CIYG DIGEST

From "Garrat"

The issue of next of kin is one that continues to be in my mind. In terms of personal preservation. We all rely a great deal on next of kin.

If one's next of kin is also a potential cryonaut then the chances of their making sure ones own personal wishes are carried out, and push things all the way from home front to CI, is high.

In all other cases, as far as I can see, it comes down to the next of kin's word, and ratification in legal documentation. Which, in the final analysis, may or may not be enough, i.e. the next of kin may change their mind, another relative gets a court injunction, or some other complication. Once one is deanimated, the most thoroughgoing supporter of one's own preservation is no longer there to push the barrow. Hence, of course, cryo support groups worldwide.

In a perfect world we would all be listed on a global register, itself acknowledged by international law, ratifying our wishes to have our bodies preserved, and that our wishes are to be carried out. Reliance upon a next of kin would thereby diminish. Such international law may come to be sometime in the near future. It would be a standard of law befitting us. Has anyone here had/have similar thoughts?

Having to rely on next of kin, in my opinion, is a circumstance which arises from laws which govern estate distribution. The problem is, in some countries, and in some states and territories, there is no provision in such laws for the decease's body. Only real property and chattels.

In fact, in some cases, there is no law to protect the wishes of a deceased person who had expressed to be either buried or cremated. Eg., a person who wishes to be cremated may not end up being so unless a next of kin makes sure it happens, and vice versa for a person who wishes to be buried.

Cryo-preservation is a big deal, pregnant with potential, enormous in vision. By comparison the law we have to deal with seems infantile, retarded and a sometimes neo-lithic.

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I previously said I didn't recall a case where the next of kin had reneged. I meant a spouse. We know that recently a cousin, who was next of kin, refused to honor the patient's wishes.

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This brings up an interesting point. What if you have a wife (like myself) who does not in any way believe that Cryonics is a good idea but at the same time says that she will respect my wishes to be preserved by the Cryonics Institute? By the way, her objections to cryonics are fueled by her religious beliefs.

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(Discussing means to call for help such as commercial panic button services for the elderly.)

I have just purchased an item to help my own situation. I of course have live in caregivers, my parents, and as I get older I seem to deteriorate more rapidly than they due to my many afflictions. Diabetes is bad enough but try having it when you're paralyzed and cannot exercise to regulate blood sugar levels and especially to lose weight. Despite eating very little I slowly gain as my metabolism comes under slowing pressure both from age and from starvation syndrome, the effect that occurs when one tries diet only means to weight loss and the body thinks it's starving and so gets more efficient making it a zero sum gain. So, long story short, I need more reliable means to get their attention, especially as they aren't spring chickens themselves, when I have an emergency or simply need urgent care. Unfortunately for me urgent care needs left unmanaged quickly turn into emergency care needs.

I said I was shortening the story didn't I? Ok, here's the ticket. I found these wristwatches, Dick Tracy-esque walkie-talkies. We already have wireless intercoms but they are really terrible and located at stationary spots they're not where the caregivers/parents often are when I need to reach them. If I can get them to wear the wrist walkie-talkies then I can reach them anywhere they are, like outside pruning some tree or tilling the garden or up to a mile and a half away, say at a neighbor's. The best part is they aren't expensive, just around $30 each.... a good thing on my budget.

So, I recommend these for anyone in a similar situation either being cared for by a mobile active person or being that mobile active person caring for someone. Of course both of my folks have cell phones but often leave them laying somewhere and aren't in the habit of even taking them with them away from the house, a habit I need to work on as I continue to get more fragile.

Here is the model I got shown here at the manufacturer's website

http://www.xactcommunication.com/items.asp? item_id=26 but available much more cheaply here at Amazon.com and search for xact communications X2X or wrist watch walkie talkies]

However, now that mine have arrived I find they have a newer model available and I'm reminded to always look more carefully before buying, arrrgh! Not only is there a newer model called the X3X but there's also the X33XIF that has privacy sub coding capability. I really wish I'd seen this first. See it for yourself here:

http://www.xactcommunication.com/items.asp?item_id=51&sub_category_id=1003&category_id=

Look around there because if wearing one on the wrist is not your thing there's what appears to be an around the neck medallion like the M3X but it doesn't have privacy sub coding capability.

I hope these can help someone else among us.

James

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Should CI make it’s own LN2?

I have just learned about the CryoMech company which sells do-it-yourself liquid nitrogen plants which produce liquid nitrogen directly from air. The prices are not listed, but I am sure that they are costly: http://www.cryomech.com/products.php?item_type=3

The largest unit I see produces 60 liters per day, which means that we would need about 5 of the units to meet our current needs of over 273 liters per day for our cryostats as described in my report:

http://www.cryonics.org/cryostats.html

(My (cryostat) report did not mention the small steel dewar we have for pets and tissues.) Because we have already invested $60,000 in our 3,000-gallon bulk tank -- which gives us a very low per-liter cost for liquid nitrogen -- it would certainly make no sense to buy a do-it-yourself liquid nitrogen plant.

If an emergency situation was bad enough that we had no power for weeks at a time and had to create our own power from generators then we would also have to worry about having enough fuel for the generators -- another bulk tank.

Being a worrywart is a costly proposition.

John Bull wrote:

About a year and a half ago York Porter wrote a piece for THE IMMORTALIST. I'm sure everyone knows that he works in a hospital emergency room. One of the points he made was that when unconscious patients come in, the first thing they do is pull the clothes back and expose the chest. The point being that they are much more likely to see a necklace than a bracelet. He urged people to get necklaces, (with emergency instructions)

Recently Christine Gaspar -- who is an emergency ward registered nurse as well as President of the Cryonics Society of Canada -- attended our Toronto Cryonics Meetup Group. She agreed with what you say, John, and said that the chest is also the most effective place to put a tattoo for health-care professionals to see.

Our Meetup, by the way, was a smashing success. 15 people, including David Pascal who came all the way from Rochester, New York for the occasion, attended it. I still know of no other city in the world other than Toronto that has been successful in organizing a Cryonics Meetup. I encourage others living in large cities to try to take advantage of this device: http://cryonics.meetup.com/

Ben Best

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On the possibility of buying an underground nuclear bunker for cryonics storage purposes

There is another bunker near Preston which would satisfy all the needs of the UK cryonics movement, it has 15000 square feet in 50 rooms over two floors.

This would satisfy the requirements of Cryonics Europe, Alcor UK and those wanting to store in the UK. It doesn't look as though the owners will take less than £240k, which means we would have to find 24 people willing to pledge £10k or more. I will start with £20K, how much do those who know we will require something like this in years to come want to get involved? I would suggest we don't hang about because this bunker is close to motorways and I would think would sell quite quickly.

Planning seems OK but I don't want to waste to much time until I find if there is any interest from investors. Please pass this on to anyone you feel may be interested.

A rare opportunity to purchase this former Government nuclear bunker. Ideally suited for a variety of uses (subject to planning permission).

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Trip to China in /THE IMMORTALIST?

A number of people have asked me about my trip to China and John Bull has expressed an interest in a write-up about it for THE IMMORTALIST. If there is to be a write-up, I think this is it. Many of my previous travels have been more relevant to cryonics because I was meeting cryonicists and/or attending cryonics conferences. In China I attended a cryobiology conference where I learned technical information. I did tourist traveling before and after the conference. The technical information may influence my technical writing and our procedures, but I cannot now say how.

I had hopes of meeting Chinese cryobiologists with an interest in cryonics, but this did not happen. I did not see an appropriate way to publicize my association with cryonics. Very many of the native Chinese in attendance could listen to English (and read & write English), but were reluctant to try to speak it. Of those few I did speak to in English, I saw no interest in cryonics.

I have completed an extensive write-up of my trip to China on my website which is entirely a travelogue -- a record about my experiences and facts about China. Although I am President of CI, I don't think THE IMMORTALIST is an appropriate medium for lengthy expositions about my personal activities. Those interested in reading about my trip to China can read it from my website:

http://www.benbest.com/travel/China.html

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