You spent your Thursday eating, your Friday at big box stores, your Saturday recovering, your Sunday watching the Chiefs beat Denver, your Monday online, and your Tuesday giving donations.
Wait a few days.
Now, it's time for Small Business Saturday. Or Shop Local Saturday. Unfortunately, it's after you've spent all your money on Chinese-made items at the big retailers. But it does still matter, so get out there and shop a local store or eat at a local restaurant. If you don't want to leave the house, then shop local online with local Johnson County online businesses.
In fact, if you own a local business, Saturday would be a good day to assess ALL aspects of your own commitment to the local community. Do you advertise or market using the national social media? Do you use an online website builder located in India? Actually, if you use any large corporation to host your website or help you advertise, you are not keeping your own money local. Just call customer service to confirm the location of most of their employees.
If you want people to shop local, then be sure to support local freelance web designers, content writers, and ad agencies. Even if it costs a little more, think about the customers you'll gain by hiring local.
Here's a list of some of the local online businesses that operate out of Johnson County, Kansas:
Passive Ninja Web Design
Educabana Educational Resources
Brave New Church Web Design
Voucher School
Luthernet Web Design
Sitcom Life Lessons
Phone
call us
Can Kansas Schools Afford NOT to Purchase Chromebooks With Craniums?
To put it lightly, Kansas has a bit of a problem when it comes to funding for schools. Many school districts, even the elite districts like Shawnee Mission or Blue Valley, are putting off purchases that can benefit the children because they simply do not have enough money. They've already deferred improvements and tightened belts, and it looks like all the savings have been claimed. Maybe most have, but there might be a few more tips for savings in Kansas schools.
First, get Chromebooks and use Google Drive (G Suite). If you were smart enough to do this already, then check out the Cranium from Educabana. It can protect your wise investment. If you currently have overpriced Macs using overpriced Office, then please feel free to phase them out or phase yourself out as the tech person. You can try to find reasons for having these expensive products, but you know the advantages are not worth 2-3x the price of Chromebooks and free apps, so stop trying to defend your poor decision with worthless arguments. You are better than that.
Chromebooks are good. Craniums by Educabana
make them better, offering protection to the most vulnerable part (the flexible screen). When you decide to cut tech spending in half, then order Chromebooks. Cheap ones. Then get a screen protector that doubles as a whiteboard and is permanent (so students don't take them off). If you need a whole bunch of the Craniums, then contact Educabana.
First, get Chromebooks and use Google Drive (G Suite). If you were smart enough to do this already, then check out the Cranium from Educabana. It can protect your wise investment. If you currently have overpriced Macs using overpriced Office, then please feel free to phase them out or phase yourself out as the tech person. You can try to find reasons for having these expensive products, but you know the advantages are not worth 2-3x the price of Chromebooks and free apps, so stop trying to defend your poor decision with worthless arguments. You are better than that.
Chromebooks are good. Craniums by Educabana
make them better, offering protection to the most vulnerable part (the flexible screen). When you decide to cut tech spending in half, then order Chromebooks. Cheap ones. Then get a screen protector that doubles as a whiteboard and is permanent (so students don't take them off). If you need a whole bunch of the Craniums, then contact Educabana.
School Zone Speeding Ticket When School is Not in Session
If school is not in session, even if it normally would be, then you should not have to pay a speeding ticket received when a police officer takes it upon himself to enforce a law that is not a law (on that particular day). This can happen when school has a day off during the normal school year that is not figured into a school zone's sign and when it flashes. It could also be done by an officer sitting outside of an empty school and being dishonest. Check out this article about speeding tickets in school zones when school is out.
Remember to be careful when questioning an officer. The linked article is from Shawnee, Kansas, but it can happen anywhere, and not every person who has been issued the power to enforce the law takes kindly to criticism. However, they should all learn the law they're enforcing.
What was interesting about the article was that three adjacent communities in Johnson County (Lenexa, Mission, and Leawood) all state clearly that the rule only applies when school is in session, not just when the lights are flashing. Could you imagine if each small municipality had a different code to follow?
Remember to be careful when questioning an officer. The linked article is from Shawnee, Kansas, but it can happen anywhere, and not every person who has been issued the power to enforce the law takes kindly to criticism. However, they should all learn the law they're enforcing.
What was interesting about the article was that three adjacent communities in Johnson County (Lenexa, Mission, and Leawood) all state clearly that the rule only applies when school is in session, not just when the lights are flashing. Could you imagine if each small municipality had a different code to follow?
Direct Tutoring in Lenexa, Overland Park, Shawnee, Olathe, Mission, and More
Did you know that when you sign up for a tutoring service, you are paying about half of your fees to the service? That means the $50 tutor is making $25. Even if your tutor seems to overcharge at $100 an hour, that qualified person is only making the standard $50 an hour.
The only way tutoring makes sense to a qualified person is to get jobs without using Tutor Doctor or Varsity Tutors. Working for Sylvan or similar is no better. And be careful, either as a tutor or client, as some of these services will give a tutor 3-5 students at a time. That's not really one-on-one, and it's exceptionally greedy by the company.
If you want the best tutor for the best price, you need to network. If you are looking for an ELA (English Language Arts) tutor in suburban Kansas City, then you have found the best for the price: $50 an hour.
My name is Brian Jaeger, and I am qualified to tutor writing, reading, and grammar from middle school on up through college. With Master's level English coursework, a teaching certification, and years of writing experience, I can help. Even if you are an adult looking to improve your communication skills, give me a call. I have even helped people who spoke very little English create website content, or I can build the whole website for you.
I have several books on Amazon, and I've been selling my teaching lessons for years, but this is your chance to get your writing seen by a top-notch editor. My specialty is high school or college creative writing, but I also became very adept at creating ACT-style grammar and reading assessments, which means I UNDERSTAND the ACT.
Contact me through Educabana.
The only way tutoring makes sense to a qualified person is to get jobs without using Tutor Doctor or Varsity Tutors. Working for Sylvan or similar is no better. And be careful, either as a tutor or client, as some of these services will give a tutor 3-5 students at a time. That's not really one-on-one, and it's exceptionally greedy by the company.
If you want the best tutor for the best price, you need to network. If you are looking for an ELA (English Language Arts) tutor in suburban Kansas City, then you have found the best for the price: $50 an hour.
My name is Brian Jaeger, and I am qualified to tutor writing, reading, and grammar from middle school on up through college. With Master's level English coursework, a teaching certification, and years of writing experience, I can help. Even if you are an adult looking to improve your communication skills, give me a call. I have even helped people who spoke very little English create website content, or I can build the whole website for you.
I have several books on Amazon, and I've been selling my teaching lessons for years, but this is your chance to get your writing seen by a top-notch editor. My specialty is high school or college creative writing, but I also became very adept at creating ACT-style grammar and reading assessments, which means I UNDERSTAND the ACT.
Contact me through Educabana.
New Google Sites - You Still May Need a Hand
I really tried to like the old Google Sites. I built several pretty good renditions of them, as well as a template used by my school district for other teachers. I wanted Sites to be the future for me as an educator, but the system was like a starter version of WordPress or joomla. Google did little to support Sites, custom code was usually not permitted, and it just seemed old.
Now I hear there's a new format. Obviously, if Google wants to get something right, it will be done. Therefore, I am going to say I'm confident it's pretty good. It's also very likely to be much easier to use than the old system.
I can also tell you that it's probably a better system for many schools than Google Classroom (another 1st gen disappointment).
Another thing is that the new Google Sites will still be difficult or just time-consuming for many of those who just want a simple website. Sure, better than Google+, but not simple like an email. And there's getting articles indexed and other things I can teach folks, so I still have a purpose.
The danger with free websites to my web design business is generally not that people will use them; it's that people will believe they could just as easily use them. And those are free, so why pay? I am sure that I can now create Google Sites that will rival my other sites. On fact, I plan on offering just that as o continue working as Passive Ninja, Luthernet, and Brave New Church. If it's better, I will be honest and shift to it for new sites. We'll see.
Well, I kind of saw. Here's my new Google Sites offering. https://sites.google.com/site/bravenewchurchwebdesign/ It's OK, but nothing to write home about, really.
Outcome-Based Youth Ministry Works
If you are looking for a new youth ministry program for your church, it's time to check out Outcome-based Youth Ministry. Not just because it sounds like something that gets results. The main reason is that whatever you currently have does not get results. At least not GREAT results. Not LASTING results. Not results that keep kids wanting to attend church.
Outcome-based Youth Ministry gets these results because Gary, the guy who runs the website, has tried all those other youth ministry ideas over the years. He and his wife have taken notes, and they have created a program that works. Sign up and give it a try. You won't be sorry.
Outcome-based Youth Ministry gets these results because Gary, the guy who runs the website, has tried all those other youth ministry ideas over the years. He and his wife have taken notes, and they have created a program that works. Sign up and give it a try. You won't be sorry.
Helping Thousands to Make a Few Dollars
If the goal in business is to figure out a way to help many others and get them to want to help me in return, then I've gotten off to a good start. However, I'm hoping my investment eventually pays off.
My first foray into helping others was when I posted my lessons online for all to use. If I'd been able to keep my job as a teacher, those lessons would still be free.
Next, I designed online tests and lessons for my school district. Those still exist. The sad part is that the point in creating the lessons in such a way was to allow for new teachers to step in and teach without much planning. It worked so well that I was no longer teaching the next year, though several dozen of my quizzes were.
So I was a bit disheartened. All that I had done for others was taken and used with no pay or credit. But I still believe that helping others will help me. I put 300 lessons online for sale, but I'd rather give them away.
Next, I donated a lot of time to friends who had ideas for websites. I hoped we'd be able to make it big some day, but I never asked for money up front. I trusted, and it's come around to help me, albeit many years later and not to the degree we'd hoped. It was still the right thing to do.
Later, I tried pre building websites in the hopes that they'd be so good none could resist. But they resisted, even friends. Even when it was the cheapest option. It was surprising, but it was also true I had only done this for them, and not a lot of other selfless acts.
Looking for Poetry in Johnson County, Kansas - Lenexa, Shawnee, Overland Park, Leawood
Whether you are a teacher of poetry or simply someone who appreciates the arts, Johnson County, Kansas, is not considered to be ground-zero for the best in poetry. At least it wasn't until the Poet Laureate from Wauwatosa moved in. Suddenly, people want to know where the next poetry reading will be held and who's going to win the upcoming poetry slam. It's all because poetry is cool again. "If Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers can get behind poetry, then so can everyday citizens of Johnson County, Kansas," said Brian Jaeger, self-proclaimed Wauwatosa, WI Poet Laureate.
While Trump has not officially endorsed Jaeger or poetry, Mr. Jaeger is quick to point out the President-Elect has not spurned the ancient expression of emotion. "He hates Obamacare and illegal immigrants, but he's fine with poetry," he said. Trump, Jaeger suggested, might be able to cope with his emotions better if he reads some poetry. Mike Pence, on the other hand, might be able to acquire some emotions.
Brian Jaeger is so excited about bringing poetry to the Kansas side that he wants local teachers to contact him to teach poetry at their schools. "Not all teachers want to deal with poetry," he said, claiming that a guest poet can often help with a one-time lesson. Even if teachers are not looking to hire a guest speaker, they can find his poetry online here.
https://www.amazon.com/Rumbling-Stumbling-Bumbling-Fumbling-Americans-ebook/dp/B00P86LHG2/
https://www.amazon.com/Archived-my-Heart-Love-Poems-ebook/dp/B00LA94V7S/
https://www.amazon.com/Leaves-Paper-Poems-Stories-Teaching-ebook/dp/B00LFTVL0S/
While Trump has not officially endorsed Jaeger or poetry, Mr. Jaeger is quick to point out the President-Elect has not spurned the ancient expression of emotion. "He hates Obamacare and illegal immigrants, but he's fine with poetry," he said. Trump, Jaeger suggested, might be able to cope with his emotions better if he reads some poetry. Mike Pence, on the other hand, might be able to acquire some emotions.
Brian Jaeger is so excited about bringing poetry to the Kansas side that he wants local teachers to contact him to teach poetry at their schools. "Not all teachers want to deal with poetry," he said, claiming that a guest poet can often help with a one-time lesson. Even if teachers are not looking to hire a guest speaker, they can find his poetry online here.
https://www.amazon.com/Rumbling-Stumbling-Bumbling-Fumbling-Americans-ebook/dp/B00P86LHG2/
https://www.amazon.com/Archived-my-Heart-Love-Poems-ebook/dp/B00LA94V7S/
https://www.amazon.com/Leaves-Paper-Poems-Stories-Teaching-ebook/dp/B00LFTVL0S/
New South Wales Schools and Chromebooks
You may live on Cabbage Tree Island, in Cabramatta, or even Cabramurra, but wherever you are in New South Wales, you should be concerned about protecting your investments in technology. Cranium has you covered up on Caddies Creek and down in Cairnsfoot.
Whatever your major at Callaghan College, you'll appreciate the thought that went into the Cranium. From Callala to Cambewarra and all the Cambridge and Camden varieties in between, people are talking about the Cranium Chromebook Hard Case Protector and Whiteboard, available for bulk orders at Educabana
Maybe we don't know the difference between Camdenville, Cameron, Cammeray, Campbell, Campbellfield, Campbelltown, or Campsie, but we do know that even towns that sound alike have different needs when it comes to their Chromebooks. For example, Candelo might have one brand of Chromebook while Caniaba chooses an entirely different model. Fine with us.
Lenovo, Dell, Samsung, Acer, whatever you want, Canley and Canobolas. Whichever way the wind blows in Canowindra will still result in a quality Chromebook, so go ahead and order, Canterbury.
Whether you're trying to identify a Capertee or where to find a Captains Flat, or if you're on Deaths Lane in Caragabal or minding Gap Road in Carcoar, your Chromebook is better protected with the Cranium. No Cardiffs, ands, or buts about it.
Other places that might be interested in the best available Chromebook protector and whiteboard include:
Carenne, Cargo, Carinda, Caringbah, Carinya, Carlingford, Carlton, Caroline, Carool, Carramar, Carrathool, Carrington, Carroll, Cartwright, Cascade, Casino, Castle Cove and Castle Hill, Castlereagh, Casuarina, Casula, Cattai, Caves Beach, Cawdor, Cecil Hills, Centaur, Centennial Park, Mangrove, Tilba, Cessnock, Chalmers Road, Chandler, Charlestown, Chatham, Chatsworth, Cheltenham, Cherrybrook, Chertsey, Chester Hill, Chevalier, Chifley, Chillingham, Chipping Norton, Chittaway Bay, Chullora
Make America Great Again, One Decision at a Time
Schools and churches want to participate in the Make America Great Again movement, but it might seem like a daunting task. What can each small group do in order to make any kind of a difference? The answer is EVERYTHING. Just like every small voter in rural America makes a difference in a presidential election, so too does your church or school on the American economy.
Step one is to hire American. This is easier than you think, since there are still plenty of qualified and talented Americans ready to work for you. This includes services that have started to be outsourced, like accountant or web designer. Even if you want to use a free or cheap self-help web design option, find out where your investment is going and who will be answering your questions when they arise.
Next, get products from America. Innovation is not dead here. For example, the Cranium Chromebook Protector and Whiteboard was developed right here in America and works better than Chinese plastic to protect your Chromebooks (good luck finding any computer made in America).
Finally, as an American, realize that your vote and your money matter. From where you invest to where you buy your groceries. Support local farmers and local manufacturers. Find out where you can buy local and buy American, and we can work together to make America Great Again.
Step one is to hire American. This is easier than you think, since there are still plenty of qualified and talented Americans ready to work for you. This includes services that have started to be outsourced, like accountant or web designer. Even if you want to use a free or cheap self-help web design option, find out where your investment is going and who will be answering your questions when they arise.
Next, get products from America. Innovation is not dead here. For example, the Cranium Chromebook Protector and Whiteboard was developed right here in America and works better than Chinese plastic to protect your Chromebooks (good luck finding any computer made in America).
Finally, as an American, realize that your vote and your money matter. From where you invest to where you buy your groceries. Support local farmers and local manufacturers. Find out where you can buy local and buy American, and we can work together to make America Great Again.
Lutheran Websites
If you want a website for a Lutheran church or school, built by a faith-based, Lutheran website developer, then check out Luthernet.
I build the same websites as other developers, using the Joomla CMS. I build them fast and beautiful, and I only charge based on what I have to do. I am honest, and I have been given a great gift, so please feel free to contact me. I can accomplish anything you might want, and it's a fraction of the price because I don't pay for an office or salesmen. I also don't bombard you with email marketing to push added services.
For around $500 and $100 a year, you can have a new, fast, mobile-friendly website for your church, and that's one tool you can use to help maintain numbers at your church.
I build the same websites as other developers, using the Joomla CMS. I build them fast and beautiful, and I only charge based on what I have to do. I am honest, and I have been given a great gift, so please feel free to contact me. I can accomplish anything you might want, and it's a fraction of the price because I don't pay for an office or salesmen. I also don't bombard you with email marketing to push added services.
For around $500 and $100 a year, you can have a new, fast, mobile-friendly website for your church, and that's one tool you can use to help maintain numbers at your church.
Charging Too Little to Build Websites
My wife keeps saying it, but I have trouble believing. She says I charge too little to build websites. My problem might be how good I have become at building them solo. I don't need a team. I have a good template for guidance. I don't even need a week to finish a top-notch, fast, mobile-friendly website. All I need is clients.
I have tried the small business route. I can even build a shopping cart, but several small business owners with whom I have met seem to want to go in other directions, often paying more than I charge to services they've never used or understood. I guess it's just familiar.
I have tried churches. Some people tell me churches don't have a lot of money to spend, but I've done my homework, and most of the ones I contact HAVE spent a lot more than what I charge. So maybe they've been burned one too many times to believe. Or maybe they don't understand what I offer. Or maybe, as my wife suggests, my prices just seem too good to be true.
In the end, it seems to be about marketing. I need 1000 decision-makers to see my websites and read my articles so that one will hire me. I just don't have the advertising money or connections to make it happen, so slick salesmen working for downtown web design firms get their message out in order to stifle competition. Not only am I competition, I could see myself and other competent freelancers putting web design boutiques out of business if only we could get people to see the light.
Check out my web design pages as well as the portfolios on each page. I am as good as I claim, but I need you to see it.
Luthernet Web Design
Passive Ninja Web Design
Brave New Church Web Design
I have tried the small business route. I can even build a shopping cart, but several small business owners with whom I have met seem to want to go in other directions, often paying more than I charge to services they've never used or understood. I guess it's just familiar.
I have tried churches. Some people tell me churches don't have a lot of money to spend, but I've done my homework, and most of the ones I contact HAVE spent a lot more than what I charge. So maybe they've been burned one too many times to believe. Or maybe they don't understand what I offer. Or maybe, as my wife suggests, my prices just seem too good to be true.
In the end, it seems to be about marketing. I need 1000 decision-makers to see my websites and read my articles so that one will hire me. I just don't have the advertising money or connections to make it happen, so slick salesmen working for downtown web design firms get their message out in order to stifle competition. Not only am I competition, I could see myself and other competent freelancers putting web design boutiques out of business if only we could get people to see the light.
Check out my web design pages as well as the portfolios on each page. I am as good as I claim, but I need you to see it.
Luthernet Web Design
Passive Ninja Web Design
Brave New Church Web Design
Lutheran Radio Church Service - The Right Way to Archive
I don't do this too often, but I am going to say it: what I did for Lutheran Radio Church Service was a big deal that continues to be so today. Yes, saving it from linking out to radio program archives with raunchy ads was the reason I was hired, but what I did next was the reason I was retained as web archivist.
The website hosting the services for free started to show ads, so I got around that. In the process, I wrote a separate article for each service. This took a long time, but it's really starting to pay off, with many pastors listed in searches on lrcsonline.org ahead of their own church websites. Not only that, the services are searchable and tagged so that related services can be found.
Moving forward, I began to add a service a week to Google Docs and to Youtube. Archived for free and with limited ads, if any. Yes, it takes some time to convert the audio to the right formats and add the articles, but I have a system that works.
Your website, whether it's a church or a school, also needs a system that works. Luthernet Web Design, Brave New Church Web Design, and Passive Ninja Web Design can handle setting you up to create and archive articles with the best.
The website hosting the services for free started to show ads, so I got around that. In the process, I wrote a separate article for each service. This took a long time, but it's really starting to pay off, with many pastors listed in searches on lrcsonline.org ahead of their own church websites. Not only that, the services are searchable and tagged so that related services can be found.
Moving forward, I began to add a service a week to Google Docs and to Youtube. Archived for free and with limited ads, if any. Yes, it takes some time to convert the audio to the right formats and add the articles, but I have a system that works.
Your website, whether it's a church or a school, also needs a system that works. Luthernet Web Design, Brave New Church Web Design, and Passive Ninja Web Design can handle setting you up to create and archive articles with the best.
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