X-Message-Number: 7498
From:  (Thomas Donaldson)
Subject: Re: CryoNet #7454 - #7464
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 15:09:19 -0800 (PST)

 i

Hi again!

1. Steve Bridge was President of Alcor for several years, but hardly as long
   as Alcor has existed. He need not have known everything in Alcor's
   files.

2. I am a member of Alcor, and have been since 1985. I very much liked Mike's
   frank discussion of the problems then, and like it now. As I have never
   lived next door to Alcor, and only had the privelege to help out in a 
   suspension once, my knowledge of what happens is limited to what I learn 
   from the Net (which did not exist for some time while Alcor did) and 
   Alcor reports. 

   I will add that the current magazine and newsletters put out by Alcor DO
   show a distressing tendency to tell of the good things rather than the
   bad. That is an issue I've brought up several times in private email
   messages. Doing this, in material which will go out to members, will
   ultimately injure all of us. 

   I fail to see how I can be truly said to be "up in the ether". My tempera-
   ment certainly differs from Mike's, but I would say that every one of the
   problems Mike raises with past suspensions are validly raised and should
   be thought about --- not just to beat our breasts and ask for forgiveness,
   but to find out ways in which they might have been avoided. Whatever ways
   to avoid them come up, they are unlikely to help anyone who joins at the
   last minute.

   Mike's comments about autopsy also partially answer a question I just put
   up on the Net: what is the percent of autopsied patients for whom 
   autopsy of their BRAIN was avoided. All such statistics should be seen as
   a means to delimit the problems which we must solve, not as a negative for
   cryonics itself. When I signed on I knew very well that it might not work,
   but at the same time felt that every problem raised could be dealt with
   given sufficient time and work. My opinion of that remains. The value of
   Mike's honesty comes directly from the fact that no one can work out ways
   to solve ANY problem unless they know first that the problem exists.
   ultimately injure all of us.

3. I and another resident of San Mateo County have met with the local Coroner
   and informed him of what we wanted in case of autopsy. The Coroner in 
   SM Cty is elected, but of course uses MDs to do autopsies. We are now in
   his database as people who do not want to be autopsied, with further 
   points that if necessary any autopsy should be on our bodies, not our
   brains. Any further suggestions Mike might have would be useful; this
   Coroner knows that suspension will also introduce various chemicals into
   our body.

   At a minimum, I believe every cryonicist should aim at such an arrangement.
   No, it does not lack holes, but as with most things in cryonics it may
   help. And if Mike has further constructive suggestions I would listen to
   them eagerly.

				Best and long long life,

					Thomas Donaldson


Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=7498