X-Message-Number: 19628
From: 
Date: Sat, 27 Jul 2002 22:56:23 EDT
Subject: Precedent for Sometimes Strategy?

CryoNet:

Jeff Davis (from yesterday) and others before, have mentioned the written 
note signed by Ted Williams and two of his children which expressed a desire 
for cryonics.  A significance this may have for cryonicists will be the way 
the court(s) decide the case -- while admittedly, will only be one such court 
finding among hundreds or thousands of "competing" courts around the world.  
But it will be an indicator, and also a precedent to some degree:

"JHW, Claudia and Dad all agree to be 
put into Bio-Stasis after we die. This is what
we  want, to be able to be together in the future,
even if it is only a chance." -- 11/2/2000

I read Charles Platt's and Mike Darwin's accounts of Dr. Timothy Leary's 
thwarted suspension.  By the way, it struck me as a very admirable effort on 
their part -- over many years -- and one performed with a wise and 
compassionate combination of persuasion and restraint. Others in Leary's life 
at the time, unsympathetic to either or both of cryonics and Leary, prevailed 
-- in spite of the fact the Leary's Legacy, and his neurotic quest for 
notoriety, would certainly have been served by his suspension, as he was no 
doubt aware.  I note the following: Considering that prepaid funding donated 
by cryonicists was quickly confiscated and reassigned to Leary's 
eager-for-cash son, a lesson may exist for preparing future paperwork to help 
encourage such suspensions by circumventing any possible carefully-nurtured 
end game, guilt-based goodwill gestures for Junior(s) -- and maybe even 
pleadings from estranged daughters. However and/or regardless, had the 
Williams heirs opted to sure-up their potential courthouse position via 
pursuing additional family member signatures, or eliminated the courts 
altogether through an attempted official updating of the will, they might 
well have eliminated his current suspension via similar mechanics (they may 
have) noted in the successful and finalized (6/1996) capital case of 
"Cremation v. Leary."  At very least these actions would certainly have 
jeopardized the peace in the last few years, months, or weeks, or days of 
William's life.

So, let's see how it works.

Regards,

D.C. Johnson, Raleigh
____________________

PS.
"Is it possible that John Henry may have been
lurking about in "our" neighborhood?" -- Jeff Davis.

I've wondered the same thing, Jeff.  My conclusion based on the evidence?:  
Highly likely.

PSS.
"The prospect of maintaining and extending family
unity is a notably more sophisticated view.  This is
the very first time I have seen this in print in the mass
media, and is of some value to the wider promotion
of cryonics."

Nice observation.  It reminds me to comment on the (influential) TIME 
Magazine cartoon recently run with a similarly wide distribution and affect, 
and also AOL's comments to its membership as recently cited here by one of 
their more noteworthy longtime members found at 

PSSS.
With all the talk about a baseball hero, I finally decided to research the 
"family tree hero" today -- whom I've heard whispers about maybe once or 
twice a decade for the last 40 years; and whom I remember as being super 
nice, and having had a huge trophy Moose head mounted in his attic which was 
otherwise filled with all kinds of old baseball paraphernalia and stuff, when 
we visited him and my Great Aunt in Atlanta several decades ago. Check out #9 
on the following list at the following URL.

http://www.s-t.com/daily/06-99/06-27-99/d01sp108.htm

Of course, now I understand why the whispering; and, yes, I probably 
shouldn't have done the research -- Even denied the distinction of being "the 
most forgettable" player ever. Man, now THAT'S what I call "Cold!"  Real 
Cold. But I don't care what they say, I still remember him...!  : )

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