ANOTHER Delicious stack of MAPS

Human Development Index - sadly, no surprises. The backwoods states are... backwoods.

Where food is grown - I'm a city boy. Food grows at the supermarket.

Yo hablo espagnol... un pequino poco

US states with KKK groups - And there are still lots of people who will insist that America is not racist...

Median age by congressional district - Gee! Western and southwestern Arizona are a retired folks' haven. Gosh!

I had no idea that the KKK was still so widespread and popular.  

Hey! Wyoming!

That's misleading, one KKK group paints the whole state red, also it doesn't state what makes a group 2, 3, 10?

Harrison Arkansas headquarters for the KKK.

Billboard on Hwy 60 in Harrison Arkansas. 

Florida has a lot of old farts. (I'm one)

Well, as some people here on NT have stated, White People (especially Males) are greatly persecuted in this country. So its nice to see that they have groups trying to protect their rights!

/sarc

Where are the cranberry bogs?

Where are the cranberry bogs?

I had always thought they are grown in colder areas, I had thought New England, especially Maine. But I didn't want to get bogged down in inaccuracies, so I googled it-- Wisconsin produces the most:

Now we know.

Now we know.

Have you ever watched Shep Smith news programme?

No, I haven't.

Incredible. Yet again great minds think alike.  Looking for cranberries on that map was exactly what I did when I first saw it.  I drink imported American cranberry juice almost every day - like to mix it with orange juice.  I always thought they came from the New England area. 

Where food is grown

Something I've known for a a while-- California's Central Valley is amazing-- large, fertile, and extremely productive area!

California's Central Valley is amazing-- large, fertile, and extremely productive area

Yes, it is.  One thing not shown on the maps are almonds.  There are a lot of almond trees growing in the Central Valley.

I live about 2 miles from the last working orange grove in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.  It is 14 acres.  Many of the houses near there still have some orange trees that were not taken down when the area was turned into suburban housing.  The San Fernando Valley used to be an agricultural area.  My grandfather once told me that he picked cherries there when he was a teenager.  Now, if it was a separate city, it would be the 6th largest city in the country in terms of population.

There were two dairy farms adjacent to each other near where I lived when I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s.  When the wind shifted, we new they were there.  They had a small dairy store.  Now, it's all developed with stores with a big parking lot.  It's called Giacopuzzi Plaza, which was the name of the family that owned one of the dairies.  I just read that the herd was sold in 1983.  San Fernando Valley history.

or yams, lol

I have a vested interest in giant yams

There are a lot of almond trees growing in the Central Valley.

I believe I had previously read that the Central Valley is the largest producer of Almonds in the world?

That's funny.  I almost asked about yams.

I have a vested interest in giant yams

Are Giant Yams the ones in Horror movies that are referred to as "Killer Yams"? (Close relative of Killers Tomatoes?)

the Central Valley is the largest producer of Almonds in the world?

I wouldn't be surprised.  Some of the almond groves seem to stretch out for miles.

An uncle of mine (now long deceased)  bought a small 2 bedroom house in the valley (Van Nuys) --I believe it was right after WWII. The cost was something like $2400.00! (That's not a typo).

Years later he was tempted to sell it-- at  a YUGE profit!

Of course the catch was-- he then have to buy another house to move into-- which of course would also have skyrocketed in value.

He was a skilled "techie"-- a Tool and Die maker. Worked in an aircraft factory-- apparently there were lots of them there way back then.

(Another Uncle, also long deceased, also;ived in the area but in a much bigger house. IN Sherman Oaks.He later made a lot of money and moved away-- to an incredible place over-looking a canal in Huntington Beach).

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (IIRC a few critics said it was one of the worst movies ever made!), where is Buzz when we need him...?

I'm not a renter, but from what I understand $2,400 may be the average monthly rent for an apartment these days.

LOL. I thought of The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes as soon as I saw your comment about yams . 

Actually, I LOVE tomatoes.  I eat tomatoes every day.  I remember when I was a kid my father used to eat whole tomatoes, bite into them just like one eats apples.  If I were allowed to grow only one food item, it would be tomatoes. Actually, tomatoes are consided to be a fruit, are they not?  In fact, fruit markets here sell grape or charry tomatoes along with other fruit, and the Chinese people consider them to be a dessert food. 

Remember what I told you about the cost of living where I am - referring to 50 cent chicken burgers?  Well check this out and you will know one of the main reasons I remain in China, while existing on a meagre Canadian government pension:  I wrote this a while ago to inform another person who asked why I don't move back to Canada.

What you're not taking into consideration is that the cost of living here is much less than in the USA.  Let me give you an example.  I live in a modern upscale suburb of a major city, with 3 beautiful university campuses within a short walking distance.  A subway station for a line that goes directly downtown is in front of our modern apartment building.  Our building adjoins a 3-story retail/restaurant mall. There is a huge department store across the street that opened up 2 years ago with imax theatres, restaurants and a supermarket besides every other imaginable retail store, and a farmer's market is around the corner.  Our building has a guard and a swipe-card entry for after hours, and is kept immaculately clean.  Our very comfortably furnished 3-bedroom condo apartment on the 15th floor is about 1200 square feet, has all the necessities and two balconies. As we are in a very upscale suburban area of a major city surrounded by every convenience, it would compare with a similar apartment in a major American city.  Including, all utilities (gas, water, electricity, heat, air conditioning) plus cable TV (about 80 channels) and internet our monthly rent including all those costs is the equivalent of about 450 U.S. dollars per month. If there is a condo management fee and realty taxes we don't pay that but our landlord must out of the rent we pay.  I would venture to guess that something similar in the USA would probably cost at least 5 or 6 times that amount.  

Bus fare is the equivalent of U.S. 30 cents, A Chinese take-out restaurant chicken-burger is less than a U.S. dollar but at an American franchise such as McDonalds or KFC a whole meal (burger, fries, drink) costs almost half of what it would in the USA.  A haircut costs me the equivalent of US$1.50.  A first-run Hollywood movie in a theatre, with popcorn and drink - 10 U.S. bucks. 

So although the per capita GDP is less, so are the expenses.  On my pension income I could not possibly afford to live anywhere near as well in Toronto as I can here - I would be lucky to afford a basement room with a shared kitchen and bathroom down the hall.  Extreme poverty throughout China will be eradicated by the end of the year, and virtually everyone will have food on the table, a decent roof over their heads, free education through high school and decent health care.  Next step will be to achieve a moderately prosperous total society.  Bread and circuses.

I'm not spouting Chinese propaganda, I'm telling you what it is within my own knowledge, what I personally experience here, and have seen with my own eyes. 

This is the reason for PPP GDP: to take account of purchasing power. By this measure, China's economy surpassed America's a couple years ago.

Actually, tomatoes are consided to be a fruit, are they not?

The botanical definition of a fruit is, "a mature ovary"... If there are seeds, or even just one seed, then it is a fruit.

No they grow in my front lawn and back "garden"'

good mashed taters, lol

There is a prediction by an established British organization that has followed and made such predictions that China will become the world's number one economy, surpassing the USA, in 2028. Factors causing that named China's success in containing the virus and having a positive economy in 2020, as compared to America's failures in that regard.

This should hardly need to be said, but China lies about the size of it's economy.  Again, this is obvious, but there are people who believe Cuba offers the best health care in the world becuase Communists report fake numbers or that Chin only had 500 odd cases, in total, in the middle of January. 

nationalinterest .

Of course, the CCP bots will ignore this, just like they ignore the proof of China organizing a disinformation campaign to mislead the Chinese people about covid. Of course, those same people will read these reports and turn around and parrot what the CCP tells them to. It's sad to see. 

propublica

Again, Buzz... it depends on the instrument of measure. The most generally accepted measure is PPP GDP, which takes account of purchasing power. China's PPP GDP surpassed America's a couple years ago.

Since China's population is much bigger, its GDP per capita is smaller than America's... but that is of little practical importance. This is probably the measure that your people source is referring to.

Ever spent time in China, Sean, or are you simply repeating what you read in China-bashing media?  I've repeated enough times why I believe the Chinese Covid infection and death rates announced are not that far off so I'll not waste my time repeating it for the benefit of shills for Trump, Pompeo and the late Joe McCarthy. 

Evening. How are things over there re the virus?? It has gone quiet here re reports so assume it is under control or more or less gone. We have pretty well stamped it out as has New Zealand.

We have had a couple of small out breaks but squashed it flat as soon as it appeared. Life is more or less normal here now and hopefully stays that way...no one in hospital no community transmissions and no loss of life for yonks..

And we were happy to wear a mask when needed as they did there. Keep well..

I wonder-- should I trust information from some links someone posts on the Internet-- or the first person accounts of someone who actually lives there?

Someone who lives there, who has seen the tremendous consumer upsurge, and is in contact with front line doctors who are friends and tell the truth. 

By the way I have sent you both an NT private note and a regular email - have you seen them?

Hi Shona,

20 cases were reported today.  Some new ones in Beijing, and 12 in the north east near Russia and 5 imported one in Dalian which is a seaport.  I think they have just tested a million people in Beijing.  New cases are treated very seriously - whole cities are tested again.  Nothing near us though. 

Glad things are better in Australia.  As Australia and New Zealand have proven, even democracies can bring it under control if they are not led by an idiot. 

We have had a couple of small out breaks but squashed it flat as soon as it appeared. Life is more or less normal here now and hopefully stays that way.

Wow-- that's amazing! Its still spreading rapidly here. 

Very rapidly. It seems many hospitals are out of space in ICUs. Some have even had to transport very sick people to hospitals a distance away because they have no space.

Many hospitals are also running out of staff.

Why do you think its so much less of a problem where you live and N Zealand?

Evening Krishna..hmm. There are a number of things I guess. 

Distance

Shut all borders International and State.

Lock downs

Quarantine

Stop all unnecessary travel within each State

Fines and or jail

Mandatory wearing of face masks

All done before the virus got out of control. To late trying to do it after the fact.

Caring for our fellow Aussies...one in all in and working together for our own common good.

Some observations from my visit to China in the spring of 2017, although I was only there for 3 weeks.   

On the surface, it seemed like a capitalist society.  There appeared to be a lot of small businesses operating.  There were certainly a lot of Mercedes and BMWs.

However, most notably to me, there were numerous half-finished very large construction projects every where we went, which I was told were housing towers, but there was NO work going on at any of them.   I saw no construction actually in progress at any of those many sites.  No workers.  No equipment in use.  It made me seriously question the actual level of economic viability.

We hired private tour guides in a couple of the cities we visited.  Upon some subtle questioning from me, they gave me the impression that they did not have much respect for the Chinese Communist Party, and I was told "We know what is going on in the outside world."   When I mentioned my observation that China appeared to be a capitalist society, I was told, laughingly, that it is "Socialism with Chinese characteristics", which was the tour guide mocking the Party slogan. 

I think that China is a very diverse and complex country with the CCP trying to maintain its monopoly on power.  One of our tour guides told me that the army is the most loyal to the Party, which, again, is an indication that not everyone has the same degree of loyalty.

Yes, GG, it certainly does seem like a capitalist society, and on the surface it looks very little different in the larger cities than any large American or Canadian city, and the people's lives are pretty well the same as well.  As for half-finished construction, in front of our apartment building, when we first moved in a few years ago, there was a basic skeleton-like concrete construction of a three story commercial building on the corner of two streets - same conditions perhaps as what you saw, nobody there, nothing happening. For two years it remained like that, and then this last year crews went in and now it is completely enclosed, exterior completed and they are working on the interior.  There are also large apartment buildings that I've seen in many places sitting like that for a while, but as more people move into the cities they get finished and people move in.  I was told that the reason for that circumstance is to make sure that heavy construction workers maintain their jobs, continue to gain wages, even though what they are doing is well in advance of the buildings becoming finished for occupation when they become required. 

Another thing I didn't understand when I first got here is why, when vehicular sweeping machines were available to clean the streets and other large spaces, that people with big brooms were used instead - it just didn't seem logical to me.  Then I discovered that it is a way to keep more people employed with useful wage-earning positions rather than having them become homeless and destitute. 

When I first came to China and started to teach, I criticized my students who would eat snacks between classes and throw their garbage out the window to the field below, until I discovered that poor people gathered up that garbage and plastic and bottles and were able to sell it in order to subsist. 

As for the people I know and have known over the more than 14 years I've been here, nobody has ever made me feel they were at all unhappy with the government, and those who are in my wife's family have no reason or fear of holding back their personal opinions from me.  I will admit, though, that I have never asked the question, or put anyone on the spot by demanding such a conversation.  Different strokes for different folks.  

Capitalism is undoubtedly effective for creating wealth. It is equally effective for unequal distribution of that wealth. That's logical: the owner takes all.

So capitalism is intrinsically incompatible with equality.

Capitalism must be "governed" (in the sense that a machine is "governed"). I don't know Jack Ma, but the mandarins are reining him in. The American government contends that Chinese telecoms are under state control. Capitalism has created wealth in China, but capitalists are under the mandarins' authority.

Meanwhile, Google, Twitter, Apple, & Co are pretty much free to do as they please.

I'm not sure I prefer Zuckerberg to Xi.

Do you see much of a difference between what the CCP is doing about Jack Ma's ANT corporation, and the American Anti-trust laws that are applied against huge American corporations?

The CCP is more effective.

It may be trying to cap the top, but at the same time it's being doing an excellent job of shoring up the bottom - extreme poverty has been eradicated as per the schedule to do so.  The CCP is aware that a moderately prosperous society of 1.4 billion consumers combined with export trade is what will take the economy to the top and keep it there

I didn't question anyone in China directly about the CCP.  I did ask our tour guides to translate some Party banners that were hanging over the freeway in Beijing, and that led to the comments they made to me.

The cities did not seem too much different than large cities in other countries, just much worse air pollution.  Some of the traffic patterns were unusual with the rule seeming to be that there are no rules, with vehicles coming from any direction.  Not everywhere, though.

Also, in Nanjing, I noticed a large military encampment in the middle of the city that was somewhat hidden behind non-military buildings.  There was a noticeable presence of military security in some locations, especially in Beijing.

When we went to Beijing to renew my passpost, about 4 years ago we bought masks to wear there, although when I was there exactly 14 years ago the sky was blue. One of the reasons the Chinese people beat the virus so fast is because so many people already had masks, and there is no anti-mask crap happening in China.  Chengdu and Chongqing don't have a pollution problem, but one of Chongqing's many names is The Misty City because it does fog up now and then.

As for military encampments in the middle of a city, when I lived in Zhengzhou I took this photo from my apartment, however, I don't recall seeing a military person on the street.  The schools all have a period of military training, but so did I when I went to school in Canada.

We took walks around the neighbourhood and when we went up a street we came to the entrance of that compound, and it was guarded by two army persons with very dangerous looking guns, so we turned around and went our way.

It may be trying to cap the top, but at the same time it's being doing an excellent job of shoring up the bottom - extreme poverty has been eradicated as per the schedule to do so.

I doubt there is any intent to "cap the top". Rather, there is recognition that too great wealth in few hands inevitably is leads to a feedback loop:

great wealth --> great power --> greater wealth --> greater power --> ever greater wealth --> ever greater power... without end...

... until a small group owns everything and most people own very little.

America has waded deep into this mire. Maybe China will avoid it.

Yes, that makes sense.  I once had a student who said that Jack Ma was his hero - so I can see where it is possible that a person who is capable of becoming extremely wealthy here could become very influential, even possibly more influential than the government. 

possibly more influential than the government.

That's exactly the problem in America.

Spanish-speaking areas? On or near Mexican border, as expected. (just as I would've expected Canadian-speaking areas to be on or near Canadian border, eh?)

Also of course there's southern Florida.

My guess is that in those more Westerly areas the Spanish speakers are mainly of Mexican origin.

In Florida it used to be almost entirely immigrants from Cuba. But apparently in recent years a lot of the Spanish speakers there come from many places in Latin America (Central and South America, Caribbean). I've heard Miami referred to as "The Gateway to Latin America"... lots of people who 1st language is Spanish,but no longer mostly Cubans.

The Puerto Rican population is now as large as the Cuban population in FL. 

Or as we say in Florida.  La polacion puertorriquena es ahora tan grande como la poblacion cubana en Florida.

Comprende!

There is a very large Central American population in Southern California.

No surprise median age is high in Arizona and Florida. But its is apparently also true in Michigan, I don't know why...

(Also-- does that cluster of older people in Arizona spill over into Baja? if so,not surprising-- nice climate in winter, and Mexico is cheaper than U.S....although maybe not Baja)

Many Americans are leery of the drug wars in Mexico. San Luis Rio Colorado, just across the border from Yuma, has a shooting per week...

Many Americans are leery of the drug wars in Mexico. San Luis Rio Colorado, just across the border from Yuma, has a shooting per week...

Actually I am sort of aware of the Mexican Drugs wars, but not living near the border now I don't think about it much.

Another reason-- many years ago I used to vacation in Mexico every summer-- every year for several years. And-- this may surprise some people-- at the time there was no drug problem! No gangs!

It seems strange to say that-- perhaps there was some drug usage-- probably in Mexico city. But if there was it was like most cities now in the U,S,-- we have some drug gang shootings in bad sections of American cities-- but its nowhere like what's happening now in Mexico.. 

There is a very large Central American population in Southern California

I've spent some time in Baja-- both the Northern part and Cabo. But that also was long ago.(At the time, walking around Cabo, the idea if drug gangs never crossed my mind.)

I don't know why, but obviously something changed in the several decades since I was last in Mexico. I haven't followed much news about the country in decades!

The "Mexican" drug wars are in fact American. The gangs are jockeying to get control of the traffic to the US.

America's incredibly stupid "War on Drugs" doesn't kill just Americans.