Hammond on Outhouses

From Chips from the Chopping Block:

"High time someone enshrined the outhouse in Alaska's archives. Perhaps no institution has contributed more to our democratization and development than this humble structure. Caring nothing for creed, skin color, or social status of those who seek solace within its portals, one moment it accommodates the gnarled nates of a trail-toughened bushrat; the next, with equal magnanimity, the billowing buttocks of one to the manor born."

I am, personally, a fan of the humble outhouse. I've spent more time than most shivering out back at 20 below. Fought hard to get my folks to keep the outhouse that they had on their property in Connecticut for thirty-five years. They tore it down--it had been grandfathered in, but Connecticut is no Alaska. Now that it's gone, it's gone for good. A shame. Next thing, they'll pave the road!

Forget the Starbucks to Wal-Mart ratio. Hammond's comments suggest a new measure of economic status and inequality--the pit latrine to indoor plumbing ratio. Sadly, even this may be too high-end for much of rural Peru, which hasn't even reached the pit latrine stage of development.