X-Message-Number: 27436
Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2005 12:26:25 -0800 (PST)
From: daniel shays <>
Subject: MotherMelters, a review

Wow, some book. Mothermelters by Alan Kunzman
(hereinafter referred to as "AK".)

First off, I must say that I think this book may be
libellous. Some parts of it may be untrue. And
certainly exaggerated. But I suspect much of it has a
kernel of truth, with the exception of some very
intangible rumors/allegations made by anonymous
sources.

It could have had a good book but the self-promoting,
aggrandizing point of view and obvious agenda ruin it
to some degree. 

However, every cryo should read this book, not only
for the tidbits of info that are quite likely true,
but also because it provides a detailed perspective on
cryonics that comes from what is a normal person in
many ways. AK's take on cryonics probably represents
that of many people in some ways. But his singleminded
hatred of cryonics and cryonicists probably represents
an extreme. 

But if you can look beyond the hatred and hyperbole
and gossip and innuendos in this book, there is a
mythic, epic tale hidden inside. I can see the heroes
that cryonicists really are, even from this book.
Cryonicists are in my opinion heroes without peer in
this world.

First, addressing some of the miscellaneous nasty
accusations that AK directs at Alcor:

There are references to drug smuggling by Alcor. Hints
of evil doing and even murder by Alcorians at an
"arizona redoubt". All very much unproven and
unsubstantiated.

What provides a lot of information in this book is
AK's relation of Mike Perry personal journal up to the
time of Dora Kent's death while he was living with
other cryos in Riverside CA at the Doherty St Alcor
location. AK and the county govt seized all the ALcor
records there after Saul Kent and Mike Darwin walked
into the Riverside county coroner office hand carrying
Dora Kent's death certificate.

For example, AK relates his reading of Perry's journal
entry where Perry was allegedly listening to mike
darwin having sex with another man in the next room,
and Perry was writing comments about it in his
journal. Umm...yikes!

AK claimed that all the 6 Alcor members who were
arrested were "fags" (except Hixon).


One more nasty little tidbit: AK claims one of the
arrested Alcor members castrated himself (in college)
because his sex drive distracted him in his search for
knowledge. AK called him a "nutless nut." Or maybe it
was not one of the arrested ones, but one of the other
volunteers.

AK claimed that he found evidence that Alcor was
paying dividends to alcor management. But the IRS
looked at it, and nothing ever came of it.

THere was a chemist who had worked with Alcor or saul
kent (something to do with developing vitamins). THe
biochemist played stoolie and talked to AK about a
number of matters regarding the supposed nefarious
dealings of the Alcor management.

AK claimed that Jerry Leaf and Alcor rented out UCLA
medical equipment to use for movies and tv and Alcor
got the money from the rentals. He also claimed that
Alcor stole a lot of medical eqpt from UCLA. But the
UCLA police never did anything about it.

Alcor claims on their website they have proof they
bought the equipment from UCLA. Why didn't AK address
that rebuttal? Just another example of many where AK
did shoddy research in some ways.

One of the most revealing statements, and one that is
perhaps at the heart of this book is this description
of Alcor members by AK: BRIMMING OVER WITH SMUG SELF
IMPORTANCE, ARROGANCE, SELF CONGRATULATIONS.

In particular, AK exhibited a deep seated animus for
Mike Darwin. Hatred, really. THe above description by
AK was perhaps more directed at Darwin that anyone
else. But he did apply it to all Alcor members. 

In some ways, he has a good point, here. THere is
something we cryonicists need to learn--that sometimes
a humble, down home, self-deprecating, "aw shucks"
manner is the smartest demeanor.
After reading this book, I played a video tape I have
of a cryonics science conference from a few years ago.
The conference includes a presentation Mike Darwin
made about his work with perfusing dogs. I have never
met Darwin, and I wanted to see if AK's description of
his manner was true. 
Eh, maybe a little.

BTW, AK claimed that the dogs he was (which had been
deanimated and revived by Darwin) were basically
zombies. But the dogs we saw on the tape clearly were
not zombies.

Turning to the central point of AK's case against
Alcor, the idea that Dora was killed by barbituates,
and did not die a natural death:

From Mike Perry's journal, there is a relationof a
Wisconsin standby case where a Alcor member had died,
and while the Alcor team was carrying her away from
the hospital, she revived, and in perry's words, they
were "forced to put her down."
So AK is claiming this happened before. It has the
ring of truth to it, in all fairness. But so what? I
have no moral compunctions about it. 

inherent contradiction: AK claims Dora was put on
barbituate cocktail as soon as she was brought in, and
that was why she took a "turn for the worse." But then
he writes that Perry's notes say that she was later
put on oxygen. If she was put on a barbituate cocktail
to kill her, as AK claims, then why put her on oxygen
to prolong her life? 

Then perry's journal says Mike applied "heroic
measures" when she stopped breathing. AK notices the
contradiction but cannot answer it.

AK still does not understand the critical point--that
the barbituate cocktail was not given to kill, but to
prevent revival. Two different things.

Luckily, None of AK's colleagues seemed to care about
Alcor. 

AK was basically alone in his longstanding vendetta.

Miceli, the judge that ended the entire episode with
rulings that favored Alcor, apparently never
understood the gist of the county's case, which was
that the barbituates killed DK. THe judge ruled as he
did on the basis that there was no evidence that DK
was decapitated while she was alive, which was not was
the county was asserting at all. So, Alcor may have
dodged a bullet.

AK never even mentioned the fact that Alcor used CPR
to circulate the barbituates. His argument was that
bccause they were found in excretory organs (bladder,
kidneys), they must have been ingested/injected while
she was alive. He never addresses this argument of
Alcor's in the least bit.

All in all, a deeply flawed book, but an essential one
for those interested in cryonics.




 	
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