Thursday, September 30, 2010

From the Jacqui's Room Office for Outer Space Affairs

My Thursday News of the Absurd Will Someone Please Write This Book Inspirational Moment (TNoftheAWSPWTBIM) news this week turned out to be a hoax!

I was disappointed to hear that, contrary to many media sources (all of whom should be really embarrassed for repeating it without doing any fact-checking), the U.N. did not actually appoint someone Earth's official "first contact" with alien life forms. Apparently, there is not someone in an office in Malaysia whose job is to wait for aliens to contact us.

This is very disappointing because one of you was going to write me a hilarious picture book about the bored bureaucrat sitting filing her nails, cracking gum and fielding the alien phone calls. ("Hello, Department of Earth's First ExtraTerrestrial Contact. How may I direct your call?") The official first contact was Malaysian, but I was picturing her from Jersey. And of course she was unfazable, regardless of what crazy aliens came in. "I'm sorry sir. There are no further openings for attempted invasion and take over of New York City this month. Please fill out Form P-2987 and submit it with November's application fee. Next."

Mostly, I'm disappointed nobody has to answer me this: it's all fine and well for US to know who the first contact is. But who's going to explain it to the aliens?

Oh well. At least U.N.O.O.S.A.* really exists. That's enough to feed the imagination for a while.

* the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

3 comments:

cath c said...

ha!

sruble said...

Sounds like you've almost got the whole PB written, even if it isn't true. You should totally write it Jacqui! Keep this one for your self. At the end, the alien could make contact with Earth and you can decide if the alien makes contact with the official contact or with someone else, or with an animal, or an inanimate object! Oh the possibilities! If you write it, I might even offer to illustrate it for you ;)

Stephanie
http://www.sruble.com/blog

Jacqui said...

sruble, the problem is I think this is probably less a picture book and more an SNL skit! But I LOVE the idea that the chief alien ambassador becomes obsessed with the idea of alien contact and begins thinking her toaster is talking to her...