U.S. home prices fell again in November, while January's consumer confidence gave back some of its recent gains, Phil Izzo reports on Lunch Break. Photo: AP.

U.S. home prices fell again in November, according to the Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller indexes, indicating continued struggles for the beleaguered housing market.

The sector has remained sluggish despite lower prices and interest rates due to a slowly improving economy, an abundance of foreclosures and tighter mortgage requirements.

"Tighter lending standards and widespread expectations of further declines in home values have been depressing home sales on a larger scale," said economists Ellen Zentner, Aichi Amemiy and Jeffrey Greenberg of Nomura Economics Research in a note to clients. "In addition, a growing share of distressed assets in home sales that are typically sold at a 20% discount are putting downward pressure on house prices."

For November, the Case-Shiller index of 10 major metropolitan areas and the 20-city index both fell 1.3% from the previous month. David M. Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Indices, also noted that 19 of the 20 major U.S. metropolitan markets covered by the indices in November saw prices decline from October, with just Phoenix showing an increase. Atlanta, Las Vegas, Seattle and Tampa posted new index level lows.

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A "price reduced" sign is posted in front of a home for sale in November in San Rafael, Calif.

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A Look at Case-Shiller by Metro Area

SmartMoney: Where Prices Are Holding Up

Sortable Chart: Home prices, by city

"The only positive for the month was Phoenix, one of the hardest hit in recent years," Mr. Blitzer said. "Annual rates were little better as 18 cities and both composites were negative." Just Detroit and Washington D.C. notched year-over-year gains.

The 10-city and 20-city composites posted annual returns of negative 3.6% and negative 3.7%, respectively, compared with November 2010. Hard-hit Atlanta had the worst year-over-year performance, declining 11.8%.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, which aims to take into account the slower selling season in the winter, three cities -- Denver, Minneapolis and Phoenix -- posted monthly increases. The overall 20-city index was down 0.7% from the previous month on a seasonally adjusted basis.

There have been indications more recently of some stabilization in home sales, and economists say that may show up in price data later this year. "Economic growth has accelerated, jobs growth has picked-up and confidence has increased. Banks even seem a little more willing to lend. After the normal lead time of around six months, the resulting rise in home sales should go some way to bringing an end to the five-year-long decline in house prices," said Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics.

—Phil Izzo contributed to this article.

Phil Izzo, Phil Izzo, David M. Blitzer, Nomura Economics Research, Ellen Zentner, consumer confidence, Aichi Amemiy, house prices, Phoenix, Jeffrey Greenberg

Online.wsj.com

Temple Bouddhiste

Compte tenu de la forte affluence du public pour cette manifestation, aucun visage ne peut tre masqu (le droit l'image ne s'applique pas).

Si toute fois votre visage apparaissait sur une ou plusieurs photos et que vous souhaitez ne pas tre visible, merci de me signaler quelles photos et je masquerai votre visage.

- Traitement photo normal cette fois-ci aucun traitement noir et blanc et aucunes photos avec effets en HDR (High dynamic range) n'ont t ralises.

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Former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain speaks at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in Charleston, S.C. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images / January 19, 2012)

Reporting from Washington —

Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain endorsed Newt Gingrich for president Saturday night in what was billed as a surprise appearance by the retired pizza chain executive.

“I hereby officially and enthusiastically endorse Newt Gingrich for president of the United States,” Cain said in a brief speech at the Palm Beach County GOP Party Lincoln Day Dinner in West Palm Beach, Fla.

About a week ago, Cain addressed a gathering of Republicans in South Carolina and said he had held off from endorsing a candidate because he didn’t want an endorsement to “split my support.”

He said Saturday that the decision to back Gingrich had been in his heart for some time.

“There are several reasons, many reasons, as to why I have reached this public decision,” he said. “I had it in my heart and mind a long time ago.”

“One of the biggest reasons is the fact that I know that Speaker Gingrich is a patriot,” Cain said. “Speaker Gingrich is not afraid of bold ideas. And I also know that Speaker Gingrich is running for president, and going through this sausage grinder -- I know what this sausage grinder is all about. I know that he’s going through this sausage grinder because he cares about the future of the United States of America. We all do.”

Cain dropped out of the Republican presidential race in December after repeated allegations that he had inappropriate sexual encounters with women who were not his wife.

kim.geiger@latimes.com

Newt Gingrich, Speaker Gingrich, Southern Republican Leadership Conference, presidential candidate Herman Cain, Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, Mark Wilson, Getty Images, West Palm Beach, Charleston

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Imagine the life of Tomas Berdych. He's 6-foot-5, has nary an ounce of fat on his body, and he's fast. He has impeccable hand-eye coordination, broad shoulders, the balance of a dancer and a talent for bashing tennis balls at remarkable speeds for hours, while hardly ever missing.

Photo illustration by Lindsay Holmes/The Wall Street Journal; Getty Images (4)

And in the world of professional tennis, he's essentially a nobody.

Such is life today in the men's game, where the big four—Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray—are so large that they make otherwise imposing colleagues look like specks of dust.

At the Australian Open, the four mightiest men—maybe the best foursome in sports—reached the semifinals again. It's the second straight time they've occupied all four spots in a Grand Slam semifinal, a feat that had never been achieved by the same top four men's seeds in the Open era, which began in 1968. It's also the third time in the last four majors that they've claimed all four semifinal spots. Only one other group of top four seeds has made three major semifinal appearances in the Open era: John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors and Mats Wilander.

Yes, tennis is that predictable right now, though it's not something you'll hear fans complaining about. Who could bemoan Djokovic's brilliance? Or another installment of the Federer-Nadal rivalry? Or Murray's latest attempt at becoming Britain's first male Grand Slam winner since 1936?

Since Marat Safin won the 2005 Australian Open, only one man not named Federer, Nadal or Djokovic has won a Grand Slam title. (That was 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro—who lost to Federer in the quarterfinals in Melbourne after winning a total of nine games.) Djokovic won three of the four majors last year. Nadal won three of four in 2010. Federer has won three in a year three different times. And although Murray has yet to win a Grand Slam title, he has played in three Grand Slam finals and has reached at least the semifinals in his last five majors.

Asked if the gap between these four and the rest could be narrowed, David Ferrer, perhaps the most dogged, relentless player on the tour, didn't flinch. "No, I don't think so," he said. "I think the top four, it's another level."

Berdych, who lost to Nadal in the quarterfinals, is the last man outside of the big four to play in a Grand Slam final. When, you ask? July 2010, when he lost to Nadal in the Wimbledon final.

"This is probably the toughest time to play because of those four really strong guys…making history every week they go and play," Berdych said. "We just need to deal with it."

Perhaps they need their own rules. Maybe a round-robin component at the Grand Slams for the big four, while everyone else plays for a consolation prize. Other options: Make the big four spot their opponents an initial break of serve, give opponents three serves instead of two and forfeit all tiebreakers.

Such legislation would take time, though, so for now we'll have to settle for another high-stakes tournament of four.

If Federer wins this title, it would strengthen the contention that he is the greatest tennis player in history. At 30 he's the oldest man remaining in the field. Successive victories over del Potro, Nadal and Djokovic or Murray—all age 25 or younger—might be the finest achievement of his career, and would add to his record total of 16 major titles.

Nadal won last year's French Open, but he lost six matches against Djokovic, all in finals, including Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Can he solve the greatest problem of his career?

For Djokovic, there is but one question: Can he live up to the expectations he has set for himself?

In the early rounds of this tournament, the world No. 1 looked invincible. Djokovic lost 10 games total in the first three rounds. He was within a few games of a straight-sets drubbing of Lleyton Hewitt when, suddenly, his strokes and his footwork got sloppy. Though Djokovic dismissed Ferrer in straight sets, he didn't serve well and didn't play as boldly as last season.

And so maybe, at long last, Murray's opening has arrived, a chance to become a full-fledged member of the tennis elite with a major title. He couldn't win a set in last year's Australian final against Djokovic. He has since hired Lendl as his coach.

In one regard, it's a perfect fit: Lendl was a late bloomer who lost his first four major finals before eventually winning eight. No better man to teach Murray what it's going to take to win in this era of uncommon greatness, where even the big, fast and powerful Berdyches of the world are second-rate.

Novak Djokovic online, Djokovic, Djokovic, Roger Federer, Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Grand Slam, Ivan Lendl, Australian Open, 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro

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Koci w. Franciszka z Asyu Church of St Francis of Assisi Krakow

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Here I come....

I try to turn Ordinary things into Extra Ordinary. That's what I love about photography.

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UNDERWORLD

Deal pier, not tried this sort of shot before, but i had to have ago as i was there. Taken just before sunrise.

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Boston_02

Boston: portrait

www.antoniocastagna.it/bostonconcerti.htm

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Slowly Rocks

Newcastle Sundance 3rd Anniversary Shoot - Redhead Beach

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