Humanities & Social ScienceAt least in my book. How to split up the US. The author took social networking data and split up the United States into clusters. Here's the map:
Clicking through you can find the top fan pages of various nations. I noticed Megan Fox came up high on a list of many. She's #8 in Pakistan, and #2 in India. #7 in England. #6 in Saudi Arabia! Isn't that haram? #1 in Canada, #2 in Australia, #6 in USA and #4 in Mexico.
Anyway, read the whole post.
Comments
"Missouri, Louisiana and Arkansas having closer ties to Texas than Georgia."
Kirby-Smithdom?
Posted by: gcochran | February 10, 2010 1:06 AM
Louisiana's historically terrible government has generally meant a poor job climate, so Texas hoovers up a lot of Louisiana's college graduates. Like me, for instance.
Posted by: Matt Springer | February 10, 2010 1:32 AM
In 2008 some Russian professor predicted the US would break up, and what was funny about his predictions was that he imagined that the east would stay together - the idea that Vermont and South Carolina would have anything to do with each other if they had a choice was pretty amusing.
This looks pretty much like what Jim Kunstler proposes in _The Long Emergency_ more seriously, although he views the northwest as long-term allied with China and Texas going back to Mexico.
Sharon
Posted by: Sharon Astyk | February 10, 2010 8:15 AM
In the rest of the country "fairly close" means 20-30 miles, but in the West it means 50-100 miles. So a Westerner who travels 200 miles isn't really more nomadic than an Ohioan who travels 50 miles. There just aren't that many places to stop.
Posted by: John Emerson | February 10, 2010 1:56 PM
I am surprised that Oregon clusters with the west instead of with Washington. Or maybe I'm reading the map wrong? It would seem just as odd for Portland to cluster with Washington, but not the rest of the Willamette Valley.
Posted by: David Boxenhorn | February 10, 2010 4:02 PM
I'd consider Texas taking over Northern Mexico before I considered Mexico taking over Texas. Texan Hispanics are Nortenos from Coahuila and Nuevo Leon; they never did trust Mexico City. (For good reason.) Kunstler might be on firmer ground concerning California.
And yes, the culture here in Texas is completely different from Greater New England. Texans think that a drive between Dallas and Houston is a hassle, but they'll do it for the occasional weekend. A similar drive for someone in central Massachusetts is a major event. In fact they'll probably take a plane. If they decide to do it at all.
Posted by: Zimriel | February 10, 2010 9:09 PM
Eastern Washington and eastern and southern Oregon unquestionably cluster with the West. Even Eugene is 50/50.
Posted by: John Emerson | February 12, 2010 10:45 PM