X-Message-Number: 26718
From: 
Subject: Comparing Organizations
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 14:25:30 US/Eastern

       I was attending the Society for Cryobiology meeting in
Minnesota this past week and was unable to locate an internet
cafe near the conference site -- so I have been out-of-touch with
CryoNet. 

       My least favorite experience as President of CI thus far 
has been the slugfest between Robert Ettinger and Alcor Members
over comparisons of CI and Alcor.  I failed in my attempts to 
have the CI comparisons page removed from the CI website
and the internal fighting at CI over this issue was more unpleasant 
for  me than the external fighting.

   Someone is perpetually baiting me to make comparisons between
Alcor and CI and I perpetually stuggle to resist these comparisons
and the associated hostilities.  I will NOT be drawn into this fight
on CryoNet between Robert Ettinger, Michael Risken, "Tru Numberman"
and others. 

    Our Membership figures are published in every issue of THE IMMORTALIST.
THE IMMORTALIST is available on the web at:

                 http://www.cryonics.org/immortalist/index.htm

  Normally we report the number of CI Members and occasionally report
other information, such as the number of Members who are Male/Female, 
Option One/Two, living in different areas and the number who are fully
funded. The last report of the latter was in May/June issue in which I 
reported that as of 29-Apr-2005 CI had 520 Members of whom 201 were
fully funded. The number of CI Members and fully funded CI Members has 
increased somewhat since that date, but not spectacularly. 


     Validation for our vitrification solution is based solely on Dr. Pichugin's
     K/Na ratios on brain tissue. I am satisfied that vitrification is occurring, 
partially based on my knowledge of the formulation.  I acknowledge that
we still have much work to do to improve the quality of application of the
vitrification formula. 

     I am pleased that CI now can offer professional standby and transport
from Suspended Animation for those CI Members who wish to have it:

             http://www.cryonics.org/SA/Suspended_Animation.html

 I will resist being drawn into mean-spirited comparison arguments on CryoNet. 
(Any such arguments quickly become mean-spirited -- so I mean ANY arguments.) 

     For those who want to learn more about CI, I recommend subscribing
to THE IMMORTALIST or, at least, reading the magazine freely available
on the website (which contains most of the contents of the magazine). 

                            -- Ben Best, President, Cryonics Institute 

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