Doggedly searching for the crux of the biscuit.
"Special Music by Special People is a Chicago Park District music program for people with developmental disabilities (such as Down syndrome). Here We Are is our third compact disc with 13 fabulously crafted songs created over the past four years. Featuring the Welles Park Special Musicians, Paraplegic MC, and The Sharks performing their hit single 'At the Bottom of the Sea'."
When I first read the words "Special Music by Special People," I immediately thought of the Cramps' "Bad Music for Bad People." It seemed a funny juxtaposition... until I listened to the songs. Their audio page offers three mp3 tracks, one from each compact disc. "This Little Light of Mine" is sung by little kids and is more or less what you'd expect, though the robotic canned drums and sing-songy soprano voices do give it an odd Shonen Knife edge. The hip-hop cut, "At the Bottom of the Sea," is actually pretty catchy, until the middle when the guy starts chanting about Filet-o-Fishes and McDonald's at the bottom of the sea, at which point it briefly becomes as transcendent as Jandek, before settling back into the groove.
However, the Apostrophic Made-My-Morning Seal of Approval goes to "Turkey Time," from the program's first CD, What's For Lunch! The song is a direct descendant of Black Flag's shoutalong anthem "TV Party". No, I'm not kidding. This makes me happy and giddy and foot-stompy. I don't think I've ever heard people having a better time.
On a related note, this is strange.
TrackBackThis makes me happy and giddy and foot-stompy.
Giddy enough to post the same post twice! But yes, it's very happy and foot-stompy.
And the last several lines from your "this is strange" link put me in mind of James Brown.
Posted by: Mitch Mills at August 29, 2005 09:31 AMcan't... stop... smiling...
RETARD IS WHO I AM!!!
YEAH!!!
Posted by: Sterling at August 29, 2005 09:39 AMGiddy enough to post the same post twice!
Weird. Not sure how that happened, but thanks for the heads-up.
Posted by: apostropher at August 29, 2005 10:17 AM"communicating with facilitation."
I hope that isn't the "treat your kids like a ouija board" thing. Some very bad stuff happens with that.
Posted by: Tripp at August 29, 2005 03:26 PMCrap, it *is* the ouija board thing.
Methinks "retard's" facilitator has issues.
Posted by: Tripp at August 29, 2005 03:29 PMStarting with the fact that she's afraid a 13-year-old with Down Syndrome is going to eat her.
Posted by: apostropher at August 29, 2005 03:40 PMSpeaking as a parent of an autistic child, I am pretty disappointed by these comments.
When you cannot communicate with your child, (think about that just for a second. You cannot communicate with your child. Not just one day. Not just one week. All the time. Every day.) you look for a lot of things to help you out. These things may be hokum, they may be even dangerous, like chelation. However, walk a mile in my moccasins before you talk so blithely about 'making kids into ouija boards'.
You also may want to read some of the other essays and papers on that area before poking fun. There are numerous essays by autistics that obviously were aided by something in the assisted communication regimen. As a matter of fact, reading some of these essays gave me some new insights into my daughter.
Posted by: Chance the Gardener at August 29, 2005 03:56 PMHumor is the only test of gravity, and gravity of humor; for a subject which will not bear raillery is suspicious, and a jest which will not bear serious examination is false wit.
Posted by: Aristotle (no shit) at August 29, 2005 10:13 PMChance,
I sympathize.
I never said "make the kids into ouija boards."
I said "treat your kids like a ouija board." My comment was pointed at the facilitators, not the unfortunate kids.
In addition to bringing comfort to desperate and grieving parents, "facilitated communication" has brought terrible accusations against innocent people. Is it cruel to expose charlatans who bring comfort but also terrible pain?
Posted by: Tripp at August 30, 2005 10:22 AMI would like to facilitate communication through another chorus of Turkey Time...
Anyone?