Thursday, March 19, 2020

The History of the First Toilet

The History of the First Toilet For civilization to come together and function, you’d think people would need toilets. But ancient records that date back to around 2800 BCE have shown that the earliest toilets were a luxury afforded only to the most affluent households in what was then the Indus Valley settlement of Mohenjo-Daro. History The thrones were simple but ingenious for its time. Made of brick with wooden seats, they featured chutes that transported the waste toward street drains. This was all made possible by the most advanced sewage system of the time, which featured several sophisticated water supply and sanitation technologies. For example, drains from houses were connected to larger public drains and sewage from a home was connected to the main sewage line.   Toilets that used running water to dispose of waste have also been discovered in Scotland that date back to roughly the same time. There’s also evidence of early toilets in Crete, Egypt, and Persia that were in use during the 18th-century BCE. Toilets connected to a flush system were popular as well in Roman bathhouses, where they were positioned over open sewers.   In the middle ages, some households fashioned what was referred to as garderobes, basically a hole on the floor above a pipe that carried the waste out to disposal area called a cesspit. To get rid of the waste, workers came during the night to clean them out, collect the waste and then sell it as fertilizer.   In the 1800s, some English homes favored using a waterless, non-flush system called the â€Å"dry earth closet.† Invented in 1859 by the Reverend Henry Moule of Fordington, the mechanical units, comprised of a wooden seat, a bucket and separate container, mixed dry earth with feces to produce compost that can be safely returned to the soil. You can say it was one of the first composting toilets that are in use today at parks and other roadside locations in Sweden, Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and Finland.   First Design The first design for the modern flush toilet was drawn up in 1596 by Sir John Harington, an English courtier. Named the Ajax, Harington described the device in a satirical pamphlet titled â€Å"A New Discourse of a Stale Subject, Called the Metamorphosis of Ajax,† which contained insulting allegories to Earl of Leicester, a close friend of his godmother Queen Elizabeth I. It had a valve that let water flow down and empty a waterproof bowl. He would eventually install a working model at his home in Kelston and for the queen at Richmond Palace.   However, it wasn’t until 1775 that the first patent for a practical flush toilet was issued. Inventor Alexander Cumming’s designed featured one important modification called the S-trap, an S-shaped pipe below the bowl filled with water that formed a seal to prevent fold smelling odors from rising up through the top. A few years later, Cumming’s system was improved upon by inventor Joseph Bramah, who replaced the sliding valve at the bottom of the bowl with a hinged flap.   It was around the middle of the 19th century that â€Å"water closets,† as they were called, started to gain a foothold among the masses. In 1851, an English Plumber named George Jennings installed the first public pay toilets at the Crystal Palace in London’s Hyde Park. At the time, it cost patrons a penny to use them and included extras such as a towel, comb and shoe shine. By the end of the 1850s, most middle-class homes in Britain came equipped with a toilet.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Valentines Day Date Ideas for College Students

Valentines Day Date Ideas for College Students As we all know the key to stellar Valentine’s Day dates is a mixture of creativity and originality†¦with a dash of personalization for good measure and nuance. Without ample life-experience to draw on, some great date ideas are pretty valuable commodities. Here’s 5 we know you and your special someone are going to simply adore! 1. Get Saucy Romantic Through Antioxidants Who says that eating healthy has to be crummy or dry? If you focus on antioxidants you can create unbelievably tasty and sensual meals that compliment a date extremely well. Think about this: A bottle of quality Merlot is jam-packed with antioxidants that help the mind become sharper, fight off cancer-causing agents and improve the digestive system. Plus, it’s a pleasant aphrodisiac! Your wine is then complimented with an assortment of darkly colored berries like blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, etc. Each of these are like little packets of healthy micronutrients that excite the senses and add to the flavor of the experience. A slab of organic dark chocolate, which is a little on the bitter side and will pair well with the pinch of the wine and the sweetness of the berries. Also, brimming over with antioxidants. That there is a healthy and quite romantic Valentine’s Day treat, especially if your date is a health nut. 2. Organic Food Memories Speaking of chocolate and berries, why not make a tongue-tantalizing meal and serve it to your date in the place where you met? Along with some wholesome food that gives them a sense of home, bring back the memories that will remind both of you why you’re together. Remember to choose something lite, because if you burden the digestive tract the mind tends to follow in its wake. Salads. White seafood with scampi-like accoutrements. Lean chicken with pasta and vinaigrette. Choices like that. Then, add in some music that brings you back as well. Some great songs that lighten the mood with romantic songs intermingled into the playlist. Also, don’t be afraid to go into a genre of music you’ve never really listened to together before that can transport you out of your generation and into another from the past. Swing is a stupendous option! 3. Incorporate the Wolf Pack Who says the occasion just has to be about you and your date alone? Why not the more the merrier? Perhaps you could find a way to get the whole gang in on the action, including both family and close friends. Make the date a celebratory event that takes so much pressure and focus off the two of you and is instead spread evenly throughout the wolf pack. Plus, when you put your minds together you can come up with some really intriguing and memorable things to do. Pictures are a must. A great location is another. After that, it just about good old fashioned quality human experience. Your date will adore it, unless they were already intending on the date being more conservative. 4. Take it to the Highbrow Level Is there a club or restaurant in your area that’s almost impossible to get into? If so, plan way early and do whatever it takes to get reservations. Make sure that your date understands it’s a formal dress-up occasion so they don’t show up under-dressed. Just the fact that your there will really make a huge impression. Take it high-brow. Do the limousine. Splurge on expensive classy appetizers and drinks. Afterwards don’t just go to a movie, go to an opera, a dance, a play or something like that. If this isn’t your typical lifestyle it will be a real treat in every way. They’ll feel special in a way no one has bothered to show them before. For college students this could be a stretch, but it all comes down to saving up the necessary cash using a budget and being connected with the right people. 5. Buy Them an Experience! What if you rented a freaking Lamborghini for a night? What if you got an air balloon ride set up, or helicopter or plane? How about parachute jumping? Scuba diving? How about a day on a gorgeous sailboat equipped with a full staff? The idea here is not to buy a thing, but provide them with an exceptional experience that they’ll never forget and always regard with a smile and excitement. These memories will be more than date memories. They’ll transcend your relationship and really just be a great gift from one human being to another and that’s the way to make a real impression on someone. Is there anything you’ve done on Valentine’s Day, or had someone do for you that people should hear about? Share it and help make Valentine’s Day an awesome holiday.