Courtesy Flush

Last year, my folks gave me a bathroom book. Well, it was actually last week. But because today is January 3rd, it's still technically true. Isn't that fun?

Anyway, I don't have a terrible need for a bathroom book, thanks to Esquire, Wired and National Geographic. But just to honor my parents, I read a little bit last night before bed. Which got me thinking, there are a whole bunch of people out there writing, editing and publishing books that are destined for the bathroom. Someone took the time to compile the 420 (!) pages of Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Wonderful World of Odd: Expanded Edition, by the Bathroom Reader's Institute with full knowledge that the vast majority of people who read it would do so while pooping.

As indicated on the verso of the title page, Michael Brunsfeld of San Raphael, California designed the cover of this massive tome. He was able to pay his bills because he created this image seen mostly by people in the process of dropping some children off at the pool (AKA "fighting crime" by a friend of mine). I wonder how he feels about that. His credit in the book also includes his email address and I am somewhat inclined to ask his opinion on the matter. All it would probably take is a little prodding by the two or three readers of this blog.

If you knew that the only time your job had an effect on someone was while they were negotiating the release of chocolate hostages, would you ask for a raise? It's shitty work, but someone's got to do it.