Weekly Photo (a.k.a. blatant filler)

originally uploaded by bhaggs.

We've all been there, the darkest, dankest bathroom, covered in graffiti. It smells like piss and for some reason the floor is wet. You try to check your hair in the mirror, but it is useless. The mirror has long since been covered. It is about this time that you realize what kind of bar your in, and checking your hair really isn't needed. So you try not to touch anything while you do your business, wash your hands twice, and return to the fray for more libations.

This weeks photo comes from a guy who has a much better photographic eye than I do, bhaggs on flickr.

Last Call at the Mizz

Ahh the Missouri Lounge. Sometimes you just want to go to a place where everybody knows your name. Unfortunately for me they still don't know my name...

The Mizz got a few "best of the east bay" awards from the East Bay Express. Those awards are great, except they tend to blow up places. Which can be good and bad. Good for business, and bad because the place gets overrun with hipsters. Of course the regulars that had been attending before I started showing up, probably don't like me in their bar either. So I think we all just get drunk together and pretty soon everyone is a regular. With a 5 dollar whiskey and can o' beer special it is hard not to. (get drunk that is)

Last night the place was particularly busy. Evident in the fact that they had to start storing glasses and half empty bottles in the bathroom. This little loo is a favorite for sure, and I admit that I contributed my share of the graffiti. Though they have since painted over my horrible works of art.

They must have gotten a new mirror as well, it is by far the cleanest bar bathroom mirror I have ever seen! Give it another month though, it will soon blend seamlessly into the wall.

At one point I turned around to find this gem...

"Doggie Jomo's bro in fa the right coast.

Don't believe the rumors. Don't pay the ransom;
I'll escape! RJD DJB 1/22/09"

Random scribblings are the best. I wonder if it's serious...

Weekly Photo

Where is the T.P?

Lately I have been trolling the inter webs looking for curious bar potties. There are a surprising amount of photos out there. Some good, some bad, but most portray what I can only hope to. So I figured I would post some of them here. Most of the good photos I have found here: The Dive Bar Bathroom pool on flickr.

Down with the Pelican!

Another beautiful day in January. I spent this one in Bolinas, at the beach. Laying out in the sun, drinking a bottle of wine, checkin out all the cute ladies, yes life in California is pretty sweet. After a full day of doing nothing, we decided to hit the dusty trail. On the way back we stopped in at the old Pelican Inn. A classic British pub, with all your favorites like fish and chips, lager and lime, and cheese toasties! We drank our beer and ate our food on the lawn, soaking up every last bit of the warm sun that we could. Just before leaving I sampled the British type pisser. This is what I found.

British style urinal.

Cool lamps.

And a view to die for!

All in all I found it to be a most enjoyable day. Tomorrow I will be rising early to celebrate our good president's inauguration. You can bet I'll be going to a bar for that one! Till then...Cheers!

Russian Spies and Extreme Pizza!

The weather around here has been downright pleasant. Basking in the Cali sun has never been better, especially since people are freezing to death in the Midwest! Friends were in town and we all met up at Jupiter. While it isn't my favorite spot, it does have nice outdoor seating. Though I found out you can't smoke in that outdoor area, you still have to smoke on the sidewalk. No I don't smoke (regularly), but a fella that may or may not have been a paying customer was trying to smoke near us. Though his big concern was not that he couldn't smoke, it was the fact that the waiter telling him he couldn't, looked like a Cuban (in fact he was not Cuban, but half black, which he informed the man at least twice). The waiter tried talking with the man for a second, until he realized it was fruitless and got back to work. After he walked away the man started talking to me. I was braced for a long awkward conversation with a crazy guy, but all I ended up with was this gem:

"That man thinks I am a Russian Spy."

At that point he walked off, leaving me slack jawed and stupefied. I tell you, Berkeley is great. After this we grabbed our drinks and I proceeded to do what I do best. It ended up like it always does that I had to use the little sailors room. And while it was business as usual, there was a few oddities in this one!

Gotta love the shorty urinal.

Whose T-Shirt??

The shirt reads: "Split Lip Bayfield" Is it a band? A revolutionary? Or perhaps it is just the name of the car below it. Part of me wanted a new shirt, but the better half of me remembered the tried and true philosophy of: "Clothes found in a bathroom, should stay in that bathroom." Finishing up drinks we decided food was in order, but not the expensive pizza they served, no we opted for the expensive pizza someone down the street served.

For an occasion such as this, Extreme Pizza was in order. I am not sure what makes it "extreme." I believe originally it was to cater to the extreme snowboarders, windsurfers, skaters, and other "extreme sports." I have been a couple of times, but never on a Sunday at 10 p.m. Apparently this is when the extreme party happens. I had a hunch when we walked in and one man was "conducting" the hip hop bumping on the stereo. It seemed that there was no rule against employees helping themselves to the tap. Or maybe there was and they chose to ignore it (I probably would to, I mean it is Sunday night right?). I applaud them and their on the job drinking. It felt like a bar, unfortunately no picture of the loo!

Added!

Just put in a sweet slide show of random bar happenings.

As far as real stuff to write about I only have the following. I was out at a bar this past Saturday night. Unfortunately the bar was super boring, it was one of those expensive places that tries to be a restaurant, trendy club, and sports bar all at the same time. The scene was this: separate dining area serving over priced crap, a jam packed bar area with crappy music bumping (and douche bags everywhere), and they had fox sports net playing on 3 or 4 TV's. I'm all for trendy places, or just nice places to go out and have a drink, but the sports on the TV just didn't work for me. Oh and most the dudes there looked like this guy:

I dub thee king douche.

But I have to admit, the beer was tasty. I had a couple pints of Widmer's winter brew, Brrr. It was one of the most tasty winter brews I've had in a long time. So at least there was that. I will try again soon to find a blog worthy bar. Until then, try to perfect this guys hairstyle and get back to me.

The Inebriated Piss

This is the blog of bar bathrooms. I have long been amazed at the world of bar bathrooms. Sure they are just a place to wee, but I am always surprised at how different each and everyone is. No doubt every bar is different, but the sheer diversity of the bar toilet is overwhelming. I think we all love bars, and it is a simple fact that when one goes to a bar they will also spend some time in the loo. Depending on the night, hopefully not too much time.

I have seen ones ranging from the downright nasty, to the downright swanky, and everything in between. And perhaps it is my inebriated state, but every time I walk into a new one I'm amazed. Graffiti perplexes me, paint jobs baffle me, and for 30 to 40 seconds (depending on how bad I have to go) I stand in amazement.

So I decided to chronicle them and start a discussion. I will try to remember a camera whenever I go out, and will take pictures of the bathroom. Hopefully with no one in them, but I'm not making any promises. And to get things off to a good start, I figured I would start with home base. No i don't live in a bar, but I figure it will give a good frame of reference.

Home Sweet Home

It is clean (no thanks to me), with an accent wall in a deep teal color. The picture is a random picture of some cars, and the T.P. is always close at hand. What you can't see is a sweet little window from which I can watch traffic and people walk by as I...well you know. Not much else to say, this is the bathroom for which I judge all others against. I now have to retrace my steps through some of my favorite bar bathrooms, and also seek out new ones. Stay tuned, this could get interesting.