Now that the Duke Nukem Forever project is dead (until it’s sold off and picked up by someone else), there’s a lot of renewed interest in the hilarious list of things that took less time than the Duke Nukem Forever development process. It lists things such as the Beatles’ entire music career and World War II plus the Manhattan Project.
What struck me was that the list itself has been around a long time. I was laughing at it years ago, and though it was updated just today, most of the items on it still date back to the original list (circa late 2005/early 2006, I think).
So I present to you — and read this carefully; it’s not a mistake — a list of things that happened since the List of Things That Have Happened Since Duke Nukem Forever Was Announced was written.
- Barack Obama announced his candidacy, slogged through the longest Presidential campaign in American history, and was elected.
- Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans and wiped out much of the Gulf Coast.
- Ehud Olmert came to power in Israel, pursued a war against Lebanon, and was succeeded by Netanyahu.
- Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito have had their entire Supreme Court careers since the list was written.
- The world panicked over bird flu, calmed down, panicked over swine flu, and apparently dodged a bullet.
- The iPhone was announced, released, and developed to the point where it could make fart noises.
- Windows Vista was released, sputtered a bit, and is now reaching the end of its life cycle.
Additionally, the List of Things That Took Less Time Than the Duke Nukem Forever Development has been circulating for longer than each of these things took:
- The release of all three Lord of the Rings movies
- The painting of the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel (or, will be true in a few months)
- World War I (nearly; age of list is uncertain)
- The development of Windows 95 from Windows 3.1
- The construction of the Empire State Building
- The entire run of the original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers show plus the first movie.
- The premier of Firefly, its cancellation, its growth into a geek classic, and the subsequent greenlighting, filming and release of Serenity.
Hey.. I’ve always wondered.. Are you an atheist, Mr. Munroe? You certainly seem very intelligent and scientifically inclined…
I dare you to feed the troll, xkcd.
another thing for the list of things that happened since the List of Things That Have Happened Since Duke Nukem Forever Was Announced was written list:
Greensburg, ks was COMPLETELY DESTROYED by a mile wide tornado then rebuilt as “the Greenest Town in America” with its own TLC show.
Well, what did you expect when a game’s initials are Did Not Finish?
I understand that you are a fan of the series, but Duke Nukem Forever Metal? Isn’t that getting just a little too mid-nineties dork who wears a leather jacket?
Every time I see the title of this post I think metal-ist, not meta-list. And I think I would like to be a metal-ist, but only if it has to with the music, not the minerals.
re: #587
Just when I thought I’d put it all behind me, just when I’d finally stopped pining for that silly little show and moved on with my life… DARN YOU TO HECK, MUNROE!!one!
Thanks for the list links and your extension! I got a good laugh out of those.
I also got a big laugh out of #587. :-D I just wish I knew someone to forward it to who’d get the joke.
They forgot to mention the Star Trek movie that came out this year.
Made, Gone, and Past.
Yeah, it’s totally metal-ist — I honestly didn’t realize it was meta-list until I read Laura’s post. Then the title actually made some sense.
The most worrying thing about this list is that in the time since DNF was being “developed” I have been a university student…and still am.
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Toilet paper
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For the South Park episode, see Toilet Paper (South Park episode).
A roll of toilet paper.
Toilet paper is a soft paper product (tissue paper) used to maintain personal hygiene after human defecation or urination. It differs in composition somewhat from facial tissue, and is designed to decompose in septic tanks, which some other bathroom and facial tissues do not. Most septic tank manufacturers advise against using paper products that are non-septic tank safe. Different names and slang terms are used for toilet paper in countries around the world, including “loo roll/paper,” “toilet roll,” “dunny roll/paper,” “bog roll,” “AP [for all-purpose] paper,” “bathroom/toilet tissue,” “jacks roll”, “TP” or just “tissue.”
Contents
[hide]
* 1 History
* 2 Modern toilet paper
* 3 Environmental considerations
* 4 See also
* 5 Notes
* 6 References
* 7 External links
[edit] History
Wooden toilet paper from the Nara period (710 to 784) in Japan. The modern rolls in the background are for size comparison
Although paper had been known as a wrapping and padding material in China since the 2nd century BC,[1] the first use of toilet paper in human history dates back to the 6th century AD, in early medieval China.[2] In 589 AD the scholar-official Yan Zhitui (531–591) wrote about the use of toilet paper:
“Paper on which there are quotations or commentaries from Five Classics or the names of sages, I dare not use for toilet purposes”.[2]
During the later Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) a Muslim traveler to China in the year 851 AD remarked:
“They (the Chinese) are not careful about cleanliness, and they do not wash themselves with water when they have done their necessities; but they only wipe themselves with paper.”[2]
During the early 14th century (Yuan Dynasty) it was recorded that in modern-day Zhejiang province alone there was an annual manufacturing of toilet paper amounting in ten million packages of 1,000 to 10,000 sheets of toilet paper each.[2] During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD), it was recorded in 1393 that 720,000 sheets of toilet paper (two by three feet in size) were produced for the general use of the Imperial court at the capital of Nanjing.[2] From the records of the Imperial Bureau of Supplies (Bao Chao Si) of that same year, it was also recorded that for Emperor Hongwu’s imperial family alone, there were 15,000 sheets of special soft-fabric toilet paper made, and each sheet of toilet paper was even perfumed.[2]
Elsewhere, wealthy people used wool, lace or hemp for their ablutions, while less wealthy people used their hand when defecating into rivers, or cleaned themselves with various materials such as rags, wood shavings, leaves, grass, hay, stone, sand, moss, water, snow, maize, ferns, may apple plant husks, fruit skins, or seashells, and corn cobs, depending upon the country and weather conditions or social customs. In Ancient Rome, a sponge on a stick was commonly used, and, after usage, placed back in a bucket of saltwater.
The 16th century French satirical writer François Rabelais in his series of novels Gargantua and Pantagruel, discussing the various ways of cleansing oneself at the toilet, wrote that: “He who uses paper on his filthy bum, will always find his ballocks lined with scum”, proposing that the soft feathers on the back of a live goose provide an optimum cleansing medium.
In many parts of the world, especially where toilet paper or the necessary plumbing for disposal may be unavailable or unaffordable, toilet paper is not used. Cleansing is then performed with other methods or materials, such as water, for example using a bidet, rags, sand, leaves (including seaweed), corn cobs, animal furs, or sticks.
As explained here, using water to clean oneself, often along with toilet paper or sometimes in lieu of toilet paper, is common in Europe, most of South America, the Indian subcontinent, and the Muslim world where people use their left hand to clean themselves and their right hand for eating or greeting.
A print by William Hogarth entitled A Just View of the British Stage from 1724 depicting Robert Wilks, Colley Cibber, and Barton Booth rehearsing a pantomime play with puppets enacting a prison break down a privy. The “play” is comprised of nothing but special effects, and the scripts for Hamlet, inter al., are toilet paper.
[edit] Modern toilet paper
Joseph Gayetty is widely credited with being the inventor of modern commercially available toilet paper in the United States. Gayetty’s paper, first introduced in 1857, was available as late as the 1920’s. Gayetty’s Medicated Paper was sold in packages of flat sheets, watermarked with the inventor’s name. [Original advertisements] for the product used the tagline “The greatest necessity of the age! Gayetty’s medicated paper for the water-closet.”
Seth Wheeler of Albany, New York, obtained the earliest United States patents for toilet paper and dispensers, the types of which eventually were in common usage in that country.[3]
The advantages of toilet paper are that it is easy and intuitive to use, fairly absorbent, and it can be flushed in most countries where toilet paper is common. Most modern sewage systems, including septic tanks, can accept toilet paper along with human excreta.
Toilet paper is available in several types of paper, a variety of colors, decorations, and textures, to appeal to individual preference.
Toilet paper products vary immensely in the technical factors that distinguish them: sizes, weights, roughness, softness, chemical residues, “finger-breakthrough” resistance, water-absorption, etc. The larger companies have very detailed, scientific market surveys to determine which marketing sectors require/demand which of the many technical qualities. Modern toilet paper may have a light coating of aloe or lotion or wax worked into the paper to reduce roughness. Quality is usually determined by the number of plies (stacked sheets), coarseness, and durability. Low grade institutional toilet paper is typically of the lowest grade of paper, has only one or two plies, is very coarse and sometimes has small amounts of unbleached/unpulped paper embedded in it. Mid-grade two ply is somewhat textured to provide some softness, and is somewhat durable. Premium toilet paper may have lotion and wax, and has two to four plies made of very finely pulped paper.
Two-ply toilet paper is the standard in many countries, although one-ply is often available and marketed as a budget option, it may also be more appropriate for use in toilets on boats and in camper-vans. Toilet paper, especially if it is marketed as “luxury”, may be quilted or rippled (embossed), perfumed, colored or patterned, medicated (with anti-bacterial chemicals), treated with aloe, etc. Many novelty designs are also available on toilet paper, from cute cartoon animals to pictures of disfavored political celebrities to pictures of dollar bills. Women who are prone to vaginal Candidiasis yeast infections are advised by some medical experts to use white, unperfumed toilet paper.
Moist toilet paper was first introduced by the Kimberly-Clark in the United Kingdom by Andrex in the 1990s, and in the United States in 2001, two countries in which bidets are rare. It is designed to clean better than dry toilet paper after defecation, and may be useful for women during menstruation.
The manufacture of toilet paper is a large industry. Twenty-six billion rolls of toilet paper, worth about US$2.4 billion, are sold yearly in America alone. Americans use an average of 23.6 rolls per capita a year.[4]
[edit] Environmental considerations
Main article: Criticism of recycling
Toilet paper is sometimes made from recycled paper; however, large amounts of virgin tree pulp is still used.[5] Environmentally friendly toilet paper may also be unbleached.
A February 27, 2009 article in The Daily Mail said that more than 98% of the toilet paper used in the United States comes from virgin forests. [6] However, a contradictory February 25, 2009 New York Times article said that between 25% and 50% of the toilet paper used in the United States comes from tree farms in the U.S. and South America, with most of the rest coming from second growth forests, and only a small percentage coming from virgin forests. [4]
[edit] See also
* Bidet
* Defecation
* Feces
* Hotel toilet-paper folding
* Human feces
* Outhouse
* Sanitation
* Toilet
* Toilet papering
[edit] Notes
1. ^ Needham, Volume 5, Part 1, 122.
2. ^ a b c d e f Needham, Volume 5, Part 1, 123.
3. ^ The first of note is for the idea of perforating commercial papers (25 July 1871, #117355), the application for which includes an illustration of a perforated roll of paper. On 13 February 1883 he was granted patent #272369, which presented a roll of perforated wrapping or toilet paper supported in the center with a tube. Wheeler also had patents for mounted brackets that held the rolls. See also Joseph Nathan Kane, “Famous First Facts: A Record of First Happenings, Discoveries and Inventions in the United States” (H. W. Wilson: 1964), p. 434; Harper’s Magazine, vol. 184, 1941-1942 (Harper’s Magazine Co.:1941), p. 181; Jules Heller, “Paper Making” (Watson-Guptill:1978), p. 193.
4. ^ a b “Mr. Whipple Left It Out: Soft Is Rough on Forests” by Leslie Kaufman, The New York Times, Feb. 25, 2009; for the per capita figure only. Retrieved 2-26-09.
5. ^ “Kimberly-Clark 2005 Sustainability Report page 28″
6. ^ Luxury toilet paper is more harmful to the environment than gas-guzzling cars, The Daily Mail, February 27, 2009
* De Beaumont, Sally; Amoret Tanner, Maurice Rickards (2000). Encyclopedia of Ephemera. UK: Routledge. pp. 190–191. ISBN 0415926483.
[edit] References
* Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 1, Paper and Printing. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd.
[edit] External links
Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Toilet paper
* Answers.com Information
* The Whole World Toilet Paper Museum
* The Toilet Paper Problem, Donald E. Knuth, The American Mathematical Monthly, Vol. 91, No. 8 (Oct., 1984), pp. 465-470
Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet_paper”
Categories: Paper products | Toilets
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Toilet paper
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For the South Park episode, see Toilet Paper (South Park episode).
A roll of toilet paper.
Toilet paper is a soft paper product (tissue paper) used to maintain personal hygiene after human defecation or urination. It differs in composition somewhat from facial tissue, and is designed to decompose in septic tanks, which some other bathroom and facial tissues do not. Most septic tank manufacturers advise against using paper products that are non-septic tank safe. Different names and slang terms are used for toilet paper in countries around the world, including “loo roll/paper,” “toilet roll,” “dunny roll/paper,” “bog roll,” “AP [for all-purpose] paper,” “bathroom/toilet tissue,” “jacks roll”, “TP” or just “tissue.”
Contents
[hide]
* 1 History
* 2 Modern toilet paper
* 3 Environmental considerations
* 4 See also
* 5 Notes
* 6 References
* 7 External links
[edit] History
Wooden toilet paper from the Nara period (710 to 784) in Japan. The modern rolls in the background are for size comparison
Although paper had been known as a wrapping and padding material in China since the 2nd century BC,[1] the first use of toilet paper in human history dates back to the 6th century AD, in early medieval China.[2] In 589 AD the scholar-official Yan Zhitui (531–591) wrote about the use of toilet paper:
“Paper on which there are quotations or commentaries from Five Classics or the names of sages, I dare not use for toilet purposes”.[2]
During the later Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) a Muslim traveler to China in the year 851 AD remarked:
“They (the Chinese) are not careful about cleanliness, and they do not wash themselves with water when they have done their necessities; but they only wipe themselves with paper.”[2]
During the early 14th century (Yuan Dynasty) it was recorded that in modern-day Zhejiang province alone there was an annual manufacturing of toilet paper amounting in ten million packages of 1,000 to 10,000 sheets of toilet paper each.[2] During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD), it was recorded in 1393 that 720,000 sheets of toilet paper (two by three feet in size) were produced for the general use of the Imperial court at the capital of Nanjing.[2] From the records of the Imperial Bureau of Supplies (Bao Chao Si) of that same year, it was also recorded that for Emperor Hongwu’s imperial family alone, there were 15,000 sheets of special soft-fabric toilet paper made, and each sheet of toilet paper was even perfumed.[2]
Elsewhere, wealthy people used wool, lace or hemp for their ablutions, while less wealthy people used their hand when defecating into rivers, or cleaned themselves with various materials such as rags, wood shavings, leaves, grass, hay, stone, sand, moss, water, snow, maize, ferns, may apple plant husks, fruit skins, or seashells, and corn cobs, depending upon the country and weather conditions or social customs. In Ancient Rome, a sponge on a stick was commonly used, and, after usage, placed back in a bucket of saltwater.
The 16th century French satirical writer François Rabelais in his series of novels Gargantua and Pantagruel, discussing the various ways of cleansing oneself at the toilet, wrote that: “He who uses paper on his filthy bum, will always find his ballocks lined with scum”, proposing that the soft feathers on the back of a live goose provide an optimum cleansing medium.
In many parts of the world, especially where toilet paper or the necessary plumbing for disposal may be unavailable or unaffordable, toilet paper is not used. Cleansing is then performed with other methods or materials, such as water, for example using a bidet, rags, sand, leaves (including seaweed), corn cobs, animal furs, or sticks.
As explained here, using water to clean oneself, often along with toilet paper or sometimes in lieu of toilet paper, is common in Europe, most of South America, the Indian subcontinent, and the Muslim world where people use their left hand to clean themselves and their right hand for eating or greeting.
A print by William Hogarth entitled A Just View of the British Stage from 1724 depicting Robert Wilks, Colley Cibber, and Barton Booth rehearsing a pantomime play with puppets enacting a prison break down a privy. The “play” is comprised of nothing but special effects, and the scripts for Hamlet, inter al., are toilet paper.
[edit] Modern toilet paper
Joseph Gayetty is widely credited with being the inventor of modern commercially available toilet paper in the United States. Gayetty’s paper, first introduced in 1857, was available as late as the 1920’s. Gayetty’s Medicated Paper was sold in packages of flat sheets, watermarked with the inventor’s name. [Original advertisements] for the product used the tagline “The greatest necessity of the age! Gayetty’s medicated paper for the water-closet.”
Seth Wheeler of Albany, New York, obtained the earliest United States patents for toilet paper and dispensers, the types of which eventually were in common usage in that country.[3]
The advantages of toilet paper are that it is easy and intuitive to use, fairly absorbent, and it can be flushed in most countries where toilet paper is common. Most modern sewage systems, including septic tanks, can accept toilet paper along with human excreta.
Toilet paper is available in several types of paper, a variety of colors, decorations, and textures, to appeal to individual preference.
Toilet paper products vary immensely in the technical factors that distinguish them: sizes, weights, roughness, softness, chemical residues, “finger-breakthrough” resistance, water-absorption, etc. The larger companies have very detailed, scientific market surveys to determine which marketing sectors require/demand which of the many technical qualities. Modern toilet paper may have a light coating of aloe or lotion or wax worked into the paper to reduce roughness. Quality is usually determined by the number of plies (stacked sheets), coarseness, and durability. Low grade institutional toilet paper is typically of the lowest grade of paper, has only one or two plies, is very coarse and sometimes has small amounts of unbleached/unpulped paper embedded in it. Mid-grade two ply is somewhat textured to provide some softness, and is somewhat durable. Premium toilet paper may have lotion and wax, and has two to four plies made of very finely pulped paper.
Two-ply toilet paper is the standard in many countries, although one-ply is often available and marketed as a budget option, it may also be more appropriate for use in toilets on boats and in camper-vans. Toilet paper, especially if it is marketed as “luxury”, may be quilted or rippled (embossed), perfumed, colored or patterned, medicated (with anti-bacterial chemicals), treated with aloe, etc. Many novelty designs are also available on toilet paper, from cute cartoon animals to pictures of disfavored political celebrities to pictures of dollar bills. Women who are prone to vaginal Candidiasis yeast infections are advised by some medical experts to use white, unperfumed toilet paper.
Moist toilet paper was first introduced by the Kimberly-Clark in the United Kingdom by Andrex in the 1990s, and in the United States in 2001, two countries in which bidets are rare. It is designed to clean better than dry toilet paper after defecation, and may be useful for women during menstruation.
The manufacture of toilet paper is a large industry. Twenty-six billion rolls of toilet paper, worth about US$2.4 billion, are sold yearly in America alone. Americans use an average of 23.6 rolls per capita a year.[4]
[edit] Environmental considerations
Main article: Criticism of recycling
Toilet paper is sometimes made from recycled paper; however, large amounts of virgin tree pulp is still used.[5] Environmentally friendly toilet paper may also be unbleached.
A February 27, 2009 article in The Daily Mail said that more than 98% of the toilet paper used in the United States comes from virgin forests. [6] However, a contradictory February 25, 2009 New York Times article said that between 25% and 50% of the toilet paper used in the United States comes from tree farms in the U.S. and South America, with most of the rest coming from second growth forests, and only a small percentage coming from virgin forests. [4]
[edit] See also
* Bidet
* Defecation
* Feces
* Hotel toilet-paper folding
* Human feces
* Outhouse
* Sanitation
* Toilet
* Toilet papering
[edit] Notes
1. ^ Needham, Volume 5, Part 1, 122.
2. ^ a b c d e f Needham, Volume 5, Part 1, 123.
3. ^ The first of note is for the idea of perforating commercial papers (25 July 1871, #117355), the application for which includes an illustration of a perforated roll of paper. On 13 February 1883 he was granted patent #272369, which presented a roll of perforated wrapping or toilet paper supported in the center with a tube. Wheeler also had patents for mounted brackets that held the rolls. See also Joseph Nathan Kane, “Famous First Facts: A Record of First Happenings, Discoveries and Inventions in the United States” (H. W. Wilson: 1964), p. 434; Harper’s Magazine, vol. 184, 1941-1942 (Harper’s Magazine Co.:1941), p. 181; Jules Heller, “Paper Making” (Watson-Guptill:1978), p. 193.
4. ^ a b “Mr. Whipple Left It Out: Soft Is Rough on Forests” by Leslie Kaufman, The New York Times, Feb. 25, 2009; for the per capita figure only. Retrieved 2-26-09.
5. ^ “Kimberly-Clark 2005 Sustainability Report page 28″
6. ^ Luxury toilet paper is more harmful to the environment than gas-guzzling cars, The Daily Mail, February 27, 2009
* De Beaumont, Sally; Amoret Tanner, Maurice Rickards (2000). Encyclopedia of Ephemera. UK: Routledge. pp. 190–191. ISBN 0415926483.
[edit] References
* Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 1, Paper and Printing. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd.
[edit] External links
Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Toilet paper
* Answers.com Information
* The Whole World Toilet Paper Museum
* The Toilet Paper Problem, Donald E. Knuth, The American Mathematical Monthly, Vol. 91, No. 8 (Oct., 1984), pp. 465-470
Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet_paper”
Categories: Paper products | Toilets
Views
* Article
* Discussion
* Edit this page
* History
Personal tools
* Log in / create account
Navigation
* Main page
* Contents
* Featured content
* Current events
* Random article
Search
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* About Wikipedia
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* Recent changes
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* Donate to Wikipedia
* Help
Toolbox
* What links here
* Related changes
* Upload file
* Special pages
* Printable version
* Permanent link
* Cite this page
Languages
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* ?esky
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* Esperanto
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* ???
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* ?????
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* Lietuvi?
* Magyar
* Nederlands
* ???
* ?Norsk (bokmål)?
* ?Norsk (nynorsk)?
* Polski
* Português
* ???????
* Simple English
* Sloven?ina
* Suomi
* Svenska
* Türkçe
* ??????????
* ??????
* ??
* ??
Powered by MediaWiki
Wikimedia Foundation
* This page was last modified on 27 May 2009, at 00:57 (UTC).
* All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
* Privacy policy
* About Wikipedia
* Disclaimers
Help us provide free content to the world by donating today!
The results for Wikimedia’s licensing update vote have been announced. View the results here.
[Hide]
[Help us with translations!]
Toilet paper
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For the South Park episode, see Toilet Paper (South Park episode).
A roll of toilet paper.
Toilet paper is a soft paper product (tissue paper) used to maintain personal hygiene after human defecation or urination. It differs in composition somewhat from facial tissue, and is designed to decompose in septic tanks, which some other bathroom and facial tissues do not. Most septic tank manufacturers advise against using paper products that are non-septic tank safe. Different names and slang terms are used for toilet paper in countries around the world, including “loo roll/paper,” “toilet roll,” “dunny roll/paper,” “bog roll,” “AP [for all-purpose] paper,” “bathroom/toilet tissue,” “jacks roll”, “TP” or just “tissue.”
Contents
[hide]
* 1 History
* 2 Modern toilet paper
* 3 Environmental considerations
* 4 See also
* 5 Notes
* 6 References
* 7 External links
[edit] History
Wooden toilet paper from the Nara period (710 to 784) in Japan. The modern rolls in the background are for size comparison
Although paper had been known as a wrapping and padding material in China since the 2nd century BC,[1] the first use of toilet paper in human history dates back to the 6th century AD, in early medieval China.[2] In 589 AD the scholar-official Yan Zhitui (531–591) wrote about the use of toilet paper:
“Paper on which there are quotations or commentaries from Five Classics or the names of sages, I dare not use for toilet purposes”.[2]
During the later Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) a Muslim traveler to China in the year 851 AD remarked:
“They (the Chinese) are not careful about cleanliness, and they do not wash themselves with water when they have done their necessities; but they only wipe themselves with paper.”[2]
During the early 14th century (Yuan Dynasty) it was recorded that in modern-day Zhejiang province alone there was an annual manufacturing of toilet paper amounting in ten million packages of 1,000 to 10,000 sheets of toilet paper each.[2] During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD), it was recorded in 1393 that 720,000 sheets of toilet paper (two by three feet in size) were produced for the general use of the Imperial court at the capital of Nanjing.[2] From the records of the Imperial Bureau of Supplies (Bao Chao Si) of that same year, it was also recorded that for Emperor Hongwu’s imperial family alone, there were 15,000 sheets of special soft-fabric toilet paper made, and each sheet of toilet paper was even perfumed.[2]
Elsewhere, wealthy people used wool, lace or hemp for their ablutions, while less wealthy people used their hand when defecating into rivers, or cleaned themselves with various materials such as rags, wood shavings, leaves, grass, hay, stone, sand, moss, water, snow, maize, ferns, may apple plant husks, fruit skins, or seashells, and corn cobs, depending upon the country and weather conditions or social customs. In Ancient Rome, a sponge on a stick was commonly used, and, after usage, placed back in a bucket of saltwater.
The 16th century French satirical writer François Rabelais in his series of novels Gargantua and Pantagruel, discussing the various ways of cleansing oneself at the toilet, wrote that: “He who uses paper on his filthy bum, will always find his ballocks lined with scum”, proposing that the soft feathers on the back of a live goose provide an optimum cleansing medium.
In many parts of the world, especially where toilet paper or the necessary plumbing for disposal may be unavailable or unaffordable, toilet paper is not used. Cleansing is then performed with other methods or materials, such as water, for example using a bidet, rags, sand, leaves (including seaweed), corn cobs, animal furs, or sticks.
As explained here, using water to clean oneself, often along with toilet paper or sometimes in lieu of toilet paper, is common in Europe, most of South America, the Indian subcontinent, and the Muslim world where people use their left hand to clean themselves and their right hand for eating or greeting.
A print by William Hogarth entitled A Just View of the British Stage from 1724 depicting Robert Wilks, Colley Cibber, and Barton Booth rehearsing a pantomime play with puppets enacting a prison break down a privy. The “play” is comprised of nothing but special effects, and the scripts for Hamlet, inter al., are toilet paper.
[edit] Modern toilet paper
Joseph Gayetty is widely credited with being the inventor of modern commercially available toilet paper in the United States. Gayetty’s paper, first introduced in 1857, was available as late as the 1920’s. Gayetty’s Medicated Paper was sold in packages of flat sheets, watermarked with the inventor’s name. [Original advertisements] for the product used the tagline “The greatest necessity of the age! Gayetty’s medicated paper for the water-closet.”
Seth Wheeler of Albany, New York, obtained the earliest United States patents for toilet paper and dispensers, the types of which eventually were in common usage in that country.[3]
The advantages of toilet paper are that it is easy and intuitive to use, fairly absorbent, and it can be flushed in most countries where toilet paper is common. Most modern sewage systems, including septic tanks, can accept toilet paper along with human excreta.
Toilet paper is available in several types of paper, a variety of colors, decorations, and textures, to appeal to individual preference.
Toilet paper products vary immensely in the technical factors that distinguish them: sizes, weights, roughness, softness, chemical residues, “finger-breakthrough” resistance, water-absorption, etc. The larger companies have very detailed, scientific market surveys to determine which marketing sectors require/demand which of the many technical qualities. Modern toilet paper may have a light coating of aloe or lotion or wax worked into the paper to reduce roughness. Quality is usually determined by the number of plies (stacked sheets), coarseness, and durability. Low grade institutional toilet paper is typically of the lowest grade of paper, has only one or two plies, is very coarse and sometimes has small amounts of unbleached/unpulped paper embedded in it. Mid-grade two ply is somewhat textured to provide some softness, and is somewhat durable. Premium toilet paper may have lotion and wax, and has two to four plies made of very finely pulped paper.
Two-ply toilet paper is the standard in many countries, although one-ply is often available and marketed as a budget option, it may also be more appropriate for use in toilets on boats and in camper-vans. Toilet paper, especially if it is marketed as “luxury”, may be quilted or rippled (embossed), perfumed, colored or patterned, medicated (with anti-bacterial chemicals), treated with aloe, etc. Many novelty designs are also available on toilet paper, from cute cartoon animals to pictures of disfavored political celebrities to pictures of dollar bills. Women who are prone to vaginal Candidiasis yeast infections are advised by some medical experts to use white, unperfumed toilet paper.
Moist toilet paper was first introduced by the Kimberly-Clark in the United Kingdom by Andrex in the 1990s, and in the United States in 2001, two countries in which bidets are rare. It is designed to clean better than dry toilet paper after defecation, and may be useful for women during menstruation.
The manufacture of toilet paper is a large industry. Twenty-six billion rolls of toilet paper, worth about US$2.4 billion, are sold yearly in America alone. Americans use an average of 23.6 rolls per capita a year.[4]
[edit] Environmental considerations
Main article: Criticism of recycling
Toilet paper is sometimes made from recycled paper; however, large amounts of virgin tree pulp is still used.[5] Environmentally friendly toilet paper may also be unbleached.
A February 27, 2009 article in The Daily Mail said that more than 98% of the toilet paper used in the United States comes from virgin forests. [6] However, a contradictory February 25, 2009 New York Times article said that between 25% and 50% of the toilet paper used in the United States comes from tree farms in the U.S. and South America, with most of the rest coming from second growth forests, and only a small percentage coming from virgin forests. [4]
[edit] See also
* Bidet
* Defecation
* Feces
* Hotel toilet-paper folding
* Human feces
* Outhouse
* Sanitation
* Toilet
* Toilet papering
[edit] Notes
1. ^ Needham, Volume 5, Part 1, 122.
2. ^ a b c d e f Needham, Volume 5, Part 1, 123.
3. ^ The first of note is for the idea of perforating commercial papers (25 July 1871, #117355), the application for which includes an illustration of a perforated roll of paper. On 13 February 1883 he was granted patent #272369, which presented a roll of perforated wrapping or toilet paper supported in the center with a tube. Wheeler also had patents for mounted brackets that held the rolls. See also Joseph Nathan Kane, “Famous First Facts: A Record of First Happenings, Discoveries and Inventions in the United States” (H. W. Wilson: 1964), p. 434; Harper’s Magazine, vol. 184, 1941-1942 (Harper’s Magazine Co.:1941), p. 181; Jules Heller, “Paper Making” (Watson-Guptill:1978), p. 193.
4. ^ a b “Mr. Whipple Left It Out: Soft Is Rough on Forests” by Leslie Kaufman, The New York Times, Feb. 25, 2009; for the per capita figure only. Retrieved 2-26-09.
5. ^ “Kimberly-Clark 2005 Sustainability Report page 28″
6. ^ Luxury toilet paper is more harmful to the environment than gas-guzzling cars, The Daily Mail, February 27, 2009
* De Beaumont, Sally; Amoret Tanner, Maurice Rickards (2000). Encyclopedia of Ephemera. UK: Routledge. pp. 190–191. ISBN 0415926483.
[edit] References
* Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 1, Paper and Printing. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd.
[edit] External links
Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Toilet paper
* Answers.com Information
* The Whole World Toilet Paper Museum
* The Toilet Paper Problem, Donald E. Knuth, The American Mathematical Monthly, Vol. 91, No. 8 (Oct., 1984), pp. 465-470
Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet_paper”
Categories: Paper products | Toilets
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What the crap? Triple wall-of-text spam post?
dbass:
>>the events you’ve listed are “America-centered” because you’re in America, yet they would be almost exactly the same things everybody else around the world would’ve said. <<
Actually, that’s not really correct.
On the first list:
Only three items were of chiefly American concern.
One item was chiefly of concern to Israel.
Three items were global events. Apple and Microsoft may both be American companies, but Windows and iPhones concern everyone.
On the second list:
-Though technically American cincema, the lord of the rings movies were global events involving at least four countries that I can name off the top of my head in production and nearly every country with geeks in it at release.
-Last I checked, the Sistine Chapel is in Italy, and probably a global concern in the “wonders of the world” category.
-World War I was chiefly of concern to europe. America’s involvement was brief and peripheral.
-Windows, again is American software, but of global concern.
-The remaining events are chiefly of american concern, but I might qualify the empire state building and firefly as Wonders of the World, thus making them global in concern.
Out of fourteen items, only perhaps six are of chiefly american concern. That’s only some 42%, significantly less than half, and thus not forming a majority, though being a major (I wouldn’t say central) part of the list.
What the crap???
Virginal faggots read Xkcd??????
@BB: If that was at me, you’re humor honestly sucks. Elsewise, I’m fairly sure left-wing virginal faggots would take offense at that, m’boy. Better liven up now, the large rodents are coming for you.
…I hate innuendos. Balargh.
I think that guy was trying to show the evolution of the wikipedia article.
Someone should compile a list of things that have happened since the xkcd blog was last updated.
@Umm:
If that’s so, he needs to post a diff. :)
@BB:
Huh?
Jedibear, Firefly doesn’t just qualify as a wonder of the world, each of its individual episodes are wonders in themselves. Therefore, Firefly, is 14 Wonders plus a movie.
I like Papyrus, too.
I guess I am not as much of a typography geek as I thought I was.
You know, I used to think Papyrus was pretty darn cool. I used on parchment background and stuff…. Then one of my english teachers used it.
You know what’s cool? Openclassic. One of my main points of contention with Office 2007 is that it (my version, at least) does NOT INCLUDE Openclassic. What’s with that? I had to get it off the internet. I have enough problems downloading asian fonts… don’t need any getting European.
[...] Duke Nukem Forever Metalist xkcd Posted by root 6 hours ago (http://blag.xkcd.com) May 7 2009 the painting of the ceiling in the sistine chapel or inspired by christophe comment how about a list of things of internet explorer that is as good as the contemporary firefox the xkcd webcomic was created developed a large fan base xkcd is pro Discuss | Bury | News | Duke Nukem Forever Metalist xkcd [...]
[...] Duke Nukem Forever Metalist xkcd Posted by root 7 hours ago (http://blag.xkcd.com) May 7 2009 the painting of the ceiling in the sistine chapel or inspired by christophe comment how about a list of things of internet explorer that is as good as the contemporary firefox the xkcd webcomic was created developed a large fan base xkcd is pro Discuss | Bury | News | Duke Nukem Forever Metalist xkcd [...]
Regarding the strip… That’s scary shit. I just realized that Meyer has the power to sic literally millions of rabid fans upon virtually anyone she pleases by inserting a few sentences in a rushed, badly-written, teenage pulp novel. Publishing of an author of her popularity goes fast, and every single one of her fans is practically guaranteed to read a new book within a week. And instantly be obsessed with it, and if that involves overthrowing, say, the world banking system, then there goes the world banking system. Like a zombie net, almost. A DDOS in real life. Twilight is a much scarier book now.
I believe it was King who said “Like J.K. Rowling, except J.K. Rowling can write.” Or something to that effect.
YOU HAVE DESTROYED 4CHAN!
YOU DESTROYED 4CHAN
y u do dis sir ? : <<<< /b/ is the filtration system that keeps the rest of 4chan from sucking so much and you broke that shit. theres porn and scat everywhere, its like someone raped a sewer main with a wrench.
I…I don’t know what ot think anymore. Stephanie Mayer has the power to make us all collapse under the weight of her hordes’ angst.
>>NortonFord
Doubtful. The Endless September didn’t kill the internet. Plus, 4chan’s been killed a couple times now. It’s like freaking Godzilla though: it gets killed each time only to show up in the next movie. *Cue huge Godzilla nerd stating all the times Godzilla isn’t killed*
>>The Endless September didn’t kill the internet.
Actually it did, in significant ways. Note the smoking crater that used to be Usenet, for example. Also, spam.
I have long wondered whether the Internet, as a community, would be better off if no one with an IQ under 115 had write access to it, and all the bored housewives and emo kids and would-be “Internet marketing” billionaires (”You Too Can Be an Internet Billionaire Just Like Bill Gates, For Dummies”) went back to watching TV in their spare time, or huffing paint, or whatever it is they did before the Intertubes.
But that’s just my misanthropy talking.
“The Endless September didn’t kill the internet. ”
“Actually it did, in significant ways. Note the smoking crater that used to be Usenet, for example. Also, spam.”
I’d agree with the spam thing; if there’s a profit to be had, people will destroy anything. Usenet suffered for a while, but I think it’s mostly back to what it once was. Most of my friends have no idea that Usenet exists; some post on website forums, but I doubt they’d stick with Usenet, since it doesn’t have GUIs and avatars and HTML formatting so they can append animated heart banners.
Also, I’ve met plenty of people with high IQ’s who I wouldn’t want on my Internet. They’re used to being the smartest person in the room, so they just melt down when confronted with an intelligent, well developed, well sourced argument (signed Summer Glau).
Captcha: “mating though” (iykwim)
[...] Originally Posted by Koenig Blizzard is far worse. Their games take freaking forever to come out. duke nukem? XKCD.com [...]
MORE BLAGZ PLUZ
YUS PLAZ. MOAR BLAGZ. WEE NED OAR BLAGZ.
Duke Nukem’ – “Takes Forever to make”
Actually, if you really wanted to irritate a typographer, you’d use Copperplate.
Papyrus doesn’t bother me.
I just wanted to contribute to the ReCaptcha project…
Okay, one more time.
With how much the distort the pictures (and forgiving spelling errors), I’m not sure they care that much,
It might also be worth noting that the entirety of George W. Bush’s presidency took place, and is entirely encapsulated, within the development timespan of Duke Nukem Forever.
I also noticed that someone posted a comment solely to advance the reCAPTCHA project. While I am an avid supporter of the reCAPTCHA project, I disagree with posting a message that is essentially free of content solely to advance the project. If you really want to solve CAPTCHAs to advance the project, you can use the CAPTCHA challenge on the official reCAPTCHA site, which is located on the “What is reCAPTCHA” page.
For the convince of people who wish to assist the reCAPTCHA project without posting “spam” (note that I use the term loosely), the direct URL to the aforementioned page is http://recaptcha.net/learnmore.html
Also note that while the CAPTCHAs are case-insensitive, I believe it is more helpful to treat them as case-sensitive, as it reduces the need for further human intervention.
Every time I see the title of this post I think metal-ist, not meta-list. And I think I would like to be a metal-ist, but only if it has to with the music, not the minerals.
I think, the Duke Nukem Forever Development should pay more attention to project profitability…l
Laura says:
May 22, 2009 at 9:36 am
Every time I see the title of this post I think metal-ist, not meta-list. And I think I would like to be a metal-ist, but only if it has to with the music, not the minerals.
medyum says:
July 7, 2009 at 3:23 am
Every time I see the title of this post I think metal-ist, not meta-list. And I think I would like to be a metal-ist, but only if it has to with the music, not the minerals.
Is it possible that two of you thought exactly the same thing in exactly the same way and typed it out as such? Looks like material for a new comic..lol..
Very good, congratulations article
I am grateful to you for this great content.
Regarding the strip… That’s scary shit. I just realized that Meyer has the power to sic literally millions of rabid fans upon virtually anyone she pleases by inserting a few sentences in a rushed, badly-written, teenage pulp novel. Publishing of an author of her popularity goes fast, and every single one of her fans is practically guaranteed to read a new book within a week. And instantly be obsessed with it, and if that involves overthrowing, say, the world banking system, then there goes the world banking system. Like a zombie net, almost. A DDOS in real life. Twilight is a much scarier book now.
I believe it was King who said “Like J.K. Rowling, except J.K. Rowling can write.” Or something to that effect.