At 03:44 PM 10/13/2009, Steven Krivit wrote:
Dear Vortex,
Jed Rothwell and Abd ul-Rahman_Lomax have expressed themselves with
a great deal of rage and outrage that I reported that Martin is
suffering from Parkinson's disease and diabetes.
No. And if you think that's what happened, Steve, and I don't for a
moment believe that you would be dishonest, get some neutral advice.
Rothwell knows Fleischmann and may have personal feelings involved,
but "rage and outrage" doesn't capture my feelings. It's more like
embarrassment.
Despite their mudslinging and pontification (a popular word here in
Italy), the fact is that Martin's health challenges are far from
private. I learned about Martin's health issues from the CBS 60
Minutes program earlier this year - as did the rest of the world.
Yes. Beside the point. Rothwell spoke about privacy, my concern was
somewhat different. Indeed, Fleischmann is a public figure. What you
wrote about, Steve, was not merely what is known about the good
doctor's health, but about interaction with his family, with
overtones that were far from neutral.
I quote: "Martin Fleischmann, the man who announced cold fusion to
the world, is hindered by years, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and
maybe a little bitterness. At home, he pulled out an improved
version of his experiment, something that he was working on when he
was hounded out of science."
I don't recall any such outrage from Jed Rothwell and Abd
ul-Rahman_Lomax at that time.
Because there was nothing particularly outrageous about it. My
recommendation: Steve, let it rest. If someone speaks about it,
unless you can say something that will actually make the situation
better -- and you might be able to, if you can get some perspective
-- remain silent. Don't defend yourself, not by argument. It almost
always backfires.
Pontification. Okay, I'll buy it. I kind of like the sound. How much?
