Christopher Vera’s Mystic Nebula

As you may know, the Mystic Nebula is dedicated to the study of the natural, the unnatural and the supernatural. I try to avoid politics. You have other blog sites for that nonsense. Let me state here that I have no doubt the Earth is warming and has been for at least the last 10,000 years. I also have no problem reducing the environmental damage caused by humans if it is done in a reasonable manner and not used as an excuse to control human behavior ala 1984.

Therefore I present the following story from the BBC with only this word of caution. It is risky to presume we understand the nature of the universe, or even the Earth. Extremists on all sides debate Global Warming without all the relevant information.

Now we learn that the solar wind is at a 50 year low. The solar wind part of what impacts the flow of cosmic rays around our planet. We believe we understand the ramifications the increase of cosmic rays will have on electronic equipment. But we have no idea how this has impacted the climate of the planet over the years.

The problem with this kind of data however, is that one can’t tax cosmic rays or file a lawsuit against the sun. There’s no money in blaming these for climate change. The larger question is whether reasonable scientists and politicians will consider all available data when tackling the climate change issue, and whether we are more concerned with politics than with the environment.

Count me on the side of the environment and those that truly put her first and not their egos or their pocketbooks.

I’ve just begun my poetry editorial debut at Prick of the Spindle. Its a load of work, but quite rewarding. Editing is for me a humbling experience. I used to view it as a position of power (as a poet constantly rejected), and I suppose in some ways it is, but from the editing perspective, it is the poet that has the power to make their work known or unknown. The editor is only there to help that potential be realized.

Feel free to browse the poetry selections (not to mention the great articles and fiction) and if you’re in the mood, why don’t you submit a few poems?

My recommendation: Send only your best work only and pay close attention to the submission guidelines.

Give it up to Alpinekat. We need more science in rap. You go, girl! This one’s about the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.

Its amazing how ignorant we believe our ancestors were. They drew strange images on cave walls of creatures no one has seen. They told stories of monsters that exist in the dark, just beyond the light of the tribal campfire. Colorful explanations abound. And because of their wild and vivacious imaginations, we accuse them of somehow believing what they drew was real. That what they spoke of and sang about were all true.

Can modern humans assume we are so much more enlightened? Do we not tell stories of creatures that we have never seen? Do we not draw pictures of creatures both fantastic and demonic? Does this mean we believe? That we think it true? Have we not yet learned that one cannot trust everything just because it is written? Does this wisdom apply any differently to our ancestors?

Scholars and academics should take heed. A thousand years from now, should humankind be fortunate enough to still exist, what will our children think of us? Will they look at our strange pictures and hear our strange stories and think that we must have not know better? That because we revealed our imaginations in a tangible form that we thought it a complete and total reality?

A part of me does believe. Despite science and religion I do wonder at worlds we cannot comprehend. But I trust future generations not to scoff as if I were a brainless caveman with no sense of my own because cavemen were not brainless and our very existence proves it. I prefer our future kin realize that those that came before them had rich imaginations that not only entertained but informed, ignited new visions, and perhaps changed the way they look at their world, their universe, reality itself.

Do not belittle me because of my imagination. Do not belittle the caveman for his. His imagination is the root of the ancient racial memory that binds us all to our past just as our collective imagination is what binds us to our future. Our ancestors believed in exactly what they needed to believe to bring us this far. We must believe what will take us along the next leg of our journey.

San Diego writers now have San Diego Writer’s Online, a new forum in which to collaborate and discuss their passion of writing.

Moderated by JeSais, an upcoming writer and marketing guru, this forum is a great way to learn about the craft of writing and meet other writers in the San Diego area. You don’t have to be located in San Diego to join.

The ignorant and vicious are burning witches in Africa.

Source: MSNBC, Kenya Mob Reportedly Burns 11 witches

Now instead of witches, the villages will have 11 angry spirits.

Watched an interesting musical called “Surf Orpheus” last night at UCSD. As it’s name implies, it was about the mythical Greek tale of Orpheus, a hero who falls in love and searches for his sweetheart in Hades after she dies tragically on their wedding day. The whole show had a modern surfing theme to it which actually worked very well for a story of lost glories and living on the edge. Well told from a fantastic point of view. Just don’t ask me about the singing…

Poetry is like chess: Its easy to learn, but takes a lifetime to master.

The revolution came as all revolutions do—
with fire and promises.
The poor, minding their duties,
suffer the antics of the rich for so long.
Kick enough sand at the humblest of ants
and it will rise against you
and its brothers will rise with him.
It is too late to respect the ant
after your lands are fired.
Be as an ant.

I have been invited to speak as part of a panel discussion at the American Council for Technology (ACT) Technology Leadership Conference in San Diego on March 23rd on the topic of NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection.