Are we alone?

     Roswell, New Mexico...Most people when they hear that, immediately think of Aliens. I do, I won't lie. I believe it all. I would be close-minded to believe that we are the only intelligent life in the galaxy. Notice I said galaxy. I heard a report on a radio station that I happen to favor WRSI, The River, and the DJ was interviewing a scientist that was sharing that we, the United States, or Earth found a planet, much like our own. The Goldilocks Planet, meaning in the same principle as the book, neither too far from a star or too close to a star a planet much like our own with the possibility of water and we all know that water sustains life. This planet is a mere 20 light years away...jaaaahhh right? It seems really very promising, however let's just stay within our own limitations for now.

     In and around June or July 1947, the government was involved in the alleged recovery of extra-terrestrial debris, including the suspicion of alien corpses, that was suspected of crashing in the desert in Roswell, New Mexico. Let's just call a spade a spade. We all have heard such a story, and deep down we knew that maybe,just maybe the story might be true. In 1947,the RAAF(the Roswell Army Airfield) issued a press release stating that 509th Bomb Group had recovered a crashed "flying disc". First, why would they make it up? What could those men have possibly gained, throwing themselves into an unexplained phenomena? Not to mention it was 1947, tolerance was not a word that was in their vocabulary.

     One thing that the government did not count on was what the eyewitnesses saw. Major Jesse Marcel, was the first whistle blower. He felt that the government quickly squelched all information on such a crash. In 1987, former mortician Glenn Dennis gave a very personal and detailed account of alien autopsies that took place on the Roswell base. The way in which the military dealt with it was,to reiterate that first it was the recovery of a weather balloon,functioning in a high altitude situation.  Then in 1997 the Air Force recanted that story and said that these balloons were meant to detect the sound waves of the Soviet atomic bomb tests and ballistic missiles. But wait, they said it was a weather balloon? The other theory was these individuals involved in the search and rescue that night,were going through some sort of repressed memory recall of accidents that happened to soldiers in combat, and somehow this was the time it decided to boil to the surface.  Whatever the case maybe about what happened that night, it has spawned a revolution of UFO hunters, countless movies, books, television programs and looking into the night sky with a different perspective.

     The general attitude surrounding aliens is of disbelief and ridicule, perhaps because we would have to rethink our place in the universe.  Somehow all that we have said and established might be different. It impacts our morals, beliefs and gives credibility to what is unknown.

     In the last year, one of the world's leading scientists has come forward to warn the world of the possible existence of extra-terrestrials.  Stephen Hawking has been quoted in saying" the universe has 100 billion galaxies, each containing hundreds of millions of stars. In such a big place, Earth is unlikely to be the only planet where life has evolved."  As well Lord Rees, astronomer royal, has been quoted in saying " I suspect that there could be life and intelligence out there in forms we can't conceive, Just as chimpanzees can't understand quantum theory, it could be there are aspects of reality that are beyond the capacity of our brains."

New Mexico's Green Chili Cheeseburger

3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded

6 anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded

6 cloves of garlic

1 bunch of cilantro, rinse well tends to be sandy

1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dark chile powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
juice of one lime
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.
2 pounds of ground beef
Thick sliced sharp cheddar (Cabot good)
4 quality burger buns(because the burger bun really makes it)

For roasting the chiles what you can do is oil the peppers and roast in a 450F oven until some of the skin on the peppers split.  Remove the peppers and immediately place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let steam for at least 5 minutes, this will help with peeling the peppers. Once all the peppers are processed and ready. Process all ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until well mixed. Fire your grill up and get the coals ready for the burgers.  Season the ground beef well with salt and pepper, and be careful not to overwork the ground be too much.  Just season and scoop 1/2 pound in hand, and form delicately into a patty and leave a dimple in the middle to keep the burger from swelling too much.  Golden rule of burgers, never, never press with a spatula.  The fat and juicyness is released and is wasted on the coals. Flip your burger and top with the green chile sauce and top that with a healthy slice of cheddar cheese.  Cover your grill long enough to melt the cheese over the sauce.  Add the bun and your good to go, add your favorite burger acessories and enjoy.

The first thing you lose on a diet is your sense of humor.~ Author Unknown