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.