Jezebel: craptastic

Global Conference On Loos May Lead To More Ladies Rooms

Dodai — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:30:00 EST

The World Toilet Summit and Expo begins in Macau today, and while a commode conference may sound funny, there are some serious issues on the table: Global sanitation concerns, for one, and the extremely urgent problem we've all experienced: Potty parity.

The ratio of female to male cubicles in public toilets will be debated at the event, and it seems like something businesses rarely get right. As Kathyrn Anthony of the American Restroom Association said back in May, "Until men have menstrual periods, until men get pregnant, or until men breast-feed or have babies, we'll always have a need for potty parity."

But how will the Toilet Leaders decide what potty parity is? Do women need double the number of toilets? Triple?

Of course, most of us have the luxury of indoor plumbing, but World Toilet Organization founder Jack Sim says there are an estimated 2.5 billion people in the world who still do not have access to a hygienic toilet. The conference will include cool new stuff, ike self-cleaning toilets, solar-powered commodes which run without water, and recyclable systems that convert waste into biogas, which can be used to provide hot water for bathing and washing.

Back to potty parity: Have you been someplace recently where you felt like there weren't enough toilets for women? The movie theater comes to mind. Any other locales in need of potty parity?

Potty Parity: Summit to Discuss Lack of Women's Restrooms [Live Science]
Toilet Summit Tackles Issue of 'Potty Parity' for Women [Newser]
Earlier: Pooping: The New Hot Shit
Ladies Need More Ladies' Rooms • Japanese Women Embrace Running

Image via Flickr

Sarah Haskins: Fiber Is Secret Code For Making You Poop

Dodai — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EDT

In the latest episode of Target: Women, Sarah Haskins takes on products with fiber. Did you know your biological clock is ticking? No, not that one. Your doody clock. In commercials for women, there's fiber, fiber everywhere — and nary a mention of poop. "As a woman, it is our job to be ashamed of Number Two," Haskins explains. "It's a poopadox." Clip above.

Target Women: Number Two [Current]
Earlier: Pooping: The New Hot Shit

Pooping: The New Hot Shit

Dodai — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:40:00 EDT

Do you ever get up from the toilet and take a look at your poo? Leslie Crawford did, and wrote about it for Salon. See, there's this incredibly successful new book, What's Your Poo Telling You?, which you can pick up at Urban Outfitters, among other places. Because excrement is not just "ejecta," as Crawford calls it. Solid human waste is "a crystal ball of intestinal health." The book's authors, Josh Richman and Anish Sheth, M.D., write: "Like a snowflake, each poo has a wondrous uniqueness." Plus, many poopers experience "poo-phoria." You know the feeling:

"This poo can turn an atheist into a believer and is distinguished by the sense of euphoria and ecstasy that you feel throughout your body when this type of feces departs your system," write the coauthors. "To some, it may feel like a religious experience, to others like an orgasm, and to a lucky handful it may feel like both. This is the type of poo that makes us all look forward to spending time on the toilet."

Meanwhile, other signs that the shit has hit the fan in this country: A new book called The 'Regular' Gourmet Everyday: Sumptuous Recipes for the Gastro-intestinally Challenged; the popularity of the MasterCleanse diet; the success of Activia and other "active" yogurts; and the fact that Oprah, America's Sweetheart, can't stop talking about crap, with segments like "What Shape Should Your Poop Be?"

Maybe Oprah would like the Turd Twister? It's a butt plug, sorta, but more like the Play-Doh Fun Factory. You push your poo through, and it can be shaped like a star, a heart or a skull. It's the perfect gift for any friend who's full of shit.

The Bowel Movement [Salon]
Twist that Turd [Random Good Stuff]
What's Your Poo Telling You? [Amazon]

Related: Everyone Poops , Colors Cacas [Amazon]

Earlier: Oprah Asks: "What Shape Should Your Poop Be?"
Oprah Winfrey: Still Obsessed With Bowel Movements
Oprah To Start TV Network; Likely To Include Shows About S-Shaped Shit

In China, they're giving new meaning to...

Dodai — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 09:45:02 EDT

In China, they're giving new meaning to crappy souvenirs. A new "dung-for-profit" scheme turns giant panda droppings into odor-free tchotchkes, like bookmarks and statues, reports CBS News. [CBSNews]