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