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 (Intro & Bio) - UNALIENABLE RIGHTS© with Ed McKervey :
We can no longer sit on the sidelines as spectators we must all get engaged and work together to create the desired outcomes for our families. We must work together for the good as is clearly stated in Romans 8.
We must all live out our calling by renewing our minds and overcoming evil with good as is clearly written in Romans 12. We must be informed and engaged contending for the faith through reason and action. The animating spirit is why I get up in the morning. Every moment is precious and as you get older they become more precious. We all have to make the best of the time we are given. We are all in the process of becoming the question is always: “what are we becoming?” The way the truth and the life is calling all of us.
(Nov 20 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XXIV
PORTERVILLE, CA -- Seeking Peace not War : There Is No Such Thing As A Safe Space ~ Not Even In Prison !!! Safe Spaces by the progressive definition are places where you hide from the world and think you’re protected but are more aptly described as places to brood and lie to yourself about things so you refuse to cope with in the world. In fact one could argue it becomes a prison of the mind. Safe spaces grow and grow until the safe spaces destroy truth. We live in a free country & when you make war on truth you destroy freedom. Reminds me of the kid’s book about the dragon under the bed.
(Nov 13 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XXIII
PORTERVILLE, CA -- I’m offended that you’re offended : In this age of offense we all need to make some better choices in how we react to things. The often cited phrase to be of good or strong courage in Joshua comes to mind, as a way to live and a way to overcome throughout our lives. It follows that we all must choose whom we will serve. Are we serving the creature or the creator? It’s much more common today to be singularly focused on our own wills and agenda’s than on God’s will. Isn’t it a sign of narcissism when we are more worried about offending men than offending God? VANITY. The Lord’s Prayer is the best way to understand and avoid this pitfall when put into practice.
(Nov 06 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XXII
PORTERVILLE, CA -- We are all Home Schooling now : We are all homeschooling today in some way or another. We no longer think about this as we used to its just part of modern life. We are all in an overload mode clinging to our phones and the dopamine drip that comes with it. Imagine trying to live without your phone for a day or a week? I guess the paper boy model is nevermore and our muscles have atrophied so much we couldn’t even operate a paper route today it would be too hard. Definitely unsafe in today’s hyper safety focused world. I long for the days where freedom reigned and safety was assumed and common sense was required to be safe not external protections.
(Oct 30 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XXI
PORTERVILLE, CA -- Keeping it local is keeping it real : The community paper is a noble endeavor but it needs to adapt to the times as it can get outmoded by the pace of information. By the time you read the paper the news may have already been updated in this hyper information anti-social media age. This feeds an activist mindset and culture if the dopamine rush gets you in real time information overload. Hyper engagement is the cocaine of this generation and everyone is addicted to it even if they are not self-aware. Somewhere there is a person sitting by a creek or a lake fishing with no phone service and he is completely missing out on all the things he should be afraid of or angry about.
(Oct 23 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XX
PORTERVILLE, CA -- What happened to the spirit of the Paper Boy? : Looks to me like the main stream media sold out and they are completely politicized now and spinning , spinning, and spinning the truth to support a political cause. You could argue they sold out and the advertising is controlling them and you would not be wrong. The 60 Minutes segment that was selectively edited recently to favor a candidate is outrageous. This is the very thing the good book (1 Timothy 6:10) warns us about regarding THE LOVE OF MONEY BEING THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL. The media is supposed to be objective and truth seeking that is their responsibility. Why do we watch the legacy media anymore?
(Oct 09 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XIX
PORTERVILLE, CA -- Merit is our Strength 4 of 4 : One of the things I focused on for my paper boys was scholarships. I helped the Roper clan with a scholarship for Glade while he was a paper boy. We never had a problem on Glade’s route and I’m proud to say many if not most of those kids grew up young and became very successful. The responsibility at an early age was the merit badge whether you were in the boy scouts or not. You knew it, you lived it, and you didn’t need to wear a badge. Remember that reality check in blazing saddles where they made fun of the badges. The punch line was “We don’t need no stinking badges.”
(Oct 02 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XVIII
PORTERVILLE, CA -- Merit is our Strength 3 of 4 : The moral authority of paper boys and girls of yesteryear now thwarted abused and neglected. The culture that tries to claim love your neighbor as a moral imperative, while ignoring the first part of the greatest commandment, to love God first, is flailing and failing. It’s weird to see so many failing upward? That’s not true merit that’s the opposite of merit. How do you know what love is if you don’t love God first with all your heart mind soul and strength? America was founded by and designed for a moral and religious people. A free society cannot function without those virtues. John Adams wrote about this in Federalist 55.
(Sep 25 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XVII
PORTERVILLE, CA -- Merit is our Strength 2 of 4 : The honor and respect for America and its constitution is waning as our kids are not being taught the constitution and the virtues of our republic. Adults who have recently passed their immigration and naturalization tests to become American’s are in stark contrast to both the current “immigrant” crisis and the curriculum in our Marxist school systems. A paper boy knew all of this instinctively. In past generations everyone pledged allegiance in school every day to the flag, and new the Patriotic American anthems. There is a simple thoughtful test for the uninitiated to why America is great. America has gates and walls to keep people out.
(Sep 18 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XVI
PORTERVILLE, CA -- Merit is our Strength 1 of 4 : The immigrants that I interacted with as a child loved America and its promise. The promise of equal justice and upward mobility through merit in the melting pot that is America. The city on the hill that Reagan spoke about invoked a hopeful vision. The golden state rang true to a certain extent even though that vision is always outside of the human grasp. The city on the hill is a biblical reference. It was the goal, it was the ideal, and it remains a vision of hope and possibility. A vision that everyone in America had the opportunity of climbing ladders through merit and chasing their dreams.
(Sep 11 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XV
PORTERVILLE, CA -- The Woke Supremacy 2 of 2 : Work ethic is not what it used to be and that’s a shame. The work ethic of the paper boy and the kids that helped support families that worked in the fields still exists but less and less. Some of those kids back in the day would help me cover routes that were abandoned. Some of those kids would work to expand the reach of their routes. Kids used to collect and control money as part of their responsibility. Kids used to participate in contests to earn prizes and more money. To win and to compete was to be part of the meaning and purpose of the social contract.
(Sep 04 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XIV
PORTERVILLE, CA -- The Woke Supremacy 1 of 2 : The woke supremacy is simply political correctness rebranded. It’s a controlling ideology masquerading as “new and improved” when it’s just warmed over elitism for the masses and all ages. Are you essential? I guarantee that everyone will answer yes to this rhetorical question. When did we accept that government could determine who was essential or non-essential? The slave masters are increasing and freedoms are being taken away in the name of safety and security. Just as Ben Franklin warned, we had better stand up and take notice.
(Aug 28 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XIII
PORTERVILLE, CA -- Speaking Spanish and Reading English : I forged some great relationships with a number of poorer Mexican boys that stood out from the rest in work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit. These kids were bilingual to boot and I practiced my Spanish with them since it wasn’t my first language. That was cool because they would teach me the basics of Spanish and I would take them out for ice cream. We had quite a little crew going and once in a while I would take them out to nearby communities to canvas for new customers where Spanish was more common than in the city.
(Aug 21 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XII
PORTERVILLE, CA -- Anytown USA : General Pagonis told his story in his book Moving Mountains about being a paper boy and fighting for a spot on a street corner to hawk papers. We did that once in a while down on main street. I had the great fortune to work with, and for, several of the men who lead operations in Desert Storm. Great leaders who had to figure things out like the strategy of a chess game. Like Staking out some turf to sell newsprint on a street corner. You have to be creative and you have to be a doer. Leading by Example is a real thing requiring integrity and commitment.
(Aug 14 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part XI
PORTERVILLE, CA -- Earning your Freedom : In the late 1970’s when Star Wars was hitting the Porter Theater we were in the middle of the skateboard craze. We would ride across town to Wards and play the space wars video game they had in the cafeteria. Plaza Hobby was next door and we could get skateboard parts there and race slot cars on their track. We would roll around town playing games enjoying our freedom every chance we got. There were several pinball machines around town and we loved playing Mata Hari at Porterville Lanes. Pinball was one of a few games you could play and win free games.
(Aug 07 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part X
PORTERVILLE, CA -- The Paper Boy was essential… The lockdowns really impacted the little guys trying to make it on their own and that is a stain on our history the world over. We are just beginning to take stock of the pain and misery that was caused by the overreach of government. I had read that 50% of the churches did not re-open their doors because they were no longer financially viable after the lockdown period. This really hurt our community. There is much to be discussed and written about here regarding our independent churches and their struggle to keep the doors open. There were many small businesses that fell victim to the same as the churches.
(Jul 31 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part IX
PORTERVILLE, CA -- Are you allergic to Bee’s? I helped Dollar Bill and his dad a lot at the local swap meets. It was a lot of loading and unloading trucks and getting up early on Saturday to sell the things we made. Sometimes we sold enough to get ahead. Success or failure depended on self-reliance. No handouts for that generation just gut it out hard work and make things happen. Hard work was essential. I have often said I don’t really need to work but I truly need to pay the rent if I don’t want to live on the street. Back then to be on welfare meant you were a loser and couldn’t cut it in the real world.
(Jul 24 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part VIII
PORTERVILLE, CA -- Growing up poor, we didn’t know we were poor Growing up in Porterville was awesome. When we were little we had a baby sitter before we were big enough to be latch keys kids. That was back before Zalud Park. Zalud Park was just a drainage ditch with bike trails. Our small town was so cool. Back then we were latch key kids and that meant we had some responsibility to keep the house locked up and safe. It also meant we had to get to and from school on our own and fend for ourselves in the afternoon. We all loved to watch the Adams Family on TV for laughs but the sentiment on TV back then even in satire was about family values.
(Jul 17 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part VII
PORTERVILLE, CA -- Green Sheets: There is no such thing as Extra Money In my youth there were no elaborate play dates and we made our own cakes to save money. Watching the ladies who decorated cakes at Smiths Market was cool, those ladies had skill. Admiring the airbrush artwork at Smith’s bakery was the closest we got to the food network. Most did not have much but we had the things that were most important. Life with family, freedom and faith. We did not take any of these for granted. TV signed off with our national anthem indicating it was time for bed followed by a glaring test pattern. We rested before the next busy day and the responsibilities that accompany freedom.
(Jul 10 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part VI
PORTERVILLE, CA -- It’s not safe to be a Paper Boy anymore. Give a hoot don’t pollute was a friendly way to communicate that we should all care about the world we lived in. We didn’t need the “Sky is Falling” rhetoric that said if we pollute we might die or kill the planet. Public service announcements were much more light hearted and encouraging. It was OK back then to shame people that littered and polluted. Now we allow vagrants to urinate and defecate on our streets. We cared about our forests and loved Smokey the bear. He was on TV and we saw him in the local parades hanging out with the fire department.
(Jul 03 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part V
PORTERVILLE, CA -- The Paper Boy was great job for kids. There were no drive by shootings, we all played outside in front of our houses or down at the park. We swam at Murray park pool. We rode our bikes or walked everywhere we went. The platform at the pool was deemed too dangerous but we all loved jumping off that platform, we still talk about it today. The freedom of those days reminds me today of the Stephen King short story “Stand by Me.” Life back then was about freedom and adventure - not safety and security. I watched Mr. Smith goes to Washington last year it’s a classic American Tale.
(Jun 26 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part IV
PORTERVILLE, CA -- If it’s not in print did it really happen? As a boy I was always an avid reader. The adventure of the mind cannot be replicated or replaced. The long form pod cast might be great to listen to a lecture or learn about something and can be very powerful. In fact you can learn more today from a long form podcast than you would in any classroom in America because it would be something that you were focused on and less socially engineered and more focused on learning. I read whole shelves of mystery books as a child and the theater of the mind is much more fulfilling than a CGI movie and you get to take part in the adventure.
(Jun 19 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part III
PORTERVILLE, CA -- “Please add the Paper Boy to the endangered species list” It’s still not hip to be square but it is trending. We are starting to use the words but saying “it’s all good” is just more of the same broad way culture marching to destruction. We are not really reversing course yet but something is shifting. My instincts are that we are on the cusp of a reckoning. A reckoning might be painful and necessary as we all will have to pull together out of necessity. Restoring the bonds of the family and the churches to get through this next period seems likely. We print money to avoid the pain of bankruptcy and now that’s run its course.
(Jun 12 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part II
PORTERVILLE, CA -- “Did the Hockey Puck Displace the Paper Boy?” This is our country, don’t you want our country to be great? The culture of the anti-Americans were around when I was young but they were fringe minority. Patriotism in my childhood was sacred and we had great respect for those that sacrificed in the past for our freedom. We didn’t just give lip service saying “Thanks for your service.” Contrast today’s university students and teachers that deride patriotism and teach history through the lens of race while denigrating the founders. REAL Original source history is rarely taught in school anymore. Why would you walk out of your own graduation?
(Jun 05 2024) - THE PAPER BOY : Part I
PORTERVILLE, CA -- “It’s Still a Free Country” – Tom Aldine The character “the paper boy” invokes a general idea about recent past American culture. For the younger reader it may seem outdated or nostalgic because we really don’t have paper boys anymore. I will try in this series to describe the culture through a local prism and circumstances around what a paper boy is through my own lens. I was a paper boy and over the years had many experiences that continue inform me today. Before I get into the details of the paper boy I will spend a little time talking about the culture from my perspective ... |
• THE PAPER BOY » Part I
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