.^-:*¤&### ###&¤*:-^.
....-:¤&&& &&&¤:-....
.^-:*¤&&## ##&&¤*:-^.
.^-:*¤¤&&# #&&¤¤*:-^.
....^:¤¤¤# #¤¤¤:^....
.^-:*¤&### #...--------...# ###&¤*:-^.
.^-:*¤&### ####.-- 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 #&*:^.....
.^-:***&## ##&***:-^.
.^-:*¤&### ###&¤*:-^.
.^-:*¤¤&&# #&&¤¤*:-^.
.^-:*¤&### ###&¤*:-^.
.^-:*¤&### ###&¤*:-^.