....,»*=@£                                          £@=*»,....
...,»*=@££                                          ££@=*»,...
..,»*=@££#                                          #££@=*»,..
.,»*=@££##                                          ##££@=*»,.
..,»*=@££#                                          #££@=*»,..
...,»*=@££             #...»»»»»»»»...#             ££@=*»,...
....,»*=@£     ####.»» 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         #££@=*»,..
.,»*=@££##                                          ##££@=*»,.
..,»*=@££#                                          #££@=*»,..
...,»*=@££                                          ££@=*»,...
....,»*=@£                                          £@=*»,....
.....,»*=@                                          @=*»,.....