# My ignorance was just exposed. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 13, 2008, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ignorance-was-just-exposed/452795 "2008-06-13T12:26:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ignorance-was-just-exposed/452795/61 "2008-06-15T19:49:30Z")
[QUOTE=Ignatz] So what’s the first country you hit when you travel due west from the closest part of the USA? [/QUOTE] Is this a trick question? From around Maine you’ll hit Ireland ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ignorance-was-just-exposed/452795/62 "2008-06-15T20:00:46Z")
Trick question or not - I still got it wrong. Due west means directly west. So I guess you’ll hit Bordeaux in France. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ignorance-was-just-exposed/452795/63 "2008-06-15T20:33:18Z")
Well **Ignatz** ’ question confused me, and **Lobsang** ’s answers confused me even more. > [@Ignatz](#): > > So what’s the first country you hit when you travel due west from the closest part of the USA? The closest part of the USA _from what_? Due west of Maine is Canada, of Laredo, TX, is Mexico, of Alaska is Russia, of Hawaii is lots of ocean until you get to the Philippines and China. > [@Lobsang](#): > > So I guess you’ll hit Bordeaux in France. I think west is to the left on most maps. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ignorance-was-just-exposed/452795/64 "2008-06-15T20:36:13Z")
[QUOTE=commasense] I think west is to the left on most maps. [/QUOTE] I think you might be right :smack: ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ignorance-was-just-exposed/452795/65 "2008-06-15T21:07:02Z")
I’ll tell you, the deterioration of my so-called brain (at the ripe old age of 52) has gotten to the point that I was worried that after posting that last message I would suddenly realize I had made a horrible mistake, and that _of course_ France is west of the USA. It’s all **Ignatz** ’ fault for asking a confused question. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ignorance-was-just-exposed/452795/66 "2008-06-15T21:34:47Z")
[QUOTE=commasense] I’ll tell you, the deterioration of my so-called brain (at the ripe old age of 52) has gotten to the point that I was worried that after posting that last message I would suddenly realize I had made a horrible mistake, and that _of course_ France is west of the USA. It’s all **Ignatz** ’ fault for asking a confused question. [/QUOTE] Well, France is west of the US. There’s just a bunch of other countries between them in that direction. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shecky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shecky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shecky)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ignorance-was-just-exposed/452795/67 "2008-06-16T13:34:38Z")
[QUOTE=matt\_mcl] Actually, the fact that it’s a (mid-20th century) planned city _is_ its distinguishing feature, and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site for that reason. [/QUOTE] Also popular amongst the locals: Brasilia’s shaped like the airplane that will get you away from there. Did you know there’s also a railway station at the “tail” of the plane? Not that there’s rail SERVICE, but the station is nice and the long distance buses leave from there. The lake you see is toxic, and in the wrong direction for the prevailing winds. The idea was that it would cool the city down as the wind went across it. So, now the rich live in “Lago Sul” which has a really nice breeze. Each block is called a SuperQuadra, or SuperBlock. It’s supposed to have designated residential and small business areas. The older ones that were built first are magnificent, with trees and flowers to reduce mosquitos and increase shade. After a while the building was rushed, resulting in a treeless, air-conditioning centric city. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-ignorance-was-just-exposed/452795.md?page=3)