2011 in review

Posted on 31/12/2011 by Grumpa Joe
Sydney Opera House viewed from the side

Image via Wikipedia

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

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Sewer Rats United

Posted on 30/12/2011 by Grumpa Joe
Rat!

Image by dharder9475 via Flickr

After the rant I posted yesterday, I decided to form a new organization “Sewer Rats United of America (SRUA),” or maybe it should be “United Sewer Rats of America (USRA),”  or maybe the “Tea Party Sewer Rats United (TPSRU).”  Actually, after seeing all that in print I think “Sewer Rats United (SRU)” is the best and easiest to remember. At my age it can’t be too complicated or I’ll forget it for sure.

“Sewer Rats United ” dedicates itself to flushing the offal out of the political system. We will work underground in the Capitol sewers of America in the dark of night to be invisible to the mortal enemy, the money-grabbing, power-hungry politician.

Our weapon will be words. Yes, words of expose.  Our secret weapon is the Vote.  Our atomic weapon is grass roots organizing of our friends and neighbors.

Membership is limited to Tea Party Patriots i.e. Sewer Rats who believe in GOD, the Constitution, capitalism, and a strong National Defense. If you lack any of the four beliefs, the Sewer Rats United is not for you.

Membership demands your time, talent, and effort to convince fellow Americans that real change, defined as change to the way Washington works, not, undefined change that infers a move toward socialism. Sewer Rat United change is the elimination of big money lobbyists who buy and control the political scum of Congress. SRU change also includes a complete overhaul of the tax code to one that is fair to all Americans. One that includes even those who do not now pay taxes. Even the most destitute must pay something for the privilege of living in the greatest country on earth.

Sewer Rats United demands complete allegiance to the cause, and will not tolerate flip-flopping or wishy-washy performance by members. Only complete annihilation of all socialist trends, ideas, factions, movements, and political scum constitutes victory.

Your job, if you choose to accept it, will be to fight to the death as a soldier-sewer rat in the cause of reclaiming the greatest country on earth and to reestablishing capitalism as the greatest economic system known to raise the poor from the plight of the socialist nanny-state.

The initiation fee is $1000.00, monthly dues are $100. Make checks payable to “Grumpa Joe, Sewer Rat in Charge”.

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I’ve Been Kindlized

Posted on 29/12/2011 by Grumpa Joe
The back of the Amazon Kindle 2

Image via Wikipedia

Peggy reads a lot and spends time perusing library book sales to buy hard cover books of her favorite authors. She has several large boxes filled with bargain books. She keeps a log of those she buys and takes it with her when she shops a sale to avoid duplications.   She always carries a book to read during wait times wherever we go for appointments. She has been on the same book for a year. Often reading only a paragraph or two while sitting in a doctor’s waiting room.

This Christmas, one of her beautiful grand daughters gifted her with a Kindle. It remained in the box for several days. She had no interest. I finally asked her to let me see it. I wanted to learn how to use it so when she did get ready to use it, I could teach her how. It took me about an hour to learn to navigate its functions, to set it up on the wireless network, and link it to my Amazon account. Now when the darn thing fires up it says “Joe’s Kindle.”

To get things rolling, I downloaded a sample of the number one book on the New York Times Best Seller List. The book is “The List” by J.A. Konrath and Jack Kilborn. It appeared on the device within minutes.

Peggy watched me play with the buttons and flip from one page in the Kindle Store to another. She told me she would get started using the thing right after she finished the book she was reading.

The next morning, I learned how to enlarge the print to something I could see without any strain. I began the read. The story started out with action, and I found myself immersed. At Chapter Six the sample ended, oh no! The promise I made to myself the night before to not spend any money on books ended. I went into the Kindle Store and hit the Buy Now button. By the time, I finished my first cup of coffee the complete book was there.

The reading began and I never put the damn thing down. Even though I had to push the page button hundreds of times to get me through the large print, I couldn’t read fast enough. The story held my interest but reading on the device seemed more comfortable than reading a paper book. I finished in one day. Never have I completed a book in one day.

Peggy may own the Kindle but it is mine to use.

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Ed Says I’m A Sewer Rat

Posted on 29/12/2011 by Grumpa Joe
English: Ed Schultz

Image via Wikipedia

I just read an article about some guy named Ed Schultz who calls Tea Party Patriots sewer rats. He claims that Tea Party Patriots  can’t relate to anyone but themselves so they are like rats who congregate in sewers.

Yes, I am a Tea Party Patriot, and yes, I am a sewer rat.

If being in favor of a country that gives people the liberty to think for themselves makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

If believing that a free-market economy has freed more people from poverty on planet earth than any socialist economy ever has, or ever will, makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

If believing that government regulation strangles the economy and stifles a person’s liberty, makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

If wanting to take care of myself without Uncle’s interference makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

If believing that big government is evil makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

If believing that every working citizen who has to support a non-working citizen is a form of slavery makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

If believing that Ed Schultz has a first amendment right to speak his mind on radio and insult his fellow Americans makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

If believing that Ed Schultz and all progressive, liberal, socialist’s like him are hungry to change America into a  communist state makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

If believing that Obama is the country’s worst President ever makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

If believing that the upper one percent have a right to keep their wealth makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

If believing the bottom one percent calling themselves Occupy Wall Street is a bunch of  communist thieves, makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

If believing the EPA does more damage to the world than it does good makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

If believing the Department of Education is creating generations of kids who read at the level of neanderthals makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

If believing that public sector unions are a contraption invented to enslave tax payers makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

You see Ed Schultz you are right, I am a sewer rat and a Tea Party Patriot who is going to raise the country back to the greatest nation on earth with one weapon. My vote. If that makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

I am going into the sewer to cleanse it of all the crap that resides there in the form of liberalism, progressivism, and communism, if that makes me a sewer rat, so be it.

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A Very Merry Christmas to You

Posted on 24/12/2011 by Grumpa Joe

A simple Christmas letter to all Grumpa Joe’s Place readers and visitors.

May the light of the Christ Child fill your life with happiness, holiness, and good cheer throughout the year.

Click here for the special Christmas letter

2011-BLOG-R1-Christmas letter

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