We have seen the apocalypse and we are perplexed. We are frankly boggled. We have encountered and, yes, even experienced with some admitted trepidation a digital toilet.
The device has actually been around for awhile. It’s really not all that new. Your correspondent is simply catching up. Again.
The so-called smart toilet is one more unnerving step into a new, robotic world. The transformative device can serve as both a bidet and a regular, down-home waste receptacle.
It features more than its share of dandy bells and whistles, but, in truth, its prime function remains the same. Some things don’t change. But one has to get used to it. The smart toilet requires some practice. To be honest, it’s not going to be a staple in every household or public restroom anytime soon. At least not yet.
In many ways, it’s something of a novelty. The digital john (that nickname rankles, by the way) is expensive. A quick gander at prices via an online search shows a range that can easily exceed the cost of a traditional throne by a factor of 10.
Generally, speaking the fancy thing is a luxury. It isn’t clear why it’s even needed in the first place — although it may well be a boon for some disabled persons who require considerable assistance when it comes to personal hygiene. That, of course, would depend on the individual and his or her physical limitation.
In any event, the smart toilet appears to be here to stay. We’ve come a long way. Or have we? That’s up for debate.
TRANSGENDER ISSUE IN FOCUS: The divisive issue of allowing biological male athletes to compete against females in California has been taken up a notch.
This coming weekend, the state’s high school track and field championships is set to feature a male who identifies as a female competing for girls’ titles in the long jump and triple jump. The individual in question, by the latest numbers, appears to be favored to capture state crowns in both events.
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The California state track and field meet at Buchanan High School in Clovis is the largest and most prestigious in the U.S. As expected, there is considerable angst surrounding what is scheduled to occur later this week.
But both the California Legislature and the California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body of prep sports in our state, have policies that permit, if not encourage, such a situation to exist here.
The controversy hit home on the Peninsula last fall as a biological male competed for the girls’ varsity volleyball team at Half Moon Bay High School. One of the Cougars’ 2024 opponents forfeited a match rather than face the HMB transgender student-athlete.
MEI IS MAKING SOME HEADWAY: Recent news reports have been unveiling a bright idea that you are welcome to digest slowly with your morning decaf soy latte and organic scone. A number of U.S. enterprises, including some major corporations, having seen the shifting light of public opinion (and common sense), are reportedly ditching the mantra of “diversity, equity and inclusion” and moving toward a fresh emphasis on “merit, excellence and intelligence” Wow. What a bold and creative concept. It’s revolutionary in the extreme.
BELLY DANCING IS ON THE MENU: Here’s a novelty you might not have anticipated; it’s being offered to some lucky customers in East Palo Alto: belly dancing. You read that correctly. Belly dancing is one of the entertainment options now on the cultural/dining menu at the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley. The provocative dance genre is part of the hotel’s roster of Middle East-themed experiences set for Friday through Sunday, beginning June 13. Woo hoo! The hotel is located on University Avenue near the Palo Alto border.
A 37-YEAR CAREER IS ENDING: Meanwhile, in Half Moon Bay, the academic community has been preparing for the retirement of a highly regarded Cunha Intermediate School history teacher, Tom Cox. He has been what amounts to an institution, beginning in 1988. At age 63, he has instructed literally thousands of Cunha students for 37 years. He is scheduled to teach his final class next month, according to a report in Coastside Magazine.
A CATHOLIC SCHOOLS ADDENDUM: As a footnote to a recent note in this space regarding the roughly 10,000 children currently attending 29 Catholic elementary and secondary schools in San Mateo County, it’s worth pointing out that they represent about 9% of the 110,000 total public and private/parochial pupils, in kindergarten through grade12 here.
Email: johnhorganmedia@gmail.com.
(2) comments
How long before Sacramento passes AB No. 2 that will require smart toilets to be powered by wind turbine or solar panels?
Thanks for your column, Mr. Horgan. I wonder whether any of our dear readers have a smart throne installed (perhaps your fellow columnist, Mr. Wilson)? Perhaps they could weigh in on their experience and provide a recommendation. I hear some of these smart thrones have cameras and/or sensors to analyze your “gifts” and whether they’re problematic. As such, did these smart thrones require FDA approval? I wonder whether these smart thrones have WiFi to send pictures/results to their doctors. Can they be get hacked… Yikes, I think I’ll stick with “dumb” thrones.
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