Saturday, August 31, 2013

King of Kings Gyros blog

King of Kings Gyros is a local "chain" of gyro shops, with two locations - one on 37 Public Square in Wilkes-Barre, and one on Rote 309 (103 Casey Avenue) in Wilkes-Barre Township. In addition to making and selling gyros - the Greek sandwiches, not the mechanical components - they also have their own blog!

King of Kings Gyros blog
http://eatmoregyros.com/category/blog/

The most recent entry on this blog tells of an event coming up this Sunday, September 1 - National Gyro Day! Check out the blog, and then go get some gyros! Support a local business, and have some fun on National Gyro Day!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

About the header image: August 28, 2013


Summer may be coming to a close, but festivals aren't done yet. Here's a big one coming up: La Festa Italiana, being held this coming weekend (August 31 - September 2) on Courthouse Square in Scranton.  This picture of last year's festival as it was being set up was taken by Jim Babinski (onomahuna.com).

As Summer turns to Fall don't forget all the fairs going on and coming up, including the West End Fair (August 25 - 31), the Wyoming County Fair and Sullivan County Fair (both August 28 - September 2), the Luzerne County Fair (September 4 - 8), and, of course, the big one - the Bloomsburg Fair (September 21-28!)


If you have any photos you'd like to submit as the NEPA Blogs header image, send them to nepablogs@gmail.com!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Nadja Notariani, An Author's Adventures

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.


Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Nadja Notariani, An Author's Adventures (http://nadjanotariani.blogspot.com/).

Nadja Notariani is another local author. Her writings tend to be novels in the adult romance genre, with an overlay of fantasy and the occasional dose of the paranormal. Her blog, however, has its feet firmly planted in reality. Nadja Notariani, An Author's Adventures is primarily a writing blog, intended not just to promote and publicize her own works but also to provide useful tips, information, and resources to other writers. Since March 2011 she has been sharing her adventures as an author, her advice for fellow writers, and scenes from her everyday life.

Northeastern Pennsylvania has a great many artists, poets, and writers, and it is always good to see the sort of success someone from the area has achieved in the creative arts - and to know what kind of work it took to achieve that success. Nadja Notariani, An Author's Adventures gives that insight to authors and readers alike.

Any aspiring writers these days need to be willing and able to make their presence known online. A blog is just another tool in that toolkit - but a vital and essential one. See what an author can do with a blog in Nadja Notariani, An Author's Adventures.



If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

About the header image: August 21, 2013


As summer draws to a close, so do the bazaars and festivals that make summers so special in NEPA. Here's an image of the St. Faustina parish festival in Nanticoke, complete with pony rides! There are still a few more festivals to be held in NEPA before the summer is truly over. If you have some images of the summer that you think might bring some warmth to the cold winter days that lie ahead, send them in to nepablogs@gmail.com!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Gale Martin, Author and Speaker


NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Watch this episode on the PA Live! site: http://www.pahomepage.com/story/blog-of-the-week-gale-martin-august-20th-2013/d/story/I5mx46C8Hk-Rm389jgM_Qg


Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Gale Martin: Author and Speaker  (http://galemartin.me/blog/)..

Gale Martin, as the title of her blog suggests, is an author and speaker. She lives in Lancaster but got her M.A. in Creative Writing from Wilkes University. The Wilkes program has produced many excellent writers whose blogs we have featured previously - including Amye Archer, whose blogroll was where we found this blog.

But Gale Martin: Author and Speaker is not a writing blog. It is a "Life" blog, and an excellent example of that sort of blog. Since October 2010 Gale Martin has used it to share with her readers selected excerpts from her life, her travels, her adventures - and even sometimes her writings! As a skilled and talented writer, her blog posts are excellent reads, whether they're about sweaters, sneakers, mice, hot dogs, zucchini, or Tom Jones. Gale Martin: Author and Speaker is an excellent blog for any reader, and for aspiring writers and bloggers it can certainly be a source of inspiration - and an example of a way that writing for general audiences can be entertaining and informative. Be sure to check it out!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!


Monday, August 19, 2013

Upcoming Blogger Events

There are some interesting upcoming events in the Blogosphere...


Mark your calendars.


Tuesday, August 20, 2013 (tomorrow) @ 6PM:  Whiskey Bacon's "Traveling Circus" of foodies will convene at Aurant's in Duryea.  RSVP here.


Sunday, August 25, 2013 @ 7PM:  Dale Wilsey Jr. invites you to .... Katie Watkins Wisnosky and her Breaking Ground Poets have been bringing some class acts to the area to perform.  Andrea Gibson was here, Buddy Wakefield is coming and on August 25th, Anis Mojgani will be performing at TwentyFiveEight studios in Scranton.  The arts scene in NEPA is strong, but we need to maintain that strength by supporting one another and keeping events like this a possibility.  Everyone is welcome.  If you're new to poetry or spoken word, this isn't "Roses are Red shit".  This is the real deal.  Anis will lay down life lessons.  RSVP on Facebook.



Also, Dale has a new blog that he wants you to be aware of:  http://dalewilseyjr.com/blog.  Check out the new digs when you get a minute!


Saturday September 14, 2013 @ 7PM:  Scranton Story Slam Fall 2013: Jessup.  Come out and hear true, five0minute tales about life in Jessup at St. George's Restaurant in Jessup.  For speakers and ticketing information, visit http://scrantonstoryslam.com/SSLM/home/upcoming-slam/fall-2013-jessup/


Friday, September 27, 2013 @ 6PM:  SAVE THE DATE!  NEPA BlogFest will be held this evening at a location to be determined.  More information will be forthcoming.


Saturday, October 5, 2013 @ 9AM:  The second annual NEPA BlogCon will be held at Luzerne County Community College's Educational Conference Center.  Tickets are $30.00 and go on sale this week on Wednesday August, 25.  All proceeds from this year's event will go to the Blue Chip Animal Refuge in the Back Mountain.  More details can be found at http://nepablogcon.com.




If there are events you'd like us to know about and share, drop a line to nepablogs[at]gmail.com.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Highway 81 Revisited

Are you looking to quell your inner savage beast?  Well then I have a local music blog that might do the trick.




From the about:  Highway 81 Revisited is made up of music-loving writers who hail from all over. Each writer shares his or her unique perspective on music via album and concert reviews, interviews with artists and industry professionals, recaps of the nation's biggest music festivals, and commentaries on the latest music news and videos. 


Michael Lello is the founder and editor of Highway 81 revisited.  If his name sounds familiar to you, it's probably because he was the editor at The Weekender circa 2007-2011.


Right now the blog has reviews of the Peach Festival which is taking place on Montage Mountain this weekend.  I've also noticed reviews of other local and regional concerts.  Of course there are interviews and a fun section called "My Back Pages" which explores our relationships with the music we grew up with.


If you have a suggestion of a blog we should be featuring on NEPA Blogs, drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

About the header image: August 14, 2013


I was hanging out with my fellow writers after last month's Third Thursday Open Mic Poetry Night at The Vintage in Scranton. (The next edition is this Thursday!) I leaned against my car, rested my head on the roof, and looked up - and realized I could see both the Hotel Jermyn (home of The Vintage) and the Bank Towers building across the street. I pulled out my camera to see if it could get the same view, and here it is. The image is a time exposure, taken without a tripod, so the images are slightly blurred. It was also taken without a flash, so the illumination is provided by the ambient electrical lighting on Spruce Street in Scranton at night. The buildings seem to be leaning over the viewer, stone titans looking with disdain upon the puny humans below. Bank Towers is on the left, and the Hotel Jermyn is on the right.

(On a related note, the photography of Poet/Writer/Photographer Alvin K. Nurse is currently being featured at Starbucks in the Steamtown Mall in Scranton. His series is called "Scranton Looking Up," featuring photos of Scranton architecture taken from a view many people miss - looking up. His photos are on display through September 4.)


Submit your header photos to nepablogs@gmail.com .

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Food Photos and Library Crime


NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.

Watch this episode on the PA Live! sitehttp://www.pahomepage.com/story/blog-of-the-week-food-photos-and-library-crime-august-13th-2013/d/story/CeAPAOSxPUefvUbUIV_NRQ

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Food Photos and Library Crimes by Brian Fulton (http://foodphotosandlibcrime.tumblr.com/.)

Some blogs are given such clever titles that it's impossible to know the content until you've read half a dozen or more entries - and even then you might be wondering what the title has to do with the blog. Not Food Photos and Library Crimes  Scranton-based blogger Brian Fulton (who has been featured before on the Blog of the Week with his Pages from the Past blog, reproducing historical entries from the Scranton Times) has a Tumblr blog that is literally full of food photos and stories of crimes that took place in or involved libraries. As if that isn't enough, Brian also sprinkles in posts about anything else he feels like - hey, it's his blog, his rules.

Check out Food Photos and Library Crimes and you'll be amazed and sometimes disgusted by the wide range of culinary delights featured there. You'll also be amazed and sometimes frightened by the range of activities that can take place in a library. But mostly, you'll find a great blog that's lots of fun to read!


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

Thursday, August 08, 2013

Steel City Retro

I honestly forgot where I found this blog.  It may have been on Twitter or Facebook.  The last few weeks have been a social media blur.  ...Anyway....this blog is based in the Lehigh Valley, but covers vintage fashions across the state of Pennsylvania (including NEPA)!

Steel City Retro

"Bringing you the best vintage finds PA has to offer, from Scranton to Souderton!"

Blog:  http://www.scretro.com
Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/steelcityretrodotcom


From the About:

Our Mission:  SCR is for lovers of all things retro. Dedicated to finding the good citizens of the Lehigh Valley affordable accessories, and other goods & services that are locally-based and affordable, with an emphasis on clothing defined by the style of its decade.

The blog also has a "submit" feature where business owners and shopaholics can submit their vintages goods or finds:  http://www.scretro.com/submit/


So if you are a lover of retro fashions, burlesque, and pin-up girls this blog is for you!


Wednesday, August 07, 2013

About the header image: August 7, 2013


The header image for the week of August 7-13 comes to us from Jim Babinski (onomahuna.com). This Lackawanna Railroad bridge is a familiar sight to people who drive in downtown Scranton, and is as much a part of the landscape on Northeastern Pennsylvania as other places and things we thought would never go away. How many of these familiar places will be around for future generations, and how many will vanish in our lifetimes?

Send in your header image photos to nepablogs@gmail.com

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

PA Live! Blog of the Week: Jim Thorpe, PA

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on WBRE's PA Live! every Tuesday. PA Live! airs weekday afternoons on WBRE from 4:00 to 5:00.


Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Jim Thorpe, PA (http://jtccjimthorpe.wordpress.com/).

If you've never been to Jim Thorpe, you're missing out on a remarkable treasure tucked away in the hills of the Poconos. Called "The Switzerland of America," this Carbon County borough features beautiful architecture, historic lodging, and fine dining options. And it has one other thing going for it: Jim Thorpe, PAa blog that keeps you informed of everything going on in the area.

Jim Thorpe, PA is a blog aimed at tourists, but it's so much more. Since September 2009 this blog has posted information all about Jim Thorpe, PA- events, attractions, and visitor tips, things of importance to newcomers to the area as well a longtime residents. Whether you live in Jim Thorpe, already have a visit planned, or are just looking for somewhere to visit, check out the Jim Thorpe, PA blog to see what's going on.

Other municipalities can learn quite a bit from this blog. Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Hazleton, Pittston, Honesdale - none of these places have blogs (or websites) anything near the Jim Thorpe, PA blog. Not only does this site help to define the online image of Jim Thorpe, it also allows people to focus on the positive, on the reasons for visiting in the first place, and the great things about living there. What would it take for Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Hazleton, and all the other places in Northeastern Pennsylvania to create blogs of their own on par with Jim Thorpe, PA?


If you have a blog you would like us to link on NEPA Blogs, or know of a blog you think we should link, please let us know! You can always drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!

Sunday, August 04, 2013

Andy Palumbo Suggestions

My friend and fellow co-worker Andy Palumbo sent me a twitter message the other day (ok, maybe more like a month ago) with some new bloggers he wanted to see us link to.


"John Quigley's A Green Thing blog"

http://johnhquigley.blogspot.com/

John Quigley is a former Hazleton mayor.  He talks about green living and fracking on his blog, which we all know is a hot button issue in Northeast PA these days.

From the About:  

A GREEN THING

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a Green thing that stands in the way. Some see Nature all Ridicule and Deformity...and some scarce see Nature at all. But to the eyes of the Man of Imagination, Nature is Imagination itself.

William Blake, English poet (1757-1827)

Experienced leader with a diverse career in the not-for-profit, public, and private sectors. Served as the founding executive director of a non-profit economic development corporation and as a 2-term Mayor of a city of 25,000 residents. Held a number of management positions with two industry-leading companies in the private sector and taught economics at a Pennsylvania State University branch campus. Wrote a weekly public affairs column for a northeast Pennsylvania newspaper and served as government relations manager with a statewide public interest organization. Most recently, served 2 years as the third Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.



Next up...


"The Pix Chick"

http://thepixchick.tumblr.com
http://thepixchick.wordpress.com

Jeanne L. Kenney is "just a chick with a camera, walking around taking pictures of stuff".  You can also find her work on her Facebook Page, Twitter and her website http://www.thepixchick.com.



If you haven't visited in a while, you should take another look at Andy's blog.  Right now he has some bad photography featuring buildings in Wilkes-Barre that may be on the endangered list (staying with our Hotel Sterling theme on our blog this week).  I must say that Andy is probably one of the more dedicated bloggers I know.  He posts something new every day.  I wish I had that level of energy for my personal blog!

NOTE:  Jeanne informed me that she moved from the Tumblr blog to Wordpress due to technical issues and will be using that blog from now on to post.

Have a suggestion for a blogger that we aren't linking to?  Drop us a line: nepablogs@gmail.com.

Saturday, August 03, 2013

Facebook Finds

Today, I figured that I'd share some of the blogs that Harold & I recently discovered through Facebook.  If you didn't already know, we have a group on the social media site where local bloggers mingle, bounce ideas off each other and share posts...we encourage you to join if you haven't already.


"The Life of Kyle"

By: Kyle Magda

http://thelifeofkyle.com/blog.html

Kyle has been at it since October 2012 writing about sports (a lot of NASCAR and running), health and nutrition, life and whatever else crosses his mind.



"Just Amusing Myself"

By:  Susan Keller

http://justamusingmyself.wordpress.com/

Susan introduced herself as an occasional writer in our group, but she was impressed with all of the different voices and topics of blogs in the area.  She's hoping more posts will come as she works the muscle.  Her blog is mostly about life, but life as a mother.  I enjoyed reading her recent posts and look forward to coming back for more!



"Donna's Addiction"

By:  Donna Gard

http://donnasaddiction.blog.com/

From the first post:  My name is Donna and I am a Freelance Photographer/Event Planner and I found a new addiction…Blogging! Since I love planning events and taking pictures, that is what you will find her on my Blog.  Here we will be discussing events that I have had the pleasure of  organizing as well as events that I have attended.  With pictures, crazy yet sometimes deep dialog,  and some quick wit, I am hoping to drag you into my crazy world of Event Blogging!  Now let’s have some fun and stay tuned for my first crazy Blog!



All of these links will be added to our blogroll on the side bar for your reading enjoyment.

...And while we are on the topic of Facebook, I'd like to remind everyone to stop by and "like" our page: https://www.facebook.com/nepablogs

Happy Saturday!