The Scotto Grotto (org)

How many ways can you spell Britney Spears? Google has been keeping count.

Nice piece on America’s hate-affair with documentation, and the rising trend to glossy up the manuals, turning them into three-page glossy gate-fold brochures. (via boingboing)

In the United States, Whirlpool is selling a microwave oven that asks consumers if they are preparing, say, a cooked or uncooked chicken, with or without bones, with or without sauce. The microwave will calculate the cooking time and method; all the user needs to do — after answering all those questions, of course — is push the start button and dish out the finished product.

In the not-too-distant future, many of those questions may prove unnecessary, at least for frozen dinners and such. Some microwaves are being designed to read a bar code that will be printed on the side of the package and cook it automatically. “The consumer won’t even have to read directions on how long he needs to cook the meal; he’ll just have to eat it,” Laermer said.

now, a moment of Zen-

Refreshing, the wind against the waterfall
As the moon hangs, a lantern, on the peak
And the bamboo window glows.
In old age mountains
Are more beautiful than ever.
My resolve:
That these bones be purified by rocks.

– Jakushitsu (14th century)