I've been sitting on something out of respect for a former colleague's privacy. Late this spring, longtime L.A. Times media and wine critic David Shaw was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He went on medical leave to begin treatment, hopeful that he would return to work. Early this month, Shaw suffered a setback and was hospitalized in what friends described as a coma. They and apparently his doctors expected he would come out of it. Unfortunately, this week his run of bad medical fortune took a more dire turn. His wife is letting friends and Times staffers know that that he has slipped into grave condition. News of Shaw's illness began today to make its way onto the web, via Luke Ford's blog, Nikki Finke at the LA Weekly and Romenesko. Here's a link to his column page at LATimes.com.