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.