As the
sparklers blaze this Independence Day, it's worth taking a moment to reflect on this here beautiful mess known as the U.S. of A.
We certainly have our ongoing issues, but never forget:
We are the land of the free, and the home of engineers who took it upon themselves to combine a toilet and an aquarium.
Now, with the Fish 'n Flush, your crapper can be a source of joy and whimsy for a mere $200.
Enjoy the holiday, pass the potato salad, and God Bless America!
(Even the Tea Partiers. Offer good for one day only.)
_________________________________________________________________
Pop quiz: Can you name the only thing in your house that has one function, but an endless stream of nicknames?
Hint: the loo, john, crapper, throne, dunny, water closet, latrine, pot, can, lavatory, porcelain god, head, bog, commode, oval office, potty and (a new favorite) the thunder box.
We speak, of course, of the flush toilet -- the unsung hero of modern livability that quietly goes about its business handling our human dirty work. And yet, for all the names we give it, few of us ever give the toilet a second thought, so long as it's working.
Perhaps the time has come to take another look at the common toilet, because in recent years, there have been advances that make them cheaper, smarter, more efficient and, amazingly, a whimsical place to keep fish.
"We Are on a Mission"
Some 20 years ago, industrial designer Carl Brown saw the future of toilet technology while on a trip to -- where else? -- Japan. There he saw a toilet with a sink atop the tank that replaced the lid, bringing fresh water through the tank and disposing it in the bowl after users washed their hands. "I knew right then and there, this innovation had to make its way to the United States," says Brown, 51.
It took awhile, but today, Brown, Joseph Parker and John Benedict are manufacturing the SinkPositive retrofit system from a plant in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Both Parker, 55, and Benedict, 64, have a background in plastics, and the three men came together in 2007 to form Environmental Designworks, a sustainable design firm. The non-porous recyclable plastic sink is the company's flagship product, and the three men see it as a major step forward in green technology, even though it requires a substantial amount of consumer education.
"There is an ick factor," Parker says. "But the problem is that most people don't understand how a toilet works."
(For more Made in the USA: The Toilet Goes High Tech, including the story of the Fish 'n Flush, click right here)
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
