Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, February 3, 2018

Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 3, 2018 11THE WORLD AROUND US 
SPEND NEXT NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH NEW HORIZONS 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 3, 2018 11THE WORLD AROUND US 
SPEND NEXT NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH NEW HORIZONS 
The New Year’s celebration to usher in 2019 will 
include an event like no other—more than four 
billion miles from Earth. 

In a little under a year—shortly after midnightEastern Time on Jan. 1, 2019—NASA’s New 
Horizons spacecraft will buzz by the most 
primitive and most distant object ever explored.
New Horizons’ encounter with Kuiper Belt object2014 MU69, which orbits a billion miles beyondPluto, will offer the first close-up up look at sucha pristine building block of the solar system—andwill be performed in a region of deep space thatwas practically unknown just a generation ago.

“The Voyagers and Pioneers flew through theKuiper Belt at a time when we didn’t know thisregion existed,” said Jim Green, director of NASA’s 
Planetary Science Division at Headquarters inWashington. “New Horizons is on the hunt tounderstand these objects, and we invite everyoneto ring in the next year with the excitement ofexploring the unknown.” 

“Our flyby of MU69 on New Year’s Eve and NewYear’s Day 2019 will be an exciting sequel to thehistoric exploration New Horizons performed atPluto in 2015,” added Alan Stern, New Horizons 
principal investigator from Southwest ResearchInstitute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado. “Nothingeven like MU69 has ever been explored before.” 

As with the hundreds of thousands of other 
small worlds in this zone of icy bodies, MU69 isshrouded in mystery. In fact, the all we know aboutit has come from the Hubble Space Telescope (usedto discover the object in 2014) and a comprehensiveobservation campaign last summer, in which theNew Horizons team gathered data on MU69 as itpassed in front of three stars. Those observationsindicated that MU69 could be two objects, perhapsaccompanied by a moon.

“That tells us this object is going to have a lot ofsurprises in store for New Horizons,” said MarcBuie, the New Horizons science team member 
from SwRI who led the observation campaign.
“We’re going to see something that dates back tothe formation of the solar system.” 

New Horizons will fly about three times closerto MU69 than it did to Pluto in July 2015, allowingthe spacecraft’s cameras to provide a more detailedlook at the object’s surface. Project Scientist Hal 


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 
YEAR OF THE DOG 

[Nyerges is the author of buried him out back and made a little stone marker for 
“Extreme Simplicity,” “How tohim, and invited some friends over for a little memorial. 
Survive Anywhere,” and otherTo my amazement, over 30 people showed up to talkbooks. He teaches survival about their loved pets (dogs and otherwise) and to shareand self-reliance at Pasadena their own stories. Dogs are such beautiful creatures. I 
City college and throughoutam sometimes embarrassed to say that I felt more love forthe community. He can be reached at www.SchoolofSelf-my Cassius Clay, and Ramah before him, than I think IReliance.com, or Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041]have felt for some humans. I don’t think that makes me a 

As we are about to begin the Chinese Year of the Dog,bad person, but rather, someone who has learned to loveit is a good time to take note of all the good things aboutbeyond the human barrier.
dogs. It seems that everyone has something to say aboutI have so many dog stories – many of those stories Ithe character of dogs. They exhibit unconditional love,have shared in this column. Stories of upliftment, sadthey are loyal, and they really seem to want to be a part ofstories, hilarious stories, stories of how our dog pal madeyour life, to the extent that they are able.our life more meaningful, and taught us to love even

Many of our most profound observations about humanmore. I realize that if you’re not a “dog person,” you’re notnature come from our observation of dogs. For example,going to get this. I remember once on the Dennis PragerSigmund Freud noted that “dogs love their friends andradio show, he talked about people who love dogs dearly,
bite their enemies, quite unlike people who are incapableand in trying to figure this out, Prager concluded thatof pure love and always have to mix love and hate.” people who find that they can love dogs more than people

James Thurber observed, “If I have any beliefs abouthave some sort of deficiency, and they are trying to makeimmortality, it is that certain dogs I have known willup for it by loving dogs. Respectfully, I think you got that 
go to heaven, and very, very few persons.” One of myone wrong Dennis. Granted, no two people are alike, butfavorite episodes of the Twilight Zone was “The Hunt,” I see that people who can love dogs too are people who arewhere Hyder Simpson and his dog went for a hunt onebig lovers, not small lovers. They are people whose heartsday. Hyder’s dog jumped into a pool, and didn’t come outare bigs and they see the beautiful life force and vitalisticand Hyder looked for him, eventually finding him. Theyenergy within these non-human beings.
both had died, but Hyder didn’t know it, and he strolledI have spent some time attempting to master human-
down a road where a man informed him he’d died and to-dog communication. First, it is definitely not about 
that he was now at heaven. Hyder was about to enterwords, and it is not easy. Yes, dogs will remember certainbut the gatekeeper said dogs were not allowed. So Hydersounds and what they are intended to convey, regardlessjust kept strolling, saying he’d not go anywhere if his dog what human language you are speaking. But they 
couldn’t go. He eventually came to another gate and theprimarily pick up on your tone and intent. They knowgatekeeper again invited him in. “What about my dog?” anger, fear, uncertainty, love, respect, and many more ofasked Hyder hesitantly. “Oh, he’s welcome” said the the so-called human emotions. And I also believe that 
gatekeeper. It turned out that this was the real heaven, Beatrice Lydecker got it right in her book, “What thewhere both Hyder and his dog were welcome. The other Animals Tell Me,” where she shared her “secrets” to animal 
gatekeeper was at the entrance to hell! It’s an excellent communication. Essentially, Lydecker explains that youepisode and makes you think about what is important toneed to think in pictures, and to then attempt to conveyyou in life – and after life.those pictures to the animal, mentally. I experimented

Ann Landers once wrote, “Don’t accept yourwith the Lydecker approach many times with Cassius anddog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you arefound that, towards the end of his life, we had some verywonderful.” And I really like the bumper sticker I oncedeep and profound exchanges of ideas.
saw that read, “I wish I was half the person that my dogHooray, the Year of the Dog! What an auspicious year.
believes I am.” A dog is the only thing on earth that lovesI will share more dog stories as this year proceeds, and feelyou more than he loves himself, said Josh Billings. And free to share your stories.
Andy Rooney noted that the average dog is a nicer personAlso, be sure to read the weekly column by our ownthan the average person. How true that often seems!“canyon canine columnist” Chris Leclerc, who is telling us

We make fun of some habits of dogs, like going inthe tales of her dog-walking adventures, and other animalcircles many times before they will lie down, or sniffingnews every week. 
everything, because perhaps we do not understand dogs.
Dave Barry once comically noted that “dogs need to sniffthe ground; it’s how they keep abreast of current events.
The ground is a giant dog newspaper, containing allkinds of late-breaking dog news items, which, if they areespecially urgent, are often continued in the next yard.” 
Funny, but probably true. I remember walking my pit bullCassius Clay in my Altadena neighborhood, and therewere certain lines of bushes which he had to slowly sniffbefore we could move on. It took so long to get by thatarea that I would sometimes avoid it entirely or I wouldnever get home. What did Cassius smell? His brain was 
likely translating the different odors left by other dogs, justas Barry suggests, and those odors conveyed a complexpicture of each dog that had passed by and probably a fewthings about its history.

As for the intelligence of dogs, I believe it is quitehigh. Much has been made of the supposed higherintelligence of pigs vs. dogs. I don’t doubt that some 
scientist conducted some tests of brain activity and foundthat pigs were higher functioning in some areas. Theycertainly have incredible memories. When I had botha pig and a dog, I observed that my pig, Otis, had anincredible memory, but the memory was largely limitedto food: where he once found it, whether he liked it, and 
whether he might find more there again. Whereas the pigseemed to be less interested in humans and wanted to live 
for food and pleasure, the dog’s mentality was very muchgeared to the human “master,” and very much includedthe concepts that we humans call love and loyalty.

When my dog Cassius Clay died some years ago, I 

objects like MU69 that built dwarf planets likeexploration of the Kuiper Belt,” said Alice Bowman,
Pluto,” Weaver said. New Horizons mission operations manager, also

The MU69 flyby is the centerpiece of the currentfrom APL. “The spacecraft is collecting data outNew Horizons extended mission that also includes there throughout each year while the mission teamobservations of more than two-dozen other Kuiperworks together to plan and shape the MU69 flyby.” 
Belt objects, as well as measurements of the plasma,
gas and dust environment of the Kuiper Belt. “ThisYou can contact Bob Eklund at: b.eklund@ 
post-Pluto mission is a complete and comprehensive MtnViewsNews.com. 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

PLEASE, JUST LET ME GROW OLD! 

One of the New Year’s There were game shows, soap operas and something 
resolutions I made, which they call reality shows. In five minutes of watching one 
the Gracious Mistress of the reality show, I realized there was no “reality” about any 

Parsonage reminded me, is to take a day off and just of it. If that is reality, oh please, help me!
relax. Eventually my wife came in to check on me to make 
That is a rather hard thing for me to do, especially sure I was “taking the day off.” 
every week.I then said to her, “Would reading my Bible be a part 

The first week in January, I was busy about my of my day off?”
business and my wife said, “Which day this week are How could anybody refuse me from reading my 
you going to take off and relax?”Bible? She responded in the negative. Imagine that! 

“What do you mean?” I asked.According to her, if I would read my Bible I would 

“Remember your New Year’s resolution,” she begin also to work on a sermon for Sunday. And, “That 
reminded me, “that you are going to take one day a would be considered work,” she explained.
week off to relax?” Therefore, here I am taking the day off, which is 

I did remember that, but I did not think anybody turning out to be one of the most stressful days of my 
was listening. Then I thought if anybody was listening, life. 
they really did not think I was serious about it. I have After a while, I was watching something on TV, 
learned after many years of being a husband never to have no idea what in the world it was, but noticed the 
cross swords with “the Wife.” commercials. Now my problem was that I could not tell 

Looking at her rather casually, I said, “I’m going to the difference between a commercial and a TV show. 
do that tomorrow.” They seem to run together and there was hardly any 
“Today,” she said, “is the tomorrow you talked about difference between the two. 
yesterday.” I begin to notice some of these commercials. 
I slowly remove my necktie and said, “Can I do this Maybe it was the audience they thought they had at 
rather slowly until I get used to it?”that time, not considering someone like me. Most of 

Of course, there was no negotiating with her about the commercials were on how to stay young and look 
this. If I was serious about my New Year’s resolutions, young no matter how old you are.
which I probably was not, I was going to have to start it According to some of these commercials, if you are 
today. With her, there was no tomorrow about it.40 you should look like you are 20. I tried to think that 

I sat down in my easy chair, picked up my laptop through and it did not make sense to me. Why does 
computer and was getting it running when my wife one want to be 20 the rest of their life? And, what was 
came into the room and said, “Nope, that is not part of so special about 1998?
taking your day off. Put that computer away.” Then there were cosmetics that made you look 

With a deep sigh, I shut down my computer and put younger. All kinds of solutions, creams and even pills 
it back. Then I picked up a book and began reading, that would make you look young.
thinking this is okay.My question was, if I look young, like 20, do I really 

“Nope, that is not part of taking your day off. Put feel young? And, what does it really feel like to be 
that book away.” young?

You know what it is like not having access to your Not only do I need to feel young, but also I need to 
computer and not able to read a book? If this is relaxing, look young and obviously a young person is skinny. 
oh please, let me get back to work. Her insistence was When did skinny become the trademark of young?
that I take the day off and as much as possible do To get back to my skinny physique they had all kinds 
nothing.of diets for me. They guaranteed that their diet would 

I queried her, “What can I do on my day off?”enable me to lose 50 pounds. My question would be, 
She pointed to the TV and said, “You can watch a which pounds would I be losing? From some of these 
little bit of TV, and then take a nap.” commercials I think the pounds they lost were the ones 

It has been a long time since I watched any daytime between their ears. 
TV. I spent the first half hour trying to find something After a day of watching stupid TV programs and 
interesting to watch and found absolutely nothing. commercials, I have only one comment.

Please, just let me get old!

I understand what James was saying, “Whereas ye 
know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your 
life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, 
and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If 
the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 
4:14-15).

I find it comforting to know that my life is in God’s 
hands. 

Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God 
Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He lives 
with his wife in Silver Springs Shores. Phone 352-6874240 
or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web 
site is www.whatafellowship.com. 

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mtnviewsnews.com
Weaver, of the Johns Hopkins Applied PhysicsLaboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, pointed outthat New Horizons’ vantage point from about 2,175miles from MU69 will allow it spot details aboutthe size of a basketball court. 

“Combining images with the measurementswe make of the composition of and environmentaround MU69, should teach us a great deal about 


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