#@##*%/--. .--/%*##@#
#@##*%/--. .--/%*##@#
##%%%//--. .--//%%%##
#*%-...... ......-%*#
#@##*%/--. .--/%*##@#
#@##*%/--. #...--------...# .--/%*##@#
##%//--... ####.-- 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 .--/%*##@#
#**/-..... .....-/**#
@##**%/--. .--/%**##@
#@##*%/--. .--/%*##@#
@#*%%%/--. .--/%%%*#@
#@##*%/--. .--/%*##@#