X-Message-Number: 24469 Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 06:24:14 -0400 From: Steven Lacher <> Subject: Music as a discussion topic References: <> My fellow Cryonetters.... Someone in one of the last digests had responded to another poster about this thread about music being off-topic. I have to chime in and agree that it most assuredly is NOT off-topic. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not a cryonics researcher, or bioscientist, or the like. I'm simply a "bracelet-wearing" cryonicist, and one of the reasons I participate in Cryonet is to know other folks like me, as people. I'm here to learn from others, to share, and to question things. I don't post much, but when I do, you'll find it's generally over social or emotional issues. I think that there's a whole series of extra joys and challenges to being a cryonicist, and it's never a bad idea to explore them together. And, as a wise member of the list did already observe, we do have our delete keys and scroll bars to carry us past topics in which we do not wish to participate. As one of my favorite authors, Spider Robinson says, "Shared pain is lessened. Shared joy is increased. Thus do we refute entropy." Having said that, music is certainly a powerful tool in influencing others. It can do as much harm as help. The one song that comes to mind when I go looking for cryonics related music is James Taylor's "The Frozen Man.". In it the "hero" of the song, William James McPhee is accidentally frozen when he falls over the side of a ship into frigid waters. When he is revived however many years later, his wife and child are long dead, and the medical technology used to revive him and give him prostethic limbs makes him scary to look at. It's a VERY negative message. (It's a shame, because it's really an amazingly pleasant song to listen to -- and even though I don't agree with the message of it, I do enjoy listening to the song.) --wishing you a long life --Steven Lacher ps -- Here's the lyrics to the song. The Frozen Man (James Taylor) Last thing I remember is the freezing cold Water reaching up just to swallow me whole Ice in the rigging and howling wind Shock to my body as we tumbled in Then my brothers and the others are lost at sea I alone am returned to tell thee Hidden in ice for a century To walk the world again Lord have mercy on the frozen man Next words that were spoken to me Nurse asked me what my name might be She was all in white at the foot of my bed I said angel of mercy I'm alive or am I dead My name is William James McPhee I was born in 1843 Raised in Liverpool by the sea But that ain't who I am Lord have mercy on the frozen man It took a lot of money to start my heart To peg my leg and to buy my eye The newspapers call me the state of the art And the children, when they see me, cry I thought it would be nice just to visit my grave See what kind of tombstone I might have I saw my wife and my daughter and it seemed so strange Both of them dead and gone from extreme old age See here, when I die make sure I'm gone Don't leave 'em nothing to work on You can raise your arm, you can wiggle your hand And you can wave goodbye to the frozen man I know what it means to freeze to death To lose a little life with every breath To say goodbye to life on earth To come around again Lord have mercy on the frozen man Lord have mercy on the frozen man Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=24469