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) #~~       #.#..#.#..
#.#.#.#.#.                                          #.#.##.#.#
#.#.#.#.#. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #.#..#.#..
           ,,,~,      ,  ~~,   ,            ~,   ,~           
           ,     ,,     ,     ,     .      ,.     .           
           .            .                  $      .           
                               .                              
                                                              
                                                              
           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.