rituals for computer operation                     
                                                              
¨¨¨¨###¨## «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ¨#¨¨#¨###¨
¨¨¨#¨¨##¨#                                          ##¨###¨¨#¨
¨¨##¨#¨##¨ the computer  is a very  common  tool in ¨##¨¨#¨##¨
¨#¨####¨#¨ the  futures, and in some ways even now. #¨#¨###¨#¨
###¨¨¨#### its job  is to  do vast amounts of small ####¨¨###¨
¨¨#¨¨#¨¨¨# calculations in a short amount of  time. ¨¨¨#¨#¨¨##
¨##¨##¨¨#¨                                          ¨¨####¨#¨#
#¨##¨#¨##¨ most  work  on  the principles of posing ¨#¨¨¨#####
##¨####¨## the  problem  on a  hilbert plane, which ##¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨
¨##¨¨¨##¨# is  then  folded  out of  causality,  so ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨#
#¨#¨¨#¨##¨ that  daemons   can  solve  the  problem ###¨#¨¨¨##
###¨###¨##    without affecting real life. (these   ¨¨###¨¨#¨¨
¨¨##¨¨##¨# daemons  are  under  contract  with  the ¨#¨¨#¨##¨#
¨#¨#¨#¨###          computer manufacturer.)         ##¨###¨###
#######¨¨¨                                          ¨##¨¨##¨¨#
¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨#   it's commonplace for programmers and   #¨#¨#¨#¨#¨
¨¨¨¨¨##¨## clerks to  pray to the "gods"  of  their #########¨
¨¨¨¨#¨##¨¨ computer,  or  to  the daemons doing the ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨
¨¨¨###¨#¨¨ work,  for   a  quick  and  fault   free ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨
¨¨#¨¨###¨#                operation.                ¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨#¨
¨##¨#¨¨##¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨####¨
#¨###¨#¨##       some ubiquitous and generally      ¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨
##¨¨####¨#    non-controversial rituals include:    ¨¨¨##¨¨###
¨#¨#¨¨¨###                                          ¨¨#¨#¨#¨¨¨
####¨¨#¨¨#      ««# light a scented candle #««      ¨######¨¨¨
¨¨¨#¨##¨##        ««# for quiet and calm #««        #¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨#
¨¨###¨##¨¨                                          #¨¨¨¨##¨##
¨#¨¨##¨#¨¨     ««# recite a mantra or other #««     #¨¨¨#¨##¨#
##¨#¨###¨#    ««# reassuring message to make #««    #¨¨###¨###
¨####¨¨###     ««# the computer comfortable #««     #¨#¨¨##¨¨¨
#¨¨¨#¨#¨¨#           ««# and at ease #««            ###¨#¨#¨¨¨
#¨¨####¨##                                          ¨¨#####¨¨#
#¨#¨¨¨##¨¨     ««# some like to say a brief #««     ¨#¨¨¨¨#¨#¨
###¨¨#¨#¨¨     ««# prayer for solace, to be #««     ##¨¨¨#####
¨¨#¨####¨#   ««# left alone during their work #««   ¨#¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨
¨###¨¨¨##¨                                          ##¨##¨¨¨¨¨
#¨¨#¨¨#¨##    ««# offer a cup of steaming tea #««   ¨##¨#¨¨¨¨¨
#¨##¨###¨¨    ««# or a meal to the machines #««     #¨###¨¨¨¨#
##¨##¨¨#¨¨     ««# (sometimes, by fey rules, #««    ##¨¨#¨¨¨#¨
¨##¨#¨##¨¨     ««# the daemons are allowed #««      ¨#¨##¨¨###
#¨####¨#¨¨        ««# to respond to this) #««       ###¨#¨#¨¨#
##¨¨¨###¨¨                                          ¨¨#####¨#¨
¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨# «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ¨#¨¨¨¨####
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           -     --     -     -     ¨     -¨      ¨           
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           would    you    consider    code    golf           
           to     be    a    kind    of     prayer?           
           as    in,   you   make   a   convoluted,           
           intricate,    beautiful,   and   useless           
           artifact.  as  in,  you're  using   your           
           skills    to    ask    for    something,           
                                                              
           ...i'd  ask  for  a  handful  of   bugs?           
                                                              
           code    has   bugs,    lots    of    it.