Notices by Jeri Dansky (jeridansky@sfba.social), page 4

I think this Monday could use some flowers — so here are some dahlias from back in July.

#Bloomscrolling #flowers

I try to avoid boosting anything that would be problematic for blind folks using screen readers — posts with no alt text, obviously, and posts with totally inadequate alt text ("landscape" and nothing else, for example.).

I also avoid posts with excess emoji (those clapping hands every other word, for example).

And everything with ASCII drawings, like the sign bunny.

But now I'm pondering one where the user name uses numerals instead of letters, twice. I would guess a screen reader would have no good way to handle this, and it would be annoying. Am I right?

#a11y #accessibility #AltText

A personal reflection on the LA fires and climate change. I've seen lots of folks sharing this one, with good reason.

https://www.404media.co/were-fine-los-angeles-wildfires/

It was hard to pick a pull quote because every sentence is remarkable.

"My group chats and Instagram stories are full of my friends saying that they are fine, followed by stories and messages explaining that actually, they are not fine."

#wildfire #LosAngeles #ClimateChange

Not the Watch Duty map I wanted to wake up to today. (Also: Very thankful for Watch Duty and all its staff and volunteers.)

#LosAngeles #wildfire

@kingrat ☹️

Tennessee shows off his pink toe beans for this final #ToeBeanTuesday of 2024.
#CatsOfMastodon

You knew this could happen any time now, but it's still sad to hear that Jimmy Carter is gone. His memory will certainly be a blessing to many.

The Guardian has a nice lead: Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, a broker of peace in the Middle East in his time, and a tireless advocate for global health and human rights, has died.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/29/jimmy-carter-dead-longest-lived-us-president

#JimmyCarter #RIP

Flowers for today: amaranthus
#Bloomscrolling #flowers

This December, I made it through two airports (each one twice) and two birthday-celebration gatherings at popular restaurants, and I still survived #whamageddon.

(No, I didn't eat indoors at the restaurants. I was masked the entire time I was indoors.)

#music #Christmas

The joy of pulling out your Chanukah menorah and discovering you removed the wax before putting it away last year.

#Chanukah #Hanukkah

I think today — gray and dreary where I am — could use some dahlias. A dahlia photo, anyway. #Bloomscrolling #flowers

I'm not sure where this originated — the oldest post Google found was by Joy Animal Rescue in April 2017 on Facebook. But I saw it circulating again now (without proper alt text) — and as someone who adopted an older cat (and someone who knows folks on Mastodon with 3-legged cats) this resonated with me.

#AdoptDontShop #cats #dogs

Want to know what’s going on with bird flu? Here are two informative stories:

Per Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist and director of Brown University’s Pandemic Center: “I have not seen a very compelling explanation for how this thing is moving between farms. …
We just don’t know. And not knowing makes it hard to stay ahead of the virus and it also makes it hard to protect the workers.”
https://www.statnews.com/2024/12/20/california-h5n1-bird-flu-emergency-declaration-avian-flu-spread-dairy-cattle/

“We are in a terrible situation and going into a worse situation,” said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. “I don’t know if the bird flu will become a pandemic, but if it does, we are screwed.”
https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/bird-flu-spread-cattle-poultry-pandemic-cdc/

#H5N1 #BirdFlu

Flowers from August to brighten a December timeline: zinnias!
#Bloomscrolling #flowers

Sunflowers to brighten this Sunday. #Bloomscrolling #flowers

Well, I'm a couple days late to this news — but I guess I'm getting rid of my Fetterman T-shirt.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sen-john-fetterman-becomes-first-senate-democrat-on-social_n_6759ee92e4b0518821f206c1

@ScruffyJunco I've no idea what's motivating Fetterman — but yeah, extremely disappointing.

Mad at NYT and WaPo? Thank goodness for Marc Elias:

“I have become increasingly alarmed by the lack of courage from many who boasted loudly about protecting democracy before the election but have now gone silent. I have grown impatient with those urging caution, compromise and conciliation towards Trump and the MAGA movement.”

“Democracy Docket will continue to cover voting, elections and the courts. … But, Democracy Docket will widen its aperture to be a voice of opposition to Trump and MAGA at a time when too many legacy news outlets are kissing the ring and deciding how to make nice.”

So yeah, i’m tossing a bit more money at Marc and his team.

https://mailchi.mp/6e51d49d136d/the-stakes-of-the-election-could-not-be-higher-8877244?e=b1a950728c

#uspol #journalism

For people in California who'd like to know if their homes and/or workplaces are in a tsunami hazard area — when we're not in panic mode because of alerts — this map will give you answers. You can search on your city (see icon in upper right) to get a more detailed view.

https://maps.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/informationwarehouse/ts_evacuation

#tsunami #California #sfba

Now that Tennessee is doing well, I have energy again — got through a 7-item chore list yesterday with ease. And now I’m at the Toyota dealer having overdue maintenance done.

My routine here: Wear my mask & move a chair next to a showroom door and prop it open.

#today #CovidIsNotOver