Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group I was going to put this in the Asylum, but....

My god, Kat, I have read this three times now (just read it out loud to my dad), and each time it just seems more incredible. The other times I didn't have time to leave a comment, but this time I am making time. I am sure you've left updates to this first post deeper in the thread, which I'll read next. I am just praying that they tell a success story, one where this technology your sweetie invented has been proven to work so incredibly well that BP could not ignore it. Of course, BP's continued arrogance and stupidity are so mind-numbingly beyond belief that I will no longer be surprised by any ignorant act taken by that company. I just pray that every officer of that company who even knew this rig existed ends up in jail. With the shortcuts they took on basic safety measures that could have lessened, if not outright prevented, the original explosion, I can only wonder if some of BP's officers should be charged with manslaughter or outright murder for the 11 men killed. After that comes the jail time for anyone who did anything to cover-up the scope of this disaster and the almost unthinkable amount of damage it's caused.

Ah, I know I'm rambling but that's because this makes me angrier than anything has in a long, long time. When I'm this angry, what often happens is I switch into total stream of consciousness mode--it usually makes sense to me, but sometimes that's it! I do want to be sure that I say this, however: Kat, you and your sweetie, along with every single person who has worked on this film technology, are quite simply heroes for taking it upon yourselves to try to determine if this film technology is the answer everyone has been looking for to stop this disaster. It sounds as if you've spent a lot of your own money to make the trip down there, etc., not to mention all the risks you're taking and how hard you must be pushing yourself AS-wise; I just pray you aren't in some horrible flare as a result of pushing yourself so hard.

Michelle, you are also a hero in this story, working tirelessly to try to save the land you love so much. I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to see this happen to the ocean, beaches, and wetlands that are so vital to the entire region's economic, ecological, and emotional well-being. Kat's poignant anecdote about the local artist other residents did an amazing job of scaling down this enormous catastrophe and putting it on a very personal level, but I know that still cannot fully convey just how horrific this must be to anyone who lived in or near New Orleans. After Katrina, I just cannot believe that you now have to go through this nightmare, Michelle. Based on what we've learned about you here at KA, however, I think I can safely speak for everyone here when I say that I am not surprised that you have thrown yourself completely into efforts to try to make things better--that's just who you are and what you do. The emotional toll all these events have taken on you must be staggering, yet you refuse to give in and you keep fighting, and the help you provided to Kat and her sweetie is so incredibly impressive and so awesome. I don't think these BP bozos have any idea what they are up against right now! They are going to be dealing with two of the most AS-kicking women on this planet, and my guess is they aren't going to have ANY idea of what hit them when all is said and done!

Bravo to all of you, and our prayers are with you as you continue to fight the good fight down there.

Brad