December 31, 2021

About those "mild" symptoms

Well, everyone in my household and beyond has it. One thing I've noticed in the media is, "Oh, if you get symptoms, it's mild."

102 fever, great reluctance to get out of bed (I rolled off the thing the first morning), feeling like someone shot your head with a snot cannon, and the sensation your lungs are being gently flayed from the inside out aren't really a "mild" experience.

Day One was totally and utterly miserable.

Here's the trick though. We're boosted, so those really heavy symptoms have only lasted a day or two. I'm at Day Three, and really just feel like I have mild bronchitis. That rawness in the chest with a very occasional sharp, painful cough. No difficulty breathing at all.

But Day One was not mild for me. Nor my partner. Nor his friends. Nor his family. Everyone's been miserable. The symptoms are incredibly varied. I basically had an experience like bad bronchitis without the chronic cough. Partner and nephews have coughed like crazy. His best friend felt like he had a bad sinus infection. His father feels like the flu.

What I'm saying is, the vaccine really helps. But despite the, "Oh, it's so mild if you're vaccinated," drum pounding, you still want to do everything to avoid it.

It's no fun. (Unless you're asymptomatic, in which case, enjoy)

Has been allowing me to play a lot of video games though.

December 7, 2021

CNN's Don Lemon warned Jussie Smollett of police investigation

So . . . this came out at the trial yesterday.

CNN host Don Lemon is getting blasted for covering his pal Jussie Smollett’s trial on his late-night show — without mentioning his own central role in tipping off the “Empire” star that he was being investigated by police.

As he took the stand Monday, Smollett, 39, had told the court that he first knew that police doubted his race-hate attack was real after getting a text message from Lemon, saying that was key in his decision not to hand his phone records over to cops.

The testimony quickly sparked comparisons between Lemon and his former CNN love-“brother” Chris Cuomo, who over the weekend was fired for his own meddling in his brother Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s sexual harassment scandal.

But while Cuomo refused to report on his brother’s scandal, Lemon ended his Monday night show with a report on the latest news from the ex-“Empire” star’s trial — with no mention of his own involvement.

https://nypost.com/2021/12/07/don-lemon-did-not-mention-own-role-in-jussie-smollett-trial/

Sorry about the NY Post link. The only other option was Fox News.

Not sure how someone can ethically report on this and not mention their own role in interfering with an investigation.

What is going on over at CNN?

December 4, 2021

The Jussie Smollett trial is getting just plain weird

So this happened:

A defense attorney called for a mistrial in the Jussie Smollett trial Thursday, after a wild few moments in which she accused the judge of lunging at her.

As CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar reported, this happened during a sidebar conversation with attorneys from both sides and Cook County Judge James Linn. Defense attorney Tamara Walker asked for a mistrial because of a comment that Judge Linn made, and then she began crying and accused Judge Linn of physically lunging at her in the courtroom.

Judge Linn denied the accusations, and also denied the motion for a mistrial. But it all amounted to some chaotic moments in the courtroom.

. . .

Another attorney for Smollett also accused Judge Linn of snarling and making faces throughout the testimony.

edit: Whoops, forgot the link. https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/12/03/jussie-smollett-trial-defense-suggests-abel-osundairo-who-said-he-was-paid-to-help-stage-attack-had-secret-romantic-relationship-with-smollett/

Been paying some attention. Apparently everyone involved may be gay. The defense is claiming a romantic entanglement with one of the attackers, visits to a bathhouse, a pic of one of them on a Pride float.

The defense is losing. So now there's this attempted mess. I mean, it's entertaining, but still.