randomness

[tzikeh]

Dogs can smell breast, lung, and bladder cancer, and this cat can sense when human death is imminent.

In conclusion: Pets. Nature's little hourglasses.

And now for something completely different: Potty poll! I have heard many a time that reading while, uh, "using the bathroom" is something that only men do. Bushwah, sez I.

[Poll #1027878]

Comments

[carbonel]

Actually, I don't keep "various" reading materials in the bathroom, since it's almost always just me in there. I keep the current bathroom book, which is whatever's next alphabetically on my shelf. Right now it's Anti-Ice by Stephen Baxter, having just finished the Oz books. It'll take me forever, but this way I know I'll have read the unread books -- or if I can't stand to finish a book, it goes in the discard bag.

[mtgat]

I keep Justice League Unlimited tie-in comics in the bathroom. The books are a five-minute read, and the stories are frankly crap (except one or two, which aren't in there). So it's something to look at and if the kids drop them in the toilet, no one cares.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

the stories are frankly crap

Doesn't even need a comment.

[mtgat]

And yet. :)

Seriously, when iingaartist was here over the weekend, she grabbed a few issues to read in the living room because she was bored, and I was all "ZOMG, your eyes will bleed!"

[apathocles.livejournal.com]

... I love the JLU comics. *sadface*

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

My bathroom isn't set up with a safe place to put reading material, and it has no room to install such a place, so there's none in there. But I grew up in a household of mostly-women (well, girls, but anyway), and there was always reading material in the bathrooms. Usually a couple issues of the New Yorker and a book or two in the downstairs half-bath, a magazine rack in the second-floor bath. Nothing in the third-floor bath because you couldn't trust my brothers not to put your book in the toilet if they were mad at you.

[cleversimon.livejournal.com]

Answered on behalf of my girlfriend. She says she's more inclined to play her Nintendo DS on the can than read something.

[pocketmouse]

I just can't conceive of spending that much time on the can. I've never seen it, in any house I've been in, with possibly one or two exceptions. Reading in the tub, yeah, that makes sense (god I wish I could take my laptop in the tub) but not when you're taking a pit stop.

[xanphibian.livejournal.com]

(god I wish I could take my laptop in the tub)

YES.

[reginagiraffe]

I just can't conceive of spending that much time on the can.

Me, either. If I'm in there for more than 3 minutes it's because there's something wrong with me and the last thing on my mind would be wanting to read something.

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

You can sit down for 3 minutes without wanting something to read?

[corinna-5.livejournal.com]

This is why God created catalogues! Flip through read, start anywhere, and I don't care if the humidity from the shower gets 'em.

[starwatcher]

.
It depends on what I'm doing. Pee = on and off, no time to read. Poop = it's gonna take awhile, grab something to read.

I just had a new house built. At the bottom of the linen cabinet in the bathroom is a pull-out bin on wheels, sized for my binders full of fanfic. I'm set!
.

[lydiabell.livejournal.com]

I don't keep a supply of reading material in the bathroom, because I just take whatever I'm reading at the time.

And, um, I have actually taken my laptop into the tub a few times. Well, not into the tub, but where I could see it from the tub. But I'm much more likely to download some fic into my PDA and take that with me.

[bentleywg.livejournal.com]

When I was a kid, we weren't supposed to read in the bathroom ("Aren't you done yet?"), so I used to hide books on the top shelf behind the towels.

[finabair.livejournal.com]

I had a drawer I hid them in, and I'd leave the shower running after I got out (but frugally turn it cold) so my folks wouldn't know I was reading.

...I eventuallly got in trouble for the 45 minute shower, though.

[lydiabell.livejournal.com]

OMG, me too! Only I would take them in with me, wrapped up in the clothes/pajamas I was going to put on after the bath.

[bentleywg.livejournal.com]

My mother actually took advantage of our desire/need to read while in the bathroom and she'd post a short poem on the wall for us to memorize. (We were used to memorizing poems at school every month.) She didn't do it for very long, though, so I can't remember any examples.

TMI

[sunqist.livejournal.com]

I'm in the bathroom right now.

Re: TMI

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

FTW!

[luminosity]

Ever since I had children *lo these many years ago*, I haven't lounged around in the bathroom. I can't even relax in a tub bath. I get in and get out. Maybe, now that they're both grown up, I can relearn how to do this.

OTOH, the stack of National Geographics that are on the back of my toilet may cause foundation collapse in the near future.

[thete1.livejournal.com]

I totally picked up the habit from my father -- my mother almost *never* does, and neither does my living sister. My late sister did, too -- she kept books *everywhere*. Jack picked up the habit from me, and still berates me for it, a little, as ze *never* used to do it. I don't have one of those handy little magazine racks in my bathroom, *yet*, but as we have lots of fannish guests, it *will* happen sooner or later.

[vass]

I am female, and do not read in there. Elimination requires concentration!

[apathocles.livejournal.com]

I used to do it occasionally when I was a kid (my father did it all the damned time), but haven't done it in forever. Granted, I do most of my reading online these days, but I wouldn't want to leave any of my books or comics in there (ick), and am not interested in most magazines.

Granted, I'm Australian, so there's the whole 'toilet in its own small separate room' issue to consider. I wouldn't have a problem with keeping books in the bathroom (apart from potential water damage), but the thought of keeping them in the toilet just grosses me out, for some reason. (Where by 'in the toilet' I mean 'in the room that contains the toilet', not 'in the toilet'. Obviously.)

[terrie01.livejournal.com]

If I'm reading a book, and I need to go, it comes along.

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

I have heard many a time that reading while, uh, "using the bathroom" is something that only men do. Bushwah, sez I.

I would say the same, except that's a new word to me. But I do wonder about the people who say this...

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

If I sense things might be taking a while (I have IBS, so that's a fairly frequent occurrence, sadly), I bring a book in with me. I've always felt that actually stocking reading material in there is vaguely tacky, but then I am a snob. When we moved in together, P. suggested a magazine rack in there, and I'm afraid I was a bit snarky about it. Now I bring books in there with me, but he doesn't.

Possibly I suck. (:

[deaver.livejournal.com]

Currently I keep, Entertainment Weekly, Via Magazine, tons of shoe cataloges and whatever book(s) happen to wind up in there (currently, the books stash incluces the play "On the Razzle", a book called (I think) "The Mad Ship" and the book "Thud") Wouldn't want to be left without options, you know.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I have never understood the proclivity to read in the bathroom. It just does not compute. But I also hate bodily function stuff, and want to be done with those things and out as soon as possible.

[jackiekjono.livejournal.com]

I only read in the bathroom when I am sick and have to spend a lot of time in there.

[elynross.livejournal.com]

If I'm in the bathroom, and I have no reading material, I will read various bottles and jars within reach, if any. Otherwise, even for a short period of time, OMG FRUSTRATING. *g*

[molly-o.livejournal.com]

I totally read in the bathroom. But one thing I won't do? Is carry a magazine/section of the newspaper down the hall to the bathroom at work. And the guys at work? Do that ALL THE TIME.

I think it has to do with the bizarre idea that women don't crap (or don't crap as much, or something like that). Which is obviously insane, yet surprisingly persistent among men who are old enough to date and have not yet changed a daughter's diaper.

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

I say "often" rather than "always" because I don't read in the bathroom at work. I would if I thought I could get away with it. There are always at least a couple of catalogs in our bathrooms, magazines - if I'm reading a book it comes with me.