Oscar (from the wife Instagram account)

Street decoration #thebetaproject #dublinstreetart

A post shared by Tar Isteach (@tar_isteach) on May 15, 2017 at 11:26am PDT

Revisiting Instagram - 2012

Since we are reaching the end of 2019, time to step back in time over  the last past seven years, through my old instagram account archive.

First Year 2012

Instagram 2012

2013

Instagram 2013

2014

Instagram 2014

2015

Instagram 2015

2016

Instagram 2016

2017

Instagram 2017

2018

No Instagram

On abandoning facebook

I am no longer on Facebook, this is not recent or new, I took the leap 2 years ago.

I had grown increasingly dissatisfied with the social network, and by the time I was wasting scrolling newsfeed.
No regret about the decision, the only feature I had to find an alternative is the ability to keep in touch with some people, especially since I move abroad and to a different city, in other word going back the old fashioned way: use email, shockingly call directly using my phone.

I want to discuss here the strategy I have been using.

First, not all acquaintance are equal, we get closer to some and disconnect ed to others, and those relations keep evolving over time.

Leaving Facebook forces you to sort out this, and prioritize the relationship you value and want to preserve, and the one you can do without, and can easily prune out.

Now I have few categories, two sometimes overlapping

1. Work and colleagues relationship
All work-related connection has been moved and is staying exclusively on Linkedin. The platform is great to stay in touch with colleague, industry progress and jobs opportunities, without too much of the un-wanted noise. I  have found noisier and noisier content appearing in the last two years, but careful use of the unfollow feature is helping to keep it under control.

2. Family and friends
Email, messaging, Skype, phone, or even better meeting directly face to face.
I am not short of families gathering on the Irish side, for the people abroad it does require more voluntary effort - and I need to improve on that.
I have setup shared photo albums, so they can be easily accessed by my family abroad.
In the end, I found that I do need to schedule a time for the phone call or meetup, allowing a dedicated time for exchange is what works for me best.

3. Acquaintances, toxic relationship, old flames...

Simply put, it is cut off from all social network. I may still have their contact details somewhere.
If I happen to cross the path of old acquaintances, I happily say hi, and exchange a few moments... they usually turn out to be happy fortuitous events.
For the rest, I am much happier without those crossing my mind either physically or virtually.

I would encourage anybody to read Cal Newport articles on this subject.

Update: 

• Tim Harford post on the subject :
  http://timharford.com/2019/02/how-behavioural-economics-helped-me-kick-my-smartphone-addiction/

Update: June 2019

• Following this, I also deleted my Twitter, Instagram accounts

Update: October 2019

• Not missing FB or twitter, but I decided to reactivate an Instagram account for a photo a day project. To ensure I don't waste too much time on the app, I have setup a 10 minutes limit per day (using Android Digital WellBeing setting), so that is 10 minute a day to do the picture and upload.

Update: January 2020
An interesting video from Melanie Murphy

Update: June 2020

My Instagram usage, increased again, so I have deleted the account for good this time.

Update: August 2021

• Re-activated a new twitter account so I could follow my kid school twitter account and the cycle bus information. No followers and limiting following to below 90 people. Not installed on my phone, only on my personal computer, Screen Time limited to 5 minutes everyday.
• Activated new instagram account, only on phone, with screen time limit of 10 minutes... very unsure about that, but it allows me to follow the wife...
• What's App usage has increased but it is replacing email, SMS, Skype and phone call, so no complain.
• Installed Signal on phone.

My 2012 movember

mymovember, a photo by TOF2006 on Flickr.

In summary:
- Gigs (RSAG, Ham Sandwich, Hermitage Green ... )
- Choucroute
- Turf fires, pub and whiskey
- Dublin findings includes Choucroute
- A mow
- Some ginger beer and half nurphys.

Scubathon 2012

Nevermind Bastille Day, this weekend my diving club ( Aughinish ) along with the local diving club in Kilkee were organizing a scubathon:

Poster Scubathon

By Scubathon this meant 24 hours diving, with diving in the water all the time, rotating by one hour slots.
The event coincided with the maritime festival in Kilkee, so the town was busy.

Maritime festival in Kilkee

I started off by trying to help setup the camp early in the morning, then I was off to do the first 2 hours of cox duty over Newfie, bringing divers to the site, watching over them and recovering them at the end.

The last boat to get in the water

Covering diver over newfie

Covering boat in newfie, george's head in the back

Flags

Sunset in kilkee ... :D

Later during the day, it was my turn to dive, 62 minutes of easy diving in 10 meters of water, with a nice blonde mermaid. We saw a couple of flat fishes, some pollock, and tiny fish hiding in the sand.
I was actually quite annoyed by my main regulator which was leaking, and i was not sure i could make the full hour, by loosing air permanently... but it ended up ok, finishing with 50bar  on the dot.

my mermaid ... buddy

After a night sleep, in kilkee under the tent, I went back to Limerick, leaving the others close the event.
And it was time to close the weekend with a nice chowder, some tunes and some stout in the Curragower:

The End ...

A good start for the Month of May

Bank May Holiday, with his now traditional Riverfest, was planned to be a busy weekend. The weather at times was menacing, but everything turned out great.

All started out with a chill out session on Friday night in the infamous Wicked Chicken, all with good tunes and excellent company (K & P )

The infamous Wicked Chicken....

We could not end up the night like that, so off we went finish ourselves to the Costello, his sticky carpet, and relax dance-floor, made some brilliant encounter down there, from past DJ (now teacher of the place) to Mr Scruff gig's friends.

Costello godess overlooking the dancefloor...

Water the drink of legends ;)

Definitely the perfect warm up for the long weekend.

On Saturday the big BBQ cook off, took place on Arthur Quay's, we manage to preserve ourselves a table, well guarded by bubbles gun.

Almost shining on a busy Arthur Quay...

Nice free food, and free music along with great people, mostly musician and psychology student, with the odd intrusion from work colleagues.

After an afternoon baking in the - at times - sun, it was time for me to go to Thomond Park, to enjoy a game of Rugby (Munster vs Ulster )

Munster Mascot

Munster on the attack....

This end up my day, but from what I heard the festivities were to continue long after my departure.

I had an excuse to leave early (10pm), as I was going diving in Doolin the following day.

On sunday morning, I arrive in Doolin, after escaping the gates in place for the Great Limerick Run.

Stoned view from Doolin pier

It did not take long to launch the boat, and off we went to the Aran Island ( Inis Mor ) to dive the wormhole ( I am still in the process of editing the video, so wait for the next post ).

In the afternoon we went for another one, along the Cliffs of Moher, under the sun.

The Cliffs viewed from the sea....

Once we were done, we had to take care of the boat, and after complicated exchange with some locals ( not facilitated by the foreigner accent of our diving club - including mine ), we ended up finding a suitable place to park it overnight. And it was time for fulfilling dinner.

A bit later, I had the extreme pleasure to be join by G&T in McDermott pub , around some nice guinness, enjoyable trad music session, for a nice chat. And it was not till well past 1AM that we had to say goodbye.

Guiness for strength in McDermotts

The legendary G&T

Up came monday, after a restful night - not enjoyed by everybody due to the weather conditions. 

And we were off, for another dive, this time  the club boat was hosting many guests from different clubs ( Cork SAC, Burren, and Ennis )

Aughinish Boat

Delightful dive, starting with an impressive wall of Anemones displaying all their colors in patches ( Orange, Yellow, Purple, blue.... ).

Aughinish Diving boat making way for the happy hooker.

And on our way back, we were greeted by a jumping dolphin, following us up to the pier.
You can actually read a bit more about this May dive weekend on the Aughinish website:
http://www.aughinishdivingclub.com/news/159-dolphin-the-cliffs-and-worm-hole


Some more....

Happy Hooked in Doolin ... ( the ferry  name ;)

The Cliffs viewed from Doolin....

Life's a beach....

A quiet weekend to end up April 2012... Starting slowly with a visit to the Milk Market, got some lovely tart-let, which did not last very long ;)

"Om nom nom nom"

Then Sunday was off to Kilkee, for some scuba-diving activities. Gorgeous cloudless blue sky, but with with chilly wind... no hot stuff to warm us up.

Kilkee Pier

The dive on itself was a technical training ( 9meters 35minutes ) to iron up some skills, like:

•  the frog kick
• dry suit inversion
• SMB deployment
• Trim adjustement

Quite enjoyable despite the hard work and there was a great visibility underwater.

Our friends from Lough Dergh were also there, and you can read about their dives :  http://www.ldsac.ie/news/245-farewell-april

I quit my diving gear, in the afternoon, to focus on more important matters, aka the pub (the Skinny Dog in Kilkee ) and the European Rugby Cup Semi Final between my club of heart ASM and Leinster.

Arrrr SM...

Great fantastic game... probably the best of the season, sadly it was not meant to be for my team, and we lost 15-19... despite a desperate last 5 minutes push.  :( Now ASM will turn to the French championship to win their second Brennus....

Back to the beach...

Windsurf on kilkee beach

 And the day was almost over... 

First Diving Weekend of 2012

My diving club Aughinish went to Kerry in Portmagee for the first weekend away, using the pretext of Easter Bank Holiday.

So what makes a diving weekend away ?
Answer in pictures...

Towing the boat down... and back

Launching, mooring the boat in the harbour...

Anchor in Portmagee harbour...

A good bit of delicious food...

A tiny bit of drinking...

Enjoying the scenery...

Sadly no underwater pictures, since i did not bring my camera this time, but in the end 2 lovely dive with one magnificient crawfish, some anxious and damp covering of the diver in the boat, may be a head trauma or 2.... in the end a good weekend.

And as an added bonus: ASM is going to the semi-final of the H-Cup :D

Playing with instagram

I have found myself playing a lot with  Instagram recently released for Android.
The only thing missing right now is a direct upload to Flickr [UPDATE: solved via IFTT].

Playmobil

Arrr !!!!!

Lego

Legos are in formation, ready for the parade.

Dinner time

Dinner... Salad, egg, chorizo...

More to come, I feel....