What to you is the epitome of bullshit?

[The Bith Shuffle]

When I say "bullshit," what do you think of most? What to you is the archetype of bullshit?

I myself think of critical theory.

[MsWhatsit]

The anti-vaccination movement.

[blondebear]

Oh gawd, how can I choose? Oh, I'll go with internal corporate rah-rah-ism in the face of public outrage (like say, for data overage notifications or doubling the cost of a phone upgrade).

[Trinopus]

Scientific Creationism.

The Invisible Hand; Trickle-Down Economics; Supply-Side Economics; and those who strive to deregulate the economy, are high on the list.

MsWhatsit has a strong nominee in the anti-Vaccination movement. Toss in the anti-Fluoridation movement for laughs.

I don't know enough about "Critical Theory." Is that something akin to the "Science of Aesthetics?"

Most of the big evidence-free Conspiracy Fantasies are bullshit. The Birthers are probably the bulliest. The Apollo Hoaxers and Truthers are also really full of it.

Someone is sure to come along and nominate Organized Religion in general. And they're got a strong point. So, what the heck... Organized Religion in general. Anybody who claims that they know what the Creator of the Cosmos wants is so full of it, it's leaking out their scalp.

[The Bith Shuffle]

I don't know enough about "Critical Theory." Is that something akin to the "Science of Aesthetics?"

Critical Theory is the vein of thought in the Humanities, popular for some time now, that takes great influence from Marxism and psychoanalysis. It's responsible for the equivocal arguments and opaque prose you expect of a scholar like Judith Butler or Slavoj Zizek.

[GuanoLad]

Creationism. It doesn't stand up to a single second of scrutiny.

[Ambivalid]

Critical Theory is the vein of thought in the Humanities, popular for some time now, that takes great influence from Marxism and psychoanalysis. It's responsible for the equivocal arguments and opaque prose you expect of a scholar like Judith Butler or Slavoj Zizek.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=critical%20theory&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCritical_theory&ei=nyw7T4vDKJCd0gHDyLCQCw&usg=AFQjCNGydZcj26hyBcO95lml4UlqjwQedA

Could you clarify your opinions? There is quite a bit here and your statements are very broad.

[The Bith Shuffle]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=critical%20theory&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCritical_theory&ei=nyw7T4vDKJCd0gHDyLCQCw&usg=AFQjCNGydZcj26hyBcO95lml4UlqjwQedA

Could you clarify your opinions? There is quite a bit here and your statements are very broad.

Is there a particular point you'd like me to elaborate on?

The first objection I have to Critical Theory is its tendency to take old-fashioned social pseudoscience too seriously. Marx, Engels, Freud, and Lacan are treated as real authorities. There are, of course, legitimate social scientists out there (plenty) but those quoted by critical theorists are almost never among them.

The second objection is its tendency towards truth relativism. Wherever you turn, you're apt to find explicit or implicit appeals to the relativity of truth. In particular, there is an unfortunate skepticism towards science, which is treated as just another ideology, rather than a methodical way of seeking truth.

Third, the writing style essentially relies on equivocation and jargon. An author will make a vague remark that can be interpreted a whole number of ways, and instead of clarifying it, move immediately on to other remarks. These will in turn be unclear. Reading an entire essay by a critical theorist is thus extremely frustrating.

[nivlac]

What to you is the epitome of bullshit?
Two things immediately come to mind: homeopathy, NDE's as evidence of an afterlife.

[Locrian]

The bible.

NDEs existence.

Politicians can lower gas prices with a phone call. :D

[friedo]

The second objection is its tendency towards truth relativism. Wherever you turn, you're apt to find explicit or implicit appeals to the relativity of truth. In particular, there is an unfortunate skepticism towards science, which is treated as just another ideology, rather than a methodical way of seeking truth.


Critical theorists don't treat science as an ideology, they treat it as what it is: an exploitative power dynamic social construct reinforced by the entrenched polymorphically perverse patriarchy.

[The Bith Shuffle]

Critical theorists don't treat science as an ideology, they treat it as what it is: an exploitative power dynamic social construct reinforced by the entrenched polymorphically perverse patriarchy.

I stand corrected.

[Ambivalid]

Is there a particular point you'd like me to elaborate on?

The first objection I have to Critical Theory is its tendency to take old-fashioned social pseudoscience too seriously. Marx, Engels, Freud, and Lacan are treated as real authorities. There are, of course, legitimate social scientists out there (plenty) but those quoted by critical theorists are almost never among them.

The second objection is its tendency towards truth relativism. Wherever you turn, you're apt to find explicit or implicit appeals to the relativity of truth. In particular, there is an unfortunate skepticism towards science, which is treated as just another ideology, rather than a methodical way of seeking truth.

Third, the writing style essentially relies on equivocation and jargon. An author will make a vague remark that can be interpreted a whole number of ways, and instead of clarifying it, move immediately on to other remarks. These will in turn be unclear. Reading an entire essay by a critical theorist is thus extremely frustrating.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=how%20is%20critical%20theory%20applied%20today%3F&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CEQQxQEwBA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fviewer%3Fa%3Dv%26q%3Dcache%3AFU3COMiYGuIJ%3Apages.gseis.ucla.edu% 2Ffaculty%2Fkellner%2Fessays%2Fcriticaltheorytoday.pdf%2BHow%2Bis%2Bcritical%2Btheory%2Bapplied%2Bto day%253F%26hl%3Den%26gl%3Dus%26pid%3Dbl%26srcid%3DADGEESjUBKy4VFLwdAvgZoLD1RyvgdwitrPmG49OcztdiUtTbV NbxAetsaLAGf4xee8f68tqmeQksGFnFCei_e0Uas6qVSPXu5xLZY0PbgrFPSak8Rp6xXu7firKRRW8krAAteJSEyRD%26sig%3DA HIEtbSis5NFNLXF5i-Eo8QirqQi55CQKQ&ei=FDU7T5e5LePV0QH7udypCw&usg=AFQjCNFmDp6FrgWTD-fdNdz4D94aoADnww

Now I don't claim to be well-versed in critical theory by any means but upon reading a few of these links it seems to me that, rather than a fixed, static school of thought, it has been a dynamic, evolving framework through which social scientists and philosophers have examined societies. Aspects of this framework have contributed to current states of knowledge today.

[The Bith Shuffle]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=how%20is%20critical%20theory%20applied%20today%3F&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CEQQxQEwBA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fviewer%3Fa%3Dv%26q%3Dcache%3AFU3COMiYGuIJ%3Apages.gseis.ucla.edu% 2Ffaculty%2Fkellner%2Fessays%2Fcriticaltheorytoday.pdf%2BHow%2Bis%2Bcritical%2Btheory%2Bapplied%2Bto day%253F%26hl%3Den%26gl%3Dus%26pid%3Dbl%26srcid%3DADGEESjUBKy4VFLwdAvgZoLD1RyvgdwitrPmG49OcztdiUtTbV NbxAetsaLAGf4xee8f68tqmeQksGFnFCei_e0Uas6qVSPXu5xLZY0PbgrFPSak8Rp6xXu7firKRRW8krAAteJSEyRD%26sig%3DA HIEtbSis5NFNLXF5i-Eo8QirqQi55CQKQ&ei=FDU7T5e5LePV0QH7udypCw&usg=AFQjCNFmDp6FrgWTD-fdNdz4D94aoADnww

Now I don't claim to be well-versed in critical theory by any means but upon reading a few of these links it seems to me that, rather than a fixed, static school of thought, it has been a dynamic, evolving framework through which social scientists and philosophers have examined societies. Aspects of this framework have contributed to current states of knowledge today.

There have definitely been changes in critical theory and to this day there are various competing schools of thought. But I think the problems I named will be found in most or all of the schools for the past fifty years or so.

[Namkcalb]

The first thing?
Identifying yourself as a published author despite self-publishing without selling any.

[Rick]

Scientology for the win.

[Chefguy]

Religion in all its forms, and the politicians who pander to it to the detriment of us all.

[Sudden Kestrel]

Holocaust denial.

[Ambivalid]

Sungazing.

[MaxTheVool]

A position that is so totally idiotic that I wish I knew someone who espoused it so that I could argue with them about it is the idea that Christians in the US are persecuted, that there's a war on Christianity, that there's a war on Christmas, etc.

[TokyoBayer]

A position that is so totally idiotic that I wish I knew someone who espoused it so that I could argue with them about it is the idea that Christians in the US are persecuted, that there's a war on Christianity, that there's a war on Christmas, etc.I'll send you the cell number of my brother-in-law.

Actual quotes: "Liberals are actively attempting to subvert this country."

"Liberals are conducting a war on Christmas."

"America lost it's moral edge in the 1950s."

"The amount of damage in the WTC attack was greater as a percentage of the GDP than Pearl Harbor, but there still are people who oppose this (Iraq) war."

I grew up as a devout Mormon, and could write essays on all the BS in that religion.

[Argent Towers]

Conspiracy theories, especially anything involving Freemasons, the "Illuminati", and "Zionists". Bonus points if UFO-related shit is thrown in. Basically, Jeff Rense.

On a more personal level - any kind of lying about military service, especially "black ops" and "special forces" so secret that there's no record of their ever having served and no documentation for anything. I can't stand these bullshitters, and there are SO many of them.

[cmyk]

First thing that came to mind is any infomercial, under the guise of a news show or "authoritative" source that's simply faux window dressing to hock whatever their version of snake oil is.

But I've been up late the past several nights, so it's been peeving me off. I mean, who falls for that? It's so painfully obvious it's an actress pretending to be a news anchor, and the "doctors/scientists/chemists" could be anybody.

Obviously a sucker is born everyday, and I guess that's why it just totally bums me out. We're surrounded by idiots.

Also, any pseudoscience and ridiculous conspiracy theories like Astrology, Psychics, Ghost hunting, Alternative Medicine (including a lot of what's found in Chiropractic and Acupuncture techniques), Colon Cleansing, Hypnotism, Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, Magnetic Therapy, Homeopathy, Faith Healing, Crop Circles, Ufologists, Moon Landing Hoax, 9/11 "Truthers"... ugh, the list goes on...

One more that stands out, of course, is Scientology. It might be the epitome of BS religions, because it's the most popular religion founded within the last 60 years. By a drugged out, scifi author. All very well documented on its origins, with leaked beliefs that challenge the insanity of any faith, let alone a poorly written science fiction story, on top of plenty of evidence of abuse and swindling of its members. And still, the suckers come in droves.

All the above, that millions upon millions will believe that sort of shit and spread it around until the day they die, is almost fascinating if it weren't so pathetic.

[Kozmik]

This thread. This post. This sentence.

[The Second Stone]

Fox News. Can't believe I'm the first to mention it. What a huge load of bullshit.

[Enlightening Meditation]

I was thinking Sylvia Browne and Miss Cleo or so-called psychics in general.

There are lots of good answers in this thread so far.

[Kozmik]

I was thinking Sylvia Browne and Miss Cleo or so-called psychics in general.

There are lots of good answers in this thread so far.But only one right answer (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14775798&postcount=24). ;)

[Der Trihs]

Religion.

Pseudoscience.

"Conspiracy theorist"* style conspiracies.

*To distinguish them from conspiracy theories that are either true or plausible. Of course if such a theory is true it never gets called a conspiracy; it gets labeled a scandal, a hoax, a fraud, or has the suffix -gate added to it.

This thread. This post. This sentence.But if your post is true, then this thread is false. But if this thread is false your thread is true. But if your post is true, then this thread is false...

ERROR

ERROR

<head catches on fire>

[Rachellelogram]

The epitome of bullshit in religion? Scientology. But in general? Evolutionary psychology, or maybe homeopathy. It's hard to choose just one.

[don't ask]

The idea that modern free market capitalism is the best system man can devise to ensure equitable and efficient use of the world's resources, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

[Namkcalb]

Sungazing.

It's not all bullshit, sometimes on a heavily overcast day, I look at the light cloud where the sun should be

[Martian Bigfoot]

All postmodern literary criticism. The only thing useful to me about studying that stuff was getting my bullshit detector finely tuned. It's a mode of discourse specifically designed only to mask its complete lack of content in as much pseudo-intellectual gobbledegook as possible.

Edit: Come to think of it, this xkcd (http://xkcd.com/451/) sums it up pretty well.

[Maastricht]

All postmodern literary criticism. The only thing useful to me about studying that stuff was getting my bullshit detector finely tuned. It's a mode of discourse specifically designed only to mask its complete lack of content in as much pseudo-intellectual gobbledegook as possible.
Agree 100%. My favourite Dutch writer, Karel van het Reve, held a prestigious, yet hilarious lecture on this very subject. And he was, at the time, professor in Russian Literature. After that speech, literary criticism as a college study in the Netherlands pretty much died a silent death. It is a shame it isn't, to my knowledge, translated in English.
On the other hand, Reve's own "History of Russian Literature" is a pleasure to read.
van het Reve is considered to be one of the finest Dutch essayists, his interests ranging from the fallacies of Marxism to nude beach etiquette. His works include a history of Russian literature, 2 novels and several collections of essays. In 1978 Karel van het Reve delivered the Huizinga Lecture, under the title: Literatuurwetenschap: het raadsel der onleesbaarheid (Literary studies. The enigma of unreadability).

My own contribution is corporate reorganisations at work. All the more so because as a worker, you pretty much have to nod and smile or even agree enthusiastically.

[MrDibble]

It's hard to pick just one: Astrology, homeopathy, Von Daniken, Carlos Castaneda, theism, feng shui all come to mind.

But the very first image that comes to mind when I hear the word "Bullshit" is the face of John Edward.

[pullin]

But if your post is true, then this thread is false. But if this thread is false your thread is true. But if your post is true, then this thread is false...

ERROR

ERROR

<head catches on fire>

Careful there. It's all fun and games until the universe SEGFAULTs :)

What do I think of when you say bullshit? "We regret these layoffs, but at the end of the day we must leverage our synergies moving forward".

[Crafter_Man]

Human-caused global warming that will result in environmental catastrophes.

Scientology.

Government conspiracy theories, e.g. "WTC as brought down by controlled demolition."

Homeopathy.

[olivesmarch4th]

The very first thing that popped into my mind is social conservativism.

[not what you'd expect]

Penn and Teller. That's my first thought. Then there was a card game I used to play.

But I'd agree with creationism. The bible itself is full of it.

[Nancarrow]

Critical theorists don't treat science as an ideology, they treat it as what it is: an exploitative power dynamic social construct reinforced by the entrenched polymorphically perverse patriarchy.

Oh, bravo! (golf clap)

Lots of great ideas here, but I haven't yet seen stock market analysis here. Surely some of you must have savings invested in unit trusts, managed funds, that kind of thing? If so, don't immediately chuck away the next interim report you get, with a statement from the fund manager. Read it all through carefully, it's really priceless. The sheer amount of intellectual effort these monkeys expend throwing their darts at the board and then justifying their scores... I can't help feeling that ALL fund managers are former post-modern literary critics who got smart enough to realise where the money was.

[Nancarrow]

Human-caused global warming that will result in environmental catastrophes.


:rolleyes: Though that does remind me of the cluster of anti-science ideologies, one or other of which gets rolled out by AGW skeptics, and many of which have been brought up here. Such as the idea that whatever science I can't understand, no-one else can either. However I refuse to educate myself, thus is the rest of the human race ignorant. If I don't know how something works, no-one else does, and if they say they do they're lying.

(And I'm aware that charge could be levelled at my previous post, but then I would point to all the studies that show average long-term fund manager performance really IS a dart-flinging, entrail reading exercise)

[Drain Bead]

The first thing that came to mind is homeopathy.

[WordMan]

I scanned the thread, but didn't see any references to the infamous little book On Bullshit (http://www.amazon.com/Bullshit-Harry-G-Frankfurt/dp/0691122946)- worth a read. (amazon link)

The author Harry Frankfurt breaks BS down - his basic point is that the premise needs to be put across as sincere, when in fact it is a front, a means to an end, to achieve something else.

So, based on that, things like Creationism don't qualify for the most part because the True Believers truly believe.

Now - something like a Neocon argument for invading Iraq based on evidence that collapsed very quickly - and when the Neocon agenda for invading Iraq as a political strategy to transform the region was already established - that was bullshit.

Most (usually Conservative driven, near as I can tell) "wedge issues" - used in elections, e.g., gay marriage, death panels and the like, would qualify since, again, they appear to be used to stir the pot more than anything...

[Gatopescado]

I agree with ChefGuy.

[Dogzilla]

Alien reptilian ruling overlords: David Icke (http://www.davidicke.com/)

[friedo]

:rolleyes: Though that does remind me of the cluster of anti-science ideologies, one or other of which gets rolled out by AGW skeptics, and many of which have been brought up here. Such as the idea that whatever science I can't understand, no-one else can either. However I refuse to educate myself, thus is the rest of the human race ignorant. If I don't know how something works, no-one else does, and if they say they do they're lying.

(And I'm aware that charge could be levelled at my previous post, but then I would point to all the studies that show average long-term fund manager performance really IS a dart-flinging, entrail reading exercise)

Indeed, market technical analysis works about as well as astrology. Maybe worse.

[Chefguy]

I agree with ChefGuy.

Wow, a fanbase. What bullshit. :cool:

[Kolga]

"Alternative and Complementary Medicine."

It's almost all bullshit. What works became medicine, and the rest is just a nice bowl of soup and some potpourri. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMvMb90hem8)

[gracer]

Ah, most things I can think of have been mentioned :) Lots of bullshit, well done!

For venting purposes I still have to say the first thing I thought of was critical theory. Epitome. Of. Bullshit. And the main reason my profile says I hate talking about art.

I would like to add just the everyday things you hear people say about health, but not related to homeopathy specifically. Things like catching a cold if you don't wear a coat, and then taking ridiculous amounts of vit c. I think this to me is often the epitome of bullshit because they are often otherwise intelligent people who say these things. Grrr.

[shiftless]

Politicians. Politics is the art of bullshit.

[hogarth]

You want me to throw the rust-proofing in for free? We'd lose money on that deal! Tell you what, let me ask my manager.

[Trom]

Indeed, market technical analysis works about as well as astrology. Maybe worse.

That's debatable...

[Typo Knig]

Lots of good BS upthread. For what I deal with on a regular basis, there's what I call the "Certification-Industrial Complex". Old rant here. I have not become more positive about certifications in the last three years. I've had to take a number of "Continuing Professional Education" credits, mostly online. I have yet to apply anything I have "learned" in these online courses. But I've gotten as much as 5 hours credit for less than 1 hour of work (i would have put in 1 hour but the registration system gave me 5. Why???). Total scam.

[Kozmik]

Lots of good BS upthread.You're telling me (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14775798&postcount=24). :D

[Kozmik]

Lots of good BS upthread.

[Kozmik]

Lots of good BS upthread.

[Ludovic]

Lots of good BS upthread.

[Duke]

Ah, it's 1920's style bullshit.

[Kozmik]

This. (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14775798&postcount=24)

[Michael63129]

People who deny science in general, especially those who come up with ridiculous theories as to why scientists must be wrong, such as climate change isn't happening (or claim that global warming was renamed climate change because it isn't happening) or is due to some natural cycle, and won't have any negative consequences, or they won't be that bad.

[chappachula]

Has anybody here ever dealt with ISO 9000 certification for management?
Hey, it's international, it's a standard, it's a certificate....so it's got to improve management , right?

The biggest crock of BS I've ever seen.....
fill out forms just for the sake of filling out forms, and then fill out more forms to certify that the previous forms were properly filled out.
Then keep huge bulky files and show 'em to an external inspector, whose only job is to make sure you filled out all the forms.
Never mind that you lost money because of the time wasted filling out forms.

[Mrs. Cake]

"Good morning, employees of WidgetCorp. Yes, it's true that EvilSouless Robot Manufacturing, Inc. recently purchased your company, but no need to worry. Your company culture is one of the things we value most, and you can be assured that we will never make any changes that would affect it."

[Mahaloth]

The anti-vaccination movement.

What I came to post.

There is also this food place that sells something like "Maker's Diet", which is supposed to be only food God made and designed. It's supposed to be healthier. It's quite crazy.

[Ambivalid]

This. (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14775798&postcount=24)

Dude, what's your malfunction?? :confused:

[GargoyleWB]

Healthcare insurers are here for you, for your health, your care is a priority and we guarantee the highest quality.

By the way, your claim has been rejected since your specialist is 0.2 miles outside the authorized alternative care provider distance, and we will only pay up to a statistically calculated market average for that particular care compared to the national average. No you can't see those figures or market statistics, we'll tell you when the check comes due. Yes, my BA communications degree and customer service script authorize me to make critical preferred care decisions that your surgeon is woefully underqualified to make.

[Chefguy]

Has anybody here ever dealt with ISO 9000 certification for management?
Hey, it's international, it's a standard, it's a certificate....so it's got to improve management , right?

The biggest crock of BS I've ever seen.....
fill out forms just for the sake of filling out forms, and then fill out more forms to certify that the previous forms were properly filled out.
Then keep huge bulky files and show 'em to an external inspector, whose only job is to make sure you filled out all the forms.
Never mind that you lost money because of the time wasted filling out forms.

Fuck, I'd forgotten all about that fucking albatross getting hung around my neck. What a colossal WOMBAT that bullshit was. I finally just quit working on it and rebuffed senior management efforts to revive it. What really pissed me off were managers who hung their hats on it in order to justify their positions.

[friedo]

That's debatable...

True. Astrology at least has entertainment value.

[Trom]

True. Astrology at least has entertainment value.

If you're talking stupid moving average systems, etc. being sold on the internet, I agree with you. But then you have to consider you have people like the director (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Lo) of of the MIT Lab for Financial Engineering releasing papers (http://web.mit.edu/alo/www/Papers/1705-1765.pdf)(pdf) saying stuff like this:

Technical analysis, also known as ``charting,'' has been a part of financial practice for many decades, but this discipline has not received the same level of academic scrutiny and acceptance as more traditional approaches such as fundamental analysis. One of the main obstacles is the highly subjective nature of technical analysis—the presence of geometric shapes in historical price charts is often in the eyes of the beholder. In this paper, we propose a systematic and automatic approach to technical pattern recognition using nonparametric kernel regression, and apply this method to a large number of U.S. stocks from 1962 to 1996 to evaluate the effectiveness of technical analysis. By comparing the unconditional empirical distribution of daily stock returns to the conditional distribution—conditioned on specific technical indicators such as head-and-shoulders or double-bottoms—we find that over the 31-year sample period, several technical indicators do provide incremental information and may have some practical value.

[Gangster Octopus]

Psychoanlysis of dreams.

Astrology.

[Trinopus]

Critical theorists don't treat science as an ideology, they treat it as what it is: an exploitative power dynamic social construct reinforced by the entrenched polymorphically perverse patriarchy.

Okay, I think I get it!

I have some respect for the weak version of post-modernism. Some ideas are, in fact, influenced by the culture of the people who hold them. Language has some role in directing the thoughts it expresses.

But the extreme varieties...the notion that there isn't any real objective truth, or that any given culture is exactly as good as any other... Now that's bullshit!

[Súil Dubh]

Alien reptilian ruling overlords: David Icke (http://www.davidicke.com/)

I'd classify that more as "insanity" than "bullshit".

[Trinopus]

. . . Such as the idea that whatever science I can't understand, no-one else can either. . . .

I'm hugely sympathetic with this, when it comes to really complex modern science. I will absolutely forgive anyone for not getting quantum mechanics, expansionary phase cosmology, or even special relativity. These are all blatantly counter-intuitive.

(Which, of course, is true because we've been fortunate to exist in a large-scale, stable, sheltered part of the cosmos, conducive to the origin of life and intelligence.)

Doubting these things when first encountering them is not bullshit; it is the essence of wisdom. Continuing to doubt once the evidence has been presented... Now that's bullshit!

[Trinopus]

Has anybody here ever dealt with ISO 9000 certification for management? . . .

Gawd, yes! Also Sarbanes-Oxley certification.

And I was also given the Y2K certification assignment, and that was bullshit too!

While we're talking business bull, add in Six Sigma. I was a maths major in college, and know my stats cold. This was a ghastly waste of everyone's time! But I got to do a fun "Green Belt" project, just like high school science fair! Whee!

[Trinopus]

Psychoanlysis of dreams. . . .

Aw! I like dream analysis! I've learned a lot about my unconscious mind from it.

(Also, I've written entire novels based on my dreams! If I could record 'em, they'd be big hits on YouDream!)

[Kozmik]

Dude, what's your malfunction?? :confused:I'm beginning to feel like it's all BS. (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13958653&postcount=33) :D :D :D

[Kozmik]

Lots of good BS downthread.

[jz78817]

Politicians. Politics is the art of bullshit.

yeah, I was going to say "any time a politician is producing sound."

[LouisB]

Another vote for ISO certification.

[The Man With The Golden Gun]

Life.

[emmaliminal]

...My favourite Dutch writer, Karel van het Reve, held a prestigious, yet hilarious lecture on this very subject ["Literatuurwetenschap: het raadsel der onleesbaarheid" (Literary studies. The enigma of unreadability)]. ... After that speech, literary criticism as a college study in the Netherlands pretty much died a silent death. It is a shame it isn't, to my knowledge, translated in English.:eek: I would pay actual money to read that in English. Even bad machine-translated English! Please oh please! Any idea where I can see even an excerpt in Dutch?

ETA: I am in heaven (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/reve003lite02_01/reve003lite02_01_0001.htm&ei=gEg9T7jqEcG2twff0InaBQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCUQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://www.dbnl.org/tekst/reve003lite02_01/reve003lite02_01_0001.php%26num%3D50%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DdgR%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26prmd%3Dimvns).

[Jbone]

Has anybody here ever dealt with ISO 9000 certification for management?...

How about Lean Six Sigma? http://www.6sigma.us/

I personally have not had any training or received one of their colored belts, but I've been in a project group where the organizer was doing it based on this training. It was absolutely a waste of time. It took like the first three weeks of the meetings to establish meeting rules, timelines, definitions, etc before we even looked at the problem at hand.

[Shirley Ujest]

No Child Left Behind.

[Qin Shi Huangdi]

Marxism.

[Argent Towers]

Gender identity politics - this has got to be the most pedantic, pretentious, tedious discipline there is. I can't stomach any so-called "academic" discussion of gender, filled with obtuse jargon and half-baked theories...it drives me nuts.

[Toucanna]

...I am in heaven.
Ik hou van je, mijn Google-meester!*

[faithfool]

Religious fundamentalists.

:twitch:

[GargoyleWB]

How about Lean Six Sigma? http://www.6sigma.us/

I personally have not had any training or received one of their colored belts, but I've been in a project group where the organizer was doing it based on this training. It was absolutely a waste of time. It took like the first three weeks of the meetings to establish meeting rules, timelines, definitions, etc before we even looked at the problem at hand.

Agree. I've done Green Belt, and been on many Black Belt-led projects. Six Sigma (or whatever custom-branded variant your company uses for "lean") has a great set of analysis and metrics tools. However, the leaders are pretty much forced to take the blind dogmatic approach to implementing, with an unfounded assumption that the tools are superior to any other by fiat. I've seen many projects follow it to the letter with no benefit. There are some objective open-minded project leaders I've come across, but they are a minority. The belt training self-selects for zealotry.

[jabiru]

'Alternative' medicine. Alternative to what? Stuff that actually works? Homeopathy, Reiki, iridology ... utter bullshit.

[Kozmik]

The last post in this thread will be the epitome of bullshit. :D

[Der Trihs]

Religious fundamentalists.

:twitch:One of the better post/poster name combos I've seen. :D

[davidm]

Climate change denialism has already been mentioned but I'll broaden it to include a large chunk of corporate PR driven crap. It largely originates with people who know it's bullshit. You can't get more bullshitty than that.

[AnalogSignal]

This thread. This post. This sentence.

That's the Liar's Paradox (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liar_paradox). It is equivalent to saying, "This sentence is false."