Hello, folks.

I presume that you all heard of the award this last weekend of the IgNobel Prizes for 2004. http://www.improb.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html#ig2004
There was some coverage of:
- the Peace prize, to Daisuke Inoue of Hyogo, Japan, for inventing karaoke; and
- Donald J. Smith and his father, the late Frank J. Smith, of Orlando Florida, USA, for patenting the combover.

However...

Did you notice that the IgNobel Prize for Economics was awarded to... the Vatican (http://www.vatican.va) for... outsourcing prayers to India. (see story)

Extract:
US outsourcing prayers to India
Tuesday, 15 June , 2004, 12:04
New York: Following the outsourcing of software and other technological work in recent years, Western nations have now begun "offshoring" of Christian prayers to India.

"With Roman Catholic clergy in short supply in the United States, Indian priests are picking up some of their work, saying Mass for special intentions, in a sacred if unusual version of outsourcing," The New York Times reported.

For further coverage of the economics of religion, see my report here of the recent visit to Australia of Prof. Larry Iannacconne to speak on that very subject (http://www.economicsofreligion.com)

_____
Peter