I've always been a sci-fi guy. I don't give a shit if that makes me some kind of geek/nerd.....I've always been attracted to the future. I like the idea that humanity has the capacity to improve itself, despite the evidence to the contrary, and that someday we can somehow break free of the speed of light and explore the cosmos, without the aid of hallucinogenics. I refuse to believe that we are the only "intelligent" life forms in the universe.....shit, I gotta believe someone out there is smarter that us, that's what I call "religion", folks. It's entirely possible that we've already been visited by beings from another planet/star/dimension/what-have-you, and that they had the good sense not to make a big deal out of it, knowing that we'd probably freak out and go ballistic on their ass. But, here's the deal y'all.......aliens are already among us, this I know. Not those two headed seven eyeballed freaky things from outer space aliens, no no.....I'm talking homegrown. And chances are, you know at least several. You might even be one yourself.... This has been buggin me for awhile now, as I try to get a handle on what it is to be human, cos I'm pretty damn sure that I am.....human, that is. What makes a human a human anyway? I've thought of a few things, which I'll get into in a minute.....but I stared thinking about what makes someone NOT a human. And if you're not a human, and you're not an unusually talented member of the animal kingdom, then that might make you an......alien? Is it possible that there's a new species of "homo" that has been developing for a long time now, with pretty much the same genetic makeup, but, is not quite human anymore? This would certainly explain a lot about why humanity seems to be under siege by what would APPEAR to be itself, "our own worst enemy", and all that. So, I started thinking about this alien thing, and this is what I have decided.... Aliens are everywhere. They pretty much exist to further themselves at any cost. They're cool about using up whatever resources are available, and then have no compunction about letting their waste pile up everywhere, as long as they don't have to look at it. Since they feel superior to humans, they have no guilt about using them to further their goals.... once the human is "used up", they are easily discarded. When it serves them, aliens like to use the human's natural fear of the unknown to control them, scaring them with the concept of "eternal damnation" to get them to toe the line. Aliens like to use the available medias to control humans, if not convert them to alienhood. Money is a favored tool of the aliens: utilizing the all-too-human fear that one never has enough of it is a particularly potent control source. Aliens thrive on human dischord.... they like to get them fighting for no good reason, then, once they've sufficiently weakened each other, swoop in and scoop up the spoils. They have no real need for anything nutritious.....the cheapest, most easily created crap will do. Art has little or no meaning to them.....anything that actually makes you feel anything should be avoided in favor of quick and cheap titillation.....feeling things being a distinctly human thing. Aliens feel little love for humanity.....they care about their own alien tribe, and if you're not in that tribe, then your just a speed bump under their Hummer, pal. Thup Thup. Now, don't get the wrong idea here. I'm not saying that all rich folks are aliens....I happen to know some very fine humans that happen to be loaded. And I'm not saying that all humans are saints either. Humans are messy, conflicted, sometimes even self-contradictory beings, capable of great evil as well as greatness. Humans have fought each other for millennia, with no assistance from alienhood. But, by my definition (and yes, I'm doing the defining here in this little rant), humans inevitably want to preserve humanity.... their own, as well as that in others. Humans want to find some sort of harmony with their environment, be it the desert, the jungle, the tundra, and yes, even the city. Humans (in MY definition, anyway) want to reach out to each other, and create societies that are self-sustaining and inter-dependent. They want to learn, grow, and improve in at least SOME small way, and pass on whatever is discovered to their progeny, to be taken into the future. Sure they can screw up.....be stupid, petty, misguided....noone said being human was being perfect, but in general, humans want and need to LOVE AND BE LOVED, and will try to do what is needed to deserve that. Every great invention or philosophical concept that has any real lasting value was created by a human, not an alien. No, the atom bomb is NOT an invention with real lasting value, despite what you may have heard.....velcro, on the other hand.... Of course, there are some gray areas here. There are humans with alien tendencies, as well as aliens with human tendencies, but I think you get the idea, that is, if you even got this far. I'm pretty sure that there are more aliens among us at this time than have ever walked the earth, and they're proliferating, and getting more dangerous all the time. So, next time you're looking at yourself in the mirror, possibly even flossing, ask yourself: am I a human? Then think about it.....do I have alien tendencies? If you're an alien, I'm pretty sure you don't even bother to ask yourself things like this. And, if you are in fact an alien such as I have described in this rant, then, on behalf of humanity, go fuck yourself. I welcome y'alls input as to: Who's an alien, and who ain't........and how do we stop these suckers from wiping us out. Peace.