..:==*¤#@# #@#¤*==:..
.:==*¤#@## ##@#¤*==:.
..:==*¤#@# #@#¤*==:..
...:==*¤#@ @#¤*==:...
....:==*¤# #¤*==:....
.....:==*¤ #...========...# ¤*==:.....
......:==* ####.== 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 =:........
.......:== ==:.......
......:==* *==:......
.....:==*¤ ¤*==:.....
....:==*¤# #¤*==:....
...:==*¤#@ @#¤*==:...