.....^»%££ ££%»^.....
....^»%££@ @££%»^....
...^»%££@# #@££%»^...
..^»%££@## ##@££%»^..
.^»%££@### ###@££%»^.
..^»%££@## #...»»»»»»»»...# ##@££%»^..
...^»%££@# ####.»» 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 #@££%»^...
..^»%££@## ##@££%»^..
.^»%££@### ###@££%»^.
..^»%££@## ##@££%»^..
...^»%££@# #@££%»^...
....^»%££@ @££%»^....