More Lame Cryonics Excuses

A representative of Cryonics Institute (CI) writes to inform me that my suggestion CI "sever all ties with the American Cryonics Society (ACS), would result in CI having to put their 19 cryopreserved members of ACS "out in the warm." Good luck with that lame excuse.

Thanks to some territorial embalmers, and the attention the Ted Williams scandal brought to cryonics, the great State of Michigan has protected cryopreserved persons, by regulating CI as a cemetery. I don't care what kind of contract ACS has with CI, those 19 cryopreserved bodies aren't going anywhere.

The person who wants me to believe CI would have to defrost ACS's members, if they severed ties with ACS, must think I'm stupid. Does anyone really believe Swank and Yount would demand CI hand over those 19 people? Get real. Even if the State of Michigan would allow them to remove those persons, (and I don't think they would), where would Swank and Yount take them? Haven't Swank and Yount had enough negative attention?

The excuse about protecting those 19 cryopreserved bodies was just that...an excuse for protecting two seriously unethical cryonics "experts/leaders." Again...I think it is time for someone at CI to step up to the plate, and do the right thing...but I won't be holding my breath.

Ben Best, Cryogirl and The American Cryonics Society

Ben Best apparently felt the need to defend himself, on the Cold Filter cryonics forum, in regard to the "Cryogirl" scandal. What did he defend himself against? Having sexual Internet exchanges with someone? How many people haven't done that?! With that said, having read the emails, and visited "Cryogirl's" Twitter page and MySpace page, I kind of doubt Ben was being totally honest, about being primarily interested in her intelligence. (I'm not going to provide the link to the emails, which have now been posted on the Internet, but I don't see much intelligent discussion in any of them.)
(*Note that Cryogirl's MySpace page lists her occupation as "American Cryonics Society" and her location as "Cupertino, CA," which is the location of ACS, something I'll probably write more about, in a separate post.)

I've had the "Cryogirl" emails, since July, and it is my understanding Ben Best and the Board of Directors of CI has had them since February. I believe they held a meeting, in which they decided to look the other way, and hope the whole thing would blow over. That would have probably been a good idea, with the intention to follow that up with a thousand "No comments," if Ben's communications with Cryogirl were really the issue, but if you ask me, the REAL issue is CI's protection of the American Cryonics Society (ACS), which is led by Edgar Swank and Jim Yount. This is NOT just a silly sex scandal, it's about the seriously inappropriate, and possibly illegal, activities of two people connected with a California non-profit cryonics organization.

Ben claims not to have been aware of Cryogirl's communications with "the ACS people," (Swank and Yount), but he has been aware of those communications, since February, and he knows there was some serious misbehavior, on the part of Swank and Yount, yet he has done NOTHING to isolate CI from ACS. He writes about "when (Cryogirl) left her husband, apparently with help from ACS people." Cryogirl didn't just leave her husband, she was allegedly avoiding questioning by the police in her home state, regarding allegations of child molestation that her husband claims to have made against her, and I believe Ben knows that.

As for the people on the AntiCult site, or the UK Cryonics Factsheet site, questioning Ben's education, I have come to question that, myself. If he does have the education he claims, he's forgotten an awful lot of the basics. In the Curtis Henderson case, he altered the cryopreservative solutions and used them on Mr. Henderson, without testing them first, (something I don't believe any reputable chemist, or pharmacist, would think of doing), and the result was disastrous.

Ben writes: "Perfusion was then attempted with the milky 70% VM−1 solution, (his untested, modified solution), but the filter immediately became clogged. The milky color had been due to PEG that had come out of solution to form tiny particles that were too small to precipitate..."
I don't know where Ben went to school, but where I went to school, solids (particles) that form in solution, (no matter how tiny), ARE precipitates.

He goes on..."But the tiny particles were too large to pass through the filter. Fortunately, the particles clogged the 40 micron filter rather than plugging the capillaries of the patient."
That's nonsense. Ben is just pretending that what he didn't see didn't hurt Mr. Henderson. He doesn't have a clue as to how many particles, passed through that filter. The pore size of that filter is 40 microns, (nearly six times the size of a red blood cell). He's just attempting to reassure himself, and everyone else, that his REALLY INSANE decision to modify a solution, during a case, didn't cause any harm. http://www.cryonics.org/reports/CI95.html

Ben may very well have all the college degrees he takes credit for, but it's my experience in working with him, that he sometimes struggles with very simple concepts that anyone with degrees in physics and chemistry should intuitively grasp.

As for his income, about which he writes: "...the truth is that I made $30,050 last year, plus a medical and dental plan, but no pension." Does that include the fair market value of his living quarters, utilities, and other taxable benefits Ben receives from CI? Or the trips he took to Great Britain, Florida, Arizona and Japan? Ben's compensation isn't as measly as he makes it out to be.

As for Ben's self-described "monkhood," is that a requirement, for a leadership position at CI? Did anyone ask Ben Best to sacrifice having a personal life, in exchange for his position at CI? Maybe "normalcy" and "common sense" would be better requirements, as such traits would certainly assist in marketing cryonics.

Charles Platt's Excuse for Cryonics Fraud

On Cold Filter, Charles Platt writes: "I believe the original rationale for referring to cryopreserved human beings as "patients" was to remind all those involved that the human beings are not necessarily irreversibly dead, and therefore should be treated with the same care and conscientiousness as if they were everyday patients." http://www.network54.com/Forum/291677/message/1287543217/the+reason+for+the+neologism

And the excuse for referring to people like Michael "Mike Darwin" Federowicz, Catherine Baldwin and many others, (some who may have no more formal education than a high school diploma), as "surgeons" is to remind people of what? It's not to "remind" people of anything; it's to DECEIVE people.

If Platt thinks people being cryopreserved "should be treated with the same care and conscientiousness as if they were everyday patients," why did he send a golf pro and two fabricators from SA's workshop, (three people with NO medical educations, or experience, whatsoever!), to perform advanced medical procedures??? Is that the kind of care HE wants, if he ever shows up at an emergency room, in need of heart surgery? (The procedures Platt sent three laymen to perform are fundamentally the same as procedures performed in open-heart surgery.)

Alcor and Suspended Animation refer to people as "surgeons" and "patients," along with all those images of people in surgical settings, wearing surgical garb, to create the illusion of medical professionals performing cryonics procedures, and that is FRAUDULENT.

(Note: Alcor's photos appear to be of people, (mostly laymen, I believe), actually attempting to perform medical procedures on the deceased, while Suspended Animation's photos are staged photos of laymen pretending to be performing medical procedures.)

Let's not forget Suspended Animation's manager and pseudo-surgeon, Catherine Baldwin, clumsily using a barrage of medical terminology, in what appears to be an attempt to deceive the public, regarding the quality of SA's services:
http://cryomedical.blogspot.com/2010/09/catherine-baldwin-just-another.html
http://cryomedical.blogspot.com/2010/10/impersonating-physician.html

And, let's not forget all the mistakes Alcor's Chief Medical Advisor, Steve Harris MD, has made, in regard to medications and hypothermic medical procedures.
http://cryomedical.blogspot.com/2010/07/more-misinformation-from-alcors-chief.html
http://cryomedical.blogspot.com/2010/07/alcors-chief-medical-advisor-displays.html

Recent American Cryonics Society Scandal

It is time for Cryonics Institute (CI) to step up to the plate and protect their organization, and the cryonics community as a whole, from the shady activities and embarrassment of the American Cryonics Society (ACS), an organization whose two leaders are involved in some REALLY QUESTIONABLE activities related to the operations of their non-profit organization. I've been waiting, since July, for someone at CI to do something about this, but it doesn't appear they will, without a little nudging.

The two so-called "leaders" of ACS need to step down, dissolve their useless and sullied organization, hand over their members to CI, and donate whatever cash they have to CI. Perhaps the money could be used for a legitimate hypothermia-related research project, (and I don't mean one of those crackpot "engineering" projects that go on, at other cryonics organizations). In my opinion, it is Cryonics Institute's obligation, (to their members, potential members, and the cryonics community as a whole), to make this happen, by severing all ties with ACS.

Prior to donating their funds to a legitimate research project, ACS should refund SB's $1,000, and if they do not, CI should, as someone there contributed to the situation.

That's all I have to say...for now.

The Cold Filter Cryonics Forum Moderator

Yet another person has jumped on the bandwagon of people whose responses to my criticisms of cryonics care providers are lame attempts to vilify me. Two days ago, in response to someone posting links to my blog, the Cold Filter moderator wrote:

"I'd rather not encourage this sort of thing
October 15 2010 at 4:02 PM CF Moderator (Login CF_Moderator)
Moderators

Response to More pot-shots from Melody Maxim
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By posting that here you're helping her bypass moderation, and expanding the audience of people who will see her attacks."
http://www.network54.com/Forum/291677/message/1287172932/I%27d+rather+not+encourage+this+sort+of+thing
(Emphasis added.)

Recently, (maybe more than a month ago), the CF moderator informed me he would be moderating all my posts. Essentially, I think his argument was that I am boring, and he is tired of my remarks regarding the gross incompetence and serious lack of ethics at certain cryonics organizations. I responded by informing him I would not be posting, where I was being censored. Since that time, I have made no attempt to post, or to have anyone else post for me, on his forum. For him to state that people are "helping (me) bypass moderation," is seriously inappropriate. I am not attempting to "bypass moderation," I am AVOIDING CENSORSHIP, by posting on my own blog. The next thing you know, he'll be banning anyone who mentions my name on his (obviously biased) forum. There's a whole new wave of marketing, targeted at young people, and the CF mod obviously does not want them made aware of the truth, regarding the people who claim to be selling them a chance of future resurrection.

As for his concerns regarding my blog's audience, that drastically increased not long after I ceased posting on CF and focused on the blog, (and prior to his uploaders linking to the blog). Many thanks to the CF mod, for helping me focus on posting in a more productive setting; he's saved me a lot of time and frustration.

Irrational Arguments for the Current Practices of Cryonics Organizations

While I was impressed with "Fundie's" sentimental rationalization for uploading, yesterday, (see my previous blog entry), I found one of his other arguments completely insane. He was writing in response to my accusations that the personnel of Alcor and Suspended Animation have been falsely presented, to the public, as physicians, something I believe is illegal.

He writes:
"As for the use of words like physician, patient, etc., definitions are *subjective*. Melody may not believe that, but her personal opinion on the subject is not sufficient justification for infringing the liberty of others. Even if the whole of "the medical community" agrees on a definition, that still doesn't make that definition objective. Even if 99.9% of society agrees, that still does not make the definition objective.

I am arguing that people have the right to go to witch doctors if they want to, and to call them doctors if they want to, and Melody has the right to try to persuade them not to, but not to interfere with what they do and say."
http://www.network54.com/Forum/291677/message/1287159088/No+response+other+than+more+threats

I'm sure most RATIONAL people see how Fundie's (irrational) rationalization does not apply to my complaint. Yes..."people have the right to go to witch doctors if they want to, and to call them doctors if they want to," BUT those witch doctors had best NOT be presenting themselves as physicians, because that would be illegal. I can call my mechanic "The Car Doctor," or my husband "Doctor Strangelove," if I want to, (just teasing, honey), but those two people cannot go around presenting themselves, or each other, as physicians. There's nothing "*subjective*" about that, the law is very clear.

If Alcor and Suspended Animation want to disclose (in BIG BOLD LETTERS on the home pages of their websites, and the front pages of their legal documents), that most of the people performing their medical procedures have little-to-no formal medical training, and some have nothing more than a high school diploma, and people still want to pay $60,000 to $150,000, (sometimes even more), for one of their procedures, I'm fine with that. Always have been, always will be.

HOWEVER, if Alcor publishes a case report, with photographs of people dressed in surgical garb, performing surgery, and in that case report they list their personnel with titles such as "Chief Surgeon," and "Assistant Surgeon," when the only known degree between those people is a BA in Philosophy, (someone please correct me, if I am wrong, in regard to Michael "Mike Darwin" Federowicz and Jerry Leaf), I say Alcor is attempting to defraud their members and potential members, into believing their personnel are physicians. When Catherine Baldwin describes herself, in a public document, as the "backup surgeon," I believe she is falsely presenting herself as a physician, with the intention of defrauding Suspended Animation's clients and potential clients.

When Fundie goes on to ponder whether everyone should agree with my views on same sex marriage, skin graft surgery, and religion, it's obvious he's desperately trying to create some sort of distraction, rather than address my accusation of cryonics organizations misrepresenting their personnel as actual medical professionals, when they are most often are not. Fundie REALLY shows his desperation with comments like, "Should we just run everything we do and say by Melody first?" Does Fundie think I don't have a a right to express my viewpoints on topics related to medical procedures and medical ethics with which I am familiar, and does he really believe I expect everyone to agree with me, on ANY given topic? Not likely. He's just trying to distract from the matter at hand. He KNOWS my complaint is valid, and especially of concern to lawmakers and regulators, given that some people associated with the organizations I am complaining about, not only ask for large fees for their shoddy services, but encourage people to leave irrevocable trusts and donate their estates to organizations such as Alcor.

]10/18/2010 EDIT: I removed the comment that "Fundie" misrepresented my viewpoints on things such as same sex marriage and skin grafts. He had written "should not be illegal" and I read "should be illegal." I'm fairly liberal in my thinking. I even think people have the right to pay six figures for a crappy cryopreservation...I just don't think the companies providing those crappy services have the right to misrepresent the quality of their services, or the qualifications of their personnel, to an unsuspecting public, and I believe that is EXACTLY what Alcor and Suspended Animation have been doing, for a very long time.

One (Hopefully) Last Comment on Uploading

When I first ventured into cryonics, (quite accidentally...I needed a job, SA had an advertisement with the word "perfusion" in it, and their facility just happened to be located near my home), I was acquainted with the notion of "uploading." The idea was presented to me as a method of exending one's life. Being mostly interested in the hypothermic medical techniques that apply to cryonics, and not accepting that one would ever be able to load one's OWN awareness into a machine, (or even another brain, or synthetic version of a brain), I didn't really pay much attention to uploading.

Later, it occurred to me that most of the uploaders were discussing making COPIES of themselves, and some of them thought the copies would actually be the same person as the original, something I found a little too abstract. If I was on my deathbed, and there were a dozen copies of me in the room, I would still be dying. My copies might think they were me, but they never would actually BE me, and once I took my last breath, the real me would still be dead.

These discussions took an even stranger turn, when some of the uploaders discussed existing in some sort of simulation, such as in digital form in a computer. To me, it seemed to be the ultimate in delusional thinking and narcissism. If I was able to upload my personality and memories into a machine, it would still NOT be "me," and the real me would still die at some point not too far in the future, relatively speaking.

I've rarely commented on uploading, until recently, when Cold Filter made the transformation from a cryonics forum, to an uploading forum, and the conversation got really ridiculous, with one CF member insisting a drawing of an hydrogen atom, on a piece of paper, is a REAL hydrogen atom. At that point, it became difficult for me to keep a straight face, and impossible to refrain from commenting.

Though I've read many articles and Internet posts on uploading, I never, NOT EVER, saw even one person describe it as a method to leave memories behind for loved ones...until yesterday. Every word I read, prior to that, seemed, to me, to be nothing more than narcissism. "Fundie" wrote how nice it would be to "...have some remnant copy of the brains of (his) grandparents and other departed loved ones, with which he could interact." I think that's a lovely sentiment, I truly do. I was blessed enough to know my grandparents, and even most of my great-grandparents, very well. In fact, three of my grandparents only recently died, (when I was 48 - 50), so even my youngest child knew them. One of my great-grandparents lived until I was 29, and my daughter, his great-great granddaughter, was six. I wasn't just acquainted with these people; I spent time with them; I knew and loved them. It was one of the great tragedies of my life, when my favorite grandparent, (my mother's mother), died at the age of 69, and I would do anything to have been able to interact with even a copy of her, these last 24 years.

With that said, a copy of her would not be her, any more than her diaries and photos, (things I regularly enjoy), are her. A copy, or simulation, of my grandmother would not be my grandmother, even if it was something I could hug. SHE, (my REAL grandmother), would not be feeling my love for her, and I would know that.

Off and on, for the past decade, or so, I've researched my family tree, and I have a lot of information about relatives who died long before I was born. While there are a few characters I would certainly like to meet, (maybe even if it was just a simulation), just how much time would I be willing to spend with the "dead relatives"? Other than the ones I actually grew up with, probably not much. Of my currently living relatives, I have my parents and step-parents, whom I love as parents. I have three children of my own, a beloved stepson and one grandson, so far. I have five half-siblings, an assortment of step-siblings, and nine nieces and nephews, (a number sure to increase, since some of my half-siblings are much younger than I). I have 11 living aunts and uncles, and 14 first cousins, all who have spouses and children of their own. I love these people and I don't have time to spend with most of them. There are currently 599 people in my family tree, on Ancestry.com. While it's fun to do the research, and to learn the history of some of these people, why would I drag out a simulation of a great-great grandparent I never even met, when I don't have enough time to spread out amongst my living relatives, all of whom I love very much. I probably wouldn't.

Though I found "Fundie's" argument for uploading his personality and memories touching, I think it strayed far from the mainstream uploaders. As I already stated, most uploaders never mention anyone other than themselves, or how they might enjoy living in some virtual world, where they could create simulations of their every desire coming true, ala Edgar Swank. Then, there's Mathew Sullivan, who now seems to want nothing more than a servant, who can anticipate his every need/desire.

I can't imagine that anyone past my grandchildren, will be interested in me, as they will have their own lives and a wealth of LIVING relatives. On a humorous note, I CAN imagine being a computer, sitting around on a desk, getting dusty. and whining about how the great-great-great-grandkids have no interest in me. ;)