,^-*$&@£##                                          ##£@&$*-^,
,,^-*$&@£#                                          #£@&$*-^,,
,,,^-*$&@£                                          £@&$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$&@                                          @&$*-^,,,,
,,,,,^-*$&                                          &$*-^,,,,,
,,,,,,^-*$             #,,,--------,,,#             $*-^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^-*     ####,-- FERMI'S PARADOX --,####      *-^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^-             #,,,--------,,,#             -^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^                                          ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ON  EARTH (THE PLANET  WHERE  I LIVE)  A ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ LOT OF US  HAVE ANTENNAS  ON  OUR HOUSES ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^- OR  BALCONIES,   WE  HAVE  BUILT   LARGE -^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^-* ANTENNAS FOR  LARGER  BANDWITH, WE  HAVE *-^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^-*$     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        £@&$*-^,,,
,,,,^-*$&@                                          @&$*-^,,,,
,,,,,^-*$&                                          &$*-^,,,,,
,,,,,,^-*$                                          $*-^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^-*                                          *-^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^-                                          -^,,,,,,,,