X-Message-Number: 24622
From: 
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 2004 05:57:48 EDT
Subject: Re: Greetings from "Sunny Florida."

Hello, Dear Cryoneters!

This is Rudi Hoffman writing at 5:00 AM in the morning.  Our  Internet 
connection just got back up and I am catching up on news.   

As most of you know, I live in Central East Florida.  We have been  hit with 
two, now going on THREE (!) hugely disruptive and severe  hurricanes.  I may 
be "running" from Ivan with 12 hours of writing these  words.  We pull our 

family heirlooms and some of the irreplaceable pictures  off the walls, pack 
them 
into our small motor home, along with our 18 year old  dog Muffin, making 

tough decisions on which possessions should go and which  should remain at risk.
Then we head north, jamming the highways with the  other high tech refugees 
from this weather war.
 
While damage to my personal house has been minimal, much less than many of  
my neighbors, the devastation to trees, homes, and businesses has been  

significant.  We lost three large trees to Hurricane Charley, the eye went  
right 

over our home.  One 35 foot Oak was uprooted, falling while I watched  from our
back porch a few meters away.  Fortunately, not on top of  me.  L0L, kinda 
nervously.

Conducting business amid this chaos has  been challenging.  Without electric 
power and Internet connections, the  insurance and investment business pretty 
much stops.  Locally, the  "corporate culture" has been one of "shell shock."  
People are inherently  resistant to long term planning regarding insurance 
and investments, and moreso  when they are in immediate threat crisis mode.  

Especially with  Ivan looming on the near horizon, the vibes have been pretty 
weird around  here. 
 
You go to Walmart, and everyone is dragging around with anxious and worried  
expressions.  Stories of destroyed houses, power outages, hurricane  projected 
paths, and plans for fleeing dominate the conversations.  On the  positive 
side, this HAS been good for neighbor bonding!  
 
Relevant to cryonics, it has been pretty clear to me that if one of our  
fellow cryonicists were to become critically life threatened or "die" in a  

hurricane or similar major disaster, the odds of a good suspension are  
vanishingly 
small.  With roads and communications blocked, access to water  ice minimal, 
cell phones not working, land lines not working...basically, the  

infrastructure goes down...you are pretty much "screwed" and permanently  dead.
 
Sorry if this sounds downbeat or defeatist.  Most of you know how much  I 
love cryonics and life extension...and selling life insurance to fund this  

suspension.  But we MUST deal with a thing called "reality."  And the  reality 
is 
that our odds of "good" suspension go way down in a major social  disruption 

like a severe hurricane.  Or war or terrorist activity.   Did you guys know that
and ALCOR member was among the victims of 9/11?   Nope, of course they could 
not save or preserve any part of him.  
 
Dawn and I are scheduled to leave for England for a long anticipated two  
week trip this Wednesday.  But our plans are literally "up in the air" with  
hurricane Ivan, now a category FIVE killer, heading our way. 
 
As we say in the vernacular, in lieu of wisdom or anything more  appropriate, 
"SHIT!" 

My apologies to anyone you may have referred me to if there were any  dropped 
balls or bad service levels.  My intention is to have consistent  excellent 
service levels, great rates, and enormous value added service. 
 
With spotty power, phone, and Internet connections it is certainly possible  
that I missed a callback or email.  Please have your referrals understand  and 
keep trying to contact me, preferably by email at _ 
(mailto:) .
 
Better send this before Internet goes down again.  If this were a less  
sophisticated and religious/superstitious venue, I would end with "Pray for  

Florida."  But since we try to deal with a thing called reality here, and  
praying 
does not do diddly squat, I would ask that you take a moment to  appreciate 
life in its more normal contexts.  

Kind Regards to all,  Yours for Centuries,
 
Rudi Hoffman CFP CLU
Port Orange, FL 
5:42 AM on Sunday, 9/12/04


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