This is an important notice for all passengers of Ryanair who intend to travel in a couple of days’ time. Ryanair is running an upgrade to their system which will see the website closure for 10 hours, of which during this period there will be no online check-in service, nor reviewing and/or amendment of existing bookings, nor booking of new flights.

The system closure will be in place from 8pm, Wednesday 24 June until 6am, Thursday 25 June.

(Technically speaking, apart from online check-in, all other services are available up to 10.30pm on Wednesday 24 June, but to play it safe and not having to worry if your reservation goes awol or not, I would just avoid going near the website at all during that 10 hours period.)

This is the press release from Ryanair and don’t be alarm that the times shown here are different – all times mentioned are based on GMT on the website/press release and remember that daylight saving time is currently in place.

Ryanair travellers from other countries should check the relevant sites in order to obtain the right time notification. E.g. closure for French site : 8pm GMT to 5am GMT which translates to 10pm to 7am local time. And if you need help with time zone conversion, here’s a converter that you can use.

Travel safe.

Alright, a bit of a late notice/reminder for you if you’re looking for a job with a little of the media glam thrown on top of it. Get cracking at your CV – right now! – and you may find yourself battling it out to be one of the finalists for the Irish edition of The Apprentice.

Oh yeah, Bill Cullen is looking for an apprentice again, and in the climate of recession right now, I’d reckon plenty of people would try their chances on this. You have just ONE more day (the closing date is tomorrow, Friday 8th May 2009) to work on your application, and you can apply online here.

Good luck folks!

This is one of those scary real life videos, which is not even about reality tv show. Instead it highlights the real problem during times of economic downturn. Previously, practically most of the convenient shops in town would have signs at the window offering casual/full time employments. Now, a single sign at one shop window for just a few days could evoke a line of over 500 applicants!

In fairness, the ratio for this particular employment interview session is about 1:5, given there are about 100+ positions to be filled for 3 new Londis stores. Quite a normal rate. I guess the surprise factor is actually seeing queue of this magnitude instead of a more traditional discreet interview appointment system favoured in this city.

I fear we have not seen the last of such open call interviews (while the number of jobs offered keeps on dwindling over time). Hard times people. Hard times.

I knew it! As I suspected last month, when Ryanair announced the intention to abolish desk check-in, there’s going to be a sneaky reintroduction of web check-in fee. Well, there is no way they’re not going to exploit this now that everyone’s obliged to check-in online.

What do you know – it’s coming at €5 per flight per passenger!

There will be some phasing out of desk check-in service between now and October, with huge penalties in order to discourage anyone from going near those desks at all. For the whole shebang and gooblydooks on this, read this press release. Frankly speaking, how can this web check-in charge be “savings” that can be passed on to the passengers, I don’t know.

Of course, this spells more profits for Ryanair. They can finally charge EVERYONE again for check-in fees, not just non-EU/EEA travellers or people with luggage to check-in. In fact, this means you are actually paying them to do the work yourself! Without any designated airport desks, they also need not employ so many staff anymore so I expect some of them may be seeing their P45s sooner than they’re expected to. Ryanair would probably cite recession as an excuse for that or something.

I need a better paying job just so I don’t have to fly with Ryanair anymore.

Ryanair is clearly desperate to stay in public eyes and certainly believes in the mantra “no publicity is bad publicity”!

Last week, it was all about abolishing desk check-in service. Earlier this week, they went on blogger bash fest. And today, what that comes in as “breaking news” on Irish Times and BBC is the plan to introduce charges to use toilets on board! Whoa! What’s next? Charging a pregnant woman because she’s clearly carrying “extra passenger” with her?

You know, I’ve always defended Ryanair’s to my friends with “have no expectation and you won’t be disappointed” and “what you see on the tin is what you get” but it’s getting harder and harder to side with them. I’ve fly often with them and so far, so good. (Touch wood!) But sometimes, extreme measures like this really made me go, blah…

If I can afford it, I would choose to fly with different flight operators but until then, I’d just chalk this to another of their madness that I’m going to shrug off. Not that I’ve ever use their toilets on board come to think of it. Afterall, I only fly with them for short-haul (2 hours max) flights and I never really like the sorry excuse of a small, usually disgusting, cabin that’s being passed off as lavatory. That also explains why I could never understand why anyone sane would go for a tryst or attempt to join the so-called mile high club in one. Seriously unclassy.

This should really have been blogged last week but while it was on my radar, I’ve been up to my eyes with a gazillion and one tasks to complete. (In fact, this switch is also on my to-do list.)

Anyway.

Finally.

An electricity service provider that promises substantial saving on the crazy utility prices, no thanks to the years of monopoly that ESB had.

To be honest, I am a bit annoyed with ESB at the moment, as I’ve just received our latest household bill. They had just up the rate of electricity unit (with effect from January 2009) from €0.1597 to €0.1640! At time of recession and economic downturn, and where the price of oil worldwide had came down (they previously sought for the green light for an increase on the premise that oil price was too high), this is really quite unacceptable.

At the heel of the receipt of this bill, it reminded me of the Bord Gáis’ The Big Switch that I saw through an announcement on their website. I’d wager you have heard all about it too, even if you’re not already a current customer of Bord Gáis, given it was written up well on the Irish Times’ PriceWatch, they’re advertising it everywhere (including Facebook!) and everyone is talking about it. The changeover is really quite simple – just sign up for the switch and Bord Gáis will take care of everything else.

As pointed out by the Irish Times, consumers who change over their provider from ESB to Bord Gáis stand to enjoy a saving of up to nearly 24% – that’s a lot of money that you and I can do with in our own pockets right now. I’m switching mine with immediate effect, well, after reading and understanding the terms and conditions involved of course.

Ryanair has been in the news a good bit again this week, and for a change it’s not about yet another attempt on hostile takeover of Aer Lingus or advertisement infringement etc.

Instead, they’re introducing a new fleet of flights that allow in-flight mobile phone calls. Well, of course, this is a service that comes with a price (check this press release) and is currently available only to Vodofone and O2 customers. To be honest – can people really not wait till they arrive at their destinations to make further contacts etc? The plane is the only mode of transport where I don’t have to hear incessant ring tones of phone calls and text messages coming in (personally I keep my mobile on silent at all time), and I can also do without hearing one sided conversation (for some reason, a lot of people increases the decibel when speaking over the phone in comparison to talking to someone while seated side by side).

Never mind. I don’t think this will be a major issue since most people probably wouldn’t be too keen on paying the exhorbitant fees. Afterall there is a reason why people are flying Ryanair despite all the grumbles about their charges and service – they’re the cheapest option to fly in/out of Dublin to European destinations. Therefore money matters.

Another piece of news that I just saw on BBC is their plan to scrap desk check-in service. I can’t find any details yet from their website, but it certainly raises a few questions.

Currently, online check-in service is only available to EU/EEA passport holders with hand luggage. Other international travellers and anyone who has luggage to check in must pay additionally for desk check-in service. Already this is obligating many to travel light (which is not a bad thing to be honest) and it’s also rather unfair that international travellers be charged more by the nature of their citizenship.

Now, if the desk check-in is to be abolished:

1. Travellers who have hold luggage must check in online then drop off the luggage at bag drop. I’m imagining chaos with this if the tags were not put properly etc and there is need for someone to man the bag drop anyway, so how is this different from having desk check-in?

2. Will this be a sneaky way to re-introduce some kind of online check-in charges to all travellers at some stage in the future?

3. What happens to international, non-EU/EEA travellers? Can they now suddenly avail of online check-in whereas previously they can’t (for reasons unknown – or the faible “it’s for security purposes” without further explanations) or will they just not able to travel with Ryanair anymore?

I guess only time will tell what Ryanair’s full plan is. They are always full of surprises and implement radical changes, enough to confuse anyone who doesn’t travel regularly with them. Frequent travellers on Ryanair know full well what the score is and I’d imagine by now have benefited in the experiece to become one of the most unflappable air passengers in the world.

In all the years living in Dublin, I have yet to seen so many demonstrations and marches organised in the city. Until this year. With so many issues nagging at the population left, right and center, on top of economic downturn, more and more people are taking to the streets to make their voices heard.

Earlier in the year, the atrocity of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians saw a series of protests held in the city in succession. So far, the various protests and marches since January:

03.01.2009 : Anti-war Groups against Gaza Bombing
10.01.2009 : Anti-war Groups against Gaza Bombing
13.01.2009 : Anti-war Groups against Gaza Bombing
17.01.2009 : Anti-war Groups against Gaza Bombing
02.02.2009 : Taxi Drivers against Deregulation
02.02.2009 : Busworkers’ Action Group against Transports Cutbacks
04.02.2009 : Union of Students in Ireland (USI) against Fees Reintroduction
05.02.2009 : Taxi Drivers against Deregulation
06.02.2009 : Taxi Drivers against Deregulation
09.02.2009 : Taxi Drivers against Deregulation
09.02.2009 : Teachers United against Education Underfunding
11.02.2009 : Dublin Bus Action Group against Transports Cutbacks
16.02.2009 : Union of Students in Ireland (USI) against Fees Reintroduction
17.02.2009 : Taxi Drivers against Deregulation
18.02.2009 : Garda Representative Association (GRA) against Government’s New Pension Levy
18.02.2009 : Civil, Public and Services Union (CPSU) against Government’s New Pension Levy
18.02.2009 : Dublin Bus/ SIPTU against Transports Cutbacks

And upcoming protests and strikes, including one tomorrow:

21.02.2009 : National Demonstration organised by ICTU, 2pm, Parnell Street to Dáil Éireann
25.02.2009 : Garda Representative Association (GRA) against Government’s New Pension Levy (morning)
26.02.2009 : Civil, Public and Services Union (CPSU) One-Day Strike
28.02.2009 : Dublin Bus/ NBRU One-Day Strike
01.03.2009 : Dublin Bus/ SIPTU All-Out Strike (from this date, possibly ongoing)
09.03.2009 : Dublin Bus/ NBRU One-Day Strike
10.03.2009 : Dublin Bus/ NBRU One-Day Strike

With regards to strikes, it’s prudent for commuters to pay particular attentions to them. Usually, per what is norm for Dublin, such strikes may be averted following union-authority discussions. But given the unsettled times, who know what’s next?

While the folks over in Paris were all in wintery mood because it was snowing, the weather in Dublin since yesterday has been less than kind as it stays showery, albeit in small doses. Still. I want the clear blue sky back…

Well, I’m sure everyone has by now cleared out all Irish pork products from your fridge/freezer, including sausages, bacon and ham, after the recall last week following detection of high levels of dioxin in them – up to 200 times over the allowed limit! There shouldn’t be unnecessary panic though and I think it’s good that the recall is being done, and the shelves are now being restocked with pork from outside of the republic and if it’s Irish they’re new uncontaminated stock.

Faced with all these gloom and doom, a little cheering up would be nice. Christmas cheer in particular. So why not head over to the IFSC for 12 Days of Christmas?

“The 12 days of Christmas market at the Docklands is full of more Christmas cheer than your Da when the in laws leave!”

That’s the tagline! Cute, lol…

There are lots of food stalls selling bratwurst (contamination-free all the way from Germany), herby roast potatoes, mulled wine, pretzels, chocolates, truffles, crepes, hot nuts… (I’ve got to stop listing since it’s making *me* hungry right now) as well as gift stalls where you can hunt for some Christmas presents including jewelleries, toys, clothings, decorative items, books, woodcraft and more!

At weekends, Santa Grotto will also be open. On top of that, there would also be entertainments in the form of brass band, face painter and balloon modeller. Just the thing to keep kids happy and cheerful.

I’ll definitely be making my way there at least a couple of times in the next 12 days. Hmmm… I’m dreaming of the grilled sausages with roast potatoes and mulled wine as it is…

Everywhere you go around the city, you’ll see now of the Christmas lightings and trees and decorations. There were Christmas songs belting through the sound system from Brown Thomas but unfortunately now this may be shut because the Dublin City Council deemed it noise pollution blah di blah. I mean, c’mon, this is pretty much part of Grafton Street Christmas tradition – to walk past BT, admire their beautifully decorated windows (with overpriced items that I could never afford, but that’s not the point) and sing/hum along to the Christmas carols!

Please don’t spoil this festive cheers by being so uptight about this. I don’t know of anyone who complained about the music and as far as I know, it actually puts people in Christmassy mood. More than the weird Christmas tree on O’Connell Street that the city council was raving over.

And staying with the topic of music, watch this video by Playing for Change. I know it’s not Dublin-specific, but it emphasises music as an universal language that links people together. Including Dubliners, and you and me who live in this city.

There are a few reasons why I think it’s appropriate to post this video here today. First and foremost, it’s a beautiful song that’s produced using recordings from all over the world, harmonised together so elegantly that it resonates with everyone. Secondly, this organisation aims to promote peace through music, and this is one endeavour that I’m whole-heartedly supporting. Thirdly, I think we can all do with a good reminder that no man is an island and we have wonderful people, friends and family, that stand by us every day, every step that we take. (Quite nicely, it was Thanksgiving yesterday in the US, so what are you thankful for this year?)

We need more positive actions like this.

In the past week, we’ve seen chaos in the Middle East (so much so that it’s nearly business-for-usual that doesn’t quite raise the eyebrows anymore), military coup in Thailand and most shockingly the violent attacks in Mumbai that left over 100 people dead and a few hundred more injured. At the moment there are some progress made in containing the attacks and I hope there will not be anymore unnecessary casualties.

But it begets a few questions. Why are men still using violence in order to achieve what they want? How come, through the ages and civilisations, are there still systems and governments that don’t work that the people felt they need to speak out radically? And why are men not searching for better middle grounds to their ideologies, and at times agree to disagree, or able to disagree without being disagreeable?

Sure, there are no simple answers to these. I long for the ideal world, but hey I also often live behind a rose-tinted glasses, Pollyanna world. I’ve tried stepping out and look at things with more cynicism and skepticism, but I didn’t (and still don’t) like what I see.

Oh well, this is something best left to philosophers to debate.