Bring Yuengling to Texas

I want to take a minute to shout the praises of a regional beer you may have never heard of outside of the East Coast called Yuengling Traditional Lager.

I discovered it on a business trip to Charlotte. The first time I heard someone say the name (pronounced Ying-Ling) I thought it was some sort of Chinese beer. Actually, the name is German and the brewery is in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Yuengling is the oldest brewery in America, since 1829. Budweiser actually sued them over this claim and lost in court.

Yuengling is currently run by Dick Yuengling, who believes in slow and steady growth. They've been expanding distribution state by state very slowly. Unfortunately for me here in Texas that means I probably won't see Yuengling for sale here anytime soon. Currently Yuengling is only sold on the east coast, and there are currently no distributors west of Tennessee.

So why all the fuss anyway? Because this beer is awesome. I don't care what the beer snobs say, this reasonably priced beer is the smoothest I've ever had. There's nothing else here locally that even comes close, and there's nothing better than washing a great meal down with this stuff.

I'll do anything to get Yuengling. I've driven 8 hours to Memphis to buy it. I've smuggled it in my airplane luggage from New York City. I've had friends and business contacts bring it to me from Alabama, Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Yes, it's that good.

So Dick if you're reading this please bring Yuengling to Texas... or at least send me over a few cases. 

Axiom 31: The Tipping Point

"The best way out is always through." -Robert Frost

"No great achievement is possible without persistent work." -Bertrand Russell

Most of the time in life there are no shortcuts. What usually happens is that we get a great idea of something big we want to accomplish and everything fizzles out in the beginning. 

I've noticed that all of my accomplishments in life had a tipping point. A point in which I realized that I was so far into a project that it was easier to finish than quit. That's why I encourage you to rush toward the tipping point on anything you want to accomplish in life.

Take college for example. How many students drop out during their first semester as opposed to students that drop our during their last semester? College students reach that tipping point where they accumulate so many credit hours that they wouldn't dare drop out unless they had a huge reason for doing so.

So whatever you want to accomplish in life rush towards the tipping point before you lose momentum and fail.

Here are some ways you can get to the tipping point quicker:

• Tell your friends and family about your goals. This holds you more accountable to finish what you start.
• Ride the wave of enthusiasm as hard as possible in the beginning and commit as much time as possible. This will get you further along in your project and allow you to reach the tipping point before your enthusiasm has time to fade away.
• Set dates and schedules to finish your projects and hold to them.
• Make a financial investment in your project. Although usually an investment of time pays greater dividends.
• Invest in education about the goal you're working on.
• Network with people that will help push you toward your goal. 

Adventure to the Four Corners Monument

Ever wonder what lies at the four corners? The spot where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet?

There really is something there. It's called the Four Corners Monument. I was in the neighborhood last summer so I dropped by to check it out.

Let me first say that unless you just happen to be nearby this place is not worth the trip alone. It's literally out in the middle of nowhere. The nearest towns are miles and miles away. There are scarce amenities here and cell phone service is questionable at best.

The four corners sits on Navajo land. They charge a $3 admission fee to enter. I should also mention that the turnoff from the main road to go in was so ambiguous I actually missed it the first time and had to turn around.

Once I got in there was not a whole heck of a lot to see. There were four sets of stalls (one in each state) where Native American merchants sold stuff. Most of the stuff for sell consisted of t-shirts, jewelry, and other Native American crafts.

In the center of everything on the ground sits the actual marker for the four corners. Everyone was crowding around getting their picture made. I waited about five minutes myself for a picture after which I was ready to get the hell out of there. Although it looks empty in my picture above there were actually about 20 people crowded right outside of what you can see.

What I found most interesting is that there were so many people there. There was no one on the surrounding roads for miles, yet this place was packed. If you happen to be nearby, or if this is on your bucket list, it's worth a stop. Otherwise just look at my pics above and you'll get the full experience.