Podcasts about sears roebuck

DAMION1Kohl's CEO Fired for Funneling Business to Romantic Partner 10Kohl's boss Ashley Buchanan tried to funnel business to a romantic partner and lost his job. It wasn't the first time their personal and professional lives had crossed.Kohl's fired Buchanan on Thursday after it discovered he had instructed the retailer to enter into a “highly unusual” business deal involving a woman with whom he has a romantic relationship, according to people familiar with the situation. The pair currently live together in an upscale golf community in the suburbs of Dallas.Buchanan met the woman, Chandra Holt, when they were both working at Walmart several years ago, the people said. His divorce proceedings show the two had a romantic relationship while he was the CEO of Michaels. The arts-and-crafts chain also tried to hire Holt during his tenure.A Kohl's board investigation by outside lawyers found that Buchanan violated the company's code of conduct in two instances with a vendor with whom he had a personal relationship and whom it didn't name, according to a regulatory filing. The filing said he directed the retailer to conduct business with a vendor founded by this person “on highly unusual terms,” and he caused the company to enter into a multimillion-dollar consulting agreement, where that person was part of the consulting team.On Thursday, Kohl's appointed Chairman Michael Bender as its interim CEO. He becomes the fourth CEO in three years at the department-store chain, which has been struggling with slumping sales.Nominating Committee:John E. Schlifske* (2011; 6%)Michael J. Bender (2019; 18%)Robbin Mitchell (2021; 7%)Adrianne Shapira (2016; 6%)Even CEOs sometimes get the 'you're fired' treatment 11Great, nobody understands corporate governanceMeta exec apologizes to conservative activist Robby StarbuckJoel Kaplan, Meta's chief global affairs officer, has issued a public apology to conservative influencer Robby Starbuck after Starbuck filed a lawsuit alleging that Meta's artificial intelligence chatbot produced responses containing false and defamatory information about him. “Robby — I watched your video — this is unacceptable. This is clearly not how our AI should operate,” Kaplan wrote on X, which is one of Meta's competitors. He referred to a 20-minute video in which Starbuck laid out his claims, including that Meta's AI falsely associated him with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and the QAnon conspiracy theory.“We're sorry for the results it shared about you and that the fix we put in place didn't address the underlying problem,” Kaplan continued. “I'm working now with our product team to understand how this happened and explore potential solutions.”Bob Monks, fierce champion of shareholders against what he saw as boardroom failings 0An American pioneer of investor activism and better corporate governance.Monks emerged as a doughty champion of shareholders against what he saw as increasingly self-serving and complacent boardroom behaviourIn 1985 he founded Institutional Shareholder Services, which advises funds that own shares in multiple companies how best to exercise their voting power. He also helped create Lens, an activist investment fund, and GMI Ratings, a scrutineer of corporate behaviour which claimed to have downgraded BP before the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the insurance giant AIG before the 2008 financial crisis and News Corp before the phone-hacking scandal.His most celebrated campaign, in 1991, was an attempt to become a director of the underperforming retail and financial conglomerate Sears Roebuck, for which he ran a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal depicting the existing Sears board as “non-performing assets”. Though his candidacy was rejected, many of his proposals for rationalisation were adopted, and he was able to declare: “Sears has been changed.”This low-profile CEO is the highest-paid in America with a $101 million paycheck that beat out Starbucks, Microsoft, and Apple chiefs 10Jim Anderson, a low-profile executive of Pennsylvania-based Coherent, which produces equipment for networks and lasersHere's what the dopey reporting missed:An originally announced golden hello equity award of $48M that magically morphed into $91M come proxy time.48% NO on Say on PayToo large Pay Committee: 6 members, led by Shaker Sadasivam, who was NOT up reelection this year. Also includes Mike Dreyer (22% NO), former COO of Silicon Valley BankEuronext rebrands ESG in drive to help European defence firms 10In a statement renaming ESG - the acronym given to Environmental, Social and Governance-driven investing - as Energy, Security and Geostrategy, Euronext's CEO and Chairman Stephane Boujnah said it was responding to a "new geopolitical order"."European aerospace and defence companies have expressed the urgent need to invest heavily in their innovation and production capacities to guarantee Europe's strategic autonomy for the next decade," Euronext said in the statement.Among the measures, Euronext said it would revisit the methodologies for ESG indexes to limit the exclusions currently placed on defence companies.OpenAI, facing pressure, announces its nonprofit will stay in control after allOpenAI announced a smaller-scale change to its famously complex structure. Remember that it was founded as a nonprofit. But in 2019, it set up a for-profit subsidiary to start raising money from investors to finance its eye-wateringly expensive A.I. research. Then last year, the company moved to turn itself into a for-profit entity in which the nonprofit held a stake but didn't have control.Now, OpenAI plans to turn its for-profit subsidiary into a public benefit corporation, which would still be controlled by the nonprofit, though the size of its stake remains undetermined. (Got all that?) Sam Altman, its C.E.O., said yesterday that the revised plan still gives his start-up “a more understandable structure to do the things that a company like us has to do.”The AI Industry Has a Huge Problem: the Smarter Its AI Gets, the More It's HallucinatingZuckerberg Says in Response to Loneliness Epidemic, He Will Create Most of Your Friends Using Artificial IntelligenceIn an interview with podcaster Dwarkesh Patel this week, Zuckerberg asserted that more people should be connecting with chatbots on a social level — because, in a striking line of argumentation, they don't have enough real-life friends.When asked if AI chatbots can help fight the loneliness epidemic, the billionaire painted a dystopian vision of a future in which we spend more time talking to AIs than flesh-and-blood humans."There's the stat that I always think is crazy, the average American, I think, has fewer than three friends," Zuckerberg told Patel. "And the average person has demand for meaningfully more, I think it's like 15 friends or something, right?""The average person wants more connectivity, connection, than they have," he concluded, hinting at the possibility that the discrepancy could be filled with virtual friends.Tesla Is Extremely Upset About Reporting That Its Board Has Been Looking Into Replacing Elon MuskLeading Independent Proxy Advisory Firm ISS Recommends Harley-Davidson Shareholders Vote "FOR ALL" of Harley-Davidson's Highly Qualified Director Nominees 10Targeted DirectorsCEO/Chair Zeitz (2007, 30%): who has already stepped down as CEOLead Director Norman Thomas Linebarger (2008, 13%): who is not independentSara Levinson (1996, 20%): the longest-tenured director Matt: HARD HITTING ANALYSIS“[I]t appears that his time in the role has been more positive than negative, which makes it hard to argue that his vote on a successor is worthless.”"[T]here are compelling reasons to believe that as a group [the targeted directors] still have a perspective that can be valuable.”"[I]t appears that the board initiated the [CEO search] process promptly…”, Target CEO's pay slashed by a whopping 45% after his disastrous mishandling of DEI 5Patrick Kennedy of The Minnesota Star Tribune used Total Realized Pay: down from $18.1M last year mostly because of a reduction in vested stock, $5.6M down from $13.6M. Total summary is up: $19.2M to $20.4M. Pay ratio is up: 719:1 to 753:1Matt: What?MATT1Berkshire Hathaway: Board Unanimously Appoints Greg Abel as Firm's Next Chief Executive 1000Rate the goodness of the succession planning processTrump announced Alcatraz reopening just hours after ‘Escape from Alcatraz' aired on a South Florida PBS station 15Rate the goodness of funding PBS, which probably gave Trump the idea to reopen AlcatrazGoldman Sachs Removes Mentions of ‘Black' From Flagship Diversity Pledge 0‘Black in Business,' one program in the effort, is now about staying ‘in the black,' in reference to profits—not raceRate the goodness of Goldman Sachs finally returning to a focus on profit, not black peopleAnthropic CEO Admits We Have No Idea How AI Works"When a generative AI system does something, like summarize a financial document, we have no idea, at a specific or precise level, why it makes the choices it does — why it chooses certain words over others, or why it occasionally makes a mistake despite usually being accurate,"Meta exec apologizes to conservative activist Robby Starbuck -4,000,000“Robby — I watched your video — this is unacceptable. This is clearly not how our AI should operate.”

Episode: 1360 A brief history of bathing ourselves.  Today, let's bathe.

This terrific discussion with Kathleen Thelen examines the historical origins and rise of large retail chains and e-commerce platforms in the United States, tracing the parallels between the business models of early mail-order retailers like Sears Roebuck and modern companies like Amazon. Kathleen explainss how antitrust laws and the fragmented regulatory environment in the US enabled the growth of these large, low-cost retailers by making it difficult for alternative models like consumer cooperatives to gain a foothold. We focus on the reliance on low-wage labor and how the prioritizing of low prices over other considerations has become deeply embedded in the American consumer economy and, as the retail landscape has shifted with the rise of Amazon and other online shopping, she suggests that this business model remains difficult to dislodge due to the coalition of interests – manufacturers, third-party sellers, and consumers themselves – that have come to depend on these large retail platforms. The importance of the centrality of the American consumer to the US economy has significant implications for the future as factors like inflation, tighter credit, and labor organizing threaten to challenge the dominance of the current retail giants. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory and Shifts Happen, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.

Pour écouter l'épisode sur les obélisuqes:Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/pourquoi-les-%C3%A9gyptiens-construisaient-ils-des-ob%C3%A9lisques/id1408994486?i=1000701195089Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/episode/6nUj7xgxJ3hI7yc2sNjXYR?si=9302caa0cecb4cff-----------------------Avant l'apparition du papier toilette, les humains ont utilisé divers matériaux selon les époques, les cultures et les moyens disponibles. L'hygiène intime a toujours été une préoccupation, mais les solutions variaient largement d'un endroit à l'autre.1. L'Antiquité : pierres, éponges et bâtonsDans l'Antiquité, les Romains utilisaient un objet appelé tersorium : une éponge attachée à un bâton, trempée dans de l'eau ou du vinaigre après usage. Cet outil était partagé dans les latrines publiques et stocké dans un seau. D'autres civilisations antiques, comme les Grecs, utilisaient des pierres lisses (pessoi) ou des tessons de poterie.2. Le Moyen Âge : chiffons et végétauxÀ l'époque médiévale, l'hygiène variait selon le statut social. Les nobles utilisaient des chiffons en lin ou de la laine, tandis que les classes populaires se servaient de paille, de foin, de feuilles ou de mousse. Les marins, eux, employaient de simples cordes trempées dans l'eau de mer.3. Les pratiques en Asie : bambou et papierEn Chine, le papier était utilisé pour l'hygiène dès le VIe siècle. Des documents du XIVe siècle attestent que l'empereur Ming en faisait produire des milliers de feuilles chaque année pour son usage personnel. Au Japon, on utilisait des bâtonnets de bois (chūgi) pour se nettoyer.4. L'époque moderne : journaux et cataloguesEn Europe et en Amérique, avant la généralisation du papier toilette au XIXe siècle, les gens utilisaient des vieux journaux, des catalogues ou des almanachs. Aux États-Unis, le catalogue Sears-Roebuck était très populaire dans les toilettes extérieures.5. L'invention du papier toiletteLe premier papier toilette commercialisé est apparu en 1857 aux États-Unis, sous forme de feuilles individuelles, inventé par Joseph Gayetty. En 1890, la marque Scott a introduit le rouleau perforé, qui s'est progressivement imposé dans les foyers.ConclusionAvant le papier toilette, l'humanité a fait preuve d'inventivité en utilisant des matériaux naturels et divers objets. Aujourd'hui, si le papier toilette est la norme en Occident, d'autres méthodes comme le bidet ou les douches hygiéniques restent courantes dans plusieurs régions du monde, perpétuant des pratiques anciennes. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

This morning, we are joined by Greg, Kevin and John to talk on President Trump's controversial Tariffs, the rise and fall of Sears-Roebuck and more.

Let's take a sleepy browse through this gift guide from the war years. Tasty candies, children's toys, decorative gourds and gifts for the discriminating housewife, and several grades of fruitcake depending on how much you like the recipient. Sears has what you need!   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Everyone who supports in December will be entered into our holiday giveaways at the end of the month. Hurrah! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Music: "Heaven Be Here” by PC III, licensed under CC BY   If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, http://www.boringbookspod.com.

This special episode explores the incredible legacy of businessman and visionary philanthropist Julius Rosenwald. How he was born to German Jewish immigrants, rose to become the President of Sears Roebuck and the meaningful way that his legacy continues to live on and have meaningful impact to this day…! Inspired by the Jewish ideals of tzedakah (charity) and tikkun olam (repairing the world) and a deep concern over racial inequality in America, Rosenwald used his wealth to become one of America's most effective philanthropists. Influenced by the writings of the educator Booker T. Washington, Rosenwald joined forces with African American communities during the Jim Crow era to build 5,300 schools, providing 660,000 black children with access to education in the segregated American South. The Rosenwald Fund also provided grants to support a who's who of African American artists and intellectuals and numerous artists that Eric represents and promotes, including Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, William Artis and others who were greatly helped by Rosenwald Foundation funds.   Featuring Community Leader Roger Smith; Eric's cousin from Virginia - from the very school that Eric's Mother attended that was built thanks to the generosity of Rosenwald that is an historic landmark… They discuss how Dunbar Schoolhouse came about, how the building itself had been assembled and how Roger, alongside his Family have been instrumental in restoring and maintaining the school. Preserving its history through an on-sight museum  — committed to keeping the story of Dunbar Schoolhouse alive..! The various wonderful community programs that they currently run and the significant role that the school plays in the community.  Filmmaker Aviva Kempner joins Eric from Washington. They discuss her feature-length historical documentary about Julius Rosenwald entitled “Rosenwald: A Remarkable Story of a Jewish Partnership with African American Communities” and all the wonderful things she learned in the process of making the film.  They discuss Rosenwald's background and life — the role of his Rabbi and how it motivated his philanthropic efforts… meeting Booker T. Washington and the strong friendship that they forged.  Realizing the need for and power of education as a way to uplift communities and becoming involved in building schools in the rural south. Addressing the needs for housing brought about by the Great Migration, funding the building of housing and YMCAs for African Americans and supporting countess artists and intellectuals including Marian Anderson, James Baldwin, Ralph Bunche, W.E.B. DuBois, Katherine Dunham, Ralph Ellison, John Hope Franklin, Zora Neale Hurston, Jacob Lawrence, Dr. Charles Drew, Augusta Savage, and Langston Hughes. His genius in “matching grants”, the way it made the community feel self-empowered and invested in the mission.  The theory of ‘spending down' and how its principles helped inspire other philanthropic institutions. The unique design and ingenuity of the building construction… the power of community and how his work continues to live on today. They explore what lead to her making movies — from being the daughter of a Holocaust Survivor, a passionate activist and viewing movies as a powerful tool to educate people. The many films she's made throughout her life and is in the process of producing and her dedication to telling stories that celebrate the lives of lesser-known Jewish heroes for over forty years…! For more on Eric's Perspective, visit www.ericsperspective.com#ERICSPERSPECTIVE #AFRICANAMERICAN #ART Connect with us ONLINE:  Visit Eric's Perspective website: https://bit.ly/2ZQ41x1 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3jq

Let's close out our month of new versions of old episodes with a fresh recording of our very first foray into the 1897 Sears, Roebuck & Co. Consumers Guide. In this episode, we trip through the Drugs Department, and what a trip it is. How anyone survived 19th-century medicine, I cannot say.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Music: "Heaven Be Here,” by PC III, licensed under CC BY   If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, http://www.boringbookspod.com.

In this episode we discuss Sears, Roebuck and Company. Show Notes: WTTW: The Rise and Fall of the Mail Order Giants (Article) WTTW: The Rise and Fall of the Mail Order Giants (Video) Smithsonian: The Rise and Fall of Sears CNN: Sears' extraordinary history: A timeline History Channel: Sears Chicago Tribune: Sears timeline: Rise, fall and restructuring of a Chicago icon over 130 years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1912, Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Institute and Julius Rosenwald, philanthropist and president of Sears Roebuck, built state-of-the art schools for African-American children across the South. The effort has been called the most important initiative to advance black education in the early 20th century. At its height, there were some 5300 Rosenwald schools in 15 states that educated more than 600,000 African American children. Join hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan with special guest Dr. Mary Hoffschwelle, professor of history at Middle Tennessee State University.

“History Lives On: Preserving Alabama's Rosenwald Schools” was the topic presented during the June 30 meeting of the Clarke County Historical Society (CCHS). The speaker, Sam Christensen, is the exhibits coordinator with the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH), and he discussed the ADAH exhibit on the African American schools that were built across the United States in the early 20th century as a collaboration between Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears Roebuck & Co., and Tuskegee Institute President Booker T. Washington. Rosenwald schools were often the first school building for African American students in a Southern community. Building a...Article Link

“History Lives On: Preserving Alabama's Rosenwald Schools” will be the topic for the June 30, 2: 30 p. m. meeting of the Clarke County Historical Society at Grove Hill Town Hall. Sam Christensen, exhibits coordinator with the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH), will discuss the ADAH exhibit on the African American schools that were built across the United States in the early twentieth century as a collaboration between Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears Roebuck and Co., and Tuskegee Institute President Booker T. Washington. Between 19 17 and 19 32, nearly 5,000 new schools were built in 15 southern...Article Link

Welcome to the Institute of Black Imagination, beaming in conversations from the galaxy of black genius. Today, we're thrilled to present Shani Peters and Joseph Cuillier III, the co-founders of The Black School—an innovative art institution dedicated to teaching radical Black politics through experimental approaches to art and design education.Both artists and organizers in their own right, Founded by Joseph Cuillier and Shani Peters, they're mixing art with talks about Black politics and community projects. Inspired by past community-run schools, like those from the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, they're making a difference today.The Black School has three parts: the School itself, the Festival where students show off their work, and the Studio, where students learn about design and get job training. It's all about helping students understand their neighborhoods, make art that matters, and get ready for the future. Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @blackimagination, subscribe to our newsletter for updates, and support the show by clicking this support link. and explore more content on blackimagination.com. Join us as we explore how organizations like The Black School are changing the game in education and beyond. Now, let's warmly welcome Shani Peters and Joseph Cuillier, the Co-Founders of The Black School, to our conversation.Key LinksJoseph A. Cuillier Career Center - We are a school dedicated to providing an education that empowers our students to succeed in the workforce and beyond.bell hooks - American authorAlma Thomas - American artist and teacherRosenwald/Booker T. Washington Schools- Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Institute and Julius Rosenwald, philanthropist and president of Sears Roebuck, built state-of-the art schools for African American children across the South.Augusta Savage -American sculptorHarlem Community Art School - The Center was a place for the Harlem community to receive education in the arts for free or little charge.Oakland Community School - was a Black Panther-run liberation school that operated in Oakland from 1973 to 1982.Emory Douglas - The former Minister of Culture and Revolutionary Artist for the Black Panther PartyBlack Love Festival- presented by The Black School, is an art and music festival promoting a cultural movement for Black love.

Buy Tickets for the Stand Up PodJam Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 700 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Dr. Duffy is a highly sought-after clinical psychologist, best-selling author, certified life coach, parenting and relationship expert, and proud husband and father. He has been working with individuals, couples, teens, and families for nearly twenty years. Dr. Duffy's refreshing and unique approach has provided the critical intervention and support needed to help thousands of individuals and families find their footing. Along with his clinical work, Dr. Duffy is the author of the number-one best-selling The Available Parent (Viva Editions, second edition released 2014) as well as a frequent media presence. He is the regular parenting and relationship expert on Steve Harvey. He also appears frequently on other national and local television and radio outlets, and is cited frequently in national print and online publications. These include the Today show, Fox News, Fox Good Day Chicago, WGN-TV, NPR, WGN Radio, the Huffington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Redbook, Time, Good Housekeeping, Men's Health, Chicago Parent, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, Wired, Parenting, Your Teen, Parents, Family Circle, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, and Real Simple magazine. Dr. Duffy is a nationally-recognized expert in self-awareness, relationships, and parenting. He speaks extensively on Availability in both public and corporate forums, presenting with great clarity, compassion and humor. His clients have included Sears Roebuck, Allstate, General Electric, Household Finance, Exxon Mobil, Accenture, KPMG, PLS Financial Services, Bank of America, and Hewitt Associates. He has also developed a three-part seminar on Availability in the Workplace. He blogs on Availability and related issues for the Huffington Post, and communicates regularly through Facebook and Twitter. Dr. Duffy lives outside Chicago with his wife Julie and son George. Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page All things Jon Carroll 

Jacob McDonough breaks down the 1907 Annual Report of Sears, Roebuck, and Company. You can reach Jacob with any questions or comments at jacob@mcdonough-investments.com or on Twitter @McD_Investments. Sears, Roebuck, and Company's 1907 Annual Report can be found at: https://archive.org/details/sears1907

Last week we celebrated the 97th birthday of our Ur-Diva, Leontyne Price. And today, continuing my Black History Month 2024 theme of “Forgotten Divas,” I present to you a Verdi soprano of similar repertoire and voice to Miss Price, Annabelle Bernard (1935-2005), whose career, unlike Price's, was centered primarily in Europe, specifically at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, where she was a member of the company for nearly forty years. Born in New Orleans, she received her early musical training from Earl Hogan (uncle of the famous composer and conductor Moses Hogan) and Sister Mary Elise Sisson, whom Bernard herself credited with being her formative and primary musical inspiration. With the patronage of Edith Rosenwald Stern, an heiress to the Sears-Roebuck fortune, Bernard found early success in Europe, winning second prize in the Munich ARD Competition in 1960, settling in Berlin in 1962. Annabelle Bernard was married to the German tenor Karl-Ernst Mercker (1933-2021), who in addition to appearing alongside her in many performances and productions, was also a fierce advocate for his wife during her tenure in Berlin, when she would encounter racism. The two of them retired to New Orleans in 1998, where Bernard became a voice teacher at Xavier University, her alma mater. This episode includes rare live clips of the soprano in works by Verdi, Mercadante, and Dallapiccola, as well as from her sole commercial recording, excerpts from Porgy and Bess in German alongside the iconic African American baritone Lawrence Winters, released in 1964, the year before Winters's untimely death. Mercker's strong lyric tenor is also featured in a few brief excerpts, but the main focus is on the radiant voice and artistry of Annabelle Bernard. Believe me when I tell you that I remain on the lookout for further recordings of this magnificent artist! Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving, dear listeners! It's a time of gratitude (and delicious food), and when it comes to things in our lives we're grateful for, one thought comes to mind immediately. No, Rob, not the seven perfect seasons of “The Golden Girls,” although Bea Arthur is always the right answer. It's the fact that we can order whatever our hearts desire and have it delivered in two days or less. In fact, it's such a cornerstone of modern life that you're probably asking yourself, how did people even survive before we could get huge boxes of toilet paper to just show up at our door with a single click? Well, as it happens, ordering items for delivery is hardly a new concept, and two entrepreneurial go-getters in the late 19th century built a merchandise empire upon just that concept.Ray teaches Daniel and Rob about Rich Sears and Alvah Roebuck, the founders of the eponymous mail-order catalog which upended the store-based retail industry; how the combination of Rural Free Delivery and westward expansion inspired their novel approach to sales; why your house might be worth more than you thought; some of the strangest and most concerning items contained in the pages of the catalog through the decades; and how this once-trailblazing concept - selling and shipping directly to consumers - has now become the predominant method of shopping.If you like what we're doing, please support us on Patreon, or you can subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And we'd love to find even more listeners, so if you have time, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you have any other thoughts or feedback you'd like to share with us, we'd love to hear from you - feel free to email us or send us a message on social media. TEAMRay HebelRobert W. SchneiderMark SchroederBilly RecceDaniel SchwartzbergGabe CrawfordNatalie DeSaviaEPISODE CLIPSSears Air Conditioner CommercialSears ‘Where America Shops' Commercial (1976)Sears “Softer Side” Commercial 1998ADDITIONAL MUSIC & SOUND EFFECTS“Happy Bee” and “Drankin Song”• Kevin MacLeod...

[00:00:00] Tommy Thomas: Our guest today is Philanthropeneur Terry Esau. Terry spent most of his career writing and producing music for TV commercials. Target, McDonald's, Pepsi, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Dairy Queen, Golden Grahams, and everything in between. He worked with celebrities like Amy Grant, Jim Henson, Alice Cooper and Prince. After writing over a thousand commercial scoring films and writing for TV shows, he decided to take a break from the music business. And tried his hand at writing words. He's the author of three books and one novel.  Terry is a certified bike-a-holic. In 2010, he started a nonprofit organization called Free Bicycles for Kidz and has given away over 150,000 bicycles to kids in need. He holds the Guinness World Record for most bikes collected in one day, nearly 10,000, in Minneapolis. Free Bikes for Kidz is now active in 20 cities with a goal of being in a hundred cities and a million bikes given away in the next five years. Recently, Terry cofounded the new nonprofit Free Guitars for Kids.  They partner with music industry giants such as Gibson and Fender and other music leaders to put guitars in the hands of deserving young people. Before we get too deep into your music and professional career, take me back to your childhood or your upbringing. What was that like for you? [00:01:35] Terry Esau:  I grew up in a tiny little town of 2,000 people called Mountain Lake, where there's no mountain and a man-made lake in southern Minnesota. So yeah, small town. I don't know. It was a typical small-town upbringing, just hanging out, riding my bike everywhere after school and I had a paper route because I got paid to ride my bike. My brother and I would build ramps and we'd collect neighborhood kids and have them lie down on the street and we'd see how many kids we could jump over. [00:02:15] Tommy Thomas: Y'all must be pretty good salesmen to get somebody to do that. [00:02:17] Terry Esau:  Yeah we usually made it. So it was that, and then I went to college at a school here in Minneapolis, Christian Liberal Arts School, Northwestern. Got a music education degree, which technically I've never used. But I used the music aspect of it for the rest of my career, so we can talk about that when you're ready. [00:02:45] Tommy Thomas: How did you get into music?  What was your first instrument? [00:02:47] Terry Esau:  I got a guitar when I was, I don't know how old, probably in sixth or seventh grade, through Sears Roebuck. A Silver Tone guitar. It was not a great guitar, but it was all I needed and I played trumpet in in middle school and high school band. And then I just continued on that. When I got to college, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I was interested in music and I played in a few bands and stuff like that. So, I continued in the music degree and then, through a kind of interesting circumstances, I ended up discovering what my career would be in music, but it had nothing to do with music education. [00:03:35] Tommy Thomas: What's something that people might be surprised to know about you? [00:03:41] Terry Esau: Other than riding my bike across the country, I got to mix one of my songs with Prince. I did a Target Christmas campaign with Amy Grant. I did a Sam Goody campaign with Alice Cooper. I got to do some Sesame Street music with Jim Henson.  And then my nonprofits.  I started two nonprofits that have given away 150,000 bicycles and now we're doing the same thing with guitars. So yeah, I've gotten three books published. I have a very strange career trajectory. I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. [00:04:27] Tommy Thomas: How did you get into making music for a living? When did you realize that, wow, I could make a living doing this? [00:04:31] Terry Esau: So here's an interesting story. My first day in college, my first day in music theory class, our professor said here's your assignment. Go home, write a jingle about milk, and come back tomorrow and perform it for the class. So, I did that. Never thought anything of it. Until three years later when I was completely out of money. So, I decided to take a year off of college and work. And I was teaching guitar lessons in a music store. Almost went insane. I had 55 lessons a week and all I did all day long was teach junior high boys how to play Smoke on the Water. Do you remember that song? [00:05:15] Tommy Thomas: That's a limited horizon. [00:05:16] Terry Esau: Yeah, but then I just, I walked in and quit one day, and I just said, I can't do this one more day. And I remembered back to that first assignment in music theory class, and I thought, huh. I wonder if anybody would pay me to do that. It's a long story, but I ended up in the jingle business, working, writing and producing music for TV commercials, mostly.  [00:05:45] Tommy Thomas: Do you remember your first big jingle? [00:05:49] Terry Esau: My first jingle was for a little flower shop called Whiting's Flowers. I wouldn't call that a big jingle by any means. I don't remember what my first big one was. Like I said, I've done jingles for McDonald's and Pepsi and Harley's and Hondas and Target and General Mills cereals and I've probably done over a thousand commercials, wow. It's a strange career. [00:06:19] Tommy Thomas: Have you had any mentors in your life? [00:06:23] Terry Esau: I've had a lot of mentors. One of the guys who really helped get me started, his name was Dick Wilson and he was he was probably in his late forties or fifties when I was in my twenties. I don't know if he saw potential in me or what, but he took me under his wing and he started giving me work and he was like the jingle king of Minneapolis in the 1940s and 50s, and that was when jingles were the deal. He took me under his wing and believed in me and convinced other ad agency people to believe in me. I'm not sure if you can make it in that business without somebody who's there who already believes in you a little bit. Yeah, so he was certainly a mentor. [00:07:21] Tommy Thomas: Anybody at the school, at the college? [00:07:25] Terry Esau: My theory professor, Maxine Woodbridge Postgate, it's funny because we had a love hate relationship. I think she recognized that I had potential, but she was very conservative, and she was a great composer of choral music, but she believed in following the musical rules very strictly. And I seem to have a bent to want to break the rules. I remember she called me in one day after it was a final composition I did for, I don't remember if it was music theory 101, or the second year theory class. And we had to compose something and then bring in musicians and perform it. So we did it. And the next day she called me in front of the music theory class, and she said, I just want you all to know that what Terry did was not music. And I'm giving him an F for that project. It was a little too avant garde for her. It was a little, like some of the more modern classical music, where it's a little atonal and experimental and she just goes, no. She had a very narrow definition of what music was supposed to be. Yet, she would keep trying to help me and give me opportunities because she believed in me. But she really wanted to make me into a composer like she was. And I've done some of that in my later years. I've composed some choral music that's gotten published. But I believe in all kinds of music, and that was the beauty about being in the jingle business. One day I would have to compose something that was operatic, and the next day was country western, and the next was rock and roll. You do all kinds of music. If you listen to enough TV commercials that have music, you're going to hear all kinds of music, right? [00:09:34] Tommy Thomas: What have you done relative to mentoring others? What does that look like in your life? [00:09:38] Terry Esau: I actually do a lot of that. I guess a lot of the mentoring that I do I don't see it as career mentoring. I see it as personal growth and development and spiritual mentoring. Because I feel I have some career paths in the music business, in the nonprofit business, in the book publishing business. So, I have experience there. So, if people want to talk about that, I'm obviously happy to do that. But I think it's more important that if you're mentoring young people, it's like, how do you get them to grow up to be people of integrity and character and generosity and kindness and compassion? And those are characteristics that will serve you through your life and make the world a better place. So, I meet with, especially a lot of young men who are in their twenties, maybe thirties. As I get older, it's like the young men are older too. Yes, they are. And my wife sometimes says to me, she goes, you're mentoring so many of these young guys. And I go, but you don't understand they're mentoring me too. I don't think mentoring is ever, well, mentoring shouldn't be a one-way street. It should be a two-way thing. I feel like I'm learning as much from the people I'm mentoring as the people, as they're getting from me. [00:11:15] Tommy Thomas: It's been said that probably most of us learn most from our failures or mistakes.  If that's the truth, why are most of us so afraid to fail? [00:11:27] Terry Esau: You know what, I've never, I don't think I've ever been too afraid to fail. But I've always believed that you should fail quickly, and you should learn from your failures. I always look at it this way, if you've never failed, you've probably never tried. Or you've never taken on something that was a little bigger than you. If you only attempt things that you know you can accomplish, I don't think that's a high enough degree of risk worthy of living a passionate life. So I've had plenty of failures. I've gotten three books published, but I have about four other books that I've started or even finished and haven't been published. You could look at those as failures or you could look at it as I learned something from them. And sometimes, my writing is part of how I process life and come to understand what I think and believe. So even if a book doesn't get published, it's served in my personal growth, right? [00:12:43] Tommy Thomas: What's the biggest risk you've ever taken? [00:12:53] Terry Esau: I would say when I quit the music business. I didn't really know what I was going to do. I'm actually doing a TED talk this summer and the title is the sharp elbow of restlessness. Some people say when God closes a door, he opens a window.  There's all these cliches. I feel like before doors are even closed for me; I start to feel restless. And restlessness is something I can't ignore, because often it's when I start to feel like I'm lacking in purpose. That's when I start to feel restless and without purpose, I always feel restless. So, in my music career, after 25 years, I could not ignore this feeling that I feel like this chapter of my life is supposed to be over. And I didn't know what I was going to go into. I didn't know what the next chapter was, but I felt very, I don't know. I felt very certain and willing to take a risk that I need to walk away from this and discover what is next. So, I did that and that was a pretty big risk, I think, at that time. Because I'm in my late 40s, probably peak earning career. And I just walked away. I sold my recording studio. And that led to my getting my first book published. Which then turned into a speaking career. So again, all of those things were a risk because I didn't know what I was going into. It was a risk because I've never made the kind of money doing all of these new things that I do that I did in the music career. I was risking some financial opportunity, but sometimes having purpose in your life and meaning pays bigger dividends than finances, right? [00:15:15] Tommy Thomas: Yeah, tell us more about the TED Talk. How does one get invited to give a TED Talk? [00:15:21] Terry Esau: So anybody can apply to be a TED speaker. Okay. But it had never occurred to me to even think about that. But I got an email one day from a guy who's the head of the acquisitions team that searches for speakers. And I got an email and I was scanning it and I was just about to click delete because I thought it was just another one of those scam things, hey, send us 200 and we'll put your name in this book of great entrepreneurs or whatever. I've seen so many of those things that I just delete them. But this guy, he said, hey, could you meet me for coffee? So, I'm going oh, so he's local and he actually wants to get together in person. So, then I read a little more and I go, he's part of the TED organization. I've always respected and enjoyed watching TED talks. So I went and met with him, had coffee and he goes, yeah we like what you've been doing in your career. And we think you might have an inspiring story to tell. So here I am next on August 12th. I'm doing a TED talk at Orchestra Hall here in Minneapolis.  [00:16:42] Tommy Thomas: Wow, congratulations. We'll have to look on that and see when it gets on the schedule. [00:16:47] Terry Esau: Yeah, they upload those things to YouTube and you can search them. And yeah, so I'm basically talking about the thing I've been telling you about is that how restlessness should not necessarily be viewed as a negative thing. I say you might want to look at restlessness as like a light on the dashboard of your life saying, hey, it might be time for you to change, to try something new, take a risk, so it's happened to me multiple times in my careers and so far I believe that restlessness is something I need to pay attention to because it's always led me into something really interesting. [00:17:34] Tommy Thomas: I know you've started two nonprofits, Free Bikes for Kids and Free Guitars for Kids. Take us into the early days of those. I get questions often from people who say, why don't you do a podcast on how to start a nonprofit? Tell us about the early days. [00:17:51] Terry Esau: Once again, I never intended to start a nonprofit. I started a hobby. I actually got a call from a friend and he said, hey there's this kid in our neighborhood who doesn't have a bicycle, his parents can't afford one and it was December, so Christmas is coming and so I just got together with some of my buddies and said, hey, why don't we collect bicycles this December, fix them up and we'll give them to kids who don't have a bicycle and can't afford one. And so that first year we gave away 250 bikes. And we all said, that was fun. Let's do it again next year. And that year we gave away 750 and the next year it was 1500. And that's when I said, okay, this has gone beyond the realm of hobby. This is like a second job for me. How about if we form a nonprofit, put together a board of directors, I'll go find a corporate sponsor. And we did. And that year we gave away 5,000 bikes. Sometimes you just, you follow your nose, and you do something that you think, oh, this, there's a need here. There are millions of kids in the U.S. who don't have a bicycle, can't afford one. Millions of kids who are unhealthy, diabetes, obesity. They're spending all their time in front of a screen. I thought, there are probably millions of bicycles sitting in garages that have been outgrown or aren't being used. What if we collect those, fix 'em up? So now we're in 22 cities. We've given away 150,000 bicycles. We're now partnering with Target. So Target is giving us all of their return bikes, 30 to 40,000 bikes every year. And now we have a goal of being in a hundred cities and giving away a million bikes by the year 2030. I don't know, I think we might be able to do it. Huh? [00:19:47] Tommy Thomas: Yeah. You said you formed a board, so what did that early board look like and how did it view itself? [00:19:56] Terry Esau: They always say there are two kinds of boards, like a working board or a governance board. Usually when you start something from scratch it's generally a working board, right? Yeah. So, most of that early board was made up of people who were my friends, who I would go out and ride my bike with. And they loved bicycles, and they thought every kid should have a bicycle too. So, the board was mainly made up of people who were passionate about it and wanted to actually volunteer and help make it happen. Then, over the course of several years, as the organization started to grow and blossom, now the board must transition from a working board and start becoming more of a governance board, to give direction and oversight to the organization as it gets bigger. But I think, if you're starting a nonprofit from scratch, you gotta have people who believe in the mission and are willing to invest some sweat equity in it, right? It's hard though, I will say that. It's hard to start. It's hard to start a nonprofit from scratch, because you're inventing everything. Yeah, it's just flat out a lot of work. [00:21:22] Tommy Thomas: So when you started Free Guitars for Kids, I guess you had a few learning lessons under your belt.  How has that one gone? [00:21:31] Terry Esau: It's interesting. So yeah, it was like, okay we figured out how to do this with bicycles. So, what if we just translate that to guitars? Because we go, I bet there are millions of guitars sitting in people's homes collecting dust that never come out of their case too. So, we were going, okay we'll start this and we'll get some celebrities to do a pro bono concert and we'll say, you can't buy a ticket to the concert. The only way to get in is you have to bring a guitar to donate. And we thought, oh, that's a great idea. Then you go, okay, now we have to get celebrities to do this. And then where are we going to put the guitars and who's going to help us restring them? And then we ended up going, okay it's not exactly apples to apples comparison with bikes and with guitars. So, we went out and we started talking with Fender and Gibson, guitar manufacturers, and said, would you want to partner with us? Would you want to help us make sure that they're under resourced kids who get a guitar? And they were like yeah, we'd like to be part of that. So now we're finding we're getting people who are donating dollars. And they're helping us fund and Gibson and Fender are either giving us screaming deals on guitars. And sometimes like they just gave us 200 free guitars. Gibson did, which we gave away in Nashville a couple of weeks ago. And last week we gave away 150 some guitars in Alaska. And now we're going to be doing it in Las Vegas. Going to be doing an event with a TV show down in Austin, Texas. In September, November, I can't remember. But yeah, so we learned a few things. So, with Free Bikes for Kids, there's the Mothership nonprofit, and then all the cities are like, they're independent nonprofits. It's like a franchise model. So when we started Free Guitars for Kids, I go, I don't want to do that franchise model. It's just complicated. Yeah. And it doesn't make as much sense with the guitar thing anyhow. So it's just one nonprofit. But we're starting what we're calling our sounding boards in various cities. So we're getting people together. Right now, we're just doing it in music cities. We have a sounding board in Nashville and one here in Minneapolis and Portland and, we'll be doing it in Chicago and LA and Austin and New York and wherever else. And those sounding boards, they're not board members, but they're advocates in the city who are going to help us put on events and give guitars away in those cities. We're continuing to learn and like you said, we've realized with free bikes for kids, we made some mistakes and we're trying to remedy those and then with free guitars, we're trying to not make any of those mistakes and I'm sure we will, but whenever you try something big, you make mistakes, right? It's not mistakes. Those things don't bother me that much. I figured everybody makes mistakes. We just keep trying, keep doing better, and yeah, we're making kids happy and healthy. Good. [00:25:01] Tommy Thomas: If you had deep pockets, and you were on a nonprofit version of Shark Tank, and you had people like yourself presenting their case for nonprofit funding, what questions have you got to have solid answers for before you open your checkbook? [00:25:23] Terry Esau: First of all, whatever you're pitching, it has to solve a problem and there has to be a resource to help solve that problem. Like for us, it was like, here's the problem. Kids in America are unhealthy, they're obese, there's poverty, so they can't afford a bicycle. Can help solve some of their health issues, not just physical health issues, but mental health issues, right? I call my bike my carbon fiber therapist because, you're a cyclist. It's like I get on my bike, and I go for a ride. I could be having a bad day, but by the time I get done with my ride, all that stress has just been washed away. Yeah. So I'm Shark Tank. I think you'd have to go. What's the problem? What's the solution? And then on top of that you have to go what's your strategy to bring the solution to the problem? What are the logistics? What are the resources that you need? People who give money to causes they really have to sell them on the fact that you are going to change the world in some small way, at least that's in the nonprofit world. In the for profit world, then you have to prove to them, hey, you can make your money back on this investment. For us, we say, yeah, you're not making money back on us, but you should feel really good about what you're doing to change the lives of children. [00:27:06] Tommy Thomas: What's the best piece of advice anybody ever gave you? [00:27:11] Terry Esau: One thing I would say is persistence is greater than talent. There are a lot of talented people in the world who don't accomplish anything. And there are a lot of people who are marginally talented who accomplish great things because they just don't give up. Here's something my dad said to me when he was on his deathbed at 92. He pointed to himself, and he goes, Terry, up here, I'm 92. And then he pointed at his head, and he goes, in here, I'm 17. And I think that was true of my dad. Some people get old and they go, I've got nothing to offer. They get grumpy and they get ornery and, get off my lawn. I think what my dad was saying is, if you want to stay young, first of all you can stay young mentally. You can't do that physically, but you can stay young mentally. And I think you do that primarily by staying a curious person. Curious people continue to learn all the way through their life into their old age. So I think in some way, my dad was saying, don't settle, stay curious. Because life is too interesting to just go into autopilot mode, keep seeking for the adventure of life, keep learning, keep growing. My dad never said those words, but I think in some sort of way, I think that's what he was saying. [00:29:02] Tommy Thomas: If you could go back in time and tell a younger version of yourself one thing, what would you tell? [00:29:08] Terry Esau: Oh, what would I tell myself?  I think I would say don't be afraid of failing. Failure is not the worst thing that can happen to you. It's not trying is the worst thing. I don't think I was ever too afraid of failing. But I think I worried a little bit more when I was younger. What do people think of us? Or if I do this, what will people think? That's one of the great beauties of getting older. I don't really care that much anymore. This is who I am, this is what I believe, this is what I think, this is how I'm choosing to live my life. You can disagree with it, and you have every right to, and I won't judge you for it, but I'm not going to let your view of me change what I think or how I choose to live my life and I think our culture has a lot of that going on, with social media and stuff, it's the comparison thing, yeah. I think comparison is not a very useful concept, because everybody compares up, nobody compares down. Like, I've talked to my family about this a few times. Look at so and so, they just went on this vacation, and they just bought this or they bought that and go, yeah, you're comparing up. Now let's compare down. We have so much more than so many other people. So I think in America, maybe it's part of a characteristic of capitalism. You have to have more and you have to have better. And so we always compare up. And I think if we compared down a little bit more often, we would have more gratitude, we would be more grateful for what it is that we do have. We don't have as much as that guy who's the CEO of some Fortune 500 company, but we live better than most of the people in the world, right? [00:31:23] Tommy Thomas: I want to thank Terry for taking time to be with us from what is obviously a very busy schedule. John Somerville, who was our guest for episodes 109 and 110 suggested Terry as a guest. I had no idea of the treat we were in for. Thank you for joining us today. If you are a first-time listener, I hope you will subscribe and become a regular. You can find links to all the episodes at our website: www.jobfitmatters.com/podcast. If there are topics you'd like for me to explore my email address is tthomas@jobfitmatters.com.   Word of mouth has been identified as the most valuable form of marketing. Surveys tell us that consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all other forms of advertising. If you've heard something today that's worth passing on, please share it with others. You're already helping me make something special for the next generation of nonprofit leaders. I'll be back next week with a new episode. Until then, stay the course on our journey to help make the nonprofit sector more effective and sustainable. Links & Resources JobfitMatters Website Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership with Tommy Thomas The Perfect Search – What every board needs to know about hiring their next CEO Be the Surprise – Spontaneous Elements of Faith Blue Collar God / White Collar God Free Bikes for Kidz  Free Guitars for Kids TEDx Talks - Harnessing the power of restlessness | Terry Esau | TEDxMinneapolis   Connect tthomas@jobfitmatters.com Follow Tommy on LinkedIn  

Episode 11: Path to Freedom 2: The Rosenwald School InitiativeIn 1912, Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Institute and Julius Rosenwald, philanthropist and president of Sears Roebuck, built state-of-the art schools for African-American children across the South. The effort has been called the most important initiative to advance black education in the early 20th century. At its height, there were some 5300 Rosenwald schools in 15 states that educated more than 600,000 African American children. Join hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan with special guest Dr. Mary Hoffschwelle, professor of history at Middle Tennessee State University.

Nobody would have thought that the United States could fight in a world war in 1938, let alone be a major reason for victory. That year, it was so politically isolationist and pacifist that its defense forces were smaller than Portugal's, and Charles Lindbergh was so forceful in his public praise of Nazi air power that Göring decorated him with the German. But while this was going on, Franklin Roosevelt ordered the federal government to spark a dramatic expansion in domestic airplane production, and this minor effort — three years before Pearl Harbor — would in time become the arsenal of democracy, the full-throttle unleashing of American enterprise that was the secret weapon for victory in World War II. Combined with Roosevelt's public fight with Lindbergh -- known as the Great Debate — victory at land and sea and air across the globe began at home in America. Today's guest is Craig Nelson, author of “V is for Victory: Franklin Roosevelt's American Revolution and the Triumph of World War II.” Revealing an era when Detroit was Silicon Valley, Ford was Apple, and Sears Roebuck was Amazon, we see how during the war years, America built 2.5 million trucks, 500k jeeps, 286k aircraft, 86k tanks, and 2.6 million machine guns. More importantly, Roosevelt said that it wasn't these weapons that were the real arsenal of democracy, but the American people themselves.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/3101278/advertisement

Let's take a relaxing shop through some of Sears' lesser-known offerings—houses! From Craftsmans to cottages or an entire apartment building, it can all be delivered to you, guaranteed.   Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! All supporters in July will be entered into a giveaway for a custom episode of Boring Books for Bedtime made just for you. Yay! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Browse a library of pages from the Sears Modern Homes Catalog here: http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/index.htm   Music: "Heaven Be Here,” by PC III, licensed under CC BY   If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, http://www.boringbookspod.com.

Are you an admirer of old sewing machines? Or are you looking to cash in on the antique sewing machines you've acquired? Whichever reason it may be, you must have come across the name “Kenmore” during your rough research. Or you've found an old sewing machine with the name on it and wondered what it was? Well, Kenmore is a very prominent brand assigned by Sears Roebuck to sewing machine units. The brand had a major effect on the sewing machine industry during the late 19th and 20th centuries. As Kenmore sewing machines were sold on an astronomical scale compared to others. Due to the fact it was heavily mass-produced and distributed effectively via a trusted 500-page mail-order catalog to farmers and settlers all around growing rural America. Also, Kenmore units were considered sturdy, efficient, and more affordable compared to their competition. Which grew their popularity In return. The antique market today holds a lot of value. As you could get or sell the units for a couple of tens or a couple of hundreds depending on certain factors such as its rarity. Read on as we delve further into how to identify your Kenmore sewing machine (model name & number) and how to place a value on them from your findings with our price guide. model name, numbers, and so on. Check Images: Valuable Antique Detector(https://www.txantiquemall.com/kenmore-sewing-machine/) Pin: https://www.pinterest.com/valuableantiquedetector/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/valuableantiquedetector/ TW: https://twitter.com/antiquedetector Ins: https://www.instagram.com/valuableantiquedetector/   Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

I think many aspiring writers have a juicy family story passed down that they are sure would make a great novel. Our guest this week, Ciera Horton McElroy, had heard stories about her grandfather, a scientist who worked at a plant that produced materials for a hydrogen bomb during the height of the Cold War in the 1960s. That one family story is the jumping off point of her debut novel, a work of historical fiction titled Atomic Family that takes the reader on a journey to an era of burgeoning women's rights, Sears Roebuck fashion, and the suburban American dream. With some good old radiation thrown into the mix. We talk to Ciera about what it was like to be a tourist at a now abandoned hydrogen bomb facility, how writing a little blog at 16 helped her start her own company, and the big differences between living in a state like Florida versus the Midwest. You can find Ciera on her website at www.cieramcelroy.com and on instagram @cierahmcelroy. For show notes for any episode, go to our website at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. We are also on Instagram @perksofbeingabookloverpod and on FB Perks of Being a Book Lover. Books Mentioned in this Episode: 1 - Atomic Family by Ciera Horton McElroy 2- A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 3- Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson 4- Second Nature: Scenes from a World Remade by Nathaniel Rich (basis for Dark Waters) 5- All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 6- Big Swiss by Jen Beagin 7- I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkah 8- Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano 9- Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano 10- White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link 11- I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez 12- Hester by Laurie Albanese 13- Madame Pommery by Rebecca Rosenberg 14- Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg Movies/Shows mentioned-- 1- A Man Called Otto (Netflix 2022) 2- Our Great National Parks (Netflix 2022) 3- Dark Waters (2019)

I think many aspiring writers have a juicy family story passed down that they are sure would make a great novel. Our guest this week, Ciera Horton McElroy, had heard stories about her grandfather, a scientist who worked at a plant that produced materials for a hydrogen bomb during the height of the Cold War in the 1960s. That one family story is the jumping off point of her debut novel, a work of historical fiction titled Atomic Family that takes the reader on a journey to an era of burgeoning women's rights, Sears Roebuck fashion, and the suburban American dream. With some good old radiation thrown into the mix. We talk to Ciera about what it was like to be a tourist at a now abandoned hydrogen bomb facility, how writing a little blog at 16 helped her start her own company, and the big differences between living in a state like Florida versus the Midwest. You can find Ciera on her website at www.cieramcelroy.com and on instagram @cierahmcelroy. For show notes for any episode, go to our website at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. We are also on Instagram @perksofbeingabookloverpod and on FB Perks of Being a Book Lover. Books Mentioned in this Episode: 1 - Atomic Family by Ciera Horton McElroy 2- A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 3- Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson 4- Second Nature: Scenes from a World Remade by Nathaniel Rich (basis for Dark Waters) 5- All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 6- Big Swiss by Jen Beagin 7- I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkah 8- Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano 9- Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano 10- White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link 11- I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez 12- Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese 13- Madame Pommery by Rebecca Rosenberg 14- Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg Movies/Shows mentioned-- 1- A Man Called Otto (Netflix 2022) 2- Our Great National Parks (Netflix 2022) 3- Dark Waters (2019)

LAconic welcomes Dick Sears, retired mayor of Holly Springs, North Carolina. Dick Sears shares his experience with accepting dares that changed his life for the better.Going from being an executive of Sears Roebuck, to creating the safest town of North Carolina, Dick saw Holly Springs grow from 3,500 to 46,000. In his 20 years of leadership he added a man-made recreational lake, a minor league baseball field, and a  world class hospital. This ultimately lead to a $2 billion investment from Fuji Pharmaceutical, the largest investment in the state. 

More than 75,000 kit homes in 400 different styles were ordered from Sears Roebuck and Co. and put together by the people who bought them a century ago. A new White House proposal aims to fill a need for affordable starter homes with a new generation of manufactured homes.  The Sears kit home has many examples still standing in good shape in Kansas City, where Upzoned Host Abby Kinney lives and works. Those homes arrived on railroad cars and were assembled by the homeowners, for the most part. They were somewhat more complex than the modern manufactured home, but the concept is similar.  Kinney and her guest, Strong Towns Senior Editor Daniel Herriges, talk over the possibility that manufactured homes might be a realistic approach to the problems encountered by people seeking affordable housing in 2022 and beyond.  The question is brought to the podcast this week by an article in Bloomberg's CityLab called, “Factory-Built Homes Could Make a Comeback as Affordable Housing.”  “We just can't continue to build the houses we grew up in,” says U.S. Housing Secretary Marcia L. Fudge in the CityLab piece. “These houses are more efficient, more resilient. But the other thing is, we need so much new housing. These can be built quickly, installed quickly. They are at a great cost point. And so it is a big part of the solution.” A 450-square-foot manufactured home model can be purchased and assembled for $100,000, resulting in a mortgage payment below $1,000 per month, Kinney notes. But stigma surrounding whether they fit into a neighborhood, issues with financing, and zoning hurdles remain unaddressed.  But the potential to provide affordable, safe options in many overheated housing markets—perhaps even as accessory dwelling units—is undeniable, says Herriges. “How does this reshape the American landscape if it catches on big?” Find out on this week's episode of Upzoned. Additional Show Notes “Factory-Built Homes Could Make a Comeback as Affordable Housing,” by Kriston Capps, CityLab (June 2022). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Daniel Herriges (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

  Join Michael Zeldin and his special guest, Muriel Fox, a co-founder of the National Organization For Women (NOW) where she headed Public Relations and served as the Operations Lieutenant to President Betty Friedan. Muriel is one of the pioneers of the women's movement. Among her many accomplishments, she was instrumental in convincing President Johnson to issue an executive order prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of sex. Guest Muriel Fox Muriel Fox is a feminist trailblazer in the public relations industry. Fox started her career as a copywriter for Sears Roebuck in New York and soon after moved to Miami where she headed the re-election campaign of U.S. Senator Claude Pepper. She also helped to elect Miami Mayor William Wolfarth in 1949. Fox then made the next big step in her career by applying to the largest public relations agency, Carl Byoir and Associates, only to be told “we don't hire women writers.” Regardless, she persisted and by 1956, became the youngest vice president of the company. Following her promotion to vice president, Fox was told that she had progressed as far as possible. This led her to co-found the National Organization for Women (NOW), an organization that changed the landscape for women in business. Fox held many executive roles at NOW after its founding, and was also an active advocate for women's rights through other organizations such as Veteran Feminists of America. Host Michael Zeldin Michael Zeldin is a well-known and highly-regarded TV and radio analyst/commentator. He has covered many high-profile matters, including the Clinton impeachment proceedings, the Gore v. Bush court challenges, Special Counsel Robert Muller's investigation of interference in the 2016 presidential election, and the Trump impeachment proceedings. In 2019, Michael was a Resident Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he taught a study group on Independent Investigations of Presidents. Previously, Michael was a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as Deputy Independent/ Independent Counsel, investigating allegations of tampering with presidential candidate Bill Clinton's passport files, and as Deputy Chief Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee, October Surprise Task Force, investigating the handling of the American hostage situation in Iran. Michael is a prolific writer and has published Op-ed pieces for CNN.com, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Hill, The Washington Times, and The Washington Post. Follow Michael on Twitter: @michaelzeldin Subscribe to the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/that-said-with-michael-zeldin/id1548483720

  Join Michael Zeldin and his special guest, Muriel Fox, a co-founder of the National Organization For Women (NOW) where she headed Public Relations and served as the Operations Lieutenant to President Betty Friedan. Muriel is one of the pioneers of the women's movement. Among her many accomplishments, she was instrumental in convincing President Johnson to issue an executive order prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of sex. Guest Muriel Fox Muriel Fox is a feminist trailblazer in the public relations industry. Fox started her career as a copywriter for Sears Roebuck in New York and soon after moved to Miami where she headed the re-election campaign of U.S. Senator Claude Pepper. She also helped to elect Miami Mayor William Wolfarth in 1949. Fox then made the next big step in her career by applying to the largest public relations agency, Carl Byoir and Associates, only to be told “we don't hire women writers.” Regardless, she persisted and by 1956, became the youngest vice president of the company. Following her promotion to vice president, Fox was told that she had progressed as far as possible. This led her to co-found the National Organization for Women (NOW), an organization that changed the landscape for women in business. Fox held many executive roles at NOW after its founding, and was also an active advocate for women's rights through other organizations such as Veteran Feminists of America. Host Michael Zeldin Michael Zeldin is a well-known and highly-regarded TV and radio analyst/commentator. He has covered many high-profile matters, including the Clinton impeachment proceedings, the Gore v. Bush court challenges, Special Counsel Robert Muller's investigation of interference in the 2016 presidential election, and the Trump impeachment proceedings. In 2019, Michael was a Resident Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he taught a study group on Independent Investigations of Presidents. Previously, Michael was a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as Deputy Independent/ Independent Counsel, investigating allegations of tampering with presidential candidate Bill Clinton's passport files, and as Deputy Chief Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee, October Surprise Task Force, investigating the handling of the American hostage situation in Iran. Michael is a prolific writer and has published Op-ed pieces for CNN.com, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Hill, The Washington Times, and The Washington Post. Follow Michael on Twitter: @michaelzeldin Subscribe to the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/that-said-with-michael-zeldin/id1548483720

The story of the Salt Lake City Sears, Roebuck, and Company stores. Sources: Utah State Division of State History Utah Division of Archives and Record Services Utah Digital Newspapers Utah Center for Architecture eugenemontgomery.com jacobbarlow.com history.com owlcation.com smithsonianmag.com cnn.com pbs.org ksl.com sltrib.com For full biography, please visit my Patreon. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demolishedsaltlakepodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demolishedsaltlakepodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/demolishedsaltlakepodcast Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/demolishedslpod

Let's grab a basket and take a relaxing stroll through the Grocery Department of the Amazon of its day. Coffee beans, cherry phosphate, canned gooseberries—Sears had it all.   If you support us in March 2022, you'll help us stay 100% listener supported AND be entered into a raffle for your very own printed copy of the 1897 Sears Catalog. Huzzah! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Music: "Heaven Be Here” by PCIII, licensed under CC BY   If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, boringbookspod.com.

NEW Designing Hollywood Show EPISODE!    WESTSIDE STORY COSTUME DESIGNER PAUL TAZEWELL EXCLUSIVE DESIGNER HOLLYWOOD INTERVIEW!   Youtube link https://youtu.be/VrdKRUMUpSw Host Filmmaker & Producer: Robert Meyer Burnett   Tazewell studied old clothing catalogs from Sears Roebuck to make sure that his designs were period-accurate, and also looked at photographs of New York gang life that were taken by Bruce Davidson during the decade in which the film is set. It was all part of his mandate from Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner to “create a world that is as naturalistic as possible given the genre of the film.”   - Variety Magazine Article @variety    Paul's Feature Film credits include; Harriet for Focus Features, Hamilton for Disney+ and the yet-to-be-released West Side Story, directed by Steven Spielberg. TV credits include the HBO Original Film; The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks starring Oprah Winfrey, and both The Wiz! Live, and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert for NBC.   Produced by Ceo/Founder Executive Producer Martika Ibarra   Thank you to our sponsor Eddie Marks Western Costume Co.    About Our Sponsor:  Need to clothe an army? Have a milliner create custom hats? Have boots or a suit made to order? Need to buy vintage fabric or safety pins?    You can do all of this and more at Western Costume Company, a one-stop-shop for costume designers, costumers, and stylists. Since the earliest days of Hollywood over a century ago, Western Costume has been an industry mainstay. Whether you work in film, television, theater, commercials, or fashion, you'll find what you need in their vast warehouse.   Follow and subscribe to Designing Hollywood YouTube channel and find us on all podcast platforms!    

What do you make of Amazon: The new Sears Roebuck? A terrifying monopoly threat? Satisfaction (a paperback in your mailbox, a Kindle edition on your tablet) just a click away? John and Elizabeth speak with Stanford English prof Mark McGurl, whose previous books include the pathbreaking The Program Era. Mark faces that question squarely in his terrific new book, Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon: if you want to know even more about it, check out the NY Times review by RTB's own book-history maven, star of RTB 46, Leah Price. Mark ponders when service became an idiom for the relationship between writer and reader and how strong a claim he is willing to make about Amazon's impact on the modern novel (pretty strong!). Finally, he tackles the key question: is the genre of "Adult Diaper Baby Love" (a breakout hit in Kindle sales; google it at your peril!) the perfect metaphor for Amazon's effort to soothe, pacify and succor its infantilized consumer-base? Mentioned in the episode: Laura Miller, Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption Public libraries going trashy or classy: John wrote an article about this topic, praising a compelling database, "What Middletown Read" Recallable Books: Walter Tevis, Mockingbird (1980) Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1853) Anthony Trollope, The Warden (1855) Transcript available here RTB 67 Transcript (or Visit the Recall this Book Transcript page) Upcoming: Mark's discussion of the history of books and book publishing inspired next week's blog post: tune in next Thursday to find out more! It also sent us back to the archives for a golden RTB oldie starring Martin Puchner. That will appear, freshly rewrapped for the occasion, just before Thanksgiving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you make of Amazon: The new Sears Roebuck? A terrifying monopoly threat? Satisfaction (a paperback in your mailbox, a Kindle edition on your tablet) just a click away? John and Elizabeth speak with Stanford English prof Mark McGurl, whose previous books include the pathbreaking The Program Era. Mark faces that question squarely in his terrific new book, Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon: if you want to know even more about it, check out the NY Times review by RTB's own book-history maven, star of RTB 46, Leah Price. Mark ponders when service became an idiom for the relationship between writer and reader and how strong a claim he is willing to make about Amazon's impact on the modern novel (pretty strong!). Finally, he tackles the key question: is the genre of "Adult Diaper Baby Love" (a breakout hit in Kindle sales; google it at your peril!) the perfect metaphor for Amazon's effort to soothe, pacify and succor its infantilized consumer-base? Mentioned in the episode: Laura Miller, Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption Public libraries going trashy or classy: John wrote an article about this topic, praising a compelling database, "What Middletown Read" Recallable Books: Walter Tevis, Mockingbird (1980) Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1853) Anthony Trollope, The Warden (1855) Transcript available here RTB 67 Transcript (or Visit the Recall this Book Transcript page) Upcoming: Mark's discussion of the history of books and book publishing inspired next week's blog post: tune in next Thursday to find out more! It also sent us back to the archives for a golden RTB oldie starring Martin Puchner. That will appear, freshly rewrapped for the occasion, just before Thanksgiving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/digital-humanities

What do you make of Amazon: The new Sears Roebuck? A terrifying monopoly threat? Satisfaction (a paperback in your mailbox, a Kindle edition on your tablet) just a click away? John and Elizabeth speak with Stanford English prof Mark McGurl, whose previous books include the pathbreaking The Program Era. Mark faces that question squarely in his terrific new book, Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon: if you want to know even more about it, check out the NY Times review by RTB's own book-history maven, star of RTB 46, Leah Price. Mark ponders when service became an idiom for the relationship between writer and reader and how strong a claim he is willing to make about Amazon's impact on the modern novel (pretty strong!). Finally, he tackles the key question: is the genre of "Adult Diaper Baby Love" (a breakout hit in Kindle sales; google it at your peril!) the perfect metaphor for Amazon's effort to soothe, pacify and succor its infantilized consumer-base? Mentioned in the episode: Laura Miller, Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption Public libraries going trashy or classy: John wrote an article about this topic, praising a compelling database, "What Middletown Read" Recallable Books: Walter Tevis, Mockingbird (1980) Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1853) Anthony Trollope, The Warden (1855) Transcript available here RTB 67 Transcript (or Visit the Recall this Book Transcript page) Upcoming: Mark's discussion of the history of books and book publishing inspired next week's blog post: tune in next Thursday to find out more! It also sent us back to the archives for a golden RTB oldie starring Martin Puchner. That will appear, freshly rewrapped for the occasion, just before Thanksgiving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

What do you make of Amazon: The new Sears Roebuck? A terrifying monopoly threat? Satisfaction (a paperback in your mailbox, a Kindle edition on your tablet) just a click away? John and Elizabeth speak with Stanford English prof Mark McGurl, whose previous books include the pathbreaking The Program Era. Mark faces that question squarely in his terrific new book, Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon: if you want to know even more about it, check out the NY Times review by RTB's own book-history maven, star of RTB 46, Leah Price. Mark ponders when service became an idiom for the relationship between writer and reader and how strong a claim he is willing to make about Amazon's impact on the modern novel (pretty strong!). Finally, he tackles the key question: is the genre of "Adult Diaper Baby Love" (a breakout hit in Kindle sales; google it at your peril!) the perfect metaphor for Amazon's effort to soothe, pacify and succor its infantilized consumer-base? Mentioned in the episode: Laura Miller, Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption Public libraries going trashy or classy: John wrote an article about this topic, praising a compelling database, "What Middletown Read" Recallable Books: Walter Tevis, Mockingbird (1980) Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1853) Anthony Trollope, The Warden (1855) Transcript available here RTB 67 Transcript (or Visit the Recall this Book Transcript page) Upcoming: Mark's discussion of the history of books and book publishing inspired next week's blog post: tune in next Thursday to find out more! It also sent us back to the archives for a golden RTB oldie starring Martin Puchner. That will appear, freshly rewrapped for the occasion, just before Thanksgiving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

What do you make of Amazon: The new Sears Roebuck? A terrifying monopoly threat? Satisfaction (a paperback in your mailbox, a Kindle edition on your tablet) just a click away? John and Elizabeth speak with Stanford English prof Mark McGurl, whose previous books include the pathbreaking The Program Era. Mark faces that question squarely in his terrific new book, Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon: if you want to know even more about it, check out the NY Times review by RTB's own book-history maven, star of RTB 46, Leah Price. Mark ponders when service became an idiom for the relationship between writer and reader and how strong a claim he is willing to make about Amazon's impact on the modern novel (pretty strong!). Finally, he tackles the key question: is the genre of "Adult Diaper Baby Love" (a breakout hit in Kindle sales; google it at your peril!) the perfect metaphor for Amazon's effort to soothe, pacify and succor its infantilized consumer-base? Mentioned in the episode: Laura Miller, Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption Public libraries going trashy or classy: John wrote an article about this topic, praising a compelling database, "What Middletown Read" Recallable Books: Walter Tevis, Mockingbird (1980) Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1853) Anthony Trollope, The Warden (1855) Transcript available here RTB 67 Transcript (or Visit the Recall this Book Transcript page) Upcoming: Mark's discussion of the history of books and book publishing inspired next week's blog post: tune in next Thursday to find out more! It also sent us back to the archives for a golden RTB oldie starring Martin Puchner. That will appear, freshly rewrapped for the occasion, just before Thanksgiving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/technology

What do you make of Amazon: The new Sears Roebuck? A terrifying monopoly threat? Satisfaction (a paperback in your mailbox, a Kindle edition on your tablet) just a click away? John and Elizabeth speak with Stanford English prof Mark McGurl, whose previous books include the pathbreaking The Program Era. Mark faces that question squarely in his terrific new book, Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon: if you want to know even more about it, check out the NY Times review by RTB's own book-history maven, star of RTB 46, Leah Price. Mark ponders when service became an idiom for the relationship between writer and reader and how strong a claim he is willing to make about Amazon's impact on the modern novel (pretty strong!). Finally, he tackles the key question: is the genre of "Adult Diaper Baby Love" (a breakout hit in Kindle sales; google it at your peril!) the perfect metaphor for Amazon's effort to soothe, pacify and succor its infantilized consumer-base? Mentioned in the episode: Laura Miller, Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption Public libraries going trashy or classy: John wrote an article about this topic, praising a compelling database, "What Middletown Read" Recallable Books: Walter Tevis, Mockingbird (1980) Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1853) Anthony Trollope, The Warden (1855) Transcript available here RTB 67 Transcript (or Visit the Recall this Book Transcript page) Upcoming: Mark's discussion of the history of books and book publishing inspired next week's blog post: tune in next Thursday to find out more! It also sent us back to the archives for a golden RTB oldie starring Martin Puchner. That will appear, freshly rewrapped for the occasion, just before Thanksgiving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

What do you make of Amazon: The new Sears Roebuck? A terrifying monopoly threat? Satisfaction (a paperback in your mailbox, a Kindle edition on your tablet) just a click away? John and Elizabeth speak with Stanford English prof Mark McGurl, whose previous books include the pathbreaking The Program Era. Mark faces that question squarely in his terrific new book, Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon: if you want to know even more about it, check out the NY Times review by RTB's own book-history maven, star of RTB 46, Leah Price. Mark ponders when service became an idiom for the relationship between writer and reader and how strong a claim he is willing to make about Amazon's impact on the modern novel (pretty strong!). Finally, he tackles the key question: is the genre of "Adult Diaper Baby Love" (a breakout hit in Kindle sales; google it at your peril!) the perfect metaphor for Amazon's effort to soothe, pacify and succor its infantilized consumer-base? Mentioned in the episode: Laura Miller, Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption Public libraries going trashy or classy: John wrote an article about this topic, praising a compelling database, "What Middletown Read" Recallable Books: Walter Tevis, Mockingbird (1980) Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1853) Anthony Trollope, The Warden (1855) Transcript available here RTB 67 Transcript (or Visit the Recall this Book Transcript page) Upcoming: Mark's discussion of the history of books and book publishing inspired next week's blog post: tune in next Thursday to find out more! It also sent us back to the archives for a golden RTB oldie starring Martin Puchner. That will appear, freshly rewrapped for the occasion, just before Thanksgiving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

What do you make of Amazon: The new Sears Roebuck? A terrifying monopoly threat? Satisfaction (a paperback in your mailbox, a Kindle edition on your tablet) just a click away? John and Elizabeth speak with Stanford English prof Mark McGurl, whose previous books include the pathbreaking The Program Era. Mark faces that question squarely in his terrific new book, Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon: if you want to know even more about it, check out the NY Times review by RTB's own book-history maven, star of RTB 46, Leah Price. Mark ponders when service became an idiom for the relationship between writer and reader and how strong a claim he is willing to make about Amazon's impact on the modern novel (pretty strong!). Finally, he tackles the key question: is the genre of "Adult Diaper Baby Love" (a breakout hit in Kindle sales; google it at your peril!) the perfect metaphor for Amazon's effort to soothe, pacify and succor its infantilized consumer-base? Mentioned in the episode: Laura Miller, Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption Public libraries going trashy or classy: John wrote an article about this topic, praising a compelling database, "What Middletown Read" Recallable Books: Walter Tevis, Mockingbird (1980) Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1853) Anthony Trollope, The Warden (1855) Transcript available here RTB 67 Transcript (or Visit the Recall this Book Transcript page) Upcoming: Mark's discussion of the history of books and book publishing inspired next week's blog post: tune in next Thursday to find out more! It also sent us back to the archives for a golden RTB oldie starring Martin Puchner. That will appear, freshly rewrapped for the occasion, just before Thanksgiving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Octopus month has morphed seamlessly into Multispecies month here at RtB, bringing with it not only last week's piece on chimpanzees, but also this sparkling conversation about all sorts of multi-species communities. Recorded live in front of an audience of writing students and introduced by Brandeis physicist Matthew Headrick, it features Patricia Alvarez Astacio, an anthropologist and filmmaker. She has made a film about her work in the Peruvian highlands, where people live with, respect, shear and sometimes eat alpacas. Gina Turrigiano, RtB guest-host of long standing, wears her biological hat in this conversation, bringing to bear insights about avian intelligence and the other sorts of animal community that silently surround our species (think microbiome...). John tries to steer the conversation towards SF as usual. Read Transcript Here (or Visit the Recallthisbook.org Transcript page) Upcoming episodes: What do you make of Amazon? The new Sears Roebuck? A terrifying monopoly threat? Satisfaction (a paperback in your mailbox, a Kindle edition on your tablet) just a click away? We talk in early November with Stanford English prof Mark McGurl, who faces that question squarely in his terrific new book, Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon. Elizabeth Ferry is Professor of Anthropology at Brandeis University. Email: ferry@brandeis.edu. John Plotz is Barbara Mandel Professor of the Humanities at Brandeis University and co-founder of the Brandeis Educational Justice Initiative. Email: plotz@brandeis.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Octopus month has morphed seamlessly into Multispecies month here at RtB, bringing with it not only last week's piece on chimpanzees, but also this sparkling conversation about all sorts of multi-species communities. Recorded live in front of an audience of writing students and introduced by Brandeis physicist Matthew Headrick, it features Patricia Alvarez Astacio, an anthropologist and filmmaker. She has made a film about her work in the Peruvian highlands, where people live with, respect, shear and sometimes eat alpacas. Gina Turrigiano, RtB guest-host of long standing, wears her biological hat in this conversation, bringing to bear insights about avian intelligence and the other sorts of animal community that silently surround our species (think microbiome...). John tries to steer the conversation towards SF as usual. Read Transcript Here (or Visit the Recallthisbook.org Transcript page) Upcoming episodes: What do you make of Amazon? The new Sears Roebuck? A terrifying monopoly threat? Satisfaction (a paperback in your mailbox, a Kindle edition on your tablet) just a click away? We talk in early November with Stanford English prof Mark McGurl, who faces that question squarely in his terrific new book, Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon. Elizabeth Ferry is Professor of Anthropology at Brandeis University. Email: ferry@brandeis.edu. John Plotz is Barbara Mandel Professor of the Humanities at Brandeis University and co-founder of the Brandeis Educational Justice Initiative. Email: plotz@brandeis.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Octopus month has morphed seamlessly into Multispecies month here at RtB, bringing with it not only last week's piece on chimpanzees, but also this sparkling conversation about all sorts of multi-species communities. Recorded live in front of an audience of writing students and introduced by Brandeis physicist Matthew Headrick, it features Patricia Alvarez Astacio, an anthropologist and filmmaker. She has made a film about her work in the Peruvian highlands, where people live with, respect, shear and sometimes eat alpacas. Gina Turrigiano, RtB guest-host of long standing, wears her biological hat in this conversation, bringing to bear insights about avian intelligence and the other sorts of animal community that silently surround our species (think microbiome...). John tries to steer the conversation towards SF as usual. Read Transcript Here (or Visit the Recallthisbook.org Transcript page) Upcoming episodes: What do you make of Amazon? The new Sears Roebuck? A terrifying monopoly threat? Satisfaction (a paperback in your mailbox, a Kindle edition on your tablet) just a click away? We talk in early November with Stanford English prof Mark McGurl, who faces that question squarely in his terrific new book, Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon. Elizabeth Ferry is Professor of Anthropology at Brandeis University. Email: ferry@brandeis.edu. John Plotz is Barbara Mandel Professor of the Humanities at Brandeis University and co-founder of the Brandeis Educational Justice Initiative. Email: plotz@brandeis.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

Do you want to hear some more from TJ, Sarah, Dean Welsh, & Dr. Ashley? Here is a bonus clip from our latest recording of #coffee talk. They discuss a lot of random things and will keep you laughing for another 20 minutes! Find out what they have to say about being talk show hosts, ballroom dancing, roller derby, cheerleading, the VFW, Top Gun, flying planes, the Dirty Dancing lift, Sears Roebuck, holiday parties, new employees, back to school, being a stay at home mom, working from home, margarita machines, favorite music, playing in a blues band, and how we came up with title of this episode! RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: The Bush School of Government and Public Service General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III Dr. Frank B. Ashley III CONNECT WITH US Website Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Spotify Apple Podcast Youtube

How did the man who launched Sears Roebuck & Co. into the distribution revolution also revolutionize education for Black students in the segregated South, establishing an astonishing 4,977 schools? In this week's episode, Julius Rosenwald National Parks Campaign Board Member Curtis Valentine joins host Debi Ghate to share the incredible story of Julius Rosenwald's philanthropy and Curtis's personal connection to the schools, the campaign to establish a National Park for the Rosenwald Schools and the importance of school choice today.Follow Debi Ghate (@GhateDebi) on Twitter You can connect with us on social media!Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube 

In 1912, Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Institute and Julius Rosenwald, philanthropist and president of Sears Roebuck, built state-of-the art schools for African-American children across the South. The effort has been called the most important initiative to advance black education in the early 20th century. At its height, there were some 5300 Rosenwald schools in 15 states that educated more than 600,000 African American children. Join hosts Tom Price and Jo Ann McClellan with special guest Dr. Mary Hoffschwelle, professor of history at Middle Tennessee State University.

Click Here to Listen to the other parts in the seriesHow Pinterest Stole Christmas (Part 1) - Putting Christ FirstHow Pinterest Stole Christmas (Part 2) - Making Jesus Our FocusFamilyLife Today® Radio Transcript  References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete. Making Jesus Our Focus Guest:                        Barbara Rainey                    From the series:       How Pinterest Stole Christmas (Day 2 of 2)Air date:                     December 2, 2014  Bob: When you get to December 26th, and you look back on the last couple of weeks, how will you determine whether the time leading up to Christmas was a success? Barbara Rainey says you've got to have your priorities right. Barbara: Moms can look at all the things on their list—they can look at the cookies, and the Christmas cards, and the gifts, and all of that stuff—and decide, “What is really most important?” If, at the top of your list, you say, “Teaching my kids about Christ in the month of December,” some of those other things on your list might have to go. If you don't get the cookies done, no one's going to remember; but your kids might remember some of what they heard about Jesus. That's worth more than any of the traditions you're trying to keep. Bob: This is FamilyLife Today for Tuesday, December 2nd. Our host is the President of FamilyLife®, Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine. We want to do what we can do today to help out so that, when you do get to December 26th, you can look back and say, “That was a good Christmas season.”  Stay tuned. 1:00 Bob: And welcome to FamilyLife Today. Thanks for joining us on the Tuesday edition. So, is it true that you moved, years ago, out to the end of a street so you wouldn't have to put up lights on your—[Laughter] That's what I was told—you said, “I want to be where I don't have to go through that every year.” Dennis: We moved into the country, just over the hill—[Laughter] —so no one drives by our house.  Bob: We do have your wife, Barbara, joining us again on FamilyLife Today. Barbara, welcome to FamilyLife Today. Barbara: Thanks—Bob.  Bob: We're glad you're joining us this week because we want to talk about how overwhelming Christmas can be / the holiday season can be—particularly, for moms—particularly, when you have kids of all ages with all kinds of priorities of their own.  2:00 This is a season of the year where, not only are the activities highlighted, but you've got an objective around trying to get ready for the big day that includes buying presents and decorating the home. Decorating the home is something that—I've been in your home at Christmas. Dennis: Oh, my! Oh, yes—in fact, here's what happens. [Laughter] About the first of November, she says, “I think I want you to go to the attic and pull down all of the boxes.” Barbara: That is not true! Dennis: Now this takes a small, load-bearing piece of equipment called a “husband” to go get the boxes. Bob: Yes. Dennis: It's a piece of work at our place. Bob: And the transformation of your home into Christmas mode—is it a full-day job to get the decorating done?  Barbara: Well, yes. If I started in the morning and went all day, it probably would; but I don't stay that focused, so it's pieces of several days. Bob: So, for pieces of several days, you are going to be consumed for part of that with decorating the house.  3:00 Were you doing this when the kids were little?  Barbara: Yes. Bob: How did you do it?! Barbara: I let other things go because it was more important to me than other things. Bob: What was important? Why were you decorating the house? Barbara: I think the reason—and I did this when I was a kid too—my mother, bless her heart, was very, very generous with allowing me to express my creativity and my artistic vision for what our house should look like. She let me decorate our house when I was a kid. I set up a card table in my bedroom. I was the gift-wrapping queen of the whole house—I wrapped my own gifts / I wrapped gifts for everybody else because I wanted it to be magical—I wanted it to be beautiful. I just had this vision of what it should be like. Bob: Now, you're decorating everybody's house—that's what you're doing! [Laughter] This whole—all of these resources you've been working on in Ever Thine Home®—you just want to decorate everybody's house in the world; don't you? 4:00 Barbara: No, I really don't want to decorate everybody else's house. [Laughter] I want everybody's Christmas trees—people who are putting up Christmas trees—and I realize not everybody puts up a Christmas tree—but for those who do—I think our Christmas trees should be about Christ. That's really what I want. Bob: Over the last three years, you have created ornaments to put on Christmas trees. We call them Adorenaments®. The first year, you put out a set of seven ornaments that were all about the Christmas names of Christ—  Barbara: Yes. Bob: —from Luke, Chapter 2, and from Isaiah, Chapter 9. Then, last year, the royal names. Those were the shapes of crowns. Barbara: Correct. Bob: And you've got a third set of ornaments / seven ornaments this year. These are the Savior names. Where did you come up with the list of seven Savior names? Barbara: You know, choosing seven is tough because there are some that can go both ways. Bob: Right. Barbara: But I just started—as I've been reading through the Bible, every time I see a name of Christ, whether in the Old Testament or in the New, I've just got this running list—I've been throwing them on there.  5:00 Then I'll look at it and kind of go, “Okay, which ones are…?”—anyway, I've just kind of created these categories. Bob: “Which ones are grouped together?”—is that what you're doing? Barbara: Yes, I'm just grouping the names that I'm finding together by topic. So, for instance, last year—His royal names: King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Lion of Judah, and Son of David. Those are about His rulership. Those are about His royalty / His dominion that He has and will have. All of those made sense to go together as a group. This year, the names include “Anointed One.” Jesus was anointed and set apart, from before time began, to be our Savior—to die for us. Another name that is a Savior name is “Chief Cornerstone.” That's a name that talks about His place as the foundation of the Christian faith and the foundation of our lives, as believers.  6:00 Another Savior name is “Great High Priest.” I love “Great High Priest” because—if you know anything about Jewish history / you know anything about the nation of Israel—for centuries, there was a great high priest who went into the temple and made sacrifices—year after year, after year, after year, after year—it was never enough. So, when Jesus came, He came as our Great High Priest—He sacrificed His life for us, once for all. One of my favorite phrases in Scripture is “once for all”—I absolutely love it! Another name is “Lamb of God.” This is a phrase that many of us also recognize and really understand about Jesus. John the Baptist said that of Jesus. When he saw Him, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John recognized that Jesus was, not only the Great High Priest, but He, in His body, was the actual sacrifice—the sacrificial lamb—on our behalf. So, “Lamb of God” is another Savior name. 7:00 Another one is “Mediator.” That's probably a name that's not as commonly recognized by believers—maybe, I'm assuming something that's not true; but it wasn't one that was especially familiar to me—but “Mediator.” We understand the concept of mediator: When kids get into a fight on the playground, usually a teacher or an aide has to help resolve the problem. Adults get into arguments and they have to have a judge or a lawyer—I mean, we're all cognizant of the term “mediator” and what it means.Well, that's what Jesus did for us—He mediated. He came to be the go-between between us and His Father. So “Mediator” is another Savior name. Then there's “Messiah.” Messiah is the Jewish name for Savior. I love thinking about Jesus as my Messiah—not just as my Savior—but as my Messiah because He died for His people, but also for us, as Gentiles. So, Messiah is one.8:00 And, then, the last one of the seven is “Redeemer.” Redeemer is a word that's used throughout Scripture to talk about purchasing us back. It's really a strong word. In the book of Ruth—the story of Ruth—the redeemer was a key part of that story. Jesus came to be our redeemer—to purchase us back from our broken, fallen state that we can't get out of on our own. He came to fix it so that we could, then, be brought back to the Father. Dennis: And, Bob, the thing I love about these names is that they're all on a wooden plaque, on unique crosses from history. For instance, Redeemer is on a Celtic cross from Ireland. It has a circle that encompasses the cross, which has significance to the country of Ireland and some of their spiritual ancestry there. 9:00 “Messiah” is on a cross that's my favorite out of all of them. It's an anchor cross. I have to read—you know, all of these Adorenaments come with a book that give you a devotional to read each day that takes three or four minutes to read the whole thing. The anchor cross says this: “The anchor cross has symbolized hope since the early days of the church. Hebrews 6: 19-20 tells us, ‘We have this a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place where Jesus has gone on our behalf.' As an anchor holds a ship in place, so the anchor of Christ's work as Messiah holds us steady in the winds of life. This hope does not disappoint.” I just think, “How cool it is that—throughout history, there was a cross in the shape of an anchor.” 10:00 “Mediator” is the St. Thomas cross—cool cross that has a dove coming in from the top. The “Lamb of God” is the Jerusalem cross. As you were sharing about that a moment ago, Barbara, I thought, “It's significant that the Lamb of God came to Jerusalem because that's where they sacrificed the lambs in the Holy of Holies on behalf of the sin of the people on an annual basis.” The last three are: The “Great High Priest” is the Ethiopian cross; the “Chief Cornerstone” is the Coptic cross; and the “Anointed One” is the trefoil cross. Bob: And if people want to see these different cross designs and the Adorenaments, they can go to EverThineHome.com. They're on display there. Of course, you can order from the website if you want.  I'm just curious—because I've been to your home. On the front table, at Christmas, there's usually a little stand that's got a 45 record there; right? Do you know what I'm talking about? Barbara: Yes, I do. I'm impressed that you remember those details. 11:00 Bob: It is red vinyl. I can't remember if it's Rockin' around the Christmas Tree or something like that. Barbara: Actually, it's probably The First Noel.  Bob: Okay; but you have, decorating your home, snowmen, and snowflakes, and— Barbara: Actually, I used to.  Bob: Yes, I've seen it change over the years. Barbara: Yes, it has changed over the years. I used to have snowmen, and I used to have some Santas around—I used to have some of those things. I think it's because I couldn't find anything else. I just kind of went along with what was available. I had a little snowman collection that I put up—I had some of those things. Really and truly, there's absolutely nothing wrong with all of that. I don't want anybody to feel guilty if you've got Santas and snowmen because there's really nothing wrong with it; but I really wanted more, and I just couldn't find anything else. I still put that little red vinyl record up because it is a record from my childhood. We used to play those things—my brothers and I—over and over again. The side that says, The First Noel, I prop up and I put that one up because it is about Christ.  12:00 I'm changing in these years of my life to making our home more focused on Christ at Christmas and less on the traditional things that populate all of the stores, and all of the malls, and all of the airwaves, even for that matter. Bob: We have some ornaments at our house—I don't remember how old this one is—but it's Snoopy on top of a Christmas present, hanging on the tree. We've had it for years. It's kind of one of those heirloom-type ornaments, at this point. Are you still putting stuff like that on your Christmas tree? Barbara: I'm not because most of the ornaments that were like that—that we had—were my kids'.  Bob: You dispersed them. Barbara: Each of my kids, when they left home and had their own homes, I boxed up their ornaments and gave them their ornaments. So, for just Dennis and me, I don't put them on the tree. I still have them, and I'll probably give the ones that are left to my children.  13:00 But I mean, there are so many people who put up multiple Christmas trees—that it's really easy to have a tree with all of your sentimental ornaments—the ones that you've inherited, or the ones like the Snoopy, or whatever—and then to have a tree that focuses on Christ. I have a really good friend, here at the ministry—when his wife saw the new ornaments and the star that we've created this year to go on the top that says, “I am the bright morning star”—which I absolutely love—and the garland that says the same thing—and she saw all of that and she said: “I want a tree about Jesus this year. I want all of this stuff on my tree.” They're still going to put their kids' ornaments on a tree in another room. Bob: So, they're doing two trees? Barbara: Yes. Bob: So, you've just added difficulty to the whole thing! [Laughter] Now we've got to have two trees! Barbara: Okay—okay, okay! Well, there are a lot of people who do multiple trees already anyway; so I'm not adding for a lot of people—that's normative. Bob: Well, I want to tell you that Mary Ann was really excited about the tree topper—about the star. Barbara: Oh, was she? That's encouraging.  Bob: Yes. I mean, we've had an angel at the top of our tree before—  Barbara: Yes. Bob: —and there's nothing wrong, again, with an angel at the top of the tree. Barbara: Right; sure. 14:00 Bob: But the star is just the perfect topper. She was really excited and loved that you have added that to the collection. Barbara: Well, thanks. And I have loved it, too, because I've just—for a long time—I have loved that verse in Revelation, where He says, “I am the bright and morning star.” I just thought: “A star lit the way to the manger for the wise men—the star is—and He is the star. It's like: ‘That is what needs to be at the top of the tree.'” I wanted one at the top of my tree. I couldn't find one—so we made one. Bob: What about—are your kids—are they turning their homes into the same kind of a Jesus-centered approach to Christmas or are they co-mingling? Barbara: They're co-mingling. They're not doing it as exclusively as I am but, when I've been to their homes, they have their ornaments that they're kids are collecting or that their kids made at school—you know, the little paper plates with their picture in the middle. They've got all of that stuff on their tree.  15:00 And they have the Christmas names, and the royal names, and they will have the crosses on their trees this year. Bob: Well, they'd better if they want any presents from Mom and Dad. [Laughter] They know where their—[Laughter] Barbara: Exactly. [Laughter] Dennis: Well, Barbara has made it easy for families to be able to include these in your traditions. You've got some pointers at the beginning of the little devotional about what to do with elementary-aged children—to pull the name out / talk about the name with the children—maybe consider memorizing a passage of Scripture that's in the devotional book. Barbara: And here's another reason why I think it's so important to do this. It's not just to make Jesus the center of your Christmas celebration, although that is reason enough. Every Christmas—I remember, when our kids were growing up—not only did we have extra stress because of the parties and all of the stuff that we add to our lives in the month of December—but we also had more issues with selfishness because Christmas, and Santa Claus, and all of that stuff feeds our innate selfishness.  16:00 So, not only do we have these pressures and these stresses, but we've also got a whole lot more selfishness going on—at least, it seemed that way at our house. And so, to be able to talk to our children about why we need Jesus, as our Savior, at Christmas—because we're being selfish, and we're thinking about ourselves, and we're thinking about what we want and what we're going to get—we're not thinking about giving / we're not thinking about Jesus. It's a prime teaching opportunity for moms and dads. Bob: Were there other things you did when your kids were growing up to try to give them an others-centeredness at Christmas time? Barbara: Yes. One of the things that I remember from my own childhood, vividly, is that my brothers and I would get the Sears Roebuck catalog that came in the mail, which was about three or four inches thick.  Bob: I remember, yes. Barbara: We would spend hours poring over it and marking pages: “I want this," and “I want this.” I'm sure it kept us occupied, and my mother didn't mind that for a while; but what it did was it fed this selfishness that Christmas is all about me. It was all about what I was going to get—I couldn't wait to get my presents.  17:00 It just fed a side of me that I didn't like when I got to be an adult. I was going, “This is not right.” I realized, after I had become a Christian—that this focus on me and what I wanted was not what God wanted for me. So, when our children were little, Dennis and I decided that we wanted to try to kind of shift that a little bit. We taught our children to—I didn't let them look through the big catalogs, for one, because I knew that would just feed their selfishness—but we also made it a focus to teach our kids to think about gifts they could give to their siblings, and/or their grandparents, and/or us—but, specifically, for their siblings because that's the hardest relationship anyway.  We taught them to think about what they could give to their brothers and sisters rather than what they were going to get. Of course, Dennis and I had to help them buy for each other or make something for each other, which can be fraught with problems too; but, nonetheless, that was a goal for us.  18:00 So then, on Christmas morning, instead of everybody rushing into the living room and pulling everything out from under the tree and a free-for-all—  Dennis: —that has their name on it and kind of pull it over in the corner in a stash. Barbara: Yes, and you just have this present-fest, so to speak—you're tearing into it—and it's all about, “What am I going to get?”  We had our kids go and get all of the gifts under the tree that they bought for someone else. Ashley got the pile of the things that she got for her siblings, and Benjamin did the same, and Samuel did the same. And then we took turns giving gifts. If Ashley was the first one to give, she would decide which gift she wanted to give to which one of her siblings. We all watched so that the focus was on that person and what that person got—we all celebrated what that person got. Then it was their turn to give. So, if she gave to Samuel, it was Samuel's turn to pick out a gift and decide who he wanted to give to next.  19:00 Part of the fun of that is that it helped them not think as much about themselves. It really trained them to think about giving. The other fun benefit—that Dennis and I, neither one thought about on the front-end—is that it made Christmas last for hours. Bob: Yes. Barbara: Instead of it being over in a flurry—in 15 minutes of paper flying through the air and you're done—we sometimes didn't finish until noon. Dennis: Yes, and I remember one time it didn't finish for a couple of days. [Laughter] I mean, it took forever. I was smiling earlier when you were talking about how Christmas can get us all focused on ourselves. We used to have a tradition in our family where we would put everybody's name in a hat. You would draw out the name of someone where you were a “Secret Santa.”  Barbara: We called them “KKs.” Dennis: It's amazing how many arguments you can get into, as a family, around that because you have a young child who drew your name—“I'm not getting anything!!” You know: “They're no longer here!” or they're just selfish—they haven't thought of anybody. [Laughter]  20:00 Christmas is a time that can bring out—in the midst of the exhaustion—it can bring out—  Barbara: The worst! Dennis: —the worst in us. There's another reason why I think we need, again, to put the focus back on Jesus Christ and call our kids to have Him live His life in them and through them as they celebrate the holidays. Bob: I had one of my Facebook® friends, who used to work, here at FamilyLife, who just sent me this picture not long ago—let me see if I can pull this up on the phone. You recognize that old shot; don't you? [Laughter]  Barbara: Yes! [Laughter] Bob: I'm wondering if we can—  Barbara: So how many decades ago would that be? Laura looks like she's five. Dennis: Oh, wow! Bob: You can't turn that and get it—it flops every time you turn it. Barbara: So that's about 25 years ago. Yikes!—that's a long time ago. Bob: Can we put that up on the website? Dennis: That's a long time ago. I think you can.  Bob: That will be fun. Dennis: And it's proof that you can get every eye open.  Barbara: That's right; you can. Dennis: This was back in the day of film. [Laughter] Barbara: This was before Photoshop. Dennis: We would take seven or eight rolls of film because of our son, Samuel. [Laughter] His pictures were called “The Many Faces of Samuel Rainey.”  21:00 Barbara: Yes, his delight was to make faces at the camera. Bob: Well, if you want to see the one shot that everybody was smiling on—back about 25 years ago—you can go to FamilyLifeToday.com. We have it posted there. Barbara: And you'll notice how neatly and perfectly we're dressed, too, because that was a priority for me as well—sadly. Dennis: Oh, my goodness.  Bob: That looks like that took a lot of time too. Dennis: Oh, yes! Barbara: Yes, yes, yes—I know! Dennis: It started about June or— Barbara: It did not! [Laughter] Bob: And if you are interested in seeing what Barbara's been working on, you can go to EverThineHome.com—see the new set of ornaments that have been designed for this year—the Adorenaments that are the Savior names of Jesus: Messiah, Redeemer, Chief Cornerstone, Great High Priest, Anointed One, Lamb of God, and Mediator—all in the shape of crosses. You can see past years' of Adorenaments as well—His Christmas names and His royal names. You can see them; and you can order, online, at EverThineHome.com.  22:00 I know that gift-giving is one of the priorities that is on all of our minds during the month of December as we often budget for, and think about and shop for, and wrap gifts that we give to friends, or to family members, and loved ones during the Christmas season. And I know many of our listeners have included FamilyLife Today in past years on your gift-giving list. We know that because more than 50 percent of the funding necessary to operate FamilyLife, throughout the year, comes to us during the month of December, as a lot of people make a yearend contribution in support of this ministry. We're grateful for your financial support. In fact, what you give to FamilyLife in December really determines what the next year is going to look like for us—how much ministry we'll be able to do in the year ahead is often determined by the giving that happens in December.  We've had some friends of the ministry come to us recently—they are aware of that dynamic.  23:00 They've said, “We'd like to encourage FamilyLife Today listeners to be as generous as possible during December.” They have agreed that, this month, they will match every donation that we receive, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, up to a total of $2,000,000. Of course, we are very grateful for their generosity; and we want to take full advantage of this matching-gift opportunity.  That's why we're asking you: “Would you consider adding FamilyLife Today to your gift-giving list for December? Would you go today to FamilyLifeToday.com and make a yearend contribution in support of this ministry?” You can click in the upper right-hand corner of our website, where it says, “I Care,” and make an online donation. Or you can call 1-800-FL-TODAY to make a donation over the phone. Or you can mail a donation to FamilyLife Today at PO Box 7111, Little Rock, AR; and, again, our zip code is 72223.  24:00 Thanks, in advance, for whatever you're able to do. Keep in mind, your donation is being doubled this month. Please pray that we'll be able to take full advantage of that matching-gift opportunity.  And I hope you can join us back tomorrow. We're going to continue to think about the names of Christ at Christmas. We'll have some friends here to help us think through all of the exalted titles that belong to Jesus. I hope you can tune in for that. I want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, and our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today.  FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. Help for today. Hope for tomorrow. Copyright © FamilyLife. All rights reserved. www.FamilyLife.com   

Jeff Spadafora is the Director of Global Coaching Services and Product Development for The Halftime Institute. He spent 20 years as a leadership and executive development consultant for Fortune 1000 companies such as Ford Motor Company, Sears & Roebuck, Compuware, Domino's Pizza, Visteon, Northern Trust Bank, Helene Curtis, and Sky Chefs. Favorite Success Quote “As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of your life, the full potential of your soul will never emerge.”~Henry Van Dyke Key Points 1. Success Will Not Fulfill You In today's materialistic and ego driven society, we are incepted from birth with the idea that buying more stuff and achieving higher status will lead to joy and fulfillment. But as anyone who has ever been to the top will tell you, this is simply not true. While it is true that achieving goals, improving your material comfort, and reaching new heights of social prestige will increase your momentary happiness, this path does not offer any sort of contentment or joy in the long term. It results in a never ending quest to recreate the dopamine high that is released every time that you hit a new tax bracket. 2. Giving  Yourself Away is the True Path to Gaining Everything While living a life in pursuit of excess material wealth won't lead to fulfillment, living a life in pursuit of generosity and impact, and legacy will. If you truly wish to live a life of fulfillment and joy, not just momentary happiness and brief episodes of ecstasy, you must start by giving yourself to a cause bigger than yourself. You must find a passion and a calling that makes it difficult for you to stay in bed in the mornings because you are so excited about how you will get to change the world. As cliche and trite as it may sound, finding a calling that is about a bigger picture than just yourself is the true path to success. Perhaps at this moment, you can't find that calling or simply don't know how you want to impact the world. This is fine. Start with simple things: Volunteer at a local habitat for humanity, give away 10-15% of your income to a cause you believe in, or even just call your grandparents from time to time. Find things to do that remind you that you are a small part of a whole, find things that let you serve and give without any expectations. Give yourself away and you will gain everything. 3.You Need to Line Up your Core, Capacity, and Context  Similar to the four pillars, the Three C's are the essentials of life that must be in alignment for you to be living a “10” life. Core: This is who you are, what your mission is, and what you stand for. To have a well defined “core” (in the sense of success and fulfillment, not your abs), you must define your virtues, your beliefs, and your character traits that will remain unwavering no matter how strenuous the external circumstances become. (also called NUTS or Non-negotiable, unalterable terms by Wayne Levine) And you must also discover and be actively pursuing what you believe to be your calling and purpose in life. Capacity: This is how you are showing up in each area of your life, it's about maximizing your potential. Are you staying in the best shape you can physically? Are you being the best husband, father, friend, son, or brother that you can relationally? Are you connected with whatever your definition of God is? (Or if you are an atheist, have you done your research and do you have peace about the question of God?) Context: This is where you are working towards your calling and purpose. Do you need to move jobs, cities, or countries? Do you need to stay where you are and simply work change how you are showing up? Only you can answer these questions, and it is imperative that you take the time to do so lest you work your whole life away on something that you realize (too late) was never in line with your calling in the first place. 4. Busyness and Comfort are Your Two Greatest Enemies  The two greatest enemies to success and fulfillment are not laziness or greed or ignorance, but busyness and comfort. Busyness and comfort are malicious and sneak into your life slowly, without any obvious signs, but once they are in, they slowly and surely convince you that you are ok at your current level because there isn't the pain necessary to elicit change. When you are comfortable, it is difficult to find a real reason to change your lifestyle or pursue dreams, and when you are constantly busy, you never have the time to sit down and ask these questions in the first place. Don't allow busyness or comfort to rob you of your destiny. Take time to evaluate where you are in life with an open and unbiased mind. Go down the rabbit hole and it is likely that you will come out of the other side with a better understanding of yourself, your purpose, and the actions required to achieve it.

One of the fascinating things about the city of Atlanta, Georgia is how often it has had to change and adapt to forces around it. Sometimes it's gone kicking and screaming, and sometimes it's forged its own path. Because it's arguably undergone more major cultural and economic changes than most American cities, it's a great opportunity to study the evolution of American life. Specifically, we're talking today about the Ponce City Market, formerly the Sears and Roebuck building, which is a great example of how business models come and go, how commerce affects cultural life, and how businesses can impact a city by investing in the structures they will eventually leave behind. My guest today is Caroline Eubanks, a freelance travel writer whose book This is My South comes out this fall. We chat about how Sears came to Atlanta in the 1920s and what legacy its building leaves behind. Atlanta after the Civil War As Caroline tells me, Atlanta has had a rocky relationship with its past. The city was notoriously burned during the Civil War, and then suffered another major fire in 1916. So when Sears & Roebuck came to town, their building was the first major structure in their chosen neighborhood. Atlanta has also not always appreciated its landmarks, tearing down many buildings that are just a few decades old to replace with new ones, so the fact that the Ponce City Market building is still around is remarkable. Atlanta was struggling for jobs after Reconstruction, so Sears coming to town in 1926 was a big deal. What Sears meant to the South The Sears business model of mail-order goods and home delivery was a huge boon to the South, where many rural communities couldn't otherwise get access to many of the things Sears sold. So when the city was looking to attract businesses, an entrepreneur named Ivan Allen Sr. teamed up with the Chamber of Commerce and wooed Sears to Atlanta (along with another little-known company, General Motors). But the city Sears landed in was still struggling with the after-effects of the Civil War, with hard segregation between whites and blacks, race riots and more. The decline of Sears By the 1970s, Atlanta was experiencing what a lot of major urban areas in the U.S. saw happening: the rise of the suburbs and white flight. Where going into the city to shop at Sears was once a big part of life in the region, large shopping malls were opening in the ‘burbs, and the entire way people bought things shifted. Sears ended up closing its retail store in 1979, and then by 1987 the offices closed as well. The City of Atlanta purchased the two-million-square-foot building in 1990 to use for government offices, but they really only needed the first two floors. But then, in 2010, the city sold the building to a developer named Jamestown, who has developed huge complexes across the United States. The Rise of Ponce City Market In 2013, Jamestown began developing the space and it opened a year later. Now it's a thriving residential and commercial complex, including a world-class food hall. It's transformed the neighborhood, of course, and it's truly an example of what can happen if cities hold onto their landmarks and think creatively about how they can be used. And there's more to see around the Market as well. As Caroline tells me, it's important to check out Sweet Auburn, the area where many Civil Rights leaders grew up and came together to plan actions. This is a really fascinating chat about a place that doesn't get a lot of attention from tourists, the American South, and I highly recommend checking out Caroline's book when it publishes this fall. Outline of This Episode [3:45] Atlanta in the early 20th century [5:50] What Sears meant to the South [8:00] What Atlanta was like in the ‘20s [15:22] After Sears [18:22] The rise of Ponce City Market [26:16] What else to see around the Market [29:13] How Caroline became interested in the South [32:45] Caroline's book Resources Mentioned Caroline's travel blog This is My South website Connect With Stephanie stephanie@historyfangirl.com https://historyfangirl.com Support Stephanie on Patreon Featuring the song “Places Unseen” by Lee Rosevere. More info and photographs for this episode at: https://historyfangirl.com/atlantas-ponce-city-market/

Jeff Spadafora spent 20 years as a leadership and executive development consultant for Fortune 1000 companies such as Ford Motor Company, Sears & Roebuck, Compuware, Domino's Pizza, Visteon, Northern Trust Bank, Helene Curtis, and Sky Chefs. In 2005, he began working as a leadership coach with the Halftime Institute. Since then, he has coached over 130 men and women through the Halftime Journey and continues to make this a primary part of his ministry. He is the lead designer of the curriculum at The Halftime Institute. www.Halftime.org  Theology of Business helps marketplace leaders to integrate their faith into their businesses to make a greater impact in society and in eternity. If you want to learn more about how to partner with God in your business, this show is for you. This is a podcast by Christian business leaders for Christian business leaders. | Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Nonprofit | Church | Author | Startups | Marketplace | Ministry | Faith | Success | Leadership   www.TheologyofBusiness.com

Jeff Spadafora spent 20 years as a leadership and executive development consultant for Fortune 1000 companies such as Ford Motor Company, Sears & Roebuck, Compuware, Domino's Pizza, Visteon, Northern Trust Bank, Helene Curtis, and Sky Chefs. In 2005, he began working as a leadership coach with the Halftime Institute. Since then, he has coached over 130 men and women through the Halftime Journey and continues to make this a primary part of his ministry. He is the lead designer of the curriculum at The Halftime Institute. www.Halftime.org  Theology of Business helps marketplace leaders to integrate their faith into their businesses to make a greater impact in society and in eternity. If you want to learn more about how to partner with God in your business, this show is for you. This is a podcast by Christian business leaders for Christian business leaders. | Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Nonprofit | Church | Author | Startups | Marketplace | Ministry | Faith | Success | Leadership   www.TheologyofBusiness.com