.....^^^@@ @@^^^.....
.....^^@@@ @@@^^.....
..^^--^@@@ @@@^--^^..
....--^^@@ @@^^--....
.^-^^@@@## ##@@@^^-^.
.^-^^@@@@# #...--------...# #@@@@^^-^.
.^-^^@@@## ####.-- 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 #@@@@^^-^.
.^-^^@@@## ##@@@^^-^.
.^-^^@@@@# #@@@@^^-^.
.^-^^@@@## ##@@@^^-^.
.^-^^@@@## ##@@@^^-^.
.^-^^@@@## ##@@@^^-^.