Design: Poop Scoop For Upcoming Olympics

Yes, it's real. And yes, that's a souvenir trinket depicting two ping-pong playing pandas. Finally, yes, it is made of poop. Panda poop.

When not putting lead in children's toys China's product designer's are coming up with novel ways to connect the back end of one process to the front end of the manufacturing process. In other words -- they are making souvenirs for the 2008 Beijing Olympics out of panda crap. Thanks to the Waiting for 6PM Friday blog for digging up this hot story, by the way.

Now before you make a stink about panda feces being molded into tourist trinkets, know that they are odor-free according to Chinese sources. An official at the aptly named Chendu facility where said trinkets are to be made claims that the dung will be "...carefully selected, smashed, dried and sterilized at 300 degrees Celsius (572 degrees Fahrenheit)." Not surprisingly the interviewee preferred to remain nameless according to MSNBC.

Now come on fellow Westerners, don't get all culturally judgy. After all, some people deep fry Oreo cookies: