X-Message-Number: 32802 Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:01:10 +0000 (UTC) From: Melody Maxim <> Subject: Free Speech and Alcor's Membership Dues I recently wrote a blog entry, regarding Alcor's propensity for doing "last-minute" cases and/or "charity" cases, something I consider to be a slap in the face to conscientious cryonicists who have diligently filled out Alcor's extensive paperwork, taken the trouble to make sure their legal affairs are in order for cryopreservation, and loyally paid their dues. (This all started when an Alcor member told me he had not been paying his dues, and drew my attention to an article in which Alcor had noted that a lot of members were behind on their dues.) In addition, I probably stated my opinion that I don't consider the quality of Alcor's services to be deserving of such high price tags. I cross-posted to the Cold Filter (CF) cryonics forum, and all hell broke loose. The anonymous CF regular, "FD," pretended to be offering me "friendly advice," regarding the possibility of legal action being taken against me, but I'm quite sure his post was a thinly-veiled threat. I think most people who have read my posts and blog entries know I am intelligent enough to be aware that I am accountable for my own words. In addition, I have publicly stated, many times, that I am willing to stand behind my words, in a court of law. When the moderator reminded everyone he was not going to tolerate threats of legal action, FD and Mathew Sullivan, (of Suspended Animation), threw childish temper-tantrums, maintaining that what FD had offered up was intended to be "friendly advice." Personally, I found that to be insulting to my intelligence, and I think the moderator did, too. I believe anyone who has followed the discussions on CF, should be able to see through, what I consider to have been, a charade designed to intimidate me. Then, the moderator indicated HE had received threats of litigation, if he did not "remove certain posts," which I can only assume to be mine. Amazingly, Charles Platt then showed up with a post, which made it appear he was one of the people, who had been threatening the CF moderator. http://www.network54.com/Forum/291677/message/1282961985/Having+it+Both+Ways I believe Mr. Platt has been asking the moderator to step on my right to "free speech." That's funny, because I thought Mr. Platt was a proponent of free speech. Unlike certain other people, who occasionally post on the Cold Filter cryonics forum, I'm not prone to doling out false information in attempts to discredit someone, and I am careful to only state facts and opinions which I feel I can support, and which I believe I am entitled to express. I don't see how anyone could even pretend there was something legally actionable, in this post: http://www.network54.com/Forum/291677/message/1282654706/Why+Pay+Alcor+Membersh ip+Dues- Why are three people, who are not employed by Alcor, (as far as I know), responding to my post about Alcor's membership dues, with implied threats of litigation, directed at not only me, but the moderator of a cryonics-related forum? I don't believe any of their names were mentioned in my post. Isn't Alcor capable of responding to criticisms of their organization, if they so desire? Don't they have a number of attorneys currently representing them, in at least three states? I think Alcor members should be concerned that, in response to criticisms of the self-proclaimed "pioneer" of cryopreservation, the only reaction comes from three persons outside that organization, (one of them anonymous, and one of them having already had to hire an attorney, who advised him to correct and apologize for false statements, which had been made about me!). Read more, here, and form your own opinion: http://cryomedical.blogspot.com/2010/08/interesting-events-on-cold-filter.html Note: I actually wrote this post a couple of days ago, but somehow both of my email addresses had been unsubscribed. (I have no idea what went wrong, but thanks to Kevin for resolving the problem, and for maintaining Cryonet.) Melody Maxim Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=32802