π Why has classical music declined? - Marginal REVOLUTION
Tyler mentions them, but Iβm going with two wars that destroyed European culture and technologies that shifted βmusicβ from the score to the recording (read: personality).
π΅ The Grey Albumn (Remastered) β A classical I recently rediscovered this morning.
Second in as many nights with kiddos awake, sick. One with the quintessential croup barking cough, the other is teething and uncomfortable. Poor kiddos.
A gem of a read: NORAD’s Santa Tracker and the Spirit of Christmas - The Atlantic
Haply Holidays and Merry Christmas, everyone. We got our tree up last night, and are all set for Santa tonight. Kids are stoked.
pan-covid vaccine on the horizon?
US Army Creates Single Vaccine Effective Against All COVID, SARS Variants - Defense One
Walter Reedβs Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine, or SpFN, completed animal trials earlier this year with positive results. Phase 1 of human trials, which tested the vaccine against Omicron and the other variants, wrapped up this month, again with positive results that are undergoing final review, Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, director of Walter Reedβs infectious diseases branch, said in an exclusive interview with Defense One.
Yeah, I’d take that.
Christmas break reading list, starting with The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict by Elbridge A. Colby π
No spoilers, but I saw Spiderman: No-Way Home. Theater was nearly full. First time with two other viewers to both my immediate right and left since the before times.
Afternoon walk with the kids at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum
Question for you fastmail users: do you create an alias/hidden email when signing up for newsletters/substacks?
And with that, grading is finished. After I submit final grades to the university, Christmas break begins. (Well, I still have my research projects, but yeah.)
First Steps
While talking with my wife about yesterday’s awful day for the kindergartner, the baby decided to join the world of bipedalism. Two steps between mom and I. Then stumbledβa lot. A lunge and fall toward dad. Then more crawling back and forth. Two steps to mom. Three steps to dad.
At first she was surprised with herself. Then, she couldn’t do it anymore because she was psyching herself out at the accomplishment. We’re about 4 days shy of 11 months. Not the earliest of the bunch, but still, not half bad.
Venting
My kindergartner was denied an opportunity to sing at his school’s winter recital today. He’s been struggling with anxiety since school began to the point that we’ve even had some assessments done by the school. We have a behavior plan in place for him. He does well some days, not so much on others. This morning was one of those “not so much” days. But what bothers me is that the school framed their decision about avoiding embarrassment “for him” or us, as parents, but pointed to his outbursts in a negative light as justification for their decision. We weren’t consulted, which makes me feel like they just didn’t want him there. If it was about avoiding embarrassment for us or him, they should have asked us what we thought—and not a mere two hours before he was supposed to show up for final rehearsal.
When I spoke with the headmaster (equivalent to a principal), the consistent theme conveyed was that this was punishment for his behavior because willful bad behavior has consequences. (Which, I agree, it does.) But (a) we’re talking about a kindergartner, and (b) a kindergartner with anxiety. My biggest concern right now is that all the self-confidence he gained over these last few months will be lost because he’s been sobbing off-and-on since we told him he couldn’t perform.[^ We ended up doing our own performance at home with hot chocolate. He nailed every song without music and only needed help on one verse of the lyrics. I’m convinced he would have done great at the concert.] I think what bothers me most is that the school is trying to have it both ways: they want to punish him for his outbursts but they also want to frame it as though they are trying to do us a solid without ever actually asking what we think our kid is capable of doing.
E.g., if it is really about his behavior, they need to do more documentation, and we should re-consider his anxiety assessment from a few weeks ago. If it is about the anxiety and embarrassment, then his behavior today—which was the apparently last straw in their decision—shouldn’t have been a factor.[^ Honestly, I think maybe they don’t want him there. It’s a charter school, so diverting resources to kids like him takes away from the mission, mission, I’d like to say I support and in which I believe. I did chose to send him there after all.]
Generally I’m opposed to airing one’s dirty laundry on social media. But, hey, my Micro following isn’t that popular (vs, e.g., my Twitter and Facebook). And this is more of a personal record of my feelings than anything else. I’m sure a good night sleep will help me sort though what I think, and feel, about the whole debacle.
Hanging out with Gram.
A wonderful thanksgiving to all of you.
Itβs all fun and games until you find pumpkin pie in your gym shoes. Happy Thanksgiving, my amigos. π€π½
π« in St. Louis for my second post pandemic work trip. Itβll be a mad dash to the end of the semester. So very grateful to do in person academic things again.
Cheers, yβall.
π¬ in STL, Missouri. I had almost forgot what cold feels like.
Early day. Heading to the airport for my second in-person confrence this fall. It’s starting to feel like normal. St. Louis if a fun town but I think I’ll be too far from the museum to visit. Alas, I’ll be near the arch.