,,=†§$&¶##                                          ##¶&$§†=,,
,,=†§$&¶@@                                          @@¶&$§†=,,
,,=†§$&¶@#                                          #@¶&$§†=,,
,,,,,†§$$&                                          &$$§†,,,,,
,,=†§&¶@##                                          ##@¶&§†=,,
,,,,,,=†$&             #,,,========,,,#             &$†=,,,,,,
,,,,††§§$¶      ####,== FERMI'S PARADOX ==,####     ¶$§§††,,,,
,,=†§$&¶##             #,,,========,,,#             ##¶&$§†=,,
,,=†§$$&¶@                                          @¶&$$§†=,,
,,,,,=§§&& 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 &§§§†,,,,,
,,=†§$&¶¶@        FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING         @¶¶&$§†=,,
,,=†§$&&&&                                          &&&&$§†=,,
,=†§$&¶@##                                          ##@¶&$§†=,
,,,,,,,†§&                                          &§†,,,,,,,
,,=†§$&¶¶@                                          @¶¶&$§†=,,
,,,=†§§&&¶                                          ¶&&§§†=,,,