¨¨§§§¨¨§§¨                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨             #¨¨¨--------¨¨¨#             §¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨      ####¨-- 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        §¨§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨¨§¨§