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Inventor rolls out 100 years

Milestones come and go; however, it shouldn’t pass without notice that January 23rd 2019 is the centenary of application No.9902/19 with the Commonwealth of Australia’s patent office of the “serving apparatus for toilet paper” also known as the toilet paper roll holder.

The invention dispenses a product most of us use daily.

Whether your favourite toilet roll is textured or patterned, two or four-ply, premium or pulped, waxed or lotioned, the standard sized roll or the jumbo or jumbo junior, whether you roll over or under, please take a moment to contemplate the genius of Clarence Edward Anable of Sacramento, California.

Mr Anable’s revolutionary invention has, without doubt, improved the sanitary status of the world.

Why this plumber makes a regular blood donation

New Blood 2
Its a simple thing to give blood. It doesn’t hurt at all! In fact it makes you feel really good…. and you get to help someone else.

Who knows, I may get to help you or your loved ones.

So what does that have to do with plumbing……

Well, only that all of your pipes need flushing from time to time. Even your personal pipes!

This is Furk! Having FUn at woRK.

Why men spend so much time in the Loo!

Why men spend so much time in the loo is still a mystery to me!

My Dad could disappear in there for what seemed like hours; he would emerge with the Herald under his arm and an understanding of what had been happening in the world.

He took time to think! Meditation perhaps?

My eldest son is just the same. He has Dad’s brains.

Personally, I get in, do what I have too and get the hell out of there.

This clip is fun! If you have similar experiences let me know.

Welcome to Movember – Men’s Health Month

Men’s health is something very close to my heart. Having lost my dad in 2009 to prostate cancer at 73 is something that changed the way I look at my own health and health checks.

Over this month Movember I plan to share the personal stories of plumbing colleagues, clients and work mates. They’re all just normal men who felt a slight change in their bodies and had the courage and the good sense or friendly push to go and get things checked out.

I’ve got some simple health tips that work for me and if they work for me, then, they’ll work for you too! I’ve got some great summer recipes.

So, I can hear you asking…. What the hell has men’s health got to do with plumbing? Well it has everything to do with plumbing. Our bodies are temples, our home is our castle and our pipes within our temple and our castles need to function properly or we are “up shit creek”!

I’ve got some YouTube clips to share; some funny, some educational, some frightening!

Using a public toilet. Should I hover or cover the seat?

Here is a little fun on Friday! Have a great weekend, and wash your hands!

A place for inspiration and relief

In previous blog posts on urinals  and toilets, I showed you a field goal in a urinal that helped to reduce spillage, and also the infamous ‘fly in the urinal’ at Schiphol Airport. So once again, courtesy of Exponential Growth Strategist (http://www.ExponentialPrograms.com) Dr Marc Dussault (http://www.MarcDussault.com)  here is another photo, this time of  an unknown location in Amsterdam. This is just another example of how we can all take life a little less seriously and enjoy ourselves a little more.

A place for reflection

A place for reflection

 

The next time you come across an interesting bathroom or other plumbing related installation, please take a picture and forward it to me – this blog is a collaborative effort from people travelling all over the world to bring you a mosaic of photos, articles and facts that are curious, intriguing and fun.

 

The latest sewer notes and history of Venice

Mozarts neighbours get the drains cleared

Mozarts neighbours get the drains cleared

More S – – T from Venice! The best part about this blog is sharing with so many people and getting your insights into my topic, S – – T.
Our knowledge of the sewers of the world grows.

Basically, we all use our toilets regularly and if you are not, then seek medical advice. Now I’m not going to get into anything unsavoury in this post, but I have a few toilet jokes and stories lined up for you in the future. So stay regular!

Our regular readers would have read about the world famous Venetian Gondolier my friend Giovanni Giudice in earlier blog posts like Holy S – – T.  A Gondoliers impression.

Here in Australia, as we drift into the cooler months it’s spring in Venice and Gio has been keeping me up to date with some interesting facts about the sewer movements and the history of his home town.

Here is an excerpt from a recent communiqué:

Mozart slept here!

Mozart slept here!

Yesterday I took these pics of drain boats in the first one you can see how they get the pipes to the house. This house is just in front of the house where Mozart, Wolfang Amadeus Mozart, stayed when he came to Venice in the Carnival of 1771.

This is written on the marble white stuff you see. Probably there is still some Mozart S- -T!!

 

 

 

Drain boat at St Marco square

Drain boat at St Marco square

This pic is of another Drain boat in front of San Marco Square. As you see from the last picture, I have taken all these pics from my gondola. You can see I’m under the bridge and you see the back (stern) of my lady, my gondola.

Take care my friend,
Giovanni

If you are travelling to Venice and need a guide, look for Giovanni, he is the best!

Something to aim for….a fly on the wall

In a previous blog post  He aims, he shoots, he scores, I showed you a field goal in a urinal to reduce spillage. Some people were wondering what the original one at Schiphol Airport (http://www.schiphol.nl/) looks like… So once again, courtesy of Exponential Growth Strategist (http://www.ExponentialPrograms.com) Dr Marc Dussault (http://www.MarcDussault.com)  here is the infamous fly in the urinal at Schiphol Airport!

 

a-fly-at-schiphol-airport

 This blog is all about having fun with everything having to do with plumbing, plumbing services and plumbing repairs. If you come across anything that you think my readers would enjoy – please send it to me via a comment on this blog. In advance, I thank you for making this a top blog for plumbing aficionados!

What’s Your Poo Telling You? #2

 A friend and colleague, Dr Marc Dussault (http://www.MarcDussault.com), recently visited San Francisco and came across a great little bookstore… Little did he know it was Chronicle Books the publisher of the great little bestsellers “What’s Your Poo Telling You?” and “What’s My Pee Telling Me?”…
I guess this is another example of how small the world really is. These books are as funny as they are informative. If you’d like a copy, I’ve pre-purchased some inventory just for you. Give us a call and we’ll get them shipped to you… Pronto!

lone-drainer-at-chronicle-books-2

 

Marc chatted with the sales rep in the store and even brought up our website to show him who was selling the books in Australia!

 

How cool is that?!?!?

lone-drainer-at-chronicle-books-11

He aims, he shoots, he scores!

Today’s blog post is from Exponential Growth Strategist (http://www.ExponentialPrograms.com) Dr Marc Dussault (http://www.MarcDussault.com) who tells me that Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam setup a test with a fly printed at the bottom of the men’s urinals to ‘reduce’ spillage. From memory, the reduction was astonishing, 75%+ reduction. The reason it seems is that given a target, men can actually aim quite well…

Marc came across this version of the same principle in his native Montreal, Quebec at a local sports restaurant called La Cage Aux Sports (http://www.cage.ca/pointe-claire)…

 cage-aux-sports-urinal

 

La Cage Aux Sports Urinal

a-fly-at-schiphol-airport

Schiphol Airport Urinal

Let’s face it – spillage or no spillage – this just looks like a lot of fun doesn’t it?

 

Psst! If you look closely at the floor – there’s no spillage!!!

 

Would you use this loo?

 I have just returned from Louisville Kentucky where I attended the 30th Annual  Pumper and Cleaner Environmental Expo. 

This is one of the western world’s greatest collections of experts, gathering to talk about S _ _ T.

How to clean it, clear it, move it, store it, collect it and record it.

Over the next few weeks I will share with you some of the sights and sounds and people that made Louisville 2010 the greatest plumbing expo so far this decade; http://www.pumpershow.com/.

Please come back to this blog page over the next few weeks to see and enjoy some images of Louisville, KY through the eyes of  The Lone Drainer and Pronto.

In the meantime enjoy these images of a very unusual public toilet. I ask you, Would you use this Loo?

see thru loo houston


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that you’ve seen the outside view,  take a look at the view from the inside out.

see thru loo inside out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s made entirely of one-way glass! No one can see you from the outside, but when you are inside it’s like sitting in a clear glass box!

Could You….???       Now would you use this fun toilet?

http://www.TheLoneDrainerAndPronto.com.au

So you think you’re having a bad day?

Today’s blog post is from Exponential Growth Strategist Dr Marc Dussault. (http://www.MarcDussault.com).

Some days when you think you are home free, there is a trap waiting for you.

Have you ever had a day like that?

Marc takes business growth very seriously, but insists we plumbers take time to have a laugh, even at our own expense.

Thanks for the medicine Dr! 

 

2010-03-25-so-you-think-your-having-a-bad-day

http://www.ExponentialPrograms.com

 

Water or wine. Is there bacteria in water?

To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine… and those who don’t, remember this during the festive season:

As Ben Franklin said; “In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom,  in water there is bacteria.”

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 litre of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. Coli) – bacteria found in faeces.

In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poo..

However, We DO NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor), because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and or fermenting.

Remember:

Water = Poo, Wine = Health.

Therefore, it’s better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of S _ _ t.

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information, thank my mate David Weekes.

I’m providing it as a public service!

S_ _ T Happens. Short Guide to Comparative Religions

Every now and then, things come across my desk that I must share, and those of you who follow the Lone Drainer and Pronto blog know that S_ _T is something that, well  it happens.

At Christmas, this is a tongue in cheek twist on “our subject”:

Taoism                         S _ _ t happens.

Buddhism                     If S _ _t happens, it’s not really S _ _t.

Islam                           If S_ _t happens, it’s the will of Allah.

Protestantism              S _ _t happens because you don’t work hard enough.

Judaism                      Why does S _ _t always happen to us?

Hinduism                    This S_ _t happened before.

Catholicism                 S _ _t happens because you’re bad.

Hare Krishna              S _ _t happens rama rama.

T.V Evangelism           Send more S _ _t.

Atheism                       No S _ _t.

Jehovah’s Witness      Knock knock, S_ _t happens.

Hedonism                   There’s nothing like a good S _ _t happening.

Christian Science        S _ _t happens in your mind.

Agnosticism                Maybe S _ _t happens, maybe it doesn’t.

Existentialism              What is S _ _t anyway?

Stoicism                     This S _ _t doesn’t bother me.

Rastafarianism            Let’s smoke this S _ _t.

https://www.thelonedrainerandpronto.com.au/blocked-drains.html

What’s that smell? A pig of a gas leak

As licensed gasfitters, we have electronic equipment that detects  gas leaks from all sorts of gas appliances, gas pipelines and gas meters, but this one  is unusual….

A big pig with flatulence sparked a “gas emergency” near the Victorian city of Bendigo last week when the smell wafting from a  120kg oinker sparked fears of a potentially dangerous gas leak.

Two CFA tankers and a dozen firefighters responded to a nightime callout to search for the source of the suspected gas leak on a rural property at Axedale, east of Bendigo.

The ever alert firemen soon sniffed out the source; a pet sow startled from her snooze. “She got very excited and she squealed and farted and squealed and farted” said Fire Chief Peter Harkins.

Chief Harkins said the family who owned the pig had done the right thing by reporting a suspected gas leak.

https://www.thelonedrainerandpronto.com.au/gas-gas-gas.html

A Sign of the Times?

A Picture paints a thousand words. We really enjoyed these photos, and hope you will as well….

Antimimeticisomorphism-Stoolbus

Antimimeticisomorphism-Political Promises

https://www.thelonedrainerandpronto.com.au

 

Even Wizards need a Plumber

To be a plumber is to be a Wizard (ace, adept, champion, genius, hotshot, magician, mavin, sensation, star, superstar, virtuoso, whizz, wiz)

This was taken from the Sydney Morning Herald on 26th August, 2009.

Wizard ID Plumber

SSSSSire CCCCertainly SSSSSounds like a job for The Lone Drainer and Pronto

https://www.thelonedrainerandpronto.com.au/index.php

S_ _t Happens. The Most Functional English Word

Well, it’s s_ _t. That’s right, s_ _t! S_ _t may just be the most functional word in the English language.

You can smoke s_ _t, buy s_ _t, sell s_ _t, lose s_ _t, find s_ _t, forget s_ _t, and tell others to eat s_ _t.

Some people know their s_ _t, while others can’t tell the difference between s_ _t and shineola.

There are lucky s_ _ts, dumb s_ _ts, and crazy s_ _ts. There is bull s_ _t, horse s_ _t, and chicken s_ _t.

You can throw s_ _t, sling s_ _t, catch s_ _t, shoot the s_ _t, or duck when the s_ _t hits the fan.

You can give a s_ _t or serve s_ _t on a shingle.

You can find yourself in deep s_ _t or be happier than a pig in s_ _t.

Some days are colder than s_ _t, some days are hotter than s_ _t, and some days are just plain s_ _tty.

Some music sounds like s_ _t, things can look like s_ _t, and there are times when you feel like s_ _t.

You can have too much s_ _t, not enough s_ _t, the right s_ _t, the wrong s_ _t or a lot of weird s_ _t.

You can carry s_ _t, have a mountain of s_ _t, or find yourself up s_ _t creek without a paddle.

Sometimes everything you touch turns to s_ _t and other times you fall in a bucket of s_ _t and come out smelling like a rose.

When you stop to consider all the facts, it’s the basic building block of the English language.

And remember, once you know your s_ _t, you don’t need to know anything else!!

You could pass this along, if you give a s_ _t; or not do so if you don’t give a s_ _t!

Well, s_ _t, it’s time for me to go. Just wanted you to know that I do give a s_ _t and hope you had a nice day, without a bunch of s_ _t. But, if you happened to catch a load of s_ _t from some s_ _t head………..

Well, S_ _t Happens!!!

Actually SHIFT HAPPENS and if you don’t SHIFT, you’ll be in a lot of s_ _t!

https://www.thelonedrainerandpronto.com.au/index.php

Plumbing Fixtures or Art?

Artist Clark Sorensen, the man who created the urinal/sculpture of former U.S. President George W Bush, has many other wonderful plumbing creations which can be used as functioning wash basins and urinals.

For examples of creative plumbing products and further information check out: http://www.clarkmade.com/

shell-urinal-2

shell-urinal-3

shell-urinal-6

https://www.thelonedrainerandpronto.com.au/

George Bush Toilets

The reign of US President George W Bush has come to an end, but as this piece of urinal art proves, when it comes to “Dubya”, many people will never grow tired of taking the piss….

presidential_urinal_1

The creator of this fantastic piece is a subscriber to “toilet humour“. His bathroom creations are unbelievable; I will soon share with you some of his other works.

And for all you plumbers, imagine clearing a blocked drain in the outlet of this urinal; be careful now!

www.TheLoneDrainerAndPronto.com.au

 

Use only Genuine Pipes! for Plumbing

Today’s post is courtesy of  Dr Marc Dussault. Check him out at:

 http://www.ExponentialPrograms.com/business/blog

Piping Specifications

Mr. Santa Singh is a brilliant engineer of College of Engineering Patiala and Mr. Banta Singh is his boss and a gold medalist of Jalandhar University. Both of them are serving for Punjab Pipes whose owner is Ms. Gurujit Kaur. In one of the tenders Mr. Santa Singh has declared the pipe specifications.
Prepared by: SANTA SINGH     Approved by: BANTA SINGH

1. All pipes are to be made of a long hole surrounded by metal or plastic centered around the hole.
2. All pipes are to be hollow throughout the entire length – do not use holes of different length to the pipe.
3. The ID (Inside Diameter) of all pipes must not exceed the OD (Outside Diameter) – otherwise the hole will be on the outside.
4. All pipes are to be supplied with nothing in the hole, so that water, steam or other stuff can be put inside at a later date.
5. All pipes should be supplied without rust; this can be more readily applied at the job site.
NOTE: Some vendors are now able to supply pre-rusted pipes. If available in your area, this product is recommended, as it will save a great deal of time at the job site.
6. All pipes over 500 ft (150 m) in length should have the words “LONG PIPE” clearly painted on each side at the end, so that the contractor knows it’s a long pipe.
7. Pipes over 2 miles (3.2 km) in length must also have the words “LONG PIPE” painted in the middle, so the contractor wouldn’t have to walk the entire length of the pipe to determine whether or not it is a long pipe or a short pipe.
8. All pipes over 6 ft (1.83 m) in diameter must have the words “LARGE PIPE” painted on them, so the contractor will not mistake it for small pipe.
9. Flanges must be used on all pipe. Flanges must have holes for bolts, quite separate from the big hole in the middle.
10. When ordering 90 or 30 degree elbows, be sure to specify left-hand or right-hand, otherwise you will end up going the wrong way.
11. Be sure to specify to your vendor whether you want level, uphill or downhill pipe. If you use downhill pipes for going uphill, the water will flow the wrong way.
12. All couplings should have either right-hand or left-hand threads, but do not mix the threads otherwise, as the coupling is being screwed on one pipe, it is being unscrewed from the other.
13.All pipes shorter than 1/8 in (3 mm) are very uneconomical in use, requiring many joints. They are generally known as washers.
14. Joints in pipes for piping water must be water-tight. Those in pipes for compressed air, however, need only be air-tight.
15. Lengths of pipes may be welded or soldered together. This method is not recommended for concrete or earthenware pipes.
16. Other commodities are often confused with pipes. These include: conduit, tube, tunnel and drain. Use only genuine pipes!

 

The History of Plumbing

Here’s something the Romans did for us – they invented plumbing!

By Adam Hart-Davis

Julius Caesar had a weekend native-bashing excursion to Britain in 55 BC. But I guess he didn’t enjoy the damp boarding houses with their fierce landladies, for he quickly went back to Rome, and naturally claimed a great victory. Almost a hundred years later the emperor Claudius sent a powerful invading army, and the Romans then occupied Britain for the next 350 years. What did those Romans ever do for us?

Flushing lavatories

The Romans were keen on hygiene and built public baths in all their cities. Many of them have survived, notably the grand complex at Bath. The bath houses were places for social gathering, gossiping, and exchanging news. In the same complex there were communal lavatories, often flushed with the used bathwater.

There is a well-preserved lavatory at Housesteads Roman fort, near Hexham, on Hadrian’s wall. The camp was home to some 800 soldiers, and the communal lavatory in the south-east corner must have accommodated a dozen men at a time, shoulder to shoulder, without any partitions. The sewage fell into a trench, and rainwater, collected in a cistern, flushed it away through the outer wall of the camp and into the civilian settlement outside.

A shallow channel in front of the sitting men also contained running water, probably to rinse the sponges on sticks that they used to wipe their bums. Each soldier probably carried his own sponge, since using one immediately after someone else would not have been appealing.

The Latin word for sewer is cloaca — the main sewer in Rome was called the cloaca maxima — and the Romans worshipped Cloacina, the goddess of the lavatory. There is even a poem in her honour:

O Cloacina, Goddess of this place,
Look on thy servant with a smiling face.
Soft and cohesive let my offering flow—
Not rudely swift, nor obstinately slow.

https://www.thelonedrainerandpronto.com.au/

Plumbing Humour

Today’s post is courtesy of Dr Marc Dussault, who is Australia’s #1 Exponential Growth Strategist. It’s a hilarious YouTube video that he has posted on his Personal Mastery Blog.

Click here to view the video. It’s about a toilet-house built in South Korea; it shows what passion is all about – even when you’re in the Toilet Industry!

Marc calls this “antimimeticisomorphism” – shifting ones thinking to create an exponential mindset by doing something out-of-the-ordinary to achieve extra-ordinary results. He has an entire website devoted to this amazing concept!

Stay tuned for more intriguing posts like this one! Who said plumbing can’t be fun?!?!?!?