How to improve the next Extro!!

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Hello everyone!,

I feel terrible for not attending the Extro now that I have heard just how great it went. I should have had my act together and had the six-hundred dollars necessary to go there from Alaska and cover all my expenses. I feel like Chris Farley when he would screw up and then slap his face and mess up his hair in disgust and then say "I am such an idiot!!" I really let myself down!! When I read Max say if you did not attend it was a "big mistake" the words really hit home for me. I have vowed (in Rambo and Steven Segall fashion) that I will go next year no matter what!!

As I texts of the talks are posted on the EI site and I realize what I could have witnessed in person I will only grow more disappointed with myself! Several hundred years from now I will have to use a time machine and make the Extro 4 that way. If anything could attract time travelers, interdimensional visitors or aliens an Extro could. So I guess that means we should all be nice to each other because who knows just who you might really be dealing with!

This is an excerpt from an email I wrote Nick Bostrom awhile back to give him ideas on becoming a famous celebrity scientist like Carl Sagan. I don't think he would mind if I shared some of it with you all. I was very impressed by the well-rounded nature of him and the fact he had done stand-up comedy. And really I don't see why we couldn't put at least some of my ideas to improve the Extro into practice! I think at least some of you will agree!

I wrote to Nick Bostrom:

What surprised me was how you have tried to be well rounded by doing other things besides science and school. Hosting a radio show, doing art exhibitions with your own work, writing a book of poetry, writing and directing a play, studying acting, and to top it off you have even done stand-up comedy in clubs and t.v.!! When you do are transhumanistic subjects ever brought up? If I go to the next Extro I want to see you do the stand-up routine there!

I have some ideas though for you to further become well rounded and become the biggest darling scientist in the public eye since Carl Sagan!

1. Like Carl Sagan have a science series where the camera periodically lovingly gazes at your profile for prolonged periods of time!
2. Become a blackbelt in the martial arts. You must be at least a fifth degree who did it in less then a year!
3. Become an accomplished bodybuilder showing off your rippling physique on your website! Also give tips on nutrition and diet and don't forget having an article on positive attitude!
4. Graduate from a military academy and then become a member of an elite special forces commando unit! Always bring up in conversations that you're the "real deal!" Or just say that you graduated from an elite military academy and then became a member of an elite special forces commando unit!
5. Become well known as a wonderful gourmet cook, have a show explaining the science of cooking!
6. Have a cool pony tail!
7. Dress in all in black and then put a picture of it on your website!
8. Race cars with the celebrities!
9. Become an olympic athlete. Being Swedish you must get the gold in skiing and shooting!
10. Write a science-fiction novel that wins the Hugo hands down! The sequel must also win the Hugo! Then move to Utah!
11. Get into a well reported fight in a pub with a drunken celebrity. Be sure to look good without anyone being seriously hurt!
12. Sail around the world in a sailboat with your cat!
13. Own lots of ferrets, they're the "in" pet and women go nuts over them!
14. Come up with a phrase just as cool as "billions and billions!" The career just won't click until you do!
15. Be a guest on the Conan O'Brian show! Then all of America's college students will know who you are (you can't even do that by winning a Nobel!) Then make even more cameos on the show then Tony Randell to have the audience scream the moment they see you!
16. Star in a movie opposite Keanu Reeves with transhumanistic themes. Even better star in a movie opposite Adam Sandler with transhumanistic themes (The Matrixboy!)!!
17. Co-own a trendy nightclub with an extropian theme. Have Natasha More do the interior decoration. Have Romana Machado dress the cocktail waitresses!!
18. Have a show for cable where you go around Swedish beaches full of topless Swedish woman (we americans love the concept of SWEDISH woman) and ask them if they have any science questions you could answer for them! You of course would be very serious and scholarly the whole time!
19. Convince Hugh Hefner and Max More that the next Extro Con should be held at the Playboy Mansion! I believe that Extropian membership would support you on this! I sincerely believe of all my suggestions this one should be taken the most seriously! Why has Hugh Hefner not been approached about extropianism and cryonics?? Future extropian parties in the 22nd century will not be complete without a bathrobe wearing, pipe smoking Hef!!

20 Nick, the woman for you is playboy playmate Victoria Zdrok! She is only your age and a lawyer, and also has a master's in psychology! And she is GORGEOUS! This woman is as driven as you are my friend! If Max is partnered with intelligent and beautiful Natasha then you need your own equal match!

Well Nick, I hope you enjoyed my comments. I thank you for your thoughtful communication over the TWA list on what could be done with it. I am curious, do you plan on a career as a professor or will you do something else? I had a very bright friend in the computer lab with me who is majoring in math and philosophy. When I had him read your bio my normally sedate pal freaked out and declared that he was jealous and would have a long way to catch up to you! I look forward to hearing from you, take care!

Sincerely,

John Grigg

And so that was the letter! I just hope Max, Natasha and Greg Burch all take my thoughtful comments to heart! lol

See you in the 22nd century and maybe before!,

John Grigg

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