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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                               ¨                              
                                                              
                                                              
           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.