Z is for Zvezdochka

Zvezdochka was launched into space on March 25, 1961. He orbited one time in final preparation for the Vostok 1 mission. Zvezdochka was named by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. 

Zvezdochka was sent into space with a wooden cosmonaut dummy in the final practice flight before Gagarin's flight on 12 April. The dummy was ejected out of the capsule while Zvezdochka remained inside. Both were recovered successfully.

During the 1950s and 1960s the USSR used dogs for sub-orbital and orbital space flights to determine whether human spaceflight was feasible. In this period, the Soviet Union launched missions with passenger slots for at least 57 dogs.

 The number of dogs in space is smaller, as some dogs flew more than once. Most survived; the few that died were lost mostly through technical failures, according to the parameters of the test

Y is for Yakult*

Yakult is Dallas' dog in the TV series Suburgatory. This sitcom is about a single father and his daughter who have moved from Manhattan to the suburbs. Yakult seems to be a Cairn Terrier.

*Note:  I don't watch this sitcom nor recommend it. I used it because of the obvious: the dog's name began with a "Y")

X is for Xavier

From the Billings (MT) Gazzette

October 18, 2013 6:00 pm

Xavier is a 10-week-old, gray, neutered male Maine coon mix available for adoption at Help for Homeless Pets. He is fun-loving, social and purrs a lot. Xavier gets along with other cats and dogs. His vaccinations are current, and he will need a rabies shot on Oct. 23; the cost is included in the adoption fee....

Kennel Address:  2910 Hannon Road, Billings, MT 59101

Mailing Address: PO Box 1282, Billings, MT 59103

Email: Hhpmontana@aol.com

406-896-1700

The Strange Fire that Offended God

SERMON            GMT14-015

SETTING:          North Kelso Baptist Church

SERVICE:          Sunday AM

SUBTITLE:        The Strange Fire That Offended God

SCRIPTURE:     Leviticus 10:1-3

SUBJ:                  God protects His glory

SUMMARY:       God will not allow anything to detract from His glory

SCHEME:           That the members of NKBC would resist worshipping God by the means of the flesh

1A     The Problem Deduced  (1a-c)

          1B     The problem is deduced by the actors present

          2B     The problem is deduced by the actions preformed

2A     The Premise Depicted   (1d)

          1B     The premise is depicted by the pattern for ministry

          2B     The premise is depicted by the problem with ministry

3A     The Penalty Determined (2)

          1B     The penalty was determined by God

          2B     The penalty was determined by Guilt

4A     The Purpose Demonstrated   (3)

          1B     The purpose was demonstrated by God’s sentence

          2B     The purpose was demonstrated by Aaron’s silence

W is for Willie

Willie was a Labrador Retriever who on April 26, 2000 saved John Stenglien from a wolf attack at a logging camp in Icy Bay, Alaska. Stenglien was a six year boy who was playing with another boy near the edge of a logging camp. A wolf appeared and chased the boys. The wolf attack John and began dragging him towards the woods.

The boys crying caused many people to run to his rescue. Willie arrived first and confronted the wolf causing the wolf to release and drop the little boy. John's father tracked the wolf and shot and killed it. It was proven not to be rabid, sick, or starving.

The little boy suffered severe bitten. He suffered 19 lacerations and wounds on his back, legs, and buttocks. He survived the attack by the wolf thanks to the heroic efforts of Willie.

(The boy is holding a photo of the wolf that attacked him and his friend.)

V is for Verdell

Verdell was the name of the very cute little fuzz ball that starred in the movie, As Good as it Gets, with Jack Nicholson in 1997. Verdell was played by Jill a Brussels Griffon.

The intelligent and cheerful Brussels Griffon has a terrier-like disposition and is known for his almost human expression. This affectionate breed comes in a variety of colors, including red, belge (black and reddish brown), black and tan, or black. This breed makes a good watchdog and can be taught to perform a variety of tricks. 

U is for Ubu

Ubu was the dog of the television sitcom "Family Ties" producer, Gary David Godlberg. The series was modeled after the "real life" experiences of Goldberg and his wife as they transitioned from "hippies" to suburban family life.

At the end of each show a voice dub over would say "Sit Ubu, sit!" Ubu was a black labrador. Ubu had actually traveled with Goldberg and was a part of his college adventures.

T is for Tweety

Tweety is a fictional bird who was featured in the Warner Brothers cartoon series called Looney Tunes. He was also featured in the animated cartoons called Merrie Melodies. Tweety was also known as Tweety Bird and Tweety Pie.

The name "Tweety" was a play on words. It is the combination of "sweetie" mixed with "tweet" the sound attributed to birds. His cartoon species is "Tweety Bird." His actual species is a yellow canary. For the record Tweety Bird is a male canary.

The the character of Tweety is said to have been based on Red Sketon's "Mean Widdle Kid." Tweety appeared or starred in 49 cartoons. For over 50 years Tweety was voiced by Mel Blanc. Becasue Blanc's cartoon characters often had speech impediments, Tweety had sounds and letters that he could not pronounce correctly, such as the "s" and "k" letters or sounds. Those letters or sounds would sound like "t" tor "d."

S is for Shadowfax

Shadowfax was the horse featured in the trilogy of the rings. He was the Lord of all horses. Shadowfax was a descendant of Felarof from the line of Mearas. The Mearas were considred the greatest horses of Middle-earth.

Shadowfax could understand human speech. He could when needed run faster than even the wind. He belonged initially to the House of Eorl, the Lord of Rohan. However, he turned out to be too wild to be tamed by the Rohirrim. His coat was described as silvery-grey. It was said that Shadowfax could not be seen at night.

Shadowfax was given to Gandalf the Wizzard. Gandalf rode Shadowfax during the seige of Gondor. The Wizzard also rode Shadowfax during the Final Battle at the Black Gate. Gandalf wrote this great and valiant horse home after the ring was destroyed in the fires of Mordor.

Note: I was so impressed with Shadowfax after reading the Trilogy and obtaining the DVD's of the series that I named my boat Shadowfax.

R is for Rin Tin Tin

Born: September 10, 1918, Lorraine, France

Died: August 10, 1932, Los Angeles, CA

Children: Rin Tin Tin, Jr.

Rin Tin Tin was a male German Shepherd dog which was rescued by the American Soldier Lee Duncan from a World War I battlefield. Duncan trained the dog and obtained silent film work which made Rin Tin Tin famous. The Dog went on to appear in 27 Hollywood films bringing much fame and success to Warner Bros. studios. Rin Tin Tin was so famous that he received the most votes for the first Academy Award for Best Actor; however, the academy determined that only humans can hold that honor.

As part of the advances made by the French and American forces during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, U.S. Army corporal Lee Duncan was sent forward on September 15, 1918, to the small French village of Flirey to find a suitable landing ground for military aircraft. The area had been subject to bombs and artillery, and Duncan found a severely damaged kennel which had once supplied the German Army with German Shepherd Dogs. The only dogs left alive in the kennel were a starving mother with a litter of five nursing puppies, their eyes still shut because they were less than a week old.

Duncan rescued the dogs and brought them back to his unit. When the puppies were weaned he gave the mother to an officer and three of the litter to other soldiers, but he kept a male and a female. He felt that these two dogs were symbols of his good luck. He called them Rin Tin Tin and Nanette after a pair of good luck charms called Rintintin and Nénette that French children often gave to the American soldiers.

(Copied From Wikipedia)

The Principles of Justifying Faith

SERMON            GMT14-014

SETTING:          North Kelso Baptist Church

SERVICE:          Sunday AM

SUBTITLE:        The Principles of Justifying Faith

SCRIPTURE:     Romans 4:23-25

SUBJ:                  Christians believe in God

SUMMARY:       Faith is the critical element of Christianity

SCHEME:           That the members of NKBC rest in the evidence of God’s satisfaction by the exercise of faith

         

1A     Justifying Faith believes in God’s Promise                  (Vs. 23)

          1B     The Origination of God’s Promise

          2B     The Clarification of God’s Promise

          3B     The Definition of God’s Promise

2A     Justifying Faith believes in God’s Person          (Vs. 24a)

3A     Justifying Faith believes in God’s Plan              (Vs. 24b)

4A     Justifying Faith believes in God’s Purpose                  (Vs. 25)

1B     God’s Purpose Included a Revelation

          2B     God’s Purpose Included a Rejection

          3B     God’s Purpose Included a Resurrection

Q is for Quacker Jack

The largest duck known to man lives on Long Island. His name is Quacker Jack. He is the mascot of the Long Island Ducks, three time Atlantic League Champions. He is affectionately know around the ball park as “QJ.”

Some facts about Quacker Jack:

·        His birthday is March 18^th

·        He loves to play baseball

·        Apparently he bats and throws both right and left handed

·        He loves to eat! His favorite food is anything that isn’t “foul.”

·        His favorite movie is “Howard the Duck.”

QJ has been the official mascot of the Long Island Ducks since March 18^th, 2000. He is always in the “duck-out” for all the home games at Citibank Park. He got his name from the snack sold at the snack bar, Cracker Jacks and the quaking sound of a duck.

P is for Phil the Gorilla

On September 10, 1941, Phil the Gorilla took up residence at the St Louis

Zoo. Phil weighed a mere 30 pounds when he arrived. He had been captured in Cameroon (then known as French Equatorial Africa) Phil was  was named after Phil Carroll, the collector who brought him to St. Louis.

The St. Louis zoo bought Phil & three other gorillas for a grand total of $14,000. Phil was featured in a park display.

Phil’s weight eventually topped out at 776 pounds. As a result he was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest lowland gorilla in captivity.

His normal diet consisted of 22 pounds of vegetables a day. Interesting enough, Phil loved orange soda. He had at least one a day along with two gallons of milk.

Phil quickly became a zoo favorite. The public grew quite concerned when he became sick and stopped eating. His fans even brought food from their own homes for him in order to entice him to eat. The local newspapers gave daily updates on Phil’s health.

Phil died on December 1^st, 1958. Naturally his death made front page news! An autopsy determined that Phil died of ulcerative colitis. Not to disappoint his fans, Phil was stuffed by Schwarz Studios and was put on display at the zoo.

O is for Old Yeller

“She never cried when old Yeller died

She wasn't washed in the blood of the lamb

She never stood up for the star spangled banner

And she wasn't a John Wayne fan

Her baby blue eyes had the warning signs

That woman was bad to the bone

She never cried when old Yeller died

So do you think I'll cry when she's gone?"

Confederate Railroad- She Never Cried Lyrics

__________________________________

Old Yeller is a children’s book from 1956 written by Fred Gipson. It was illustrated by Carl Burger. The title is taken from the name of the main character in the story which is a dog. Old Yeller was named after his yellowish tinted fur.

A Young boy name Travis Coates was left to take care of his family’s ranch with his mother and younger brother when his dad left on a cattle drive. The story takes place in the 1860’s in Texas. Travis takes in the dog when it unexpectantly shows up one day.

At first Travis does not like the dog and tried to run it off. Naturally the dog earns its keep by saving the family on several occasions. So Travis ends up loving the dog.

However Old Yeller is infected with rabies when it saved the family from a rabid wolf. Travis is forced to kill Old Yeller since the dog has been bitten by the wolf.

N is for Nagini

Harry Potter: 

"You know Voldemort's snake, Neville? He's got a huge snake... Calls it Nagini... It's got to be killed. Ron and Hermione know that, but just in case they — Just in case they're — busy — and you get the chance —"

Neville Longbottom: "Kill the snake?"

Harry Potter: "Kill the snake."

— Harry arranges for Neville Longbottom to kill Nagini, 

“Nagini (d. 2 May, 1998) was a long, green female snake belonging to Lord Voldemort, with whom she had a special bond. She also became a Horcrux, after her master killed Bertha Jorkins in 1994. After Voldemort's initial downfall, he used Nagini's venom as one of the ingredients for a potion in order to regain strength, which eventually led to his rebirth. In 1995, she attacked Arthur Weasley, but he managed to survive. During the Second Wizarding War, she had to be destroyed in order for Voldemort to be finally defeated. Nagini was killed by Neville Longbottom with Godric Gryffindor's Sword in 1998, and was the last Horcrux to be destroyed.”

From Harry Potter WiKi

M is for Mufasa

Mufasa is a very big and powerful male lion. He is the father of Simba. Mufasa has a yellowish fur coat that he apparently inherited from his father. He is known as the “Lion King.”

Mufasa is very strong and has large powerful body. He has a very thick mane. He is very skilled in fighting.

Mufasa appears to be very brave. He is a natural leader. He seems to be very “at home” in his own skin. He portrays a very courageous yet cool and calm demeanor. Mufasa has a temper when riled. He can become very angry.

Mufasa seems to be somewhat philosophical. He once quipped to his son Simba when speaking of bravery:

“I’m only brave when I have to be. Simba, being brave doesn’t mean you go looking for trouble.”

Mufasa died while saving Simba during a stampede caused by hyenas under Mufasa’s brother Scar’s orders. Mufasa is forced off a cliff and was violently trampled.

After Mufasa’s death, Scar is made King over Pride Rock and exiles Simba from home. After suffering from intense guilt while exiled Mufasa reappears to Simba. He commands Simba to return home where Simba confronts his uncle Scar. 

L is for Little Sorrel

Birth:	1850 Somers Tolland County Connecticut, USA
Death:	1886

Little Sorrel was the war horse of General Stonewall Jackson. Little Sorrel was a horse that was captured by Confederate troops at a battle at Harper's Ferry. The horse was given to Mrs. Jackson as a gift who named the horse Fancy.

Stonewall Jackson had been given a horse he named Big Sorrel. That horse was unreliable in battle.  It was terrified of gunfire. So General Jackson “commandeered” Fancy from Mrs. Jackson and renamed him Little Sorrel. The horse was actually smaller and more agile than his previous horse, Big Sorrel.

Jackson was sitting on Little Sorrel at the battle at First Manassas and Bull Run. He actually sat so rigidly that it was said he was like “a stone wall.” Hence he nickname Stonewall Jackson.

Unfortunately for Robert E Lee and the South, Jackson was riding in the dark near Chancellorsville when Confederate troops mistook him for a Yankee and shot him out of the saddle. Doctors amputated his left arm but he died a few days later. 

Little Sorrel was famous and was revered long after the war ended. He was put to pasture at Mrs. Jackson’s home in North Carolina. Later on he was installed as the mascot of the Virginia Military Institute. Many Southerners wanted to see this famous horse and he appeared at hundreds of fairs.

Even old age catches up to a famous war horse. Eventually Little Sorrel could barely walk and he was put to pasture once again at the Confederate Soldier’s Home. A hoist that was used to help little Sorrel to his feet broke breaking the back of the dear horse. He was put out of his misery. His skin was placed on a wooden frame and he stood “at his post” while the rest of his remains were buried at the Virginia Military Institute.

The Presentation of Jesus as King

SERMON            GMT14-013

SETTING:          North Kelso Baptist Church

SERVICE:          Sunday AM

SUBTITLE:        The Presentation of Jesus as King

SCRIPTURE:     Matthew 21: 1-11

SUBJ:                  The Presentation of Jesus

SUMMARY:       Jesus is the King of Israel

SCHEME:           That the members of NKBC worship Jesus as the King

         

1A     Jesus is the Source of Providence    (VSS. 1-3)

          1B     Providence is seen in the purpose for this event

          2B     Providence is seen in the preparation for this event

2A     Jesus is the Subject of Prophecy      (VSS. 4-5)

          1B     Prophecy is known by its source

          2B     Prophecy is knotted by a snag       

3A     Jesus is the Substance of Praise       (VSS. 6-9)

          1B     Praise is seen by the spreading of Coats and Branches

          2B     Praise seen by the shouting of Choruses and Blessings

4A     Jesus is the Stem of Perplexity         (VSS. 10-11)

          1B     Perplexity is seen in the crowd’s inquiry

          2B     Perplexity is seen in the crowd’s ignorance

K is for King Kong

This legendary gorilla has been capturing the public’s imagination since the original black and white film, King Kong, starring Fay Wray, was released in 1933. Since then, his capture from Skull Island and subsequent tragic romance with his human lady friend have been immortalized in remakes such as 2005’s King Kong, directed by Lord of The Ring’s filmmaker, Peter Jackson.  There have been seven films made about King Kong over the years, and King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962), the third in a series of Japanese films about Godzilla, remains a cult classic today.

The King Kong character was conceived and created by U.S. filmmaker Merian C. Cooper. In the original film, the character's name is Kong, a name given to him by the inhabitants of "Skull Island" in the Pacific Ocean, where Kong lives along with other over-sized animals such as a plesiosaur, pterosaurs, and dinosaurs. An American film crew, led by Carl Denham, captures Kong and takes him to New York City to be exhibited as the "Eighth Wonder of the World".

Kong escapes and climbs the Empire State Building (the original World Trade Center in the 1976 remake) as Denham comments, "It was beauty that killed the beast," for he climbs the building in the first place only in an attempt to protect Ann Darrow, an actress originally offered up to Kong as a sacrifice (in the 1976 remake, the character is named Dwan).

J is for Jim the Wonder Dog

In 1925, Jim was born in Louisiana and purchased by Sam Van Arsdale. He was a Llewellin Setter, which is a strain of English setter that was bred to hunt upland game birds. The dogs are not naturally aggressive and are very smart. 

At a young age, Jim quickly made his mark as a great hunt dog. He was so good that Outdoor Life Magazine termed him “The Hunting Dog of the Country.” However, Jim became world famous after it was determined that he could perform some amazing acts on command.

When told to do so, Jim could go out into the street and locate a car by make, color, and license number. Among a crowd of people, Jim was able to identify the “man who sells hardware,” the “man that takes care of sick people,” and the “visitor from Kansas City.” He could understand instructions in any foreign language, shorthand, or Morse code. Jim also displayed psychic ability. If asked, he could guess the sex of an unborn baby. He picked the winner of the Kentucky Derby seven years in a row and also predicted the Yankee victory in the 1936 World Series.

After Jim was featured in the newspapers, his psychic ability was studied by psychologists from different universities. Dr. A. J. Durant, director of the School of Veterinary Medicine, tested his ability in a public demonstration and concluded that Jim “possessed an occult power that might never come again to a dog in many generations.” Journalists from all over the world came to witness Jim’s show and were stunned. His fame spread across the United States and he was featured in Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Jim died on March 18, 1937 and is buried in Marshall’s Ridge Park Cemetery in Missouri.

I is for Itsy

The Itsy Bitsy Spider is an American animated fantasy-comedy television series in the Itsy Bitsy Spider franchise produced by Hyperion Animation. It was broadcast on the USA Network's USA Cartoon Express. 

The series revolves around a little girl named Leslie McGroarty who is befriended by a spider named Itsy. The title character's voice was done by Frank Welker.

Itsy is a harmless spider. He is Leslie's best friend. He is the deuteragonist (second most important) of the series. Itsy Bitsy is also the main protagonist of the short film.

H is for Hanno

Hanno was the name of the pet white elephant given by King

Manuel I of Portugal to Pope Leo X (born Giovanni de' Medici) at his coronation.

Hanno, actually an Asian elephant, which had been brought to Rome in 1514 with the Portuguese ambassador Tristão da Cunha. Hanno quickly became the Pope's favorite animal.

Hanno died two years later from complications of a treatment for constipation with gold-enriched laxative

G is for Gordo

Gordo was one of the first monkeys to travel into space. As part of the NASA space program, Gordo, also known as "Old Reliable", was launched from Cape Canaveral on December 13, 1958 in the U.S. PGM-19 Jupiter rocket on its AM-13 mission.

The rocket would travel over 1500 miles and reach a height of 310 miles (500 km) before returning to Earth and landing in the South Atlantic. A technical malfunction prevented the capsule's parachute from opening and, despite a short search, neither his body nor the vessel were ever recovered.

Gordo was a South American species of squirrel monkey, about one foot tall and weighing between 1 and 1.5 kg. He was chosen for space travel because of his species' similar anatomical makeup to man and sensitivity to changes in temperature.

F is for Faith the Cat

Faith, was a London cat that lived in St Faith & St Augustine's church (by St Paul's Cathedral) during the war. Faith received a PDSA Silver Medal for bravery in caring for her kitten when the church was bombed. Her citation read:

"Faith"

Our dear little church cat of St. Augustine 

and St. Faith. The bravest cat in the world.

On Monday, September 9th, 1940, she endured horrors and perils beyond the power of words to tell.

Shielding her kitten in a sort of recess in the house (a spot she selected three days before the tragedy occurred), shes at the whole frightful night of bombing and fire, guarding her little kitten.

The roofs and masonry exploded. The whole house blazed. Four floors fell through in front of her. Fire and water and ruin all round her.

Yet she stayed calm and steadfast and waited for help.

We rescued her in the early morning while the place was still burning, and

By the mercy of Almighty God, she and her kitten were not only saved, but unhurt.

God be praised and thanked for His goodness and mercy to our dear little pet.

Are You Thirsty? (Part 2)

SERMON                  GMT14-011

SETTING:                 North Kelso Baptist Church

SERVICE:                 Sunday AM

SUBTITLE:              Are You Thirsty? (Part 2)

SCRIPTURE:           Psalm 63

SUBJ:                         Confident expectation

SUMMARY:             The love of God compels genuine believers to develop confidence in God through a passionate thirst for God.

SCHEME:                 That genuine believers resolve to quench their thirst in God

         

2A       God is David’s Delight          (Vss. 5-8)

            1B       The Provision of God           (5)

                        1C       Is spiritual      (5a)

                        2C       Is succulent    (5a)

                        3C       Is substantial  (5a)

            2B       The Pondering of God          (6)

                        1C       The Statement           (6a)

                        2C       The Subject                (6b)

                        3C       The Season                 (6c)

            3B       The Protection of God          (7)

                        1C       Is well founded          (7a)

                        2C       Is well furnished        (7b)

                        3C       Is well favored           (7b)

            4B       The Preservation by God     (8)

                        1C       Secured                      (8a)

                        2C       Supported                  (8b) 

Are you Thirsty? (Part 2)

Psalm 63:5-8

INTRODUCTION

A.    Charles Spurgeon wrote in regards to delighting in Christ… 

"It is joy to all nations that Christ is born, the Prince of Peace, the King who rules in righteousness...Beloved, the greatest joy is to those who know Christ as a Savior...

The further you submit yourself to Christ the Lord, the more completely you know Him, the fuller will your happiness become. Surface joy is to those who live where the Savior is preached; but the great deeps, the great fathomless deeps of solemn joy which glisten and sparkle with delight, are for such as know the Savior, obey the Anointed One, and have communion with the Lord Himself...you will never know the fullness of the joy which Jesus brings to the soul, unless under the power of the Holy Spirit you take the Lord your Master to be your All in all, and make Him the fountain of your intense delight."

B.   Delight is an extremely sought after yet elusive internal experience. Delight is a strong feeling of happiness, it a sensation of great pleasure or satisfaction. Delight is something that makes you very happy and or content.

C.   This world is filled with people who are searching for this experience. People spend the best part and the better part of their lives pursuing the feeling of delight in a number of ways and means. Many people sadly come to the end of their life without ever finding something or someone that they have truly delighted in.

E is for Eddie Eagle

Eddie Eagle is the mascot for a program developed by the

NRA (National Rifle Association) to teach children who are usually considered to young to be allowed to handle firearms. The program is designed for children of any age from pre-school through the third grade.

The program is built around an easily remembered litany to teach the kids how to avoid being hurt when they come in contact with a weapon:

• Stop - take time and remember what to do

• Don't Touch - if you don't touch a firearm you won't be hurt

• Leave the area - when you leave you stop all temptation to pick up the weapon and play with it

• Tell an adult - a grown up will know what to do and will keep you from getting hurt