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.