Bar B Que Is America

So this week I did something unbelievable.

Between various business meetings in and around Austin and San Antonio Texas I went on a 48 hour 10 bbq joint 15 lbs of meat journey with a friend.

Let that sink in.  2 guys 15 lbs of meat, in 2 days from 10 places.

It was glorious.

And we hit up 10 places.  But rather than rank them out by which I liked best, I am going to offer it a different way.

What these 10 places were by how they represented the American Ideal - and in the order that we went.

1. Salt Lick - The Salt Lick is an experience all its own.  It's community.  You bring your cooler of beer, sit on a picnic bench and talk with everyone around you on a family plate of meat that never stops coming.
2. Terry Black's - Terry Black's is where you see a family business that branched.  We'll talk about the original later, but here we have where the nephew has taken a few recipes and improved on them while preferring location and volume to the hometown. The expansion to a new market.
3. Luling City Market - The Luling City Market is the kind of place where you meet everyone from town and hear the stories from the carryings on of the mayor to the gossip on who will be the Thump Queen (you thought I was just making that up).
4. Smitty's Market - Smitty's is in Lockhart, the famed Capitol of Texas BBQ.  Smittys is the kind of place with 50 years of soot on the wall from the smoker and the smell that will bring you back everytime.  It's where someone didnt care about anything other than a finely perfected craft.  It's not fancy.  It's not inviting.  It's just what it is, great BBQ.
5. Black's BBQ - The Original that Terry up above spun off from.  It's a dedicated craft, a family tradition, and the kind of place you want to be.  Yeah, they got a branch.  But true believers go to the original for the true essence of their product.
6. Kreuz's Market - Kreuz's is unique and its own way.  No sauce.  Not even offered.  Like forks.  You don't need em. end of story, its how they roll, and don't bother asking.  Their product is theirs, they know how its best, and regardless of what you think you listen to the expert.
7. Franklin BBQ - Aaron Franklin put this place on the map.  He studied under the Mueller's BBQ family, learned the craft, bought the pit, and started his own thing.  Doing a truck before food trucks were a thing, and then setting up shop to make the absolute best possible brisket imaginable.  How good?  You stand in line at 8 for a restaurant that doesn't open until 11, and he's sold out by 3 or 4 everyday since.  The apprentice that is still true to the process, because he's there most days cutting your meat.
8. La Barbeque - Masters of the food truck BBQ, you find La Barbeque in a vacant lot with a few other trucks, putting their own spin on that Mueller / Franklin style.  The innovator, taking it to a new place.
9. IronWorks BBQ - IronWorks is the typical staid restaurant.  They have a style.  They have their type, and frankly they are happy to provide an atmosphere, a great product, and be pleased with that process.
10. Brown's BBQ - What do you do when you're not of the storied groups, you find your own way.  You set up shop outside a place that doesnt serve food and you build a following.  That's what Brown's did, and does successfully.

10 places, 15 lbs of bbq, and several dozen beers and big reds.  Which leads us to the other most American observation - It's harder than you think to develop gout and diabetes.

Why Do We Have The Filibuster?

So Obama and the Fast Track Trade Bill avoids a Senate Filibuster.

Here's what we are talking about if you don't know - CLICK HERE.

Now this isnt a discussion of that issue.  There are very deeply held beliefs on both sides of this issue.  What is important is how it passed the Senate and avoided a Filibuster.

Whenever these things pop up we always hear "Why do we have the Filibuster?"

Simply put, the Constitution provides for all manners of dissent to be heard.  The Filibuster is part of that.

And believe it or not despite recent issues you've heard in the news, it isn't very common.

It also always seems that the party in power wants to get rid of it, and the party that isn't loves it.  Which is also why its important not to abuse the Filibuster.

In the end, the Filibuster is an important tool to make sure the minority is heard, and that legislation isnt forced through without the consent of the people.

When I went to work on the Hill, the person who ran our orientation asked a very interesting question -

"What is the purpose of Congress?" she asked.

The half sheepish half snotty answer given typically was - "To pass laws?"

"No, the purpose of congress is to stop bad laws from getting passed."

That's why we have the Filibuster.

Deflategate and What It Means For Your Company

So yesterday Tom Brady was officially suspended for "Deflategate."

In case you don't know what it is, click here.

Without risking an impending fistfight with a Southie for having the gal to suggest Tom Brady may have done something wrong, here are some lessons to take away from this one -

1. Dragging Things Out Hurts More Than Helps - Just like ripping off a bandaid, if there is a problem you are aware of, you should just address it and fix it rather than dance around it.  Sure you're innocent until proven guilty, but that doesn't mean you're not guilty if you actually are.
2. Good Looks And A Winning Record Only Go So Far - Ok, deflated balls aren't quite stolen crab legs or physical assaults on your spouse, but its bad.  And just because you are insanely popular in your network.  Breaking the rules is a bad thing.  Don't expect people to be behind you just because.
3. Influential Friends Can't Fix Everything - Yes, powerful friends can help get you out of a jam.  But don't rely on them when you're wrong.
4. Nuance Looks Guilty - Splitting hairs on issues makes you look like you're looking to get off on a technicality.
5. A Heartfelt Apology Is Gold - Don't let your ego get in the way of your reputation.  We all F up from time to time.  We are human.  People want to see us fall.  We are human.  People also want to feel good about forgiving you.  We are human.  So be human and make those things possible.

In the end Tom Brady will sit out a few games.  Star in some commercial or an movie teaser that makes us all like him again, and by October we will have forgotten about all of this.

The difference is we would have forgotten a month ago had this just been open from the start.  Or at least from the day after the Super Bowl.

Another trip to the Capitols

This month, I will get the opportunity to hit up my state capitol, and Washington DC.

One of the great things about working in advocacy is the ability to see what congress actually works like.  And the sad side of that is seeing how far off the general public's view of the members of congress is.

The general view people have is that the congress is broken because nothing ever gets done.  For the better part of 2 years congress' overall approval ratings has been in the teens.

At the same time the re election rate in congress is actually higher than the soviet politburo was.

So essentially the public says "congress is the problem, except for my congressman."

Well the truth is the problem isn't congress or any individual congressperson, but the fact that we don't hold our members of congress more accountable for action.

The reason we don't hold them accountable is because we generally don't pay attention to what they are doing.

Our members of congress are in general good people who want to do good things. Regardless of political persuasion, background, or supporters this is generally true.  The difference between them is less about party, or if they are corrupt, but instead how they see getting good things accomplished, and the priority with which they place those issues.

So if you want to truly know your member of congress, or how to get them engaged on things. Here is a fool proof plan to success:

STEP ONE - don't be a one issue / one position / one approach person

Know all the issues. Know all the stances. Know which are priorities. Know how to promote things that may not be your first priority.

STEP TWO - don't try to eat the elephant in one bite

Legislation takes time, and change needs to be an evolution. If you look at the history of any policy you love or hate it started small and took time to grow.

STEP THREE - stay on top of things

Information about what is going on in DC or your state Capitol, or even your city hall is very easy to follow. No it's not as easy to digest as a reality tv show or as entertaining as a sit com, but there are resources that can make the issues much more accessible. Check out thehill.com politico.com and fivethirtyeight 

STEP FOUR - don't just follow one point of view

It's easy to just watch fox, or just watch msnbc, or just watch cnn.  However when you do that, you never challenge your own thoughts, and you never see how anyone else could view an issue. In other words, it's like talking into a mirror. You learn from other perspectives

STEP FIVE - don't become that guy/gal

Here's the thing. Neither Bush nor Obama are like Hitler.  And that kind of talk makes you look like a lunatic. So stay away from that, it does nothing for anyone, anywhere, anyhow.

Five steps and you'll quickly become an involved engaged person.  You might also find that your congressman is the problem and that the congress isn't!

Why Do I Get Involved In The First Place?

One of the most challenging things you can do is to try to take an issue that is important to you and translate it in a way to make others care about the issue themselves.

Harder still is convincing elected officials to understand and care about your issue in a way that they don't view you as self-interested.

Even harder is enduring the attacks people will make on you for trying to make a difference.

It leads many to ask, "why do you bother getting involved in the first place?"

To which I would say, you tell me what makes more sense:

Trying to make a difference on something that matters to you, or

Doing absolutely nothing and assuming it will all work out how you want it to in the end?

Consider it a healthy distrust of government. Consider it a realization that I know more about the issues that matter to me than the average elected official. Consider it a belief that we are part of a Republic, and I believe it's our duty to get involved.  

Whatever you want to consider it, consider first what you are leaving on the table if you don't take steps to protect the things that matter to you.

And then realize. You got involved when something mattered to you, the question really is - 

"Do you have the commitment to see the things that matter to you through?"