Emeril Lagasse is a Boston area native who calls New Orleans and New York City home. He trained at Commander's Palace as so many great chefs have. He runs 3 restaurants here in town - Emerils, NOLA and Delmonico's steakhouse. He's world renownd for his program on the food network "Emeril Live". If you didn't know (and I'm guessing you were just playing), every recipe from every show is on Foodnetwork.com. My wife has gotten a few of his recipes and tried them at home. All were superior. His chicken marsala is incredible as is his gumbo. Just last night we made pecan-crusted trout meneure (lemon, butter, worchestershire, bay leaves, cream sauce) with some fresh trout filets I had just caught. It was outstanding.

>>Accuwx and JB's track record over the last few years haven't been very good

Old Swede? Heh. Joe's record on his landfall intensity forecasts have been UNCANNY. He has correctly identified true areas of greatest threats the last few years. Last year's bullseyes on Texas and NC were excellent. This year's West Florida, LA-MS line across the panhandle, Texas and coastal Carolinas all are in for >/= Cat 1 effects. As he always says, let the tree bear its fruit. I disputed his 2002 forecast when it was obvious that Louisiana was to be the target area, and indeed we were. But he was fantastic with Lili and Isidore days prior to the NHC, TWC, and most internet posters who all (as usual) found a way for the storm to be heading to their area. And plus, if he sucked, the last thing I'd be doing is pissing away $14.95 a month for access. Having said that, I'm not a major fan of Accuweather outside of Bastardi.

Now I'm willing to listen to your take on exactly where you think they botched things.
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As for the tropics today:

SSTA's are still running slightly above average in most of the Atlantic Basin. The cool "La Ninaesque" tongue off the Western South American Coast is still entrenched. Some of the warm water, presumably from the recent strongly negative SOI is showing up around the equator from -150 to +150 giving the Pacific a "neutral" feel except around the SE Asian coast.

SOI has stayed around neutral for the 3rd straight day (4.50, 3.50, -0.20).

As for the other indexes, Artic Oscilation is running slightly negative, with the ensemble forecasts predicting neutral for the next few days. PNA is neutral and forecast toward the positive. NAO is positive and forecast toward neutral. If anyone doesn't have the index page at NCEP bookmarked, here it is:

NCEP "Index" Page

Steve