Oh dear.

Cyclingnews.com reports that the investigation into one of the biggest sporting doping scandals in recent years has fizzled out like a damp squib (Operación Puerto: Case Closed | Cyclingnews.com).  Despite there being freezers with bags of easily identifiable blood stored for future use, very few of these cases have ever resulted in action taken against the drug cheats.  To my mind this is a travesty and a failure in justice.  Why should some of these cheats pay the penalty (often resulting career-ending suspension), while others get away scot-free?

Operación Puerto began in May 2006 when the Spanish Civil Guard arrested Madrid doctor Eufemiano Fuentes and Liberty Seguros manager Manolo Saiz, amongst others, after having found massive amounts of doping products and blood doping evidence in an apartment belonging to Fuentes.

I've been using version 3 of the original Squeezebox for some time now for streaming digital music via the home network.  Didn't quite fancy the later Squeezebox Boom.  The Squeezebox radio looks like it might fit the bill, however...

On the other hand, to restrict the remote and battery to an aftermarket pack does feel like, in the words of The Register, "an act of frankly shocking tight-fistedness".  The red version pictured is only available in the USA, here in Blighty we are apparently restricted to the standard Squeezebox glossy black finish.

Is it worth £159?  Mmmm...don't know about that.

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Cyclingnews reports that Lance Armstrong: RadioShack Not Built Around Me.  Well, I'm not so sure - look what happened when he got parachuted into Astana last year.  He says they have 8 of the 9 riders that rode the Tour for Astana last year, plus Bruyneel.  And don't forget the external pressure - I would expect the selling point for the team was his presence, and even if he wanted to take a back seat, I doubt it's possible.

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Google's Chrome browser is now out in beta for Linux (Google Chrome for Linux).  Installation on Ubuntu Karmic 32 bit is straightforward, and the app launches quickly.  Only been running it for a short while, but so far, I've noticed:

1 - The default Chrome window doesn't obey my normal window management.  So the title bar is different, and the behaviour also differs (I have my windows set to roll up when the title bar is double clicked - in Chrome double clicking maximises the window).  However, the options in Chrome are easily accessed, and it's obvious there how to set Chrome's appearance to that of the rest of my desktop.

2 - On first run, Chrome offers to import data from Firefox -  this seems to be effective and quick.  Bookmarks seem to be moved effectively.

3 - Been quickly looking through Chrome extensions, and installed a couple.  As an inveterate Firefox extension user, I would miss quite a few of my favourite extensions, including this one, ScribeFire, which I use for blogging to a variety of blogging platforms (Joomla, Wordpress and Blogspot).  There's a neat-looking  Chrome extension for Blogger, which will bear investigationure the number of extensions will grow rapidly.

I'm looking forward to using Chrome...it's too early to say whether I'll make a major shift to using it.  At the very least having it is essential for website development.

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Cyclingnews.com provides an update on the Alejandro Valverde doping saga - WADA Frustrated By Delays In Valverde CAS Cases. I blogged the other day that I felt that judicial delays in dealing with the fallout of Operacion Puerto would lead to injustice as many of the dopers will have retired by the time much of this mess has been sorted out.  If, indeed, it will ever be sorted out.

Cyclingnews reports that the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) is indeed upset at the length of time it's taking to resolve two cases concerning Valverde:

The first is the Caisse d'Epargne's rider's own appeal against a two-year ban from competition in Italy, enforced by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) for his alleged involvement in the Puerto affair. The second case is a joint action by WADA and the International Cycling Union (UCI), who have appealed the Spanish cycling federation's (RFEC) decision not to launch their own disciplinary proceedings against Valverde as a result of evidence gathered during the Puerto investigation.

This really cuts to the heart of the matter: if Valverde is Valv. Piti, and is guilty of blood doping via the Fuentes clinic, then, yes, he should be punished.  But what if he's actually innocent?  Should he be made to serve a lengthy ban before an appeal is heard?  Similarly, why should Valverde have proceedings against him while all the other implicated athletes carry on training and competing without sanction?

As with all athletes, a professional cyclist's career is short: these cases need to be completed quickly and efficiently.

The website Christian Concern for our Nation takes up their cudgels to stand up for a sacked housing officer Justice for Duke Campaign. In common with many religious sites, there doesn't appear to be a comment feature for curmudgeonly atheists such as I to respond. Any road, the article describes how

Bible-believing Christian Duke Amachree, married and father of 3 children who had served Wandsworth Council as a Homelessness Prevention Officer diligently for 18 years, was dismissed in circumstances Christians and non-Christians alike across the country rightly view as completely outrageous.

Well this non-Christian (actually atheist) doesn't find it completely outrageous, at least based on the evidence presented by CCfoN.

Cyclingnews.com reports that Valverde To Concentrate On Tour De France In 2010.  Well, I guess unless CAS rule against him...as cyclingnews.com point out:

The main barrier to riding the Tour in 2010 may be the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Earlier this year the Spaniard was given a two-year suspension by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI). The ban, based on his alleged connection to Operacion Puerto, applies only to races in Italy. He has appealed the ban to the CAS, with the International Cycling Union and the World Anti-doping Agency also filing a separate case which asks that the ban be extended worldwide.

It's not clear to me how sports justice is being served by the response of Cycling organisations such as the UCI and the national federations to the whole Operacion Puerto enquiry and the Spanish legal processes.  The latter moves at what can best be described as a glacial pace.  But why are some individuals (e.g. jan Ullrich) penalised and not others?  Seems to me that by the time Operacion Puerto is fully investigated, many of the athletes will have retired.

Scott's Last Expedition - The Journals of Captain R. F. Scott (Folio, 2009)

This was one of my selections for my 2009-10 membership of the Folio Society.  It is Volume 1 of the original publication of the account of the Ill-fated 1910-13 Terra Nova expedition to reach the South Pole.  Ultimately of course, the Polar expedition itself came to grief, with the three remaining men dying in their tent trapped by unusually severe weather only a few miles from their next depot of fuel and food (famously, Lt Oates had sacrificed himself a few days earlier in an effort to save the others, while Evans had died earlier, partly as a result of injuries sustained on the return march).

Late-ish yesterday afternoon, I finally got around to trying out the new time trial bike (for a very short spin due to fading light):

This was my first trial with Speedplay pedals (X-1 titanium) - amazing levels of float, feels like sliding on ice, but very good.  Current (and final specs):

...The Register: Spain warned on filesharing cut-offs, in which we are told that Commissioner Viviane Reding (the saviour of internet privacy in the UK) has said:

"If Spain cuts off internet access without a procedure in front of a judge, it would certainly run into conflict with the European Commission."

I think Lord Mandelson should take note, in light of his Digital Economy bill.