X-Message-Number: 19759 Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2002 09:48:00 -0400 (EDT) From: Charles Platt <> Subject: Where? Fair4us wrote, "Where is Charles Platt with at least a *version* of the news, when we need him? Some time back I believe he offered to do a newsletter about everything cryonic (until somebody reminded him that he might be challenged to print *all* the news). Or does he only critique Alcor and CI?" Maybe I was waiting for a more polite invitation? Still I'll take this one at face value. In the limited time that I have generally allocated to cryonics, I played the role of go-between, editor, and compiler of a long report making recommendations regarding procedures at Alcor, earlier this year. The principal authors of the report were scientists with experience relevant to cryonics, and Alcor, to its great credit, not only commissioned them to create a totally independent summary, but immediately set up a committee to implement the recommendations. Largely because of this, I am in the process of rejoining Alcor. (Paperwork signed and delivered; transfer of insurance ownership has been initiated.) Also I have participated in some cryonics cases this year. I wrote about one of them in Alcor's quarterly magazine. I regret that this interfered with production of Alcor Forum, and still hope to restart that news source in the future. I was listed briefly as a "consultant" to Suspended Animation Inc, the new cryonics company which will be establishing a facility in Florida using initial capital provided via Saul Kent and Bill Faloon, who are still the only people willing to provide very large sums of money for speculative ventures in cryonics. I am familiar with all aspects of Mike Darwin's departure from Suspended Animation, but didn't feel it was appropriate for me to jump in with a "version" of events (thanks for the compliment to my journalistic skills, fair4us; at least I usually write my "versions" under my own name). Certainly it is true that SA has contacted some people warning them that Mike Darwin has a noncompete clause in his contract with SA. But the realworld effects of this clause remain to be tested. In my limited experience, such clauses usually exist to prevent an employee, or ex-employee, from disseminating knowledge or skills that the employee acquired from the employer. The idea that a noncompete cause might apply to an employee's *pre-existing* skills and knowledge seems unusual to me. But I'm not a lawyer. --CP Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=19759