After a lifetime of drowsiness ......

[Tigers Fan]

You seem to be mistaking me for James, the fount of all knowledge CPAP. I am but Lord of the Sleep, a title bestowed by god.

[Richard]

Did God Allow This To Happen?

Sleep Apnoea has an unenviable reputation when it comes to causing disasters and loss of life.

Anyone remember the Torrey Canyon, an enormous oil-tanker which went aground on rocks around the Scillies back in March 1967?

The Western Approaches must be one of the busiest shipping-lanes in the world, and even without the benefit of GPS, one of the safest. The tanker, fully-loaded with oil from the Middle East, was making for the Shell refinery at Milford Haven when it ran aground on rocks between Cornwall and the Scillies in the early hours of the morning. In darkness, the man at the helm had fallen asleep, with absolutely disastrous consequences.

The Torrey Canyon was the largest ship (120,000 tons) ever to become ship-wrecked, and caused an unimaginable environmental disaster, which still haunts Cornish people today.

In March 1989 the oil-tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on rocks off the coast of Alaska, again during the hours of darkness and again causing an environmental disaster on a horrendous scale. And again, the man at the helm fell asleep.

The Chernobyl disaster is thought to be the result of a man at the controls falling asleep.

One common factor in these events, and there are plenty of others, is i). They take place during hours of darkness, and ii). There is just one person in control of the process at the particular time of the event.

Working practices have had to change in the light of these, so there cannot be a repeat. But, if you saw the report on airline-pilots (there are always two in control), one can legitimately take a nap whilst at the controls, provided he/she informs the co-pilot: what happens if the pilot, travelling at night in the dark and warmth of the cockpit, can't resist falling asleep himself?

And the majority of HGV accidents take place in the early hours.

[Tigers Fan]

I just gotta protest!!

Hi Richard

The man at the wheel of a ship is not alone nor in charge of anything. The helm is only manned in dangerous waters so he would be an extra man, the watch-mate of the lookout (deep sea they take turn-and-turn-about during the four hour watch). There'd be an officer on watch as a matter of course and in dangerous water, the Old Man would be either on the bridge or on call in his suite, a deck below. Pre-Valdez, he may well have been having a drink with his next door neighbour, the Chief.

Hm! I'm talking about British ships, back when there were any. Some Flag of Convenience ships (damned foreigners!) would run around with no-one on the bridge, certainly mid-ocean and occassionally, in said dangerous waters!

Anyone who has worked watches - four hours on, eight off - knows how sleep is messed about. The dark watches are always the worst for staying awake - especially for the deckies, who stand in the dark, looking into the dark with nothing to do other than look into the dark. The helsman keeps a line and a number opposite each other in his compass and has an occassional "port five", "midships" to execute. "Starboard five" also, for right hand down a bit manoeurvres.

TF

[Berneta]

Gods!

Well while we are speaking of God like Manoeurvres--Why has my name got a Red Ball under it--while everyone elses is white with a black spot? Or do we all see a Red Ball under our own name when on the forum-- and White on everyone else's name? Just curious!

[Richard]

It's not a red ball, Bernita. It's a'thumbs down' - but where did it come from?

[Berneta]

Thumbs Down?

Well if I was a Gladiator I might be worried. Should I take up a Sword and Shield? Why is it there? Hummmmm--where is Sparticus when I need him --and who's the Rat who put the Red Ball under my name? LOL Berneta

[Tigers Fan]

A Bitterness

I believe you did not have a happy life.
I believe you were cheated.
I believe your best friends were lonliness and misery.
I believe your busiest enemies were anger and depression.
I believe joy was a game you could never play without stumbling.
I believe comfort, though you craved it, was forever a stranger.
I believe music had to be melancholy or not at all.
I believe no trinket, no precious metal, shone so bright as your bitterness.
I believe you lay down at last in your coffin none the wiser and unassuaged.
Oh, cold and dreamless under the wild, amoral, reckless, peaceful flowers of the hillside.

Mary Oliver

[Berneta]

Life

I believe-- that Mary Oliver was reading someone's Taro Cards rather badly, and wrote it all down. LOL. I guess in the end we're all just dust--but I choose to be Stardust. Look for me in the night sky. Somewhere around Orion's Belt, hanging there like a silver charm, forever enchanting. xBerneta