The pontoon was painted and anchored in an area specifically designed to attract the birds. It is hoped that the gulls will choose to sit on the ledge and leave their droppings on the pontoon rather than all over the boats (and boat owners) in the marina.

The Professor wishes Karlstad residents all the best in their bird toilet-training efforts and looks forward to hearing how successful the project was.

Do you read in the bathroom?  Many people multitask on the toilet, which isn’t too surprising, consider how many people text and drive.

A 2008 study sponsored by American Standard shows that people are doing a lot of things inside their bathrooms besides the obvious.

1. A full 88 percent use at least one electronic device in the bathroom.

2. More than a third read their mail — both snail mail and e-mail.

3. 15 percent talk on the phone, and three percent watch TV.

A. The Professor (thanks, but way before his time)

B. Thomas Crapper

C. Sir John Harington

Crapper’s got the name, but Sir Harington wins you the game.

Harington invented his water closet design in the 16th century. It was truly a throne fit for a king… or queen. Harington’s godmother, Queen Elizabeth I, had the first one installed in Richmond Palace. Harington’s modern flush toilet model flourished, becoming a common fixture in Europe over the 18th and 19th centuries.

Toilet design has continuously evolved since then. In 1992 the U.S. Congress passed legislation requiring new toilets to drain just 1.6 gallons per flush, instead of the average 3.5 gallons. Manufacturers, such as American Standard, are seeing how low toilets can go to conserve water resources and save consumers money without sacrificing performance.

Visit Discovery News to learn more about potty pioneers!

A chance encounter with the casting director of the television show saved the day, and Peter agreed to let the crew of Construction Intervention renovate the shop for an episode of the show. The Farmacy’s electrical wiring was re-done, structural problems with the building were fixed, a long soda counter was installed, and two new bathrooms that now feature WaterSense-certified toilets and faucets from American Standard were built.

Having comfortable and inviting bathrooms was important to Peter, who wanted a safe, clean environment for neighborhood kids to wash their hands before digging into a slice of his strawberry-rhubarb pie. The Professor also notes that the new water-saving fixtures also compliment his eco-friendly philosophy of buying locally and sustainably made products.

Congratulations, Peter! The Professor tips his hat to you.

It’s likely that very few people make a hobby of reading toilet reviews the way the Professor does, but this take on the superior flushing ability of the Champion 4 up at HomeDepot.com is a must-read. Follow the link above for the touching story of how the virtually clog-free toilet kept an Atlanta resident out of federal prison and saved the life of a mother-in-law whose regular diet apparently consisted of “broccoli, cabbage, and gravel.” Enjoy.

Colin McEnroe hosts a talk show on the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network and today, it’s all about toilets.

But first, Professor Toilet turned the tables and asked Colin a few questions:

Professor Toilet:  How do you feel about the toilets in your home?  Do your toilets work well?

Colin McEnroe:  NO! I have a nagging, epic sense of of what Goethe called Toiletteschmerz (toilet sadness.) Neither one of my toilets really gets the job done. In fact, there’s a huge undocumented class of Americans who have to flush the toilet twice every time they poop. The U.S. Census Bureau should be asking about this.

My toilets are not cutting edge eco-toilets. They’re sort of the opposite. They’re old toilets that don’t work that well. Of course I, as toilet depositor, am old and don’t work that well either. So it’s the Circle of Life.

Professor Toilet:  Indeed it is.  What do you think of toilets that use less water?

Colin McEnroe: You mean really good toilets that flush with less water, right? See above. Asking me that is like asking some Neanderthal who hasn’t really mastered the art of making fire what he thinks of gas grills. I’m stuck in a previous toilet evolutionary period from the one you’re talking about.

I totally approve of water saving toilets, but they are, right now, a distant dream for me, like flying cars.

Professor Toilet:  Do you own a plunger? And why, for Pete’s sake?

Colin McEnroe: I own a plunger for the same reason everyone else does: in case I am ever called up, hastily, to audition for a Three Stooges remake.

Actually, I’m pretty good with a plunger. I don’t want to go into details, but there’s something kind of orgasmic about the release that comes at the moment when effective plunging realizes its goal.

I can’t believe I wrote that.

Professor Toilet:  Neither can we. And far be it from us to suggest other ways to achieve orgasmic release.  Just so you know,  you don’t really need a plunger when toilets like the Champion 4 can take down 1,000 grams in one flush.  That’s 2.2 pounds, equal to about 66 chicken nuggets.

Tell us, does your toilet suffer from skid marks?

Colin McEnroe:  I’m not sure toilets can suffer.  But if they do suffer, that raises the question of whose fault it is. Is there something wrong with the way the mark-maker poops? (Bad angle?)

I’m dodging the question.

Professor Toilet:  It can happen in the best of families when they are stuck with the worst of toilets.

Finally, you say your show  is about “Giving you something new to laugh about in your car and talk about over dinner.”  Will you make an exception on the dinner thing for this topic?

Colin McEnroe: My recommendation would be that this topic should be resolved, one way or another, in the car.

Listen live today at about 1:20 ET for Colin McEnroe and James Walsh to continue the toilet talk.

Anderson Plumbers of San Diego does a great You Tube video that cracks wise about plumber butt cracks…and other customer service no nos:

Anderson Plumbers was San Diego’s first licensed GreenPlumber®. A shout out to our friends at GreenPlumbers USA for letting us know about this clip.

Perez Hilton has American Standard water saving toilets on his website.

The toilets’ brush with celebrity, so to speak, was thanks to the clean water advocacy work of Mandy Moore and Alexandra Cousteau, that included Congressional visits on March 23.   More on on Moore, Cousteau and water at PerezHilton.com.

More coverage for World Water Day activities of Moore and Cousteau.