Oxford is better than Cambridge

To look at, anyway.

[ps: for anyone who watched while I put this together: apologies!]

Tags

More like this

... And he has apologized. He actually called the White House to apologize, and the apology was accepted by a high ranking staff member and presumably conveyed to the president. I just saw him speak of the "apology." If that was an apology, I'm the Queen of England.
Last year Christopher Monckton was threatening legal action if Naomi Oreskes did not apologize to Schulte:
You've gotta see this amusing post from Gribbit about Pope Benedict and his now-infamous statement about Islam being spread by the sword. He says the Pope shouldn't have to apologize for his remarks, which I agree with.
When Chad first asked me to guest blog here, my first response was that I didn't have anything to say. After a little thought, however, it occurred to me that this would be an opportunity to do a little exposition.

... maybe familiarity breeds contempt? There are bits of Cambridge that are clearly insanely beautiful ...

I was going to say similar. For example, though neither are beautiful (insanely or otherwise) you could post up images of the respective stations.

Plus I'd rather play football on Jesus Green (from an aesthetic viewpoint) every other Sunday morning, than anywhere I know in Oxford...though I'd trade Coldhams Common *for* anywhere I know in Oxford. ;)

Anyway, Cambridge has The Free Press - which isn't much of an advantage now, I suppose, but was when I lived there.

I can't compare with Cambridge, since I've never visited, but has Oxford's Blackbird Leys improved since the 90s? Is there a Cambridge equivalent (must be)?

A stroll alongside the Cherwell in the University Parks on one of W's T_norm + 2°C summer evenings, or indeed a -5°C frosty morn, and a football kickabout on the cricket square (Aargh!) anyone?

Did Matthew Arnold, who said this about Oxford:

And that sweet City with her dreaming spires, she needs not June for beauty's heightening

say something similar about Cambridge? Mind you, if he'd been there this last couple of Junes, or suffered the delights of Blackbird Leys, he might have penned something less complimentary.

Heretic! Nothing about oxford in any way, shape or form can be described as better than Cambridge, you know that, it's the law..

By Andrew Dodds (not verified) on 06 Jan 2009 #permalink

At least, a glimmer of sense from the pen (and lens) of the furry curmudgeon.

Give me Magdalen and its walks, in frost or finery.

Meh; they're much of a muchness. Oxford doesn't have so much mist and fog, and is closer to hills. Cambridge has better light.

When I was last in Oxford, I was invited to a society meal. Most of the people there joined in enthusiastically with the song "I'd rather be a leper than a tab" ("tab" = Cambridge person, maybe specifically Cambridge student, from "Cantab"). There then followed a lot of drunken bigotry aimed at Cambridge - the place, the people, the university.

This surprised me, because I don't remember Cambridge students giving much of a damn about Oxford. Maybe things have changed in the last 20 years, but the idea that we would have had an abusive nickname for Oxford students strikes me as ridiculous. We revelled in being Fenland Poly; I can't even remember the equivalent monicker for the Other Place.

I deduce that Oxford students have an enormous chip on their collective shoulders. Understandable, given that they didn't get into the better university.

By Nick Barnes (not verified) on 09 Jan 2009 #permalink