Want to take a course on how to use Twitter or Facebook or learn about your reincarnated past as Marie Antoinette's cousin. Then Boise Community Education might be for you.

I just received the catalog in the mail from the Boise School District. I don't mean to trivialize the program. In fact, there are some facinating courses out there that teach useful skills. Others provide fairly low cost physical fitness courses.

However, there are some courses that raise immediate red flags. For example, there'stwo courses on self-hypnosis as a key to weight loss and quitting smoking(a practice that was busted on Mythbusters) and then there's a course called, "Exploring Past Lives" a description of which states, "An exploration into the concept of reincaration and karma through group discussion and guided visualization." Now, this is a very new age concept. However, Community Education covers itself by saying, "Community Education Classes may provide information about and discuss sectarian or religious tenants or doctrines." The ACLU as ususal ignores any religious or "spiritual" activities that don't fall within the realm of mainstream Christianity.

Furthermore, if that self-hypnosis deal doesn't work out for you, Boise School District is covered again with the Class Content disclaimer, "The Boise School District Community Education volunteer instructor/presenter is not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, the Boise School District and the District is not responsible for the accuracy, validity, benefit nor detriment that may result from an instructor's information or presentation."

Translation: The Boise School District may be sending out the catalog, but we make no guarantee that classes will actually benefit anyone. Reading some of the class descriptions, they seem like the introductions to business schemes and others seem like to good to be true scenarios.

Perhaps, the creepiest class on the list is, "Cemetery History and Symbolism," a two hour look at cemetaries, types of cemetaries, and burial customs. Fun class, I'm sure.

The problem is that in a year of tight budgets, 1 out of 4 dollars spent on Community Education comes from taxpayers, so that people can figure out how to Twitter, while they recall their past lives and hypnotize themselves to lose weight so they can take advantage of amazing business opportunities.

As I said before, there are useful classes from business law to computer software, some greatarts and crafts classes, dance, and fitness. And knowing of this opportunity, who knows? Maybe, I might find time to teach a class. (If you can't beat them, join 'em, right?)

But during tight economic times seeing tax dollars subsidizeclasses that even the School Districts says are of questionable value is a big concern. I'd say Boise Community Education is the Public Access TV of the Boise School District except that having been a member of the local public access station for two years, they had higher standards.

Is Community Education everywhere this troubled?