###¤&*=... ...=*&¤###
####¤&*=.. ..=*&¤####
###¤&*=... ...=*&¤###
##¤&*=.... ....=*&¤##
#¤&*=..... .....=*&¤#
¤&*=...... #...========...# ......=*&¤
&*=....... ####.== 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 ...=*&¤###
##¤&*=.... ....=*&¤##
#¤&*=..... .....=*&¤#
¤&*=...... ......=*&¤
&*=....... .......=*&
*=........ ........=*