Here’s an item to make all Michigan State University grads proud. I attended MSU for just one semester and feel a tinge of pride myself.
MSU has a W. K. Kellogg Biological Station in Hickory Corners, where robots milk the farm’s 100 productive cows.
When told of this my sister said, ‘I hope they warm those udder grabbers first.?
This MSU robotic arm reaches under the cow’s belly, cleans the cow’s udder and then proceeds to do its business without human assistance.
The MSU farm has two robot machines which cost about $250,000 each, and daily production has increased from an average of 65 pounds to 70 pounds per cow.
Electronic collars for the cows, which transmit data, cost $180 each. Cows choose their own schedule. When they feel the releasing urge they walk into a stall. These MSU cows also have special water beds, covered with straw for relaxation time.
An MSU science professor says cows should spend 12 hours a day lying down. My information came from Dick Milliman, of Lansing and an MSU grad, who said the cows? downtime is about the same as regular college students?.
The reason this story got my attention is because it brought back milking days, my brother’s, not mine.
We lived on a farm two miles west of Durand and a mile south of Vernon.
My oldest brother would pull up his 3-legged stool under the cow, push his head against the cow’s belly, get an udder working good, then send a spray of milk toward the nearest barn cat.
Sometimes he’s hit its mouth, but it wasn’t important to him.
I’m sure there’s taxpayer money waiting for the science professor who develops a robot that can direct an occasional spray toward a cat.
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I’m also sure some of the taxpayer money being designated to scientific studies has brought some benefits. Ok, I’m only semi sure, because there’s this one in my three-times-a-week ‘daily? paper.
Government scientists have found a third of male smallmouth bass in U. S. river basins have features of both sexes.
Among largemouth bass only one in five have same-sex features.
This prompts a couple questions. Who cares? Can the bass tell the difference? How much taxpayer money was spent on this study? Have they checked the turtles? Polliwogs? Forget it!
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If you watch television at all I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials for the TP maker which compares its quilted paper to the feel of sable. (Wonder if they got that from a scientific study?)
The advertisers? attention given our tush is second only to mother’s love.
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Quickies:
I’m not your type. I’m not inflatable.
Don’t sweat the petty things. Don’t pet the sweaty things.
Corduroy pillows are making headlines.
Dave Barry quote: ‘If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant’s life, she will choose to save the infant’s life without even considering if there is a man on base.?
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You (I) won’t use this Old Farmer’s Almanac advice, but here’s some on keeping more money.
Out of croutons for the salad or soup? Popcorn is a good substitute.
Reduce wear on your socks by ‘switching feet? when you wear them for the second consecutive time.
Go to schools where students provide services with teachers? supervision.
Get haircuts at beauty schools, dental work at dental schools, meals at cooking schools.
Right!