense was described in the philosophical writings of Cicero and Aristotle as natural rights (rights by Nature).  The term “regulated”, in the 18^th century and today, means ‘subject to rules and regulations’.  It becomes clear that it was the militia who was to be “well-regulated”.  The Constitution goes further to state that the Congress will vote as needed, to create a standing army, limiting such army to a period of two years.  Then there is discussion of the word “militia”.  It is true that a militia has meaning in a military application.  However, numerous Federalist Papers and discussions of the Continental Congress noted the intent of having a national militia (Army, Navy), a local militia (National Guard), and a citizenry with arms.  This is yet another system of checks and balances put in place by our founders.

Having presented substantive evidence, it is without question that our republic was founded with an individual right to be armed.  Therefore DC v. Heller was the correct decision.  Justice Breyer, even in his dissent wrote that the entire Court subscribes to the proposition that the amendment protects an individual right, separately possessed.

In the US Constitution, the phrase “supreme law of the land” denotes that a federal law is superior and applicable to all states laws if it is directly constitutional, and is not supreme if disallowed by the same; in fact it would be void.  Further, the Fourteenth Amendment dictates that the Bill of Rights applies to local and state governments.  It would seem clear then, that McDonald v. Chicago is correct.  Opinions to the contrary notwithstanding, it is settled law that the right of the citizen to be armed is individual and applicable in any jurisdiction in the United States and its’ territories.

The courts have held many things legal with considerably less support in law, and considerably more unsettled issues remaining.  The issue to watch is how the courts will deviate from the settled law regarding the Second Amendment, or the Bill of Rights in general.  Upon watching the Elena Kagan hearings, it was notable that she was unable or unwilling to rule it unconstitutional for Congress to regulate under the interstate commerce clause, what foods we are required to eat daily.  While the premise of the question was certainly laughable, the lack of an easy answer was not.  Incrementalism and factionalism were the –isms which most worried the founders.  At this point we have a right to keep and bear arms, to maintain a well regulated militia.  As Thomas Jefferson said “That government is best, which governs least”.

In high school, I was required to take American History.  The instructor covered from 1492 to the then current day.  Much understanding was to be gained by an immersion in the world of the time.  The events prior to our formation as a Republic were most instructive as to human nature, needs, desires, difficulties and the overarching roles of freedom, serfdom and slavery.  Having already spent time dealing with world history, the pieces of the human puzzle started to fall into place.

The early colonists left their homeland in search of freedom and opportunity, to escape the clutches of those who would control their destiny and their way of life.  Over two hundred years the colonists sought to establish themselves as a free people in a rugged land.  Many who came to early America were viewed as rabble by the Europeans.  As time drove on and success was a reality, the king and the power structures in Europe attempted to exert greater control over what the colonists had wrought.   After many attempts at redress of grievance, a small group of colonists decided to declare independence from England.  This was not a majority position at the time.  A strong minority lead most of the colonists to this conclusion over time.  The words of the Declaration of Independence were crafted carefully to say exactly what they meant.  A Constitution was similarly created with great thought over a good deal of time.  There were many divergent viewpoints to take into account.  The Federalist Papers were a series of arguments in favor or against certain points of view.  Notwithstanding the events of war leading to independence being gained, the founders had felt it necessary to amend the Constitution to contain a Bill of Rights to protect the people against government power and tyranny.  The concept that as human beings we are “endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights”, equal in station to which the “laws of Nature and Natures god” would entitle them.  This concept was unique in governance.  The first ten amendments were adopted from a series of those proposed.  The arguments can be found in the Federalist papers, the intent of each made clear.  The history of humanity and the events of history and its’ repeated injuries and usurpations had created the need and desire for specifics, to throw off such government, to prevent the establishment of absolute tyranny. 

The first issue was the free exercise of religion, the right to speak your mind, the right to assemble and protest the right to your day in court.  The framers wanted a nation where the government did not dictate what you should believe, or what you should say, or what you should think for that matter.  They did not intend a nation of freedom from religion, or a nation where speech was to be correct. 

The next issue was how to maintain a free nation.  In the past, armies were prone to changing loyalties based on the power structure, respecting no one but whoever held the power at the moment.  The founders decided that an armed citizenry would be able to overthrow a despot should he take power in these “united States of America”.  You will notice that the u in united is not capitalized in the Declaration.  The Japanese resisted invasion here in WWII as they were worried that a gun would await them behind every door.  The founders were upset also that England tended to have soldiers take over ones home and use a families’ resources as their own.

Another issue was undo search or seizure.  An individual must be free in their person, papers, home, and effects.  The founders sought to establish a probable cause procedure, before an invasion was to occur.  The Fourth Amendment was as close to the establishment of “privacy” as the Constitution would go.

The Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Amendments were created to lay out the ground rules for criminal prosecutions.  This is where the right to face your accuser, trial by jury, the right against double jeopardy and unusual punishment, the right of speedy public trial, and the right to a positive defense are derived from.  The concept of private property is also denoted here.  Your property shall not be taken for the public good, unless you go through a proper procedure and are justly and properly compensated.

The Ninth Amendments denotes that just because the Constitution specifies or enumerates these particular rights, it in no way says that they are the only rights.  It notes that other rights are retained.  It appears before the Tenth Amendment on purpose.  The Tenth regards the enumerated powers of the federal government.  It limits the power of the central government.  Anything not specified in the Constitution is to be reserved to the people and the states.

Article I Section 8 enumerates the powers of the federal government, vested with the peoples’ representatives.  The rest of the Constitution sets up the checks and balances, denoting which parts of federal authority reside in which branch and giving full faith and credit to all of the States and its’ citizens.

The Congress and Executive branches have incrementally usurped powers not enumerated.  Not satisfied with those authorities given, they have boot-strapped all manner of “authority” to the interstate commerce clause, among others.  The exponential growth of government has finally caused a circumstance where more people work in government than privately.  The Congress debates the finer points of major league baseball, song lyrics and all manner of personal decisions.  The Fed is taking over corporations, stealing our children’s money to bail out banks and companies, making laws on what ways we are required to spend our money (think Obamacare), and taxing us beyond belief.   They are also ceding our Constitutional rights to the UN through international treaty.  They are spending money we don’t have for periods considerably longer than two years.  They have now learned how to extort billions of dollars from corporations.  As a republic, we are broke and broken.  The central government has dramatically overstepped its’ authorities.  It is comical to read in the Constitution that “The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December….”

The Constitution is not a “living document”.  It was intended to say what it meant.  There is a process in it for change.  It is onerous and prevents any but the largest of majorities to effect such change.  This too is purposeful.  The problem is, we have opened Pandora’s box and allowed the giant to become.  It will be nearly impossible to close the lid on the box.  The Giant is escaping, and it may be mighty painful to remove the boot quickly approaching our necks!

I’ve been a baseball fan for a number of years, but even I snicker when I hear Americans brag about their “World Series” as the world championship. We’ve got some great talent in this country and in all likelihood we may very well win such a championship, but I think there are a lot of countries who would love to participate in such a series. Actually, calling it the “World Series” without such participation smacks of arrogance.

For years there has been a long ongoing argument amongst rock and roll aficionados as to which was the “World’s Best” band; with the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Led Zepplin often mentioned. As much as I liked all three groups, I would have to say most adamantly, “Who cares!?” Isn’t it enough they each sold millions of records, made a lot of fans, and tons of money? Why can’t we just enjoy them for who they are?

There is something twisted in the American character requiring us to formulate a pecking order for everything thereby establishing bragging rights. I guess it is due to the competitive nature of this country. Somehow I don’t understand the logic when people say they have the “world’s best” philly cheese steak, chicken wings, chili, or whatever. Isn’t it sufficient to simply say something is either good or bad?

This obsession with “world’s best” has become so obnoxious, I openly laugh whenever I see it, which in Manhattan seems to be everywhere. Next time you see “world’s best” written down, ask the proprietor to show you the certificate awarded to them and the statistics used by the judges in the competition. Better yet, ask them if they would be willing to participate in an independent contest whereby you’ll act as the “world’s greatest” judge. Don’t be surprised if they balk at the offer.

Keep the Faith!

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

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

COMING IN JULY: “Tin Heads” – where transportation merges with communications. What is Bryce up to now?

A lot has changed since then. Today, only 20 states in the country allow corporal punishment in schools (not including here in Florida). As many as 25 countries have outlawed it altogether. I guess this is another area where lawyers have gotten involved and threatened lawsuits on behalf of irate parents who refuse to discipline their own children and subject the rest of us to these clods.

In studying this issue, I noticed all 50 states in the country allow corporal punishment on the part of parents. Yet, I wonder how many parents actually exercise such action. Again, back when I was a kid, if you got out of line, the old man would take a belt to your hide or your mother would wash your mouth out with soap if you spoke foul language (as happened to Ralphie in the movie, “A Christmas Story”). My great grandmother would use a switch or fly swatter if necessary. Such corporal punishment was not unique to my family as just about every kid on the block was keenly aware of the penalties for stepping out of line. It’s called, “cause and effect”; if you screwed-up, you had to suffer the consequences. Believe me, we would have much preferred to have been “grounded” than face the wrath of a displeased parent. Being “grounded” just didn’t exist back then.

I’m not sure why teens use profanity excessively; perhaps it is to appear “cool” or something they learned through the media, but it sure seems they drop the “F-bomb” as if it is a common everyday word. I’m no saint myself when it comes to swearing, but as an adult you realize there is a time and place for everything and you tend to use it more judiciously than our youth. Excessive use of profanity does two things; first, it waters down the effect of the word. Whereas profanity is normally used to stir emotions, inordinate use negates its effect. Second, excessive profanity is a significant indicator of someone’s intellect. Rudimentary language reflects a rudimentary intellect. I am reminded of the old maxim whereby, “Profanity is the attempt of a lazy and feeble mind to express itself forcefully.”

When youth uses profanity in the presence of adults, it does not threaten or embarrass adults as much as it causes the youth in question to lose all credibility in the adult’s eyes. It is just not smart to do. I find it rather amusing when youth resorts to primitive profanity as opposed to articulating their position. It most definitely does not make them look more mature.

As for me personally, I tend to think of profanity along the same lines as Mark Twain who said, “In certain trying circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity furnishes a relief denied even to prayer.” Amen!

Keep the Faith!

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

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

COMING IN JULY: “Tin Heads” – where transportation merges with communications. What is Bryce up to now?

Over the years, I think I’ve heard just about everything. So much so, when a person tries to tell a joke, I can more often than not guess the punch line. I have heard jokes about sex, politicians, the military, traveling salesmen, prisons, hair lips, animals, blondes, midgets, gays, religion, but the most prevalent jokes have been ethnic in nature.

As I’ve traveled around the world, I’ve noticed everyone has an ethnic group they like to pick on, for example: the Brazilians tell Portuguese jokes (as do the Spanish), the Japanese tell Korean jokes, the Greeks tell Albanian jokes, Canadians tell “Newfie” jokes (people from Newfoundland), South Africans tell “Von der Merven” jokes (Dutch related), Texans tell “Aggie” jokes (Texas A&M University), and it seems Irish and French jokes are universal. When I lived in Chicago, I heard the best “Pollock” jokes, mostly from the Polish themselves. Come to think of it, most of the ethnic groups I’ve met love to tell jokes about their own kind which seems a bit odd.

You don’t hear too many ethnic jokes anymore, probably because it is not considered politically correct. This is sad, as I think we have lost our sense of humor and take ourselves much too seriously. In reality, such jokes haven’t disappeared entirely, they’ve just gone underground and are only told privately to highly select friends and acquaintances.

Ethnic jokes tend to frighten people as they think it represents an unfair stereotype. Maybe, but I can’t remember anyone ever taking an ethnic joke to heart and allowing it to distort their perception of people. It was just situation comedy used for a good laugh. Something we need more of these days.

Now, before you start sending me e-mails saying that I have taken leave of my senses as ethnic jokes are defamatory swipes at people, all I’ve got to say is, “Loosen Up.”

Now that I think about it, I don’t think I have ever heard a Swiss joke. Maybe it’s because the country is neutral, or maybe they are just not funny.

Keep the Faith!

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

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

COMING IN JULY: “Tin Heads” – where transportation merges with communications. What is Bryce up to now?

Just about everyone has some sort of opportunity they wish they had handled differently, be it in love, a business opportunity, an adventure or experience, or a way to improve one’s self. Life is full of missed opportunities. It is difficult to know when to grasp the brass ring as opposed to holding back and assuming less risk. Some people are bolder than others. I think it is either a matter of self-confidence or the ability to formulate the odds for success. Regardless, life is full of “could’ves,” “would’ves” and “should’ves.”

Some people have difficulty living with regrets…

“If only I had invested in the ABC company…”

Some people dwell on regrets too much, allowing it to eat away their self-esteem and confidence, to the point of making themselves physically sick. They just cannot let go of a bad decision they made. As I see it, mistakes are a natural part of life and hopefully our decisions do not harm others, but every now and then, they do. I’m not talking about the vicious acts of criminals as much as I’m describing the regrets of everyday decisions.

Regardless if a bad decision affects only yourself or others, we have to learn to live with our mistakes. We have to accept it, not deny it, accept responsibility for it, and learn from it so that hopefully we do not make the same mistake more than once. What is done is done. Do not dwell on the past. In most cases, there is no way to correct it. Let’s move along. In addition, we cannot live in a state of perpetual fear of making another mistake because, in all likelihood, we will. After all, we are only human.

Part of the problem in our decision making process is how we rely on others for advice. If you haven’t guessed by now, people are quick to tell you what you cannot do in life. Nine times out of ten they are dead wrong. If you can think it through, you can do it. Mindpower is where it’s at. More than anyone, you know your strengths and weaknesses, and what limitations and capabilities you possess. True, we should respect the advice from people we trust, but we should ultimately be guided by our wants and needs, coupled with our ability to calculate risk. Let it not be said it was someone else’s decision, let it be our own. You will then have nobody else to blame if it fails.

“Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.”
- Andrew Jackson

I still think smoke jumping would have been an exciting way to spend a summer over thirty years ago, but I look back with no regrets. It just wasn’t meant to be. Instead, I think of all of the other things I accomplished since then which were meant to be.

Keep the Faith!

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

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

As I grow older I get the uneasy feeling everything I’ve learned to date is wrong. It’s hard to describe, but it is a very frustrating feeling and leaves you somewhat bewildered. Let me give you some examples…

I was brought up to believe if you worked hard, and kept your nose clean, everything would work out for you; that your company would keep your best interests at heart and, in the long run, you’ll do just fine. As we all know, there is no such thing as corporate loyalty anymore and, in this dog-eat-dog world, trouble somehow seems to find us, regardless of how honest and forthright we try to lead our lives. Further, it seems unscrupulous cheating and dishonesty is rewarded as opposed to punished. “Quick and dirty” solutions also seem to be preferred over craftsmanship and quality. Instead of getting to the root of a problem, we only address its symptoms for the sake of brevity. In other words, facade is preferred over substance.

I was also taught you should pay your bills on time, and avoid incurring debt which would be difficult to pay back. Now it seems “take the money and run” is the modus operandi of a lot of people, businesses, and government. Between our lenient bankruptcy laws and our inclination to spend, people are taught not to pay their bills. After all, someone else will take care of it for you, right? This also gives me the uneasy feeling that perhaps my money is not my own, even though I worked hard to earn it.

As I was growing up I was taught everyone should be treated fairly; to give each person the benefit of a doubt until proven otherwise; that it was also important to be responsible, and your word was your bond. However, it seems morality is not currently in vogue and notions such as honor and principles are politically incorrect.

Finally, in grade school I was taught the United States was a great country we should all take pride in, and that government was a servant of the people, not the other way around. Boy, I guess I really got this one wrong.

It’s a bit disheartening to realize what you thought was right is wrong, and vice versa. That two plus two no longer equals four anymore. It’s all very confusing. Then again, perhaps it’s not my age that caused this epiphany, but maybe I’m sensing nothing more than changes in our culture. If, in fact, everything I learned is wrong, I sure hope I come down with a bad case of Alzheimer’s Disease soon so I can blot all of this out.

It is disturbing to discover the world described in Firesign Theater’s album makes more sense than the real world.

Keep the Faith!

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

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

In my Civics class, we discussed the various branches and levels of government, how legislation was processed, serving on juries, and of course the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution. The Declaration is a pretty impressive document, but to me, the Constitution is one of the most brilliant inventions ever devised by man, particularly when you consider the political climate of the time when it was written. Its three branches of government, with its checks and balances, was a bold experiment, yet, when you read it, you are struck by the simple common sense embodied within it.

James Madison is generally regarded as the “Father of the Constitution” as he took the lead in its development. Madison’s education concentrated on such subjects as languages, philosophy, and speech. His studies also included a few law classes, but he never gained admission to the bar. So, here you have the principal author of our government’s most important document who is more skilled in communications than in law. This is in sharp contrast to today’s Congressmen who are more likely to be lawyers as opposed to any other occupation. Consider this, the original U.S. Constitution was written on just four pages, less the Bill of Rights which was handled separately. Admittedly, these were rather large pages by today’s standards, but it was still four pages in length. Compare this to the recent Health Insurance Reform Bill which was over 2,000 pages long; even the summary was 121 pages. It kind of makes you wonder what today’s Congress would have produced had they been charged with Madison’s responsibility. I can’t help but believe I would prefer the simplicity and directness of Madison’s version instead.

As an aside, I find it rather strange the Constitution has become an icon associated with conservatism in this country. It should be a symbol for all of us.

One of the most important lessons stressed in my Civics class was the need for people to become active and responsible citizens. It didn’t preach disobedience, treachery or anarchy, although this was certainly described. Instead, it discussed the duties of the citizens such as enacting changes through peaceful means, e.g., the ballot box. When I go to my polling station today, I get the uneasy feeling that a lot of people do not know what they’re doing there and what they should be voting for or against. To me, this is downright scary.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, people take their civic responsibilities too lightly. Most are uneducated. In the absence of a bona fide Civics class, people should be required to at least pass the citizenship test as published by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

More than anything, our Civics class taught us that citizenship is something to be prized, and not taken for granted. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s this way anymore, which is why we have a general flippant attitude towards government and a belief that “someone else is pulling the strings.” Interestingly, it is the American public that still pulls the strings, but with the passing of such things as Civic classes, we’ve forgotten how to do it.

Keep the Faith!

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

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Singapore isn’t the only Asian city where casino developers are placing bad bets. Billionaire Steve Wynn’s infatuation with China’s government and disdain for the Obama administration got another airing at last month’s debut of his Encore Macau property. Wynn’s plan to plunk down another couple billion dollars in Macau illustrates precisely why to be wary of Macau, especially if you’re Steve Wynn.

Totally globalized native New Yorker and former broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set in his adopted hometown during the 1997 handover about television news, love, betrayal, financial crisis, and cheap lingerie.

¿Qué hay en verdad de fondo tras la promulgación de la ley SB1070?

Un inmigrante se columpiaba

sobre la tela de una araña

como veía qué resistía

fue a llamar a otro inmigrante…

Más que una clave archivonómica se trata de un distintivo. La ley aprobada y por entrar en vigor dentro de unas semanas en el estado de Arizona, Estados Unidos, ¿qué es? Como lo veo yo, es una llamada de atención tanto para el gobierno y la sociedad estadounidenses como para los mexicanos; y aún más, para el resto del mundo.

Estados Unidos y cada uno de sus estados son libres y soberanos para hacer dentro de sus fronteras cualquier cosa que les plazca, y que sirva para la mejor convivencia. El respeto a la ley es prioritario en Arizona como en China, pero cuando las leyes son usadas como ariete, cuando se emplean como un pretexto para otros fines, es cuando resultan sospechosas, por decir lo menos.

En México, la reacción a esta tan cacareada y polémica ley ha causado gran disgusto, incomodidad y revuelo. Ya no se diga en Estados Unidos, donde las multitudinarias y variadas manifestaciones no se han hecho esperar. Se hacen a diestra y siniestra acusaciones a la gobernadora Brewer, empleando un sinnúmero de calificativos hacia su persona y su gobierno. El despropósito está instalándose en la opinión pública. ¿En verdad se trata de una imposición “racista”? ¿Cuál es el trasfondo de una decisión de esta envergadura? ¿Se trata de la versión real de aquella película “La segunda guerra civil” protagonizada por Beau Bridges? También podría pensarse que se trata de una artimaña concertada para forzar al congreso estadounidense a tomar medidas definitivas y, de una vez por todas, votar una reforma migratoria más que suficiente, más bien moderna y ajustada a las necesidades reales tanto del país como de la gigantesca población migrante que año con año determina el dinamismo de la todavía principal economía del mundo.

Pero también puede pensarse que es una forma de acicate al gobierno y la sociedad de México, toda vez que, entrapado el país en una guerra sin cuartel contra el narcotráfico y otras linduras como la crisis económica, la influenza, etcétera, está arrinconado en la definición de soluciones concretas, viables y factibles que resuelvan el problema de la migración dentro y hacia fuera del propio México.

MIGRACIÓN ES MOVIMIENTO

De México se va la gente no por falta de oportunidades, ofertas de trabajo hay y muchas, pero pocas satisfacen las necesidades y expectativas de la población. El campo ha sido abandonado a su suerte y la población rural ha optado por ceder a las “bondades” de la vida urbana. Sueldos bajísimos combinados con costos altísimos de diversa índole obligan a las clases bajas y media (lo que queda de ella) a hacer malabares, recurriendo a desempeñarse en más de una actividad para llevar el sustento a casa y cumplir medianamente con sus obligaciones más elementales. La concentración de poder político y económico en unas cuantas familias y empresas (sin hacer hincapié en las trasnacionales, muchas de ellas estadounidenses) ha hecho de México un laberinto cuyo centro no puede ser hallado si no como reliquia del pasado, y la salida, la mejor que puede ofrecerse, generalmente es la fácil y a contra pelo de las normas y los ordenamientos: piratería, comercio informal, narcomenudeo, entre otras.

De México y hacia el sur el problema es similar, claro que con matices según el país y la región. Hoy, México junto con el resto de Latinoamérica, ha decidido “dar la espalda” a Estados Unidos y formar un bloque común, con fundamento en lo que les es común, la cultura, el idioma. Latinoamérica en su conjunto es mayoría en población comparada con Estados Unidos y Canadá; pero, en otros factores por supuesto que son el contrapeso justo del continente estos otros dos. Por eso también México y el resto de Latinoamérica caminan de la mano de Estados Unidos. Pura conveniencia mutua. La división norte-sur, por maniquea, es parte de lo que está generando la mecánica del continente. Estados Unidos y Canadá, por su nivel de vida, son objetivo aspiracional para muchos latinoamericanos. Estos, al llegar a la “tierra prometida” ven, en la mayoría de los casos, que sus “sueños” se convierten en pesadillas, máxime cuando terminan siendo explotados, ninguneados, desprovistos de los derechos más elementales.

Está mal México, sí, porque no hace lo que debería para retener a su población. Pero también está mal Estados Unidos, porque está haciendo todo lo posible porque no entre en su territorio la materia prima humana que históricamente ha definido al país como lo que es, uno formado desde la raíz por inmigrantes (y, recordemos, no siempre de la mejor estofa, como muchos de los primeros colonizadores).

AL DEMONIO LAS FRONTERAS

En una época cuando las fronteras cada vez están más desdibujadas, la migración, sea por causas de turismo o por búsqueda de la supervivencia, acentúa y complica los conceptos añejos que teníamos de soberanía y nacionalismo, por mencionar dos. Al amparo de la “seguridad nacional” y el miedo irracional al “terrorismo” (también a los rebeldes que defienden sus causas nobles se les llama ahora de ese modo), países como Estados Unidos hacen lo que China hace dos siglos: cerrarse. Mientras, China hace lo contrario y ¡miren cómo está y a dónde va!

Entender los tiempos no es algo que a los gobiernos estadounidenses se les haya dado con cierta facilidad históricamente. En México, en cambio, seguimos viviendo de los rencores no asimilados.

Un genetista estadounidense ya demostró con sus investigaciones que el concepto de “raza” es no sólo una estupidez, sino el más imbécil pretexto para la discriminación. Todos tenemos de todos en nuestros genes. Pero no es más grave la discriminación por esta causa. La verdaderamente grave es la que obedece a prejuicios infundados, al odio irracional.

En una de mis primeras colaboraciones a SWI afirmé, y lo sostengo, que yo sí discrimino. Es natural la discriminación, es parte del proceso adaptativo de todas las especies. Discrimino cuando tengo que elegir entre comerme una manzana o una naranja, para ello aquilato sus propiedades, mi gusto, mi necesidad del momento. Pero entre este concepto en su acepción lógica, incluso ecológica y antropológica, y el uso que se le da cotidianamente al tratar con el otro sólo distan la grosería, la obsecación, la egolatría.

Los seres humanos nos debemos mucho a cada cual, y sería muy sano empezar a imaginar un mundo sin más fronteras. Ya estamos tan revueltos, que las líneas divisorias están de más. Estados Unidos (pero no únicamente) se ha dedicado a imponer su voluntad a otras naciones mediante recursos transfronterizos y pretextando mil y una razones, muchas de ellas bastante ridículas cuando no enojosas. Entonces, quieren o no quieren fronteras. Quieren mandar en el mundo, pero que el mundo no rebase el límite de… ¿de qué? Quieren ser el policía del mundo, pero en vez de admiración, como el policía de la película muda ganan animadversión y recelo de parte de los demás.

HABLANDO DE NACIONES Y TRAICIONES

Cuando un estadounidense muere fuera de su territorio, el mundo es el territorio estadounidense y hay que mover cielo, mar y tierra para dar con la justicia. Es un país que de suyo ha promovido la acción mercenaria. En México, nuestra Constitución pena al ciudadano que pelea en las filas de un ejército extranjero por causas ajenas a México, son traidores a la patria. Eso son muchos mexicanos enrolados para pelear como carne de cañón en Irak, Afganistán… Son traidores a México. Pero con en México somos muy románticos, además de ignorantes de nuestras propias leyes, cuando muere un mexicano “heróicamente” en esas tierras tan lejanas, en vez de señalarlo ensalzamos su memoria como la de “alguien que luchó por la libertad y la democracia”. ¡Pamplinas! Nos merecen respeto los familiares perdidos en algún enclave de la Sierra Madre, es humanitario allegarles el cuerpo para darle cristiana sepultura y consuelo. Es comprensible la actitud, pero entonces ¿a qué estamos jugando? ¿Somos o no somos?

¿Es para enorgullecerse pelear guerras ajenas para países que, aun cuando sus ideales son nobles, su fundamento es contrario a los intereses más básicos? El soldado mexicano en el ejército estadounidense, ese que come tacos y hamburguesas, ese que llegó de mojado y ya como recluta porta su green card, mastica a medias su lengua materna y escupe la adoptada, no es más que un mercenario. Un inmigrante y mercenario; mientras tenga papeles es tolerado, de lo contrario…

Contradicciones tenemos todos. Preocupante es que las contradicciones nos lleven a definiciones y decisiones contrarias a nuestra naturaleza. ¿Cuál es la naturaleza y el espíritu de la ley SB1070?

The Broadway Amsterdam 148th Street Block Association has been around since the 1950s. When we moved into the block 26 years ago it was like a nation divided. There were blacks, who didn’t like the Colombians who didn’t like the Dominicans who really hated the Haitians. The only event ever held was a block party in the summer where the lines of demarcation were definitely drawn. Since we live in the center of the block  we were privy to all the differences during the party. The music was loud from all sides, one trying to outdo the other. If you didn’t attend the meeting before the party you were not going to get any of the food purchased for the party. My husband joined the block association and noticed that the dissenting factions were not all present at meetings. The chairwoman was an elderly black lady who still believedthat Harlem was for blacks only and never notified any of the other ethnic groups on the block to a meeting. My husband diligently worked on getting her to change her mind and after a while worked closely with her to see what could be done to improve the block and its inner relations.

There was one tree on the block at that time. A large deciduous tree that sat outside of an all but abandoned brownstone across the street. Drugs were sold on our street and there were hidden brothels. While people complained about gentrification it actually helped improve the block instead of turning it into totally unaffordable housing. My husband became president of the block association and over the next few years with another long time resident of the block (who is now co-chair) they got 25 five trees plants. A few of them succumbed to urban problems such as children swinging from the branches or climbing too young trees. Construction killed others but most of them survived to add shade and beauty to a block that was once barren and sad.

The section of 148 Street where I reside now has home owners as well as city run apartments with  tenants from a variety of backgrounds and incomes. There is  a homeless shelter where the clientele only gets to stay one night.  Recently an art gallery moved to the corner promising to involve the block in upcoming events. The association now includes blacks, whites, South Americans, West Indians, and Eastern Europeans. When the rapist attacked on the block a meeting was held to warn the community. From that meeting associations were formed with other Harlem alliances. For Christmas they got together and gave a party for the people in the homeless shelter. Since clientele changes daily this was done on more than one occasion. New toys and new coats were given to the children and families. Hot chocolate and pastries and cookies were served the morning before they had to get back on the bus to parts unknown.  Now there is the block beautification with the trees. In a few weeks the flowers will be planted in the tree beds. Later there will be a block clean up day.

The only thing the block association used to do was the block party. This summer there won’t be one. All efforts seem to move into the direction of real improvements on the street. Since this is my husband’s project I stay in the background and do what I am asked. As a writer I also observe and listen. This weekend while some people were out working with the trees I overheard young people talking on their cells about how good the block looked and how the people were taking care of it. It was going to be a prettier place to live. There was also the man who decided, over the cell to his girl, that he needed to get his place together inside and out before he brought her over because the street was looking so ‘fly’. People who seldom did anything but complain were out helping. Children put their muscles behind cleaning tree beds and removing cobblestones and rocks that were once put around the trees to make them look better. We learned at the workshop they stunt growth. They got nothing but a sense of pride for a job well done. This in a city where literally every native asks “What do I get?” when you ask them to do something.

One of the lawyers who lives next to me suggested that we sell the beautiful cobblestones to make money for the association. As we sat outside talking in the twilight we watched as children gathered them and put them in our courtyard where a tarp was placed over them to save them from greedy passersby. There is still extra mulch and dirt that arrived in the wrong order but was worked into the tree beds accordingly. And this morning when I left the house I noticed not one tree bed on my half block walk to the corner had dog feces or paper in it. The street is starting to take shape as the community develops. It is a development that is fueled by the energies of all races for one goal. Not just to make property values soar but to have a beautiful place to live.  From one tree to 22 isn’t bad. Ten more trees are coming I understand and flowers and signs created in bright colors by the hands of neighborhood children.

Too bad more of the world is not like this.

This bothered me because I believe in the dignity and honor of any job, regardless how mundane it may seem. This caused me to do some soul-searching as to why I felt this way and I suppose it is because I am acutely aware of my family’s history; e.g., how we came to this country from Scotland, which certainly wasn’t in a luxury liner, how we struggled to get a foothold here, how we survived the Great Depression, and how we prospered following World War II.

Like many of you, I can recall the menial jobs both my grandfather and father performed to help the family survive. Interestingly, they never complained about it but, rather, always spoke with pride of how well they did their jobs. For instance, my grandfather used to be employed by the Wickwire Steel Company in Buffalo, New York where he ran a machine to make the rebar mesh used in such things as concrete sidewalks. It was certainly not a glamorous job. In fact, it was rather difficult as the machines would frequently break down. Instead of waiting for the machine to be fixed by someone else, as his union wanted him to do, he learned how to fix the machine himself. He figured he couldn’t get paid if the machine was idle, so he devoted his own personal time to learn as much about it as he could. His knowledge of the machines grew to the point where he eventually became the head of maintenance. Whereas he could have done nothing, instead he elected to take a proactive approach.

To my grandfather’s way of thinking, his job was no better or worse than anyone else’s. He was just thankful he had one and did it to the best of his ability. This taught me you should not look down your nose at anyone for the job they have, but rather how well they perform it. I have much more respect for the common uneducated laborer who knows what he is doing as opposed to a well educated professional who is a derelict.

It is fundamental to the human spirit that we all believe we are leading a worthy and honorable life. Since work is an inherent part of our life, how meaningful our job is depends on what we make of it. If we take a defeatist attitude and treat it as a triviality, we will suffer from low self-esteem and become jealous of others. However, if we adopt a professional attitude towards our job, regardless of its magnitude, we will have a more positive sense of self worth.

With this said, I don’t understand the obsession a lot of High School Guidance Counselors have in pushing students towards a college education. Not everyone is predisposed to attending college, some are better served by going into a trade school or the military. Yet, many guidance counselors pooh-pooh such institutions thereby creating a snobbish attitude towards them. Believe me, there is nothing dishonorable about learning mechanics, auto repair, plumbing, carpentry, or serving in the military. Imagine where we would be without such professions.

One of the main reasons I have enjoyed my time in the Masons is that we are taught regardless of your station in life, everyone serves on the level. In other words, everyone has an equal say regardless of who they are, thereby taking ego out of the formula and creating a sense of cooperation.

I do not know how well we are passing this lesson of work dignity to our young people, but I fear we are creating a generation of people who are more class conscious than the last, and never satisfied with the job they have, regardless what it is. From a psychological point of view, this should have profound long term effects on our productivity and our culture.

Keep the Faith!

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

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

To counter this “benign ruler” point of view, some people in the early 1900s began to organize the working poor. Those most effective and trustworthy came from that background and took action. The work of Camus and Orwell springs from a real knowledge of poverty (Camus) or being an outsider among the privileged (Orwell). It must be pointed out that Camus took a dim view of Marx, and Orwell was horrified by Stalin’s Communism. But these two writers have held the greatest influence in the minds of Western thinkers who call themselves liberal. Camus went so far as to coin the term “libertarian socialist.”

The rise to political and economic power of the European workers had a parallel in the United States. While Communism was a hothouse flower that died quickly and Socialism remains a mystery to most Americans, the societal changes that occurred here were spurred by two forces basic to this country: a distrust of concentrated power and a belief in individual freedom. In this, both conservatives, liberals and those in the middle (that is, almost everybody – to paraphrase Camus) share common ground. Unionization helped, and so did “top-down” changes.

The liberal reluctance to classify people, either in groups or as individuals, comes from the concern that this leads to elevating one group or individual above others. But liberals in their rush toward equality in the 1960s and early 1970s overran the boundaries, and began to exalt those groups that had been previously held down. In the fray, the individual was lost. For liberals, the search for new groups to “free” became the doctrine.

However, in conservative doctrine, the individual is only free as long as he or she conforms to the dominant power group’s rules. The idea that new rules might be positive threatens their world view. This is experienced as a personal assault on their core values, even if it is not. While conservatives profess to be against “top down” order, in fact, they support it when it serves them (the recent immigration law in Arizona, for instance). At the same time, they believe that within the established order they are free.

Both liberals and conservatives, when they classify groups fall into the Hegelian abyss of duality, a never-ending cycle of dominance and submission punctuated by violence (which “history” can be seen to be). Both lose their moral and ethical balance and sense of measure that inspires their vision of freedom.

Behind every liberal deserving of the name stands a rebel who is sensitive to injustice and is compelled to act. The liberal who wants change for others, but does not change his or her own life, is just as status quo in his or her thinking as a conservative. Behind every conservative is an absolutist who wants to see his life style codified. There have been powerful cases made for the concept that human nature and the world we live in is ruled by immutable laws. One issue is that these laws are not agreed upon, and another is that there are dimensions we will never understand, and finally, there are those who see random phenomena as part of the norm. The rebel perceives that change must occur through every level of society. Even if the world were to be 9/10ths perfect, the rebel would not be satisfied. The rebel is an agent of change. As such, he or she will always be at odds with society.

Some people dream of a harmonious world where people with different points of view live equally and freely. But others prefer a society that affords them a modicum of safety and stability, including a hedge against diversity and change. In any case, both liberal and conservative thinking tends to live on the boundaries of human nature

Very few people ask what responsibilities are inherent in their freedom. What is the impact of rights for one person, for a minority, for the majority, and for society, on other people, and on society? What are our responsibilities as an individual? None, some, many?

Camus wrote that among the apparent truths about human nature is that each of us must always believe oneself to be innocent, and has a need to dominate and “see oneself as a hero.” Is freedom our goal? Stability? Peace? Does real freedom from the violent past begin when we can honestly and modestly confront the questions of individual and societal rights, their consequences, and their relationship to our own innocence and need to dominate? Was Camus right, that until we find that sense of measure, we will be lost?

BASIC TRANSPORTATION

Those who just want a basic form of transportation are more impressed by the functionality of the vehicle as opposed to aesthetics. Price, reliability, gas mileage, maintenance, and safety are more important than contoured lines, paint, and leather bucket seats. To them, the automobile is a necessary evil; it is nothing more than a tool to move them from point A to point B. As such, it is essentially no different than the role the horse played in the 1800′s. You feed it, you give it basic grooming, and you ride the heck out of it.

I find these types of people do not establish any emotional ties to their vehicles yet tend to hold on to them a lot longer than most as they wish to get their money’s worth out of it. If the car is to be used for nothing more than transportation, they typically buy small to mid-sized cars. However, they are more inclined to buy something bigger if they have to transport samples and paper work, such as what salesmen do, or children. Construction workers are more inclined to buy trucks.

The “basic” people represent the lion’s share of drivers on the road. As such, you must remember they are only interested in reaching their destination. Some will be overly conservative, particularly our seniors, some will go with the flow, some will be hell-bent on reaching their objective, and others will be preoccupied on the phone, shaving, reading, applying makeup or fixing their hair as they consider driving a horrendous waste of time. It is this last group that is the most dangerous as they are more interested in their distraction than driving the car.

STATUS SYMBOLS

Those who see their vehicle as a status symbol are trying to make a statement of some kind; either they are “sporty”, filthy rich, or use it as a means of attracting the opposite sex thereby acting as a phallic symbol. Unlike the “basic” people, looks are of paramount importance. Consequently, they either buy the fastest gas guzzlers, the most opulent luxury vehicles, or something in-between. Electronic trinkets are important here as the vehicle is considered more as a toy than anything else.

The status people have emotional ties to their vehicles only until the next model comes out whereby they trade-up at every opportunity. In other words, owning a car for one year is considered an eternity.

On the road, the “status” people have two different driving personalities: they are either fast and reckless, thereby giving the impression they are eccentric and have plenty of money to burn, or they drive rather conservatively, conscious of their investment.

CONNOISSEURS

Those who truly love cars possess an in-depth understanding of automobiles and a deep seeded appreciation for the design and engineering of the vehicle. Guys like Jay Leno come to mind, as well as people who participate in the many classic car shows across the country. They buy rare cars for several reasons; to remind them of a bygone era, the sheer love of automotive engineering, and as an investment. They drive their car not because they have to, but because they want to as they truly appreciate the automobile as a remarkable engineering achievement.

The “connoisseurs” are passionate about their vehicles and develop strong attachments to them. However, most will reluctantly part with them if the price is right, and will buy something else to work on. They spend their idle time scouring eBay looking for spare parts, visiting auto auctions, and carefully inspecting different vehicles at car shows. To them, it is a serious hobby, requiring them to possess an in-depth knowledge regarding their subject and a close attention to detail.

Those that fall into this category are perhaps the best drivers on the road. They are acutely aware of the capabilities and limitations of their vehicles and drive defensively in order to protect them. They are typically the safest drivers on the road.

DIFFERENCES

The basic difference between the three schools of thought is how the human being perceives the automobile, either as nothing more than a tool or commodity, an expression of one’s personality, or as a prized investment. These perspectives ultimately dictate our driving habits and how we treat the vehicle. We either see it as nothing more than a mule or workhorse, a stallion out to stud, or a fine quarter horse suitable for racing.

These distinctively different perspectives present an interesting dilemma for automotive manufacturers in terms of what types of cars they should be building. Do they develop something for the masses whereby what they lack in profit-margin can be made up for in volume? Or do they develop a line of luxury cars which will feature a much higher price tag? Or do they try to design a “classic” which will stand the test or time? I guess it ultimately depends on who you want to sell to: basic people, the status seekers, or the investors. Each has a different perspective and each wants something different.

Keep the Faith!

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

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

I contend we are not measured by inanimate objects, but by animate ones instead. It is how we influence others that is perhaps most important, be it our relatives, our coworkers, our customers or whatever. If we can set an example or motivate someone to excel beyond their capabilities, to grow and evolve, then we have accomplished something rather monumental. This is probably what motivates teachers. For example, Helen Keller’s work positively impacted people with disabilities around the world, yet had it not been for her teacher, Anne Sullivan, it would never have happened. Thomas Edison is well remembered not only for the inventions he created, but the companies he founded, including General Electric which does business around the world. All of this may never have happened without the influence of his mother, Nancy, who encouraged and home schooled him. Let us also not forget Aristotle’s influence on Alexander the Great who significantly influenced the cultures of Europe, Asia and Africa.

We are ultimately defined by the decisions we make and actions we take, both good and bad. It is the consistency by which we apply these actions and decisions that defines our character. Greatness is measured by a person’s ability to move the masses towards a major goal. There are several fine examples strewn throughout history, such as the ancient Greeks (e.g., Plato, Socrates, etc.); political leaders such as Abraham Lincoln, King Henry VIII, Joan of Arc, Winston Churchill, and Emperor Meiji of Japan, and; religious figures such as Jesus, Confucius, and Mohammed. Interestingly, all were effective communicators.

The point is, we all have a profound effect on others, be it in a positive or negative light. It is when we can get others to aspire and achieve that we have really written our own legacy.

As to my own personal legacy, I believe I have done some good things in terms of information systems theory, and have helped clean up a lot of messes for customers who I have consulted with over the years, as well as the organizations I have participated in. This is all well and good, but beyond this I hope I will be remembered as someone who…

* Challenged people to use their brains, to think, and not to go on autopilot.

* Encouraged people to try new ideas, to think outside of the box.

* Warned people of the dangers of complacency and apathy.

* Admonished others to appreciate their heritage yet grow, evolve, and adapt.

* Preached leading an honorable and worthwhile life.

If I have done this, than I feel my time was well spent.

Our legacy is what we give of ourselves. We can give money, we can volunteer our time, we can invent and design new things, but I believe we really affect people when we shape their perspectives and thinking processes. Thereby our legacy is whatever we want it to be; we write it ourselves, either by doing nothing or helping others find their way.

I’ve told you what I hope my legacy will be; what’s yours?

Keep the Faith!

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

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

“Horse trading,” as we still refer to it, is still a lively pastime. I’ve got friends who actively engage in it and their goal is to always “trade up” for something better. For example, I have seen them start with a bicycle, trade it up for a chain saw, to a scooter, to a motorcycle, to a camper, to a car, and finally to a boat. It takes them a bit of time to go through the process and requires them to fix and cleanup the current commodity du jour, but they thoroughly enjoy the game. True, they’re ultimately making some money in the end, but they’re also spending money cleaning and fixing up the merchandise as well as devoting considerable time to their hobby. The one thing I’ve learned about these people is they do not form any attachments to their property. They will wheel and deal in all of their material possessions, even pets and livestock. I don’t know if these people are to be envied or pitied for their obsession, but they certainly seem to enjoy it.

I am also not one of those guys who longs to go shopping at a mall for an afternoon. Frankly, I think I would rather have a prostate examination instead. I marvel at how people can do this as much as they do, particularly before Christmas. Women shoppers amaze me as they methodically go in and out of stores, examining merchandise, trying on clothes, and buying nothing. It’s kind of like watching an ant canvass an area scrounging for food.

I have a female friend who I would classify as a professional shopper. She knows where virtually everything is in the city she lives, and makes routine rounds around town in a constant search for the lowest prices and latest sales. She has done this so often, all of the sales clerks in town know her on a first name basis. Each time she goes out, she is compelled to buy something. If you were to visit her home you would find racks of clothes which still have the price tags on them. Interestingly, just about everything she buys is returned. As an aside, her monthly credit card statements read like “War and Peace” with numerous pages of debits and credits, yet the monthly balance always ends up at zero. You would think such shopping madness would get tiresome. Surprisingly, it does not. It is the love of the hunt that drives her just as much as “horse trading” does for my other friends.

I have heard the act of shopping called everything from a hobby to an obsession, to a disease or some form of addiction. For those obsessed with it, Psychiatrists have a name for it, Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD) which can be treated by medication and support groups. Interestingly, CBD is found in approximately 6% of the American populace, 80% of which are female.

Aside from CBD, I think what drives shoppers more than anything is the incentive of financial rewards. Other than this, I cannot see any enjoyment in shopping for its own sake, regardless of how the store is decorated or its friendly service. If you are shopping just to occupy your time, you must be a glutton for punishment.

As for me, while everyone else is at the mall, I’ll be sitting at the beach quietly reading a good book. It sure beats a prostate examination (or shopping).

Keep the Faith!

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

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

As a writer, I discuss things we take for granted, often overlook, or refuse to acknowledge as we feel comfortable with the status quo and do not want to make waves. When we look back on our childhood, we fondly think of a simpler time, the “Good old Days,” and wish they were still within our grasp. But if anything is constant, it is change. We have all witnessed considerable changes in the world in terms of sociology, economics, technology, politics, etc.

Today, we now expect to communicate instantaneously with just about anyone on the planet. As for me, I miss the days when we could become “out of touch.” Now, no place is sacred from instant communications.

Our weaponry has become so sophisticated, it would be the envy of Buck Rogers.

In terms of medicine, we now expect to recover from life threatening problems quickly so we can get back out on the golf course.

We now plan to travel to distant locations in a matter of hours or a few scant days, not weeks or months. Even a trip to space is taken for granted.

We now carry the latest movies and games in our pocket; we look up scores, pay bills, check our stocks, as well as weather and traffic reports.

When you think about it, we now take a lot for granted; things that simply did not exist a few scant decades ago. This means we are now experiencing new freedoms in how we communicate, express ourselves, move about the planet, and socialize. All of this was made possible by advancements in our technology.

This also resulted in new tactics and strategies in how we manage and compete in business and govern ourselves. As an example, consider the concept of “outsourcing” which would not have been possible without the electronic communications we enjoy today. This has caused us to move a lot of our manufacturing jobs offshore to cheaper labor pools, like India, China, even Viet Nam. The result: We are no longer the #1 exporter in the world, and we have shifted from manufacturing and construction to a predominantly service oriented society.

The people who lost their jobs in this country have had to learn new skills for new types of jobs, but are they truly better than their previous jobs?

Let me give you an example, the area just east of Asheville, North Carolina, right along the Blue Ridge Parkway, used to be known for some of the finest furniture makers in the country as well as their rich tobacco crops. Unfortunately, cheap Chinese labor ultimately decimated North Carolina’s furniture business; they simply couldn’t compete and were forced to close their factories. Since the passage of the Federal Tobacco Quota Buyout in October 2004, North Carolina’s tobacco industry has been in a “transition” period, meaning tobacco production has sharply diminished in the area, if not disappeared altogether. All of this has given rise to unemployment, government subsidies, and a general bewilderment by the populace as to what to do next.

There are those still yearning for furniture work, but cannot seem to come to grips with the fact that the ship has sailed. Because of the natural beauty of the area, including mountains, streams, hunting and fishing, and gemstones, some would like to develop the area for tourism. Alas, this is pooh-poohed by the locals who are easily alarmed by outsiders and their perceived sinful ways. Instead, the residents have elected to simply do nothing and allow themselves to stagnate in a state of analysis paralysis. You can readily see the effect it is having on the natives as there is no hustle, no service, no nothing, just a defeatist attitude, all because they refuse to face reality.

All of this means that change comes at a cost, namely substantial modifications to our culture and standard of living. To illustrate, “texting” has had an adverse affect on basic grammar and how business letters and reports are written, which affects sales and customer service.

Make no mistake, our children and grandchildren will live in a much more complicated world than we can imagine. Added complexity means we have to embrace new ideas and abandon older ones. In other words, added complexity means change.

The question remains though, is our quality of life improved; are we truly better off? A U.N. report suggests our standard of living continues to decline (we’re now 10th in the world with countries such as Norway, Iceland, Australia, and Canada ahead of us). A reduction in our standard of living represents sacrifices for all of us, both personally and professionally, something that will test the American character.

Our language is cruder, common courtesy is no longer common, there is polarity in our politics, we possess no sense of history, common sense is uncommon, and you could make a compelling argument that our moral values are deteriorating at an alarming rate.

We tolerate a decline in our morality and socialization skills, yet we are intolerant when it comes to politics and religion. Perhaps these should be reversed.

Now more than ever we need true leaders to lead, but we have to quit handcuffing them to political correctness. In a republic, our leaders are elected by the people to serve the people. It seems to me though, we have the cart before the horse. We have created monarchies not only in our government, but in nonprofit volunteer organizations as well. We need leadership, not a power-hungry ideologue. We need leaders who can pull a group of people together and move them in a direction towards solving true problems, not symptoms. A lot of what we do today I refer to as “Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic”; we simply have our priorities wrong. We’ve got to stop promising people the world, and learn to live within our means. This may not be good for getting elected, but it is a harsh reality we all have to learn.

Years ago, Gerald Ford went before the American people in a State of the Union address and said in effect, “My fellow Americans, I’m afraid the state of the union is not very good…” It was honest, it was truthful, it was forthright; but it also cost him the 1976 Presidential election as it was something the American public didn’t want to hear. As Pogo said, “We have met the enemy and it is us.”

As I admonish young people entering the work force, “It is time to grow up.” Now is not the time to go with the flow, now is the time to challenge the status quo, to seek new ideas and ways to survive and improve our station in life. As far as I’m concerned, there are no sacred cows. Everything needs to be challenged and reevaluated. When you hear expressions like, “Well, that’s the way we’ve always done it,” that’s a telltale sign you have allowed yourselves to stagnate out of apathy. Has anyone considered that perhaps you have been doing things wrong so long that you believe it is right? That there may very well be new and improved ways for changing the status quo?

Years ago, Laurence M. Gould, the President Emeritus of Carleton College said in a commencement address, “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.”

I would like to leave you on a positive note, but that is going to be difficult to do. The title of this paper is “The Times We Live In” which I believe history will record as an extraordinary period for all of us. I had hoped that as I approached the autumn of my life, I could slow down and take it easy. Unfortunately, I do not see this happening any time soon for any of us. And that’s just the point: It is all up to us. We can either sit back and do nothing or stand up and be counted in everything we do, be it politics, our companies, our schools, our neighborhoods, and all of the other institutions we participate in. “It is all up to us.”

Think about your own local institutions. Is membership flourishing? Is it prosperous? Is it financially sound? Is it meaningful? How is this not a microcosm of what is happening on a national or world stage? If we truly believe in the institutions we participate in, it will be necessary to redouble our efforts to maintain them.

I am reminded of what Winston Churchill said before his country entered World War II, “Nothing can save England if she will not save herself. If we lose faith in ourselves, in our capacity to guide and govern, if we lose our will to live, then indeed our story is told.”

So, the next time someone says, “The Emperor has no clothes,” will we continue to avert our eyes and keep quiet, or will we have the fortitude to speak up and deal with the problem?

This could be our greatest hour, or our worst. “It is all up to us.”

Keep the Faith!

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

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Totally globalized native New Yorker and former broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set in his adopted hometown during the 1997 handover about television news, love, betrayal, financial crisis, and cheap lingerie.

As for me, my passion has always been cigars, something I learned to smoke when I was thirteen years old behind my friend’s house in Chicago (a White Owl Classic if memory serves me correctly). I am not advocating smoking or trying to encourage others to imbibe, just to describe someone’s choice in life. I do not promote or advocate smoking cigars, but I have found it to be a small personal pleasure. I guess I am at the stage where I am no longer impressed by mansions, fast sports cars, boats, or any other “boys toys” to find happiness. To me it’s the little things that makes life pleasurable, such as a fine woman, good company and conversation, perhaps a drink, and a really good cigar.

I never acquired a taste for cigarettes or chewing tobacco and found them to be simply a waste of time (and money), but that’s me. Occasionally I’ll pick up a pipe, but frankly, I get more enjoyment out of a cigar. In addition to recreation, I enjoy smoking a cigar while I’m writing as it allows me to pause and concentrate on the subject at hand. It also helps me pass the time when performing the tedium of mowing my lawn.

Cigars come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors and tastes and one of the biggest misconceptions I would like to clear up is there is no such thing as a bad one, unless of course it has dried out, been soiled, or somehow been damaged. Actually, it’s a matter of matching the right person to the right cigar. There are some cigars I simply wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole, such as a green-leafed natural, something soaked in liquor, or twisted to look like a rope. I have enjoyed tobacco from Cuba, the Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, the Philippines, and many other locations. My tastes have evolved over the years whereby I prefer a large cigar with a generous ring size and wrapped in a dark Maduro leaf. But again, that’s me. Cigars are a personal thing. What one smoker may enjoy, another may despise. That’s why it is a matter of trying different cigars until you find what you like. Novice cigar aficionados should seek the expertise of a mentor to provide the proper tutelage. The worst thing you can do is try to smoke a type of cigar to impress someone else, not yourself. Further, a cigar should not be forced on you as it is a conscious decision you must personally make.

I cannot possibly teach you everything you need to know about selecting a cigar herein, there are simply too many variables involved, everything from its origin and manufacturer, to the wrapper, the filler, or even how it should be cut and lit. Outsiders may be surprised to learn the best cigar wrappers do not come from the Caribbean, but rather Connecticut, right here in the good old U.S.A. There is evidently something in the Connecticut soil conducive for growing the right leaves for wrapping a cigar. As Stengel would have said, “Who da thunk it.”

I was always envious of Winston Churchill, the famous Prime Minister of England, who was an iconic figure for the cigar. I have read books on Churchill and had the pleasure of visiting his Chartwell home in England. Interestingly, when Churchill was alive there was always at least 10,000 cigars in his home. It seems he received truckloads of them from various heads of state, grateful constituents, and various manufacturers who hoped he would endorse their product. Imagine what a learning experience it would have been to sample the various cigars under his roof.

Yes, I have had my fair share of detractors over the years condemn me for my passion, and I make an effort not to let it interfere with others, but the taunting by the anti-smoking establishment gets rather tiresome. They just do not understand the pleasure of a good cigar. A few years ago when I was still coaching and umpiring in Little League, I went down to the local ball fields one night to see a friend’s son play. I was comfortably sitting away from others in the outfield and had just lit a cigar when another coach spotted me and, lacking an umpire for his game, begged me to call the game for him. I reluctantly accepted and entered the field with my cigar in tow. Some of the parents jeered me for the cigar but I assured them not to worry and I put it out and stuck it in the backstop fence so I could smoke it later. The game went on for several innings. When it was over, I returned to retrieve the cigar and found it had fallen out of the fence and on to the red clay of the field, much to the amusement of the parents who chided me earlier. Unfazed, I simply rubbed the red clay off and re-lit it, much to the amazement of the parents. “Sorry,” I said, “but there is nothing like a good cigar.”

It’s personal.

P.S. – The term “Stogie” comes from Conestoga, a village of southeast Pennsylvania which, in its heyday, manufactured cigars.

Keep the Faith!

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

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

When you’re sixteen years old, the most important thing in the world is to feel included, especially if you’re a girl. I read an article this afternoon– printed in the New York Times on March 29th– about a teenage girl who had committed suicide because of bullies at her high school. Most of the parents who’s children attend that high school are clamoring for the superintendents removal and very strict anti-bullying measures to be put into effect. Those teens who where guilty of the harassment are being charged with felonies, but I feel like some people are missing the point. Yes, the school is responsible for every student within its walls, but how can parents expect the staff to catch every act of discrimination? In my experience, most teenagers are pretty intelligent when it comes to getting away with stuff they shouldn’t. They’re intelligent enough to know how not to get caught, even after repeated offense, and smart enough to completely understand what they’re doing. The high school in question is partially at fault, but I blame the students themselves. By the age of sixteen a person is old enough to know better. What I cannot understand is how those teens could think that treating a fellow student in such a way would ever be okay or acceptable. Frankly, it is disturbing. But they learned that behavior from somewhere. I’m not saying it was television or video games or books (if they even read them) that taught them that was a cool thing to do, but they got the idea from somewhere.

It’s the parents job to teach their children how to use those ideas. I realize that it is difficult for parents to talk to their sixteen year olds, but these lessons should have stared much earlier. It doesn’t matter how they are punished after the fact or who sat them down for “a talking to”; it’s too late. Children need to be taught appropriate behavior, and these high-schoolers were missing several crucial lessons. Lessons we were all supposed to have learned at age five.

I think a lot of adults– namely parents– forget what it feels like to be sixteen. I know my mom has. We didn’t see eye to eye when I was in high school and we still miss each other occasionally. Those four years would have gone much smoother for me if I had felt like I could have talked to her and had her understand what I was feeling. That constant cry of “no one understands me” seems like a joke to most of us, but for me and many others, that’s really what it’s like. It would have been nice to have come home and had someone on my side, not talking to me like I was still a child. Besides feeling wanted, being treated like an adult is an important desire for any teen. Whenever I would actually tell my mom how I felt, I was told “not to be so dramatic” and “oh, don’t be so angry all the time” and “just calm down.”  So I stopped talking. I didn’t tell my parents about the abuse I was getting from a boyfriend, or how we had sex before I was even close to ready. Or how I lost my friends because he wouldn’t let me see them. I had no one to talk because no one would believe me. I was just a silly girl.

Out of desperation I reached out to a person who, at the time, didn’t know anything about me. That poor kid on the school bus listened while I vomited all my fears and pain and frustration out at him. And he still listens when I need him. We’ve been together since then and now we’re engaged. My parents don’t know about that either. Old habits die hard, after all.

So please, if you’re reading this and you have a teenage son or daughter, come to them as a friend not as a parent. Treat them like they are your equal, not young and inexperienced (though that’s what they may be). There’s a disconnection between my mother and I and because of this we can’t get along under the same roof. A little encouragement can be all it takes to give someone courage. If we just took the time to say something positive to a person who needs it, a lot of tragedies could be avoided. Teach your children those important lessons before they stop listening completely. They’ll remember, even if they won’t admit it.

Upon hearing me make my way, my wife got me a cup of coffee, generally a prize for the last one getting up. I gave her a kiss and sat down, feeling odder by the second. She sensed something was wrong and asked and I told her I didn’t feel good. I was slurring my words and having trouble concentrating. After not meeting her request of sticking my tongue out straight, she brought me a pair of shorts, called out doorman and BAM, I”m in the ER.  By this time I don’tt know my name, social security number, what day it is, nothing. Well not quite nothing. Oddly, all I remembered was that I had a hair appointment that day and kept telling the docs and nurses that I couldn’t stay, I was supposed to get a haircut.

Three days later most of my long term memory had returned bit I had lost all short term memory. Major league scary. I’d also developed an eye tic and my left leg dragged. Thankfully, after a couple of months of rehab, the tic is gone and most of the left leg dragging has disappeared but I lost half of my vocabulary. It’s frustrating having to ask the name of things but it’s starting to come back. Beats the alternative by a long shot.

Will I ever write again? Remains to be seen. Thankfully I have a five book backlog. I lose concentration when going over an edit but my editor is working with me extra hard. This is the longest piece I’ve written to date but I’m going to use Brother Bobs site as practice so I’ll be posting regularly. 

One thing I’m absolutely sure of—STROKES SUCK.

1. GREET SOMEONE

Nobody wants to feel unwelcome or unappreciated. If they do, they will feel like outcasts and less likely to help you with something. The objective is to make people feel at home. This can be accomplished with a simple greeting or a firm handshake while looking at the person directly in the eyes.

It is easy to detect when a greeting is sincere or routine. Your goal is to appear genuinely concerned about the person. This can be achieved by:

* Complimenting on some personal attribute of the person (e.g., clothes, hair, car).

* Inquiring about a person’s family (e.g., birthday observed, anniversary, graduation, pets, health, etc.)

* Asking about an event the person recently experienced (e.g., attendance at an event, participation in a volunteer organization/charity, a new job or project assignment, etc.),

* Commenting on something newsworthy – community, sports, weather (“What did you think about…?”)

Such greetings are an expression of your interest in the person. Too often greetings become routine and, as such, less credible. Try to break it up.

A good, basic greeting can work wonders in building cooperation between people.

2. ENGAGE IN A CONVERSATION

People have a natural curiosity as to what you are all about. The best way to communicate this is to engage in simple conversation. Some people are naturally shy and tend to withdraw from such discourse. If one person is not willing to start a conversation, another should take the initiative simply by asking the other, “How are you?” or “What do you think?”

A good icebreaker is to tell a joke. But in this day and age of “political correctness,” exercise good judgment and taste in your humor. Avoid slang and offensive remarks unless the occasion calls for it. Goodhearted kidding and teasing is fine, as long as it doesn’t turn malicious.

Some people do not have the gift of gab for telling jokes. As such, tell a story about some recent event that happened to you. But don’t ramble. Stay focused and be sure your story has a point to it.

A conversation is a two-way street, regardless if it is humorous or serious in tone. Look interested, stay focused, and ask questions. Also be careful not to dominate a conversation unless that is your intention. If you have a tendency to monopolize a conversation, people will be less likely to engage in conversation with you.

For additional information on discourse, see:

No. 60 – “The Art of Persuasion” – Feb 20, 2006

3. VOLUNTEER

Many people prefer to sit back and watch as others perform the work. Volunteering your time or skills may add an additional burden but it tells others you believe in them and are willing to help out. Such an expression also makes it easy for you to solicit support when you are in need of help.

4. ASK FOR ADVICE

Too often people are too proud (or too stubborn) to ask for directions in our journey through life. But asking for advice from a colleague accomplishes two things: first, you might get the answer you seek, and; second, it says to the person you trust and respect their opinion. By confiding in an individual, the advisor becomes concerned with your best interests. This leads to mutual trust and respect between people.

When you are asked to offer advice to another, be as articulate and rational as possible. If you do not know the correct answer, do not fabricate advice or mislead the person. This will only shatter the person’s trust in you. Instead, point him in another direction where he might find the answer he is seeking.

5. NETWORK

It seems participation in trade groups and volunteer organizations today are dwindling. This is surprising since such groups provide a convenient vehicle to meet and exchange ideas with your peers. Such forums are useful:

* To exercise our basic social skills.

* To stay abreast of current developments in our field of interest.

* To establish relationships with people who possess different skills and knowledge that can help us.

Instead of resisting networking with others, the younger generation should embrace it. I heartily recommend joining trade groups and volunteer/charity/fraternal organizations. Regardless of the group dynamics involved, such forums help to improve ourselves personally and professionally.

6. TURN OPPONENTS INTO PROPONENTS

Today we live in a competitive society (some prefer the expression “a dog-eat-dog world”). I guess this is somewhat natural. There is nothing wrong with some friendly competition; it is when it turns vicious, thereby turning competitors into enemies, that you have to be careful. To overcome this problem, be gracious in defeat and magnanimous in victory. This was the secret to Abraham Lincoln’s success. After losing earlier political campaigns, Lincoln would stun his opponents by appearing at their victory celebrations and offering a sincere hand of congratulations and support. Because of this, his early opponents became his proponents later on. After winning the presidential campaign of 1860 he again stunned his opponents by offering them seats in his cabinet. These former opponents became his closest confidants during the dark days of the American Civil War.

It is one thing to go into a contest confidently; it is quite another to go in with a chip on your shoulder, thereby inviting trouble. Take disagreements in stride and pick your fights carefully. Ask yourself if it is really necessary to create an enemy at this point in your career.

7. BE COURTEOUS

Your manners and how you interact with others says a lot about a person’s character. Basic courtesy means you are socially well adjusted. No, I am not suggesting everyone turns into a “Miss Manners,” but attention to basic courtesy can improve your image with others. Small details can have a dramatic effect. For example:

* A simple Thank You note will be remembered for a service rendered. I have been a program chairman for various organizations over the years. After a speaker conducted a presentation for me, I would be sure to send a thank you note to him/her for their presentation (regardless if there was an honorarium or not). This is a nice personal touch that is remembered. Consequently, I never have a problem securing a speaker.

* Invite others to participate in events. Again, a personal note can work wonders and makes people feel wanted. If you stumble over an omission on your invitation list (which inevitably happens), move swiftly to correct the omission. Include people, don’t exclude them, let them know their presence has meaning to you.

Above all else, watch your temper. As the old adage admonishes us, “You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.” A little courtesy can go a long way towards building fruitful relationships.

8. BE POSITIVE

People naturally gravitate to others with a positive or upbeat personality. This doesn’t mean we always have to wear a smiling face, but we should concede that people like optimists as opposed to pessimists. As such, we should always be looking for reasons why something should be done, as opposed to reasons why it shouldn’t.

This leads us into the area of effective criticism. Avoid the temptation to maliciously criticize someone or something. First, it makes the person look like a whining and jealous naysayer; second, it tends to be more destructive as opposed to constructive. It is simply good practice, when identifying problems, to suggest alternatives as opposed to simply criticism. As Winston Churchill astutely observed, “Any idiot can see what is wrong with something. But can you see what is right?”

So, is the glass half empty or half full? Your answer says a lot about how people perceive you.

9. BE OBSERVANT

As I have frequently written in the past, if there is anything constant in life, it is change. Change is always around us, but it takes a perceptive person to be able to spot the smallest of changes, whether it be a new hair style, someone losing weight, a small job well done, or whatever. When a change is observed, ask yourself why it has happened. Be inquisitive and understand the rationale for the change. This will help you adapt to the change as well as improve your interpersonal relations. For example, people are easily flattered when someone compliments them on a change. It means you are perceptive and interested in the person, both of which puts you in good standing with the other person.

Included in this area is the observance of the names of people. It is embarrassing to both parties when a name is forgotten. In particular, it sends a signal to the other person that he/she is irrelevant in your eyes. This certainly does not help build relationships. Asking for business cards is one thing, remembering names is something else. This may require a little effort but it is time well spent.

It is these little observations that go a long way. As an example, perhaps the best secretary I ever saw was a lady named Myrna who worked for an MIS Director in Chicago. The first time I visited the office, Myrna warmly greeted me and asked if I wanted a cup of coffee. Saying Yes, she then asked me what I wanted in it. I said cream and sugar, which she then made for me. Months later when I returned to visit the MIS Director, Myrna greeted me by name and presented me with a cup of coffee with cream and sugar. Frankly, I was startled that she not only remembered my name but how I also liked my coffee. Later I found out that Myrna maintained a simple card file; whenever someone visited the office, Myrna would record their name and the type of coffee they liked. Sharp. Very sharp.

10. BE HONEST

The linchpin to good interpersonal relations is trust. Regardless of our form of discourse, nothing builds trust better than honesty, the basic building block of confidence. Having an honest character conveys an image that you are dependable, that your word is your bond, and you can be trusted to do the right thing. But your reputation can be shattered overnight if you are caught in a lie. Therefore, don’t falsify or mislead. If you do not know an answer, do not fabricate one, but make every attempt to find the answer elsewhere.

We now live in an age where it is more commonplace to cover-up a mistake as opposed to admit to it. Inevitably, all hell will break loose when the cover-up is discovered. Instead, admit a mistake early on, correct it, and earn the respect of your coworkers.

Give credit where credit is due. Remember this, nobody wants to work with someone they fear will wrong, cheat or defraud them.

CONCLUSION

There are other areas I could have gone into with this article, such as “persistence” and “leadership,” but they would fall outside of the scope of improving social intercourse. I could have also covered such things as “gossip” and “finger pointing” but, instead, I was looking for those basic elements for people to improve themselves, not others.

Early in my college career I learned, “We enjoy life through the help and society of others.” True words. Like it or not, we must interact with other people on a daily basis. The tips I have described, while admittedly are simple, can greatly facilitate how we interact with each other, thereby making our companies a better place to work and live.

Look, its really not that complicated; just use your head, loosen up a bit, treat others as you would have them treat you, and try not to stick your foot in your mouth.

Keep the Faith!

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

Like this article? See Tim’s book, “Morphing into the Real World: The Handbook for entering the Work Force” available from MBA Press.

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

The narrative form of the metaphor is the proverb or allegory, an ancient method of getting messages across much favoured by Aesop, Jesus and Fontaigne.

In recent times, the masters of the pointy fable have been George Orwell, who buried the philosphical pretensions of socialist totalitarianism first with ‘Animal Farm’ and then with ’1984′, and Antoine de Saint-Exupery with his ‘Little Prince’.

Now here comes another George – George Polley – who may not have wrecked his lungs playing down and out and even-more-down and dirty (as a coal-miner) as Orwell did, or got himself strafed in his reconnaissance plane to die in an unmarked grave as did Saint-Exupery, and yet is still their worthy heir with his allegorical grappling as to what makes humans humane.

George’s ‘The Old Man & The Monkey’, out a while as an e-book and just published in paperback is one of those complete tales that give you hope for our humanistic pretensions. I categorise it as ‘anti-racist’ – being a marketing guy, I have a predeliction for one-liner straplines – but George rightly says that it is far more subtle than that, describing the book this way:

“‘The Old Man and the Monkey’ is a fable about the transforming power of compassionate relationships / friendships, with a definite theme against bias and prejudice. Anti-racist? Well, I am and have always been against racism. The primary message of the story is that we heal through relationships / friendships, and need to learn to regard everyone as possible friends. To do anything else breeds conflict, violence and tragedy. We need to grow up and grow away from that.”

Or as Stella Evelyne Tesha, author of ‘A Journey Into Life’ and ‘Voices from Tanzania’ puts it:

“It reflects the rare values of unconditional friendship; love, trust, respect, loyalty and dependability. It also shows that being humane can bridge the differences between cultures or, in this case, species.”

Well said, George and Stella, and well written too. What a book, and in such a good cause!

To learn more about George Polley, visit his blogs here.

To learn more about ‘The Old Man & The Monkey’, click here.

As we all know, one of the main uses of the Internet is to provide a means to allow people to communicate; to share ideas and discuss subjects of common interest, a sort of “birds of a feather” phenomenon. Allowing multiple people to develop such a dialogue by subject area has been a part of the Internet for a long time starting with the NNTP (Network News Transport Protocol) which provided a simple text messaging service to anyone who subscribed to a particular subject area. This was provided in text format to accommodate the operating systems of the day which were primarily text/command-line based (e.g., DOS, VMS, MPE, etc.). I should also mention that commercial Bulletin Board Services (BBS) were also quite popular during this period as they provided comparable features. However, all of this started to change with the advent of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) to operating systems as found in the MAC, Windows, OS/2, etc., along with the advent of the World Wide Web which made use of easy-to-use web browsers. Shortly after the GUI introduction, on-line services such as Compuserve, Prodigy, and AOL, were introduced which provided for NNTP but also provided a means to share files by subject area. This led to the next generation of discussion groups as we understand them today and perhaps best represented by Yahoo! Groups which became a major player in this area. Today, there are literally thousands of Yahoo! groups available on the Internet to serve a wide range of interests.

Although Yahoo! Groups is simple and easy to use, it only allows one message thread, meaning subjects are thrown together and not subdivided into separate categories. This led to the advent of more robust discussion groups that allows for more message threads. For example, in a discussion group for a nonprofit organization you might have a thread to discuss “History,” another to discuss “Membership,” and others for “Bylaws,” “News,” etc., all in one discussion group. Perhaps the best known of this ilk is PHPBBServer.com which is also a free service.

As popular as Yahoo! Groups and PHPBBServer.com are, newer and more sophisticated facilities have been introduced which make their predecessors pale by comparison (and attracted millions of subscribers), such as: Facebook, Flickr, Friendster, MySpace, Orkut, and Yahoo! 360. These are services primarily aimed at the general public. For business, there are such services as: LinkedIn, Perfect Business, and Plaxo. There is also Ning, a service which allows you to develop your own unique network.

These are all slick and easy to use services to communicate with people of common interests. Most have facilities for blogging, discussion groups, and exchanging files (particularly JPG photos). This all sounds nice, but I contend these Social Networking tools have not yet hit their stride. Up until now, everything has been text based with little consideration for multimedia, other than links to services such as YouTube or Hulu.

The push to audio/video is the natural next step in the evolution of Social Networking tools. This should include such things as podcasting, video conferencing, voice-type dictation, and VoIP (Internet telephony). All of these features are certainly not new and have been well tested by various vendors, but the problem is they are fragmented services spread throughout the Internet, and are not available under one roof. Imagine the potential. Instead of just texting (which a lot of people still do not like to do), you would have the option to interact with others by talking, typing, or viewing them. Academia and the military are already moving in this direction. Now it is time to take care of John Q. Public and the average business person.

In the next few years, look for a lot of partnering or merging to occur between the current wave of social networking tools and multimedia vendors. Some interesting times are in the offing. If you think the networking tools are good now, wait until audiovisual is added. This will have a dramatic impact on not only how we communicate, but on transportation (e.g., less traveling to meetings), and hopefully, some improvements in social interaction.

Now if we can only remain civil in our discourse. Hopefully, this should overcome the ugly sniping taking place over the Internet and maybe we can treat each other like human beings again. I’m sure some knucklehead will figure a way to abuse the services which will inevitably result in some censorship controls for the consumer to maintain. Nonetheless, Social Networking tools are about to get kicked up a notch, a very big notch.

Keep the Faith!

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

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) 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:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.