One of the funniest TV episodes ever

This is one of the funniest TV holiday episodes ever done. 

Safety for me, but not for you!

The covered mouth of selfishness, the face and eyes of a pair of narcissistic idiots. One is a lawyer and the other is a 3rd year law student. Shakespeare said it best, "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers". - (Henry VI, Act IV, Scene II). These two were more interested in their wedding in Greece than spreading a deadly disease around the world.

Andrew Speaker, a personal injury lawyer from Georgia has become famous - though not from doing anything good. Andrew (Drew), as his new wife calls him, was told in January, 2007 that he had tuberculosis. Now TB being a serious disease that kills millions of people around the world didn't stop Andy from going about his business. We don't really know about his course of treatment, guessing that it was normal he was again tested and in May was told to not travel. Well, according to Andy he wasn't ordered not to travel, he was just told not to travel. It makes a world of difference to a narcissistic lawyer, in fact he now claims that he has a tape recording of the meeting. Now why would you tape record doctor's advice on your TB travel recommendations? Unless you were trying to cover your butt if something went wrong.

The story is long and convoluted, and getting more complicated by the hour. Andy went to Greece for his wedding, exposing hundreds of people on the planes he flew on to TB. The Centers for Disease Control contacted him while he and his new wife were in Rome. There Drew Speaker was told that he has a particularly dangerous strain of TB and that he should not fly commercial. He and his wife requested a private plane from the CDC or a military transport. Now he CHOSE to fly to Greece and Italy on his own, but he wanted someone to rescue him. They were told to turn themselves into the Italian authorities, but the Speakers decided to run. After being told they were on a no-fly list they decided to come into the United States from Canada. At the border crossing a border guard was informed the second that Andy Speaker's passport was scanned that he was to be detained and to don protective gear and contact a local health official. The border guard decided that Andy didn't look sick and waved him through. (hopefully a border guard that won't be watching our borders in the near future-even with his union protecting him) The border patrol agent can't follow directions that may be necessary to save thousands of people and his union president blames training!

Colleen Kelley, president of the union that represents customs and border agents, declined to comment on the specifics of the case, but said "public health issues were not receiving adequate attention and training" within the agency(story)

Andy told his story to ABC, he is sorry but he defends his travel. His safety was more important than the hundreds or thousands he may have infected. Wife's story. Andy's new wife is upset that the CDC and US government left them stranded in Europe. The CDC, the federal government didn't fly them to Greece, the people who choose to fly are the Speakers. This spoiled brat has NO concept what she and her selfish husband have done. (ABC report) They have exposed an untold number of people to a dangerous drug-resistant contagious disease. They then complain that they are being made into villains. Okay, you aren't just villains you are idiots!

Now to add an interesting twist to this story, Mrs. Speaker's father works for the CDC in the TB specialty department!! Speaker's new father-in-law Robert C. Cooksey may or may not have given advice that was followed or ignored by the TB patient. But the knowledge of TB was in the family, and Robert Cooksey attended the wedding of his daughter in Greece. After being told the not fly the Speaker's were worried about his health and wanted to get to the US. He didn't care what happened to other people.

What lessons have we learned from this? A lot, but not much which to be proud about.

• The border is porous and border guards don't care what the official warnings says about people they are screening and allowing to come into this country
• The selfish desires of a trial lawyer trump the safety of thousands of innocent travelers all over the world
• Rather than apologize the lawyer blames others for not letting him get back to the US easily, heck he wanted the government to charter him a private jet
  

What should be done?

• Fire the border guard
• Put a picture of Andrew Speaker everywhere until he is declared disease-free
• Make Andy Speaker pay for every TB test and every minute of lost work time for every person he exposed to TB by his irresponsible behavior
• Find out any connections to Robert Cooksey and Andy Speaker's TB

Engineers Don't Always think things out

This project was built by an engineer, someone working for a company that puts products on the road, in the air or on the water (we will hide the name of the employer). But this slide was built for his young child. He was excited because it was the biggest project he has ever built.

Looking underneath the slide are many long bolts set to scratch the heck out of any head, arm, or other body part that might come in contact with them.
After the slide was built the child was afraid to use it, so to solve the problem he changed the angle of the slide.

The fixed version of the slide now features the 2 feet dump of death at the end of the terrifying slide of doom.
The platform at the top of the slide is about 8 feet off the ground. The netting added around the top was after the 3 year old was petrified to stand or crawl up there.

The bracing by tie down was added to stabilize the whole thing, but the idea of sun damage to the nylon straps does not seem to have been taken into account.

No lucky for all of us, this engineer ISN'T a mechanical or structural engineer.