October 11

"We come from ev'ry quarter,
From North, South, East, and West,
To clear the way to freedom,
For the land we love the best.
We've left our occupations,
And home, so far and dear,
But when the going's rather rough,
We raise this song in cheer:
Good morning, Mister Zip-Zip-Zip,
With your hair cut just as short as mine,
Good Morning, Mister Zip-Zip-Zip,
You're surely looking fine!"

--Lyrics for "Good Morning Mr. Zip-Zip-Zip" cited in the article by K. A. Wells, "Music as War Propaganda: Did Music Help Win The First World War?", which notes that "Zip-Zip-Zip in the song title means that you can insert any name (first, middle, last) of any nationality, religion, or ethnic group"; image from (site contains full lyrics)

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

US Embassy Kabul Features Las Vegas to its Muslim Audience - Peter Van Buren, wemeantwell.com: "Who says the Embassy in Kabul is out of touch? On its Facebook page, the US Embassy in Kabul has run a feature on Las Vegas,

noting that the place known to most Americans as Sin City is 'synonymous with entertainment.' Entertainment here being synonymous with gambling, drinking and whoring. What could possibly appeal more to a Muslim audience? It gets better. When a commenter named 'Smock' on Embassy Kabul’s Facebook page raised these same issues, some drone in the Embassy’s Public Diplomacy section actually wrote this: [']Dear Smock, Las Vegas is one of fifty-two cities being featured this year on Embassy Kabul’s Facebook. We appreciate your comments and feedback as to which future cities you would like to see featured. ['] We’re winning! Viva Las Kabul! (I first learned of this piece of moral high ground from an excellent blog on US reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan called Hamsters on the Titanic, well worth a look. Be sure to check out the regular focus on absurdity column, called 'Today’s Helping of Bacon Wrapped Pork Chop)" Image from article

Obama Administration Rejects Anti-Islamist Muslim‎ - Ryan Mauro, FrontPage Magazine: "Fifteen months ago, an anti-Islamist Muslim named Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser was nominated to join the State Department’s Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. As a devout Muslim who has courageously confronted the Muslim Brotherhood​ networks in America, there could be no better choice. However, Jasser went through an arduous screening process only to be unexpectedly denied by the Obama administration. Dr. Jasser is the president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, an anti-Islamist activist group that promotes a

version of Islam compatible with American values. ... Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell recognized Jasser’s importance in the ideological struggle and nominated him for the State Department’s U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. He went through a seemingly endless series of interviews and paperwork submissions, successfully passing each stage and receiving a top-secret security clearance. This 15-month process has finally come to an end with Jasser simply being told that he has been 'removed from consideration.' Senator Jon Kyl says that 'the Obama administration has chosen to sideline Dr. Jasser.'” Jasser image from article

Man arrested in Romania over the killing of American basketball player in bar - Alina Wolfe Murray, Associated Press, winnipegfreepress.com: "A Romanian court has ordered the detention of a man over the killing of American basketball player Chauncey Hardy. ... Prosecutors said Monday that Hardy was punched after he playfully put his cap on a woman's head. The woman's boyfriend objected to the gesture and Hardy tried to show that he didn't

understand Romanian. ... A preliminary autopsy revealed he had a massive hemorrhage and a broken skull. ... 'We extend our deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased,' said a statement from the public diplomacy department of the U.S. Embassy sent to the Associated Press. 'We are concerned by the violent circumstances surrounding the death of this U.S. citizen, and will pay close attention as the investigation progresses.'" Hardy image from

[Shadow foreign secretary] Douglas Alexander Arab Spring speech in full‎ - Politics.co.uk: "[W]e must address our diplomacy not just to states, but to the peoples of the Arab World at their moment of optimism. BBC Arabic online audiences grew by 300% during the height of the protests in Egypt to 1.6 million. The World Service Trust is working to support Tunisian TV in the transition to being public service broadcasters, rather than just broadcasting the regime views. Do these services have an effect? If they didn’t, why would BBC Persian television has been subject to increasing and aggressive jamming from within Iran. The channel has suffered deliberate attempts to interfere with its signal intermittently since its launch in 2009. The interference intensified on the evening Saturday 17 September just as the channel had begun broadcasting a documentary about Iran’s Supreme Leader.

The continued attempts of the regime to put pressure on the service show how much they worry about outside broadcasts – and should redouble our support for the work the World Service does. And – going back to my starting point – that public diplomacy needs to develop for a world of technological change. In my view, that means Britain's foreign policy needs to be clear that promoting unrestricted access to the internet is in our national interest and promotes our national values. We need to look at the export licensing of technologies that filter the internet, support online civil society in countries that continue to restrict internet access and work with EU partners in providing online journalists the arenas where they can post free from censorship by their national governments." Alexander image from article

"Capitalizing on Taiwan's cultural Soft Power" - Gary Rawnsley, Public Diplomacy and International Communications: "An article has been published in Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?ctNode=1767&xItem=177647&mp=9) suggesting yet again that the cultural industries are at the heart of Taiwan's soft power. Following my interviews during the summer with government agencies involved in Taiwan's internationl outreach, I came to the conclusion that (a) Taiwan is placing too much faith in culture; (b) the government agencies responsible really do not know what they are doing or why they are doing it. I am heartened that, according to the article, the Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) recognises that 'Taiwan's advantage is its freedom and democracy,' but the Council, like the Government Informational Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, chooses to ignore the narrative of Taiwan's democratisation in international outreach programmes, preferring instead to claim that Taiwan is the preserver of traditional Chinese culture. As I have said time and again - in these blogs and to the government agencies themselves - this is the wrong strategy. What is clear from the article published in Taiwan Today is that there is a complete ignorance of what soft power really is and how it might be exercised. ... Soft power is not constrained by time pressures; it works best as part of a long-term strategy, and its practitioners must realise that it can take years to build trust, credibility and appeal. Any attempt to design a short-term strategy that will have immediate effect is doomed to failure. Moreover, it is not a competition."

Iran Calls for Expansion of Media Ties with Russia‎ - Fars News Agency: "Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast asked for the bolstering of ties and

cooperation between the Iranian and Russian media. ... Mehman-Parast further stressed the importance of cooperation between the two countries' cultural, academic and research centers as well as non-governmental associations due to their major share in public diplomacy." Mehman-Parast image from article

Kremlin - Greetings to International Humanitarian Forum in Baku - isria.com: "Dmitry Medvedev sent greetings to participants and guests at the International Humanitarian Forum in Baku. The message reads, in part: ... This forum in Baku will address philosophical issues in the development of science, as well as humanitarian aspects of existing economic models, ethics problems in modern biotechnology and many other current issues.

Humanitarian cooperation is rightly called a “soft power,” since it helps overcome barriers in dialogue between civilisations, bringing together nations and peoples on the basis of the values of justice and tolerance, solidarity and mutual respect. All this opens broad opportunities for public diplomacy and the implementation of joint programmes in science, education, healthcare and the arts, the very areas that are most sensitive and proximate to peoples’ spiritual needs. In recent years, the need for a humanitarian element in international relations has become increasingly more apparent." Image from

KDK'nın the official web site launched - Balaban: [Google translation:] "Prime Minister's Public Diplomacy Coordination (CEC) launched the official web site. Siteye www.kdk.gov.tr, www.kdk.org.tr, www.kamudiplomasisi.gov.tr ve www.kamudiplomasisi.org.tr adreslerinden ulaşılabiliyor. Site http://www.kdk.gov.tr/, http://www.kdk.org.tr/ , http://www.kamudiplomasisi.gov.tr/  ​​and http://www.kamudiplomasisi.org.tr/  addresses can be accessed. KDK'dan yapılan yazılı açıklamada, KDK'nın Türkiye'yi geniş kitlelere doğru anlatmayı hedeflediği belirtilerek, Twitter hesaplarını İngilizce veTürkçe olarak devreye sokan KDK'nın, resmi internet sitesiyle sesini daha güçlü şekilde duyurmayı hedeflediği ifade edildi.

KDK'dan a written statement, stating KDK'nın Turkey aims to explain to a wide audience, Twitter accounts, which is introducing English as a veTürkçe KDK'nın, intended to announce the official web site, the volume was expressed more strongly. Sitede KDK tarafından gerçekleştirilen ve planlanan faaliyetler ile kamu diplomasisine dair detaylı bilgiye ulaşılabiliyor. And planned activities conducted by the CEC on the site with detailed information can be accessed on public diplomacy. Başbakanlık Basın Yayın Enformasyon Genel Müdürlüğü tarafından hazırlanan 'Dış Basında Türkiye' bültenlerine ve KDK'nın Twitter hesabında yer alan iletilere de internet sitesi üzerinden ulaşmak mümkün. Prime Ministry Directorate General of Press and Information prepared by the 'Foreign Press Turkey' KDK'nın bulletins and messages on the Twitter account can be reached via the website." Image from article

Relations with Israel are again going underground‎ - Hurriyet Daily News: "Turkey and Israel are not in a situation of divorce or hostility, according to American intelligence expert George Friedman. Looking at Ankara’s rhetoric, it sounds a bit weird. But when you see the next line in his statement things start making sense: 'You are in a situation in which certain relationships continue, but in which public diplomacy shifts to where Turkey can take advantage of other relationships.' ... It seems that Turkish-Israeli relations will go from overt to covert once again. We will continue to see strong anti-Israeli rhetoric, yet contacts, even on strategic issues, will continue. But keeping them secret will be more difficult."

Is Chavez the Public Diplomacy Exemption? - Olivia Franken, Public diplomacy: [H]ow is Chavez so successful when he defies all public diplomacy rules[?] Despite the fact that [his] frequently public comments are brash, radical and largely unfounded, Chavez has held the presidency for a decade and looks very comfortable with where he is at as President of Venezuela. ... If Chavez were to fall of [sic] the international radar, he would lose much of his influence in the international community, especially because many of his allies turn up due to his anti-American sentiments.

It is true Chavez’s image has worked thus far but only time can tell if his good fortune will continue." Image from

Symphony Diplomacy: Fine Arts in Public Diplomacy - Public Diplomacy: "Cultural diplomacy is by no means a new concept. Government officials and diplomats have utilized this strategy for decades, and in many cases have found it to be quite successful. ... One specific example of such an exchange was the historic concert by the New York Philharmonic Symphony in North Korea in 2008. As the NY Times reported [:] 'It was the first time an American cultural organization had appeared here, and the largest contingent of United States citizens to appear since the Korean War. The trip has been suffused with political importance since North Korea’s invitation came to light last year. It was seen by some as an opening for warmer relations with the United States, which North Korea has long reviled.'

Considering the tense relationship between these two nations, the fact that this event was held illustrates the power of such soft power strategies like cultural diplomacy. This topic will be discussed further at the discussion of fine arts in government during the Oct 27th Symposium held by the Syracuse APDS. To read the NT Times article on the Symphony trip to North Korea click the link below: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/world/asia/27symphony.html To learn more about cultural diplomacy follow this link to the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy’s website: http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/index.php?en" Image from

RELATED ITEMS

6 B.S. Myths You Probably Believe About America's 'Enemies' - Mark Hill, cracked.com: #1. The World Hates America!

Since 2005, the BBC has conducted a poll on world attitudes toward various countries. In 2011, 49 percent of people surveyed said America had a positive influence on the world, while 31 percent held negative views. That's better than most presidential approval ratings from the past 20 years, and we elected those guys. Even some of the most well known haters of our freedom in reality are more likely to give the U.S. a slap on the back and a "This guy! He's crazy, but he's alright." #6. Iran Could Start a Crazy War at Any Minute! #5. China's Economy Is Going to Steamroll America's! #4. America Relies on Its Enemies for Oil! #3. Al-Qaida Is Still a Huge Threat! #2. North Korea's Military Is Dangerous and Insane! Image from article

What to do about Pakistan: The United States cannot afford to indulge Pakistan's support for terrorism any longer. The risks of sticking with the status quo are greater than the risks of adopting a tougher approach - Peter Tomsen, latimes.com: The Obama administration needs to implement a Pakistan policy that serves America's national security interests. It must be constructed

for the long term and be responsive to Pakistan's actions. There should be incentives employed to encourage the dismantling of terrorists organizations that the ISI has created and sustained. And there should be consequences if it does not. Image from article, with caption: Pakistani youths shout slogans during an anti-US protest in the support of their Army. Pakistan's army is partly to blame for attacks in Afghanistan.

Drone strikes: What the U.S. could learn from Israel [Blowback] - Amos N. Guiora, latimes.com: "To ensure both the legality and morality of drone strikes, I propose the following standards: 1) A target must have made significant steps directly contributing to a planned act of terrorism. 2) An individual cannot be a legitimate target unless intelligence action indicates involvement in future acts of terrorism. 3) Before a hit is authorized, it must be determined that the individual is still involved and has not proactively disassociated from the original plan. 4) The individual’s contribution to the planned attack must extend beyond mere passive support. 5) Every effort must be made to minimize collateral damage.

However, the willful endangerment by the non-state actor of its own civilian population need not be a deterrent from implementing an authorized act of preventative self-defense. 6) Verbal threats alone are insufficient to categorize an individual as a legitimate target. The Obama administration's articulation that mere 'likelihood' of membership in a terrorist organization justifies defining a target as legitimate is highly problematic in the context of criteria-based decision-making." Image from article

Propaganda Balloons Float into N.Korea on Party Anniversary - english.chosun.com: An activist group of North Korean defectors launched balloons carrying propaganda leaflets and other materials into North Korea from Imjingak near the Demilitarized Zone on Monday to mark the 66th founding anniversary of the North Korean Workers Party. It was also the first anniversary of the death of former party secretary Hwang Jang-yop, who defected to South Korea in 1997. Some 20 members of Fighters for Free North Korea launched 10 helium balloons around midday carrying photos of Hwang, 200,000 propaganda leaflets, 1,000 US$1 bills, and 100 radios.

Online Indonesian Islamist Extremism: A Gold Mine Of Information – Analysis - Nur Azlin Mohamed Yasin, eurasiareview.com: Terrorist groups are using the online platform for three major activities to help them continue, strengthen and expand their existence and capacity for struggle in the face of their physical dismantling by the Indonesian authorities.

These activities are the dissemination of terrorists’ propaganda and ideology; fundraising; and garnering support from the general Indonesian society. These three online activities are not the direct or main causes of radicalisation and terrorism in Indonesia. However, they play important roles in the recovery of terrorist groups in the long run. Propaganda and terrorist ideology disseminated online are free add-ons to the already widespread terrorist literature distributed on the ground. Image from article

Iranian activist Peyman Aref lashed 74 times for insulting President Ahmadinejad - Michael R. Gideon, O100gf.wordpress.com: An Iranian activist imprisoned in 2010 for spreading ‘propaganda’ has also been given 74 lashes for writing an ‘insulting letter’ to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Peyman Aref suffered the harsh punishment hours before his scheduled release from Tehran’s notorious Evin prison. Photos taken after Peyman Aref’s lashing showed horrific wounds to his back, and he is said to have suffered a lot of blood. The lashing was carried out by a masked prison official, while Aref’s wife watched. Officials from the Iranian judiciary were also reportedly present. Lashing has become an increasingly popular way for the Iranian government to punish dissidents. Just a few weeks ago, blogger Somayeh Tohidlou suffered a symbolic lashing because of her outspoken criticism of the government. Peyman Aref’s lashing, though, was clearly designed to be more painful than symbolic.

Azerbaijan seeks for new cooperation directions in tourism sphere‎ - Azerbaijan Business Center: "Azerbaijan keeps on active propaganda of the country’s tourism potential at international level as well as search for new cooperation directions. Culture and Tourism Ministry of Azerbaijan reports that Azerbaijani delegation is taking part in 19th session of World Tourism Organization’s (UN WTO) General Assembly taking place in Korea on 8-14 October. Azerbaijani delegation is headed by first Culture and Tourism deputy Minister Vagif Aliyev."

Music as War Propaganda: Did Music Help Win The First World War? - K. A. Wells, parlorsongs.com: Music is a highly effective propaganda vehicle. The widespread use and familiarity of popular songs enables them to function effectively as mediums for messages, and the context and conditions, such as the emotional climate during wartime, can be used for further enhancement. Music permeates the spirit in ways that written words alone cannot do. It is readily retained in memory; therefore people who seldom engage in reading can be reached by music. At the onset of World War I, songs were written urging men to join the military, and popular vocalists were hired to perform these songs at public recruiting rallies. Between mid-1914 and mid-1919, 35,600 American patriotic songs were copyrighted, and 7,300 were published, all available to stir the citizens' response to the war and the country. The day after Wilson's declaration of war against Germany, George M.Cohan composed Over There, a march containing lyrics that stressed patriotism and a sense of national identity. It was one of the most successful American pro-war propaganda songs, enthusiastically inspiring the American spirit of confidence about the ability of our troops to end the war and return home safely. Since it was a march, it was easily sung and enjoyed, and proved to be an effective propaganda tool at the onset of the war for recruiting and homeland support. It was publicly advertised that the royalties from this song were donated to war charities, so this music was of even more value as a pro-war tool. Being an all-American venture, one sheet music cover (one of several) was drawn by famous American artist, Norman Rockwell,

and it showed soldiers happily joined in song, sending the positive message of the effects of song on the troops, both from the standpoint of morale and of unity by singing together. Among the many early "call to arms" songs written right before the war or as the US entered the war was this stirring song, Wake Up America.  Female imagery was frequently employed in pro-war propaganda music.

The ranks of professional entertainers were greatly reduced because of enlistments and the draft, so theaters responded by devising new forms of public entertainment, such as song competitions in which newly written war songs were introduced by song promoters from Tin Pan Alley (the nickname given to the whole group of composers and publishers of popular music).The Kaiser was always presented as the arch villain in this war with over a hundred anti-Kaiser songs produced by Tin Pan Alley, such as: We Are Out for the Scalp of Mister Kaiser, We Want the Kaiser's Helmet Now, and We Will Make the Kaiser Wiser ( sung to the melody of John Brown's Body). Demonizing him further as the war continued, the Kaiser songs became even more savage, such as: We're Going to Hang the Kaiser on the Linden Tree, We're Going to Whip the Kaiser, The Crazy Kaiser, I'd Like to See the Kaiser with a Lily in His Hand, (click cover for the Scorch version, here for midi and here for lyrics.) We'll Give the Stars and Stripes to the Kaiser, If I Only Had My Razor Under the Kaiser's Chin, Shoot the Kaiser and The Kaiser is a Devil.

The feeling ran so deep that even after the Armistice, hate songs continued about the Kaiser: Hang the Kaiser to the Sour Apple Tree, We've Turned His Moustache Down, We Sure Got the Kaiser, We Did, and The Kaiser Now is Wiser. John Philip Sousa, in his memoir Marching Along, addressed the appeal of marching music as follows:

I think Americans (and many other nationals for that matter) brighten at the tempo of a stirring march because it appeals to their fighting instincts. Like the beat of an African war drum, the march speaks to a fundamental rhythm in the human organization and is answered. A march stimulates every center of vitality, wakens the imagination and spurs patriotic impulses which may have been dormant for years. I can speak with confidence because I have seen men profoundly moved by a few measures of a really inspired march.

Addressing the same topic, during World War II, Rep. J. Parnell Thomas of New Jersey agreed with Sousa, noting that "what America needs today is a good 5 cent war song. The nation is literally crying for a good, peppy marching song, something with plenty of zip, ginger, and fire."  As World War I drew toward its close, the music industry continued to churn out large numbers of patriotic songs, urging continued enthusiasm for the war in which the songs proclaimed that we would be victorious and should continue to back our brave troops. Perhaps Leo Feist's statement that music won the war cannot be verified, but it can be said with certainty that World War I has forever changed the face of music. Images from article

AMERICANA

Average credit score for the top American cities - USA Today

Rank City State Credit score

1 WAUSAU WI 789

2 MINNEAPOLIS MN 787

3 MADISON WI 785

4 CEDAR RAPIDS IA 781

5 SAN FRANCISCO CA 781

6 GREEN BAY WI 780

7 BOSTON MA 779

8 PEORIA IL 778

9 SIOUX FALLS SD 778

10 LA CROSSE WI 777

11 HARRISBURG PA 776

12 FARGO ND 776

13 SEATTLE WA 776

14 LINCOLN NE 774

15 HARTFORD CT 774

16 DES MOINES IA 773

17 DULUTH MN 773

18 PITTSBURGH PA 773

19 PORTLAND ME 772

20 BURLINGTON VT 772

21 SANTA BARBARA CA 771

22 ALTOONA PA 770

23 HONOLULU HI 769

24 DAVENPORT IA 769

25 PORTLAND OR 768

26 ROCHESTER NY 767

27 OMAHA NE 767

28 ALBANY NY 767

29 WASHINGTON DC 766

30 EUGENE OR 766

31 DENVER CO 766

32 SPOKANE WA 765

33 MILWAUKEE WI 765

34 PROVIDENCE RI 764

35 TOPEKA KS 764

36 CINCINNATI OH 763

37 NEW YORK NY 762

38 ROCKFORD IL 761

39 CLEVELAND OH 760

40 PHILADELPHIA PA 760

41 CHICAGO IL 760

42 MEDFORD OR 760

43 SALT LAKE CITY UT 760

44 KANSAS CITY MO 760

45 MONTEREY CA 759

46 YAKIMA WA 759

47 COLORADO SPRINGS CO 759

48 BALTIMORE MD 759

49 SCRANTON PA 759

50 ST. LOUIS MO 758

51 BUFFALO NY 758

52 SPRINGFIELD MA 758

53 TRAVERSE CITY MI 756

54 SYRACUSE NY 755

55 EVANSVILLE IN 755

56 CHICO CA 754

57 CHAMPAIGN IL 754

58 BOISE ID 754

59 SOUTH BEND IN 753

60 DAYTON OH 753

61 SAN DIEGO CA 753

62 WEST PALM BEACH FL 753

63 GRAND RAPIDS MI 753

64 ROANOKE VA 752

65 YOUNGSTOWN OH 751

66 LANSING MI 750

67 SALISBURY MD 750

68 TOLEDO OH 750

69 FT. MYERS FL 750

70 COLUMBUS OH 750

71 RICHMOND VA 750

72 WICHITA KS 749

73 LOUISVILLE KY 748

74 TUCSON AZ 748

75 GREENSBORO NC 748

76 FT. WAYNE IN 747

77 FLINT MI 747

78 WILMINGTON NC 745

79 SACRAMENTO CA 745

80 KNOXVILLE TN 743

81 DETROIT MI 743

82 RALEIGH NC 743

83 HUNTSVILLE AL 743

84 AUSTIN TX 742

85 INDIANAPOLIS IN 741

86 PALM SPRINGS CA 741

87 SPRINGFIELD MO 741

88 GREENVILLE SC 740

89 NORFOLK VA 740

90 NASHVILLE TN 740

91 RENO NV 740

92 TAMPA FL 740

93 CHARLOTTE NC 739

94 LEXINGTON KY 739

95 TRI-CITIES, TN-VA TN 738

96 LOS ANGELES CA 738

97 MOBILE AL 737

98 ORLANDO FL 734

99 OKLAHOMA CITY OK 734

100 FT. SMITH AR 733

101 PHOENIX AZ 733

102 TULSA OK 732

103 CHARLESTON WV 732

104 PADUCAH KY 731

105 NEW ORLEANS LA 731

106 CHARLESTON SC 731

107 BIRMINGHAM AL 731

108 CHATTANOOGA TN 730

109 LAFAYETTE LA 730

110 GREENVILLE NC 730

111 BATON ROUGE LA 729

112 ALBUQUERQUE NM 728

113 JACKSONVILLE FL 727

114 ATLANTA GA 727

115 LITTLE ROCK AR 727

116 AMARILLO TX 726

117 HOUSTON TX 724

118 DALLAS TX 722

119 WICHITA FALLS TX 722

120 COLUMBUS GA 721

121 FRESNO CA 721

122 MIAMI FL 719

123 TALLAHASSEE FL 719

124 COLUMBUS MS 717

125 SAN ANTONIO TX 716

126 BEAUMONT TX 716

127 SAVANNAH GA 716

128 MACON GA 715

129 COLUMBIA SC 714

130 WACO TX 713

131 MONTGOMERY AL 712

132 MYRTLE BEACH SC 711

133 MEMPHIS TN 711

134 EL PASO TX 710

135 TYLER TX 710

136 LAS VEGAS NV 709

137 BAKERSFIELD CA 709

138 AUGUSTA GA 709

139 SHREVEPORT LA 706

140 MONROE LA 706

141 CORPUS CHRISTI TX 702

142 JACKSON MS 701

143 HARLINGEN TX 686

Sources: Experian, VantageScore; Top image from; below image from