X-Message-Number: 29450
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2007 20:08:27 -0700 (PDT)
From: Shannon Vyff <>
Subject: Transhumanists 

I never really thought of myself as a Transhumanist
till recently really, since someone wrote a review
saying my book should be required reading for
Transhumanists.  Since then I learned more about the
group, and joined the Transhumanist network.

I have been a member of the World Future Society for
years.  My basic thought about the Transhumanist
movement is that they look at what humans may become
in the future.

I am 'normal'.  I have children, I volunteer, I donate
to non-profits.  I have been a futurist as a hobby
since loving science fiction as a child.  I'm
reasonably sure my book will never sell as much as a
'Harry Potter' book, but it means a lot to me that
Robert Ettinger read it, and thought it should ;-)  If
it wasn't for Robert, many us would not be here on
this cryonet group.  

I am speaking at the Transvision 07 event in Chicago,
along with Kurzweil, de Grey, William Shatner, Natasha
and Max, Nick Bostrom and more... because I feel it is
vitally important for cryonics to be accepted as a
normal thing.  For even motel managers to contemplate.
 

I breastfed for 9 years, and plan on having more
babies.  I devoted years of my life to teaching my
children, so they have extraordinarily high IQ's. 
I've spent my resources to take them traveling, to
teach them of volunteering and helping others.  All
this when I won two full scholarships for my
photography as a teen. (I had due to childhood
surgeries, a comfortable middle class income that
enabled me to do what I wanted)  I choose children as
a career, and even now continue to try and
teach/inspire other children.  

Our future depends on the current generation, and what
we make of it.  I'm proud to do my part, whatever it
may be while I'm alive.  The whole reason I choose to
do cryonics is that I was told when pregnant at age 21
that I may not live through the pregnancy. (due to the
27 abdominal surgeries I'd had previously during my
life)  After having three children, breastfeeding,
weaning, teaching, learning about nutrition (I became
CR after being raised on a pizza/soda/fast food diet) 
The Mprize seemed a natural choice to help my
children, or their children.  In addition cryonics,
and spreading the word to others about all the
possibilities of the future.

The best way to do this IMO is to intrigue children
with the possibilities, so they'll be aware as they
grow.

Of course all sorts of dire things can happen to
society at any moment, but hopefully it will continue
to smoothly advance as it more or less has done the
last few hundred years.  

Oh, and I did not add my name to the Wiki list, but I
was happy to see it there ;-)  .

I am a La Leche League Leader, I help moms daily with
breastfeeding questions--as that makes children
smarter--and live longer as adults.  I volunteer for
my church.  I continue my science education on my own
daily, as well as plans of writing more books for
children, and parents.  I'm glad I'm still youngish at
31 ;-)

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