Facebook ad company in bankruptcy court

Texas Guardian Sunday 4th August, 2013

Syncapse, a well-known marketing company in the United States has gone into bankruptcy, laying off around one hundred people.

Syncapse was a social media marketing management company that had been developing marketing solutions within the social media sphere for companies such as Coca-Cola.

A US federal court has heard that Syncapse had been closely aligned with Facebook.

Syncapse was filed as a foreign company. It originated in Canada.

The court heard Syncapse had taken a $2 million loan which it was unable to pay on July 18th.

When a payment of nearly $2 million was demanded, Syncapse filed for court protection.

The comany has claimed liabilities of $1-$10 million, according to the court file.

Source: http://www.texasguardian.com/index.php/sid/216228996/scat/3a8a80d6f705f8cc

gary johnson gary johnson where do i vote dixville notch Remember Remember The 5th Of November African painted dogs What Time Do Polls Open

Kent football pre-season round-up

05/08/13

Michael Thalassitis (pictured) scored for Ebbsfleet against a Gillingham XI

Dartford signed off their pre-season campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to a Fulham XI on Saturday. Lee Noble equalised for the Darts after former Brentford striker Marcello Trotta had put the visitors in front.

Meanwhile, Welling United will go into the Skrill Premier season on the back of a 3-0 win at Leatherhead. Their goals were scored by Joe Healy, Doug Bergqvist and Kurtis Guthrie.

Michael Thalassitis and Billy Bricknell were on target for Ebbsfleet United in their 2-0 win over a young Gillingham XI at Stonebridge Road.

Dover Athletic won 1-0 at neighbours Folkestone Invicta thanks to an early Moses Ademola strike.

There was a thumping 4-0 win for Tonbridge Angels at Whitstable Town. Chris Piper, Nathaniel Pinney and Mark Lovell all found the net for Tommy Warrilow's side.

Pierre Joseph-Dubois put Bromley in front at home to Dulwich Hamlet but the visitors came back to win 2-1.

It was a game of three penalties at the Gallagher Stadium, where Maidstone United saw off Sittingbourne 4-1. Frannie Collin converted two spot-kicks for the Stones and Ian Draycott bagged himself a brace, with Ryan Golding replying for Sittingbourne with a late penalty.

Cray Wanderers quickly raced into a 3-0 lead at Lydd Town, where they went on to win 4-1.

Result of the day came at Maidstone Road, where Faversham Town thrashed local rivals Chatham Town 7-0. There were two goals each for Luke Harvey, Wayne Wilson and Brendon Cass, with James Peacock completing the scoring for Ray Turner's side.

Hythe Town won 1-0 at home to Sutton Athletic, Craig Cloke scoring the only goal, while on Sunday, Herne Bay were 6-2 winners away to Lewisham Borough.

- Click here for more news from across the county

Copyright: You may not copy, reproduce, republish, download, post, broadcast, transmit or otherwise use content on this site in any way except for your own personal, non-commercial use. You also agree not to adapt, alter or create a derivative work from any content on this site except for your own personal, non-commercial use. Any other use of content requires the prior written permission of the KM GROUP. Read full terms and conditions.

Source: http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/sport/kent-football-pre-season-round-up-4264

ipad 2 wal mart happy thanksgiving Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012 Turkey Cooking Times Butterball mashed potatoes

Terror threat prompts weekend US embassy closings

Map shows U.S. embassies and consulates that will close; 3c x 3 inches; 146 mm x 76 mm;

Map shows U.S. embassies and consulates that will close; 3c x 3 inches; 146 mm x 76 mm;

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The threat of a terrorist attack led to the weekend closure of 21 U.S. embassies and consulates in the Muslim world and a global travel warning to Americans, the first such alert since an announcement before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 strikes.

"There is a significant threat stream and we're reacting to it," Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told ABC News, according to interview excerpts released Friday. He said the threat was "more specific" than previous ones and the "intent is to attack Western, not just U.S. interests."

The warning comes less than a year since last year's deadly Sept. 11 attack on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, and with the Obama administration and Congress determined to prevent any similar breach of an American embassy or consulate.

The State Department's warning urged U.S. travelers to take extra precautions overseas. It cited potential dangers involved with public transportation systems and other prime sites for tourists, and noted that previous attacks have centered on subway and rail networks as well as airplanes and boats.

Travelers were advised to sign up for State Department alerts and register with U.S. consulates in the countries they visit.

The statement said that al-Qaida or its allies might target either U.S. government or private American interests. The alert expires on Aug. 31.

The State Department said the potential for terrorism was particularly acute in the Middle East and North Africa, with a possible attack occurring on or coming from the Arabian Peninsula. The diplomatic facilities affected stretch from Mauritania in northwest Africa to Afghanistan.

U.S. officials pointed specifically to Yemen, the home of al-Qaida's most dangerous affiliate and the network blamed for several notable plots against the United States, from the foiled Christmas Day 2009 effort to bomb an airliner over Detroit to the explosives-laden parcels intercepted the following year aboard cargo flights.

"Current information suggests that al-Qaida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August," a department statement said.

Yemen's president, Abdo Rabby Mansour Hadi, met with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House on Thursday, where both leaders cited strong counterterrorism cooperation. This past week, Yemen's military reported a U.S. drone strike killed six alleged al-Qaida militants in the group's southern strongholds.

Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, said the embassy threat was linked to al-Qaida and concerned the Middle East and Central Asia.

"In this instance, we can take a step to better protect our personnel and, out of an abundance of caution, we should," Royce said. He declined to say if the National Security Agency's much-debated surveillance program helped reveal the threat.

___

Online:

State Department alerts: www.travel.state.gov

Smart Traveler Enrollment Program: www.step.state.gov

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-08-03-US-US-Embassy-Security/id-a6af56d73c224ebe9a67314f3a89ea90

Missouri Election Results Amendment 64 marijuana Colorado Marijuana elizabeth warren puerto rico diane sawyer

Twitter Reacts to Hottest NBA Free Agency Rumors Surrounding Mo Williams

Most stars have been plucked from NBA free agency, but there is one Mo guy on the market. The Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat and New York Knicks are fighting over former Utah Jazz point guard Mo Williams, who could boost the teams from playoff-bound to Finals contenders.

Williams is a good shooter, who has put up at least 12.0 points per game for eight consecutive years and has averaged 5.0 assists per game over his career.

Twitter has been full of pitches from fans hoping to woo Williams, who is expected to make his decision any day now. Each team offers Williams something different, from the starting reins, to the limelight, to being Mr. Offense off the bench.

Memphis Grizzlies

Williams would need to accept a bench role, but going to the Grizz could be his best move. Memphis is a serious playoff threat, and Williams just spent three days meeting with Grizzlies? personnel, showing his legitimate interest in the team.

Mike Conley isn?t moving out of the starting five, so Williams would be the team?s sixth man, a role he thrived in with the Los Angeles Clippers two years ago.

Adding Williams would allow Jerryd Bayless to compete with Quincy Pondexter as the backup shooting guard, or Pondexter could challenge the recently signed Mike Miller as the reserve 3.

The Grizzlies could use Williams? 38.6 percent career three-point shooting percentage after taking less threes than any other team in the NBA. When Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol get double-teamed in the paint, the big men can kick the ball out to Williams and Miller on the perimeter.

Miami Heat

One of the only holes in the Heat?s roster is at point guard, and Williams was named to the 2009 All-Star team while complementing LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two could reunite if Williams takes his talents to South Beach.

After LeBron left Cleveland, Williams reacted like a high school cheerleader who just got dumped by the homecoming king. They had only been teammates for two years, but Williams told Yahoo! Sports? Mark J. Spears, ?I really sat down and envisioned life after basketball?I really saw myself not playing.?

The Heat?s other weakness is at center, and Miami has been pursuing Greg Oden?s cadaver for much of free agency. If Oden joins the Heat, Williams would need to take around the veteran?s minimum to reunite with LeBron.

New York Knicks

The Knicks need to bolster their point guard corps, as Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni are unlikely to duplicate last year?s success. Jannero Pargo, Bobby Brown and Beno Udrih are still on the market, but the Knicks want Williams.

Problem is, the Knicks have already spent most of their money on Amar?e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and (sigh) Andrea Bargnani. As Bleacher Report columnist Mike Chiari wrote, New York would only be able to offer Williams a minimum contract, and he could be looking for ?Mo Money.?

Who Will Mo Williams Play For Next Season?

Who Will Mo Williams Play For Next Season?

• Memphis Grizzlies

• Miami Heat

• New York Knicks

• Other

Total votes: 380

With Anthony and Stoudemire in the lineup, Williams would be the third or fourth scoring option, still more responsibility than the Grizzlies or Heat would offer. The Knicks have said they will let Anthony pick his teammates next summer to gear up for a title run, meaning Williams could join the next Heat-like dynasty.

My guess is that Williams ends up with the current Heat-like dynasty because of his love for LeBron and the chance to immediately contend for a title. The Knicks are too unstable and can?t pay more than Miami, while Memphis doesn?t have the same established track record.

At 31 years old, Williams is ready to become a role player on championship team rather than a key cog on a fringe playoff squad.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1725665-twitter-reacts-to-hottest-nba-free-agency-rumors-surrounding-mo-williams

colts big ten tournament 2012 dennis quaid bruce weber fired notorious big biggie smalls lyrics azores

If a house is listed as pre-foreclosure, is it for sale? - Zillow

Zillow provides data on two kinds of "pre-foreclosures"...
1) 90 day late notice (required to be sent by law, and made public record).? That means 3 mortgage payments missed...? Most of those get "corrected" before it ever gets close to a "foreclosure sale".

2) Auction date set... If not corrected before the auction date (payments caught up....), it is sold at public auction.? Often the lender will buy it back to sell as an REO as no one wants to pay what is still owned...

If you check for "auction" on the search listings, you can check for the auction date, and buy at the auction if you want to learn that process.? Or you can just wait until it is put back on the market as an REO (Real Estate Owned).

One should be aware... Zillow doesn't do any automatic date checking, so if the auction date is already passed, most likely the missed payments issue was already resolved.

Source: http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/If-a-house-is-listed-as-pre-foreclosure-is-it-for-sale/504879/

UFC 160 criminal minds London attack Doodle 4 Google Sergio Garcia kellie pickler miranda kerr

Sniffing for cancer | Science News for Kids

New surgical tool offers surgeons speedier diagnosis of tissues that are cancerous

By Stephen Ornes / August 2, 2013

A new electrical device called the iKnife can help surgeons know within seconds if the tissue they?re cutting is healthy or cancerous. This image shows liver tissue with cancer that has spread from another organ. The tissue on the left, which appears to be diagonal in this image, is cancerous. The tissue on the right is healthy. Credit: Science Translational Medicine/AAAS

Meet the iKnife: It?s a new tool that may help surgeons shorten the operating time for cancer patients. Within three seconds, it can tell whether cut tissue is healthy or cancerous, a new study finds. The same identification takes up to 30 minutes when done by a person, as it is now.

Any diseased cells left behind during cancer surgery can cause a new tumor, allowing the disease to spread. So surgeons face a balancing act. They try to cut out every last bit of diseased tissue, but no more than is absolutely necessary. That can be tricky around the edges of the tumor. That?s where diseased cells join healthy ones.

Surgeons often use electric currents to zap diseased cells, rather than a sharp blade to cut them out. These electric tools are ?as common as scalpels,? Zolt?n Tak?ts told Science News. Tak?ts, a chemist at Imperial College London, led the new study. As it heats tissue, this new type of electric ?knife? releases some smoke. It?s ash from the zapped cells. The iKnife analyzes the smoke to tell if the cells had been healthy or diseased. The approach is similar to diagnosing what type of wood a fire had burned by studying the smoke.

With the iKnife, ?They are basically blowing up tissue, making smoke out of it and then sampling that smoke,? Nicholas Winograd explains. A chemist at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, he did not work on the new study. ?I don?t think it?s at all obvious that this kind of thing would work and I give them a lot of credit for developing it,? he told Science News.

The iKnife ?sniffs? the smoke using mass spectrometry (spek TROM eh tree). It?s a standard tool that chemists use to uncover the ingredients in some unknown sample. Spectrometry can detect what types of material were in the ash. For example: Tak?ts? team found that healthy cells have different proportions and types of fat than cancerous cells. The iKnife might measure fat particles in smoke to identify which cells ? healthy or cancerous ? were burned.

The scientists tested the iKnife on 91 patients with cancer. For each patient, the device delivered a diagnosis that matched that given by a pathologist. This type of doctor is trained in examining tissues for evidence of trauma and disease. Tak?ts? team reported its findings July 17 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

The iKnife is off to a promising start. But before it can be released for use in operating rooms throughout the world, scientists must first test the tool repeatedly in human trials. Researchers must confirm that iKnife analyses are as reliable as the ones today performed by pathologists.

Power Words

mass spectrometry A technique used to determine the chemical makeup of a source material.

tissue Any of the distinct types of material, comprised of cells, which make up animals, plants or fungi.

electric current The flow of electricity along a given path.

cancer The rapid, uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It can lead to tumors, pain and death.

Source: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2013/08/new-surgical-tool-offers-surgeons-speedier-diagnosis-of-tissues-that-are-cancerous/

teacher appreciation week Jodi Arias trial cinco de mayo Mike Jeffries Abercrombie Charles Ramsey Interview Limo Fire Mayweather vs Guerrero

Anne the Adventurer: No, I Will Not Go On a Diet With You / Choose ...

In our culture, we seem to find peace in the common struggle to be thin and look perfect. We engage in group put-down sessions where we repeatedly talk about things we hate about ourselves or what we want to change, and it's not uncommon to hear people talking about their latest diet.

I've been in many a situation where I'm at a party and someone suggests we all take a picture together. You know how this goes. Everyone gathers, people suck in their stomachs or turn their heads in just the right way, the way they've practiced so you can't see that double chin, and Snap!?the picture is taken. Then, we gather around the camera to look at the captured image, and take turns saying what we don't like about it. Oh my gosh, I look so tired. My hair is all messed up! That double chin, blech. I look so fat.

It's usually moments like these where the conversation turns to dieting or health or fitness. We go through our rolodex of fad diets, which ones we've tried and failed at. And this is when I about when the question comes out: I'm going on a new diet. Do you want to try it with me?

I am so sick of this.

So sick of the line of thought that diets are the answer, that thinness is the answer to all of our problems, and that if we don't change, we're doomed.

I wrote a bit about this on Tuesday, about how these sorts of questions are intrusive and insulting to me, but I wanted to go a bit deeper. Deeper into what I think is the way out of all of this diet talk.

There are so many facets to this, but I think it all comes down to one simple phrase: I am enough.

As I sit at my desk typing these words, I stopped to think about if I believe this phrase, in this exact moment. It takes some twisting and bending of my usual questions - am I thin? Am I well dressed? Those aren't the right roads. So I turn to the fact that I am healthy, that my skin is clear because I am eating whole, nutritious foods and exercising a few times a week. That my mind is alive and the creative juices are flowing. That I am contributing my story to the world, to this blog, to the Choose Beauty series. That I am in a strong and healthy marriage. That I have beautiful friendships.

I could go on.

The truth is, I am enough. Without changing one thing about myself, I am enough.

It's hard for me to write about this because I am at a point in my recovery where I am trying to lose the weight I gained when I first entered treatment last year. I'm doing it in a healthy way, and I am being monitored by health care professionals. With every meal, I think about my eating disorder and dieting, and can you imagine how hard it is to make the healthy choice to eat in a balanced way when I am being asked about going on a diet?

Diets don't work. Balanced, healthy eating works.?

But before any of that, you have to believe that you are enough.

Do you?

Image by?Lou Mora.?

Source: http://www.annetheadventurer.com/2013/08/no-i-will-not-go-on-diet-with-you.html

Wesley Johnson Lorenzo Lamas Treyvon Martin casey anthony cory monteith al sharpton george zimmerman

Nokia intros Photo Transfer for Mac to back up shots from special image modes

It's easy for Mac users to back up regular photos from Lumia phones, but not the shots taken using Nokia's special modes -- iPhoto can't handle the raw data from Cinemagraph, for example. Nokia's new Photo Transfer for Mac should provide that missing peace of mind. The utility saves all the files needed to work with photos and videos in Nokia's mobile imaging apps, including Cinemagraph, Pro Camera, Smart Camera and SmartShoot. While there's no on-computer editing, the tool simplifies exporting any media to a Lumia device for additional tweaks. If you're running at least OS X Lion, you can grab Photo Transfer for Mac at the source link.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Nokia

Comments

Via: Windows Phone Central

Source: Nokia

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/TuzxELDuo38/

wiz khalifa taylor allderdice mixtape reggie wayne taylor allderdice vincent jackson vicki gunvalson pierre garcon brown recluse spider

Postal Service is taking pictures of your mail

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Postal Service takes pictures of every piece of mail processed in the United States ? 160 billion last year ? and keeps them on hand for up to a month.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said the photos of the exterior of mail pieces are used primarily for the sorting process, but they are available for law enforcement, if requested.

The photos have been used "a couple of times" by to trace letters in criminal cases, Donahoe told the AP on Thursday, most recently involving ricin-laced letters sent to President Barack Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"We don't snoop on customers," said Donahoe, adding that there's no big database of the images because they are kept on nearly 200 machines at processing facilities across the country. Each machine retains only the images of the mail it processes.

"It's done by machine, so there's no central area where any of this information would be," he said. "It's extremely expensive to keep pictures of billions of pieces of mail. So there's no need for us to do that."

The images are generally stored for between a week and 30 days and then disposed of, he said. Keeping the images for those periods may be necessary to ensure delivery accuracy, for forwarding mail or making sure that the proper postage was paid, he said.

"Law enforcement has requested a couple of times if there's any way we could figure out where something came from," he said. "And we've done a little bit of that in the ricin attacks."

The automated mail tracking program was created after the deadly anthrax attacks in 2001 so the Postal Service could more easily track hazardous substances and keep people safe, Donahoe said.

"We've got a process in place that pretty much outlines, in any specific facility, the path that mail goes through," he said. "So if anything ever happens, God forbid, we would be able very quickly to track back to see what building it was in, what machines it was on, that type of thing. That's the intent of the whole program."

Processing machines take photographs so software can read the images to create a barcode that is stamped on the mail to show where and when it was processed, and where it will be delivered, Donahoe said.

The Mail Isolation and Tracking program was cited by the FBI on June 7 in an affidavit that was part of the investigation into who was behind threatening, ricin-tainted letters sent to Obama and Bloomberg. The program "photographs and captures an image of every piece of mail that is processed," the affidavit by an FBI agent said.

Mail from the same mailbox tends to get clumped together in the same batch, so that can help investigators track where a particular item was mailed from to possibly identify the sender.

"We've used (the Mail Isolation and Tracking program) to sort the mail for years," Donahoe said, "and when law enforcement asked us, 'Hey, is there any way you can figure out where this came from?' we were able to use that imaging."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-interview-usps-takes-photos-mail-072949079.html

Cinco De Mayo History lindsay lohan bob newhart chris kelly Mayweather Fight Mayweather Robert Guerrero

All about FOX Soccer, FOX Sports 1

You have questions, we have answers! Some of the most commonly asked questions about FOX Sports 1 and FOX Soccer are below:

What is FOX Sports 1?

FOX Sports 1 is America's newest sports network, a national 24-hour cable channel being launched by FOX on August 17, 2013.

What is FOX Sports 2?

FOX Sports 2 is an extension of FOX Sports 1 that features live coverage of sporting events and connects with fans through entertaining studio shows and original programming.

Will I get FOX Sports 1?

For many operators, FOX Sports 1 will launch in the same channel location now occupied by SPEED. We hope that all major cable, satellite and telephone video services will offer FOX Sports 1 at the time of its August launch.

How will I know what channel FOX Sports 1 is on?

In most markets, FOX Sports 1 will be located in the same channel position now occupied by SPEED. As we get closer to launch, updated FOX Sports 1 channel information will be available via the Channel Finder ( Click here ).

Will UEFA Champions League be on FOX Sports 1?

Absolutely. Along with a top notch pregame show, FOX Sports will bring you matches from the play-off stages all the way through to the 2014 UEFA Champions League final in Lisbon, Portugal. Matches will be shown on FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, and FOX Soccer Plus, with the final being broadcast on FOX.

What soccer programming will be on FOX Sports 1?

Along with the UEFA Champions League, FOX Sports 1 will broadcast the UEFA Europa League, FA Cup, CONCACAF Gold Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, International Champions Cup, National Women's Soccer League, as well as the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2015.

What's happening to FOX Soccer News?

Our daily soccer show will be heading to FOX Sports 1 in a new format. Continuing its long tradition of offering the best in world soccer to US fans, FOX Sports 1 introduces FOX Soccer Daily. The season-long program covers the major soccer leagues and competitions across the globe with an emphasis on Europe and North America. FOX Soccer Daily will air Monday to Friday from 4:00 - 4:30pm ET, except when preempted by UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League pre-game and post-game shows.

What will happen to FOXSoccer.com ?

Not a thing. Your online resource for all things soccer will continue to cover the beautiful game through articles, videos, and analysis. The FOX Soccer Blog will also continue to deliver great additional content as well, including behind-the-scenes photos and stories from around the world of soccer.

Will FOX Sports 1 cover the Premier League?

While we do not currently hold the broadcast rights, FOX Sports is committed to covering all of the top players, clubs, and leagues in the world. There will be full coverage every week on our brand new studio show FOX Soccer Daily.

What will happen to FOX Soccer's social media platforms?

FOX Soccer's Facebook and Twitter accounts ( Facebook.com/FOXSoccer ; @FOXSoccer ) will continue to provide the latest soccer news from around the globe. Follow @FOXSoccerDaily on Twitter for an inside look into FOX Sports 1's new daily soccer show.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/latino_foxnews_com/home/feed/~3/U53QWNr17eg/

chicago marathon Johnny Depp Dead college football rankings Steel Magnolias Niels Bohr the Rumble 2012 Columbus Day 2012

Almost perfect? Sunny dry pattern next 10 days; 2013 ?tornado drought? continues; seasonal ?tornado outlooks? in 2014?

Good Weather News?

?There Is no bad weather, just different kinds of good weather.? ? Anonomyous

It all depends on your perspective, but many Minnesotans may find near weather perfection over the next 2 weeks.

If you like sunny mild days and cool nights with ?good sleeping weather? this forecast is for you. The only weather complaint you may be able to muster is asking for a little water for your lawn, garden or farm field.

More good news? The 2013 tornado drought continues. The atmosphere over Minnesota has mustered only 6 tornadoes so far in 2013. That?s good news by anyone?s measure. I have yet to hear a compelling case for tornadoes as ?good weather,? but I suppose it can be money in the bank if you?re a storm chaser grabbing the money shot to sell to TV news?

I?ll take the current tornado drought please.

Image: Twin Cities NWS

Weather Perfection?

Our dry northwest flow means nearly perfect weather the next few days. High near 80 in the Twin Cities metro area, and 70s up north will be the rule. Overnight lows will be in the coolish 50s with big daily ?diurnal variations? ? big swings from morning low to afternoon highs of about 30 degrees thanks to dry air overhead.

Image: NOAA

Severe risk south

The best risk for severe storms? South of Minnesota from Nebraska into Iowa. Here?s? today?s ?convective outlook? from NOAA?s SPC.

Image: NOAA SPC

Tornado Drought 2013 continues

Let?s hope so. ?Only? 679 tornadoes so far in 2013 is the least in at least 10 years in the USA. That?s just 57 percent of the 3-year average, and the lowest number in at least 10 years.

?

Only 6 twisters have skipped across Minnesota this year. That may approach record low levels as we near the end of ?tornado season? in Minnesota.

More than 1,000 tornadoes strike the United States in a typical year?sometimes in clusters of more than 50 in a single day. (?UCAR. Photo by Greg Thompson. This image is freely available for media & nonprofit use.)

Seasonal ?tornado outlooks? next year?

Here?s an interesting development. NOAA may experiment with seasonal toandos outlooks by next summer. The outlooks could be similar to hurricane forecasts. Time will tell if they are accurate or valuable. Details from Bob Henson at UCAR News.

July 30, 2013 |?Just as forecasters now peg the odds of a busy Atlantic hurricane season months in advance, we might soon have outlooks that assess the risk of an active tornado season weeks or even months ahead of time.

Such a system isn?t yet on the drawing board, but researchers are exploring how it might work. A white paper prepared earlier this year by a team of NOAA and university scientists is now making the rounds, and a testbed could be in place as soon as the spring of 2014.

?We?d like to move toward something probabilistic, much like the hurricane outlooks,? says NOAA?s Scott Weaver. He?s the lead author of the white paper, which includes the testbed idea as well as a variety of other recommendations.

The white paper emerged from workshops in May 2012 and March 2013 (see writeup and video clips here) that included tornado specialists, climate scientists, and representatives from the insurance industry.

?We?re interested in learning the best ways to make this useful to decision makers,? says Weaver.

The push to explore extended (two- to six-week) and seasonal (three-month) tornado prediction has gained momentum due to several factors.

• Researchers are understanding more clearly how multiyear cycles such as El Ni?o and La Ni?a and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation influence tornado frequency. For example, when La Ni?a is transitioning to El Ni?o during springtime, the odds of a major tornado outbreak?especially in the Midwest and South?appear to be almost twice as large as in neutral springs, according to a recent Journal of Climate paper led by Sang-Ki Lee (University of Miami/NOAA).

• The NOAA Climate Forecast System (CFS) now issues nine-month forecasts of U.S. circulation anomalies four times each day. This makes it a potential foundation for building weekly to seasonal tornado outlooks.

• High-resolution regional models that simulate thunderstorms directly?such as ARW, the NCAR-based Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting Model?can now be linked to larger-scale climate models. This helps provide clues to how coarser-resolution climate models, which can be run more affordably for larger regions and longer time periods, might be used to estimate tornado frequency. Jeff Trapp (Purdue University) and colleagues have found some success in reproducing past severe weather events through this strategy.

?

?

Source: http://blogs.mprnews.org/updraft/2013/08/almost-perfect-sunny-dry-pattern-next-10-days-2013-tornado-drought-continues-seasonal-tornado-outlooks-in-2014/

lucky numbers odds of winning mega millions mary mary sag aftra merger dj am bully bohemian rhapsody

Changing Florida's Stand Your Ground law a tough hill to climb

By Bill Cotterell

TALLAHASSEE, Florida | Wed Jul 31, 2013 8:06am EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - Every night for the last three weeks about 50 young protesters have slept on the stone floor of Florida's state Capitol building in a bid to change the state's Stand Your Ground self-defense law.

Calling themselves "Dream Defenders", and inspired by the 1960s African-American civil rights movement, the protesters want to change a law they blame for the acquittal this month of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

Their nights of sleeping in blankets and living off fast food are unlikely to lead to a repeal or major reform of Stand Your Ground, political analysts say.

Such a move is virtually out of the question in Florida's Republican-dominated legislature, according to analysts.

"Gun rights are big, especially with the blue dog Democrats that Republicans need in Florida," said Lance deHaven-Smith, a political scientist at Florida State University. "This law is not repealable. Certainly not by the present legislature."

"RETURN TO THE WILD WEST"

The Zimmerman case sparked a debate on Stand Your Ground legislation that in 2005 amended the statute governing Florida's self-defense law. The amendment allows a person in fear of serious injury to use deadly force to defend themselves rather than retreat. Jurors in Florida said the law left them no option but to acquit Zimmerman for the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager.

Martin's grieving parents, backed by African-American civic leaders, students and politicians, including Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama, all say the Stand Your Ground law needs to be re-examined.

"By allowing ? and perhaps encouraging ? violent situations to escalate in public, such laws undermine public safety," Holder told the convention of the NAACP earlier this month.

Some, including civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and singer Stevie Wonder, have gone further, calling for a boycott of Florida until the law is repealed.

Florida's self-defense law and the Zimmerman case are seen by many African Americans as emblematic of a lack of racial equality in the U.S. justice system. According to a study by the Tampa Bay Times, legal defense claims under Stand Your Ground were more likely to be successful when the victim was black.

Several groups, including the Martin family, say they are working on drawing up a Trayvon Martin Law to more narrowly define self-defense in cases that involve racial profiling.

The Dream Defenders - who have been joined in their nightly protest by the likes of activist/entertainer Harry Belafonte - say they won't leave until Florida Governor Rick Scott calls a special legislative session on the Stand Your Ground law.

Scott, a firm supporter of the law, is standing his ground and has rejected their demand after meeting them.

"This is just one tactic we have, focusing on the governor's office," said Phillip Agnew a young union activist from Miami who is the leader of the group. "We are also contacting legislators in their districts."

The National Bar Association, which represents African-American lawyers and judges, threw its weight behind the initiative on Monday and called for Scott to hold a special legislative session to review the Stand Your Ground law.

"Quite simply. You've given a license to kill, to shoot first and ask questions later. It's a return to the Wild West and Dodge City," said the association's president, John Page.

LAW'S SPONSOR TELLS FEDS "LEAVE US ALONE"

Florida became the first state in the country to adopt a Stand Your Ground law when it passed in 2005 with resounding bipartisan approval from Florida legislators, including some leading Democrats who now outspokenly oppose it.

Polls show the law still enjoys strong support in Florida and at least 21 states have since adopted similar laws, according to the National Council of State Legislatures.

Inspired by an outbreak of looting after a string of Florida hurricanes Florida in 2004, the law was meant to protect law-abiding citizens from prosecution for stopping a violent attack.

The law's leading sponsor says he has no regrets about the legislation despite the public outcry. Dennis Baxley, a conservative Republican state representative and staunch supporter of the National Rifle Association, said recent remarks by the president and Holder questioning the law were misplaced.

"It's not a federal issue and they need to leave us alone," Baxley, 60, told Reuters.

Advocates of the law say violent crime has fallen in the state since it was passed. At the same time, justifiable homicides in Florida have climbed to a record 66 cases in 2012 from an annual average of 13 between 2001 and 2005, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

After the Martin shooting, bills were introduced in Florida to repeal or scale-back the self-defense statute, but none even got a committee hearing.

Whatever happens in the legislature, Stand Your Ground is likely to remain a hot political issue headed into the 2014 electoral season. Democrats and Republicans are likely to make gun control and self-defense core issues, said Susan MacManus, a Tampa political scientist at the University of South Florida.

"One thing is for sure is that it's an issue that's not going to die down soon," she added.

(Additional reporting by Tom Brown; Editing by David Adams and Andrew Hay)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/g825z-fcPN8/story01.htm

pietrus cheney tori spelling marion barber marion barber syracuse ohio state