War and Peace Update.

We have cracked 200 pages! We don't know about Clickege though, but we know their 3.9% done.

Watch Controlled Robot Grabs small items!

It may seem like there's an abundance of robot news lately, but we're just trying to please our mechanical overlords deliver the latest in gadget and technology news. What we've got here is an Arduino-based robo-gripper that serves only to move around and use its 3D printed claws to grab tiny objects that we'd otherwise be too lazy to pick up ourselves. The robot, infused with a Texas Instruments CC1110 dev kit, is controlled using an accelerometer-based Chronos watch and can move in all directions by simply tilting the timepiece. If you want to take a gander at this little guy in action, check out the video past the break -- it's always warming to see humans having the upper hand against the machine.

Long Legacy.

This year Casey Matthews tries to keep the Matthews NFL Family Streak alive.

Early years

Casey Matthews attended Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California. During his junior year, he recorded 132 tackles and four quarterback sacks. As a senior, he recorded 158 tackles, ten sacks, and twointerceptions. The Oak Christian Lions posted a 15-0 record as the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division III state champions and finished as the sixth-ranked team in the USA Today national rankings. That season he was named a Long Beach Press-Telegram "Best in the West" honorable mention player. As both a junior and senior, Matthews was named an all-Tri Valley League player, defensive player of the year, and all-county player. SuperPrep ranked him among the top-ten linebackers in the state of California and Scout.com ranked him in the top-25 in the nation.^[1]

Matthews was rated a three-star prospect by Scout.com and Rivals.com. He received scholarship offers from Oregon, Arizona State, California, Clemson, Colorado,Georgia Tech, Tennessee,^[2] San Diego State, Utah, and Mississippi.^[3]

College career

Casey Matthews majored in Economics while enrolled at Oregon.

As a true freshman in 2007, Matthews saw action in the first 11 games including one start against Arizona. He recorded 18 tackles including 11 solo. After suffering a shoulder injury, he did not participate in the game against Oregon State or the 2007 Sun Bowl.^[1]

In 2008, he saw action in all 13 games and recorded 67 tackles including 13 tackles for loss and two sacks.^[4] Matthews compiled a career-high of nine tackles three times, against California, Stanford, and Oklahoma State. He finished as the team's sixth-leading tackler and third in terms of tackles for loss, with 13.0 for 44 yards.^[1]College Football News included him among their "120 Players To Know" and wrote that he is "fundamentally sound, he diagnoses plays well and has a knack for filling the proper lane, a couple of keys to being a successful inside linebacker."^[4] Matthews had a great final game against Auburn in a 22-19 loss, where he forced a fumble from behind Heisman winner Cam Newton, which led to a game-tying score late in the fourth quarter.

Personal

His father, Clay Matthews, Jr., played football as an All-American at USC and had a 19-year professional football career in the National Football League.^[1] His grandfather,Clay, Sr., and uncle, Bruce, both played in the NFL as well, and his brother, Clay, was selected in the 2009 NFL Draft and put up great numbers in the 2011 Super Bowlbeing the runner up for the 2011 defensive player of the year award and won the superbowl.^[4] His cousin, Kevin, is a center for the Tennessee Titans. His brother Kyle was also a walk-on at USC.

Race with Clickege.

Currently we are in a race with Clickege to see who can finish War and Peace first. They are on page 110 we are on page 150! We are in the lead!

Great Story by Stephan Pastis

In November, I ran this strip:

Unfortunately, it elicited an angry email, which you’ll see below.

Now normally when I get angry emails, I ignore them.  But sometimes due to the sensitive nature of the complaint, I have to take it a little more seriously and give it a more thoughtful reply.

So here is the complaint:

From: (Name Deleted)
Subject: Recent Strip re Italian Opera
To: theratandpig@aol.com

Why do the various vermin who infest and infect the various media venues find it necessary to continually insult not only Italian-Americans, but also Italian culture as well?  Why dont you miserable, cowardly bigots pick on some other group for a change?

And here is my reply.

From:         theratandpig@aol.com
To:                   (name deleted)
Date:               February 26, 2011

What group would you suggest?

He hasn’t written back.

War and Peace Update, and New Book Time!

While posting about the new book I'm reading I also wanted to update you on War and Peace. So far I'm on page 100. Now for the new book. The New Book I'm reading is Skyclan's Destiny. It is a Warriors Super Edition, Which means it is in the mini-series.

War and Peace.

You may have heard of the book War and Peace which is 1,475 pages long on a 2006 edition, but I'm reading it on the Ipad which makes it 4,353 pages long. Below is a short summary of the book.

War and Peace (Russian: Война и мир, Pre-reform Russian: «Война и миръ») is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, published in 1869. The work is epic in scale and is considered one of the most celebrated works of fiction.^[1] It is regarded as Tolstoy's finest literary achievement, along with his other famous work Anna Karenina (1873–1877).

War and Peace delineates in graphic detail events leading up to the French invasion of Russia, and the impact of the Napoleonic era on Tsarist society, as seen through the eyes of five Russian aristocratic families. Portions of an earlier version were serialized in the magazine The Russian Messenger between 1865 and 1867. The novel was first published in its entirety in 1869.^[2]Newsweek in 2009 ranked it top of its list of Top 100 Books.^[3]

Tolstoy himself, somewhat enigmatically, said of War and Peace that it was "not a novel, even less is it a poem, and still less an historical chronicle."^[4]

Bowling Scores!

Above you see a picture of the bowling scores. S is Sage Hook, The sister of yours truly, The T is Tanner Robinson, Friend of Sage, The D is for Drake Hook, yours truly, The L is for Logan Drake, Founder of Clickege, and the F is for Flint Drake the father of Logan Drake.

My Pig.

Drake in Centerville.

Last week I brought you my adventures in Des Moines, well now I'm in Centerville,Iowa. First off Pizza Hut!

The Mapple Store. The Simpsons

 Lisa discovers a "Mapple store" has appeared in the Springfield Mall, complete with "myPods," "myPhones," and even a "Brainiac Bar." Comic Book Guy wants to know why OS 4.2 is built so poorly, and Krusty the Klown wants to get rid of his myPod.

Mapple CEO "Steve Mobbs" also makes an appearance, with typical Simpsons hilarity ensuing. While not particularly biting social commentary, the sketch pokes fun at Apple Mapple customers' willingness to shell out big bucks for their products.

Funny Comic Strip.

Big Nate Comics

Height Difference?

Your's Truly.

You may wonder what I'm doing.... Well We recently got Show Pigs so I was cleaning up the area. So There.

Show Him Your Badge (Thanks to Brad Hook BS)

DEA officer stops at a ranch in Texas, and talks with an old rancher. He tells the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs." Rancher says, "Okay, but do not go in that field over there," as he points out the location.

The  DEA  officer verbally explodes saying, " Mister,  I have the authority of the Federal Government with me."  Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removes his badge and proudly displays it to him.  "See this badge?  This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish.... On any land.  No questions asked or answers given.  Have I made myself clear?  Do you understand? "

Rancher nods politely, apologizes, and goes about his chores.

A short time later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the DEA officer running for his life chased close behind by the rancher's prize bull.

With every step the bull is gaining ground on the officer, and it seems likely that he'll get "horned" before he reaches safety.  The officer is clearly terrified.  The old rancher throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs.....

"Your badge. Show him your BADGE!!!"

Would You... Could You... Go (Thanks Brad Hook BS)

Public toilet in Houston.

OUTSIDE

INSIDE....

Made ENTIRELY of one-way glass.

Many of My Hats.

I myself have a ton of hats below I will show you all of the hats I have.

Orange Puma Monoline Hat

Reebok Colts Flatbrim Hat

NFL Superbowl XLV Reebok Flatbrim Hat (Sorry it's not flatbrim couldn't find a picture.)

New Era New York Yankees Hat

Black Florida Gators Hat

Remembering an Old Friend, Lilo and Stitch.

I used to love this show when I was little and was sad when the show ended below is and explanation of the show and the plot.

Lilo & Stitch is a 2002 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released on June 21, 2002. The 42nd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, it was written and directed by Chris Sanders andDean DeBlois, and features the voices of Sanders, Daveigh Chase, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, and Jason Scott Lee. Lilo & Stitch was the second of three Disney animated features produced primarily at the Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida studio located at Walt Disney World's Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida. Lilo & Stitch was nominated for the 2002 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, which ultimately went to Hayao Miyazaki's film, Spirited Away, which was also distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.

A direct-to-video sequel, Stitch! The Movie, was released on August 26, 2003. This was followed by a television series, Lilo & Stitch: The Series, which ran from September 20, 2003 to July 29, 2006. A second direct-to-video sequel, Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, was released on August 30, 2005. A third and final direct-to-video sequel, Leroy & Stitch, was released on June 27, 2006 as the conclusion to the TV series.

Plot

Dr. Jumba Jookiba is put on trial by the galactic governing body for illegal genetic experiments, including Experiment 626: an aggressive and cunning creature that is nearly indestructible. Jumba is imprisoned while 626 is set to be exiled on a desert asteroid. However, during transport on Captain Gantu's ship, 626 escapes to the Planet Earth. The Grand Councilwoman orders Jumba to work with Agent Pleakley to recover 626 discreetly. 626 survives his escape attempt to Earth, landing on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, but is knocked unconscious by a passing truck, and is taken to an animal shelter because he is believed by the truck drivers to be a breed of dog.

After the recent death of their parents in a car accident, 19-year-old Nani Pelekai is looking after her younger, more rambunctious sister, Lilo. They are visited by Cobra Bubbles, a social worker, who is concerned that Nani cannot take adequate care of Lilo. He considers putting Lilo into foster care, but Nani is very much against this idea, as Lilo and she are the only remaining members of her family; Lilo does not help as she does not understand what may happen. After hearing Lilo in her room pray to be given a friend (Lilo has no "real" friends because every girl in her class bullies her), Nani agrees to allow Lilo to adopt a dog. At the shelter, Lilo immediately takes a keen interest in 626, despite serious misgivings that Nani and the shelter worker have about him being a dog. Lilo names 626 "Stitch," and shows him around Hawaii; Stitch quickly discovers escape is impossible as he would sink and drown past the island to the sea.

As Nani attempts to find a job, she is forced to bring Lilo and Stitch with her. Lilo uses the time to try to curb Stitch's aggressiveness by encouraging him to behave like Elvis Presley, whom she calls a "model citizen." Stitch's antics, although at times foiling Jumba and Pleakley's attempts to capture him, also ruin Nani's chances of getting a job. David, a friend of Nani's, sees her at the beach, where she was trying to get a job as a lifeguard. David suggests they go surfing to improve her mood. While Nani, Lilo and Stitch ride on a huge wave, Jumba makes one more effort to capture Stitch from underwater; as a result, it appears as if Stitch attempted to drown Lilo. Although everyone gets safely to shore, Cobra saw the whole thing and tells Nani he will come by in the morning to take Lilo away from her. After Stitch sees how much trouble he has caused, he leaves, with Lilo saying "I'll remember you though. I remember everyone who leaves."

The next morning, as Nani waits for Cobra to arrive, David tells Nani of a job offer that she must respond to. Nani tells Lilo to stay at home while she goes to secure the job. Stitch, hiding in the nearby woods, encounters Jumba, who reveals that Stitch can never have a family or "belong" because he was just built to destroy. Stitch races to Lilo's house, followed by Jumba firing at Stitch with his gun. The two fight, Lilo quickly phoning Cobra for help. The house is ultimately destroyed by the end of the fight, with Nani and Cobra returning shortly after.

As Nani and Cobra argue over Lilo's well-being, Lilo slips away to hide in the forest and finds Stitch, who reveals his true alien form to her. While she says how he ruined everything, they are both captured by Captain Gantu, and he makes to leave Earth. Nani is shocked to see Gantu putting Lilo and Stitch in a container pod and taking off in the ship. Stitch, however, escapes from the container before the ship takes off. Nani then realises Stitch isn't what she thought he was, and demands he speak, just as Lilo always said he did. While once again trying to capture Stitch, both Jumba and Pleakley are revealed to Nani, and tell her that they do know Lilo, and they can both get her back. Stitch, with help from Jumba's ship and by launching a gas tanker truck out of a volcano, is able to free Lilo and stop Gantu. After they land, they find that the Grand Councilwoman has arrived nearby, in order to capture Stitch personally. However, when she sees Stitch has learned to talk and bonded with Nani and Lilo, she realizes he has become a civilized creature. Using Lilo's certificate of Stitch's ownership as proof, the Councilwoman asserts that Stitch is now a part of Nani and Lilo's family, and lets him live his exile on Earth with the humans as his warders. As her guards take Gantu away, she doesn't let Pleakley or Jumba return on her ship, and orders Cobra, a former CIA agent who previously met the Councilwoman at Roswell, to keep an eye on the new family. Stitch, Jumba and Pleakley become integrated into Lilo's family, and the house is rebuilt with the help of the three.

Good Book.

While I'm still reading the Battle of the Clans I finished a book from the Big Nate series called Big Nate from the Top. I read it in about 1 hour but it's still 203 pages.

Homework Assignment.

While doing homework for my Social Studies class I had to read a newspaper about Lewis and Clark the newspaper was called Iowa Studies Weekly and I found it interesting so I thought I would share it with you. Your Welcome!

Awesome Comic!

My new favorite comic is Big Nate!

Big Nate is an American comic strip written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce. The strip revolves around Nate Wright, a rebellious sixth-grader, and his classmates and teachers. Nate is portrayed as a boy with little interest in studies or conforming to standards. Because of this, he often ends up in detention. Some of the staff at the school include Mrs. Godfrey (Nate's social studies teacher and chief faculty nemesis), art teacher Mr. Rosa, Principal Nichols, Mrs. Shipulski, and Mrs. Czerwicki. Nate's best friends include Francis Pope and Teddy Ortiz. In recent strips they formed a garage bandnamed Enslave the Mollusk.

Answering questions from fans in the Washington Post,^[1] Peirce revealed the following about the creation of the strip:

Big Nate started out as more of a "domestic humor" strip than it is now. It was my intention to feature a lot of stories about Nate's single dad, and all the comic possibilities inherent in that. But before too long, I realized that the part of the strip that I enjoyed most was the school humor. I'd been a teacher myself, and schools can be very funny places.

The character is also the focus of a virtual island in the online children's game Poptropica. Two chapter books have been released with at least two more planned. The first in a series of collections of previously published comic strips is also available.