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.