As if things couldn't get worse for California schools, Bay Area public schools are about to get 665,000 free CDs as part of an antitrust settlement between record companies and the states.

Instead of a chunk of real money - as in, the $143 million from the settlement -that could go to something radical like textbooks, the record companies are paying out the settlement with CDs they can't sell. This doesn't set the best precedent for large companies who must pay out lawsuits. What next? Will automotive companies "pay" their settlements with steering wheels, passenger seats, and cupholders?

A list of the CDs the kids will have access to can be found here. Three copies of a Barry White CD are going to one lucky school. Other schools are getting Michael Bolton and Celine Dion CDs, which indicates that record companies hate children. It's seen as cruel to threaten kids with paddling, but I for one might take paddling over having to listen to "She Bangs" anytime.