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We try to keep you up-to-date with pertinent information. The best hotels, not-to-be-missed tourist attractions, and great places to eat have all fallen under our spotlight. So it's about time we investigate the latrines. Face it, we all have to use them, and the folks at Restroom Ratings are on a quest to make that process just a little more ... pleasant. Fellow users (of both web and restroom, naturally) have compiled critiques of the public lavatories they've visited throughout the world. Some may be humble, like the Pizza Hut in Mauston, IL. Others have a more cultural ambiance, such as the revered Field Museum in Chicago, IL. Sometimes, even award winners get good write-ups. So why not take the plunge and flush out some reviews for them? Even if you're way off the beaten path, they're sure to appreciate the effort.

Really, it's not even close. Of the many inventions we don't think about but desperately need, plumbing tops the list. Jon C. Schladweiler tackles the history of sanitary sewers, offering insight into their origin while flushing out the unpleasant pictures. It may surprise you to learn that drainage systems date back to 4000 BC. Of course, many improvements have been made since, but the basic principles are still intact. Take a look at the components of a sewer system and early toilets, and check out sewer history by region. This guy's done his homework. In addition, the site features pictures of safety equipment and, no kidding, historical sewer bills. Check this site out - you'll never flush the same way again.

Few things are more prosaic than a urinal. Functional, utilitarian, and decidely unglamorous, the urinal stands alone or beside its comrades in the men's restroom. We'll leave the bathroom humor behind, but this engrossing photographic essay journeys into the world of urinals, taking you places you never imagined you might go. For instance, the marble-filled world of The Bellagio, or the metallic modern design of the Swiss Autobahn or even, yes, dare we say it, Yahoo!. There's even a handy Top Ten, if you'd like to visit some of the world's number-one examples. Bathroom pictorials aren't exactly everyone's cup of tea, so stay away if you're the squeamish type. One final word to the wise -- avoid the troughs at Candlestick Park.