Comments on: Stuff

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:07:27 +0000

Steve, I was just speaking of what happens to Aggies in Texas. They don’t have the problem in other states, because other states don’t have the history of the intrastate rivalry.

The community college system in New York state was tied into local industries and served as the corporate training system in technical areas. The industries supplied most of the equipment used in the classes and people were ready to go to work the week after graduation. It was a great system for everyone, so I assume it has been destroyed by ‘the need to make higher profits this quarter’, as opposed to ‘having a profitable business forever’.

In general, every school has good and bad degree programs, and that is determined by funding, facilities, and faculty, not the name on the entrance.

By: Steve Bates

Steve Bates — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:45:30 +0000

Texas A&M turns out respectable engineers. Their knowledge base may or may not be deep, but it is current at the time of their graduation, something my own alma mater sacrifices for the sake of depth and background. Employers facing strict deadlines prefer Aggie engineering graduates; they need very little additional training to be productive on a project right away. Then again, I’ve never, ever heard of a Rice engineer who was not offered a job by his or her last year of school. In my day, IBM regularly hired the top one or two EE’s from every graduating class… damn, those guys/gals were good, and I say that as one not ashamed of his own record. Things may be different these days; I don’t know.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:58:26 +0000

In reply to Steve Bates. You have to be a masochist to attend Texas A&M and then stay in Texas. The jokes never stop. Of course, judging from his grades, it isn't like he had a lot of choices.

By: Steve Bates

Steve Bates — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 22:38:52 +0000

I had forgotten Perry is an Aggie. I can’t resist telling one of my favorite Aggie jokes with Perry as the protagonist; I know you’ve heard it, but perhaps some of your international readers haven’t:

Rick Perry walks into an ice cream shop. The server greets him and says “What’ll you have?”

Perry: I want a gallon of strawberry, a gallon of vanilla and a gallon of chocolate.
Clerk: We’re out of chocolate.
Perry: OK, then I want a quart of strawberry, a quart of vanilla and a quart of chocolate.
Clerk: Sorry, sir; we’re out of chocolate.
Perry: OK, then I’ll have a pint of strawberry, a pint of vanilla and a pint of chocolate.
Clerk: (Sighs.) You look like a bright Aggie. Can you spell the “straw” in “strawberry”?
Perry: (with some hesitation…) “S-T-R-A-W”!
Clerk: That’s a GOOD Aggie! Now can you spell the “van” in “vanilla”?
Perry: (promptly this time) “V-A-N”!
Clerk: Excellent! You’re really a bright Aggie indeed! Now, can you spell the “fuck” in “chocolate”?
Perry: There ain’t no “fuck” in “chocolate”!
Clerk: THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU!!