Cutiepie, that is great. I hope you do go in 2002 and Convention's are fun, so it will definitely be worth your time and money to go!

It's so good of you to be open-minded! The great thing about the world is everyone likes different things. So, thank goodness some people like Texas, some like California, some like neither. After all, we all can't live in the same place! And texas and Canada would be so different! I think one of the greatest things to do when young is to travel and really live in other places rather than just visit. It really changes your perspective and opens your eyes!

I LOOOOOOVE living in Texas...I don't think I could ever live anywhere else. I was raised in a little town south of San Antonio, and went to college there my first two years. I love Houston, and Dallas, but I don't really care for San Antonio. It's a great place to visist, but it gets old, IMO.

We all know that Texas is bigger than Alaska. Alaska only looks bigger, if you melted all the ice Alaska would be smaller. Besides, Alaska is up there all by itself hanging out between Canada and Russia, not really part of the 'United' States, since it is separate.

You can't really blame the air quality problems in Houston on George W. He was only gov. for one full term and into his second when he became President. The Lt Gov. is the one with power in Texas, which is why Bob Bullock was Lt Gov for so many years, never wanted to give up power. Texas Govs and Lt Govs have been Democrats until a few years ago, Rick Perry was the Lt Gov who became Gov when Bush became President is the first Republican Lt Gov that I can remember. In fact Texas has been notoriously Democrat since statehood, but when the term Democrat began to equate with liberal, Texas stayed conservative which meant many switched to Republican. When your whole economy is based on the oil industry, Houston got hit particularly hard in the bust, political affiliation doesn't matter, the oil companies line the pockets of those in charge to get their way.

ok, So heres my opinion. I have lived my whole life in Texas and love it. Wouldnt live anywhere else. So heres my opinionon the cities you listed....

Dallas- It is pretty much the LA of Texas. All about having the money, the job, the right friends and the perfect tan. Nobody in Dallas is from Dallas, they are all transplants, and Dallas is personified by one word, MONEY. Ka-Ching baby! Dallas does have a lot of culture, and there is always a ton of things to do there. It has the most weather extremes of any of the big cities in Texas. They do get snow and ice frequently in the winter months and it can get pretty hot in the summer, as well as they do have some pretty severe weather that us folks in the south luckily miss out on. It can get just a tad windy there. Every famous restaurant/store/bar is represented in Dallas. It is also a pretty educated town, with very limited manufacturing. Dallas probably has the best job market in Texas. Dallas is pretty spread out, with everything being at least 35 minutes away.

Houston.- Well, if you thought you knew what hot was, visit Houston in August. You only thought you knew hot. Houston is a neat city, who has the personality of Oil. Not Southfork Ranch- JR Ewing type oil, but big business oil. Exxon, Texaco and the like. Houston has the worst environment (air quality) in the state, with the most Ozone Action Days (Now Called Air Quality Alerts – another euphemism for SMOG days). With Houston’s humidity, it creates a haze that can be pretty bad, but no worse than Atlanta or any other big southern city. The people in Houston are a bit more friendly, and aren’t as concerned with appearance as they are in Dallas. Houston has tons of shopping as well, but it isnt AS big on Chain places like Dallas is. It has more local flair. Houston also has more than one ecological area in the city, for instance, the Southern and western parts of the city are in the coastal plains and the northern areas of the city are in the piney Woods (Forrest). So that’s nice. Another good thing is Galveston. It is the beach, only 45 minutes away or so from most parts of the city. The down side, is that mans Houston is really vulnerable to hurricanes. Houston has a great nightlife, but it is very big-city. Houston is even more spread out, with everything about 45 minutes away.

I think the smart money has to be on Austin. I love that town. It is where Texas and the big cities meet. It has the look and feel of Texas. Not cowboy boots and Wranglers, but the other side of Texas, local beer, people who think Stevie Ray Vaughn was a god, people who are proud of themselves, who enjoy the out of doors, and the wonderful hill country. Austin is a city of contrasts. A paradox of life. (They even have a pretty good club there called Paradox.) It is a walking, talking, breathing dichotomy of itself. It is both rich and poor, city and country, educated and working class, exciting and boring, wound up and low-key, hippie and yuppie, conservative and liberal, big business and mom-and-pop. I think that’s what makes it cool. It has a very urban feel to it for a smaller city (only 750,000 compared to about 4 million each in the DFW area and Houston.) It almost has a SOHO feel to the downtown area, which I think is really cool. Also it is home to UT, which rocks. The town revolves that and the business of state government. So education is important to all there. Also, Austin ROCKS on its environmental record. Yes the traffic sucks, but the citizens have done a great job of preserving their way of life and keeping the entire city from being bulldozed and turned into a giant strip mall as has happened in so many other areas of Texas. They are really big on preserving the natural beauty of the place. It is beautiful, the skyline is unobtrusive, and the rolling hills of the Texas hill country provide a scenic backdrop to the town, where the affluent settle into multi-million dollar homes. Austin has a ton of lakes, rivers and springs. It even boasts Texas’ only nude beach, Hippie Hollow (but is always nasty 60 years who are all fat, harry and stuff, so don’t think you’re gonna find Playboy or Playgirl models lounging around the river.) Austin is a mix of the weather in Dallas and Houston. It gets cold there, but not too cold, and rarely snows or Ices. It does get hot in the summer, but not nearly as bad as Houston. The clubs on 6th street are great. Nothing better than heading there after at UT football game and spending an evening bar-hopping.

I would totally encourage you to visit and see it for yourself. You won’t be able to get a sense of it from just emails. This is a place you have to, as we say in Texas, “Enjoy its Sabor!” Enjoy the flavor. Don’t worry about the gun issue. Texas was only like the 30th state to pass a concealed weapon law. So the rest of the US has the same laws we do now, plus, most places still ban you from carrying a concealed weapon on the premises anyway, Hospitals, schools, universities, restaurants, malls, theme parks, so its not that big of a deal. That’s just not what Texas is about. The reason Texans are the way they are is that this place is a hard place. The land is hard to work, and the weather is extreme in a lot of the state. Our forefathers fought to free Texas from the Mexican government when we were oppressed much like the early US colonies were. So we fought for what we had, worked to make the land productive and built great cities when the vast wealth in this country was concentrated in the Northeast. Why wouldn’t we be proud. Come experience it. You’ll be proud of us, too.

Let's hear it for all of us that love Austin!!! (What's not to love?... unless of course you had the experience that MeezDiscreet had - which, by the way is completely ridiculous... I'm sorry that you had that experience).

For all of you Austinites... there's been a lot of talk about bad traffic (and I agree - I travel from Northwest Austin to downtown every day on Mopac). I'd like to get your opinion on the Light Rail Issue. And anyone else that lives in a city that has light rail - I'd love to hear what you have to say. It's been a huge issue here in Austin this year and the project was defeated by citizen vote during the November elections. It will be back on the ballot very soon - so give me your opinion if you have one.

It could have been used to mean, 'get going' or 'get moving'. They are things that I have heard people say or things that people have sent to me. A couple that I thought of recently that were left out are:

'That dog don't hunt' = 'It isn't going to happen' or 'No way.'

'Fixin' to' = getting ready or preparing to, as in getting ready to do something, nothing is broken.

'Dumber than a bag of hammers' or 'Dumber than a box of rocks' = self explanatory.

'Look at the $hitter on that critter' = Exclamation made when noticing a well formed rear end.

'Show pony' = an attractive woman on the arm of a man, usually at a social function like a BBQ.

'Not running with the herd.' = a free spirit, a true individual.

'Scoot a boot' = go dancing

'Wet a hook' = go fishing

The original long list was from myself and a few other Texans sitting around the cyber campfire making a list of things that we noticed.

My mom is a big ol' redneck. Sha has a few she uses:

Her elevator doesnt go all the way to the top floor. = Not real smart.

Dumb as a bag of hair. = Stupid.

Lets all bow down to the east three times. = Not real impressed by something or someone.

ANd my personal FAV:

Lady, move it, milk it, or build a fence around it. = GO!

I love it. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by lifesaver (edited April 17, 2001).]

EGAD! MoPac! Yuck! I pitty you my friend.

Stupid-arse voters in SA just defeated light rail, and it was a fab-o proposal. We SO need it. I am mad that it lost. The only reason it did loose was because of this CRAZY woman here who is against everything and she has mony and funds these anti-campaigns herself. She has fought against floride in our drinking water for the last 20 years. We are just now getting it. She swears its poison. Im like, so you gonna pay my dental bills? I think she has been watching TOO much X-Files. Yep, she discovered the secret. The government is controlling us through dental health. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/rolleyes.gif


[This message has been edited by lifesaver (edited April 17, 2001).]

TxTechChiO--that was very rude to say all that. I don't think you see us Californians bashing Texas!

Hey cute Theta! Don't get http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/mad.gif I think that was said in jest. RIGHT???

Come on, who really cares anyways...it's just a state. I know for a fact that my state is constantly bashed on and some ignorant people don't even know where the heck NEBRASKA is.
Just let it pass like a grain of salt.

Theta-Cutie,
I agree with Billy and Hootie. I am sure she was only kidding! I am from Texas, and i love it here- but i would also love to visit California one day. My dad has a lot of family there http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

Here is a guide to a few of the more colorful expressions you may
encounter:

1. The engine's runnin' but ain't nobody driving = Not overly intelligent.

2. As welcome as a skunk at a lawn party (self-explanatory).

3. Tighter than bark on a tree = Not very generous.

4. Big hat, no cattle = All talk and no action.

5. We've howdied but we ain't shook yet = We've made a brief
acquaintance, but not been formally introduced.

6. He thinks the sun come up just to hear him crow = He has a pretty
high opinion of himself.

7. She's got tongue enough for ten rows of teeth = That woman can talk.

8. It's so dry the trees are bribin' the dogs = We really could use a
little rain around here.

9. Just because a chicken has wings doesn't mean it can fly =
Appearances can be deceptive.

10. This ain't my first rodeo = I've been around awhile.

11. He looks like the dog's been keepin' him under the porch = Not
the most handsome of men.

12. They ate supper before they said grace = Living in sin.

13. Time to paint your butt white and run with the antelope = Stop
arguing and do as you're told.

14. As full of wind as a corn-eating horse = prone to boasting.

15. You can put your boots in the oven, but that doesn't make them
biscuits = You can say whatever you want about something, but that
doesn't change what it is.

Jeff, those are hilarious!!! I have actually been told to "paint my butt white" before but I just thought that person had lost their mind! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif Where did you find all of these sayings?

underlying meaning? I don't know what that is supposed to mean, but I just haven't ever met anyone that goes to Reagan! i knew i was forgetting some.. I don't know anyone from Johnson (or is it johnston).