Mythologies of convenience

Many of them, "Too BIG to fail" comes to mind right now (BP, Massey Energy, Goldman Sachs, etc.), the big boys pushing their weight around, daring the little ones to shut them down, refuse to pledge allegiance. When we were first going through our man overboard drills at sea we were reminded that it would take about 11 miles (as I recall) to come about, return to the place where the man "hit the drink." Luckily we never had to pick someone who went over, especially if it had been in a storm.

I came periously close to going overboard one night when we were lashing the lifeboats down in a real "blow." A tall, very thin shipmate from Oregon, Johnny, grabbed me as I slipped toward the edge, no lifeline on. And after we came in and went to the galley to warm up I thought of that 11 mile radius. & now I think of the eleven men lost on that massive BP oil rig in the gulf, and wonder if overboard drills are held on these mammoth contraptions. Fire, fire at sea, always a terrifying possibility, I've been through it once. Aye. "Fire in the hold, below number 2 hatch." & fires in mines too... men's business, who could imagine women showing up to testify in congress about mines and oil rigs? Too big to fail.