As you well know by now, at Rosenblog, we strive to bring you bleeding-edge news of the Pacific Northwest, and occasionally the Inland Empire (i.e. points somewhat east of Seattle and Portland); plus seemingly - but not actually - random global hot spots such as Scotland; Burlington, Vermont; Sudan; and Wales. Certainly, there's some impeccable (or would that perhaps be peccable?) logic at play here.

And logic is what this piece of uplifting news from Hermiston, Oregon, via the Tri-Cities Herald, is all about. It's titled "A Helping Hand In The Loo;" clever enuf, tho actually we're talking about a helping FOOT.

Forget marriage counseling, Ken Capper has come up with a whole new bowl game. It's the answer to that age-old argument between men and women: Toilet seat up, or down? His invention comes in a box that says, "If you truly love your sweetie, then put down the seatie." The Hermiston man, a former barber, real estate salesman and cribbage board maker, calls it the "Toilet Seat Putter-Down-Er." It retails for $29.95. A small price to maintain love in the loo. The TSPDE (our acronym, not Capper's) is a hinged plastic arm attached to the toilet seat that's linked to a foot peddle on the floor. Push down on the peddle, the lid goes up. Release peddle, lid goes back down.

....Capper said he got the idea for the TSPDE about 10 years ago after finding out first-hand what happens when you sit on a toilet with the seat up. But his lavatory vision languished until April 2004, when he, Blackman and some friends were driving to a cribbage tournament in Nevada. Someone said anyone who could find a way to make money off all the sagebrush they were passing by would be a millionaire. Capper said he had an idea that he thought could make him just as wealthy. When he described his invention, everyone in the van went quiet, Capper said. Finally, someone said it was a good idea.

Prove him right. It's early. But such ideas exemplify the spark of American entrepreneurship. What captures your imagination? Something like this, bubbling up from the underground, or another Internet firewall product? C'mon. Order up.

Your marriage, or - er - relationship (we DO use that word still, don't we?) will benefit inestimably. Or at least estimably.

The lid lifter is available at Ace Hardware stores in Hermiston, Richland, Pasco and Milton-Freewater, or by calling 1-800-510-7328 to order. Meanwhile, the promoters of a kinder, gentler john are trying to get on a TV shopping channel and maybe interest some larger retail stores so they can market nationwide. Capper's convinced they've got a hit. At a recent cribbage tournament, he told 40 women about his gadget. Result: Six units sold.

I speak from experience, as someone long bacteria-conscious. (How can anyone afford not to be these days?). And I've always lifted toilet seat lids, most skillfully, with my feet. Haven't enjoyed it a lot, tho - have to say.

So, yeh, there's got to be a better way.

And now there is.

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at February 14, 2005 09:39 PM

---

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.rosenblog.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/723

---