Posts by ignova@mstdn.ca
(DIR) Post #AbuJeGmunU1F7xp9l2 by ignova@mstdn.ca
2023-11-14T16:56:55Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
coming home from my covid booster to enjoy the company of this kitty donut#cats #CatsOfMastodon #TabbyCat
(DIR) Post #AcFTO0RUsfC5f1qdqy by ignova@mstdn.ca
2023-11-27T20:52:36Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
a public health / accessibility dilemma that is unfortunately not going away anytime soon is the fact that face masks can significantly hamper communication, with the biggest impact experienced by the Deaf and hard of hearing. one proposed compromise between protection and audibility is face masks with a transparent window that allows for visual cues that aid in lipreading. unfortunately these masks also have some of the worst effects re: speech attenuation (muffling). 1/ https://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/fulltext/2021/01000/comparison_of_the_acoustic_effects_of_face_masks.11.aspx
(DIR) Post #AcFTO3aTBl9bPj4Lku by ignova@mstdn.ca
2023-11-27T20:58:51Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
going by acoustics alone, the best masks are regular surgical masks; your next best bet would be the KN95. regular N95s perform slightly worse than the KN95 but are not terrible, compared to some of the other choices.where things get interesting is that the visual cues provided by the window mask provide a clear advantage in terms of speech understanding, even for those with normal hearing--but *only* when you are comparing apples to apples re: the acoustics. 2/ https://journals.lww.com/ear-hearing/fulltext/2021/07000/communicating_during_covid_19__the_effect_of.3.aspx
(DIR) Post #AcFTO5I6qzeihMUiPo by ignova@mstdn.ca
2023-11-27T21:04:03Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
in other words, the study that found this was solely concerned with the impact of visual cues, so they used a type of mask that could be tested with its window either covered or uncovered--they didn't test using different types of mask, such as KN95 vs window mask. 3/
(DIR) Post #AcFTO73IJ2ze9zZubI by ignova@mstdn.ca
2023-11-27T21:12:05Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
this all means that the best mask to use will vary by the situation. if you want the best compromise between audibility and protection overall, i recommend the KN95. but, the noisier the environment, and / or the more severe a person's hearing loss is, the more important visual cues will be for effective communication. in that situation you'll have to decide what is more important: the improved communication possible with a 'window' mask, or the superior protection of a KN95. 4/
(DIR) Post #AcFTO8ggE65nER0sd6 by ignova@mstdn.ca
2023-11-27T21:21:30Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
in healthcare settings this decision is less straightforward than it sounds. we want to protect vulnerable people from covid. but hearing difficulty is significantly correlated with poorer patient health outcomes for various reasons, one of them being that difficulty understanding a HCW means that you're more likely to make a medication error or misinterpret your HCW's instructions. it will come down to a judgement call per situation. 5/5
(DIR) Post #AcmZhtBXThVJU8AOC8 by ignova@mstdn.ca
2023-12-13T23:48:22Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
this is about what you can expect when you put a coat down in this house#cats #CatsOfMastodon #TabbyCat
(DIR) Post #AdNVHxGFtA54Dpj1UG by ignova@mstdn.ca
2023-12-19T20:34:26Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
i'm rereading Moon of the Crusted Snow, preparing to read the sequel that came out this year. there is a Title Drop about midway through the book. the ambiguity in the term (Onaabenii Giizis in Ojibwe) seems to represent the apocalypse scenario as a tipping point between despair and hope (meaning either darkest winter or the start of the thaw).#books #bookstodon
(DIR) Post #AdNVHyKXuh6hXQjxoW by ignova@mstdn.ca
2023-12-19T21:13:11Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
from the perspective of the story's remote Anishinaabe community, the 'apocalypse' has similarly ambiguous consequences--short term devastation, but also the chance to rebuild something more hopeful."We've seen what this...what's the word again?""Apocalypse.""Yes, apocalypse. We've had that over and over. But we always survived. We're still here. And we'll still be here, even if the power and the radios don't come back on and we never see any white people ever again."#books #bookstodon
(DIR) Post #AdNVHzI6LGkIW8bWds by ignova@mstdn.ca
2023-12-19T21:23:27Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
i should emphasize that even though this book has a lot of covid-esque themes, it was actually released in 2018, pre-pandemic. apparently it got a surge in popularity around 2020; its descriptions of panic buying, the effects of isolation, the fraying of community cohesion etc. turned out to be eerily accurate.
(DIR) Post #AdNWBeIRaOXlcYJ1nM by ignova@mstdn.ca
2023-12-19T21:38:12Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
i should not really be surprised, given how many people get overwhelmed by the instructions on a one-page user guide. but watching a grown-ass adult fuck up the instructions on a covid test and then get petulant about being corrected is...a whole other layer of frustration(no, this is not my mom, who is used to following picky recipes closely & so has no trouble figuring out a lateral flow test)
(DIR) Post #AdP3ZtSANNwVDxyvoG by ignova@mstdn.ca
2024-01-01T04:08:06Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird i've noticed a lot of white women get extremely touchy when you try to discuss realistic vs. unrealistic perceptions of crime. some of them have invested a lot in the idea that the streets are dangerous; they get mad at you for pointing out the ways that this narrative is manufactured. generally by conservatives pushing for more repressive policing, or the rollback of civil rights.
(DIR) Post #AdWLqedLt2D7Sz4in2 by ignova@mstdn.ca
2024-01-05T01:50:12Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@grammargirl i'm not sure how they convert PIAAC literacy score into 'grade level,' as the PIAAC reports cited in the articles measure literacy in levels ranging from 1 to 5. they don't use the same metrics as Flecsh-Kincaid calculators, which can sometimes spew out absurd results. (i put Mrs. Dalloway through the calculator and that notoriously difficult book came out at a grade level of 5.8!)following the sources, the 54% figure comes from the combination of scores at PIAAC levels 1 and 2.
(DIR) Post #AdWUlqeIgaEys3Im1Y by ignova@mstdn.ca
2024-01-05T02:01:46Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@grammargirl here's a table that i found from a Canadian source, which explains the PIAAC reading levels. levels 1 and 2 are very basic. note that critical reading is worked into the scoring system, as in the ability to sort through competing (accurate vs. inaccurate) pieces of information.(sorry for the tiny print)source: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/89-555-x/89-555-x2013001-eng.pdf?st=v6WxAi1Q