Have a great evening and a wonderful sunday;)
Hi, I am Baz, Welcome to Oceans Loft I am a semi-retired Oceanographer from the UK. I also worked as a Professional Photographer. I studied Ecology, Geology and Oceanography at the Open University University and a Post Graduate Degree in Environmental Management at Surrey University.
Saturday, 18 August 2012
The end of the day time to chill out a while;)
I had a wonderful day Cycle most of the morning and walked with Mom in the Forest for hours this afternoon. The exercise is doing me good I lost about 10Lb and my BP is down to 118:71 which means I am 21 again LOL;)
Have a great evening and a wonderful sunday;)
Have a great evening and a wonderful sunday;)
How to Love Food and Lose Weight - Chicken Korma
Chicken Korma
Rich, creamy chicken korma is usually forbidden territory if you’re watching your weight, but I hate to miss out so this is Korma-lite. A good all-round curry recipe, this is much lower in fat than the usual restaurant version but still fab to eat. Add extra chilli if you like.
294 calories per portion (without rice)
Ingredients
4 fairly small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 600g/1lb 5oz)
- freshly ground black pepper
- 25g/1oz low-fat natural yoghurt
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- ½ heaped tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp hot chilli powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- small pinch saffron
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 3 tbsp double cream
- fresh coriander, roughly torn, to garnish (optional)
Preparation method
- Cut each chicken breast into eight or nine bite-sized pieces, season with black pepper and put them in a non-metallic bowl. Stir in the yoghurt, cover with cling film and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes but ideally 2–6 hours.
- Heat the oil in a large, non-stick saucepan and add the onions, garlic and ginger. Cover and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes until very soft and lightly coloured. Stir the onions occasionally so they don’t start to stick.
- Once the onions are softened, stir in the crushed cardamom seeds, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and bay leaf. Pinch off the ends of the cloves into the pan and throw away the stalks. Cook the spices with the onions for five minutes, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the flour, saffron, sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt, then slowly pour 300ml/½ pint cold water into the pan, stirring constantly.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pan from the heat, take out the bay leaf and blend the onion mixture with a stick blender until it is as smooth as possible. You can do this in a food processor if you prefer, but let the mixture cool slightly first.
- The sauce can now be used right away or cooled, covered and chilled until 10 minutes before serving.
- Drain the chicken in a colander over the sink, shaking it a few times – you want the meat to have just a light coating of yoghurt.
- Place a non-stick frying pan on the heat, add the sauce and bring it to a simmer.
- Add the chicken pieces and cream and cook for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through, stirring regularly. Exactly how long the chicken takes will depend on the size of your pieces, so check a piece after eight minutes – there should be no pink remaining.
- Adjust the seasoning to taste, spoon into a warmed serving dish and serve garnished with fresh coriander if you like.
Good Morning
Good Morning, I hope you all have a Restful and Relaxing weekend;)
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.
May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.
May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.
Friday, 17 August 2012
You've got a Friend
For all the Multiply Buddies I have met and become dear friends in the real world;) I love ya all;P
The Road Goes Ever On!
Well! IT looks like Most of us made it here and are Liking what we have found a new home for our little community, there have been a ffew trials and Tribulations along the way. But with some great community spirit we have worked together to make this work.
I believe now as we find our way around our new home things will get Better and Better.
But.........................., our little adventure does not end here, "The Road Goes Ever Onward";)
The The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings
I believe now as we find our way around our new home things will get Better and Better.
But.........................., our little adventure does not end here, "The Road Goes Ever Onward";)
Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.
- Roads go ever ever on
- Under cloud and under star,
- Yet feet that wandering have gone
- Turn at last to home afar.
- Eyes that fire and sword have seen
- And horror in the halls of stone
- Look at last on meadows green
- And trees and hills they long have known.
The The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings
Thursday, 16 August 2012
May you live in interesting times????????????
often referred to as the Chinese curse, is reputed to be the English translation of an ancient Chinese proverb and curse, although it may have originated among the English themselves. It is reported that it was the first of three curses of increasing severity, the other two being:
"May you come to the attention of those in authority" (sometimes rendered "May the government be aware of you"). This is sometimes quoted as "May you come to the attention of powerful people." (Alternately, "important people".)
"May you find what you are looking for." This is sometimes quoted as "May your wishes be granted."
I have decided I am living in interesting times!
But far from taking it as a cures I am looking at the demise of our internet home here at Multiply as an opportunity for a little online adventure with new places to explore and new friends to find.
I have always believed that the only thing you can be sure about in life is that thing change, a large part of my career was in jobs that involved "managing change" so I feel very comfortable with it,
I also know that change is something other people may find hard to deal with, I wish I had an answer for them but I don't.
But I firmly believe the only way to look at and deal with change is view it as an oppertunity.
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Urgent Blogger Tip 9 ....... You will need this for Picture Perfect on Blogger;)
Post a link in a Comments Box
I just discovered you cant drop a page link in a comment box on blogger like we do here. I did and it does not work!
I have created a work around that will let you drop a link and it works perfectly LOL;P
It is fairly simple. This is the code you drop into the comment box:
<a href="URL">Title</a>
Replace the URL with the URL of the site you are linking to and replace the Title with the title of the site.
Easy as pie. Now get out there and comment!!!
Example: In my case it goes like this: <a href="http://oceankinguk2003.blogspot.co.uk/p/picture-perfect.html">Picture Perfect</a>
I just discovered you cant drop a page link in a comment box on blogger like we do here. I did and it does not work!
I have created a work around that will let you drop a link and it works perfectly LOL;P
It is fairly simple. This is the code you drop into the comment box:
<a href="URL">Title</a>
Replace the URL with the URL of the site you are linking to and replace the Title with the title of the site.
Easy as pie. Now get out there and comment!!!
Example: In my case it goes like this: <a href="http://oceankinguk2003.blogspot.co.uk/p/picture-perfect.html">Picture Perfect</a>
OK Lets have a lighter MOMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A man's translations
These translations are for all of you wonderful women out there, so that you will know what we really mean when we say...
"IT'S A GUY THING"
Translated:* "There is no rational thought pattern connected with it, and you have no chance at all of making it logical."
"CAN I HELP WITH DINNER?"
Translated:* "Why isn't it already on the table?"
"UH HUH," "SURE, HONEY," OR "YES, DEAR"
Translated:* Absolutely nothing. It's a conditioned response.
"IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO EXPLAIN"
Translated:* "I have no idea how it works."
"TAKE A BREAK, HONEY. YOU'RE WORKING TOO HARD."
Translated:* "I can't hear the game over the vacuum cleaner."
"THAT'S INTERESTING, DEAR."
Translated:* "Are you still talking?"
"YOU KNOW HOW BAD MY MEMORY IS."
Translated:* "I remember the theme song to 'F Troop,' the address of the first girl I ever kissed and the vehicle identification numbers of every car
I've ever owned... but I forgot your birthday."
"OH, DON'T FUSS, I JUST CUT MYSELF. IT'S NO BIG DEAL."
Translated:* "I have actually severed a limb but will bleed to death before I admit that I'm hurt."
"HEY, I'VE GOT MY REASONS FOR WHAT I'M DOING."
Translated:* "And I sure hope I think of some pretty soon."
"I CAN'T FIND IT."
Translated:* "It didn't fall into my outstretched hands, so I'm completely clueless."
"WHAT DID I DO THIS TIME?"
Translated:* "What did you catch me at?"
"I'M NOT LOST. I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE."
Translated:* "No one will ever see us alive again."
"WE SHARE THE HOUSEWORK."
Translated:* "I make the messes; she cleans them up."
"IT'S A GUY THING"
Translated:* "There is no rational thought pattern connected with it, and you have no chance at all of making it logical."
"CAN I HELP WITH DINNER?"
Translated:* "Why isn't it already on the table?"
"UH HUH," "SURE, HONEY," OR "YES, DEAR"
Translated:* Absolutely nothing. It's a conditioned response.
"IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO EXPLAIN"
Translated:* "I have no idea how it works."
"TAKE A BREAK, HONEY. YOU'RE WORKING TOO HARD."
Translated:* "I can't hear the game over the vacuum cleaner."
"THAT'S INTERESTING, DEAR."
Translated:* "Are you still talking?"
"YOU KNOW HOW BAD MY MEMORY IS."
Translated:* "I remember the theme song to 'F Troop,' the address of the first girl I ever kissed and the vehicle identification numbers of every car
I've ever owned... but I forgot your birthday."
"OH, DON'T FUSS, I JUST CUT MYSELF. IT'S NO BIG DEAL."
Translated:* "I have actually severed a limb but will bleed to death before I admit that I'm hurt."
"HEY, I'VE GOT MY REASONS FOR WHAT I'M DOING."
Translated:* "And I sure hope I think of some pretty soon."
"I CAN'T FIND IT."
Translated:* "It didn't fall into my outstretched hands, so I'm completely clueless."
"WHAT DID I DO THIS TIME?"
Translated:* "What did you catch me at?"
"I'M NOT LOST. I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE."
Translated:* "No one will ever see us alive again."
"WE SHARE THE HOUSEWORK."
Translated:* "I make the messes; she cleans them up."
Woman's translations
The wife says: You want
The wife means: You want
The wife says: We need
The wife means: I want
The wife says: It's your decision
The wife means: The correct decision should be obvious
The wife says: Do what you want
The wife means: You'll pay for this later
The wife says: We need to talk
The wife means: I need to complain
The wife says: Sure... go ahead
The wife means: I don't want you to
The wife says: I'n not upset
The wife means: Of course I'm upset you moron
The wife says: You're ... so manly
The wife means: You need a shave and sweat a lot
The wife says: Be romantic, turn out the lights
The wife means: I have flabby thighs.
The wife says: This kitchen is so inconvenient
The wife means: I want a new house.
The wife says: I want new curtains.
The wife means: Also carpeting, furniture, and wallpaper!
The wife says: I need wedding shoes.
The wife means: The other forty pairs are the wrong shade of white.
The wife says: Hang the picture there
The wife means: No, I mean hang it there!
The wife says: I heard a noise
The wife means: I noticed you were almost asleep.
The wife says: Do you love me?
The wife means: I'm going to ask for something expensive.
The wife says: How much do you love me?
The wife means: I did something today you're not going to like.
The wife says: I'll be ready in a minute.
The wife means: Kick off your shoes and take an hour nap.
The wife says: Am I fat?
The wife means: Tell me I'm beautiful.
The wife says: You have to learn to communicate.
The wife means: Just agree with me.
The wife says: Are you listening to me?
The wife means: [Too late, your doomed.]
The wife says: Yes
The wife means: No
The wife says: No
The wife means: No
The wife says: Maybe
The wife means: No
The wife says: I'm sorry
The wife means: You'll be sorry
The wife says: Do you like this recipe?
The wife means: You better get used to it
The wife says: All we're going to buy is a soap dish
The wife means: I'm coming back with enough to fill this place.
The wife says: Was that the baby?
The wife means: Get out of bed and walk him
The wife says: I'm not yelling!
The wife means: Yes I am! I think this is important!
In answer to the question "What's wrong?"
The wife says: The same old thing.
The wife means: Nothing.
The wife says: Nothing.
The wife means: Everything.
The wife says: Nothing, really.
The wife means: It's just that you're an idiot.
The wife says: I don't want to talk about it.
The wife means: I'm still building up steam.
The wife means: You want
The wife says: We need
The wife means: I want
The wife says: It's your decision
The wife means: The correct decision should be obvious
The wife says: Do what you want
The wife means: You'll pay for this later
The wife says: We need to talk
The wife means: I need to complain
The wife says: Sure... go ahead
The wife means: I don't want you to
The wife says: I'n not upset
The wife means: Of course I'm upset you moron
The wife says: You're ... so manly
The wife means: You need a shave and sweat a lot
The wife says: Be romantic, turn out the lights
The wife means: I have flabby thighs.
The wife says: This kitchen is so inconvenient
The wife means: I want a new house.
The wife says: I want new curtains.
The wife means: Also carpeting, furniture, and wallpaper!
The wife says: I need wedding shoes.
The wife means: The other forty pairs are the wrong shade of white.
The wife says: Hang the picture there
The wife means: No, I mean hang it there!
The wife says: I heard a noise
The wife means: I noticed you were almost asleep.
The wife says: Do you love me?
The wife means: I'm going to ask for something expensive.
The wife says: How much do you love me?
The wife means: I did something today you're not going to like.
The wife says: I'll be ready in a minute.
The wife means: Kick off your shoes and take an hour nap.
The wife says: Am I fat?
The wife means: Tell me I'm beautiful.
The wife says: You have to learn to communicate.
The wife means: Just agree with me.
The wife says: Are you listening to me?
The wife means: [Too late, your doomed.]
The wife says: Yes
The wife means: No
The wife says: No
The wife means: No
The wife says: Maybe
The wife means: No
The wife says: I'm sorry
The wife means: You'll be sorry
The wife says: Do you like this recipe?
The wife means: You better get used to it
The wife says: All we're going to buy is a soap dish
The wife means: I'm coming back with enough to fill this place.
The wife says: Was that the baby?
The wife means: Get out of bed and walk him
The wife says: I'm not yelling!
The wife means: Yes I am! I think this is important!
In answer to the question "What's wrong?"
The wife says: The same old thing.
The wife means: Nothing.
The wife says: Nothing.
The wife means: Everything.
The wife says: Nothing, really.
The wife means: It's just that you're an idiot.
The wife says: I don't want to talk about it.
The wife means: I'm still building up steam.
Woman's instructions
THE WOMAN'S COMPACT INSTRUCTION BOOK
Never do housework. No man ever made love to a woman because the house was spotless.
Remember you are known by the idiot you accompany.
Don't imagine you can change a man - unless he's in diapers.
What do you do if your boyfriend walks out? You shut the door.
So many men - so many reasons not to sleep with any of them.
If they can put a man on the moon - they should be able to put them all there.
Tell him you're not his type - you have a pulse.
Never let your man's mind wander - its too little to be left out alone.
Go for younger men. You might as well - they never mature anyway.
Never marry a man for money. You'll have to earn every penny.
Definition of a bachelor: A man who has missed the opportunity to make some woman miserable.
The best way to get a man to do something is to suggest he is too old for it.
If he asks what sort of books you're interested in, tell him check books.
Never do housework. No man ever made love to a woman because the house was spotless.
Remember you are known by the idiot you accompany.
Don't imagine you can change a man - unless he's in diapers.
What do you do if your boyfriend walks out? You shut the door.
So many men - so many reasons not to sleep with any of them.
If they can put a man on the moon - they should be able to put them all there.
Tell him you're not his type - you have a pulse.
Never let your man's mind wander - its too little to be left out alone.
Go for younger men. You might as well - they never mature anyway.
Never marry a man for money. You'll have to earn every penny.
Definition of a bachelor: A man who has missed the opportunity to make some woman miserable.
The best way to get a man to do something is to suggest he is too old for it.
If he asks what sort of books you're interested in, tell him check books.
A man's idea of serious commitment is usually, "Oh all right, I'll stay the night".
Women sleep with men who, if they were women, they wouldn't even have bothered to have lunch with.
Remember a sense of humor does not mean that you tell him jokes, it means you laugh at his.
If he asks you if you if you're faking it tell him no, you're just practicing.
When he asks you if he's your first tell him, "You may be, you look familiar."
Women sleep with men who, if they were women, they wouldn't even have bothered to have lunch with.
Remember a sense of humor does not mean that you tell him jokes, it means you laugh at his.
If he asks you if you if you're faking it tell him no, you're just practicing.
When he asks you if he's your first tell him, "You may be, you look familiar."
A woman's dictionary
Argument (ar*gyou*ment) n. A discussion that occurs when you're right, but he just hasn't realized it yet.
Airhead (er*hed) n. What a woman intentionally becomes when pulled over by a policeman.
Bar-be-que (bar*bi*q) n. You bought the groceries, washed the lettuce, chopped the tomatoes, diced the onions, marinated the meat and cleaned everything up, but, he, "made the dinner."
Blonde jokes (blond joks) n. Jokes that are short so men can understand them.
Cantaloupe (kant*e*lope) n. Gotta get married in a church.
Clothes dryer (kloze dri*yer) n. An appliance designed to eat socks.
Diet Soda (dy*it so*da) n. A drink you buy at a convenience store to go with a half pound bag of peanut M&Ms.
Eternity (e*ter*ni*tee) n. The last two minutes of a football game.
Exercise (ex*er*siz) v. To walk up and down a mall, occasionally resting to make a purchase.
Grocery List (grow*ser*ee list) n. What you spend half an hour writing, then forget to take with you to the store.
Hair Dresser (hare dres*er) n. Someone who is able to create a style you will never be able to duplicate again. See "Magician."
Hardware Store (hard*war stor) n. Similar to a black hole in space-if he goes in, he isn't coming out anytime soon.
Childbirth (child*brth) n. You get to go through 36 hours of contractions; he gets to hold your hand and say "focus,...breath...push..."
Lipstick (lip*stik) n. On your lips, coloring to enhance the beauty of your mouth. On his collar, coloring only a tramp would wear...!
Park (park) v./n. Before children, a verb meaning, "to go somewhere and neck." After children, a noun meaning a place with a swing set and slide.
Patience (pa*shens) n. The most important ingredient for dating, marriage and children. See also "tranquilizers."
Waterproof Mascara (wah*tr*pruf mas*kar*ah) n. Comes off if you cry, shower, or swim, but will not come off if you try to remove it.
Valentine's Day (val*en*tinez dae) n. A day when you have dreams of a candlelight dinner, diamonds, and romance, but consider yourself lucky to get a card
Airhead (er*hed) n. What a woman intentionally becomes when pulled over by a policeman.
Bar-be-que (bar*bi*q) n. You bought the groceries, washed the lettuce, chopped the tomatoes, diced the onions, marinated the meat and cleaned everything up, but, he, "made the dinner."
Blonde jokes (blond joks) n. Jokes that are short so men can understand them.
Cantaloupe (kant*e*lope) n. Gotta get married in a church.
Clothes dryer (kloze dri*yer) n. An appliance designed to eat socks.
Diet Soda (dy*it so*da) n. A drink you buy at a convenience store to go with a half pound bag of peanut M&Ms.
Eternity (e*ter*ni*tee) n. The last two minutes of a football game.
Exercise (ex*er*siz) v. To walk up and down a mall, occasionally resting to make a purchase.
Grocery List (grow*ser*ee list) n. What you spend half an hour writing, then forget to take with you to the store.
Hair Dresser (hare dres*er) n. Someone who is able to create a style you will never be able to duplicate again. See "Magician."
Hardware Store (hard*war stor) n. Similar to a black hole in space-if he goes in, he isn't coming out anytime soon.
Childbirth (child*brth) n. You get to go through 36 hours of contractions; he gets to hold your hand and say "focus,...breath...push..."
Lipstick (lip*stik) n. On your lips, coloring to enhance the beauty of your mouth. On his collar, coloring only a tramp would wear...!
Park (park) v./n. Before children, a verb meaning, "to go somewhere and neck." After children, a noun meaning a place with a swing set and slide.
Patience (pa*shens) n. The most important ingredient for dating, marriage and children. See also "tranquilizers."
Waterproof Mascara (wah*tr*pruf mas*kar*ah) n. Comes off if you cry, shower, or swim, but will not come off if you try to remove it.
Valentine's Day (val*en*tinez dae) n. A day when you have dreams of a candlelight dinner, diamonds, and romance, but consider yourself lucky to get a card
And Finally something for the guys
A Blonde Chick with a Nice Pussy
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A Blonde Chick with a Nice Pussy
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The Big Scary!
One of the world's strangest fish returns each summer to British waters. But in spite of its size, it is shrouded in mystery. 
Essentially an industrial-sized mouth with fins, the basking shark isn't one of nature's most attractive creatures. It would take an army of PR gurus some serious brainstorming to develop a way of presenting this cousin of the great white as anything approaching beautiful.
But the basking shark has its own special appeal. For a start, it's big - the second largest fish in the sea (after the whale shark), and by far the largest fish in the North Atlantic. It can weigh more than an African elephant. But a major part of its appeal is that it is one of the least understood large animals on Earth.
Widely distributed in cool temperate waters worldwide, it is a rather uncommon animal except in a few key areas. The western seaboards of Britain and Ireland are particular hotspots. Basking sharks move into our coastal waters in spring and summer, and then disappear for the entire winter. We've no idea where they come from or, for that matter, where they go. But, following a giant fish some 10m long isn't as simple as it sounds.
1,500 teeth that don't bite
The shark's diamond-shaped gaping mouth looked more like the open cargo doors of a military aircraft than the oral cavity of a fish.
Although they have more teeth (around 1,500) than most other sharks, they don't use them for feeding at all. Basking sharks cruise slowly at about two knots with their mouths wide open, capturing tiny planktonic creatures in thousands of filters called gill rakers as the water passes through the gill slits.
The giant feeding-machine passed within a couple of metres of where I floated. Briefly, we made eye contact. Its prehistoric stare was mesmerising, but it was impossible to say if it was inquisitive or uninterested. Shafts of sunlight dappled its greyish-brown flanks. It must have been seven or eight metres long and glided with a smooth, graceful movement that belied its size. All too soon it disappeared into the murk.
A winter's tale
High-tech gadgetry is needed to find out where the sharks overwinter. A collaborative three-year project is using sophisticated Pop-up Archival Transmitting (PAT) tags attached to the sharks' dorsal fins. Programmed to pop up to the surface at intervals of 3, 6, 9 or 12 months and then to beam their location and other critical information to an orbiting satellite. Ten sharks were successfully tagged in UK waters last year and there are plans to tag another 10 this year. Perhaps we are on the verge of solving one of the world's great wildlife mysteries.
The basking shark was given its name by fishermen and other seafarers. They noticed its lethargic movements near the surface and assumed that it must have been sunbathing.
There are reports of individuals reaching 15.2m. The maximum confirmed size is 12.2m, and the most common size range is 3-9m. They possess a high, erect and angular first dorsal fin (up to 2m tall).
They give birth to live young. Gestation is presumed to be 2-3 years, and they produce 2-6 pups (150-170cm long - the largest size at birth of any known shark).
The skin is covered with small denticles, or scales, pointing backwards. Rub your hand down towards the tail and it feels relatively smooth to touch, but rub it the other way and it feels more like sandpaper. It's unique among sharks in being coated with a thick, foul-smelling mucous, though the function of this is unknown - yet another basking-shark mystery.
Its diet is principally small plankton, but includes fish eggs and crustacean larvae, possibly small schooling fish.
Experts estimate that a single basking shark can filter enough seawater to fill a 50m Olympic swimming pool every hour.
The basking shark is distributed through cool temperate waters worldwide; occurs very close to land (even in enclosed bays), but also sometimes offshore; it is noteworthy for its seasonal appearance in known localities and subsequent disappearance.
Britain is home to one of the largest concentrations of basking sharks anywhere in the world. They can be seen almost anywhere along the west coast and dedicated trips to watch or snorkel with them take place in Cornwall and from the Isle of Man.
Local lore has it that baskers first appear in the waters around the Lizard Peninsula on 10 April, but their precise arrival time seems to depend on the water temperature of the previous winter (any time from mid-April if the previous winter was warm or mid-May if it was cold). They typically arrive in the Porthkerris area first and then move west towards Penzance. They are often very close to shore, and many people snorkel and kayak with them from the various beaches, but they can occur at least 15km offshore, and local dive operators run trips to see them throughout the season. They are usually present until August (though less common at this time).
Basking sharks can also be seen from shore around the Isle of Man, and they occasionally enter harbours along the west coast of the island but are best viewed from a boat. The Basking Shark Society operates daily tours throughout the summer (full-day, half-day or evening, depending on demand) and tour participants are encouraged to join in with the collection and recording of research data. The best time is from mid-May to September, when the sharks are present in force and the weather is at its best.
One of the few things we do know about basking sharks is that they are slow to reproduce. They have a long gestation period (estimated to be between one and three years), probably give birth to no more than half a dozen pups every two to four years and then take as long as 12-20 years to reach maturity.
This low reproductive rate (and therefore low recovery rate) is a major reason why the basking shark is listed as 'endangered' in the North-east Atlantic (and globally 'vulnerable').
The fishing threat
With its large size, slow swimming speed and tendency to feed at the surface, it is highly susceptible to hunting. More than 100,000 have been killed in the northeast Atlantic alone in the past 50 years. Originally they were killed for their meat and for the oil in their jumbo-sized livers (which may account for up to 25 per cent of the total body weight and are probably used in buoyancy control). But now they are being killed for their fins. Demand for shark-fin soup in parts of Asia has increased dramatically since the mid-1980s, and there is now an insatiable market for shark fins of almost any size or type. A large basking shark can yield up to 30kg dry weight of fin worth many thousands of pounds.
Over the years, there have been basking-shark fisheries in many parts of the world, including the Canadian Pacific, California, Ecuador, Peru, Japan, China, Iceland, Norway, France, Spain, Britain and Ireland. It is difficult to generalise, but most basking-shark fisheries have taken hundreds or, typically, about 1,000 individuals every year for a few years before collapsing.
In recent years, the Norwegian fleet has been landing the majority of basking sharks in the North-east Atlantic. Catches have fluctuated widely and declined dramatically after the mid-1970s, with no organised hunt at all in the past four years.
Gaining protection
In the UK, the basking shark has been protected within the 20km limit since April 1998, under Schedule 5 of the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act. It is also a priority species under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Fishing for basking sharks in European waters can be regulated by the European Commission under the Common Fisheries Policy, and catch limits (based on little or no information about stock size or geographical range) are still set for the Norwegian hunt.
Major progress was made in April 2000 at the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) conference in Kenya. The British Government put forward a proposal for the basking shark to be listed under Appendix II and, though this would not have banned hunting, it would have forced countries trading in basking-shark parts to keep proper records - essential for monitoring the level of threat. Unfortunately, under CITES rules, a two-thirds majority must vote in favour of a proposal for it to pass, and this particular proposal was three votes short.
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
HeHe I think this song might have been written for Stefan Magdalinski!!!!!!!!!! hahahahahaha
Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality
Open your eyes,
Look up to the skies and see,
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy,
Because I'm easy come, easy go,
Little high, little low,
Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to
me, to me
Mama,
I just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger
now he's dead
Mama... life had just begun,
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Mamaaaaa oooh,
Didn't mean to make you cry,
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters
Too late, my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all
the time
Goodbye, ev'rybody, I've got to go,
Got to leave you all behind and face the truth
Mamaaaaa oooh, (Away the wind blows)
I don't want to die,
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all
I see a little silhouetto of a man,
Scaramouche! Scaramouche! Will you do the
Fandango?!
Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very frightening
me!
Galileo, Galileo
Galileo, Galileo
Galileo, Figaro - magnifico
I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
He's just a poor boy from a poor family,
Spare him his life from this monstrosity!
Easy come, easy go, will you let me go
Bismilah! No, we will not let you go
(Let him go!) Bismilah! We will not let you go
(Let him go!) Bismilah! We will not let you go
(Let me go) Will not let you go
(Let me go)(Never) Never let you go
(Let me go) Never let you go (Let me go) Ah
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia, let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me,
for meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
So you think you can stop me and spit in my
eye?!?!
So you think you can love me and leave me to
die?!?!
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby,
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta
here!
(Guitar solo)
Nothing really matters, Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters,
Nothing really matters to me...
Monday, 13 August 2012
Sunday, 12 August 2012
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