.,-:=%§###                                          ###§%=:-,.
...,--::%#                                          #%::--,...
......-:%§                                          §%:-......
..,--::%%#                                          #%%::--,..
....,,:%%#                                          #%%:,,....
.,-:=%§###             #...--------...#             ###§%=:-,.
.,-:=%§###      ####.-- 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         ###§%=:-,.
.,-:=%§###                                          ###§%=:-,.
.,-:=%§###                                          ###§%=:-,.
.....,:=§#                                          #§=:,.....
.,-:=%§###                                          ###§%=:-,.
.,-:=%§###                                          ###§%=:-,.