Christmas 2020 be like ….
… very Fra-GEE-leh
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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.
The COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech – known by the code name BNT162b, has been in use in the UK for a week and is starting to be deployed in the US. With the regulatory approval to move forward from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration we now have the most detailed info yet on what is in the new COVIID-19 vaccine. MIT’s Technology Review looked at the ingredients in Pfizer‘s (PFE) vaccine and provided some context from scientists and biotech entrepreneurs for those of us without a Ph.D. in organic chemistry. 
1- mRNA – Pfizer’s vaccine consists of actual genetic information from a virus in the form of messenger RNA, or mRNA, a type of molecule whose usual job is to transport copies of genetic instructions around a cell to guide the assembly of proteins. The authors describe mRNA as a long ticker-tape carrying instructions. It’s fairly delicate stuff, and that’s why Pfizer’s vaccine needs to be kept at around -100 °F until it’s used.
The new vaccine, delivered as a shot in the arm muscle, contains an RNA sequence taken from the virus itself; it causes cells to manufacture the big “spike” protein of the COVID-19 virus, which the pathogen uses to glom onto a person’s cells and gain entry. On its own, without the rest of the virus, the spike is pretty harmless. But your body still reacts to it. This is what leaves you immunized and ready to repel the real virus if it turns up.
The mRNA in the vaccine, to be sure, isn’t quite the same as the stuff in your body. That’s good because cells defenses’ are ready to chop up RNA, especially any that doesn’t belong there. To avoid that, what’s known as “modified nucleosides” have been substituted for some of the mRNA building blocks.
But Pfizer is holding back a little according to the article. The spike gene sequence can be tweaked in small ways for better performance, by means that include swapping letters. We don’t think Pfizer has said exactly what sequence it is using, or what modified nucleosides. That means the content of the shot may not be 100% public.
2- Lipids – The Pfizer vaccine uses lipid nanoparticles to encase the RNA. The nanoparticles are, basically, tiny greasy spheres that protect the mRNA and help it slide inside cells. Pfizer says it uses the four different lipids in a “defined ratio.”
The lipid ALC-0315 is the primary ingredient in the formulation. That’s because it’s ionizable—it can be given a positive charge, and since the RNA has a negative one, they stick together. It’s also a component that can cause side effects or allergic reactions.
The other lipids, one of which is the familiar molecule cholesterol, are “helpers” that give structural integrity to the nanoparticles or stop them from clumping. During manufacturing, the RNA and the lipids are stirred into a bubbly mix to form what the FDA describes as a “white to off-white” frozen liquid.
3 – Salts – The Pfizer vaccine contains four salts, one of which is ordinary table salt. Together, these salts are better known as phosphate-buffered saline, or PBS, a very common ingredient that keeps the pH, or acidity, of the vaccine close to that of a person’s body. You’ll understand how important that is if you’ve ever squeezed lemon juice on a cut. Substances with the wrong acidity can injure cells or get quickly degraded.
4 – Sugar – The vaccine includes sucrose – plain old sugar. In the Vaccine, It is acting as a cryoprotectant to safeguard the nanoparticles when they’re frozen and stop them from sticking together.
5 – Saline solution – Before injection, the vaccine is mixed with water containing sodium chloride, or ordinary salt, just as many intravenously delivered drugs are. Again, the idea is that the injection should more or less match the salt content of the blood.
6 – No preservatives – Pfizer makes a point of saying its mixture of lipid nanoparticles and mRNA is “preservative-free.” That’s because a preservative that’s been used in other vaccines, thimerosal (which contains mercury and is there to kill any bacteria that might contaminate a vial), has been at the center of social media posts claiming vaccines cause autism. The US Centers for Disease Control says thimerosal is safe; despite that, its use is being phased out. There is no thimerosal—or any other preservative—in the Pfizer vaccine. No microchips, either.
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To counter social media fake news that Bill Gates put tracking microchips in the shots, or that the vaccine contains luciferase, a glowing chemical from fireflies whose name makes some people think of the devil – Pfizer has delivered a vaccine and an “official vaccine ingredient list.”
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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.
COVID-19 has changed how many will celebrate the Christmas holidays. One of the traditions getting an update in 2020 is the Advent calendar. In Christianity, Advent marks the lead up to Christmas. It is a somber time of reflection, traditionally observed by lighting candles. The first Advent calendars were used by Germans around the 1850s. These early Advent calendars included a Biblical verse behind each date’s panel and a goodie like chocolate. Then came COVID-19 lockdowns. No more holiday parties.
The new COVID era Advent calendars are different. They are usually made of cardboard with perforated daily panels that can be punched out to reveal the bottle inside. The WineEnthusiast explains that the calendars can include: beers, wines, gin, and whiskey, and more. They can be bought at retailers like Costco and Aldi as well as online. There are online forums, websites, and Facebook groups dedicated to the COVID era Advent calendars. Here are some of the best of the new 2020 Advent calendars.
GiveThemBeer’s take on the advent calendar $79.00 isn’t for people playing around: There are 12 full-size cans of U.S. brewed craft IPAs, Stouts, and Ales hiding behind festive little doors. Expect suds from Dogfish Head, Ballast Point, Cigar City, Bell’s, Oskar Blues, Founders, and Victory.
Alameda California’s Almanac Beer has two different holiday boxes. One for the 12 days of Christmas ($88.00) and another for the eight nights of Hanukkah ($68.00). Customers can choose their flavor of drink based on their taste preferences, including sour ales or hoppy IPAs.
The Flaviar Whiskies of the World Advent Calendar costs $250.00 and features premium sips from around the globe. The advent calendar includes whiskeys from major producers like Scotland and Japan. It also includes niche offerings from countries like Israel and India. Food and Wine notes that the 2020 calendar holds two dozen 1.7-ounce vials of award-winning whiskies from single malts to rich blends. The selections include Tennessee’s Uncle Nearest Bourbon, Kilchoman 2010 Vintage from Islay’s farm distillery, and an impressive release from Compass Box. It comes with everything needed to appreciate the flavorful tour: a Glencairn whiskey tasting glass, a coaster, and a tasting notes booklet, so you know exactly what you’re sipping.
Jack Daniel’s whiskey-filled holiday calendar includes 24 windows to crack open in December. The $80.00 calendar includes 50ml bottles. There are four bottles each of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey, three bottles each of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple, and two each of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye, Gentleman Jack, and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select.
Vinebox is offering a 12 Night of Wine with a mix of reds and whites. You can buy the Nice Edition or the Naughty Edition each for $129.00. The Nice Edition features “crisp, harmonious whites and silky soft reds.” The Naughty Edition contains “brooding reds and sultry whites to tempt even the most pure.” For any wine-lovers who can’t decide whether they’ve been naughty or nice – there’s also the option to buy a bundle that includes all 24 bottles from both boxes.
The Aldi Wine Advent Calendar costs $69.99: Each of the 24 mini bottles of booze inside comes to about $2.91. Plus, the box is pretty enough to leave out under the tree! there are 24 wines inside, including riesling, chardonnay, pinot noir, and more. Some are great. But even the duds are good for cooking.
This one comes from That Boutique-y Gin Company, so it’s filled with—you guessed it—24 gins all independently made in England. They start shipping out October 15, but sadly, not to the U.S. – guess we gotta plan a trip to London!
There’s also an O’Donnells 12 Days of Irish Cream Calendar is $29.99 at Aldi. The Thrilliest writes that Irish cream is a boozy holiday favorite hiding in coffee cups at all hours, and has become more popularized in recent years You can get your Irish cream fix with this calendar, which has 12 mini 100ml bottles with flavors ranging from tiramisu to mint chocolate to white chocolate.
The Baileys Advent calendar contains 12 50ml miniature bottles of three different flavors of the world-famous Baileys, wonderful creamy liqueur; Coffee Liqueur, Orange Truffle, and the traditional Irish Cream. It also features a selection of recipes too, so you can try adding some delicious new drinks to your festive holiday zooming. Sadly, not available in the U.S.
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Hopefully one of these adult advent calendars makes it under your tree and you can spend many happy holiday Zoom visits with friends and family this holiday season.
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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.
It is 2020 and among all the other things going on during this dumpster-fire of a year – passwords are still a problem. According to a list of the 200 worst passwords of 2020 from NordPass, millions of people are still using “123456” and “password” as part of their login credentials. These passwords are the worst you can use year in and year out they have been the worst since I started tracking them on the Bach Seat in 2011.“123456,” has been breached more than 23 million times alone, according to NordPass. To protect your data – stop using “123456″ and “password.”
Half of the top 25 passwords are new offenders for 2020. But NordPass says any of the top 25 bad passwords typically take less than a second to crack. Don’t be fooled – using some variation of the number bar, such as “000000″ or “123123” does not add extra security to your account. Similarly, any adjacent-key letter combo you are using such as “qwertyuiop” or “asdfghjkl,” can be easily cracked in less than a second’s time, the company said.
| 2020 Rank | Password | Change from 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 123456 | - |
| 2 | 123456789 | - |
| 3 | picture1 | New |
| 4 | password | - |
| 5 | 12345678 | +1 |
| 6 | 111111 | +3 |
| 7 | 123123 | +3 |
| 8 | 12345 | -1 |
| 9 | 1234567890 | New |
| 10 | senha | New |
| 11 | 1234567 | -6 |
| 12 | qwerty | -9 |
| 13 | abc123 | -2 |
| 14 | Million2 | New |
| 15 | 000000 | New |
| 16 | 1234 | New |
| 17 | iloveyou | -9 |
| 18 | aaron431 | New |
| 19 | password1 | New |
| 20 | qqww1122 | New |
| 21 | 123 | New |
| 22 | omgpop | New |
| 23 | 123321 | New |
| 24 | 654321 | New |
| 25 | qwertyuiop | -10 |
Methodology: The list of passwords was compiled by Nordpass, which sells a password manager, in partnership with a third-party company specializing in data breach research. They evaluated a database that contained 275,699,516 passwords in total.
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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.
