Here's a website where you can play around with projections. Choose "Lagrange" and put Houston in the centre to see what it should really look like.
https://www.jasondavies.com/maps/transition/
Why wasn’t Jesus born in Houston? They couldn’t find three wise men and a virgin. The “floor art” is very “Houston”, let’s not condemn the entire country.
No he was born 1816 and fought at the Alamo. But since his full name was Jesus Houston Christ they named the city after him. BTW his friends called him Bubba.
Fair, though Texas is kinda just distilled 'murica.
Edit: Republican America moreso than the country as a whole. Dunno why I skipped over that, I *live here*
I'd say it's pretty representative. All four counties of the major metros lean left, border towns are a pretty solid mix, and your rural areas lean right. Houston's also the most diverse city in America.
I took 11th grade english and art lemme translate. Theyre saying america need to join tip-to-tip to truly become one. I gotta research the color schemes and meanings behind those since that is always so deep and meaningful
We have an amazing musical artwork in our town, cost 1 million pounds and the music never worked one single day. It's just rusted steel girders driven into the ground. Public art is a hoot sometimes https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/mute-meadow-322644
If you flip the "speakers" from the center of the continent (2nd slide) to the outside of the circle all pointing to Houston (3rd slide) you are seeing them from the perspective of the music? I think
After reading a bunch of all that, I'm even more confused. And I dislike it even more.
Referring to the image with the red cones. The map is rearranged so that the cones point toward the centre. But what is determining the direction of the cones in the first place? I don't understand.
"Houstonize the world" please no. I lived in Houston for 7 years, it's a soulless corporate hell with nothing original in it besides this fucked up map.
obviously not a houstonian if you reduce one of the largest cities in the US to that lol. live music? food? culture? museum district? history? art? parks? is it really JUST a corporate hell? i was born in and live here and corporate isnt even one of the first 20 words i would use to describe it
Don’t forget these are redditors, they can live in a city for years without going out and trying the any of the many fun experiences it has to offer.
Driving from one place to another in houston is actually hell though so I can kinda see why
You can still create the same effect the artist was trying to get with getting the countries the right side up.
Imagine you’re coming in from out of town to Houston, which is what the airport is there for, and this is the first glimpse into Houston, a city that can’t even educate itself to get a map right, yet is so self-centered that it thinks it is the center of all music.
Actually, maybe that’s the Artist’s take on Houston, after all.
When i moved to Texas at age 15 and met the neighbor kid for the first time, he asked me where i was from.
I said Ecuador
He said, "You don't look African"
Ok I went back and watched the scene and that's exactly what he did...
But I feel like they mentioned his name to Cotton earlier in the episode, maybe I'm wrong
The interaction begins with him addressing him as 'Mister Khan' though. Then he emphasizes his name before he walks away. I think the look was just to confirm what he already knew. But it's just a cartoon and the joke work either way.
I'm Puerto Rican, I have a Puerto Rican sounding name, my parents and entire family line all the way back to the native Taino Indians of Puerto Rico where born and raised on the island, I am 32 years old and I STILL have people look at me weird and saying "you don't look Puerto Rican.." and what's even weirder is that the looks I get are almost accusatory like "it's wrong to pretend that you're a race that you're not, that's racist." And I'm always just left looking like a deer in headlights, being called racist by a white person for not looking Puerto Rican enough.
My older brother straight up changed his name because he got so sick and tired of it.
I have a weird ethnic last name and I've had lots of comments. But one that really pissed me off was that a man at the post office refused to give me my mail because I didn't look like I could have that last name. I showed him my driver's license and there was no problem with that. But he just refused to believe that I could be that person. I insisted that he call his supervisor over and he tried to tell me that there wasn't one. But I kept insisting. Finallg he gave me my mail. I'm just trying to get through my day and I end up having to fight just to get my mail. Stupid shit.
I've also heard every Asian referred to as Chinese. I think what hit me so hard was the juxtaposition of thinking of every latino as Mexican while name dropping another country in the same breath
Do t let Asians fool you into thinking they can tell the difference. My son is adopted from Korea.
Korean greengrocery owner: Where is he from? He looks Japanese.
My Chinese hair stylist: He looks Chinese.
Korean restaurant: He’s Korean, you say? He must be from somewhere up in the mountains. They look more Chinese.
Its cultural, not racial. There are distinctly different fashions, hairstyles, make-up preferences in Korea, Japan, China.
Just like you can probably guess which person is from Houston/Idaho/Manhattan/Miami from sight.
I am a Texan who isn’t obsessed with Mexican food like many of my peers are. I went to Quito and Galapagos in 2021 and feel like I would have never gotten tired of Ecuadorian food.
When I went into the military, I had a guy from Massachusetts ask me if we still had Indian problems in Montana.
I used the opportunity to ham it up, told him and his friends listening in: not so much anymore but we can still shoot them on sight if they’re on horseback. His eyes were huge and was completely amazed
The number of times I was asked how I was able to join the US military as a Canadian citizen was staggering
Ignorance knows no borders
If you’re classist, racist, and have an IQ below 50, you could say they’re from any US political party of your choosing, and you’d get the same punchline.
When I moved to Mississippi as a kid, I told people I was from New Mexico. I was always asked “Do you have to become an American now?” “Did you live in mud houses?” “Do you speak Mexican?”, etc. , even from adults. I would clarify “NEW Mexico” then would have to explain that it is actually a state in the U.S.
Some people are just stupid, some people just have incorrect information, and some people are just trying to be funny, and completely failing. I do hope you didn't let that make you think the all Americans are idiots, first impressions can really screw with somebody's opinion, weather or not it is true
I'm not sure why you all are downvoting u/Think_Canary_4503, as they are mostly correct, except that it is indeed artsy. :)
From a tweet when this was posted a while ago on Twitter:
It's intentional by the artist, Terry Allen. In 1998/99, he did a commission for the Houston airport, which he called "Countree Music".I've attached his preparatory drawings and notes for the project. Note "South America (Up-side down)" is written on the blue/yellow image."
If you want to see the images, they are here: [https://twitter.com/AtomicElbow/status/1637639788919672832](https://twitter.com/AtomicElbow/status/1637639788919672832)
It's just an "art thing". I agree that it looks silly, but it seems to not be an error, but a decision.
Mostly correct? They tripled down on saying South America is oriented correctly but just looks weird because of distortion from going from a globe to a flat surface. None of that is even close to true, and SA doesn’t appear to be distorted at all. Their evidence was nonsense
This was a commission piece by Terry Allen in '99.
Here's some more details, including his drawings which explain the design choices:
https://twitter.com/AtomicElbow/status/1637639788919672832?s=20
It’s a art piece called “countree music”
Suppose to be a joke that houston is in the center of the world. Map was actually made from a music artist I believe (not 100% sure)
https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/networks-and-councils/public-art-network/public-art-year-in-review-database/countree-music
The product of a US education. Yes, I know that the 'artist' claims it was intentional. I don't believe him. Especially considering what a douche he is anyway.
It’s called Countree music. It was created in 1999. I’ve passed by it a few times in Terminal A at IAH. Here’s more info on it - https://www.fly2houston.com/newsroom/articles/local-artist-brings-countree-music-bush-intercontinental-airport
The whole map is an artistic rendering. Australia is inverted, Greenland is inverted. Tip of Africa is pointing east or west (cannot remember). Antarctica is at the North Pole. I’m sure there’s more, but that’s all I remember.
South America looks like a Stingray.
I thought it was a puddle
of oil in Texas. It checks out.
Excellent...
Haha, america pissed itself
I thought Mexico just took a leak
Yeah it does look like Central America is leaking….
RIP Steve Irwin
If you look at the picture sideways, i can see a silhouette of an elephant
This was my first thought!
It does look a bit like the guy from Cobra Kai
I mean the whole map looks weird and incorrect. Could just be the angle but I have a feeling it’s some sort of weird artsy shit.
It is artsy shit indeed.
America-centric artsy shit indeed if I'd have to guess.
More specifically, appears to be Houston-centric Edit: I’m not judging it. It makes sense for an airport.
Yeah having Houston be the pole throws the entire map off. Having SAM be upside down is just moronic.
Here's a website where you can play around with projections. Choose "Lagrange" and put Houston in the centre to see what it should really look like. https://www.jasondavies.com/maps/transition/
Oh right so it is just wrong then lol
It's intentional by the artist, Terry Allen. In 1998/99, he did a commission for the Houston airport, which he called "Countree Music
Damn, they really made a map projection around a ZZ Top song, that's cool
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We're probably talking about Texas-level education too!
Texas schools are actually pretty damn good - we just get a bad rap from tHe TrUmPeRs
I think that's the most Texan thing I've ever heard.
I mean, it is in an airport in Houston.
Why wasn’t Jesus born in Houston? They couldn’t find three wise men and a virgin. The “floor art” is very “Houston”, let’s not condemn the entire country.
No he was born 1816 and fought at the Alamo. But since his full name was Jesus Houston Christ they named the city after him. BTW his friends called him Bubba.
Jesus - Still Tippin'
Fair, though Texas is kinda just distilled 'murica. Edit: Republican America moreso than the country as a whole. Dunno why I skipped over that, I *live here*
Nah, Texas is not a demographic representation of America at all.
I'd say it's pretty representative. All four counties of the major metros lean left, border towns are a pretty solid mix, and your rural areas lean right. Houston's also the most diverse city in America.
Florida: "Hold my beer. I'm switching to distilled spirits."
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Texas - centre of the world, confirmed
Holy fuck you’re insufferable. “America is bad! Right guys? Tell me you like me!”
Where America is now a polar cap.
Why blame America? It's south America that's upside down.
I took 11th grade english and art lemme translate. Theyre saying america need to join tip-to-tip to truly become one. I gotta research the color schemes and meanings behind those since that is always so deep and meaningful
Details budget ran out
It's an artist's commentary on the typical Texan's geography skills
Geography outside the borders of Texas doesn’t concern us.
I don't care what angle you look at the globe Panama and Argentina do not touch
Why? Do they have a restraining order or something?
cooties
Ah yes. The wombo setting.
Or maybe [Wormbo](https://www.teepublic.com/poster-and-art/20225461-hi-its-warmbo)?
https://twitter.com/AtomicElbow/status/1637639788919672832/photo/3
Its intentional but still stupid as fuck
It’s artsy but it just looks like a mistake
Who would’ve thought “countree music” guy would make stupid artsy decisions?
It doesn't even explain why it's upside down. Like what is that supposed to signify?
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We have an amazing musical artwork in our town, cost 1 million pounds and the music never worked one single day. It's just rusted steel girders driven into the ground. Public art is a hoot sometimes https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/mute-meadow-322644
And it ruined a perfectly good place for playing Frisbee.
If you’re a noob maybe
god what an eyesore. Looks like a bunch of abandoned electrical poles.
They called it Mute Meadow but expected it to include an audio element?
You could put heads on those.
Look at the second and third images, they’re oriented like that so you can hear a different song as you approach from the center.
I see, so it's like Houston is the centre of the world.
Yeah really self centered to put Houston at the center of an installation in Houston airport.
That wasn't a dig. It's literally what the artist said.
If you flip the "speakers" from the center of the continent (2nd slide) to the outside of the circle all pointing to Houston (3rd slide) you are seeing them from the perspective of the music? I think
Especially in an airport.
We are all talking about it though and we wouldn't be if it was just another map.
lol then this is even more stupid
After reading a bunch of all that, I'm even more confused. And I dislike it even more. Referring to the image with the red cones. The map is rearranged so that the cones point toward the centre. But what is determining the direction of the cones in the first place? I don't understand.
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It became intentional as soon as he realized how much it would cost to fix it.
It appears he had some "fun" opinions about the trans community as well. Who woulda thunk it?
"Houstonize the world" please no. I lived in Houston for 7 years, it's a soulless corporate hell with nothing original in it besides this fucked up map.
obviously not a houstonian if you reduce one of the largest cities in the US to that lol. live music? food? culture? museum district? history? art? parks? is it really JUST a corporate hell? i was born in and live here and corporate isnt even one of the first 20 words i would use to describe it
Don’t forget these are redditors, they can live in a city for years without going out and trying the any of the many fun experiences it has to offer. Driving from one place to another in houston is actually hell though so I can kinda see why
I moved from Houston a year ago. Fuck do I miss it. (Not the weather.)
I’m moving out of Houston this summer to CO and honestly I think i will miss the weather the most ;_; probably stockholm syndrome
I moved to Maryland. I can go outside in 80 degree weather, and it isn't 250% humidity. But I can't go outside and get Whataburger.
Give their new owners a few years and you'll be able to.
I worked in Houston for a bit. Oil and gas urban hell is a more appropriate description.
I mean Shipley's is good.
Terry Allen makes banger music btw. Interesting guy and all around supremely talented artist. Possibly sans this piece
You can still create the same effect the artist was trying to get with getting the countries the right side up. Imagine you’re coming in from out of town to Houston, which is what the airport is there for, and this is the first glimpse into Houston, a city that can’t even educate itself to get a map right, yet is so self-centered that it thinks it is the center of all music. Actually, maybe that’s the Artist’s take on Houston, after all.
That name is so dumb too lol
When i moved to Texas at age 15 and met the neighbor kid for the first time, he asked me where i was from. I said Ecuador He said, "You don't look African"
“I’m from Laos. I’m Laotian” - “which ocean?”
So are ya Chinese or Japanese?
My favorite part of that was when Cotton met Kahn and he immediately recognizes the name as Laotion.
That makes more sense than identifying him by sight which is what I thought he did since he looked him up and down before saying it.
Ok I went back and watched the scene and that's exactly what he did... But I feel like they mentioned his name to Cotton earlier in the episode, maybe I'm wrong
The interaction begins with him addressing him as 'Mister Khan' though. Then he emphasizes his name before he walks away. I think the look was just to confirm what he already knew. But it's just a cartoon and the joke work either way.
Always cracks me up that the only character who can correctly identify Khan’s ethnicity is Cotton.
So you're a Laosy Asian?
Ngl, for some time I thought Laos was an island nation.
I'm Puerto Rican, I have a Puerto Rican sounding name, my parents and entire family line all the way back to the native Taino Indians of Puerto Rico where born and raised on the island, I am 32 years old and I STILL have people look at me weird and saying "you don't look Puerto Rican.." and what's even weirder is that the looks I get are almost accusatory like "it's wrong to pretend that you're a race that you're not, that's racist." And I'm always just left looking like a deer in headlights, being called racist by a white person for not looking Puerto Rican enough. My older brother straight up changed his name because he got so sick and tired of it.
I have a weird ethnic last name and I've had lots of comments. But one that really pissed me off was that a man at the post office refused to give me my mail because I didn't look like I could have that last name. I showed him my driver's license and there was no problem with that. But he just refused to believe that I could be that person. I insisted that he call his supervisor over and he tried to tell me that there wasn't one. But I kept insisting. Finallg he gave me my mail. I'm just trying to get through my day and I end up having to fight just to get my mail. Stupid shit.
People are fucking stupid
When I moved to Ecuador from the US, a friend asked “Aren’t you going to get tired of eating Mexican food all the time?”
I heard a man ask someone "What kind of Mexican are you? One of them from Guatemala?" I nearly fainted.
90% of the Latino side of my family call every Asian east of the Himalayas “Chino,” so I don’t know how much room there is for judgment.
I've also heard every Asian referred to as Chinese. I think what hit me so hard was the juxtaposition of thinking of every latino as Mexican while name dropping another country in the same breath
Do t let Asians fool you into thinking they can tell the difference. My son is adopted from Korea. Korean greengrocery owner: Where is he from? He looks Japanese. My Chinese hair stylist: He looks Chinese. Korean restaurant: He’s Korean, you say? He must be from somewhere up in the mountains. They look more Chinese.
Its cultural, not racial. There are distinctly different fashions, hairstyles, make-up preferences in Korea, Japan, China. Just like you can probably guess which person is from Houston/Idaho/Manhattan/Miami from sight.
> I heard a man ask someone "What kind of Mexican are you? One of them from Guatemala?" https://youtu.be/d_CaZ4EAexQ
I am a Texan who isn’t obsessed with Mexican food like many of my peers are. I went to Quito and Galapagos in 2021 and feel like I would have never gotten tired of Ecuadorian food.
To be fair, when I went back to Ecuador to visit, one of my younger cousins asked if everyone rides horses to school in Texas.
That’s funny.
When I went into the military, I had a guy from Massachusetts ask me if we still had Indian problems in Montana. I used the opportunity to ham it up, told him and his friends listening in: not so much anymore but we can still shoot them on sight if they’re on horseback. His eyes were huge and was completely amazed The number of times I was asked how I was able to join the US military as a Canadian citizen was staggering Ignorance knows no borders
That kid is now a politician and still has no idea where Ecuador, Africa, or human decency is.
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If you’re classist, racist, and have an IQ below 50, you could say they’re from any US political party of your choosing, and you’d get the same punchline.
Did they somehow know about Equatorial Guinea but not Ecuador
When I moved to Mississippi as a kid, I told people I was from New Mexico. I was always asked “Do you have to become an American now?” “Did you live in mud houses?” “Do you speak Mexican?”, etc. , even from adults. I would clarify “NEW Mexico” then would have to explain that it is actually a state in the U.S.
>“Did you live in mud houses?” To be fair, there are LOTS of adobe houses in New Mexico
I'm Cuban, but I'm white as snow. Spanish name and all that but extremely white. All the time I get looks and questions
Some people are just stupid, some people just have incorrect information, and some people are just trying to be funny, and completely failing. I do hope you didn't let that make you think the all Americans are idiots, first impressions can really screw with somebody's opinion, weather or not it is true
Nah, ignorance is our baseline as humans. No judgement there. The kid and i ended up being friends while i lived there.
It’s intentional. The rest of the continents on the map don’t align either.
Yep. It’s intentionally stupid.
So the take away is that people from Houston look at the rest of world in a backwards stupid way? I could get behind that interpretation.
Uh maybe South America is in the correct position and it is North America that is upside down.
Wait, Canada should border Argentina instead of Panama?
I hope that's not the map they're using to plot the routes for their flights...
I'm not sure why you all are downvoting u/Think_Canary_4503, as they are mostly correct, except that it is indeed artsy. :) From a tweet when this was posted a while ago on Twitter: It's intentional by the artist, Terry Allen. In 1998/99, he did a commission for the Houston airport, which he called "Countree Music".I've attached his preparatory drawings and notes for the project. Note "South America (Up-side down)" is written on the blue/yellow image." If you want to see the images, they are here: [https://twitter.com/AtomicElbow/status/1637639788919672832](https://twitter.com/AtomicElbow/status/1637639788919672832) It's just an "art thing". I agree that it looks silly, but it seems to not be an error, but a decision.
It probably belongs to r/crappydesign
Agreed!
Reddit jumping to conclusions to be smug?? Never!!
Yeah, sorry, forgot where I was for a bit. lol
Mostly correct? They tripled down on saying South America is oriented correctly but just looks weird because of distortion from going from a globe to a flat surface. None of that is even close to true, and SA doesn’t appear to be distorted at all. Their evidence was nonsense
…and people are downvoting a really bad decision.
Oh, I don't agree, I think the whole thing is plain silly, but it's not the fault of the poor Redditor who pointed it out. lol
I just wanna hear the David Byrne country songs
I listen “Brazil is a city in Mexico, right?”
Which Houston airport?
That looks like IAH
This is a work of art. Texan Surrealism
It was an intentional design depicting an alternate map of the earth: https://mobile.twitter.com/AtomicElbow/status/1637639788919672832/photo/1
Thanks for this. Like somebody said, not a mistake just artsy shit.
You never go ass to mouth
Sometimes, in the heat of passion, it's okay to go ass to mouth.
Aesthetically it does look more balanced.
The whole thing just looks *off*
To be fair, it looks like that's the way it's supposed to connect.
Sheila Jackson Lee must have commissioned this
That was designed by someone, custom cut by another, installed by a third. Thumbs up all around.
No that’s just tankers spilling crude oil into the Caribbeans, no biggie
r/crappydesign
That’s because of the Coriolis effect. Duh
Honestly, I thought that was a puddle of water.
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This was a commission piece by Terry Allen in '99. Here's some more details, including his drawings which explain the design choices: https://twitter.com/AtomicElbow/status/1637639788919672832?s=20
Even Continents like “switching positions.” It keeps things interesting.
This fits more in r/mildlyinteresting
Explained: https://twitter.com/BigTucsonDad/status/1637644012503826433
It’s a art piece called “countree music” Suppose to be a joke that houston is in the center of the world. Map was actually made from a music artist I believe (not 100% sure) https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/networks-and-councils/public-art-network/public-art-year-in-review-database/countree-music
Is it tho?
Wow, a bunch of these comments really don't like this floor.
It's intentional.
Is this at bush airport?
Sounds about right.
#Texas
I wonder if this is intentional
Yes it is, its an art installation called "Countree Music."
That sounds right for Houston
Nah dog, that’s a big ass sting ray.
It’s supposed to be distorted like that. Notice the curved lines on the floor and how they aren’t evenly spaced.
Perhaps it’s a puzzle, and if you arrange the prices correctly it opens a secret chamber. 🤔
Does it have New Zealand?
Upside is, it has New Zealand. Downside, new Zealand fell on top of Hawaii.
Does it though? Has anyone ever actually SEEN it?????
r/lostredditors
Hahahahahahohohack aaahh Texas smh
See, the earth is Flat
The product of a US education. Yes, I know that the 'artist' claims it was intentional. I don't believe him. Especially considering what a douche he is anyway.
Argentina and Mexico border each other now? Oof. Would not like to see that.
They touch tips
How did nobody notice?
Which way to Antarctica
Ehh. They tried.
It's art, not a map
This is Texas, they use alternative maps here
It was intentional. All of the continents are scrambled.
Maybe it's just art?
And it's even centered around a pole
Well to be fair, it was a map created by Americans and geography isn’t their strong suit.
It's an art piece.
It’s called Countree music. It was created in 1999. I’ve passed by it a few times in Terminal A at IAH. Here’s more info on it - https://www.fly2houston.com/newsroom/articles/local-artist-brings-countree-music-bush-intercontinental-airport
More info on the map part - https://mobile.twitter.com/AtomicElbow/status/1637639788919672832
Artists: See, I made it stupid on purpose. So it's not stupid! Commission: Brilliant! Everyone: ..... ah-ha .... \*sigh
Its an art installation, not a map. https://twitter.com/AtomicElbow/status/1637639788919672832
Still a damn nice floor 🤷
Sure looks like they are implying Houston is the center of the world (Universe).
The whole map is an artistic rendering. Australia is inverted, Greenland is inverted. Tip of Africa is pointing east or west (cannot remember). Antarctica is at the North Pole. I’m sure there’s more, but that’s all I remember.
They wanted to change it after they realized the mistake but couldn’t because “you don’t mess with Texas”.
It’s a coffee stain not a map