[Morrek]

I don't understand why so many people seem to believe that just because a planet doesn't have A)water and B)exactly the same temperature as earth they automatically come to the conclusion that life there is impossible, of any kind. Who's to say "aliens" can't live in extremely hot or cold(both very relative words to use aswell) enviroment, or be drinking something other than water? Or even need to drink at all? Maybe some of them are living purely off of gas or whatever, how the heck could we know?

As to the other question, I really believe we are "being watched/visited" if that's how you wish to describe it, and "they" just don't feel like we're ready to start communicating with them on a "public" level. And I really don't blame them, our society is very poorly developed in all kinds of ways, I mean, we're still killing eachother all over the world all year around, who's to say we wouldn't (sooner or later) attempt to kill "aliens" if they entered our world?