,.««;%%$$¤                                          ¤$$%%;««.,
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,,,.;%%$¤#             #,,,««««««««,,,#             #¤$%%;.,,,
,,.««;;$¤¤     ####,«« FERMI'S PARADOX ««,####      ¤¤$;;««.,,
,.«;%$@###             #,,,««««««««,,,#             ###@$%;«.,
,.«;%$¤@##                                          ##@¤$%;«.,
,,,,,.;$$@ ON  EARTH  (THE  PLANET WHERE  I LIVE) A @$$;.,,,,,
,,,,,.«%%¤ 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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