Implications of Water Table Going Down

FIRST, A NOTIFICATION.

AFTER MY PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS ON THE WEST BENGAL ELECTIONS BEAT ALL MEDIA, THERE HAS BEEN A BIT OF PRESSURE, SO I HAVE DECIDED TO USE MY PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS :

• DISASTER MANAGEMENT (Believe me, we will face worse and worser Disasters)
  
• ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION ISSUES & PREDICTIONS
• WILDLIFE ISSUES
• GLOBAL WARMING PREDICTIONS & SOLUTIONS
• BIRD FLU (H5N1) & H1N1 FUTURISTIC PREDICTIONS & SOLUTIONS ((Believe me, here also we will face far worse scenarios)
  

& other NON-CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES THAT WILL BENEFIT THE HUMAN POPULATION AT LARGE.

Am thinking of opening my own set-up that will NOT BE PRESSURIZED from any sources.


So, some News - Source : BBC News

""It comes from an unexpected source: but Nasa's just-released finding that water tables in the northwest of India are falling by about 4cm (1.6in) per year is a striking microcosm of the unsustainable strain that modern societies are putting on the Earth's natural resources.

Water carriers on rickshaw.This is a region that is home to more than 100 million people.

And they're not using the water for long, languid baths or spraying it on manicured lawns; more than 90% is used simply to grow the staple crops that feed Delhi and the regions around.

More mouths to feed means a demand for higher yields, which implies irrigation - mining the water at a rate faster than nature replaces it - a process that is, by definition, unsustainable.

The Indian government's latest assessment of the environment nationwide [pdf link] - also released this week - shows that water is just one of the resources being depleted as the population expands (tripling in 50 years, according to government statistics) and the economy gathers pace.

Nearly half of the land surface is degraded in some way, air pollution in increasing, some unique species and ecosystems are threatened by development, waste from uncontrolled urbanisation is emerging as a health issue - so the litany goes on."

My take :

• The whole world has to rely more and more on Space Imaging (be it Hybrid, Infra-Red or other) . Image Analysis to identify which Geographical Areas are more prone.
• DROUGHT this Monsoonal Season is a Corollary of this. The area-wise DISTRIBUTION OF DROUGHT may be a starting point of study - does it have a CORRELATION with the AREAS WHERE WATER TABLES ARE RECEDING ?
  
• Even in winter, the FOG that cripples the entire Transport Network (remember trains being delayed for hours) is a result of this. What happens is - the excess groundwater pumped on to the surface, acts as evaporation material to act as a MATERIAL TO FORM FOG. My prediction is - such crippling fogs will occur in certain areas for the next decade.
  
• The Government has to rely on GENERALISTS more and more, as all the team of Ph.D.'s have SPECIALIST IDEAS. One should rely on a CONSULTANCY THAT WILL INTERACT with the specialists to offer solutions.

H1N1 Pandemic - Startling Facts

It has a similarity with the "Spanish Flu" of 1918 that killed 50 to 100
million people worldwide. Unlike Common Influenza types and sub-types, the
elderly people seem most resistant.

Now, I am going very cautious on this, as it is still early to say, but I am
following the trends.

Check the following from wikipedia:

"The 1918 flu caused an unusual number of deaths, possibly due to it causing
a cytokine storm in the body.[5][6] (The current H5N1 bird flu, also an
Influenza A virus, has a similar effect.)[7]

The Spanish flu virus infected lung cells, leading to overstimulation of the
immune system via release of cytokines into the lung tissue. This leads to
extensive leukocyte migration towards the lungs, causing destruction of lung
tissue and secretion of liquid into the organ. This makes it difficult for
the patient to breathe.

In contrast to other pandemics, which mostly kill the
old and the very young, the 1918 pandemic killed unusual numbers of young
adults, which may have been due to their healthy immune systems being able to
mount a very strong and damaging response to the infection."

Yeah, check out the last para.

More startling news from source : www.h1n1data.com

"Average Daily Infection Rate:
20.21% per day
*Average Mortality Rate:
1.43%

Number of U.S. hospital beds:
945,199

Projected number of cases in 30 days:
1,324,150

**Percentage of cases requiring hospitalization:
5.4%
(9-10% per WHO)"

My take: An influenza is termed pandemic only when it has crossed the 0.01%
mortality. Or is it 0.05%, I'll have to check again.

Anyway,
H1N1 has crossed 1% Mortality Rate and in some countries, even close to 5%.
I think H1N1 is far,far more lethal than H5N1 (Bird Flu) , and will wax and
wane, but IS THE GREATEST PANDEMIC TO HIT US SINCE 1918.

EarthQuake at 1:30 A.M. IST in Calcutta

I felt the EarthQuake at 1:30 a.m. I.S.T. (Indian Standard Time). The slight swaying. It was mild.

But I was astonished at the TIME GAP.

The Media reported it around 3:30 a.m. That is why I'm awake now. I saw the Media Flash.

They're reporting a Richter Scale 7.7 Epicentre 130 kms as of 3:30 a.m. from Andamans.

Now, I can't predict tsunamis. But when the Tsunami hit on Boxer's Day, I KNEW IT WAS A TSUNAMI, NOT A TIDAL WAVE WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF IT HITTING.

How ? It's Elementary.

The waves, you see, destroyed a 1500 year temple. That meant that IT WAS A BIG ONE.
IN THIS CASE ALSO, I SHOULD WATCH FOR SOME SIGNS ON SOME HISTORICAL SCALE.

PostNote: I will write more in my other blogs on how I developed an unique way of Predictive Analysis of Major Disasters after the Tsunami of 2004 which had it's epicentre near Banda Aceh.

My Prediction Came True for Mumbai

You see, in developed countries if there is a probability of a Disaster occuring, there is:
Advisory,Watch,Warning.

It is this vigilance that saves lives. If it doesn't come true, you are ridiculed.
If it comes true, people look at you with disdain - did this person bring this upon us.
Such is Human Nature.

My prediction made on 22nd July can be thought of as an Advisory. Based on a few parameters.
It did not come true for Calcutta.
But it came true for Mumbai !

HIGHEST TIDES IN 100 YEARS WERE EXPECTED !

Thank God, the people were moved into safe areas.

Chance of a High Tide Today ? Are we Ready ?

I'm saying there could just be a 10% chance of a bad High Tide coming in Today.

But are we prepared on this Day of Total Solar Eclipse . Now, I havent' doen any research, but it's a split-second thought that flashed thru'. Take all the parameters that are today :

• New Moon
• Total Solar Eclipse
• A steady drizzling rain adding to the steady input into the Hooghly River
• Surge coming up through the uniquely funnel-shaped Ganges Delta
• Embankments thar are not yet repaired. Note : It is also not humanly possible.
• Data from Kolkata Port Trust

Source : http://www.kolkataporttrust.gov.in/BORE-TIDE%20YEAR%202009.pdf

July 21 shows 6 days of Maximum Range 5.05 Tide.

Old News but Golden News

This appeared in the Indian Express . Way back in June 2008.

Maybe I missed it. That's why I was way off mark in my India Lok Sabha Congress calculations.

Though in West Bengal, INC Strategy struck me as BRILLIANT, JUST BRILLIANT, the day I saw the INC - TMC Samjhauta come through.

Anyway, here's that piece of Old is Gold News -

"

The Group to Look into Future Challenges, which made the proposal in its report on intra-party reforms recently, was of the view that parties like the BJP did better in recent elections because Sangh Parivar “cadres” were able to reach out to people door-to-door, while the Congress remained hamstrung banking on its candidates’ individual abilities and resources to pull it off. The same was true for the cadre-based Left in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura.

“Now our campaigns are mainly candidate-oriented. We want to make them party-oriented. That’s why the need for committed workers or cadres who can do door-to-door campaigning instead of organising meetings for the candidate or big party leaders,” said a member of the Future Challenges Group headed by M Veerappa Moily."

Am reading some stuff on this Group of Rahul Gandhi + Dr. Jairam Ramesh + V. Moily and others that's doing brilliant stuff. More I read more interesting it seems.

Should the Editor fire this Employee ?

I'm talking about an Editor I really like.

But there's an Employee, with only 5 years of experience, working in his esteemed Establishment, who, WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE, started DISTORTING NEWS for her own PERSONAL GAIN.

I have the utmost respect for the Editor, because, he has, through generations of business acumen, picked up a few of the best Analytical Journalists of the Eastern Region.

In fact, I used to read for years quite thoroughly quite a few sections of his Newspaper ?

The Editor of a leading Newspaper of the Eastern part of India.

Now, let's say, ONE SINGLE EMPLOYEE , yes, ONE -

Has Breached Section 72 of the Indian Information Technology Act which states :

"Section 72. Penalty for breach of confidentiality and privacy
Save as otherwise provided in this Act or any other law for the time being in force, any person who, in pursuance of any of the powers conferred under this Act, rules or regulations made thereunder, has secured access to any electronic record, book, register, correspondence, information, document or other material without the consent of the person concerned discloses such electronic record, book, register, correspondence, information, document or other material to any other person shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both.

The aforesaid section has a limited application only. It confines itself to the acts and omissions of those persons, who have been conferred powers under this Act, Rules or Regulation made there under.

Section 72 of the Act relates to any person who, in pursuance of any of the powers conferred by the Act or its allied rules and regulations has secured access to any:

i) Electronic record, ii) book, iii) Register, iv) Correspondence, v) Information, vi) Document, or vii) Other material. If such person discloses such electronic record, book, register, correspondence, information, document or other material to any other person, he will be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to two years, or with fine, which may extend to two years, or with fine, which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both.

This section applies only to person who has gained access to the abovementioned information in pursuance to a power granted under Information Technology Act, its allied rules e.g. a police officer, the Controller etc. it would not apply to disclosure of personal information of a person by a website, by his email service provider etc.

Persons conferred with power under the Act
The Act has conferred powers to :
The Controller of Certifying Authorities (Ss. 17-18)
The Deputy and Assistant Controllers of Certifying Authorities (Ss. 17 and 27)
Licensed Certifying Authorities (S. 31) and Auditors (Rule 312)
The Adjudicating Officer (S 46)
The Presiding Officer of the Cyber Appellate Tribunal (Ss. 48-49)
The Registrar of the cyber Appellate tribunal (S. 56 and rule 263)
Network Service provider (S. 79)
Police Officer (Deputy Superintendent of Police) (S. 80)

The idea behind the Section 72 is that the person who has secured access to any such information shall not take unfair advantage of it by disclosing it to the third party without obtaining the consent of the disclosing party. An obligation of confidence arises between the ‘data collectors’ and a ‘data subject’."

SHOULDN'T THE EDITOR FIRE HER, THIS SINGLE EMPLOYEE ?

ONE HAS TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING FROM A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE,

AS WELL AS THE MORAL, LEGAL ANGLE.

Reintroducing the Asiatic Cheetah back into India

As we all know, the Indian (Asiatic) Cheetah became extinct from the grasslands of India way back in the 1950's , as far as I know. Now, here's a piece of great News. There are plans to re-introduce the Asiatic Cheetah.

Source: "www.timesonline.co.uk"

"Rhys Blakely in Mumbai

The Mogul emperor Akbar was said to own a thousand of the beasts as part of his 16th-century hunting retinue. Since then, however, India’s cheetahs have turned from hunter to quarry — the last three known were shot by the Maharajah of Surguja in 1947.

That may now change, with plans revealed by the Indian Government to reintroduce the world’s fastest land animal to the sub-continent.

A meeting of international experts is to be held in Rajasthan in September. It will draw up a preliminary budget, likely to be millions of pounds, to cover the import of cheetahs from Africa and the foundation of a “breeding nucleus” site, from which the animals can be introduced to other areas of India.

“We have to get [cheetahs] from abroad to repopulate the species. We soon hope to do so,” said Jairam Ramesh, the Minister of State for Environment and Forests."

Debajyoti Dutta Roy's personal take :

This is an excellent move. Hats off to Jairam Ramesh.

But all wildlife and environmental enthusiasts have to keep many parameters in mind:

• The cheetah flourishes in uninhabited grasslands. So, one has to choose a locale where there is minimum human population.
• One has to study the FOOD PYRAMID. If the base, that is, the grasslands are abundant, one can introduce deers to sambars to the cheetah's natural prey.
• So, the natural prey of the Asiatic Cheetah flourishes.
• The cheetah has a great time. But one has to be also careful that it is not threatened by other predators bigger than it is. Or pack predators like the hyena or indian wild dogs .."dholes" they're called, as far as I remember.
• One has to study the habitat where the Asiatic Lion is still surviving. These are, as far as I remember, from an excellent site felidtag (Cat Specialist Group) - Iran, parts of Saudi Arabia, etc. Congrats to these countries for still preserving the Asiatic Cheetah.

Hope the program succeeds.

One can also have active monitoring / audiovisuals to generate interest amongst the common people.

Without disturbing the Cheetah, that is.

Yaaaawn.

$4 Trillion Deficit ...what does it mean ?

That's the amount banks & other Financial Institutions face vis a vis value of their holdings..
NPA, Written-off debts, debts..what more..dunno the specs..
But..

? We could see Today..which was the Future..as of say 2005
Funny thing is...the Answer was there..Open Source Info..
In the Net..

A Few people gave hints..
like the
Oracle of Omaha

Now, here's a riddler:
Next was really hard-work..in the unconventional sense tho..4-7 hrs/day..just exercising da gray cells

Globalized solutions for a sick company

We all love Satyam and would hate to see it crumble..in fact this chain is credited with the starting of the "cybercafe revolution"..

In this globalized world, such mergers are welcome. I wonder when the Foreign Print Media is coming...it'll really add a "zing" to thingzz..

Source:

The Hindu Business Line

"Our Bureau
Hyderabad, March 1 Bidding for Satyam Computer Services will not just be restricted to domestic companies but will also be open to international companies.
“International competitive bidding will be followed and anybody can bid for the company subject to the procedure being laid out by the board members of Satyam,” Mr Prem Chand Gupta, Union Minister for Corporate Affairs, told mediapersons on the sidelines of a programme here on Sunday.
He added that the Government would like that there be a healthy and transparent competition among all the bidders.
The Minister also said that the process of calling for bids to find a strategic investor for Satyam is the work of the company’s board.
“The board has appointed advisors and is discussing the procedure. The Government’s desire is only that the whole process be done in a transparent method keeping in mind the interest of the employees, shareholders and clients,” Mr Gupta added.
He said that the process of finding a strategic investor will not take too long and though it was difficult to exactly pinpoint the timeframe, a decision is likely to be taken on the subject in the few next weeks.
Mr Gupta was here to lay the foundation stone for a new building of his Ministry on the city outskirts. The Corporate Bhawan with an office space of 45,000 sq ft will house the offices of the Registrar of Companies, Official Liquidator, the National Company Law Tribunal, among others.
The premises is being constructed as part of the upgradation of the existing infrastructure of the Ministry in various parts of the country and will be completed at a cost of Rs 20 crore.Maytas issue
Speaking on Maytas argument that the Ministry need not supersede its board, Mr Gupta said that the Company Law Board was a quasi-judicial authority and they were the best judge of the judicial process and, “we will honour whatever they decide”.
“The move to supersede the board of Maytas was based on the interim report of the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO),” he added.
The Company Law Board (CLB) on Friday said that it would appoint four more directors including a Chairman on the board of Maytas Infra Ltd. This follows Maytas Infra accepting the CLB suggestion made at the hearing for inducting more directors on the company."

Record Low in U.S. new home construction..

That's what I read in the News...

and that's since statistics were being made available since 1959 !

This is a deep pointer to the state of the world's largest economy

Loan - mania basic cause for ECONOMIC BREAKDOWN

Loan-mania has hit almost 90% of the younger generation...almost 90% are running on loans...

It's elementary to see whu the Global Economy is running in DEFICIT..

Found this in Reuters.com :

"By Patrick Rucker
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A $300 billion federal program meant to prevent foreclosures is doing almost nothing to aid U.S. homeowners, but it could become effective if Washington slashes cumbersome red tape, the nation's top housing policymaker said on Monday.
At issue is the Hope for Homeowners program created by Congress in July to help 400,000 troubled homeowners secure a new loan.
The program has aided fewer than 1,000 borrowers since it began in October and it is a flop with both lenders and borrowers discouraged by its excessive costs and paperwork, said Housing and Urban Development Secretary Steve Preston.
"This program has not had any relevant impact yet," he told Reuters in an interview.
"It is a tiny trickle," Preston said of the volume of loans pushed through the program. "Hope for Homeowners would reach a lot more people if the fees were to come down somewhat and if we were to simplify some of the administrative requirements."

One finds amazing figures/numbers in a certain World Fact Book

Lord Have Mercy...things are Breaking, literally..

In this..

City of Joy

I seriously think people get some kind of a "kick" ...a high...
...from all those political demonstrations 'n' stuff like that..

The highest density of political grafitti..
...the highest density of "politically conscious" people...

Obama makes a wise choice indeed

As per the following report...Obama is indeed making extremely wise decisions..
It shows he is NOT letting his Ego rule his decisions. Impressive indeed :

Source The Hindu :

"

Buffett, Google's Schmidt in Obama's adviser team London, (PTI): US President-elect Barack Obama has appointed a 17-member high-level team of advisers including billionaire investor Warren Buffett and Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt to guide him in channelising the economy, a media report says. "US President-elect Barack Obama has appointed a team of high-level advisers including billionaire investor Warren Buffett and Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt to guide his thoughts on the economy ahead of taking office on January 20," the Telegraph report stated. The team, to be called the Transition Economic Advisory Board (TEAB), will meet for the first time in Chicago today to discuss the state of the economy and the prospect of taking early action. Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway, would participate through speakerphone in the meeting. Further, the report stated that Obama might use this opportunity to appoint his first Treasury Secretary. The advisory board has 17 members including former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker, whose name has also been connected with the Treasury job, and former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, who would also be at the meeting at the Chicago Hilton today, the daily said. At present, Robert Rubin is Chairman and Director of the Executive Committee of global financial services major Citigroup. Besides, corporate America is also well represented in the team, with Time Warner Chairman Dick Parsons and Xerox Chairman Anne Mulcahy and Schmidt, who was a loyal supporter of Obama during his election campaign, it added. Other members of the board comprise Laura Tyson, one of Obama's key economic aides, former House of Representatives member David Bonior, two former SEC Commissioners Roel Campos and William Donaldson, and Chairman of the Midwest JP Morgan Chase William Daley, the Telegraph report said. Further, TIAA-CREF President and CEO Roger Ferguson, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Classic Residence by Hyatt CEO Penny Pritzker, Robert Reich and Laura Tyson from the University of California and DE Shaw Managing Director Lawrence Summers are on the board, it added.

A few Indian companies doing real good !

Mainly the Tata group of companies..I've been noticing.

Tata Tea , as well as Tata Power ...in these times of trouble.

Following source article is Business Standard :

"Tata Tea, the world’s second largest branded tea company, said its profit more than tripled because of a one-time gain from forex fluctuation arising out of an overseas deposit made from the sale of a 25 per cent stake in Glaceau.

The profit of the company rose to Rs 229 crore in the three months ended September 30, from Rs 68 crore for the corresponding period last year. The company earned $1 billion last year from selling its stake in Glaceau to Coca-Cola.

The company had earlier said that the money from the sale of Glaceau would be used for retiring debt for the deal ($427 million), other debt on its books and acquisition of beverage companies in the US. "Determining net profit without these gains is difficult and would be inaccurate as we have reported consolidated gains from all our international businesses," said R K Krishna Kumar, vice-chairman, Tata Tea. Signalling troubled times, Tata Tea said its operating profit dropped to Rs 127 crore from Rs 144 crore."

My take : This only shows the LONG-TERM WISDOM of some group of companies...who will ride out the strom irregardless of the BSE troughs..

Read in a leading newspaper..that RJ Tata will benefit irregardless of WHO COMES TO POWER IN THE U.S. That is the mind of a genius.

Indian Stocks touch real low

Indian Stocks, like others touched a real low ...PERCENTAGEWISE...

It's ALWAYS the percent loss that is important..

Source of graph... in.finance.yahoo.com ...Yahoo Finance :




My take is : The FIIs are withdrawing...temporarily investing...WITHDRAWING MAINLY...

So the BSE is falling like anything + "mass psychology" effect + global economic meltdown.

Support should be at 7000...I think. Below that is pure panic-driven numbers..

Congress - CPM alliance..and psephological calculations

This has reference to my earlier posting in this blog.

After Dr. Manmohan Singh has WISELY hinted at a Congress-CPM alliance...my preliminary calculations are as follows:

In the State of West Bengal...both will be beneficiaries. Strategic alliances like leaving Malda & Murshidabad for the INC...will be beneficial to the Congress. This is my prediction, of course.

West Bengal with its 42 seats...According to the last panchayat elections....CPM would perform bad even in the rural areas. But Congress and CPM strategic understanding would turn the tide. In fact...I have even drawn a "demarcation line" across the state of WB....running across Midnapore-Bankura-Hugli-Birbhum....in which the CPM would do surprisingly good...

IFF (meaning If and only If)....

The Western Bloc of rural areas comprising approx. 130 of the 294 Assembly seats...vote for BOTH the CPM and Congress.

The Congress should be given a bit of "concession" for ummm...saving the CPM, me thinks.

Meanwhile..Kerala with its 20 seats...INC + CPM = 19 minimum VERY SAFE it seems.

Disclaimer : I keep changing my auto-forwarding list so often....sometimes in a hurry forget revising the names...hope this doesn't reach the wrong person....hope you go through ALL my blogs 'n' enjoy the new look

Indian Elections 2009...Congress will ally with CPM

That's what seems ....from Ms. Sheela Bhatt's interview with India's Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh...

My take is : Congress-Socialist alliance will be beneficial for both....

Quoting from rediff :

"In a surprise and politically-savvy move, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while talking to media persons on his return journey from Beijing, sent the message of peace to Left parties.

He said, "I am not very happy to part company with our left colleagues. In my view, India is faced with difficult problems. All parties, which are committed to secularism and nationalism, must work together to deal with communal and regional divide that is being sought to be created by some anti-social elements."

In a significant move, he has expanded the political space for the Congress, which is being pushed to the wall on issue of secularism and is facing difficulties with his political allies on various other issues.

Three months ago, Left parties parted ways with the United Progressive Alliance but Dr Singh's first overture will be seen pregnant with possibilities for the parties with staunch secular agenda.

Dr Singh confidently claimed he was not seeking an early election."

ANALYSIS : Congress will not go for early elections...as right now with the global economic meltdown...Congress will lose badly.

It will wait till May 2009 when hopefully economy will be better.

Also..it will jon hands with CPM, a socialist party that has become pragmatic..since it is seeking industrialization in the states it rules...

U.S. Elections...Who will CAPITALIZE on the NEW FACTOR ?

Yes...I'm talking about the global economic meltdown.....

Either the G.O.P. or the Dems...whoever CAPITALIZES on this SUDDEN FINANCIAL TSUNAMI WILL WIN

Quoting from New York Times...Article by Fran Silverman...captures voter sentiments:

"

In Darien, Jay Wood, 61, a financial analyst at Merrill Lynch, said he was worried about his job and that he intended to vote for the Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, because he shared his belief in the merits of a free market.

“Most of my concern has to do with finances,” said Mr. Wood, as he grabbed a sandwich at Uncle’s Deli in Darien Center. “I don’t think anyone has an answer on the economy, but I’d rather let the free markettake care of it.”

In Hartford, a state worker who said he has consistently voted Republican in the past said he was leaning toward the Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama, because he thought Mr. Obama would do a better job addressing his concerns about layoffs amid climbing gas and grocery prices.

“It’s been eight years of damage by what Bush has done,” said Jason Purslow, 41, a Cheshire resident who works for the State Department of Revenue Services.

Mr. Purslow, who is married and has one child, said that while he originally supported the war in Iraq and considers himself anti-abortion, the state of the economy is trumping all of that as he heads into the voting booth, prepared to cast a ballot for Mr. Obama, who opposed the war from the start and supports abortion rights.

In a state that has been decidedly blue since 1992 in presidential elections, but where unaffiliated voters outnumber Democrats and Republicans, many said this was one of the toughest election decisions they’ve ever had to make. The secretary of the state’s office reported last week that 845,311 out of 2,021,749 registered voters called themselves unaffiliated.

But as in the rest of the country, voters in Connecticut appear to be poised to go to the polls in droves. The secretary of the state also reported that huge numbers of voters have registered, including more than 50,000 just in October.

In interviews, voters across the state talked about the tangled mix of issues they were sorting through as they prepared to cast their ballots on Nov. 4: the war in Iraq, the cost of health care and the experience that they believe each candidate has — or lacks — to lead the country through its troubles. Some said they worried the country was not ready for an African-American president; others said they were favoring McCain, until he picked Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, as his running mate.

Tonja Bailey, 47, a freelance court stenographer from Stamford, said the cost of health care was a main issue for her. As she headed into the Ferguson Library last week in this Democratic-leaning city, walking past signs for an upcoming Obama rally, Ms. Bailey said it was time for a change in leadership. Ms. Bailey, who is African-American, said she was voting for Mr. Obama not because he is black, but because he understands her financial concerns.

“We need a change but it’s not about color. I agree with Obama that health care is a right,” said Ms. Bailey, who is spending more than $500 a month on health insurance that just covers the basics. “It’s tough right now. It’s very, very hard.”

In Bridgeport, Lamicha Murphy, 40, a packer in a warehouse, said she was voting for Mr. Obama because she was turned off by Ms. Palin, who she said was too inexperienced to be president. But Ms. Murphy, who is African-American, said she worried about whether the country was ready for a black president and was concerned that harm might come to him if he is elected.

Others seem so stumped by the choices — or dissatisfied with both candidates — that they said they were not voting at all. Carley Andrews Brown, 32, who was strolling in downtown Stamford with her 7-month old son, said she felt neither candidate understood her financial situation. This will be the first presidential election in which she said she doesn’t plan to vote at all."

MY TAKE : IT'S TOTAL CONFUSION...GLOBAL ECONOMIC MELTDOWN SHOULD BE THE AGENDA NUMBER 1 FOR ANY PARTY...WHICH PARTY CAPITALIZES ON IT WINS.

I KNOW IT SOUNDS BAD.....BUT THAT'S THE REALITY OF POLITICS.

GLOBAL ECONOMIC MELTDOWN...APPEAL TO KEEP MARKETS OPEN

Though Bush is calling for calm...WE WANT TO KNOW :

WHY DID YOU NOT LISTEN TO WARREN BUFFET or GEORGE SOROS ' WARNINGS ?

GLOBAL ECONOMY CAN BE SAVED ONLY BY HAVING SUCH PEOPLE AS ADVISORS !

Quoting VOA News :

"U.S. President George Bush is urging nations of the world to be patient with a global economic recovery and to maintain policies that keep financial markets open.

During his weekly radio address Saturday, President Bush said it is especially important to continue open market policies at a time when the global economy is uncertain.

Mr. Bush will host a world economic summit in Washington on November 15. He called on leaders attending the summit to recommit themselves to what he describes as "proven methods for creating prosperity and hope."

The former head of the U.S. central bank, Alan Greenspan, told members of Congress Thursday that more regulation of the finance industry is needed. Greenspan opposed tighter regulations during his 18 years as chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Greenspan said the current financial crisis has left him in a "state of shocked disbelief."

ANALYSIS : I SYMPATHIZE WITH A PERSON WITH THE ABILITY OF A. GREENSPAN..BUT WHY WERE THE PREDICTIONS OF GEORGE SOROS, WARREN BUFFET IGNORED ?