Alcor Loses Appeal in Johnson Case

It just occurred to me that it has been several months since Alcor lost their appeal in the Larry Johnson/Vanguard Publishing case. Did they publish that bit of news on their news blog? I looked, briefly, but saw no mention of it. To be honest, I didn't look very hard...their "news" is just too much absurd nonsense, to me. I got through three short paragraphs of a story about the delivery of some dewars, which Alcor didn't have the equipment to unload, and the driver slept in his truck...REALLY???!!! No real news...just another exercise in literary "padding" of an extremely boring event, from the great minds who say they can preserve your brain and wake you up in the future. Oh...and last I checked, they wanted about a quarter of a million dollars to do it. They would appreciate being the primary beneficiary of your will, trust, insurance policy, annuity, etc., as well. Back to the court case...

The bottom line is: Essentially, the court found Alcor's case had no merit.

"As to its contention that it needs further discovery, plaintiff failed to demonstrate that facts essential to justify opposition to defendants' motions might exist but could not then be stated (see CPLR 3212[f]). Moreover, the record shows that plaintiff had, and failed to take advantage of, a reasonable opportunity to pursue the disclosure it now seeks.
The cause of action for aiding and abetting a breach of employment contract and certain provisions of a default judgment was correctly dismissed (see Hirschfeld v Daily News, 269 [*2]AD2d 248, 249 [1st Dept 2000]).
We have considered plaintiff's remaining arguments and find them unavailing."

http://law.justia.com/cases/new-york/appellate-division-first-department/2016/159-113938-09.html

 Congrats to Vanguard Publishing and their attorneys.

Alcor's "Cryonics Testimonials" Just More Gloss

I've done a fairly good job of distancing myself from cryonics, for quite a few years. As I told a reporter, who contacted me last year, "I'm back to working in REAL medicine, now." I seldom even think of cryonics, unless something makes me think of it. For example, I'm still "following" conversations on the Johnson book on Amazon, and yesterday I received a notice that Ron Hennes was posting more of his nonsense. Though I would prefer to remain uninvolved in cryonics, I will not let Hennes (or anyone else) publish lies about those of us who have dared to call attention to questionable activities related to cryonics.

So, with my mind back on cryonics, (Alcor can thank Mr. Hennes for that.), I decided to see what (if anything) was new and stumbled onto the Alcor "testimonials," which are little more than people saying they want to wake up in the future. I would say that, unless one of the cryonics organizations successfully revives someone, there can be no true "testimonials," as to the job they have done/are doing.

Oh, and then there was Alcor's October 6th "News" blog claim that James Bedford has broken the record for the "longest surviving human-being in history." Horse manure. Let's be honest...Mr. Bedford is as dead as anyone else who died in 1967, including those who were buried, or cremated. Let's return the title of "longest living human" to its rightful owner, Jeanne Louise Calment, (whom Alcor mistakenly identified as "Marie-Louis Calment," probably confusing her with Marie-Louise Fébronie Meilleur (born Chassé)).

As for Alcor in general, well...Max More is still President and CEO, and Steve Harris is still Chief Medical Advisor...need I say more?

Alcor Neglects to Mention Court Loss on their News Blog

Is anyone surprised Alcor's News Blog has yet to mention that the Supreme Court of the State of New York ruled against them, three weeks ago? I'm not. The judge threw out Alcor's case, when he ruled on a summary judgment in favor of Vanguard Publishing and Scott Baldyga. http://www.law360.com/articles/534039/cryolab-hosting-ted-williams-remains-loses-defamation-suit

Do you know what a "summary judgment" indicates? I think it means the judge determined Alcor didn't have a case worth trying. Personally, I think anyone of reasonable intelligence, who had read the court documents, would understand the decision and agree; it was ridiculous.

Alcor spent five years, (and a tremendous amount of money, I'm sure), fighting a battle they did not deserve to win. Personally, I had hoped this case would actually make it to trial, for all the world to get a close look at some of Alcor's activities and personnel, but at least the door has been left open for future whistle-blowers and their publishers, (in regard to all matters of public interest, not just cryonics).

Congrats Vanguard and Baldyga!!

Expecting NY Judge to Rule in Favor of Vanguard on Summary Judgment

I haven't read the Alcor vs. Johnson court documents for quite some time, until recently. Judging by the transcript of the last conference, (NYSCEF DOC. NO. 413), I'll be surprised if the judge does not rule in favor of Vanguard (the publisher...Johnson extracted himself from the case, with a bankruptcy, quite some time ago...and contrary to what Alcor claims, Johnson DID NOT admit to lying).

Alcor wants to maintain that they are either a private figure, or a limited public figure, at most. Let me get this straight...In 2006, Barbara Walters visited their facility to interview their CEO, (ironically televised on April Fool's Day of 2008), and they're not a public figure? You can read all about it in several of Alcor's news letters, which I'm pretty sure are not published with the intention of maintaining their privacy. And, let's not forget the brouhaha over the Dora Kent case, which occurred in 1987-88, long before Larry Johnson stumbled upon Alcor. Former Riverside County Coroner Investigator Alan Kunzman wrote a book, ("Mother Melters") about that fiasco. Then, there was the publicity surrounding the Ted Williams case, seven years prior to the Johnson book. I'm finding it ridiculous for Alcor to claim they are not a public figure, and it's looking like the judge thinks so, too.

Alcor's attorneys keep relying on the affidavit of Dr. "Wolk," as the court transcriptionist misspells his name, to discredit Johnson/Baldyga/Vanguard. Wowk should be happy they misspell his name, and even happier if the case gets dismissed, since I think there are EASILY more distortions, and misrepresentations, of the truth in his affadavit, than in the entire Johnson book. Even the judge seems to doubt the veracity of that affidavit. In referencing Wowk's affidavit, the judge says he thinks "it came up a little short." ( NYSCEF DOC. NO. 413) When attorney Clifford Wolff disagrees and says he read Wowk's affidavit several times, the judge responds, "I know you read it. You probably wrote it, I get that."

Smart judge to recognize that Wowk's affidavit was a "collaboration," as he called it, but I doubt Wolff wrote it, (though he probably did edit it). I'm sure there are multiple authors, probably people who have been long-associated with Alcor and who are not opposed to distorting the truth in trying to defend that organization. As I recall, Wowk even referenced the word of Harris and Platt, in trying to discredit Johnson, something that is absurd. As Wowk well knows, those two have been caught, quite a few times, publishing false information. Giving someone with a PhD a salary and benefits package worth six figures a years and asking him to sign his credentials to documents submitted to a court has its benefits...or does it? (It's correct that Alcor does not pay Dr. Wowk's salary, but Kent and Faloon do, via Life Extension Foundation. They (their money) are a common thread running through many activities related to cryonics, and Clifford Wolff is their attorney.)

Five years and the only people who have benefitted from this ridiculousness are the attorneys! Everyone would have forgotten about the Johnson book months after it was published, (five years ago), if it were not for Alcor keeping it in the public eye.

In Response to Mike Darwin's "Automated Data Collection" Post (Cryonet #33255)

It is absurd for Mike Darwin to maintain that cardiovascular perfusion is “very simple to automated compared to some of the unbelievable complex and exactly manufacturing processes (he’s) seen automated it can be surprisingly difficult, even if you have you have experts, and enormous computing power at your disposal.” [sic] (*Note: Mr. Darwin refers to cardiovascular perfusion as “cardiovascular bypass,” terminology that might be confusing to some, as indicated by Perry Metzger’s Cryonet response to Mr. Darwin, in which Mr. Metzger asks if Mr. Darwin is referring to automating an entire cardiovascular surgical procedure. (Cryonet message 33257))

It’s nonsensical to assert that something “very simple” is at the same time “surprising difficult,” even in the hands of experts with unlimited technological resources. Even more than that, it is preposterous to compare the manufacturing of a specified component, or device, which requires the same, precise, repetitive steps, time-after-time-after-time, to the perfusion of human beings.

Responding to Mr. Darwin’s automated airplane/perfusion analogy, it doesn’t matter WHY the wind blows, or WHY the terrain rises, it only matters that the plane must maintain its center of gravity and stay above the terrain. However, it DOES matter why venous return to a heart-lung (perfusion) machine diminishes. Did the patient’s blood vessels dilate, resulting in more volume remaining in the patient, and less returning to the machine? If so, the proper response might be administering vasoconstrictors. Is the surgeon pulling the heart over, so that he can work on the posterior side, temporarily interfering with the venous return to the machine? If so, the proper response is to temporarily adjust the flow rate, provided that doing so does not result in the patient being inadequately perfused. Has something happened, which resulted in an unexpected loss of blood, from the patient, or perfusion circuit? If so, that situation needs to be recognized and corrected, immediately, and volume must be added to the system, to replace that which has been lost. (This discussion is simplified, and intended to be for an audience of laymen. There are many factors, in regard to both the causes of, and the responses to, such a situation.) If the returning volume is suddenly depleted, does the computer have discussions with the anesthetist and the surgeon, to determine the cause of, (and, therefore, the proper response to), such a situation? This is only one example of MANY issues, which perfusionists must respond to, on a case-by-case basis; a situation that precludes the use of fully-automated perfusion systems. There is nothing in the perfusion process, similar to the precise manufacturing of components, or devices, no matter how complex that manufacturing might be!

Perfusion IS automated, to a large degree. Perfusionists can program their machines to respond to various parameters, in a variety of ways. For example, the machines can be made to automatically adjust flow rates, in response to pressure; or to turn off a pump and clamp the patient lines, in the event of inappropriate pressures, or air in the lines. But, what happens after that? Someone, who knows how to assess the situation, and produce the proper response, must be operating that machine. I find it quite arrogant, for Mr. Darwin to claim he has tried to automate perfusion systems and has found it difficult. Does Mr. Darwin think he compares to the scientists, perfusionists and engineers, involved in equipment development, with the major manufacturers of perfusion equipment? While I’m sure Mr. Darwin has toyed with primitive perfusion equipment, at cryonics facilities, he is not a perfusionist, or an engineer, and he certainly does not have resources comparable to those of companies, which specialize in perfusion equipment, such as those mentioned here: http://www.perfusion.com/cgi-bin/links/default2.asp?tree=558

Mr. Darwin wants to argue that such automation could require less-skilled personnel, something I find disturbing. Someone who does not routinely assemble and operate perfusion equipment is very unlikely to be able to assess, and correct, problems that might occur with an automated-system failure. Would Mr. Darwin like someone who has memorized the contents of a dozen aviation textbooks, but never flown an airplane, to be sitting in the cockpit of his commercial airliner, when the computer goes out? I find his argument for “knowledge without reflexes” being “sufficient,” (in regard to cardiovascular perfusion and flight), to be absolutely ludicrous.

Mr. Darwin’s remarks about a market not existing, for automated perfusion, resulting in “no economies of scale…that further drives up the price and drives down the reliability of any system you do develop,” is just as ridiculous as most of his other observations and speculations. The perfusion disposables I used two decades ago, cost approximately $1,600; today, the same disposables are around $500. I’m not a financial expert, but the machines, themselves, seem not to have increased more than that due to ordinary inflation. If there has been an increase, it has probably been due to the developments in the computerization/automation features! Salaries also seem not to have risen, other than increases due to inflation, over time. Never before has perfusion been so technologically-advanced, reasonably-priced, or safe. It is much more likely that heart surgery will eventually be performed, without the use of perfusion, than with the use of fully-automated perfusion, as evidenced by an ever-increasing number of “off-pump” procedures. (Of course, this has nothing to do with cryonics. Heart surgery can sometimes be performed, without the use of perfusion, but the vitrification of human bodies cannot.)

The fact that Mike Darwin is one of cryonics’ greatest “superstars” should be quite telling. How many cryonics projects have been directed, on the advice of Mr. Darwin and others like him? How many of those projects were based in ignorance of existing equipment and technology? For so long as people like Mr. Darwin and his peers are considered to be “experts,” in cryonics experiments, there is likely to be nothing more than ample misdirection and false promises. It seems a very small group of self-interested people have made, what could be an interesting scientific experiment, a total sham. (By “self-interested,” I do not mean people who are interested in extending their own lives; I mean people who are primarily interested in maintaining their over-inflated egos and/or bank accounts, by maintaining control of experiments and/or projects, which they are not capable of leading.)

The fact that the same small group of people have remained in control of the cryonics industry, for so many years, while the quality of their services have often been misrepresented, is why cryonics activities should be regulated. These organizations simply cannot be allowed to charge up to $200,000+, for their procedures, or to encourage people to name their organizations as the beneficiaries of trust funds and/or bequests, unless they are willing to fully, and prominently, disclose their capabilities, (or lack thereof), in their marketing efforts. I don't mind "garage projects," but they should be advertised as such.

A Response to Mike Darwin's "Manifesto"

I do not believe anyone who truly knows me would think I fit the definition of a "sociopath," a "cretin," a “lunatic,” a "Nazi," or any of the other derogatory names, Mike Darwin has been throwing around. The information presented as factual, (as opposed to items clearly designated as opinion, or hearsay), on my blog, is accurate, to the best of my knowledge. The fact that I may agree, on a few points, with the more vitriolic critics of cryonics activities, does not indicate I agree with them on everything, or with the way they express themselves.

Contrary to Mike Darwin’s complaints, I have not engaged in publishing lies, and I have never run background checks on, or published information about the private lives of, the people I have criticized. However, Mike Darwin's associates, such as Charles Platt, Steve Harris MD, and Jordan Sparks did do those things, to me, in lieu of producing valid responses to the legitimate concerns I expressed about the activities of LEF-funded Suspended Animation. Mike Darwin, himself, has told many lies, including claiming he was, at one time, a “board-eligible perfusionist.” To make such a claim implies he was aware of the requirements, and I’m sure he knows he has never even come close to meeting the qualifications required to sit for the ABCP exams. When I challenged him on his false claim, he disappeared from the forum where that discussion was taking place.

Now, Mr. Darwin wants to argue that cryonics would be better-modeled after a secret fraternal organization. Fancy that. It makes sense for him to make such a suggestion, because only when hidden from the public view, can Mr. Darwin perpetuate his lies, pretend to be a “Chief Surgeon,” or a perfusionist, and try to pass himself off as some sort of respected, accomplished expert in the medical sciences. Unfortunately for Mr. Darwin, the people who have caused his reputation the most harm, are his peers, and his former co-workers at Alcor. In all actuality, it is most likely Mr. Darwin’s own actions, which have damaged his reputation to the point, where he is no longer welcomed as an employee, of cryonics organizations, (in spite of the fact that he seems to take credit for, not only their alleged successes, but in one recent article, even their failures!).

I have no objection to people being cryogenically-preserved. In fact, I am fascinated with the concept, and I think everyone should receive what he/she wishes, at the time of legal death. With that said, I believe organizations, such as Alcor and Suspended Animation, have grossly misrepresented themselves in the public eye, and people are not getting what they may think they are paying for, when they subscribe to the services of those organizations. Mike Darwin has played a large role in this deception, by assigning labels, such as "Surgeon," and even "Chief Surgeon," to himself and others, in Alcor's published case reports, (something I'm told is illegal, in the State of Arizona). These deceptive practices must stop. As I've written, many times, if these organizations want to give full disclosure, I will have little objection to their activities. (By “full disclosure,” I do not mean making statements, hidden in the small print of lengthy documents no one ever reads, while presenting themselves, to the public, as something much more than what they really are.)

In essence, I feel people are being "conned" out of up to $200,000, (plus decades of membership dues, insurance premiums, and other miscellaneous charges), for services, which have been grossly misrepresented and are far inferior to what they could be. On top of that, people are being encouraged to leave trust funds, or even their estates, to organizations that have produced little valid scientific research, and whose leaders have made them the subjects of ridicule and harsh criticism, through their many questionable activities, and nearly-total lack of progress. Cryonics organizations sell their services with a heavy reliance on the capabilities, and altruism, of people who have yet to be born, (the "scientists of the future). These organizations expect their clients to believe these future scientists and clinicians will not only cure what cryo-suspended persons have died from, but repair the extreme degree of damage the cryonics organizations, themselves, are inflicting, with their DIY equipment and unskilled personnel.

Some of the people, determined to make sure cryonics stays on the same path, are extremely intelligent, but intelligence does not guarantee competence, ethical behavior, or even good intentions. Many of their writings are seriously flawed, and others appear to be nothing more than the regurgitation of information readily found in textbooks. Their rationale for their activities is inconsistent, at best. In one venue, we have LEF-funded Steve Harris maintaining the liquid ventilation project has taken so long, (more than a decade), because they were trying to minimize lung damage; in another venue, we have LEF-funded Brian Wowk responding to some of my criticisms, with the excuse that the vitrification solutions are so toxic, it doesn’t matter how much damage laymen care providers inflict. These arguments contradict one another, and it’s only one, of many examples, of their inconsistencies. These two men, and others, want the amateur engineering projects to continue, indefinitely, for what I believe are obvious reasons.

For approximately 40 years, cryonics has resembled a garage project, rather than a medical-science endeavor. There have been decades devoted to ridiculous design and fabrication projects, when the majority of the equipment could have been purchased, for but a fraction of what Alcor and/or the LEF-funded organizations paid to amateur engineers, to design and build grossly inferior equipment. For example, I estimate that well into seven figures has been spent, (mostly man-hours), over the decades, on the amateur design of perfusion circuits to be used for the vitrification process, when a state-of-the-art heart-lung machine would easily fulfill the requirements, and for a price barely into six figures. Instead of using their millions to purchase the appropriate equipment, and hiring qualified personnel to perform their procedures, these companies spend millions, year-after-year, on DIY equipment, and on trying to train laymen to perform the tasks of skilled medical professionals. For them to claim they do not have the financing to do better, while offering up the Timeship project, is absurd. I no longer see any hope of reform, and look at the entire industry as being rife with corruption, quacks, cranks and con artists.

As far as I know, I am the only person who writes on cryonics forums, who has actually participated in procedures in which people were cooled to clinical death, and then revived. How many cryonicists really believe I am just a mean-spirited, spiteful woman, on some sort of warped personal vendetta? Isn’t it much more likely that I am a professional, with relevant experience, who is appalled at what I see as a mockery of medical procedures that have played an important role in my life? I have a cumulative decade of surgical experience, in conventional medicine, and there is not one co-worker, past or present, (outside of cryonics), who would describe me as anything less than professional, ethical and easy to get along with.

I am truly fascinated with the notion of exploring the extension of existing hypothermic medical procedures. If there are people I would like to see removed from the cryonics arena, it is because I believe those people stand in the way of ethical behavior and professionalism, (and, therefore, any hope of progress), in the interest of padding their own egos and/or wallets, indefinitely. Many of these people have greatly benefitted, from the generosity of the benefactors of cryonics organizations, while leaving their organizations in the “dark ages” of hypothermic medicine. Logically, cryonics procedures should be an extension of hypothermic procedures being performed in conventional medicine, yet cryonics procedures, as provided by the existing organizations, pale in comparison to the conventional procedures, as they were decades ago! The people responsible for this situation have a million excuses, such as “We can’t afford to hire qualified personnel,” but one needs only to look at their salaries, most of which exceed that of the majority of medical professionals, to know this is not true.

How many cryonicists can look at the recent decisions and activities, of Alcor, the LEF-funded organizations, Cryonics Institute, and the American Cryonics Society, and pretend the leaderships of those organizations are capable of rendering cryonics more acceptable to the general population? How many cryonicists think the endless amateur equipment design and fabrication projects really qualify as “research and development," of the nature needed to advance the science of cryonics? How many cryonicists want another 40 years of little-to-no progress, and abundant scandal? Do cryonicists think they will receive anything other than that, for so long as the key players remain the same? Though Max More appears to be an incredibly intelligent man, he does not have a background in the medical sciences. Who will be his mentors, in regard to the medical procedures Alcor is trying to perform? The same people who have botched so many procedures, made so many mistakes, and brought little but embarrassment to the cryonics community, with their non-sensical amateur efforts, and their apparent disregard for the reputations of their organizations? How many cryonicists think the cryonics community can avoid stringent regulation, if these activities continue?

(A digression: As many people know, I question the appointment, of Mr. More, at Alcor, given his propensity for shocking people with his unconventional ideas, public antics, and published documents that would probably send his resume into the wastebasket, in most of corporate America. Let's face it, most companies interested in gaining more respect from the general public, would not consider Mr. More for a leadership position, but no one can deny his obvious extreme degree of intelligence. Will he stray off the beaten path that has taken Alcor nowhere, or will he allow himself to be subjected to the advice of those who have come before him, and who have accomplished so very little of significance? Will he define himself as a true independent thinker and take cryonics in a new direction, or will he become just another cog in a well-oiled propaganda machine?)

Mike Darwin’s “call for action” was a plea for people to stop supplying the critics of cryonics organizations, with information. None of the cryonicists, who communicate with me, (and a number of them are in favor of regulation), have any respect for Mike Darwin; they see him as a pariah, someone who has caused great harm to the cryonics community. If people of the cryonics community want to join Mr. Darwin in his “secret society,” and freeze one another, in each other’s garages, have at it, (sarcasm, not an endorsement of illegal activities). However, if cryonics organizations want to pretend they are something they are not, by publishing reports that refer to laymen, as “surgeons,” or other medical professionals, while charging unsuspecting clients up to $200,000, for their poor-performed procedures, do not expect my peers and I to sit, idly by, saying nothing. The medical community will not be able to ignore reports filled with medical terminology, (often used improperly, because the authors do not understand the procedures they are discussing), which appear to be intended to mislead the public, in regard to the capabilities of these organizations.

I am not “attempting to destroy cryonics,” and I have no “thirst for death and blood in the arena,” (Mr. Darwin’s remarks that have had me laughing, for days, and will humor my friends, co-workers and relatives, no small amount). Mike Darwin has every reason to want cryonics to go underground. I, on the other hand, want the organizations to operate in a way that is beyond public reproach. Who is really more likely to “destroy cryonics,” someone like Mike Darwin, or someone like me?

Mr. Darwin may impress a small number of people, mostly comprised of laymen, by churning out technical mumbo-jumbo, but he will never be admired, in the world of conventional hypothermic medicine. Sometimes, people ask me to respond to his ramblings, but I don’t have time to carry on technical debates, with someone whose arguments are filled with lies and mistakes, (not to mention cultish rhetoric), in front of an audience comprised mostly of laymen. I am going to answer Mike Darwin's “call to action," but not in the arena of cryonics Internet forums, and not with an army of laymen.

To cryonicists, who would like to see something more than promises of the future, from people who cannot deliver today’s technology, I wish you all well. I hope you will achieve your dream, in spite of Mr. Darwin, and others like him. Who knows? Maybe it will be an “annus mirabilis,” for the cryonics community.

Mistaken Assumptions

Richiekgb quoting Max More, on the Rick Ross site: "It's unfortunate that Ms. Maxim launched into a destructive attack (with a false headline) without bothering to check with me, knowing that I wrote that article when I was a *teenager*."

Mr. More makes a mistaken assumption. He accuses me of "knowing that (he) wrote that article when (he) was a *teenager,*" when I knew no such thing. To be perfectly honest, I don't know how old Mr. More is, and I wasn't paying attention to the date of the article, when I commented on it. All I knew, when I read the article, was that every thread of maternal instinct in me screamed, "Hang Max More." Yet, here he is, wanting everyone to give him the benefit of the doubt, while he makes negative assumptions about me.

I don't think anyone, wanting to expose what they thought to be truly abhorrent behavior, would "(bother) to check with" the person they were trying to expose. (By "behavior," I am accusing Mr. More of writing what I consider to be a truly disgusting article, nothing more.) If everyone wanting to write an expose, checked with the person they were writing about, first, there would probably be a lot of disappearing evidence!

As for the "false headline" Mr. More accuses me of, even I felt uncomfortable with my use of the word "promotes," which is why I changed the title, not long after writing it. However, to be honest, the word I was searching for, but could not come up with at the time, was "endorses," (which probably paints just as ugly of a picture). Whether Mr. More likes it, or not, his article did read as an endorsement of pedophilia.

STILL, I had a bad taste in my mouth, after writing about him, with the nagging thought that I don't know him, in the back of my mind, and was thinking of, at least, toning down what I had written. The situation for me was compounded, when Mr. More's wife threatened me with litigation, (I don't respond well, to threats), and indicated the purpose of the article was Mr. More's "attempt to offer fair and just 'discussion' between those who have a mental illness and the law," something I found insulting to my intelligence.

So, now, here we are...with Mr. More asking, "Why didn't Ms. Maxim just check with me?" and me asking "Why didn't Mr. More just send me an email, saying, "Hey, did you bother to note I was just a kid, when I wrote that garbage? Please let me explain."

I'm not sure what to do. I WANT to believe him, but I'm not sure Mr. More is telling the truth about his change of heart, regarding coercion and the age of consent. It's hard for me to consider an about-face on something as extreme as that, because I sincerely believe I have the same fundamental values, now, as I had when I was a teenager. Also, it's hard for me to believe anything that comes from someone connected to cryonics organizations, when there have been so many lies. On the other hand, Mr. More WAS incredibly young when he wrote the article, and some people REALLY DO change, over time, and we all make mistakes. On top of that, Mr. More seems to like attention, (though he may be changing his mind about that), and I think it's entirely possible he WAS just trying to get attention, when he wrote that article, as a very young man. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I don't like removing things from my blog, (especially when people have threatened me with litigation). If Mr. More follows through with re-publishing the article, with an explanation of how his opinions have changed over time, I will seriously consider replacing what I wrote on my blog, with simply a link to his new piece, and maybe a brief comment.

Mr. More doesn't know how disappointed I was, to read his article. He and I have probably jumped to conclusions about one another, and at least one of us (him) has probably been told a lot of lies about the other. It's a sad situation, really, considering my background and (what should be) his goals, for Alcor.

Now, I had better click "Publish Post," before I change my mind. I'm still uncertain about this situation, and I'm not looking forward to "catching it from both sides," (supporters, and enemies, alike, for this post).

More on Max More, Alcor's New CEO

On New Year's Day, I published a blog entry, regarding an article written by Max More, addressing "consensual sex" with children. No response came from Mr. More, or Alcor, unless one wants to count threats of litigation from his wife and the removal of the offending article from the Internet.

I was researching Mr. More, because I was curious to know if he had ANY qualifications that would make him a good candidate to lead an endeavor in the medical sciences, and I was certainly not expecting to find that kind of "dirt." The article turned up in my search results, almost immediately. (So much for Alcor's "exhaustive background checks.") Prior to finding the offensive article, I was encouraged by the news that Alcor had a new leader. In fact, I had asked at least two people, acquainted with Mr. More, to ask him to consider my comments about the equipment and personnel issues.

I'll admit that, as a mother, I did have a "knee-jerk" response to his article. Later, I thought maybe it was inappropriate of me to have indicated I felt Mr. More was "promoting" pedophilia. I've read, and re-read, the article, many times, and no matter how open-minded I try to be about it, for all intents and purposes it reads like an endorsement of pedophilia. What other conclusion can be had from a comment like this:

"As I have argued above, non-coercive sex with juveniles is not immoral -- it is merely a matter of preference,as is bisexuality or homosexuality, oral sex, etc.." (Max More's ephasis on the word "not.") From: SEX, COERCION, AGE OF CONSENT by MAX O’CONNOR 1981: Libertarian Alliance; Max O’Connor; ISBN 1 85637 190 5

One of Mr. More's friends asked me, why I did not "ask Max" about the article, before commenting on it. My answer to this is, "Why? So he could have removed it from the Internet, before anyone read it?"

What is also disturbing, to me, is I heard the "adults should be allowed to engage in consensual sex with children" argument, from another cryonicist, (an acquaintance of Mr. More), just a little more than four years ago. Then, there's Swank and Yount...it's all too much, really!

All this has been very disturbing, to me, as a mother, and simply as a human being, and I'm hoping Mr. More and/or Alcor will see fit to publish some sort of response, instead of simply removing the offending article from the public view and threatening me with litigation.

Alcor's CEO, Max More's Articles on Luciferianism and Pedophilia

Someone...ANYONE...please tell me this is April first, rather than January first, and that there is a cruel joke being played on Alcor members.

Someone sent an email, to me, referring me to what is, allegedly, Max More's (Max O'Connor's), "most famous article": http://www.lucifer.com/lucifer.html (Mr. More is the recently-appointed CEO of Alcor Life Extension Foundation.)

Yes, I read the introduction, of his article, in which Mr. More explained he's not really "implying the real existence of any of these supposed beings," and I get that he was simply protesting against irrational religious dogma, but I didn't quite understand why he repeatedly seemed to be indicating he DOES believe these are real beings, with very specific comments such as these:

"My praise of the Devil is not entirely (though it is mostly) serious...

The truth may just as easily be that Lucifer resigned from heaven...

God, being the well-documented sadist that he is, no doubt wanted to keep Lucifer around so that he could punish him and try to get him back under his (God's) power. Probably what really happened was that Lucifer came to hate God's kingdom, his sadism, his demand for slavish conformity and obedience, his psychotic rage at any display of independent thinking and behavior. Lucifer realized that he could never fully think for himself and could certainly not act on his independent thinking so long as he was under God's control. Therefore he left Heaven, that terrible spiritual-State ruled by the cosmic sadist Jehovah, and was accompanied by some of the angels who had had enough courage to question God's authority and his value-perspective..."
(Why make up such an elaborate counter-Christian story, if one doesn't believe these beings exist?)

"God and his Godists hate Lucifer's call for rationality...

God also hates us to enjoy ourselves, If we let ourselves experience too much pleasure then we might lose interest in obeying him...

Join me, join Lucifer, and join Extropy in fighting God and his entropic forces with our minds, our wills, and our courage. God's army is strong, but they are backed by ignorance, fear, and cowardice. Reality is fundamentally on our side. Forward into the light!"
http://www.lucifer.com/lucifer.html

After reading Mr. More's article, I had a laughing fit. Think about it...Saul Kent, and others, whining away, decade-after-dacade, about the failure to promote cryonics, and Alcor appoints someone sure to offend the majority of the world's population, as CEO. You've got to admit, that's pretty funny. I'm serious...I'm not trying to "jerk anyone's chain"...that's funny as hell, and to be honest, I was still willing to give Mr. More the benefit of the doubt, in regard to his ability to do something productive, at Alcor. Then, thinking I might have a few more laughs, I made the mistake of deciding to look up some more of Mr. More's writings, (listed on his own website) and came across an article he wrote, about having sex with children: http://www.libertarian.co.uk/lapubs/polin/polin010.pdf (*Edit: This link is broken, allegedly at the request of Mr. More. Try here: http://www.thedegree.org/polin010.pdf )

Some quotes from Mr. More's "Sex, Coercion, and The Age of Consent":

"It is difficult to comprehend how merely becoming friendly with a child, and then encouraging him or her to indulge in sexual activities, can be a violation of rights..."

Does it really matter whether the child has any understanding of sex?... Apparently, Mr. More is too stupid to realize PEOPLE CANNOT CONSENT TO SOMETHING THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND.

"If there is nothing objectionable about an adult giving a child sweets or toys, why is giving sexual pleasure wrong?...

Below the age of twelve or so, a child may not be particularly interested in seeking sexual relations but that doesn't mean he or she will not voluntarily accept and enjoy them...

As I have argued above, non-coercive sex with juveniles is not immoral--it is merely a matter of preference..."
http://www.libertarian.co.uk/lapubs/polin/polin010.pdf (*Edit: This link is broken, allegedly at the request of Mr. More. Try here: http://www.thedegree.org/polin010.pdf )

Does Mr. More really think sex can be "consensual," between a child and an adult, given the inherent power imbalance? How many children does he expect to actually say "no" to an adult, usually someone who is supposed to be taking care of them? Oh...never mind...I forgot...he expressly DOES NOT CARE if they understand what is BEING DONE TO them. I suppose convincing little ten-year-old girls to "play doctor" might be easier than getting action from grown women. (Extreme sarcasm, written in disgust.)

Children who are coerced into childhood sexual encounters often grow up like "Cryogirl," someone who appears to place her entire self-worth on having every man she meets finding her sexually attractive. Does Mr. More understand the biochemistry of sex, and how such activity might disrupt a developing mind? Mr. More is a whack job, and the people who decided to appoint him as the CEO of Alcor, are a bunch of idiots. (My apologies to my family, friends, employers, co-workers, and anyone else who is offended by my words but, as a mother, I am finding it quite impossible to behave civilly.) ALCOR...ARE YOU PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR FREAKING MINDS?!!!!! I'm tired of this tabloid journalism...could you help me out, here, and hire someone with an appropriate background and a good reputation, so we could actually GET TO DISCUSSING THE SCIENCE of cryonics???

Edgar Swank - Cryonics' Tie to the Exploitation of Impoverished Young Women

I find it quite distasteful and upsetting, to be writing about the "Cryogirl Scandal," but if no one else is going to address the obvious leadership deficit over at CI, and the total uselessness and embarrassment of ACS, I feel compelled to. I wrote a lot about Jim Yount and Ben Best, these past two days, but little about Edgar Swank. I'm going to write about him, now, and then I am going to wash my hands of the Cryogirl situation, and hope the members of CI step up and demand new leadership, preferably someone who will place his organization's best interests ahead of generating income for his "friends," (something that would probably be a novel idea, in cryonics.)

On Swank's personal website, (which has been archived), one can find a link (including nude photos) to the young "Grace," who will "be your personal servant guide while visiting Cebu. She'll take good care of you," for a mere $400 a week. If $400 is a little too much for one's wallet, Swank includes a link to a travel agent in the Philippines, which promotes a boardinghouse in Cebu, where "girls" can be had for "$20 all night, $200 all week 24/7," along with links to "The Girls of Venezuela" and "The Erotic Traveler" which "is predominately about commercial sex with women of legal and proper age. Relationships, dating, and even inter-marriage are also explored. TET is for men who love the girls, nightlife, romance of Asia, Latin America, and beyond." (Mr. Swank and his friends are not only creepy and disgusting, but cheap.)

I hear Mr. Swank says prostitution is a "way of life" in the Philippines, and that is "what girls do over there." I also hear he claims to be assisting these young ladies, in finding a way to a better life, (?by selling them to American men?). I don’t suppose Mr. Swank ever thought of simply DONATING some of his money to schools, or healthcare, as opposed to promoting the exploitation of impoverished young women. Prostitution may be "tolerated," in the Philippines, but make no mistake, it is quite illegal.

Prostitution in the Philippines is illegal. It is a serious crime with penalties ranging up to life imprisonment for those involved in trafficking. It is covered by the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. Prostitution is sometimes illegally available through brothels (also known as casa), bars, karaoke bars (also known as KTVs), massage parlors, street walkers and escort services.
There are an estimated 800,000 women working as prostitutes in the Philippines, with up to half of them believed to be underage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_the_Philippines

Maybe I could talk Mr. Swank into taking a holiday, in the Philippines, and have some friends of mine meet him at the airport.

Let's not overlook Swank's fond memories of his involvement in the Church of Satan, or his self-proclaimed "15 minutes (OK, more like 15 seconds) of fame," invoking the devil to "come forth, come forth..." on a Geraldo Rivera show. Swank was a little too old (about 29) to be playing make-believe, at the time of that show, if you ask me, and invoking Satan to "come forth," on national television seems to be nothing more than attention-seeking, adolescent behavior. By many accounts, organizations such as the Church of Satan and the Temple of Vampires appear to be little more than cults and pyramid scams, in which one can buy their way to the top.

To the cryonicists interested in crying "bigotry," in response to these criticisms, maybe you should point your finger at Mr. Swank. On his personal website, he links to the National Alliance, a white separatist organization. Below that link, is the comment, "Racial views expressed in this site and maillist are not necessarily those of Edgar Swank..." The racial views are "not necessarily" his views? Does that mean maybe they are? If he's not a racist, why is he including a link to that type of material on his site? Just out of curiosity, how many non-whites are there, in the cryostats and Dewars?

I don't know how to say this nicely...Edgar Swank and Jim Yount are a couple of scumbags, who exploit impoverished, vulnerable young women, and engage in questionable business ethics, while operating a non-profit cryonics organization, linked to CI. An interesting thought, just came to me...Would the scientists of the future look at the biographical information of Swank and Yount, and be charitable in donating their time and resources toward attempting to revive such individuals?

Maybe Mr. Swank's New Year's resolution could be to ASSIST the young people of the Philippines, (and more local needy young women), rather than EXPLOIT them. And, maybe his ACS partner, Mr. Yount, could donate some of his "spoons full of sugar" to cryonics research, or the needy, without expecting something illicit, in return.

Ben Best's Lame Excuses

Yesterday, I posted an entry that, for the most part, was something I wrote and saved, months ago. I posted it because I've heard others are attempting to convince CI to sever ties with ACS, and I wanted them to know I support their efforts. I think there are a few more things these people should know, about the "Cryogirl" situation.

Back in October, I publicly complained that Cryonics Institute's president, Ben Best, had done nothing to isolate CI from the American Cryonics Society (ACS), though he had been aware of the impending "Cryogirl Scandal," since February.

In an email, Ben responded that CI had 19 ACS patients in storage and he would not leave these patients “out in the warm.” I responded that no one was asking him to do any such thing, and told him his excuse for not taking action was "ridiculous." Ben responded with, "But that would be the consequence of CI severing all ties with ACS.” Ben, and I both know that neither he, nor anyone else at CI or ACS, can remove cryo-suspended persons from the cryostats.

CI is regulated as a cemetery, and it would take an act of Congress, (or, at least, a State of Michigan court order), to remove someone from the cryostats, at CI. Anyone aware of that situation, (as, certainly, Ben Best is), should have been able to figure that out. Personally, I think Ben Best was pretending to be altruistic, and making lame excuses; he was probably afraid that if heads started rolling, his would be one of them, since he was personally involved in the "Cryogirl" scandal. (Note: I don't think Ben did anything that should result in his dismissal, in regard to his part in the Cryogirl debacle. However, his reluctance to do everything possible, to protect CI, coupled with his recent efforts to conceal information about the Styles/TOV situation, from Andy Zawacki and the rest of the CI board, clearly indicate he cannot be trusted to act in the best interest of CI.)

I believe Ben Best attempted to apply some very subversive, psychological manipulations, on the cryonics community, when he wrote this, on the Cold Filter forum:

"The enemies of cryonics claim that I have conspired with vampires against the CI Board on the basis of the conversation I had with David in April. David's description of the conversation is a misrepresentation in this regard. There is a bright side to this allegation, however. To claim that I tried to hide David's affiliations from the CI Board is to admit that the CI Board has no connection with vampirism or satanism. Much as our enemies would like to smear CI as being satanist or vampirist, they cannot make this claim while at the same time claiming that the Board is an innocent victim of concealment attempts by me. They can't have it both ways." http://www.network54.com/Forum/291677/message/1292130833/Re-+Cryonics+versus+Satanism

I think Ben Best was, clearly, attempting to "rally the troops" against HIS critics, by painting any such persons as "enemies of cryonics." People who want the leadership figures of cryonics organizations to avoid allowing their organizations to be tied to scandalous activities, are NOT "enemies of cryonics." Cryonics is a process; no one can be an "enemy" of it. Ben was clearly trying to persuade the audience that I, and others, who objected to his unprofessional behaviors were THEIR "enemies." He tried to make two distinctly opposing sides, in the situation, using the term "our enemies," and "they," when discussing HIS critics. I am one person, who accused Ben of exposing CI to serious scandal, when he attempted to hide the truth about Styles, from CI's Board of Directors. I am not a part of any "they" comprised of "enemies of cryonics," and I do not want to "have it both ways." I have NOT accused CI's board of being connected to vampirism, or satanism. I'm just one person, tremendously disappointed in Ben Best.

Ben Best claims to have a background that includes advanced-level physics, chemistry, and pharmacology, yet he consistently makes simple errors, related to these fields. For many years, CI recorded "patient pressures" of approximately 100mmHg, until I pointed out that most of that pressure could be attributed to the small lumens of the cannulae being used by CI. (When I made that observation, I was unaware of Ben's educational background, or I probably would not have been very understanding of that mistake. For a layman to overlook such a mistake is understandable, but for someone claiming a background in advanced physics, it's inexcusable.) It's a very simple concept: If you restrict the outlet diameter of a hose, the pressure in the hose increases.

After my last visit to CI, Andy Zawacki called me, quite exasperated, because he and Ben were having a disagreement, over how to zero the pressure sensor/alarms, on the perfusion circuit. He said Ben was insisting they set the pressure sensor to zero, while fluid was flowing through the pressure line, something that made no sense to him (Andy). He said Ben insisted I told him that was the way perfusionists zero the pressure line. I told Andy to check the documentation I had left, which clearly indicated there should be no flow through the line, and the line should be open to air, before the sensor is set to zero. Again, an elementary concept...obviously, the sensor should be set to zero, when the pressure is KNOWN to be zero! Simple physics. Andy recognized that, but Ben did not. (Ben was recalling my instructions for flushing the line, not zero-ing it.) Again, this is something that should have been instantly obvious, to someone with a background in physics.

Then, there is the matter, of Ben writing, in the CI-95 case report, (in the same sentence, I believe), that "solids formed in solution, but there were no precipitates," when "precipitates" ARE solids that form as the result of a chemical reaction, certainly something any pharmacist should know. This event occurred, when Ben made the decision to modify the vitrification solutions, DURING the cryopreservation of Mr. Curtis Henderson. Was that something a pharmacist, or a chemist, would do? With his pharmacological background, shouldn't Ben have known the mixture would precipitate? Isn't it simply common sense, to avoid modifying the solutions, in the middle of a case, if one is not familiar with the outcome of including any given additive?

"Precipitation is the formation of a solid in a solution or inside another solid during a chemical reaction or by diffusion in a solid. When the reaction occurs in a liquid, the solid formed is called the precipitate..." (Emphasis added.)

As for Ben's extensive scientific writings, I have to agree with !Jill, who says, "It looks like Ben Best, and others in cryonics, write with their textbooks open." I think many of the scientific articles used to sell cryonics, are simply the regurgitation of information that has already been published in textbooks. How many of the insiders can actually contribute to the scientific advancement, of cryonics? Are they really accomplishing anything, or are they simply good academics, capable of impressing an audience comprised mostly of laymen? Are they impressing anyone, other than themselves, and each other, and people who don't have much of a scientific background?

Finally, there's the matter of Ben trying to defend himself, by referring to his income and his self-imposed "monkhood." How many people reading this blog entry get paid $30,000 a year, plus free room and board, and had all-expenses-paid trips to the UK, Japan, Germany, Arizona, Florida, and Oregon, (and maybe more), over the past couple of years? And, did anyone ask Ben Best to give up his social life, or his sex life, in exchange for the presidency of CI? I'm not buying into Ben's martyrdom, and neither should anyone else. There are a lot of, what my teenagers would call "posers," in cryonics, and I think Ben Best is one of them.

Many times I've heard the excuse that "no one else wants to be the president of CI," but I doubt that's true. Even if CI does not have the funds to attract a great scientific mind, having someone of integrity would be preferable to having someone who is "carrying more secrets than the Titanic," but feels he can "handle one more," (allegedly comments made by Ben Best, to David Styles), especially when it comes to withholding information from CI's Board of Directors.

American Cryonics Society (ACS) and "Cryogirl"

In mid-July, I received a very long string of emails, which appeared to be from the private email account of "Cryogirl," (close to 100 messages, I believe). Most of these were forwarded messages that had been exchanges between Cryogirl and some well-known cryonicists, (members of ACS, Alcor and CI). I verified the contents of the messages with three individuals, (two whose private emails to/from Cryogirl had been forwarded to me, and a third person who was not involved, but who was aware of the situation). All three of these people acknowledged the emails were genuine. (Since they have now identified themselves, I will note the Alcor member was Shannon Vyff and the CI member was CI's president, Ben Best. I think Ms. Vyff has been doing her best to attempt to rectify the situation, but I can't say the same for Mr. Best, who seems to care more about himself, than his organization.)

I believe the person who forwarded the emails wanted me to publish them, but I was reluctant to, for a number of reasons. My primary concern was the children, (not just the children of Cryogirl and/or her husband, but the children of others, involved in the situation), who could be embarrassed and hurt by the contents of those emails, for many years to come, should those emails be published on the Internet, (which, unfortunately, they have been, many times, now). I did not forward these emails, (or even excerpts from them), to ANYONE. I engaged in private communications, as mentioned in the paragraph above, and "went fishing" on Cold Filter, with no response. The bottom line is: At least one leader (Jim Yount) of the American Cryonics Society (ACS), has been involved in some seriously questionable behavior directly-related to cryonics/ACS' activities, and the other leader (Edgar Swank) has publicly engaged in activities potentially damaging to the cryonics organizations he is associated with.

Most of the exchanges were what I consider to be cybersex between consenting adults, and are of no concern to me. There were some seriously disturbing accusations, regarding Cryogirl, her stepson, and a younger, autistic child. I won't go into the details, as I have been assured those activities have been reported to the proper authorities. Supposedly, other illegal activities, such as alleged software piracy engaged in by someone at ACS, have also been reported to the authorities.

The most damning information, related to cryonics, are the emails between Cryogirl and Jim Yount, of the American Cryonics Society (ACS). As I've already written, I couldn't care less what consenting adults do, when it comes to sex, but Mr. Yount crossed the line, when he paid Cryogirl funds from the coffers of a California non-profit organization. I'm quite sure he will claim to have been paying Cryogirl for some sort of marketing, in regard to the ACS money she received, and that the other funds he gave her were from his personal bank account, (in fact, Ben Best already provided this excuse, for Mr. Yount). My answer to that is, no reputable business, related to futuristic medical science, would have been found advertising on Cryogirl's MySpace page. (Note: Recent attempts to view Cryogirl's Myspace page, (which was, previously, easily accessible), resulted in warnings of security issues, so I have removed the link.)

The payments from ACS do not indicate they were for business-related services, but instead have labels such as "a spoonful of sugar." (I have screenshots of the actual PayPal transactions, if the State of California is interested). Judging by Cryogirl's MySpace page, or her Twitter page, (which has now been deleted, but was archived), I don't think anyone would believe marketing services from Cryogirl was a reasonable expenditure, for a non-profit organization. Her sites were not of the sort, on which companies said to be engaging in futuristic medical science-related research would advertise. More likely, Mr. Yount was interested in continuing his communications with Cryogirl, conversations that included discussions of the sexual activities of Cryogirl's 16-year-old sister, and nude photos of young women. While I think it's rather clear Mr. Yount was using money, and his position of power, at ACS, to influence Cryogirl's sexual communications, it's also quite clear that she was using him, and probably violating the conditions of the governmental support she receives, (allegedly for a psychological disability that the people taking advantage of her were said to have been aware of), by accepting money from him. (Our tax dollars at work.)

Cryogirl's husband claims Mr. Yount helped Cryogirl avoid questioning by the police, by funding her departure from her home state. A high-ranking person, in cryonics, admits he believes Mr. Yount provided Cryogirl the financial means for leaving her home, with the sole purpose of "shacking up with her for a few weeks." Cryogirl is an attractive young woman, and Mr. Yount is a man in his mid-to-late 60's, who, (judging from his emails), likes to engage in adolescent games, such as pretending to have an evil twin, who lives on Mars. (I don't know what the policy is on Mars, Mr. Yount, but here on Earth, we step down from positions of power, when we have embarrassed our entire professional community.)

ACS seems to serve no purpose, other than to pad the pockets and bolster the egos of two narcissistic old fools. They don't provide their own services, but act as a "middleman" for CI, adding to the cost of CI's services. It's time for the CI Board of Directors to take action, in severing ties with ACS. (No appeal, to Ben Best, as I am weary of his lame excuses.)

(Interestingly, "Cryogirl" can now be heard, on numerous Internet audiotapes, claiming she can "bring down" all of cryonics. She seems to be pretending to be some sort of super-spy, digging up dirt on the leaders of cryonics activities, yet some of them are said to still be funding her living quarters and expenses, in California, including a $1,300 a month apartment, (while she allegedly still collects social security income). This is what the decisions of people like Yount, Swank and Best have brought to the cryonics community. According to Cryogirl's husband, these men KNEW, through his warnings, that this young woman had psychological problems, yet they allowed her to cloud their judgment in running their organizations. The question is: "Is anyone going to do something about this, (other than try to "sweep it under the rug")???

More DIY Foolishness and an Appeal to Max More

For anyone who has been wondering what inspired my last blog entry, it was the recent news about 21CM's intermediate temperature storage (ITS) unit, at Alcor. I was just wondering why Alcor didn't call up one of the many companies that manufacture cryogenic freezers, instead of funding another DIY project.

Did Brian Wowk, Stephen Valentine and Michael Iarocci bill LEF a small fortune, over a long period of time, for their ITS project, (and the cost of a patent), when a cryogenic freezer manufacturer could have delivered a spec-device, in a short time, for a reasonable price? How long has the ITS project been going on, and how many decades will it continue? Will it ever end, or will it linger on, like the liquid ventilation project? What is the true value of the associated patent?

Why DO cryonics companies seem determined to do nothing more than continually engage in endless engineering projects, mostly carried out by amateurs? Year-after-year, decade-after-decade, little-to-no REAL scientific research...just endless equipment fabrication projects, when most of the equipment could be purchased. Wouldn't it make more sense to outsource the ITS project, to a company that specializes in cryogenic containers, so that biophysicist Brian Wowk could work on improving those extremely toxic vitrification solutions?

Recently, on lesswrong.com, Dr. Wowk seemed to be arguing that Alcor's solutions are so extremely toxic, it doesn't matter how much additional damage the amateur patient care providers, at Suspended Animation and/or Alcor, inflict on Alcor's members, while attempting to perform the medical procedures needed to deliver the washout and vitrification solutions. So, why does his primary work seem to involve inventing/engineering? Has anyone, (other than Saul Kent, or Alcor), expressed interest in the patents of Brian Wowk, Steve Harris, and others being funded by LEF?

Yesterday, on the Cold Filter forum, Charles Platt indicated he doesn't believe Alcor meets the requirements of a non-profit agency. (I, and others, agree.) Mr. Platt seems to think Alcor could meet the requirements by engaging in, yet another, Rube Goldberg-esque project. In regard to an intermediate temperature storage unit, he laments "... I would not be surprised if the prospect of fabricating something more complex and totally different would seem very unwelcome to people at Alcor who feel they have better things to do...While I was at Alcor in 2003, I brought in Todd Huffman to do some preliminary testing of a simple ITS design, and I wrote about this in Alcor News. After Huffman left, I don't think anything more was done or said on this topic." It is BEYOND absurd for Mr. Platt to think having the Alcor staff assume the task of engineering a cryogenic freezer is a good idea, and cryonics DIY equipment projects probably do not qualify as real research, when it comes to "not-for-profit" status.

When are cryonics organizations going to engage in some REAL medical-science research, and stop wasting all their time and money on glorified garage projects? (Not specifically referring to the ITS device, but to the abundant DIY projects, in cryonics.)

To the new Alcor CEO, Mr. More...do your best to determine if ITS is really the best way to go. If you believe it is, determine the required specifications, and then consult with several manufacturers of cryogenic freezers...unless, of course, you think amateur engineering projects constitute "research," and you won't mind sitting around, watching the same small group of DIY-ers bill Alcor and LEF for this project, for many years to come. If Alcor is going to charge $200,000 to preserve bodies, with the implied promise of a possible future resurrection, they should make an effort to provide qualified personnel using professionally-built equipment; not laymen using their own garage-project devices. Take all the money you save on these endless, (and mostly fruitless) projects, and spend it on REAL research, (carried out by scientists, not unqualified laymen, please).

Cryogenic Storage Containers

When considering the various aspects of cooling, transporting and storing human bodies, at cryogenic temperatures, did anyone at Alcor, or the LEF-funded organizations, think of googling "cryogenic freezers"? Did they consult with any of the companies, which manufacture cryogenic containers? Let me guess...instead of consulting with experts in the manufacture of cryogenic containers, most research dollars directed toward that area of cryonics went into the pockets of people like Wowk, Harris and Platt, and other LEF-funded staff members, or to companies like Home Depot, (where I'm sure all reputable manufacturers of cryogenic containers, and other medical equipment, purchase their supplies).

I saw it, myself, at SA...huge amounts of money being spent on the amateur efforts of several highly-paid staff members, attempting to build a cryogenic container, when a basic professionally-built model could have been had for approximately $2500. This was just one of the many kooky "R&D" projects, at SA. When is Saul Kent going to realize he hasn't been funding valid "research," in regard to projects such as these? How many times has anyone, outside the very small sea of cryonics, been impressed, by any of their DIY equipment projects?

Alcor and Cryonics Institute suspend their clients in liquid nitrogen vapor. Have they addressed the issues of temperature variation in this type of storage? What about contamination issues? Do they acknowledge these issues to their members, and potential members, (people who may be charged up to $200,000, to be suspended in liquid nitrogen vapor, at Alcor)?

From this article http://www.btc-bti.com/applications/cryogenicstorage.htm :

"In larger liquid nitrogen freezers, vapor phase gradients have been documented to span the glass transition temperature of water, at times reaching -72°C (White and Wharton, 1984), -70°C (Wolfinbarger, 1998), and -95°C (Rowley and Byrne, 1992). The wide temperature ranges observed with liquid nitrogen storage systems is inherent to their operation...

...Below -130°C, even the most temperature sensitive cells are estimated to survive for hundreds of years. However, above this temperature the longevity of cells is reduced to months."

There's a lot of interesting information in the above article, and many others, which have been published by people experienced in the construction of cryogenic containers. Wouldn't contracting with such a company be the logical thing to do, rather than funding amateur design and engineering projects? A few more tens of millions of dollars, and another couple of decades, and perhaps the amateur engineers of the cryonics industry will catch up to where the manufacturers of cryogenic containers were, 20 years ago.

Don't let these people fool you, (or take your $200K, or your trust fund, or estate). Others have been capable of cryogenically freezing things, (both large and small), within a narrow range, just below glass transition temperatures, ("intermediate temperature storage"), for years. Just google "cryogenic freezer glass transition," (without the quotation marks), and see for yourself.

Arrest Warrant for Larry Johnson Quashed in Nevada

According to the Clark County Court, the bench warrant for Larry Johnson's arrest has been quashed. If I were more like the Alcor supporters, I would try to paint this as indicative of deficiencies in Alcor's case, but the truth is probably that the State of Nevada wanted nothing to do with an arrest warrant related to civil matters in another state. (Purely speculation, on my part.)

Alcor could probably give us the details, but it seems they tend to only publish news that is favorable to their organization, when discussing these legal matters.

Dr. Wowk's Questionable Defense of Alcor

From my 12/04/2010 post on lesswrong.com: “What happened when Larry Johnson brought up the issue of OSHA violations, at Alcor? Did his superiors ask him to remedy the situation, or did they ask him to shred documents and delete computer files, related to his complaints?”

Brian Wowk’s response, (which really wasn't a valid response, at all, if you ask me): “Johnson's claims are presently subject to an active defamation lawsuit. Numerous medical professionals have done work with Alcor at various times, including nurses, clinical perfusionists, a neurosurgeon, two doctors who served as CEOs, and two full-time paramedics hired after Johnson. None of them behaved as Johnson did.”

Personally, I am tired of people trying to pretend Alcor’s accusations of defamation prove Larry Johnson to be a liar, and I’m hoping the Alcor vs. Johnson et. al. civil suit makes it to a jury trial, so we can all know the truth about the many accusations between Alcor and Mr. Johnson, (in both directions).

What makes Dr. Wowk’s comments more than a little offensive, to me, is the fact that he knows Charles Platt’s voice, as well as I do, (probably better). Assuming Dr. Wowk listened to the audiotapes, previously published on frozenbook.com, Dr. Wowk and I both know Mr. Johnson has recordings of a conversation he had with Charles Platt, (COO of Alcor, at the time), and they seem to be discussing Mr. Platt’s instructions, to destroy the evidence of Mr. Johnson’s complaints about OSHA violations. As I recall, Mr. Platt expressed concern that someone from The National Enquirer might be hiding in the bushes, when they were pouring biohazardous materials down the sewer drain.

Dr. Wowk claims none of the medical professionals, who have been associated with Alcor, since that time, have “behaved as Johnson did.” As far as I know, there is only one paramedic on Alcor’s staff, and I think it’s safe to assume it is the rest of the Alcor staff, whose behaviors have changed, since Larry Johnson published evidence of some very questionable activities at their facility. For example, I kind of doubt they still go around, bragging about having been involved in an alleged illegal euthanasia.

I believe Dr. Wowk has heard the tapes, and I believe he knows certain stories, (whether true, or not), were told to Larry Johnson, by Alcor staff members. I would ask Dr. Wowk, the same question I have asked others, intent on discrediting Mr. Johnson: "If you want to call someone a liar, why don't you point your finger at the Alcor staff members, on those tapes?"

Again, I am hoping for a jury to iron this all out, in a New York court of law. It appears the judge has recently put the trial off, until December 2011, with 30 – 90 day deadlines on things like discovery requests and depositions.

(On a tangent...Was Dr. Wowk the "Brian," at the Ted Williams case? If I had witnessed that fiasco, I would have gone straight to the authorities. It was a mess...a mockery of both modern medicine AND science.)

Can Brian Wowk Support His Statements about Larry Johnson?

Recently, on lesswrong.com, Brian Wowk stated Larry Johnson had been "shown to have falsified death threats," and to have "violated court orders in three states," (along with quite a few other statements I find "questionable," at best).

Five days ago, I challenged Dr. Wowk to prove those statements, which I have forwarded to Mr. Johnson and his attorneys. As of this date, I have not seen any response, from Dr. Wowk, to my challenge, posted December 7, 2010:

I would like to ask Dr. Wowk to show me where Larry Johnson "was shown to have falsified death threats," and where he "violated court orders in three states."

During this discussion, Dr. Wowk has identified himself as being on the Board of Directors of Alcor, so I assume he can be considered to be representing them, here. Alcor has accused Mr. Johnson of many wrong-doings, but I do not believe he has been "shown to have falsified death threats."

In addition, it's my understanding the agreement, in which Mr. Johnson was not supposed to publicly comment about Alcor, was supposed to work both ways. Is that correct, Dr. Wowk?

As for violating court orders, I believe the State of Arizona has ruled that Mr. Johnson violated a court order, but are the States of Nevada and New York like-minded?

EUCRIO Deleted from Cryonics Institute's Site

EDIT 12/11/10:

As usual, some of the cryos respond to legitimate criticism, with lies and personal attacks. In response to my playful comments, (see below), about the David Styles situation, Mathew Sullivan of Suspended Animation, (an LEF-funded organization, located in Boynton Beach, Florida), called me a "white trash bigot," (the CF moderator edited out those remarks). Mathew, and other cryos, then proceeded on a silly campaign intended to convince the public this was a case of religious discrimination. (I'm the most tolerant person I know...if one of my sons was to show up with a pink polka-dotted male Martian, who worshipped the gods of Alpha Centauri, I wouldn't bat an eye, before welcoming him into my family.)

I think anyone of reasonable intelligence would realize this has nothing to do with religion, or bigotry. It has to do with the manipulative, fraudulent activities of David Styles, (and others, who have assisted him in his fraudulent activities), and the risk to cryonics from the obvious (to most of us) public relations fallout that comes from associating with someone like Styles.

I feel sorry, for Styles, on some level. He's obviously a very bright young man, who will probably never be able to live up to his full potential, due to some very poor choices. When it comes to any sort of management position, most legitimate businesses will avoid him, like the plague, for many years to come. I think the only way he could outlive his sullied reputation, would be to step out of the limelight for a few years, get a proper education, and chalk his past activities up to youth.

His biggest mistake has more to do with his lies, than with his religious choices; I think he's already proven he is not someone who can be trusted to lead any organization, many times over. More than a few people have demanded he name the medical professionals he claimed to have scattered throughout Europe, yet he has yet to produce even one such person. Then, there were the lies and secrecy, related to his attempts to get a position on the Board of Directors, of Cryonics Institute. (An attempt, in which CI's president, Ben Best, appeared to be subversively assisting Styles, and attempting to manipulate others, at CI.)

While I am 1,000 percent in favor of religious freedom, I don't see how anyone can take the Church of Satan, or the Temple of Vampires, seriously. Too many of their former members have come out with stories that make those organizations seem more like cults and pyramid schemes, than any religion. Logically, any organization being sincere about a religion based on pagan principles, would have picked another name. In my mind, anyone choosing to include the Christian nemesis, "Satan," in their name, could only be pulling a publicity stunt. Isn't it obvious that only someone in dire need of attention, would make that choice? I'm not saying everyone involved in the COS and TOV are needy publicity hounds; some of them appear to be a rather fun bunch, engaging in the silly "frat-boy" activities of youth, while not harming anyone. (Look at photos of Styles hanging out with his COS and TOV buddies, and you'll see what appears to be a happy young man; look at photos of him pretending to be a leader of a medical science endeavor, and you'll see a very uncomfortable person playing out of his league.)

I'm going to end this edit with a quote from the Church of Satan founder, Anton LaVey:
"You cannot love everyone; it is ridiculous to think you can. If you love everyone and everything you lose your natural powers of selection and wind up being a pretty poor judge of character and quality. If anything is used too freely it loses its true meaning. Therefore, the Satanist believes you should love strongly and completely those who deserve your love, but never turn the other cheek to your enemy!"

http://www.religioustolerance.org/satanis1.htm

I'm with LaVey on that one, and anyone who tries to defraud the public with "a ticket to the future," and medical professionals that don't exist, or anyone who makes a mockery of REAL hypothermic medical science, is no friend of mine.

(This probably should have been a stand-alone blog entry, rather than an edit, but the original blog entry is below.)

*************************************************

http://www.network54.com/Forum/291677/message/1291925953/Eucrio+deleted+from+CI+site

Vampire and satanists lose to a handful of conscientious cryonicists, (with a lot of help from one wild and crazy chef!) Maybe CI should now focus on getting rid of the resident evil...you know, the one who was letting the vampires in the back door.

On that comment mind-boggling bizarre comment, I think I should probably call it an evening.

This weekend, I will most likely make additional comments, on that insanity, and I will definitely make my last comments for Dr. Wowk, on this blog, (referring to our recent discussion on lesswrong.com). Dr. Wowk's ridiculous arguments have me feeling like I am "beating my head against a wall."

Dr. Wowk thinks it's acceptable, for Catherine Baldwin, to refer to herself as a "surgeon," because she didn't refer to herself as a "credentialed surgeon." I hate to tell Dr. Wowk this, but it is illegal in some states, to refer to one's self as a "surgeon," period. One does not have to add "credentialed," to make it illegal.

No matter what he writes, I'm quite sure Dr. Wowk is intelligent enough to understand why regulators, and authorities, might frown on Suspended Animation's case report, which was nothing more than an attempt to defraud SA's potential clients, by misrepresenting their personnel and capabilities. The same goes for Alcor, and their case reports, in which charlatans, such as Mike Darwin, have been referred to as "surgeon," and even "chief surgeon," (something that happens to be illegal, in Alcor's home state of Arizona, by the way).

Impersonating a Physician in Arizona

32-1455. Violation; classification

A. The following acts are class 5 felonies:

1. The practice of medicine by a person not licensed or exempt from licensure pursuant to this chapter.

2. Securing a license to practice medicine pursuant to this chapter by fraud or deceit.

3. Impersonating a member of the board in issuing a license to practice medicine to another.

B. The following acts if committed by a person not licensed under this chapter or exempt from licensure pursuant to section 32-1421 are class 2 misdemeanors:

1. The use of the designation "M.D." in a way that would lead the public to believe that a person was licensed to practice medicine in this state.

2. The use of the designation "doctor of medicine", "physician", "surgeon", "physician and surgeon" or any combination thereof unless such designation additionally contains the description of another branch of the healing arts.

3. The use of the designation "doctor" by a member of another branch of healing arts unless there is set forth with each such designation the other branch of the healing arts concerned.

4. The use of any other words, initials, symbols or combination thereof which would lead the public to believe such person is licensed to practice medicine in this state.

http://www.azleg.state.az.us/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/32/01455.htm&Title=32&DocType=ARS

(Emphasis added.)

Comic Relief in Cryonics

I can't believe this has been around, for nearly three years, and I seem to have missed it, it's hilarious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7Lzr3cwaPs

The video on this site isn't quite as funny, as it is thoughtful. Perhaps it could be called "intellectually playful."
http://gabrielpaparella.com/?p=40