Hump Day!!

I've noticed a few people have been having bad days and I thought I might be able to cheer them up, a bit.  I ran across this "article" today and decided to share.  For those of you paying attention, there is a theme beginning to emerge.  No, it isn't a hang up of mine, I just happen to work in a college town and those "articles" come from the campus paper. 

The Way We Wipe: A history of toilet tissue.

Items people used before the invention of toilet paper
Newsprint, paper, catalog pages-early US citizens
Hayballs, scraper/gompf stick kept in container by the privey-Middle Ages
Discarded sheep's wool-the Viking age, England
Frayed end of an old anchor cable used by sailing crews-Spain and Portugal
Straw, hay, grass, gompf stick-medieval Europe
Corn cobs, Sears Roebuck catalog, mussel shell, newspaper, leaves, sand-United States
Water and the left hand-India
Pages from a book-British lords
Coconut shells-early Hawaiian citizens
Lace, hemp-French royalty
A sponge soaked in salt water on the end of a stick-public restrooms in ancient Rome
Wool and rosewater-wealthy in ancient Rome
Hemp and wool-elite citizens of the world
Defecating in the river ways was very common internationally
Bidet-France
Snow and tundra moss-early Eskimos

Invention of toilet Paper
In 1391, The Bureau of Imperial Supplies began producing 720,000 sheets of toilet paper a year for use by the Emperors.  Each sheet measured 2 feet by 3 feet.

Size of an average sheet of toilet paper
The size of a sheet of paper may vary from one manufacturer to another.  The standard size is 4.5" by 4.5".  However, in the last 10 years, manufacturers have come out with "cheater sheets."  These can run as small as 4" by 3.8".  this means about 15% less paper.  So, don't be confused by the advertisement that says "our roll of toilet paper is the cheapest."  It may be that theirs has fewer smaller sheets.

Difference between 1-ply and 2-ply
As it states, 1-ply is a single layer of tissue where 2-ply is two layers.  That does not mean, however, that 2-ply is twice the thickness.  1-ply is made of a 13# thickness paper versus 2-ply is made of 2 layers of 10# thickness paper.  Manufacturers do not simply double up the 1-ply in order to make 2-ply.

www.toiletpaperworld.com

The Day's Irish Blessings

Here's to your coffin...
May it be built of 100 year old oaks which I will plant tomorrow.

Here's to you as good as you are,
Here's to me as bad as I am,
As good as you are,
And as bad as I am,
I'm as good as you are,
As bad as I am.

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.

May your neighbors respect you,
Troubles neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.