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.