September 2012 - Culture 

Bureaucratics: A Portrait of Red Tape

If you've ever been frustrated by bureaucratic red tape anywhere in the world - and who hasn't?- you will appreciate this series by Dutch historian and documentary photographer Jan Banning. Banning went around the world and interviewed bureaucrats in their offices - so you wouldn't have to. You will be surprised how it looks from the other side of the desk. 

In this blog post from Brain Pickings, Maria Popova writes: "In Bureaucratics, (Banning) brings a conceptual, typological approach to the dreariest of desk jobs, blending humor and absurdity with an astute portrait of sociopolitical ineptitude."

Do Argentines Need Therapy? Pull Up A Couch

Photo: Meagan_http-//flic.kr/p/7uRQKm

The practice of psychoanalysis has surged in Argentina, even as it has declined in the United States and other countries. 

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Napping - Infographic

Did you know that cultures that have siestas have a lower rate of coronary heart disease? Or that an hour-long nap improves alertness for up to 10 hours? 

This infographic provides fascinating facts about napping - including where in the world it's most popular, which country recently held a "Siesta Championship", and a list of some very famous nappers in history.

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The Last Handwritten Newspaper in the World

'Musalman' is probably the last handwritten newspaper in the world. It has been published and read every day in South India's Chennai since 1927 in almost the same form.

A team of six workers still put out this hand-penned paper. Four of them are katibs -- writers dedicated to the ancient art of Urdu calligraphy. And no one has ever quit.