Banter Bites

When Every Option Is A Good Option

Three vaccines. All deemed safe and effective. All extremely good at preventing serious disease. And isn't that what really matters?

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Johnson & Johnson is known and trusted for its consumer products and first aid supplies … and what could be more important to consumers than a proven-effective COVID-19 vaccine?!

It was a huge relief when the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines received emergency use approval, and now it's exciting that we have the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as a third option. Especially as it's a one-shot vaccine and, unlike the others, can be stored in a regular refrigerator, so it's much easier to use and distribute. Of course, there are differences between the three vaccines – not only the science behind them but also the timing of the testing, so it's difficult to do a straight comparison. But that doesn't stop people from trying, and as Black told Red,

OK, I am a numbers person but, in this case, it is not that simple. And even though people like to quote the efficacy rate of preventing COVID-19 (all of the vaccines are significantly higher than what the CDC initially hoped for) … the focus should be on the fact all three vaccines are extremely effective at preventing severe cases of the disease.

Red really didn't want to get into the science and the numbers, but felt compelled to add,

From the very start, my biggest concern wasn't the mild cases – it was the severe ones. The ones resulting in hospitalization or death. I just want the coronavirus to end up being like the flu, in that you can get a flu shot. And yes, I know, it doesn't mean you won't get it; it just means that it will most likely be a much milder case if you do.

This is one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites in large part because of Black’s “corny” puns, but also because fresh corn is a summer staple – whether cooked on the grill or in the microwave, whether eaten on its own or as a primary ingredient in refreshing summer salads


This may be one of the corniest things you’ll ever read.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: It’s just a vegetable, so how can it possibly elicit such a strong reaction from Red, while, for Black, it’s more a source of amusement and even, it turns out, admiration?

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Think you can avoid artificial intelligence? Think again …

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Red already fights technology at every turn, preferring to keep her ostrich head in the sand, plus, she finds Artificial Intelligence (AI) scary; whereas Black knows ignoring reality merely postpones the inevitable, so she’s started playing with AI to understand it better …

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A man better known for his death than his life, although Red, the straight-A student and history lover, immediately thinks of the costly and controversial movie of his life. (Well, technically, it was the life of Cleopatra.) Black, of course, focuses on business – leadership lessons, including the power of words, although she surprises Red with some food trivia. But the fact July’s named after him is the perfect excuse to rerun one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites …

Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.

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