.....,-=*%                                          %*=-,.....
....,-=*%&                                          &%*=-,....
...,-=*%&#                                          #&%*=-,...
..,-=*%&##                                          ##&%*=-,..
.,-=*%&###                                          ###&%*=-,.
..,-=*%&##             #...--------...#             ##&%*=-,..
...,-=*%&#     ####.-- 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        #&%*=-,...
..,-=*%&##                                          ##&%*=-,..
.,-=*%&###                                          ###&%*=-,.
..,-=*%&##                                          ##&%*=-,..
...,-=*%&#                                          #&%*=-,...
....,-=*%&                                          &%*=-,....