RAW semantics
@rawsemantics.bsky.social
Robert Anton Wilson & related blog. Semantic maps, masks, models & muddles. Frames & metaphors. Author of 'Lazy Person's Guide to Framing' (Futura Press, 2023).
http://rawsemantics.home.blog / https://newsframes.wordpress.com/
http://rawsemantics.home.blog / https://newsframes.wordpress.com/
The incomparable Robert Anton Wilson died on this day (11 January) nineteen years ago. More than ever, read his books!
January 11, 2026 at 6:42 PM
The incomparable Robert Anton Wilson died on this day (11 January) nineteen years ago. More than ever, read his books!
This is a footnote from my last blog post (rawsemantics.home.blog/2025/12/04/r...) comparing 𝗪𝗶𝗸𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 & 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮. (Wikipedia has been under attack by some conservatives, who regard it as biased. But I trust its decentralized *reliability* model a million times more than I trust Musk's Grok).
![TEXT: Wikipedia – highly decentralized, community-edited, consensus-based, transparent. Some centralised elements, eg non-profit Wikimedia Foundation owns the site’s servers; some admins, elected by the community, have special privileges. This piece [link] details a recent campaign of “right-wing attacks” on Wikipedia’s credibility.
Grokipedia – top-down, AI-run, no community editing or public edit logs, its internal decision-making considered opaque. Musk is widely reported as being the main lever-puller when it comes to things like political tone. Jimmy Wales has some interesting things to say about Wikipedia and Grokipedia in his interview with Lawfare [link]. Meanwhile, this piece [link] claims “a majority of Grokipedia’s entries are just cribbed from Creative Commons Wikipedia articles, [while] much of its user-created content is based on absurdly unreliable rightwing sources like InfoWars, The Gateway Pundit, Natural News, and VDare.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:3amwq43wzgo7cbdxxtb6lnoa/bafkreih5mtxvkfo24hgahcelpe37fhg5ckvugys53y4qwx3fiickgfcf5e@jpeg)
January 11, 2026 at 4:31 PM
This is a footnote from my last blog post (rawsemantics.home.blog/2025/12/04/r...) comparing 𝗪𝗶𝗸𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 & 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮. (Wikipedia has been under attack by some conservatives, who regard it as biased. But I trust its decentralized *reliability* model a million times more than I trust Musk's Grok).
January 9, 2026 at 7:58 PM
Staggering that Taibbi is suing a book's author over passages like this. Matt claims his lawsuit *protects* free speech, but I think it has a chilling effect on legitimate criticism. I recommend @eoinhiggins.bsky.social's book. I've read Taibbi's complaint (its ironies seem off-the-scale to me).
January 7, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Staggering that Taibbi is suing a book's author over passages like this. Matt claims his lawsuit *protects* free speech, but I think it has a chilling effect on legitimate criticism. I recommend @eoinhiggins.bsky.social's book. I've read Taibbi's complaint (its ironies seem off-the-scale to me).
21st Dec - Maybe Night 2025: write your own script! (will be offline 'til after Xmas, myself). Check out @bobbycampbell.net's site: maybeday.net/night/
(montage pic: rawsemantics.home.blog/wp-content/u...)
(montage pic: rawsemantics.home.blog/wp-content/u...)
December 14, 2025 at 4:17 PM
21st Dec - Maybe Night 2025: write your own script! (will be offline 'til after Xmas, myself). Check out @bobbycampbell.net's site: maybeday.net/night/
(montage pic: rawsemantics.home.blog/wp-content/u...)
(montage pic: rawsemantics.home.blog/wp-content/u...)
I discuss, with Reason mag's Jesse Walker, a point of slight disagreement on the new RAW anthology - in comments under this post. (Btw, unlike Substack, NO algorithm showing unrelated "related notes" & NO stupid FB-style "see more" clicking for hidden comments) rawsemantics.home.blog/2025/12/04/r...
December 7, 2025 at 7:00 PM
I discuss, with Reason mag's Jesse Walker, a point of slight disagreement on the new RAW anthology - in comments under this post. (Btw, unlike Substack, NO algorithm showing unrelated "related notes" & NO stupid FB-style "see more" clicking for hidden comments) rawsemantics.home.blog/2025/12/04/r...
"Have you said thank you once?"
December 1, 2025 at 4:58 PM
"Have you said thank you once?"
Biggest ORWELLIAN propaganda coup in my lifetime? The widely held belief in the USA that helping Ukraine survive & defend itself = war(mongering). And that helping Russia achieve the aims of its military invasion unhindered = peace/"negotiation". War is peace. Ignorance is strength.
November 29, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Biggest ORWELLIAN propaganda coup in my lifetime? The widely held belief in the USA that helping Ukraine survive & defend itself = war(mongering). And that helping Russia achieve the aims of its military invasion unhindered = peace/"negotiation". War is peace. Ignorance is strength.
Timothy Leary was a huge fan & early promoter of William Gibson's novels. (There's a dedication to Gibson in Leary's 'Info-Psychology', and Tim interviews Gibson in his book, 'Chaos & Cyber Culture'. Robert Anton Wilson was also a fan...
November 27, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Timothy Leary was a huge fan & early promoter of William Gibson's novels. (There's a dedication to Gibson in Leary's 'Info-Psychology', and Tim interviews Gibson in his book, 'Chaos & Cyber Culture'. Robert Anton Wilson was also a fan...
Russian state media talking points seem easy to spot, even when they come from Western "low hanging fruit" outrage "dissenters" such as Maté, Blumenthal & Johnstone. There's a guy (no doubt well-meaning) who floods one of the main RAW Facebooks with this stuff.
November 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Russian state media talking points seem easy to spot, even when they come from Western "low hanging fruit" outrage "dissenters" such as Maté, Blumenthal & Johnstone. There's a guy (no doubt well-meaning) who floods one of the main RAW Facebooks with this stuff.
"𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚; 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙭 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨." - RAW on why he was a big fan of John Dickson Carr. I've read a lot of pulp fiction, but never any Carr. Any recommendations for his novels?
November 22, 2025 at 5:25 PM
"𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚; 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙭 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨." - RAW on why he was a big fan of John Dickson Carr. I've read a lot of pulp fiction, but never any Carr. Any recommendations for his novels?
Got any fresh fnords in today?
November 19, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Got any fresh fnords in today?
Carole Cadwalladr's latest piece (on Thiel & Palantir) is cookin' with rocket fuel! broligarchy.substack.com/p/peter-thie... @carolecadwalla.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Carole Cadwalladr's latest piece (on Thiel & Palantir) is cookin' with rocket fuel! broligarchy.substack.com/p/peter-thie... @carolecadwalla.bsky.social
The reference to "Fredrick Saudi, the physicist" in the 2001 Utopia USA interview of RAW by Lance Bauscher (also included in the new RAW anthology, 'A Non-Euclidean Perspective') refers, I think, to Frederick Soddy (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederi...). I don't know of any Fredrick Saudi.
November 18, 2025 at 1:05 PM
The reference to "Fredrick Saudi, the physicist" in the 2001 Utopia USA interview of RAW by Lance Bauscher (also included in the new RAW anthology, 'A Non-Euclidean Perspective') refers, I think, to Frederick Soddy (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederi...). I don't know of any Fredrick Saudi.
I was fortunate to get a tip about Eraserhead & became an early DL fan. Later (1986) I saw a daytime showing of Blue Velvet in an empty Leicester Square (London) cinema on initial release. Magical. Hopper blew my mind & Isabella Rossellini, whose image I used in this crude paper/scissors collage:
November 14, 2025 at 2:14 PM
I was fortunate to get a tip about Eraserhead & became an early DL fan. Later (1986) I saw a daytime showing of Blue Velvet in an empty Leicester Square (London) cinema on initial release. Magical. Hopper blew my mind & Isabella Rossellini, whose image I used in this crude paper/scissors collage:
"Freedom" (of speech/act/mind & from coercion/force) remains a contested concept. RAW's take on it never resembled that of the latest crop of demagogues & billionaires pretending to be freedom fighters. rawsemantics.home.blog/2025/10/28/r...
November 7, 2025 at 3:29 PM
"Freedom" (of speech/act/mind & from coercion/force) remains a contested concept. RAW's take on it never resembled that of the latest crop of demagogues & billionaires pretending to be freedom fighters. rawsemantics.home.blog/2025/10/28/r...
When I look at Xitter, I try to ignore the "What's Happening" & "Today's News" BS. But this caught my eye. X's (ie Grok's) headline & news summary for last night's big football game which Liverpool won 1-0. Xitter, main source of NEWS for many, struggling with factual report at THE MOST BASIC LEVEL.
November 5, 2025 at 12:50 PM
When I look at Xitter, I try to ignore the "What's Happening" & "Today's News" BS. But this caught my eye. X's (ie Grok's) headline & news summary for last night's big football game which Liverpool won 1-0. Xitter, main source of NEWS for many, struggling with factual report at THE MOST BASIC LEVEL.
Get print & digital! PDF for just a few quid & it's awesome! I dislike book-text on screen, but art like this looks 𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀. The attention to detail - I can't imagine the amount of work. Ambitious, glorious, trippy - what a unique/great artist @bobbycampbell.net "is". Buy: talesofilluminatus.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Get print & digital! PDF for just a few quid & it's awesome! I dislike book-text on screen, but art like this looks 𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀. The attention to detail - I can't imagine the amount of work. Ambitious, glorious, trippy - what a unique/great artist @bobbycampbell.net "is". Buy: talesofilluminatus.com
Two major releases now available! - TALES OF ILLUMINATUS! #2 (by @bobbycampbell.net & Todd Purse) and *NEW* RAW book anthology: 'A Non-Euclidean Perspective' from Hilaritas Press (@23rasa.bsky.social). Links: talesofilluminatus.com & www.hilaritaspress.com/portfolio-it...
October 23, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Two major releases now available! - TALES OF ILLUMINATUS! #2 (by @bobbycampbell.net & Todd Purse) and *NEW* RAW book anthology: 'A Non-Euclidean Perspective' from Hilaritas Press (@23rasa.bsky.social). Links: talesofilluminatus.com & www.hilaritaspress.com/portfolio-it...
My capsule review of two films, using the ALT-text feature (hey, I never said social media doesn't have its odd uses!). The films: "I Care a Lot" (2020) and "The G" (2023).
August 29, 2025 at 6:56 PM
My capsule review of two films, using the ALT-text feature (hey, I never said social media doesn't have its odd uses!). The films: "I Care a Lot" (2020) and "The G" (2023).
Coming soon-ish (in full colour!), new post on RAW & Roger Jones's 'Physics as Metaphor', a rarely mentioned but influential book for Wilson.
August 28, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Coming soon-ish (in full colour!), new post on RAW & Roger Jones's 'Physics as Metaphor', a rarely mentioned but influential book for Wilson.
Science, and even mathematics, like philosophy, rests on cognitive metaphor. Here's George Lakoff on the metaphor of neural circuits (cf: Leary/Wilson "circuits" model): www.edge.org/conversation...
August 22, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Science, and even mathematics, like philosophy, rests on cognitive metaphor. Here's George Lakoff on the metaphor of neural circuits (cf: Leary/Wilson "circuits" model): www.edge.org/conversation...
Limited period—Kindle edition of my 200+ page book now £0.77, $0.99. Paperback £8.99. I'd boast that first 3 chapters give fastest route to "Aha!" moment on metaphorical thought available anywhere. Notes for RAW fans here: rawsemantics.home.blog/2023/02/15/r... Buy: www.amazon.co.uk/Lazy-Persons...
August 18, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Limited period—Kindle edition of my 200+ page book now £0.77, $0.99. Paperback £8.99. I'd boast that first 3 chapters give fastest route to "Aha!" moment on metaphorical thought available anywhere. Notes for RAW fans here: rawsemantics.home.blog/2023/02/15/r... Buy: www.amazon.co.uk/Lazy-Persons...
I remember those. I got one in exchange for one of my own novelty "Zombie Plus" loyalty cards. The necrocard was glossy thin cardboard, I recall. My loyalty cards were plastic, like credit cards.
July 25, 2025 at 4:27 PM
I remember those. I got one in exchange for one of my own novelty "Zombie Plus" loyalty cards. The necrocard was glossy thin cardboard, I recall. My loyalty cards were plastic, like credit cards.