View from the North 40: News that will have you seeing yellow

Paris is known as a city of beauty and history. It is the icon of sophistication. It is now sullying its reputation, literally, with its new urinals. Ah, Paris, you are going in the toilet, or as the city officials prefer “le urinoir.”

“Paris residents peeved at very public eco-friendly urinals” reads the Aug. 13 headline to a Reuters article by Jack Hunter.

Picture this: Beneath the headline is a photo of a stylish twenty-something man facing, and standing quite close to, what looks like a large trash can that stands higher than his belly button and has a bright red lid. The man...