Hats of to the <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130411/POLITICS02/304110362/Next-frontier-Cheeks-Kilpatrick-Panel-exploring-existence-alien-life">Detroit News</a> for this fantastic title: Next frontier for Cheeks Kilpatrick: Panel exploring existence of alien life<br />
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The (ahem) esteemed former congresswoman, and proud mother of His Honor, Detroit's own Kwame Kilpatrick, has got a new gig - searching for life beyond our own planet. Yes, a group here on earth will be trekking among the stars, or at least in their imagination, for proof that the truth is out there:<br />
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<div>Dubbed the Citizen Hearing on Disclosure, the public panel pledges to expose evidence of &quot;extraterrestrial vehicles&quot; and a government effort to deny sightings of such craft commonly called UFOs.</div>
</blockquote>If you are like me, you probably wondered why Mrs. Kilpatrick would be involved in such a far-out, cheeky idea as looking for alien life and government conspiracies. (Granted, aliens visiting earth is a saner idea that the 9/11 Truthers have, but still.) Wonder no more:<br />
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Kilpatrick will be joined by five other former members of Congress for the hearings. Each will be paid about $20,000 and their expenses will be covered, Bassett said.<br />
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Yes, for hosting 30 hours of congressional-style hearing (not congressional hearing, but congressional-style hearings), Mrs. Kilpatrick&nbsp; will be paid a fair amount of cash and get the opportunity to visit strange new worlds. Or at least the East Coast. <br />
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She is not the only one, either. This is a bi-partisan event, showing that both Republicans and Democrats can reach out and touch the face of crazy when there is cash involved.<br />
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(Full disclosure: I like Star Wars, Star Trek, and The X-Files and, if asked, I would be on this commission. And I would delay my mocking of the group until after I was paid my $20,000.)<br />
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So what's the point? Well, Stephen Bassett, executive director of &quot;Paradigm Research Group&quot; (no, I had never heard of them either), has been looking for truth in all the wrong places, but he has high hopes with his new ex-elected officials sort-of all star team. After all these years of government secrecy about Area 51 and all those other hidden alien artifacts stored away in government facilities (right next to the Arc of the Covenant, which Indiana Jones found), things are hopefully going to change:<br />
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Bassett said he hopes the hearings will generate enough attention for the government to change its mind.<br />
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<div>&quot;There is a government policy of denial,&quot; Bassett said. &quot;And once that policy ends, we are going to learn the truth about this phenomenon pretty quickly.&quot;</div>
</blockquote>Hope and change, my friends, is everywhere. So adjust your tin foil hat and hold on tight.<br />