LONDON (Reuters) - Cows belching and breaking wind cause methane pollution but scientists say they have developed a diet to make pastures smell like roses — almost.

“In some experiments we get a 70 percent decrease (in methane emissions), which is quite staggering,” biochemist John Wallace told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Wallace, leader of the microbial biochemistry group at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, said the secret to sweeter-smelling cows is a food additive based on fumaric acid, a naturally occurring chemical essential to respiration of animal and vegetable tissues.

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GERMANTOWN, Tenn. - A man wearing only socks was arrested along a busy street after witnesses said he fired a gun at afternoon traffic.

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“I couldn’t believe it,” said Eddie Cox, who was driving home from the bank when he saw the naked gunman in this Memphis suburb.

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Two Swiss women who spent a week at a Manhattan hotel have filed a lawsuit saying they had a lousy time trying to sleep there because they were bitten by bedbugs.

Ksenija Knezevic, of Zurich, and Marlies Barisic, of Kreuzlingen, both in their early 30s, say the bloodsucking insects began attacking the night they checked into the Hotel Pennsylvania in September.

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“They were eaten alive,” Ebanks said Wednesday.

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MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — Spending too much of her time at work trying to rescue a squirrel led to a library worker being suspended from her job.

Cindee Goetz said she was suspended last week after she contacted a friend who owns an animal-removal business about the squirrel trapped in the ceiling of a LaPorte County Public Library branch.

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“I don’t want that squirrel to die, either, but I can’t allow a live animal to be headquartered in that building,” (Judy) Hamilton said. “It’s a severe situation I can’t ignore. I’m not running a squirrel condominium here.”

“I don’t make a lot, and whatever I make that’s expendable goes toward helping animals,” (Goetz) said. “But I’m dedicated to doing it.”

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Blog of some guy who eats a different bottle of hot sauce a day….yummy!

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Ever felt your prayers went unanswered? Try sending a letter to God and chances are it will end up — as many do each year — at an Israeli post office in Jerusalem, where they are read and sent on to the holy Western Wall.

The letters come from all over the world in a host of languages. The elderly ask for good health. Others seek heavenly remedies for debts, relationship assistance, or help finding jobs. Children mainly ask God to spring them from homework assignments. The trickle of requests turns into a flood around Christmas and the Jewish holidays.

One writer asked God to answer a friend’s prayers, and in a postscript gives the friend’s address, adding, “But you knew that.”

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BERLIN (Reuters) - A German woman lost more than 5,000 euros ($6,000) after a would-be soothsayer convinced her she was possessed by evil spirits and prescribed an expensive exorcism as a remedy, authorities said Wednesday.

Police in the central town of Northeim said the 44-year-old was told she was possessed by a young woman who read her palm at a Christmas market.

The victim became agitated and agreed to an exorcism at her home the following day, for which she paid the ’seer’ more than 5,000 euros in cash and jewelry.

The exorcist then gave her more bad news — there were other spirits that needed casting out.

“That’s when a bad feeling crept over the victim,” the police said in a statement. “She informed the police forthwith.”

Police have arrested a 17-year-old woman from former Yugoslavia. The victim’s money and jewelry have been returned.

[via Reuters]

The Future Karnies of America have released a podcast just in time for Christmas.

In episode one you’ll hear the “Karnie Christmas Classics”; Randolf the One-Armed Karnie, Carnie Wonderland, Pitchmen We Have Heard on High, 12 Karnie Days of Christmas, The Carnival is Coming to Town &Randolf (’munk re-mix).

BOSTON (Reuters) - Are diamonds really forever?

An anonymous gift-giver left a $15,000 diamond engagement ring to the owner of an unlocked car in western Massachusetts with a typed note hinting at a broken heart.

“Merry Christmas. Thank you for leaving your car door unlocked. Instead of stealing your car I gave you a present. Hopefully this will land in the hands of someone you love, for my love is gone now. Merry Christmas to you,” the note said.

The three-diamond ring with a white-gold band appeared on the seat of the man’s car at a train station in Westborough, about 30 miles west of Boston, on December 7, police said. Four days later, the man reported it to police.

[via Reuters]

TOKYO (Reuters) - An aging Japanese thief felt the gravity of his crime when the weight of his loot tripped him up during his attempted getaway.

The 70-year-old man walked into a post office in the city of Kawagoe, just north of Tokyo, late Friday and poured liquid over the floor, saying he would set off an explosion if he wasn’t given money.

A clerk filled a paper bag the man was carrying with coins worth some 250,000 yen ($2,000) and weighing 22 pounds. As the man ran off, the bag broke under the weight and he stumbled and fell as he tried to pick up the money.

Tsugio Chigira, deputy head of the Kawagoe police station, said the man told police he needed the money to pay back debts.

“He didn’t really want to be a robber, but felt he had no choice.”

[via Reuters]

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Forty drunken Santas rampaged through central Auckland, stealing from stores and assaulting security guards, the New Zealand Herald reported on Sunday, in a protest against the commercialization of Christmas.

Police said some of the Santas threw beer bottles, one tried to climb the mooring rope of a cruise ship and a security guard was punched during the fracas.

“They came in, said ‘Merry Christmas’ and then helped themselves,” convenience store staff member Changa Manakynda told the Herald, which reported the Santas also attacked a Christmas tree.

The event organizer, Alex Dyer, had warned the antics would only stop when someone was arrested, said the Herald, which linked the incident to “Santarchy.”

Santarchy (www.santarchy.com) and online encyclopedia wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) record protests going back around 10 years in the United States, with participants marking Christmas in anti-commercial manner involving street theater, pranks and public drunkenness.

Police said identification was a key issue as they tried to sort out which of the 40 men and women had done what.

“With a number of people dressed in the same outfit, it was difficult for any witnesses to confirm the identity of who was doing what,” Senior Sergeant Matt Rogers told Reuters.

[via Reuters]

Also, see The Rigister.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — With the help of his kids and neighbors, Billy Ray Powers built more than just a snowman — they’ve dubbed his 16-plus-foot-tall creation “Snowzilla.”

After using up all the snow in the family’s yard, they turned to neighbors’ yards and carried buckets on sleds. They hand-packed the snowman like an ice-cream cone.

“It’s solid ice,” he said. “I put the arms in with my power drill.”

It took a month to complete the project. It was too big to use buttons for its eyes, so Snowzilla gazes over the neighborhood from beer bottles.

[read story at CNN]

Would you like fries with that?

Hungry!?

Where’s the beef? It’s at a Pennsylvania pub that serves the world’s biggest burger — weighing in at NINE lip-smacking pounds! That’s no whopper — you can actually get this meat monster for $23.95, loaded with all the fixings: Two whole tomatoes, a half-head of lettuce, 12 slices of American cheese, a full cup of peppers, two entire onions, plus, a river of mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard.

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