The social event of the season

I don't really mean to make this the theme of the day, but hey, looky here: another story about toilets! Well, not just toilets--a party celebrating toilets!

The residents of a Cambodian village will throw a party this weekend to celebrate a sanitation milestone: a toilet in every home.

All 94 families in Sleng village in Kampong Speu province have installed a simple latrine in their homes to deal with solid human waste, making the village"a model of good hygiene"for neighboring communities, the U.N. children's organization said.

Hilda Winarta, a UNICEF water and sanitation officer, said the latrines are simple _ holes in the ground surrounded by walls made from tree leaves or plastic sheets _ but can help prevent outbreaks of dangerous diseases.

It's nice that this is going to cut down on poo-related illnesses, but boy, nothing says "party time" like a hole in the ground that you crap into! And what a party it's going to be:

The village will celebrate its achievement on Saturday with ceremonies and speeches by the village chief, government officials and UNICEF.

A local comedian will also perform, and village actors will perform a short play about how the village residents will no longer have to defecate outdoors.

Keep your eyes peeled for that one to win some Tony Awards next year. Hey, it worked for these people, so why not?

"Then there will be a balloon (releasing) ceremony, a village hosted lunch and singing,"Winarta said.

Now, I'm probably not going to be in the neighborhood this weekend, so I'll probably miss the party. But if I was going to be on hand for the festivities, I think I'd probably pass on the lunch.