Ouuuuuuchhhhh... No Funding

photo courtesy of www.solarnavigator.net

SETI’s funding has been removed!  SETI, one of the only Institutes on earth that reaches out to the heavens to search for intelligent life, had to put it’s parabolic arrays away until 2013 because no funding was available for the remainder of 2011 or 2012.

I had two questions I needed answered before making up my mind on what to do. So I turned to my friends and family and asked them, "How do you feel about SETI and what idea do you have for raising money for the stricken institute?"

Wendi, a hairstylist for Paul Mitchell had this to say, “SETI? I don’t know what you are saying to me right now! What is a SETI?” After explaining to her that SETI was the search for extra-terrestrial life, she had this to say about doing a fundraiser, “I’d rather raise money for NASA!”

Good point Wendi! If we do make contact, we might have to chase them off and without NASA that would be quite difficult. I thought about who the biggest sci-fi fan I know was and then dialed the number.

The following conversation went like this:
Me, “Dad, what do you think about SETI going belly up till 2013?”
My Dad, “What is SETI?”
Me, "Dad, SETI is the Search for..."
Dad, "Ohhhhh SETI, yeah!" 

I was cut off at this point by him. He perked right up and started talking about the parabolic arrays and the pyramids and how we were visited before. 

I knew I could count on my Dad. When I asked him how he would raise money for the stricken Institute he said he would, “Have Isaac Asimov champion the cause and get a bandwagon behind him to raise the funds.” Proud of his answer, he hung up the phone.

On the other end, I shook my head to clear the knowledge that was just dropped on me. Isaac Asimov? Bandwagons? I’m sure I felt a little like Wendi did when I asked her how she felt about SETI.

Thanks, Dad for that bit of insight and thank you Wikipedia for letting me know who Isaac Asimov was. That's right, was, Isaac Asimov died in 1992.

So we have one vote for NASA and one for a dead guy.

I'm a little baffled how SETI can be front-page news on CNN and nobody knows about it?

I knew one person I could count on. I picked up the phone and called Dr. Joe. A good friend, surgeon and homeowner.

When Dr. Joe picked up the phone he was most definitely agitated and said, “Dude I’m on trauma rotation, what is so damn important?” I explained my two questions and he was upset to say the least. “Yes, I know what SETI is. It's those geeks who search for ET.” Not sure how he knew about SETI, but I decided to throw out my next question about a fundraiser, to which he replied, “You must be the most bored person on earth. You really sit around thinking up crap like this and then call me? Seriously, a fundraiser for alien research? Get a life! Dammit. OK! Lemonade.” Then the phone went dead.

So SETI, if you want any ideas on raising funds from two people in Florida, you have to choose between a dead guy and lemonade.

After all answers I received, I am left asking… WWETD?