,,,,,,,,.«                                          «.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.«:                                          :«.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,.«:^                                          ^:«.,,,,,,
,,,,,.«:^@                                          @^:«.,,,,,
,,,,.«:^@#                                          #@^:«.,,,,
,,,.«:^@##             #,,,««««««««,,,#             ##@^:«.,,,
,,.«:^@###     ####,«« 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        ^:«.,,,,,,
,,,,,.«:^@                                          @^:«.,,,,,
,,,,.«:^@#                                          #@^:«.,,,,
,,,.«:^@##                                          ##@^:«.,,,
,,.«:^@###                                          ###@^:«.,,
,.«:^@####                                          ####@^:«.,