..~~~\\\%&                                          &%\\\~~~..
.~«\%*&###                                          ###&*%\«~.
.~«\%*&###                                          ###&*%\«~.
....«\*&&#                                          #&&*\«....
.....~«%&#                                          #&%«~.....
.~«\%%%%*#             #...««««««««...#             #*%%%%\«~.
..~~«%***&      ####.«« 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         &****%\«~.
.....~\\%&                                          &%\\~.....
.~«\%*&###                                          ###&*%\«~.
.~«\%*&&##                                          ##&&*%\«~.
.~«\%*&###                                          ###&*%\«~.
.~«««%**&#                                          #&**%«««~.