Considering that the US produces 602.3 billion pounds of corn crop annually, I thought it would be interesting to map where most of our corn is coming from in the US. The type of corn, maize, which is the one most widely produced is a cousin to sweet corn that is a high-sugar variant. 99 percent of the US corn crop is actually the starchy, tough plant, known as maze. The following map shows the values, in metric tons (MT) of corn produced by each state. By clicking on a state you can see how much it produces.

If you are wondering where most of our corn is going, then here are a couple of the largest products of corn:

Feed= 333.2 billion pounds

Ethanol= 179.2 billion pounds

High fructose corn syrup= 28 billion pounds

Sweet corn (ears, canned, and frozen)= 5.8 billion pounds

Popularity: 7% [?]

This past November 20^th, the American Cancer Society held its 32^nd annual Great American Smokeout and November 19th was World Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Day. The CDC dedicated its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report to health concerns related to Cigarette Smoking. In this report, the CDC analyzed data from the 2007 Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and from a 2005 analysis of the CDC’s Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) system.

According to the CDC, one in five U.S. adults are current smokers and every year 443,000 people in the country die prematurely due to smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke. Also, between 2000-2004, 269,655 males and 173,940 females died every year as a result of smoking. The leading causes of smoking-attributable deaths were lung cancer, ischemic heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Also, an average of 776 infants died every year as a result of smoking during pregnancy. (MMWR, 11/14/08, Vol.57, No.45)

In 2005, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the underlining cause of one in every 20 deaths in the U.S. and smoking can be attributed to 75% of all COPD deaths. Also, additional coasts for health-care for each COPD patient are $6,000 per year. CDC data by state for deaths from COPD, for adults aged 25 and older are available in Finder!. The following map shows the death rates of males and females at the same scale. While the female death rate is much lower than the male death rate, the total number of deaths was higher for women than for men. (MMWR, 11/14/08, Vol.57, No.45)

In the next map, the death rate of Males is shown along with Finder’s! dataset on smoking bans by state in the U.S. in 2008 (the smaller the circle, the more extensive the ban).

The six states with the highest deaths rates in 2005 have no statewide smoking bans as of September 2008 with the exception of Vermont. Further, the majority of states with the most extensive smoking bans are states with the lowest deaths rates. This reflects a disconnect between a public health need for smoking ban, and actual legislation.

To see the map of death rates by gender, click here and for the map on smoking bans click here.

More datasets related to smoking:
Lung cancer incidence and death rates by gender, USA by state, 2001-2005
NYC Community Health Survey 2006 – NYC Dept. Health and Mental Hygiene
CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (MMSAs), USA, 2007

Popularity: 15% [?]

The US Department of Transportation through the Federal Highway Administration recently put out a report on “Traffic Volume Trends Across the USA.” The report looks at the amount of vehicle miles recorded by state. It compares the figure recorded in the months of August 2007 and September 2007 with figures from those months in 2008. A % change between the years is also given. This data is now available on Finder! and can be viewed in Maker! Below are the datasets that can be found on Finder! and the map below shows the % change figure from September 2007 to September 2008 in the dataset “America cuts down on driving, USA, Sept 07 and 08” in Maker! The lighter colors of orange and yellow on the map shows states that have seen the greatest drops in vehicle-miles.

1. Urban America cuts down on driving, USA, Sept 07 and 08
2. Urban America cuts down on driving, USA, Aug 07 and 08
3. Rural America cuts down on driving, USA, Sept 07 and 08
4. Rural America cuts down on driving, USA, Aug 07 and 08
5. America cuts down on driving, USA, Sept 07 and 08
6. America cuts down on driving, USA, Aug 07 and 08

It is obvious to say that the amount of vehicle miles has dropped as a whole across the nation. The chart below shows how the change is a big turnaround in what the trends have been. In 2008 the miles have dropped greatly.

The most obvious reason for the drop in mileage has been the increase in gas prices that commuters have been experiencing in the past year or two. With such high prices commuters have had to find ways to limit their driving to save money. So it is easy to say that high gas prices cause commuters to stay off the roads more than they had in the past.

So will the miles continue to drop? Will our Thanksgiving commutes be traffic free? If you notice the prices at the pump today you will probably predict that the miles will not continue to drop and that this Thanksgiving will be full of traffic. “Prices have dropped dramatically and are reaching prices that we have not seen in years.”

It is my prediction that people will be traveling more than usual this holiday season because the price of gas is now low again and it will not tie them down financially as it did earlier this year. This is only a prediction though and will be followed shortly in another blog soon to come.

Popularity: 7% [?]

After Wachovia pretty much failed from giving toxic mortgages, it now has been bought out by another bank, Wells Fargo. On October 12, 2008 the Federal Reserve gave the approval for Wells Fargo to takeover Wachovia. The deal was partially controversial because Citigroup was also seeking the merger with Wachovia. Much of the appeal in a merger with Wachovia is their reputation for having one of the strongest retail presences in the United States.

The Maker! map below was created from data in Finder! which was collected from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Each point represents either a Wachovia bank in orange, or a Wells Fargo bank in brown. The proportion symbols used represent the total amount of deposits (in thousands of dollars) to each bank, with some of the largest showing in Sioux Falls—South Dakota, San Francisco—California, Minneapolis—Minnesota, Charlotte—North Carolina, and Philadelphia—Pennsylvania. Keep in mind though, city’s with a ton of banks within their proximity, gross a large number deposits such as New York City, Sand Diego, and Washington, D.C.

To give you an idea of Wells Fargo bank coverage after the takeover of Wachovia, please refer to the following map:

Popularity: 14% [?]