Great Minds...

I want to tell you a little about one of our most prolific contributors (to courses, forums, the Maybe Quarterly and this blog). You can find links to all Bobby's pictures and words, thought-forms and jokes, in the Index (at right of page).

He and his crew over at Madison Underground Press produce all kinds of weird and wonderful stuff, and art in many styles. Have a look in their store for Fun time Comics, and/or Okey-Dokey... And think how much free art you can find if you check out that Index, like I told you...

In fact, why not check out all the links we offer (very little slack or filler around here).

Go look at the MLA shop, and you will see the general forum will only cost you $60 for a whole year. You can come hang out, and test the waters, if you don’t feel like diving into one of the online courses. You’ll find some interesting people. Hidden behind the avatars you may find artists like Bobby, published authors (like Erik Wagner who wrote a great intro to the work of our founder, Robert Anton Wilson) and John Higgs (see previous post), sound engineers like Oz Fritz (All Around the World), DJ Fly Acrillic (another major contributor to all MLA projects), rappers, musicians, magicians, healers, tricksters - old and young. Come and hang out...high IQs welcome, but please remember to pack your sense of humour, too. Many of us simply have day jobs, and then come chill out with great minds from all over the planet.

I enjoy getting to hear samples of people’s music, see advance copies of (for instance) Fun Time Comix #7 and Suburban Legend Comics Issue 4, get great links and gossip and conversation, recommended films and books, a reading group, etc. For $5 a month? Not bad, huh? If you decide to do a course you get access to the general forum thrown in for free! Even better!



A few more: How about Prop and crew - MindSpray ep album “What’s Inside?”, or Fly Agaric 23's book of poems "World Piss" and his musical stuff on MySpace

I don't try hip street talk (I hit 60 this year) to praise this stuff (I'll just sound like a Cosmic Schmuck) but I like the stuff these guys do. Check it out.

OK, I sometimes say provocative things, I admit (in the privacy of the forum I don’t feel the need for the kind of careful choice of words I make out here) – but generally we offer a pretty friendly place and a warm welcome – following RAW’s one and only rule:

If you can’t achieve tolerance, at least attempt courtesy.

So even when discussions get heated (and they can and do) you won’t find any stupid flaming. We don't have moderators, censors or filters, we have a self-organising community...you may want to respect people's privacy, of course, and feel free to wear a mask yourself...

Happy Birthday Tim!

This blog has become a slight monoculture for a while - perhaps people have courses to attend.

Anyway, I received the 'positive' version of Tim Leary's adventures a couple of days ago, and then found that the author has joined our forum so seems available for chat about it! Excellent!

I had time to read some more today, only to realise that I had started reading it on Tim's birthday! Haha! Synch!

So the links on the right to I Have America Surrounded will take you to the relevant website and blog.

If you wonder why I specified this as a 'fair' or 'postive' biog, I gather the other one out has less sympathy for this complex man. I haven't read it, so I can't say if it appears judgemental, or simply puritanically shocked, or whatever - or even a calculated character assassination. You can go find it, if curious. Robert Greenfield's Leary biog on Amazon. According to one reviewer the last words may hint at what I said: "Those who love Timothy Leary will hate your book. And those who hated him will never read it".

I have to say that I find John Higgs' book entirely fascinating. I knew quite a lot, in fragments, but he puts the jigsaw together into a coherent whole - filling in quite a few gaps in my knowledge - and successfully evoking that critical period in modern history.

From Paul Krassner's blog:

"There is one thing people should know about Tim Leary," says British writer John Higgs. "He was fucking funny!" Shortly before his death, Leary was asked about Richard Nixon calling him "the most dangerous man in America." "It's true," Leary replied. "I have America surrounded." Which is why Higgs titled...


Oh, and I managed to get a signed copy of Brian Barritt's out-of-print book "The Road of Excess" from his private stash - Be Quick!

Good Jokes

fuzzbuddy just pointed us to an hour of Bob in his prime on video.

Enjoy it here on Google Video.

If you want a downloadable version, get over to Grey Lodge.

As they say:

Several people have asked for 'downloadable' copies of this movie. So, here it is. Recorded in Santa Cruz California in 1990, Bob talks about The DaVinci Code long before it was even a glint in Dan Brown's eye. ;) I have also included links to the Google video and YouTube copies as well. The torrent is a DivX rip of a DVD, made from the original high 8mm copy of the movie. Includes the Q and A session as well as the talk. Enjoy, seed and share, share share.Also, if you like this video and enoy Bob and his ideas, pop over and make a donation. Every little bit helps.

Even Better

Glandmaster just pointed me to the boing boing site again, which contains a note which I will copy here, or you can click over to their site, here

Today, I received this email from Bob's daughter, which contains a note from Bob. It's very moving. People opened their hearts and their wallets, and Bob is going to be able to live out his remaining days in peace. Thank you all very much.

On behalf of my Dad, RAW (Bob), I want to throw my arms around you "like a circle 'round the sun!" for your loving graciousness in posting Bob's need on your site. As of about 5 minutes ago, over $68,000 has come in. We are all overjoyed as it now means that we can continue to celebrate this phase of his life in the comfort of his own home, with all the care he needs, until his passing, honored by the loving support of so, so many wondrous folks. Just last week I was sick with heartache as we were faced with giving his notice and now, the world has simply and completely - transformed. Last night, he dictated a note that he wanted me to forward to you - below is the text. He is very weak, cannot sit up or eat on his own, and as he struggled with a whispery voice to express his gratitude, he broke into tears several times. How my heart swelled as I gazed at this man who has been both one of the most frustrating - and incredible - beings I have ever known. I would not be who I am today, had I not grown up with him.

Much love, Christina Pearson

BOB'S NOTE:

Dear Friends, my God, what can I say. I am dumbfounded, flabbergasted, and totally stunned by the charity and compassion that has poured in here the last three days.

To steal from Jack Benny, "I do not deserve this, but I also have severe leg problems and I don't deserve them either."

Because he was a kind man as well as a funny one, Benny was beloved. I find it hard to believe that I am equally beloved and especially that I deserve such love.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, know that my love is with you.You have all reminded me that despite George W. Bush and all his cohorts, there is still a lot of beautiful kindness in the world.
Blessings.
Robert Anton Wilson

Situation improving

The flood of contributions has covered Bob's bills for this month - and his situation has stabilized.

Feel free to contribute, of course (always nice to pay for someone's medicinal dope cookies!)

I noticed in the (mostly delightful) Comments and contributions on Douglas Rushkoff's site that a couple of people thought of it as (or at least called it) an internet scam. You can go to RAW's official site to see that contributions to that PayPal address definitely go directly to him.

I also noted the usual nonsense (whining - "I could do with some money too" - or "why should I have to pay for his inability to deal with money" - even a Viagra ad from someone called 'dickhead' or some such) - which I either take as clumsy jokes, or really sad people who prefer to send bad vibes, rather than simply ignore something they do not wish to contribute to. They probably think of themselves as nihilist punk comedians, or chaotic magicians, but I can't even raise the energy to flame them.

One of the things I find most delightful about Bob remains his immense tolerance, his preference for positive thought and action, and even when saying rude things about people like Bush he usually adds a disclaimer that he may not have all the facts, or have assessed the situation accurately (he calls it 'checking to see if he has acted like a Cosmic Schmuck').

Hooray for our side...

Robert Anton Wilson needs our help...

We've all worked on staying calm and cheerful, knowing Bob has not felt well enough to run his courses (a useful source of income for him).

I have previously mentioned the eBay auctions, and also that you can simply send contributions to him, if you have ever got anything from his work (and anyone who has read anything of Bob must have come away somewhat changed, and generally improved).

OK, I have a bias.

Anyway, Douglas Rushkoff's blog has mentioned Bob's need for a bit of support right now, and I will repeat the contact material here:

Any donations can be made to Bob directly to the Paypal account olgaceline@gmail.com.

You can also send a check payable to Robert Anton Wilson to
Dennis Berry c/o Futique Trust
P.O. Box 3561
Santa Cruz, CA 95063.

[Update 3rd Oct: nice to see that Boing Boing have picked up on this (pass it on...)]

[4th Oct: Further Update: A huge response (300 posts) on Douglas Rushkoff's site, and apparently this month's rent is now covered. A couple of posts seem cautious that it isn't a scam (reasonable enough on the Internet) and a curse or two (from people who will always have enough money, and will never need a little help from their friends, they think - and rather than just not helping they feel duty bound to tell us all about our stupidity).

Of course, sombunall people wonder how a published writer can run out of money. Perhaps Dan Brown could make a one-off payment for research & inspiration :-)

Self-employed people live a much more precarious existence than employees (note that these contributions go towards paying rent, not mortgage payments - and medical bills, of course).