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46
General Discussion / Re: Today in Wisconsin, history is being made
« on: February 23, 2011, 10:47:42 pm »Now, political alignment is not the same thing as party affiliation. That's where I misunderstood you. It was your phrasing that was inaccurate, not your actual alignment.You're right, that was inaccurate. I'll be more careful in the future.
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"Federalist" works just fine as a label to the extent it is representative of your alignment. But if you voted Ron Paul, then either that label isn't correct or you don't actually know much about Ron Paul. He is the modern equivalent of an anti-federalist who supports the dilution of the powers of the federal government...During his short "campaign", and since then, after viewing hours of interviews it became clear to me that his intent was to return legal power over controversial issues, spending, etc. in the hands of the state rather than national government. To my understanding, federalism is about greater state government and less national government. If I am way off base, don't feel obliged to correct me; just tell me I need to do my homework and I will take your word for it.
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(Although, by creating topics like this, you forfeit your privilege to discretion to some extent.)Yes, I did forfeit that privilege, so you were right to call me out. I'm not at all uncomfortable with sharing my views, but my view is "I don't like the way things work right now". To me that always felt like having no political alignment, but in reality, yes, I suppose it is an alignment.
Emotions are running high these last couple of weeks. Just going to copy/paste from a post I made elsewhere:
Well, Walker ordered the wi-fi [around the Capitol building] blocked. And then he was forced have it turned it back on. Made up some BS story about a new rule saying all new websites had to be greenlighted by the new administration or something.
Anyway, a summary of the last few days:
-Walker's budget has a deadline of Friday to be passed
-The new budget cannot be passed without the 14 democratic senators
-The democratic senators are still in Illinois, and aren't coming back any time soon
-Walker and his cronies plotted to withhold paychecks from being deposited into the dem. senators accounts until they come back
-In return, the dem. senators collectively and figuratively gave him the finger and still aren't coming back
-Walker and co. are looking into measures to take people who support the senators financially to court
-Walker got prank called by a reporter claiming to be a Koch brother (one of, if not the largest, financial supporters of Walker's campaign); and Walker actually believed it, having a conversation that revealed Walker really wants to destroy unions more than anything because apparently that's all republicans care about anymore (seems to be a nationwide plot)--and yes this conversation was recorded and yes you can easily find it or reports about it online. During the conversation he also mentions considering hiring protesters to "support" him at the Capitol.
-The republican senators can take the union-busting amendment out of the budget bill and slip it into a non-budget bill, which means they can vote on it without the democratic senators present.
-Walker will be threatening people in the public sector with "risk of termination" notices which basically say they will be fired if his budget bill doesn't pass (seems like a real great guy, right?)
I'm sure I've missed something. Again, there's ample national coverage on this stuff if you're interested in knowing more. It has been a very stressful and emotional week for many of us, especially teachers. I can say that if collective bargaining rights are effectively terminated, Wisconsin's public school teachers (among others) are very likely to strike, and then our state will be royally screwed.
47
General Discussion / Re: Today in Wisconsin, history is being made
« on: February 18, 2011, 06:17:54 pm »In the 2008 presidential election, I voted for Ron Paul. He technically ran as a Republican before officially dropping out (I wrote him in anyway). Yet, I know enough about Republican values to know I'm not that; and anything called "conservative" is basically evil. What am I supposed to call myself? Federalist, I guess?I want to end this post by stating my own political alignment: none.How could you cover such an important topic, and do so with such interest, and then fall back on rubbish like this? Do you know unions got created in the first place? Do you know what politics even is?
I made that statement because otherwise my position might come off as staunchly anti-republican, which isn't necessarily true. I'm anti-bipartisan; I don't like the two-party system, and therefore it doesn't feel right to choose either side as representative of my values. Because neither is.
I feel the same way about religion. In our nation it's treated like it should be something listed on our driver's license; as if it's apart of us from birth. Of course, it isn't, so I am without any religious alignment. The same is true for political parties; I don't consider any of them to represent me. So, should I have to choose?
48
General Discussion / Today in Wisconsin, history is being made
« on: February 17, 2011, 11:17:16 pm »
Likely some of you have heard about this. To summarize briefly, the newly elected governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker (R), put into motion a bill specifically targeting union member rights. He deliberately set a short timeframe (one week), to push the bill through so that little deliberation could be made over it. Essentially, the bill seeks to eliminate collective bargaining agreements for public sector employees. The bill was approved last night.
On Tuesday, massive crowds assembled at our state's capitol building in Madison to denounce Walker and his attack on state employees. The crowds remained throughout the day and into the night. On Wednesday, a still larger crowd descended upon the capitol. Today, an even larger crowd took to the downtown area to protest. Tomorrow will be the same.
A large part of those assembled have been teachers. Due to the significant called-in absences of teachers, all Madison public schools were closed on Wednesday, today, and will again be closed tomorrow.
Walker's proposal was expected to be deliberated upon and finalized this morning at the capitol building. However, due to the impassioned protests and hundreds of citizens and public workers speaking directly to the legislature, an unprecedented move was made: Wisconsin's Democrat senators fled the capitol building, and have long since crossed state lines into Illinois.
Of the Republican-controlled senate, only 19 Republican senators remain. A "quorum" of 20 is required for the proposal to be open to deliberation. Thus, by law, the proposal cannot go into action. Were the Democrat senators to remain, the majority Republican senate would have easily passed the proposal. However, no such action can be taken until the quorum of 20 senators is satisfied.
State police and national guardsmen were deployed to apprehend the fleeing senators to return them to the capitol--at gunpoint if necessary. The senators safely made it past state lines, and thus cannot be lawfully pursued.
It is expected they will not return until Walker's proposal is either significantly altered or altogether scrapped.
The proposal was made allegedly as an effort to balance Wisconsin's budget, now in a deficit of $137 million. However, the proposal is targeted specifically at union workers, seeking to eliminate all collective bargaining. This means the complete loss of benefits such as health care and retirement. This effectively undoes decades of union rights and bargaining, which has successfully allowed teachers and other state workers to have large shares of their insurance and retirement paid off. These benefits are essential as they off-set the obscenely low salaries of state workers, especially teachers.
Walker is, in fact, a criminal. Since being elected, his payouts to business-owners that supported his campaign robbed Wisconsin of more money than his tyrannical proposal could possibly recuperate by gouging the middle class.
Walker specifically stated that he will not negotiate with unions. He will pay the price. Not only will he likely be recalled after 366 days in office, but until he agrees to negotiate, his ridiculous proposal may not be put into effect.
I cannot understate the tumultuous climate here in Wisconsin right now. Especially in Madison, where I work as an assistant and soon-to-be teacher in an elementary school.
There are three very unethical and despicable acts perpetrated by Walker and the Republicans that must be brought to light:
1. Walker's million-dollar payouts to campaign-supporters while simultaneously declaring he wants to balance the budget.
2. During the legislative hearings, hundreds showed up to speak. After a certain number had spoken, Republicans stopped allowing people to speak their thoughts, claiming that most of what they heard were "just stories". This outright disrespect for democracy is sickening, and the Republicans must be held accountable for their unethical treatment of the democratic process.
3. Republicans called upon police and national guardsmen to track down the fleeing senators. Imagine if the senators were apprehended and brought back to the capitol at gunpoint and forced to deliberate the proposal. That would've have repercussions more widely-reaching than Wisconsin. Then again, this whole situation will likely be nationally examined closely in the coming weeks.
For more information, you can pretty much just google "Wisconsin" and you're likely to find an article about this. It's probably the most severe social climate I've ever personally been involved in, and it has very serious implications not only for my future as a teacher, but the future of all children who go to school in Wisconsin. We are (especially in Madison) a traditionally liberal and progressive state, and I'm sure hearing that makes you wonder how Walker got elected in the first place. I don't know, but I sure didn't vote for him. Wisconsin's citizens are now realizing the seriousness of this anti-middle class agenda, if they didn't already.
I want to end this post by stating my own political alignment: none. I don't like the two-party system, and I think it's going to destroy our country. While I believe the Democratic senators are essentially heroes for foiling Walker's plans, as are the 25,000+ protesters, it's frightening that we ever got to this point in the first place. Even with my rights as a teacher so threatened, I know it's my calling, and it's what I'm going to do. As a teacher, I hope to keep my students as far removed from the broken political machinations of this country as possible. I want them to grow up to change this country, bring down the party system, and establish a governmental model that is sustainable and truly representative of its citizens. The current model merely caters to two distinct parties, both which are plagued by agendas of the rich. I want my students to know they don't have to accept this, and can reject it wholesale. And my influence as a teacher will be far stronger than that of any politician; and those same politicians are powerless to stop me. They made attempt to degrade or even minimize the conditions of my profession, but for every concession they are forced to make in the face of overwhelming protest, my cause is enabled and empowered. Only so much tyranny will be tolerated by the people.
On Tuesday, massive crowds assembled at our state's capitol building in Madison to denounce Walker and his attack on state employees. The crowds remained throughout the day and into the night. On Wednesday, a still larger crowd descended upon the capitol. Today, an even larger crowd took to the downtown area to protest. Tomorrow will be the same.
A large part of those assembled have been teachers. Due to the significant called-in absences of teachers, all Madison public schools were closed on Wednesday, today, and will again be closed tomorrow.
Walker's proposal was expected to be deliberated upon and finalized this morning at the capitol building. However, due to the impassioned protests and hundreds of citizens and public workers speaking directly to the legislature, an unprecedented move was made: Wisconsin's Democrat senators fled the capitol building, and have long since crossed state lines into Illinois.
Of the Republican-controlled senate, only 19 Republican senators remain. A "quorum" of 20 is required for the proposal to be open to deliberation. Thus, by law, the proposal cannot go into action. Were the Democrat senators to remain, the majority Republican senate would have easily passed the proposal. However, no such action can be taken until the quorum of 20 senators is satisfied.
State police and national guardsmen were deployed to apprehend the fleeing senators to return them to the capitol--at gunpoint if necessary. The senators safely made it past state lines, and thus cannot be lawfully pursued.
It is expected they will not return until Walker's proposal is either significantly altered or altogether scrapped.
The proposal was made allegedly as an effort to balance Wisconsin's budget, now in a deficit of $137 million. However, the proposal is targeted specifically at union workers, seeking to eliminate all collective bargaining. This means the complete loss of benefits such as health care and retirement. This effectively undoes decades of union rights and bargaining, which has successfully allowed teachers and other state workers to have large shares of their insurance and retirement paid off. These benefits are essential as they off-set the obscenely low salaries of state workers, especially teachers.
Walker is, in fact, a criminal. Since being elected, his payouts to business-owners that supported his campaign robbed Wisconsin of more money than his tyrannical proposal could possibly recuperate by gouging the middle class.
Walker specifically stated that he will not negotiate with unions. He will pay the price. Not only will he likely be recalled after 366 days in office, but until he agrees to negotiate, his ridiculous proposal may not be put into effect.
I cannot understate the tumultuous climate here in Wisconsin right now. Especially in Madison, where I work as an assistant and soon-to-be teacher in an elementary school.
There are three very unethical and despicable acts perpetrated by Walker and the Republicans that must be brought to light:
1. Walker's million-dollar payouts to campaign-supporters while simultaneously declaring he wants to balance the budget.
2. During the legislative hearings, hundreds showed up to speak. After a certain number had spoken, Republicans stopped allowing people to speak their thoughts, claiming that most of what they heard were "just stories". This outright disrespect for democracy is sickening, and the Republicans must be held accountable for their unethical treatment of the democratic process.
3. Republicans called upon police and national guardsmen to track down the fleeing senators. Imagine if the senators were apprehended and brought back to the capitol at gunpoint and forced to deliberate the proposal. That would've have repercussions more widely-reaching than Wisconsin. Then again, this whole situation will likely be nationally examined closely in the coming weeks.
For more information, you can pretty much just google "Wisconsin" and you're likely to find an article about this. It's probably the most severe social climate I've ever personally been involved in, and it has very serious implications not only for my future as a teacher, but the future of all children who go to school in Wisconsin. We are (especially in Madison) a traditionally liberal and progressive state, and I'm sure hearing that makes you wonder how Walker got elected in the first place. I don't know, but I sure didn't vote for him. Wisconsin's citizens are now realizing the seriousness of this anti-middle class agenda, if they didn't already.
I want to end this post by stating my own political alignment: none. I don't like the two-party system, and I think it's going to destroy our country. While I believe the Democratic senators are essentially heroes for foiling Walker's plans, as are the 25,000+ protesters, it's frightening that we ever got to this point in the first place. Even with my rights as a teacher so threatened, I know it's my calling, and it's what I'm going to do. As a teacher, I hope to keep my students as far removed from the broken political machinations of this country as possible. I want them to grow up to change this country, bring down the party system, and establish a governmental model that is sustainable and truly representative of its citizens. The current model merely caters to two distinct parties, both which are plagued by agendas of the rich. I want my students to know they don't have to accept this, and can reject it wholesale. And my influence as a teacher will be far stronger than that of any politician; and those same politicians are powerless to stop me. They made attempt to degrade or even minimize the conditions of my profession, but for every concession they are forced to make in the face of overwhelming protest, my cause is enabled and empowered. Only so much tyranny will be tolerated by the people.
49
Chrono / Gameplay Casual Discussion / Re: Chrono Cross Arrange Album due this year?
« on: January 28, 2011, 08:40:55 pm »50
General Discussion / Re: Mitsuda to Rearrange & Orchestrate Xenogears
« on: January 22, 2011, 09:43:42 am »By the way, I have never seen video game OSTs sold in stores.It does happen from time to time, at least in North America. Particularly when an OST is licensed for distribution by a publisher that is based in North America. This is called the "domestic" release of an import soundtrack. Often it will have different album art (with English text), and sometimes even a different tracklist.
But for something like MYTH, online will be the only option. tushantin, you have the internet, and therefore have a way to get the album.
Off the top of my head there will probably be at least five online retailers that will carry this album, all of which ship internationally.51
Dream Splash III - Chrono Break [2010] / Re: Chrono Break - The Conceptual Soundtrack
« on: January 16, 2011, 09:22:34 pm »
Glad you both enjoyed it.
I can pretty much recommend all of them. If you're short on cash and can only manage a few albums at a time, KiRite (http://vgmdb.net/album/2587) and Tsugunai: Atonement (http://vgmdb.net/album/2011) are at the top of my list. If you liked Chrono Cross' music, you'll like these. Shadow Hearts II (http://vgmdb.net/album/889) also comes strongly recommended, even though Mitsuda did only 5 tracks... 4 of which are among his most exceptional work.
1.) Did you have a storyline that went with this concept? If so, I'm very curious!I have a rough scenario outline and a main cast loosely established. I'd be happy to share if you're interested, but it's incomplete.
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2.) I was wondering if there was a possibility of releasing a key that explains the game each song came from. I'd love to track some of this stuff down, but I don't have the capacity to obtain all of Mitsuda's work.If you look into the mp3's info tags, the 'comments' section lists the source of each track. Two tracks come from a game rip, as the game, Monster Hunter: Jewel Summoner, never had an official soundtrack release. Most of the other albums are still in print via Mitsuda's Sleigh Bells label; others can be found at online retailers. Otherwise, I bet all of the tracks here have been uploaded to youtube at least once!
I can pretty much recommend all of them. If you're short on cash and can only manage a few albums at a time, KiRite (http://vgmdb.net/album/2587) and Tsugunai: Atonement (http://vgmdb.net/album/2011) are at the top of my list. If you liked Chrono Cross' music, you'll like these. Shadow Hearts II (http://vgmdb.net/album/889) also comes strongly recommended, even though Mitsuda did only 5 tracks... 4 of which are among his most exceptional work.
52
Dream Splash III - Chrono Break [2010] / Re: Chrono Break - The Conceptual Soundtrack
« on: January 16, 2011, 11:03:21 am »
Well, I found a way around the problem for now. Please see the first post for two brand new links to the .zip file--since I am using free space providers, I am not sure how long they will remain online.
Thanks for your patience, everyone! And remember, if you like what you hear, the sources of the music can be found in the mp3 tags. Pretty much all albums sampled are available across multiple retailers. If you are having trouble finding one, I will gladly help you out. I purchased most through CDJapan.
Thanks for your patience, everyone! And remember, if you like what you hear, the sources of the music can be found in the mp3 tags. Pretty much all albums sampled are available across multiple retailers. If you are having trouble finding one, I will gladly help you out. I purchased most through CDJapan.
53
Chrono / Gameplay Casual Discussion / Re: Wiz Khalifa's CT shoutout??
« on: December 29, 2010, 02:30:42 pm »
The mixtape that this particular track belongs to does lots of sampling from other artists. It's extremely common in rap production.
Understand that Wiz whateverthehell probably had nothing to do with the actual selection of these samples; most mainstream rap artists have entire armies of producers that do all the musical and technical stuff for them.
Understand that Wiz whateverthehell probably had nothing to do with the actual selection of these samples; most mainstream rap artists have entire armies of producers that do all the musical and technical stuff for them.
54
Dream Splash III - Chrono Break [2010] / Re: Chrono Break - The Conceptual Soundtrack
« on: December 17, 2010, 06:52:19 pm »
Well, I'm having issues with being blocked from uploading to any of the aforementioned services. This problem actually started months ago and I've never been able to figure out why. At first I assumed it was a firewall issue, but when I tried to upload with the firewall temporarily off, it still wouldn't work. All I can say is I hate wireless routers and have never had anything but bad luck with them.
So... maybe I'll go the Opera route. How does one set up filesharing via Opera?
So... maybe I'll go the Opera route. How does one set up filesharing via Opera?
55
Dream Splash III - Chrono Break [2010] / Re: Chrono Break - The Conceptual Soundtrack
« on: December 16, 2010, 07:43:30 pm »
Oops. Yeah, sorry about that. My domain was literally stolen by go-daddy, so I'll need to get a different one. In the meantime, I will upload the .zip to a free service. Anyone have good suggestions? There's so many, but some have atrocious limits. If no one has a preference I'll just upload to some generic service.
56
General Discussion / Re: Mitsuda to Rearrange & Orchestrate Xenogears
« on: October 31, 2010, 09:21:59 pm »
Remember that World Destruction/Sands of Destruction was co-composed by Mitsuda, Shunsuke Tsuchiya, and Kazumi Mitome. So if there's a track you don't like, it might not even be Mitsuda's. 
Also, the first track was the Japanese opening for the game. Following the example of the Tales series, Sega replaced it with an original Mitsuda composition for the North American version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhWWu18IlawI think that's actually a Shunsuke Tsuchiya track. The first part is an arrangement of the boss theme, which I'm positive Tsuchiya composed. The last part of the opening is an arrangement of Mitsuda's main theme "Time's Arm". Either way, I believe Tsuchiya was responsible for the track.
Definitely for the better.
57
General Discussion / Re: Mitsuda to Rearrange & Orchestrate Xenogears
« on: October 28, 2010, 08:24:35 pm »I love the Xenogears soundtrack. Stylistically, I think it's the closest cousin to his Chrono Cross soundtrack.Have you heard Tsugunai, Seventh Seal, or Kirite?
58
General Discussion / These kids will fail. (public education/autism rant)
« on: September 23, 2010, 09:47:45 pm »
I don't think I've ever written a rant topic out of the blue, on a subject that will doubtless seem entirely random to the majority of this post's readers. It's new for me, but I'm also hoping it will be cathartic. For never in my life have I experienced such frustration as I now do; and I'm really not someone who retains frustration like this for as long as I have. So, here goes.
Imagine you are taking a class, listening to the teacher, and jotting down notes, when all of a sudden... the guy next to you starts screaming uncontrollably. A support person arrives, doing his best to ease the person's frustration, but to no avail. In between fits of screaming and crying, there is whining, unintelligible vocalizations, slamming of body parts against the desk or chair in which the person sits, and laying down on the floor while the support person tries to get him to sit back in his chair. And while all that was happening, the teacher kept talking, so, sorry, you just missed several minutes of notes.
Now imagine you're 8 years old, possess a matching intellect and attention span, have sharper hearing, and have just been asked by the teacher to please read a book quietly at your desk for the next fifteen minutes. And right next to you sits a nonverbal child with severe autism. And he's about to have a fit...
Now, usually, what we tend to see in the media are clips and articles and soundbytes about "inspirational" young people who, despite their disabilities, overcome some arbitrary task set before them. Or, if we're studying at the university level, perhaps we are learning about autistic individuals with severe emotional problems, who might act out violently or demonstrate self-injurious behavior. Every now and then we might see an individual who seems entirely catatonic. All are issues encountered by those working with the ASD (Autistism spectrum disorders) population, and all are truthful. However, rarely do they tell the whole story. Because how often have you seen or read media about ASD in the regular classroom?
Ever heard of an 'inclusion model'? An inclusion model in public education is the idea that all children, regardless of their specific handicap, have the right to be in a classroom setting in the school they attend, and that adequate support must be provided. Seems noble, right? After all, why shouldn't a disabled child have a right to the same education as their nondisabled peers?
Unfortunately, no one thought it prudent to really look at inclusion before hailing it as God's gift to special education. I can think of dozens of kids who can and do benefit from inclusion, and for them and their families it's a wonderful model that unquestionably helps otherwise unsocialized children to build that base and develop interpersonal skills that will brighten their futures a thousandfold. But for every dozen of them, there's at least one case where not only does the child not benefit from inclusion in the classroom, but their presence therein actually penalizes their peers and damages their peers' education.
Certain individuals with ASD could be aptly described as communicably vacuous. They don't perceive emotions of their peers; or can't verbalize their frustrations; or can't communicate in a consistently decodable way. Anything sent their way as input is either not processed at all or, perhaps worse, reformatted into something negative or unpredictable as output. Almost like a broken machine. The problem is magnified at younger ages, where individuals even in kindergarten are already irrecoverably behind their peers in social and cognitive function.
Naturally, I'm not suggesting that these individuals are somehow evil. But is the classroom really the right place for them? Please see each case below, all of which briefly document real (anonymized) children in the K-5 range, and judge for yourself. They all attend different schools, and I have worked with each in the past. Remember that children like those below are the kind of kids that are in K-5 classrooms right now, and likely will be for years to come. Perhaps when your children or future children are of school age.
Case A is in first grade. A is severely autistic and nonverbal. A spends most of the day in the classroom, with scheduled sensory breaks and therapies. A attends all specials (art, gym, music, computers) with A's class. A does not seem to have any academic inclination; A only occasionally will correctly identify colors during trials, and this accomplishment is not consistent. A is not unable to recognize even a few letters from the beginning of the alphabet after repeated learning sessions. A cannot write A's name, nor can A trace writing that is generated for A. A can only scribble when given the opportunity to freely draw. When A becomes overstimulated, A enters a phase of loudly singing. This singing could last for a few seconds, or could last longer than an hour. The singing is clearly audible throughout the classroom. If agitated, A may cry loudly. A also has a habit of banging things on the desk, usually A's knuckles (to the point where they are callused and/or bleeding) or sometimes hard objects that will produce a loud noise. When transitioning to specials, A will frequently "go limp" and will have to be physically helped to stand. This may need to be repeated several times before A will walk. A needs constant supervision, as A will run suddenly, will put anything into A's mouth, will try to take food from others, and will behave in unsafe ways. A has no concept of danger and will dash heedlessly onto play structures, streets, etc. A will obsessively "click" A's jaw for an extended period of time. A may also scratch skin uncontrollably. A must always have an adult escort wherever A goes. This adult will not have the ability to assist other children during academics, snack/lunch times, specials, or at recess since A requires constant monitoring.
Case B is in first grade. When on medication, B is surprisingly functional. When B is not on medication, B becomes an entirely different person. This person seems completely dissociated. B will lay on the floor/ground and roll around despite verbal requests to stop. B will vocalize inappropriately including making threats to peers or saying things like "We're all going to die". Because B's medication is administered at home, it is unpredictable whether B will have a good day or a bad day. On bad days, B will require an adult escort to go somewhere safe (such as a sensory room or, if that is unavailable, the main office) where B will await pick-up by a parent.
Case C is in first grade. Though C possesses adequate language skills given C's disability, C is extremely challenging to engage in regular classroom activities. C prefers always to be secluded and read alone. C has difficulty with transitions, even with extensive foreshadowing. C is at greatest risk during recess or field trips, where C will go off on C's own in the blink of an eye. C must always have an adult escort wherever C goes. This adult will not have the ability to assist other children during academics, snack/lunch times, specials, or at recess since C requires constant monitoring.
Case D is in second grade. D is severely autistic and mostly nonverbal. Like Case A, D spends most of D's time with the class with scheduled sensory breaks and therapies. D communicates with a set of short, general-use words. D will occasionally use broken sign language in an attempt to communicate. D, when not allowed to do what D wants, will scream at the top of D's lungs at any given moment. Because D may not take interest in something for very long, D requires constant activities in which to occupy D. D's academic ability is pre-kindergarten at best. D is capable of tracing pre-generated text, but without guides cannot produce legible characters. D's fits of screaming may be accompanied by sinking to the floor, pinching or hitting those around him, or throwing objects in close proximity. D will also hit D's own chest and head. D will generally not take "no" for an answer and will continue to scream until D gets what D wants. At recess, D will throw rocks heedless of nearby peers. D must always have an adult escort wherever D goes. This adult will not have the ability to assist other children during academics, snack/lunch times, specials, or at recess since D requires constant monitoring.
Case E is in second grade. E generally demonstrates flat affect. E enjoys talking about E's own interests, but is rarely interested in others' affairs. E wants to have friends, but E is extremely pursuant of said friends--usually to the point of obsession. E will take "ownership" of a friend to the point where, if that friend wants to play with a different peer, E will act out violently in retaliation against the friend. Additionally, E may turn this aggression toward the friend of E's friend, as E may perceive them as a threat to E's friendship. E will have fits of rage including yelling, hitting, kicking, and biting. E is relatively high functioning in terms of academics, and possesses strong writing skills. E's only personal hobby seems to be video/computer games. All of E's self-narratives and writing content tend to be on this subject. During recesses, if E has not secured a friend for the day, E will walk around by E's self and fantasize verbally and physically. Often E will focus on a specific friend, and follow that friend around even if the friend is not interested in playing with E. Because E gets so violent, it is not encouraged to tell E to leave the friend alone (thought this would be the natural instinct of any sane person). Instead, E is to be followed closely so as to prevent any altercations from beginning in the first place. E must always have an adult escort wherever E goes. This adult will not have the ability to assist other children during academics, snack/lunch times, specials, or at recess since E requires constant monitoring.
Case F is in third grade. F has a generally abrasive personality, and will respond to prompts in abrupt phrases often indicating supposed helplessness ("I don't know how", "I can't do it") or frustration ("Don't keep saying that", "I can't take this anymore"). F's manner of speech is, as aforementioned, abrupt and devoid of "normal" inflection. F will vocalize objections loudly during class, and will resist any form of task set before F. F would prefer to draw than to work. F has trouble with all transitions, despite extensive foreshadowing. F will forcefully push and sometimes hit adults and peers. F will swear loudly ("What the hell are you doing?!" "I hate this @#$%ing place!") during class. This is usually directed at peers. F will also call peers names during group activities, usually because F does not understand the point of the activity, and refuses to listen to an explanation of the activity or the rules of the game. F operates at a low level of academics, but is capable of producing correct answers to simple questions if F can be convinced to perform the task. F is obsessed with Star Wars, and will fantasize verbally about Star Wars during class. F will not respond to verbal warnings to be quiet, obviously to the detriment of his peers. F also has a younger sibling who F will be aggressive toward (both verbally and physically). F supposedly responds to consequences administered by F's parent, but the reprimand generally will not remedy undesired behavior the next day at school.
The amount of resources going into these individual cases means severely less support (or none at all) for other children with special needs--including those students who require only moderate support to succeed. These kids will fail. They will fail because they are not special "enough", and must fend for themselves. The spectrum of special needs is extremely variable--some of these kids merely need their attention redirected, a little help getting started, or just an adult to enthusiastically ask them to read to them, and the adult can ask questions along the way. Most of these situations may require only a few minutes--often less--of the adult's time.
Even the "average" students will fail. They will fail because it's literally impossible for them to concentrate on schoolwork. Because they are expected to read quietly while the student next to them screams, cries, and bangs on their desk. Because they are expected to know that they aren't allowed to criticize the wrongful actions of certain individuals, because they have certain needs. Because they are expected to ignore the ever-increasing behaviors of certain individuals, and if they fall behind, it must be their own fault for not concentrating hard enough, not listening to directions, and not acting their age.
And, even those students who are far ahead--they may very well fail too. They will fail because they don't feel safe at school. Because they, of all people, should know better. You can't be critical of certain students, because if you are, they might hurt you. And if they hurt you, it's your fault.
Is anyone here a parent of a K-5 student? Ask your child if they feel safe in their classroom, or if they feel like they can concentrate. Even better, volunteer for a few hours to see for yourself. Know or have relatives who have children in the K-5 age group? Urge them to volunteer sometime to check things out. It's a terrible thing to say, but complaints from parents are the only way to fix this problem. CC Teachers are bound by inclusion to force these children into the classroom; the regular teachers are forced to tolerate it; the principal is bound by their district to not ever expel children with disabilities; and the districts are bound by uninformed lawmakers who haven't set foot in a classroom since they graduated, who believe special education covers a very specific kind of student and that more money is the solution to the problem of adequate support.
Is there a solution? Yes. Inclusion must be treated on a case-by-case basis. Many ASD children will benefit immeasurably from it. Some children will not, and these same children may diminish the quality of education received by their peers. It is these children who, if their goal is to become competent, functioning adults, must receive constant, one on one, intense therapy. They belong in an environment where they can succeed; an environment where their frustrations won't be exacerbated. That may mean at home; that may mean a facility specifically devoted to and equipped for supporting the needs of ASD individuals. It may mean a separate sensory/therapy facility on a school campus.
But never--ever--is the classroom the right place. Because we must not sacrifice the needs of our children, who have tremendous potential, in order to accommodate the needs of a single individual. And every time these certain individuals are placed in the regular classroom, sacrificing their peers is precisely what we're doing.
Imagine you are taking a class, listening to the teacher, and jotting down notes, when all of a sudden... the guy next to you starts screaming uncontrollably. A support person arrives, doing his best to ease the person's frustration, but to no avail. In between fits of screaming and crying, there is whining, unintelligible vocalizations, slamming of body parts against the desk or chair in which the person sits, and laying down on the floor while the support person tries to get him to sit back in his chair. And while all that was happening, the teacher kept talking, so, sorry, you just missed several minutes of notes.
Now imagine you're 8 years old, possess a matching intellect and attention span, have sharper hearing, and have just been asked by the teacher to please read a book quietly at your desk for the next fifteen minutes. And right next to you sits a nonverbal child with severe autism. And he's about to have a fit...
Now, usually, what we tend to see in the media are clips and articles and soundbytes about "inspirational" young people who, despite their disabilities, overcome some arbitrary task set before them. Or, if we're studying at the university level, perhaps we are learning about autistic individuals with severe emotional problems, who might act out violently or demonstrate self-injurious behavior. Every now and then we might see an individual who seems entirely catatonic. All are issues encountered by those working with the ASD (Autistism spectrum disorders) population, and all are truthful. However, rarely do they tell the whole story. Because how often have you seen or read media about ASD in the regular classroom?
Ever heard of an 'inclusion model'? An inclusion model in public education is the idea that all children, regardless of their specific handicap, have the right to be in a classroom setting in the school they attend, and that adequate support must be provided. Seems noble, right? After all, why shouldn't a disabled child have a right to the same education as their nondisabled peers?
Unfortunately, no one thought it prudent to really look at inclusion before hailing it as God's gift to special education. I can think of dozens of kids who can and do benefit from inclusion, and for them and their families it's a wonderful model that unquestionably helps otherwise unsocialized children to build that base and develop interpersonal skills that will brighten their futures a thousandfold. But for every dozen of them, there's at least one case where not only does the child not benefit from inclusion in the classroom, but their presence therein actually penalizes their peers and damages their peers' education.
Certain individuals with ASD could be aptly described as communicably vacuous. They don't perceive emotions of their peers; or can't verbalize their frustrations; or can't communicate in a consistently decodable way. Anything sent their way as input is either not processed at all or, perhaps worse, reformatted into something negative or unpredictable as output. Almost like a broken machine. The problem is magnified at younger ages, where individuals even in kindergarten are already irrecoverably behind their peers in social and cognitive function.
Naturally, I'm not suggesting that these individuals are somehow evil. But is the classroom really the right place for them? Please see each case below, all of which briefly document real (anonymized) children in the K-5 range, and judge for yourself. They all attend different schools, and I have worked with each in the past. Remember that children like those below are the kind of kids that are in K-5 classrooms right now, and likely will be for years to come. Perhaps when your children or future children are of school age.
Case A is in first grade. A is severely autistic and nonverbal. A spends most of the day in the classroom, with scheduled sensory breaks and therapies. A attends all specials (art, gym, music, computers) with A's class. A does not seem to have any academic inclination; A only occasionally will correctly identify colors during trials, and this accomplishment is not consistent. A is not unable to recognize even a few letters from the beginning of the alphabet after repeated learning sessions. A cannot write A's name, nor can A trace writing that is generated for A. A can only scribble when given the opportunity to freely draw. When A becomes overstimulated, A enters a phase of loudly singing. This singing could last for a few seconds, or could last longer than an hour. The singing is clearly audible throughout the classroom. If agitated, A may cry loudly. A also has a habit of banging things on the desk, usually A's knuckles (to the point where they are callused and/or bleeding) or sometimes hard objects that will produce a loud noise. When transitioning to specials, A will frequently "go limp" and will have to be physically helped to stand. This may need to be repeated several times before A will walk. A needs constant supervision, as A will run suddenly, will put anything into A's mouth, will try to take food from others, and will behave in unsafe ways. A has no concept of danger and will dash heedlessly onto play structures, streets, etc. A will obsessively "click" A's jaw for an extended period of time. A may also scratch skin uncontrollably. A must always have an adult escort wherever A goes. This adult will not have the ability to assist other children during academics, snack/lunch times, specials, or at recess since A requires constant monitoring.
Case B is in first grade. When on medication, B is surprisingly functional. When B is not on medication, B becomes an entirely different person. This person seems completely dissociated. B will lay on the floor/ground and roll around despite verbal requests to stop. B will vocalize inappropriately including making threats to peers or saying things like "We're all going to die". Because B's medication is administered at home, it is unpredictable whether B will have a good day or a bad day. On bad days, B will require an adult escort to go somewhere safe (such as a sensory room or, if that is unavailable, the main office) where B will await pick-up by a parent.
Case C is in first grade. Though C possesses adequate language skills given C's disability, C is extremely challenging to engage in regular classroom activities. C prefers always to be secluded and read alone. C has difficulty with transitions, even with extensive foreshadowing. C is at greatest risk during recess or field trips, where C will go off on C's own in the blink of an eye. C must always have an adult escort wherever C goes. This adult will not have the ability to assist other children during academics, snack/lunch times, specials, or at recess since C requires constant monitoring.
Case D is in second grade. D is severely autistic and mostly nonverbal. Like Case A, D spends most of D's time with the class with scheduled sensory breaks and therapies. D communicates with a set of short, general-use words. D will occasionally use broken sign language in an attempt to communicate. D, when not allowed to do what D wants, will scream at the top of D's lungs at any given moment. Because D may not take interest in something for very long, D requires constant activities in which to occupy D. D's academic ability is pre-kindergarten at best. D is capable of tracing pre-generated text, but without guides cannot produce legible characters. D's fits of screaming may be accompanied by sinking to the floor, pinching or hitting those around him, or throwing objects in close proximity. D will also hit D's own chest and head. D will generally not take "no" for an answer and will continue to scream until D gets what D wants. At recess, D will throw rocks heedless of nearby peers. D must always have an adult escort wherever D goes. This adult will not have the ability to assist other children during academics, snack/lunch times, specials, or at recess since D requires constant monitoring.
Case E is in second grade. E generally demonstrates flat affect. E enjoys talking about E's own interests, but is rarely interested in others' affairs. E wants to have friends, but E is extremely pursuant of said friends--usually to the point of obsession. E will take "ownership" of a friend to the point where, if that friend wants to play with a different peer, E will act out violently in retaliation against the friend. Additionally, E may turn this aggression toward the friend of E's friend, as E may perceive them as a threat to E's friendship. E will have fits of rage including yelling, hitting, kicking, and biting. E is relatively high functioning in terms of academics, and possesses strong writing skills. E's only personal hobby seems to be video/computer games. All of E's self-narratives and writing content tend to be on this subject. During recesses, if E has not secured a friend for the day, E will walk around by E's self and fantasize verbally and physically. Often E will focus on a specific friend, and follow that friend around even if the friend is not interested in playing with E. Because E gets so violent, it is not encouraged to tell E to leave the friend alone (thought this would be the natural instinct of any sane person). Instead, E is to be followed closely so as to prevent any altercations from beginning in the first place. E must always have an adult escort wherever E goes. This adult will not have the ability to assist other children during academics, snack/lunch times, specials, or at recess since E requires constant monitoring.
Case F is in third grade. F has a generally abrasive personality, and will respond to prompts in abrupt phrases often indicating supposed helplessness ("I don't know how", "I can't do it") or frustration ("Don't keep saying that", "I can't take this anymore"). F's manner of speech is, as aforementioned, abrupt and devoid of "normal" inflection. F will vocalize objections loudly during class, and will resist any form of task set before F. F would prefer to draw than to work. F has trouble with all transitions, despite extensive foreshadowing. F will forcefully push and sometimes hit adults and peers. F will swear loudly ("What the hell are you doing?!" "I hate this @#$%ing place!") during class. This is usually directed at peers. F will also call peers names during group activities, usually because F does not understand the point of the activity, and refuses to listen to an explanation of the activity or the rules of the game. F operates at a low level of academics, but is capable of producing correct answers to simple questions if F can be convinced to perform the task. F is obsessed with Star Wars, and will fantasize verbally about Star Wars during class. F will not respond to verbal warnings to be quiet, obviously to the detriment of his peers. F also has a younger sibling who F will be aggressive toward (both verbally and physically). F supposedly responds to consequences administered by F's parent, but the reprimand generally will not remedy undesired behavior the next day at school.
The amount of resources going into these individual cases means severely less support (or none at all) for other children with special needs--including those students who require only moderate support to succeed. These kids will fail. They will fail because they are not special "enough", and must fend for themselves. The spectrum of special needs is extremely variable--some of these kids merely need their attention redirected, a little help getting started, or just an adult to enthusiastically ask them to read to them, and the adult can ask questions along the way. Most of these situations may require only a few minutes--often less--of the adult's time.
Even the "average" students will fail. They will fail because it's literally impossible for them to concentrate on schoolwork. Because they are expected to read quietly while the student next to them screams, cries, and bangs on their desk. Because they are expected to know that they aren't allowed to criticize the wrongful actions of certain individuals, because they have certain needs. Because they are expected to ignore the ever-increasing behaviors of certain individuals, and if they fall behind, it must be their own fault for not concentrating hard enough, not listening to directions, and not acting their age.
And, even those students who are far ahead--they may very well fail too. They will fail because they don't feel safe at school. Because they, of all people, should know better. You can't be critical of certain students, because if you are, they might hurt you. And if they hurt you, it's your fault.
Is anyone here a parent of a K-5 student? Ask your child if they feel safe in their classroom, or if they feel like they can concentrate. Even better, volunteer for a few hours to see for yourself. Know or have relatives who have children in the K-5 age group? Urge them to volunteer sometime to check things out. It's a terrible thing to say, but complaints from parents are the only way to fix this problem. CC Teachers are bound by inclusion to force these children into the classroom; the regular teachers are forced to tolerate it; the principal is bound by their district to not ever expel children with disabilities; and the districts are bound by uninformed lawmakers who haven't set foot in a classroom since they graduated, who believe special education covers a very specific kind of student and that more money is the solution to the problem of adequate support.
Is there a solution? Yes. Inclusion must be treated on a case-by-case basis. Many ASD children will benefit immeasurably from it. Some children will not, and these same children may diminish the quality of education received by their peers. It is these children who, if their goal is to become competent, functioning adults, must receive constant, one on one, intense therapy. They belong in an environment where they can succeed; an environment where their frustrations won't be exacerbated. That may mean at home; that may mean a facility specifically devoted to and equipped for supporting the needs of ASD individuals. It may mean a separate sensory/therapy facility on a school campus.
But never--ever--is the classroom the right place. Because we must not sacrifice the needs of our children, who have tremendous potential, in order to accommodate the needs of a single individual. And every time these certain individuals are placed in the regular classroom, sacrificing their peers is precisely what we're doing.
59
General Discussion / Re: My original music
« on: August 22, 2010, 11:24:13 am »
Thanks for the kind replies and encouragement!
Sometime in the future I'll be making my own tactical RPG (SC2 single-player mod) that'll definitely require some "epic" orchestral scoring, drama, and so forth.
Celtic? I did a few pieces with Celtic inclinations for Horse Isle 2, but normally the style is a challenge for me--it's tough to go that direction and not sound stereotypical. I really look up to Mitsuda for this who blends those Celtic and Irish mannerisms seamlessly with his own delicate and sensitive style, all the while avoiding the stereotypes native to the "genre".
Thanks again for the comments everyone! One of these days I'll have my redesigned website up, and further down the line (hopefully this year) I'll release the music for the newer games (visual novels!) I'm working on.
I know listening to demos of 40s-1m long samples isn't exactly the best way to showcase music, but they were mostly designed to show to a game-making community as a means of getting some composing work.
Quote from: tushantin
No criticisms from me as of now, but I've been wondering: do you also go into epic music (not AWESOME Epic, but Drama, Mystery or Fantasy Epic) instead of Jazz/ambient? And Celtic? Just interested to know if you've experimenting with a plethora of genres. Very Happy I love music.Sure, I compose in just about every genre there is. Mostly I don't get a lot of opportunities to do it--I prefer composing FOR something, like someone's freeware game, etc.
Sometime in the future I'll be making my own tactical RPG (SC2 single-player mod) that'll definitely require some "epic" orchestral scoring, drama, and so forth.
Celtic? I did a few pieces with Celtic inclinations for Horse Isle 2, but normally the style is a challenge for me--it's tough to go that direction and not sound stereotypical. I really look up to Mitsuda for this who blends those Celtic and Irish mannerisms seamlessly with his own delicate and sensitive style, all the while avoiding the stereotypes native to the "genre".
Quote from: Lord J Esq
If I may make an observation, your music is very short on melody. I would qualify it as not melodic enough. If you like the idea of a richer melodic structure in your work, then I'd encourage you to focus on writing your melodies first. If your music is ambient by design, then I'd say you've done a good job.Well, as it turns out, most of the works I sampled in the demos do have upfront melodies. Maybe they don't seem that clear?
Thanks again for the comments everyone! One of these days I'll have my redesigned website up, and further down the line (hopefully this year) I'll release the music for the newer games (visual novels!) I'm working on.
Quote
In fact, if you could make that entire piece available online, I would certainly add it to my library! Or if you're selling, point the way.Sure, I'll try to upload a full version shortly.
I know listening to demos of 40s-1m long samples isn't exactly the best way to showcase music, but they were mostly designed to show to a game-making community as a means of getting some composing work.Quote from: Shee
If melody was all that mattered, then smooth jazz would be popular. This is actually one of my main arguments in favor of smooth jazz. If you REALLY listen to smooth jazz and get beyond all the corny jokes that come with it, there are some fantastic melodies! But smooth jazz gets shat on. Most of the time I 'spose it deserves it.Incidentally, Yasunori Mitsuda can do some pretty awesome smooth jazz. And... well, here I thought I'd find a sample on youtube, no dice. It's "Urban Fantasy" from the game Moonlit Shadow, and it's awesome. Little bit of reggae in there too.
60
General Discussion / My original music
« on: August 20, 2010, 09:06:18 pm »
I've been composing for a decade now, and while I've been apart of many communities like this one, I rarely have shown off my works. Nowadays I'm just happy to share my original compositions, and welcome any comments or criticism listeners might have. Mostly I'd consider myself a composer of game music--although I equally enjoy writing for the concert hall. From 2007 to about April of 2010 I had been composing music for the games Horse Isle and Horse Isle 2. With those duties completed, I have three more games lined up--this time an entirely different kind of genre. I look forward to honing my skills and sharing my future work with the world!
Below I've linked three youtube videos, around 10 minutes each, that contain samples of my compositions. Some come from the games I've worked on, and others are standalone compositions. Again, I appreciate any comments/criticism you would like to share. Enjoy the music, and thanks for listening!
Music Demo #1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSvDswwwzTQ
Music Demo #2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NfFizfTk5M
Music Demo #3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZoLQZFbTK4
Below I've linked three youtube videos, around 10 minutes each, that contain samples of my compositions. Some come from the games I've worked on, and others are standalone compositions. Again, I appreciate any comments/criticism you would like to share. Enjoy the music, and thanks for listening!
Music Demo #1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSvDswwwzTQ
Music Demo #2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NfFizfTk5M
Music Demo #3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZoLQZFbTK4