Actually, I was delighted by Barandes' response, for several reasons: Any publicity is good publicity. If every newspaper in the country would print scathing letters attacking CF, readers everywhere would begin to ask themselvesm What's up, and why are these people so upset?
It gives me an "in." After printing such a harsh letter, the Crimson may well print my response. Intelligent readers will see through his arguments. As Huxley said of Wilburforce in similar circumstances, "The Lord hath delivered him into my hands." If you cannot debate a smart person, a fool is the second best choice. It is true that Infinite Energy did print some far out stuff -- some too far out, in my opinion. The person who decided to print it was Gene Mallove, who had a PhD from Harvard and one from MIT, too. (This kind of thing matters to the sons of . . . Harvard.) I am thick skinned, and people like Barandes do not bother me. On the contrary, I enjoy rattling their cages and getting the rise out of them. It makes my day to see people like him spout off in places like the Crimson. - Jed
