X-Message-Number: 6146
Subject: SCI.CRYONICS Re: To Will Dye, re flaming
Date: Mon, 06 May 1996 18:45:09 -0500
From: Will Dye <>

>Message #6139
>From:  (Thomas Donaldson)
[...]
>Yes, the assisted suicide issue did hit a nerve. Sorry. Perhaps I'd had a bit
>too much of JS. 

Sigh.  Looking over my letter, I think I owe you an apology.  "Flaming" has
a harsher meaning to most people than it does to me.  I should not have 
used the term.  Moreover, I shouldn't have singled you out, since my 
concern was more directed to the audience in general than to you.  I hope 
that this hasn't wrought any ill will between us.  I remain an admirer of 
your work and an unequivocal supporter of your efforts to save your life.

Gads, what is it about e-mail that makes civil discourse more difficult?
Oh, well.  We know that e-mail does that, and we know that we are dealing 
with an issue that necessarily (and appropriately) involves strong 
feelings.  I guess we all have to develop thick skins if we're to 
cooperate.  

Maybe we can find a bit of good in the difficulty of online kibbutzing.  
If all goes well, we'll be scattered among the stars someday - rudely 
separated by the (probably) insurmountable speed of light.  I'm guessing 
that there will still be challenges and a need to cooperate now and 
then.  Our experiences here may prove helpful, if only as a reminder 
that remote communication is different from a normal conversation.  
Ah, maybe not.  It's a thought, anyway.  

>I do feel strongly about cryonics, though, and every time someone I know dies
>(and that's been happening, recently) the waste really gets to me.

Yes, that's exactly what's on my own mind.  I'm still going through the 
stage where I'm shocked at how many people, including dear family and 
friends, are utterly horrified at something that we accepted so easily.  
It's almost worse to encounter the many more who regard the idea as 
plausible, but then won't save themselves.  There's been much discussion 
of these phenomena already, so I won't elaborate here except to add 
to the chorus that it.. well... it hurts.  I guess it's better that it 
continue to hurt, rather than adopt the pain-free solution of not 
caring.  But it hurts nonetheless.  

>Let's hope that your name does not end up characterizing you!

:-)  Yep.  I guess I should take a moment to explain my moniker.  I was 
Christened "William Dye" after my father.  I could have been "Bill" or 
"William", but the kids in grade school thought that "Will" was much 
more fun for teasing purposes.  The teasing was all in good fun (most 
of the time), so I didn't mind when the name stuck.  There's more to it 
than that, but that's the gist of it.

The name does inspire bad humor.  Imagine a younger me, brimming with 
youthful ambition, musing over my career options...

	- Will Dye's restaurant.  Our motto: "Do you feel... lucky?"
	
	- "Tell me, nurse, who's the surgeon that will be doing my operation?"
	
	- Will Dye's mortuary.  "You plug em', we plant 'em."

and lately:

	- Deep Discount Cryosuspension & Bait Shop.  Will Dye, proprietor.
		"When they stop wheezin', we start freezin'."

The mind fair reels with possibilities...


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