Urinals...

Okay, so sometimes I write serious things, but recently I've been a little more relaxed. This post will serve as my example. I am at school where on Mondays I have class from 7:30-9:15 and then nothing until 1:00. Well, it's a little after noon, and I can honestly say that I have been sitting in the library for the last three hours doing absolutely nothing. Nothing related to school work that is. I've caught up on some correspondence, looked at some pics online, researched skiing in Oregon during the summer months, chatted on the phone a few times, etc. Needless to say, wireless Internet can be a great distraction.

A few minutes ago I was in the restroom. Now, isn't the mind a crazy thing? For a second, I realized that I didn't remember if I was in the guys or girls restroom. But then I saw the urinals and remembered that I must be in the right one, because, as we all know, women don't have urinals. And then I wondered how the urinal came to be. There are so many things we use every day and I think it can be worth our time to investigate their origins. This is where the Internet comes in. If I was a student wondering this even a decade ago, I wouldn't know what to do. Not anymore. We in fact live in a different world. Anyway, this is what I found and think you might also find it to be useful information:

• I couldn't actually find the information regarding the orignal inventor, but it seems urinals have really been around for a long long time are are used by men all around the world.
• There have been some attempts at a urinal for women, but those just haven't caught on it seems. I can't say I'm too surprised, but ya never know.
• One Italian word for urinal is "pappagallo," which has a striking similarity to the character from Mozart's opera "Die Zauberflote," Papageno. And for the record, I have played that character twice to great acclaim. Interesting. Some musicologist or linguist needs to research any possible relationship.
• There is in fact an American Restroom Association. Yes, you can make tax-free donations and there is still time to sign up for the World Toilet Summit 2006 which will be held in Moscow during September of this year.
• Vespasiennes (street urinals) were extremely popular in Paris, but most were taken out during the 90's. There is only one left in the city, and yes, it is still in use. Apparently these were named after Roman Emporor Vespasian (AD 9-79), who, according to my source, "imposed a tax on urine." Unfortunately, I couldn't find any other information regarding this tax. Some street urinals are still found in other countries, notably the Netherlands, which is where the above picture is from. I mean, I thought porta-pottys weren't private enough. This takes it to a whole new level.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this post. I know I learned a lot, and I hope you did too.