44/365 a revolution

44/365

44/365
Originally uploaded by Jonathan D. Blundell


a revolution

“‘What a strange way to start a revolution… and a strange way to finish a world tour.’ We worship the seed that died. The revolution will not be televised. It will not be brought to you by Fox News with commercial interruptions… It will not be sandwiched between ads to accelerate your life or be all you can be. There will be no reruns. The revolution will be live. The revolution will be in the streets. The revolution will be cleaning toilets and giving another blanket to Karen. The revolution will not be talking about poverty in hotel ballrooms. It will be eating beans and rice with Ms. Sunshine and watching Back to the Future with our neighbor Mary. Get ready friends… God is preparing us for something really, really — small.”

-Shane Claiborne as quoted in Tom Sine’s book The New Conspirators


note: wish i had some mustard seeds on hand, but went with celery seeds instead.

Jeremy Halbreich to head Sun-Times Media

Former Dallas Morning News Manager and CEO of American Consolidated Media (my former employer), Jeremy Halbreich, is heading to the Windy City.

According to the Chicago Tribune ::

The management shakeup at Sun-Times Media Group Inc. continued Wednesday, as the Chicago newspaper publishing company’s newly installed board tapped one of the company’s directors to serve as chairman and interim chief executive officer.

The new chairman is Jeremy Halbreich, former general manager of the Dallas Morning News and one of three directors elected last month when a dissident shareholder’s successful proxy fight ousted all but one of Sun-Times Media’s sitting directors. As chairman, Halbreich succeeds Raymond Seitz, who lost his seat in January in the proxy fight.

Halbreich founded American Consolidated Media roughly 10 years ago after he left the Dallas Morning News. The newspaper group grew and was sold to Macquarie Media Group (for $80 million) a few months before I left the Waxahachie Daily Light (an ACM owned paper).

With the money and backing of the Australian Macquarie Media Group Halbreich told the Dallas Business Journal that “ACM has grown into the fifth-largest community newspaper group in the U.S.”

Halbreich remained as CEO of American Consolidated until August 2008 when he stepped down and Liam Stewart, an ACM asset manager, was appointed interim CEO.

“Now that the planned acquisition and expansion phase of ACM is complete, it is an appropriate time for me to step down from full-time responsibilities,” Halbreich said at the time of his resignation.

Some have suggested that the Macquarie Media Group purposely purchased up many of the smaller-town newspapers along I-35 in order to help control the local media as it relates to the Trans-Texas Corridor (aka the suggested Mexico to Canada toll road). Macquarie Bank (MMG’s parent company) is heavily invested in toll projects around the US and many expect them to play a roll in many future projects as well.

WIN :: For Couples Only

I received a copy of the new For Couples Only Box set just before setting out on our cruise. Waterbrook Press has been gracious to send me the books to give to one lucky reader of my blog. The newly released box set includes a copy of For Men Only and For Women Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn.

Laurie and I’ve read both books and I think we’d both say they’ve been super helpful. Brian also uses them a lot in his marriage counseling.

These aren’t the “how-to” or DIY type of dating books. Like the other books in the series, the books are really about debunking the common misconceptions guys (including myself) and women have about that “mysterious other sex.”

Something I found helpful while reviewing For Young Men Only (another book in the series) was to simply ask Laurie about the things the Feldhahn’s reported in the book.

Because after all, no two women (or men) are exactly alike. Even if the Feldhahn’s surveys reported one thing, it was helpful to talk with Laurie about it to see exactly how she felt about the question/scenario. Sometimes she agreed with the majority, sometimes she didn’t and sometimes her response was a mixture of the two.

And of course this would make a great set for you and your spouse — especially just in time for Valentines Day (keep reading to find out how you can win a copy).

I mean really, what better way to tell your spouse you love them, than by telling them that you’re committed to learning more about them and sharing more about yourself? And not only that – but proving it by following up and using the books as some great conversation starters.

Diamonds-smymonds. Chocolate-bocolate.

Pass on the typical Valentines Day gifts and spend some time with your spouse over the next month or so really getting to know one another and I think you’ll see which one is the better investment.

For Couples Only Box Set:

Since their debut, these revolutionary guides have sold well over a million copies, been translated into fifteen languages, and sparked much fascinating water-cooler conversation around the country. Now together in the For Couples Only boxed set, these books provide the perfect resource to help you understand what you never knew about the woman or man in your life.

Each volume is based on input from more than a thousand members of the opposite sex—including an unprecedented nationwide survey and hundreds of personal interviews. This innovative approach yields candid and surprising answers about everything you don’t “get” about your significant other—even what that person deeply wishes you knew. It also produces simple but groundbreaking awareness of how you can best love and support the one who is most important to you.

So whether you are newly dating or have been married fifty years, get ready to know each other in a whole new way. The adventure is just beginning!

Author Bio:

Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn hold graduate degrees from Harvard University and are popular national speakers, authors, and entrepreneurs. They are also active church members and the parents of two young children, and they enjoy every minute of living life at warp speed.

How to enter/win:

Of course, if you really want to be the star this Valentines Day, go out and pick up a copy of the book for your Valentines sweet right now (you can even order it on Amazon via the link above). But as a way of saying thanks to folks who read this blog, follow me on Twitter and/or listen to the something beautiful podcast, I’ll pick a random person on Friday, Feb. 13th to send a copy of the box set to. Yes, Friday the 13th could actually turn out to be your lucky day.

To enter, simply tell the world via Twitter why your spouse is the best of the best. And just to be sure that I can track your entry, be sure and add #SSLwin as a hashtag at the end of your Tweet. If you don’t use the hashtag – I won’t find your “entry.”

If you’re not on Twitter, you should be, but I’ll also accept your entry if you post your comment below.

Finally, if you want to be extra certain I see your Twitter message, feel free to copy the message and the url link to your Tweet into the comments below.

I think that does it! If you have any questions about the contest let me know. And good luck!

Day 145/365 new light

Day 145 ~ 365 Days Project

Day 145 ~ 365 Days Project
Originally uploaded by Laurie B!


Laurie and I have been wanting this light for our kitchen for a while now – it’s been out of stock at the Frisco IKEA for at least a month.
On the way back from our cruise we stopped at IKEA in Houston and were able to grab the one we wanted.
Took some time tonight to hang it and Laurie took some great photos.
Not sure if it was the summers doing electrical work with my dad or the easy instructions IKEA provided, but its been fun getting my “hands dirty” fixing/installing these random things around the house.