Stretch Your Comfort Zone

New Year?s is the usual time for resolutions, but we think spring is really the best time to do it. While the hangovers and extra poundage from all the booze and eating might be enough to inspire us to? make all those lists, revving up our moribund bodies in the cold of winter and getting things done is another thing entirely.

Spring on the other hand ? it?s when the earth defrosts in the Northern Hemisphere and going out doesn?t involve layers of swaddling. A sharp contrast to waddling out just to shovel snow off the driveway.

To celebrate the the return of sunny days and new growth, we suggest people go all out on the personal growth resolutions and make a commitment to change by doing something that?s really out of their comfort zone. We?d like to challenge people to think big, think outside the box, and put some check marks on that bucket list, so we?ve picked five activities that will do just that. Despite their adrenaline highs, though, these activities are a lot safer than most, and though taking up something like ballet might seem the more conservative choice, our suggestions might be less risky than the chance of your boss seeing you in a tutu.

Flying Lessons

Flying a plane is usually seen as a rich man?s hobby. It also has a notorious reputation of being difficult, partly due to the old cockpit layout with its multitude of dials and switches. Things have changed in recent years, though, and digital displays have removed much of the clutter that used to demand so much of a pilot?s attention, while other advances in aircraft design have added to the ease of piloting a plane. Flying lessons can also be had for an hourly rate, and the cost hovers at around $100/hr. Not cheap, but nothing that will break the bank to try. Safety records for flying are far better than for driving, mostly because, as pilots are fond of saying, in the sky you?re not in any real danger of colliding with another plane being flown by a drunk pilot.

Learn Martial Arts

Most sane people intuitively see an activity where people punch, kick, or throw each other as something dangerous and therefore to be avoided, but the use of modern safety equipment, as well as the discipline of martial arts, generally allows people to unleash their inner Bruce Lee without anyone ending up in the hospital.

Scuba Diving

Diving into the deep blue can be as thrilling as soaring in the clouds, and the cost of the activity itself ? less than a hundred dollars ? is affordable once you?re in an area that has a dive shop or three. Unlike the living-on-the-edge ethos of surfers, divers are very safety conscious, and if you take care of your equipment and have a proper respect for your environment, diving is a very safe form of recreation.

Rock Climbing

The image of Tom Cruise hanging off a cliff in Dead Horse Point in Mission Impossible II is one of the more iconic images of the sport. Unfortunately, it?s also one of the scenes a lot of people cite when they refer to rock climbing as a ?dangerous? activity. This reputation belies the fact that modern sport climbing is very safe, and a good instructor and belayer, as well as the use of safety equipment such as ropes, helmets, and permanent bolted routes, means that you can have the adrenaline rush without getting into any real danger.? In fact, the rate of injury for sport climbing is a lot less than that for more mainstream sports like basketball and badminton.

Sky Diving

Jumping out of a plane is usually seen as the epitome of a crazy stunt, and yet despite its daredevil nature, or probably because of it, skydiving instructors and practitioners are a very safety-conscious lot, and they take very good care of their equipment. Giving skydiving a try is also not very cheap, but at around 200-300 dollars for a tandem jump (where you jump strapped to an instructor), it?s not too high a price for a memory to last a lifetime.

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Brandon Peters is a an entrepreneur, amateur photographer, and rock climber. He enjoys pushing his limits in ways that leave him intact and in a single piece.

Source: http://northernstar-online.com/blog/five-activities-to-stretch-your-comfort-zone/

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Rise of the Machines! Talking Hardware Synths w/ Richard Devine ...

Over the last few years, hardware synthesizers, drum machines, and effects seem to be making a comeback. To get some insight into this renewed movement, we speak with music producers, sound designers, instrument manufacturers and boutique retailers about the latest rise of the machines.

Over the course of the past 20 years, the computer has shaped music production more than any other technology. Moreover, the computer has taken the place of those devices in most cases, since software and computer emulations of instruments are much more affordable than hardware. Computers take up less space, are more powerful, and can house countless instruments and effects compared to a physical space. In today?s professional realm, the computer has become the center of the studio. So now, when music software can finally do everything that we always wanted it to do, why are so many producers gravitating to hardware?

The machines will rise

Rise of the Machines

Hardware music devices such as synthesizers, stomp boxes and drum machines have seen a renewed popularity in the last few years, attracting everyone from producers and sound designers to musical instrument manufacturers who are seeing a?resurgence?of interest for instruments and effects that run ?outside the box.? Ebay prices on vintage Roland gear and E-Mu samplers have been steadily rising. Guitar stomp boxes are starting to appear in more and more live electronic sets as performance devices. And then there?s the modular synthesizer?phenomenon, leading many of our peers to spend endless nights patching and noodling on custom-built oscillators and filters that can cost as much as a new car.

?It?s just generally a lot more fun to use hardware synths with knobs and patch cables. It?s more hands-on,? offers Shawn Cleary from Analog Haven, one of the United States? premier retailers for modular synth equipment and hard-to-find/boutique music gear. Cleary says he is seeing,?an increasing market for Eurorack modular gear. Patchable synths such as the Doepfer Dark Energy, Tom Oberheim SEM and the fully modular Pittsburgh Modular Foundation make fantastic gateways to an even larger Eurorack setup.?

Music Hardware for Modern Sound Design

One of the most prominent champions of hardware-based production is sound designer and producer Richard Devine, who says, ?I think there has been a big influx of producers who have taken notice to using hardware over the past few years.? Devine himself has been returning to hardware for creation more and more recently, specifically with modular gear. ?Lately I have been making music with just modular synthesizers. I originally started out working with analog synthesizers when I first began making electronic music. I then got into using computers for synthesis and grew bored after using them for the last 14 years.?

While modern recording environments allow advantages like saving and recalling presets, Devine feels that the lack of these features adds to the creative process with hardware. ?It?s sort of like creating this audio ghost that exists only for a short time. So you just try and capture and record it as many ways as possible before it disappears. I love this aspect as you don?t get too attached to the piece. I would sometimes spend months on a piece in the computer constantly trying to nitpick and redo sections over and over without ever letting go of something. With modular synthesizers you come into the mindset that you will have to pull the patch and move on. Limitations can sometimes bring out much more creativity in me.?

Devine feels that the new Eurorack movement in particular is an inspiring movement for innovation in sound: ?It?s really the wild wild west of music instrument design as of late. There are so many strange new devices and companies popping up in this format. I feel there is still so much to explore. The Eurorack format is just so fun and you can customize your system just for you. In particular I have been loving these companies: Makenoise, Harvestman, 4ms, Intellijel, WMD, TipTop audio, Doepfer and Cwejman.?

Another artist (and modular user) who is currently embracing the use of hardware in his own work is?Droid Behavior co-founder and techno producer?Drumcell,?whose album will be released on Chris Liebing?s esteemed CLR label in the coming weeks. ?I just finished my first full-length album to be released this April, and the album was made almost 90% with hardware. It was truly an inspiring process for me,? the producer explains. ?My recent return to using hardware came after being totally uninspired just looking at the computer screen and twisting knobs with a mouse. The hands-on and tactile feel of hardware is something that truly drives me to be more creative. ?Software does have the edge in areas like accessibility and it is far more convenient to just open your DAW and be able to save presets and make changes as you go, but I like the fact that with hardware, once I make something and I record it, there is no going back?it?s finished and it?s time to move on. It pushes you to get things done.?

Less Options Can Equal More Creativity

?Hardware equals power of sound, tone, knobs, sliders, control, inspiration, random patch creation, machines to hover over and feel like the master of the lab,? explains DJ Thomas White when asked why people are returning to hardware. White is one-half of production duo Natural Rhythm and a renowned?synthesis guru who feels that the computer?s endless options didn?t help his own workflow. ?The computer offered what I had always dreamed of, frankly: an endless set of options and the ability to do whatever I could think of. But you know what? I got roadblocked by options. I found myself wondering why I hit the wall with creativity at times. And to find the answer I returned to my hardware roots.?

DJ Thomas White explains his love for hardware at the Dubspot LA OP1 workshop

Dubspot instructor and dub champion Raz Mesinai agrees with this idea and feels that hardware brings a more natural flow of creation. ?All technology is an extension of the body,? he explains. ?Hardware gear is having a comeback because musicians want more tactile control, which, no matter how much software companies want to push you to believe, they are not delivering.?

Touching the Past

?Some people want vintage for the sake of vintage. Others want vintage for tone. Some want hardware for esteem. It looks pretty, but damn if it doesn?t sound mean,? offers White when asked about the popularity of older Roland devices, Moog synths and other vintage gear. These in-demand and out of production instruments often fetch high prices on the resale market.

Drumcell adds that some people want to touch the history of their own musical?heritage?with these devices: ?We do go in and out of these retro stages with music and a lot of vintage and old electronic music instruments have become iconic to people. For instance the TB-303 or TR-808 are devices that you often see on T-shirts, iPhone covers, CDs , stickers and party flyers. I think many people know what these instruments are even if they don?t make electronic music and actually want to touch them.?

Hardware adds Character to Recordings

Dubspot?s Steve Nalepa combines hardware and software to achieve his signature sound

One of the reasons that so many producers are turning to hardware is to create unique sounds. In-the-box production often yields similar results while outside sources can add color to a recording and give it character. This is a tip that we hear over and over again when we speak to producers. Dubspot Ableton Live course designer Steve Nalepa champions this method, explaining his process to us:

?While Ableton serves as the hub of my studio, I have been collecting analog synths, pedals and other assorted gear over the years and I always try to incorporate them into my music. There?s something inspiring about putting your hands on an actual piece of hardware and experimenting with it, recording it, then mining for the best parts. While I utilize soft synths in just about every track, hardware devices have their own unique character and I find the combination of both works very well. Music made completely inside the box can sometimes sound too clean and digital, and lately I?ve been exploring a number of ways to give tracks a vibe: incorporating lo-fi field recordings done with a phone for example, miking an amp versus running a direct out, etc. Hit up those pawn shops, estate sales and yard sales, you might find your next secret weapon.?

This idea resonates with Drumcell as well. ?I think there is a sound to hardware that is desirable to most people and each instrument has its own texture and richness to it.?

Hardware as Inspiration

KiNK?s ?Hand Made? was the result of hardware inspiration and software execution

One artist who has been influencing the techno/house community recently is Bulgarian producer KiNK, whose YouTube channel has inspired a flock of producers to go back to basics for creation. The above video shows KiNK?s creative process for the song ?Hand Made? which he released with vocalist (not daytime TV chef) Rachel Ray on the influential?Rush Hour record label. After a few watches through his homemade videos of live house music performance you may be surprised to learn that the chart-topping producer actually uses software to create the music he releases?publicly. As he explained to Resident Advisor in a now-famous?interview from 2010,?he?s been using hardware to help find inspiration and new ideas:

?I have an inspirational part of the studio which I enjoy when I make some sounds. And the other part of the studio is just my computer with the software. Let?s say when I want to make a track, I think of the track when I am out with friends, or in bed when I am about to fall asleep. When I sit at the computer I already have some idea what I am going to do. I sit there, and I start to program. It is a very cold process; it?s not really impulsive and emotional.? -?KiNK with RA

Arturia?s MiniBrute ? An Indication of Things to Come?

One of the biggest telltale signs of this movement into hardware is software maker Arturia?s release of the MiniBrute?an all-analog monophonic synth that communicates with the computer as well as MIDI and CV devices. The synth immediately took off with critics and consumers at its announcement during NAMM 2012, and has been out of stock in most places until very recently.

?The MiniBrute has proven that musicians do want synths with an immediacy to them,? explains?Glen Darcey,?Arturia?s Head of Product Development.??You see a knob and it actually represents the position of the parameter; you turn it without the sound jumping or having to pass a zero-cross point. It is a very organic thing, and something that the modular community knows well but many others have forgotten or missed out on because the mainstream market went a different direction.?

When asked where he saw this trend of hardware going Darcey replied, ?Our feeling is that there are jobs for pure hardware, there are jobs for hardware/software hybrids and jobs for pure software. All of these are tools for an artist to create with. Different artists are inspired by different sounds, touch, feel, etc. ?Our feeling is that we want to make musically useful tools for artists. We will continue to make software, hybrids and dedicated hardware products for the market. It is great to see a return to pure analog products with the modular boom. MiniBrute was designed to work well for both the computer user or the modular user.?

Boutique Hardware and TonyLight?s LepLoop

Italian developer, designer and synth enthusiast TonyLight has been catching a wave of popularity recently by way of a recent KiNK video where the producer uses TonyLight?s LepLoop synthesizer to tweak his way into a thumping groove (above). We reached out to TonyLight to find out about the inception of LepLoop and to get his take on this rise in hardware?s popularity:

?I use the computer mostly for recording, but I?m not a fan,? he explains. ?I love tabletop instruments, small and compact. My setup fits in a backpack. Hardware instruments are more reliable and stable, modern digital synths are basically super special computers in a keyboard case. Also?at the show people like to see the performer doing something on stage and the computer forces you to stay?immobile. After getting into techno music during the 90s, I started using a drum machine and synth. In 2004 I became part of the audio/video collective?Otolab where I?met Giovanni, a hacker/DIY guy. He is an expert in analog and digital electronics. So we started thinking about a compact analog synth for live performance, a small box for playing around with.?

A Hybrid Future for Creation

It should be noted that in our research for this article we didn?t find any producers who are using 100% hardware for creation. There is always a computer involved and as we move to the future there will probably always be one in the recording process. But we are also starting to see more producers go outside the box for inspiration, character, and fun when the glow of a computer screen isn?t delivering.

?To be honest I really love both ends of the spectrum,? explains Drumcell. ?At the end of the day I truly believe it?s not about what you use, it?s just how you use it.?

I Dream of Wires

Future viewing: I Dream of Wires (IDOW) is an upcoming documentary about modular synthesizers that features some of the artists interviewed in this article as well as ?a vast array of others who have dedicated their lives to this esoteric electronic music machine.? We are very excited for this film?s premiere in May 2013.

Source: http://blog.dubspot.com/rise-of-the-machines-talking-hardware-synths-w-richard-devine-drumcell-thomas-white-arturia-analog-haven-leploop/

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Serial killer suspect Felix Vail abused women in relationships ...

Mary Horton Vail

Control, isolation and verbal, emotional and physical abuse defined Mississippi native Felix Vail?s relationship with his first wife, Mary, her friends and relatives told The Clarion-Ledger.

It was a pattern Vail allegedly repeated with at least three other women.

All those characteristics are hallmarks of domestic violence, experts say. And domestic violence, they add, often escalates into homicide.

Vail?s wife Mary drowned. Another wife and a girlfriend disappeared. The FBI has investigated Vail, the last known person seen with all three, as a serial killer suspect.

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff?s Office has reopened the Oct. 28, 1962, drowning of Mary Horton Vail, who had bruises on the back of her neck, according to her autopsy report.

Jack Levin, co-director of the Brudnick Center on Conflict and Violence at Northeastern University, said domestic violence tends to be repeated ?and can escalate sometimes into murder.?

In three-fourths of intimate partner homicides,?the man physically abused the woman before the killing took place, according to a study by the National Institute of Justice.

Click here to read more about Felix Vail?s alleged abuse of these women.

And here?s a video update:

Source: http://blogs.clarionledger.com/jmitchell/2013/03/25/serial-killer-suspect-felix-vail-abused-women-in-relationships-friends-say/

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Mississippi lawmaker found dead of apparent gunshot wound

AP / File

Rep. Jessica Upshaw was found dead from a gunshot wound Sunday afternoon.

By Daniel Arkin, Staff Writer, NBC News

Mississippi officials are investigating the?death of state legislator who was found?at the home of a former colleague Sunday afternoon, according to authorities.

State Rep. Jessica Upshaw, 53, appeared to have died of a gunshot wound, Simpson County Sheriff Kenneth Lewis told?NBC station WLBT?in Jackson, Miss. ?

?It appeared she had a gunshot wound to her head. It appeared to be self-inflicted,? Lewis told?WLBT?.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation, and thus far have said little about the ongoing investigation.

Upshaw, a Republican who had served in the state legislature since 2004 representing District 95, was discovered at the private residence of former state lawmaker Clint Rotenberry, in Mendenhall, Miss., more than 100 miles from her home near the Gulf Coast.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R)?released a statement?Sunday evening praising the late lawmaker.

"I have known Jessica for many years as an unselfish and dedicated public servant. This is a tragic loss for her family and all Mississippians, and our thoughts and prayers go out to her family during this difficult time," Bryant said.

Upshaw's death marks the fifth time in as many months that a Mississippi lawmaker has passed away, although the other four died of natural causes.

"Once again this session, the House has been touched by tragedy," Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn, said in a statement. "Rep. Jessica Upshaw was an outstanding legislator and friend. She was one of the brightest and most competent members of the House."

Upshaw, a former attorney, was chairwoman of the Conservation and Natural Resources Committee in the Mississippi House of Representatives.

The Associated Press contributed to this report??

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Louisville runs over Colorado State 82-56 at NCAAs

Louisville forward Chane Behanan, center, grabs a loose ball in front of Colorado State forward Pierce Hornung (4) in the first half of a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Louisville forward Chane Behanan, center, grabs a loose ball in front of Colorado State forward Pierce Hornung (4) in the first half of a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Colorado State forward Greg Smith, front right, loses control of the ball as he drives past Louisville forward Stephan Van Treese, front left, during a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Louisville guard Peyton Siva (3) shoots as Colorado State's Wes Eikmeier defends in the first half of a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Louisville forward Montrezl Harrell (24) reacts after a basket in the first half of a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game against Colorado State, Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) ? Watching film of Louisville demolishing Colorado State is going to be scary enough for anyone who has to face the Cardinals over the next two weeks.

Hearing what coach Rick Pitino said afterward is going to be downright terrifying.

"We can play much better," Pitino said. "This is the best we have played so far at both ends of the floor. ... But we can definitely get better and improve."

It's tough to see how.

Russ Smith scored 27 on 7-of-15 shooting, three other Cardinals reached double figures and top-seeded Louisville put on a defensive clinic in dismantling Colorado State 82-56 on Saturday.

Louisville forced the eighth-seeded Rams into a season-high 20 turnovers and outrebounded Colorado State 29-24 ? no small thing considering the Rams came in with a nation-best plus-12 margin. Colton Iverson and Pierce Hornung, the country's best rebounding tandem, managed just eight. Greg Smith led the Rams (26-9) with 14 points while Dorian Green, who'd scored 26 against Missouri, was held to just six on 2-of-13 shooting.

"I don't want to put the pressure on Rick and his guys, but they're special," Colorado State coach Larry Eustachy said. "They need a little luck like everybody does to win it all, but that's as impressive team as I've been against, certainly."

Louisville (31-5) will play 12th-seeded Oregon on Friday in Indianapolis. The Cardinals have won 12 straight since a five-overtime loss to Notre Dame.

"Our preparation coming into every game has to be sky-high," Kevin Ware said. "Coach P doesn't allow any letdowns."

Playing Louisville and its relentless press is about as much fun as facing a really angry octopus. The Cardinals look as if they have eight players on the floor, what with all the arms waving and bodies smothering whoever has the bad luck to have the ball, and when one guy sits down, there's one just as physical right there to take his place.

Few teams have had much success against Louisville ? there's a reason the Cardinals are the overall No. 1 seed ? but Colorado State seemed as if it might have a shot. The Rams run a motion offense that's tough to defend, grab rebounds by the dozens, and are a savvy, veteran team that doesn't turn the ball over. In fact, when Pitino made out his "dangerous" list before the tournament began, Colorado State was on it.

"We were sick about this game," Pitino said. "We really were."

So much for that.

Colorado State actually shot the ball well ? 47.5 percent. The Cardinals just wouldn't let them do it very often, limiting the Rams to 18 shots in the first half and 40 total.

They hounded Colorado State when it was inbounding the ball; the Rams had back-to-back possessions in the first half when they couldn't even get the ball in play. They circled Colorado State when the Rams brought it up, with more than one turnover coming on a desperation heave across midcourt to beat the whistle. And, of course, they clogged up every inch of the court where the Rams might have a view of their basket, repeatedly slapping the ball away or stepping in front of passes.

The Rams reached their season average in turnovers (11) by halftime, and topped their previous worst for the season (16) with 15:33 still to play.

"We've seen them against North Carolina A&T and some other teams and kind of get prepared for it. But you see the bodies out there flying around and doing what they do, it's a lot different," Greg Smith said. "It's just total chaos. Some of those guys are just so fast, and you may think that you have an open lane or you think the pass is coming and they close it down so quick."

Meanwhile, the Cardinals were scoring at will.

Two days after matching the NCAA tournament record with eight steals, Smith's well-rounded scoring line had Louisville fans chanting "Russ Arena" ? sure to go over well with the Kentucky fans. Even LeBron James took note, saying on Twitter: "The lil homie Russ Smith putting on a show right now! (hasthtag)onfire"

After Daniel Berajano's 3 pulled Colorado State within 21-19 with 9:12 left in the first half, Russ Smith went off. His 3-pointer sparked a 22-7 run that effectively put the game out of reach. Though five Cardinals scored during the spurt, Russ Smith did most of the damage with 13 points in about six minutes.

He finished the day 4-of-7 from long range, and missed only one of his 10 free throws. He also had three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

"Just give him the ball. It's as simple as that," Peyton Siva said of his backcourt mate's hot streak. "He's a scoring machine. He makes my job a lot easier. I just have to feed him the ball, get my assists up and get back on defense."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-23-BKC-NCAA-Colorado-St-Louisville/id-295bba48526e464badf1bf78f393137e

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Holder averts furloughs of prison staffers (The Arizona Republic)

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Momentum weakened for Assad's ouster in Syria

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Foes of Syrian President Bashar Assad are distracted by fragmentation within their ranks, foreign meddling and new finger-pointing over chemical weapons as the regime more firmly entrenches itself, giving no sign of stepping down any time soon.

With the two-year civil war slogging on, the United States appears closer than ever to sending military support to Syrian rebels in hopes of breaking the bloody impasse that has left more than 70,000 dead and forced more than 1 million refugees to flee their homes. Beyond at least the threat of military intervention, there is growing consensus among the U.S. and its allies that little can be done to put new pressure on Assad to go.

New allegations this week ? almost as quickly debunked ? that chemical weapons may have been used against neighborhoods outside Damascus and in Syria's north spooked the White House and Congress and ratcheted up demands for the U.S. to hamper what one Democratic lawmaker described as Assad's "killing spree."

On his first foreign trip of his second term, President Barack Obama this week maintained his long-standing view that "Assad must go, and I believe he will go." He repeated his caution about sending military assistance to Syrian opposition forces, which could prolong the fighting and unintentionally put U.S. weapons in the hands of Islamic extremists.

But Obama also held firm to his stance that Assad would cross a red line if he were to use his suspected stockpile of chemical weapons ? including nerve agents and mustard gas ? against the Syrian people.

"It's tragic, it's heartbreaking, and the sight of children and women being slaughtered that we've seen so much I think has to compel all of us to say, 'What more can we do?'" Obama said Friday during a news conference in Amman, Jordan. "And that's a question that I'm asking as president every single day."

Secretary of State John Kerry travels to Paris on Wednesday to meet French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius for talks expected to focus on arming Syrian rebels. The discussion also is expected to touch on the suspected use of chemical weapons in Syria, according to French officials.

On Thursday, a U.S. official cited strong indications that chemical weapons were not used in an attack Tuesday in northern Aleppo province but could not rule out the possibility. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter involved intelligence-gathering. At the same time, the U.N. said it would investigate whether chemical weapons were used and specifically is looking at the regime's claim that rebel forces launched the deadly agents.

But U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the investigation "will not happen overnight" ? meaning that the debate over whether the deadly agents were used almost certainly will drag out. And State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland on Friday acknowledged difficulties of the U.S. launching its own probe, largely because American investigators cannot visit the sites of the alleged attacks.

The chemical weapons quandary is the newest of several issues that have distracted the Syrian opposition and international community, while Assad digs in even deeper against disjointed plans on how to oust him.

Assad "has not yet decided that his days are numbered and that he's going to have to leave," Ambassador Robert Ford, Obama's envoy to Syria, told a House Foreign Affairs hearing this week.

Ford also told the panel that the Obama administration is reviewing U.S. policy against giving military aid to the Free Syrian Army's leadership. "We do regularly review this ? I'll be very clear about that," he said.

The Assad regime is receiving arms and other military assistance from Iran, Russia and Lebanese Hezbollah. Ford also cited indirect help from Iraq and Iraqi fighters that "is absolutely prolonging the conflict," although Baghdad denies being involved on either side of the Syrian war.

House delegate Eni Faleomavaega, a nonvoting Democrat from American Samoa, described the foreign aid to the regime more bluntly. "It's all military hardware that Assad needs to continue his killing spree," Faleomavaega said.

France and Britain are lobbying the European Union to lift an arms embargo on Syria to raise the possibility of sending weapons to rebel fighters as early as May. So far, the U.S. has joined Germany and other EU nations in resisting supplying arms to opposition forces. But Kerry said this week that the U.S. would not stand in the way of other nations that decide to arm the rebels.

Congress increasingly is pushing the White House to send military aid to anti-regime fighters. On Thursday, Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., and the panel's top Republican, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, asked Obama to deploy Patriot missiles near the Syrian border in southern Turkey to deter Assad's air forces and destroy regime aircraft. The senators stopped short of asking for arms for rebels, but they encouraged stronger aid to vetted groups, including intelligence, communications equipment and humanitarian assistance, like food and medical care.

"Over the past two years that the horrific conflict in Syria has pressed on, both Syrians on the ground and key allies across the region have made clear their hope for stronger American support," wrote Levin and McCain. "We urge you to take steps to ease the suffering of the Syrian people and protect U.S. national security interests."

Disarray within the opposition forces also has stymied the move to unseat Assad, although rebels control territory in Syria's north and east. Ford described the opposition as divided into political and military wings, and "both are not entirely unified."

This week, the Syrian National Coalition elected American-educated Ghassan Hitto as its prime minister but almost immediately witnessed a walkout by about a dozen of its members, who protested they were sidelined from the decision. The coalition is recognized by the U.S. as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people, but some of its members complain it is dominated by fundamentalists from the Muslim Brotherhood, a conservative Islamist movement.

Additionally, the rebels have been joined by what Ford described as a small minority of fighters known as Jabhat al-Nusra, a powerful offshoot of al-Qaida in Iraq. Al-Nusra has claimed responsibility for most of the deadliest suicide bombings against regime and military facilities and, as a result, has gained popularity among some rebels. However, the group has alienated secular-minded fighters, which is one reason the U.S. has not equipped the rebels with weapons. The Obama administration designated al-Nusra as a terrorist organization last December.

Western nations worry that al-Nusra or other rebels will get their hands on Syria's chemical weapons stockpile ? but are as concerned that Assad will use them against his people, although he has vowed not to. Ford declined to discuss how the White House would retaliate if Assad crosses Obama's red line and deploys the deadly chemicals, but he said the regime might be more tempted to do so as it loses ground.

Ban said he was aware of charges that Assad's military used chemical weapons against the rebels in the Aleppo attack. But the secretary-general did not make clear whether the rebels' claim also would be part of the new U.N. probe. Obama, meanwhile, has said he is "deeply skeptical" that opposition forces used the chemical weapons.

Because of the risks getting investigators to the war zone, it likely will be difficult to prove whether chemical weapons were used, said Ralf Trapp, a chemical and biological weapons scientist formerly at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. He said evidence is best collected at least within several miles from the site at the time of the attack.

"You really have to be on the ground," Trapp said in a telephone interview from France. "You need to be where the event occurred and you need to speak with the victims. In a civil war, that's not easy."

Ford said the rebels have begun to outmatch the regime's military and captured key cities and officials while controlling Syria's land borders with Turkey and Iraq. Heavy fighting near Assad's palaces in Damascus recently "would have been rattling his windows," Ford said.

But Assad could remain in power at least through the end of the year. For one, there are few places he could flee to without fearing prosecution or assassination. "Assad has very little impetus to do anything but stay there," said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa.

Without more foreign pressure and aid, it's unlikely Assad would leave for months or even years, said Ken Pollack, a Mideast expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington and a member of the National Security Council during the Clinton administration.

"The situation has degenerated into a bloody, but potentially very durable stalemate," Pollack said.

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Associated Press writers Bradley Klapper in Washington and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.

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Follow Lara Jakes on Twitter: https://twitter.com/larajakesAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-23-US-US-Syria/id-5cd7912df37e4a9d817e1f64c1988ad6

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