Has Spring sprung? Maybe not quite yet but surely it’s on the way.

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The Crocuses are Coming

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from xkcd A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.

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Welcome to the future…

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Get More Out Of Google: Tips and Tricks for Online Research (Infographic)

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For a long time my least favourite option was Dublin Bus. The main reason was I had no idea when the bus was due. Waiting for a DART or a Luas wasn’t anywhere near as painful as you had electronic displays letting you know when the next one was going to arrive.

The problem with a bus is traffic. A DART and usually a Luas have clear runs to their destinations, nothing holds them up for too long (in theory). But a bus, even with Quality Bus Corridors (QBC) can find itself delayed for a multitude of reasons.

There have always been timetables, but unless you were getting on at or near the first stop it was hard to predict when the bus would arrive. Imagine waiting in Sutton for a bus to Howth that left Eden Quay – you need to consider all possibilities.

But the GPS driven bus stop displays are fantastic. It gives you the option of walking to a better stop, (from the KCR to the city centre should you take the 15A route through Terenure and Rathmines or the 19A route through Harold’s Cross), grabbing a coffee and reading the paper, or (as I have done) admiring magnificent stain glass art by Harry Clarke in St. Joseph’s Church, Terenure.

But this great story doesn’t end there.

If you’ve a Smart phone you can download your choice of apps that allow you to look up bus timetables, real time bus arrival times at your favourite stop, DART times, route maps and Luas times. You no longer have to be at your bus stop, your Luas stop or your DART station to determine the best time to arrive to meet your preferred mode of transport.

Now that’s progress!

But guess what? The story doesn’t end there either.

Today I heard on the radio that the Leap integrated transport ticket is almost here. The day of buying bus tickets, DART tickets and Luas tickets as you make your way around Dublin is almost gone. One ticketing system that integrates all three options is being rolled out as I type this post.

I admit it’s taken a while, first suggested in 1999 I think, but it looks like it’s finally arrived.

Now that’s fantastic.

So is there anything left. Is there anything that would make travelling around Dublin even better for public transport users?

Well here is a suggestion for those clever app developers out there. How about a real-time journey planner that takes your starting or current location (manual input or GPS), allows you to enter your destination and then presents you with public transport options combining walking, Dublin BUS, DART, Luas as required, clearly indicating changes using maps. Take it a little further and you can refresh the options as you require based on changes to your location (you’re on the move after all) and current time (options change if you are delayed or you get a head of yourself!).

Throw in a few options, quickest route, cheapest route, start time based on desired arrival time, via points -  now that would be bliss!

Update 22 November 2011

I just spotted this National Intermodal Journey Planner proposal on the Transport for Ireland is a website of the National Transport Authority.

It says…

The Journey Planner will provide door-to-door information for all journeys in Ireland including journeys on foot and by all modes of public transport. It will feature information for all contracted and licensed public transport services. It will also include information on fares, where available, ferries to the islands and taxis.

Maybe “bliss” is just around the corner.

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On Dublin Bus, DART, Luas, Smart Phones and Integrated Tickets

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I’ve seen Dublin in Croke Park many times since then, but lately there haven’t been many chances to see them in All-Ireland Finals.

Yesterday, watching the TV at home, I saw Dublin beat Kerry. To have had a ticket and to have seen the match from the stands would have been fantastic.

But even at home it was magical.

Kerry cut through the Dublin defence, Cooper scores, Dublin rally, dominate, lead at half-time. Kerry take control. Dublin stop winning kick-outs. Kerry take command.

I thought Kerry had it sewn-up when they went 4 points clear with about 10 minutes to go. Kerry don’t make mistakes. Dublin promise so much but never quite deliver.

But they delivered.

What a finish.

If the match lasted another 5 minutes Kerry might have regained the lead. I’ve no doubt that a few minutes later Dublin would have rallied again and retaken control. It was that kind of game.

But I’m a Dub and if there was going to be a winner…

Maybe this is a new era for Dublin football. Maybe the unthinkable could happen and they win both the Football and the Hurling Championships in the same year. Steady on, one step at a time, enjoy the moment.

They almost got a double yesterday, but Tipperary snatched a victory in much the same way Dublin finally overcame Kerry. “If only the Senior Final could be as good”, I thought. I had no idea what was coming.

What a fantastic team Kerry were yesterday and how strong Dublin had to be to beat them.

I’m a bit stunned and absolutely thrilled. Speechless, yet ready to shout out to all “Dublin are All-Ireland Champions”.

What a game.

But I’m forgetting Saturday.

Ireland V Australia.

Once again I watched that game at home and once again the last 10 minutes were crucial. I know Ireland had a 9 point cushion but a converted try with Australia winning the restart and, and…

And Australia were getting too close for comfort. Held up a metre from the line.

“Defend like Gods!”

Those missed chances.

“Defend like Gods!”

I’m not usually on speaking terms with the television but everything I was feeling was released, distilled into three little words.

“Defend like Gods!”

And they did.  Magnificent.

Tommy Bowe!!!

I’m still in shock.

After three great games in two days I feel completely exhausted and totally elated!

What could possibly top that?

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Stunned by The Green and The Blue

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Today’s Sunflowers…

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More from XKCD available here.

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Strong Passwords You Can Remember

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Maybe he’s never been to a St Patrick’s Day parade, because if he had, he’d have been in the company of thousands of people from many cultures happy and delighted to wear the green and take part in one of Ireland’s most important cultural events.

I hadn’t been to the Dublin parade in years and as I wandered around I was taken with the joy and good humour displayed by those preparing for the off, and those patiently waiting to be entertained.

Mostly I based myself around Mountjoy Street, near St. Mary’s Chapel of Ease (the Black Church), where many of the bands and floats were setting up.

The sounds of music and laughter filled the street as routines were practised and final touches were being applied to floats.

Later, walking along O’Connell Street just after the parade started nearly everybody in the street was wearing green.

I think by the end of his song Kermit gets over his malaise and embraces his colour. Certainly, yesterday it wasn’t just the locals who wore it.

Have a listen to Kermit; see if you think I’m right.

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St Patrick’s Day, Dublin – It’s Easy Being Green

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I don’t bet much these days. A couple of years ago I closed my Paddy Power account. It was on a point of principle and I was being a little pig-headed. But since I was never ahead at the end of a year I guess I’ve saved money by no longer having a direct line to the bookie.

I never really bet that much. So I never lost much. But even in losing there were gains to be made. My father-in-law, mother-in-law and brother-in-law are into the horses. I think they’d each argue that one of the other two are more into the sport than they are, but they’re certainly all more into horse racing than I am.

They’ve taught me a lot about how to judge form. Especially my father-in-law, who seems to be able to speak horse. He just seems to naturally know which jockey or trainer is on their game and who to look out for in the bumper! Being able to join in the discussions, debates and after race analysis has helped get to know my in-laws better.

For a while I tried to keep up. I even read Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand! But unless you’re prepared to study the form each day you’ll lose out.

In March 2004 I had what was, and still is, my only significant victory over the bookies.

Before we left on a flight to Rome for a few days exploring that wonderful city I placed an each-way Lucky Fifteen which included Hardy Eustace at 33-1 in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. I didn’t think I had a chance.

I came back from Rome and discovered that my winnings (I had 2 wins including Hardy Eustace, a place and 1 loss) exceeded the money I spent on the weekend.  It was like a gift from the gods. My account had just short of €1,000 and that easily covered flights and accommodation for the two of us. (Maybe in didn’t cover food but we had to eat no matter where we were.)

I was reminded of all this yesterday, in a very non-horsey environment. My Mam, P and I were at the Saturday afternoon matinee of the Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society production of Hear Our Songs in the National Concert Hall, Dublin. They did a selection of Broadway Musicals including songs from West Side Story, Chess, Les Misérables, My Fair Lady and Guys & Dolls!

West Side Storey and Guys & Dolls are among my favourite musicals and when they launched into Fugue for Tinhorns I immediately thought of Hardy Eustace and that trip to Rome.

If you’ve never heard it here’s your chance.

Now I was at full gallop. I start thinking about other horse related songs and tried to pick out the ones that I consider to be classics.

It turns out there are plenty to chose from.

• Wild Horses – The Rolling Stones
• A Horse With No Name – America
• Heavy Horses – Jethro Tull
• Horse Overboard – Microdisney

And an all-time favourite has got to be Horses by Patti Smith.

I just love the lyrics

When suddenly Johnny gets the feeling he’s being surrounded by
horses, horses, horses, horses
coming in in all directions
white shining silver studs with their nose in flames,

These are all great songs, and I love hearing them, but if I was to pick the horse related songs that touch me most emotionally, I’d have to look to television.

The theme songs of some children’s TV shows have a way of dragging me back to a time long before online betting. To a time of Red Rum.

The theme tune to Black Beauty, Follyfoot, Champion the Wonder Horse and this absolute classic from the UK production of the 1965 Yugoslavian television series, The White Horses.

The UK version of this series had its own theme song which was written by Michael Carr and Ben Nisbet and sung beautifully by Jackie Lee.

If you’ve never heard it before you are in for a treat. If you have heard it, and know the TV series, I hope it brings back good memories.

Enjoy!

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Horses, Horses, Horses, From All Directions

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There are some habits I’m better at than others. I tend to put things (keys, wallet, phone etc.) in their home when I get home. Everything has a place.

I tend to unpack after I return from a trip and either hang clothes in the wardrobe or put them in the laundry basket.

Yet there is a basket full of ironing I have to get to. And I rarely wash up directly after eating.

But I know these simply habits would help keep the clutter down.

I was reminded of this when I read The Little Habits on the Zen Habits blog. Leo Babauta makes some excellent points about habits – little things, repeated daily that can make a world of difference.

I don’t buy flowers often enough. On my desk is a cut flower in a small vase that brightens up my day just by being there. It’s on my desk because P, who likes to get flowers, put it there. It’s a nice distraction. As I’m working away I see it out of the corner of my eye and when I give it attention I love seeing the deep pink of the petals and the tiny yellow pollen grains. It’s joyous.

In his post The Little Habits, Leo Babauta gives us seven steps to making something a habit. I won’t repeat them here as you can easily find them by following the above links. But I plan on using them over the coming weeks.

I’m going to try to start some new habits that I know will make my days more enjoyable.

They are:

• Put clothes away
• Wash up
• Exercise
• Reflect

and perhaps most important of all – buy flowers for P (and for us).

Joyous!

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My Desk Flower – Habit Forming

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