Beaureacracy Got You Down?

If you're the sort of person who reads structured finance legal briefs for fun, or who prefers watching a filibuster on C-SPAN to a blockbuster at the local cineplex, we have something you should know about.

The Team Metro Citizens Academy!

It's a free 13-week program that will teach you the nuances of the county government in great, excruciating detail. Each two-hour weekly class will offer presentations by a different county agency — 24 in all — including crowd favorites like the Department of Environmental Resource Management, Water & Sewer, the Department of Corrections, and Planning & Zoning.

Whee! At the end of your 26 hours of learning all about Miami-Dade County, you will earn a certificate of completion (but not, says program director Iris Palmer, if you only go to one class — that would be cheating). Classes begin in April, so register now! --Emily Witt