November 23, 2020
Since Bonnie and I began cruising – in the before time – and writing a blog, today is blog # 701.
👉 Today’s sermon “Let It Alone – For Now,” is from the Macedonia Pulpit.
👉 On the heels of Carnival Cruise Line cancelling all cruises through February 2021, their sister line Princess Cruises has decided to push back their restart as well. Princess won’t be returning to service until April 2021. They’ve also cancelled all cruises longer than seven days in and out of United States ports through November 1, 2021. The cruise line cited the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Framework for Conditional Sailing Order” as the primary reason for pushing back their restart. “We are focused on preparing our ships to meet the CDC health and safety requirements for our eventual return to service,” said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises.
👉 As the race to develop and distribute a potential Covid-19 vaccine is speeding up across the world, Russia’s coronavirus vaccine candidate Sputnik V, also touted as the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine to be registered, will be priced “much lower” than the other covid vaccines such as Pfizer’s and Modern’s candidates, according to Sputnik V’s developers. “Translating pharma lingo: the announced price of Pfizer of USD 19.50 and Moderna of USD 25-USD 37 per dose actually means their price of USD 39 and USD 50-USD 74 per person. Two doses are required per person for the Pfizer, Sputnik V and Moderna vaccines. The price of Sputnik V will be much lower,” Sputnik V’s official account tweeted. And now it’s all about money?
👉 Scientists at St. Jude may have figured out how COVID-19 kills, and more importantly, how to stop it. Anyone with allergies, histamine intolerance, rheumatoid arthritis, or a compromised immune system knows what it’s like to have problems with inflammation. The swelling and pain make it difficult to breathe or to move. The same thing happens with COVID-19. St. Jude researchers say they’ve identified the mechanisms that drive COVID-19 inflammation and the medicines that can treat it.
The team focused on cytokines, small proteins released in the body in response to inflammation. Turns out, the drugs to treat these cytokine reactions, or cytokine storms, already exist. When tried on mice, the medication protected them from COVID-19 death and from sepsis, a deadly infection of the blood. So now these drugs will be used in clinical trials on COVID-19 patients.
👉 More good news on the coronavirus pandemic front: Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE requested emergency authorization of their COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. Shown to be 95% effective and without any major safety issues, their vaccine could be the first to be cleared for use. It must undergo a thorough vetting, but the filing could enable its use by the middle to the end of December. As I’ve said in earlier blogs, “My sleeve is rolled up.”
👉 The squeaky wheel, they say, gets the grease (but who are “they” and why do they get the “say”?). Anyway, there has evidently been a lot of “up in the air-ing” since Apple TV+ bought exclusive rights to all the iconic Charlie Brown holiday specials, and said you would have to subscribe to see them. Well, now there has been some relenting, and they’ve now agreed to let two of the classics air on PBS this year. Sorry I didn’t know this earlier, because you’ve missed “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” which was broadcast last night. But “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will appear on Free-TV on Sunday, December 13, at at 7:30 p.m. ET.
👉 Blog readers and contributors, Brian and Elizabeth, asked me some tough questions last week. I received them gladly, and plunged into them. I should have been wearing a life-vest. Let’s see how you do:
1. Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?
2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?
3. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
4. Why do we say something is “out of whack”? What is a “whack”?
5. Why does “slow down” and “slow up” mean the same thing?
6. Why do we sing “Take me out to the ball game” when we are already there?
7. Doesn’t “expecting the unexpected” make the unexpected expected?
8. Why is “phonics” not spelled the way it sounds?
9. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
10. Christmas – what other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree and eat candy out of your socks?
👉 Friday I promised you clues to the whereabouts of Captain William Kidd’s buried treasure.
Learning he was being hunted, Captain Kidd abandoned the Quedagh Merchant in the Caribbean. He stopped along the New Jersey coastline, secreting treasure away, hoping to use his knowledge of its location as a bargaining tool to save his skin. His last stop was at Sandy Hook on the southeast corner of Raritan Bay.
Kidd told authorities that a small portion of his fabulous treasure was hidden on Gardiner’s Island, New York. A document survives, signed by Kidd, giving security of that treasure into the hands of John Gardiner, proprietor of Gardiner’s Island. Kidd left behind five bales of cloth, a chest of “fine” goods, and a box containing 52 pounds of gold – worth $1.5 million today.
What became of the treasures he secreted away along the New Jersey coast? The truth seems to have gone to the grave with Captain Kidd, but a few tantalizing clues survive. At least four places along the New Jersey coastline have reasonable claim.
First is Cape May, where ships often stopped because of easy berthing and an ample supply of fresh water. Second is an island located at the mouth of Toms River, which was known to be frequented by pirate vessels. Third is Sandy Hook, where Kidd is known to have anchored on his final voyage to Raritan Bay. The fourth site has long since disappeared under the waters of Raritan Bay, west of Sandy Hook. Occasionally, divers in the small body of water now known as Treasure Lake, still find 17th century Spanish gold coins.
If anyone knew the whereabouts of the treasure, it would probably be one of Kidd’s crew. William Leeds was a reformed pirate mate of Captain Kidd who settled in Monmouth County. Leeds was known for his wealth and generosity. Although some said he knew where Kidd’s treasure was buried, Leeds claimed that he had just invested wisely. Upon his death he left his entire estate to Christ Church in Shrewsbury and Christ Church in Middletown. Leeds is buried at the Shrewsbury church, and they occasionally exhibit his sea chest. But like so much that has to do with Kidd and his treasure, no one at the church today admits to having any knowledge of the treasure.
Oh, if you use those clues and find treasure, I claim 10%. You are welcome.
👉 Today’s close is from Christ Beside Me, Christ Within Me, by Beth A. Richards.
May You Know Love
Today, may you know love.
May you know happiness.
May you know peace.
Today, may you be open.
May you be safe.
May you be blessed.
Today, may you feel uplifted.
May you feel serene.
May you feel joy.
A thousand, thousand payers,
A thousand, thousand blessings,
Oh you, and you, and you.
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