I'm slated to speak at an event where the host refuses to ask the audience to mask because "they are pouring wine." COVID levels are currently high in California (where the event takes place) and nobody will have gotten their vaccines for the new strains yet. My partner is immuno-compromised, so this is a life-and-death issue in my family. I am traveling to the event on my own dime, to perform for free. All I ask is that the audience mask FOR AT MOST 90 MINUTES. Why is this so hard?
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@annaleen might it help to position a few UVC lamps on the lectern or desk, irradiating the volume of air surrounding you? From my understanding, they’re very effective against airborne Covid virus particles, although I don’t know how long of an exposure it takes to kill each virus.
@annaleen You mask up, and you say that, when you speak! Because if I were in the audience, I would applaud you for it.
But then I put on a mask every time I get on public transport and I get a lot of stares. I’m good with that. I want to be alive and healthy, and I want my partner to be the same.
@annaleen
feels.
i still always mask, get vaccines, but it's not fool proof. my mom, sister, and friends are immuno-compromised, so i'm ultra careful. but i go to stores, air ports, other places, and i'm one of truly a handful still bothering.
good luck in your tour and i hope future venues are more compassionate.
Update for all the folks asking: Apparently we will be allowed to "encourage" masking, and a different organizer of the event will bring free masks. I will ask people (nicely) to wear them, and will likely just have to mask on stage. I will also bring my CO2 monitor -- if the air circulation is really good I may take my mask off on stage, as that makes it much easier to project. I'm still really upset, but I'm trying to be nice about it. I'll just never go to this venue again.
@annaleen It's amazing how many people don't understand the concept of "If the performer is in a good mood, the audience will have a better time"
@annaleen That seems like a very generous accommodation on your part. It sucks that this is all on you to solve.
My university, which was ahead of the curve through most of the pandemic, no longer requires masks and doesn't allow us to require them, but doesn't stop us from doing so ourselves (and has masks widely available). So I mask while I teach,
@mattblaze That's rough. I find it super hard to teach while masked. Luckily the uni where I was teaching last year was willing to schedule me in rooms with lots of windows that open. So I had my trusty CO2 monitor and only masked on the days when it was so stormy that I couldn't open the windows! (Note: This solution is only good for Californians or others in areas where it does not go below 60 F most of the time.)
@annaleen I’m lucky that both of the classrooms that I routinely teach in have windows that open, and can let me air it out to about 600 ppm. Doesn’t work in the deadest of winter, but thanks to climate change that’s not as often as it once was.
@mattblaze .... yay climate change?
@annaleen Yeah, as far as I know, ffp2 can keep you (and thus yours) safe from a distance.
It's very sad that you are not protected from missbehavior by the people profiting from your intervention.
It's very sad that you are not protected from missbehavior by the people profiting from your intervention.
I hope you and yours the best.
@annaleen
If the Socialist convention can require masking the entire weekend (consistently since 2020 and thousands attend), then no one has any excuses.
I'm infuriated on your behalf. That's a pretty basic request.
I'd probably be salty and sit at the door and give everyone who entered a mask and say, "Don't be a death cultist. Wear this mask to protect yourself and others. Airborne diseases don't care about anyone's ideology on masks. They'll infect regardless if you refuse to mask."
@annaleen I often think about this in performing venues. (As an audience member,). Especially in theatres - you are not eating or drinking (much) in the theatre. Why not have #COVIDsafe or, rather, #ImmuneSafe events where all audience members are masked?
That is love in action for vulnerable audiences, but ALSO for the performers, who presumably can't mask!
@annaleen is speaking remotely an option? 🤔
@annaleen
definitely show up in some kind of full face double barrel respirator
@annaleen at best most comply in appearance only, and if the people are in there beforehand the air will still be dangerous. This is a case for a really high filtration respirator.
@annaleen I was grateful for the masking culture at Worldcon. Not 100%, but so much more than I'm used to, and I was happy to see some panelists felt comfortable remaining masked. It was my first Worldcon, and seeing that made me think well of how it was run.
I'm sorry this event is being so wild. It is not a big ask. It should not be a big deal, just not at all, but here we are.
@annaleen Well, we couldn't get in the way of the Chardonnay, could we? *headdesk* I'm so sorry. I hope you can make them see reason.
@annaleen
As a SF author can you get away with looking like a robot or astronaut?
https://microclimate.com/ is selling full head PAPR respirators again.
@alienghic @annaleen oh yeah just say you're an Archaean
@annaleen this study came across my feed today. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2838335
And people can be such self absorbed jerks. Sigh.
@annaleen capitalism
@annaleen
"Truth is defined by the weakest of us who must suffer through it."
SearingTruth
@annaleen
Bleh (I'm quoting from elsewhere in my feed but it seems appropriate).
I was just chatting with a fellow that commented that he was inspired to write a paper by someone telling him his ideas were nonsense, and he wondered if they should be made a co-author. Somehow that came to mind, but I won't elaborate.
Good luck with it.
@annaleen Oh for fuck's sake. I'm sorry you're having to deal with that bullshit.
@annaleen My partner and I have both been bitten hard by long COVID, so I feel you a thousand percent on the above. Thank you so much for always being awesome about masking and encouraging / pushing others to do the same.
@annaleen Don’t go (easy for me to say, it’s not my livelihood)
@annaleen ugh,that’s the least they could do for you. I’m sorry :(
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