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THE WARSAW INSTITUTE REVIEW
Date: 6 June 2017 Author: Witold Bańka
The Battle Against Doping – Challenging but Winnable
For some, doping in sport has become normal practice with it so commonplace that there are people calling for its legalization. These calls, however, rarely come from the athletes themselves.
© VALENTIN FLAURAUD (PAP/EPA)
Anyone who has ever competed, who has devoted long months preparing for an athletic event at the expense of their free time, studies or family, knows how important it is to feel that the competition is fair and equal. Even if you lose – and defeat is inevitable in sports – you know that everyone has had an equal chance to win; because in sports you either accept the principle of fair play, or you are not really an athlete. There is no third way. Thus, when taking up the post of Minister of Sport and Tourism in the Polish government, as a former athlete I made protecting the integrity of sport my priority. This is the foundation on which I want to build the future successes of our athletes. Using this approach, there is no place for compromise. Polish sport must be free from doping, but also free from corruption; it has to be managed transparently and free from conflicts of interest.
The Battle against Doping
Today, the fight against doping is more difficult than ever before. In the era of globalization, the internet and ceaseless pressure on athletes, it is no longer enough to rely solely on the results of doping tests and to increase their frequency. The fight against doping in sport is increasingly based on the quality of actions taken and on the adequate cooperation of a wide range of stakeholders, including the police and customs services. To create such conditions, it is necessary to start with a solid legal basis. Therefore, at the beginning of my term in office, a thorough review of the legislation on the fight against doping was carried out, taking a truly critical approach. Some of the solutions turned out to be impractical or not in line with current international standards; meanwhile, others were non-compliant with WADA regulations, including the World Anti-Doping Code. The situation required a resolute and well considered response. I made two decisions. Firstly, I found it necessary to draft a completely new law to comprehensively regulate the complex issue of doping, which required a single legislative act to provide a basis for action for all stakeholders in the fight against doping in our country. Secondly, I decided that all regulations considered doubtful as to their compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code had to be amended as soon as possible.
The Polish Anti-Doping Agency
The first solution was of a long-term nature; meanwhile, the second was ad-hoc and required the immediate amendment of the Act on Sport, which was made last summer and thoroughly changed the system of enforcing disciplinary liability for doping in sport. We put an end to the system in which adjudication in disciplinary proceedings was down to the role of Polish sports associations, who often delivered judgments seeking to protect the mistaken interests of the athletes, rather than the need to combat doping. The power to draw up and implement disciplinary regulations on doping in sport was vested in the Commission Against Doping in Sport which, at that time, held the status of the Polish National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO). In retrospect, I can say that this step contributed to increasing the quality of the Polish system of disciplinary adjudication on cases relating to doping in sport. The changes were, therefore, continued in the same direction through commencing the work on the Act on Combating Doping in Sport, which further strengthened the role of the central-level adjudicating body.
© Andrzej Grygiel (PAP)
The main step in the legislative works was, therefore, the drafting of the new Act on Combating Doping in Sport, which ended on 20 December 2016 with the approval of the proposed legislation by the Council of Ministers. The work on the document was carried out in close cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency and in line with best practices used in drawing up anti-doping legislation in other countries, including Germany. As a result, a breakthrough legislative act, providing for modern systemic solutions, was developed. Its implementation will place Poland at the forefront of the fight against doping, alongside countries such as the United States, Great Britain and Germany. The Act on Combating Doping in Sport was passed by the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish Parliament, on 21 April this year and was supported by all political parties in the Parliament in their official statements, and all members present in the House voted for it.
The main purpose of the Act is to establish a new authority responsible for combating doping in sport in our country. However, this is not just a cosmetic change, consisting merely of replacing one entity with another. Rather, this is a truly in-depth and well considered institutional reform which aims firstly to streamline, and, secondly, to strengthen the country's anti-doping structures. Starting from 1 July, the Commission Against Doping in Sport will be replaced by the Polish Anti-Doping Agency, a stable entity with wide-ranging powers and adequate funding. The Agency will use the acronym POLADA. Of particular importance for the effective fight against doping will be the Agency's powers in the area of so-called investigative cooperation with the police, prosecutors, customs service, military police and border guards. Pursuant to the Act, all those services are required to share information with the Agency, thus allowing it to conduct its own doping-related investigations. Within the Agency's structure there will be an investigation department, which is currently a standard followed by the best anti-doping organizations in the world such as UKAD in the UK or USADA in the United States. Without investigative activities, it is now difficult to imagine a truly effective fight against doping in sport. In general, such activities consist of determining whether a particular person (including an athlete) was involved in doping. This is done based on circumstantial evidence, without the requirement to detect a prohibited substance in the athlete's sample or the use of a prohibited method.
However, the Agency's main task will still be, as it was for the Commission Against Doping in Sport, to plan and conduct doping controls, both in-competition and out-of-competition. A novelty will be the significant professionalization of this task. According to the Act, doping controls may only be carried out by qualified doping control officers appropriately trained by the Agency and that the draft Act sets out very specific requirements relating to their training process.
The professionalization of doping control procedures is also reflected by awarding a special status to doping control officers. In the performance of their professional duties, or in connection thereto, they will be authorized to use the protection extended to public officials under the Criminal Code, but will at the same time be subject to the same liability as those officials. Tasks carried out by doping control officers have been considered measures in the public interest, and hence they have special status whose purpose is, on the one hand, to guarantee an adequate level of protection to doping control officers and, on the other hand, to serve a preventive measure against corruption of those officers.
Agency Cooperation with other Entities
The new Act on Combating Doping in Sport is also a continuation of the reform of the system of jurisdiction over cases relating to doping in sport, which commenced last summer. It provides for the appointment, within the Agency, of a disciplinary panel whose task will be to adjudicate on all disciplinary cases relating to doping in sport. The solution therefore consists of transferring the authority to adjudicate on those cases from the disciplinary committees which operated within Polish sports associations, to a single specialized entity which will guarantee the efficiency and fairness of the conducted proceedings. Notably, some of those committees lacked sufficient knowledge and the experience to be able to properly adjudicate on cases relating to doping in sport.
The Act also grants to the police and to the customs service the power to take measures necessary to investigate and prosecute smuggling and trafficking in doping substances that are prohibited in sport. This empowerment is accompanied by the relevant criminal law provisions which, under the conditions laid down in the Act, impose sanctions such as fines, restriction of liberty or imprisonment for up to 3 years, for making available to other persons, either free of charge or in return for payment, specific prohibited substances, trafficking in those substances or their transport or import into the territory of Poland. Such legislation is required, in particular, with regard to steroids which constitute a specific category of prohibited substances, and are of increasing interest to organized criminal groups, as a cheaper and "safer" alternative to drug trafficking.
The Act on Combating Doping in Sport also sets out a legal framework for the Agency's cooperation with the minister responsible for health. It requires cooperation in terms of informing society about the possible risks of the presence of prohibited substances in dietary supplements, the risks related to using prohibited substances or prohibited methods, as well as information provision as part of ensuring appropriate marking or labeling of medicinal products, particularly when they contain prohibited substances.
The Act also clarifies the legal situation in the field of processing the personal data of athletes who undergo doping control procedures. Upon entry into force of the new Act, such data will be processed pursuant to the provisions thereof, rather than based on the consent of the athletes who, theoretically, may not have granted it. The scope of data to be processed, as well as data storage periods and destruction methods, are clearly determined. What is also of importance, is that the Act sets out the legal requirement for athletes to submit to doping control, and imposes on them the obligation to provide specific information, including their whereabouts for the following three months.
The Act on Combating Doping in Sport, which will enter into force on 1 July, is of extreme importance to the future of Polish sport. It has been long awaited by the entire country's sporting community, and in particular by athletes who have the right to expect that fair competition will be guaranteed to them. This is not an easy task, as the international anti-doping standards set by the World Anti-Doping Agency develop dynamically and quickly, thus forcing countries to face new expectations and challenges. The Act not only meets them, but also makes it possible to think of Poland, in the near future, as one of the leaders in the fight against doping.
The new anti-doping legislation which will soon enter into force is the cornerstone of future actions aimed at ensuring the integrity of sport. It is the first and most important step towards building a strong, credible and globally recognized anti-doping system in Poland. Yet, it is not the only step. Of equal importance are other actions taken by the ministry I lead, including an increase in the number and effectiveness of doping controls, the purchase of modern equipment for the Polish anti-doping laboratory, and, possibly above all else, the involvement in international cooperation in the fight against doping in sport.
Poland's International Commitment to the Fight Against Doping
Today, Poland is ranked 14'th in the world in terms of the number of samples collected during doping controls. We have plans to increase the number from 3300 in 2016 to almost 4000 this year and, ultimately, to 4500 in 2020. Over time, the Agency is going to become an anti-doping partner for all sports event organizers in the region, and a mentoring partner for other anti-doping organizations. Already today, such cooperation is carried out with Ukraine and Azerbaijan, in the latter case under a formal agreement with WADA. We already have the first results of this partnership with Azerbaijan returning to the list of countries compliant with the Code. Thus, in the future we aim to develop close cooperation also with other countries for which our knowledge and experience may be of assistance.
It is also planned to strengthen the position of the anti-doping laboratory in Warsaw, which is among the 34 WADA-accredited laboratories across the world. The goal for the laboratory is to obtain the permanent status of a leading anti-doping laboratory in the region, analyzing samples not only from the Polish Anti-Doping Agency, but also from other national anti-doping organizations and international sporting federations – organizers of sports competitions in the region. This is already happening today: the laboratory analyzes samples from Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Russia and Spain. 2016 was a record year in terms of the number of analyzed samples coming from abroad and we would like this trend to continue. Therefore, in 2016 the ministry allocated the largest ever amount to the laboratory.
It is also of extreme importance for the Polish raison d'état to increase our country's participation in the fight against doping on the international stage. Only by doing so can we prove the credibility and reliability of our anti-doping system. Furthermore, given that doping is an international phenomenon, the fight against it should not end at countries' borders. Poland has therefore adopted a strategy of strict cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which is of mutual benefit to both parties. On the one hand, WADA offers us assistance in the improvement of our national solutions, including legislative ones, and we, on the other hand, support the mission pursued by the organization. Poland is particularly interested in WADA's investigative activities; hence my decision to systematically support, also financially, the organization's engagement in this innovative work area. In 2016, Poland paid a contribution of $US 50,000 to support the WADA Intelligence and Investigation Fund.
A reflection of our international engagement, but also of the appreciation for Poland's recent activities has been my election as a member of the Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency, which was supported by all 47 member states of the Council of Europe. The Executive Committee is one of WADA's two governing bodies whose role is decisive in shaping the global fight against doping. The Committee consists of 12 members; half of which represent public authorities, and the other half – the sports movement. I now have the honour of representing the continent of Europe. My priority as a member of the Committee will be to join all forces in the fight against doping, in order to make governments and the sports movement speak with one voice. On the Committee, I will always take a firm position and support only those measures which indeed contribute to the fight against doping.
As regards the strengthening of Poland's international engagement, it is impossible not to mention the role of Katowice as the host city of the 2019 World Conference on Doping in Sport. The ministry headed by me, and very strongly supported by Katowice city authorities, sought the role of the host city since last November, and was selected for hosting the conference over Geneva and Muscat. The event is going to be a great challenge; yet, given the nature of Poles, our famous hospitality and extensive experience in hosting major international events, I am confident about the result. The World Conference on Doping in Sport is a periodic event in the WADA calendar, held every 4 to 6 years. It is attended by nearly 2000 experts from around the world, and is the main anti-doping event worldwide. In those conferences, decisions of key significance for the future fight against doping are taken: amendments to the Code are adopted and WADA's president is elected.
In summary, over the past several months the Polish anti-doping system has undergone numerous in-depth reforms. This reflects the great commitment of the Polish government to the fight for the integrity of sport as a key aspect of the country's society as a whole. This commitment has been noticed and recognized internationally. Consequently, we will enjoy the role of host of the 2019 World Conference on Doping in Sport, which will be held in Katowice. Yet, this is not the end; rather this is only the beginning of the road which must be followed by Poland and the world. We are fighting for the good name of sport and the future of athletes who have placed their trust in us. We should be inspired by athletes such as Beckie Scott, a Canadian skier who first competed for the gold medal in a sports arena, and later beyond it, when it turned out that the two Russian athletes who came before her used doping. Today, Beckie Scott chairs the World Anti-Doping Agency's Athlete Committee and speaks for many athletes from around the globe. Among the members of this Committee was also the Polish Paralympic champion Katarzyna Rogowiec, now a member of the Polish Commission Against Doping in Sport. The voices of athletes must be heard and their right to fair competition in sport should be a priority for every government. Therefore, as a member of the Executive Committee, I will call on my colleagues and ministers to increase the efforts and funds to combat doping in sport.
TAGS: Global Anti-Doping LeaderpolandWitold Bańka
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Slavic Brotherhood against NATO


I've never really understood why everyone loves to hate fruitcake. It seems to be this universal inside joke, only I'm on the outside. Maybe it's a generational thing, I wasn't around when Johnny Carson joked, "There is only one fruitcake in the entire world and people keep passing it around." Nor did I have the opportunity to bear witness to the industrialization of the fruitcake, when it transitioned from homemade gift to mass-produced, mail order wonder brick.
So I decided to try my hand at the maligned delicacy and see what all the fuss is about. Naturally, I learned a lot along the way. For starters, fruitcake is not so much a cake, as it is a stout bread. This could be part of the fruitcake's downfall, at least in the States: no one likes to be mislead. But the fruitcake's homeland is Britain, and there, it's cake, also known as Christmas Cake. I also learned that the fruitcake's origins are actually in food preservation, which explains all the booze: in the Middle Ages it was a way to preserve fruit. Soaking the fruit in alcohol, and regularly drenching the loaf, kept everything moist and from spoiling.
Since I had never tasted fruitcake before, I decided to make two different recipes - one from the US (à la my aunt*), and one from the UK (à la Nigel Slater). I will admit - I was wary. Since these recipes are mainly dried fruit and nuts, they're not inexpensive to make, especially when you're unsure if you will like the results. There was a large chance that I would be finding myself on the wrong side of the fruitcake joke; but ahead I forged, in the name of exploration.
The verdict? I still don't get why fruitcake incurs such wrath. Sure, the "American" version weighs almost five pounds and could do some serious damage if hauled at someone in a fit of Christmas rage. But I love it's nutty texture, and though I originally scoffed at the bright red and green cherries, they actually add a certain je ne sais quois to the whole situation. And in Nigel Slater's recipe, though it's a bit more simple to the eye (though a glaze is optional), the orange peel and spices make for an incredibly nuanced and complex flavor. So my final rally cry is this: let's end the dessert shaming, and bring back the fruitcake. Afterall, it's Christmas.
*My aunt does not remember where her recipe came from, but says her best guess is Good Housekeeping circa 198o-something.
Here's the thing about fruitcake: no matter which recipe you try, both are crazy filling. In fact, my new theory is that fruitcake is the original energy bar. Don't worry about cutting huge slices - a little goes a long way. If you're going to try Nigel Slater's recipe, you can find it here. If you want to try the Good Housekeeping 5-pounder, see below.
In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Let stand for 15 minutes or until almost all of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
Stir in mixed nuts and pecans into fruit mixture. Remove 1.5 cups fruit/nut mixture and set aside.
Stir the flower, sugar and baking powder into the fruit mixture until everything is well coated.
Stir in the eggs until everything is well mixed.
Spoon batter into the prepared pan, packing firmly to eliminate air pockets.
Cover loosely with foil. Bake at 300°F for 2 hours. Remove foil and bake for 30 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, and the top of the cake is lightly browned.
Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes; remove from pan and carefully peel off foil. Cool cake completely on rack. Wrap fruitcake tightly in foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate.


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Outstanding alumni, rising star awardees announced
In News, News Releases
Outstanding alumni, rising star awardees announced2015-10-262018-12-12https://www.clarkcollegefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/clark-college-logo-2.pngClark College Foundationhttps://www.clarkcollegefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/alumni-awards-signature_1000.jpg200px200px
Mary Ann Thimmes, Pat Sheaffer, Teresia Hazen to get top award
All it takes is one meaningful connection to open an opportunity for a student. The 11th annual Clark College Alumni-Student Dinner creates those openings by pairing alumni professionals with students who aspire to those careers for an evening of networking, dinner and honoring noteworthy penguin alumni and students.
Outstanding alumni award winner for 2015, Pat Sheaffer.
Clark will highlight eight of their best and brightest, and unveil the new Rising Star Alumni Award which honors alumni 35 and younger.
The top accolade of the evening—the Outstanding Alumni award—will be presented to Mary Ann Thimmes '64, Pat Sheaffer '61 and Teresia Hazen '90. Thimmes, an employee at Clark for 33 years, was a professor, director of nursing and division chair. Sheaffer, CEO of Riverview Community Bank for nearly 40 years, is a stalwart supporter of local organizations. Hazen, a horticulture expert, has led a 25-year career with Legacy Health as its therapeutic garden coordinator.
New this year, is the Rising Star Award, which will go to Naomi Kay '10 and Billy Henry '14. Kay, who works at Clark College, is an active mentor who teaches others about responsibility, community and respect. Henry is founder and executive director of Northwest Association for Blind Athletes.
Outstanding Alumni award winner for 2015 Teresia Hazen.
Current students —Phuc Pham, Hannah Straub and Cindy Nguyen—will also be recognized during the celebration as the latest alumni scholarship winners.
Tickets are available for $25. Clark alumni, current students, faculty, staff and community members are invited. The event will be held in Gaiser Hall Student Center at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way in Vancouver, Wash. Register online or contact Kelsey Hukill at khukill@clark.edu or 360-992-2767.
The 2015 Outstanding Alumni award winner, Mary Ann Thimmes.
The association reunites former students, provides services and supports Clark College's mission of teaching, lifelong learning and service to the community. They also support the Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment Fund.
alumni, clark college foundation, outstanding alumni, rising star
Tweets by ClarkCollege
In memoriam October 2015In Memoriam, News
Alumni AwardsNews

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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The High Alps are the parts of the Alps unsuitable for habitation or seasonal transhumance. This includes all regions higher than 3,000 m above sea level, as well as most regions between 2,500 m and 3,000 m (Juf at 2,126 m is the highest permanently inhabited village in the Alps). Alpine pastures are typically below 2,400 m but may exceptionally be located as high as 2,800 m.

The High Alps have tundra or ice cap climate rather than the Alpine climate eponymous of the Alpine region at 1,800-2,500 m, above the tree-line but still amenable to transhumance economy.

Exploration of the High Alps began in the 18th century, with Horace-Bénédict de Saussure. The first ascent of the highest peak of the Alps, Mont Blanc, dates to 1786.

All important mountain passes in Switzerland are below 2,500 m (with Nufenen Pass as high as 2,478 m) but there are a few minor foot passes above 3,000 m:   Schöllijoch at 3,343 m, Theodul Pass at 3,301 m, Zwischbergen Pass at 3,268 m, and others. Of historical interest is the Schnidejoch at 2,756 m which appears to have served as a pass since prehistoric times. In other Alpine countries there are higher road passes, such as the Col de l'Iseran (the highest paved road in Europe) in France and the Stelvio Pass in Italy.

The alpine line of perpetual snow is not fixed. The occurrence of favorable meteorological conditions during several successive seasons can increase the extent of the snowfields and lower the limit of seemingly permanent snow, while the opposite may cause the limit to rise higher on the flanks of the mountains.  In some parts of the Alps the limit is about 2,400 m   elevation, while in others it cannot be placed much below 2,900 m. As very little snow remains on rocks angled more than 60°, this is soon removed by the wind, some steep masses of rock remain bare even near the summits of the highest peaks, but as almost every spot offering the least hold for vegetation is covered with snow, few flowering plants are seen above 3,350 m.

The climate of the glacial region has often been compared to that of the polar regions, but they are very different. Here, intense solar radiation by day, which raises the surface when dry to a temperature approaching 27°C, alternates with severe frost by night. There, the Sun, which never sets is only able to send feeble rays that maintain a low temperature, rarely rising more than a few degrees above the freezing point. Hence the upper region of the Alps sustains a far more varied and brilliant vegetation.

See also
Alpine foothills
Climate of the Alps
Geography of the Alps
Main chain of the Alps
Retreat of glaciers since 1850
List of glaciers in Switzerland
Altitudinal zonation
High mountain tour
List of Alpine four-thousanders
List of mountains of the Alps above 3000 m
List of mountains of the Alps (2500–2999 m)
:Category:Alpine three-thousanders

References

Alps
Climate of the Alps
Tundra
Alps conifer and mixed forests
Alps

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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"Lost Loves" – a true story in Cambodia
Commentary, Personal Interest/Experience
One shot from "Lost Loves" / Source: Internet
This evening, I've spent my time watching a movie that I cannot wait until the following day to express some thoughts though tonight I have to review some lessons for tomorrow morning quiz.
Hearing its' title, Lost Loves, at least some of you may imagine that the movie is about someone who lost people they love. Your guest is right!
"Lost Loves" is a feature film based on real life experience of the film producer's wife Kauv Sotheary who is also star in a film as Amara.
The film start with an old woman standing near a pagoda recalls her past life in Khmer Rouge Regime. Then the movie take us to early April 1975 showing Amara living with her grandfather, brothers and children in a middle class family in Phnom Penh. Amara's grandfather is a former Cambodian army general and her husband is a general in Lon Nol regime. Amara's grandfather is asked by some high ranking officers to leave the country because they know that their soldiers cannot win against Khmer Rouge; however, he decides to stay in Phnom Penh with his family because he wants to keep his fame.
Khmer Rouge takes over Phnom Penh in 17 April, 1975, and happiness in Amara's family starts shaking when Khmer Rouge soldiers kill government soldiers who guard her house and force her family to leave the house.
Members in her family start packing their belongings and leaving their house with a car that they cannot drive but pushing it forward since too many people leaving the city by walking on the street. They stop at a pagoda where lots of city people are told to stay there waiting for the top people to decide where they should go after being evicted. The follow day, her family departs the pagoda to a village already arranged by Angkar and on the way there, her grandfather is took to kill by Khmer Rouge soldiers because they will not let former high ranking officers alive.
Her family members are separated. Her little children have to stay with the other villagers' children, her brother has to work and stay with men group, and her oldest daughters has to stay in youth group.
All of her family members have to struggle to survive but some of them leave her one after another because of different reasons including illness, and killing.
This movie not only shows the writer's tragedy, but also reflects how society at that time looks like since most people in Pol Pot regime also face the same things of losing their relatives as Amara.
As a Cambodian film producer, Chhay Bora keep repeating that "we are not Hollywood" and he said the film was made on a very low budget.
"Our film crew and I didn't stay in hotel or eat at any restaurant during the shooting because we have to think of the money we have," said Chhay Bora at Bophana Center this evening after the film screening; adding that they cook their own foods and stay with villagers to save the budget.
Despite the fact that the movie was shot by Cambodian with a low budget, but I can say this achievement is great and deserves commendable from the audiences. You guest what! Some people including my friends burst into tears at some scenes during the screening and I think that they may feel pity for the actors.
So far, this film have been shown in some foreign film festival and Chhay Bora said he will fix some little point in the movie for an example, the song.
"Script, acting, directing, and location are very important points to consider if you want to produce a good film," Chhay Bora told the audiences his experiences in producing Lost Loves.
Amara Cambodia chhay bora Cinema of Cambodia Communist Party of Kampuchea Khmer Rouge Lon Nol Lost Loves Meta House Phnom Penh Polpot
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Nimol says:
Nice review!
saoyuth says:
Hi ! Thanks for the excellent review, i would like to watch this film, do you know how to get it? I'm khmer but i grow up in France. Thank you a lot!
Sorry that i could not provide you the answer. This film was produce by the Department of Film in Cambodia and it is not available on the market.


This new mountain bike shoe from Five Ten is perfect for all sorts of applications including normal trail riding, freeriding, downhill, and more.
The uppers on the Maltese Falcon feature an Action Leather exterior that sheds muck easily, along with a large Velcro strap covering the laces for a secure closure.
While this is a relatively low-rise shoe, the Maltese Falcon has a solid toe box and a secure heel cup to keep your foot firmly in place while cranking on the pedals.
The sole is the true soul of all shoes, and the sole of the Maltese Falcon is no exception. Most notably, these shoes can be used on flat pedals thanks to the super-tacky-yet-tough Stealth Rubber, but they are designed to also be SPD compatible. Out of the box, a tough pad of Stealth Rubber covers the cleat recess, but once cut away a cleat can be added.
Since I'm a slave to clipless pedals, I decided to install cleats right after pulling these out of the box. I thought that it would be a simple procedure involving taking a pocket knife to the rubber, but I was mistaken. In the end, I used a combination of a durable pocket knife, a box cutter, and a pliers to remove the rubber cleat covering.
Sole with the rubber intact. / Peeling back the rubber. / Cleat installed.
The rubber is rather thick and pretty sticky, so don't be afraid to get aggressive when cutting the square out. The pliers come into play because even once you've successfully cut around the rubber covering, it's still glued to the sole, requiring you to forcibly peel it off. Once off, slap the cleats in place like you would on any other SPD compatible shoe, and you're good to go.
While the Maltese Falcon is no featherweight cross country shoe (it isn't intended to be), it is easily light enough for normal trail riding applications.
Climbing for an hour? No problem. The high heel cup, tight velcro strap, and smartly-designed insole keep your foot in place and foster excellent power transfer to the pedals.
Where the shoes really shine is in freeride or downhill applications. The toe box is stiff and protective, blocking glancing blows from kicked-up rocks and other trail debris.
The Stealth Rubber is super tacky, providing excellent traction when hiking up to your drop-in point. This proven rubber compound provides great purchase on all sorts of surfaces: smooth wooden obstacles, slickrock, you name it–these are confidence-inspiring when your feet are on the ground.
While the sole of the shoe is still stiff enough to provide plenty of power when pedaling, it does have enough flexibility to offer some forgiveness when hiking.
In order to keep the pedal from getting caught in the sole of the shoe when disengaging the cleat (and it doesn't get caught–not in the least), the cleat does have to poke out just the slightest bit. It's not enough to make normal hiking or walking uncomfortable, but if you're walking on pavement you'll definitely hear and feel the crunching of metal on concrete.
I've recently been experimenting with other applications for gear designed for downhillers, and I've found that DH gear tends to offer durable, dependable performance that is suitable for a variety of situations. For instance, the Maltese Falcon is great for commuting duty.
I used to ride to school in my normal cross-country shoes, and either carry a pair of Chacos to switch into when I got there or just walk to class in my normal riding shoes. Carrying an extra pair of shoes around all day is a pain, and walking down the halls in normal XC shoes is loud and uncomfortable.
The Maltese Falcon mountain bike shoe offers the perfect compromise. It provides plenty of power on the uphill slog to school thanks to the cleat, and is comfortable enough to wear around campus all day. As an added bonus, the skate shoe styling and subdued black and red graphics make these look almost like your average pair of street shoes, though they are so much more!
The descents, the climbs, the hike-a-bikes, and the hallways–the Maltese Falcon shoe dominates them all. This excellent blend of pedaling power, control, comfort, and protection spells success in so many ways. If you're in the market for a comfortable SPD shoe and are interested in using it for any (or all) of these applications, be sure to give the Maltese Falcon a hard look.
Many thanks to Five Ten for providing these shoes for review!
Nice write up. I am hoping to do some bikepacking in the future, and one of the things I have on my list is a shoe that is not your typical XC shoe. Something I could wear comfortably around camp or even on short strolls from camp. I haven't looked in person yet, but was thinking of something like the Pearl Izumi X-Alps. Any thoughts on how these would compare?
@fleetwood, I haven't personally used the X-Alps, but it looks like it is a totally different style of shoe. This is a skate-style shoe, while obviously that's more of a running shoe. I imagine the X-alps might have a little better ventilation, while the Maltese Falcons might get a little warm if you were going all day in high-heat conditions.
I've never bike packed before, but in my experience backpacking, most people tend to bring an extra pair of "camp shoes" that are more comfortable and better vented than hiking boots. If it was me, I'd probably do something similar bikepacking. IMO, having your feet sweating inside the same pair of shoes for a week straight might not be much fun. Having something to air your feet out around camp would be a smart idea (i'd pack my chacos).
For bikepacking, Keen SPD sandals ftw!
X alps act more like a normal XC riding shoe. They look and behave a lot like trail running shoes, just stiffer through the sole for pedaling on moxt models. The sole on these 5.10s is really intended for aggressive platform pedals and will grip the heck out of a pedal with decent pins. No clipless pedals needed even though they did throw in the option to ride that way if you cut open the soles. They can do some hiking but the tread isn't really designed to grip the mountain side the same way the PI Alps' tread does. Because of this aggressive, almost soccer cleat-like design on the soles of the Alps, they don't grip the pins of flat pedals as well as the flatter 5.10s. Also, the toe box on the Alps line isn't nearly as protected from impacts. Again, think of a trail running shoe and how they are made.
Congrats on making the Five Ten FB page, Greg!
@Jared13, thanks man. Nice of them to share the link.
They are a nice shoe, I didn't particularly like them when I tried them on so I'm selling a brand new pair if anyone is interested.
Great review. It sounds like the removal of the cleat covering is permanent. Once it's been removed, can the shoe still be used with flats, or does that hole take away too much rubber?
@Arvi, that's up to you. Check out the series of three images showing the bottom of the shoe and see what you think.
Ive only ridden with 5.10's and swear by their stealth rubber. Best platform shoes, period. I only have one question about these though. Once you install a cleat, can you still ride platform comfortably? I prefer riding platform on most trails as I push my envelope regularly and tend to ditch my bike a lot. However, lately on my commuter rides and group rides, I would love to try out clipless riding.


Alysa is a planner, but when she became pregnant with her first child she entered a world that most parents can't plan for: the serious illness of a child. Alysa and her husband Logan were overjoyed to learn that they we pregnant after trying to conceive for over a year. They felt like their lives were transforming into what they've always dreamed of, and knowing that their family was growing and that a little bundle of joy was only months away.
There was a lot of excitement that had been building for weeks. Alysa and Logan were thrilled that they were finding out the gender of their baby at their 18 week ultrasound. The appointment started out typical with lots of chatter and a few moments with nervous laughter. But the energy in the room shifted, and Alysa noticed that the technician was becoming less chatty and becoming more focused. A 20 minute ultrasound turned into hours, hours of waiting and wondering. The new parents felt their whole world come crashing down when the technician brought a doctor into the room. The doctor couldn't quite say what was wrong but he told Alysa and Logan that their daughter's extremely sick.
Alivia just after she was born.
Thoughts and questions rushed through Alysa: Was her daughter going to be ok? How sick is she? Fear and uncertainty came barreling at them. The news practically brought them to their knees. Alysa needed information to process and plan for a life she had never imagined for her family. The only way to get answers was to wait for her daughter to grow and stay in constant communication with doctors.
Alivia came into this world in a whirlwind. Alysa and Logan had planned to visit Edmonton before the birth of their daughter to meet their medical team and take a tour of the Ronald McDonald House that they would call home. But Alivia had other plans. She was born at 31 weeks weighing a little over 3 pounds. Alysa was experiencing some discomfort at home, but nothing that indicated she was in labour. She decided to get check out at the hospital, but due to poor cell reception Alysa couldn't reach Logan. After driving herself part way to the hospital, receiving assistance from the owner of a convenience store, and a bumpy trip in an ambulance, Alysa was simply relieved that her husband made it in time to witness his daughter entering into this world.
Alivia after her first open-heart surgery.
Alivia was born with a deletion in her chromosome which has been the root of most Alivia's medical concerns, including heart disease. She spent her first 75 days in the hospital undergoing countless tests. After growing stronger and showing her medical team just how resilient she was, Alivia had her first open-heart surgery at seven months old.
Alivia showing off her smile with parents and Ronald McDonald House board members.
Doctors thought that this surgery would be a fix for Alivia for years to come. Unfortunately after a chain of unforeseen events, doctors had to perform an emergency re-do of the surgery. A four hour surgery turned into 17 hours with Alysa and Logan praying for a miracle. Alivia fought for her life for four days and showed her parents and her medical team that she was strong. It was at a point of no return, but miracles do happen and she wanted to fight. And she has kept fighting ever since.
"Becoming a parent of a medically fragile child you learn really quickly that you have to adapt and think outside of the box. You have to be innovative and always have forward thinking. If you don't you can get stuck in a rut and that rut can be really dark and scary, and very hard to get out of," says Alysa.
Alivia playing at the Ronald McDonald House.
Alivia is almost four years old now. Her heart is only functioning at 18%, but you wouldn't know it to look at her. She is a little ray of sunshine with a smile that lights up any room. Her personality draws you in. For a young girl with limited verbal communication it is easy to see that Alivia is very intelligent because she has other ways of getting to know you. She sees her mother getting close to other parents staying at the House and she has started to form strong bonds with those around her.
Making hospital time a bit more fun.
The Gallant family is in their third and longest stay at the Ronald McDonald House in Edmonton. Since they first walked through the doors they have embraced community living and been advocates for others, especially those new to the House. They encourage caregivers to take part in all of the programs that have helped them through their journey.
Alysa and Logan have been focussed solely on their daughter for almost four years. In that time they have seen their own needs set aside. Since coming to the House, they have embraced the Rejuvenate Program through haircuts, massages, and yoga, ensuring that they can feel their best and be the caregivers that their daughter needs. Alysa even had a complete hair makeover thanks to one of our salon partners, going from long locks to a spunky pixie cut. She now encourages other caregivers at the House to sign up whenever these experiences are available and shares her story of transformation as inspiration.
The Gallant family in the Time for You room.
"I have a hard time being at the House when Alivia is in the hospital, but I know that I need to take time to shower, rest, and eat. When I come back from the hospital and there is a warm meal or leftovers that I can heat up through the Meals that Mend Program, I feel so grateful for the incredible community who makes it happen," says Alysa.
Alivia putting on her braces for physical therapy.
Before making the Ronald McDonald House their home, Alysa and Logan took turns sleeping at their daughter's bedside due to the limited space in the hospital room, and even sleeping in their vehicle. Hotels were too far away from the hospital for Alysa and Logan to even consider staying at. Now they have a community of support from other families, staff members, volunteers, and donors that the Gallants can lean on and call family.
Alysa getting a haircut in the Time for You room.
The next steps in their journey are only partially known. Alivia needs a heart transplant, but that means trading one set of problems for another. A a transplant is not a cure as it comes with its own set of health concerns. Whether she struggles with one or several things that heart disease brings, her family is ready to champion for her wellbeing. All her parents want is to see their daughter enjoy life and see a life outside her illness. While she may suffer from heart disease and all the challenges that it brings, Alivia is not defined by her illness. She might look tiny but she is mighty – and she has a community behind her supporting her every move. Right now Alivia and her family plan on continuing their fight while embracing every opportunity they have to enjoy life right now.
Alivia celebrating Easter with her family.


Twin lambs asleep in straw. Sussex, UK. March.
South Africa. Johannesburg. Lion. Panthera Leo. Captivity.
A billy goat asleep on the ground with a beard and on ear sticking up into the air. Goats and farm animals. Bearded goats.
a large pig or boar fast asleep on some straw.
Man's hand stroking an asleep cat.
Burmese cat curled up asleep in front of the fire place.


text:
Samsung develops world's highest resolution 64Mp image sensor for mobile cameras
[Photo provided by Samsung Electronics Co.]
Samsung Electronics has unveiled two new 0.8-micrometer (μm) pixel image sensors, the industry's smallest pixel size currently available in the market, expanding its micro image sensor lineup from existing 20Mp to ultra-high 64Mp resolutions.
The 64-megapixel (Mp) Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 and 48Mp ISOCELL Bright GM2 will bring a new level of photography to today's sleekest mobile devices with better image quality, the company said during a business briefing session held on Thursday.
An image sensor converts incident light through a camera lens into electrical signals.
Samsung is currently sampling the GW1 and GM2 sensors which are expected to be in mass production in the second half of this year.
The new offerings come after the tech giant announced a massive $110 billion investment plan to raise its competitiveness in non-memory and system semiconductor business.
The two image sensors adopt Tetracell technology in low-light environments and a remosaic algorithm in well-lit settings, bringing highly-detailed pictures with natural and vivid colors, Samsung Electronics said in a statement.
The GW1 supports full HD slow motion recording at 480 frames-per-second (fps), with the GM2 at 240 frames. The GW1 also supports real-time high dynamic range (HDR) of up to 100-decibels (dB) that provides richer hues.
By Kim Gyu-sik and Minu Kim
June 3 - 2


text:
Q: How to group by week with Django ORM I am using the following SQL code to check previous sunday:

DATE_ADD(tbl.date, INTERVAL (- 1) * DAYOFWEEK(tbl.date) + 1 DAY) AS
  week

Could you tell me whether I can use the same thanks to django models ?
I have completely no idea how to do this.
In another words I want to group by sunday in my query
My model:
class tbl_data( models.Model ):

    date = models.DateField(verbose_name="Date")
    identifier = models.CharField(max_length=10, verbose_name="Identifier")
    value = models.FloatField(verbose_name="Value")

    def __unicode__(self):
        return str( self.date ) + '-' + str( self.identifier )

data is uploading everyday, I want to group it by week ( Sunday is my first day )
Thanks in advance,

A: You didn't state which database system you're using, but I'll assume it is MySQL (or MariaDB) and provide an example based on this post.
We'll make use of the MySQL function YEARWEEK(). For that purpose will create a python class inheriting from Func:
from django.db.models import Func, IntegerField

class YearWeek(Func):
    function = 'YEARWEEK'
    template = '%(function)s(%(expressions)s)'
    output_field = IntegerField()

Now we can make a query like this:
from django.db.models import Count
from yourapp.models import tbl_data
from yourapp.filewhityearweek import YearWeek

result = tbl_data.objects.annotate(
    yearweek=YearWeek('date')
).values('yearweek').annotate(
    count=Count('date')
).order_by('yearweek')

This will return something like this:
<QuerySet [{'yearweek': 201801, 'count': 5}, {'yearweek': 201802, 'count': 3}, {'yearweek': 201803, 'count': 2}]>

Depending on your data the result will certainly vary.
The SQL query produced by Django ORM will look like this:
SELECT
    YEARWEEK('tbl_data'.'date') AS 'yearweek',
    COUNT('tbl_data'.'date') AS 'count'
FROM 'tbl_data'
    GROUP BY YEARWEEK('tbl_data'.'date')
    ORDER BY 'yearweek' ASC

This should help you to group your entries by calender week. Using YEARWEEK should give you better overview than functions like WEEK as it is returning the year and the calender week.

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"Dear children, I have called you and am calling you anew to come to know my Son, to come to know the truth. I am with you and am praying for you to succeed. My children, you must pray much in order to have all the more love and patience; to know how to endure sacrifice and to be poor in spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, my Son is always with you. His Church is born in every heart that comes to know Him. Pray that you can come to know my Son; pray that your soul may be one with Him. That is the prayer and the love which draws others and makes you my apostles. I am looking at you with love, with a motherly love. I know you; I know your pain and sorrows, because I also suffered in silence. My faith gave me love and hope. I repeat, the Resurrection of my Son and my Assumption into Heaven is hope and love for you. Therefore, my children, pray to come to know the truth; to have firm faith which will lead your heart and which will transform your pain and sufferings into love and hope. Thank you. "


text:
using namespace pqt;
using namespace pqtPQ;

DEFINE_int32(device     , 0                                                           , "selected cuda device");
DEFINE_int32(c1         , 4                                                           , "number of clusters in first level");
DEFINE_int32(c2         , 4                                                           , "number of refinements in second level");
DEFINE_int32(p          , 2                                                           , "parts per vector");
DEFINE_int32(dim        , 128                                                         , "expected dimension for each vector");
DEFINE_int32(lineparts  , 32                                                          , "vectorparts for reranking informations");
DEFINE_uint64(chunksize , 100000                                                      , "number of vectors per chunk");
DEFINE_uint64(hashsize  , 400000000                                                   , "maximal number of bins");
DEFINE_string(basename  , "tmp"                                                       , "prefix for generated data");
DEFINE_string(dataset   , "/graphics/projects/scratch/ANNSIFTDB/ANN_SIFT1M/base.umem" , "patch to vector dataset");
DEFINE_string(queryset   , "/graphics/projects/scratch/ANNSIFTDB/ANN_SIFT1M/query.umem" , "patch to vector dataset");

bool file_exists(const std::string & _name) {
  struct stat buffer;
  return (stat(_name.c_str(), &buffer) == 0);
}

uint locate(uint _baseNum, const uint* _prefix, const uint* _counts,
            const uint* _dbIdx, uint _idx) {

  int pos;
  for (pos = 0; pos < _baseNum; pos++) {
    if (_dbIdx[pos] == _idx)
      break;
  }

  int bin;
  for (bin = 0; bin < HASH_SIZE - 1; bin++) {
    if (_prefix[bin + 1] > pos)
      break;
  }

  return bin;
}

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {

  // parse flags
  gflags::SetUsageMessage("This script builds a database for a given dataset of vectors\n"
                          "Usage:\n"
                          "    tool_createdb --c1 4 --c2 4 --p 2 --basename \"tmp\""
                          " You should convert the fvecs beforehand using the accompanying convert script\n");
  gflags::SetVersionString("1.0.0");
  gflags::ParseCommandLineFlags(&argc, &argv, true);

  // select cuda device
  cudaSetDevice(FLAGS_device);
  cudaSetDeviceFlags (cudaDeviceMapHost);

  const string preName  = FLAGS_basename + "_" + std::to_string(FLAGS_dim) + "_" + std::to_string(FLAGS_p)
                          + "_" + std::to_string(FLAGS_c1) + "_" + std::to_string(FLAGS_c2);

  FileReader<float> DataReader = FileReader<float>(FLAGS_dataset);

  FileReader<float> QueryReader = FileReader<float>(FLAGS_queryset);
  EXPECT_EQ((uint) FLAGS_dim, QueryReader.dim());
  arr<float> query = arr<float>(FLAGS_chunksize * FLAGS_dim);
  query.mallocHost();
  query.mallocDevice();
  query.host = QueryReader.data(FLAGS_chunksize);
  query.toDevice();

  PerturbationProTree ppt(FLAGS_dim, FLAGS_p, FLAGS_p);
  const string codebook_file = preName + ".ppqt";

  if (!file_exists(codebook_file)) {
    cout << "you need to generate a codebook first. No codebook found in " << codebook_file << endl;
    return 1;
  } else {
    cout << "codebook exists, reading from " << codebook_file << endl;
    ppt.readTreeFromFile(codebook_file);
  }

  const uint base_num = DataReader.num();

  const string lineName   = preName + "_" + std::to_string(FLAGS_lineparts) + ".lines";
  const string prefixName = preName + ".prefix";
  const string countsName = preName + ".count";
  const string dbIdxName  = preName + ".dbIdx";

  const uint chunkMax = base_num / FLAGS_chunksize;
  const uint data_num = chunkMax * FLAGS_chunksize;

  uint* binPrefix = new uint[FLAGS_hashsize];
  uint* binCounts = new uint[FLAGS_hashsize];
  uint* dbIdx     = new uint[data_num];

  // read data base
  ifstream fprefix(prefixName.c_str(), std::ifstream::in | std::ofstream::binary);
  fprefix.read((char*) binPrefix, FLAGS_hashsize * sizeof(uint));
  fprefix.close();
  cout << "read " << prefixName << endl;

  ifstream fcounts(countsName.c_str(), std::ofstream::in | std::ofstream::binary);
  fcounts.read((char*) binCounts, HASH_SIZE * sizeof(uint));
  fcounts.close();
  cout << "read " << countsName << endl;

  size_t nfloats = DataReader.num();
  nfloats *= FLAGS_lineparts;

  float* hLines = nullptr;
  float* dLines;

  cudaHostAlloc((void **) &hLines, nfloats * sizeof(float), cudaHostAllocMapped);
  cudaHostGetDevicePointer((void **) &dLines, (void *) hLines, 0);
  if (!hLines) {
    cerr << " did not get hLine memory " << endl;
    exit(1);
  }

  ifstream fdb(dbIdxName.c_str(), std::ifstream::in | std::ofstream::binary);
  fdb.read((char*) dbIdx, base_num * sizeof(uint));
  fdb.close();
  cout << "read " << dbIdxName << endl;

  ppt.setDB(base_num, binPrefix, binCounts, dbIdx);

  // query
  vector<uint> resIdx;
  vector<float> resDist;

  for (int idxA = 0; idxA < FLAGS_chunksize; idxA += 4096) {
    const int len = min(4096, (int)(FLAGS_chunksize - idxA));
    ppt.queryKNN(resIdx, resDist, query.device + 4096 * idxA * FLAGS_dim, len, 4096);
    for (int r = 0; r < len; ++r) {
      const int queryVectorId = idxA*4096 + r;
      const int bestfoundBaseVectorId = resIdx[4096*r];
      const int secondbestfoundBaseVectorId = resIdx[4096*r+1];
    }
  }

  gflags::ShutDownCommandLineFlags();
  return 0;

}

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