Friday, May 31, 2013

US, Germany to Russia: Don't send Assad missiles

Secretary of State John Kerry, right, gestures as he speaks during a news conference with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle at the State Department in Washington, Friday, May 31, 2013. The U.S. and Germany say Russia must not provide the Assad regime of Syria with an advanced air defense system that they believe could prolong Syria's civil war. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Secretary of State John Kerry, right, gestures as he speaks during a news conference with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle at the State Department in Washington, Friday, May 31, 2013. The U.S. and Germany say Russia must not provide the Assad regime of Syria with an advanced air defense system that they believe could prolong Syria's civil war. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The United States and Germany on Friday warned Russia not to endanger a planned peace conference for Syria or alter the balance of power in the Middle East by providing an advanced air defense system to President Bashar Assad's embattled regime.

Secretary of State John Kerry and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the transfer of S-300 missile from Russia to Syria would prolong the country's civil war, imperil attempts to form a transitional government through negotiation and hurt Israel's strategic interests.

"It is not helpful to have the S-300 transferred to the region while we are trying to organize this peace (conference) and create peace," Kerry told reporters at a joint news conference with Westerwelle after they met at the State Department.

"We ask them again not to upset the balance within the region with respect to Israel," he said. "The weaponry that is being provided Assad whether it is an old contract or not, has a profoundly negative impact on the balance of interests and the stability of the region and it does put Israel at risk. It is not in our judgment responsible because of the size of the weapons, the nature of the weapons and what it does to the region in terms of Israel's security, so we hope that they will refrain from that in the interests of making this peace conference work."

Westerwelle called on Russia not to "spoil" the conference, which was planned for Geneva next month but has been delayed until July at the earliest.

"Don't endanger the peace conference in Geneva," he said. "The delivery of weapons to the Assad regime is totally wrong ... It is the wrong message which has been sent by our colleagues in Russia to the world and to the region by delivering S-300s or other parts of weapons."

Kerry and Westerwelle spoke a day after Assad suggested that his regime received a first shipment of the state-of-the-art anti-aircraft system, which would reduce pressure on it to negotiate with the opposition, make foreign intervention more difficult and alarm Israel. The United States has made Israel's qualitative military edge one of its prime strategic interests in the region.

Russian officials have said they will supply the S-300s to Syria under an existing contract. They have also said that they will try to convince the Assad regime to participate in the Geneva peace talks. But the Syrian opposition has said it will not attend the conference while massacres are continuing.

Kerry said he believed the opposition would attend the meeting once it straightens out questions about its leadership.

He also warned anew that the use of chemical weapons is a "red line" for the Obama administration. At the same time, he said intelligence and evidence that such weapons have, in fact, been used, is still being vetted for 100-percent certainty.

"We are doing our due diligence, as we should do given past experience, to make certain that the intelligence is correct, that the evidence is real and then make judgments that are appropriate," Kerry said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-31-US-US-Syria/id-01518edeb6d44d91925496d2db1ce889

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Fashion Panache: Fashion & Fitness - Yoga

Purple cotton Leggings: c/o Zovi.com











As I said earlier, yoga is a way of life which says right from eating habits, morals, to fitness, to breathing exercises, till meditation and finally being one with the Universe!!! Its a way to lead a healthy life!!! Why wait till your body gives you warning signs of bad health with obesity, irregular periods or PCOD??? Why not keep them at bay with a healthy lifestyle???!!!

Source: http://fashion.bhushavali.com/2013/05/fashion-fitness-yoga.html

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Why Did the FBI Kill an Unarmed Man and Clam Up? (Atlantic Politics Channel)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/309343562?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Thursday, May 30, 2013

Scientists capture first images of molecules before and after reaction

May 30, 2013 ? Every chemist's dream -- to snap an atomic-scale picture of a chemical before and after it reacts -- has now come true, thanks to a new technique developed by chemists and physicists at the University of California, Berkeley.

Using a state-of-the-art atomic force microscope, the scientists have taken the first atom-by-atom pictures, including images of the chemical bonds between atoms, clearly depicting how a molecule's structure changed during a reaction. Until now, scientists have only been able to infer this type of information from spectroscopic analysis.

"Even though I use these molecules on a day to day basis, actually being able to see these pictures blew me away. Wow!" said lead researcher Felix Fischer, UC Berkeley assistant professor of chemistry. "This was what my teachers used to say that you would never be able to actually see, and now we have it here."

The ability to image molecular reactions in this way will help not only chemistry students as they study chemical structures and reactions, but will also show chemists for the first time the products of their reactions and help them fine-tune the reactions to get the products they want. Fischer, along with collaborator Michael Crommie, a UC Berkeley professor of physics, captured these images with the goal of building new graphene nanostructures, a hot area of research today for materials scientists because of their potential application in next-generation computers.

"However, the implications go far beyond just graphene," Fischer said. "This technique will find application in the study of heterogeneous catalysis, for example," which is used widely in the oil and chemical industries. Heterogeneous catalysis involves the use of metal catalysts like platinum to speed reactions, as in the catalytic converter of a car.

"To understand the chemistry that is actually happening on a catalytic surface, we need a tool that is very selective and tells us which bonds have actually formed and which ones have been broken," he added. "This technique is unique out there right now for the accuracy with which it gives you structural information. I think it's groundbreaking."

"The atomic force microscope gives us new information about the chemical bond, which is incredibly useful for understanding how different molecular structures connect up and how you can convert from one shape into another shape," said Crommie. "This should help us to create new engineered nanostructures, such as bonded networks of atoms that have a particular shape and structure for use in electronic devices. This points the way forward."

Fischer and Crommie, along with other colleagues at UC Berkeley, in Spain and at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), published their findings online May 30 in the journal Science Express.

From shadow to snapshot

Traditionally, Fischer and other chemists conduct detailed analyses to determine the products of a chemical reaction, and even then, the actual three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in these products can be ambiguous.

"In chemistry you throw stuff into a flask and something else comes out, but you typically only get very indirect information about what you have," Fischer said. "You have to deduce that by taking nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared or ultraviolet spectra. It is more like a puzzle, putting all the information together and then nailing down what the structure likely is. But it is just a shadow. Here we actually have a technique at hand where we can look at it and say this is exactly the molecule. It's like taking a snapshot of it."

Fischer is developing new techniques for making graphene nanostructures that display unusual quantum properties that could make them useful in nano-scale electronic devices. The carbon atoms are in a hexagonal arrangement like chicken wire. Rather than cutting up a sheet of pure carbon -- graphene -- he hopes to place a bunch of smaller molecules onto a surface and induce them to zip together into desired architectures. The problem, he said, is how to determine what has actually been made.

That's when he approached Crommie, who uses atomic force microscopes to probe the surfaces of materials with atomic resolution and even move atoms around individually on a surface. Working together, they devised a way to chill the reaction surface and molecules to the temperature of liquid helium -- about 4 Kelvin, or 270 degrees Celsius below zero -- which stops the molecules from jiggling around. They then used a scanning tunneling microscope to locate all the molecules on the surface, and zeroed in on several to probe more finely with the atomic force microscope. To enhance the spatial resolution of their microscope they put a single carbon monoxide molecule on the tip, a technique called non-contact AFM first used by Gerhard Meyer and collaborators at IBM Zurich to image molecules several years ago.

After imaging the molecule -- a "cyclic" structure with several hexagonal rings of carbon that Fischer created especially for this experiment -- Fischer, Crommie and their colleagues heated the surface until the molecule reacted, and then again chilled the surface to 4 Kelvin and imaged the reaction products.

"By doing this on a surface, you limit the reactivity but you have the advantage that you can actually look at a single molecule, give that molecule a name or number, and later look at what it turns into in the products," he said.

"Ultimately, we are trying to develop new surface chemistry that allows us to build higher ordered architectures on surfaces, and these might lead into applications such as building electronic devices, data storage devices or logic gates out of carbon materials."

The research is coauthored by Dimas G. de Oteyza, Yen-Chia Chen, Sebastian Wickenburg, Alexander Riss, Zahra Pedramrazi and Hsin-Zon Tsai of UC Berkeley's Department of Physics; Patrick Gorman and Grisha Etkin of the Department of Chemistry; and Duncan J. Mowbray and Angel Rubio from research centers in San Sebasti?n, Spain. Crommie, Fischer, Chen and Wickenburg also have appointments at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The work is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/biochemistry/~3/ayjACm9PmwM/130530142007.htm

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How to find and delete duplicate songs in your iTunes library

How to find and delete duplicate songs in iTunes

If you've got a hefty iTunes library that's been transferred over from Mac to Mac or PC to PC, odds are you've run into issues with duplicate songs. It happens from time to time and as your library grows, so do the problems that come with it. For the most part, ridding your library of duplicate tracks is a pretty painless process.

Here's how:

How to show all song duplicates in iTunes

  1. Launch iTunes on either your Mac or PC.
  2. In the top navigation, click on View.
  3. Now select Show Duplicate Items.
  4. iTunes will now display anything in your library it thinks are duplicate tracks.
  5. By holding down Command and clicking on titles (control for PC users), you can select the ones you'd like to remove and simply drag them to the trash.

It's important to note that sometimes iTunes can confuse different mixes and slight variations that come on different albums. So make sure what you're deleting is actually a duplicate and not a remix or version from a different album. That's why we recommend using the exact duplicate option explained in the steps below.

How to show only exact song duplicates in iTunes

  1. Launch iTunes on either your Mac or PC.
  2. Hold down the Alt - Option key on your Mac (Shift key for Windows users) and now click on View in the top navigation.
  3. While still holding down the Alt - Option or Shift key, you'll now notice that the duplicates option has now become Show Exact Duplicate Items. Click on it while still holding down.
  4. iTunes will now display only exact matches. Here you can weed through tracks easier than you can showing all duplicates.

Other options

If you're still having issues or have a massive library that requires a more powerful and less time consuming option, apps like TuneUp can not only automatically clean up duplicate tracks, but also replace missing cover art and fix album titles. If you're looking for something more slimmed down with a lighter price tag, Song deDuper is a cheaper option and available in the Mac App Store. Song deDuper allows you to narrow using several criteria and can clean out your library without the need for you to manually delete duplicates. It's not as powerful as suites like TuneUp but it does what it says it will, and does it well.

If you've used other software to remove duplicate tracks from your library, let us know what you used and how well it worked in the comments!

    


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/PxQ9nQOdss8/story01.htm

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Know When It's Time To Retreat Indoors With This Sun and Skin Monitor

Know When It's Time To Retreat Indoors With This Sun and Skin Monitor

Like a nagging parent you can stash away in your pocket, Japan's Design Factory teamed up with the country's national weather service to create this compact UV meter/skin checker that lets you know when it's time to get out of the sun.

Determining the intensity of the sun's ultraviolet rays is as simple as holding the Beauty Sign Plus up so it gets a direct blast of light, while keeping tabs on your skin so you can stay one step ahead of dehydration requires you to press two metal contacts to your skin so it can measure the electrical impedance between the two. The less moisture there is in your skin, the less juice flows. It's easy to use, and for just $30 consider it insurance against sun burns, heat stroke, and other long term devastating effects of the sun. [Japan Weather Association via Akihabara News]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/know-when-its-time-to-retreat-indoors-with-this-sun-an-510287728

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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

PFT: Raiders' Hayden in hospital with abdomen issue

Jake BallardAP

For Jake Ballard, last year was like being a rookie again.

But instead of working as a member of the Giants practice squad when he knew he wouldn?t play, he was rehabbing with a team he barely knew, after being claimed by the Patriots shortly after tearing his ACL.

Now, he?s getting plenty of work, but he admitted it took him some time to get used to the idea he played in New England and not New York.

?Absolutely. The first couple of days it was kind of shocking and abrupt,? Ballard said, via Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com. ?I heard [about being claimed] and the next morning I was on a plane to Boston, it was pretty crazy.

?I?m absolutely a Patriot through and through. I enjoy being here, I enjoy being around the coaches and everybody is great.?

With Rob Gronkowski (forearm, back) and Aaron Hernandez (shoulder) out of OTAs, Ballard?s getting plenty of time to catch up.

He admitted the layoff helped, giving him a year to absorb a new playbook when he knew he wouldn?t be playing.

?I think it helps tremendously,? he said. ?My first year I was on the practice squad in New York and I had a chance to study that offense for a year then came out the next year and played. It?s kind of like the same thing here, I was watching all of last year and just looking over the playbook and mainly doing rehab, but I got a sense of what the offense was about and now with the OTAs and our meeting sessions, it?s really helped a lot.

?The mental aspect of the game is the easy part. I?m just trying to get out here and feel comfortable again running again, playing with guys I haven?t played with and playing against defensive guys I?ve only played against a couple of times.?

While he looked like an unusual pickup last year, the Patriots could end up needing him this year. And having his knee healed and the time to get him trained in their ways will only help.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/28/d-j-hayden-had-scar-tissue-removed-from-abdomen/related/

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Mad Men, Season 6

Jon Hamm as Don Draper, January Jones as Betty Francis, and Mason Vale Cotton as Bobby Draper Jon Hamm as Don Draper, January Jones as Betty Francis, and Mason Vale Cotton as Bobby Draper

Courtesy of AMC

Where you see indecision, Hanna, I see bifurcation. This episode was titled ?The Better Half??partly a reference to Betty?s appearance at Henry?s campaign event, but also a nod to all the doubling and doppelg?nging going on. If last week?s episode was Freudian, this week?s was aligned with the work of his student: the duality of man, the Jungian thing.

The tipoff comes when Megan plays identical twins?she is simultaneously Corinne the dark-haired maid and Colette the blond husband-stealer. Recall Betty?s brief foray into brunettitude (seemingly resigned to her role as a plump housewife) followed by a triumphant return as a stunning blonde (with replenished sexual capital). Note that Peggy is also pushed to take sides with either fair Ted or dark Don. And of course Don hops out of blond Betty?s bed and heads straight to a balcony kiss with raven-tressed Megan.

But it?s a more internal duality?the one in our heads? that has always been the focus of Mad Men. This season?s billboard art is an illustration of a dark-suited Don encountering a light-suited Don as they pass on the street. One Don holds a briefcase, the other the hand of an unseen woman. We are all many people at once (Bobbys 1 through 5, if you will), and this season seems increasingly a chronicle of Don?s struggle to reconcile the splintered shards of himself. Can he integrate Don the unknowable, damaged lone wolf with Don the middle-aged, domesticated husband and father?

Paul, you mentioned how ?remarkably unmysterious? Don appeared as he sang that camp song with Bobby. Indeed, this was Don as dork, dropping his Sphinx act to engage with the banal but lovely stuff of parenthood. At the same time, Betty used this rustic interlude to reassert her long-dormant side?not the Betty in the quilted housecoat who carps and laments, but the Betty ?in those shorts? who is the center of attention, wielding potent sexuality. She is once again basking in the desire of every man she meets.

Watching Don and Betty turn each other on, circling each other with bad intentions, made me realize I?d missed the raw chemistry of Jon Hamm and January Jones. These are a pair of beautiful animals who know it, and can choose to exist together on a higher plane of heightened cool. Has there been a sultrier moment on TV this year than the one in which Don purrs, ?I?m waiting for you to tell me to stop??

And now that it?s ended, should we be impressed, bewildered, or amused by the fact that Matthew Weiner?for ages!?hid perhaps the most stunningly beautiful actress on TV beneath layers of prosthetics? Is this just more Weinerian expectation-thwarting?akin to Alfred Hitchcock killing off Janet Leigh in the first act of Psycho? Hanna, you previously upbraided Henry Francis for paying Betty ?pallid compliments.? Was his panting lust in the back of that limo what you were looking for?

It occurs to me that we?ve been watching the late ?60s unfold mostly through the eyes of yuppie office workers. Not a lot of students and activists make major appearances in Mad Men. Lately, it?s been Peggy?s boyfriend Abe who?s served as the show?s progressive, countercultural voice. This week, as the other characters went on with their lives, oblivious to the upheaval in Paris and Prague, it seemed that selfless Abe died for their sins. Did you notice that once Peggy stabbed him with that impromptu spear, he was suffering both the stigmata and the torso wound of the crucified Nazarene? Consider that as Peggy?s knife plunges in, Abe shouts, ?Jesus!? Abe would like to turn the other cheek to the toughs in their neighborhood, but Peggy?s got a much more Old Testament sensibility.

As for Roger: Hanna, you?re right; that seemed a bit of an overreaction to a well-meaning mistake. Seems hard to believe Roger?s grandson is now so ?afraid of fur? that they?ll have to ditch the family dog. I think this is plot machination, heralding the return of Mona Sterling?I note that Roger?s daughter declared he can only see the boy when Mona is present.

How jaunty was that closing music, the Lou Johnson version of ?Always Something There to Remind Me?? And it contained a message to all the better halves of these dual-minded characters: ?You?ll always be a part of me.?

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Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=c85113ffbe50fda5df5b47d139499785

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Nike Hypervenom: It's Like Playing Soccer Barefoot

Nike Hypervenom: It's Like Playing Soccer Barefoot

Ask any football (soccer) player what they're looking for in a cleat and you'll likely get the same response: Feel. Today Nike revealed its latest "innovation" with the Hypervenom, a boot built for agility.

Most interesting is NikeSkin, which is equally composed of a hybrid mesh and polyurethane film, in addition to an all weather material. The claim is that the Hypervenom puts the player's foot that much closer to the ball for a barefoot-like experience.

In an interview with Gizmodo, VP of Nike Football Footwear, Phil McCartney, told us the new mesh boot was born out of necessity because the game has evolved and players needed a boot to match the new style of play.

"Players would tell us that the game, in their minds, was getting faster and space was getting tighter," McCartney told me.

Nike Hypervenom: It's Like Playing Soccer Barefoot

The Hypervenom, McCartney says, has been in development for roughly 2.5 years with NikeSkin having gone through multiple iterations over the course of a nine to 10 month period. Something like 20 different variations of mesh had been tested in that time and 10 to 15 different skin combinations were created before the final version we see today. The pattern itself was optimal for both ball control and striking ability, McCartney added.

In the last decade or so, football cleats have mostly been built for speed, which is why there have been many a lightweight boot from everyone in the space. But the Hypervenom is supposedly different and is meant to somehow be more agile, giving players even better ball control.

But mesh? It's been around for so long and so I asked McCartney after all the different space-age materials they've come up with in the past, why mesh.

"This isn't a traditional mesh. We thought about mesh in a different way," McCartney said. "It's a comfortable material but up until now we haven't had the technology to "skin" a mesh. The combination of mesh and polyurethane work in tandem to create better feeling in a way that hasn't been done before."

Nike Hypervenom: It's Like Playing Soccer Barefoot

Topping off the mesh and polyurethane is a material called Nike All Conditions Control (ACC) that holds up in both wet and dry conditions. Player feedback, McCartney said, was generally about not having to make micro adjustments on the field when field conditions changed from dry to wet. ACC addresses that, letting the players play their game regardless of weather.

Aside from the new upper is a new last, the most anatomical to date, Nike says, putting the foot closer to the ground. Other tweaks were made to the outsole in conjunction with a new stud configuration and split toe box. All of which are constantly in flux depending on the materials used and types of studs?conical in this case?based around the type of play the boot is built for. The split toe construction allows the player's first metatarsal to activate first, which is important for agility and allows for a more natural movement, says McCartney.

Nike Hypervenom: It's Like Playing Soccer Barefoot

And as far as the unconventional colorway, it was inspired by nature's more colorful and venomous creatures and is meant to evoke the sensation or feeling of "bursting to life," says McCartney. [Nike]

Nike Hypervenom: It's Like Playing Soccer Barefoot

Update: Just found some "designer" sketches of the boot here.

Nike Hypervenom: It's Like Playing Soccer Barefoot

Nike Hypervenom: It's Like Playing Soccer Barefoot

Source: http://gizmodo.com/nike-hypervenom-its-like-playing-soccer-barefoot-510134745

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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Fpublication.com turn-key publication to facebook page service with amazing full page visual experience and sharing - sw304

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Heat break out in Game 3 for 2-1 lead over Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? The Indiana Pacers didn't see this version of Udonis Haslem coming. There was no reason to.

Haslem, a veteran forward who had scored in single digits in six of his previous seven playoff games, finished with 17 points on 8-for-9 shooting to help the Miami Heat beat the Pacers 114-96 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday night.

The Heat took a 2-1 lead in the series and regained homecourt advantage with Game 4 set for Tuesday night in Indianapolis.

Haslem went a quiet 1-for-7 from the floor in the first two games of the series, but he looked for his shot early and often in Game 3. His mid-range jumpers constantly left 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert out of position. Hibbert had been playing slightly loose defense on Haslem and Chris Bosh to help protect the rim and the lane against LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Hibbert said Haslem's effectiveness forced him to change his approach.

"I think he was really the guy that pushed them, the catalyst for them," he said. "Just him hitting those shots really made us have to think on defense. Who do we guard? Do we guard the paint, or do we have to go out to the shooters out in the corner."

Pacers coach Frank Vogel was heavily criticized for taking Hibbert out of Game 1 before James' game-winning layup. Vogel said he made the move because he was worried Bosh would get open for an easy jumper. The Heat spent 48 minutes showing Pacers fans why Vogel's Game 1 decision might not have been such a bad idea.

"That's what Miami does, they space you out," he said. "They make it difficult to have a rim protector in the game at all times. They challenge you to keep a guy at the rim and still make them close out to an 18-foot jump shooter. We have to account for that."

While Haslem and Bosh pulled Hibbert and power forward David West away from the basket, James took over as the Heat's post presence, overpowering and dominating All-Star forward Paul George.

"I made a conscious effort to get down in the post tonight, to put pressure on their defense," James said. "The coaching staff wanted me to be down there tonight, and my teammates allowed me to do that."

James, bouncing back after two late turnovers cost Miami in Game 2, had 22 points, four rebounds and three assists. Hours after Wade learned he would only be tagged with a flagrant foul from Game 2 and not a suspension, he finished with 18 points, eight assists and four rebounds. Bosh added 15 points and three rebounds, and all five Miami starters reached double figures.

Miami outscored Indiana 56-32 in the paint, but perhaps that much should be expected from a team with this much scoring punch ? one that has won 23 of its last 24 games on the road.

The other stuff, not so much.

Miami committed a playoff franchise-low one turnover in the first half and finished with only five. James finished with none.

The Heat shot 54.5 percent against a Pacers team that finished the regular season with the NBA's best defensive field goal percentage and also made 24 of 28 free throws. They matched the highest scoring output in a quarter during this season's playoffs with 34, broke the franchise playoff record for points in a half (70) and fell one point short of tying the third-highest point total in a playoff game in franchise history.

But the biggest difference between the first two games and Sunday night's rout was James' work on the inside.

"It was something we wanted to get just to help settle us and get into a more aggressive attack," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the decision to post up the 6-foot-8 James. "We wanted to be a little more aggressive, a little more committed to getting into the paint and seeing what would happen. LeBron was very committed and focused not to settle."

Now it's the Pacers turn to adjust.

West led Indiana with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Hibbert had 20 points and 17 boards. George finished with 13 points and eight assists, not nearly enough for the Pacers to remain perfect at home in the postseason.

Miami took advantage of a wild first quarter to build a 34-30 lead, then turned the game with James taking control in a 12-point second quarter. He scored half of the points in an 8-2 run that gave the Heat what was then their biggest lead of the series, 42-32.

A few minutes later, James did it again, making a 15-footer with 1.3 seconds left in the half to give Miami a 70-56 lead at the break ? and the franchise record.

Indiana opened the second half looking more like the team that had given Miami fits in Games 1 and 2. The Pacers hit back-to-back 3-pointers and got a three-point play from George Hill. When Lance Stephenson followed that with 1 of 2 free throws, the lead had been cut to 74-67.

It didn't last.

Miami countered with a 9-4 run, extended the lead to 91-76 after three and made it 99-78 early in the fourth. Indiana never challenged again ? the 18-point margin matching Indiana's worst home loss of the season ? even though James scored only four second-half points.

"If you're not perfect guarding them, they'll do what they did to us tonight," Vogel said. "Sometimes when you are perfect with your coverages, they still find a way to make baskets. But we didn't have a great defensive night."

NOTES: Miami's best scoring half before Sunday was a 68-point effort against Chicago on April 24, 2006. ... Miami's Chris Andersen has made 16 consecutive shots in the playoffs. ... Indiana University basketball coach Tom Crean, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh attended the game. Harbaugh drove the pace car at the Indy 500. ... The victory was Miami's first at Indiana this season after dropping both regular-season meetings in Indy.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/heat-break-game-3-2-1-lead-over-071728782.html

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Monday, May 27, 2013

Scientists find mechanism that causes noise-induced tinnitus and drug that can prevent it

May 27, 2013 ? An epilepsy drug shows promise in an animal model at preventing tinnitus from developing after exposure to loud noise, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The findings, reported this week in the early online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveal for the first time the reason the chronic and sometimes debilitating condition occurs.

An estimated 5 to 15 percent of Americans hear whistling, clicking, roaring and other phantom sounds of tinnitus, which typically is induced by exposure to very loud noise, said senior investigator Thanos Tzounopoulos, Ph.D., associate professor and member of the auditory research group in the Department of Otolaryngology, Pitt School of Medicine.

"There is no cure for it, and current therapies such as hearing aids don't provide relief for many patients," he said. "We hope that by identifying the underlying cause, we can develop effective interventions."

The team focused on an area of the brain that is home to an important auditory center called the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN). From previous research in a mouse model, they knew that tinnitus is associated with hyperactivity of DCN cells -- they fire impulses even when there is no actual sound to perceive. For the new experiments, they took a close look at the biophysical properties of tiny channels, called KCNQ channels, through which potassium ions travel in and out of the cell.

"We found that mice with tinnitus have hyperactive DCN cells because of a reduction in KCNQ potassium channel activity," Dr. Tzounopoulos said. "These KCNQ channels act as effective "brakes" that reduce excitability or activity of neuronal cells."

In the model, sedated mice are exposed in one ear to a 116-decibel sound, about the loudness of an ambulance siren, for 45 minutes, which was shown in previous work to lead to the development of tinnitus in 50 percent of exposed mice. Dr. Tzounopoulos and his team tested whether an FDA-approved epilepsy drug called retigabine, which specifically enhances KCNQ channel activity, could prevent the development of tinnitus. Thirty minutes into the noise exposure and twice daily for the next five days, half of the exposed group was given injections of retigabine.

Seven days after noise exposure, the team determined whether the mice had developed tinnitus by conducting startle experiments, in which a continuous, 70 dB tone is played for a period, then stopped briefly and then resumed before being interrupted with a much louder pulse. Mice with normal hearing perceive the gap in sounds and are aware something had changed, so they are less startled by the loud pulse than mice with tinnitus, which hear phantom noise that masks the moment of silence in between the background tones.

The researchers found that mice that were treated with retigabine immediately after noise exposure did not develop tinnitus. Consistent with previous studies, 50 percent of noise-exposed mice that were not treated with the drug exhibited behavioral signs of the condition.

"This is an important finding that links the biophysical properties of a potassium channel with the perception of a phantom sound," Dr. Tzounopoulos said. "Tinnitus is a channelopathy, and these KCNQ channels represent a novel target for developing drugs that block the induction of tinnitus in humans."

The KCNQ family is composed of five different subunits, four of which are sensitive to retigabine. He and his collaborators aim to develop a drug that is specific for the two KCNQ subunits involved in tinnitus to minimize the potential for side effects.

"Such a medication could be a very helpful preventive strategy for soldiers and other people who work in situations where exposure to very loud noise is likely," Dr. Tzounopoulos said. "It might also be useful for other conditions of phantom perceptions, such as pain in a limb that has been amputated."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/dop4VTycjlo/130527153701.htm

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Kerry: $4B Palestinian economic plan could work

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center, Israeli President Shimon Peres, right, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas all shake hands during the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the King Hussein Convention Centre at the Dead Sea in Jordan Sunday May 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Pool, Jim Young)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center, Israeli President Shimon Peres, right, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas all shake hands during the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the King Hussein Convention Centre at the Dead Sea in Jordan Sunday May 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Pool, Jim Young)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Israeli President Shimon Peres, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, participate in the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the King Hussein Convention Center at the Dead Sea in Jordan Sunday May 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Pool, Jim Young)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center, Israeli President Shimon Peres, right, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas share words the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the King Hussein Convention Centre at the Dead Sea in Jordan Sunday May 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Pool, Jim Young)

SOUTHERN SHUNEH, Jordan (AP) ? Secretary of State John Kerry declared Sunday he believes a potential $4 billion plan is emerging that could expand the Palestinian economy by up to 50 percent in the next three years.

It could also cut unemployment by almost two-thirds, and average wages could jump 40 percent, he said. But Kerry said it all depends on parallel progress on peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Kerry has been working with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and global business leaders to devise economic plans to revitalize the Palestinian economy. He offered few specific details and acknowledged that his vision might easily be taken as fantasy in a part of the world that has suffered through decades of conflict, and where peace prospects remain dim.

"We know it can be done," he insisted. "This is a plan for the Palestinian economy that is bigger, bolder and more ambitious than anything proposed" in the last two decades.

Kerry, outlining his hopes at a business conference on the Dead Sea in Jordan, was unsparing in his bold economic predictions:

?Palestinian agriculture production could double or triple.

?Tourism could triple.

?100,000 new homes, many of them energy efficient, could be built in the next three years.

The former Massachusetts senator, who has been trying as well to restart direct Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, was to meet later Sunday in Amman with Blair, American hedge fund investor Tim Collins and the foreign ministers of Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

He said he has been coordinating with leading business experts around the world and that the plan would explore new opportunities in tourism, construction, light manufacturing, agriculture, energy and communications.

"Is this a fantasy?" Kerry asked the crowd. "I don't think so, because there are already great examples of investment and entrepreneurship that are working in the West Bank. We know it can be done, but we've never experienced the kind of concentrated effort that this group is talking about bringing to the table."

He said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas support the plan, but he added that it won't truly take hold unless both sides make headway on restarting peace talks.

Abbas also attended the conference in Jordan, as did Israeli President Shimon Peres, though they offered two starkly different messages on the peace impasse. The Palestinian leader spent much of the time criticizing Israeli intransigence, while the Israeli Nobel Peace Prize laureate pressed his government's view that negotiations should begin immediately without preconditions.

Kerry allowed that barriers to commerce would have to be removed to spur economic growth. The Palestinians have long complained about limitations on movement and investment that have hampered its economic potential.

Kerry has made four trips to Israel and the Palestinian territories over the last two months in an effort to rejuvenate the peace process. He hasn't made any tangible success so far but insists he is engaged in productive talks with both sides.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-05-26-US-Mideast/id-840695b2cbf448bca5dc7774412d7cfc

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Kim Dotcom Wrote a Dance Track and Apparently Has a Whole Album

Kim Dotcom Wrote a Dance Track and Apparently Has a Whole Album

Not content to just launch an encrypted file-sharing site, get stranded in the middle of nowhere, or claim to have the patent for two-step authentication, Internet dude Kim Dotcom is also apparently coming out with an album of dance music? Yeah.

Read more...

    


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ZbCkvGWeuYY/kim-dotcom-wrote-a-dance-track-and-apparently-has-a-who-509855899

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French police search for man who stabbed soldier

PARIS (AP) ? French authorities are hunting for a man who stabbed a soldier in the throat in the commercial district of La Defense outside Paris.

Saturday's stabbing came just days after a British soldier was hacked to death on a London street in broad daylight in a suspected terrorist attack that has raised fears of potential copycat strikes. However, there was no immediate confirmation of any link to the France attack.

The France military says the soldier's throat wound wasn't life-threatening. French police continued their search for a suspect Sunday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/french-police-search-man-stabbed-soldier-110314535.html

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Serbia holds funeral for Yugoslavia's last king

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) ? Serbia held a funeral on Sunday for Yugoslavia's last king, Peter II Karadjordjevic, who had fled the country at the start of World War II and died in the U.S. in 1970.

The former king's remains, and those of his wife, mother and brother, were interred in the family tomb at St. George church in Oplenac, central Serbia, in a ceremony aired live on the state television.

The funeral was attended by top state officials, who described it as an act of reconciliation and unity.

After fleeing Yugoslavia during its Nazi occupation, the former king never returned because Communists took over the country at the end of the war and abolished the monarchy.

He died in exile at the age of 47 and was buried at a Serbian Orthodox Church monastery in Libertyville, Illinois ? the only European monarch laid to rest on U.S. soil.

"We can no longer afford any divisions and injustice," President Tomislav Nikolic said in a speech at Sunday's ceremony.

Peter was born into a royal family, and his godfather was Britain's King George VI, but his life was often tragic and chaotic.

He was only 11 years old when his father, King Alexander I, was assassinated in 1934 in Marseilles, France. For the next six years the boy's powers were in the hands of a three-man regency headed by his uncle, Prince Paul.

In March 1941, Prince Paul was overthrown in a military coup after signing a pact with Germany.

Peter, then 17, was made the king by the Serb anti-fascists. But when Germany invaded Yugoslavia in April 1941, Peter was forced to flee, first to Greece, then to Egypt, then to Britain, where he headed the government-in-exile. He later lived in France and ended up in the U.S.

History books portray him as a figurehead leader and a victim of cunning politicians.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/serbia-holds-funeral-yugoslavias-last-king-143032643.html

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Sunday, May 26, 2013

A controversial victory lap for Lewis at Cannes

CANNES, France (AP) ? Jerry Lewis, so beloved in France, isn't quite overcome with emotion now that he's back at the Cannes Film Festival.

The festival, he says, is "for snobs," and when he meets a reporter from his native land, he exhales, "It's so nice to hear an American." To him, Cannes isn't an epicenter of rabid Lewis fandom, it's simply "business," he says, chomping on gum.

And at 87, Lewis is back in business. Nearly two decades since his last film, he's at Cannes with "Max Rose," a modest independent film in which he stars as an elderly man reconciling himself to life without his late wife.

"I'm very happy to relax and stay home with my family, and if something comes up, I'll consider it," Lewis, in an interview, said of his return to movies. "That's the nice part about 87. You just tell people: Oh, you're very tired."

At Cannes, Lewis has been anything but tired, both burnishing and tarnishing his legacy as a brilliant comedic performer. His Cannes tribute ? the festival paid "homage" to him in an out-of-competition screening of "Max Rose," as well as with a screening of his 1961 classic "The Ladies Man" ? has been overshadowed by his views about female comedians.

In a press conference, Lewis told reporters that his earlier-stated feelings haven't changed in recent years: Comedy isn't for women, he claims. A day after his comments roiled women across the Internet, Lewis wasn't apologetic, saying he sees females as mothers, not stand-ups.

"It's the truth. I can't help it," Lewis says, shrugging. "Women, it's just wrong. I don't care that the audience laughs at it and likes it. I don't happen to like it. I have too much respect for the gender. And I think that they are wrong in doing it. I can't expect them to stop working, but just don't work anywhere where I have to look at it."

It's a clearly out-of-date attitude that has turned many away from Lewis. In Cannes, "Max Rose" didn't help his reputation. The film, by first-time filmmaker Daniel Noah, drew terrible reviews at the festival. Variety said only "the most irrationally charitable of Lewis' fans" will appreciate it.

But such opinions mean little to Lewis. He made the film with Noah purely because he liked the script ? the best he's ever read, he says. It's the rare film to tell a story about the struggles of growing older, featuring a downbeat performance from Lewis far from the elastic farce his fans are accustomed to seeing.

Asked why he hadn't made a film since 1995's "Funny Bones," Lewis responds: "You see the movies they're putting out? What am I going to do, discuss that?"

Noah, who wrote the script based on his grandfather, sought out Lewis with little expectation of landing him. Months after sending the screenplay, Lewis called him and committed over the phone. Lewis told him he hadn't planned to make another film, but decided, "I gotta give them one more Jerry picture."

"I was braced for a difficult experience," says Noah. "I saw nothing but horror stories about how he was controlling and irascible and unpredictable and moody. . But I cannot explain to you the chasm between the man that othjcoers seem to know and the man that I know. I have not had a single moment of tension with him, of difficulty. He has been like a grandfather to me."

Noah says Lewis ? who helmed more than a dozen films in his career, including 1963's "The Nutty Professor" ? left the directing completely to him. He gave his famous star little direction, save for the occasional reminder to be more minimal, more "sad clown," says Noah.

"He's a wonderful kid," says Lewis. "When you're 87, almost everybody's a kid."

Lewis has continued to perform concerts ? "a wonderful way to make a fortune," he says. Retirement is not on the table. "I'm happiest when I'm on the stage," says Lewis, who was honored with the Academy Awards' humanitarian award in 2009 after years of telethon hosting for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

"Wherever the audience is is where you want to go," he says. "And if you're a ham, like me, you go wherever the action is. You see a lens and a crew and say, 'Yeah!'"

At the press conference in Cannes, Lewis proved that he still has his pugnacious wit and eagerness for laughs.

Asked about Dean Martin, Lewis' famed comedy partner in the '50s, he responded: "He died, you know. When I arrived here and he wasn't here I knew something was wrong." (Martin, with whom Lewis parted acrimoniously, died in 1995.)

"I've worked hard to sustain a reputation of: If you buy a ticket, you know you're going to get entertained," says Lewis. "That's what I was taught."

Lewis may be many things ? talented, funny, honest, out-of-touch, sexist ? but perhaps above all else, he's an entertainer. "Max Rose" marks his 82nd year performing.

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/controversial-victory-lap-lewis-cannes-174528118.html

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AT&T system offers futuristic home automation, security

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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/20130522att-system-offers-futuristic-home-automation-security.html

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10 Stunning Homes With Bridges That Recall A Childhood Dream (PHOTOS)

Does every little girl dream of living in a castle, or was that just us? Surrounded by an alligator-filled moat to protect us from danger, our only contact with the outside world would be via the drawbridge.

If you still love the idea of a bridge leading to your front door, you're in luck. We've found ten homes where you can live out that whole Rapunzel fantasy -- no Prince Charming necessary.

1. Seattle, Washington

2. San Francisco, California

3. San Francisco, California

4. Austin, Texas

5. Peninsula, Ohio

6. Volente, Texas

7. Denver, Colorado

8. Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

9. Chicago, Illinois

10. Seattle, Washington

Not into the idea of a drawbridge? How about a cave dwelling?

  • Cappadocia Caves In Goreme, Turkey

    Our first stop is in Gerome, Turkey, where the cave dwellings of antiquity still serve as modern-day homes. A natural wonder rich with history and tradition, the Cappadocia region continues to use these cavernous structures for day-to-day living and even <a href="http://www.cappadociacavesuites.com/en">offers hotels for tourists</a> to live the experience.

  • Yposkafa n Santorini, Greece

    In Santorini, Greece, the village homes are called "yposkafa", or "incave homes," structures that were literally built into large boulders. These sprawling cave homes (which are still lived-in today) are more than impressive. Hotels such as the <a href="http://www.ariscaves.gr/hotel/index.php?lang=en">Aris Caves</a> can even accommodate a stay in one of these beautiful spaces.

  • Troglodytes In Loire, France

    <a href="http://www.experienceloire.com/troglodytes.htm">Loire Valley</a> has had cave dwellings for quite some time. Referred to as "troglodytes", these carved out spaces continue to serve as modern-day homes. For a full tour of one of these caverns, be sure to follow this man as he walks you through his humble abode in the accompanying video.

  • Guayadeque Caves In Gran Canaria, Spain

    You'll probably be surprised to learn that Spain's Canary Islands have some of the most well-preserved cave dwellings. Found in the Guayadeque Ravine, these cave communities (yes, these caverns are used as churches and restaurants as well as homes) serve as <a href="http://suite101.com/article/the-cave-houses-in-gran-canaria-a62072"> major tourist attractions</a>.

  • Cave Dwellings In Loess Plateau, China

    An estimated 30 million people live in cave dwellings in Yanan, China--and they're quite happy with their lot. Some spaces are even equipped with modern utilities such as electricity. For more information, watch the accompanying video and be sure to check out the <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/18/world/la-fg-china-caves-20120318">LA Times' coverage</a> on these fascinating communities.

  • The Cave House In Bisbee, Arizona

    This magnificent, earthy residence wasn't originally suitable for building a home. But when owner Catherine Clark found out her neighbor could start construction on the site, she took advantage of the opportunity and made the Bisbee Cave Home possible.

  • Flintstones House In Malibu, California

    And of course, we could never leave out Fred and Wilma's Stone Age digs! Dick Clark's "Flintstones Home" is certainly one of the most unique living spaces we've seen, and if you're interested in the residence you'll be happy to know that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/14/dick-clark-flintstones-home_n_2679402.html">it's up for grabs</a>!

Have something to say? Check out HuffPost Home on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram.

**

Do you have a home story idea or tip? Email us at homesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/24/homes-with-bridges-photos_n_3332562.html

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Saturday, May 25, 2013

CommonKey Brings Password Management To Small Teams

cklogomascot-4There are a number of password management solutions on the market today, but CommonKey, a new browser extension out this week, has a different take. Instead of focusing only on the needs of the individual user or offering a complex solution for the enterprise, it provides a password management system which allows small businesses the ability to share passwords securely across a team. The bootstrapped, Baltimore-based startup was co-founded this October by Andrew Stroup, a civilian engineer who currently works at the Department of Defense, and Michael Cohen, whose programming background is in the medical sector. Obviously, both of these industries involve a deep awareness and understanding of security and privacy. Stroup today works in the realm of countering weapons of mass destruction, and no, he can’t talk much about his work there. But he can talk about the fact that he’s also now appearing on the Discovery Channel’s “The Big Brain Theory” show (get it? brain not bang?), which he had signed up for prior to having the idea for CommonKey. Filming has since wrapped, but the show ate into a couple of months’ time back in the early days of the company. He explains?interest in being on the program was personal, describing it as “nerd heaven,” and equating it to a “Top Chef for engineers.” During the competition, Stroup got to build robots, basic missile defense systems, and designed a system to protect the payload on the back of the truck, among other things. “It was tough for me to step away,” he says of the experience. “But it was one of those things where I left college being told that I would never be able to design, build and deliver a system from cradle to grave again, and the show was an opportunity to do that eight times. And part of the reason why CommonKey attracted me, too, is that I was able to start that process over again – starting an entire idea from two guys, and then seeing that all the way through.” CommonKey has launched as an extension for the Chrome web browser, but the plan is to soon bring it to Firefox, Safari then to iOS and Android as a mobile app. It works a lot like any other password manager available today, except that in its case, a business owner can create an organization and groups within that organization (e.g., PR, marketing,

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ksv7DTCkhcc/

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Obama shifts U.S. from 'perpetual war-footing,' limits drone strikes

By Matt Spetalnick and Roberta Rampton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday shifted the United States away from a "boundless global war on terror," restricting deadly drone strikes abroad and signaling that America's long struggle against al Qaeda will one day end.

In a major policy speech, Obama narrowed the scope of the U.S. targeted-killing campaign against al Qaeda and its allies and took new steps toward closing the Guantanamo Bay military prison - controversial elements of the U.S. counterterrorism fight that have drawn condemnation at home and abroad.

"Our nation is still threatened by terrorists," Obama said at Washington's National Defense University. "We must recognize however, that the threat has shifted and evolved from the one that came to our shores on 9/11."

After launching costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States is tiring of conflict. While combating terrorism is still a high priority for the White House, polls show by large margins that Americans' main concerns are the economy and healthcare.

Faced with criticism about civilian casualties in attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles, Obama said the United States would only use those drone strikes when a threat was "continuing and imminent," a nuanced change from the previous policy of launching strikes against a significant threat.

Under new presidential guidance signed by Obama on Wednesday, the Defense Department will also take the lead in launching lethal drones, as opposed to the current practice of the CIA taking charge.

That would subject drone operations to more scrutiny from Congress and might lead to the Pentagon taking over drone operations in Yemen, but not in Pakistan, where the CIA is likely to continue to run the program.

With al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden killed in a U.S. raid in 2011, a number of the group's top members taken out in drone strikes, and the U.S. military role in Afghanistan winding down, Obama made clear it was time for a policy shift.

"Beyond Afghanistan, we must define our effort not as a boundless ?global war on terror' - but rather as a series of persistent, targeted efforts to dismantle specific networks of violent extremists that threaten America," Obama said.

Now in his second term and with no need to worry about re-election, Obama appears intent on confronting human rights and civil liberties challenges that threaten to stain his legacy.

Those include the Guantanamo prison at the U.S. Naval Base in Cuba, where more than 100 prisoners are on hunger strike and dozens are being force-fed to keep them alive.

Obama said he would lift a moratorium on sending Yemeni detainees home, appoint a State Department coordinator and work with Congress to break a deadlock over the camp where most prisoners have been held for more than a decade without trial.

Human rights groups mostly welcomed Obama's assertion that America could not remain on "a perpetual war-time footing," but some activists said he was not going far enough.

"Our systematic effort to dismantle terrorist organizations must continue. But this war, like all wars, must end. That's what history advises. That's what our democracy demands," Obama said.

Republican opponents accused him of giving in to terrorism.

"The president's speech today will be viewed by terrorists as a victory. Rather than continuing successful counterterrorism activities, we are changing course with no clear operational benefit," Senator Saxby Chambliss from Georgia said.

Although the number of drone strikes has dropped in the past year after peaking in the middle of Obama's first term, the use of remote-controlled aircraft to attack extremists - and the civilian casualties that have sometimes resulted - has increased tensions with countries such as Pakistan and drawn criticism from rights activists.

The New America Foundation's widely cited drone attack database shows there have been 355 drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal regions since 2004 and more than 60 in Yemen since 2009.

Pilotless aircraft are increasingly playing a role in the armory of the United States and other countries. The U.S. Navy made aviation history on May 14 by launching an unmanned stealth jet off an aircraft carrier for the first time, with an eye on possible rivals like China and Iran.

Obama suggested the possibility of creating a secret court to oversee counterterrorism drone strikes, but he left it to Congress to decide on that.

UNTYING GUANTANAMO KNOT

Renewing his long-standing vow to close the Guantanamo prison, Obama called it "a symbol around the world for an America that flouts the rule of law."

Obama has been frustrated by his inability to make good on his 2008 campaign pledge to shut the prison, which was opened by his predecessor, President George W. Bush, to hold men rounded up on suspicion of involvement with al Qaeda and the Taliban after the September 11 attacks.

Obama's latest Guantanamo proposals will likely meet much of the same resistance his earlier ones did from Republicans and some Democrats.

But two Senate Republicans, John McCain and Lindsey Graham, said they could support closing Guantanamo and moving some of its functions to the United States if Obama presented a workable plan. Obama suggested a suitable site could be found on the U.S. mainland to hold military tribunals.

McCain and Graham have suggested that trials could be held at Charleston Naval Yard in South Carolina. A supermax prison in Illinois has also been proposed in the past for housing Guantanamo inmates.

Among those tuning into the speech were some prisoners at Guantanamo, who rely on television broadcasts and newspapers for hints about their fate.

"Detainees follow all coverage of Guantanamo closely, including today's speech, and the post-speech commentary, analysis and editorials," said Navy Captain Robert Durand, a spokesman for the Guantanamo detention operation. "There is interest and discussion, but no discernible reaction," he said.

Durand did not specify how many detainees had watched the speech. He said about two dozen had unrestricted access to television in communal settings and many others held in single cells were allowed to watch live TV during certain hours, including programming in Arabic, Farsi, English, Russian, Spanish and other languages.

A hunger strike by 103 of the 166 detainees - 32 of whom have lost so much weight that they are being force-fed - has put pressure on Obama to take action.

"There is no justification beyond politics for Congress to prevent us from closing a facility that should never have been opened," Obama said.

The president was interrupted for more than a minute by a heckler from the Code Pink anti-war group, who berated him for not closing the prison.

While he cannot shut Guantanamo on his own, Obama announced steps aimed at getting some prisoners out. He lifted a moratorium on detainee transfers to Yemen out of respect for that country's reforming government. Yemenis make up the largest group of prisoners.

He also called on Congress to lift restrictions on the transfer of terrorism suspects from Guantanamo and directed the Defense Department to identify a site in the United States to hold military tribunals for Guantanamo detainees. Lawmakers from both major parties have opposed bringing them to the U.S. mainland.

Zeke Johnson, director of Amnesty International USA's Security with Human Rights Campaign, called Obama's wide-ranging 50-minute address a "momentous speech." "Now it's time for him to take immediate action and get the job done," he said.

But he made clear that differences remained with Obama's policies. "What's needed on drones is not a 'kill court,' but rejection of the radical redefinition of 'imminence' used to expand who can be killed, as well as independent investigations of alleged extrajudicial executions and remedy for victims."

Obama's administration acknowledged on Wednesday that since 2009, four Americans had been killed in drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan, including militant cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

Obama defended those operations, saying that when a U.S. citizen goes abroad to wage war against the United States, his citizenship should not be a shield.

Further underscoring Obama's hopes for changing the U.S. military posture toward terrorism, Obama also called on Congress to revise the authorization of the use of force it passed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, a provision that many critics see as overly broad and subject to presidential abuse.

(Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Mark Felsenthal, Susan Cornwell, Patricia Zengerle and Tabassum Zakaria in Washington and Jane Sutton in Miami; Editing by Alistair Bell and Jim Loney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-shifts-u-perpetual-war-footing-limits-drone-002532715.html

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