,,^«^=$#£#                                          #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£##                                          ##£#$=^«^,
,,^«^=$#£#                                          #£#$=^«^,,
,,,^«^=$#£                                          £#$=^«^,,,
,,,,^«^=$#                                          #$=^«^,,,,
,,,^«^=$#£             #,,,««««««««,,,#             £#$=^«^,,,
,,^«^=$#£#      ####,«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««,####     #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£##             #,,,««««««««,,,#             ##£#$=^«^,
,,^«^=$#£#                                          #£#$=^«^,,
,,,^«^=$#£ ON EARTH (THE  PLANET  WHERE  I LIVE)  A £#$=^«^,,,
,,,,^«^=$# LOT  OF  US  HAVE ANTENNAS ON OUR HOUSES #$=^«^,,,,
,,,^«^=$#£ OR   BALCONIES,  WE  HAVE  BUILT   LARGE £#$=^«^,,,
,,^«^=$#£# ANTENNAS FOR  LARGER  BANDWITH, WE  HAVE #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£##     BUILD SPECIALIZED ANTENNAES FOR      ##£#$=^«^,
,,^«^=$#£#   SPECIFIC WAVELENGTHS (AND SENT THEM    #£#$=^«^,,
,,,^«^=$#£ INTO  ORBIT), WE'VE  BUILT LARGE AS FUCK £#$=^«^,,,
,,,,^«^=$#              ANTENNA ARRAYS              #$=^«^,,,,
,,,^«^=$#£ WE'VE  VIRTUALLY BUILT AN ANTENNA WITH A £#$=^«^,,,
,,^«^=$#£#          DISH AS LARGE AS EARTH.         #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£##                                          ##£#$=^«^,
,,^«^=$#£# WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT OUR  POSITION IN THE #£#$=^«^,,
,,,^«^=$#£      SOLAR SYSTEM, OUR SOLAR SYSTEMS     £#$=^«^,,,
,,,,^«^=$# PLACEMENT  IN   THE  GALAXY,   AND   OUR #$=^«^,,,,
,,,^«^=$#£ GALAXYS PLACEMENT IN THE LOCAL  CLUSTER, £#$=^«^,,,
,,^«^=$#£# AND «OUR« LOCAL CLUSTERS  PLACE  IN  THE #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£##          GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS          ##£#$=^«^,
,,^«^=$#£#                                          #£#$=^«^,,
,,,^«^=$#£ AND  WE'RE  MOVING  AROUND  THE  SUN  AT £#$=^«^,,,
,,,,^«^=$# VELOCITY AND  THE SUNS MOVING AROUND THE #$=^«^,,,,
,,,^«^=$#£ CENTER  OF  THE  GALAXY AT VELOCITY  AND £#$=^«^,,,
,,^«^=$#£# THE GALAXY  IS  MOVING TOWARD  ANDROMEDA #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£##   AND WE'RE BOTH MOVING ANTICLOCKWISE    ##£#$=^«^,
,,^«^=$#£# AROUND THE GALAXY.  AND WE AS  A SPECIES #£#$=^«^,,
,,,^«^=$#£ HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE ALL THAT IN ACCOUNT £#$=^«^,,,
,,,,^«^=$#                                          #$=^«^,,,,
,,,^«^=$#£ AND  DESPITE ALL  THIS, DESPITE ALL  OUR £#$=^«^,,,
,,^«^=$#£#    (CLICHE) BEAMING OF FUCKING STELLAR   #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£## RADIO PROGRAMMES  OUT IN  FUCKING  SPACE ##£#$=^«^,
,,^«^=$#£# AT  THE  SPEED OF  LIGHT  (LIGHT IS  OUR #£#$=^«^,,
,,,^«^=$#£  MEDIUM! GOODSPEED YOU, BLACK EMPEROR!), £#$=^«^,,,
,,,,^«^=$#      DESPITE GHOSTS HELPING AND THE      #$=^«^,,,,
,,,^«^=$#£     COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS LOWPASS     £#$=^«^,,,
,,^«^=$#£#    FILTERING, DESPITE OUR VERY OBVIOUS   #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£## BEAMING  OF ALL  OUR  SECRETS  IN  EVERY ##£#$=^«^,
,,^«^=$#£#          DIRECTION KNOWN TO US,          #£#$=^«^,,
,,,^«^=$#£                                          £#$=^«^,,,
,,,,^«^=$# NO    ,    ONE   ,   HAS   ,    ANSWERED #$=^«^,,,,
,,,^«^=$#£                                          £#$=^«^,,,
,,^«^=$#£#             #,,,««««««««,,,#             #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£##     ####,«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««,####      ##£#$=^«^,
,,^«^=$#£#             #,,,««««««««,,,#             #£#$=^«^,,
,,,^«^=$#£                                          £#$=^«^,,,
,,,,^«^=$#              SO WHY IS THAT?             #$=^«^,,,,
,,,^«^=$#£                                          £#$=^«^,,,
,,^«^=$#£# MOST  OPPONENTS TO INTELLIGENT  LIFE  IN #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£## THE  UNIVERSE SAY  IT'S BECAUSE YOU NEED ##£#$=^«^,
,,^«^=$#£# A CLASS  ONE-OR-THE-OTHER  STAR  AND THE #£#$=^«^,,
,,,^«^=$#£ PLANET  NEEDS  TO  BE  AT  A  SEE-AND-SO £#$=^«^,,,
,,,,^«^=$# DISTANCE AWAY FROM  THE STAR (LIKE THERE #$=^«^,,,,
,,,^«^=$#£           HAS TO BE A PLANET!)           £#$=^«^,,,
,,^«^=$#£#                                          #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£## BUT  REALLY  ISN'T   THAT  KEEPING   THE ##£#$=^«^,
,,^«^=$#£#      DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX?      #£#$=^«^,,
,,,^«^=$#£                                          £#$=^«^,,,
,,,,^«^=$# I  THINK EVERYONE AGREES THAT WE HAVE NO #$=^«^,,,,
,,,^«^=$#£ IDEA WHAT WE'RE DOING  (AND  IT PROBABLY £#$=^«^,,,
,,^«^=$#£#                  SHOWS)                  #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£##                                          ##£#$=^«^,
,,^«^=$#£#             #,,,««««««««,,,#             #£#$=^«^,,
,,,^«^=$#£      ####,«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««,####     £#$=^«^,,,
,,,,^«^=$#             #,,,««««««««,,,#             #$=^«^,,,,
,,,^«^=$#£                                          £#$=^«^,,,
,,^«^=$#£# I'M GONNA  GO SMOKE MY  THIRD  CIGARETTE #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£## THIS YEAR AND TRY TO  SNATCH SOME  BEERS ##£#$=^«^,
,,^«^=$#£#         FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING        #£#$=^«^,,
,,,^«^=$#£                                          £#$=^«^,,,
,,,,^«^=$#                                          #$=^«^,,,,
,,,^«^=$#£                                          £#$=^«^,,,
,,^«^=$#£#                                          #£#$=^«^,,
,^«^=$#£##                                          ##£#$=^«^,