,,,^^^**£@                                          @£**^^^,,,
,^-^*&&££#                                          #££&&*^-^,
,^-^*&£@##                                          ##@£&*^-^,
,^-^*&£@##                                          ##@£&*^-^,
,^-^*&£@##                                          ##@£&*^-^,
,^-^*&£@##             #,,,--------,,,#             ##@£&*^-^,
,^-^*&£@##     ####,-- 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         £&*----^,,
,^-^*&£###                                          ###£&*^-^,
,^-^*&£@##                                          ##@£&*^-^,
,,,,,,-*&@                                          @&*-,,,,,,
,,,,^-**&£                                          £&**-^,,,,
,^-^*&£@##                                          ##@£&*^-^,