.......,~† †~,.......
........,~ ~,........
.......,~† †~,.......
......,~†* *†~,......
.....,~†*& &*†~,.....
....,~†*&@ #...~~~~~~~~...# @&*†~,....
...,~†*&@£ ####.~~ 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 &*†~,.....
....,~†*&@ @&*†~,....
...,~†*&@£ £@&*†~,...
..,~†*&@£# #£@&*†~,..
.,~†*&@£## ##£@&*†~,.
..,~†*&@£# #£@&*†~,..