Friday February 19, 2021; 11:08 AM EST
One of the reasons I'm so sympathetic with Donald McNeil is that I have a friend whose career was ruined by something not all that different from what happened to McNeil. And unlike McNeil, he's still got a number of productive years before retirement, has three children to provide for, and more important deserve to look up to their father. #- There are some people whose loyalty is so valued that no matter what happens I'll stand by them. There aren't many in my life. There was a time in 2002 when I was really sick, and had a long recovery in front of me. I made it is because of the help of three friends. And one of them is this person, who I'm not going to name, because I think there's a chance doing so would make it worse for him, and that's the last thing I want. #
- This is something "the left" does, and it's real. They're pretending they don't do it. But they do. It's just as awful imho as the people who attacked the Capitol, at least they had the guts to try to ruin things out in the open. The people who attacked my friend had nothing against him. It was all laid out in a Medium post, crafted to make no specific charges, just to phrase things that made him seem like a Harvey Weinstein type, when he is nothing of the sort. #
- Anyway another friend who reads my blog pointed this out. You are taking a lot of notice of McNeil, she said in a phone conversation. It's true. I love what McNeil did during the early days of the pandemic. I will miss his commentary as we go forward, but hopefully he can find another path to the podcast universe. I also like the rapport he had with Michael Barbaro, and I guess that's gone. I think the NYT is a lost cause. #
- But friendship, that's still the whole thing. The personal connection. The knowing your friend is deeply flawed but still he's your friend. I can openly advocate for McNeil without much risk, but the issue is much bigger than McNeil and the NY Times. #
