Spreading Innovations

I'm always fascinated by the processes by which new ideas spread, or don't spread, through society.  One reason is purely egoistic--over my working career I had some new ideas, some of which spread, some didn't.  Some survived my departure, most didn't. The flip side is why are bureaucracies and societies resistant to change.

Today the US Army presents an example.  Tom Ricks at the Best Defense presents a post in which the writer argues that even though General Petraeus ushered through a new Field Manual on Counter Insurgency, and there are high-ranking officers who've bought into the ideas, COIN isn't safely embedded in the Army's culture. New bureaucrats, whether they be Presidents or political appointees, often believe if they can just get something done on paper, whether it be a law or a directive, the job is done.  Wrong--it's just starting.

One-third Lose Jobs in SEC Porn Scandal

Somehow that seems a fairer title for this story than saying "No one fired"

Those Speedsters at FSA

From the FSA press release on new software supporting the direct loan program:

Development of the new software began in 2004, Coppess said, and the first phase, to improve the loan making process was launched in 2007. Since then, more than $3 billion in new loans have been obligated through the system, including many made as a result of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

It's not real clear what's going on--the release talks of a major upgrade, and the first release must have been out for a while, if $3 billion has been made through the system.  So I guess it's not right to mock this as a 6 year development project.  No mention of the cost of the software project, but at least it turned out to be usable.

Why I Love Congress--Improper Payments

Government Executive reports on a bill which passed the House requiring government agencies to recover payments they make improperly.  Why the title of this post?  Because a number of years ago Congress passed a law requiring FSA to let farmers keep payments which were made improperly.  Talk about double-faced!

To be fair, I should add this is all based on my memory, which is fallible; the law permits FSA to recover payments if the recovery can be made within a period (90 days maybe?); and the reason for the law was that farmers claimed they didn't realize they had been overpaid, so they used the money in their operations and felt it was unfair to be required to repay when it was FSA which made the mistake. Regardless, my Calvinistic heritage rebels at that.

Sows

The summary of an extension post on farrowing and nursing facilities:

The decision regarding space allocation pits the biology of the pig against the economics of production systems. Since each 3% reduction in space allocation for pigs in fully slatted facilities results in only a 1% reduction in daily gain and daily feed intake, producers have historically accepted a reduction in individual pig performance in order to maximize economic returns from investments in facilities. Based on the recommended codes of practice from the European Economic Community and Canada, there is no agreed upon standard for space allocation in the world community. In the future, considerations such as welfare codes and response of the market chain may change the space allocation decision.

If I recall, Florida put some sort of restriction on farrowing pens. I'm rather of two minds on this, and similar animal welfare issue. On the one hand there's a power imbalance between the animal grower and the animals.  One of my rules is based on Lord Acton: power corrupts.  Granted over the long haul it's in the interest of the grower to treat her animals humanely, but so is it in the interest of employers to treat employees well.  We know neither happens in every case.  On the other hand, there's definite economic tradeoffs, as shown by this study.  The bottom line, as society gets wealthier we can afford to put some of the wealth to better treatment of animals as opposed, say, to more square footage for the home.

An Inventor All Bureaucrats Should Honor: Edwin G. Seibels

Via Matt Yglesias, here's the inventor of the filing cabinet.  You laugh, but being able to store and retrieve accurately the desired information is important.  Just ask anyone with Alzheimers.

White House Garden Update--Artichokes?

Obamafoodorama has two posts tied to tours of the White House Garden and stories resulting from it. Judging by the photo, the garden's doing well, although I can't say the same for the grass bordering it.  One hazard of showing it off to lots of people I guess. It confirms that while they're using "raised" beds, meaning the dirt is hilled up, they aren't enclosing them with boards, which provides deeper beds.

I was surprised by the mention of artichokes, which I don't think of as growing in the area.  Turns out an annual variety can be grown in zone 7, which the White House is in. Since I've never grown them, I shouldn't second guess, but they don't seem like a vegetable that maximizes productivity per square foot.

Since the President likes pie, it looks as if he'll get some rhubarb pie.  Though again I'm a little surprised if they get significant production the first year out.  But even one pie is worth it

Nationalizing Ratings Agencies

Ezra Klein posts on whether we should nationalize the ratings agencies.  My comment--USDA inspects and rates grains and cotton, why shouldn't the government rate bonds and derivatives.

Recruiting Employees

Ezra Klein has an interview with a Harvard grad who went into investment banking, which includes some discussion of why students with humanities and social science majors go to Wall Street.The interesting suggestion is that investment banks steal a march on other employers by offering summer internships to rising seniors.  Do well then, and you've got a job offer, thereby alleviating all the stress and anxiety of job searching during the senior year.  Instead you can relax and drink enjoy the college life.  Immediate gratification is perhaps more important than the lure of high incomes down the road.

I wonder how well the government does in offering internships--I know there are a few around, but I doubt OPM views itself as in a hot competition with Goldman Sachs.

Being on the Receiving End of Voice of America

Or, information dissemination activities like VOA. John Pomfret at the Post has an article on China's attempts to spread its influence by a Voice of America style effort.

The stations don't broadcast outright propaganda, but rather programming with a Chinese focus and flavor, tailored for local audiences. In Galveston, the format mixes China-centric international news, talk shows about the status of China's women and a healthy dose of gangsta rap -- all in English.
In New York, China's official Xinhua News Agency is moving its North American headquarters from a small building in Queens to a sprawling office complex in Times Square. It will soon have more than twice as many bureaus in the United States as any Western news agency has in China.

What I found interesting were the cultural misunderstandings which the Chinese have to overcome in order to communicate with us.  Reminds me of past discussions of the problems the US government, and large corporations, have had in operating abroad.  (Supposedly Chevrolet's Novas were a flop in Mexico because the name meant "no go", etc. etc.