X-Message-Number: 3005
Subject: CRYONICS: Worldcon Update
From:  (Ben Best)
Date: Sat, 20 Aug 1994 08:01:00 -0400


   The Labour Day Weekend World Science Fiction Convention (ConAdian)
in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada is now less than two weeks away
(September 1 - September 5). I formerly mentioned plans to promote
cryonics through a dealer's table, room parties and a panel.

   The Dealer's Table is confirmed. We will be distributing books
and literature from various cryonics organizations, including
Alcor's REACHING FOR TOMORROW, Robert Ettinger's books, CryoCare
literature, Life Extension Society (LES) literature, etc.

    Room parties will be held Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
evenings at a very large room at the Sheraton Winnipeg shared by
Paul Wakfer, Keith Lynch and me (Ben Best). Members of all cryonics
organizations are welcome to attend, and no one will be prohibited
from promoting their particular cryonics organization at this room
party.

   I made a very lengthy and strenuous effort to arrange a formal
panel entitled CRYONICS: TIME CAPSULE TO THE FUTURE, with myself as
moderator. Participants would include Steve Bridge, Paul Wakfer and
(possibly) Brenda Peters. This panel was listed in the preliminary
schedule of panels, but was dropped from the final program. Instead,
I was made moderator of a panel on the Internet, and a participant
of another panel on Internet Libraries.

   I phoned Bruce Farr, head of programming at WorldCon and complained.
He had the impression that cryonics is about as interesting as freezing
dead people, so he had dropped the panel. I told him that 60 to 100
people had attended the cryonics panel at ConFrancisco and told him I
was not qualified to be on the Internet panels. I finally agreed to
remain on the Internet panels and he finally agreed to schedule a
meeting room on Sunday for a cryonics panel -- although it would be
too late to include in the formal program.

   I think that if we heavily promote the Sunday cryonics panel at
our room parties, at our dealer's table and through posted notices,
that we should be able to get a good attendance.

   Also, the Internet panel I am moderating should be one of the best
attended of the entire conference, both because of its subject matter
and because of its scheduled time: Saturday at 4pm. I will mention
the role of Internet in the cryonics community, without being
crassly promotional. The panel is entitled "Internet -- New Applications
and Directions". If anyone can supply some ideas for inclusion in this
panel (or for the one about Internet Libraries), I would greatly
appreciate it.

   Anyone still interested in joining at least 5,000 others attending
the Labour Day Weekend Winnipeg World Science Fiction Convention
should E-mail to  or phone (204) 942-9494.
For accommodation, call Tourism Winnipeg (204) 665-0040.

                  -- Ben Best ()

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=3005