..~*^%#### ####%^*~..
...~*^%### ###%^*~...
....~*^%## ##%^*~....
...~*^%### ###%^*~...
..~*^%#### ####%^*~..
...~*^%### #...~~~~~~~~...# ###%^*~...
....~*^%## ####.~~ 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 ##%^*~....
...~*^%### ###%^*~...
..~*^%#### ####%^*~..
...~*^%### ###%^*~...
....~*^%## ##%^*~....
...~*^%### ###%^*~...