Thanks to Annie Mole’s London Underground blog, I’ve just spotted that Matthew Somerville and friends have used the recently opened up Transport for London API to create an (almost) real time map of all the trains on the London Underground. The picture above is a horribly fuzzy screen capture from the real-time map. OK so the application it still needs some refinement – as Matthew says there are “some unresolved (a small number of stations are misplaced or missing; inter-station journey times need improvement; occasional trains behave oddly due to duplicate IDs)”. This latter comment is indeed true as I was amused to see a District Line train hacking across country between Wimbledon and Richmond!
As a proof of concept – no, it’s better than that! – this brilliantly shows what can be done by skilled programmers in just a few hours. In my book it is already a useful resource for Londoners, and has the potential to become much, much more especially if the DLR and London Overground data is accessible and they can be included. Let’s hope Matthew and Co are able to continue developing the application.
Now what we need is a complete real-time map of all trains on the rail network – Matthew already has some prototype segments working. Now that would be interesting.
Another in our occasional series of quotations encountered during he week which have struck me: because of their zen-ness, their humour, or their verisimilitude.
Although the world’s religions may differ fundamentally from one other in their metaphysical views, when it comes to their teachings on the actual practice of ethics, there is great convergence. All the faith traditions emphasize a virtuous way of being, the purification of the mind from negative thoughts and impulses, the doing of good deeds, and living a meaningful life. [Dalai Lama]
Don’t forget those irregular verbs like hoggo, piggeri, swini, gruntum. [pmh {at} cix]
Sex and money: the forked root of evil [Ross Macdonald, The Drowning Pool]
Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business. [Tom Robbins]
Girls are like pianos. When they’re not upright, they’re grand. [Benny Hill]
I write this having just bade “good night” to our dinner guest, the lovely Katyboo. Though I say it myself the food, the company and the conversation was rather good.
Steamed English Asparagus and Jersey Royal Potatoes dressed with butter and flaked Parmesan
Smoked Chicken, Broad Bean & Pasta Salad with Tomato, Rocket & Avocado Served with a Lemon & Garlic Dressing
Alcoholic Summer Fruit Salad with Clotted Cream (Nectarine, Blueberries & Raspberries marinated in Cherry Brandy)
Coffee & Florentines
Washed down with a couple of bottles of excellent Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages
All devised and prepared by me. Yes, I am showing off ‘cos I’ve eaten a lot, lot worse in expensive restaurants. And I don’t think I need eat again for a week! Hic!
Somehow, too, we seem to have magically added another branch to the extended family.
As Samuel Pepys might have said “A good day. And so to bed.”
Rose, Buff Beauty from our garden. This old rose is supposed to be a bush, but it wasn’t doing very well so we moved it to under the silver birch tree — and it is now rambling up through the tree like there’s no tomorrow. The bloom was actually at least 2 feet above my head!
… and obscene is not a word I use often or lightly, but I am horrified at the story which is circulating of a New York doctor who is reducing the clitorises of young girls in the belief that they are abnormally large. In deference to my blood pressure I shall say no more here but refer you to the story over on The F-Word. If this is even half true the man (yes, a man, of course) is in my view a paedophile and child abuser.
I went past a building today. When I was a kid it would have been called St Bloggs’ Junior School. Today it is called St Bloggs Children’s Centre. Hmmm ….
Found this wonderful specimen of a male White Ermine Moth, Spilosoma lubricipeda, resting on our bathroom windowsill this morning. It really was absolutely beautiful.
Eccentric looks at life through the thoughts of a retired working thinker
