My 2000 Toyota Camry with the personalized Maryland "tag" of OSKI just arrived in College Station Texas for my daughter to use. They may have had Johnny Football, and it may be the real home of the 12th man, but OSKI will be prowling the streets of College Station representing Cal.

Congrats. That's a good school. Our ranch is less than an hour away from there - nice country...

I love it - would be even better with a pic!

oskiwanabe;842275210 said:

---

My 2000 Toyota Camry with the personalized Maryland "tag" of OSKI just arrived in College Station Texas for my daughter to use. They may have had Johnny Football, and it may be the real home of the 12th man, but OSKI will be prowling the streets of College Station representing Cal.

---

Wow, give her my apologies. What did she do so wrong that you made her go there???

Utexbear2;842275222 said:

---

Wow, give her my apologies. What did she do so wrong that you made her go there???

---

Lol. Your handle perfectly explains your bias.

NYCGOBEARS;842275226 said:

---

Lol. Your handle perfectly explains your bias.

---

Very true but in all seriousness, have you ever been there???? Ugly campus in the middle of nowhere. So-so academics with a few departments that are very good (vet sciences unsurprisingly). Social scene includes going to Austin (90 minute drive) or drinking excessively because there is nothing better to do in CS.

And don't get me started on the traditions. SMH. That school is a cult...

Utexbear2;842275233 said:

---

Very true but in all seriousness, have you ever been there???? Ugly campus in the middle of nowhere. So-so academics with a few departments that are very good (vet sciences unsurprisingly). Social scene includes going to Austin (90 minute drive) or drinking excessively because there is nothing better to do in CS.

And don't get me started on the traditions. SMH. That school is a cult...

---

I have never been. I have been to Lubbock. That town leaves much to be desired. Is CS worse?

UT is the only school and Austin is the only town in Texas I could remotely be interested in attending or living in.

NYCGOBEARS;842275234 said:

---

I have never been. I have been to Lubbock. That town leaves much to be desired. Is CS worse?

UT is the only school and Austin is the only town in Texas I could remotely be interested in attending or living in.

---

My previous post was an attempt to poke fun at our friend from Maryland. This is not to say that there aren't some normal Aggies... there are. Its just that if a student goes all in on being Aggie, they will not emerge as a normal, functional human being upon graduation.

Lubbock is different than CS. It also has no social activity outside of alcohol consumption but I have always had a lot of fun there (with Tech friends). I've found the people there are much more easy going and aren't as completely whacked out about UT as TAMU is. I definitely wouldn't want to live there though, when the wind blows from the west, the odor of cow crap can be pretty traumatic.

There are plusses and minuses to different parts of Texas. Houston is great if you're a young professional. Dallas appeals to people who like Los Angeles (large and soulless). Austin is basically the Bay Area transported to Texas. San Antonio is a very different place. Kind of as if a colonial Hispanic town got crossed with Gringo military bases and culture. The coast between Galveston and Corpus Christi appeals to many.

Academically though, Texas would be the only place I'd go (and did). Texas State (25 miles south of Austin) is not dissimilar but has more of a local prestige rather than national. The rest though... no thanks.

Just my opinions...

UT is not the only good school in Texas. I went to Rice for my undergraduate. Very good school.

PABear;842275275 said:

---

UT is not the only good school in Texas. I went to Rice for my undergraduate. Very good school.

---

Very true. Nice part of Houston, too

Utexbear2;842275240 said:

---

Dallas appeals to people who like Los Angeles (large and soulless).

---

I don't think Dallas appeals to almost anyone outside of native Texans. Yes, both have large metro areas, but LA has beaches, mountains, tons of cultural/tourist attractions, great food, etc., whereas Dallas is mostly boring as hell. There are a few interesting neighborhoods but overall it's a very hot, flat, and mind numbingly dull place to live. Austin and San Antonio, OTOH, are fine cities.

OskiMD;842275295 said:

---

I don't think Dallas appeals to almost anyone outside of native Texans. Yes, both have large metro areas, but LA has beaches, mountains, tons of cultural/tourist attractions, great food, etc., whereas Dallas is mostly boring as hell. There are a few interesting neighborhoods but overall it's a very hot, flat, and mind numbingly dull place to live. Austin and San Antonio, OTOH, are fine cities.

---

I live outside of San Antonio, about a third of the way to Austin. I work in SA.

I love it here. It takes about 40 minutes to get to Austin, which is probably where we'll ultimately end up in a few years.

OskiMD;842275295 said:

---

I don't think Dallas appeals to almost anyone outside of native Texans. Yes, both have large metro areas, but LA has beaches, mountains, tons of cultural/tourist attractions, great food, etc., whereas Dallas is mostly boring as hell. There are a few interesting neighborhoods but overall it's a very hot, flat, and mind numbingly dull place to live. Austin and San Antonio, OTOH, are fine cities.

---

I am making gross generalizations, obviously. I've been in Austin 20 years and can't imagine living anywhere else in Texas and as a native NorCal boy, my disdain for LA is similar for my feelings about Dallas. I know a lot of people who love it there but it "feels" like LA to me in a lot of ways. It's big, sprawling, money and looks are extremely important and it has no soul.

As I said, just my opinion.

I know the jabs were in good fun. No offense taken, but you should know: have been to CS, its not scenic, its small, and its Texas, but its not bad.

As for A&M's academics, its certainly not Cal or even UT, but its a good school. As a father I will tell you that I have been very impressed with a few facts that were essential to my daughter succeeding.

1. People are very friendly. It made all the difference for a kid who did not have a ton of confidence.

2. Her professors and advisers took and interest in her and opened up a lot of opportunities.

3. She was able to find things in the community (jobs, internships, etc) that really added to her education.

Cal is not for everyone and A&M is not for everyone. My daughter chose the school and I think she made an excellent choice.

OSKI rules.

oskiwanabe;842275603 said:

---

I know the jabs were in good fun. No offense taken, but you should know: have been to CS, its not scenic, its small, and its Texas, but its not bad.

As for A&M's academics, its certainly not Cal or even UT, but its a good school. As a father I will tell you that I have been very impressed with a few facts that were essential to my daughter succeeding.

1. People are very friendly. It made all the difference for a kid who did not have a ton of confidence.

2. Her professors and advisers took and interest in her and opened up a lot of opportunities.

3. She was able to find things in the community (jobs, internships, etc) that really added to her education.

Cal is not for everyone and A&M is not for everyone. My daughter chose the school and I think she made an excellent choice.

OSKI rules.

---

You are a good bearant.

"Oski in College Station Texas"

Is Oski wavering in his commitment to Cal?

oskiwanabe;842275603 said:

---

I know the jabs were in good fun. No offense taken, but you should know: have been to CS, its not scenic, its small, and its Texas, but its not bad.

As for A&M's academics, its certainly not Cal or even UT, but its a good school. As a father I will tell you that I have been very impressed with a few facts that were essential to my daughter succeeding.

1. People are very friendly. It made all the difference for a kid who did not have a ton of confidence.

2. Her professors and advisers took and interest in her and opened up a lot of opportunities.

3. She was able to find things in the community (jobs, internships, etc) that really added to her education.

Cal is not for everyone and A&M is not for everyone. My daughter chose the school and I think she made an excellent choice.

OSKI rules.

---

Fair enough. My only advice is if someone asks her to hang out in a pet cemetery during football games and say the score out loud as they happen, she should run like hell.

Utexbear2;842275996 said:

---

Fair enough. My only advice is if someone asks her to hang out in a pet cemetery during football games and say the score out loud as they happen, she should run like hell.

---

Please explain. This sounds good.

They are rules you know...pics of daughter?

NYCGOBEARS;842275997 said:

---

Please explain. This sounds good.

---

The Ags have many really strange traditions but the most bizarre to me is the fact they have a scoreboard in their mascot graveyard next to Kyle Field. I haven't looked recently to determine if its still kept up to date by a freshman or if its electronic but regardless... shaking my head.

This says nothing of their neo Fascist Hitler Youth Corps (with a long and storied history of pretty nasty hazing and intolerance), the fact that the dog is the highest ranking member of the Corps (which actually shouldn't surprise anyone), they have a summer camp for incoming freshman called "Fish Camp" where the indoctrination into the cult begins... I could go on and on. Oh yeah, I forgot the proliferation of glory holes all over their campus. That's got to be a solid plus...

Utexbear2;842276036 said:

---

The Ags have many really strange traditions but the most bizarre to me is the fact they have a scoreboard in their mascot graveyard next to Kyle Field. I haven't looked recently to determine if its still kept up to date by a freshman or if its electronic but regardless... shaking my head.

This says nothing of their neo Fascist Hitler Youth Corps (with a long and storied history of pretty nasty hazing and intolerance), the fact that the dog is the highest ranking member of the Corps (which actually shouldn't surprise anyone), they have a summer camp for incoming freshman called "Fish Camp" where the indoctrination into the cult begins... I could go on and on. Oh yeah, I forgot the proliferation of glory holes all over their campus. That's got to be a solid plus...

---

So, let me get this straight... pet graveyards with a scoreboard, Hitler Youth, Fish Camp and glory holes? Sounds like the East Village back in the good ole days to me. What's the problem?

Utexbear2;842276036 said:

---

... the fact that the dog is the highest ranking member of the Corps (which actually shouldn't surprise anyone)...

---

What do you have against merit based ranking? Are you suggesting that ranking based solely on IQ and social skills are not appropriate? Your criticism reeks of political correctness.

NYCGOBEARS;842276153 said:

---

So, let me get this straight... pet graveyards with a scoreboard, Hitler Youth, Fish Camp and glory holes? Sounds like the East Village back in the good ole days to me. What's the problem?

---

There used to be an East Village anarchist group called the motherf$ckers who I guess were inspired by the aggies.

GB54;842276163 said:

---

There used to be an East Village anarchist group called the motherf$ckers who I guess were inspired by the aggies.

---

Lol. Proof!!!