Harris and Platt

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Harris and Platt
July 13 2007 at 9:36 AM Melody Maxim (Login melmax)
Veteran Member
HARRIS: "I knew a guy once who came close to having his own EX-perfusionist-- but even that didn't work out, for reasons wholly predictable. Not that anybody seems to have learned anything from it."

So true, so very true. To anyone who has ever worked with Platt, fulltime, for any length of time, it was entirely too predictable that I wouldn't last long at SA. In fact, several people told me this, at the Alcor conference, last year. They all said essentially the same thing, "As soon as you want to start doing things anyway other than Platt's, you will be history." A lot of people know this is what has happened, not only to me, but to many others before me.

Harris is here, perhaps to defend a man he trusts and thinks highly of. What he doesn't realize is that I once felt the same way about Charles, probably even moreso, on some level I worshipped him. He's an accomplished writer, something I admire. He's been a senior writer for my very favorite magazine, "Wired," and he's interviewed my favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut. I read many of Charles' articles for Wired Magazine, and several of his books, before I went to work at SA, and I enjoyed them all. Initially, he acted truly committed to cryonics and rather humble, in regard to his knowledge of the medical procedures, and it seemed as though he really WANTED my input on the equipment and protocols. Judging by the way the situation progressed, I am left only to think that what he wanted is what others had told me he wanted: someone with credentials to validate that what he was doing was correct, whether it was, or not. For so long as Kent allows Platt to set the salaries at SA, and listens to Platt's input regarding hirings and firings, they are in danger of him finding such a person.

I have genuine concern about the search for a new manager at Suspended Animation. In all likelihood, Platt is sitting at every interview with Kent. I believe Kent will allow Platt to have quite a large amount of input in that decision, and will allow Platt to "train" the incoming manager, in spite of Platt's obvious shortcomings as a manager, himself. Most likely one of two things is going to happen:

1. A new highly-paid Platt Puppet will be created, so that Charles can continue to supplement his income by leading all the SA projects; or

2. Someone with a solid background and good ethics will soon realize what is going on there, and that person will be driven out, as Bary and I, and many others before us, were.

At this point, no doubt history will repeat itself, and Charles will once again, be the acting manager of SA, (whether that is his official title, or not). He established this history a long time ago. He wanted to returned to Alcor, but they weren't playing his games, and he did return as President of CryoCare, after resigning that position. He's been claiming he does not want to manage SA for three years, now, but he never really leaves. He claims his continued influence at SA is some noble devotion to Kent, which I am incapable of understanding. It should be obvious to everyone, ESPECIALLY KENT, that Platt is operating solely in his own best interest.

Back to Harris...

I'm truly sorry that his loyalty to Platt and/or Kent has clouded his judgment on the conditions at SA. Then again, how does he even think he can judge that situation? Harris resides in California, where CCR is located. He does not know what goes on at SA, on a daily basis, as I do, and he doesn't know me well enought to discredit my assessment of that situation. I doubt, very seriously, that he even knows Platt as well as he thinks he does. Platt knows how to manipulate most people into believing his intentions are for the good of the cryonics community, when that is not always true.

Harris does, perhaps, know about loyalty in business to friends and family. I've heard CCR referred to, at SA, (I'll let Harris guess who I heard call them this), as the "Critical Care Relatives." I was told the four people there are related by either blood, or marriage. Is this true? (I'm asking, I don't really know.) Is it possible that loyalty to friends and family is influencing the progress in cryonics? How can anyone expect the community of cryonics to know the truth about anything within these organizations, without an outsider, such as me, to come along and shout it from the rooftops?

It seems that Harris took some little delight in referring to me as an "EX-perfusionist." Frankly, I find this rather petty, silly and amusing. It's like saying a physician who has retired is not a doctor. I am still a perfusionist. I have just chosen, for the time-being, not to work in that field, mainly because I don't want to relocate. I have the proper education and a decade of experience, and I am well-respected within my field. I had a job offer as recently as last month, but I'm not inclined to live in the ice and snow.


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Anonymous
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Re: Harris and Platt
July 14 2007, 7:24 AM

Mr. Kent should place a gag order on Dr. Harris and Filterpatrol before they help Ms. Maxim more than they already have. Then he should examine his hiring practices.


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