A TRULY AMAZING REVELATION

I am not a religious person but I was amazed at a story the great actor Brian Blessed related to interviewer Fern Cotton on BBC1 this morning (18 December). Blessed told of a private meeting he had with the Dalai Lama who told by him that he knew his brother was very ill and was to ‘pass on’ very soon. His Holiness explained to Blessed not to worry because he would be taken care of and he would be re-incarnated and be reborn at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Blessed visited the address that the Dalai Lama had given him in Canada some time later and was surprised to meet a young boy who, he  recognised as his brother as he knew him when he was a young lad in looks and mannerisms.

This is a fantastic story but because it was being told in Brian Blessed’s particular way, there is absolutely no reason to doubt his belief in the authenticity of the tale.

Facebook by Jan Todd

I was sitting at my computer, as usual, checking emails and playing games, with friends, Words, that’s my favourite at moment, it’s like scrabble but it takes up so much time, great chunks of the day can pass before you realise it.

You can easily get sidetracked too, one minute your playing a game, then up pops an ad and off you go, just now one popped up for ‘Mohammed- An Arab Rug Trader’, apparently he’s having a closing down sale somewhere in Perth and you can buy one, get one free! Before you know it you are measuring your hallway and looking at colours to blend in with your existing decor.

Then there is all the ‘chat’, one friend always likes to use a lot of those ‘emoticons’, little symbols like smiley faces to express how she is feeling, sometimes it’s a sad face but lately she’s been using a lot of ’squint’ symbols or is it a ‘wink’? With my eyesight I ‘should have gone to specsavers’!

Now I am looking online for a Christmas gift for my Mother-in-law, she’s 80 but said she “would like one of those gold ankle bracelets “of all things! She said she didn’t want me sending flowers by interflora to the UK as usual but says that an ankle bracelet will be nice and light to post. I am not sure if she is aware of the connotations of an ankle bracelet? But at 80 I am sure she must be but still I think she will be safe enough!

I detect a whiff of ‘Old Spice’ aftershave…my husband is entering the room, I must remember to buy him something more alluring for Christmas, ‘Au Savauge’ or ‘  Hugo Boss’. I glance up from the keyboard guiltily. Once again I am back online shopping and before I know it I have ordered and paid for:

3 Aah Bras, extra large.

1 Bottle of ‘Hugo Boss”

1 Bottle of ‘Paris,’ for myself!

1 Gold ankle bracelet.

1 Pink wheelbarrow, for one of my granddaughters.

1 Rocking Horse, for another.

1 Metal detector for my Son in Law.

I look at the time, 3 o’clock and I haven’t even been to the shops yet to get something for dinner.

I’ll just finish this game of Words then I’ll close down and go out. But what’s this? My friend in Canada has sent me a message. She can’t sleep, so would I like a game of “Texas Hold- em Poker!’ I’ve never played before but hey I can learn!

 

 

THE SILENT KILLER BEHIND THE WHEEL

If you are finding it difficult to stay awake during daylight hours you could be suffering from a common, & potentially dangerous, sleep disorder, but this can be cured by a simple treatment.

The following article in a slightly revised form was written for The Mover – the independent voice of the global moving industry

Although British truck drivers are regarded to be amongst the safest on the road there have been several fatal accidents involving heavy goods vehicles that have been attributed to drivers falling asleep at the wheel . In July 2006 a family of four were killed on the A34 near Bicester when a 30-tonne truck ran into a line of stationary traffic during the afternoon rush hour. The driver of the truck had been awake since 0430 and had started driving at 0700. He was found guilty of four counts of causing death by dangerous driving and sent to prison for three years and nine months. During his trial he told the court “something catastrophic” had occurred but he did not know what. Without knowing it, this driver had momentarily fallen asleep.

A few months later, a young car driver was killed on the M62 near Liverpool caused by another HGV driver who had fallen asleep. The victim’s family discovered a year later that there had been four other similar accidents in a period of four months from October 2007 involving HGV drivers that had resulted in the deaths of nine people.  After coming to terms with the dreadful events that had left the young man dead, during August 2008 the driver responsible, Colin Wrighton, began campaigning to raise awareness of the condition that had caused him to fall asleep.  On 25 July 2011 Mr Wrighton bravely spoke of his concern on the BBC Radio 2 ‘Jeremy Vine Show’.

The causes of these two major accidents could easily have been avoided had they been diagnosed correctly and were attributed to a condition known as obstructive sleep apnoea. This is a significant disorder that affects more than one in 50 adults, but is more prevalent in middle-aged men who are obese. In 2005 the BBC Real Story programme suggested that 41 per cent of HGV drivers have a sleep disorder of some form with one in six of them requiring urgent treatment for sleep apnoea, although most are unaware of that they are sufferers. The condition is characterised by heavy snoring that leads to acute sleep disturbances that causes fatigue and sleepiness during the day. The British Sleep Foundation (BSF) considers lorry drivers to be particularly at risk because they are often overweight because of the their sedentary working conditions, have unhealthy high-fat diets and work unsocial hours.  One survey showed that 38 per cent of lorry drivers had a body mass index of between 25 and 30 and more than 50 per cent were regarded as obese with a body mass index over 30. Experts estimated that 80,000 of a workforce of half a million truck drivers may be suffering from sleep apnoea without knowing it. This is a frightening thought but HGV drivers are not alone and sleep apnoea also affects train drivers, airline pilots and motorists who are equally putting their lives and the lives of others at serious risk.