Talk:1438: Houston - Revision history

172.71.94.182: Added signature to previous comment

2023-08-12T09:22:55Z

Added signature to previous comment

141.101.76.74: Comment

2023-08-09T14:03:49Z

Comment

172.70.250.87: Tentatively changed the explanation to be about Houston, British Columbia, vs. Houston, Texas, as I described previously in the comment.

2022-10-18T22:15:38Z

Tentatively changed the explanation to be about Houston, British Columbia, vs. Houston, Texas, as I described previously in the comment.

162.158.90.145 at 11:13, 18 October 2022

2022-10-18T11:13:25Z

198.41.242.215 at 11:02, 18 October 2022

2022-10-18T11:02:29Z

198.41.242.95 at 10:59, 18 October 2022

2022-10-18T10:59:42Z

198.41.242.95: Suggest the comic to be about Houston, British Columbia vs. Houston, Texas.

2022-10-18T10:57:36Z

Suggest the comic to be about Houston, British Columbia vs. Houston, Texas.

Lupo: Visited the comic again via random and asked myself the same questions as 2018.

2020-02-28T10:58:01Z

Visited the comic again via random and asked myself the same questions as 2018.

Lupo at 06:19, 17 October 2018

2018-10-17T06:19:45Z

Grep at 22:19, 5 February 2015

2015-02-05T22:19:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:22, 12 August 2023
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	I think there are two take-aways from this comic. The first is the "Call Centre" experience which others have suggested. The second, embedded in the title text, is the ''inverse'' of the comic strip's appearance in that while Apollo 13 have a huge problem they require help on, Randall may be feeling guilty about having "dumbed down" or lied about the seriousness of a (possibly-employment related?) situation to his Mother when she had been worried enough to call him in the first place. The Call Centre analogy is an easy one to relate to. In the days when you could actually physically speak to an operator, they were typically so clueless about the technology or product they were meant to be trained on it was not funny. And, when the operator had had a bad day, the kind of retort that it "Sounds like you suck at stirring" often did get dished out to frustrated customers. In fact, that retort from the operator is why the theory about an operator in a "duplicate Houston" doesn't really stand up. In the general scheme of things, the receiver of a wrong number is typically polite in informing so; the sarcasm of the response in the operator in the comic indicates some kind of personal beef that just so happens to get taken out on our astronaut, a very common situation given the low wages and sub-standard working conditions that call centre operators are often subjected to.		I think there are two take-aways from this comic. The first is the "Call Centre" experience which others have suggested. The second, embedded in the title text, is the ''inverse'' of the comic strip's appearance in that while Apollo 13 have a huge problem they require help on, Randall may be feeling guilty about having "dumbed down" or lied about the seriousness of a (possibly-employment related?) situation to his Mother when she had been worried enough to call him in the first place. The Call Centre analogy is an easy one to relate to. In the days when you could actually physically speak to an operator, they were typically so clueless about the technology or product they were meant to be trained on it was not funny. And, when the operator had had a bad day, the kind of retort that it "Sounds like you suck at stirring" often did get dished out to frustrated customers. In fact, that retort from the operator is why the theory about an operator in a "duplicate Houston" doesn't really stand up. In the general scheme of things, the receiver of a wrong number is typically polite in informing so; the sarcasm of the response in the operator in the comic indicates some kind of personal beef that just so happens to get taken out on our astronaut, a very common situation given the low wages and sub-standard working conditions that call centre operators are often subjected to.
		+	[[Special:Contributions/172.71.94.182\|172.71.94.182]] 09:22, 12 August 2023 (UTC)

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:03, 9 August 2023
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	I very much think [[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] (2018) is on the right track. My guess is that the operator is located in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_British_Columbia Houston, Canada] which would closely match the operator's location as shown in the last panel. Plus, this community actually has a small [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Aerodrome airport] (just one runway), so it would be quite natural for the operator to assume to be called from an airplane rather than from a spaceship. Wouldn't that fit better than the random call center explanation? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.215\|198.41.242.215]] 11:02, 18 October 2022 (UTC)		I very much think [[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] (2018) is on the right track. My guess is that the operator is located in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_British_Columbia Houston, Canada] which would closely match the operator's location as shown in the last panel. Plus, this community actually has a small [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Aerodrome airport] (just one runway), so it would be quite natural for the operator to assume to be called from an airplane rather than from a spaceship. Wouldn't that fit better than the random call center explanation? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.215\|198.41.242.215]] 11:02, 18 October 2022 (UTC)
	:I now rewrote the explanation accordingly (after all, that's what a wiki is for). Along with that, I removed the "call center" explanation which I have always found a little contrived. Anyway, things can always be restored from the history, if there is need. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.250.87\|172.70.250.87]] 22:15, 18 October 2022 (UTC)		:I now rewrote the explanation accordingly (after all, that's what a wiki is for). Along with that, I removed the "call center" explanation which I have always found a little contrived. Anyway, things can always be restored from the history, if there is need. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.250.87\|172.70.250.87]] 22:15, 18 October 2022 (UTC)
		+
		+	I think there are two take-aways from this comic. The first is the "Call Centre" experience which others have suggested. The second, embedded in the title text, is the ''inverse'' of the comic strip's appearance in that while Apollo 13 have a huge problem they require help on, Randall may be feeling guilty about having "dumbed down" or lied about the seriousness of a (possibly-employment related?) situation to his Mother when she had been worried enough to call him in the first place. The Call Centre analogy is an easy one to relate to. In the days when you could actually physically speak to an operator, they were typically so clueless about the technology or product they were meant to be trained on it was not funny. And, when the operator had had a bad day, the kind of retort that it "Sounds like you suck at stirring" often did get dished out to frustrated customers. In fact, that retort from the operator is why the theory about an operator in a "duplicate Houston" doesn't really stand up. In the general scheme of things, the receiver of a wrong number is typically polite in informing so; the sarcasm of the response in the operator in the comic indicates some kind of personal beef that just so happens to get taken out on our astronaut, a very common situation given the low wages and sub-standard working conditions that call centre operators are often subjected to.

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:15, 18 October 2022
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	I very much think [[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] (2018) is on the right track. My guess is that the operator is located in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_British_Columbia Houston, Canada] which would closely match the operator's location as shown in the last panel. Plus, this community actually has a small [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Aerodrome airport] (just one runway), so it would be quite natural for the operator to assume to be called from an airplane rather than from a spaceship. Wouldn't that fit better than the random call center explanation? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.215\|198.41.242.215]] 11:02, 18 October 2022 (UTC)		I very much think [[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] (2018) is on the right track. My guess is that the operator is located in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_British_Columbia Houston, Canada] which would closely match the operator's location as shown in the last panel. Plus, this community actually has a small [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Aerodrome airport] (just one runway), so it would be quite natural for the operator to assume to be called from an airplane rather than from a spaceship. Wouldn't that fit better than the random call center explanation? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.215\|198.41.242.215]] 11:02, 18 October 2022 (UTC)
		+	:I now rewrote the explanation accordingly (after all, that's what a wiki is for). Along with that, I removed the "call center" explanation which I have always found a little contrived. Anyway, things can always be restored from the history, if there is need. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.250.87\|172.70.250.87]] 22:15, 18 October 2022 (UTC)

@@ Line 101: / Line 101: @@
 I may be wrong, but isn't Houston on the gulf coast? the speech bubble in the 4th panel seems to come more from the north-western part of the US, especially with the 4 smaller strokes next to the place where the speech bubble originates, it seems to indicate coming from the "edge" of the visible globe. Maybe from the space needle? Is there anything that would make sense in north-western USA or South-Western Canada as a place where the operator could be?--[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:19, 17 October 2018 (UTC)
 :Also: what islands are there that large in the middle of the atlantic ocean? or is that supposed to be the carribean? --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 10:58, 28 February 2020 (UTC)
-:I very much think [[User:Lupo|Lupo]] is on the right track. My guess is that the operator is located in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_British_Columbia Houston, Canada] which would closely match the operator's location as shown in the last panel. Plus, this community actually has a small [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Aerodrome airport] (just one runway), so it would be quite natural for the operator to assume to be called from an airplane rather than from a spaceship. Wouldn't that fit better than the random call center explanation? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.215|198.41.242.215]] 11:02, 18 October 2022 (UTC)
+I very much think [[User:Lupo|Lupo]] (2018) is on the right track. My guess is that the operator is located in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_British_Columbia Houston, Canada] which would closely match the operator's location as shown in the last panel. Plus, this community actually has a small [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Aerodrome airport] (just one runway), so it would be quite natural for the operator to assume to be called from an airplane rather than from a spaceship. Wouldn't that fit better than the random call center explanation? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.215|198.41.242.215]] 11:02, 18 October 2022 (UTC)

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:02, 18 October 2022
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	:Also: what islands are there that large in the middle of the atlantic ocean? or is that supposed to be the carribean? --[[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo\|talk]]) 10:58, 28 February 2020 (UTC)		:Also: what islands are there that large in the middle of the atlantic ocean? or is that supposed to be the carribean? --[[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo\|talk]]) 10:58, 28 February 2020 (UTC)

−	:I very much think [[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] is on the right track. My guess is that the operator is located in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_British_Columbia Houston, Canada] which would closely match the operator's location as shown in the last panel. Plus, this community actually has a small [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Aerodrome airport] (just one runway), so it would be quite natural for the operator to assume to be called from an airplane rather than from a spaceship. Wouldn't that fit better than the random call center?	+	:I very much think [[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] is on the right track. My guess is that the operator is located in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_British_Columbia Houston, Canada] which would closely match the operator's location as shown in the last panel. Plus, this community actually has a small [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Aerodrome airport] (just one runway), so it would be quite natural for the operator to assume to be called from an airplane rather than from a spaceship. Wouldn't that fit better than the random call center explanation? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.215\|198.41.242.215]] 11:02, 18 October 2022 (UTC)

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:59, 18 October 2022
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	:Also: what islands are there that large in the middle of the atlantic ocean? or is that supposed to be the carribean? --[[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo\|talk]]) 10:58, 28 February 2020 (UTC)		:Also: what islands are there that large in the middle of the atlantic ocean? or is that supposed to be the carribean? --[[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo\|talk]]) 10:58, 28 February 2020 (UTC)

−	:I very much think [[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] is on the right track. My guess is that the operator is located in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_British_Columbia Houston, Canada] which would closely match the operator's location as shown in the last panel. Plus, this community actually has a small [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Aerodrome airport] (just one runway), so it would be quite natural for the operator to assume to be called from an airplane rather than from a spaceship. Wouldn't that fit better than the random call center? ~~{{incomplete\|Problem, we have a Houston. Another Houston, I mean. In Canada.}}~~	+	:I very much think [[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] is on the right track. My guess is that the operator is located in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_British_Columbia Houston, Canada] which would closely match the operator's location as shown in the last panel. Plus, this community actually has a small [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Aerodrome airport] (just one runway), so it would be quite natural for the operator to assume to be called from an airplane rather than from a spaceship. Wouldn't that fit better than the random call center?

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:57, 18 October 2022
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	I may be wrong, but isn't Houston on the gulf coast? the speech bubble in the 4th panel seems to come more from the north-western part of the US, especially with the 4 smaller strokes next to the place where the speech bubble originates, it seems to indicate coming from the "edge" of the visible globe. Maybe from the space needle? Is there anything that would make sense in north-western USA or South-Western Canada as a place where the operator could be?--[[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo\|talk]]) 06:19, 17 October 2018 (UTC)		I may be wrong, but isn't Houston on the gulf coast? the speech bubble in the 4th panel seems to come more from the north-western part of the US, especially with the 4 smaller strokes next to the place where the speech bubble originates, it seems to indicate coming from the "edge" of the visible globe. Maybe from the space needle? Is there anything that would make sense in north-western USA or South-Western Canada as a place where the operator could be?--[[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo\|talk]]) 06:19, 17 October 2018 (UTC)
	:Also: what islands are there that large in the middle of the atlantic ocean? or is that supposed to be the carribean? --[[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo\|talk]]) 10:58, 28 February 2020 (UTC)		:Also: what islands are there that large in the middle of the atlantic ocean? or is that supposed to be the carribean? --[[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo\|talk]]) 10:58, 28 February 2020 (UTC)
		+
		+	:I very much think [[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] is on the right track. My guess is that the operator is located in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_British_Columbia Houston, Canada] which would closely match the operator's location as shown in the last panel. Plus, this community actually has a small [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Aerodrome airport] (just one runway), so it would be quite natural for the operator to assume to be called from an airplane rather than from a spaceship. Wouldn't that fit better than the random call center? {{incomplete\|Problem, we have a Houston. Another Houston, I mean. In Canada.}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:58, 28 February 2020
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	I may be wrong, but isn't Houston on the gulf coast? the speech bubble in the 4th panel seems to come more from the north-western part of the US, especially with the 4 smaller strokes next to the place where the speech bubble originates, it seems to indicate coming from the "edge" of the visible globe. Maybe from the space needle? Is there anything that would make sense in north-western USA or South-Western Canada as a place where the operator could be?--[[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo\|talk]]) 06:19, 17 October 2018 (UTC)		I may be wrong, but isn't Houston on the gulf coast? the speech bubble in the 4th panel seems to come more from the north-western part of the US, especially with the 4 smaller strokes next to the place where the speech bubble originates, it seems to indicate coming from the "edge" of the visible globe. Maybe from the space needle? Is there anything that would make sense in north-western USA or South-Western Canada as a place where the operator could be?--[[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo\|talk]]) 06:19, 17 October 2018 (UTC)
		+	:Also: what islands are there that large in the middle of the atlantic ocean? or is that supposed to be the carribean? --[[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo\|talk]]) 10:58, 28 February 2020 (UTC)

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:19, 17 October 2018
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	I view this as an amateur using a HAM radio, such as the one in Gravity, who is either trying to troll or not believing that it was actually the crew of Apollo 13. I did not get any alternate reality or call centre vibe from this at all. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.143\|141.101.106.143]] 20:38, 26 December 2014 (UTC)		I view this as an amateur using a HAM radio, such as the one in Gravity, who is either trying to troll or not believing that it was actually the crew of Apollo 13. I did not get any alternate reality or call centre vibe from this at all. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.143\|141.101.106.143]] 20:38, 26 December 2014 (UTC)
		+
		+
		+	I may be wrong, but isn't Houston on the gulf coast? the speech bubble in the 4th panel seems to come more from the north-western part of the US, especially with the 4 smaller strokes next to the place where the speech bubble originates, it seems to indicate coming from the "edge" of the visible globe. Maybe from the space needle? Is there anything that would make sense in north-western USA or South-Western Canada as a place where the operator could be?--[[User:Lupo\|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo\|talk]]) 06:19, 17 October 2018 (UTC)

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:19, 5 February 2015
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	"It's always 'problem, problem, problem' with you guys. Don't you ever call just to say 'hi'?" {{unsigned\|PheagleAdler}}		"It's always 'problem, problem, problem' with you guys. Don't you ever call just to say 'hi'?" {{unsigned\|PheagleAdler}}
		+	: "We're having problems with our vocalization units. It seems we cannot manage to utter a single greeting during a tech support call. How can we fix this?" {{User:Grep/signature\|22:19, 05 February 2015}}

	I don't get the context here. Is this supposed to be a biting satire on how the new generation sucks at social tact with their cell phones? How is a guy at NASA mission control being an asshat supposed to be funny or thought-provoking? Even the helpdesk angle doesn't really make sense, as inept as they can be I've never had one outright antagonize me like this guy does. {{unsigned ip\|‎199.27.128.114}}		I don't get the context here. Is this supposed to be a biting satire on how the new generation sucks at social tact with their cell phones? How is a guy at NASA mission control being an asshat supposed to be funny or thought-provoking? Even the helpdesk angle doesn't really make sense, as inept as they can be I've never had one outright antagonize me like this guy does. {{unsigned ip\|‎199.27.128.114}}