I voted "Disagree" in Poll #1 but "Favorable" in Poll #2.

Because Andy Speaker is really really hot...

dude, he should have never flown to Europe in the first place. he shouldn't have been too surprised by what happened to him while he was there.

Let's get a pole going on his hot wife.

Check out this article on CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/06/01/tb.flight/index.html . Even if he has a tape of a conversation saying that it was okay to fly, the entitled a*shole was informed while in Italy that he had a bad strain of TB and that he should check himself in to quarantine. Even after that, he admitted to flying back because he was afraid of dying in Italy.

He should have been shot in the face at the border.

I feel bad for the guy for having this illness, but he never should have traveled in the first place. If he understood his contagious status, he shouldn't have gotten on a plane with hundreds of other people. You're not entitled to a freaking European wedding and honeymoon, dude, "well-educated" and "intelligent" or not.

I think Andy is an idiot, because he should have gone to Germany, where medical care is MUCH cheaper and MUCH better.

If his actions do not already demonstrate it, the fact that he chose to come back to the US, where his medical bills will certainly force him into bankruptcy, demonstrates that he IS an idiot..

Pike (Pi Kappa Alpha) is a total meathead, aggressive, drug-induced fraternity at georgia. Not surprised he did that at all, considering those with whom he associated.

Pike (Pi Kappa Alpha) is a total meathead, aggressive, drug-induced fraternity at georgia. Not surprised he did that at all, considering those with whom he associated.

Pike (Pi Kappa Alpha) is a total meathead, aggressive, drug-induced fraternity at georgia. Not surprised he did that at all, considering those with whom he associated.

@3:18 I think you already have a "pole" going on his wife.

A "poll" might not be a bad idea, though.

So Europe was good enough for his destination wedding and extended honeymoon, but not good enough for his TB treatment? Nice one.

Oh, and thanks for casually infecting Canada on your way back. Asshole.

3:54, you're absolutely right. Health care in Germany is (a) fabulous and (b) dead fucking cheap. I came back from Mumbai to London feeling like death last year, went to Berlin for the World Cup and had a fucking phenomenal doctor come to my hotel room (on a Sunday) and sort me out for less than 200 euros, including prescription.

appears his greek wedding didn't even happen, because he didn't bother to find out what paperwork they would need. (according to cnn)

i wonder if any reality shows are going to offer to do their *real* wedding?

it wasn't that he flew back so much as he could have worn a freaking mask on the plane, and he never should have left the states to begin with. who gets a 50% fatal disease and then plans a travel holiday delaying lifesaving treatment? I hope he dies. really, he deserves it.

━━━━━┓⌒ζ
┓┓┓┓┓┃
┓┓┓┓┓┃
┓┓┓┓┓┃ BECOME
┓┓┓┓┓┃
┓┓┓┓┓┃ AN
┓┓┓┓┓┃
┓┓┓┓┓┃ HERO
┓┓┓┓┓┃
┓┓┓┓┓┃
┓┓┓┓┓┃
┓┓┓┓┓┃

They showed a wedding picture. The wife is not a looker. A hatchet shaped face.

I know you are reading blogs all day in your isolation room, TB Andy. Listen, we hear you are an all-around good guy and are told we should not jump to conclusions. Why don't you tell us what you were thinking from january to your trip in May? You are a self-proclaimed intelligent, educated guy, did you conduct your own independent research on the issue of whether your TB was contagious? Everyone knows it's contagious. And did you think it was okay to be contagious and travel before you learned it was a drug-resistant strain. Is it okay to transmit other hideous strains of TB? Honestly, I would like not to wish you get what you deserve but it's very hard to understand why you flew all over creation with TB. Being symptomatic or not is irrelevant, as that hot guy in the Valtrex commercial explains about herpes. The medical establishment didn't think that was transmittable without symptoms either. I urge you to post your rationale for us. I'd also like to know what "fatherly advice" your father in law gave you? He should lose his license and his CDC job -- either he told you the truth about TB and not to fly, and failed to report that you ignored his warnings in time; or he failed to provide you with proper medical advice on TB, his purported area of expertise. In any event, stop blaming everyone around you for your ignorance. You endangered others for months. I hope you are disbarred. And I still think you deserve to die. Please give us a real reason not to blame you. I really would like to hear it as I'm not one who usually wishes people ill.

He doesn't deserve to die. Come on now. Jail time for recklessly endangering the lives of others? Yes, and a lot of it. Death? People don't get death for drinking themselves silly and getting into a car and killing someone. If someone does contract TB from him, then let's reevaluate.

Whether or not Andrew Speaker made the wrong decision is not clear at this time. We continue to learn new information regarding what he was told and how CDC behaved. Regardless of whether he made poor decisions does not excuse the unbelievable hatred and contempt and ignorance displayed by people on this site and others. I keep reading that people want him to die for his behavior. I believe posters who believe and say this to be beyond the pale. How smug you are in your self-righteous indignation. Without all the facts, you are judging another human being who, scared and uncertain, made choices that may endangered others. I for one who prefer to hear all the facts, including the roles played by the CDC and the Fulton County health authorities in failing to appropriately communicate, not just to Andrew and his family, but to the various European Governments involved, before drawing conclusions. I cannot believe it will give some of you comfort to learn that Andrew may in fact die from TB, but apparently it will please you. Who are you? Who reared you? Where are your values? Your compassion? Your empathy? The amount of invective and contempt expressed here and elsewhere is of greater concern to me than anything Andrew has done. I am working very hard to not judge you, to not hold you in contempt, and to not wish you an agonizing death. Believe me, it is hard. I think you are pathetic. I am trying to forgive you for your ignorance and self-rigteousness. Gosh, I hope I can model the tolerance and forgiveness I want for myself. You idiots make it very hard to do so.

Whether or not Andrew Speaker made the wrong decision is not clear at this time. We continue to learn new information regarding what he was told and how CDC behaved. Regardless of whether he made poor decisions does not excuse the unbelievable hatred and contempt and ignorance displayed by people on this site and others. I keep reading that people want him to die for his behavior. I believe posters who believe and say this to be beyond the pale. How smug you are in your self-righteous indignation. Without all the facts, you are judging another human being who, scared and uncertain, made choices that may endangered others. I for one who prefer to hear all the facts, including the roles played by the CDC and the Fulton County health authorities in failing to appropriately communicate, not just to Andrew and his family, but to the various European Governments involved, before drawing conclusions. I cannot believe it will give some of you comfort to learn that Andrew may in fact die from TB, but apparently it will please you. Who are you? Who reared you? Where are your values? Your compassion? Your empathy? The amount of invective and contempt expressed here and elsewhere is of greater concern to me than anything Andrew has done. I am working very hard to not judge you, to not hold you in contempt, and to not wish you an agonizing death. Believe me, it is hard. I think you are pathetic. I am trying to forgive you for your ignorance and self-rigteousness. Gosh, I hope I can model the tolerance and forgiveness I want for myself. You idiots make it very hard to do so.

The more TB Andy & his family make excuses the more I dislike them. It really aggrevates me that he & his father taped doctor visits. If he thought traveling was OK, then no reason to secretly tape the conversations. He knew the possibility of infecting others was real, whether he was told DO NOT FLY or was just advised not to. Selfish arrogant prick did the sleazy lawyer thing and trashed & blamed everyone but himself. Don't believe a word that comes out of his contaminated mouth.

There are several areas of immediate attention and change that need to be learned regarding the TB scare. The CDC Officials were unsure of themselves and inefficient at communicating the seriousness of Andrew Speaker's disease and needed to use stronger language that left no doubt that no traveling should be made by Andrew. Andrew and his family should have headed warnings regarding travel. This should have included not traveling -even if there was only a minute chance that this was contagious. They should have erred on the side of caution. The Border Patrol, the Airlines, the Italian Health Officials, and the CDC should have definitely had a Plan to get him home without endangering others. Andrews father in law should have cooperated with the CDC about informing the son in law about the seriousness of the situation.

However, rather than play the blame game (which I fully understand everyones anger and frustration.) we need to use this as means to immediate change. This probably mostly happened due to the fact that there has not been such a serious TB infection in more than forty years. No one knew what to do after 911 about securing us for awhile yet we have a clear plan now.

Let's concentrate on a plan that will prevent this from happening ever again.

http://neelshah.net/default.aspx