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 Mountain Views NewsSaturday, June 8, 2024


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 

[Nyerges is the author of several books including “Self-Sufficient Home” and 
“How to Survive Anywhere.” He also leads wilderness classes every weekend. 
He can be reached at School of Self-Reliance, Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 
90041, or www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com]

PHOEBE AND CHANDLER

Kitten “Friends”

Age Four Months

Adopt Together

In February, a stray and very 
friendly mama cat named 
Rosey, was rescued off the 
streets. Then, in her comfy 
foster home, she gave birth to 
six adorable babies: three girls 
and three boys. We named them after the characters in the “Friends” TV show: Phoebe, 
Monica, Rachel, Ross, Chandler, and Joey (note: Monica and Rachel are adopted). 

Phoebe is a beautiful and sweet dilute calico, and Chandler 
is a brown tabby. Both kittens adore kisses, are playful and 
curious, cuddly and snuggly. We prefer our kittens to be adopt-
ed together, unless there is another young, friendly cat at home. 
They have not been around dogs, but may still be young enough 
to be introduced gradually. They’ll come fully vetted, spayed/
neutered, vaccinated, tested negative, microchipped, and more! 
See more of them at 

www.lifelineforpets.org/phoebe-chandler-joey-ross.html or use 
the qr code.


“THE LORD OF THE FLIES”

A plane crashes on some remote island, and only the British school 
children survive. A classic story of survival begins. The boys –after 
having attended not a single “survival school” -- learn to hunt, make 
shelters, make fire (using Piggy’s spectacles, or eye glasses), and to enjoy themselves. 
After all, with all the adults gone, there’s no one to enforce rules, so we do what we want, 
right? Then the battle for power begins. One side is for some sort of orderly life, and the 
other side wants to live by rule of might.

“Lord of the Flies” has been widely viewed and widely discussed. What does it mean? 
What does it tell us about our basic human nature? Is our desire to do good and 
cooperate with others a skill that must be learned and maintained? Are we essentially 
animals who need to learn to control our animal natures?

The movie (and book) begins with the boys experiencing a sort of innocent paradise, as 
they swim and cavort and learn about foods in their adult-free world. The obvious need 
for leadership results in a vote between Ralph, who represents order and the rule of law, 
and Jack, who represents immediate fulfillment of desires, power, and even savagery. 
Ralph wins the election. 

In the beginning, Ralph and Jack are not depicted as being all that different. Indeed, 
they are friends. Ralph is set on doing the best for all, helping the weak, making sure 
that everyone is fed. Jack seems more intent on his own power ambitions.

A conch shell is chosen as a sign of leadership, and an indication of who has the “floor” 
during meetings. But Jack forms his own band and moves away from Ralph. Jack 
chooses to disregard the blowing of the conch. That choice leads to further division and 
animosity. Eventually, the conch is destroyed when a boulder rolls onto it, symbolizing 
the loss of one of the symbols of their chosen civility, somewhat akin to someone in a 
board meeting tossing the gavel out the window.

Jack’s group steals Piggy’s specs to make fire, another strike at cooperation and civility. 
Jack’s group also lets the signal fire go out, showing that Jack has lost his focus of trying 
to get off the island.

In analyzing The Lord of the Flies, countless analogies have been used to describe the 
social dichotomy that it depicts, such as users vs. takers, or producers vs. consumers, or 
urban vs. rural, or primitive vs. civilized, etc. Perhaps it is the same old story of Cain vs. 
Abel, or the farmers vs. the ranchers. The story has even been used to illustrate political 
parties in various countries. But is it that simplistic? 

Jack and his group finally devolved to the point where murder was justified. Jack and his 
group started to hunt Ralph. Jack’s desire for total power would be solidified with the 
elimination of Ralph (the last opposing force). As Jack’s group chases Ralph along the 
beach, they all confront a force they all have to reckon with – the rescuing sailors. The 
sailors are tall, dressed in white, somber. It’s as if the children butted up against the gods 
of the universe, and now the day of reckoning comes.

A group of men landed on the island and watch in amazement at the behavior of the 
“children”. The look on the children’s faces express their thoughts. Jack realizes his reign 
as a petty tyrant in his island empire is over; Ralph is relieved his life is saved, and now 
he’ll be going back to his real home.

We see something in the childrens’ faces: now 
they have to account for their actions to a higher 
power. The choices that each of us make in life 
have ramification that ripple through our lives. 
“Ralph” and “Jack” represent the choices we 
make. What legacy will we leave? What actions 
will we ultimately be accountable for when the 
sailors get to shore?

The amateur film-makers who created the 
original “Lord of the Flies” did so during the boys’ summer vacation. They tracked the 
lives of the boys who acted in this movie, and the boy-actors were all high achievers in 
their personal lives. The boys later related that making the movie deeply affected them. 
Even though it was described as “just a movie,” many of the boys realized in their 
personal adult lives that it was far better to work hard to choose the upward, inclusive 
way of Ralph, rather than to ever find oneself descending into Jack-ness. The movie is a 
timeless commentary on our society today.


Pet of the Week

 Eight-year-old Odin is a mellow dude who 
is ready to make someone’s home brighter!

Odin is a bit shy- he prefers to meet people 
at his own pace. The Pasadena Humane 
volunteers have been working with him to 
get him more comfortable, and it’s definitely 
working. He loves treats and that has been 
the best way to break the ice (and get him 
“talking”). 

Odin has some vision impairment in one 
eye, but the veterinarians at the shelter have 
given an otherwise clean bill of health. A 
quiet and patient home would be perfect for 
this sweet boy. He’ll surely shower his home 
with love and affection!Odin and all other cats over 6 months old can be adopted at no 
charge throughout June (Adopt-A-Cat Month)!

 The normal adoption fee for cats is $100. All cat adoptions include spay or neuter, 
microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines.

 Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 2:00 – 5:00. For those who prefer, 
adoption appointments are available daily from 10:30 – 1:30, and can be scheduled online. 
View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org.

 New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal 
Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet. 

 Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by 
phone calls or email.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com