Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 4, 2015

THE WORLD AROUND US 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, July 4, 2015 
B6 
THE WORLD AROUND US 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, July 4, 2015 
B6 
NEW HORIZONS SPACECRAFT PREPARES FOR ENCOUNTER WITH PLUTO JULY 14 
In a long series of images obtained by New Horizons’telescopic Long Range Reconnaissance Imager(LORRI) between May 29 and June 19, Pluto and itslargest moon, Charon, appear to more than double insize. From this rapidly improving imagery, scientistson the New Horizons team have found that the “close 
approach hemisphere” on Pluto that New Horizonswill fly over has the greatest variety of terrain typesseen on the planet so far. They have also discoveredthat Charon has a “dark pole” — a mysterious darkregion that forms a kind of anti-polar cap.

“This system is just amazing,” said Alan Stern, New 
Horizons Principal Investigator, from the SouthwestResearch Institute, Boulder, Colorado. “The science 
team is just ecstatic with what we see on Pluto’s closeapproach hemisphere: Every terrain type we seeon the planet — including both the brightest anddarkest surface areas — are represented there, it’s awonderland! 

“And about Charon — wow — I don’t think anyoneexpected Charon to reveal a mystery like dark terrainsat its pole,” he continued. “Who ordered that?”

“The unambiguous detection of bright and darkterrain units on both Pluto and Charon indicates a 
wide range of diverse landscapes across the pair,” saidscience team co-investigator and imaging lead JeffMoore, of NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain 
View, California. “For example, the bright fringe wesee on Pluto may represent frost deposited from anevaporating polar cap, which is now in summer sun.” 

GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY TO CELEBRATE 
FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH PLUTO. On July 14,
after a journey of 10 years and three billion miles,
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft will make the first-
ever close encounter with Pluto. What can we expectfrom New Horizons as it ventures past the mysteriousdwarf planet? A good way to find out is to come to LosAngeles’ Griffith Observatory, which will host severalactivities to celebrate the New Horizons encounter 
with Pluto. All events are free and open to the public. 

WHEN: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 -- LIVE PLUTOFLYBY 

* 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. PDT: Twenty-minute talks on Plutoand New Horizons, presented hourly
* 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. PDT: NASA-TV coverage of theNew Horizons flyby with commentary by GriffithObservatory staff
* 6:02 p.m. PDT: Signal from New Horizons confirmsthe spacecraft’s safe passage through the Pluto system
* 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. PDT: Presentation by GriffithObservatory staff about the New Horizons missionand recap of the evening’s events (Streamed live on 
GriffithTV)

* 10:00 p.m. PDT: Observatory and Griffith Parkclose as usual 
Friday, July 17, 2015 -- ALL PLUTO CONSIDERED

* 7:30 - 8:45 p.m. PDT: Griffith Observatory CuratorDr. Laura Danly and Griffith Observatory DirectorDr. E. C. Krupp show the latest images of Plutofrom New Horizons and illustrate Pluto’s impact onculture from its discovery until now. (Streamed live 
on GriffithTV) 

WHERE: Griffith Observatory, Leonard NimoyEvent Horizon Theater, 2800 East Observatory Road,
Los Angeles, California 90027

Seating is first-come, first-served, up to the capacityof the theater. For more information visit http://www.
griffithobservatory.org or call (213) 473-0800.

Select activities will be streamed live on 
GriffithObservatoryTV. For video, schedules, and 

downlink information visit http://new.livestream.
com/GriffithObservatoryTV 

Contact: 
Bonnie WiningsFriends of the Observatory+1 (213) 473-0879, +1 (818) 621-2434bwinings@friendsoftheobservatory.org

You can contact Bob Eklund at: b.eklund@ 
MtnViewsNews.com. 


FOURTH OF JULY, 
FREEDOM, AND MONEY 


By Christopher Nyergesenslavement to money, and should open you up to some

[Nyerges is the author truly life-enhancing experiences.

of several books includingRemember, this perspective is offered as an alternative

“How to Survive Anywhere,”to “going out to make enough money so I can be free to do

“Extreme Simplicity,” and what I want to do.” 

“Self-Sufficient Home.” He One of the amazing insights that I gained while sharing

has lectured, taught, and ledthis at our seminar was how many people actually had no

field trips since 1974. He can beclearly-defined goals at all.

reached at www.SchoolofSelf-Not only do most people have no clearly-defined longReliance.
com or Box 41834, Eagle Rock,CA 90041]term goals in life, most of us have very different and

Over the years, I have given a lecture called “The Fourconflicting ideas about this thing called “freedom.”
Illusions of Money,” in which I share the many ways inI propose that there are at least two sorts of “freedom”:
which money controls our thinking and our actions.freedom-to, and freedom-from. Freedom-to refers to the 

For most people, money is intricately and intimatelyability to pursue those goals, and do those things, thatrelated to every part of our life, and especially that nebulousyou wish to do, or need to do. Freedom-from can refer tothing we call “freedom.”simply escaping from a bad situation, like a civil war in

On our country’s Independence Day, it seems your country, or trouble in your neighborhood.
worthwhile to take a closer look at how we view money, andConnected to this is the two sided coin of rights andhow it affects our independence and our freedom.responsibility. Everyone wants their rights, but somehow

For starters, What is money, how is money created,the responsibilities are too often left untended.
what is the Federal Reserve, what is the IMF, how does I have observed that those individuals who willinglyinternational debt affect us here in the U.S.? All goodtake on responsibilities (of all sorts) gain more and morequestions for you to research on your own, which are at therights. Though this inevitably involves “money” in somevery foundation of money and what it is and what it does –way, it implies a mental state that has nothing to do withbut that’s not what I’ll be discussing today.money at all.

OK, when people are queried, almost everyone says thatLet’s look at another of the Four Illusions. 
they do not have enough money, and would like to haveMoney is necessary for my security in old age.
more. Everyone at all income levels says the same thing!Money is needed in many ways, of course, but personalFurthermore, one of the most commonly-cited reasonssecurity, inner and outer, cannot be purchased.
given by people who continue to work at a job they dislikeThe real security that is most needed by elderly can beis to “make a lot of money.” The reasons that this is such aenhanced by money, but it can never be built solely uponubiquitous goal – to make a lot of money – can be summedmoney. Inner security arises with the development of deepup in the four following rationales:friendships, and with learning to be flexible and adaptable,

A lot of money will let me be free to do what I want to do.for example, and these are not things that are in any way

People with a lot of money command more respect fromdependant upon money.
others. In fact, one of the best ways to “prepare for old age” is to

I need more money for my family.become the type of person – inwardly and outwardly – that

Money is necessary for my security in old age.other people will want to be around and work with.

Yes, there are many more such “illusions” that danceThis means being competent, helpful, flexible, honest,
around money, but these four seemed to fairly conciselymoral, curious, always willing to learn and to share,
address all the secondary and corollary illusions.generous, and so on. And note that none of these virtues

These four statements are illusions about money. Thatare either the intrinsic or exclusive virtues of the wealthy.
means, these represent false perceptions of the world. ThatDeveloping one’s character is clearly one of the best waysis to say, when we embrace any or all of these four illusions,to prepare for the calamities that might strike any of us atwe are prevented from seeing the NON-monetary realitiesany age, such as wars, depressions, social chaos, as well as aabout our life and the choices that we make. whole host of personal difficulties. 

So let’s explore the first one.

A lot of money will let me be free to do what I want to do.Learn to Produce 
One way to see through this illusion is to make a specificHistory has also taught us that those who learn tolist of all your carefully-considered goals. These can beproduce what they need, and then do so, are invariablyshort-term and long-term goals. These can include travel,more free than their neighbors who do not do so. There areprojects, achievements, possessions, skills (learning a newexceptions of course, but those who grow their own foodlanguage), etc., but the list cannot include money. Moneycan then sell the surplus of what they grow for the cashcannot be a goal. Next, you should examine the list youto buy what they cannot barter. In a famous discussionmade and begin to delineate precisely how you can gobetween Merlin and King Arthur (yes, I know I amabout achieving that goal.stretching it a bit here), Merlin told his student that there

Yes, of course, money can help accelerate the achievementwould never be war if people chose to be self-sufficient.
of the goal. Still, once your goals are clearly established inThe way to apply these simple principles tends to beyour own mind – and clearly differentiated from “passingcomplex, and always further complicated by politicianswants” – you can steadily move forward, step by step,who are lost in their worlds of words. Still, freedom to do 
toward the achievement of that goal. Money is incidentalwhat is right should be the goal of everyone, and certainlyto this process, and must not be allowed to determine thethe goal of every American. It is why this country waschoices you make and the steps that you take.founded less than three centuries ago.

A large part of achieving a goal – perhaps the mostAnd despite all the bickering and fighting that stillimportant part – is to learn valuable life-enhancing skillscontinues to this day over what the U.S. is and what itthat you wouldn’t have learned otherwise.represents, I find that the best rule of thumb for guidance is

And many of the essential steps toward a goal involvethe Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have themworking with other people. Working with other peopledo unto you.”
develops strong friendships and relationships, and this[A continuation of this discussion of money can be foundrequires that you must be – or become – reliable andin Christopher Nyerges’ “Extreme Simplicity,” book availabletrustworthy yourself. This manner of pursuing andat bookstores, Amazon, and www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance. 
achieving goals should represent a true freedom from our com.] 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

WHY NOT JUST BE AN AMERICAN 


As we celebrate another birthday of this greator a mixture of colors? Do you define an Americancountry, I cannot help but think back on some ofby the color of his or her skin? What about gender?
our history. What a grand history we have had.Is the average American male or female? ThenI know some people are ashamed of our historythere is age. How old is the average American?
and so we have revisionists rewriting AmericanWe bounced these questions around for a longhistory. Nevertheless, I certainly want to celebratetime and did not come up with any good answers.
the real America. Then there was silence. 

My wife and I were relaxing after a scrumptiousI come back to one thought; why can’t we justsupper and were watching a little bit of TV. I wasbe Americans. Why do we have to have all thehalf dozing, as is usually my condition after such aemphasis on variations, colors, temperamentssupper, when my wife startled me with a question.and the people we elect to office who cannot tie

It was a news program on television updating their own shoes without conducting some poll?
us with the latest political scratch-talk. If it were Why can’t we send ordinary, common sensenot for politics, the airwaves would be silent. Oh, Americans to Washington, DC who understandsfor those wonderful sounds of silence. Personally, the American life? 
I would be glad to double my tax rate if in doing so Most of the politicians, if not all, live in a bubblewe could put to silence all this political-scratch-and cannot relate to the average American in thistalk. I call it “scratch-talk” because whoever is country. I challenge these politicians to act like,
talking is trying to scratch somebody’s back even live like common, everyday, normal Americans.
if it is just their own. I guess we have a lot of itchy We normal Americans have to live on a budget.
backs in this country. Thankfully, we have an If I do not have enough money, I have come to theendless supply of backscratching politicians.end of my buying spree. I think this concept ought

It does not matter which way the wind is blowingto be copyrighted and sent to Washington, DC. Iteach political party says it is blowing in theiris a new concept. It will need somebody to interpretdirection. I guess you have to go to eight years toit to those who are living in that venomous circleHarvard and have a student loan debt of $120,000 that we call the capital of the United States. I wouldto understand how that works. If you do not mind,recommend a first grader.
I just do not want to know how it works.It would be refreshing to have somebody in

With the politicians unable to create work Congress or the Senate who had common sense.
in our country for common Americans, the I guess Will Rogers was right when he said thereal Americans, they sure know how to work a problem with common sense is it is no longer 
situation, usually to their advantage. If they could common. 
put all of this to work for the good of the ordinary A real American is one who is committed 
American, I would feel happier about paying my to the concept of life, liberty and the pursuit oftaxes. As it is, I pay my taxes but not happily.happiness. A real American is one who embraces

Back to my wife’s question. “Who are,” shethe red, white and blue. A real American is the one 
said very carefully, “the real Americans in thiswho can clutch his five-dollar bill and say, “in Godcountry?” Then she paused for a moment and we trust.” If it is good for our money, it is good forfollowed it with this question, “Who does Americaour life. 
really belong to?”If only the American people, the real people

Well, those two questions got me thinking.of America, would wake up and see what our

Who are the real Americans? Are theypoliticians are doing, perhaps they would do whatRepublicans, Democrats or Independents? I knowour early founders did.
there is a bunch of other miscellaneous politicalIn celebrating another Fourth of July, myparties, but I cannot think of them right now.thought is simply, why not just be an American.
Which one is the American Party?A real American also embraces what Jesus said, 

If I do not like any political party, where does“Render therefore unto Caesar the things which bethat leave me? I am all for parties, but the wholeCaesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s”
idea of a party is for people to have fun. I do not(Luke 20:25).
see any political party where I could have fun. TheIs that the sound of a drumbeat I hear off in the 
strange thing today is, if I do not “belong” to somedistance? 
political party I am not able to vote in this country.
Moreover, if I do vote, who in the world do I vote Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Familyfor? of God Fellowship, PO Box 831313, Ocala, FL 

My wife and I got to talking about this and I, for34483. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver 
once in my life, posed a question. How would youSprings Shores. Call him at 1-866-552-2543 or 
describe the average American?e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net or website www. 

Is the average American black, white, yellow, red jamessnyderministries.com.