Laughing and Crying...

Since everything is but an apparition
Perfect in being what it is,
having nothing to do with good and bad,
acceptance or rejection,
One may well burst out in laughter.

Longchenpa

Well, here we find ourselves in the cyber-bardo state. In transition between our beloved, and relatively stable, Forum 3.0 and heading into the unknown with MLA 4.0.

Everything must pass, and we have joined Bob in the Bardo. I find myself preparing for R.U.Sirius's Timothy Leary course, which involves reading Greenfield's biography (which arrived this morning). People say it portrays a flawed human being, well Duh.

TIMOTHY LEARY'S DEAD - BUT THE CAMPAIGN TO DESTROY HIM IS ALIVE AND WELL FUNDED

He came from an older generation than me, and in spite of all the theories of imprinting and change he had some of his generation's characteristics embedded in him. I didn't entirely trust him then (we had a slogan "Never Trust Anyone Over 30", and he had a job as a Harvard Professor of Psychology, which sounded like 'the enemy' at the time), but I grew to rather like him, for all his flaws. Try Randy Chase's interview, for a flavour of his mind.

Sleepers! A Wake!

Borsky just pointed me to a blog designed to co-ordinate commemorative meetings around the planet on February 18th (Gregorian calendar).

http://rawremembered.blogspot.com/

We had some details here, in the post of the 24th Jan.

Check out Rev. Clarry's blog (link also on right) for any updates on a possible European meet-up -in Belgium.

On Borsky's Link I noticed that Donnacha DeLong may try to set up something in London, UK - if you can help, or find the idea interesting...why not email donnacha.delong@tiscali.co.uk

I just heard word from Acrilliq that he intends to have a party in the Northern parts of England - can I resist joining a band called The Maybes? :

I recently set up a tribute/memorial page on Myspacemyspace.com/rawmemorial

Please spread the word and/or pop by, or maybe suggest some content. It's tricky picking friends for the RAW memorial cuz i don't wanna miss out anybody, especially from around here at MLA and environs. I intend to collect fragments from Lasagna happenings around the world and sprinkle some herbs and spices together with them.A PARTY! I have an event venue booked in the UK here in Stourbridge, (A skate park)

Just getting the sound system, budget, line up, projector, posters, Pasta and sauce together - yeah i'm busy with this! "MULTIMEDIA RAW CELEBRATION1-9pm, ticket price TBA.

Premier of Maybe Logic music video, and DVD give away. Plus bands The Maybes & Da'Blues, and DJs -Fly (Maybe Logic, Garaj Mahal)Kev (Super ape)Andy B (Jazzatronic) - http://www.skateramparts.co.uk YOU'RE ALL WELCOME.

Come join my surprise band - the maybes! Bring an instrument, join in - Jam, dance, celebrate...

And so dear friends, you'll just have to carry on...

...the dream is over... [John Lennon - God - 1970]

For full details of MLA activities you can always subscribe to the newsletter (check out Deep Leaf Productions or the Maybe Logic Academy links on the right) but we have a lot of interesting courses coming up this year, as well as a slightly different way of structuring things.

Update: MLA v 4.0 went live at http://www.maybelogic.net/

MLA has now got some areas open to the public, details on the link above, but in brief:

MLA campus and features are organized via three levels of access: Public, Registered, Student. Anyone can visit the site with access to the RAW Library, Info-Cache blog, Maybe Quarterly, MLA Forum (read only), etc. And anyone can also register with the site which enables one to post in the Public Forum, contribute to site content like Info-Cache blog, web archive, MQ, Public (chat) Lectures, etc. However only students have access to MLA student features like Personal Messages, Chat room, full MLA Forum, etc.

Semester System

MLA 4.0 begins the semester system. It's pretty simple: there are 6 courses from 2007 January - June; and six from July - December. If you take a Semester One course, you have full MLA Student Access through Semester One. If you enroll in a Semester Two course you'll have student access through Semester Two. Full 2007 student access is granted if you enroll as a full time student to either of the semesters.

2007 MLA Semester One

Inner Compass - Starhawk, Jan 29 - March 11
Timothy Leary - RU Sirius, Feb 26 - April 27
Mavericks of Medicine - David Jay Brown, March 19 - May 13
Earth As Teacher - Starhawk, April 23 - June 3
Angel Tech - Antero Alli, May 21 - July 15
Buddhist Tantra - Jonathan Landaw, June 18 - July 29

2007 MLA Semester Two

Goddess Path- Patricia Monaghan, July 16 - Sept 7
Crowley Tarot - Lon Milo DuQuette, Aug 13 - Sept 30
Visionary Art - Erik Davis, Sept 10 - Nov 4
Technologies of Persuasion - Douglas Rushkoff, Oct 1 - Nov 25
Astrologik - Antero Alli, Oct 29 - Dec 22
Altered States - Philip H Farber, Nov 26 - Jan

To think, that in 2004 Bob taught all the courses going!

Illuminated Manuscripts

All sorts of resources exist, and I would recommend the impatient to go to RAWilson Fans (permanent link on right) where you can find links to just about all RAW-related material online.

I came across this site today, which offers tape cassettes, videos, CDs etc of Bob talking in various contexts on a wide range of subject. Sound Photosynthesis.

I enjoyed the obit/reminiscence of Jesse Walker from Reason magazine online.

Interview with the Positive Atheism site. etc, etc.

Robert Anton Wilson Cosmic Meme-Orial

Join Together at the Robert Anton Wilson Cosmic Meme-Orial
& Lasagna Levitation Celebration!

Hail Eris! All Hail Bob!

Celebrate the life, work and continued multi-dimensionality of Robert Anton Wilson by joining us in a giant, jammin' Translation Celebration and 8th Circuit Soiree!

. Reconnect with old friends. Make new, like-minded friends. Share ideas. Exchange email addresses. (It's like the Internet, only in person.)
. Be a part of Bob's Raucous Processionary Send-Off as his ashes sail out of the cove and rejoin his beloved's in the Pacific!
. Watch continuous video clips of RAW from "Maybe Logic" documentary and from his numerous Trajectories videos.
. Expand your mind (and your tummy) with hors d'ourvres, soft drinks, and a cash bar.
. Expand your neighbors' minds by sharing remembrances and anecdotes at the open mic! (Brevity and levity are appreciated!)
. Mingle, nosh, remember, appreciate, celebrate!
. And above all, Keep the Lasagna Flying!

RAW DATA:

Where: The Cocoanut Grove, on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, CA: www.cocoanutgrovesantacruz.com
When: Sunday, February 18, 2007
Time: 1 - 6 PM
Tickets: $23 each
Limited number available! To purchase tickets, or for additional
information: www.impermanentpress.com/pages2/raw-tix.html

RAW FAQ:

Q: How can I help kick out the jams?
A: Contribute to the media presentation. Forward photos of Bob or other creative visual remembrances that relate to RAW and his work. Your images will be included in a projected media presentation for all to enjoy. Please email your .jpegs (300-600 dpi) to trichster@aol.com no later than February 11th. Please consider contributing even if you can't be there in person.

Q: Is it always sunny in California?
A: Not in February, Chester. It's winter, and it can get DANG cold at the ocean. If you plan to play outside, dress for CHILLY weather and you will be fine and toasty.

Q: I'm coming from a long way away. Can I crash at your place?
A: Umm... not really. Click here to search for lodging in Santa Cruz County: www.santacruzcounty.travel

Q: I'm sorry...I spaced. Where did you say this was again?
A: The Cocoanut Grove is a famous ballroom attached to the Santa Cruz, CA, Beach Boardwalk (which is celebrating its centennial this year). Boardwalk arcades and amusement park rides (including the Giant Dipper, regularly voted one of America's Top 10 Rollercoasters) are open from 11am to 6pm Saturday, Sunday and Monday for the President's Day Holiday! All Hail Thomas Jefferson! Impeach Bush!

Q: So what is there to do before/after the ceremony?
A: If you've never communed with the redwoods, visit Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, just minutes up the road! Or enjoy one of Santa Cruz's fine restaurants (Bob loved the Golden Buddha in Soquel, for instance). Click here to search for more activities in Santa Cruz.

**Feel free to repost this announcement without changes**

RIP RAW

I know not everyone lives on the Net and/or reads blogs routinely, so I still assume some people may get the news of Bob’s passing from us.

As we understand it, he died at 4:50 on 11th January 07. He had been cheerful the day before, fell asleep and apparently left his body peacefully in his sleep.

As ever, we find out how completely overlooked and undervalued he remains. As fans I suspect we amplify his importance in our own reality tunnels, then feel bemused when big news to us fails to make the media.
In the UK we have seen a brief obituary in The Independent, and a rather better one in The Telegraph - although we all resist the idea of Bob as a ‘guru’ – he did so many jokes about it, that we might accept ‘anti-guru’ – but would prefer to leave the whole concept out. Having said that, the last two years we have had him as an online tutor in literature, economics, magick, psychology, etc – so ‘teacher’ seems OK. The Guardian eventually published a reasonable obit.
As to the anti-guru, look at this interview with James Wallis
JW: To what extent do you think you've become a part of the New Age movement? The stalls in the atrium tonight seemed to be concerned with a lot of New Age material, and to an extent the way you've been talking about Virtual Realities and mind expansion you seem to be almost a forerunner of the movement.

RAW: The Berkeley mob once called Leary and me "the counter-culture of the counter-culture." I'm some kind of antibody in the New Age movement. My function is to raise the possibility, "Hey, you know, some of this stuff might be bullshit."

JW: You don't seem to take very much of it very seriously.

RAW: Some of it I do take seriously. In Prometheus Rising and Quantum Psychology I'm definitely trying to teach the reader how to change their own consciousness so they don't need a guru to do it for them. I'm very definitely a spiritual anarchist.


You might find The Death Interviews (Leary & Wilson) interesting.

I believe very much that secrecy is the main cause of most social evils. I think information is the most precious commodity in the world. As a matter of fact, I think that information is the source of all wealth. The classical economic theory is that wealth is created by land, labour and capital. But if you have a piece of land, and you’ve got capital, and you hire labour, and you drill for oil, and there’s no oil there–you won’t get rich. What makes somebody rich is drilling for oil where there is oil, and that’s based on having correct information….All wealth is information. So therefore, all attempts to impede the transfer, the rapid transmission of information, are making us all poorer.


And Deoxy's stuff on Leary & Wilson might amuse you.

or RAW's Cheerful Reflections on Death and Dying


Bob also wrote an essay for The Realist called "13 Choruses for the Divine Marquis."Here's how it ended:

I dreamed I called D.A.F. de Sade on the phone and asked him, "Jesus told me that he and you agree on at least one thing and it explains freedom. What is that one thing?"

"Quite simple," he replied, "don't be afraid of the Cross. The fear of death is the beginning of slavery."

And the line went dead with a triumphant click like a barred door falling open.

So let's remember Bob light-heartedly when we can, and remember his last post:

Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night

Various medical authorities swarm in and out of here predicting I have between two days and two months to live. I think they are guessing. I remain cheerful and unimpressed. I look forward without dogmatic optimism but without dread. I love you all and I deeply implore you to keep the lasagna flying.

Please pardon my levity, I don't see how to take death seriously. It seems absurd.

RAW

BLACK ELK SPEAKS: Grrrl Shakti!

QUANTUM PSYCHOLOGY "TODAY"

In Trixine # 23 (I guess obviously...)

Out sometime next week, tric@tonedeafrecords.com will probably send free copies upon request.

DOVE STA MEMORIA

OM regrets...

we received an email today, which said:

Robert Anton Wilson passed away at 4:50 am this morning; 1/11/07.
I don't know any more than that, right where I'm sitting now.

Hail Bob!

Any sense of deja vu may arise from the fact that Bob wrote of his Life After Death in Cosmic Trigger 3 - in the first chapter I GOT RUN OVER ON THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY.

It starts:

According to reliable sources, I died on February 22, 1994 - George Washington's birthday. I felt nothing special or shocking at the time, and believed that I still sat at my word processor working on a novel called Bride of Illuminatus.

He covers a time when the Internet expanded a story, causing much confusion among RAW's family and friends. All the fun at Wilsons Wake. If you claimed to have talked to him, people suggested you might have met the CIA clone, or his twin brother, a virtual RAW.

I kinda hope this turns out the same, and I can't quite bring myself to say


"There's no maybe about it this time."

Peace. Amor et Hilaritas. Hail Eris!
With exquisite timing, Robert Anton Wilson chose to leave on Albert Hofmann's 101st birthday, one week before his own 75th.

Oddly enough, another of my favourite author /gurus also died on the 11th, a few hours before Bob. The Headless Zen Master himself - D.E.Harding - died a few hours before Bob, at the age of 98.

PS: For more on Uncle Albert, check out the MAPS site, or my own blog post for his 100th, this time last year.

The Headless Way. (RAW loved the core text when I told him about it, he said it was his favourite book on Zen, before he had even finished reading it! - On Having No Head.)