,,«:=@&### ###&@=:«,,
,,,,,«=@@& &@@=«,,,,,
,,«:=@&### ###&@=:«,,
,,««:=@&&& &&&@=:««,,
,,«:=@@@&# #&@@@=:«,,
,«:=@&#### #,,,««««««««,,,# ####&@=:«,
,,,,«===@# ####,«« 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 ###&@=:«,,
,,«::::==& &==::::«,,
,,,,:=@&## ##&@=:,,,,
,,«:=@&### ###&@=:«,,
,,«:=@&### ###&@=:«,,
,,«:::@@## ##@@:::«,,