How would you rank the most important Texas institutions? Use whatever criteria you want except by "institution" I mean organizations/business...not things like chicken fried steak. My take: 1) The University of Texas 2) NASA 3) The Texas Rangers (as in the badass mofos...not those scrubs in Arlington) 4) UIL Football 5) The Dallas Cowboys unfortunately 6) Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo 7) Blue Bell 8) Methodist Hospital 9) Shiner Brewery 10) Austin City Limits
The Alamo is missing and the Houston Livestock Show shouldn't even be on any list. The Ft. Worth one is more famous and the SA one is far more successful in its goals. The Methodist Hospital? Really? While it is largely undeserved, M.D. Anderson is a "Texas" institution. The Methodist hospital (where my life was recently saved) is not even a Texas Institution. Guessing by your predilection to the Houston Livestock show, I'm guessing you are referring to the Methodist in Houston and it's not the best one in Texas by a long shot. Just a few random thoughts. The State Fair probably belongs on the list. Six Flags, MAYBE?
The Ft. Worth one is more famous and the SA one is far more successful in its goals. __________________________________________________ yes, but the Houston Rodeo is by far the biggest and most important in the nation along with Calgary and Vegas. I'd put MD Anderson on the list. It's the most important cancer center in the nation. Dell computers, Exxon Mobile...
M.D Anderson has that reputation, but it's really not the case. It once was, but now not even the best in Texas. Do places qualify? Big Bend, Padre (the turtles, not the sunbathers), Aransas Wildlife Refuge (Whooping Cranes), the Rio Grande...
Can't believe Texas Instruments hasn't been mentioned. You know, where Jack Kilby invented the microchip and changed the world forever.
It once was, but now not even the best in Texas. _______________________________________________ I thought MD Anderson had the best survival rate in the nation. I could be wrong. Ive known a lot of people with cancer, all went there and beat it. What is the best in Texas?
US News and World Report ranks M. D. Anderson the best cancer hospital in the country for 2009-2010. The next highest ranked hospital in Texas is Methodist Hospital in Houston (at 29th). M. D. Anderson saved my grandfather, grandmother, uncle and mother. That place is filled with the best goddam doctors in the world.
There are no official survival stats on any medical disciplines other than transplants. It's all just word of mouth, reputations and the honor system. The CTRC in San Antonio is considered by the medical community to be superior to MD Anderson in many categories. It's not terribly relevant to just say "cancer" as there are so many types that it really depends on what type you are talking about. Once again, there are no official stats collected or maintained by independent third parties for cancer treatment success. They keep them for transplants because organs are meted out by UNOS or other organizations and they don't want to waste the organs on hacks or poor risk, undeserving patients like Joe Dimaggio.
Businesses collectively: the market in SA, 6th street in Austin, deep ellum, west end and uptown in Dallas. Neiman Marcus. Schliiterbahn.
If it makes you feel any better the CTRC is the result of a merger with the University of Texas Health Science Center. I have no dogs in any fights. I was thinking about Nieman's also. FYI Texas style BBQ and chili are identifiable, but we hardly have any patents on them. Pace's Picante is more uniquely Texas (No, I don't like it either). Rat Shack is a Texas institution. Of course, there's always the Snake Farm and there used to be Lone Star Beer.
Don't have to have patents to be "institutions." The Snake Farm you refer to isn't the only one in the country, either...and why is Lone Star a "used to be?" It's bottled in Cowtown.
Nick, if you dropped the "don't" from your sentence and it would make more sense...I don't drink much beer anymore, but of the friends of mine that do; several drink LS...Back in the day that I did drink a lot of cervesa fria, I drank Pearl as opposed to LS. But, that was soon after the Civil War!
I just don't ever see it and made an assumption that it was passe and/or had been bought out by one of the midwestern megabeers. I, too, was a pearl drinker. And it was right around the civil war as well. I actually used to work for the distributor in Austin that handled Pearl and Pabst. I had a really nice expense account and they encouraged me to try to give away kegs to the frats. They wouldn't even take Pearl beer for free.
Yeah, it's my own little joke and when pressed I point out that his kids are waiting for a whole body transplant.
I just like the fact we have the most legendary football players, the most bad *** doctors, the toughest law enforcement officers, the freakin' smartest rocket scientists, the hardest throwing pitchers, the bravest astronauts, the wildest cowboys, the richest self-made men, the hardest rockin' musicians, the prettiest wild flower covered rolling countryside, the toughest horses, the most incredible food, and the most beautiful women on the planet. Texas forever
