John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #102: Life Out There?

"Life is like a box of chocolates. A cheap, thoughtless, perfunctory gift that nobody ever asks for. Unreturnable, because all you get back is another box of chocolates. You're stuck with this undefinable, whipped-mint crap that you mindlessly wolf down when there's nothing else left to eat. Sure, once in a while, there's a peanut butter cup, or an English toffee, but they're gone too fast, the taste is fleeting. So you end up with nothing but broken bits filled with hardened jelly and teeth crunching nuts, and if you're desperate enough to eat those, all you've got left is a...is an empty box...filled with useless, brown paper wrappers.

-C.G.S Spender The X-Files

Weekend Assignment #102: Do you honestly think there is life out there in the universe? And if so, what kind of life do you think it is?

Extra Credit: Name your favorite (fictional) alien creature.

-John Scalzi

Is there life out there? You bet there is! I believe that they are a fun loving race of beings that sees the planet Earth as a big Amusement park, that they sometimes visit, as we do when we visit a zoo...or Paramount's Great America. There is lots and lots of stuff we natives can't seem to figure out, so doesn't it at least seem a little plausible that beings from other planet's might come and observe us for the amusement factor? I see two "grays" sitting in there spacecraft making little cosmic bets, on when we will finally get that clue we earthlings keep missing. LOL. We better find it soon, according to the last episode of The X-Files, the end of the world will take place on December 22nd, 2012. Coincidentally, that is the very same date that was calculated by the Incas, Aztech's and Mayans. Hmmm.

Of course, another theory as to what, or who, might be visiting us, might lie with the strange story of Betty and Barney Hill. The Hill's claim to have been abducted by aliens while driving back to their home, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, after having been on vacation. After months of sleepless nights, and various unexplained health issues had manifested, they sought help from a psychiatrist who performed hypnosis therapy. It was under hypnosis, that both Mr. & Mrs. Hill recounted being abducted, and having to endure painful testing procedures while on board an alien craft. One of the most fascinating elements of the Hill's story comes from Betty Hill, who, under hypnosis drew a star map that at the time she drew it, didn't depict any known star system, but that would years later be found in the Zeta Reticuli system. Carl Sagan disputed the theories regarding the star map, saying that it could have been found in any one of a number of different star systems.

Personally...I think we are being visited...often...and I think it might be a little of both theories, with maybe a little biblical prophesy thrown in. You know...all those references to, "chariots of fire in the sky." And in the book of Ezekiel, there are passages which many believe to be referring to visitations from aliens. Ezekiel 1:4- 1:24. We don't know everything of heaven and earth, and there is never anything wrong with keeping an open mind to the possibilities. Like Mulder says, "I want to believe." :)

Extra Credit: My very favorite character was from an episode of The X-Files. His name was "Lord Kinbote," and he wasn't an alien from outer space, he was from inner space. Episode #69: Jose Chung's From Outer Space. That episode also happens to be one of my top 5 favorite episodes of the series. :)

-OndineMonet