From: John M Grigg (starman125@lycos.com)
Date: Sun Apr 01 2001 - 18:58:41 MDT
I eagerly found in my mail a big white envelope which held the latest issue of Cryonics magazine. I have read a few issues in the past and this one was especially heavy. I tore the package open and was greeted by the usual awesome computer graphics artwork which so often graces the cover.
I stayed up most of the night reading it! I was fascinated and enthralled by Fred Chamberlain's three-year improvement plan to vastly upgrade the equipment, protocols and personnel training of Alcor. This is an organization which is very proud of itself(rightly so) but Fred explained that in many ways it is painfully lacking and something must be done soon. I was touched by his radical honesty. I think he showed that cryonics organization leaders can be very open and even vulnerable.
He used the metaphor of Alcor being more like the Kon Tiki raft then the Queen Mary cruise ship. lol! But, we must remember that the Kon Tiki did get its mariners across the ocean... Still, I will keep my fingers crossed that this crucial endeavor is successful.
There were several other excellent articles. There were two different tributes to FM-2030 which really touched me. Now, I truly regret never having met such an amazing and compassionate individual. A number of photographs of him graced the text.
Natasha Vita-More had a piece entitled "considering aesthetics in our highly technological culture." She explained the importance and sometimes unseen facets of aesthetics in various forms of art, tech and culture in their daily effect on us.
I enjoyed her comment, "today we view ourselves as information designers and memetic engineers. Each time we express a thought or view we decide if, when, and how to transmit it and to whom it will be transmitted. Therein, we are like sculptors before a mound of clay or code poets before an algorithmic ode."
Natasha went on to discuss how the transformation of human body capacities and appearances may cause a great deal of social anxiety. She explained how her Primo 3M+ 2001 work was meant to prod our imaginations into realizing the current limits of our bodies and what could lie in store for us in coming decades.
There was a goodbye from Stephen Bridge who explained how he was leaving his positions within cryonics to look after his youngest new family members. An intimate photo showed him reading with his very young adopted daughter. Two testimonials gave credit to the vast work he had done for not just Alcor but all cryonics.
Fred Chamberlain wrote an eye-opening article about not waiting till the last minute to attempt getting signed up for oneself or others. He said over and over the futility of this has been shown to him. Fred shared the heart-rending story of his own mother's sudden and unforseen passing and how that shocked him to take action and later get his own father suspended. Since I am not signed up myself, this article certainly applied to me.
The new medical doctor in charge of cryotransport, Jerry Lemler, was interviewed by Mike Perry. Dr. Lemler sounds like a very fun man with a voracious appetite for learning new things. He definitely appears to be the right man for the job. If his cat can just stay out of the dewars... :)
The making of the new Alcor Adventure video was described by Billy Seidel, the creator of it. After reading the piece I knew I HAD to get it. I put in my order today! The behind the scenes story is very interesting and it makes me feel compassion for editors. lol This is what we should all be showing our friends and family who are curious and think we are just a little nuts.
This issue discussed the need to raise money for the cryonics marketing project. A family donated $100,000 for this but another $100,000 grand must be raised to meet legal and financial demands. This really deserves a look.
Finally, Fred Chamberlain mentioned how talks are going on regarding the possibility of Alcor using the upcoming Timeship structure. This of course will involve very delicate negotiations.
So, if anyone does not have a subscription to Cryonics magazine I hope they will soon. It is well worth it.
best wishes,
John
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