"Experts say the slow digestive system of cows makes them a key producer of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that gets far less public attention than carbon dioxide.

In a bid to understand the impact of the wind produced by cows on global warming, scientists collected gas from their stomachs in plastic tanks attached to their backs.

The Argentine researchers discovered methane from cows accounts for more than 30 per cent of the country’s total greenhouse emissions…

Scientists are now carrying out trials of new diets designed to improve cows’s digestion and hopefully reduce global warming. Silvia Valtorta, of the National Council of Scientific and Technical Investigations, said that by feeding cows clover and alfalfa instead of grain “you can reduce methane emissions by 25 percent”.

our sad wil riffs come easy in that case,
thinking you over,
knowing you resting, who was reborn to rest,
your gorgeous sentence is done.

Brilliant.

I've been re-reading Berryman's Dream Songs -- which, I admit, I do every few months without prompting -- after reading Beth Ann Fennelly's take on his work in her new book, Unmentionables. Fennelly does an amazing job taking on Berryman's language and form, but as much as I am interested in the similarities between the series, I'm perhaps more interested in the differences. As the title suggests, Fennelly's poems take as their subject all of those things which are unmentionable in our society -- the heedless impulses of destruction which lead us to tip an innocent cow just because we can, the presence of lust in places which we consider lustless, the insistence of lusts we don't want to be lusting, the insistence of memories we don't want to be insistent -- even the idea that, at the bottom of it, our national obsession with nostalgia is essentially an obsession with ourselves, a kind of nationally authorized self-importance. I think that it's arguable that Berryman's poems often tread the same territory, but, whereas Berryman pften brought our Huffy Henry and Mister Bones as characters to voice his confession, Fennelly speaks through the sheer and stark I. It's interesting to see the difference in tone this creates, and has lead me to re-imagine Berryman's poems -- what if "Henry" had always been "I"? How would the work be different?

Of course, Berryman does use the "I" -- as he does in what is perhaps my favorite Dream Song -- number 22, "Of 1826" -- and, as it is almost the fourth of July, I would be remiss if I did not post it! The poem refers to one of those weird facts of American history that fascinate me to no end -- the fact that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4th, 1826. Incidentally, a friend once gave me a recording of Berryman reading this -- it's been a staple on my iTunes ever since. Definitely worth searching for -- I tried to upload it, but couldn't figure out how to do so. In vain, in vain, in vain, indeed.

Dream Song 22: Of 1826

I am the little man who smokes & smokes.
I am the girl who does know better but.
I am the king of the pool.
I am so wise I had my mouth sewn shut.
I am a government official & a goddamned fool.
I am a lady who takes jokes.

I am the enemy of the mind.
I am the auto salesman and lóve you.
I am a teenage cancer, with a plan.
I am the blackt-out man.
I am the woman powerful as a zoo.
I am two eyes screwed to my set, whose blind-

It is the Fourth of July.
Collect: while the dying man,
forgone by you creator, who forgives,
is gasping 'Thomas Jefferson still lives'
in vain, in vain, in vain.
I am Henry Pussy-cat! My whiskers fly.

ख़ुश-रू तेरी मीठी-मीठी बातें
उफ़ तौबा यह हिज्र की रातें
धुँधले-धुँधले चाँद के चेहरे
गुज़र रही हैं मिसरी जैसी रातें

सोया जाऊँ यह रात तो गुज़रे
सुबह आयें तेरे ख़ाब सुनहरे
मुझको जगा दे उससे मिला दे
यार से मिलके यह ख़िज़ाँ उतरे

महक रहे हैं जो फूल गुलाबी
मद्धम धूप इनपे बिछा दी
अपने दिन यूँ ही गुज़रते हैं
किसकी आँखों ने शाम दिखा दी

Grant, O Lord, that the course of this world may be peaceably governed by Your providence; and that Your Church may joyfully serve You in confidence and serenity; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

This prayer has some of the greatest modifiers the Church could ever hope to pray for.  Imagine: us, Christ's Body and Bride, His beloved people, ... peaceably governed... joyfully serv[ing]... in confidence and serenity... Picture that Church!

That's what the season of Pentecost is about.  A season to remind us Who is Boss, and for us to rest in that knowledge; for us to put down our swords and pick up our plowshares, and to, side by side, hand in hand, "joyfully serve".

I have nothing to add to this; I just want to draw your attention to that picture, that unity, that... rightness.

Our pastor here in La Paz, the guy who, along with his wife has been kind enough to do an English-Speaking service for a few Americans, a couple of New Zealanders and a British missionary all these months, had a story to share about God's peaceable governing and the strange way it sometimes looks.

Upon returning to Bolivia from the States about 13 years ago, their first child, a son, was stillborn.  In the aftermath, they waited for comfort and encouragement, but it didn't seem like it was gonna come.  Many well-meaning people said the usual stupid things.

Then, one day, shortly before the funeral, the pastor sensed a tiny voice telling him, "Your son has fulfilled his ministry".  This was, he thought, an outlandish thought; he hadn't even had a chance to live, let alone minister!

But then, at the funeral, a man, a Baptist missionary, sat down beside him, put his arm around him...

... My friend the pastor thought another failed word of comfort was coming...

... And he said, "Your son has fulfilled his ministry."  He got up, and rejoined the others at the funeral.

Then my pastor's eyes were opened; he looked around and realized what this had meant: pastors from the community, who for years had fought over doctrinal non-essentials, and who never spoke or fellowshipped, were hugging, praying, weeping together.

The death of this precious child had brought them together.

I don't know that God took the child, but I know He used the tragedy to create something new.  What happened was rather remarkable; this tragedy woke these clergy up to the realization that our petty squabbles, our doctrinal cold wars, our liberal or conservative fundamentalism, are blinding us to the things that really matter: bearing one another's burdens, standing side by side, building up the Body of Christ.

Peaceably.  Joyfully.  In confidence and serenity.

Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, You have given to us Your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of Your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see You in Your one and eternal Glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Mike Mason, in the best marriage ever, The Mystery of Marriage, wrote that human love and marriage is a testimony to God as Trinity - an eternally loving community of Father, Son and Spirit.

That's a great thing to ponder.

But, I'm not really going to reflect on the Trinity today (besides, Mike Mason's thoughts above are worth a lifetime of thought and worship).  Since I was rather undisciplined last week, and didn't write anything about Pentecost, I'm gonna backtrack and write about this season we have entered.  Read on.

Ahhh! The season of (most people say, "after") Pentecost. A lot of people call it "ordinary time". It is loooooong.  For those who, like me until four years ago, are unfamiliar with it, this season lasts from last Sunday until (this year) November 30, when Advent begins the new Christian year.  For people who don't like ordinary things, "ordinary time" can be a real drag.

But all is not lost, brothers and sisters.  The reason this season is looooooong, from my humble observations and reading, is that it is the season of the Church's life that represents the Church's ministry to the world as we await the Advent, the coming return of Christ.  Christ's Bride has been waiting, and working, hoping in the blessed assurance of His coming for over two thousand years.  Indeed, this season is long.

But it's not - again, in my humble opinion - really all that ordinary!  It's meant to be a time of vibrant ministry, of joyously and faithfully being Christ's hands, feet, eyes, ears and voice in the world.

May this be the most un-ordinary of seasons for you!

The Solid State Gamer is looking toward checking out Hang On For the Sega Master System. How well does this ported title stand up to its arcade counterpart? Only time will tell. Aside for this first look into Hang On, some attention will be paid toward reviewing and rating portable platform titles as well as the hardware and peripherals on which all these games are played. Also, we may start a small segment for the site devoted to the collecting of vintage games and possibly some venues in which they are played.

Good Morning, Here is a second cartoonish attempt to make fun.

The drawing is an ACEO, measuring 2.5 inches x 3.5 inches.  Small enough to collect.

You could slip it into a protective plastic sleeve that has magnets on the back............to put it on your refrigerator.

Remember when you came home from school with a drawing, and Mom would put it on the front of the refrigerator for all to see, next to the grocery list?!  Remember how you felt?  Would prouder than a peacock describe the feeling?

After some long years of Forex and virtual market studies, our team decided to start this litle project, and we hope for the best.

Today we believe the team is on the right track, and we want to help you grow, to grow with us.

You invest with us, we reinvest, and at the end of your plan your money and profit will be handed out to you in that exact day.

Our rates may be smaller than those offered by other programs, but we present you 100% risk free plans, and we take full responsability over the capital invested by you.

Thank you for youre trust.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Após longos anos de estudos no mercado Forex e mercados de acções virtuais, a nossa equipa decidiu começar este pequeno projecto, que esperamos que se expanda.

Hoje em dia a equipa já se encontra no trilho certo, e queremos ajuda-los a crescer, a crescer conosco.

Você investe conosco, nós reinvestimos, e posteriormente no final do plano as suas receitas serão entregues no dia.

Os lucros podem ser mais baixos que noutros programas, mas, por outro lado, apresentamos-lhe planos sem risco, sendo nossa responsabilidade o capital investido.

Obrigado pela sua confiança

I think they are so cute.

Close-up shots of noses.

Of course, I think critter behinds are cute, too. But I don't want to be caught on the farm, following around my critters trying to get a picture of their patooties.

Imagine the gossip!

 My neighbors would think I'm insane. Don't you think?

So, I'm gonna stick to getting pictures of the other end.

This all started a few years ago, when a friend, who has cows, gave me a close-up shot of a cow's nose. I was smitten and a little amused. I'm gonna try to find it, to add to this post.

Here are some of the pictures in my collection. Remember, I'm just getting started. So there's not many.

One of my dogs. Nanook

This is a friend's cat. She took this with her camera phone.

 One of my horses. Haley.

And a giraffe nose, from the St. Louis Zoo.

Getting a good picture of a critter nose is not easy. You have to get them to hold still long enough for the camera to focus. That's the hard part.

Go ahead, try it.

I would love for you to join in with me. Take snap shots of your favorite critter noses and contact me. The pictures don't have to be perfect. Just look at mine! Just a critter nose.

I'll get the link for your picture and add it to my collection.

Once, I have several new pics, I'll make a new post and show them off. Be sure to send me your name and URL. So I can add a link to your site.

I'm gonna leave this up over the weekend, so you'll have plenty of time to get those noses.

Come on, join the fun. It's not easy. But it's fun!

Let's see how many noses we can collect!

1. Skee Ball Tournament
2. Summer Scrapbook (or do an event book)
3. Grow a Plant
4. Ride a Tandem Bike
5. Play a Card Game
6. Pick some Flowers (press in a book)
7. Blow Bubbles
8. Buy Funny Sunglasses and where them out
9. Fly a Kite
10. Research a Topic Online
11. Go Backyard Camping
12. Finish a Book
13. Water Fight
14. Volunteer
15. Catch Bugs
16. Start a Collection
17. Play Tag (Maybe in the Rain)
18. Go to a Free event in your community
19. Pick up litter (with gloves)
20. Sponge Football
21. Picnic
22. Keep a Journal or Diary
23. Make Homemade Gifts for the Holidays Coming Up :)
24. Miniature Golf
25. Develop a new Talent
26. Make Slushies             

Recipe and Picture found here - http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/sinister-slushies-recipe.htm 

Now print this list off and check them as you go.  Finish them all and no one will be saying they are bored this summer.  Well I can't guarantee that but they will have fun along with being bored too :)

Have a "Productive" Summer!

Anyway, I've also been cleaning up my room a lot. Saturday I sat down on the floor and cut out from all my Seventeen magazines and glued all of the makeup tips on construction paper and made a thick "look book". It was a mess! I had glue all over me and had pages sticking together...oopsie. But then I watched Because of Winn Dixie and that made me happy. I still have to load up all my Teen Vogue magazines and get rid of them. Ugh! I'm never gonna collect magazines for a year like this again. It's stupid cuz I hardly even use the "fashion advice" the magazines put unless its something I really like and is something I'd actually do.

I don't usually clean up my room unless I absolutely have to...but since I'm trying to "decorate" it which has been kinda sucky cuz I don't know what I want and where I want it. I don't want a wall covered with pics from magazines. Sooo ohhh I don't know. I do plan on decorating it and finishing it this summer...'not sure how though. Oh say, I listened to Eisley's new CD, Combinations for the first time today. I love it-especially "Combinations",thats my fav song. I listened to the CD on my MP3 player all the way through and then backwards! LOL!

The 210 piece set took me 25 minutes and was a hell of a lot of fun. The bus has 6 wheels, a lift-off roof and comes with a ticket booth and bus stop. The parts are pretty simple to assemble and turn out amazing.

Bad-Ass Meter: 4.5/5 (I think the price was a bit much)

Why? Look at the picture, it's an amazing set for $5.00

After putting the 72 pieces together, this is what you get, and for $5, this set yet again gets 5/5 from me.

+ About 10 more sets I have yet to open and build. Stay tuned!

Bad-Ass Meter: 5/5 (I would rate it a 10 if I could, but that's against the Bad-Ass rules)

Now all I am missing fron the Speed Racer collection is 8160: Cruncher Block & Racer X. Enjoy!

Have a look:

5/28 UPDATE: Check the rest of my blog for builds and reviews of these sets and other LEGO's I'm building currently.

Stephen Jacobson, a design engineer has created an exoskeleton that can increase his strength 20 times normal. It is a robotic suit that a man fits inside and can accomplish tasks that no normal human could even dream of doing. Jameson works for the development and design firm, Sarcos Inc. in Salt Lake City and is under a two year contract with the U.S. Army. Talk about reminiscent of Tony Stark and Stark industries. Though the suit is much bulkier than Ironman's streamlined sci-fi look, it is only in the beginning stages but it does operate with many of the same principles in mind. Sarcos' Jacobsen envisions factory workers someday using the technology to perform manual labor more easily, and firefighters more quickly carrying heavy gear up stairwells of burning buildings. Disabled people also may find uses for the technology. "We see the value being realized when these suits can be built in great numbers for both military and commercial uses, and they start coming down in cost to within the range of the price of a small car," said Jacobsen. From Comic to reality, we could have a bunch of Ironmen running around. I think Marvel Comics should ask for royalties on this one.

CAN'T EVEN TRUST A SCOUT ANYMORE.

A former Bethlehem, Pennsylvania woman will serve up to 23 months in prison for having her 7-year-old son dress as a Cub Scout to collect money for a nonexistent cause. Now that's just low. Sally Ann Gombocz, 51, told a Northampton County judge she wanted to apologize to anyone she hurt. I'll bet she did. Getting your kid to panhandle as a cub scout is seriously twisted. She previously pleaded guilty to theft by deception and corruption of a minor. Gombocz had her boy tell people he was raising money for a camping trip and collected all of $69. Gombocz was sentenced Friday to six to 23 months in the county slam. She also was fined $2,000, ordered to perform community service, take parenting classes, have psychological counseling and submit to random urine screens. She also must pay restitution. I wonder if it was all worth it? That's what you get for trying to give the scouts a black eye.

WHAT ARE THESE GUYS PHOTOGRAPHING?

OK, they didn't teach me about this in my photography class. Check out where these cameras are aimed. How come I never get invited to these kinds of photo ops? People are aressted for taking these kinds of pictures. Actually I've written about people arrested for taking these kinds of pictures. It appears, in Asia, anything goes, including the lens up the skirt.

GIRLFRIEND STABS BOYFRIEND ACCIDENTALLY DURING WEIRD SEX.

Catherine McCoubrey, 25, and her 24-year-old partner had been drinking heavily. It's amazing how alcohol would figure into this. He apparently asked her to carve the shape of a heart in him during what prosecutors called "rough sex" in February 2007, but unfortunately, she pressed too deeply. Someone has been living in the woods too long. Defence lawyer John McAmmond said the unnamed victim introduced his client to "body modification", and had carved himself with knives before. Get a hobby. I'm thinking, something that doesn't deal with sharp objects. McCoubrey, from Winnipeg in Canada, has now been given three years' probation after pleading guilty to assault. The boyfriend has taken her back. Someone put the knives away.

VINCE YOUNG PARTY ANIMAL

Another NFL Quarterback parties hard. Vince Young was caught in a bar in Austin, Texas, throwing back tequila with the best of them. Matt Leinart was caught about a month ago doing beer bongs with sorority girls at his house. It appears Young took this as a challenge and is trying to outdo Leinart. Vince forgot one very important thing though, the sorority girls! It appears from these pictures that Vince may have walked into the wrong bar. I wonder if they're listening to the Village People? Is this a male topless bar? Are those bedroom eyes looking at Vince in the second picture? Could he be the Tennessee Titan?