QUARANTINE BLOG # 421

May 25, 2021

Antwone and Hollie Rivers wore their masks and practiced social distancing, but neither felt comfortable getting the vaccine.  He died ten days ago of COVID-19.

“Two weeks prior to this happening, we were talking about it more, saying maybe we should get vaccinated, and now it’s like, a big loss for everybody,” Hollie said.

Rivers had no underlying conditions before contracting the coronavirus, but his health started to decrease rapidly.  Every organ began to shut down.  Doctors eventually put Antwone on a ventilator, but even those efforts weren’t enough.  On May 13, Antwone lost his month-long battle with COVID-19.

The young mother who never imagined raising a family alone is now encouraging everyone to get vaccinated, as it can be life-changing.

👉  The Moderna vaccine was 93% effective against COVID-19 in children aged 12 to 17 after the first dose and 100% two weeks after the second dose, with no cases of COVID-19 reported among vaccinated participants.  In addition, no serious safety concerns were identified, data from the company’s clinical trial released showed.

The trial involved more than 3,700 adolescents, two-thirds of whom received the vaccine and one-third of whom received a placebo.  There were no cases of COVID-19 among the vaccinated group after two shots, compared with four cases in the placebo group, an efficacy rate of 100%, according to the company's study.  In addition, the vaccine was found to be 93% effective starting 14 days after the first dose.

👉  Superman appeared first in “Action Comics,” second in a new periodical is titled “Superman,” which began in June 1939.  Superman has sold more comic books over his publication history than any other American superhero character.  Exact sales figures for the early decades of Superman comic books are hard to find, because like most publishers at the time, DC Comics concealed this data to deny the information to competitors.  Sales data first became public in 1960, and showed that Superman was the best-selling comic book character of the 1960s and 1970s.  Sales rose again starting in 1987.  

Superman #75 (November 1992) sold over 23 million copies, making it the best-selling issue of a comic book of all time.  Superman was killed in that issue, but in science fiction, no one is certain to stay dead for long (ask Mr. Spock).

As to Superman’s death story, the being called Doomsday was artificially created in the distant past on Krypton, long before the humanoid Kryptonian race had gained dominance over the planet.  Doomsday escaped from Krypton and went on a killing spree across the galaxy, eventually meeting the Justice League, DC Universe’s most powerful and premier superhero team and defeating them all in a matter of minutes.  This attracted the attention of Superman, seeking to save Metropolis and Earth.  

Superman gets a last kiss from Lois Lane, then charges into action, ready to bring down Doomsday no matter what.  Eventually, Superman delivers a fatal blow to Doomsday, snapping his neck, but while receiving an equally deadly blow at the same time.  Lois Lane rushes over to Superman’s limp body and cradles him in her arms, begging him to hold on until the paramedics arrive.  However, it is too late, and the Man of Steel fades in her arms.

Incidentally, Superman #75 was sold in a sealed plastic bag.  I bought two copies, one to keep and one to read, and now I can’t find either one anymore.  In pristine condition, the opened one can go for $80 and the sealed bag for multiple hundreds of dollars.  Sadness.

Tomorrow we’ll visit Superman on the radio, stage, and in film.

👉  In late April, Blue Origin, the private space firm started by Jeff Bezos, announced an auction – to raise money for charity – for a seat on the first launch of its sub-orbital space mission aboard a New Shepard space capsule.  The current bid is $2.6 million for a 15 minute ride.  The flight will mimic America’s first space flight of Alan Shepard 60 years ago this month, reaching space, but not going into orbit.  Unlike Shepard’s water landing, the New Shepard will float down on 3 parachutes, then landing rockets will ignite to bring it down to a site 2 miles away from the launch point.  A live auction June 12 will determine who wins the seat for the July 20 launch.

👉  Do you remember when a video game didn’t require anythiing more than a joystick and a button or two? (Or, with Pac-Man and Frogger, no buttons at all.)  Maybe that is why “old-timers” are buying cabinets for the home, including replicas of classic coin-operated games and pinball machines.  Much of the fun is in the simplicity of the game, and playing them doesn’t require which button to push next.  Capitalizing on this nostalgia, many companies are producing new versions of these retro games – and they do not require the old-style TV screen.

Available for $399, Arcade1Up’s Bandai Namco Legacy Edition is a 12-in-1 cabinet, featuring Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaxian, Dig Dug and eight other Bandai classics. The original graphics, sounds and controls will be immediately familiar to seasoned gamers.  With the iconic yellow Pac-Man branding on the outside, this cabinet is a 3/4-size replica of the original coin-operated machine, but a riser is included to bring it to full height.  Arcade1Up also offers virtual pinball machines, each with a 24-inch LCD playfield, 8-inch LCD score screen, authentic flipper feedback and real plunger and buttons.  When someone makes a new Q*bert game, I’m moving furniture to make room for it.

👉  Today’s close is from Mike Fabarez.

In the pages of Scripture, even the most godly people periodically grapple with discouragement. God’s people are not immune to these kinds of bitter feelings, but what godly people provide is an example of what to do when we find ourselves in such dark times.  In 1 Samuel 30 we read of David being personally opposed, betrayed and alone, with “everyone” turning against him. 

David’s godly response is described with a beautiful simplicity.  The Bible says that “David found strength in the Lord his God” (v.6).  He did what we should all do in our times of discouragement – he sought God.  He spent time with the Lord, seeking his perspective and his direction.

David didn’t choose to wallow in his pain, he discovered the next steps that God would have him take and he pursued God’s will with courage and determination.  He gave himself to doing what was right, even amid his personal pain, and God not only consoled his heart but he changed his circumstances.  May you find strength in the Lord to do what is right the next time your heart is discouraged.

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