X-Message-Number: 4612
Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 22:48:34 -0400 (EDT)
From: Methuselah <>
Subject: Suspension Services - Thanks

Having finally caught up on Cryonet postings after returning from a week 
and a half vacation, I am most delighted and appreciative of the 
thoughtful and factual postings following up my two messages requesting 
details of the ACS/BPI contract termination.  I almost feel guilty having 
elicited multiple hours of time from leaders of most of the cryonics 
organizations, who shared their insights regarding organizational 
diversity.  Hopefully those texts will be of value to many others besides 
just myself.

The quality of most of the posts was truly superb, and of a more 
objective tone than many I have read from the cryonet archives.  I want 
you all to know they have helped me immensely towards clarifying my 
thoughts on many issues.  And I will be taking a lot of the advice given, 
such as attempting to visit and meet with folks from the national 
organizations, over the coming months.

A special thanks to Mike Darwin, whom I have come to respect from reading 
of his dedication to research, and whom I now also respect for his 
candid and forthright responses to "hard questions" posed.  Just like 
anybody else, I can be a bit of an "asshole" or "stupid" depending on the 
situation.  But you concluded correctly, Mr. Darwin, that in this case I 
was merely "ignorant."  You did a lot to dispel my ignorance on many 
matters, including your personal/emotional stance re: suspensions.  I 
feel that despite your saying it gave you laughter, you were offended by 
my characterization of a suspension being a "refreshing break" from 
research, and now that I see where you are coming from, I sincerely 
apologize for any ill feeling presented unintentionally by me.  In 
retrospect, I would have phrased it in some different way to emphasize 
the real purpose of any meaningful research being to better the chances 
of time-transport for those who must deanimate, and that the act of 
providing such services might be considered a much more positive and 
hopeful task than, say, that of a mortician who deals in "sure death."  I 
believe that is how I would feel if I were ever to participate in a 
suspension procedure for someone close to me - not that I would be 
delighted in doing it, but I think I would consider it a much more 
pleasant alternative than six feet under with no possibility of 
escape.  More basic to the issue of my comment, though, is that I guess 
that I left the emotional factor out, and mistakenly assumed you took a 
more distanced view of your patients.  In doing so, I suppose in my mind 
I draw a parallel between a suspension provider who does other things in 
between suspensions, to, say, a fireman who does other things in between 
fire calls.  Despite the sorrow and tragedy of a fire, the fireman does 
get some personal diversion ("refreshing" carries some connotations I did 
not mean to include) from whatever he does in between fires, by going out 
and fighting a fire, and also sharpens his craft in the process.  (My 
analogy here is not intended to extend to comparing his playing poker 
between fires, to your doing research between suspensions - obviously you 
do important and meaningful work all of the time.)  I hope this clarifies 
my remark, and that neither you nor anyone else really thinks I meant 
anything like "getting your kicks doing suspensions."

Thanks, again, to all who posted on this thread.

Guy Gipson


Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=4612