Good Reads: America's decline, China's rise, the way forward

There's a new genre of American journalism called 'Decline Watch,' tracking America's slow steady decline and China's rise. Here's your daily cup of sunshine.

Most adult Americans today grew up with their feet on the terra firma of American superiority.

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Faced with a cold war rival, the Soviet Union, Americans confidently paid taxes and sent their sons off to war in Korea, Vietnam, and oddly, Grenada, in order to keep communism at bay. From Washington, President Reagan proclaimed that it was ?morning in America,? which was great if you were a morning person, and Americans took the metaphor to heart. Intuitively, they knew that a free-market democracy would win against a soul-crushing authoritarian form of communism.

But now in the early part of the 21^st century, that terra firma has begun to shift underfoot. Intellectuals from developing countries have argued that democracy is not always suited for all cultures, particularly those with poor education systems. Terrorist groups have attacked America?s symbols of prosperity and strength???the Pentagon, the World Trade Center ? and even America?s friends have begun to doubt that America has the mettle to carry on. The global economic crisis rounded out a very tough decade, and on the stage that America once dominated, a few new players emerged. They were familiar faces: America?s old rivals, Russia and China, who have devised hybrid models of capitalism very different from America?s that seem to function better, at least for now.

Now, it?s estimated that within the next 6 years, China may overtake America as the largest economic power in the world.

The changing global mood has created an entirely new genre of American journalism. Call it ?Decline Watch.? The writers tend to be economists ? the same profession that made us believe in the superiority of American capitalism, and in the logic of tearing down borders to create a unified European economy ? and their arguments are persuasive, if a little self-defeating.

Consider Charles Duhigg and Keith Bradsher?s piece in the New York Times this week, called ?How the US Lost Out on iPhone Work.? The reasons why Apple and every other American corporation with access to a travel agent have relocated their manufacturing to China go far beyond mere cheap wages, the authors write.

And they?re right. As the Atlantic magazine?s Jordan Weissmann notes in a blog, China has an education system that produces 600,000 engineers a year, compared with the US?s 70,000. China has an industrial policy that subsidizes the building of factories at home and the sale of products abroad.

Here?s a point in the New York Times piece that took my breath away.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/fp_n84Swg_g/Good-Reads-America-s-decline-China-s-rise-the-way-forward

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President Obama to raise money in DC as Florida returns come in (Washington Bureau)

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Iraq officials: Baghdad bomb blast kills 1 (AP)

BAGHDAD ? A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol in southeastern Baghdad killed one person on Sunday, officials said. The attack came two days after a blast in the same area claimed the lives of 33 people.

The bomb in Baghdad's predominantly Shiite neighborhood of Zafaraniyah wounded nine others, police said. A police vehicle and a civilian car were damaged by the explosion, they added.

Hospital officials confirmed the casualties.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

On Friday, a suicide car bomber struck a Shiite funeral procession in Zafaraniyah. Many Iraqis suspect al-Qaida militants of engineering a recent series of attacks on Shiites to provoke a counterattack by Shiite militias, and rekindle widespread sectarian conflict now that U.S. troops have left Iraq.

Al-Qaida and other Sunni extremist groups are also thought to be exploiting sectarian tensions in the wake of a political crisis which erupted last month, after authorities in the Shiite-dominated government issued an arrest warrant against the Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi on terrorism charges.

In protest, the Sunni-backed bloc has been boycotting parliament and Cabinet sessions.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq

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Detroit's best-dressed man aims to mend Motown (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? The Big Three automakers may be on the rebound but the original Motor City, Detroit, is still battling to turn the tide of decline. One of the people leading the fight is Charles Pugh.

An ex-television broadcaster known for a swanky wardrobe and outspoken presence, he was solidly voted in as president of Detroit's city council two years ago, carrying a mandate to clean up corruption and undo decades of mismanagement. But battles over strip-club legislation, water bills and inflated budgets defined his early days in office.

"We were the public pi?ata," he recalls. "I wanted to quit."

Two years later, the auto industry's Big Three -- General Motors, Chrysler and Ford -- have moved on from the worst of the financial crisis, but the city has fallen further into the mire. With $350 million in annual retiree pension and health-care costs and a shortage of cash, Michigan state officials are considering installing an emergency manager to run the finances of the state's largest city.

Under the worst-case scenario, Pugh's city council -- which costs about $1 million per month to operate, or more than the cost of the public works department -- could be stripped of its power to approve contracts, scrutinize budgets and handle zoning issues.

Pugh, a Democrat who counts Detroit singer Aretha Franklin among his friends, has his own set of problems.

After taking a two-thirds pay cut to join government, he shelved his cable TV service, started packing his lunch and paired back cell service. It wasn't enough -- his tony midtown Detroit condo is headed back to the bank via foreclosure or short sale.

"I can no longer afford it," he said. "Going through this whole fiscal crisis with the city, I learned you can't live at your means or just above. You have to live below."

Detroit has long been in short supply of leaders willing to face up to such cold realities of life.

In 1970, Detroit was the fifth-biggest city in America with 1.5 million people. Now, it has a population of about 700,000. In recent decades, mayors and councilmembers have assumed a reversal of that ongoing population decline would spur economic revival, bolster tax revenue and repair a deteriorating quality of life.

Pugh, who is weighing a run for mayor next year, isn't sticking to the script. "We're no longer a big city ... we're going to get smaller," Pugh said. "Our population probably will end up around half a million."

DETROIT'S BEST-DRESSED MAN

That is just one of many unconventional opinions carried by the 40-year-old council president.

A lot about Charles Pugh is unorthodox. On a typical day, the Food Network plays on the city-issued television hanging in the corner of his office. Twice named Detroit's best-dressed man by an upscale magazine (once as news show host at a local Fox network affiliate, once as council chief), Pugh's look changes daily thanks to his collection of a dozen sets of designer eyeglasses, which he wears strictly for fashion purposes over a pair of contact lenses.

Weekends, he has been running the streets of Detroit to prepare for a first marathon as well as to interact with citizens. Last weekend, in the dead of winter, he ran a 20-mile route down to the city's riverfront, and back north through abandoned neighborhoods, waving and smiling to people along the way.

The following Tuesday, during a meeting with councilmembers asking them to meet with a governor-appointed task force trying to sort out Detroit's finances, Pugh veered off into a monologue about the importance of encouraging grocery stores -- of which there are alarmingly few -- to offer fresh, healthy food.

"Jenny Craig ain't got nothing on me," he said, noting that he has employed better eating habits to shed 54 pounds recently.

From his personal life to public policy, he is frequently blunt. He came out as gay in a newspaper interview in 2004, and is one of the only politicians in the city's 300-year history to challenge the traditional way of managing the water department, which is Detroit's crown jewel.

The water department collects millions in revenue from an array of cities surrounding Detroit. But that money -- and debt collected against those contracts -- can only be used to fund the water department, so city officials are essentially barred from using it to fix the fiscal crisis.

"Detroit people are forbidden from talking about anything at all that may result in relinquishing any control with our water department," he said. "But I think that we need to have a serious conversation with the public to say that our water is not helping us reduce crime, it's not helping us keep the lights on, it's not helping us keep the parks clean."

"I GET IT, I GET IT"

Brutal honesty, he says, is the product of tough lessons, one of the most formative of which came a few years ago when he went to visit his brother's family in the nearby suburb of Southgate. His brother and sister-in-law are both Detroit police sergeants and "we had a big old vicious debate" when they decided to move about 15 miles outside the city limits.

Pugh believes that one of the reasons Detroit is finding it hard to wring concessions from uniformed employees is because police and fire personnel are no longer required to live there. "I don't know that there is the same urgency."

But Pugh learned that an invitation to move back is, for now, futile. "They swayed me when I went to visit them for the first time and I watched my nieces and nephew walk leisurely down the sidewalk to the playground at the end of the block with no worries," he said. "No gunshots off in the distance, no cars doing 100 miles an hour down the street, no abandoned homes, nobody trying to sell them drugs.

"So I went 'OK, Goddamn it, I get it, I get it. This is about the kids and they can go down the street to the public school and you don't have to worry about them.'"

"WATCHDOGS"

The city's crisis may be an opportunity for Pugh to prove himself before a 2013 mayoral election in which he said he is seriously considering a run. A key challenge will be working hand-in-hand with a mayor who knows he probably wants his job.

"He's been advised to keep his distance, to not share the spotlight with Pugh, and that has hurt the process," the city council president said, referring to Mayor Dave Bing, who came to office about the same time as Pugh.

As Detroit's financial picture has darkened, the two have worked more closely. "Now the mayor and the council are united against an emergency manager," Pugh said.

He has invited himself to meetings the mayor is holding with Michigan Treasurer Andy Dillon and a team of consultants who are trying to decide if Detroit's financial situation merits an emergency manager.

Over the past two years, the council -- largely composed of young professionals who want to fix Detroit in one term -- have billed themselves as "watchdogs," repeatedly pushing the mayor for deeper cuts. "We are much more conservative than the mayor (and) that is unheard of in Detroit city politics," Pugh said. "It's odd ... but it shows that we have had to change."

(Reporting By John Stoll; Editing by David Gaffen and Maureen Bavdek)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120129/us_nm/us_detroit_pugh

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Quincy Jones 'So Proud' Of Daughter Rashida's Sundance Film: 'She's Amazing' (omg!)

Quincy Jones is still beaming with pride after heading to Park City, Utah last week to support daughter Rashida Jones at the Sundance premiere of her film, "Celeste and Jesse Forever."

"I was so proud of her," the proud papa told Access Hollywood of Rashida's success, during an interview at the Los Angeles premiere of Cirque du Soleil's "Michael Jackson The Immortal" on Friday. "To see she produced, co-produced, co-wrote and starred in [the film] -- all [of my] kids are growing up... It's amazing.

PLAY IT NOW: 2012 Sundance Film Festival: Rashida Jones & Andy Samberg Talk Starring In ?Celeste & Jesse Forever?

"It's very satisfying and very rewarding," he added.

Quincy gave the movie - which nabbed a distribution deal with Sony Pictures Classic at the festival, and also stars Emma Roberts and "Saturday Night Live's" Andy Samberg - a rave review.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Rashida Jones

"I loved it!" he told Access, when asked if he enjoyed "Celeste and Jesse Forever." "[Rashida] is amazing. She really is. I am so proud of her."

While Quincy is thrilled to witness his daughter's growing success (the 35-year-old actress stars on NBC's "Parks and Recreation" and was recently seen on the big screen in "The Muppets"), the father of seven said raising girls may to be blame for his lost locks.

"Daughters will take all your hair away," he told Access with a laugh. "But they fill your heart up though!"

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood Dads & Their Adorable Little Ones!

"[Age 13 is] the werewolf stage. I've got six werewolves!" he jokingly added. "One son and six daughters."

Catch Rashida, alongside Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Adam Scott and Rob Lowe, on "Parks and Recreation" -- Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: They?re In The Biz: Celebrity Offspring Following In Their Parents? Footsteps

Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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National Puzzle Day Celebration and Contest Comes To Redwood City

Redwood City, CA Patch:

Contestants are traveling from Vermont, Colorado, and yes, Redwood City, to participate in the 4th National Puzzle Day Celebration and Contest hosted by Jigsaw Java.

On Saturday at 10 a.m., Oddfellows Hall on Main Street will be filled with frenzied teams of puzzle lovers racing to complete a 1000-piece puzzle for a $500 cash prize

Read the whole story: Redwood City, CA Patch

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/28/national-puzzle-day-redwood-city_n_1239175.html

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Fitch cuts Italy, Spain, other euro zone ratings (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Fitch downgraded the sovereign credit ratings of Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Slovenia and Spain on Friday, indicating there was a 1-in-2 chance of further cuts in the next two years.

In a statement, the ratings agency said the affected countries were vulnerable in the near-term to monetary and financial shocks.

"Consequently, these sovereigns do not, in Fitch's view, accrue the full benefits of the euro's reserve currency status," it said.

Fitch cut Italy's rating to A-minus from A-plus; Spain to A from AA-minus; Belgium to AA from AA-plus; Slovenia to A from AA-minus and Cyprus to BBB-minus from BBB, leaving the small island nation just one notch above junk status.

Ireland's rating of BBB-plus was affirmed.

All of the ratings were given negative outlooks.

Fitch said it had weighed up a worsening economic outlook in much of the euro zone against the European Central Bank's December move to flood the banking sector with cheap three-year money and austerity efforts by governments to curb their debts.

"Overall, today's rating actions balance the marked deterioration in the economic outlook with both the substantive policy initiatives at the national level to address macro-financial and fiscal imbalances, and the initial success of the ECB's three-year Long-Term Refinancing Operation in easing near-term sovereign and bank funding pressures," Fitch said.

Two weeks ago, Standard & Poor's downgraded the credit ratings of nine euro zone countries, stripping France and Austria of their coveted triple-A status but not EU paymaster Germany, and pushing struggling Portugal into junk territory.

With nearly half a trillion euros of ECB liquidity coursing through the financial system, some of which has apparently gone into euro zone government bonds, and with hopes of a deal to write down a slab of Greece's mountainous debt, even that sweeping ratings action had little market impact.

The euro briefly pared gains against the dollar after Fitch cut the five euro zone sovereigns but soon jumped to a session high of $1.3208, according to Reuters data, its highest since December 13.

Italy is widely seen as the tipping point for the euro zone. If it slid towards default, the whole currency project would be threatened.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, a technocrat who has won plaudits for his economic reform drive, said he reacted to Fitch's downgrade of Italy with "detached serenity."

"They signal things that are not particularly new, for example, that Italy has a very high debt as a percentage of GDP and they signal that the way the euro zone is governed as a whole is not perfect and we knew that too," he said during a live interview on Italian television.

"They also say things that give a positive view of what is being done in Italy because there is much appreciation for policies of this government and this parliament," he said.

Fitch said of Italy: "A more severe rating action was forestalled by the strong commitment of the Italian government to reducing the budget deficit and to implementing structural reform as well as the significant easing of near-term financing risks as a result of the ECB's 3-year Longer-term Refinancing Operation."

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos, Daniel Bases, Philip Pullela and Pam Niimi, writing by Mike Peacock, Editing by James Dalgleish)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/bs_nm/us_eurozone_fitch

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Michigan Celebrates 175 Birthday On Anniversary Of Statehood (PHOTOS)

Description: Portrait of William Hull taken from life. Pastel on paper. Date: c. 1795-1801 Source: Currently in the collection of the City of Philadelphia Author: James Sharples Sr. (1751-1811)

Description: Portrait of William Hull taken from life. Pastel on paper.
Date: c. 1795-1801
Source: Currently in the collection of the City of Philadelphia
Author: James Sharples Sr. (1751-1811)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/michigan-175-birthday-statehood-anniversary_n_1233931.html

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Sundance doc examines costs of US war on drugs (AP)

PARK CITY, Utah ? Eugene Jarecki's documentary at the Sundance Film Festival looks at the cost of America's war on drugs ? its social and human as well as financial cost.

With "The House I Live In," the filmmaker takes a close-up look at the results of U.S. drug policy.

Jarecki said he was moved to explore the issue because, while his parents escaped persecution in Nazi Germany, he sees another kind of Holocaust taking place in poor communities hit by harsh drug laws and mandatory minimum sentences.

The film includes interviews with inmates, dealers, narcotics officers, judges, professors and historians.

Jarecki argued that American drug laws have targeted minorities since the 1800s, and the lack of opportunities that continue to exist in poor and minority neighborhoods create an environment in which drug use and sales seem like a viable choice.

"To go down to a drug corner in the inner city is the rational act of somebody going to work in the only company that exists in a company town," said journalist and creator of HBO's "The Wire" David Simon, who is featured in the film.

Jarecki said that in communities plagued by unemployment, violence, absentee parents and overcrowded schools, people often turn to drugs to self-medicate, then find themselves addicted.

"Now you've got that dangerous cocktail of a user who's also a seller, and so many of the people I talked to are that," he said. "What they are not is violent. What they are not is a threat to you and me. And we are putting them away for sentences that are worse than the sentences we give to people who are violent." He said the United States is "the world's largest jailer."

He attributes the problem in part to fear-mongering by politicians wanting to appear tough on crime, so they target drug users and sellers with hefty prison sentences. But that cycle of incarceration creates more poverty, more absentee parents, more unemployment and more pain from which to escape.

Jarecki's other documentaries include "Freakonomics" and "Why We Fight," which won the Grand Jury prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.

Awards for this year's festival will be presented Saturday. Sundance continues through Sunday.

___

AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen is on Twitter: www.twitter.com/APSandy.

___

Online:

www.thehouseilivein.org/

www.sundance.org/festival

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_en_mo/us_film_sundance_war_on_drugs

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Obama turns attention to energy in key states (AP)

LAS VEGAS ? President Barack Obama is announcing the sale of oil and gas drilling leases for nearly 38 million acres in the central Gulf of Mexico and promoting the completion of a highway corridor for vehicles that run on liquefied natural gas, a response to critics who say his policies have stifled domestic energy production.

Obama was making his announcements in Nevada Thursday, just days after drawing Republican criticism for rejecting a cross-country oil pipeline that would have delivered Canadian tar sands oil to refineries in Texas.

Obama was to speak at a Las Vegas UPS center to showcase a refueling station that will permit vehicles that use liquefied natural gas to travel from the Port of Long Beach to Salt Lake City. The station was built with help from Obama's 2009 economic stimulus plan.

By highlighting the natural gas refueling station and the sale of energy leases on the Gulf, Obama is drawing attention to two aspects of his energy policy ? greater domestic energy production and investment in cleaner energy sources.

The parcels the Obama administration is putting up for lease in June are part of an offshore drilling plan for 2007-12 put in place by President George W. Bush. But after the massive BP oil spill led to an overhaul of the government's oversight of offshore exploration and production, some of those areas had to be re-evaluated for the environmental risks associated with drilling, in some cases delaying the original auction date.

The two leases that will be sold off this summer were originally scheduled for 2011 and this year.

Combined with other parts of Obama's "all-of-the-above" energy pitch, the White House is portraying the president as willing to seek the middle ground on energy after Republicans and the industry criticized him for the moratorium put in place after the Gulf disaster, the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada, and other policies they say have hampered production, jobs and national energy security.

Some of those critics on Thursday weren't convinced anything has changed. They accused Obama of taking credit for work done to increase oil and gas production by previous administrations.

"Announcing a scheduled lease sale that doesn't open any new areas for energy production and that should have happened a year ago shouldn't be a `major announcement,'" said Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.

The lease proposal includes Obama administration measures designed to encourage oil and gas exploration companies to develop the leases. The Interior Department has increased the minimum bid for deepwater leases to $100 an acre from $37.50. Administration officials said Wednesday that the increase was designed to give leaseholders incentives to invest in acreage they would be more likely to explore. Escalating rental rates are also designed to encourage faster exploration and development.

Later, speaking at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado, Obama was expected to highlight the expanded use of clean energy by the Defense Department. The Air Force is installing a one-megawatt solar array on the base and it tested jets last year that are powered by advanced biofuels.

In choosing Nevada and Colorado, Obama is returning to two states that are important to his re-election.

Obama last visited both states in late October, using that trip to launch a phase of his campaign to jumpstart the economy. With economic indicators improving, Obama this time visits on a higher note.

Both states hold their presidential caucuses within the next two weeks ? events that have grown in importance since the Republican contest for the White House continues to shift and narrow to a choice between former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

On Wednesday, Obama traveled to Iowa and Arizona to push for tax incentives for manufacturers. His three-day, post-State of the Union trip concludes Friday in Michigan.

Offering a preview of his energy agenda, Obama said Wednesday he was pushing for a renewed economy. "It's an economy built on American energy, fueled by homegrown and alternative energy sources that make us more secure and less dependent on foreign oil," he told workers at a Cedar Rapids manufacturing plant that specializes in conveyor screws.

Obama won both Nevada and Colorado in 2008. Nevada has had the nation's highest unemployment, in excess of the national average. But a poll in December by the Las Vegas Review-Journal showed Obama with a 6-percentage-point lead over Romney and a 12 point lead over Gingrich.

Colorado offers an example of a state with a mix of energy programs, from a booming solar-energy industry to natural gas extraction that is a result of a compromise between energy companies and environmentalists.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama

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Big Brother? Google?s new privacy policy creates one massive database of your most private info (Yahoo! News)

Don't bother trying to opt out ? you can't

Ever since George Orwell wrote his novel?1984 over sixty years ago, people have been on the look out for the all-knowing Big Brother. But few would have expected the role of Big Brother to be assumed by search giant?Google, but a?new?privacy policy has people wondering if they've gone a step too far.

The new policy, which goes into effect on March 1, 2012, effectively combines the privacy policies of all the sites under the Google umbrella into one. Affected properties include Google search,?Gmail,?Google Maps,?Google+,?YouTube,?Picasa, and?Android mobile, along with more than 60 others.?Any information or data you give one of those sites will be shared amongst them all.

How do you opt out of the new Google privacy policy? Well, that's the biggest point of contention: you can't. Information about your YouTube choices might affect the Google search results you get, and your Google Maps usage might affect what ads you see the next time you search. Google will soon have a?massive, all-inclusive database of your most?private information, from your political leanings to your searches for prescription drugs. And there's nothing you can do about it, short of giving up your Google habit.

Despite the obvious privacy concerns, Google insists the change is in the best interest of users ? allowing the company to better tailor content your specific interests. Still, for a company already?under federal anti-trust investigation for manipulating search results to favor its own properties, such a wide-sweeping change to its privacy policy could bring even more unwelcome regulatory light.

[Image credit:?Robert Scoble]

(Source)

This article was written by Fox Van Allen and originally appeared on Tecca

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Russian Scientist's Claim of Life on Venus Proven False (SPACE.com)

A respected Russian scientist claims to have found signs of life on Venus in photographs taken by a Soviet probe 30 years ago. However, outside analysis suggests he is breathing life into an assortment of camera lens covers and image blurs.

According to the Russian news service Ria Novosti, Leonid Ksanfomaliti, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences who worked on unmanned Soviet missions to Venus during the 1970s and '80s, has written a new article in the journal Solar System Research. In the article, he calls attention to several objects photographed by the Venera-13 landing probe, a spacecraft that landed on Venus in 1982. The objects ? including features described as a disc and a scorpion ? appear to change locations from one photo to the next. "Let's boldly suggest that the objects' morphological features would allow us to say that they are living," Ksanfomaliti stated, according to Ria Novosti.

Whether the scientist really has suggested that the old photographs contain living creatures that were somehow overlooked previously, or whether his words have been mistranslated, misconstrued or should have been quietly ignored, the claim has made headlines around the globe.

In one image,the Venera-13 landing probe is seen parked on the rocky Venusian foreground, and an object shaped somewhat like a crab stands inches from the probe. In another image, also taken by Venera-13, this crab-like object appears to be in a different location. [NASA Debunks Mysterious UFO Near Venus]

According to Jonathon Hill, a research technician and mission planner at the Mars Space Flight Facility at Arizona State University, who processes many of the images taken during NASA's Mars missions, higher-resolution versions of the Venera-13 images show that the crab-like object is actually a mechanical component, not a living creature. The same object shows up in a photograph taken by an identical landing probe, Venera-14, which landed nearby on Venus.

"If those objects were already on the surface of Venus, what are the chances that Venera 13 and 14, which landed nearly 1,000 kilometers apart, would both land inches away from the only ones in sight and they would be in the same positions relative to the spacecraft? It makes much more sense that it's a piece of the lander designed to break off during the deployment of one of the scientific instruments," Hill told Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site to SPACE.com.

According to NASA, the half-circle components are camera lens covers that popped off the Venera probes after they landed. As for why they appear to be in different places in the two Venera-13 photos, "Venera-13 had two cameras, one in front and one in back.?The one image shows the front camera lens cap and the other shows the rear camera lens cap, not one lens cap that moved," said Ted Stryk, a photo editor who reprocesses and enhances many NASA and Soviet space program images.

In fact, the half-circle objects are famous for being lens caps, because the one that popped off Venera-14's camera landed exactly where a spring-loaded arm was meant to touch the Venusian surface in order to measure its compressibility. The lander ended up measuring properties of the cap.

The other photograph highlighted by Ksanfomaliti, which supposedly shows a scorpion-like creature, contains a blur. "The features that Ksanfomaliti shows are nothing more than processed noise, at best, in some particularly bad versions of the images.?They are not in the original data," Stryk said.

Or, as Hill put it, the image is an example of "letting your mind see patterns in low-resolution data that simply aren't real."

This story was provided by Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site of SPACE.com. Follow Life's Little Mysteries on Twitter @llmysteries or on Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20120123/sc_space/russianscientistsclaimoflifeonvenusprovenfalse

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Murray joins Nadal, Federer in Aussie semis

Andy Murray of Britain hits a forehand return to Kei Nishikori of Japan during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

Andy Murray of Britain hits a forehand return to Kei Nishikori of Japan during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

Kei Nishikori of Japan runs to make a return to Andy Murray of Britain during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

Andy Murray of Britain stretches for a return shot to Kei Nishikori of Japan during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

Kei Nishikori of Japan hits a forehand return to Andy Murray of Britain during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Kei Nishikori of Japan reaches for a return to Andy Murray of Britain during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Sarah Ivey)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) ? Andy Murray did his part to enforce the status quo in men's tennis, as have Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Now it's up to Novak Djokovic to ensure that the top four players get through to the Australian Open semifinals.

The fourth-ranked Murray joined Nadal and Federer in the Australian Open final four on Wednesday when the British hope beat Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.

Next up Wednesday on Rod Laver Arena, No. 1-ranked Djokovic will attempt to join the players ranked Nos. 2-4 with a quarterfinal win over fifth-seeded David Ferrer.

No. 2-ranked Nadal and third-seeded Federer won their quarterfinal matches on Tuesday to set up their first Grand Slam semifinal meeting since the 2005 French Open.

It has been rarely possible since because the pair held the top two spots for most of the time between 2005 and 2010, meaning they could only meet in the finals.

Murray, for his part, is also surprised to be not facing Nadal in the semifinals.

"It has been amazing, I pretty much drew to be in Nadal's half ... almost every Slam," Murray said. "I can't remember the last time I wasn't in his half of the draw. It's been a long time.

"It doesn't make a huge difference. Not like the match on Friday's going to be easy, because Novak's obviously playing great tennis and David's excellent, as well. It doesn't change too much."

He said the scoreline against Nishikori didn't reflect the challenge in the first two sets, which included a 42-shot rally in the second game.

"That was a long point. ... Right after the point I thought I'm going to quit this match," Nishikori said, smiling. "After a couple games, I was OK."

In women's quarterfinals, two of the three players who can take the No. 1 ranking advanced to the semifinals ? former and reigning Wimbledon winners Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova.

Sharapova won 6-2, 6-3 against fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova, who knocked out five-time champion Serena Williams in the previous round. Kvitova earlier reached the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the first time with a 6-4, 6-4 win over unseeded Italian Sara Errani.

The other player who can reach No. 1 ? third-seeded Victoria Azarenka ? plays defending champion Kim Clijsters in the other semifinal Thursday.

Sharapova must repeat her 2008 Australian title run if she is to take over the No. 1 spot from Caroline Wozniacki, who lost any chance of maintaining her top ranking when she lost in the quarterfinals to Clijsters. Kvitova only has to match or better Azarenka to take the top spot.

Sharapova has dropped one set and lost 21 games in five matches.

"It's been a long road back to this stage," said Sharapova, who spent 10 months off the court with a shoulder injury that required surgery.

Sharapova held the No. 1 ranking for seven weeks each in 2005 and 2007 and three weeks in mid-2008.

"I've been fortunate enough to be in that position before," Sharapova said. "I think the girls that are trying to get that position haven't been in that position before. It's a little bit different because I feel like I've experienced both things in my career: winning Grand Slams and being No. 1 in the world. You can't compare the two."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-25-TEN-Australian-Open/id-cff4b9a33f7b4802b47fcdc92a398354

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Oxford University Press and Medical Council on Alcohol announce long-term partnership

Public release date: 24-Jan-2012
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Contact: Lizzie Shannon-Little
lizzie.shannonlittle@oup.com
44-186-535-3043
Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press (OUP) is pleased to announce that it has entered a new long-term collaboration with the Medical Council on Alcohol (MCA) to jointly publish the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism.

At the end of 2011, OUP bought a 50 per cent stake in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, which was previously wholly owned by the Medical Council on Alcohol, a charity founded in 1967 to improve the understanding and management of alcohol related health problems.

"The Medical Council on Alcohol is delighted that OUP, the longstanding publisher of Alcohol and Alcoholism, has now become a co-owner of the journal in equal partnership with the Council," said Dominique Florin, Medical Director of the MCA. "This transition offers a period of stability for the MCA which will allow us develop the journal and our other activities in the alcohol and heath field. We have had an excellent relationship with OUP over many years and know from experience that this collaboration will be successful and allow Alcohol and Alcoholism to continue to flourish".

"Oxford University Press is extremely pleased to be partnering with the MCA in the ownership of Alcohol and Alcoholism" said Mandy Hill, Publishing Director, OUP. "We look forward to continuing our excellent relationship with the Council and further developing the journal as one of the leading resources in its field."

Alcohol and Alcoholism publishes papers on biomedical, psychological, and sociological aspects of alcoholism and alcohol research. Papers include new results obtained experimentally, descriptions of new experimental (including clinical) methods of importance to the field of alcohol research and treatment, or new interpretations of existing results. Theoretical papers on alcohol research are also considered for publication. For more information about the journal, please visit: http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/.

###

For more information contact:
Lizzie Shannon-Little
Brand & Communications Assistant Manager
Oxford University Press
lizzie.shannonlittle@oup.com
+44 (0)1865 353043

Notes to editors

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. OUP is the world's largest university press with the widest global presence. It currently publishes more than 6,000 new publications a year, has offices in around fifty countries, and employs more than 5,500 people worldwide. It has become familiar to millions through a diverse publishing programme that includes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, school and college textbooks, business books, dictionaries and reference books, and academic journals.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 24-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Lizzie Shannon-Little
lizzie.shannonlittle@oup.com
44-186-535-3043
Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press (OUP) is pleased to announce that it has entered a new long-term collaboration with the Medical Council on Alcohol (MCA) to jointly publish the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism.

At the end of 2011, OUP bought a 50 per cent stake in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, which was previously wholly owned by the Medical Council on Alcohol, a charity founded in 1967 to improve the understanding and management of alcohol related health problems.

"The Medical Council on Alcohol is delighted that OUP, the longstanding publisher of Alcohol and Alcoholism, has now become a co-owner of the journal in equal partnership with the Council," said Dominique Florin, Medical Director of the MCA. "This transition offers a period of stability for the MCA which will allow us develop the journal and our other activities in the alcohol and heath field. We have had an excellent relationship with OUP over many years and know from experience that this collaboration will be successful and allow Alcohol and Alcoholism to continue to flourish".

"Oxford University Press is extremely pleased to be partnering with the MCA in the ownership of Alcohol and Alcoholism" said Mandy Hill, Publishing Director, OUP. "We look forward to continuing our excellent relationship with the Council and further developing the journal as one of the leading resources in its field."

Alcohol and Alcoholism publishes papers on biomedical, psychological, and sociological aspects of alcoholism and alcohol research. Papers include new results obtained experimentally, descriptions of new experimental (including clinical) methods of importance to the field of alcohol research and treatment, or new interpretations of existing results. Theoretical papers on alcohol research are also considered for publication. For more information about the journal, please visit: http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/.

###

For more information contact:
Lizzie Shannon-Little
Brand & Communications Assistant Manager
Oxford University Press
lizzie.shannonlittle@oup.com
+44 (0)1865 353043

Notes to editors

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. OUP is the world's largest university press with the widest global presence. It currently publishes more than 6,000 new publications a year, has offices in around fifty countries, and employs more than 5,500 people worldwide. It has become familiar to millions through a diverse publishing programme that includes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, school and college textbooks, business books, dictionaries and reference books, and academic journals.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/oup-oup012412.php

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$25B nationwide mortgage deal goes to states

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The nation's five largest mortgage lenders have agreed to overhaul their industry after deceptive foreclosure practices drove homeowners out of their homes, government officials said Monday.

A draft settlement between the banks and U.S. states has been sent to state officials for review.

Those who lost their homes to foreclosure are unlikely to get their homes back or benefit much financially from the settlement, which could be as high as $25 billion. About 750,000 Americans ? about half of the households who might be eligible for assistance under the deal ? will likely receive checks for about $1,800.

But the agreement could reshape long-standing mortgage lending guidelines and make it easier for those at risk of foreclosure to restructure their loans. And roughly 1 million homeowners could see the size of their mortgage reduced.

Five major banks ? Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank and Ally Financial ? and U.S. state attorneys general could adopt the agreement within weeks, according to two officials briefed on the discussions. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the agreement publicly.

The settlement would be the biggest of a single industry since the 1998 multistate tobacco deal. And it would end a painful chapter that grew out of the 2008 financial crisis.

Nearly 8 million Americans have faced foreclosure since the housing bubble burst. In some cases, companies that process mortgages failed to verify the information on foreclosure documents. The worst practices, known collectively as "robo-signing," included employees signing documents they hadn't read or using fake signatures to sign off on foreclosures.

President Barack Obama is expected to tout the settlement in his State of the Union address Tuesday. His administration has put pressure on state officials to wrap up a deal more than a year in the making.

But some say the proposed deal doesn't go far enough. They have argued for a thorough investigation of potentially illegal foreclosure practices before a settlement is hammered out.

New York, Delaware, Nevada and Massachusetts have argued that banks should not be protected from future civil liability. The deal will not fully release banks from future criminal lawsuits by individual states.

In December, Massachusetts sued the five major banks over deceptive foreclosure practices.

Ian McConnell, director of the fraud division for Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, said Monday that Biden is "opposed to the proposed settlement as drafted."

"This position, given his prior public comments, should come as no surprise," McConnell said, adding that Biden will comment further when the still-confidential deal is made public.

California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris said in a statement that her ability to go after potential wrongdoing by mortgage lenders "remains a key lens through which she will evaluate any proposals." In September, California announced it would not agree to an earlier version of a settlement over foreclosure abuses that state and federal officials have been working on for more than a year.

But her office declined to comment on the proposed deal circulating among the states. And it wouldn't say whether California, the state with the greatest number of people who lost their homes to foreclosure, would agree to the deal.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who has taken a public stance against halting investigations of fraudulent business practices as part of a national settlement, had no immediate comment Monday.

A signed deal is not expected this week, said Geoff Greenwood, a spokesman for Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who has led the 50-state negotiations. Greenwood said late Monday that there are "terms we must still resolve."

The settlement would only apply to privately held mortgages issued between 2008 and 2011, not those held by government-controlled Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Fannie and Freddie own about half of all U.S. mortgages, roughly about 31 million U.S. home loans.

As part of the deal, about 1 million homeowners could also get the principal amount of their mortgages written down by an average of $20,000. One in four homeowners with a mortgage ? or roughly 11 million people ? owe more than their home is worth. These so-called "underwater" borrowers have little chance at refinancing.

Democratic attorneys general met Monday in Chicago to discuss the deal with Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan. Republican attorneys general were briefed about the deals via conference call later in the day.

Under the deal:

? $17 billion would go toward reducing the principal that struggling homeowners owe on their mortgages.

? $5 billion would be placed in a reserve account for various state and federal programs; a portion of that money would cover the $1,800 checks sent to those homeowners affected by the deceptive practices.

? $3 billion would to help homeowners refinance at 5.25 percent.

In October 2010, major banks temporarily suspended foreclosures following revelations of widespread deceptive foreclosure practices by banks. Discussions then began over a national settlement.

Both sides have fought over the amounts of money that should be placed in the reserve account for property owners who were improperly foreclosed upon. Many of the larger points of the deal, including a $25 billion cost for the banks, have long been worked out, officials say.

Associated Press Writers Michael Virtanen in Albany, N.Y., Randall Chase in Dover, Del., and Ben Feller in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-23-Mortgage%20Settlement/id-2852f921f6e34aceaf567affaf8e71e2

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Obama's State of the Union: Jobs, re-election time

President Barack Obama sings before speaking at a campaign event, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, at the Apollo Theatre in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama sings before speaking at a campaign event, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, at the Apollo Theatre in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama pauses before shaking hands at a campaign event, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, at the Apollo Theatre in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, at the Apollo Theatre in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Vilified by the Republicans who want his job, President Barack Obama will stand before the nation Tuesday night determined to frame the election-year debate on his terms, using his State of the Union address to outline a lasting economic recovery that will "work for everyone, not just a wealthy few."

As his most powerful chance to make a case for a second term, the prime-time speech carries enormous political stakes for the Democratic incumbent who presides over a country divided about his performance and pessimistic about the nation's direction. He will try to offer a stark contrast with his opponents by offering a vision of fairness and opportunity for everyone.

In a preview Saturday, Obama said in a video to supporters that the speech will be an economic blueprint built around manufacturing, energy, education and American values.

He is expected to announce ideas to make college more affordable and to address the housing crisis still hampering the economy three years into his term, people familiar with the speech said. Obama will also propose fresh ideas to ensure that the wealthy pay more in taxes, reiterating what he considers a matter of basic fairness, the officials said.

His policy proposals will be less important than what Obama hopes they all add up to: a narrative of renewed American security with him at the center, leading the fight.

"We can go in two directions," Obama said in the campaign video. "One is toward less opportunity and less fairness. Or we can fight for where I think we need to go: building an economy that works for everyone, not just a wealthy few."

That line of argument is intended to tap directly into concerns of voters who think America has become a nation of income inequality, with rules rigged to help the rich. The degree to which Obama or his eventual Republican opponent can better connect with millions of hurting Americans is expected to determine November's presidential election.

Obama released his video hours ahead of the South Carolina primary, where Republican candidates fought in the latest fierce contest to become his general election rival.

The White House knows Obama is about to get his own stage to outline a re-election vision, but carefully. The speech is supposed to an American moment, not a campaign event.

Obama didn't mention national security or foreign policy in his preview, and he is not expected to break ground on either one in his speech.

He will focus on the economy and is expected to promote unfinished parts of his jobs plan, including the extension of a payroll tax cut that is soon to expire.

Whatever Obama proposes is likely to face long odds in a deeply divided Congress.

More people than not disapprove of Obama's handling of the economy, and he is showing real vulnerability among the independent voters who could swing the election. Yet he will step into the moment just as the economy is showing life. The unemployment rate is still at a troubling 8.5 percent, but at its lowest rate in nearly three years. Consumer confidence is up.

By giving a sneak peek to millions of supporters on his email list, Obama played to his Democratic base and sought to generate an even larger audience for Tuesday's address. He is unlikely to getter a bigger stage all year.

More people watched last year's State of the Union than tuned in to see Obama accept the Democratic presidential nomination in Denver in 2008.

The foundation of Obama's speech is the one he gave in Kansas last month, when he declared that the middle class was at a make-or-break moment and he railed against "you're on your own" economics of the Republican Party. His theme then was about a government that ensures people get a fair shot to succeed.

The State of the Union will be the details to back that up.

But even so, the speech will still be a framework ? part governing, part inspiration.

The details will be rolled out in full over the next several weeks, as part of Obama's next budget proposal and during his travels, which will allow him more media coverage.

On national security, Obama will ask the nation to reflect with him on a momentous year of change, including the end of the war in Iraq, the killing of al-Qaida terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and the Arab Spring protests, with people clamoring for freedom. He is expected to note the troubles posed by Iran and Syria without offering new positions about them.

Despite low expectations for legislation this year, Obama will offer short-term ideas that would require action from Congress. For now, the main looming to-do item is an extension of a payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits, both due to expire by March.

His travel schedule following his speech, to politically important regions, offers clues to the policies he was expected to unveil.

Both Phoenix and Las Vegas have been hard hit by foreclosures. Denver is where Obama outlined ways of helping college students deal with school loan debt. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Detroit are home to a number of manufacturers. And Michigan was a major beneficiary of the president's decision to intervene to rescue the American auto industry.

Republican leaders in Congress say Obama has made the chances of cooperation even dimmer just over the last several days. He enraged Republicans by installing a consumer watchdog chief by going around the Senate, which had blocked him, and then rejected a major oil pipeline project the GOP has embraced.

Obama is likely, once again, to offer ways in which a broken Washington must work together. Yet that theme seems but a dream given the gridlock he has been unable to change.

The address remains an old-fashioned moment of national attention; 43 million people watched it on TV last year. The White House website will offer a live stream of the speech, promising extra wrinkles for people who watch it there, and then invite people to send in questions to administration officials through social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

Obama's campaign is also organizing and promoting parties around the nation for people to watch the speech.

__

AP deputy director of polling Jennifer Agiesta and Associated Press writer Ken Thomas contributed to this report.

__

Online:

White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov

___

Follow Ben Feller at http://twitter.com/BenFellerDC

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-21-US-Obama-State-of-the-Union/id-9e76772ecfda4f1f98a4521a7392509a

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President Obama Sings "Let's Stay Together" For Al Green

President Barack Obama is probably not going to quit his day job (at least not for another year), but he did make a brief foray into R&B at a fundraiser last night.

The Commander-in-Chief burst into song while thanking Al Green, who had performed earlier at the same event, crooning a bar from "Let's Stay Together"

Obama then joked he hadn't been ushered off-stage. Watch:

Obama Sings Al Green

It all happened at Manhattan's Apollo Theater late Thursday, when Obama stepped to the podium and veered from prepared remarks to thank Green.

Apparently not content to simply praise Green, Obama launched into "Let's Stay Together," warbling "I, so in love with you" ... complete with vibrato.

He stopped to laughter and applause, remarked that his staff didn't believe he'd do it, and that the Sandman hadn't come out to yank him outta there.

That would be Sandman Sims, a famous tap dancer who chased unpopular acts off-stage at the Apollo for decades. Sort of a Keyboard Cat predecessor.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/president-obama-sings-lets-stay-together-for-al-green/

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The Lesson Cloud: Pets in the Classroom....

Have you ever heard of Pets in the Classroom?? It is a program that is funded by the Pet Care Trust and enables teachers to work with Petsmart and Petco to get animals in their room.? I am a recent new owner of a sidenecked turtle named Squirtle...come and read about my journey and the amazing Grant opportunities for you..

Check it out at www.crittersintheclassroom.com or
www.sciencegal-sciencegal.blogspot.com .?

See you soon...

Source: http://www.thelessoncloud.com/2012/01/pets-in-classroom.html

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Isner is out at Australian Open, as are all US men

John Isner of the US reacts as a trainer looks at his injured foot during his third round match against Spain's Feliciano Lopez at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

John Isner of the US reacts as a trainer looks at his injured foot during his third round match against Spain's Feliciano Lopez at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Switzerland's Roger Federer serves to Croatia's Ivo Karlovic during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

Switzerland's Roger Federer celebrates after winning the first set against Croatia's Ivo Karlovic during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

Rafael Nadal of Spain serves to Lukas Lacko of Slovakia during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

Spain's Rafael Nadal makes a forehand return to Slovakia's Lukas Lacko during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) ? For the first time in four decades, there will be no American man in the fourth round of the Australian Open. John McEnroe thinks he knows why.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion, who is working as a TV analyst at Melbourne Park, suspects a lack of passion.

"You could certainly wonder whether our guys are as hungry as some of the others," McEnroe said on Fox after John Isner lost to 18th-seeded Feliciano Lopez in the third round Friday. "It really comes down to the individual. If people have heart or desire, that to me is more important than any shot."

This is the first time no U.S. player reached the men's fourth round at the Australian Open since 1973 ? when no Americans traveled to the tournament.

Isner, the last American man left in the singles draw, lost to Lopez 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-7 (0), 6-1. It was the 6-foot-9 Isner's second straight five-set match after he knocked out David Nalbandian in a 4-hour, 41-minute thriller.

"It's very ugly, to be honest, to have no one in the round of 16," Isner said. "We've got to try to rectify that next time the big tournaments roll around.

"It's very disappointing. That's not a good effort from the Americans in this tournament. I knew going in today I was the last one left and I wanted to keep on going, but just didn't happen."

Instead, Lopez earned a fourth-round match against Rafael Nadal, who won the 2009 Australian Open and has 10 major titles to his credit.

The last American man to win the Australian Open was Andre Agassi in 2003. No. U.S. man has won a major since Andy Roddick at the 2003 U.S. Open.

"We've been spoiled with the success we've had in the past," McEnroe said.

At least the Americans still have Serena Williams, the 13-time Grand Slam champion who is on a 16-match winning streak at Melbourne Park. She won titles in 2009 and 2010 but missed last year because of injury. On Saturday night, the five-time champion will play Greta Arn of Hungary in the third round.

Before that, defending champion Novak Djokovic will take on Nicolas Mahut of France at Rod Laver Arena.

When four American men reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open in September ? only two majors after no Americans reached the round of 16 at the French Open ? Roddick talked about a "healthy jealousy" contributing to the improvement. There hadn't been four American men into the fourth round at the U.S. Open since 1995.

It didn't last long in Melbourne. Among the best contenders, No. 8 Mardy Fish lost to Alejandro Falla of Colombia in the second round before Roddick hurt his right hamstring had to retire from his second-round match with former No. 1 Lleyon Hewitt.

Ryan Harrison took No. 4 Andy Murray to four sets before losing; Ryan Sweeting lost to No. 5 David Ferrer; and Donald Young lost to qualifier Lukas Lacko.

"People expect us to contend for Grand Slams," McEnroe said. "I think there's a lot of tennis fans, but to have an American contending and winning majors, that would make a big difference."

The pressure of being last man standing got to Isner on Friday when he lapsed in the last set after dominating the fourth-set tiebreaker.

"It just got away from me. I just wasn't as sharp as I needed to be," he said. "It just kind of spiraled out of control there, and it just ... I couldn't climb out of the hole I dug."

"I honestly felt like it was more mental than anything," he added. "Just like the whole match I wasn't really that sharp."

Now he has to consider a Davis Cup series next month against a Swiss team that could feature Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka.

"That's not an ideal draw for a first round. But, yeah, it's going to be tough," Isner said. "It's away, and, you know, more than likely I think if Roger plays we're probably the underdogs."

Djokovic started 2011 on a 41-match winning streak and finished it with the No. 1 ranking and three of the four major titles. His two main rivals are already through to the third round on the other side of the draw.

Nadal had a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over Lacko, the last qualifier in the draw. Apart from having his right knee heavily taped, he showed no sign of pain from the bizarre injury ? he hurt his knee while sitting in a chair at his hotel ? that made him think he might miss this tournament.

"The knee is fine ... being in the fourth round without losing a set, it's fantastic news," he said.

Federer followed with an almost flawless performance in a 7-6 (6), 7-5, 6-3 win over 6-foot-10 Croatian Ivo Karlovic. Federer will play Australian teenager Bernard Tomic on Sunday in the fourth round. Tomic, a Wimbledon quarterfinalist last year, had a tough 4-6, 7-6 (0), 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-3 win over 13th-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine.

An early rematch of last year's women's final is already in place, with defending champion Kim Clijsters and Li Na both winning Friday night to set up a meeting in the fourth round.

Clijsters advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Daniela Hantuchova. Li didn't even finish four games before Anabel Medina Garrigues quit with a badly sprained right ankle.

Medina Garrigues twisted her right ankle in the second game and needed treatment on the court. Li won the first three games and had taken the first two points in the fourth game on Medina Garrigues' serve when the Spaniard hit the ball into the air with her racket. She then went ? in tears ? to the net to retire.

"It was really tough, because she tried to continue to play, so I don't know (if) it's like real or fake ... some players they do that," Li said. Then, "I saw she couldn't run and she started to cry. I have to say I am so sorry for her."

The winner of the Clijsters-Li match will likely face a quarterfinal against top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, who has not dropped a set in advancing to the fourth round as she continues her quest for a first Grand Slam title. She beat Monica Niculescu of Romania 6-2, 6-2, while third-seeded Victoria Azarenka defeated Mona Barthel 6-2, 6-4.

Wozniacki will next play former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, who beat Christina McHale of the U.S. 6-2, 6-0.

That left just Williams and Vania King as the only Americans in singles at the Australian Open. King plays former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic on Saturday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-20-TEN-Australian-Open/id-94869203cd2a412aa63bdc662c29a231

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