X-Message-Number: 630
From: 
Subject: Re: cryonics:
Date: Tue,  4 Feb 92 19:36:02 PST

In Cryomessage 628, Edgar Swank writes (responding to Russell Whitaker's 
somewhat intemperate remarks about Muhammad Ali's reported plans to sign 
up with ACS} writes: 

>Well, Mr. Whitaker, Alcor officers *have* made such statements, for
>example, from the Extropians mailing list:
> 
>  From: szebra!cup.portal.com!hkhenson
>  To: gnu.ai.mit.edu!extropians
>  Subject: Re: Tim Leary
>  Date: Wed, 29 Jan 92 22:21:21 PST
> 
>  Re Tim Leary, extropians might be interested that he is signed up with
>  Alcor.  Keith Henson
                                                                         
Minor correction, while I was recently elected to the board, I am not an 
officer.

Re Tim Leary, he is a friend of mine dating back into the mid 1970s. Dr. 
Leary makes his membership in Alcor very public, referring to it in 
nationally published interviews and in his public lectures.  But, prior 
to his completing the signup process and going public about the matter, I 
never would have said a word about his plans, not so much because Tim 
would have minded it, but out of concern that if something went wrong, or 
he got cold feet :), it would be embarrassing to have someone ask a few 
years later "Gee, what ever happened to Tim Leary's signup?"  
 
If Avi Ben-Abraham feels comfortable about sticking his neck out this 
way, and it is ok with Ali, I have no problem with it. 

Re Russell's remarks about ACS and emergency response, he may have been 
confusing ACS with Cryonics Institute.  CI makes no bones about what you 
get from them, and it does not include emergency response/standby.  

I don't know if ACS's poor performance on the quality of recent 
suspensions is due to a systemic problem or to bad luck.  Knowing how 
technically challenging a good quality suspension is, and facing a future 
of doing them without Mike Darwin certainly mutes any criticism I might 
have. 

Re Mike Darwin, yes, he is certainly one of the more fractious and hard 
to get along with people I have ever known.  He also knows more about 
cryonics than any one else on the planet, and it is possible he knows 
more than all the rest of us put together.  If I were in serious trouble, 
I can think of no one who would be more welcome at my bedside.  

Keith Henson (speaking for himself and not as a representative of Alcor)

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