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Kansas blogs (US-KS), 05/19/2012
10:15
Newsletter
» KANSAS PARAGUAY PARTNERS

The latest newsletter is in the mail and available here. Just click the newsletters tab above. One of the Paraguayan students who helped organize the event in the Pitt State article is Alheli Aranda. Alheli was the recipient of the CPK scholarship. Sarah Stern authored the article “Only in Paraguay.” Sarah is the latest [...]

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03:37
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Listings 5-19
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Listings Updated 5-19-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337371 – 7217 E CEDARIDGE CIR, WICHITA, KS – $249,000 337372 – 711 S GREEN, WICHITA, KS – $35,900 337373 – 2803 N BIRCHWOOD, AUGUSTA, KS – $130,000 337374 – 8203 W 17TH, WICHITA, KS – [...]

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03:35
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – Price Reductions 5-19
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com Price Reductions Updated 5-19-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - New Price 326931 – 228 S CHAPARRAL CT, ANDOVER, KS – $215,900 – Reduced $3,100 331629 – 1240 DEARBORN, AUGUSTA, KS – $95,550 – Reduced $4,350 335374 – 680 W CEDAR, BENTON, KS – $149,900 – Reduced [...]

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03:34
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Foreclosures 5-19
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Foreclosures Updated 5-19-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337436 – 3502 S TYLER RD, WICHITA, KS - $104,900 337435 – 664 S LIGHTNER, WICHITA, KS – $45,000 337434 – 11614 W JAMESBURG ST, WICHITA, KS – $124,900 337432 – 904 N YALE, WICHITA, KS [...]

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Kansas blogs (US-KS), 05/18/2012
23:57
Film Shorts and Long Tradition
» Kansas City Science Fiction & Fantasy Society

Crew Call at the KaCSFFS Meeting!
Saturday, May 19 at 6:30 pm at the Writers Place

1982 "collating party" in San Francisco.

Come to the meeting Saturday for a true "retro" experience! It's an old-fashioned KaCSFFS pre-ConQuesT "bindery" party! Help cut, fold, laminate, and stuff envelopes for the con while we gossip, dish, and talk science fiction.

We're just one week from ConQuesT 43, and this year, as in days of old, the meeting before the con will be used help get ready. We need YOUR help! We will be working on badges, pocket programs, attendees' packets, and more.

We can't bring our cats to this party, helpful though they might be!

If you're not old enough to remember the days when we hand-collated our fanzines, then you're in for a rare taste of fhannish history!

Once upon a time, kids, sf fen had to do it the old-fashioned way, with paper, staples, and good fun. Let's enjoy ourselves for a retro Saturday night!

Bring scissors or paper-cutters, staplers, rulers, or any other tools you think might be useful.

Include edible goodies, along with the staplers and scissors!

But there are Compensations!
The food theme is cupcakes and cookies--and there will be awards, with certificates, so bring your discerning palate, along with your best prize-winning goodies!

Maybe even better yet, the Laser Rangers' David Sooby and Ty Gephardt have compiled a playlist that will provide almost 3 hours of science fiction and fantasy short films and cartoons, to keep us entertained while we work.

These shorts are mostly independently made, and come from all parts of the world. Languages in this presentation include, among others: English, American Portuguese, German, French-ish, Grunt, Beatnik, and Silence (with musical accompaniment).

Some are funny, some are poignant, and some are pretty darn eye-popping. All were chosen for their entertainment value. We hope you enjoy this selection of amazing shorts (But not too much. Get back to work!!).

Please vote to "make them so"!

Also Important, but Probably Less Fun
Saturday is the final vote for the provisionally approved KaCSFFS Bylaws, too. The Provisional Draft was amended last month, and the adjusted (final) version was published to the KAXFEN Files in the Folder titled "2012 Bylaws," for members' perusal.

This vote is very important for our effort to finally see a successful result from our 501(c)3 application.

PHOTO/IMAGE CREDITS: The b/w image of the 1982 collating party is from the history page of a political zine, The Processed World, but hand-collating a zine looks the same, whatever the publication's topic. I couldn't resist the photo of the cat, Archer, "helping" his mistress (Teri Vlassopoulos) collate her zine in 2007. The pic is from Teri's blog Bibliographic. The cupcakes and cookies from Teacake Bake Shop look pretty irresistible, too! The good ol' "Bylaws Book" image returns one last time, courtesy of the A. J. Whittenberg Elementary School of Engineering "ByLaws/Standing Rules" page.

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16:31
What To Expect When You're Expecting **½
» Wichita KS Movies

What To Expect When You're Expecting **½

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16:30
Battleship **
» Wichita KS Movies

Battleship **

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16:22
Windy Wildflowers
» Lens on Kansas

Wildlife laid low today in the 40-mph winds. Even buzzards mostly sat it out on the ground, and when flying, they hugged the earth and stayed low in the canyons. But the prairie was green and looked good for the first time since two years ago, and wildflowers were even present in good numbers. Colorful, the prairie spring species would have been a nightmare for a still photographer in stiff winds, but for video, the dancing flowers were fine. Most colorful right now are red rosering gallardia, yellow prickly-pear, and purple poppymallows. I also saw abundant lavender plains beebalm, and the tired orange of fadingscarlet globemallow. Other species were present, but these were less impressive on the Barber County prairie. Wildflowers are blooming across the state right now. Each species comes and goes in a matter of weeks and follows an orderly progression through the growing season. Learning about them adds a great deal of interest to the Kansas outdoors. Don’t overlook them!

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12:00
Master Writing, Attend Marketing Writing Bootcamp
» V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

Effective writing is an integral part of marketing success and if you want to fine tune your skills, there’s no better way than by heading to boot camp. And there’s no better drill sergeant to help whip your writing skills into shape than the folks at MarketingProfs.

MarketingProfs’ Marketing Writing Bootcamp is an online course series that will teach you everything you need to know about writing creative, effective marketing copy. As my friends Geoff Livingston and Gini Dietrich pointed out in their post earlier this week, writing is a cornerstone of marketing. And if you’re a marketer who can’t write well, well, you won’t get far.

It seems almost contradictory, but in today’s digital landscape, the written word has become more important than ever. Whether it’s a blog post, web copy, social network updates or an email blast, to name a few, being able to create interesting, compelling content that helps a client (or your own business) achieve larger digital marketing goals is not only an important skill—it’s a must-have asset.

And that’s where MarketingProfs’ latest online series comes in. Although the classes have already started, it’s not too late to get involved. The live courses run through May 23, and you’ll be able to access the recordings for 12 months. Some of the best and brightest names in marketing will share tips about how to jumpstart your creative process, discover new and exciting topics and conquer deadlines. And it’s really affordable. And no, they don’t pay me to tell you about these courses (but now that hag Ann Handley owes me 47 cupcakes. And she’d darn well better come through with them).

If you sign up for and attend the boot camp, you’ll have a chance to get an up close look at some of the most important types of digital content and how to successfully write them, including blogs, ebooks, whitepapers, press releases, case studies and emails. Better yet? You’ll learn SEO tactics that will get your copy noticed in search results, as well as B2B tricks that will help your copy translate into clicks and conversions.

So what are you waiting for? Hop on over to MarketingProfs and register now. Then come back when you’re done and tell us what you learned. Better yet, write a killer guest blog post, showing off your new skills.

Image by Jayel Aheram via Creative Commons
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Master Writing, Attend Marketing Writing Bootcamp is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

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11:35
Fact Check Error? Apparently not.
» the Kansas Citian

Other clients of Obama's literary agent come forward to detail how Dystel requires authors to submit their own bios, their stories backed up by the agent's own website:

[www.breitbart.com]

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06:00
Big Omaha 2012: Let's Be Honest
» Think Big Kansas City

Admist the hype, interactive photo booths, artistic arena and sold-out seating, Big Omaha 2012 stood for something that many attendees tend to forget: good, old fashioned Midwestern passion.
According to Blake Miller, partner at Think Big Partners and Big Omaha attendee, the conference was one of the most honest, down-to-earth, comfortable events he had ever attended. Why? From the casual networking atmosphere to late night beers in the hotel lobby, Blake was able to reach out to other Big Omaha attendees at ease throughout the entire weekend.
If you snagged a ticket to Big Omaha, consider yourself lucky. The event doesn't print too many tickets, but for good reason. The always sold-out conference gives off an intimate, cozy feeling that entrepreneurs cannot help but love. This intimacy was one of Blake's favorite aspects of the entire conference. Sometimes, the bigger the conference, the less you get out of it. Big Omaha was the Goldilocks of entrepreneurial conferences--not too big, not to small, but just right. The intimacy of Big Omaha allowed for attendees like Blake to communicate openly, honestly and comfortably. Even when he had the chance to speak with Yael Cohen of F Cancer, Blake felt completely at ease and ended up engaging in a collaborative, interesting conversation. Not bad for connecting with one of the most popular speakers at the conference!
Yael is a testament to the caliber of speakers that Big Omaha 2012 brought in. Although the line-up may not have been as "impressive" as previous years, it clearly worked to Big Omaha's advantage.
"Although I didn't recognize a few of the speaker's names at first, I still got a ton out of every talk," said Blake Miller. "In fact, it may have been even more valuable because I could sincerely relate to everyone who spoke. Sometimes it's tough to relate to those billionaire entrepreneurs who are one in a million."
But Blake's favorite part of Big Omaha 2012 wasn't listening to the speakers, the professional networking or popping in on some photo booth pictures. Blake's favorite memory happened to take place after-hours at Big Omaha's nightly casual, unplanned get-togethers. According to Blake, some of the coolest people from the conference would clink beer glasses and chat after the day's sessions--and this provided some of the best insight. After all, people with a touch of alcohol in them give off just a bit more honesty!
"I felt like I knew everybody at Big Omaha," said Blake. "There were no strangers. I felt like I could connect with every single person and have real, meaningful conversations with them."
Congratulations on a big success, Big Omaha! Until next year...
Follow Big Omaha! @BigOmaha Follow Silicon Prairie News! @SiliconPrairie Follow Blake! @BlakeMiller32

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05:45
How Teens Use Mobile Devices–And What That Means For You
» V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency
Mobile devices aren’t just becoming must-have tools for adults—teens are latching onto their phones in droves, using them for a variety of applications including games, communication and connecting to social platforms, to name a few.

And although it’s likely no surprise that teens use their mobile devices a lot, it’s important to understand how they’re using them—and how those numbers are evolving over time. After all, these teenagers may become your business or brand’s customer base in a few years—and the better you understand what sort of information and services they want and how they search for and access that information, the better you can poise your brand—and your brand’s online presence—to tap into this sizable and potentially powerful market.

Fun Mobility’s “Generation OMG: How Teens Use Mobile Devices” offers a great snapshot of how teens used their mobile devices in 2011. Some of the more notable facts include:
- Teen cell phone data usage tripled in 2011.
- Voice usage has declined an average of more than 100 minutes/month.
- Female teens text 28 percent more frequently than their male counterparts.
- Forty percent of teenagers use a mobile phone or device for more than 4 hours a day; 32 percent use a mobile phone or device for more than 5 hours/day.
- A whopping 76 percent said they spend more time on their mobile device than they did one year ago.
- The four most popular things to do on a mobile device are play games, browse the Internet, text or chat and download apps.
While some of us have become reliant on our mobile devices, Fun Mobility’s research shows that teens are quickly becoming downright dependent on their mobile devices. And this signals a larger shift to mobile access that’s becoming more prevalent as each year passes. Sophisticated smartphones and tablet computers are making mobile more accessible to a larger group of users, and as more people incorporate these devices into their daily routines, they’re becoming increasingly likely to consume content, connect with others and even make purchase decisions in the palm of their hand.

And that means that if your business isn’t already thinking about (or implementing) a mobile marketing strategy, now’s the time. Something we can’t emphasize enough to our clients is that a successful mobile strategy goes far beyond simply having a mobile version of your website and/or blog. It’s about understanding what devices people are using to access your information, what they’re searching for and how you can best deliver what they need in an efficient, user-friendly manner that not only helps them in a specific instance—it keeps them coming back for more, too.

Were you surprised by Fun Mobility’s findings regarding teens and mobile devices? And, if you’re up for sharing, how is your company tackling the larger task of mobile marketing?

Lead image by Zawezome via Creative Commons
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How Teens Use Mobile Devices–And What That Means For You is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

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04:01
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Listings 5-18
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Listings Updated 5-18-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337329 – 3347 WELLINGTON PL, WICHITA, KS – $29,500 337330 – 626 N EDGEWOOD DR, MULVANE, KS – $112,000 336952 – 2466 S POPLAR, WICHITA, KS – $85,000 337322 – 2301 N REDBUD, WICHITA, KS – [...]

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04:00
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – Price Reductions 5-18
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com Price Reductions Updated 5-18-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - New Price 336430 – 12609 W JAYSON LANE, WICHITA, KS – $299,500 – Reduced $400 335497 – 711 W PUTTER CT, ANDOVER, KS – $219,900 – Reduced $5,000 334567 – 1427 CHAUMONT, ANDOVER, KS – $389,000 – [...]

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03:59
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Foreclosures 5-18
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Foreclosures Updated 5-18-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337329 – 3347 WELLINGTON PL, WICHITA, KS – $29,500

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03:15
The Dictator **
» Wichita KS Movies

The Dictator **

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03:14
Worthwhile (or not) 5/18/12
» Wichita KS Movies

Worthwhile (or not) 5/18/12

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Kansas blogs (US-KS), 05/17/2012
18:18
Getting Into It
» Picture Topeka

I finally did something about having some more growing things around this summer, and have now these various things in pots out where the monarda, sage and lemon balm are, to keep them company. One pineapple sage, one Thai basil, some scraggly little oregano, a tiny baby dill plant, a fine tall basil plant, one rosemary plant, one clump of "French cooking thyme," and one Sungold tomato plant that already has not only flowers but one itty bitty little tomato already set on. So this is how my garden grows. And then, there was a little butterfly, a skipper, posing not on a lovely bloom but on the metal label of a garden stake. Not very glamorous, but holding very still for me! I believe this is a female Tawny-edged Skipper, Polites themistocles. Mama Nature knows I could be wrong. There are 23 kinds of skippers in Shawnee County that I know of, and I have looked at pictures of every one of them.

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16:34
Sad news about the death of KPP board member
» KANSAS PARAGUAY PARTNERS

Dr. Avi Kempinski Feburary 1, 1959 – May 13, 2012 On Sunday, May 13, 2012, we lost a teacher, colleague, and friend: Dr. Avi Kempinski, Associate Professor of German in the Department of Modern Languages, passed away. In memory of Dr. Kempinski’s life and his dedication to FHSU students, we will celebrate his life on [...]

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15:00
Facebook Pages Manager App Reportedly Coming to iPhone
» V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

If you manage Facebook brand pages, you’ll want to know about the Facebook Pages Manager app that’s reportedly on the way for iPhone users.

We don’t know a ton about the Facebook Pages Manager app because it’s not yet been released, but knowing that it’s on the way makes us happy. We manage a lot of Facebook pages—and anything that makes that process more effective is a welcome addition. You’re nodding right now, aren’t you?

As you probably know, although you can somewhat manage pages in Facebook’s current mobile app, we’ll be the first to say that the functionality, well, it sucks. The standalone Pages Manager app will give admins more options and control when it comes to posting content to, monitoring and interacting with their pages. That kind of functionality, well, it doesn’t suck.

Additionally, the app will provide access to your Facebook Insights so that you can keep track of how many people are sharing your page and the number of people that have been exposed to your page. You’ll also get notifications regarding new activity on the page and will be able to respond and comment on your page.

For a sneak peek, check out a couple of screenshots posted by 9to5Mac:

The Pages Manager app is now available in New Zealand, and is expected to be available for U.S. users in the near future. That’s where they’re also testing the ability to buy visibility for your Facebook status updates. Doesn’t it make you wonder what’s up with those Kiwis? Clearly they must be nicer and easier to work with than the rest of us.

We’re looking forward to full release of the Facebook Pages Manager App and once we can give it a test drive, we’ll write more about it. To our way of thinking, this move on the part of Facebook makes great sense. It’s no secret that Facebook is all about the mobile experience and this is just one move closer to making that more user friendly.

Image by ksayer1 via Creative Commons
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Facebook Pages Manager App Reportedly Coming to iPhone is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

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14:58
Huffington Post Tackles Literary Agent Do's and Don't's 24 Hrs Before Obama Literary agent Scandal Breaks
» the Kansas Citian

Just 24 hours before Breitbart.com released to the world a promotional booklet released in 1991 from President Obama's literary agent that states according to his bio that he was "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia", the liberal Huffington Post printed a list of 11 do's and don't's with regards to communicating with literary agents:

The Multiple-Personality Bio: Be as careful with your bio as you are with your writing. Double-check it to make sure you aren’t mixing tenses and first/third person.

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13:31
1991 Literary Biography Claims Obama Born in Kenya, Raised in Indonesia
» the Kansas Citian

h/t: Breitbart.com

Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review, was born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii. The son of an American anthropologist and a Kenyan finance minister, he attended Columbia University and worked as a financial journalist and editor for Business International Corporation. He served as project coordinator in Harlem for the New York Public Interest Research Group, and was Executive Director of the Developing Communities Project in Chicago’s South Side. His commitment to social and racial issues will be evident in his first book, Journeys in Black and White.

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07:49
MYSTERYSCAPE OPENS
» Kansas Plains People

The region’s newest bookstore, Mysteryscape, has opened and one of the first events will be a book signing by Sally Goldenbaum for The Wedding Shawl and A Fatal Fleece, both part of the Seaside Knitters mystery series.
Goldenbaum will be there at 2 pm on Saturday, May 19. Where is there? At 7309 West 80th Street in Overland Park, easy to find, around the corner from the clock tower, and facing the famed Overland Park Farmers’ Market.

Check it out at www.mysteryscape.com

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07:29
AUTHOR’S FAVORITE PLACE
» Kansas Plains People

Clare O’Donohue, author of a second Kate Conway mystery, Life Without Parole, writes on her blog that at 2 pm on Saturday, May 19, she will be back at one of her favorite places, I Love A Mystery Book Store, at 6114 Johnson Drive in Mission.
No wonder – The I Love a Mystery website describes O’Donohue’s newest book as being inspired by audience comments made during an earlier signing at the mystery bookstore. Located at 6114 Johnson Drive, north side of the street, in the heart of Mission. You need to be there -- the conversation is likely to be very lively.

[clareodonohue.com]

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07:25
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Listings 5-17
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Listings Updated 5-17-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337281 – 1900 W 45TH STREET S., WICHITA, KS – $110,000 337282 – 2113 S MILSTEAD, WICHITA, KS – $125,000 337215 – 860 E MORNINGVIEW, DERBY, KS – $159,000 337265 – 5464 N SHELTON, WICHITA, KS [...]

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07:24
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – Price Reductions 5-17
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com Price Reductions Updated 5-17-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - New Price 337061 – 525 S SANDTRAP CT, WICHITA, KS – $349,000 – Reduced $900 335875 – 1819 E 50TH ST S, WICHITA, KS – $64,500 – Reduced $12,000 336117 – 2522 N FIELDSTONE, ANDOVER, KS – [...]

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07:23
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Foreclosures 5-17
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Foreclosures Updated 5-17-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337321 – 4144 E VESTA ST, WICHITA, KS – $53,000 337284 – 7510 E 17TH ST NORTH, WICHITA, KS – $85,000

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06:00
One Week KC Presents Entrepreneur Day at the K for Entrepreneurs and Startups
» Think Big Kansas City

The rumors are true: Kansas City is throwing a 9-day celebration to recognize the city's growing movement of entrepreneurship, startups and innovation. It's called One Week KC and it takes place on June 18-26, 2012 throughout the entire city.

According to Adam Coomes, organizer of One Week KC, the 9-day celebration is meant to propel the Chamber's Big 5 Entrepreneurial Initiative ahead and to build Kansas City into America's Most Entrepreneurial City.

“There are many reasons One Week should happen in KC," says Coomes. "First of all, we have great entrepreneurial events in Kansas City already. Although they build up the community, people don’t always know about them. One Week KC will help others meet the startup community and bring new people out. We want to boost the startup scene in KC and use this to lead us toward our ultimate goal—to become America’s Most Entrepreneurial City.”

As the grand finale for One Week, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Big 5 Entrepreneurial Initiative is helping to host Entrepreneur Day at the K on June 26th. At "E Day at the K", entrepreneurs are invited to watch the Royals take on the Tampa Bay Rays, network with one another, and tune into special announcements from Mayor Sly James, the Johnson and Wyandotte County Council of Mayors and other area Mayors.

Entrepreneurs in attendance will also have the opportunity to throw the first pitch or watch from the field during batting practice.

Tickets for E Day at the K are $13 for both a Field Box and Field Plaza seat. The game starts at 7:10pm with mayoral announcements to take place beforehand.

Stay tuned. More information about One Week and Entrepreneur Day at the K is coming...

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06:00
iKC Reveals Conference Agenda
» Think Big Kansas City

iKC, Kansas City's conference on innovation and entrepreneurship, has unleashed the agenda for this year's conference on June 20th. With dynamite presentations from local innovators, entrepreneurs and business experts and a keynote speech from innovation expert Dr. Michael E. Raynor, iKC is sure to ignite, innovate and inspire.
So what will you learn? You’ll be drawn into sessions that focus on creativity, innovation, pitching, monetizing an idea, building tech companies, building an advisory board, communication and much, much more. There will even be a special presentation from Master Your Card Missouri, the iKC presenting sponsor.
So what are you waiting for? View the iKC Agenda today and find which sessions you’d like to attend!
Follow iKC! @iKC_2012

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05:45
Women Who Tech TeleSummit: Get There
» V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

The Women Who Tech TeleSummit is a must-attend event for anyone involved in tech, start-ups or social media. If you’re not sure if this includes you, the answer is “Hell yes, it does!” And if you’re a guy, you’re welcome too!

Women Who Tech is founded by my good friend Allyson Kapin of Rad Campaign, a web agency that provides web design, development, online marketing and social media strategy to nonprofit organizations and political campaigns. And the Women Who Tech TeleSummit is yet another way Allyson puts her money where her mouth is and supports women in tech. And it truly is one of my very favorite events—ever.

This year’s Women Who Tech TeleSummit will be held on May 23^rd (via phone and web), from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST and there’s simply no reason not to attend. Oh, and the fact that it costs a whopping $20 for the entire day shows the commitment of Women Who Tech to provide resources – and access to them – for everyone. Stop reading; register now.

Diversifying the tech sector is part of the Women Who Tech’s mission – the process of creating products and services and solutions for the masses very much relies on a broad range of perspectives. And getting women and their talents and voices involved is a critical component of success.

Some of the content for the Women Who Tech TeleSummit will include things like:

Funding Your Own Start-up

Changing the World with Open Source

Diversifying Your Tech Teams

Failing Fast and Agile Development

Using Technology and Social Media to Build Social Justice Movements

…and more to come.

You’ll get to hear and interact with killer panelists like Tara Hunt of Buyosphere, Amanda Steinberg of Daily Worth, and Joanne Wilson, who is quite literally changing the angel investing world. Then there’s the inimitable Shireen Mitchell of Digital Sistas, Shaherose Charania of Founders Labs, author, trainer and nonprofit powerhouse Beth Kanter, named by Fast Company as one of the most influential women in tech, and Claire Diaz Ortiz, who leads the social innovation charge at Twitter.

Isn’t your head already spinning at the thought of all this brainpower in one place and at one time? And for a measly $20? Dudettes … I’m so not done yet. You’ll also hear from WordPress Usability expert Jane Wells of Automattic, Elisa Carnahort Page, the COO and co-founder of BlogHer, and Kaliya Hamlin of She’s Geeky.

Women Who Tech is a vibrant and inclusive community of women and companies who are thriving. And they, collectively, are passionate about providing women an open platform to share talents, experiences and insights. Most importantly, participating in Women Who Tech TeleSummit is an opportunity to invest in yourself.

By participating you’ll be able to listen and talk with some of the amazingly talented and well-known women breaking new ground in technology. Even better, these powerhouses are focused on affecting and inspiring change. In my world, we call that using their powers for good – and it’s phenomenal. Phenomenal to do and equally as amazing to be a part of. And applicable whether you’re in the for-profit or the non-profit space.

So do yourself a favor – stop the million other things you’re doing and do something for yourself. Register for the 4th Annual Women Who Tech TeleSummit to be held on May 23rd (via phone and web) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.

Or better yet? Enter for a chance to win tickets — we’ve got 2 to give away. To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment telling us why you’re the one who should get a ticket on this post by 5 p.m. CST on Monday, May 21. After that, we’ll randomly select two winners. Good luck!

Update: When some of my smart and totally tech geek friends read this post, they decided to pitch in and donate some MORE tickets to give away. Kudos to Amy Vernon and Liz Scherer for being so amazeballs. Leave your comments here, we’ll be giving away a total of 5 tickets. Tell us a little about why you should be the one we select.
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Women Who Tech TeleSummit: Get There is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

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Kansas blogs (US-KS), 05/16/2012
20:56
It's Mulberry Time! But are they worth eating?
» Love Local Food in Wichita, Kansas

My baby girl knows local foods are my favorite!
In our nutrition obsessed culture, I am saddened when people ask if certain foods are even worth eating because they "are so low in nutrient content." To me, taste ranks very highly as a reason I eat, with a bit of nutrition thrown in. If a food is incredibly nourishing, but doesn't taste good, I'm not eating it! I once read a study that said people absorb more nutrition when they enjoy what they are eating. Does that mean when I thoroughly enjoy my ice cream sundae I absorb more calcium than my Dad does when he chokes down a glass of blue skim milk? Hmmm, something to ponder.

You may have noticed it's mulberry time again. Chris, Clara and I are picking mulberries to preserve and the free fruit is decreasing our produce bill. As we talked about picking mulberries this week, Chris asked, "I wonder if they have any nutritional benefit." My thought, "it's a plant food, of course there is benefit." But, as a good dietitian does, I looked it up on the USDA Nutrient Database. Below is a bit of the info I found. If you'd like the complete nutritional breakdown for mulberries or blueberries, click on the fruit names below.

Mulberries, 1 cup raw Blueberries, 1 cup raw60 Calories 84 Calories2 g. Protein 1 g. Protein13 g. Carbohydrate 21 g. Carbohydrate55 mg. Calcium 9 mg. Calcium2.5 mg. Iron 0.4 mg Iron25 mg. Magnesium 9 mg. Magnesium53 mg. Phosphorus 18 mg. Phosphorus272 mg. Potassium 114 mg. Potassium51 mg. Vitamin C 14 mg. Vitamin C
There are differences between mulberries and blueberries, and you can see that mulberries are actually higher in many nutrients. Now, taste? There are ways I prefer to eat blueberries, and ways I prefer mulberries. For fresh eating, I prefer blueberries, although straight off the tree mulberries are pretty tasty. In a crisp, I really like mulberries. Yes, fresh from the oven with a little ice cream melting on top...and if the enjoyment study is true, I'm sure to be absorbing some major nutrition from that dessert!
Now, why don't you head out there and find a mulberry tree!

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18:34
Ted Koose Admonishes Against Anecdotes in Road Trip
» Denise Low, 2007-2009 Kansas Poet Laureate

Road Trip: Conversations with Writers, edited by Shelly Clark and Marjorie Salser, is a an collection of interviews with distinguished Nebraska writers, including Ted Kooser. The book is worth reading for insights into writing well. Especially, this comment by Ted Kooser sticks with me:

One of the things that troubles me concerns anecdotes. We have always had anecdotes as part of our social intercourse, and it seems to me that the only refuge for the anecdote in literature has come to be the poem. I mean, you can use anecdotes in fiction but they are just an incremental part of it. The only place that an anecdote is legitimate is as a poem today, and as a result we have tens of thousands of poems that are merely anecdotes. I go to probably 50 poetry readings a year, and I can attest to the fact that many poems are simply personal stories—about scraping ice in winter, watching birds, overhearing conversations, road trip sights, confrontation with the neighbor’s dog or cat—that do not go beyond the moment with heightened language or other tugs on the strings of poetry’s lyre. Kooser goes on: “Simply to take an anecdote of how you helped your mother wash the car and to cut it up in lines and put it on a page is not enough for anybody” (229). Kooser articulates for me the new kind of poetry cliché. The poem's topic itself becomes a cliche, just a like a commonly used phrase--"Flatter than a pancake." This kind of poem begins implicitly, “Isn’t it interesting how I noticed __________?” This can be ended with a clincher, like a joke. Like a joke, it does not translate well to the page. Try reading a joke book, and then watch John Stewart suppress giggles as he delivers a line. Performance adds the sparkle to the words. A good lyric poem is rich and can be read and reread, with new light reflecting when seen from different angles (of time). I appreciate Kooser’s comments on two-dimensional storytelling. I apologize to the world for all the poems of this ilk I have written myself (about scraping ice in winter, birds, cats, etc.). I pledge to do better. I highly recommend this terrific book of good sense and wit, Road Trip, available online and through indie The Backwaters Press, publisher Greg Kosmicki (www.thebackwaterspress.org ). Other authors in the book are: Jonis Agee, William Kloefkorn, Don Welch, Hilda Raz, Charles Fort, Barbara Schmitz, Ron Block, Eamonn Wall, Twyla Hansen, J.V. Brummels, and Brent Spencer. Each interview includes a picture of the author and representative selections from their work.Denise Low Ad Astra Poety Blog

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17:04
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Listings 5-16
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Listings Updated 5-16-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337233 – 218 W LINCOLN, BURRTON, KS – $32,499 337236 – 2027 S FLYNN, WICHITA, KS – $137,000 337218 – 19 E SEQUOIA, WICHITA, KS – $179,900 337226 – 1756 S YALE, WICHITA, KS – $72,900 [...]

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17:03
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – Price Reductions 5-16
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com Price Reductions Updated 5-16-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - New Price 335968 – 500 N CRESTVIEW, ANDALE, KS – $169,900 – Reduced $2,100 336097 – 1413 N GLANCEY, ANDOVER, KS – $139,900 – Reduced $10,000 332309 – 322 N MARSHALL, CHENEY, KS – $84,900 – Reduced [...]

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17:03

Windthorst, Kansas

» Ghost towns of Kansas

17:01
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Foreclosures 5-16
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Foreclosures Updated 5-16-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337275 – 418 W 7TH, NEWTON, KS – $55,500 337264 – 323 N HARVEY, BURRTON, KS – $45,900 337258 – 1952 S EVERETT, WICHITA, KS – $41,800 337250 – 3201 IDLEWILD, WICHITA, KS – $8,000 337242 [...]

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11:54
Lathrop & Gage Consults bizperc Entrepreneurs May 22
» Think Big Kansas City

The benefits of joining the bizperc coworking space seem endless—Roasterie coffee, inspirational views of downtown Kansas City and collaboration with like-minded entrepreneurs daily. But now, bizperc is bringing an even bigger benefit to the coworking community: legal consulting hours from Lathrop & Gage.
On Tuesday, May 22 from 3:00-5:00PM, Colleen Graham and Travis McCallon of Lathrop & Gage meet one-on-one with bizperc members to help answer those percolating startup legal questions.
Next week, Graham and McCallon will sit down with bizperc members to discuss different legal matters for startup businesses. Graham, an expert in the corporate space, will guide entrepreneurs through business lifecycles (from formation documents to hiring employees to selling the company). McCallon, on the other hand, will assist entrepreneurs with intellectual property questions such as copyright, trademarks, licensing and agreements.
According to Graham, associate at Lathrop & Gage, many entrepreneurs confront the law firm after a mistake has already been made. bizperc’s consulting hours can help entrepreneurs prevent anything detrimental from happening in the first place.
“We see a lot of entrepreneurs when something goes wrong,” says Graham. “These hours will help entrepreneurs avoid mistakes before they happen. Entrepreneurs often need that extra knowledge and time. It’s all about foresight.”
Graham notes that Kansas City has a large entrepreneurial market that has yet to be tapped. The goal of both Graham and McCallon is to build positive relationships with some of these KC entrepreneurs and to help them succeed from start to finish.
To sign up for the bizperc hours with Lathrop & Gage, you must be a bizperc member. Email Sarah at ssnyder@thinkbigpartners.com to register.
Follow Lathrop & Gage! @LathropGage Follow bizperc! @bizperc

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09:17
Speaking of KS Case Managers - Dr. Milfred ‘Bud’ Dale – Submits Amicus To Appellate Court – Case Manager Bud Dale’s Report To Court and his Comments on Private List Serve About the ‘gravy train’ wagon. In His Own words…..
» M. Jill Dykes GAL, Topeka, Kansas
Dr. Dale Case Manager Report to Court in the Claudine Dombrowski Case;
“..forcing a battered mother to not complain about sexual and physical abuse - it’s confrontational, and if mommy wants to see child again.. then mommy will do as told.”
2002 april 2 dr. dale evaluation forensic ordered by court to get mom out of SV from Dec. 2000 ex-parte order

In Bud Dale’s OWN WORDS Courtesy of TheLizLibrary Psychology in Family Court

Case Managers; CUSTODY EVALUATORS
AND PARENTING COORDINATORS
IN THEIR OWN WORDS

What Litigation Abuse Looks Like! It Boggles The Mind That Each ...

A Topeka Kansas Evaluation: Teaching the mother to NOT REPORT sexual or physical Abuse: As Ordered by the Courts;

Dr. Milford “Bud” Dale.

9. For example, the below commenting MHP — who has been a parenting coordinator (“case manager”)
on at least one case known to the author in which a severely battered woman lost custody of her daughter to the abusive father,and who regularly performs custody evaluations as well — appears oblivious to the impact of MHP fees (which typically are divided equally between the parents) on a parent with substantially lower income than the other:

[ANONYMOUS">[www.thelizlibrary.org] LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “If you want the parents to cooperate, why not add a provision that they must go back to mediation or to a parent coordinator if they cannot come to an agreement. As long as the mediator or parent coordinator changes a reasonable fee, the financial incentives for the parents to cooperate is maintained (assuming each wants to avoid paying a mediator or parent coordinator) and there is a solution for persistent disagreements that is fair…” (Kansas doctorate-level MHP, October 24, 2005).

More examples:

[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “…issues of child support are totally separate from custody and parenting time determinations. Yet in one case… the attorney continually referenced the fact that I was ‘failing to consider and give weight’ to the fact that the father was $20,000 behind in child support… Fortunately, my appointment letter addressed that my role was separate from the financial issues… Indeed, I had not failed to give weight to the financial issues. I had totally ignored and disregarded them all along – because that’s what I was required to do by law. Some attorneys will attempt to backdoor this issue; that is, they will claim that the child support arrearage represents a character flaw or defect – which might or might not be true. By the way, researching the literature about how fathers get so behind in child support yields some interesting claims on both sides of the issue.”(Kansas doctorate-level MHP, February 12, 2006).

[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “…issues of child support are totally separate from custody and parenting time determinations. Yet in one case… the attorney continually referenced the fact that I was ‘failing to consider and give weight’ to the fact that the father was $20,000 behind in child support… Fortunately, my appointment letter addressed that my role was separate from the financial issues… Indeed, I had not failed to give weight to the financial issues. I had totally ignored and disregarded them all along – because that’s what I was required to do by law. Some attorneys will attempt to backdoor this issue; that is, they will claim that the child support arrearage represents a character flaw or defect – which might or might not be true. By the way, researching the literature about how fathers get so behind in child support yields some interesting claims on both sides of the issue.”(Kansas doctorate-level MHP, February 12, 2006).

72.The reason for this has been decades of MHP lobbying and propagandizing to the legislatures and legal community.

[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE CALL TO ARMS]: “There is a new bill in the California state legislature which will be of some interest and concern to all of us who do custody evaluations, especially California psychologists. The bill prohibits the use of psychological testing in custody evaluations unless the court grants “a motion for a mental or psychological examination of a parent only for good cause shown…” (California doctorate-level MHP, February 23, 2007).
[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “…The legislator is sponsoring this bill on behalf of women’s rights groups, who think that parental alienation is diagnosed too frequently through the use of psychological testing…” (California doctorate-level MHP, February 23, 2007).
[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “This bill appears to prohibit considerably more than psych testing… “Controversial, nonscientific labels, such as parental alienation syndrome, parental alienation, or alienated child, are specifically excluded as allowable diagnoses and for court use.” (California doctorate-level MHP, February 23, 2007).
[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “I am responding from a strategic and tactical point of view. In addition to being a forensic psychologist, doing CCE, I am also legislative chair of the Florida Psychological Association. In my experience…” (Florida doctorate-level MHP, February 23, 2007).
[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “I’ll go ahead and forward this to her if that’s ok with you. the annual Legislative and Advocacy day is coming up mid-March, altho I’m guessing they’ve already selected the legislation they want psychologists to discuss with legislators… do you know how far along this bill is in the legislative process… I think CPA’s stand in general is to strongly oppose any bill that limits psychologists’ scope of practice…” (California doctorate-level MHP, February 23, 2007).
[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “Perhaps a letter from those of us who write and teach about use of psychological tests in CCEs might be useful?…” (North Carolina doctorate-level MHP, February 23, 2007).
[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “I agree also and think a letter from professionals that know testing is a great idea. It seems that if the legislature wants to “do something” perhaps advocating for required continuing education of so many hours in order to allow people to use the tests…” (Kansas doctorate-level MHP, February 23, 2007).

115. [www.thelizlibrary.org]
116. As is usually recognized by the MHP, e.g. Pickar, supra, note 66b, but only when convenient or desired. Compare the following.
The first two commentators are uninterested in acknowledging past financial issues that have wreaked family havoc, and arguably bear on character as well as explain motives and feelings of the parties; the third is interested in supporting a father’s request to relocate, and so believes that it is within his province to gather and analyze data about prospective financial matters:

[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “Tax returns?? Simple issues like one parent claimed 4 kids and there are only two, I can probably figure that out and that speaks to honesty and maybe tracking reality. But I agree that we should not be analyzing tax issues. If it is that complex I can’t think how that would be relevant to custody/parenting issues. If it is, both parent provide information and you hire a tax consultant to review it. I can’t imagine what could be relevant… I have a case right now where there are federal indictments on one parent to the tune of over 1/2 millions and all kinds of issues around money. Very little of it is relevant (except possible prison and honesty) and the other parent wants to make it all relevant. She brought me a notebook of financial records. That’s about her anger about the money – which is relevant to know how angry she is at dad and how that affects her children.”(Kansas doctorate-level MHP, November 23, 2005).

124. For an example of how background might influence the MHP’s investigation, perceptions and conclusions, see Lisa D. Cromer & Jennifer J. Freyd,What Influences Believing Child Sexual Abuse Disclosures? The roles of depicted memory persistence, participant gender, trauma history, and sexism, 31 Psych. Women Q. 1 (2007). From the abstract: “Men believed abuse reports less than did women, and people who had not experienced trauma were less likely to believe trauma reports. Gender and personal history interacted such that trauma history did not impact women’s judgments but did impact men’s judgments. Men with a trauma history responded similarly to women with or without a trauma history. High sexism predicted lower judgments of an event being abusive. Hostile sexism was negatively correlated with believing abuse disclosures.” The study at the University of Oregon found that “young men who have never been traumatized are the least likely population to believe a person’s recounting of child sexual abuse.” (News release, Believing child sexual abuse claims, U. Or. Univ. News, February 13, 2007, at [www.uoregon.edu] )

[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE PRECURSOR]: “I just haven’t noticed higher abilities in hypothesis testing among psychologists or other mental health professionals. I realize that you have to take a couple of courses in research and statistics to get a graduate degree (in most fields). It doesn’t seem to translate into skills in decision-making across the board. E.g. the recent thread on the Kansas custody evaluation and Virginia side trip. Some very off thinking and relevant point missing.
One might take arguments similar to that you have made and point out that psychologists just aren’t trained as investigators when it comes to obtaining information outside of psychological data (police officers are better.) And that lawyers are better trained at issue spotting and weighing information. And that judges have more experience decision-making.
I also point out that mental health training does not provide actual information and experience relevant to many of the issues that ought to be considered in a custody determination. For example, the financial aspects. For example, educational opportunities. For example, what it’s like to actually be a parent with day-in and day-out responsibility for children, how the home is run, the pragmatics of life. An unwed childless 28-year-old Ph.D. just out of school probably hasn’t a clue — and I for one see this lack influencing unworkable recommendations.
I also point out that skill in testing and coming up with psychological diagnoses does not qualify anyone ipso facto to translate that into parenting ability or even to understand with what kind of or which parent a child’s best interests is most likely to be fostered. There is very little translating dsm diagnoses into parenting abilities and child outcomes, especially when neither parent is perfect and foibles and personality defects have to be weighed…” (liz, May 2, 2005).

124. For an example of how background might influence the MHP’s investigation, perceptions and conclusions, see Lisa D. Cromer & Jennifer J. Freyd, What Influences Believing Child Sexual Abuse Disclosures? The roles of depicted memory persistence, participant gender, trauma history, and sexism, 31 Psych. Women Q. 1 (2007). From the abstract: “Men believed abuse reports less than did women, and people who had not experienced trauma were less likely to believe trauma reports. Gender and personal history interacted such that trauma history did not impact women’s judgments but did impact men’s judgments. Men with a trauma history responded similarly to women with or without a trauma history. High sexism predicted lower judgments of an event being abusive. Hostile sexism was negatively correlated with believing abuse disclosures.” The study at the University of Oregon found that “young men who have never been traumatized are the least likely population to believe a person’s recounting of child sexual abuse.” (News release, Believing child sexual abuse claims, U. Or. Univ. News, February 13, 2007, at [www.uoregon.edu] )

125. [ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE QUERY]: “My 8 year old son is complaining a lot about being bored in school, to the point it seems to be affecting his overall happiness… I experienced similar problems throughout elementary and high school.. Will talk with the school but am seeking ideas to help him cope…” (Doctorate-level MHP father, April 21, 2005).

[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “While such “purity balls” are not something that I and my daughters (ages 14 and 12 next week) have ever or would ever participate in, I can indeed tell you that as a father I feel a desire to help protect my daughters from predators and even poor choices on their part.” (Idaho doctorate-level MHP father, April 19, 2006).
[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “I asked my stepdaughter what stores my granddaughter likes… One of the stores she mentioned was Victoria’s Secret. Why would a high school junior want to buy anything in Victoria’s secret? Has it changed in terms of what it sells? I know they all like to dress like streetwalkers, but this is ridiculous.” (Minnesota masters-level MHP mother, February 28, 2005).
[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “School is important for kids… why not look and take the time to get good data from people who see them more than we do? And who see them sometimes more than their parents do. I’m going to stop now and call my son’s school. Seems there is an academic counselor… who is helping my son with sending emails to college soccer coaches. She’s helping my son and deserves my support… the students at school call this counselor, “Momma.” And I know why. Aren’t some kids just luckier than others?” (Kansas doctorate-level MHP father, May 10, 2005).

…When There Still Isn’t Enough Work, Doing Trainings for Everyone (especially those that push make-work ideas) and Reviewing Other MHPs

[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “I do CCEs and I function as a court-appointed “Case Manager” in Kansas. Kansas calls parent coordinators “Case Managers” to avoid confusion – lol. I have also twice attended AFCC sponsored training on parent coordination. The Colorado group (Christie Coates, Robert LaCrosse, And Betsy Duvall) did a 2 day training in St. Louis in November, 2003, and Joan Kelly did a 2 day training in Chicago in June 2004. Both of these training programs emphasize the “Divorce Impasse” Model that Janet Johnston put together. This is a model that I find helps in CCEs and parent coordination/case management. The second AFCC task force has just completed its task of developing model standards for parent coordinators (See AFCC website or request backchannel)…” (Kansas doctorate-level MHP, May 16, 2005).

“Do a Bonding Assessment”

[ANONYMOUS LISTSERVE COMMENT]: “I do not know of a research based protocol for a ‘bonding assessment.’ It seems the folks that do them around here do an observation of touching, smiling, eye contact, warm interactions etc which are good and important and look at basic needs and are they met. I was wondering if there are protocols that are considered ‘standard of care’ and or are reseach based.” (Kansas doctorate-level MHP, January 14, 2007.)

For more about the GREAT Dr. Milford “Bud” Dale please visit the following links.

[www.thelizlibrary.org]

[washburnlaw.edu]

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08:30
‘BOSS TOM’ REVISITED
» Kansas Plains People

Sisters Carolyn Clyde Dolan and Shirley Clyde McCullough were curious about some old family memorabilia which seemed to indicate that an uncle had died of suicide. Their research led them to doubt the family history, and led to their book, Pendergast’s Retaliation: A True Cold Case File.
The sisters will discuss their book at 2 pm today, May 15, in a program at the Corinth Library, 8100 Mission, Prairie Village.

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08:12
KANSAS CASE MANAGERS; CHILD CUSTODY COURT APPOINTED 3RD PARTIES, PSYCHOLOGY; CUSTODY EVALUATIONS; THERAPY, GAURDIAN AD LITEMS, COPARENTING, SUPERVISED VISITATION, ACCESS VISTITATION and ‘Therapeutic Jurisprudence’.
» M. Jill Dykes GAL, Topeka, Kansas
Therapeutic jurisprudence in the family courts, i.e. a "mental health approach to the law" substitutes the opinions of mental health practitioners for traditional evidence and decision-making procedures. Because these persons actually do not have any kind of "expertise" to opine this way, what originally was thought to be a helpful idea (in this medicalized and psychologized world) has become merely economic opportunism, harming not only the litigants and children in the system as well as the court system itself, but also perverting substantive and procedural law. It is not science, but compensated yenta-ism that has permeated the courts under the pretexts that engineering family affectional relationships is within the ability of mental health "science" practitioners to accomplish, and that this is an appropriate goal of the government, court system, and state police power because children "need" something it has to offer.

This completely denies the Constitutional Right to a Court of Law governed by FACT.

Mother Speaks On Case Management Bill
Source: Topeka Capitol Journal

Excerpt;

“Karen Williams previously had full custody of her daughter before a case manager appointed by the court to work with her and her ex-husband decided to limit her to one or two hours a week of supervised visitation at a Lawrence facility called The Farm.”

“Williams says her rights to due process were violated when the judge allowed the new custody arrangement without giving Williams a full hearing to respond to any evidence for the case manager's decision.

"I still have parental rights, supposedly, but effectively I've been stripped of them," Williams said.

Williams stopped by the Statehouse on Tuesday after her case was heard by the Kansas Court of Appeals. Continue Reading

Caesars Ghost A Commenter sums it up well:

In any other area of law
In any other area of law "confidential conversations between judges and case managers" would constitute ex parte communications that would subject the parties-- including the Judges-- to disciplinary procedures and possible sanctions. This is a joke to provide such exceptions to the due process rights of either parent, as well as the rights of the children whose custody and visitation is being determined by the court.

If the Judges don't want to do their job and wish to abdicate their role to "case managers" then perhaps the Judges need to step down and be replaced by Judges who do want to do their job of hearing all of the facts in a case in full light, view and scrutiny of the opposing parties.

The 6th amendment grants criminals the right to confront their accusers and to be presented with the claims and evidence against them and the right to contest those claims and evidence.

Why does our legislature grant fewer rights to parents than they do to criminals, pedophiles, murders, etc.? And why are children denied access to parents based on what a case manager says.

I don't care if the case manager has specialized training in psychology, family therapy, domestic issues or anything else. That specialty gives the case manager nothing more than "expert witness" status constitutionally speaking. It does NOT make that case manager the default judge.

The best way to fix this is not to revise the statute and required qualifications to serve as a case manager. The best way to fix it would be to repeal the statute that created case managers in the first place and go back to how Kansas handled these cases for nearly a century and a half prior to 2002.

The whole case manager position never existed in Kansas before 2002, and so it isn't like this is just something that HAS to exist for Courts to function. Instead it is part of the reason courts are NOT functioning for families or for those who believe in due process principles of the Constitution or for those of us who abhor seeing more tax dollars going to create quasi authority figures by turning expert witnesses into defacto unlicensed judges while we continue to pay the salaries of both the abdicating judges and the defacto unlicensed judges.

PSYCHOLOGY; CUSTODY EVALUATIONS; THERAPY, CASE MANAGERS, GAURDIAN AD LITEMS, COPARENTING, SUPERVISED VISITATION, ACCESS VISTITATION
Case Managers; Forensic Psychology; Guardians ad Litem; Therapeutic Jurisprudence
The sociological and psychological research on families and child well-being impacts public policy and the issues of child custody in family law. The research frequently is misrepresented, and mis-cited by mental health professionals, lawyers, forensic psychologists and others, as well as interest groups lobbying for laws. Also review the sections pertaining to the issues impacted by the "therapeutic jurisprudence", such as child custody, parental alienation theory, research pertaining to child development, the subsection for research Myths and Facts in FAMILY LAW, and other family law issues. Also see the subsection on Child Custody in FAMILY LAW. The Therapeutic Jurisprudence index page contains links to recommended off-site locations as well as the on-site articles [www.thelizlibrary.org]

Index: Therapeutic Jurisprudence
- Are Psychologists Hiding Evidence? A Need for Reform by Lees-Haley and Courtney SCHOLAR
- Child Custody Evaluations and Measuring Attachment (limited science) by Jean Mercer 2009 PDF SCHOLAR
- Child sex abuse, the limits of Loftus, and overblowing the memory research LIZNOTES, CITES
- Children's Associational Rights: Why less is more by Emily Buss PDF SCHOLAR
- Collaborative Law: What's Wrong with Multidisciplinary Practice? by liz
- Court-appointed Parenting Evaluators: The Case for Abolition by Margaret Dore PDF SCHOLAR
- Custody Evaluations: Ten Signs of Questionable Practices by Joel V. Klass, M.D. SCHOLAR
- Custody evaluators' arguments about test records -- and why they're wrong by liz
- Custody Evaluators' Beliefs About Domestic Abuse Allegations, U.S. Dept Justice October 31, 2011 PDF SCHOLAR
- Caveat: recommendations in the above paper are NOT endorsed by thelizlibrary.org
- Disciplining Divorcing Parents: Social Construction of Parental Alienation by F. Besset PDF SCHOLAR
- Family Court is Not a Family-Friendly Place by Lisa Marie Macci, Esq.
- Guardians ad Litem in Custody Litigation: The Case for Abolition by Richard Ducote PDF SCHOLAR
- Parental Alienation Syndrome -- getting it wrong in child custody cases by Carol S. Bruch PDF SCHOLAR
- Parenting Coordination Issues by liz
- Psychiatric experts assess parental alienation by David Crary
- Psychology in Court: A Trial Within a Trial by liz
- Psychology in Court: The Detectives by liz
- Psychology in Court:The Diagnosticians by liz
- Psychology in Court: Discovery of Test Data by liz
- Psychology in Court: How to Respond to the MMPI-2 by liz
- Reevaluating the Evaluators (overview of the problem) by liz CITATIONS TO RESEARCH
- Custody Evaluator Quotes by liz (companion to above article)
- Signs of a Bad Custody Evaluation by Joel V. Klass, M.D. SCHOLAR
- Socialization, Personality Development, and the Child's Environments by Judith Rich Harris SCHOLAR
- Sound Research or Wishful Thinking in Custody Cases? by Carol S. Bruch PDF SCHOLAR
- Stupidity Inherent in Promoting Supervised Visitation Centers by liz
- Troubling Admission of Supervised Visitation Records in Court by Stern/Oehme PDF SCHOLAR
- What Does the Guardian ad Litem do in Family Court? by liz
- Warren Farrell Does a Custody Evaluation by liz
- What's Wrong with Parenting Coordination by liz
- Why "Therapeutic Jurisprudence" Must Be Eliminated From Our Family Courts by liz
- Why "Therapeutic Jurisprudence" Must Be Eliminated From Our Courts by liz (pub. version)
- Critical Assessment of Child Custody Evaluations by Emery, Otto, Donohue off-site PDF SCHOLAR
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07:30
CURIOUS COPYRIGHT CASE
» Kansas Plains People

Probably the most unique copyright case in the world is that of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. Barrie bequeathed all Peter Pan rights to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London in 1929. Over the years royalty payments have been welcome additions to the hospital’s budget.
All that was scheduled to come to an end in 2007 — 70 years after Barrie’s death. A special UK legal exception has restored the hospital’s rights to royalties, however, only in the UK. But in the spirit of Barrie’s magnificent gift, the hospital administrators are hoping that producers outside the UK will make “donations” to offset the loss of royalty income.

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05:45
Writing, the Marketing Cornerstone
» V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

Every CMO wants to ﬁgure out integrated multichannel marketing in the digital era. Trying to understand how the different disciplines ﬁt together forces a new level of knowledge. In the end, writing ties them all together.

Whether you work in advertising, PR, interactive, social, direct or simply general marketing, you must write.

Our new book Marketing in the Round discusses each of these tactics in depth, and how to weave them together. But no matter the integration strategy, marketing a good product or service successfully depends on your ability to write well.

Think about it. Even a video requires a script. Images tell a story, often with captions or short phrases embodied in info graphics. Consider how Hugh McLeod uses captions with his comics to communicate. There’s still a message — words — that he conveys.

Whether it’s a short form like mobile messaging or great ad headlines (“Imported from Detroit”) or long form communications such as speeches and white papers, great marketers write fantastic copy!
Valuing Writing
Those who want great careers can best ensure continued opportunities by honing their writing skills. Without the fundamentals, there’s little hope of mastering one of the core subsets of marketing — PR, advertising, direct or interactive.

Yes, you can become a great creative. Yes, you can become a master SEO practitioner. Yet it’s like being a basketball player who can pass and rebound, but can’t score.

Sooner or later, if you want to advance in marketing, you must write.

Marketing values great writing, whether it’s stated or not. Even a great strategy must be well communicated to your colleagues.

It’s no coincidence both of us studied English in college. We wish more Communications and Business programs at the university level put a stronger focus on the primary fundamentals of grammar and storytelling. The entire marketing profession would be better for it.
Styles Beyond Social
So much of today’s marketing conversation revolves around personality and social media engagement. We don’t disagree that these storytelling methods are important.

But we do see them as a method. Style takes many forms. Without understanding how words empower you to choose one style or another for different media, marketers will struggle to master more than one discipline.

One thing we both benefited from was learning to write for different media! How can you challenge yourself to learn a new writing form?

Writing a research report requires a sophisticated arc and the incorporation of data-intense proof points, while still telling stories to compel readers. Compare that to a 50-word print advertisement. Both forms tell stories through different uses of the written word and illustrations despite disparate length.

Comprehending how the written word is used across different media and marketing tactics empowers a marketer to supersede media. Such is the power of words.

Geoff Livingston is an author and marketing strategist, and serves as VP, Strategic Partnerships for Razoo. A former journalist, Livingston continues to write, and most recently he co-authored Marketing in the Round, and authored the social media primer Welcome to the Fifth Estate.

Gini Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, a Chicago-based integrated marketing communication ﬁrm. She also is the founder of the professional development site for PR and marketing pros, Spin Sucks Pro and co-author of Marketing in the Round.

Their new book Marketing in the Round shows you how to get more value from all your marketing and communications channels integrated together!

Image via Geoff Livingston/Creative Commons
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Writing, the Marketing Cornerstone is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

More... »

03:35
Kansas Mother Karen Williams Fight for Daughter Could Change Case Managers and other ‘Therapeutic Jurisprudence’ Laws in Kansas
» M. Jill Dykes GAL, Topeka, Kansas
Therapeutic Jurisprudence - 3rd party ‘Access to Justice’ deniers - Fathers Rights, SHARIA style to take his property.

Another Great Exposure Report on the Injustices of Mothers via Court Appointed Case Managers, parenting coordinators, Custody Evaluators et el.

"Supervised visitation also is used as a first step toward a custody switch away from protective mothers to abusive fathers.''

Fight for Daughter Could Change Law in Kansas

Therapeutic Jurisprudence - 3rd party ‘Access to Justice’ deniers - Fathers Rights, SHARIA style to take his property.

Another Great Exposure Report on the Injustices of Mothers via Court Appointed Case Managers, parenting coordinators, Custody Evaluators et el.

"Supervised visitation also is used as a first step toward a custody switch away from protective mothers to abusive fathers.''

Fight for Daughter Could Change Law in Kansas

[vodpod id=Video.16474179&w=425&h=350&fv=%26embedCode%3DluZjVwNDqKHrO7eJUgcis6ORoqtvS7kx]

Topeka, Kan. — A mother said her daughter was taken away from her and she’s never been allowed her day in court to fight for her child. The woman’s story has now inspired lawmakers to look into what they can do to change the system.

Karen Williams went to the Kansas Appellate Court arguing that her constitutional rights were violated when a Douglas County judge removed her daughter from her custody all based on the word of a court appointed case manager. The case manager suggested to the judge that there was “probable abuse.”Continue Reading

Excerpt: “Kansas Representative Joe Patton (R-Topeka) wants to change the law to require educational standards for case managers…..”

Joe Patton, “Shame on you”. You are an attorney for goodness sake. LAW, FACT, COURT – What part is not clear about this? FACTs only NOT ideas or the ‘Therapeutic Jurisprudence’s’ - OPINION, Theory, Personal Belief System, Societal Culture, ‘Philosophy’ - an ‘Idea’ -a-could-be-might-be 16^th century witch DoktoR – voo-doo-thinking ‘get a stick and beat it to death’ mentality, who have created for their selves, HIGH Paying Jobs Where NONE should exist to begin with. None.

The "Trial Within a Trial" Court-Appointed, Case Managers, Custody Evaluators et el. Waste Judicial Resources and Parents' Funds

The primary reason psychologists and other mental health professionals should be banned from the family court systems, except to answer limited and narrowly-defined questions actually within their expertise, is that their presence does not add value, but rather, wastes court, lawyer, and litigant time, money and resources. http://www.thelizlibrary.org/therapeutic-jurisprudence/TheDetectives.html

Parenting Evaluation, Parenting Plans...
Reevaluating the Evaluators: “Rethinking the Assumptions of Therapeutic Jurisprudence in the Family Courts”

A call for a revolt altogether against the notion of "therapeutic jurisprudence" -- which has been proved to do little to benefit children, much to benefit the divorce industry, much to complicate and pervert our family laws, much to erode fundamental rights and liberties, and much to harm the families who become trapped in the system. There are many problems, of course. But they are symptoms. Step one is to get the agent of most of them out of our family courts. The Emperor has no clothes. [www.thelizlibrary.org]

Lawyer Conflict: MHP’s and “therapeutic jurisprudence” ultimately must be – and will be – taken out of the family courts.

Lawyers' unacknowledged conflicts are destroying the quality of family law representation. One of the problems with the rise of therapeutic jurisprudence and the placement of non-legal systems into the courts is the subtle denigration of long-established precepts of lawyer independence and due process. One of the multiple ways this happens in the family courts is through the common development of multidisciplinary collegial relationships and business referral. [www.thelizlibrary.org]

Children need. . . THIS? standards and practices in child custody evaluations
CHILD CASE MANAGERS, CUSTODY EVALUATORS: IN THEIR OWN WORDS

[www.thelizlibrary.org]

DOJ Study: Child Custody Evaluators' Beliefs About Domestic Abuse Allegations- Their Relationship to Evaluator Demographics, Background, Domestic Violence - Knowledge and Custody-Visitation Recommendations Final Technical Report Submitted to the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice

Parenting Coordination, a bad idea
- Parenting coordination is an inappropriate delegation of the judicial function
- Parenting coordination is an impediment to court access
- Parenting coordination is a denial of due process
- Parenting coordination violates privacy
- The parenting coordinator concept encroaches on family liberty interests
- Parenting coordination represents arbitrary dictate by a person, in denigration of rule of law
- Parenting coordination is a make-work role newly invented by psychology trade promotion groups
- No studies indicate parenting coordinators make good decisions
- No studies indicate parenting coordination improves families' lives or child wellbeing.
- Nothing qualifies a stranger to make family decisions for other people
- Nothing qualifies a mental health professional to interpret a court order or legal document
- Nothing qualifies a lawyer to play at being an unlicensed, unregulated therapist for hire
- Nothing qualifies any third party to "fill in the gaps" in someone else's contract
- There is no definition of what constitutes a successful parenting coordination
- Parenting coordination does not, in the long run, alleviate court docket congestion
- It creates additional issues and leaves the door open for return trips to resolve them
- Parenting coordination provides a new forum for squabbling over petty disputes
- Parenting coordination is an additional expense that many can ill afford
- Parenting coordination enables one parent to spend the other's funds
- Parenting coordination is time-consuming and tedious
- Parenting coordination is not confidential
- Parenting coordination constitutes continuous government discovery, 4th Amendment
- Parenting coordination constitutes continuous discovery by each parent into the affairs of the other
- Parenting coordination can never be "voluntary" because it implements unwanted court orders
- Parenting coordinators demand that the parties sign "consents" that give up constitutional rights
- Some have demanded that parties give up the right to go to court, contact police, or involve their lawyers
- They are hired or appointed under shadow of the threat of court sanctions or loss of custody
- They are agreed to by parties ignorant of the repercussions, in fear, out of funds, or overwhelmed
- Parenting coordination does not result in increased family well-being
- Parenting coordination does not make children happier, healthier, or better adjusted
- Parenting coordination is not therapy but coercion backed by the state's police power
- Parenting coordinators tend to be hostile to, and at odds with attorney-client relationships
- They align with GALs and other court appointees in a pretext of "focus on the children"
- They encroach on parental-child relationships and decision-making
- They undermine the parental authority children require for a sense of security and well-being
- Instead of at least one authoritative parent, children have no authoritative parent
- Petty tyrants place a premium on the perception of who is cooperating with them
- Cooperation with the parenting coordinator is court-ordered and
- They alone decide if a parent is "cooperating" with them
- They are given unwarranted authority to impose or recommend sanctions against parents
- They are given unwarranted authority to speak with extended family, friends, and collaterals
- They are given unwarranted authority to speak with children, teachers, and school officials
- They are given authority to demand private medical and therapy records
- They are able continuously to undermine the credibility and competence of parents to third parties
- They are able continuously to divulge private family issues to third parties
- They are given authority to demand meetings, and meeting times and places
- There are no studies of parenting coordination methods or techniques
- There is no research into parenting coordinators' efficacy, and there cannot be
- Decisions are based on the parenting coordinator's private agendas, values, and beliefs
- Most parenting coordinators lack psychological insight
- Parenting coordination is not "co-parenting therapy" which rarely works anyway
- Mental health professionals are ignorant of the repercussions in law of their ideas
- There is no valid "training" because there is no body of knowledge to base training on
- Decisions are made without actual knowledge of people's households and daily lives
- Parenting coordination provides a forum for the arguing of minutiae, not just major decisions
- Parenting coordinators frequently make bad decisions
- The parenting coordinator has absolutely no incentive to work himself or herself out of a job
- Parenting coordinators tend to be individuals who can't make a go of practicing their profession
- Many have axes to grind; others need to re-live and normalize their own family-of-origin issues
- Parenting coordination is unregulated and practicably unable to be regulated
- There is no effective oversight, and there cannot be
- There is no recourse against the parenting coordinator for malfeasance or malpractice
- Parenting coordinators have control to self-generate their work and churn fees
- The claim of parenting coordinators that they sought this role in order to "help" people is specious
- Parenting coordination proceedings are informal, outside court, and not subject to effective oversight
- Parenting coordinators can report conversations and events differently from how they really happened
- Parenting coordinators can cover themselves by blaming parents for the failure of the venture
- Parenting coordinators can and do give parents make-work at whim
- Parenting coordinators may not have any personal parenting experience
- Parenting coordinators may not have experience being primary caregivers, or as single parents
- Many of those drawn to the field are by nature meddlers, incompetents, or petty tyrants
- Parenting coordination is dangerous, founded on erroneous beliefs about "high conflict"
- Parenting coordination is a tool to force fit parents and children to invest in abusers' rehabilitation
- "High conflict" means "abusive relationship", not "difficult learning situation"
- "High conflict" means "threats to security and well-being", not "lack of communication skills"
- Fears and concerns are real, not irrational, vindictive, or merely personality disordered
- "High conflict" means that the "parenting plan" is inappropriate, unjust, unhealthy, or unsafe, and
- there is no "adjustment period" to get through or equal "co-parenting relationship" to regain
- Parenting coordinators have missed domestic violence
- Parenting coordinators have inflamed emotions and exacerbated legal issues
- Parenting coordinators have assumed facts that are not true
- · Parenting coordinators have perceived emergencies or situations incorrectly
- Parenting coordinators have mischaracterized events
- Parenting coordinators have made egregious judgmental mistakes
- Parenting coordinators have lied outright
- There is no basis to presume their "good faith" or their "neutrality"
- There are no ethical guidelines that practicably can be enforced
- There are, and can be, no enforceable practice parameters, only vague aspirational generalities
- Parenting coordinators will be biased because of the nature of human relationships and the role
- Court oversight is illusory because the parenting coordinator has more credibility than either parent
- Court oversight is illusory because the parenting coordinator has the ear of the judge, and
- because the parenting coordinator has relationships with supportive guardians ad litem, and
- because the parenting coordinator has other courthouse referral relationships who will back him or her
- Court oversight is illusory because it's easy to claim a parent is uncooperative or lying
- Court oversight is illusory because it's expensive
- or there is not enough time to get a hearing
- or the party doesn't have a lawyer post-decree, and
- because the judge who appointed the parenting coordinator did so because he didn't want to hear it
- Most of all, parenting coordination is proof that joint custody does not work
Therapeutic Jurisprudence – Child Trafficking via family Courts. It’s monetary. It's all about their money and the "gravy train" ride. THEY MUST BE ELIMINATED FROM ALL FAMILY COURTS!!

You cannot ‘PREDICT’ or see in any “Crystal Ball”. It is not FACT and these Case Managers, Guardian Ad Litem’s, Parenting Coordinators, Co-parenting, Shared Parenting, SUPERVISED VISITATION and ACCESS VISITATION Centers should have NEVER been allowed into the Kansas Courts to begin with! It is all Therapeutic Jurisprudence that denies ‘Access to Justice’. It does not matter, in fact will only ‘entrench’ these NON Fact – Pseudo Science, self serving Profiteers with ‘god’ like authority if you Give them a simple pedigree in B.S. crystal ball reading experts forced, CAPTIVE litigants to hire by the Court of Law and Fact. You still have the same thing as you do with a non licensed A$$hole. Oxymoron. Allow the Judge to ‘Judge’ not anyone else. If these people want to ‘judge’ rule and play god in an already EGO ruled Entitlement Family Court then let them become ‘Judges’.

Opinions only - None are based in any FACT—A Court of Law, must be FACT. The difference between non licensed and licensed ‘carnival crystal ball reading – theory, assumption, future predicting based on their own personal beliefs’ is the PRICE they charge.

The Amicus Brief by the one Dr. Milfred 'Bud' Dale Amicus Brief - Karen Williams- Case Managers Kansas – EXPERT of the experts for hire by the experts- forensic PROFESSIONAL expert - in the end is still just ‘one man’s personal opinions’, self interest, extremely profitable and continuing expenses for his ‘captive’ clients. This completely denies the Constitutional Right to a Court of Law governed by FACT.

(I know this first hand) (KS) Dr. Dale and Pedophile Dr. Gardner: Similarities Engaged

A Topeka Kansas Evaluation: Teaching the mother to NOT REPORT sexual or physical Abuse: As Ordered by the Courts;

Courtesy www.TheLizLibrary.org

Topeka Kansas Evaluation: Teaching the mother to NOT REPORT sexual or physical Abuse: As Ordered by the Courts;

by Dr. Milford “Bud” Dale.

then see below same? hmm……

[www.leadershipcouncil.org]

Overview of Dr. Richard Gardner’s Opinions

on Pedophilia and Child Sexual Abuse

Richard A. Gardner, M.D., is the creator of the creator and main proponent for Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) theory. Prior to his suicide, Gardner was an unpaid part-time clinical professor of child psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University . He made his money mainly as a forensic expert.

Get rid of them. The best interest of the child is to remain with their primary attachment figure (usually their mothers) stop ripping the hearts and the lives out of these mothers and her children, by the highly profitable lucrative ‘industry’ of Case managers, Guardian Ad Litems, et other 3^rd party ‘Justice’ interferers.

Topeka, Kan. — A mother said her daughter was taken away from her and she’s never been allowed her day in court to fight for her child. The woman’s story has now inspired lawmakers to look into what they can do to change the system.

Karen Williams went to the Kansas Appellate Court arguing that her constitutional rights were violated when a Douglas County judge removed her daughter from her custody all based on the word of a court appointed case manager. The case manager suggested to the judge that there was “probable abuse.” Continue Reading

“Kansas Representative Joe Patton (R-Topeka) wants to change the law to require educational standards for case managers…..”

Joe Patton, “Shame on you”. You are an attorney for goodness sake. LAW, FACT, COURT – What part is not clear about this? FACTs only NOT ideas or the ‘Therapeutic Jurisprudence’s’ - OPINION, Theory, Personal Belief System, Societal Culture, ‘Philosophy’ - an ‘Idea’ -a-could-be-might-be 16^th century witch DoktoR – voo-doo-thinking ‘get a stick and beat it to death’ mentality, who have created for their selves, HIGH Paying Jobs Where NONE should exist to begin with. None.

The "Trial Within a Trial" Court-Appointed, Case Managers, Custody Evaluators et el. Waste Judicial Resources and Parents' Funds

The primary reason psychologists and other mental health professionals should be banned from the family court systems, except to answer limited and narrowly-defined questions actually within their expertise, is that their presence does not add value, but rather, wastes court, lawyer, and litigant time, money and resources. http://www.thelizlibrary.org/therapeutic-jurisprudence/TheDetectives.html

Parenting Evaluation, Parenting Plans...
Reevaluating the Evaluators: “Rethinking the Assumptions of Therapeutic Jurisprudence in the Family Courts” [www.thelizlibrary.org]

A call for a revolt altogether against the notion of "therapeutic jurisprudence" -- which has been proved to do little to benefit children, much to benefit the divorce industry, much to complicate and pervert our family laws, much to erode fundamental rights and liberties, and much to harm the families who become trapped in the system. There are many problems, of course. But they are symptoms. Step one is to get the agent of most of them out of our family courts. The Emperor has no clothes.

Lawyer Conflict: MHP’s and “therapeutic jurisprudence” ultimately must be – and will be – taken out of the family courts.

Lawyers' unacknowledged conflicts are destroying the quality of family law representation. One of the problems with the rise of therapeutic jurisprudence and the placement of non-legal systems into the courts is the subtle denigration of long-established precepts of lawyer independence and due process. One of the multiple ways this happens in the family courts is through the common development of multidisciplinary collegial relationships and business referral. [www.thelizlibrary.org]

Children need. . . THIS? standards and practices in child custody evaluations
CHILD CASE MANAGERS, CUSTODY EVALUATORS: IN THEIR OWN WORDS [www.thelizlibrary.org]

DOJ Study: Child Custody Evaluators' Beliefs About Domestic Abuse Allegations- Their Relationship to Evaluator Demographics, Background, Domestic Violence - Knowledge and Custody-Visitation Recommendations Final Technical Report Submitted to the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice

Parenting Coordination, a bad idea
- Parenting coordination is an inappropriate delegation of the judicial function
- Parenting coordination is an impediment to court access
- Parenting coordination is a denial of due process
- Parenting coordination violates privacy
- The parenting coordinator concept encroaches on family liberty interests
- Parenting coordination represents arbitrary dictate by a person, in denigration of rule of law
- Parenting coordination is a make-work role newly invented by psychology trade promotion groups
- No studies indicate parenting coordinators make good decisions
- No studies indicate parenting coordination improves families' lives or child wellbeing.
- Nothing qualifies a stranger to make family decisions for other people
- Nothing qualifies a mental health professional to interpret a court order or legal document
- Nothing qualifies a lawyer to play at being an unlicensed, unregulated therapist for hire
- Nothing qualifies any third party to "fill in the gaps" in someone else's contract
- There is no definition of what constitutes a successful parenting coordination
- Parenting coordination does not, in the long run, alleviate court docket congestion
- It creates additional issues and leaves the door open for return trips to resolve them
- Parenting coordination provides a new forum for squabbling over petty disputes
- Parenting coordination is an additional expense that many can ill afford
- Parenting coordination enables one parent to spend the other's funds
- Parenting coordination is time-consuming and tedious
- Parenting coordination is not confidential
- Parenting coordination constitutes continuous government discovery, 4th Amendment
- Parenting coordination constitutes continuous discovery by each parent into the affairs of the other
- Parenting coordination can never be "voluntary" because it implements unwanted court orders
- Parenting coordinators demand that the parties sign "consents" that give up constitutional rights
- Some have demanded that parties give up the right to go to court, contact police, or involve their lawyers
- They are hired or appointed under shadow of the threat of court sanctions or loss of custody
- They are agreed to by parties ignorant of the repercussions, in fear, out of funds, or overwhelmed
- Parenting coordination does not result in increased family well-being
- Parenting coordination does not make children happier, healthier, or better adjusted
- Parenting coordination is not therapy but coercion backed by the state's police power
- Parenting coordinators tend to be hostile to, and at odds with attorney-client relationships
- They align with GALs and other court appointees in a pretext of "focus on the children"
- They encroach on parental-child relationships and decision-making
- They undermine the parental authority children require for a sense of security and well-being
- Instead of at least one authoritative parent, children have no authoritative parent
- Petty tyrants place a premium on the perception of who is cooperating with them
- Cooperation with the parenting coordinator is court-ordered and
- They alone decide if a parent is "cooperating" with them
- They are given unwarranted authority to impose or recommend sanctions against parents
- They are given unwarranted authority to speak with extended family, friends, and collaterals
- They are given unwarranted authority to speak with children, teachers, and school officials
- They are given authority to demand private medical and therapy records
- They are able continuously to undermine the credibility and competence of parents to third parties
- They are able continuously to divulge private family issues to third parties
- They are given authority to demand meetings, and meeting times and places
- There are no studies of parenting coordination methods or techniques
- There is no research into parenting coordinators' efficacy, and there cannot be
- Decisions are based on the parenting coordinator's private agendas, values, and beliefs
- Most parenting coordinators lack psychological insight
- Parenting coordination is not "co-parenting therapy" which rarely works anyway
- Mental health professionals are ignorant of the repercussions in law of their ideas
- There is no valid "training" because there is no body of knowledge to base training on
- Decisions are made without actual knowledge of people's households and daily lives
- Parenting coordination provides a forum for the arguing of minutiae, not just major decisions
- Parenting coordinators frequently make bad decisions
- The parenting coordinator has absolutely no incentive to work himself or herself out of a job
- Parenting coordinators tend to be individuals who can't make a go of practicing their profession
- Many have axes to grind; others need to re-live and normalize their own family-of-origin issues
- Parenting coordination is unregulated and practicably unable to be regulated
- There is no effective oversight, and there cannot be
- There is no recourse against the parenting coordinator for malfeasance or malpractice
- Parenting coordinators have control to self-generate their work and churn fees
- The claim of parenting coordinators that they sought this role in order to "help" people is specious
- Parenting coordination proceedings are informal, outside court, and not subject to effective oversight
- Parenting coordinators can report conversations and events differently from how they really happened
- Parenting coordinators can cover themselves by blaming parents for the failure of the venture
- Parenting coordinators can and do give parents make-work at whim
- Parenting coordinators may not have any personal parenting experience
- Parenting coordinators may not have experience being primary caregivers, or as single parents
- Many of those drawn to the field are by nature meddlers, incompetents, or petty tyrants
- Parenting coordination is dangerous, founded on erroneous beliefs about "high conflict"
- Parenting coordination is a tool to force fit parents and children to invest in abusers' rehabilitation
- "High conflict" means "abusive relationship", not "difficult learning situation"
- "High conflict" means "threats to security and well-being", not "lack of communication skills"
- Fears and concerns are real, not irrational, vindictive, or merely personality disordered
- "High conflict" means that the "parenting plan" is inappropriate, unjust, unhealthy, or unsafe, and
- there is no "adjustment period" to get through or equal "co-parenting relationship" to regain
- Parenting coordinators have missed domestic violence
- Parenting coordinators have inflamed emotions and exacerbated legal issues
- Parenting coordinators have assumed facts that are not true
- · Parenting coordinators have perceived emergencies or situations incorrectly
- Parenting coordinators have mischaracterized events
- Parenting coordinators have made egregious judgmental mistakes
- Parenting coordinators have lied outright
- There is no basis to presume their "good faith" or their "neutrality"
- There are no ethical guidelines that practicably can be enforced
- There are, and can be, no enforceable practice parameters, only vague aspirational generalities
- Parenting coordinators will be biased because of the nature of human relationships and the role
- Court oversight is illusory because the parenting coordinator has more credibility than either parent
- Court oversight is illusory because the parenting coordinator has the ear of the judge, and
- because the parenting coordinator has relationships with supportive guardians ad litem, and
- because the parenting coordinator has other courthouse referral relationships who will back him or her
- Court oversight is illusory because it's easy to claim a parent is uncooperative or lying
- Court oversight is illusory because it's expensive
- or there is not enough time to get a hearing
- or the party doesn't have a lawyer post-decree, and
- because the judge who appointed the parenting coordinator did so because he didn't want to hear it
- Most of all, parenting coordination is proof that joint custody does not work
Therapeutic Jurisprudence – Child Trafficking via family Courts. It’s monetary. It's all about their money and the "gravy train" ride. THEY MUST BE ELIMINATED FROM ALL FAMILY COURTS!!

You cannot ‘PREDICT’ or see in any “Crystal Ball”. It is not FACT and these Case Managers, Guardian Ad Litem’s, Parenting Coordinators, Co-parenting, Shared Parenting, SUPERVISED VISITATION and ACCESS VISITATION Centers should have NEVER been allowed into the Kansas Courts to begin with! It is all Therapeutic Jurisprudence that denies ‘Access to Justice’. It does not matter, in fact will only ‘entrench’ these NON Fact – Pseudo Science, self serving Profiteers with ‘god’ like authority if you Give them a simple pedigree in B.S. crystal ball reading experts forced, CAPTIVE litigants to hire by the Court of Law and Fact. You still have the same thing as you do with a non licensed A$$hole. Oxymoron. Allow the Judge to ‘Judge’ not anyone else. If these people want to ‘judge’ rule and play god in an already EGO ruled Entitlement Family Court then let them become ‘Judges’.

Opinions only - None are based in any FACT—A Court of Law, must be FACT. The difference between non licensed and licensed ‘carnival crystal ball reading – theory, assumption, future predicting based on their own personal beliefs’ is the PRICE they charge.

The Amicus Brief by the one Dr. Milfred 'Bud' Dale Amicus Brief - Karen Williams- Case Managers Kansas – EXPERT of the experts for hire by the experts- forensic PROFESSIONAL expert - in the end is still just ‘one man’s personal opinions’, self interest, extremely profitable and continuing expenses for his ‘captive’ clients. This completely denies the Constitutional Right to a Court of Law governed by FACT.

(I know this first hand) (KS) Dr. Dale and Pedophile Dr. Gardner: Similarities Engaged

A Topeka Kansas Evaluation: Teaching the mother to NOT REPORT sexual or physical Abuse: As Ordered by the Courts;

Courtesy www.TheLizLibrary.org

Topeka Kansas Evaluation: Teaching the mother to NOT REPORT sexual or physical Abuse: As Ordered by the Courts;

by Dr. Milford “Bud” Dale.

then see below same? hmm……

[www.leadershipcouncil.org]

Overview of Dr. Richard Gardner’s Opinions

on Pedophilia and Child Sexual Abuse

Richard A. Gardner, M.D., is the creator of the creator and main proponent for Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) theory. Prior to his suicide, Gardner was an unpaid part-time clinical professor of child psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University . He made his money mainly as a forensic expert.

Get rid of them. The best interest of the child is to remain with their primary attachment figure (usually their mothers) stop ripping the hearts and the lives out of these mothers and her children, by the highly profitable lucrative ‘industry’ of Case managers, Guardian Ad Litems, et other 3^rd party ‘Justice’ interferers.

More... »

Kansas blogs (US-KS), 05/15/2012
20:31
Fire Tornado
» Lens on Kansas

Today at Cheyenne Bottoms I got a look at an unusual phenomenon – firenadoes. Also known as fire devils or fire whirls, these miniature tornadoes are made up of fire and smoke. They whirl on winds that can exceed 100 mph, and they can rise, in rare cases, more than half a mile into the air. The best I saw today was far better than the average fire whirl, which is less than 150 feet high. One funnel shown here appeared to be nearly 1000 feet tall. Fire tornadoes form only when conditions are just right. Normally, the fire’s intense heat causes a rapid updraft. Surrounding air rushes in from all directions to replace the lost air at the surface. Generally, the smoke column simply rises and dissipates. But when shearing winds blow across this column, it tends to “twist”. Once a spinning motion starts, the heat follows it. And in some cases, it spins into a violent vortex that is just like a tornado. Fire can follow the spinning vortex well into the smoke cloud before it’s choked out. And the whirl can continue for minutes in some cases, drawing smoke and looking just like a rope tornado. A firenado is spectacular and dangerous. Obviously, it can spin across the landscape lighting new fuel. In this case, a managed burn with fireguards and surrounding water kept the whirls at bay. But for the guys on four-wheelers out near the fireline, the fire devils made things interesting.

More... »

15:16
“You Are My People, and I Am Yours”: Everyday Magic, Day 550
» Blog of the Poet Laureate of Kansas

I’ve been at Brave Voice, the retreat Kelley Hunt and I lead in the Flint Hills each spring, and wanted to share a poem I wrote for a close, old friend. In honor of all our close, old friends as … Continue reading →

More... »

14:00
Check Out How We Cowork! It’s Time for the May bizperc Showcase
» Think Big Kansas City

Do you love where you work? We do! We collaborate with a wide array of like-minded entrepreneurs every day. We get to relax and check out the best views of the city from our rooftop (with WiFi!). We have Roasterie Coffee and delicious lattes. We think we’re pretty lucky and we want you to see it for yourself.

It’s time for the monthly bizperc Showcase. Clear your calendars for Thursday, May 17^thfrom 2:00 to 3:00pm and come on down to 1800 Baltimore in KC and join us on the 4^th floor. Experience the modern and innovative workplace we call home.

The Showcase will start off with an expertly guided tour of our coworking space and business accelerator. Experience the atmosphere our entrepreneurs thrive in. From coffee bar to rooftop, you’ll get an inside-look at our coworking space, bizperc, and learn what Think Big Partners is up to. We want to show you how Think Big Partners is innovating the startup world. But this showcase isn’t just about us—we want you to tell us about your own entrepreneurial ventures too.

Showcase Agenda: 2:00 Meet Think Big Partners: the company that’s building companies
2:15 Tour the bizperc coworking space and see where the magic happens
3:00 Showcase your own entrepreneurial venture on bizperc’s 6^th floor with a gorgeous view of downtown KC

Come experience the benefits of coworking and see how we’re changing the way entrepreneurs interact daily. Register today for the bizperc Showcase powered by Think Big Partners on Thursday, May 17^th from 2:00 to 3:00pm.

If you can’t make it this month...don’t worry! We’ll be showing off our coworking space each month. Stay tuned for upcoming Showcase information!

Questions? Call 816-842-5244 or email Sarah Snyder (ssnyder@thinkbigpartners.com).

Don’t forget to follow bizperc on Twitter! @bizperc

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13:55
KU COMMON BOOK
» Kansas Plains People

Incoming University of Kansas students will be encouraged to read a “common book” as they begin their university studies, a program which “will generate opportunities for shared intellectual experiences that invite analysis, foster critical thinking, and reflect the type of reasoned discourse expected at a university.” The book chosen is Notes From No Man’s Land, by Eula Biss, who will be on campus on Thursday, October 4.
In a book that begins with a series of lynchings and ends with a series of apologies, Eula Biss explores race in America. As Biss moves across the country—from New York to California to the Midwest—she brings an eclectic education to the page based on her experiences chronicled in her essays.

[commonbook.ku.edu]

www.eulabiss.net

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12:00
Facebook’s Popularity Contest: Buying Visibility
» V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

They say money can’t buy you everything—but in this case buying visibility (or popularity) on Facebook might just be a reality. The company is currently testing a ‘highlight’ feature that would let Facebook users pay $2 to promote their status updates. Well, that’s craptastical.

The ‘highlight’ feature is geared toward individual Facebook users, not pages or businesses, and is now being tested by a small number of people in New Zealand. Currently, the visibility of Facebook posts is determined by the site’s EdgeRank algorithm that takes into account factors like affinity, weight and time to determine who sees that particular post—which, by the way, is typically seen by only 12 percent of your friends.

When new sites or features are released, we tend to sit back and see how things play out before making a decision. And although we’re interested to see if the ‘highlight’ feature becomes more widespread, our gut feeling is that this is not a direction in which Facebook should go. In fact, unless there’s something I’m totally missing, this downright stinks.

Sure, Facebook wants to make money—we all do, right? But are they really hurting for revenue? There’s such a huge risk involved in creating a social site in which visibility can be bought rather than earned by producing relevant, quality content that sparks organic engagement. Creating ways to game the system—as with Klout or Empire Avenue, for example, or Facebook’s new ‘highlight’—seem, to us anyway, an utter contradiction of the inherent purpose and benefit of social sites.

Not only could this tactic get annoying—it could become downright spammy, too. Can’t you already kind of make a list of the people you know that you can see starting to do this? I know I can. If this is going to happen universally, to our way of thinking the value of the News Feed will be diminished, because it will be populated by the annoying folks who are paying for visibility.

Hopefully Facebook will be smart and limit the use of paid highlights—to something like once a month. That way, if Facebook advertising doesn’t make sense as a possible outreach solution, users could have the option to more widely promote information that they find truly important without abusing the feature at a low price and making everyone who knows them hate them.

What’s your take on Facebook’s latest move?

Image by billaday via Creative Commons
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Facebook’s Popularity Contest: Buying Visibility is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

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05:45
6 SEO Changes To Make Now
» V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency
Now that Google’s over-optimization penalty is in effect, too much SEO can actually be a bad thing—and that’s why it’s important to make 6 SEO-related changes to your site now.

The penalty is part of Google’s larger ongoing effort to reward high-quality sites, especially those that regularly produce relevant and informative content, which Google lumps under the term “white hat” SEO. Google’s nemesis is “black hat webspam,” in which SEO techniques like keyword stuffing and link schemes are used to rank pages higher than they should be.

As part of the over-optimization penalty, sites that engage in “black hat” tactics will receive decreased rankings—and who wants to get on Google’s bad side?

If you’re using solid SEO principles, regularly creating great content and avoiding spammy SEO tactics, you’re likely in the clear. Still, it doesn’t hurt to check over your site and incorporate these 6 SEO-related changes to keep your website visible and in Google’s good graces.
1. Real titles. It can be tempting to include several keywords in your site’s title, but don’t do it! This is the place to showcase your brand name and, if applicable, your location, too. In fact, it’s likely that your brand name already includes keywords, whether it’s Digital Marketing or Web Design or Copywriting, to name a few.
2. Too many internal links. Building internal links is just as important as building outbound links, but don’t go overboard by linking to the same internal pages over and over using slightly modified anchor text. Instead, link to internal pages that are useful and relevant. If you really need to link to the same page again, make sure you’ve modified the anchor text (and that it sounds natural, too, instead of a blatant string of keywords).
3. Give footers the boot. Your site’s footers aren’t meant to house a ton of links. Instead, use your footer as it makes sense for your site. And if you have links you want to include, put them in your site’s menu or in another visible place so that they not only help drive traffic to your site, but they actually help visitors, too.
4. Ditch the filler. Watch out for text blocks that are only created for search engines. You’ve probably seen them—they’re typically included toward the bottom of a page that includes great, relevant, readable content—and then, bam! You see a paragraph that’s been blatantly keyword-stuffed. If you’ve got these on your site, delete them! Or better yet, rewrite the content so that you can still get a keyword boost without giving a clear signal to search engines that you’re trying to manipulate them.
5. Steer clear of penalty-likely sources. If your site includes backlinks from penalty-likely sources like link networks, reciprocal lists and article marketing lists, do what you can to ditch your connection to these sorts of links. Link-building is a vital part of SEO, but when you build your links with disreputable sites and services, you might as well not have links at all. And when you think about it, you work hard to create great content for your site—so why should you waste that effort with spammy link sources? Instead, concentrate on sharing your content through your social channels so that you encourage readership and external linking. Comment regularly on blogs and use those comments as opportunities to include a link back to a specific post on your site that relates to the subject matter. Sure, it takes some work to build links, but surely that’s a more appealing alternative than to have your site completely buried by Google as a result of penalties.
6. Too many pages. If your site includes a large number of pages that are targeting only slightly modified variations of keywords, clean it up! Instead, create one well-written page that targets a number of keywords—you’ll still get great visibility in search results without running the risk of penalties. Plus, you’ll keep your readers happy, too. People are smart—and if they come to your site and see a bunch of keyword-laden content that’s hard to understand and not helpful, they’ll hightail it out of there—and that’s the last thing you want.
There’s no denying that SEO is an art and a science—and because it’s a difficult technique to master, there’s a chance that you’ve outsourced your SEO work. If you’ve taken that route, be sure that you keep an eye on your site and your content to make sure nothing wonky is happening. If so, ditch your SEO firm ASAP and get someone who knows what they’re doing.

Are you glad that Google is continuing to take a stronger stance against SEO manipulators? And have you made any changes to your sites as a result?

Image by kenteegardin via Creative Commons
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6 SEO Changes To Make Now is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

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01:07
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Listings 5-15
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Listings Updated 5-15-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337182 – 2527 N SPRINGDALE CIR, WICHITA, KS – $224,900 337183 – 2558 E SAINT ANDREW CT, GODDARD, KS – $184,900 337184 – 500 W ADAMS AVENUE, EL DORADO, KS – $60,000 337185 – 201 S [...]

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01:05
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – Price Reductions 5-15
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com Price Reductions Updated 5-15-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - New Price 336203 – 505 CEDAR LANE, ANDALE, KS – $138,000 – Reduced $1,000 335907 – 745 CHERRYWOOD CT, ANDOVER, KS – $159,900 – Reduced $5,000 336668 – 1633 S ASPEN CREEK DR, ANDOVER, KS – $280,000 [...]

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01:04
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Foreclosures 5-15
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Foreclosures Updated 5-15-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337230 – 2735 WELLESLEY ST, WICHITA, KS – $18,400 337228 – 4342 N WOODLAWN, BEL AIRE, KS – $142,800 337225 – 2216 N MASCOT, WICHITA, KS – $48,900 337212 – 1408 KELLY, AUGUSTA, KS – $19,900 [...]

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Kansas blogs (US-KS), 05/14/2012
21:30
Opening 5/18/12
» Wichita KS Movies

Opening 5/18/12

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21:25
Leaving 5/15, 17/12
» Wichita KS Movies

Leaving 5/15, 17/12

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16:44
Early Mulberries
» Lens on Kansas

Strange is becoming the new “normal” for weather patterns in the past few years. This spring’s early summer weather, followed in the past few weeks by cool to seasonable temperatures, has jumbled normal fish spawning patterns, caused early flowering, and ripened wheat for a probable May harvest in some Kansas locations. Last summer’s severe drought also produced a heavy seed reaction in some tree species.
This is early for the heavy mulberry set I’m seeing on many trees. Normally, the mulberry crop is in full swing by Memorial day, but this year, it seems to be two weeks early. That’s important for a couple of reasons.
First, if you like bowfishing, creekside mulberries often produce great shooting for roughfish. As berries drop into the water, big carp often congregate to suck them in. That makes a good opportunity for shooting fish with arrows. Or, if you prefer hook and line, bait a number 2 hook with a berry or two and dangle it into the water. I caught my first big carp on a flyrod this way when I was 11 years old. Check it out now for some good opportunities.
Squirrel season doesn’t start until June 1, but mulberries are the best bet for early season. Squirrels travel long distances through the woods to reach these sweet treats, and waiting quietly with a .22 is a good way to get them. The berry harvest, though coming on strong right now, should still be in swing by opening day. And the squirrels will be well-conditioned to visit them.
Finally, don’t forget to eat a few yourself. They make good jams and jellies, and as loaded as some trees are, this would be a good year to pick them.

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14:04
Quarterly Kansas-Paraguay Partners Meeting
» KANSAS PARAGUAY PARTNERS

The next quarterly meeting of Kansas-Paraguay Partners will be Saturday June 2 from 9:00 am until about noon. Everyone who is interested in Paraguay is urged to attend and learn more about the many KPP projects. To all of you Paraguayan students at KSU, please join us for at least part of the morning. We [...]

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13:03
TALL STRUCTURES ON THE HORIZON
» Kansas Plains People

The subject of numerous artists, paintings of grain elevators hang on the walls of many a corporate office throughout the Midwest. People who never set foot on a farm can still appreciate the significance of those structures that loom on the horizon, usually the first visible indicator of the presence of a town.
Linda Laird will be signing her book, American Grain Elevator from 10 a.m. to noon June 9 at The Bookshelf and Hidden Closet, 206 N Main St, Mcpherson.

http://grainelevatorpress.com

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11:33
Happy Mother's Day!
» Kansas Troubles Quilters

A belated Happy Mother's Day to all of you. I had a lovely evening with my 3 sons and their families on Saturday. Smoked brisket, corn on the cob, Brian's famous potato salad and brownie sundaes with strawberries & fudge sauce were on the menu. I came home with 3 beautiful plants - funny how they all think alike even though they swear they weren't shopping together. Bets were taken on how long I can keep the orchid alive. It's not really fair since I'm leaving for market in a day or two. Oh well, I'll enjoy it while I can. Any hints out there?

Cooper, 11, came out to spend the night Friday and "help" me get ready for market. Actually, he finished painting the glider, carried alot of stuff and provided entertainment. We explored the farm and found some cool yard art for a later project and hung out fishing. He caught a pretty good channel cat - about 2 pounds - with a squished snake he found in the road. His mother was none too happy with either of us when he came home with a snake head on a necklace. :) It's good to be the Gramma.

Congratulations to Marie for winning the Harvest Moon mini charm pack. I love that Moda is cutting the smaller charms, too. They've been fun to play with. Here's one of my new favorite blocks using a charm and mini charm with raw edge applique.
This is called Seasons of the Moon because it has a blank center with 4 different moon themed squares to change for the seasons. The block surrounding the center is a simple bias square with a mini charm square stitched on one side. Fast and easy.

This week, we'll be offering a dozen assorted fat 1/8's of Harvest Moon - after I get back from market. I'll try to blog while I'm gone, but several other Moda designers do a great job if you want to keep up with market happenings - Moda Lissa, Angela Yosten and Pat Sloan will all be blogging.

Have a great week,
Lynne

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09:56
THE 3 WAYS TO FOSTER STARTUP GROWTH IN YOUR COMMUNITY
» Think Big Kansas City

They say Rome wasn’t built in a day. The same is true for Silicon Valley. There is no tried and true blueprint for creating a startup community. It’s a trial and error process that takes both commitment and patience. To have a community as strong as Silicon Valley is the ultimate goal for dreamers and doers all over the world. It is not an unattainable goal. It takes the perfect mix of inspiration, initiative, and tenacity to get the ball. In the famous words of Walt Disney, “the way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
Encourage and Inspire
Maybe your city already has a foundation built upon which entrepreneurial growth can prosper. But what’s the next step? Now you need to raise awareness in the community and attract the attention of your fellow entrepreneurs. Make a serious effort to encourage and inspire. Lead by example. Put yourself out there and let others know what you’re doing and what your goal is...the support will follow.
Hosting an event is the perfect way to gather these like-minded individuals. Whether it be a conference, a meet-up, or a happy hour, the result will be the same. It will get people talking. Create a buzz about what your city is doing to foster startup growth. Let it be known that you are making moves and achieving progress. These gatherings will undoubtedly aid in inspiring others to follow your example. They will help to create a true community environment amongst those brave enough to take the entrepreneurial road.
Come Together
While hosting events successfully brings together entrepreneurs and gets them talking, it is essential to take the next step and start the collaboration process. One way to do this is to form a startup hub. Bring people together on a more consistent basis. Coworking spaces are the most effective way to embrace the community aspect of startups. They allow for like-minded individuals to come together each and every day. Sharing experiences, successes, and failures with your fellow coworkers is a surefire way to gain invaluable knowledge. These spaces are especially important in newer entrepreneurial communities. It’s a community within a community and will, without a doubt, help to attract more entrepreneurs. Before you know it, your city will have a stronger startup presence.
Get Digital
In order to put your startup community on the map, it is crucial that you establish an online presence. You need to reach outside of your community to raise awareness of your efforts. Let the entire world know what is unique about your community, promote what you’re building and gain the attention of other startup communities. Make it impossible to ignore the activity and buzz surrounding your city.
Start a blog, make posts often and make them enticing. Attract readers from across the nation and keep them coming back to see what you are up to, what new events you have planned and what progress you are making. Don’t underestimate the value of Facebook and Twitter. Once you’ve established a presence on these sites, you will be connected to many influential individuals and companies. Keep tabs on what these movers-and-shakers are doing, learn from them, let yourself be inspired by what they’ve built. It’s an arena for knowledge and growth.
It is also important to follow what the key players in Silicon Valley and New York are doing. Maybe there is a particularly successful individual you admire. If so, follow his or her tweets. They might be willing to meet with you, attend a meet-up you have planned, or speak at an upcoming event. Entrepreneurs love sharing what they have learned on their startup adventure and if you establish your community as one on the rise, you can garner the attention of seasoned entrepreneurs who are willing to lend their knowledge. Go digital and get watch your community grow.
We’ve established that Silicon Valley was not an overnight accomplishment. It took years to build what they have. As you begin fostering startup growth in your own community, remember to be patient. It’s a golden quality, especially when trying to build something much bigger than yourself. Don’t compare your city to the mega hubs (i.e. San Francisco, Boston and Austin), be inspired by them and learn from what they’ve successfully built. Keep in mind your reasons for establishing your startup community, don’t forget the advantages it will bring to your city – the job creation it will provide, the economic growth it will inspire and the support and encouragement of others on the same journey. Start with small steps and before you know it you and your community will be making big strides.
Follow Think Big! @thinkbigKC

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06:46
ARMY COFFEE SUCKS
» Kansas Plains People

Enlisting in the U.S. Army after the September 11, 2001, terrorists attacks, Michael Calore was assigned to the 1at Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment at Fort Riley, and took part in the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. He returned for a second tour in June 2004.
Calore’s book began as a blog, when he had difficulty conveying to civilians the nature of his war experiences. The title evolved because Calore thought “most people could relate to coffee. Some coffee is good, some coffee is bad. Just like some of his days at war were good, but many were bad - very bad.” Read more of Calore’s blog posts at [michaelcalore.com] . Army Coffee Sucks is available as an e-book at www.amazon.com .

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05:59
WAR CORRESPONDENTS’ STORIES
» Kansas Plains People

Johnson County Library and Rainy Day Books is pleased to offer you the opportunity to meet author Timothy Gay as he discusses his newly released title, Assignment to Hell: The War Against Nazi Germany with Correspondents Walter Cronkite, Andy Rooney, A.J. Liebling, Homer Bigart, and Hal Boyle. Gay, a 30-year veteran of the Washington, DC public policy community, spent more than two years researching this book, combing through microfilm, letters, papers, and diaries from the men, and traveling to old airbases and battlefields throughout Europe. Assignment to Hell offers a unique view of World War II and the journalists who covered it from the front lines.

Assignment to Hell was Walter Cronkite’s description of a bombing raid over a German U-boat base in 1943. Author Gay will be speaking in a program at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park, at 6:30 pm on Thursday, May 17.

www.rainydaybooks.com

www.jocolibrary.org

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00:36
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Listings 5-14
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Listings Updated 5-14-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337177 – 4623 S WASHINGTON CT, WICHITA, KS – $118,000 337178 – 421 N MINNESOTA AVE, WICHITA, KS – $39,900 337179 – 7915 E INDIANAPOLIS, WICHITA, KS – $92,000 337180 – 8523 W 9TH ST N, [...]

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00:35
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – Price Reductions 5-14
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com Price Reductions Updated 5-14-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - New Price 330140 – 215 N SALT CREEK CT, CLEARWATER, KS – $144,900 – Reduced $5,000 335572 – 1748 N KESSLER, WICHITA, KS – $129,900 – Reduced $5,000 334856 – 2518 S BEECH, WICHITA, KS – $154,900 [...]

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Kansas blogs (US-KS), 05/13/2012
22:34
Mothers' Day in the Park
» Picture Topeka

Well, technically it was the day before Mother's Day, but there were certainly a lot of mothers in Gage Park. Mother birds, that is, with their cute little babies. The water birds always seem to be well past the ugly stage before we ever see them. First, a mother Wood Duck took a break on the dock, preened, then posed prettily for me. The Canada Geese at West Lake in Gage Park seem to have no fear of humans at all. They let us get quite close to them and their goslings. A gosling nibbles on the grass. Across the narrow end of the lake, a mother Wood Duck with a total of six ducklings. The little ones are very fast swimmers! A Great Blue Heron joins the picnic. The heron has his eye on something. Hope he's not thinking of duckling for dinner. Family Swim. I think this is the cutest pic. I wanted to show the ducks, geese, and heron all in the same picture. Then I discovered that, though you might not see it that clearly, in about the middle of the picture there is a snag--with a turtle sunning herself on it! Fast little wood ducks. The three goslings. It was a cool, perfect afternoon to be in the outdoors and to appreciate all the wildlife we share this space with, even right in the middle of the city. Happy Mother's Day to all.

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22:06
Beginning again...
» Love Local Food in Wichita, Kansas

"Que Bella!" Asparagus, fresh mint, strawberries and chicken eggs. Breakfast ingredients all harvested from our little plot of land in Wichita.
Since everything worked out as planned, we moved away from the beautiful ingredients you see in this picture last week. They have now become the love of a new family...lucky them! (Well, all except the chicken eggs that is, we got to keep those :)

I have a lot of questions about our future, one of which is what to call this blog. Since we won't be living in Wichita anymore, I feel a bit like I'd be lying by leaving the current name. So, do I change what this site is called, or just leave it since we are only be a half hour drive from the city? We'll use many of the same producers that we have used in the past, and will actually be closer to some than we were in Wichita. Do I become "Love local food near Wichita, Kansas," or "Love local food around Wichita, Kansas," or just add a couple words, "Love Local Food in and around Wichita, Kansas." Right now, I actually like the last one the best. Hmmmm, any suggestions?

If you're an email subscriber (which most of you are), let me know what your great idea is by sending me an email at localfoodies@yahoo.com.

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17:37
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Listings 5-13-12
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Listings Updated 5-13-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337164 – 9112 W MURDOCK, WICHITA, KS – $114,000 337166 – 2617 N CAMERON, WICHITA, KS – $180,000 337167 – 414 N VINE ST, WICHITA, KS – $65,000 337168 – 1632 N MAYBELLE PLACE, WICHITA, KS [...]

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17:35
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – Price Reductions 5-13-12
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com Price Reductions Updated 5-13-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - New Price 335113 – 5233 SW AYERS LN, BENTON, KS – $284,900 – Reduced $5,000 335937 – 404 S OHIO ST, MOUNT HOPE, KS – $74,900 – Reduced $3,000 334633 – 1853 N FAIRVIEW AVE, WICHITA, KS [...]

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17:34
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Foreclosures 5-13-12
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Foreclosures Updated 5-13-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337176 – 3637 SW 120TH ST, AUGUSTA, KS – $54,900 337169 – 1249 N SEASONS, GODDARD, KS – $104,900

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10:57
A Temple Story
» The Kansas City Temple Chaser: The Journalings of the Building of the Kansas City Temple

Here is one family's story of their journey in the gospel:
These are friends, Tom and Val.Tom was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Because Tom had a "bucket list", he wanted to complete before he passed away, he decided to get a new hot rod engine from this guy...

Meet Dave, a rock star in the hot rod custom car world. There was something he felt from Tom and Val. A peace, he calls it.

Meet Dave's lovely wife, Carol.They all became friends.No, friends isn't really the right word for it.It is more like "family".

Dave and Carol decided to be baptized.

Dave, Carol, Val and her family, Tom and his family all went to do baptisms in the Winter Quarters Temple.

Dave, Carol, Tom and his family all came to see the statue of Brother Angel Moroni when he arrived in town at the Kansas City Temple. Tom's health grew weaker.

After his valiant battle on Earth ended, Tom passed away.
He was escorted to his burial home, by...you know it...the Camaro. Which, by the way, Dave and Carol now own.

This is yesterday, May 12th, 2012, the first Saturday the Kansas City Temple was ever opened for ordinance work.

Dave and Carol were endowed and sealed.

Surrounded by so many who love them. An extended family.

Tom was not there with us in body, but his spirit was felt by more than one in the room.

We are so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and His eternal plan.

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02:29
Heads-up for votes, and Call for Entries!
» Kansas City Science Fiction & Fantasy Society
Bylaws Approval Vote Saturday!
The KaCSFFS meeting will include a final vote on the revised Bylaws, provisionally approved as amended at the April meeting. Read the amended Bylaws on the KaXFEN Yahoo Group.

Enter the KaCSFFS and ConQuesT Logo Contest!
The KaCSFFS Board of Directors has announced that they are now accepting entries in the KaCSFFS and ConQuesT Logo Contest.

This logo dates to the 1970s, and
sometimes still is used.

KaCSFFS has for many years had a mascot, named Kassie (the Flying Cow). The club also has been using various logos throughout its 40 year history (almost none of them depicting Kassie), but nothing has been used consistently except a circular logo (most recently seen on the membership cards) that dates back almost to the club's origin.

ConQuesT also has had a mascot, Casey, a winged bull, often depicted with the slogan, "Where the Bull really flies!" For many years the ConQuesT Artist Guest of Honor for the year used Casey in a design that appeared on T-shirts, name badges, and other materials for that year. This practice has fallen off in recent years.

KaCSFFS is now going through a renewal period, in parallel with its hoped-for change to 501(c)3 status. Communications Officer Jan Gephardt and the Communications Committee are overseeing a transition to a more consistent "look" for all of our publications, fliers, announcements, brochures, and web-based communications.

To that end, they are seeking a pair of new logos--one for KaCSFFS, and another for ConQuesT, and we need your help to create them!

Note: The Board of Directors reserves the right to split the entries into separate KaCSFFS and ConQuesT designs if it sees fit, although we definitely prefer to have a pair that coordinates.

Contest Rules:
This logo contest is open to anyone, of any age, who has an idea and wants to submit it. Entries are now open, and must be received by August 1, 2012.

Design two logos that are similar but distinct from each other: one for KaCSFFS, the other for ConQuesT.
1. They do not have to depict Kassie and Casey (there is some debate within the club over retaining these mascots at all).
2. They should look good in black-and-white.
3. They should be easily identifiable at any size. That is, whether they are half an inch wide or three feet wide, they should look equally "legible" and clear.
4. They should have a "futuristic" feel.
How to submit your entry:
1. Once you have your two designs, they should be made into JPEG, TIFF, or PDF digital files. If you need help digitizing your entry, please contact the KaCSFFS Communications Committee, either in person or via email.
2. Image size should be 5 inches (360 pixels) wide, for each logo design. Resolution should be 200 ppi (pixels per inch).
3. If the logos do not already incorporate the letters "KaCSFFS" for the KaCSFFS logo, and "ConQuesT" for the ConQuesT logo, you should submit a view of each that shows how lettering should accompany them (as the word "KaCSFFS" accompanies the 1970s logo example above).
4. Submit your designs digitally to the "Logo Contest Entries" file on the KAXFEN email group or directly to the KaCSFFS Communications Committee email.
5. If you prefer to deliver the digital files via CD or thumb drive, you may hand these to Jan at any KaCSFFS meeting before the deadline or at ConQuesT, or mail them to: KaCSFFS, P.O. Box 34413, North Kansas City, MO 64116.
What happens after entries close?Once entries have closed, the Communications Committee will review all entries, and share them with the club at the August meeting.
Members will view, compare, an discuss them through the next two months, and the Communications Committee may request that artists make small changes to their designs. A preliminary vote at the September meeting may be held, to narrow choices to a top 2 or 3, if that seems necessary.
A final vote by secret ballot (with an option for members to submit an Absentee Ballot) will be taken at the October meeting, and the winner will be announced after all ballots are counted.
Will the Winners win anything besides recognition?The designer of the winning KaCSFFS logo design will receive a free, 1-year membership to KaCSFFS, with all the privileges, directories, voting privileges, and discounts that come with a valid membership. His or her Directory listing will identify this person as "Logo Winner."

The designer of the winning ConQuesT logo design will receive a free, 3-day membership to ConQuesT 44 (2013), with full access to all regular convention events. He or she also will receive a special identification on his or her badge, identifying this person as "Logo Winner."

Both winners (or the person who wins both) also will receive a Certificate of Appreciation and a box of Annedore's Artisanal Chocolate Truffles (4 truffles per logo) or a suitable alternative, depending on dietary restrictions, to be donated by Artdog Studio on behalf of KaCSFFS/ConQuesT.

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Kansas blogs (US-KS), 05/12/2012
11:48
IMF Says Paraguayan Economy to grow 8.5%
» KANSAS PARAGUAY PARTNERS

Check out this prediction from the International Monetary Fund that the Paraguayan Economy to grow 8.5% [af.reuters.com]

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10:22
Ooops! Was I gone awhile?
» The Kansas Hooker

Hi all! The wedding afghan lives! I have enough squares now to start joining. I used the flat braid join and found an excellent tutorial here.

Close-up of join:

Only 2 weeks of school left, as you can imagine life is running at a break neck pace. My oldest DD has survived her first year of college and is home for the summer AND gainfully employed at local restaurant! The oldest DS will being staying put in his college town for the summer and is also gainfully employed full-time for the summer. The 2 younger DS are eagerly awaiting summer break and will be starting tennis and basketball.

This teacher/mom can't wait for the break either!!!!

Have a superb Saturday!

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10:08
RAVEN: EVERY LAST SECRET
» Kansas Plains People

Linda Rodriguez, author of the prize-winning Every Last Secret, will be at the Raven Book Store at 7 pm Saturday, May 19.
Half-Cherokee Marquitta “Skeet” Bannion thought she was leaving her troubles behind when she fled the stress of being the highest ranking woman on the Kansas City Police Department, a jealous cop ex-husband who didn’t want to let go, and a disgraced alcoholic ex-cop father. Moving to a small town to be chief of the campus police force, she builds a life outside of police work. She might even begin a new relationship with the amiable Brewster police chief.

Linda Rodriguez is a member of the Latino Writers Collective …. and has published poetry and fiction in numerous literary magazines …. She has also published numerous articles for general and scholarly publications. More at www.ravenbookstore.com, that’s the Raven at 6 E 7th in Lawrence.

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03:43
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Listings 5-12
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Listings Updated 5-12-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337098 – 317 N 4TH ST, TOWANDA, KS – $84,500 337099 – 1502 S AUBURN HILLS, WICHITA, KS – $434,900 337100 – 4347 N EDGEMOOR, BEL AIRE, KS – $132,900 337101 – 1502 S AUBURN HILLS [...]

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03:42
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – Price Reductions 5-12
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com Price Reductions Updated 5-12-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - New Price 336923 – 13325 E FLATLAND TRAIL, DERBY, KS – $186,900 – Reduced $2,000 335612 – 1919 N QUAIL CROSSING, ANDOVER, KS – $186,000 – Reduced $3,000 335576 – 1420 FOUNTAIN CT, ANDOVER, KS – $214,900 [...]

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03:40
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Foreclosures 5-12
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Foreclosures Updated 5-12-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337152 – 5002 E 9TH, WICHITA, KS – $66,000 337133 – 453 S MEADOWHAVEN, WICHITA, KS – $81,600 337132 – 714 E 14TH AVE, WINFIELD, KS – $28,710 337130 – 720 N C ST, WELLINGTON, KS [...]

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Kansas blogs (US-KS), 05/11/2012
16:30
Dark Shadows 2D/IMAX 2D ***
» Wichita KS Movies

Dark Shadows 2D/IMAX 2D ***

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15:09
A Creek Runs Through It
» Pass It On

When I was a kid, a creek was like a magnet to me. If it had running water and fish in it, I could not stay away. I remember a tiny creek that ran through a golf course where me and a friend spent countless hours catching creek chubs and crawdads. Even though we both owned fishing poles, making due with wood slats, fishing line, hooks and some hot dogs and raw bacon seemed like more fun or more primitive. We probably caught more crawdads as we did fish, but they were just as exciting. Wherever I went, a creek or stream with running water drew me in. Of course fishing was the most fun, but even an intermittent drainage can provide opportunities for frog catching, wading, and just exploring the mud and cattails. Every kid should know the fun of exploring a creek. It doesn't require any planning or preparation. Just turn them loose on the creek and stand back. Making a fishing pole from a willow branch and catching a grasshopper or worm for bait will dramatically enhance the experience. Catching a fish would be just icing on the cake. Any nearby creek, large our small, will do. Get the kids out this weekend and let them explore the magic of a creek.

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14:53
WHO SAYS CORKS ARE FOR SISSIES?
» The Great Outdoors with Marc Murrell

You may have heard some hard-core anglers scoff at the notion of using bobbers (corks or floats) for many types of fishing. Some believe they're better reserved for kids, novice anglers or those only fishing from shore. But if the truth be known a bobber can be a deadly tool in an angler's arsenal for many species of fish, particularly this time of year. Such was the case recently for a couple buddies and I fishing Milford Reservoir last week.

I rarely fish Milford so we were hunting for some likely looking crappie spots. I found several brush piles and while we caught a few on these piles we found no concentrations of crappie to bite. So we started pitching jigs to a rocky bank and dipping in and around stick-ups. My middle-of-the-boat buddy caught a monstrous crappie dropping a jig next to a submerged tree and our day was looking up. My back-of-the-boat friend strapped on a bobber the size of a beach ball and started pitching his jig there, too. He followed suit catching several BIG crappie. The game was on.

One little stretch we worked yielded a bunch of nice slabs with most averaging about 1 1/4-pounds. Real bruisers, fun to catch and colored as vividly as an impressive painting the fish wasted no time whacking the jig causing the bobber to twitch or go completely under. Without the bobber the jigs would have been snagged more often than not. It also allowed a real SLOW retrieve which seemed critical as well.

So don't overlook the ol' bobber. It can save the day in a pinch and makes fishing a jig more effective in certain situations. A bobber is also deadly for walleye at times. But that's a story for another day!

Good fishing!

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12:29
Manduvira Co-op: Organic and Fair-trade Sugar
» KANSAS PARAGUAY PARTNERS

Check out this positive article about the Manduvira Co-op in Paraguay that produces organic and fair-trade sugar and sells it in many countries. [www.thenews.coop]

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12:00
Marketing Strategy: Channeling The Power Of Purpose
» V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

Given today’s proliferation of digital channels, traditional marketing practices no longer apply when it comes to creating a marketing strategy, regardless of your industry.

Eduardo Conrado, senior vice president and Chief Marketing Officer for Motorola Solutions, has seen this sort of marketing transformation firsthand. During yesterday’s BMA-KC luncheon, Eduardo talked about the division of Motorola into two companies, one of which is Motorola Solutions. As a result of the split, Conrado helped guide Motorola Solutions through a rebranding campaign that not only changed the external vision and image of the company, but also focused internally in order to educate and engage employees.
The Importance of Purpose
As the Motorola Solutions team began to craft the rebranding and marketing strategy, a primary question emerged: What do we do with the brand? The company already had an external consumer image, and the team didn’t want to lose the company’s heritage at the expense of the redefinition.

Marketers are likely familiar with the four “P’s,” but Eduardo said a fifth “P” emerged during the rebranding process: purpose.

When a business becomes purpose-driven, it not only guides a new marketing strategy—it’s also an effective way to translate the company and employee values into leadership. Storytelling is an important part of effectively communicating a company’s purpose, and that storytelling not only helps customers and clients more closely connect with a brand—it also inspires employees, too.

“Creating a purpose-driven brand has a huge impact externally and internally,” Eduardo says.

That’s an important distinction to understand. Much of today’s marketing discussion is centered on the digital space. And although that’s an undeniably important component of today’s marketing landscape, there are other factors to consider, too—namely engaging with customers and employees. So many brands have tunnel vision and solely maintain an external focus. But employees are important, too. The more they’re engaged with and invested in the brand, the more likely they are to serve as brand ambassadors, fulfilling critical customer service roles and sharing their own experiences that can be woven into the larger brand story.

If you’re skeptical, let’s talk money. Eduardo shared a chart that showed Motorola Solutions’ stock significantly increased in value as a result of this purpose-driven rebranding campaign. Research shows that purpose-driven companies tend to outperform competitors, not only as a result of the message but also because these new marketing strategies unite various departments like marketing and sales, creating a stronger presence that can more effectively reach current and prospective customers through relevant content, updated sales initiatives and other strategies.
The New “P’s”
Focusing on purpose is important when redefining your brand’s marketing strategy, but it’s also a good idea to take into account how the four “P’s” of marketing have shifted:

Product –> Solution

Promotion –> Education

Price –> Value

Place –> Access

Today’s marketing strategies are about more than delivering a message. They’re about promoting, educating, informing, sharing and engaging. By creating and sharing your brand’s story, you’re more likely to build a relationship with customers (and employees), a more valuable outcome that can lead to a far bigger ROI than a single, one-off transaction. And what business owner doesn’t want to sell more products and make more money?

If you’re at a point at which you’re starting to take a long, hard look at your brand’s marketing strategy and where you’re headed, you should consider how to shift your business to a purpose-driven entity. Purpose motivates employees and provides a platform in a way that products can’t. And by channeling that focus and motivation, you can better serve your customers and demonstrate that you’re actively invested in not only fulfilling their needs, but also in fostering brand loyalty and a lasting relationship.

What’s your take on Motorola Solutions’ rebranding campaign? Would you consider incorporating purpose into your own company’s vision and marketing practices?

Image by David A. Riggs via Creative Commons
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08:42
Coloring Books
» Kansas Government Information

Summer looms ahead of us like an expanse of Kansas prairie and for parents of younger children the wind often seems to whisper, "I'm bored, I'm bored..." as we work through our daily routines.

An old fashioned means of entertaining young minds can be found on the Internet with some new twists. Online coloring books... pages of outlined designs, figures, characters... can be a source of fun and learning for both the young and young at heart. Organizations, companies and even government agencies have pages ready to print off or work on interactively online.

Below are a few examples of such pages offered up by government agencies providing coloring designs that teach, inform and entertain. So get out your color crayons, real and virtual, rev up your printer... and away we go! Please note that some of these color book pages include links to other fun sites as well.

GENERAL COLORING PAGES
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
[kids.niehs.nih.gov]
(printable pages on health, outdoor excercise, animals, water, vegetables, environmental protections, etc.)

H.I.P. Pocket Change Coloring Pages
[www.usmint.gov]
(printable pages of coins provided by the U.S. Mint)

C.I.A. Interactive Coloring Book (fill style)
[https:]]
(I know a librarian who enjoys this page a lot! The pages provide a pallette with which you can color the drawings online)

NASA Coloring Book
[spaceplace.nasa.gov]
(Another interactive site where you pick up the virtual crayons with your mouse and fill in the lines yourself. And for those of us who tend to wander outside the lines an eraser is provided!)

Fish Coloring Pages
[www.fws.gov]
(Printable pages for the more intense crayon or pencil fanatic. Provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Kids Coloring Pages
[education.usgs.gov]
(The U.S. Geological Service provides various outlined pages to print off featuring the nature scenes. Includes pages and books for different levels of experise)

ATF for Kids
[www.atf.gov]
(Two pages; one of fireworks and one really cool one of the U.S. Great Seal. Provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives)

Celebrating Wildflowers Coloring Books
[www.nps.gov]
(Links to pages offering wildflowers and other flora. Some have a color guide for those who want an authentic look. From the National Park Service)

Wind Turbine Coloring Book
[www.nrel.gov]
(Something many Kansans will recognize! National Renewable Energy Laboratory website)

Coastal Louisiana Scenes
[lacoast.gov]
(Another fill in interactive coloring book brought to you by the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act)

KANSAS COLOR PAGES

Kansas State Symbols Coloring Book
[www.kshs.org]
(The Kansas Historical Society provides a 12 page booklet with our state symbols for budding Kansas artists)

Kansas Kids: Get Out Your Crayons!
[www.sos.ks.gov]
(some printable pages provided by the Kansas Secretary of State)

Immunization Coloring Book
[www.kdheks.gov]
(offered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment)

Kansas 4-H Coloring and Information Book
[www.ksre.ksu.edu]
(8 page booklet printed by Kansas State Unversity Research and Extension)

Coloring Sheets and Activities
[www.agronomy.k-state.edu]
(From the Kansas State University Department of Agronomy)

K-State Giveaways
[www.optionsplus.ksu.edu]
(Toward the middle of the page are a few coloring pages for Willie Wildcat fans as well as an outline map of the United States states)

WANT MORE???

Here are a few sample google searches:

color book site:gov
coloring pages site:gov
coloring sheets site:gov

Article contact: Bill Sowers
(Check out recent additions to our collection)

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07:00
A FAMILY FARM IN KANSAS
» Kansas Plains People

Time's Shadow: Remembering a Family Farm in Kansas is Arnold Bauer's account of growing up on a farm in Goshen Township of Clay County, published in May by the University Press of Kansas.
Among Bauer’s vivid recollections: driving a team of huge, clomping work horses; his father’s daybreak call to long days in the field at age 12; and surviving eight years of education in a one-room schoolhouse (with one teacher determined to have all her students learn the harmonica). He shares the trials of Depression and drought, experiences the coming of electricity—which prompted his father to take on a sideline as an electrician—and reveals the vital importance of the local blacksmith. Throughout the book, he finds wonder in the commonplace, like going to town on a Saturday night for a black walnut ice cream cone.

www.kansaspress.ku.edu

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05:45
7 Ways to Ignite Fierce Loyalty in Your Community
» V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

So often people ask me how to kick-start a fiercely loyal community. Sometimes they already have a community up and running. Sometimes they sort of have a community. And sometimes they are starting from scratch. The one thing they have in common is that they know they want to ignite fierce loyalty in a community that is built around what they are up to in the world. After all, isn’t that the point of a community—to converse and engage with other like-minded individuals?

I’m guessing that there are readers of this blog who see themselves in what I just described. No matter where you are in the spectrum – whether already having a community to starting from scratch and everything in between – I’ve got some ideas for you that will help you fire up fierce loyalty. Ready?
The Top 7 Ways to Ignite Fierce Loyalty
Determine your reason(s) for wanting a community. If it’s simply a means to an end so that you have people to sell stuff to, hit the pause button. No matter how you try to mask that, potential community members will smell your motivation a million miles away. If your motivation is building relationships with your customers and clients and getting to know them so that you better understand their needs, then you’re on the right track.

Decide who your community is for. So often I see emails, newsletters and websites that try to appeal to a very broad group. And I talk to business owners who are building one community for about five different audiences with five different interests. Because the message is so general, people aren’t sure whether or not they belong. And if they aren’t sure, they won’t stay. Be specific and targeted.

Figure out the single common interest that everyone in your community shares. Maybe there are five different types of people in your community but they share a single common interest. For example: you sell organic dog food and your community is made up of pet owners, veterinarians, pet trainers, pet sitters, and pet store owners. Their common interest is holistic pet wellness. Build your community and fierce loyalty by speaking to that common interest.

Create multiple connection points. And by connection points, I mean opportunities for two-way communication. Gone are the days of businesses pumping out one-way messages. Use blogs, social media, livestream videos and in-person gatherings to connect with your community members and give them the opportunity to connect with each other.

Invite them to help you create the community. Give them an ownership stake by incorporating their ideas into the community design. Ask them what would make the community better and then implement some of their suggestions. It’s a little scary to give up some control, but the payoff is a community full of people who feel that it belongs to them—and that feeling of ownership can be a powerful motivator when it comes to keeping people involved and interested.

Make your community members the stars of the show. Feature content they create. Put their pictures and their words up on your blog or your website. Talk about them by name on your social media channels. Give them a reason to brag to their friends with a link to your site.

Be human. Let your community see all sides of you rather than just your polished, well-groomed public persona. Talk about things that are happening that have nothing to do with business. Share details about your life (only as much as you feel comfortable) so your community members 1) get to know more about who you are and 2) will feel comfortable doing the same.

These seven strategies: determine your reason, decide who it’s for, figure out the common interest, create multiple connection points, invite them to help, make them the stars and be human are not expensive or fancy. And anyone at any point in their community building process can put them into play.

Which one or ones will you try first? What would you add to the list? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

P.S. If you want dig in further on the whole idea of Fierce Loyalty, you can download my whitepaper (opt-in free) “The ROI of a Fiercely Loyal Community.”

Sarah Robinson is president and CEO of Sarah Robinson Co. She is a seasoned business coach, strategist, advisor and speaker who helps business owners set their companies apart from the pack. Based in Birmingham, Ala., Sarah advises her international clients on how to build a thriving, successful community, how to increase social media effectiveness, and how to develop a remarkable online and offline business presence. Her expertise in personal and business change was developed through many years of working with and providing coaching to entrepreneurs, small businesses and start-up non-profits, where she honed her ability to “turn around” thousands of struggling individuals and organizations.

Image by charles chan* via Creative Commons
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03:03
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Listings 5-11
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Listings Updated 5-11-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337058 – 728 W PUTTER, ANDOVER, KS – $229,900 337060 – 16888 SW 143RD ST, ROSE HILL, KS – $72,500 337062 – 2509 N HALSTEAD, WICHITA, KS – $89,500 337013 – 1209 BOYD AVE, NEWTON, KS [...]

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03:02
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – Price Reductions 5-11
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com Price Reductions Updated 5-11-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - New Price 333396 – 610 E CRESCENT LAKES DR, ANDOVER, KS – $339,900 – Reduced $10,000 334823 – 46 HUNTINGTON, AUGUSTA, KS – $155,000 – Reduced $5,000 334914 – 344 S LEE, CLEARWATER, KS – $99,900 – [...]

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02:58
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Foreclosures 5-11
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Foreclosures Updated 5-11-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337085 – 1910 E 53RD ST, WICHITA, KS – $45,900 337080 – 11508 W TAFT ST, WICHITA, KS – $108,900 337073 – 3216 S CHASE, WICHITA, KS – $68,000

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02:53
Worthwhile (or not) 5/11/12
» Wichita KS Movies

Worthwhile (or not) 5/11/12

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Kansas blogs (US-KS), 05/10/2012
19:36
SALT AIR, LOBSTERS – AND KNITTERS?
» Kansas Plains People

An unbeatable combination you’ll find in A Fatal Fleece, sixth in Sally Goldenbaum’s Seaside Knitters mystery series. Sally will be speaking and signing at 1 pm on Saturday, May 12, at I Love A Mystery, 6114 Johnson Drive in Mission.
www.iloveamystery.com

www.sallygoldenbaum.com

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15:46
A 'Win-win' day at the Temple
» The Kansas City Temple Chaser: The Journalings of the Building of the Kansas City Temple

"Kathy Lyon and I attended the temple today. Together. At 11am.

A six minute drive from my house.

The parking lot was packed.

We took some shots to capture it.

I am in the black dress...you might not recognize me without my housecoat. :)

We met the Matron. She was younger than I guessed she would be.

We did our work, which was special. Quiet. Meditative.
I prayed about my sick son. And my direction in life and where should that path go.

I cried for happiness because I had a tender experience, tailored just for me.

As we were walking out, an older couple stopped us and asked us to take their picture. They revealed, they had just been sealed. "We've waiting a long time", they said.

As we got in the car, this cool bumper sticker was on the car next to us.

We ARE all winners. My husband calls the gospel of Jesus Christ a "win-win" plan.

And I believe it."~ Valerie

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15:00
Are You Spamming People And Don’t Even Know It?
» V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency
Everyone hates spam. We all complain about spam in our email boxes; I know I do. I’ve had my email address for 18 years. Back when it was shiny and new, I admit that I didn’t know better and gave out my email address without a care in the world. Of course,18 years ago, spam was just a luncheon meat…. oh, the good old days!

And even though we can universally agree on a dislike of spam, here’s the tricky thing—sometimes people spam others without realizing what they’re doing. Since the Can-Spam Act of 2003, spam is a serious business. If you break the rules (yes, there are rules), you could be fined—up to a whopping $16,000 per infraction.

“So what?” you might be thinking to yourself. “People do spammy stuff all the time and nothing ever happens to them.” Although it’s true that a large number of people or companies that make regular use of spammy tactics may never see any sort of enforcement or punishment, not everyone will escape unscathed—and that’s why it’s better to be safe than sorry. Consider Jumpstart Technologies, which was fined $900,000 for “disguising its commercial emails as personal messages and by misleading consumers as to the terms and conditions of the promotion.”

Or ValueClick, which paid $2.9 million to settle an FTC charge that their “emails were deceptive and violated federal law” after ValueClick sent out emails offering “free” gifts that weren’t actually free.

Now that I have your attention, I’ll help you steer clear of violating this act (and spamming your friends and neighbors!). Here are a few of the most common ways you may unknowingly be spamming someone and what to do about it.

Business cards don’t equal subscribers. Just because you received someone’s business card at a networking event doesn’t mean you can automatically sign that person up for your newsletter. In the Can-Spam Act, Congress includes “affirmative consent,” which is defined as ‘the recipient expressly consented to receive the message, either in response to a clear and conspicuous request for such consent or at the recipient’s own initiative’. Unless you discussed your newsletter at the networking event and that person requested to receive your newsletter, it’s a no-go.

Opt out. If you distribute an email newsletter and don’t have a method for unsubscribing, change that—immediately. This is one of the major reasons I suggest that clients use email marketing software such as MailChimp, Constant Contact or iContact (to name a few). These programs all include an unsubscribe link that allows recipients to easily unsubscribe. Plus, the software removes them for you—how easy is that?

Meet the deadline. According to the Can-Spam Act, you have three days to drop someone from your mailing list once they’ve unsubscribed. Again, this is another reason to consider using email marketing software.

Money can’t buy subscribers. You bought a list so everything must be good and right in the world, right? Wrong! The Can-Spam Act says you cannot “harvest” a list. You’ll find that most reputable email marketing software companies will not let you use a purchased list since the individuals on it have not given “affirmative consent” to be a part of “your” list (see tip number 1).

Clear contact info. Your newsletter must include accurate reply to/from and contact information. That means the information needs to readily and easily identify the person and business that sent the message.

Social networks aren’t exempt. You may think the Can-Spam Act doesn’t apply to social media. Think again! On March 28, 2011, in Facebook, Inc. v. MaxBounty, Inc., the California District Court held that messages sent by Facebook users are “electronic mail messages.” If you’re sending blatant ads on social media platforms, think twice before hitting “send!”

To keep yourself and your business in the free and clear (and avoid debilitating fines), make sure you’re following these email marketing best practices:
- Test your emails to be compliant with most email readers, including Outlook, Entourage, Mail, Yahoo, Gmail, etc.
- HTML emails should be no more than 500 to 600 pixels wide.
- If you create an HTML email, you should create an alternative text email (email software programs help you do this).
- Don’t use deceptive subject lines.
- Link back to your website, your Facebook page, your Twitter account and other relevant social networks.
- Include a call to action. After all, you still want your email marketing efforts to generate leads as part of your larger marketing strategy. Just make sure you’re not spamming your audience.
Now that you’ve completed a crash course in avoiding spam, go forth and email wisely!

Robin Moss is the founder of ribit, a digital marketing agency that specializes in custom WordPress web sites, e-commerce sites, SEO, social media, graphic design, marketing, advertising and public relations. In her spare time you will find her on Twitter or trying to find the best sushi restaurant in town.

Lead image by jacobms via Creative Commons
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09:33
Eating Local on a Dime
» Love Local Food in Wichita, Kansas

Groceries cost less when we grow our own.
With the cost of food these days, it's always nice when you can find a bargain. Many people think it costs more to eat local, but there are ways to make it affordable, and even less than shopping at a discount grocery store. Here are a few to get you thinking.

Volunteer. A previous issue of Mother Earth News reported that their Assistant News editor volunteers for a farmer every Saturday at the farmers' market in Lawrence. She gets paid in leftover produce, and enough seconds to supply her with canned goods for the winter.

Trade something. I've written before about the fresh baked bread I make. One local farmer and I traded our products, my bread for his produce. A friend of mine fixes equipment for a man who pays him with unlimited garden produce. Consider your skills and how they may benefit a local producer. Maybe you've got great marketing or computer skills, and a farmer could use your help to grow their business. As Chris always says, "it's free to ask."

Split a share of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription. I''m happy to say CSA's are beginning to grow in our area (here's a list of the ones I know of here). If the cost of a CSA subscription is too much for you, consider finding a neighbor coworker or friend who wants to split a subscription.

Grow your own. With the price of food these days you can save a ton of money if you decide to grow your own local food. You don't have to turn half your yard into a garden, as we did. Just fill a pot with some soil, and plant away, or join a community garden (see the list of those in Wichita here). Think of the possibilities, local herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers and more. This method is especially money saving if you typically purchase organics. Rebecca over at the Sedgwick County Extension Agency blogs about the money that could be saved on groceries with their real world Family of Four Garden. Check out her final post of the season to see how much money they saved last year.

Think like your ancestors - hunt & gather. Chris and I have picked fruit from a tree outside of a local McDonald's, mulberries on public property near our home, and dandelions in random places where they grow. One day my Mom and I spotted an apple tree at an apartment complex, apples falling to the ground and rotting. We each filled a bag (okay, two) with some incredibly wonderful apples. Keep your eyes open, there are free local foods to be found and gathered!

Can you think of other ways to get local foods on a dime?

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08:36
1,000km changes, and more news
» Kansas City Ultra-Cycling

600km this weekend -- bonne route to all riders! Should be a nice weekend!

Update on the 1,000km Brevet: this will be held in the KC Area; not the New Mexico route as originally planned. If you are interested, please contact Bob Burns for details and registration.

Also, this June we are planning to hold a KCUC Populaire (very similar to a brevet, but at a shorter distance between 100 and 199km) Details to come. Watch this space, or your email --

Good riding, everyone!

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05:45
Mobile Marketing: 5 Questions That Will Shape Your Strategy
» V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

How much does mobile marketing and mobile strategy factor into your integrated marketing plan? If you’re not already thinking about mobile, now is the time. By 2016, nearly three in five consumers will have a smartphone. And recent research from Forrester indicates that personal computers at home and in the office will soon be displaced by the tablet.

The critical thing to understand about mobile is that it’s much, much more than creating a mobile version of your site or developing an app—although those are two important components of a mobile presence.

Wondering where to start planning and defining your mobile strategy?
5 Questions to Shape Your Mobile Marketing Strategy Has mobile traffic to your website changed?
It’s no secret that we’re analytics nuts – and if you’re not reading your analytics weekly, start. Look at how your mobile traffic is changing – we’ll bet it’s increasing on a regular basis. If our predictions are true, what are you doing to serve up content to those folks accessing your site from mobile devices? If the answer is “nothing” …. well, you know where I’m going with that.
Where are your mobile visitors coming from?
Again, this is where your analytics will come in handy. Google Analytics, for example, will allow you to segment your mobile traffic to see where it’s coming from. Are they coming to your site from Google or from another source? And what page are they landing on that’s drawing them in? Identifying visitor traffic patterns and tracking conversions can help ensure the overall effectiveness of your site.
What are your mobile visitors looking for?
Your analytics show you what your visitors are thinking – if only you’ll let them. Pay attention to what keywords draw them to your site and how that compares to search habits of desktop users. Be sure to develop your content strategies accordingly. Give mobile users information that’s critical to them on a mobile site. That will, most definitely, lead to not only more sales, but also happier customers.
App or mobile website?
Do you really need an app? Probably not. Many times people think they need an app when in reality they need a mobile website. Mobile websites work just like apps and are almost always less expensive to develop. We think mobile websites are so important that when we develop sites for clients, we almost always develop a mobile website concurrently. Apps are ubiquitous, but don’t talk yourself, or let anyone else talk you into an app without first making sure that’s the best possible solution.
How are you going to market your app?
Decide on an app after all? Terrific. What is it about your app that makes it irresistible? The average iOS user has some 60 apps on their device (many have more) yet 26 percent of those apps are downloaded once and never used again. If you decide on an app, you’d best decide how you’re going to market the app once it’s developed, and you’d better be asking some hard questions about what it is about your app that makes it something people want – and need – to come back to day after day. If you don’t ask these questions at the beginning of the app development process, you might be sad once you’ve spent a whole bunch of money and no one is downloading, or more importantly, using, your app. It happens. All the time.

Planning a mobile strategy isn’t all that different from creating an overall digital strategy, or hashing out your approach to social media. And a mobile strategy doesn’t mean creating a mini version of your corporate website and/or developing an app and calling it good.

Taking the time to understand your mobile audience and their needs, and how you can serve those needs in the most effective, efficient manner possible – well, it just leads to good things.

Have you created a mobile strategy for your brand or business? If so, would you recommend any other questions to ask before getting started?

Image by Robert Scoble via Creative Commons
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Mobile Marketing: 5 Questions That Will Shape Your Strategy is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

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04:34
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Listings 5-10
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Listings Updated 5-10-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337003 – 7920 W 19TH, WICHITA, KS – $110,000 337004 – 6417 TARRYTOWN ST, PARK CITY, KS – $53,000 337005 – 3614 E MEADOWLANE, WICHITA, KS – $100,000 337006 – 1517 N WOMER DR, WICHITA, KS [...]

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04:33
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – Price Reductions 5-10
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com Price Reductions Updated 5-10-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - New Price 334092 – 1821 S FABRIQUE DR, WICHITA, KS – $65,000 – Reduced $20,000 330113 – 215 W WATERFORD CT, ANDOVER, KS – $150,000 – Reduced $3,500 334999 – 604 N BRENTWOOD PL, ANDOVER, KS – [...]

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04:32
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Foreclosures 5-10
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Foreclosures Updated 5-10-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 337044 – 124 N RICHMOND, WICHITA, KS – $61,800 337035 – 1461 N CADDY CT, WICHITA, KS – $154,900 337026 – 4558 S VINE AVE, WICHITA, KS – $46,000 337010 – 316 MECHANIC ST, TOWANDA, KS [...]

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Kansas blogs (US-KS), 05/09/2012
16:12
Standing on the Side of Love For Same-Sex Marriage: Everyday Magic, Day 549
» Blog of the Poet Laureate of Kansas

When I saw the news, first on facebook and next in the New York Times, I started crying. Maybe I’m a little tired or overly enthralled from just having heard Natalie’s jazz vocal ensemble and Kelley Hunt sing, or maybe … Continue reading →

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14:52
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – New Listings 5-9
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com New Listings Updated 5-9-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - Price 336954 – 1620 N MAIN, NEWTON, KS – $16,900 336955 – 801 N FAIROAKS COURT, ANDOVER, KS – $379,648 336956 – 1160 S EDWARDS, WICHITA, KS – $34,900 336957 – 210 N STATE ST, EL DORADO, [...]

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14:51
Wichita KS Homes for Sale – Price Reductions 5-9
» Wichita Homes

New Today on www.BuyWichitaHomes.com Price Reductions Updated 5-9-12 Click on Address Link for Details MLS# - Address - New Price 334715 – 702 LAKEPOINT DR, AUGUSTA, KS – $112,700 – Reduced $5,300 334636 – 3905 SW PRAIRIE CREEK RD, BENTON, KS – $185,900 – Reduced $3,000 327548 – 415 N WASHINGTON, CHENEY, KS – $68,000 [...]

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