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.

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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.

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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/

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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

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Most Top Stocks Rise; Alexion Pops On Takeover ... - Investors.com

Most top stocks from IBD's 33 sector groups rose Tuesday, led by biotech issues.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) was the biggest winner, jumping 7.03, or 6%, to 117.08 after Bloomberg reported that Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding (RHHBY) last week approached Alexion about a takeover.

The report, citing a person with knowledge of the matter, said Alexion rejected the overture but hired Goldman Sachs (GS) to help prepare for a takeover attempt.

Alexion, which develops drugs to treat rare blood disorders, briefly cleared a long, undefined pattern with resistance at around 120, before paring the gain. Volume was more than triple its daily average. It was the stock's biggest gain since July 12, after an initial report that Roche wanted to buy Alexion.

Meanwhile, Questcor Pharmaceuticals (QCOR) soared in post-session trading following a better-than-expected Q2 earnings report. The stock had hit a new high during the regular session, climbing 89 cents to 51.91 in volume that was modestly above average. It ended the session 3% above a 50.30 flat-base buy point.

Elsewhere, Evercore Partners (EVR) rose 1.43, or 3%, to a new high of 46.59. That put the investment bank 4% beyond a 44.63 buy point in an irregular consolidation.

3D Systems (DDD) suffered the biggest loss, plunging 2.36, or 5%, to 48.16 in huge volume. The maker of 3D printers said Q2 profit rose 11% to 20 cents a share, below Wall Street's forecast of 24 cents.

The stock sank below a 49.85 buy point in a late-stage cup-with-handle base after clearing the entry on Monday. On the plus side, 3D got support at its 50-day line and ended in the upper half of its trading range.

Source: http://news.investors.com/investing-smart-table-review/073013-665724-biotech-trading-pace-leading-stock-market.htm

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No Gaming Mouse Is This Exciting, But The New Naga Comes Close

This is the most dramatic gaming mouse trailer of 2013. It is for a mouse that leaps across canyons in a sports car in slow motion. The new Razer Naga does not do that, but it's wonderfully clicky.

Last year I pitted three MMO gaming mice against each other in a battle of the buttons, and Razer's 12-button Naga did not win. It was a lovely piece of hardware, but the 12 side buttosn were smooth and hard to tell apart, and despite a set of swappabel ergnomic bits, the Naga just wasn't as comfortable as the competition.

So, for the 2013 edition of the Naga, Razer fixed those problems.

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It's certainly a more comfortable hand rest than its predecessor, for one, and it didn't have to resort to hot swapping gimmicks to achieve that. The buttons on the side are now mechanical (clicky!) and ridged, making it much easier to feel out individual keys with your thumb. The new scroll wheel tilts side-to-side for additional input, and there's even a left-handed version for the freaky people in the audience.

The only thing I'm not liking about the 2013 Naga is the finish. I'm used to soft, rubberized plastic, and this one somewhat gritty.

Still, a marked improvement over the previous generation, addressing every concern I had, and only adding one new one. That's almost worth an incredibly dramatic debut trailer. Almost.

The new Razer Naga will be on sale shortly at the Razer store for $79.99.

Source: http://kotaku.com/no-gaming-mouse-is-this-exciting-but-the-new-naga-come-963080712

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Dinosaur Skeletons Headed to Auction, Not Museum

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Two skeletons found in Montana by commercial fossil hunters are to be auctioned in New York, where they could bring an estimated $7 million to $9 million.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/30/arts/design/dinosaur-skeletons-headed-to-auction-not-museum.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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97% A Hijacking

All Critics (74) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (72) | Rotten (2)

This isn't an action picture; it's a picture about the suspense and terror of inaction.

Gripping and tightly focused.

Lindholm rations the meat and potatoes of plot to keep us captive at the bargaining table. It's a sadistic ploy that produces a real payoff.

A Hijacking is one of those perfect films that crop up every few years to prove that with true artistry, even the most exhausted genre can yield something new, rich, and strange.

Lindholm justifies his confidence in a visual approach that's refreshingly realistic.

To refuse to call A Hijacking a thriller is not to say it isn't thrilling, in a dryly cerebral way.

... has an embedded feel without being a real-life report or documentary at all. It's a fictional film that hits both with blunt force and a surprising amount of complexity.

A Hijacking is more about one incident than about how it relates universally, but in thoughtfully exploring the specifics and emotions of that incident, Lindholm is able to show how modern life sometimes seems devoid of any accord.

A lean, stressful nail-biter, smart, well-written, nicely shot and wonderfully performed.

[Omar and Mikkel are] like Marcus and McTeague in Frank Norris's 1899 novel, handcuffed to each other in a struggle that could well end in mutually assured destruction.

Tobias Lindholm's slow-burning thriller makes a bid for verisimilitude that extends well beyond the use of natural light and handheld cameras.

Though the acting in "A Hijacking" is superb, the film is strictly a "follow-the-dots" offering. This is not entertainment. It is another overwhelmingly depressing foray into corporate greed.

"A Hijacking", if eligible, is an early contender for Best Foreign film at the 2014 Academy Awards.

It's an effective piece of work that will leave you longing for a shower, a nap, and a warm meal.

It's a radical departure from any thriller in stateside theaters.

A nail-biter of the highest order, A Hijacking is astonishingly emotional, gritty, and terrifying -- a genuine directorial achievement that should not be missed.

When the gut-wrenching conclusion of A Hijacking comes in the form of a single, random act, it's only then you realize how far you've been pulled into its emotional core.

A Hijacking delivers all the thrills the title suggests, but in none of the places you'd expect them.

The danger never reaches the level of chaos, but the subtext and metaphor in the slow-moving humanistic commentary on the motivations and byproducts of capitalism make for an intriguing film.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_hijacking/

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Syrian Electronic Army Hits Thomson Reuters Twitter Feed

The Thomson Reuters Twitter account is the latest target of hackers from the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA).

Last night, the @ThomsonReuters Twitter account was infiltrated and the SEA tweeted Syria-related tweets with photos and pro-Syria hashtags.

The account appears to have returned to normal this morning, with no mention of the hack. But the SEA took responsibility on its website.

"The Syrian Electronic Army hacked today the official account of Thomson Reuters and published some truth about what is really hapenning [sic] in Syria. The account was suspended after less than hour," the SEA wrote.

The Syrian Electronic Army emerged in September. The hackers reportedly started attacking Western websites in retaliation for Innocence of Muslims, an anti-Islamic video that resulted in violent demonstrations in the Middle East. They have since been targeting news sites they believe are reporting news hostile to the Syrian government, including the Financial Times, The Guardian, the BBC, and even The Onion.

This is not the first time Reuters has been targeted over its Syria coverage. A year ago, Reuters briefly shuttered its @ReutersTech Twitter feed after it was used to send fake tweets regarding Syrian rebels.

Shortly thereafter, the Reuters website was hacked and a false story was posted, which said Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal had died.

Last week, the SEA also went after messaging apps Tango and Viber, which the group claims are used to spy on its users. "The SEA downloaded some of the app databases And after we gain access to some systems of that app, it was clear for us that the purpose of this app is spying and tracking of its users," the SEA said about Viber.

Last month, Saudi Arabia blocked Viber because, according to regulators, it is difficult to monitor and takes revenue away from large telecom firms.

For more, check out SEA Hacks Tango; Is Your Site Next?

Source: http://feeds.ziffdavis.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/breakingnews/~3/WaA6akt3YPE/0,2817,2422449,00.asp

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