Hey Mr. Prez, the Community College Idea Just Sucks.

Hey, Mr. Obama, this time I truly think you are on the wrong track, talking to a pseudo audience, and, yes, clearly not doing your homework.

Ok, Mr. Prez., you've got the gals/guys in the White House who are doing their best to shine old leather and even make it smell better, but let's be honest the community college (drum roll, please) theme is meritless. Here's why:
1. This nation's leaders go out of their way to deny more funding to public, and now you think they will pony up more. Get real. They always cite business models as if the profit and loss statement creates thinking citizens;

2. Your ideal/ idea collides with existing monies for common ed and now ( believe me, please) this concept will only take more $$$ from common ed;

3. Your data re: future jobs lack anything close to a syllogism in that most future business do not require an associate's degree;

4. This nation's spine is reinforced with blue collar, hard working men and women, and they will tell you that being an electrician, plumber, carpenter, janitor, assembly-line worker didn't require attending any college. (Note here: most would tell you that they wanted out of the draconic world of the classroom);

5. At the risk of sounding elistist and I am not, it is extremely important that we as a nation not work toward watering down higher level education simply to advance a "not really important" product;

6. In the market place of ideas, Mr Prez., this idea ought to die and be replaced by a huge move toward more monies for vocational ed programs, community college programs, and yes, a goal toward pushing young people (who want it) through portals of a place called college.

Warning Label for Chrysler; Maybe

Consumer Action, the Center for Auto Safety, the Center for Justice, and the National Consumers League asked the Federal Trade Commission to require that Chrysler vehicles display stickers warning buyers of risks in future liability claims.

Chrysler successfully established freedom from obligation on product liability on cars made before May 30, when it was purchased by the Italian automaker Fiat.

The consumer groups asked the commission to make an emergency amendment to the "use car rule" which demands warning labels to be affixed to windows that discloses purchasing and warranty information. The label reads: "This vehicle was produced prior to the date when the Chrysler bankruptcy was approved. If you buy this vehicle and are injured or killed, even if your injuries were caused by the manufacturer, you or your survivors will not be able to recover your losses by taking action against the manufacturer. If your passengers are injured or killed, even if their injuries were caused by the manufacturer, they and their survivors will not be able to recover their losses by taking action against the manufacture.

Representative Andre Carson (D-Ind.) has proposed legislation that would require all automakers to purchase liability insurance if they are majority-owned by the federal government.

General Custer Rides Again Via McDonald"s Happy Meals

McDonald's has begun selling Happy Meals complete with a toy of General Custer. Why are Indian activists disturbed by this idea?

Those wonderful people at McDonald's must have completely lost every fiber of sensitivity when they began selling Happy Meals, in the Dakotas, with, of all things, a gift, a toy, a Custer toy. The accompanying card read, " Ever heard of Custer's last stand? It was named after George Armstrong Custer who lead his troops into the battle at Little Big Horn."

Belva Morrison, Indian child welfare specialist for the Lakota Law Project, said, "It is insensitive for local merchants to hand out these dolls where there is a large Indian population. They should have thought twice about promoting these figurines. I don't believe we're overreacting. I think we are not tolerating things like this anymore. They're targeting young kids whose minds are easily impressed."

So what's the big deal? It seems that ole "Golden Hair" Custer went on an Indian killing raid with his Cavalry in Indian Territory ( Oklahoma) , killing Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Cherokee back in 1868. ( I hate dates, too, but stay with me on this.) Eight years later, Custer and 700 men of his 7th cavalry were wiped completely out by the Lakota at a place called "Little Big Horn" at Montana, just a rock's throw from South Dakota.

Make no mistake the Lakota (Sioux) had a complete history of what happened in Oklahoma at the Battle of Washita, but they also knew full well that Custer was responsible for the discovering of gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota that led to the theft of over $120,000,000 of that precious asset on sacred land that has never been returned.

So one can imagine the disturbing sight of having a child reach into to his/her Happy Meal only to find a figurine that would anger any Native American parent who wasn't asleep in history class or listened intently to his family oral history

At last report customers in the Rapid City area were told there were no more Custer dolls in the Happy Meals. Sadly, the PR folks at Mickey D's didn't have the corporate sense or historic knowledge to correct such a huge mistake