There has never been so apt a cliché as “nature calls,” for no matter where you are in the world, what your mood is, how you’re dressed or what appointment you have to make, your body tends to have a mind of its on when it comes to excretory matters. This is why anyone who spends time traveling becomes something of a connoisseur of public restrooms. And connoisseurs know that all too often the only relief available in a pinch is the dreaded port-o-let (or its local equivalent), and that it only takes a couple of bad experiences to scar a person for life…but help is on the way.

From the Roman blog Eternally Cool comes news that Sebach, an Italian company that currently makes some pretty traditional looking porta-potties, has opened a competition to design their next generation toilet. The contest runs until August 4th, and the winner will earn 5,000 Euros — that’s $6,733.58! In the name of all of us who have ever been forced to stoop (or squat) to using a substandard port-o-let, I encourage all of our talented readers to submit. You may not get famous, but you could help a lot of people preserve a little bit of dignity.

–Dan Steckenberg