Fired Up Hamster

Okay - I'm going to get somewhat political...or something...

I was not headed back to the computer to blog (although I know it has been way too long...). I was just passing through the living room when I got to hear this "news" story: Non-American made goods being pimped by american universities for their students to decorate dorm rooms.

Here is the gist - an SMU student (should that be "a SMU student??" - no...staying off the rabbit trails...I'm supposed to be fired up!) has decided to bring light to the horrific situation that is denying us 500,000 jobs (though where they came up with that figure...who the heck knows...). She discovered the shocking fact that none of the goods that are available in the catalog that SMU sends their students are made in the good old USA. None of the comforter sets (39.95) or pillowcases (~6.95) or lamps (some other ridiculously low price...) are made here?

Seriously? Is anyone surprised by fact?

Have you not BEEN to Walmart? or Sam's Club? or any other bargain mart? Look at the tags...none of it is made here. We know that. That isn't a surprise. But we have chosen price point as our key decision maker. Screw quality - we're just going to throw that shirt out when the stitching gives way in a few washes. It was ONLY 12.99!

I think a lot of us try to resist - but our wallets are thin. And when push comes to shove - we go for the 39.95 comforter set. No matter what the consequences.

But let's not get all high and mighty when we discover that the bargain marts and cheap catalogs are getting their products made in China, etc.

And the other angle of the story - that this was somehow horrifically tainted because the university gets a kickback on the sales. We keep begging institutions of higher learning to keep tuition costs down - but we would want to quash an alternative revenue stream? These colleges and universities get money from every corner that they can...are we gonna get all up in arms about the fact that they get income from the vending machines on the campus (which they most likely do...)?

Okay - maybe I'm missing an angle here. What they heck made this a lead story (maybe second...but definitely in the first block) on the national news? Enlighten me here.

As Michael Douglass' character said in The American President "so...what was the third story?"

Hamster SMH (that's "smacking my head" for those who are not acronym savvy...)