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.