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.