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.