Bureaucracy

In Italy an official paper needs not only a stamp-stamp but a printed stamp on top of the stamp.

Right now we need some official documents, including Rick's birth certificate. He has two copies, an original and a copy, but the certificate has to be less than six months old. Maybe they are afraid he wasn't born again or if you take the religious connotation afraid he was.

We won't discuss that his state has privatized the process which included them claiming the certificate didn't exist. So much easier and cheaper when one just called city hall of the birth places. Those who say that privatized is always better, never dealt with many of the companies that take what was confusing and make it more confusing. 

A friend needed a death certificate for her husband, gone many, many years, but it too had to be just six months or less. As she said, "He's still dead."

Then in many countries in Europe, executives are given letters to sign, presented in a book, with each letter between different pages. Not only do they sign but they also stamp them with the company stamp.

Dumb. Anyone can make up a stamp.

I'm waiting for a stamp on top of a stamp on top of a stamp that must be applied within a few hours of issuance.

Maybe the stamp lobby is responsible for the excess of stamps required.

And French for stamp is tampon. Probably good. They are bloody annoying.