Video link from BP

I know some folks who live on the Alabama Gulf Coast or within driving distance of the beaches there.  They (and we) are following the gushing well on the bottom of the gulf with heartsick hope that the well will be capped before more damage is done to the environment - sea life, bird life, people in the area who make their living from the waters.  Some of us are so angry at BP that we're not using the gas stations - although I reminded a family member tonight that the people who hold the local franchises are not to blame for the disaster in the Gulf and to boycott their businesses only hurts the local economy and not the parent company.  Still, it's hard to support the huge conglomerate that took shortcuts in safety and basically caused a rig to go down with loss of life and a disaster the likes of which none of us has seen before.  Tonight, the company is trying another method of capping the well... called a Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP), it is supposed to replace the riser pipe on the bottom of the gulf with a top portion of a Blow Out Prevention (BOP) package that will allow the oil to be pumped to the surface and loaded into tankers.  It's not a cap but a way to divert the oil to the surface and recover it.  The two Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV's) are operating to perform the procedure.  They are also sending video feeds to the surface.  I found this one and there are other sources out there.  The Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska is a minor ripple in the environment, compared to what's going on right now.  Pray for the well to be under some control and that before a hurricane sends the pollution ashore Kevin Costner can bring his brother's invention to the Gulf and help alleviate the situation.  Otherwise, we are all in a world of hurt!