X-Message-Number: 11087
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 09:25:52 -0500 (EST)
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: Better things to do

On Wed, 13 Jan 1999, Thomas Donaldson wrote:

> To Mr. Platt:
> I am glad that you have other things to think of than such issues of 
> identity and awareness. We poor sods have a deep interest in that issue
> because of the possibility that we might not retain our identity after
> suspension. You, of course, obviously have somehow been assured that
> such an outcome will not happen to YOU. 

Knock it off, Thomas! You're still using the same shabby technique of 
putting words in my mouth and then ridiculing them. 

Obviously anyone signed up for cryopreservation is concerned about coming 
back as "the same person." Philosophical discussions of this issue are 
NOT going to improve your chances, however.

> And while I cannot speak for others, I think it should be clear to you
> that my opinions are not based solely upon what I hear on Cryonet ---

So, why don't I see any references, here (except from Doug Skrecky), to 
materials that have been published outside of CryoNet?

> quite the contrary. As for Bob Ettinger, I will point out that he has
> discussed Turing's ideas on Cryonet in much more detail before;

I have read all of Ettinger's posts on this subject, and would not 
characterize any of them as a fair or informed discussion.

> As for just what we do with our time, I'm glad that you can do things so 
> that at every instant of your activities will help your future suspension.

Your sarcasm is of course quite devastating. But you know perfectly well 
what I'm talking about. We can work to improve our chances, or we can 
fritter away our time in speculation. Frankly, when you moved to 
Australia, I began to wonder how serious you really are about cryonics.

> the rest of us how, so that we too can go to bed after a long day knowing
> that in going to bed we're also helping our suspension.

You could develop local capabilities in conjunction with your cryonics 
organization, for a start. Has anyone, here, spoken to his/her friendly 
local coroner or mortician lately? (I know Bob Ettinger has, and of 
course Mike Perry has devoted a major portion of his life to providing 
cryonics services.)

Personally I find myself running a cryonics organization, mainly because
no one else wanted the job. I have zero background in medicine or biology
that would qualify me for this task, and my social skills are not great. I
hate hospitals, I dread watching people die, and the two cryonics cases
that I became intimately involved with were extremely traumatic for me. If
I'm willing to involve myself, despite these impediments, why not other
people? 

--CP

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