The Association of Dead People figures heavily in this week’s Improbable Research podcast. LISTEN on Play.it or iTunes (or DOWNLOAD it, and listen later). SUBSCRIBE on Play.it or iTunes, to get a new episode every week, free. This week, Marc Abrahams tells about: The Knight of the Living Dead. (The Association of Dead People / Lal Bihari / court document / a parade of the dead / CORRECTION: in the podcast, we mis-identify the category of […]
Tag: bureaucracy
Bananas regulations clarifications
This year is (roughly) the 20th anniversary of the publication of EU Commission Regulation (EC) No 2257/94. So what better time to take another look at ‘Laying down quality standards for bananas’. The regulation caused, and continues to cause debate centering around the acceptable curvature of bananas – which some now cite as a standard example […]
Ig Nobel winners gathering in India
The APOGEE science festival, at BITS in Pilani, India has invited a collection of Ig Nobel Prize winners to come star in the festival on March 17 and 18. They have produced this nifty graphic, featuring the six Ig Nobellians who plan to take part: The Ig Nobel winners themselves are excited to go—and are […]
Prison bureaucrats’ training film
The US government produced this consistently dull, depressing training film to give helpful tips to orient new arrivals at the Bureau of Prisons Training Academy.
Why don’t goverments admit mistakes?
Why do governments — and for that matter, most organizations — resist admitting mistakes, even old ones? (And why do they keep repeating the same mistakes?) A recently-released British historical document suggests part of the reason. The Guardian reports on a note written by Margaret Thatcher less than a year before she became Prime Minister […]
Words newly banished in Britain
Britain’s Local Government Association has issued its new (2010) list of “250 words the public sector shouldn’t use.” The Association’s announcement mentions a few highlights from the list: Trialogue Wellderly Goldfish bowl facilitated conversation Tonality Webinar Under-capacitated Clienting
The lazy bureaucrat problem
The lazy bureaucrat problem is ancient, as old as bureaucracy itself. In the 1990s, mathematicians decided to look at the problem. They have since made progress that, depending on your point of view, is either impressive or irrelevant. Four scientists at the State University of New York, Stony Brook issued the first formal report. The […]
Certificate of granularity
Miss Conduct obtained this tin of John McCann Steel-Cut Oatmeal. She writes: “Note the “Certificate of Uniformity of Granulation” on the back, attested to by not one but three officials: men, bureaucrats yet, who literally felt their oats.”
Institute of Associations for cashing
What’s the best thing about the Global Institute of Associations? It makes money—that’s what. Its founder explains: Sheri McConnell is the CEO of Sheri McConnell Companies, Inc. and the president and founder of two national and international associations. She started her first association… in 2001, and founded the 2nd association… in 2006 and cashed out […]