Apparently, Elmo’s dad is in the military? [via] [via]

Is that? Is it…really…OH DEAR GOD. OH MY SWEET DEAR JESUS GOD. THE US ECONOMY HAS ENTERED AN OUT-OF-CONTROL LOW-ALTITUDE SPIN AND BUSH HAD TIME TO MAKE UP THIS LITTLE SONG AND SING IT. WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE! [via]

UPDATE: Surprise! The above video has been removed. If anyone finds it hosted elsewhere, please let us know in the comments.

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They already name stadiums and buildings, monopolize student unions, and pervade almost all other non-academic aspects of university life in America. But should corporate interests be sponsoring our classes?

Hunter College thinks maybe they should. [via]

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Here’s the corniest headline you’ll read all day: ‘Fowl’ Language Upsets Some in PA. [via]

What the hell? Apparently the University of Kentucky was informed via e-mail that its course on the Holocaust no longer existed…despite the fact that, you know, students were enrolled and the teacher was teaching them. And, maybe, it is all because some people didn’t realize that the .uk suffix means United Kingdom and not the southeastern school that consistently produces fiercely competitive basketball teams?

The internet is out of hand, people.

It’s a rock and roll kind of week here at sd&if…

Ars Technica: Music executive declaration: “Music 1.0 is dead.”

The statement, made at the Digital Music Forum East, could only have been followed by a unanimous: We have absolutely no idea what that means.

Things get even dodgier when the article uses the following to paraphrase iLike’s CEO’s entire speech: Music 2.0, meet Web 2.0.

That’s the kind of contemporary media-anthropomorphizing-meta-speak that makes the back of your eyeballs itch.

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To tide you over until tomorrow’s Midweek Distraction: Creepy video of Ann Coulter chewing…and some other people doing some other things in front of some cameras. [via]

All thanks to Harry Shearer’s Found Objects.

Wired: NOBODY IS PROTECTING YOUR PRIVACY. SERIOUSLY. [via]

So the 9/11 commission made a few recommendations (ok). One of which resulted in the overhaul of the Privacy and Civil Liberty Oversight Board (good so far), making it more independent of the White House (still good) and mandating bipartisan membership (great). And then the board is left absolutely totally empty (danger, Will Robinson).

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, check out the Wired article for more. Unless, of course, you have a vested interest in removing your jaw from the floor any time soon.