Anyone who has an interest in space, its exploration and current theories about Extra Terrestrials or Alien life forms has probably heard about SETI or the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligences. Sponsored by the Planetary Society, the SETI is a project which scans space from large radio telescopes in an attempt to find signals originating from Intelligent Life in deep space. It is really nothing new. Radio astronomers have been trying to 'hear Aliens' since 1924

In theory the Extra Terrestrials have radios, at least the more intelligent ones, and maybe they're sending us CQs on a regular basis if we can just find the signal and frequency. The only flaw in this theory is that the Aliens may be really intelligent and have been monitoring our TV signals. They may want nothing to do with us.

Nevertheless after 20 years of hearing only a dial tone the folks at SETI have begun a project called SETI@home and have a web site to prove it. They are asking HAM radio operators like us to join them in the search by connecting our transmitters to an antenna aimed into deep space. This will be wired into our computers which is full of their programs. Your computer could then be searching the sky to try and contact ET (which I suppose would technically be DXing).

I have special inside information on this project which I thing anyone thinking about signing up with SETI should know. The Aliens have communicated with me that they can send us radio transmissions but are afraid to. The Aliens, apparently, have heard about the FCC, and particularly their Enforcement Division. The Aliens are afraid to transmit because they have no licenses. They have the knowledge and technology but they know that if they transmit they could have their equipment confiscated and be fined. They would actually like to get licenses but the VEC program doesn't have Volunteer Examiners in their area.

Naturally as soon as I found this out I called NASA. I think that if NASA would get behind this thing we could have some Volunteer Examiners on the next space shuttle. I don't think the people at NASA took me too seriously though. It was very hard to talk to the person I had on the phone. There was a lot of laughing in the background, I think there was some kind of party going on.

Perhaps if more of us were to contact NASA and tell them about the Aliens need for VEs we could help out. We could have some VEs sent up to give the Aliens their exams. Perhaps you might have the name of a Volunteer Examiner who should be shot into space? You could include the name with your request. Of course if we did shoot some VE's into space that would not be proof that there was intelligent life up there. But we need to help the Aliens get their licenses. (I wonder what district they would be in?) We could sign them all up for ARES/RACES. It would make for much more interesting meetings. They might be able to help us with the repeaters getting struck by lighting. Do we know it was really lightning? Maybe it was a ray gun. I think I will go take my medicine now. I need to wrap the aluminum foil around my head too. That is how I keep the Aliens from taking over control of my mind.