What Audrey Levins said. Another hearty welcome to Texas from Fort Worth. I’ve been here over 40 years and still don’t have a gun, a Stetson, or a pair of cowboy boots so it is not an absolute requirement.
Not in Texas, but in Looziana . . . the driver can’t have an open container, but the passengers can. ::wink wink:: In fact, buy a drink from one of the drive-through’s and they’ll sell you a closed container: a large styrofoam cup with a piece of tab across the plastic top.
::sigh:: Texas is one big New York City compared to Louisiana. Come to think of it, so is Bagdad.
That’s “a piece of tape.”
I grew up in Houston and then lived in Austin for about 10 years.
I loved it (especially Austin). I miss it terribly.
Not everyone who lives there is a right-wing bigot. In fact, I hardly ever met any.
It’s a lovely place. I wish I could move back.
Honey, it’s Heaven.
Having lived in Longview for years and years, I will tell you these things and let it go: The heat here can kill you;   every board, brick, bush, and log has a snake under it;   Benedryl cream will help fireant bites;   and there is no such thing as a snipe…
Welcome to town 
David
A snipe ~giggles hysterically~ Y’all still doin’ that?
Welcome to Texas! EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas. 
~J
[Just pretend that this post is the obligatory hijack that living in New Jersey is not all the stereotypes that people claim, I’m just too overcome by the chemical fumes to list them.]
Jesus, you beat me to it. On a more serious note, we are very pleased to have you coming down to this great state. I’ve lived in Texas all my life (Laredo on the border) and I love it. As for the weather, well it can get to be pretty brutal down here (in my city, that is, I’m not sure about the rest of the state). The average temperature around here is in the 100’s. It’s hell on the dog.
Well, duh, Autz.
There are hardly ANY right wing maniacs in Austin. Just the opposite, really. It’s a rather relaxed, liberal kind of town, and the only kind of bigotry or intolerance I’ve ever seen there is against intolerant bigots.
Rumor has it that George W. Bush actually ran for President just to get OUT of the place…
Ah, that’s funny. Yes, Austin rocks. However, there’s only one Austin in the big 'ole state of Texas!
The rest of the cities are bearable, to a certain extent. I’m kidding! And I believe Longview is near Tyler (hope I’m right on that one, if not I’m pretty sure I’ll never live it down) – and Tyler has great roses…
Drive carefully. Better yet, don’t drive. Magically appear at your destination, so as to avoid certain death on the roads of Texas.
Texas is the rock into which the circles of hell are inscribed. Abandon all hope! 
Longview is, in fact, near Tyler, Blonde.
One thing that is stereotypical and true, though, is the oil wells. It tickles everyone pink to hear that I’m going to be living in oil country - however, they think this means that if I dig a hole to plant a garden I’ll strike it rich. And you can’t see the oil derricks from my apartment’s window, although I might’ve could if I’d moved to Kilgore or Gladewater instead.
During my stint in Mississippi, I considered wearing a sandwichboard that said YES I AM A YANKEE, YES I AM FROM NEW YORK, NO I AM NOT FROM THE CITY. Actually, when people asked me where I’m from I always said Newyorknotthecity, because if I just said “New York” they’d say “Wow! Must be a big change for you to live in this little town, from the big city!” and I’d have to tell them that I grew up on a dairy farm, and watch their jaws drop… “Y’all have cows on Manhattan?”
BTW, every state has a reputation for harboring horrible drivers. New York drivers are said to be evil. We call our neighbors to the immediate east Massholes, around here. Florida drivers? Horrible. Jersey drivers? Horrible. Connecticut drivers? Horrible. Texas drivers? Horrible. Let’s just come to terms with the fact that nobody, anywhere, knows how to drive except us, and leave it at that.
"Y’all have cows on Manhattan?" quote by racinchikki
Really?? That’s cool… I actually knew there were rural areas in NY.
And you were in Mississippi? Now that’s a humidity change, big-time.
About 1/2 mile from where I live, there is a huge ranch with perhaps 50 cattle. It amazing to turn that corner on a bright Sunday morning - and see those awesome beasts sitting up by the fence. If I win the lotto, I’m buying that ranch.
Well, there might be cows on Manhattan… but if there are, I’ve never seen 'em. I’ve been there one and a half times in my life. (I’m going again tomorrow, bringing the total to two and a half. A half because the first time I went was on a school trip, so all I saw was MoMA and Hard Rock Cafe and a bum who pissed on our schoolbus.) But I live in a cornfield next door to the dairy farm whose cows eat the corn I live amidst. People have tended to assume that all of New York is the City, and thus extrapolate that my dairy farmness means there are cows on Manhattan. This is very amusing to me.
They’ve since mooved on, but a few years ago there were lots of cows in Manhattan.
I’ve lived all over Texas, but I stayed in Longview the longest – more than 11 years.
It’s a nice town. Not too big, not too small. And not too far from Bossier for gambling or Dallas for entertainment.
I worked at the newspaper, so I was fairly involved in the community. For the most part, it was a good experience. I left five or six years ago, but my wife and I still have many friends there.
If you haven’t done so already, be sure to go to the Country Tavern, between Kilgore and Tyler. Great barbecue.
I would not be surprised to find cows in New York City.
I would not be surprised to find cows in New York State.
I would be AMAZED to find cows in Manhattan…
Ayup. Texans take great pride in being friendly. We will usually tell the same number of damnYankee jokes as the number of times you say something like “Wow, I didn’t know Texas had opera!” or “Gourmet restaurant? I thought it was all beer and cowboy hats!”
Never been to Longview, though I can tell you for certain that Austin is a mighty fine place to live. I know someone who grew up in Tyler, though; we make fun of him once in a while, but only because he’s so sensitive about it.
West Texas can be nice, if you like that sort of thing. South Texas can’t, I don’t care who you are, though the border can be quite pleasant.
South Texas has the patent on “bleak”. It looks like the test level of a rendering program.