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Recently a blog post entitled "Why Desktop Linux is its own worst enemy has come across my feed-radar a few times. It's yet another in the long line of "Linux ain't ready yet" jeremiads and it doesn't really say anything new yet it got on my nerves. Why?
Unsupported statements
Like many such pieces, this one starts by making a statement as if it were fact while presenting no actual evidence. The "fact" used here goes along the lines of "Microsoft has shot itself in the foot with Vista and the only ones benefiting are Apple". Even if there were statistical evidence, the premise is mistaken. As I have said before the "success" of GNU/Linux cannot be measured in the same way as a proprietary OS. Apples and air people, you're comparing apples and air. I mean how can you tell how many Ubuntu installs came of a single CD?
The "success" of GNU/Linux cannot be measured in the same way as a proprietary OS
Speaking about unsupported, the post then reels out that hardy perennial "not working out of the box". Apparently "even getting MP3s to play can be while using Linux can be problematic". Which distribution was that then? If playing MP3s out of the box is your thing try one of the distros that comes with that feature out of the box: Linux Mint, PCLinuxOS etc. Okay perhaps I've made that too difficult for people there, I mean perhaps they want "Linux" to be just "Linux": all distros being the same. You know like Windows with its seven different versions of Vista (with their range of hardware requirements) from a single supplier. To be fair the author does try to sound like she's not blaming GNU/Linux:
"Perhaps it's not the fault of Linux as much as it is the pervasiveness of Windows. Microsoft, after all, works with various hardware manufacturers to ensure their hardware works with Windows. And you still have driver problems crop up on occasion so what else can you expect with Linux."
Hmm, Microsoft works with hardware manufacturers? These would be the same manufacturers who said they weren't ready and yet Vista was still released. The Vista release was such a sore-point for Microsoft that a month ago another blog on the same site claimed that Microsoft is asking manufacturers to start testing the next Windows release now. But what follows that bit had me in absolute fits of laughter:
The average consumer just wants to be able to pop a CD into his optical drive, wait 10-15mins and have a working operating system.
Most of the average users I know would rather buy a new PC than upgrade Windows
The average consumer wants what? And in how many minutes? Has this blogger ever tried to install Windows? Sorry but this is just a ridiculous claim. Show me this average consumer who wants to install their OS? Show me any modern OS that installs in 15 minutes (best I've achieved is 18 and I'll assume live CDs are not allowed here). Most of the average users I know would rather buy a new PC than upgrade Windows. No, users wanting to install an OS in 15 minutes is a pure straw-man argument.
Another old chestnut
So what's next? Ah the old "why there are so many GNU/Linux distributions?" question is given a new coat of paint:
"What is it with the collective egos of Linux coders that if one distribution doesn't suit them that they have to go and make a new one"
GNU/Linux comes in different flavours to fit the end-users' needs, wants, desires and just for-the-heck-of-it sense of curiosity
Talk about missing the point. One reason there are "so many" distributions is because there can be and the ones that keep going are the ones that people find useful. Not every GNU/Linux user likes the idea of installing a whole desktop system just to set up a firewall, or a router or to re-cycle some of that hardware that Windows won't even get out-of-the-box for. Some want to play MP3s out-of-the-box, some want a small install footprint, a faster boot time or a longer support lifespan. Windows comes in different sizes to fit Microsoft's sales message. GNU/Linux comes in different flavours to fit the end-users' needs, wants, desires and just for-the-heck-of-it sense of curiosity. The author does offer a solution to the "problem":
Instead of rallying behind a single distro and making it the OS to beat, Linux grokkers tweak and promote their own Linux 'flavours'.
So let's dip into some analogies. Why are there so many amateur sports clubs, spare-time inventors and (best of all) tech weblogs? Why don't any of the sports enthusiasts just get behind another local club and make it the club to beat? And what's with the collective ego's of tech bloggers that if one poorly supported anti-GNU/Linux rant doesn't suit them they have to go and make a new one?
Here's a wake up call to those who keep asking the "why so many distributions?" question: as long as GNU/Linux is available under the GPL, there will be those who will tinker, tweak and create for no reason other than to enhance their own experience and maybe help a few others along the way. We tweak because we're allowed to and because, sometimes, it's fun.
The final straw
Their next point is not the one I laughed at the most, but after the others it was the straw that broke the camel's back (and I say that as a part-time Perl monger). Apparently the real litmus test is the documentation. Windows is -- quite cleverly-- not mentioned here but instead the praises of Apple are sung loud and clear. GNU/Linux documentation is apparently too archaic. Ubuntu is given some credit for doing a "pretty decent job" but apparently that's not enough. And as for the rest.. "Well?". Well what?
I've never purchased an Apple computer so I couldn't tell anything about the documentation. What I would say is that at the prices they charge for their machines I'd expect it to be perfect. But what documentation are we talking about here? The GNU/Linux system is made up of thousands of applications, some of which are well documented and others not so well. So are we talking about GNU/Linux documentation here or free software documentation? No I'm not nit-picking because you see there are thousands of excellent Howtos out there on a whole range of subjects and not all of them will have the word "Linux" attached but they all apply equally to applications that are run on GNU/Linux. Okay so maybe it could be better collated but so could a lot of things, including my CD collection. Another thing to remember is that there is a whole secondary market of books that has grown up to fill this very niche. Several of the publishers involved sponsor articles in this magazine and you'll find reviews of many tomes here as well. Yes they cost money but I'll wager it's less than the cost of that Mac that came with the shiny brochures.
The dummy race
Their closing argument is this..
In essence, until Linux becomes dummy-proof, it's not going to win over consumers. Make it easy, make it accessible - until Linux programmers get that, it's more likely that Apple will perhaps double its user base in the years to come at the expense of both Windows and Linux. It's not about the best OS winning - it's about the OS with the best user experience and Linux still isn't there yet.
What's not about the best OS winning? And winning what? The market? That's changing as we both write, and a few years from now probably won't resemble the current one. When I read that statement though I was reminded of the quote by Richard Cook:
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot- proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning."
If you make something simple to use, there will soon come along another set of users too lazy, stubborn, or apathetic (but rarely too "stupid") to learn how to use it properly
"Dummy-proof" is a moving target. It's one of those circle-of-life things (as Disney like to say). If you make something simple to use, there will soon come along another set of users too lazy, stubborn, or apathetic (but rarely too "stupid") to learn how to use it properly. The answer is not (always) to make it easier to use --by which most people seem to mean "hide half the functions"-- but to make learning it more interesting. The quality of a user experience should not be judged by the cuteness of the help avatar or the number of steps in a wizard (or even by calling it a wizard). It should also be about how much it enhances your life/work, widens your perspective and awakens the child-like hunger to learn in you. It should make you want to show off what you can do to your friends. Well it is if you ask me but I'm not sure any software, free or proprietary, has achieved that yet. Still it's a good target.
Free software makes users participants again they are not mere consumers
As I said there have been a long line of posts like this, so why did this one get my goat? I think it was because it addresses software users as consumers. You see, for me, free software (including GNU/Linux) reverses the trend that separates software supplier and consumer. I am one of those who baulks when train drivers address passengers as "customers". I dislike it when TV viewers or radio listeners are treated like cash machines. Making someone a consumer reduces their contribution to fiscal terms and people are more than that. Free software makes users participants again they are not mere consumers. Sure they may start out that way, especially if they migrate from Windows, but in my experience they usually learn pretty fast that this game has different rules. Rules which let them play instead of just spectate. So you can't really say that because GNU/Linux is not addressing the needs of consumers it's failing, because largely it's not trying to. There is no free software marketing team, no advertising budget, no "mission statement". Free software and GNU/Linux are simply there. Pick them up, use them if you want. If you don't well that's fine, it's your freedom but as I said before -- the game has changed so comparing apples and air is a bit of a waste really.
Finally! The "right" perspective!
Thanks so much for this perspective on the free software world!
I compare this article's sentiments with those of another (entirely different) topic that is near and dear to my heart lately -- that of rising gas prices. I read an article on Slashdot this morning indicating that Mercedes was planning to phase out fossil fuel cars from their line-up by 2014. Now how are they going to do that!? I don't know, but I'm behind them 100 percent! It'll be a pain in the neck for the consumer (for a while), but ultimately, we'll all get something very important to us. What we'll get from it is NOT an easy time at the filling station, but rather, the ability to NOT have our financial lives controlled by oil companies. We'll have a choice.
This is what GNU/Linux is REALLY all about; giving us the freedom to NOT have our choice of software controlled by one company, whose goals and choices are not in the best interest of the consumer, but rather its own.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not an RMS bigot, but I do love the idea of having a choice. And with choice comes complexity. You can't have it both ways, so I'll take choice over ease of installation any day.
I agree with John...
... except that having used Linux since the days that Red Hat was distributed on floppies, we have much greater choices today, and much greater complexity, and ease of installation on any of the major distributions is unrivaled. Whether it is on PPC (Apple), x64, i386, the entire process just keeps getting better and better, because of all the wonderful people working on it. That's freedom AT WORK.
Yes, but . . .
Commendations on an excellent analysis. Also, your prose is exceptionally well-constructed and coherent.
I'd offer only one consideration: You may not appreciate the actual purpose of these uninformed opinion pieces. They are constructed for one purpose only, to reassure those who embrace ignorance that they are right to do so.
Since the inception of the industry, much of the popular media has been devoted to this activity. From William Randolph Hearst to Rush Limbaugh, empires have been built on pandering to those unwilling to embrace learning or facts before coming to conclusions. Fortunes await those who cynically offer this debilitating comfort to the unquestioning hordes. That fact is not lost on those who market Microsoft or Apple products.
It is, I think, reflective of this social malaise that one often hears, "Ignorance is bliss," proffered as some estimable literary quote. It is not. What the gentleman actually said was, "When ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise."
Agreed... but
Commendations on an excellent analysis. Also, your prose is exceptionally well-constructed and coherent.
Thanks. You should have seen the first draft :o)
I'd offer only one consideration: You may not appreciate the actual purpose of these uninformed opinion pieces. They are constructed for one purpose only, to reassure those who embrace ignorance that they are right to do so.
You're probably correct in that it becomes one of the ways they are used but in these days of hits and visitors (and advertising) I think another reason behind such pieces is to attract readers.
Popular media has also long used the idea of publishing a contentious or controversial piece to bring in the outraged as well as the interested. Those in the UK would probably recognise this as the "Freddy Starr ate my hamster" technique. Hey, perhaps that's how they got me there?
Linux is ready NOW
Ryan Cartwright makes the point that "Windows" (which I take to mean Vista) and "Mac OS" (which I take to be OS/X 10.5 and later) are not in the "same game". http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/columns/dont_compare_gnu_linux_windows_or_macos_they_are_not_same_game
I beg to differ.
There is no doubt that Vista has had it's share of problems, especially with drivers as Ryan points out. Ryan fails to mention the vast library of device drivers that Linux has, production tested, ready and stable. It's true that many companies have not yet seen the wisdom of preparing open source drivers, but even the closed source drivers for Nvidia and ATI cards have evened the scales. NDISwrapper levels the playing field for networking, and basically everywhere you look, open source and Linux are taking back the field from proprietary software.
But Windows is much more than Vista. From Windows 3.1 to 95 to 98 to ME to NT to 2000 to XP and Server 2003, the Windows environment covers a vast array of hardware. Linux, in some form, runs on all of it, from embedded systems, to laptops, to desktop, to servers, to clusters and clouds. Whether we like it or not, we are in competition for the hearts and minds of consumers, in every one of those areas.
Historically, some of the kvetches were correct. Multimedia has been a sore point, especially due to proprietary formats and patent restrictions. But my install of SuSE 11.0 has community repositories that solve those problems, and once correctly (and easily) set up, out perform their Windows counterparts. I have a Vista box primarily used as a DVR, and the files it creates cannot be read by my other Windows XP boxes. Yet my Linux box plays them in Xine without a hitch. Why do I have Windows boxes, you say? I have been waiting for Myth TV to evolve, and for my precious games to work. Now that has happened, and while many in the open source community fault TransGaming for Cedega being closed rather than a set of updates to Wine-X, I just don't care. Today I can put together a Linux multimedia box or a Linux gaming box that is more compatible and better performing than the Windows alternatives. Will people buy such boxes? I have no doubt that they will. Will Microsoft retaliate? I have no doubt they will.
I have to agree with Ryan. Most people do not want to install or configure their computers. They just want to have them plug in and work. The interesting thing is trying to do that with Linux boxes on a commercial scale. At most computer stores (or manufacturers for that matter), they have a configuration on one hard drive that they clone, then "reseal" so that the box does a limited configuration for a new serial number / activation code. AutoYast can do something similar, but does not clone the other updates - community repositories, etc. - and the SuSE system is now drive specific (thanks to the Microsoft agreement?) so that you can't just Ghost copy it to another drive. I'm sure some script kiddie can recreate the manual edits I had to make to the boot loader and related files, and for that matter, I probably could do it in a few weeks. But suffice it to say that the commercial redistribution of working configurations - err, needs work.
We don't have to rally behind a specific distribution. The market already does that selection for us. Try http://distrowatch.com/ where you can find all the major distributions and minor ones too. I prefer KDE based Kubuntu to Ubuntu, KDE 3.5 to KDE 4, and I'm entitled to make those choices, just as you are entitled to make different ones. But if you are trying to replace Vista, and now provides a big opening to do just that, you'd better provide a familiar environment for those people voting with their dollars. I think that a Kubuntu or SuSE KDE 3.5 based box is the way to do that, but I would not presume to tell the FluxBox crew that they can't have it their way, or that their window manager isn't better for some purposes. But for the specific purpose of giving Windows users an environment they will intuitively understand, I think that Novell has chosen the correct course (they also supply GNOME).
I've never gotten adequate documentation with a Windows system, unless I bought the whole programming environment. My favorite distro's have good documentation on the disk, and outstanding, helpful user communities online.
What is without a doubt is that Vista has left many users wanting, and like a wounded wildebeest bleeding on the savannah, the hungry lions are moving in on it. Will Linux take the market share, or will it be left to Apple and others? I think Linux is finally in a place where it can compete as successfully as it has in the server market, by companies that understand its strengths and weaknesses. Why do you think Sun Microsystems and IBM and Novell are all backing it? Do you really think it is some form of corporate community service? Or is the reality that they have been carefully crafting a tool to end Microsoft's dominant market share, segment by segment? If so, qui bono? Who benefits? Thanks to Free Software Magazine, and the entire Open Source movement, all of us.
Not quite what I meant but good response anyway
Ryan Cartwright makes the point that "Windows" (which I take to mean Vista) and "Mac OS" (which I take to be OS/X 10.5 and later) are not in the "same game".
I beg to differ
Actually I was really referring to any incarnation of those OSs. The "game" I referred to was the one where marketing, number of users and sales figures reign. GNU/Linux is not in that game. I wrote about this in an earlier post.
Your post makes some excellent points and in general I don't disagree. The only thing is that you've disagreed with something I wasn't trying to say.
The point I was making was that comparing any proprietary offering with a free software one on the basis of sales and numbers, and thereby adjudging the free software one to be "failing" is futile. Free software does not operate under the same rules, it is not restricted by the same principles and its users can take part rather than merely consume it.
While I take your point about GNU/Linux being ready (and I agree it is) I think we need to remember that by nature it requires its users to learn it. Thus it doesn't have to become a shoe-in for Windows or MacOS, it doesn't have to do things the way Windows users expect because that might not be the best or most efficient way. Developing free software gives you opportunities to take a step back and think "What if it wasn't this way at all?". Once you stop selling licences (and there's little point if others can give away your software) then the future of your product becomes less dependant on keeping existing customers. If the Python team sold licences do you think they could have started on the route that means Python 3 000 will break code written for earlier versions? They've torn up the rule book and started afresh and my hat is off to them, it's a brave move but one that could make Python better in the long run. Microsoft and Apple no longer have that luxury. They can't make that radical kind of change without losing their all-important customers. Apple did when it was make or break but now? Not a chance.
Python 3000
Of course, it has to be appreciated that users who don't want to upgrade can always keep using the 2.x series of Python -- I'm sure that 2.6 will be maintained for a LONG time (by somebody, if not necessarily by the core Python development team).
OTOH, Python 3 looks very promising -- it's always been one of the benefits of Python's development strategy that they aren't afraid to deprecate stuff when a better way comes along. It requires you to move along with the language, but it keeps code clean and understandable to other developers.
I think the main distinction about the Python 3 release is that some of the "deprecated" stuff will actually disappear from the language entirely, resulting in simplifications to the interpreter (e.g. who uses "oldstyle" classes anymore? -- everything is "newstyle" classes these days).
But again, it's not like Python 2.x will disappear from the Earth. And that really is the distinction from proprietary practice, where the company is always trying hard to kill their own old products in order to make people buy the new ones.
Another plus point for free software
Of course, it has to be appreciated that users who don't want to upgrade can always keep using the 2.x series of Python — I'm sure that 2.6 will be maintained for a LONG time (by somebody, if not necessarily by the core Python development team).
True but it's still a brave decision. This point highlights yet another plus point for free software. With proprietary licences the older version gets dropped after a while and users are left out in the cold - no matter how many of them there are.
Installation: Linux vs. Windows
I have just recently had the "opportunity" to watch new installs for both Linux and Windows. The Linux install (with Mandriva 2008.1) very nearly was the "pop a CD in and 15 minutes later it's done" -- it was a DVD, not a CD, and it took closer to an hour, given that I was selecting all the developer packages and then downloading all the package-updates off the net. My wife's new Windows machine has been a nightmare--so far, she has spent at least a hundred hours trying to get everything right. (That is, counting three different re-installs when the networking driver updates screwed up irretrievably...)
Missing the point?
I write this response from the perspective of someone who owns and runs systems running Windows, MacOS and Linux, and I have supported and developed for these systems for many years. I'm wondering if somewhere along the line you have missed the point of the original article? I have read and agree with some of the things you say, yet in relation to the original article and its context your points actually contradict each other in places.
To begin with I'm not sure I understand the comment about the measurement of the success of GNU/Linux? You suggest that there could have been many installs done from a Linux CD and therefore the number of CD's / Downloads isn't a true gauge. Is this not the same for Windows and MacOS - not SO much MacOS although I'm pretty sure there are many older systems out there running Leopard that were installed from a "gifted" copy. The "how many computers running this OS are accessing the internet" figures tend to be in the same ballpark as other distribution figures so I think its fair to assume they are somewhat accurate.
You then rightly point out that there are so many flavours of Linux for very good reasons, yet at the same time you rightly say that people don't want to be installing their own OS, they will just go and buy a new system pre-installed. Are you suggesting therefore that the manufacturers should be offering pre-installed on their systems whatever version of Linux the consumer determines is suitable for their purposes? How does the consumer first determine this? Should the manufacturer be recommending certain ones for certain applications? This is a logistics nightmare. This point also contradicts your conclusion where you then talk about making consumers into participants. Surely if the average user doesn't want to even install their OS they certainly don't want to "participate" in getting it to do the things they want the computer to do for them?
Further on that point, when you discussed the flavours of Linux you seemed to be suggesting that this was partly due to specialist distros - firewalls etc. I really don't think this is what was being discussed in the original article. Specialist distros are very useful, and rightly you wouldn't want to use a generic "workstation" distro to install such systems if there is a better alternative available. I use a number of specialist distros myself. However the point is not lost that there are probably too many "workstation" distros for consumers to easily make a choice. You mentioned Microsoft's plethora of Windows versions, and I agree that they have gone way over the top. However your comparison is flawed because at least Microsoft (in their collective mind) are targeting their versions at different market segments. What I believe the original article was saying is that the choices in Linux would be akin to Microsoft offering 18 different "Home" versions depending on what you wanted to do with your "Home" version. I'm not suggesting here that there should be one version of Linux that everyone should promote and develop, however an agreed set of standard components that are available and installed by default by every "workstation" distro would not harm Linux's accessibility. For example in the automotive market at each market segment there are a set of standard features you would find on every vehicle, its the extras that are added by the manufacturer and the overall difference in presentation that attract different buyers - a bit simplistic I know but you get the idea. Your sports club analogy is also flawed in that sports clubs service different sports and different locales, so there is really no comparison there.
I appreciate what you were trying to do. I love free software, but the thing that gets on my goat about many people who support free software is they talk over and over about people's rights, yet they completely ignore, to the point of being anti, the rights of those people who want to make a living so they can feed their families from their efforts developing software. It is as much the right of the developer to either release his / her software under one of the open source licences or charge for it, as it is the right of the consumer to use free software or purchase what they use. I use both. I also develop both. They don't need to be mutually exclusive.
I agree with the message of the original article. GNU/Linux is NOT ready for prime time, just the same as MacOS isn't ready for some corporate markets. Is that a weakness? Not at all. It is ready for the market segments that want to adopt it, just like MacOS. I believe over the coming years as more agreements about standards are developed that could very well change for Linux. But then, the desktop market as we know it is a racehorse nearing the end of its track life - just waiting to be put out to pasture, so what we're discussing here will likely be moot in a few years anyway.
The point
To begin with I'm not sure I understand the comment about the measurement of the success of GNU/Linux?
That point was the whole purpose of the article so if you've not understood that - sorry. Let me try again...
There's really not a lot of point comparing proprietary OSs and a free software OS because they operate and have been developed under different principles. If the original article had ripped into the commercial offerings of say Redhat or Novell it would have been understandable as those companies are trying to compete in the Microsoft world. But GNU/Linux itself is not. There is no single entity making decisions about direction, features or what should or shouldn't work. It's a huge collaborative and almost organic work. Now that may be a disadvantge in the Microsoft world but to say "Linux is failing" in that context is not really valid because "Linux" is not a single thing and in that way cannot be trying to compete with Windows.
You suggest that there could have been many installs done from a Linux CD and therefore the number of CD's / Downloads isn't a true gauge. Is this not the same for Windows and MacOS
No, not at all. Ubuntu can be downloaded and burned to a CD, that CD can be used to legally install Ubuntu on any number of PCs. As others have suggested you can also burne more than one CD from a single download. When comparing the success of proprietary offerings you cannot really count the illegal copies as there's no direct revenue for the company there and in that world, revenue is what counts.
Are you suggesting therefore that the manufacturers should be offering pre-installed on their systems whatever version of Linux the consumer determines is suitable for their purposes?
I'm suggesting manufacturers can offer a range of OS options. Some already do. They offer Ubuntu by default and have others as an option. It's no extra cost for them or the buyer.
How does the consumer first determine this?
How does the consumer first determine which version of Vista to buy with their PC? The answer is most of them don't until they've tried it. What's to stop a retailer offering free Live CDs of various distros for potential buyers to try at home or in the store. If it's online they can offer the download. But even if the buyer feels they've made the wrong choice they can switch to another distro for no cost and little effort (they even know all their hardware already works with GNU/Linux). This has happened to my father in law who was having great trouble with Ubuntu and creating DVD slideshows. As that was one of the reasons he got the PC, he switched to Debian because he knew it worked under that.
This point also contradicts your conclusion where you then talk about making consumers into participants. Surely if the average user doesn't want to even install their OS they certainly don't want to "participate" in getting it to do the things they want the computer to do for them?
That's not what I meant by participate. I meant they get to take part in directing the future of their software. Also turning a consumer into a participant is not a one-off thing. It's a process that begins when they first try free software (if you ask me).
Further on that point, when you discussed the flavours of Linux you seemed to be suggesting that this was partly due to specialist distros - firewalls etc. I really don't think this is what was being discussed in the original article.
True and perhaps I was being cheeky there but many of the distros of which people complain there are "too many" are not desktop ones anyway.
However the point is not lost that there are probably too many "workstation" distros for consumers to easily make a choice. You mentioned Microsoft's plethora of Windows versions, and I agree that they have gone way over the top. However your comparison is flawed because at least Microsoft (in their collective mind) are targeting their versions at different market segments.
Surely the point of the different desktop distros is that they are targeting different subsets. If you want guaranteed free software across the board you probably go for Debian. Want the ability to play MP3 and video regardless of licencing issues would mean you go for something like PCLinuxOS, Mint etc.. Sit somewhere in the middle and you'd probably go for Ubuntu. There are of course millions of reasons why people go for a particular distro but the fact that they can is a good thing.
Your sports club analogy is also flawed in that sports clubs service different sports and different locales, so there is really no comparison there.
In my local area there are approximately 7 (adult) amateur football ("soccer" if you are from the US) clubs. They play in different leagues and at different levels. Some play for fun, others for fitness, others take it very seriously and they have varying sized fan-bases. On that basis the analogy stands. The reason I said "sports" rather than football was to avoid the confusion caused when referring to a sport with that name.
I appreciate what you were trying to do. I love free software, but the thing that gets on my goat about many people who support free software is they talk over and over about people's rights, yet they completely ignore, to the point of being anti, the rights of those people who want to make a living so they can feed their families from their efforts developing software.
I've not mentioned cost anywhere have I? Are you mixing up free as in cost with free as in freedom? People are perfectly at liberty to sell free software. I think they'll find it harder to sell licences if those licences give their users the right to give the software away but they are at liberty to try. In that case the market changes to selling services rather than software itself. In fact that is one of the reasons why you can't really compare GNU/Linux and Windows. GNU/Linux is not so much in a different league to Windows but in a different game: Football and Rugby, Baseball and Cricket - you can't compare the success of a team in one with that in another.
It is as much the right of the developer to either release his / her software under one of the open source licences or charge for it, as it is the right of the consumer to use free software or purchase what they use. I use both. I also develop both. They don't need to be mutually exclusive.
Agreed - so what does this have to do with my article? I write and use free software too BTW. Don't confuse the call for freedom within licencing to be the same as calling for zero cost software.
I agree with the message of the original article. GNU/Linux is NOT ready for prime time,
Okay this proves it - you did not understand the premise of my article and that's probably my fault, sorry. I was not arguing whether GNU/Linux is ready for the "prime time", I was saying to make such a statement is worthless and then tried to say why.
For the record I think GNU/Linux is ready for pretty much any use. I don't know what "prime time" is but I don't think GNU/Linux is a drop in replacement for Windows. Not because it lacks the features but because of the reasons I give above. It's a different approach a different way of doing it, a different game. Just as some skills learned in Baseball or Cricket are transferable the same applies to Windows and GNU/Linux. Moving from one to the other requires a different way of thinking. You will have to grow into playing the new game.
I know some have called this a weak argument -- "Linux is 'special' so it can't be compared" -- but actually I reach this view after several years of having to compare free and proprietary OSs in various contexts. More and more I find that there is very little common ground on which to compare the two so - from whatever side of the fence ones sits - comparing becomes a somewhat futile exercise.
Methinks you still miss the point
This has been an enlightening post, and a terrific exchange, but your idea that Linux, Windows, and Mac OS/X are not in the same game is simply wrong. I think it is more correct to say that Linux is a different Strategy. Linux is on offense in the server market, Microsoft is on defense. Microsoft has been on offense in desktops, Macintosh and Linux are now forcing them to play defense. A goal is scored everytime a person votes with their dollars. Remember that the original purpose was not freedom for all, but the elimination of Microsoft as a competitor.
Your point about the number of systems being counted as being wildly inaccurate is similar to the "Linux is special" argument (Linux IS special, but not in this way). I don't know how many copies of Knoppix I'm responsible for, but their are techs who I've never even met who are using copies of the CD's that I gave to other techs (hopefully they will learn to download their own). Novell can give you a pretty good count by the number of systems that check into the repositories; I'm sure the Debian distros could do the same. But the point is that market share is not just in the mind, and ALL marketing numbers are somewhat "squishy". There are also experiments, like Dell and Wal-Mart, the new laptops, and IBM/Sun offerings, that have a chance to REALLY change the numbers out there. And of course, there are the embedded systems, the home systems, that never connect to the net and thus don't exist.
This is kind of like following a hockey game on TV, and if they don't put the little red spot on it, you have no clue where the puck is at any given point in time. That doesn't stop either team from scoring, just because you can't (or won't) see the puck. The score still matters too, at least to get you into the playoffs.
So our farm teams and amateur clubs are deep. We have fewer professional clubs, but that may be because our "full monty" strategy of play is not well understood. They may laugh at us. That's OK because we have nothing to hide. Maybe we don't have the fancy logos on our t-shirts (well, we don't wear shirts anyhow, it's part of the strategy, you can see our code), but we do have sponsors, and moreover, we have the passion for the game. Fill the stadiums, and play the game. Is our "full monty" strategy better? Play the game and we will find out.
I'm getting lost here
Not sure who are addressing here me (Ryan) or one of the other posters. I'll assume it's me.
This has been an enlightening post, and a terrific exchange, but your idea that Linux, Windows, and Mac OS/X are not in the same game is simply wrong. I think it is more correct to say that Linux is a different Strategy.
You and plenty of others (on [n]either side of the fence) keep talking like GNU/Linux is a single thing with strategies, marketing and business thinking behind it -- it's not. Some companies that use it within their business are those things but they probably don't make up half the GNU/Linux user base (can't prove that just feels right). In that sense GNU/Linux is not in any game at all, it's just there. Use it, don't use it -- it'll still be there in the morning. Think of the FUD strategies Microsoft et al have tried - have they actually succeeded in averting their users' eyes from GNU/Linux? I'm not so sure. Those strategies can't work against something that does/can not see itself as your competitor.
Look I want to see GNU?Linux used in more places by more people because I want to see people freed up when they use their computers. I've looked at this for some time now and I cannot figure out a way to identify an achievement that signifies when GNU/Linux can be said to have "succeeded" and it it can't succeed -- it can't fail.
Linux is on offense in the server market, Microsoft is on defense. Microsoft has been on offense in desktops, Macintosh and Linux are now forcing them to play defense.
Use of GNU/Linux is on the rise in server, as I have said above there's no strategy to get Debian, Ubuntu, Gentoo, Fedora or Linux From Scratch into the server market. The rise in use has come about by word of mouth and peer-recommendation not any marketing strategy. The same has applied to the rise in desktop usage. Have you seen any marketing strategies pitching Ubuntu against Vista? I haven't. It's largely been by word of mouth and then the computer press caught wind of it.
A goal is scored everytime a person votes with their dollars.
But it's not about dollars, yen, punds, euros or any other currency. This is the point -- GNU/Linux (or more exactly free software) has reversed the trend that saw software marketed like apples or books. This is why software patents are bad because they try to fit a marketing principle to something which doesn't fit that mould.
Yes people can and do make money off the back of free software, yes businesses can thrive using it but how many of those actually turn a profit from sales of software alone? How many proprietary companies do (apart from Microsoft who use monopolistic tactics to do so)? I don't know the answer to either but I reckon it's fairly low or else we wouldn't see the drive towards service provision, long term support contracts and other such ways to make money from software.
Remember that the original purpose was not freedom for all, but the elimination of Microsoft as a competitor.
Whose original purpose? Stallman's? He wanted to share code freely as he had done before. Torvalds'? He said this thing wouldn't amount to much. Redhat's? They wanted to make some money making it easier to install GNU/Linux. Debian's? They set out to make a completely free OS.
I think you might find some problem proving that any key person/body involved with the development of GNU/Linux said their purpose was to eliminate Microsoft as a competitor. I'll be happy to read it if you can find it.
Novell can give you a pretty good count by the number of systems that check into the repositories; I'm sure the Debian distros could do the same.
Unless Novell embed a unique install code into each installation surely the best they could do is extrapolate something from the IP address and the hit count on the repos. Debian don't even collect stats on popular packages without asking first so I'm pretty sure they won't do the same even if they could.
But even so, they won't allow for figures on every distro or those not on the 'net (okay there are probably fewer of those now). And even if they did the numbers wouldn't matter for much except to the companies involved. I'm pretty sure Debian is not interested in number of installs - why would they be? Numbers like that only work if you can convert them into revenue or marketing figures (to increase revenue).
I will agree that this discussion has been useful. It's certainly attracted a lot more attention than I expected it to. Sometimes you write something because it means a lot to you and you find this happens, other times nobody seems to care - sniff, sniff.
Some stats
Operating System Market Share
June, 2008
Operating System
Total Market Share
Nintendo Wii
If you don't have Windows in your sights, you are missing the game. 90% of the games are played in their stadium.
At the risk of repeating myself
> Operating System Market Share June, 2008
Measured how?
Linux suffers server sales slowdown
The game is different in the server market. Microsoft is on offense, Linux on defense. This strategy has resulted in Windows Server being modified so that it can run unmodified on top of Linux.
You know you're good in bed when they want to be on top.
Okay maybe once more then..
Linux suffers server sales slowdown (emphasis mine)
And of those installations that weren't sold?
Another old chestnut
I did like the comment "Why are there so many ... tech weblogs?" I hadn't looked at it like that before, it was ammusing to see.
Incidentally, I did install Ubuntu 6.06 in 8 minutes (from a live cd), but it was on 2gb of ram and a 15,000 RPM SCSI disc, which I agree most "normal users" (heh) dont have.
Having finally got to this point in my post, I'm finding this resizing comment box *amazingy* iritating. my touchpad mouse keeps resizing it all over the place. Only way i can escape from it is to tab to the 'preview comment' button.
Ubuntu 8.04
Well, you guys can argue over the merits of whatever, but the simple fact is that without support for basic hardware that people have, Ubuntu is not going to do the trick. For the first time ever, I installed something other than Windows, which I have been doing for some 20 years now, and while it did install great and looks great and is faster and seems easier and is less exposed to virus programs, it can't/won't see my sound card and no effort for the past two weeks has been able to change that. I have search over and over for any kind of fix and tried everything I have found on the Internet, to no avail! Without sound, this dog don't hunt!
While it has been an interesting two weeks, and while I really do like the o/s, without basic functionally and support....postings for help even go unanswered.... I an not interested to staying with what doesn't work.
Have a great time debating the ins and outs of babble, but this guy is out of here.
You can't get something for nothing
It's an old adage: People who want something for nothing general get what they pay for. It's a real pet-peeve of mine to hear people say "they" really need to improve GNU/Linux hardware support... Just who are "they"? Well, I'll tell you. "They" are people, who fit into one of these three categories:
1. Individuals around the world who add support to GNU/Linux for a particular hardware feature in their spare time so they can use it themselves for their own purposes.
More often than not, such patches or enhancements do not constitute good quality, general purpose code, but rather, hacks that suffice for these hackers' personal needs. Not that they're bad programmers--quite the contrary, often they're some of the best. But they're motivated to do the wrong thing--get it working just enough to be usable for their own needs. We're more or less lucky when they sometimes go the extra mile to make it right.
2. Corporate entities who want to invest as little as possible to get this "free infrastructure" they thought they were buying into in order to get GNU/Linux up to speed for their own business purposes.
While these additions are generally of somewhat better quality than those that come from category 1 people, they still have their own reasons for doing the work, and these reasons are not often centered around providing a really great GNU/Linux platform.
So often I hear in my own work-place statements born of ignorance from management indicating their desire to "leverage free work from the open source world" to accomplish some business goal. I'm sorry, but nothing is free in this world. The reasons for using open source in this context should be centered around ubiquity and learning curve for their customers, NOT around some imaginary free contributions to future products.
I try to warn them when I can: More often than not, a fair amount of work will have to be contributed back to the open source community before the "free" part is usable by the product.
3. Distro companies like RedHat and Novell and Ubuntu, who have a vested interest in seeing Linux do well. But even these companies have resource constraints. They have to be very careful how they spend these resources, or they won't get the return on their investment that their shareholders expect.
This is why RedHat dropped their desktop market a few years ago--they simply weren't making enough money on that end of the Linux field. Foolish people who thought RedHat was in it for religious reasons couldn't understand this move at the time it happened. A wise business doesn't get into religious wars over who owns the desktop. If they do, they fail, and then they help no one.
This is not to say that no one cares about the desktop. Linux distro companies are still spending a lot of money on improving the desktop, but solely for the sake of infrastructure required to ensure their value propositions remain viable. These (somewhat) altruistic endeavors CANNOT take first position within the business, or the business will fail, and then no one will benefit. It's a fine line to walk, and for the most part, they're doing it well.
The bottom line: Support for a particular device, or desirable new features will happen when it happens. If you want it to happen faster, then you'll have to pay for it yourself--either with your time and effort or by paying someone else to do it for you. It's not about strategy or competition. It's just the model. It's just the way things are done in the free software world. We pay for Windows with our money, we pay for GNU/Linux with our patience and effort (and sometimes with our money). But we do pay in either case.
You can't get something for nothing - TANSTAAFL
John is correct. There is no such thing as a free lunch, and the success of GNU/Linux is due to the personal efforts made by the huge community of adopters. John is also correct that there are many levels of adopters, some who just want to boot it and use it, some who want to comment on it, beta testers, developers, etc. We come from a wide variety of commercial and non-commercial interests.
But all of this is somewhat far afield from Ryan's original point. I'm going to restate it here, and probably paraphrase it very badly, but he was saying that GNU/Linux can't be counted, and the numbers wars of marketing are just a shell game. My point was that market share of servers has had little trouble counting Linux boxes, because they count iron installed. In the desktop market, the same thing is true. Counting iron installed, there is very little market share for GNU/Linux (<1%).
The other point is that Windows Vista is failing badly. People just don't like it (Although like many, I live in a Windows/Mac OSX/Linux world, and it works just fine - on brand new, state of the art hardware). There is an opening, and the community has brought the evolution (my favorite mail client) of Linux to the point where it not only competes with Vista - its better. I'm writing this on my Vista/SuSE 11.0 box at work, on the Vista side. I would use the SuSE side but I screwed up and installed KDE 4.0, which is NOT ready for primetime - yet. After the comments and improvements of the community, it will either evolve into something useful, or the community will choose something else.
As a former zombie coder, I resent the implication that hacked together monsters are not just as good as the "perfect" ivory tower logical poems. I come from the engineering side of things, and working now is better than a design still being implemented six months from now. Work now. Polish later. And with a huge community of people to polish, GNU/Linux has a bright shiny body indeed. Something that even the ivory tower crowd has to admire.
But all of this is
But all of this is somewhat far afield from Ryan's original point. I'm going to restate it here, and probably paraphrase it very badly, but he was saying that GNU/Linux can't be counted, and the numbers wars of marketing are just a shell game. My point was that market share of servers has had little trouble counting Linux boxes, because they count iron installed. In the desktop market, the same thing is true. Counting iron installed, there is very little market share for GNU/Linux (<1%).
I did state my point several times above your comment - you could have just copied it ;o). Check my response to MrHasBean above.
As for your point about how the market counts servers (and can count desktops) I say they can't. I'm sorry I don't get the reference to "iron installed" - perhaps it is cultural?
I've copied too much from you already
But it is a worthwhile discussion, no? The point I'm making, despite protestations to the contrary, is that it WILL be counted. Every piece of iron, every box, runs something. Those somethings are counted. With web servers it is pretty easy, if they are running IIS you know it isn't a Linux box. If it runs Apache, the question is harder. Our software is better because it runs in all the environments. But the final point is that environment has to exist somewhere. There has to be a metal box with some impure sand to make the magic incantations go round and round. It doesn't make any difference how many times it gets downloaded, just to sit in an ISO file on a rusty metal plate (hard drive). It doesn't make any difference how many coffee cup coasters (CD's, DVD's) contain that ISO data. It only makes a difference when the magic incantation is performed in the metal sandbox. And sandboxes CAN and WILL be counted, whether you like it or not.
Let us do what we can to make those numbers as high as they should be.
"Every piece of iron,
"Every piece of iron, every box, runs something. Those somethings are counted."
Other than the fact that I post here and tell you, you have absolutely no way to "count the iron" in my household. Nor do I really want you to.
I have, as I've stated elsewhere on this site, four desktop PC/workstations running Debian. Every one of them is some kind of "whitebox" that I assembled from components.
Two more systems that I inherited are going to have either Debian or some other free software OS running on them soon. These machines were sold with Windows pre-installed on them. So Microsoft counted them as "Windows" sales, but they aren't running Windows now.
Now how common is that? I have no idea, but I don't think you do, either!
There's a lot of this world that is running on old, second-hand, or hand-built computers. Windows is simply awful on those systems, and installing Debian Linux on them is a good deal easier, as I can attest from experience with both.
I mean, do you realize just how much computing power has been sold at dirt-cheap prices due to companies retiring and replacing their old systems every year or two? What do you think happens to all those systems? People like me buy them and put them back to work, that's what -- waste not, want not.
If you try to make projections based solely on the corporate market, you're missing a lot of the action. That would be like trying to figure out what cars were driven most by looking only at company fleets or using only the statistics of new cars sold.
For me, as a "do-it-yourselfer", free software is a complete "no-brainer". This is the "do-it-yourself" way to set up computers. Windows is not friendly to my demographic. I don't know just how many people are in my situation, but I'm reasonably sure I'm not alone.
Trying to use the same kinds of figures that people use for proprietary software is a serious mistake. No one should care how much money is made selling Linux. We need to care how strong Linux is as a platform, and that isn't even a direct function of how many instances are installed, let alone how many are on commercial contracts. It's a function of how many active, contributing members there are to the projects that support the software.
There may be useful statistics for evaluating the success of Linux, but they aren't the same ones that proprietary producers quote. So, making direct comparisons will always be suspect.
Who is going to sell it to them?
"Most of the average users I know would rather buy a new PC than upgrade Windows"
IMHO, SuSE 11.0 with KDE 3.5 is much better that Vista. More compatible. Faster. More applications. More games (yes, I use Cedega), and a better gaming experience.
If these boxes were widely known and widely available, we wouldn't have to talk about Vista anymore.
Dell, Wal-Mart, ASUS, slowly we are seeing Linux boxes offered as the first choice, rather than an aftermarket upgrade.
The age of dual boot is coming to an end. The age of Linux as first choice has arrived.
Certainly hope you aren't that naive, Terry
If you want to be relegated to the hobbyist shelf at the bookstore, that's fine. Many people build cars from scratch, many of them never street legal. Those cars don't ever get counted in marketing surveys, but they bring new technology into the marketplace that helps all cars become better. Next up are the "kit cars", which are still constructed in a hobbyist garage (see http://www.dmv.org/wi-wisconsin/custom-built-cars.php). Perhaps you live in Florida, and are used to your vote not counting. Neither excuse works for me.
I use Linux. I am proud of that fact, and I want it to be counted. I too have assembled boxes that have never had a Windows Sticker on them, and I have converted boxes that do. Too bad that there may be others like us, whose many Linux boxes will never be counted by anyone, never matter. Of course, with Linux "market share" down below 1%, it wouldn't really matter if we got an accurate count and doubled our numbers. And don't kid yourself Terry, the vast (99%+) number of those refurb and off lease systems don't run any version of Linux, but some version of Windows.
But even more heartening, is the idea that those MicroSerfs will never be liberated, that they will have to spend their entire lives in service to Bill and Steve. You don't seem to care if no one ever makes a dime off Linux. I take the opposite view. I want there to be billions and billions made off of Linux machines and related services. I want people to have a better operating system, a better computing experience, to use the best software on the planet. I want people to be free, especially in a civil rights sense. Perhaps I have misunderstood you Terry, but it seems that if Linux "makes progress" on its own, it really has no other reason to exist.
Don't kid yourself Terry. Boxes matter. Numbers matter. Linux matters. And Linux should stand up and be counted. Linux should lead the world. Linux should succeed. And everybody will be better off because of it.
wine and water
Okay, the car marketplace analogies aren't working too well for you. Let's consider a different example: wine and water.
Any comparison which is based on "money made" will inevitably favor the much more expensive product, even if it is far less important. After all which makes more money: selling wine or selling water? Which one is better for you? Which one is actually drunk more? Which one is critical to your survival? How many bottles of water did your municipal water supplier sell last year?
If you looked at the "market share" of wine versus water, would you have any chance of predicting which is actually drunk more?
Do you see how those comparisons could be meaningless or pointless? Likewise, comparing GNU/Linux and Microsoft Windows successes in terms of sales or even total money made is nonsensical.
Your suggested approach -- counting operating systems delivered on turn-key systems sold -- would miss enormous numbers of operating system deployments. It's like trying to estimate water drunk by examining sales of bottled water.
Now, I'll admit that you're probably right that most installations on second-hand machines are Windows -- but you have no evidence for it. Just hear-say. There's no justification for faux quantitative statements like "less than 1% 'market share'".
How would you get that number? There's no way you can know it, which is what I was trying to say. There are ways to estimate for servers, but for workstations and PCs, it's a very difficult task (one possible estimator is to look at browser strings from clients visiting websites -- but there are all kinds of sampling problems with that approach, too. For example, you'll tend to get very different answers for different sites).
The tests of that kind that have been done suggest much larger figures for free software browsers and GNU/Linux operating systems: more like 10%, not 1%, IIRC.
A more important objection is that Linux does not need a large "market share" to be stable. It is quite possible for anyone who wants to run GNU/Linux to successfully do so, even if it does have a very small share of the total number of deployed operating systems.
Because GNU/Linux costs (vastly) less to develop (due to the advantages of openness and user-participation in development), it needn't make as much money to succeed as more expensive proprietary products. Thus, comparing the money made from GNU/Linux to the money made from Windows is highly deceptive.
Trying to directly compare sales figures props up a false impression that sales figures ("money made") is as important a metric for free software as it is for proprietary software. Proprietary software companies die without sales, but for free software projects they are optional and have little bearing on the continued stability or availability of the software.
You shouldn't imagine that the fact that the free software marketplace turns over less money is in any way a bad thing -- in fact it's part of what makes GNU/Linux great: it is vastly more efficient.
Linux preinstalls rocket to three per cent
Something to be noted indeed.


text:
Spring Ski Deals near North Conway New Hampshire at the Bartlett Inn
Believe it or not Spring is here and with it the best ski NH and Ski New England deals of the season! Of course midweek skiing Monday through Friday offers the best savings because the lift tickets and the rooms at the Bartlett Inn near Attitash, Black Mountain, Cranmore Mountain North Conway,Bretton Woods Ski Resort and SKi Wildcat NH in Pinkham Notch are at a super reduced rate but still include a yummy homecooked breakfast to get your ski day off to the right start! And athe lift tickets range from half price to 30% off at some of our favorite mountains. Other mountains save you 5-8$ off per tickets. Every little bit helps and you can use the savings to pay for a hot cocoa, lunch or dinner! Also included iwth your tay is an afternoon refreshment while you unwind by the inns real wood fireplace…hot appl cider and something sweet…cake or cookies or my favorite brownies! Loosen your muschles in the outdoor jacuzzi take a shower and then head out to dinner at one of our great local Bartlett Nh and Glen NH and North Conway NH and Jackson NH restaurants! Bartlett Inn will also give discounts on weekend packages saving between $3-40 per ticket. As always we offer FREE snow tubing tickets and crsss country ski and Snowshoe Trail Passes for Great Glen Trails. Call 1 603 374 2353. We do our best to get you the best prices on lift tickets in NH and Ski Equipment Rentals too. Spring Ski Deals near North Conway New Hampshire at the Bartlett Inn.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ashland will celebrate the completion of a redesign of the Plaza at 5 p.m. Friday, April 5.
The installation of water-permeable pavers, new lighting and low concrete walls that provide seating and protect landscaping has wrapped up.
Mayor John Stromberg and others will dedicate the community's newest piece of public art, the ceramic frieze on the Plaza seat walls.
Beverages and cookies will be served and the mayor will invite all who gather to raise their glasses in a community toast.
The brief ceremony will end with the burial of the 2113 time capsule.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Alliance Chrysalis
Blossoming from its cocoon the intrepid caterpillar unfolds into a glorious skull winged monarch. For if there weren't skulls, what kind of helmet would this be? Certainly not another classic from the pen of our very own Tanner. BTW - we made it in purple because all women hate pink - Facebook® told us so.
$188.00 Suggested Retail USD
- All World Standard, meets or exceeds the following: DOT FMVSS 218 (US), ECE 22-05 (Europe), SAI AS1698 (Australia) & SG (Japan) safety and teting standards. Does not ship with SAI or SG certification stickers unless purchesed from an authorized dealer in that country
- Injection Molded Polycarbonate Shell for Strength
- Long Oval Headform
- Wind Tunnel Tested and Refined
- Molded Twin Channel Supervent for Increased Cooling
- Rear Exhaust Ports Prevent Heat Buildup
- Removable molded breath deflector reduces shield fogging
- Chin Venting System Reduces Shield Fogging
- Fully removable/washable HydraDry™ interior
- Quick-change fog-free Proshield™ with sideplates
- Prolock™ shield locking system
- Shown with included RST Chameleon Shield
Loading Video...


text:
BOJ Beat: BOJ Eyes Expanding Cheap Loans To Spur Bank Lending
By Tatsuo Ito and Takashi Nakamichi
Few Bank of Japan watchers expect the central bank to tweak its monetary policy when its board meets next week, but the members are likely to consider expanding a pair of lending programs they see as supporting the BOJ's efforts to achieve a stable 2% inflation target.
To help get the economy out of 15 years of deflation, the BOJ wants commercial banks to reduce the amount of cash parked in safe Japanese government bonds and increase exposure to riskier assets such as loans. Under the two programs, the BOJ offers loans at an annual interest rate of 0.1% to commercial banks that increase lending to customers.
As an end-March deadline to the programs nears, the nine board members must decide either at their Feb. 17-18 or March 10-11 meeting whether to continue them.
"There aren't any good and decisive reasons to end those programs now," said Takahiro Sekido, Japan strategist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.
Many of the board members, including Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda, appear intent on expanding the programs, as they have yet to produce their intended results. Commercial bank lending to firms and households has increased, but only gradually, with their outstanding loans rising by 2.5% in January from a year earlier.
Yet for the BOJ, continuing the programs can also help fend off criticism that the BOJ's current policy has only flooded financial institutions with cash, failing to channel the money into the real economy.
But there are differences of opinion among members over the size and the duration of any expansion, a person familiar with the BOJ's policy said.
Under an aggressive monetary easing policy introduced under Mr. Kuroda last April, the BOJ has pledged to double the size of the monetary base to Y270 trillion by the end of this year, mainly through massive purchases of government bonds. The BOJ's lending through those facilities is also counted toward the monetary base, even though the contribution is small.
One of the two loan programs, designed to encourage commercial banks to lend more to the growth sector, has already reached Y3.3 trillion, near its Y3.5 trillion ceiling. The other program, in which the BOJ provides funds to banks without limit in accordance with an increase in their loans outstanding, has totalled only Y5 trillion so far in three fund-provisions operations, with only two more planned, suggesting the program will fall well short of its initial target of Y15 trillion.
Some commercial banks say they feel no urgency to turn to the BOJ programs, having other tools to raise low-cost funds amid a near zero interest rates.
"We won't be in trouble without those programs. But we want to tap them if they will be extended," said an official at a major Japanese bank. Some banks even complain that the BOJ's financing has resulted in more pressure from customers to cut their loan margins, squeezing banks' profits.


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News 12 First at Five / Friday, Sept. 14, 2012
EVANS, Ga. -- Investigators in Columbia County say it could be six weeks before we know if a driver involved in a deadly crash had been drinking.
The accident happened Wednesday night on Washington Road at its intersection with Ronald Reagan Drive.
Deputies say the driver of a pickup truck ran a red light and slammed into a car carrying a college student and two passengers.
Friends tell News 12 that Jordan White had just left the Columbia County library where she was with her boyfriend and friends. On Friday afternoon, her boyfriend is still in ICU.
Her friends are stunned.
"Jordan was the most beautiful girl you'd ever meet. She had the biggest smile," said Jordan's friend, Austin Effler.
Brittany Roders worked with Jordan at Firehouse Subs.
"Bubbly, very bubbly. She was always really happy," she said.
Hailey Jameson also worked with Jordan.
"She was probably one of the happiest people that worked here," Jameson said.
Meanwhile, another friend, Alexis Mendez, remembered her.
"Never failed to make me smile or laugh," she said.
Whether you ask her co-workers at Firehouse Subs or closest friends, everyone describes 19-year-old Jordan the same way: full of life.
On Thursday, Jordan died after an accident sent her to the hospital.
"We were with her five minutes before she got into the wreck," said Laura Kerwin.
On Wednesday, Jordan, her boyfriend, Corey Davis, and a friend were hanging with a group outside the library.
"We had to go home, it was about 11:30, and she left right behind us and we just happen to go a different route," Kerwin said.
As Jordan took a left off Ronald Reagan, deputies say that's when the driver of a truck ran a red light and slammed into her Honda Accord.
Deputies say the driver, Luckey Jackson, may have been drinking. News 12 went by his home Friday. His work car was there, but we got no answer.
"I'm still in a state of shock. I almost have nothing left to give; it just hurts so bad," Effler said.
Laney Rauch had known Jordan since they were 8 years old.
"When I look at her pictures, it's hard to believe that she's gone," she said.
Pictures that go back more than 11 years for Laney with her best friend.
"It's just something you have to be strong about to get over, but it's really hard," Mendez said.
News 12 spoke to several of her friends, all of them eager to talk about her with pride.
We spoke to her father, Joe White, as well. He says he lost his best friend this week and says she was the most beautiful girl.
Investigators tell News 12 the results of a toxicology test could take as long as 8 weeks. This all boils down to funding and lack of resources causing a backlog of cases.
News 12 asked if Jackson could be booked on charges of running a red light or homicide by vehicle, investigators say they'd prefer to iron out all of the charges, which would include DUI pending toxicology results, before making an arrest.


text:
Seven plead guilty in fraud
Cases focused on jobless benefits
Published: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, April 29, 2013 at 11:44 p.m.
Seven Tuscaloosa County residents recently pleaded guilty in Tuscaloosa County District Court to fraudulent claiming and collecting state unemployment benefits.
Five of the guilty were from Tuscaloosa. The five and the amount of unemployment compensation they fraudulently claimed are: Michael Burgess, $2,580; Shannon Biddlecome, $4,066; William Samuel, $2,876; Johnny Turner, $1,685; and Lee Stokes, $4,826. Also pleading guilty were Elizabeth Norwood of Vance, who illegally claimed $4,675 in benefits, and Reginald Greene, of Cottondale, who illegally claimed $1,482.
Each of the seven received a suspended sentence of 90 days in jail, and were put on probation for 24 months. All were also ordered to pay restitution, court costs and a $100 fine.
Charges were brought by the Alabama Department of Labor following an investigation by its Benefit Payment Control Section.
"We at the Alabama Department of Labor want people to know that we are aggressively pursuing cases of unemployment compensation fraud," said a statement issued Monday by Alabama Labor Commissioner Tom Surtees.
"Especially in these economic times, we want to make sure that all who are entitled to benefits receive them. But at the same time, we will not allow those who deliberately try to defraud the system to go unpunished. We are working with local district attorney offices to make sure that we can identify and prosecute those individuals who are committing these crimes," he said.
Suspected unemployment compensation fraud can be reported to the Alabama Department of Labor by calling 1-800-392-8019.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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SANTA CLARA -- The Earthquakes just don't make it easy.
They came unglued in the final 10 minutes Saturday night but held off the Portland Timbers 2-1 for a much-needed victory in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,525 at Buck Shaw Stadium.
It took second-half goals three minutes apart by Victor Bernardez and Steven Lenhart and hold-your-breath defense at the end to provide relief from a dismal season for the defending Supporters' Shield champions.
"We're on the rise right now," said Bernardez, who demanded the ball for a penalty kick in the 55th minute.
The muscular defender punched the ball through in the lower-left corner to kick-start San Jose's first Major League Soccer win streak of the season. In all, the Quakes (7-9-6) have won three in a row counting an exhibition against Norwich City.
The result also marked the team's first MLS victory against Portland, which fell to third place in the Western Conference on a night when four of the top five teams in the West lost. San Jose leapfrogged Seattle into seventh place but has played four more games than the Sounders.
The victory was all the more impressive considering three stars -- Chris Wondolowski, newcomer Clarence Goodson and Alan Gordon -- are with the U.S. national team that plays Sunday in the Gold Cup final.
But San Jose didn't let the absences bother it against one of the league's best road teams. Portland (8-3-10) now has lost twice away from Jeld-Wen Field.
The scoring began after Earthquakes midfielder Shea Salinas stole a pass in front of Jack Jewsbury and charged down field. He kept the ball long enough in the box to draw a penalty kick when knocked down.
Enter the man they call Big Victor.
"I had confidence," he said through a translator. "The coach gave me confidence."
It's unusual to see a center back take a penalty kick over a striker. But with Wondolowski away the Quakes didn't have their top choice. It was the first time since May 2012 someone other than Wondolowski took the kick.
"When he hits it from 40 yards he tries to kill the keeper," goalkeeper Jon Busch said of Bernardez.
Not this time.
"The goalkeeper knows I hit it hard," Bernardez said. "I thought I'd change up."
Midfielder Sam Cronin noted the Honduran's confidence when the decision to take the shot was made.
"He wanted it," Cronin said.
The Earthquakes doubled the lead when Salinas found Lenhart behind the defense on a curving free kick five in the 58th minute. Lenhart toe-poked the ball past the Timbers' Donovan Ricketts.
But San Jose then fell apart with Darlington Nagbe's goal in the 84th minute. He got his sixth goal on a breakaway when the Quakes' defense suffered a lapse.
It took only another minute for the situation to get worse. Midfielder Marvin Chavez, just back from international duty with Honduras, got a yellow card for a rough challenge on Pa Modou Kah.
In a boneheaded move Chavez then interfered with Portland's free kick to draw a second caution. That led to his ejection, which means he will miss Saturday's match against Chivas USA along with suspended teammate Gordon.
"It hurts us," coach Mark Watson said of losing Chavez. "It's very disappointing."
Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865 and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/elliottalmond.


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Dice singles, including individual 4-sided dice, 6-sided dice, 8-sided dice, 10-sided dice, 12-sided dice, 20-sided dice, and more. Everything from polyhedral dice standard spotted dice, to alphabet and astrology dice.
Crystal Shaped Swirly 12 Sided D12 Dice (Purple)$1.25Not your standard dice. These 12 Sided Swirly Dice work just like standard dice but they are shaped like crystals. These Dice are always a great hit for any RPG game. And offer a Swirl of color when being rolled! Learn More


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Quartz Desktop
View Quartz Compositions on your desktop.
What's a Quartz Composition?
Quartz Compositions are screensaver-like files that can include rich data sources and render them using all the features of Quartz Extreme and Core Image. The best example is the RSS screensaver that ships with Tiger.
Required OS: not specified
Tags: quartz , screensaver , wallpaper , desktop
5 Opinions
Aw man.. does anyone still have this? [email protected]
This has impressed me. Deep joy. Download some Quartz compositions from that site that durangotang posted, there are loads there. Not all of them are CPU hungry either.
Fantastic app (but uses lots of cpu).
Who needs iTunes visuualisers when you can have your whole desktop move to the beat?
Awesome when you're not doing anything that needs a lot of CPU.
I am probably wasting enormous amounts of battery life and GPU and I don't even care ;-)
Checkout http://www.quartzcompositions.com/phpBB2/upload/index.php


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EDMONTON - For now, the business will be left unfinished.
There will be no repeat, no after-party and no return trip to the Memorial Cup. The Portland Winterhawks are 2013 Western Hockey League champions.
Scoring his 48th, 49th and 50th career WHL playoff goals, Ty Rattie's record-breaking effort lifted the Winterhawks to a 5-1 win in Game 6 Sunday afternoon at Rexall Place. In doing so, Rattie, a prospect of the NHL's St. Louis Blues, became the League's new record-holder for career goals in the post-season.
Rattie collected a total of 36 points in the post-season and was named playoff MVP after torching the Everett Silvertips, Spokane Chiefs, Kamloops Blazers and Oil Kings.
"It feels really, really good," Rattie said as media swarmed the ice post-game. "It's the best feeling ever. It's something I've never going to forget. There's no feeling like this."
"It's tough," countered Oil Kings Head Coach Derek Laxdal. "The kids are down and they feel the pain. It sure is a lot tougher being on this side than the other side like last year. Give full credit to Portland. They played us hard, have a heckuva hockey club over there and are going to have a good run at the Memorial Cup.
"Give our kids a lot of credit, too. They played hard all year, got over 60 wins and won the Eastern Conference Championship -- it was a pretty special season. They had a great year and laid it all on the line. We asked a lot of them and demanded a lot out of them."
"I can't even explain it," added goaltender Laurent Brossoit, who made 19 saves on the night and will likely begin the 2013-14 campaign somewhere in the Calgary Flames organization. "We worked very hard to go so far. It hurts. To come up short after giving everything you have and it's still not enough, it's a feeling I can't explain."
Needing a quick start, the Oil Kings got it at 1:04 as Oilers prospect Travis Ewanyk gave the home side an early 1-0 lead. Galloping down the wing, Ewanyk's attempted shot redirected off a skate and into the slot, where Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Derrick Pouliot inadvertently punted the puck into his own net.
It was the only puck that got past Carruth -- he made 26 saves in all. The 21-year-old prospect of the Chicago Blackhawks punched his ticket to the Memorial Cup riding a 1.63 goals-against average and .937 save percentage.
"Unbelievable," he shouted as media mobbbed his crease. "We came up short two years in a row and apparently the third time's a charm. The fans didn't boo us and that shows a lot of class from them. It's an unbelievable feeling."
"We couldn't script it any better," Ewanyk said of the goal. "We got a great bounce and were really moving out there. But give Portland credit. They played us hard and they deserved the win. They're going to represent the WHL (at the Memorial Cup) well."
The Oil Kings were granted a glorious opportunity to bury the Winterhawks shortly after the icebreaker as Chase De Leo was assessed a double minor for high-sticking.
Just as it has all series, however, the power-play failed to click (ending the season on an 0-for-34 stretch). And on this night, in a sequence of events no one saw coming, the punishment was far, far worse.
Both shorthanded and separated by less than 200 seconds, Rattie scored goals No. 48 and 49, silencing the 7,449 in attendance and giving the Winterhawks a 2-1 lead.
First pouncing on an error by Oilers prospect Martin Gernat and then springing his linemate with a quick outlet pass, 2013 draft-eligible prospect Nic Petan assisted on both, adding a third when Rattie completed the hat trick in the second period.
"They're big goals," said Rattie. "They got off to a quick start with that lucky goal and that four-minute PK was big for us to get a couple goals and really set the pace for the game."
"Our power-play was awful all series," added TJ Foster who, as a 20-year-old, will moving on to bigger and better things next season. "We were pretty lethargic, weren't ready to go and they capitalized. (Rattie) showed why he's one of the best players in the League tonight."
Brossoit made 12 saves in the opening 20 minutes. If not for him, the score could have been a lot worse.
"He was getting bombarded," said Laxdal. "Calgary's got a great prospect on their hands. It's going to be fun to watch him take the next step."
The Winterhawks made it a 3-1 game 3:54 into the second period. Just after an interference penalty to Mitch Moroz expired, Oliver Bjorkstrand stepped into a shooting position off the half wall and dribbled a wrist shot under the glove of Brossoit.
With 6:35 to play in the second, Rattie completed the hat trick by scooping up a loose puck and popping a backhand shot past Brossoit, who had little to no chance of putting the brakes on the sniper's slick moves.
Portland held a slim 20-19 edge in shots after 40 minutes.
The Oil Kings had a chance to inch closer early in the third as Curtis Lazar was set up beautifully at the lip of the crease, but the sniper's one-time shot was emphatically snared by Carruth.
Lazar had another wonderful chance moments later as he burst up the middle on a breakaway, but Carruth was there once again.
"The group of guys we had this year, we really thought it was our year," said Lazar. "We left it all on the ice. Every single one of us battled hard, but Portland's a heckuva team and good luck to them."
The Oil Kings will be a much different team next season. Twenty-year-olds Foster, Trevor Cheek (signed with the Colorado Avalanche) and Dylan Wruck will be moving on. Several other 19-year-olds, such as Brossoit, Ewanyk, Henrik Samuelsson, Martin Gernat, Michael St. Croix and David Musil could be poised to begin their pro careers, too.
"I was pretty fortunate to get a bit of everything (in my career)," said Foster, who was around in 2009-10 when the Oil Kings won only 16 games. "It feels awesome (to win) after you struggle like that. When you get a chance to win a championship with a group of guys like that, it's pretty special. We had a great team."
"It's a tough way to go out, but they have great memories here and we're very proud of that group of kids," added Laxdal. "Starting tomorrow, we're trying to get back here again next year."
-- Ryan Dittrick, edmontonoilers.com | Follow me on Twitter @ryandittrick
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Burglary suspects charged
Published: Friday, June 21, 2013 at 10:47 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, June 21, 2013 at 10:47 p.m.
Three men accused of stealing electronic items from a classroom at a vo-tech high school on the Houma Airbase were arrested Friday, police said.
Arrested were Jeremiah Robertson, 22, 1300 Laban Ave. No. 11; Raven N. Howard, 22, 505 Ashlawn St.; and Ryan J. Ward, 21, 1607 Furman St.
The trio is accused of stealing the items May 18 from the Terrebonne Career Technical High School, Houma Police Lt. Dana Coleman said.
All three Houma men are charged with simple burglary. Robertson is also charged with illegal possession of stolen property.
Police received help from a tip from someone who called Crimestoppers, Coleman said.
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Thursday Night Live presents...SUPER Bingo!
Start Date: December 4, 2014
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Thursday Night Live presents…SUPER Bingo!
Thursday, December 4, 2014
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Dining Hall, Fuller Campus Center, Leicester campus
Come on out for an awesome night of SUPER bingo! This one's a big event, BIG ticket item prizes (think televisions, printers, ipods, gaming supplies, gift cards and more), for both campuses, all in one! Show up for your chance to win great prizes…stay tuned for more information on what prizes will be won!
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Mt. Roberts Baptist Church is hosting a faith sharing training course titled "The Way of the Master."
The course began on Jan. 20 and will continue each Sunday through March 9. Classes begin at 6 p.m.
The church is located at 989 Mac Pittman Road in Campbellsville.
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Our favorite TV moms ever
We pay tribute to some of the best known moms from television.
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- Protect yourself on the field
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Storelli's ExoShield HeadGuard is designed to be a sleek guard that eliminates the traditional helmet look, while outperforming traditional head guards.
Constructed specifically for soccer, this head guard reduces the effect of G-forces by over 50%.
Incorporates the same innovative, lightweight open-cell viscoelastic foam used in combat-grade military helmet liners.
Lamentamos que todavia no hay descripción en español para este producto.


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rogerfederer.com - Back on track
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© Paul Zimmer
Back on track
09.01.2008 | Tennis
Roger was able to attend a first training session after having had to rest for a couple of days due to stomach flu. The training in Rod Laver Arena (The center court of the Australian Open) is of vital importance as a new type of surface has been installed (Plexicushion) there - and that certainly takes some getting used to.
Roger had to cancel his participation in the tournament in Kooyong, a district of Melbourne, on Monday du to his illness. He will now possibly be taking part in an exhibition match at the Kooyong stadium.
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hey Roger a very Happy New Year 2008 and this year Roger please try to remain fit throughout the year I know you were not fit but now you are touchwood absolutely fit and also Roger you have to win 2008 3rd consecutive Australian open trophy title and the
Go Roger!!!
i'm looking forward to see you at aus open~
i'm looking forward to see you at aus open~
glad to hear that u are fine..............
do well........all the best for australian open
do well........all the best for australian open
Although you able to be fine, we are feeling fine.
We hope you are feeling better Roger. Best of luck to the new year. All the best in '08....now lets make some more history!!
I had a quick look at the draws. I am very worried about Guccione. He is a VERY good player and serves very well. I think he could pose a threat then there is Naldandian who could make it to the semis in theory. Djokovic is also in Roger's group. Nadal is
great!!! now back in the game, i cant wait to see you in your best form, kiss you good luck
what a wonderful news!
GOOD LUCK,Federer~you are always the best of the best!
GOOD LUCK,Federer~you are always the best of the best!
glad to hear that
Just want to say that this Aussie Open is the key to to the whole year, if it goes good
so will the year
Just want to say that this Aussie Open is the key to to the whole year, if it goes good
so will the year


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Around town
January 8, 2013
Pulled pork dinner at Legion Post 159 There will be a pulled pork dinner from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday at American Legion Post 159 in Williamstown. The Jinx band will perform at 9 p.m....
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Spurrier vows to make changes after Georgia loss
Published: Sunday, September 8, 2013 at 3:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, September 9, 2013 at 12:54 a.m.
Following a disappointing defeat Saturday at Georgia, South Carolina is going back to the drawing board as it prepares for its upcoming SEC home opener against Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt (1-1, 0-1 SEC) at No. 13 USC (1-1, 0-1)
7 p.m., ESPN, 97.1 FM, 104.3 FM, 1400 AM
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USC head coach Steve Spurrier vowed changes were on the way during his post-game press conference Saturday night, and he reiterated those remarks during his teleconference on Sunday.
"We're going to have to do some things differently," Spurrier said. "I can't spill all the beans and tell Vandy what we're trying to do, but I will say we're going to try to be fundamentally sound. If we do that we've got a chance. If we don't we have no chance."
After watching the tape from Saturday's game, Spurrier concluded that the entire team, including the coaching staff, has work to do.
"I think it's evident that Georgia not only outplayed us, they outcoached us in this ballgame," he said. "We're going to try and regroup and see if we can't get better. We've got to get back to basic fundamentals."
Despite its loss to the Bulldogs, South Carolina still has a shot at winning the SEC East.
Georgia went on to win the division each of the past two seasons after losing to South Carolina, but Spurrier said the Gamecocks are not thinking about that right now.
"We're not into that," Spurrier said. "We don't have to worry about any kind of division or SEC Championship. We're worried about going to a bowl game right now, that's what we need to worry about, winning seven games or eight games if we can."
Spurrier expects USC to have its hands full with Vanderbilt. The Commodores won nine games a year ago and gave USC all it could handle in Nashville last season.
Ole Miss defeated Vandy 39-35 to open the season, but the Commodores responded with a 38-3 win over Austin Peay. Spurrier said the Commodores have plenty of talent.
"When you watch them on defense they look like maybe the best defense we've faced this year," Spurrier said. "Those guys are fast. They're quick; they're always in position. They're really a well-coached defense. We've got to be really ready to play."
As far as injuries, Spurrier said USC is relatively healthy, but Cody Waldrop, who missed the Georgia game with a foot sprain, is doubtful for Saturday.
Kadetrix Marcus, who missed the Georgia game with a shoulder injury, could play.
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SANTA CLARA -- Bellarmine College Prep won its 24th Central Coast Section water polo title with a 9-8 victory over Menlo-Atherton on Saturday, but not without some late-game drama.
The top-seeded Bells saw a two-goal lead disappear in the fourth quarter of the Division I title game on two goals by Menlo-Atherton standout Morgan Olson-Fabbro.
Then Bellarmine's Rico Burke got loose on a fast break and powered one past the M-A goalkeeper with 1:36 left.
All the Bells had to do was hold on, but that was no easy task. Menlo-Atherton got off three high-velocity shots in an attempt to tie, but Bellarmine goalkeeper Zach Laird was up to the challenge, blocking all three.
Soon it was time to celebrate, which Bellarmine first-year coach Colin Mello did in impulsive style, diving into the pool fully clothed and taking about five guys with him.
"You're never going to win a first championship in an easy way," said Mello, who replaced Larry Rogers, the coach who guided the Bells to those first 23 CCS titles.
Laird was an unlikely hero. The team's backup goalkeeper all season, he took over with starting keeper Jack Turner out because of illness.
"(Laird) came in and played his heart out," Mello said.
Olson-Fabbro led all scorers with five goals. Michael Blach led Bellarmine with four.
No. 3 seed Menlo-Atherton, after beating No. 2 St. Francis in the semifinals, nearly pulled off the upset.
"These guys really surprised the heck out of me," said M-A coach Dante Dettamanti, the former Stanford coach, of his team. "Our goal at the start of the season was to win league, which we did for the first time in 13 years. Our other goal was to make it to the final four. We did that and went one step further.
"To have one goal of difference in the championship game against Bellarmine, for us to be that close was a great accomplishment for this team."
Boys Division II
Sacred Heart Prep, which defeated Bellarmine for the West Catholic Athletic League title, had little difficulty in a 19-8 win over Los Altos for its fifth CCS title in the last six years.
The Gators outscored three CCS opponents by a combined 52-11.
"It was certainly the best season we've ever had, without question," said Sacred Heart Prep coach Brian Kreutzkamp, citing wins over several Southern California powers. "But if I say this is the best team I've ever had, I would get in trouble with Paul Rudolph (now playing for Stanford) and people like that."
The Gators scored eight goals in the second quarter in opening an 11-3 halftime lead. It was 16-4 after three quarters.
Harrison Enright, Bret Hinrichs, Zach Churukian and Nelson Perla-Ward scored three goals apiece for SHP. In all, 10 players scored.
Los Altos played SHP in the final each of the last two years, losing 7-4 last year.
"They didn't lose much off that team," Los Altos coach Johnny Bega said. "Their experience, speed and aggressiveness were overwhelming."
Girls Division I
St. Francis turned in a stellar defensive effort in an 8-3 win over Leland, avenging a 12-7 loss to the Chargers in the 2011 championship game and capturing the school's seventh CCS girls water polo title.
"It wasn't what we wanted last year," St. Francis coach Brendon Reutebuch said. "We turned the tables and had an exceptional game."
After a scoreless first quarter, St. Francis scored four goals in rapid succession in the second quarter to go up 4-0 at halftime. Leland didn't score until 4:05 was left in the third quarter. St. Francis goalkeeper Katherine Moore had 10 saves.
"Our defense held them to 16 shots and one of the best players in the CCS (Jamie Nolan) to one goal," Reutebuch said. "Our goal was to get to this point. The seniors worked tremendously hard."
Brittany Kirwan and Courtney Batcheller scored two goals apiece for the Lancers.
Girls Division II
Sacred Heart Prep won its sixth consecutive CCS title with a 7-5 win over St. Ignatius. The Gators held St. Ignatius scoreless in the fourth quarter and scored two goals of their own to pull away from a 5-5 tie after three quarters.
"Our defense in the fourth quarter was pivotal," SHP coach Jon Burke said. "That was our number one focus, setting the tone and character of the game through great defense."
Caitlin Stuewe led the Gators with three goals.
Contact Glenn Reeves at 650-348-4345 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/GReeves23.


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About the Book
"For love and laughter it doesn't get any better than Victoria Alexander."
—Christina Dodd<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Star-crossed lovers get a second chance in Desires of a Perfect Lady—the second installment in #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander's series in which three brothers embark upon a quest for adventure that leads each to the greatest treasure of all: love. Publishers Weekly raves, "Skillfully paced to deliver readers breathlessly to the finish line…historical romance at its most entertaining." Desires of a Perfect Lady is prime Alexander—brimming with the trademark passion, wit, and invention that has inspired bestselling author Stephanie Laurens to proclaim, "Victoria Alexander delivers on all counts."
A secret list of the desires of Lady Olivia Rathbourne:
- Disregard convention
- Follow my heart
- Bed the Earl of Wyldewood
A decade ago, Olivia had expected to marry the Earl of Wyldewood, only to have happiness stolen from her before his ring could be placed upon her finger. Now he stands before her, as proud and arrogant and handsome as ever, vowing to rescue her. Well, he's got some nerve urning up after all these years. Where was he when she needed him?
As for the earl, scandal has never touched him nor has impropriety ever besmirched his name. But his penchant for doing the expected does have his family calling him, well, dull. Isn't it time to flaunt society's conventions and do what he's always wanted? And first on his list: Olivia in his bed—with or without a wedding.
Educator and Librarian Resources
Product Details
- Imprint: HarperCollins e-books
- On Sale: 03/30/2010
- Pages: 384
- List Price: 5.99 USD
- BISAC1: FICTION / Romance / Historical / General
- BISAC2: FICTION / Romance / General