...:-^=%£#                                          #£%=^-:...
..:-^=%£##                                          ##£%=^-:..
.:-^=%£###                                          ###£%=^-:.
..:-^=%£##                                          ##£%=^-:..
...:-^=%£#                                          #£%=^-:...
....:-^=%£             #...--------...#             £%=^-:....
.....:-^=%     ####.-- 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        #£%=^-:...
....:-^=%£                                          £%=^-:....
.....:-^=%                                          %=^-:.....
......:-^=                                          =^-:......
.....:-^=%                                          %=^-:.....
....:-^=%£                                          £%=^-:....