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§§§..§§.§§             #...~~~~~~~~...#             §§.§...§§§
...§.§.§§.     ####.~~ 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)                  .§§....§.§
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...§.§.§§.             #...~~~~~~~~...#             §.§§§..§..
...§§§§§.§     ####.~~ FERMI'S PARADOX ~~.####      §§§..§.§§.
...§....§§             #...~~~~~~~~...#             ...§.§§§.§
§..§§...§.                                          ...§§§..§§
.§.§.§..§§ I'M  GONNA GO  SMOKE  MY THIRD CIGARETTE §..§..§.§.
.§§§§§§.§. THIS YEAR AND  TRY TO SNATCH SOME  BEERS .§.§§.§§§§
§§.....§§§        FROM THE LOCAL BEER THING         §§§§.§§...
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