RAW WEEK @ boinboing

Im very happy to see that boingboing.net are entertaining a Robert Anton Wilson week, with blog posts from the likes of Paul Krassner, Mark Frauenfelder, Gareth Brandwyn, Douglas Rushkoff, Antero Ali, R.U Sirius, David Jay Brown, Erik Davis, Ivan Stang and MLA's own Propaganda Anonymous, all full of new insights and high praise from 2012.

"So, give the world's sad sonambulism a wakeup call. Put some OM (whether “trivial or colossal”) in your day. Bob would have wanted it that way.--Gareth Brandwyn, Mindfucking since 1776.

Bob was in fine form that night reading excerpts from his as of yet unpublished book, The Trick Top Hat, from his Schrödinger's Cat Trilogy. I sat there astonished by the highly compact, information-rich writing style he had developed. It was as if every other word triggered a different chemical in my brain. Bob had this unique way with words that acted on my ear-brain loop just like drugs. I remember thinking to myself, "This is what writing is all about! Writing is all about magick."--Antero Ali, The Cosmic Trigger Effect.

"He had a knack for giving straightforward explanations of hard-to-grok concepts without stripping them of their power or complexity. Before I read RAW's books, the world was confusing and mysterious. After I read his books, the world became much more confusing and mysterious -- but in a good way! Bob converted me from atheism to agnosticism (which, in his words, means "never regarding any model or map of the universe with total 100% belief or total 100% denial"). --Mark Frauenfelder, Robert Anton Wilson week at boingboing

"At one point in Robert Anton Wilson Explains Everything, the interviewer asks Bob why he's so into conspiracy theories. He'd spent the better part of his life studying them, writing about them, but he doesn't seem to actually believe any of them. So, why the intense interest? Bob thinks about it for a moment and replies: “It keeps the mind supple.--Gareth Brandwyn, Mindfucking since 1776.

"In his final blog entry on January 6, Wilson wrote: "I don't see how to take death seriously. I look forward without dogmatic optimism, but without dread. I love you all and I deeply implore you to keep the lasagna flying." Actually, it was expected that he would die seven months earlier. On June 19, 2006, he sent this haiku (with one syllable missing) to his electronic cabal:

Well what do you know?
Another day has passed
and I'm still not not.

 --Paul Krassner, Keep the Lasagna Flying.

"As a result, Bob is probably responsible for bringing more new students to magick and, specifically, to Thelema, than anyone else, perhaps Crowley included. As a writer, he brought uncommon sense to the subject and not only made magick appealing, but also understandable to the modern mind--Phil Farber, in conversation with Prop Anon.

Arlen and Mavericks of the Sinclairularity

John Sinclair recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of his release from Jail, for the most part due to the massive ‘John Sinclair Freedom Rally’, a fairy-tale like happening, that featured John Lennon, Stevie Wonder and Allen Ginsberg and many more, organized and communicating through music, rock and roll, Jazz, and spoken word to successfully fight injustice.

The Bentley Museum and Ann Arbor Library added rich multi-media presentations featuring digitized magazines, audio clips and posters. John Sinclair will be re-launching radio free Amsterdam on January 1st 2012 after a nine month hiatus featuring new shows of Jazz, Blues, Soul, New Orleans Music, and beatnik infused spoken word.

David Jay Brown recently published an article on MDMA as a treatment for some forms of Autism which I liked and that led me to discover the fabulous renewed MAVERICKS OF THE MIND: Thought Provoking Interviews on Consciousness by David Jay Brown. RAW seems to sit perfectly among many contemporaries and like-minded individuals. I would like to pay special attention, here, to a beautiful and thought provoking interview with Arlen Riley Wilson. RAW’s greatest supporter, influence and ‘beautiful mind’ in her own right. Praise Arlen!

I just discovered that there’s a ‘Pun Detector’ (see video below) in Watson, the A.I. (Computer) And was reminded of one of BOB’s comments somewhere, that I think he attributed to Arlen, whereby she imagined that a ‘Bull-Shit’ Detector could be wired into the cable box (a Bullshit App), especially during speech’s from Politicians and Religious leaders. WATSON seems to be navigating the data-fields to choose, with delicate ‘confidence’ to RING that BULLSHIT’ alarm!

Mavericks of the Mind (Second Edition)

(Please post and redistribute. :) ~DJB)

Dear Friends,

I am happy to announce the launching of the second edition of my book,
Mavericks of the Mind, which was just recently published by the
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).

Just in time for the Holy Daze!

Loaded with new material--a new introduction, additional interviews, as
well as new photos and artwork--the second edition of Mavericks of the
Mind also includes the transcripts from the events that brought together
interviewees from the book to debate philosophical topics in roundtable
discussions. This stimulating collection features in-depth conversations
that Rebecca Novick and I did with accomplished thinkers, such as
Terence McKenna, Laura Huxley, Allen Ginsberg, Timothy Leary, John
Lilly, Carolyn Mary Kleefeld, Rupert Sheldrake, Riane Eisler, and Robert
Anton Wilson.

The interviews explore such fascinating topics as the frontiers of
consciousness exploration, how psychedelics effect creativity, the
relationship between science and spirituality, lucid dreaming, quantum
physics, morphic field theory, interspecies communication, chaos theory,
and time travel.

Copies of the book are available on Amazon for $22.95. To order a copy
today go to: http://alturl.com/idhbw

Wishing you a most joyous holiday season. May 2011 bring you many
unexpected delights.

Warm Greetings,

David Jay Brown

Reviews:

"When it was first published, Mavericks of the Mind was more than a
breath of fresh air -- it was a hurricane of ideas and visions perfectly
tuned to the time. This 21st century expansion pack will ensure that
these maverick spirits--many of whom have now passed on-- will continue
to channel the mindscape beyond the bend." --Erik Davis

"This is a fine collection of original thinkers, an important national
resource. Everyone who wants to stay current with information from the
outer perimeters of consciousness exploration should read it." --Jerry
Garcia of the Grateful Dead

"Depending on how one chooses to view it, this aptly named book is
either a potpourri of strange and wonderful ideas or a collection of
far-fetched suppositions. ...there will certainly be readers interested
in this volume's unique subject matter." --Library Journal

"This is a fine collection of original thinkers, an important national resource. Everyone who wants to stay current with information from the outer perimeters of consciousness exploration should read it."  --Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead