We went on a full day trip to dive the wreck near Qaruh Island. I found out that Qaruh (pronounced garou) is named for the oil seeps that are near the island. With so much oil and gas in the ground the island got this name as in Kuwaiti Arabic gar is the word for tar.

So anyhow, the diving day began as all others, with the tanks and diving gear in baskets on trolleys getting pushed to the boat. The dive gear is normally carried in square plastic laundry baskets as the size is ideal and the baskets fit under the seats on the boat.

We walk beside the trolleys that are being pushed by the Indian workers to make sure nothing falls off. Well, the trolley with my basket was not being watched closely enough by someone else and my basket fell off into the water.

Fortunately, as I was warned some time back to make sure to fasten the bungee cords that we cross over the top of the basket through the heel strap of the fins. That way, if it does fall the fins don’t fall out and everything stays in the basket. This was advised by someone who dove in the disgusting muck of the dock to get a fin that sank. (Not all fins sink, mine do.) So, everything stayed in the basket and we managed to grab it before it sunk. So all was well.

Then off on the 90 minute boat trip Qaruh. It is a boat that was sunk by a helicopter in the First Gulf War. It is a challenging dive. And can be a challenge to find. But that is good, otherwise there would be too many people going to it and damaging some of the pristine and unique corals developing on it.

I was leading a couple of other divers on their deep dive specialty. As part of this specialty it is important for the divers to do an exercise to show them how their judgment can be impaired and reactions delayed at depth due to nitrogen narcosis.

So the plan was to give them a simulated out of air situation by me.

So here’s how it went.

Well, the visibility wasn’t great and I was with the two of them and we were circling the upper portion of the wreck. Then we got separated as there were some other buddy teams on the wreck and I mistook them for the two I was with. So when I saw it wasn’t the right two, I circled back around to the top of the conning tower and waited for them to return.

When they appeared and then I remembered, time for the drill.

So I went up to one of them and gave one of them the out of air signal from about half a meter away.

And he just looked at me with the signal “I don’t know” (In other words “huh?“.) This is an example of impaired judgment due to the narcosis and also the challenging dive conditions.

So I gave the signal harder. By then the other guy who was about a meter away and slightly below quickly swam up to me and offered his spare regulator which I took. Then he gave me the OK signal.

And he made good eye contact and gave the signal to ascend.

All very good in accordance with training and proper practices. Then I gave him the OK signal and showed him my pressure gauge that I had plenty of air so we don’t need to ascend. Then he understood, it was a drill. Needless to say, we’ve had a lot of laughs about this.

But wait there’s more
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New 7 wonders of the world named - CNN.com
The final tally produced this list of the world’s top human-built wonders:

1. The Great Wall of China - I’ve hiked it.
2. Petra in Jordan - The whole family was there in April 2006.
3. Brazil’s statue of Christ the Redeemer - I’ve seen it while driving through Rio.
4. Peru’s Machu Picchu - Not yet.
5. Mexico’s Chichen Itza pyramid - Don’t care to see it.
6. The Colosseum in Rome - Been to Rome but not there.
7. India’s Taj Mahal - Not interested in seeing it. There are many other things to see in India.

And the Egypt pyramids get honorary mention.

It is a funny article. Read this quite carefully:

I do like riding bicycles. I like riding them to the shop to buy a newspaper, then riding them home to read it, preferably in bed. In summer, I sometimes even ride my bike to work. Often, if the following summer is nice, I’ll ride it home.

Going over the top on a bicycle - CNN.com

CDNN :: FBI Enlists U.S. Dive Industry to Thwart Scuba Diving Terrorists

CDNN :: The Amazing Mr. McAlister

There’s nothing technically wrong with an octogenarian strapping on tanks and descending to the ocean floor, but most people wouldn’t consider scuba diving at such an advanced age.

Then again, Ray McAllister is not your average 84-year-old.

So even with my impending birthday, I’m still not too old.

It’s a squid, it’s an octopus, it’s … a mystery from the deep.

What appears to be a half-squid, half-octopus specimen found off Keahole Point on the Big Island remains unidentified today and could possibly be a new species, said local biologists.

CDNN :: ‘Octosquid’ Caught in Hawaii Could Be New Species

mental_floss magazine - Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix

mental_floss magazine - Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix

This happened last week but I have a loaner phone and I wasn’t able to get the photos off the phone until today.

I was driving on the 212 towards the sea east of the Fahaheel expressway and stopped at the traffic light and saw these flames on the top floor of the building under construction. Then, to my shock I saw the person clinging to the top corner on the top floor.

My first thought was I don’t want to see this person fall and most certainly die from that height so I prayed that it wouldn’t happen.

The images aren’t great as is isn’t a very good camera phone. So it is a bit tricky to see the person.

In this photo he’s clinging to the edge.

And the fire truck with basket has arrived and is inching towards him.

Now the ladder truck is getter nearer and nearer. Also a person from a window in the floor below was trying to pass a ladder up to him. The wait was excruciating to see. Though it all happened in the time of one traffic light.

Finally this is where he’s horizontal into the basket.

And then the light turned green.