So You Want To Be A Ufologist

Today I was trying to decide which UFO research organization has the catchiest acronym: MUFON, CUFOS or FUFOR.

FUFOR, the Fund for UFO Research, wins the acronym battle, hands down, but CUFOS wins special honors for having the most original approach to advancing the cause of UFO research.

The website for CUFOS, the Center for UFO Studies, has a link to a document entitled You Want To Be A UFOlogist. That's a pretty great title, and I think I can be forgiven for expecting it to be a real page-turner. But no. The document is actually a dry, matter-of-fact how-to guide for those who wish to pursue a career as a UFOlogist. It seems to have been written by a high school guidance counselor for distribution in high school guidance offices, so it's strange that it really doesn't offer the career-minded high schooler much hope. The document quickly lays out the rather bleak facts:

* UFOlogy is not a real science
* There is no formal educational track for UFOlogy, because it is not a real science
* There is no formal career track for UFOlogy, because it is not a real science
* There is no money in UFOlogy, because... (see above).

But wait, what about FUFOR? Surely a UFO research organization with the word "Fund" in its name ought to be good for an occasional nugget or two, ought'n't it? Sadly, no: a quick look at the website's "History" page shows that the Fund's last expenditure was in 2001. That's a full ten years before I decided to become a UFO Field Investigator.

As the author of "You Want To Be A UFOlogist" sums it up mercilessly, "... it is best that you plan to do your UFO work as a volunteer."

So, my financial planner was right. While this is sad news for me personally, I am trying to look on the bright side: I won't have much competition.