no shit

This NPR story slayed me.

Apparently, the WTO (World Toilet Organization) is having its 2004 summit in Beijing, in preparation for the 2008 Olympics and (Western) potty shortage.

The affluent are discussing the effluent... and the impact of toilets on tourism. One 5-star restroom included personal TVs in each stall. That's a big change, because finding a public toilet in China used to be a matter of following your nose.

But I think these folks may have taken it too far:

Photos of showcase lavatories were also displayed at the conference, from a ladybug-shaped one in a public garden to another modeled after a grass hut in a wildlife park. Facilities with baby-changing stations, wheelchair ramps and gleaming white ceramic urinals were also featured.

"New public toilets are an important symbol to demonstrate the development of the city," said Liang Guangsheng, deputy director of Beijing's Municipal Administrative Committee.

Delegates also debated the pros and cons of squat toilets versus the sit-down toilet, including this frightful fact -- When you flush a toilet that has fecal matter in it, it sends bacteria several meters in the air.