,.~*$*@@## ##@@*$*~.,
,,,,,~~~$@ @$~~~,,,,,
,.~*$*@### ###@*$*~.,
,,,~~*$$@# #@$$*~~,,,
,.~*$*@@## ##@@*$*~.,
,,.~****@# #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# #@****~.,,
,,,,~~$*@# ####,~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~,#### #@*$~~,,,,
,.~*$$$*@@ #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# @@*$$$*~.,
,.~*$*@### ###@*$*~.,
,.~*$*@@## ON EARTH (THE PLANET WHERE I LIVE) A ##@@*$*~.,
,.~*$**@@@ LOT OF US HAVE ANTENNAS ON OUR HOUSES @@@**$*~.,
,,,.~$*@@@ OR BALCONIES, WE HAVE BUILT LARGE @@@*$~.,,,
,.~~~****@ 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 @****.,,,,
,,,,,~$$@# HAS TO BE A PLANET!) #@$$~,,,,,
,.~*$*@@## ##@@*$*~.,
,.~*$*@@@# BUT REALLY ISN'T THAT KEEPING THE #@@@*$*~.,
,.~*$*@@## DEFINITION OF LIFE REALLY LAX? ##@@*$*~.,
,,,,~~$$*@ @*$$~~,,,,
,,,,.~$*@# I THINK EVERYONE AGREES THAT WE HAVE NO #@*$~.,,,,
,.~*$*@@## IDEA WHAT WE'RE DOING (AND IT PROBABLY ##@@*$*~.,
,.~*$*@@## SHOWS) ##@@*$*~.,
,.~*$*@@## ##@@*$*~.,
,.~*$*@@## #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ##@@*$*~.,
,.~*$$$**@ ####,~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~,#### @**$$$*~.,
,.~*$@@### #,,,~~~~~~~~,,,# ###@@$*~.,
,.~*$*@@## ##@@*$*~.,
,.~*$*@@## I'M GONNA GO SMOKE MY THIRD CIGARETTE ##@@*$*~.,
,.~*$*@@## THIS YEAR AND TRY TO SNATCH SOME BEERS ##@@*$*~.,
,.~*$*@@## FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING ##@@*$*~.,
,.~*$*@@## ##@@*$*~.,
,.~*$*@@## ##@@*$*~.,
,.~*$***@@ @@***$*~.,
,....~***@ @***~....,
,,,,,.*$@@ @@$*.,,,,,