....^-†=&@                                          @&=†-^....
...^-†=&@#                                          #@&=†-^...
..^-†=&@#@                                          @#@&=†-^..
.^-†=&@#@#                                          #@#@&=†-^.
..^-†=&@#@                                          @#@&=†-^..
...^-†=&@#             #...--------...#             #@&=†-^...
....^-†=&@     ####.-- FERMI'S PARADOX --.####      @&=†-^....
.....^-†=&             #...--------...#             &=†-^.....
......^-†=                                          =†-^......
.......^-† ON EARTH  (THE  PLANET  WHERE I  LIVE) A †-^.......
........^- LOT OF US  HAVE  ANTENNAS ON  OUR HOUSES -^........
.........^ OR  BALCONIES,  WE   HAVE  BUILT   LARGE ^.........
.......... ANTENNAS  FOR  LARGER  BANDWITH, WE HAVE ..........
.........^     BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR      ^.........
........^-   SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM    -^........
.......^-† INTO ORBIT),  WE'VE BUILT LARGE AS  FUCK †-^.......
......^-†=              ANTENNA ARRAYS              =†-^......
.....^-†=& WE'VE VIRTUALLY BUILT AN  ANTENNA WITH A &=†-^.....
....^-†=&@         DISH AS LARGE AS EARTH.          @&=†-^....
...^-†=&@#                                          #@&=†-^...
..^-†=&@#@ WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT OUR  POSITION IN THE @#@&=†-^..
.^-†=&@#@#      SOLAR SYSTEM, OUR SOLAR SYSTEMS     #@#@&=†-^.
..^-†=&@#@ PLACEMENT  IN  THE   GALAXY,   AND   OUR @#@&=†-^..
...^-†=&@# GALAXYS PLACEMENT IN THE  LOCAL CLUSTER, #@&=†-^...
....^-†=&@ AND  -OUR- LOCAL  CLUSTERS PLACE IN  THE @&=†-^....
.....^-†=&          GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS          &=†-^.....
......^-†=                                          =†-^......
.......^-† AND  WE'RE  MOVING  AROUND  THE  SUN  AT †-^.......
........^- VELOCITY AND THE  SUNS MOVING AROUND THE -^........
.........^ CENTER  OF  THE GALAXY  AT  VELOCITY AND ^.........
.......... THE  GALAXY  IS MOVING  TOWARD ANDROMEDA ..........
.........^    AND WE'RE BOTH MOVING ANTICLOCKWISE   ^.........
........^- AROUND  THE GALAXY. AND  WE AS A SPECIES -^........
.......^-† HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE ALL THAT IN ACCOUNT †-^.......
......^-†=                                          =†-^......
.....^-†=& AND DESPITE ALL  THIS,  DESPITE  ALL OUR &=†-^.....
....^-†=&@    (CLICHE) BEAMING OF FUCKING STELLAR   @&=†-^....
...^-†=&@# RADIO PROGRAMMES  OUT IN  FUCKING  SPACE #@&=†-^...
..^-†=&@#@ AT THE SPEED  OF  LIGHT  (LIGHT  IS  OUR @#@&=†-^..
.^-†=&@#@#  MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!), #@#@&=†-^.
..^-†=&@#@      DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE      @#@&=†-^..
...^-†=&@#     COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS     #@&=†-^...
....^-†=&@   FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS    @&=†-^....
.....^-†=& BEAMING  OF  ALL  OUR  SECRETS  IN EVERY &=†-^.....
......^-†=          DIRECTION KNOWN TO US,          =†-^......
.......^-†                                          †-^.......
........^- NO   .    ONE   .   HAS    .    ANSWERED -^........
.........^                                          ^.........
..........             #...--------...#             ..........
.........^      ####.-- FERMI'S PARADOX --.####     ^.........
........^-             #...--------...#             -^........
.......^-†                                          †-^.......
......^-†=              SO WHY IS THAT?             =†-^......
.....^-†=&                                          &=†-^.....
....^-†=&@ MOST  OPPONENTS TO  INTELLIGENT  LIFE IN @&=†-^....
...^-†=&@# THE  UNIVERSE SAY IT'S BECAUSE YOU  NEED #@&=†-^...
..^-†=&@#@ A  CLASS ONE-OR-THE-OTHER  STAR AND  THE @#@&=†-^..
.^-†=&@#@# PLANET  NEEDS  TO  BE  AT  A  SEE-AND-SO #@#@&=†-^.
..^-†=&@#@ DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE STAR (LIKE  THERE @#@&=†-^..
...^-†=&@#           HAS TO BE A PLANET!)           #@&=†-^...
....^-†=&@                                          @&=†-^....
.....^-†=& BUT  REALLY  ISN'T  THAT   KEEPING   THE &=†-^.....
......^-†=      DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX?      =†-^......
.......^-†                                          †-^.......
........^- I THINK EVERYONE  AGREES THAT WE HAVE NO -^........
.........^ IDEA  WHAT WE'RE DOING (AND  IT PROBABLY ^.........
..........                  SHOWS)                  ..........
.........^                                          ^.........
........^-             #...--------...#             -^........
.......^-†      ####.-- FERMI'S PARADOX --.####     †-^.......
......^-†=             #...--------...#             =†-^......
.....^-†=&                                          &=†-^.....
....^-†=&@ I'M GONNA  GO  SMOKE MY THIRD  CIGARETTE @&=†-^....
...^-†=&@# THIS YEAR AND TRY  TO SNATCH SOME  BEERS #@&=†-^...
..^-†=&@#@         FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING        @#@&=†-^..
.^-†=&@#@#                                          #@#@&=†-^.
..^-†=&@#@                                          @#@&=†-^..
...^-†=&@#                                          #@&=†-^...
....^-†=&@                                          @&=†-^....
.....^-†=&                                          &=†-^.....