tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5445532465288508442024-03-12T18:10:46.997-07:00The Toilet PaperBecause when you gotta go, you gotta go somewhere...TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-41658574834689462752013-02-26T18:26:00.000-08:002013-02-26T18:26:44.522-08:00Celebrities in Toilet Land<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Well, we all just got our fill (maybe) of celebrity-watching with the Oscars this past weekend. But here's one celebrity shot you probably didn't see on the red carpet:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8nElsiY_QhTy7qH_Cz9bEfnsWtT9jj-UCsXbLyWKQv2aKiEyIAzNPnbBbvBcEhUQaT1l4t2Hpu2aDNroBrEcXlbtmOE2AUeuktoZMyG2yuuwFOQhQI_S_N1BoqiLfgd5L-s9jMLNECPd/s1600/matt-damon-toilet-water-protest-ecostiletto-photo-420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8nElsiY_QhTy7qH_Cz9bEfnsWtT9jj-UCsXbLyWKQv2aKiEyIAzNPnbBbvBcEhUQaT1l4t2Hpu2aDNroBrEcXlbtmOE2AUeuktoZMyG2yuuwFOQhQI_S_N1BoqiLfgd5L-s9jMLNECPd/s320/matt-damon-toilet-water-protest-ecostiletto-photo-420.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.worldtoiletday.org/" target="_blank">World Toilet Day</a> was actually a while ago (November 19th). But according to <a href="http://www.ecostiletto.com/index.php/Beauty/EcoCeleb/matt_damon_takes_a_potty_break" target="_blank">this Ecostilletto article</a>, Matt Damon took a "potty break" to make a vlog with YouTube's Shaycarl (who was pretty excited to be vlogging with Matt Damon apparently) to raise money for <a href="http://water.org/">water.org</a>, of which Matt Damon is co-founder. Co-founder? Matt Damon? Yup. You heard that right. His pics are on the website, even. And you can watch the vlog at the bottom of the article.<br />
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Look at that - a celebrity who gives a sh*t. Aww....<br />
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And really, who can't love Matt Damon with that fabulous neckwear?TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-51788088747261743202012-08-20T00:22:00.000-07:002012-08-20T08:30:04.627-07:00All the Pretty ColorsIn case you haven't noticed, I haven't posted to the blog in a while. But I haven't forgotten about it! Every now and then I'll get an email out of the blue, or a text from a friend about an interesting toilet, or toilet-related something that they've found. And then I'll think to myself, "Hey, I should start writing on the blog again!" <br />
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Our newest, very enthusiastic Agent, VBR (the "BR" stands for Big Red, in case you were wondering, not that you were), just recently watched a BBC <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01kxyhd" target="_blank">documentary</a> about toilets. <br />
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And he also sends us this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcib7U7mtk1iaaM03xT9jdL7VGKmuStkG_IXgtOpXteHdZUTOTaxFYRdbWzRraTwaZO_TSLDvdIkFWrD3pSoVtih8yUJki-bQ9oxpyb7PyqJJyQKVS1oCn7a2dVECKluOSeeu7ZPXf8T5e/s1600/thermo_urinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcib7U7mtk1iaaM03xT9jdL7VGKmuStkG_IXgtOpXteHdZUTOTaxFYRdbWzRraTwaZO_TSLDvdIkFWrD3pSoVtih8yUJki-bQ9oxpyb7PyqJJyQKVS1oCn7a2dVECKluOSeeu7ZPXf8T5e/s320/thermo_urinal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A <a href="http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/thermochromic-urinal-makes-peeing-fun01-05-2011/" target="_blank">thermochromatic urinal</a>, also posted on <a href="http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/thermochromic-urinal-makes-peeing-fun01-05-2011/" target="_blank">Geeky Gadgets</a>. Neither of these sources has any information on where this colorfully interactive urinal is located, though I'd love to tell you where it is so you guys can go hang out and drink extra fluids so that you can spend the afternoon making pretty pictures with your pee...<br />
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Yes, it's a little more "people doing their business" than I normally post, but you kind of need to see it to get the full effect of the technology. And hey, why not come back with a bang? Or a whizz...<br />
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My only question is...what about splashback? I guess that's their problem, not mine.<br />
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Welcome back to the TP Blog!TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-76682150579795981882011-02-24T23:16:00.000-08:002011-02-24T23:18:21.942-08:00Need I translate?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHAEKbHbqeUY7leFaNIcLfQMtlU_AuYZ6J4pId7f3CJYLXx72Vejlt_FmXKTtYyOMtdn2IiINRJ2y3xscBiFPWBgSHdJFs-Hf1sbyggEbhCGXQMlLRqQR1yMZeU6bKrgonxmhThwCFYma/s1600/epic-win-photos-french-toilet-sign-win.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHAEKbHbqeUY7leFaNIcLfQMtlU_AuYZ6J4pId7f3CJYLXx72Vejlt_FmXKTtYyOMtdn2IiINRJ2y3xscBiFPWBgSHdJFs-Hf1sbyggEbhCGXQMlLRqQR1yMZeU6bKrgonxmhThwCFYma/s400/epic-win-photos-french-toilet-sign-win.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577522793390969042" /></a><br /><br />{Via <a href="http://wins.failblog.org/2011/02/16/epic-win-photos-french-toilet-sign-win/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HackedIrl+%28Hacked+IRL%29">FAILblog</a>, and Agent AP}TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-82896770425866169012011-02-15T13:55:00.000-08:002011-02-15T14:25:09.299-08:00Molotch Cocktail<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnODjSHHO-ggm0VE64ChXCP6H7F7hxCD_gPLndvpiRBJFR1sa7UZK4TKAqygglHoeagBlEmah5zCYKXYzxz4NBJP7U4hbrHTYUkjI3ajdm8eI3a_lC1zZ6fCpaKKScXd9_dMBWxYfbMuGb/s1600/Molotch-1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnODjSHHO-ggm0VE64ChXCP6H7F7hxCD_gPLndvpiRBJFR1sa7UZK4TKAqygglHoeagBlEmah5zCYKXYzxz4NBJP7U4hbrHTYUkjI3ajdm8eI3a_lC1zZ6fCpaKKScXd9_dMBWxYfbMuGb/s320/Molotch-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574044055011202274" /></a>Whoa! Check it out: another <a href="http://toiletbook.tumblr.com/">toilet blog</a>! It's the companion blog to the book <a href="http://www.nyupress.org/books/Toilet-products_id-11364.html">Toilet</a>: Public Restrooms and the Politics of Sharing, as reviewed in the <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2011/02/public-restrooms-a-slideshow/70300/">Atlantic Monthly</a>, with a pretty spiffy slideshow.<br /><br />This looks like a book the TP Blog can really get behind. It is a collection of essays by various types of scholars (historians, cultural analysts, etc.) and edited by NYU sociologist Harvey Molotch and doctoral student Laura Norén. There are 12 articles, discussing architecture, gender segregation, class, disability and "the gross factor" (i.e. issues of disgust and cleanliness). Plus that whole public versus private thing.<br /><br />There are some pretty great images in the slide show. This is one of my favorites:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMutZJzyEM-K4muaJcht6HF5KgxK4L9xV_h_SX32phlpGKDapShyphenhyphenvRDP9kqZ8ahY_O0RHjoViEDxiR6bh7oYcBNB_7pQC0ZuyCgtHXNfz406Jrnmm03Gu7JoURpIBKawmRZwWwlLBhQ-N/s1600/011432_flowerurinal.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 253px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMutZJzyEM-K4muaJcht6HF5KgxK4L9xV_h_SX32phlpGKDapShyphenhyphenvRDP9kqZ8ahY_O0RHjoViEDxiR6bh7oYcBNB_7pQC0ZuyCgtHXNfz406Jrnmm03Gu7JoURpIBKawmRZwWwlLBhQ-N/s400/011432_flowerurinal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574043754984876818" border="0" /></a><br />Such a pretty urinal! Except I wonder if it's weird to take a piss in such a beautiful flower. Or maybe you guys like that kind of thing. <br /><br />See the rest of the slide show <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2011/02/public-restrooms-a-slideshow/70300/">here</a>. <br /><br />{Photo: Clark Sorenson, via Atlantic Monthly and Toilet (the book)}<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Thanks to Agent NH for scouting this one out!</span>TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-42000217276932183532011-02-09T12:33:00.000-08:002011-02-09T12:36:56.659-08:00Om nom nom nom<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBIoB7yRNzDOAbNdauk_9Li-3tpk83M_tGojkgL0MovFyJJZU-9mBA1rQzdct-KbGWnuY4A2Ff7Djw2wKTUHQIey1JtU27FANx0L5aKp2YtyIklTrRfW7X3gzFYWQj2g6SMf5w1JZV7q2/s1600/d0a4df76-7a3d-4a76-8a6c-c98429488461.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBIoB7yRNzDOAbNdauk_9Li-3tpk83M_tGojkgL0MovFyJJZU-9mBA1rQzdct-KbGWnuY4A2Ff7Djw2wKTUHQIey1JtU27FANx0L5aKp2YtyIklTrRfW7X3gzFYWQj2g6SMf5w1JZV7q2/s400/d0a4df76-7a3d-4a76-8a6c-c98429488461.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571790947019736802" border="0" /></a>Aww....it's just really, really cute! I love the Shiba Inus.<br /><br />{via <a href="http://dogs.icanhascheezburger.com/2011/02/08/cute-puppy-pictures-dis-nawt-a-bone/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IHasAHotdog+%28Loldogs+%27n%27+Funny+Dog+Pictures+-+I+Has+A+Hotdog%21%29">I has a Hotdog</a>]TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-23462040054569943502011-01-10T21:51:00.001-08:002011-01-25T19:50:01.717-08:00Hippies Use Side DoorSome dear relatives of mine have recently moved into the area for a temporary stay, and are renting a place in a local college hippie town. The apartment isn't too unusual, but it is certainly rented to people of all sorts who stay for short periods, including, to be sure, a lot of students. The first time I visited, I did not even enter the bathroom. But when I did finally go in, I found it was a mine of interesting tidbits...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn6JkRKjXq4jhh4icDf03ifiDFmIekBq2wWMZkRAgwF3-C9A4vIh5sIn6D-kQ5lN69rbjErXLWWAnMEz3qHPF5DAx1EFApWcRFDC9z-f1uCYHtBk9qnlEONvuH0HD1GRPO9_h4l8ZVzqO/s1600/The+other+door.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn6JkRKjXq4jhh4icDf03ifiDFmIekBq2wWMZkRAgwF3-C9A4vIh5sIn6D-kQ5lN69rbjErXLWWAnMEz3qHPF5DAx1EFApWcRFDC9z-f1uCYHtBk9qnlEONvuH0HD1GRPO9_h4l8ZVzqO/s400/The+other+door.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566325000896064898" border="0" /></a><br />For starters, they have what I will call a "flow-through" bathroom. You remember from Lipton tea, right? That was probably even before my time, but I distinctly remember singing some sort of silly song as a kid, and my mom explaining to me the concept of the "flow-through" teabag (in order to increase brewing effectiveness, etc.) But what I mean is that there is a door on one side, and a door on the other side, so that if you happen to be on one side or the other, you can just go into the bathroom without having to walk all the way around your house to get there. Or you can go in and simply "flow through" to the other side. On the downside, you have to close and/or lock two doors, and then remember to unlock or otherwise open the other door before you leave. But still, I can see the advantages. The cat likes it, apparently.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17fZCeZF1UaYsS4Tun-kzUbfrkj5gd3CehLuVcbM0RxMDWmjYQw9WpoAgQiVvLUl0dffPWNUuuHvK-r8gQsyOTaLXTjZUmqsq_47d0iSW9V8lhDqKqp19DI096wXYEc-F9tIAv1Ef7FIr/s1600/The+toilet.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17fZCeZF1UaYsS4Tun-kzUbfrkj5gd3CehLuVcbM0RxMDWmjYQw9WpoAgQiVvLUl0dffPWNUuuHvK-r8gQsyOTaLXTjZUmqsq_47d0iSW9V8lhDqKqp19DI096wXYEc-F9tIAv1Ef7FIr/s400/The+toilet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566324994606890434" border="0" /></a><br />Here is a view where you can see through one doorway into the other.<br /><br />Also, another slightly odd thing about the bathroom is the way the toilet is placed, seemingly right in the middle of the floor plan. Looking at it, it's hard to see where else you would put the toilet, but for some reason it is not flush (haha) against the wall, but rather freestanding a couple inches out for reasons unbeknownst to moi. And the freestanding TP holder probably doesn't help.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwPLX82rWN-JZ4lICid5EfQ_GYu_qgeVR1eeK0zzv2gQ4tsBeuNbSoiU8_qEVdovRB6uJy04_H-N6RHosRbcbKp71KxRuiycAy4xuUCCmAhu0Kf_84Npy_wg4TOk6Okpzh61WsX1iFDlV/s1600/Shower+faucets.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwPLX82rWN-JZ4lICid5EfQ_GYu_qgeVR1eeK0zzv2gQ4tsBeuNbSoiU8_qEVdovRB6uJy04_H-N6RHosRbcbKp71KxRuiycAy4xuUCCmAhu0Kf_84Npy_wg4TOk6Okpzh61WsX1iFDlV/s400/Shower+faucets.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566325005874519810" border="0" /></a><br />Next up: The shower. If you look closely, you can see that there are two sets of knobs. One for bath faucet. One for shower. My "Aunt" (let's call her) says that this is one of the most annoying things about it, to her...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGhbBNC1xzKVkPTZOVR17lG8QIWpGo1y7n-h15BkzesimFLVznHWmS5PE_n9utOIG2283JtaYwof6bdAIbvt22h3sfGjAEXZkNsF86G46pXtuaM3IGkPa7GkSf3Bv9Os8cznaUJSha2Aj/s1600/Shower+curtain.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGhbBNC1xzKVkPTZOVR17lG8QIWpGo1y7n-h15BkzesimFLVznHWmS5PE_n9utOIG2283JtaYwof6bdAIbvt22h3sfGjAEXZkNsF86G46pXtuaM3IGkPa7GkSf3Bv9Os8cznaUJSha2Aj/s400/Shower+curtain.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566325013854474290" border="0" /></a><br />I wondered if the bathroom had always been a bathroom, or perhaps had been another type of room at some point (say, a really small bedroom?). Probably not, given the "flow-through" nature of the door arrangement. But I was noticing the way the bath and shower element seemed to be built out into the space. And I also kind of liked the archway-type detail above the shower curtain. (This was the first time my "Uncle" had ever noticed that.)<br /><br />Next to the sink, they had a microfiber hand towel, which was so soft, you just wanted to keep touching it. And I kid you not, your hands would be dry in seconds, but the towel didn't seem to get wet at all. My Auntie loves it, and I must confess that I am a fan!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8cCuyvxFB_Y_hTQ9GDTzZjhKTH75kJ_ozA01uHjARqrbZ04eHGvWymUwsG4ojJiqXtRt43kvIFUXHJ6r-sNbxMTpOy-uQkwLWQPvE2v92v8w783dG7DU2Yofgvu24ke1p4pXgDvSVwhn/s1600/Toilet+sign.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8cCuyvxFB_Y_hTQ9GDTzZjhKTH75kJ_ozA01uHjARqrbZ04eHGvWymUwsG4ojJiqXtRt43kvIFUXHJ6r-sNbxMTpOy-uQkwLWQPvE2v92v8w783dG7DU2Yofgvu24ke1p4pXgDvSVwhn/s400/Toilet+sign.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566324988887048290" border="0" /></a><br />Finally, the bathroom chamber came equipped with this lovely sign right above the toilet. It's a pretty legit sign, actually. You could put a sign like this in almost any bathroom anywhere. But I think it's significant of the town that they are living in, which, as I mentioned, is a hippie college town. Which means it's full of people who like to save water by not flushing the toilet at all unless ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for saving water. And I also, on occasion, will elect not to flush, if it doesn't seem like there's much going on. But there are degrees to this approach, and I think some people take it to the extreme.<br /><br />Case in point: I once interviewed at a political magazine (based in this same town), and when I used the bathroom there, I discovered an ongoing discussion taking place on a piece of paper taped inside the bathroom stall, debating the merits and detractor qualities of flushing versus non-flushing, including which type of pee was permissible to not-flush, etc. (For example "stinky pee" = flush, while non-stinky = okay to leave. But then you have to decide which is which. You get the point). So that's where this was happening. Which is why I laughed when I saw the sign. Because I knew why it was there and that, yes, some people do need to be instructed to flush the toilet every time. Because a clogged toilet, as I'm sure you know, is not a laughing matter.TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-14261305920142009782010-12-27T11:35:00.000-08:002010-12-27T14:01:57.517-08:00A Pretty Penny...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNTjtlNPVDUZwuUT4wbhz9J-nq87qSJiqDijrnvm0S1mGXspNGWDYWFIgUanFvjaZxiNyIR5mfn1Hm8X1VXj489qRo7iwi5UAybnMinkMqmb-MFlsifi7Nf_ikKZsn8eivdV1dn-iqar2/s1600/article-1263905-090550B8000005DC-63_468x286.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNTjtlNPVDUZwuUT4wbhz9J-nq87qSJiqDijrnvm0S1mGXspNGWDYWFIgUanFvjaZxiNyIR5mfn1Hm8X1VXj489qRo7iwi5UAybnMinkMqmb-MFlsifi7Nf_ikKZsn8eivdV1dn-iqar2/s320/article-1263905-090550B8000005DC-63_468x286.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555477239199078770" /></a><br />In honor of Holiday Travel, this post is dedicated to that supremely annoying, no-frills Euro airline, Ryanair. Because if all goes according to their plan, soon one of the "frills" they won't have is a toilet on the airplane that you don't have to pay for. That's right. Ryanair is <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2010/04/08/2010-04-08_paying_to_pee_ryanair_introduces_toilet_tax_on_flights.html">hoping to charge</a> £1 or 1 Euro for passengers to use the washroom. That's because they want to knock out the two restrooms in the back to make room for either more seats or for "standing room only" areas on commuter flights. <br /><br />If they even happen, these changes would not take place until 2012 at the earliest, according to a <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/jul/01/stand-up-for-ryanair">Guardian article</a> this past July. First, of course, the company has to pass some pretty high safety standards - but that's all having to do with the standing room issue. No one seems to be investigating the "safety" of having but one on-board restroom for an entire plane full of people with nowhere else to go (so to speak), and on top of that, charging for them to use it. <br /><br />According to Ryanair, the goal is to discourage passengers from using the toilet at all. They are expecting people to use the restrooms at the airport before and after, and therefore not on the plane itself. I suppose that, flying around Europe, that is almost a reasonable request. Your flights aren't going to be more than a couple of hours long. But I can tell you that, as a person with not the hugest bladder in the world, using the loo right before I get on the plane does not guarantee that I won't have to an hour or even a half hour later. Sorry guys! Which leads me to believe that the people inventing this crazy system are all men, with enormous bladders, who believe that women who can't "hold it" are somehow weak or incapacitated. Yeah, and some of those women might even be pregnant. Great. So now you want to charge us for having a slightly different organic set-up than you, and then tell us it's our fault. No thanks, Ryanair! <br /><br />But it's not only women who object to this policy. Ben Dickson of the Random Perspective has written a <a href="http://randomperspective.com/?1news-3-048">clever article</a> on the topic. And there's an entire <a href="http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=145972680240">Facebook page</a> devoted to "Links on 'Don't pay to use a Ryanair toilet - piss in their seats for free.'"<br /><br />My advice? Don't take Ryanair. At the end of the day, they're not any cheaper than most other airlines - sometimes more expensive. And my experience is that they are just generally obnoxious and a pain in the neck. If you want cheap, pleasant travel from here to there in Europe, fly <a href="http://www.easyjet.com/asp/en/book/index.asp?lang=en">Easyjet</a>. At least they haven't forgotten that, while people do enjoy saving money, they also don't like to be treated like cattle. Cattle that can somehow hold their bladders indefinitely at will. <br /><br />{Photo courtesy the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1263905/Ryanair-toilet-charges-phased-in.html">Daily Mail</a>}TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-27578904970404154992010-12-23T20:58:00.000-08:002010-12-23T21:03:23.073-08:00Extra Fluffee<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0mRGcomXCg9l_zhOkC3bt20AOwTd6aJjGSWhljtzki2BZ5iyRxtLxUza7znzI8Iy-xfYS4BvbWeEpcJiDW1PRIyFoap3zNGP2Hxhhr2Kkd3UpA-OKnAYUlAHT0Xhu1a6xA99iD5y1Kq/s1600/3d22ee83-7ef0-4494-bb98-823138e5fa26.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAU0mRGcomXCg9l_zhOkC3bt20AOwTd6aJjGSWhljtzki2BZ5iyRxtLxUza7znzI8Iy-xfYS4BvbWeEpcJiDW1PRIyFoap3zNGP2Hxhhr2Kkd3UpA-OKnAYUlAHT0Xhu1a6xA99iD5y1Kq/s400/3d22ee83-7ef0-4494-bb98-823138e5fa26.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554109817510036098" /></a><br />Via <a href="http://dogs.icanhascheezburger.com/2010/12/22/cute-puppy-pictures-our-toilet-paper/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IHasAHotdog+%28Loldogs+%27n%27+Funny+Dog+Pictures+-+I+Has+A+Hotdog!%29">I Has a Hotdog</a>. Need I say moar?TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-9473161230714463042010-12-12T16:51:00.000-08:002010-12-13T08:51:24.870-08:00Aeroport Toilets Genovese<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanvVz8TjuPsku6B5QqabhsW5et9C0h3ApwH5SHB-vwSs41t84h0g82VaCCF-ngm7lhT-tA887UT3FrcUT_q1_gH3CgVyGkiwUnPTTYj345H8lYlXXsqvqarJAEiAJUhgxv77TuKOKHAND/s1600/Geneva+Airport+Toilets.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanvVz8TjuPsku6B5QqabhsW5et9C0h3ApwH5SHB-vwSs41t84h0g82VaCCF-ngm7lhT-tA887UT3FrcUT_q1_gH3CgVyGkiwUnPTTYj345H8lYlXXsqvqarJAEiAJUhgxv77TuKOKHAND/s320/Geneva+Airport+Toilets.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549963398124682802" /></a>Our brand-spanking-new Agent MMR has done some excellent reconnaissance work (unawares at the time) in the Geneva International Airport, when he was there in August of 2009. He was so impressed with the urinals in the men's room that he took a photo. "Unlike the toilet sequence from Trainspotting ('The worst toilets in Scotland'), these were clean, sanitized low flow urinals at Aeroport Internacional de Geneve," he writes. <br /><br />I really like how there is one placed at a lower height. I guess for the kids and/or shorter individuals. But I'm wondering what are the horizontal bars on the tiles above each unit? Are they flush bars? Or do they somehow serve the function of getting you to stand closer, thereby improving your "aim"? Somewhat like the <a href="http://www.urinalfly.com/">fly painted in the inside of the urinal</a>, perhaps? That's pure conjecture on my part...<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"Note that it was actually at the Amsterdam aeroport where the sanitary seat cover was a mechanized sleeve that spun around the toilet seat itself, relieving you of the somewhat tedious task of placing one over the lid yourself while [dancing anxiously] and then forgetting to knock out the center."</span><br /><br />Now, unfortunately, there is no picture of the mechanized arms for seat covers, but that's something we'd really like to see!<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />{Photo: Agent MMR}</span>TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-28596707250928882132010-12-12T12:21:00.000-08:002010-12-12T12:29:47.290-08:00All Thai'd Up<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismWwY_zluoUfOlZWyHxivLxw9wOgMzJvUeHqcAshOR602meBcA5-TvlpI97oKhXewpJ07O_4KAJ2yo6hPp2OYjITMySsR-DuXUB43s3peLDcIaQp9iRrotzrrvexoqAYby2lxXiyBY2dy/s1600/ms.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismWwY_zluoUfOlZWyHxivLxw9wOgMzJvUeHqcAshOR602meBcA5-TvlpI97oKhXewpJ07O_4KAJ2yo6hPp2OYjITMySsR-DuXUB43s3peLDcIaQp9iRrotzrrvexoqAYby2lxXiyBY2dy/s320/ms.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549893963383183058" /></a>Here's a little post from Agent NH: <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"I wish I had taken a picture, because I saw a completely illogical bathroom the other evening. It was at Osha Thai on 2nd Street in SF, if you want to check it out. The women's restroom, when you enter it, looks like a one-person restroom, with a toilet, sink, etc. But then, tucked back around the corner, is a stall with another toilet in it. How does this ever work? I'm really curious about what design process led to that solution!" </span><br /><br />We, too, are very curious. Maybe there used to be another stall? Maybe they had extra space, and thought, why not add another toilet in the washing-hands area? And is it even possible to lock the outside door? Or maybe it's just handy when you and a friend adjourn to the powder room together. One day perhaps we will go and check it out, and then we'll be able to offer you some first-hand pics. Or maybe our Architectural Agent NH will do us a nice little diagram ;)<br /><br />{Top photo from Yelp, below, from the Osha Thai Website}<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0BKXLt3V4LsHf8OuGJH_bpKqZgXtGsdQtklA719svoOV8w5h4xLWOtnq7a9Wkuny4VnxPcfmrAkSjAuYaAvMbUy4yW8Yhm5XzjxNKs9bhDG6hTaAvP6um5cCgQEz-UXP2hqxIyw-W49u/s1600/2nd_street_1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 75px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0BKXLt3V4LsHf8OuGJH_bpKqZgXtGsdQtklA719svoOV8w5h4xLWOtnq7a9Wkuny4VnxPcfmrAkSjAuYaAvMbUy4yW8Yhm5XzjxNKs9bhDG6hTaAvP6um5cCgQEz-UXP2hqxIyw-W49u/s320/2nd_street_1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549893967443247954" /></a>TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-554087911101082562010-11-23T09:40:00.000-08:002010-12-10T11:53:24.402-08:00World Toilet Day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBPZeUG7YYk0TafbIEyp9jnji-ojnwYJUR7T8Wsfq5YTj4_idDaKVg2B-eTCIcTQpyDYNO5NTbMDzvzfNuylRDYjK5QFCH-3BGz14EvTY7WB5dR7vgd3OZro0tE3IKMzUAzcvNsiACGu3/s1600/wtd_design.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBPZeUG7YYk0TafbIEyp9jnji-ojnwYJUR7T8Wsfq5YTj4_idDaKVg2B-eTCIcTQpyDYNO5NTbMDzvzfNuylRDYjK5QFCH-3BGz14EvTY7WB5dR7vgd3OZro0tE3IKMzUAzcvNsiACGu3/s320/wtd_design.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542802547099996594" /></a><br />So, in case you missed it, World Toilet Day was last Friday, November, 19th. BUT you still have time to make a video about poo for <a href="http://www.waterforpeople.org/extras/video-contest/support-a-movement.html">this contest</a>, run by <a href="http://www.waterforpeople.org/">Water for People</a>. Well, they say make a video about poo. But it's really a video about toilets. All the stuff the TP blog is really about: toilet failure, toilet success and toilet innovation! <br /><br />The World Toilet Organization (www.worldtoilet.org) has more info on World Toilet Day <a href="http://www.worldtoilet.org/wtd/">here</a>. (Not to be confused with International Toilet Paper Day, which is August 26).<br /><br />Meanwhile, get out your cameras/recording device of choice. The deadline for your poo-filled , toilet-happy video is December 2, 2010. <br /><br />And if you are looking for mugs to hold your coffee, various containers for other liquids, or a tote for all that solid food you're going to eat, all to help you keep going back to the toilet again and again, you can shop the Water for People <a href="https://secure2.convio.net/wfp/site/Ecommerce?store_id=1881">store</a> here. Oh, and they have pens, too. So I guess you can keep a record of it. <br /><br />Thanks to Agent BP for alerting us to this contest! <br /><br />{Image via WaterforPeople.org}TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-4118093806216839032010-11-05T12:09:00.000-07:002010-11-05T12:32:12.821-07:00PSA of the Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBmm5z2lG27ivdTKnrmYd6TuFka25YqeDi3gg1F98A6oHGXzlULDM68vevIJDtCRrP05X6FrCmhvgVHgibm2aETyxaaSX5CrcCH6_MLCJCF5ooYsxgbY8ZsQr78xw8zex-LLXjqfCtjY7/s1600/1.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBmm5z2lG27ivdTKnrmYd6TuFka25YqeDi3gg1F98A6oHGXzlULDM68vevIJDtCRrP05X6FrCmhvgVHgibm2aETyxaaSX5CrcCH6_MLCJCF5ooYsxgbY8ZsQr78xw8zex-LLXjqfCtjY7/s320/1.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536145092881637906" /></a><br />We already love <a href="http://www.theoatmeal.com">the Oatmeal</a>, purveyor of clever, quirky comickery. We also love actual <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oatmeal">Oatmeal</a>, but that's a different story. We love it that much more when the big O decides to tackle <a href="http://theoatmeal.com/blog/public_toilets">public toilets</a>! Namely, those annoying, flimsy seat-cover things that give you the illusion of a sanitary toilet-going experience. <br /><br />Of course, why should we say it when Matthew Inman says it so well?<br /><br />I will say this. When I moved across the country the to San Francisco area, I noticed those seat covers in public bathrooms a lot more. They must have them in Boston, I just don't remember them being a common fixture. Or maybe I just didn't grow up using them. I cringe to think of the nastiness I must have encountered unawares as a small child. But now I realize there are many more options, besides the awkward hover, which tends to not be conducive to actually relieving oneself. A clean toilet seat is always appreciated. Or, like the saying my friend's parents had on the wall in their bathroom, "If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be neat, and wipe the seat."<br /><br />I think a portable cloth seat cover with non-slip coating on the bottom would be quite useful. You could fold it up, put it in a carrying case, and take it home and wash it. At least you'd know it was only your bum that touched it! By the way, if you're reading this, and you think that's a good idea, consider this idea copyrighted. (Which means if you go and produce it, then I will expect some of the profits! There it is, in writing, just like my lawyer says.)<br /><br />Or, if you like the Oatmeal's idea, you could always just bring your own spray cleaner to the bathroom with you, if you feel that strongly about it. Well, enjoy! <br /><br />And you can thank us later... <br /><br />{Thanks to new Agent AP for bringing this to our attention, and all credit for the images to The Oatmeal!}TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-39199569969621543852010-11-01T08:02:00.000-07:002010-11-01T08:21:57.323-07:00House of TP<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDA1O2Adi1BAxyMRMb_4rUh2dqLQE8Sq-g2mesxuHKukT2VIBG3kc7UfafOdR0JjumVAbQkUxTrC20s9TGMOkj_98gMpc5ZKH8P0WLY43i0rp01M-ZQQglGhWnHtaINfgPiHkd4Mft831f/s1600/300px-TPhouse.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDA1O2Adi1BAxyMRMb_4rUh2dqLQE8Sq-g2mesxuHKukT2VIBG3kc7UfafOdR0JjumVAbQkUxTrC20s9TGMOkj_98gMpc5ZKH8P0WLY43i0rp01M-ZQQglGhWnHtaINfgPiHkd4Mft831f/s320/300px-TPhouse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534597862874133298" /></a><br /><br />Okay, so Halloween is just over - joyous celebration of fear, candy, costumes, and the time-honored tradition of TP-ing your neighbor's house. Just stepping out the front door to find your trees, shrubs and lawn all covered with TP? Start planning now to get back at your neighbors and/or their kids with this (very detailed) <a href="http://howto.wired.com/wiki/TP_a_House">Wiki How-To</a> from Wired magazine. They cover everything from planning and preparation to throwing technique, to the perfect finish. And, oh yeah, legal issues. So get ready. Get your TP game face on... <br /><br />Go forth and conquer! <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">{Link thanks to Agent Double-L 7 (who didn't know she was scouting for us), and the photo courtesy of Wired mag.}</span>TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-43555612571111629802010-10-18T13:40:00.000-07:002010-10-18T13:58:04.788-07:00A Food Expert on Toilets<embed src="http://www.npr.org/v2/?i=128417647&m=128417627&t=audio" height="386" wmode="opaque" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" base="http://www.npr.org" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed><br /><br />I was listening to NPR one day this year when a rerun of <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128417647">this episode</a> of "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell me" came on, featuring Michael Pollan answering several questions about <a href="http://thetoiletpaperblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/one-hot-seat.html">Japanese toilets</a>. <br /><br />Michael Pollan is, well, Michael Pollan. He lives in the Bay Area, and he tells an embarrassing story in this clip about getting caught buying some Fruity Pebbles for his son in the Berkeley Bowl. If you don't know Berkeley Bowl, it's about the crunchiest grocery store you can imagine in the crunchiest town you can imagine. And Michael Pollan, writer of "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "The Botany of Desire" defends local, organic food consumption - you get the idea. <br /><br />You have to listen to the end of the clip to hear the part about the toilets, but it's well worth the listen. In the process, they discuss Twinkies and Ring Dings, etc. And they actually say, in the course of the interview, that the scriptwriters of "Wait, Wait" discussed what kind of topic they were going to address, trying to figure out a subject Mr. Pollan wouldn't know much about. Since he deals mostly with food, they went with - well, the opposite end of the process. <br /><br />But Pollan does say, at the end of the interview, that they gave him a good idea for a sequel. So we look forward to sharing with you Pollan's discourse on "what comes out the other end." <br /><br />A full transcript, with audio, is available <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128417647">here</a>.TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-42657418261591123982010-10-04T16:24:00.000-07:002010-10-04T16:25:39.025-07:00Yard Duty<a href="http://dogs.icanhascheezburger.com/2010/05/24/funny-dog-pictures-confuzin-hoomins/"><img src='http://ihasahotdog.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/129137577687053815.jpg' title="funny-dog-pictures-confuzin-hoomins" alt="funny pictures of dogs with captions" /></a><br />see more <a href="http://dogs.icanhascheezburger.com">dog and puppy pictures</a>TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-89666433035479496852010-09-03T15:04:00.000-07:002010-09-03T15:30:55.990-07:00Sink it to me, Baby<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXt2o-vE_FRuUWLJM4LlDaJAYnjmQa-rjOf0Jd7fKK6WApg7JK6owpZ3JopWIwlCnfKrlq7p0UJcYVmOEUfCfSHlKV75RfGg6uYLRxvFNcjPOXXMy2BAAwlySo-gEkM5cn6Ib9HlIl9p22/s1600/sinkinal-4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXt2o-vE_FRuUWLJM4LlDaJAYnjmQa-rjOf0Jd7fKK6WApg7JK6owpZ3JopWIwlCnfKrlq7p0UJcYVmOEUfCfSHlKV75RfGg6uYLRxvFNcjPOXXMy2BAAwlySo-gEkM5cn6Ib9HlIl9p22/s400/sinkinal-4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512811914978047698" /></a><br />Leave it to a Japanese designer to come up with a <a href="http://www.geekologie.com/2010/08/the_future_is_now_a_sinkurinal.php">sink/urinal</a> combo apparatus that atually looks attractive. AND it saves space. We already have a <a href="http://thetoiletpaperblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/geekily-eco-toilets.html">toilet+sink</a> combo for the average tiny-sized bathroom. Now we have something for space-challenged public men's rooms, so they hopefully don't end up with something like <a href="http://failblog.org/2008/07/18/bathroom-fail-2/">this</a>. <br /><br />Here's how it works: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjnQo9TXLRshYguXc28DGbLh0NkHJyKZSrxX8dRVNRWvMfM03NXL0kSXhDiXpUkvqj_hWtTXWVOoZ7EQeoG7tE0a2Vp9n4pyyKLX1xkb8L4Dn4u92cyeNW1X-xwGizfctN0WfYnVTpc82/s1600/sinkinal-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 315px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjnQo9TXLRshYguXc28DGbLh0NkHJyKZSrxX8dRVNRWvMfM03NXL0kSXhDiXpUkvqj_hWtTXWVOoZ7EQeoG7tE0a2Vp9n4pyyKLX1xkb8L4Dn4u92cyeNW1X-xwGizfctN0WfYnVTpc82/s320/sinkinal-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512814225751128226" /></a><br />Relieve yourself in the lower portion, then, without even having to walk across the room, wash your hands in the upper bit, and the water from hand-washing clears away the remaining liquid waste. Pretty good, right? It's logical AND ecological. <br /><br />Only thing I'm wondering about is, why the glass-bottomed sink? Is there really a need to see through to what you're doing? Don't most guys look around and try to at least act distracted while they're at the urinal, for fear of accidentally looking where they shouldn't, while they do their best not to talk to anyone? Guys, you can help me out here. My urinal etiquette is pretty limited. On the other hand, you might have the issue of "aim," so from that angle, it could be useful. Or else the designer, Mr. Yeongwoo Kim, just thought it looked good in glass. <br /><br />Now if you really like glass bathrooms, you should check out some of <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/travel/05headsup.html">these designs</a>. <br /><br />{Thanks to Agent B for this week's topic. Images courtesy of Geekologie}TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-36318822989114762022010-08-09T10:27:00.000-07:002010-11-01T10:34:24.588-07:00Another Kind of Doo-Rag<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxFdeNjW9GtM6pwOxZJ7Ni6-QPk5MDoc7impJMv0BhNnHwfNPLUNjqlyRnN42jX_ShcGQvtb5_BdEI1zRKE1CJeWeVS3Iv2H1Y23MF7WYk1m_MjAERHXSXucgejuVwUjy_boHtjkx7h6D/s1600/phpThumb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 307px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxFdeNjW9GtM6pwOxZJ7Ni6-QPk5MDoc7impJMv0BhNnHwfNPLUNjqlyRnN42jX_ShcGQvtb5_BdEI1zRKE1CJeWeVS3Iv2H1Y23MF7WYk1m_MjAERHXSXucgejuVwUjy_boHtjkx7h6D/s320/phpThumb.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503464267538173570" /></a><br />Agent Iguana shared with us this discussion of <a href="http://www.grist.org/article/2010-06-11-ask-umbra-pee-rag-toilet-paper-water-bidets">"Pee Rags"</a> from Ask Umbra of The Grist. It is certainly a worthy cause: reducing waste. <br /><br />But the TP Blog is going to admit that it takes us one big mental leap to get over the idea of using cloth nappies to clean ourselves, saving them in a bucket, then washing them and using them over again. Maybe it's not so much the gross factor of keeping bits of your own waste in a container, then putting them in the washing machine, where you presumably wash the rest of your clothes, and reusing them - though that is certainly there. Maybe it's just that it's more reminiscent of what you do with baby <a href="http://thetoiletpaperblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/nappy-time.html">cloth nappies</a> (ok, diapers, if you don't like the Britspeak). It seems a bit like "adult diapers" to us. Granted, diapers that you don't actually wear. But reusable, cloth-based, "pee-rags" no less. <br /><br />But about that "ick factor," I remember on one occasion, I visited a friend's home, and we spent some time with her parents. Something was apparently wrong with their plumbing system at the time, and her father had decided that not even toilet paper could go down the toilet. So he'd set up a bucket, just like Umbra says, in which to place the used toilet paper. I found the idea pretty much heinous and refused to participate. I also decided to "hold it." Call me squeamish, but, well, when I'm not in the woods, I prefer not to leave my "issues" out in the open. It feels a little overly personal to me. <br /><br />On a practical level, it seems hard to think of all the trees you are saving when you are trying to figure out a way to cover of the smell of what you're using. <br /><br />However, this article does have a useful analysis of tree-salvage vs. water usage, which is helpful, at least in getting a grasp of just how much energy your toilet paper <span style="font-style:italic;">does</span> use. Not only in trees, but in energy production, as well. <br /><br />So, knowing that, I think I might try to use less toilet paper. But I am not yet a convert to the pee-rag solution. Thanks, Iggy! <br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />{Photo courtesy of the Grist}</span>TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-53234898055774961152010-07-28T08:57:00.000-07:002010-07-28T17:53:47.461-07:00When you really gotta "glow"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12xefhw6yIMcwqOLaNmWSCHlJkZTHQbQ9cGff03g0y5zukli2IhRmfpHMe0N2ZTuxeq8_OvFEqrrxAyS4VshO8bMnN5B8BBEhtuuc-lhF_nvWhqUNL-GTjn80SzHnF9Wz-DN_77QcYBs3/s1600/426403.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 390px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12xefhw6yIMcwqOLaNmWSCHlJkZTHQbQ9cGff03g0y5zukli2IhRmfpHMe0N2ZTuxeq8_OvFEqrrxAyS4VshO8bMnN5B8BBEhtuuc-lhF_nvWhqUNL-GTjn80SzHnF9Wz-DN_77QcYBs3/s400/426403.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499122220987969234" /></a>Agent Dave has found us this <a href="http://www.gadgetshop.com/ViewAll/Glow-In-The-Dark-Toilet-Roll/EPN426403">glowing treasure</a> from GadgetShop.com, based in the UK. All right, so it's too far to get a truckload of glowing toilet paper delivered to your doorstep in one of their lorries - but if you live in England, you can! <br /><br />Gadget No. 1016: <span style="font-style:italic;">It looks like normal loo roll, it feels like normal loo roll and it can be flushed away like normal loo roll, but this neat invention contains phosphors which give off a soft green glow when exposed to light.</span><br /><br />Hm, sounds shady to me...er, glowy? I really cannot vouch for the safety of this product. I, personally, feel a bit uncomfortable about shoving a wad of glowing tissue paper "where the sun don't shine" because I figure it doesn't shine there for a reason. So I think I'd prefer to keep it that way. <br /><br />However, you could always use your glowing TP roll to shed some light on your <a href="http://www.gadgetshop.com/ShopByRecipient/1GiftsforDads/Sudoku-Toilet-Roll/EPN320184.jsp?bmUID=1280364435438&bmLocale=en_GB">sudoku puzzle</a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtQX-4q9KUZb8yI_sKyh5J5wgw3jsyoH0lkg4fW1OaoWtSEsJJSh0xqFyXM5wyMiEpXL2Fdhj4GSP9H_r6uySd85vMDjmWghQTbXt4REmsxeC-OD0ct_Fw8t-CrLMT6ScaXN3nov2_Ivf/s1600/320184.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 390px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtQX-4q9KUZb8yI_sKyh5J5wgw3jsyoH0lkg4fW1OaoWtSEsJJSh0xqFyXM5wyMiEpXL2Fdhj4GSP9H_r6uySd85vMDjmWghQTbXt4REmsxeC-OD0ct_Fw8t-CrLMT6ScaXN3nov2_Ivf/s400/320184.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499123813968453922" /></a><br /><br />{Photos courtesy of GadgetShop}TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-39349771503601873882010-07-26T09:06:00.000-07:002010-07-26T09:22:41.572-07:00Lockdown<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEUokH0c3r-rrTfMPdJMHaI8JmKanjNSZHfo8eSkdnRQdJa_yTXmZ4ylgHwWB5bx3Pu0dOQneGAgHMYk3n3F6Tnx2unTBQ7hUhr2F0xgekinl1A7pw0XhohV1296E8iuTLCZMemO_Zms5/s1600/129209752282910007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEUokH0c3r-rrTfMPdJMHaI8JmKanjNSZHfo8eSkdnRQdJa_yTXmZ4ylgHwWB5bx3Pu0dOQneGAgHMYk3n3F6Tnx2unTBQ7hUhr2F0xgekinl1A7pw0XhohV1296E8iuTLCZMemO_Zms5/s320/129209752282910007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498247290058879410" /></a><br />These 3 photos come from a list of <a href="http://www.uphaa.com/blog/index.php/funny-unusual-solve-problems/">15 unusual ways to solve problems</a>. I'm not even sure what all of these problems ARE. Some of them just look like people doing random stuff with implements and ladders, and oh yeah, duct tape. That one of the patch of duct tape on the flap of the airplane wing would be a little disheartening to see. I imagine that a passenger shot that while on an actual flight. Now we KNOW that the economic crisis is getting serious when airlines need to use duct tape to fix their wings! But I digress. Let me see if I can figure out what all these issues were...Okay:<br /><br />1) Aliens landed at this campsite in the middle of the desert and stole the knob off this faucet for "research purposes." Then some unsuspecting camper got fed up with no water, decided to use their house key to solve the problem, and thought they were super clever about it, until they got home and realized they had no house key. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJI3zUVaPXJAsxQh4CLQOxw9IZYFMOBE9eUczJ7nnLKOoBmC-rYEFIwuhsLyeXMaFnDAmLYAzD7ne6jDZSXgTHX6GE8U4L4zLC3A0Avbe-WIpL0D8gxQmb1mSV1v_dASt2dzr5eB404oW9/s1600/Reckless-transportation-005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJI3zUVaPXJAsxQh4CLQOxw9IZYFMOBE9eUczJ7nnLKOoBmC-rYEFIwuhsLyeXMaFnDAmLYAzD7ne6jDZSXgTHX6GE8U4L4zLC3A0Avbe-WIpL0D8gxQmb1mSV1v_dASt2dzr5eB404oW9/s320/Reckless-transportation-005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498247276000872434" /></a><br />2) Got no toilet paper holder? Tired of pesky people stealing your TP roll? Just get yourself a couple of eye-screws and a bike lock. BAM! Problem solved! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1_uB61QH_JDp-AFxUBmVan_WcpQPYDF-kPNd32EEaDNWa0GTOCTjcNFtBjimRkGky3hWC3OBdVXDuqtN4_GXNaINxS2842UurEt54oGihKVikDL4eWgjtrNxxIHIF54yYKvtVOu7wgNr/s1600/129178360904117121.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 249px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1_uB61QH_JDp-AFxUBmVan_WcpQPYDF-kPNd32EEaDNWa0GTOCTjcNFtBjimRkGky3hWC3OBdVXDuqtN4_GXNaINxS2842UurEt54oGihKVikDL4eWgjtrNxxIHIF54yYKvtVOu7wgNr/s320/129178360904117121.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498247284763370386" /></a><br />3) How stupid are those useless gel wrist pads? I mean, they're all squishy and great, but they *still* put your wrist at a pretty bad angle for mouse work. Heck, I usually hold my wrist ABOVE the wrist pad to get comfortable. But look at what this guy does! What great ergonomic posture! He is SO not getting carpal tunnel syndrome. And the bonus? If someone broke the bike lock on the TP in the rest room, he is totally prepared!TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-68322555016028148622010-07-22T10:43:00.000-07:002010-07-22T11:07:31.925-07:00Heaven & Hell<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8PsAMSCcUbx0DmGCE7gCyAADoVqk_o-muKQbdaPxtsb88euqQDjAzg66fKBaVp2jmgSirfarOi4-ybXu3rA9eAf6_-zNYk1H-o9XyxwkrX99I-aUUdHcUAN0V3ux8KJXZ5NTfBOXXuGXe/s1600/Katia_India_2+074.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8PsAMSCcUbx0DmGCE7gCyAADoVqk_o-muKQbdaPxtsb88euqQDjAzg66fKBaVp2jmgSirfarOi4-ybXu3rA9eAf6_-zNYk1H-o9XyxwkrX99I-aUUdHcUAN0V3ux8KJXZ5NTfBOXXuGXe/s400/Katia_India_2+074.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496792567493839042" /></a><br />On a more serious note, it is easy to take our toiletry for granted. It is easy to be amused by a funny sign in the restroom, because the restroom is going to be there, isn't it? But you know, try camping for a few days, and you'll get a lot more excited about indoor plumbing. <br /><br />Heck, just last weekend, I went out river rafting and was glad to see a toilet when I returned - and that was just for a day! They even had permanent latrines at the landing site, but, well, you know, being in nature, I wanted to "connect with nature." But I digress...<br /><br />It is interesting to me how many times I hear toilets, bathrooms, and their various accoutrements compared to "Heaven," while their lack, or malfunction can be compared to "Hell." A faulty plumbing system? Definitely Heck. A handheld bidet sprayer? Heaven, according to <a href="http://thetoiletpaperblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/to-get-to-heaven.html">this guy</a>. <br /><br />But there really are people in the world (quite a lot of them) who do not have access to sanitation facilities, and this is actually quite a public health issue. It's the reason the <a href="http://www.worldtoilet.org/">World Toilet Organization</a> exists. Might sounds like a funny name, but it's really not, when you think about it. You know how bad it is when you just "gotta go" and you can't find a restroom? What if that was your life? All day, every day. It would be quite different. <br /><br />Agent HoJo also recently sent us this <a href="http://www.thepolisblog.org/2010/03/toilet-heaven-why-sanitation-crisis.html">Blog Post</a> about the toilet sanitation crisis in Mumbai. "Toilet Heaven" is a street corner with multiple double-decker toilet facilities. "Toilet Hell" is, well, just about everywhere else, apparently. <br /><br />The fact that even our poorer citizens in the US can practically take toilets bathrooms and toilet paper all for granted shows just how wealthy a country we really are, even if we complain about lack of government services and economic downturn, etc., etc. I think possibly to much of the rest of the world, we look like a bunch of whining babies. Of course, we do have citizens who live on the street, who don't have access to adequate hygiene facilities. Living near San Francisco, I see it all the time. It's a pretty sad phenomenon. <br /><br />So the next time you go to use a toilet, before you complain about the bad lighting or bunched up hand towels, or a lack of seat covers, take a moment to just be grateful. Be grateful that you *have* a toilet that is at least relatively comfortable. And think about someone who a is a little less fortunate. <br /><br />{Photo courtesy the Polis Blog}TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-87957432385659920622010-07-22T10:33:00.000-07:002010-07-22T10:37:57.405-07:00Out(back Steak)House<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUYzWd22xjJIJuMLftJDh8K4IP33dU62AEGDTVsZugG44NyQz77I0QuQ9YSu4W0LhL_7SaytX4rMFAjvscwn8KqHrz1rIj9R6Ine3PugWRMtQDtz6huDJVD_fGIysjA1zJ2etxCWur7U6/s1600/Outback.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUYzWd22xjJIJuMLftJDh8K4IP33dU62AEGDTVsZugG44NyQz77I0QuQ9YSu4W0LhL_7SaytX4rMFAjvscwn8KqHrz1rIj9R6Ine3PugWRMtQDtz6huDJVD_fGIysjA1zJ2etxCWur7U6/s320/Outback.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496785333185596210" /></a>This one makes me laugh! Intrepid Agent AshW, is staying in NC for the summer (with Agent HoJo), and snapped this one in a local Outback Steakhouse. It's a sign pointing toward the restrooms, of course...TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-51716756095468767992010-07-05T20:37:00.000-07:002010-07-05T22:16:30.258-07:00Melt Your Heart Out<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fnuM3MLxtiXfqTsweoT2Wg7WMWFfzjrLwCiJod0mDQ7Fc0L1X15nwfN5IjC2guQrQeczF7R_4JZS5gmyEN-EhIBAJGCgBMPtphyphenhyphenjSN8zorh0uvN6AxPCZVbFP_4Xv4MXp0E_2O3NBccg/s1600/ladies+advice.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fnuM3MLxtiXfqTsweoT2Wg7WMWFfzjrLwCiJod0mDQ7Fc0L1X15nwfN5IjC2guQrQeczF7R_4JZS5gmyEN-EhIBAJGCgBMPtphyphenhyphenjSN8zorh0uvN6AxPCZVbFP_4Xv4MXp0E_2O3NBccg/s400/ladies+advice.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490632984839048450" /></a>Here is a lovely one from Agent Ash W in Colorado. She sent us this pic of a sign next to the mirror in the ladies' room of the <a href="http://www.meltingpotcolorado.com/">Melting Pot</a> in Littleton, CO. How did she know I love fondue? Now, I wonder what it said in the guys' room - "Offer her (or him) the last strawberry"?TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-51125482107446939032010-06-10T10:10:00.001-07:002010-06-10T18:46:40.235-07:00Use the Tube<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMHmDw6zEKADRaNMt9Zuv4M2O4CDdXrqH-UlfIgdVfUQRMofPxtSs6Ug_f4qtwVTprrsSD608-QQOEQZH0Uek9bS0KMCW1B-O7LyAgx_4zhbMsKIFw8mykCa8IdFrnFSN6_-x-kELzmbH/s1600/32060_434809098973_633503973_5714250_5762571_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMHmDw6zEKADRaNMt9Zuv4M2O4CDdXrqH-UlfIgdVfUQRMofPxtSs6Ug_f4qtwVTprrsSD608-QQOEQZH0Uek9bS0KMCW1B-O7LyAgx_4zhbMsKIFw8mykCa8IdFrnFSN6_-x-kELzmbH/s320/32060_434809098973_633503973_5714250_5762571_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481193665419894546" /></a><br /><br />Our awesome Eco-Agent IGA has come up with another fair use for toilet roll tubes after you've used up those last scraps of paper that stick on with the glue so that you have to pick it off in that annoying way. In her own words:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Reuse tip x2! Use old toilet paper cores to save gift ribbon to use again. Simply tape one end of the ribbon to the paper core, wrap around and tape the end to the ribbon.</span><br /><br />Et Voilà! As an added bonus, not only does it keep your extra ribbon bits from getting tangled in the bottom of a drawer somewhere, AND keep TB tubes out of recycle bins/landfills - it looks pretty! <br /><br />Thanks, Agent IGA! {Photo credit: I.G.}<br /><br />Addendum: There are some toilet paper tubes that don't like having ribbon wrapped around them, and they make faces like <a href="http://thetoiletpaperblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/tp-roll-art.html">this</a>.<br /><br />Update: Our agent wants to be called "Iggy," so we'll call her "IGGS" for short. :)TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-12753758893951188602010-06-01T21:51:00.000-07:002010-06-01T22:09:08.164-07:00Mission: Restroom<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaThS7FYFmC1A2wUSw06Bte2rkWPX2id-Ce2iRcJXu8UIIlT9C-LWY-hMJKmtO4kgLkHOE-2kbwNWX_xDv9FgsJekL86uAnwiAIiAKsc3VJYIiKFGWEz339toKopocUgqkUTy6PVbtpmL6/s1600/sfparks.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 63px; height: 96px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaThS7FYFmC1A2wUSw06Bte2rkWPX2id-Ce2iRcJXu8UIIlT9C-LWY-hMJKmtO4kgLkHOE-2kbwNWX_xDv9FgsJekL86uAnwiAIiAKsc3VJYIiKFGWEz339toKopocUgqkUTy6PVbtpmL6/s200/sfparks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478035373454314594" /></a>The TP Blog is a little "back-logged" right now with some awesome posts and submissions that have been coming in that we just haven't posted because of time and life and this and that. But Agent M sent in a link today to "the best task force ever." Check it out: the San Francisco Recreation and Parks department has a <a href="http://www.sfgov.org/site/recpark_index.asp?id=95097">Restroom Task Force</a>. <br /><br />Or at least they did. It looks like they were getting a lot of "business" done in 2009. There's so much information on the page, it's hard to know where to start! Hm...Do I go with "Draft Restroom Taskforce Report Appendix A" from June 12, 2009, "Restroom List," or the "Restroom Design Feedback page?" So many choices! Personally, I'm kind of interested in the "Restroom Cost Comparison by Capital."<br /><br />But this is serious business! I mean, someone's got to make sure that our public restrooms are working and cost effective and structurally sound. <br /><br />However, I like to think that the "taskforce" was doing their survey of public toilets in black suits and ties, with earpieces and hidden cameras. Perhaps parachuting down from helicopters, armed with plungers. Now *that* would be an awesome taskforce.TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544553246528850844.post-77053332859641743492010-05-14T07:48:00.000-07:002010-05-14T08:09:20.522-07:00TP for YooSome people really don't like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Yoo">John Yoo</a>. I don't like Yoo either. (heheheh) But seriously. If you walk around Berkeley, you will see "Arrest John Yoo" signs stapled to telephone poles. (They could have said "Yoo should be arrested," but they didn't.) And one man made a very special protest, which, in view of toilet paper and the amount of energy he put into it, is practically a compliment. <br /><br />I guess some people believe Mr. Yoo has trampled on the United States Constitution with his legal practices and rendered them something of a waste product. So one artist from LA decided to have our country's founding documents printed on rolls of toilet paper and deposited them in the bathrooms of the UC Berkeley's legal building, Boalt Hall. He then took the rolls of toilet paper that he removed and left them in a pile in the Dean's office (where Yoo works). <br /><br />So it was sort of like a one-two punch (in the nether regions). Or it was supposed to be. But to have someone go to that much trouble and expense on your behalf seriously is almost like a compliment. In fact, at first when I watched the video, I thought it was propaganda *for* John Yoo. Not so much. Though I don't think he printed Yoo's face on the TP. <br /><br />But you can watch the video and see for yourself:<br /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HDC2vJM8gIo&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HDC2vJM8gIo&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>TaylorMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10818977452612758029noreply@blogger.com2