Saturday, March 31, 2012

Fat Then Fit Now

April Fool! Well, I'm writing this April 1, but, by gum, I'm gonna backdate it to yesterday so we can officially put a stake in the heart of MARCH MADNESS.

A comment on a Blog Fest recap page made me realize we haven't ever linked to Dr. Joe Leonardi's health and fitness blog, Fat Then Fit Now. Joe used to be a political blogger but has shifted his focus over the last few years.

Fat Then Fit Now
http://fatthenfitnow.wordpress.com/

Thus endeth March Madness.

Blog Fest recaps


I will update this post as the reports come in. I'm still working on my own post.

Blog Fest 2012 Spring Edition was another rip roaring success with an estimated 200 people attending.

Bill Wellock of the Citizens Voice spent the entire night and filed this report
NEPA Blog Fest draws candidates' attention

Gort42 put up a teaser last night
Pink pig parked in Pittston

Another Monkey gives his initial impression
Blog Fest Spring 2012 report, part 1

My photos are available at this Facebook public link

Pittston Politics has a Photo Bucket

NCFE
Steve, a Giant Pig and Gene Stilp.

It's Personal
The Lu Lac Political Letter

Pittston Politics

Gort42
Another Blogfest success



More to come. Email me at gort42@yahoo.com if you write up the event.



UPDATE 4/1 5:15 PM (by Harold):
Some more views of Blog Fest, from two non-political bloggers. See if you can spot a common theme in all the posts! We're going to have to make sure Gene Stilp and Pignelope come to all of our future events!

Crafternoon Tea
NEPA Blogfest

Darling Stewie
Blogfest 2012! Big Pigs, Big Wigs, and Sweet Digs!



UPDATE 4/2 1:23 AM (by Harold)
I finally finished off my full-er report on Blog Fest.

Another Monkey
Three Blogtastic Days, Day 2: NEPA BlogFest


UPDATE 4/2 10:47 PM (by Michelle):
Don't forget about the lovely Mandy Boyle and her recap which can be found right here:
NEPA Blog Fest, Story-Filled Weekends, and Feeling Reinvigorated

Friday, March 30, 2012

Perspectively Speaking

Perspectively Speaking is the blog of Myra Francis, originally from Antigua, but currently located in the beautiful, pictueresque Pocono Mountains with her husband and three children.


http://www.myrafrancis.blogspot.com/


"If you're thinking it, I'm perspectively speaking it"



From the About: This blog is a segue to my first book,
"40 Lessons in 40 Years: Putting Life into Perspective through Trials &
Triumphs".


The older I get, the more my ideologies change. I realize that I no
longer see things as black and white, I no longer answer with a resounding yes
or no. Lately, I notice that it depends on the circumstance, the event and
the people involved. Also, I try not to base responses on my own opinions,
but more on what is right, what is just, and how I would feel if it were me.


I will be touching on a plethora of topics and will be giving my current
beliefs. My perspectives, like in the past, may change again, but
basically, my intention is to open dialogues about social, political and
economic issues. [Continue reading the first blog entry right here]


We located Myra through our Facebook "NEPA Bloggers" group which has grown in recent weeks to 106 members! If you haven't already, you should join!


Myra is relatively new to blogging, but that has never restricted us from adding someone to our blog roll. We are always looking for new bloggers. Have you recently started a blog? Drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com!


~Michelle

Thursday, March 29, 2012

aesthetic (rev)eveolutions

Alicia Grega is one of the fine folks taking part in the Scranton StorySlam this weekend - which will be officiated by, among others, NEPA Blogs' own Michelle Hryvnak Davies! Today I saw a link to her freestanding "About Me" page - something brilliant that I've never seen before.

Alicia Grega
http://about.me/AliciaGrega

From this page there are several links. Among them is one that points to a blog. This blog:

aesthetic (rev)evolutions
http://svaphro.wordpress.com/

From the "About" page:
This blog evolved into a more general exploration of aesthetic evolution via Alicia Grega’s SubVerse Aphrodesia initiative after first serving as ongoing commentary in the wake of her 2009 Individual Creative Artist Fellowship in Arts Commentary Award from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. The project traced the resurgence of vaudevillian arts in contemporary performance or “neo-vaudeville.”  Her research grew to consider visual and fashion trends and styles such as steampunk in addition to performance including alternative circuses and sideshow, punk cabaret, gypsy punk, burlesque, ventriloquism and magic acts.

How can you pass up something like that? Check out Alicia Grega's blog! And then come out to the Vintage Theater, 119 Penn Avenue in Scranton this Saturday, March 31 to see her take part in Scranton StorySlam!

The news that's fit to spit

Good morning everyone! We have some exciting news to report about NEPA Blogs this morning. I've been storing it up for a few days, but now I'm ready to burst!

NEPA Blogs Featured in the Weekender

Why should you attend NEPA Blog Fest? That is a question DB, Gort and I are often asked while trying to put together and plug the bi-annual Blog Fest gathering. We were lucky enough to garner the attention of fellow local blogger/Weekender journalist Nikki Mascali who dedicated a large section of this week's edition of the Weekender to talk about Blog Fest...and why you should attend.

You can read the article online right here…or perhaps, go and pick up a print version of the Weekender. Here's a picture from the cover:











You can also read our press release about the event right here.

Gort42, Joe Valenti, DB Echo, LuLac, NEPArtisan and yours truly have all discussed Blog Fest on our blogs. We are trying to build up a buzz about the event. Our hopes are to draw a larger crowd than the last time.

Please stop by and join us! Here are the details:

NEPA BLOG FEST (Spring 2012 Edition)

Date:
Friday, March 30th, 2012
Time: 6pm
Location: Rooney's Irish Pub; 67 South Main Street; Pittston, PA 18640.
**A menu can be found here.

This is a free event open to local bloggers, lurkers and anyone else interested in hanging out with the "cool kiddies" of the local blogosphere.

***You can RSVP to the Facebook Event Page right here.










NEPA Blogs Potential Award??

We received an email to the nepablogs@gmail.com inbox on Tuesday night inviting us to the Morning Call's "MyChoiceVoice" Best of Blogs of the Lehigh Valley awards ceremony. The ceremony is being held this evening at the lovely Allentown Symphony Hall in Allentown. DB and I decided to make the trek down to the Lehigh Valley this evening to attend the event. We are unsure whether or not our little blog is winning any awards. However, we figure (at the very least), it is a good opportunity to network with other area bloggers...the likes of which we would probably never get to meet otherwise.

Here's a picture of the invite!



As I'm sure you have noticed, Harold just recently added a bunch of Lehigh Valley bloggers to our blog roll as a part of "Blog March Madness". Where did we get them from? Hmmmm....I wonder.

Psssst. http://www.mcallcommunity.com/mychoicevoice/end.php









Nominate us!



I found out about this at the last minute, but anyway, The Weekender is having a 2012 Reader's Choice poll which encompasses several categories of local interest. Wouldn't you know it? There's a category for Best Local Blog! It is #62. If you would be so inclined, we'd be honored if you would vote for our Blog.

Here's the link: http://www.theweekender.com/stories/Weekender-Readers-Choice,106591

Again, that's #62 - Write in NEPA Blogs - http://nepablogs.org

No pressure, or anything...

You can vote until tomorrow (Friday) 3/30/12. Hey! I warned you that this was last minute notice!












Scranton Story Slam

Both DB Echo and I were approached by Pamela McNichols to see if we could participate in/attend the Scranton StorySlam.

What is the Scranton Story Slam?

Excerpt taken from the 570 article at http://the570.com/index.php/2012/03/bookmarks-scrantons-first-story-slam/

Storyslam is the project of local high school student, Madeline “Zoe” McNichols, who is being mentored by Maureen McGuigan. With the event just around the corner, I caught up with Zoe to talk about this exciting new event in the Electric City, and her inspiration for the project.

The Scranton StorySlam is a night of storytelling similar to those hosted by The Moth, an organization based in New York City dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. On this particular evening, The Vintage Theater will serve as a stage for 10 incredibly talented personalities, each telling a five-minute true story from memory. In Moth tradition and to tie the night together, each story will adhere to a theme. The theme for the first Scranton StorySlam is “Warning Signs.” The theme is intentionally very general, allowing the storytellers to take the audience in any direction, from pants-peeing hilarity to soul-wrenching heartbreak. It’s called a “slam” because it’s presented in the form of a competition, which results in a high energy and engaging environment.

We are privileged to have some of the Electric City's most interesting characters in our evening's lineup of storytellers. You can expect to laugh and be captivated by these writers, actors, and performers:

Alicia Grega,
Amye Archer,
Conor O'Brien,
Jeannine Luby,
Rosemary McGuigan,
Sarah Stachura Regan,
Tim McDermott,
Tom Blomain,
Tom Borthwick,
Zoe McNichols,

Master of Ceremonies: Conor McGuigan.

The event is a unique storytelling competition in which ten performers will each have five minutes to tell a true story from memory, in the tradition of old-fashioned storytelling.The stories must relate to the theme of the night: Warning Signs

Four judges will help to determine the winner, including University of Scranton Professor Michael Friedman, NEPA Blogs' Michelle Hryvnak Davies, and Abington Heights High School's Mr. Zach Monahan and Mrs. Marilyn Pryle.

When is it?

Saturday, 3/31/12 7pm-10pm
@ The Vintage Theater
119 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503

**You can RSVP for the event on Facebook RIGHT HERE.

Let's all help Zoe ace her senior project by attending. It will be an interesting night of story telling with several local bloggers in tow.










That's all that I have for now. I'll be back later with today's latest Blog March Madness offering. Until then, have a great Thursday!

~Michelle

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

From the Mailbag: Sundays with Shivstopher

We received the following mailbag submission this morning:

Hi there,
Can you please list www.sundayswithshivstopher.com on your blog site?

Shivaun O'Donnell


Why yes, Shivaun, we can. You are today's March Madness Blog entry - you made it in with 3 days to spare!

From the About: Thanks for stopping by. Sundays with Shivstopher is intended to be weekly musings from Chris and Shivaun O’Donnell from their secret location in Wilkes-Barre.

There are also a lot of interesting videos and photos from the O'Donnell clan posted on the blog. Be sure to check them out (...and add them to your blog roll...?)

Want us to give your blog a mention? Send us an email at nepablogs@gmail.com!

~Michelle

About the Header Image: Wednesday, March 28, 2012


The Spring 2012 edition of Blog Fest is coming up this Friday, March 30, so I thought it would be fitting to create a header image from a previous Blog Fest. This was from September 2010, the second-ever Blog Fest.

People who don't know have a lot of odd ideas about Blog Fest. Like that it's just a room filled with people hunched over laptops, blogging away. (Don't be silly; people are hunched over smartphones, blogging with their thumbs.) Or that it's a stuffy, boring political event. Neither image is true. It's closer to think of it as a big cocktail party, with lots of people discussing lots of things all at once. Over there is  a group talking politics, while over here are people making plans for upcoming blogging events, and at the bar are people discussing the news of the day. Blog Fest is what you make of it, and the character of the event really depends on who shows up.

And who should show up? You, of course! Admission is free. Please join us!

WHAT: Spring 2012 Blog Fest
WHERE: Rooney's Irish Pub, 67 S. Main Street, Pittston
WHEN: Friday, March 30, 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
WHO: Bloggers, blog readers, politicians, candidates, and anyone interested in blogging or politics
WHY: A fantastic networking opportunity, a chance to meet other bloggers, and an opportunity to meet with your local elected officials and those trying to get elected

There is no charge for admission! So why not come out and join us?

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Lehigh Valley Blogs

And now for a total collapse into madness...

Personally, I don't like "Best Of" contests. For the most part they're not even popularity contests. They're races to see who can stuff the ballot box the most. I've seen some pretty bizarre results come from the few contests that I've actually known anything about. These experiences have soured me on these sorts of contests.

One of the big problems with these contests is this: unless you're registered with the contest, you can't even see who's nominated. I'm more sensitive to online privacy than some, and the registration forms I've seen for some of these contests ask for - require - information I'm not willing to hand over just for the privilege of being able to vote in a contest.

A while back we added Shane Burcaw's "Laughing At My Nightmare" to NEPA Blogs. He was our first blogger from the Lehigh Valley - technically outside of NEPA - and we realized that there were probably many more bloggers in the Lehigh Valley. It seemed possible that someday, if we gathered together enough blogs from that region, we could spin off a whole other site - "Lehigh Valley Blogs" - as a sort of counterpart to NEPA Blogs.

Or we could just wait for the Morning Call to run a contest and do the work for us.

Allentown Morning Call: Best Blogs of the Lehigh Valley

The Allentown Morning Call ran a poll for the Best Blogs in the Lehigh Valley. And what they did, unlike other contests, was list and link to all of the blogs nominated in each category. In effect, they published the first draft of Lehigh Valley Blogs.

So is this contest any more legitimate than the others I've seen? I have no idea. But I do know this: the Morning Call has done a massive service for dozens of blogs throughout the Lehigh Valley by providing them with a huge amount of publicity just for being nominated. This is the way to run a contest, and I hope other publications take notice. For what it's done for the Lehigh Valley blogging community, I think it's the Morning Call that deserves an award.

Here are the blogs they have listed as nominees.

Art
Business and Technology
Entertainment and Nightlife
Family
Fitness and Health
Food
Humor
Misfits: Defying Categorization
Music
Neighborhood
News
Opinion
Personal
Photography
Politics
Religion

Sports
Style Scene



PA Live! Blog of the Week: Pittston Politics

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on the 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://pahomepage.com/palive-details?nxd_id=236632


Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is Pittston Politics (http://www.pittstonpolitics.com/.)

Politics plays a big role in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and it's no surprise that some of the most popular blogs around are politically focused. We've already looked at Gort42, the blog that serves as the gateway to so many other political blogs in Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond, and is a top-notch political blog in its own right, looking at national, state, and local politics. We've also looked at The LuLac Political Letter, which takes an in-depth look at politics on all levels, with special focus on Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties. Now we'll look at the third of the Big Three of political blogs in Northeastern Pennsylvania: Joe Valenti's Pittston Politics.

As the name suggests, Pittston Politics looks specifically at the political situation in Pittston and surrounding areas. And Pittston is always certain to serve up plenty of material for Joe's blog. Whether it's goings-on with the school board or just the day-to-day misadventures of local politicians, Joe covers it all.  His focus isn't exclusively on Pittston, though; the corruption and misdeeds of politicians, judges, attorneys, and other public figures throughout Luzerne County doesn't escape his scrutiny.

Pittston Politics is well-known among the local news media, and has been cited as a primary source in several news articles, and has been recognized as one of the top political blogs in Pennsylvania. The site is more ad-heavy than most, and like The LuLac Political Letter, finding past entries may be tricky, since they are indexed by date, not by title or subject. Joe is also (along with Gort) one of the founders of Blog Fest, and is the person who  convinced Rooney's (67 South Main Street in Pittston) to open its doors to the gathering.

The Spring 2012 Blog Fest will be taking place on Friday, March 30 at Rooney's in Pittston, at 67 South Main Street, with festivities beginning at 6:00. There is no admission fee, and the event is open to everyone, non-bloggers as well as bloggers. It's your opportunity to meet bloggers from throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania as well as politicians and candidates for political office, all in a relaxed, casual setting. Meet your senator or congressman face-to-face and let them know what's on your mind! Find out what candidates really think about the issues you care most about!  Meet bloggers from Northeastern Pennsylvania and find out what blogging is all about. All are welcome! Come on out and join us!



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!


All are invited to meet the bloggers of Northeastern Pennsylvania at the Spring 2012 Blog Fest on March 30, 2012 at Rooney's Irish Pub in Pittston! Stay tuned for more details!

Monday, March 26, 2012

3 New Photo Bloggers

We have so many talented photographers in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and lucky for NEPA Blogs, many of them are bloggers as well. I have three new additions to tack onto are already expanding list.



#1 Arthur Miller

http://arthur-miller.artistwebsites.com/myblog.html
From Wyoming, PA


From the About: I am an Artist Who Works In Paint and Postmodern Photography-based Art. If you would like to use one of my images for editorial purposes, or would like to license an image for product use, please contact me directly at ( AM @ EPIX.NET ) for special editorial publication licensing rates.


You can also find him on Facebook right here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Arthur-Miller-Artist/181812805191467



#2 Michael Straub

http://web.me.com/michaelstraub/MSP/Blog/Blog.html
and
http://www.michaelstraubphotography.com/

From Scranton, PA area


From the About: Michael Straub Photography has been documenting weddings, families, and corporate events for the last 10 years, and loving every minute of it! The purpose of my blog is to share with you what I see as a photographer sharing this human experience with all of you......enjoy.



You can also find him on Twitter here: @mstraub



#3 SoManyRoads Photography


http://somanyroads.us/
From Luzerne, PA


From the About: We are a Wilkes Barre/ Scranton Pennsylvania Photography Company specializing in Studio and on location photography for Portraits, Weddings, Birthday Parties & All other Special Moments...If You are like Us I am sure that you are tired of the hassle of going to the mall and dealing with the long lines and putting up with people that just don't seem to care how your pictures turnout, Not with us! We provide white glove service to our customers allowing the client to feel at home with the process.Contact us for an appointment today!



You can also find him on Facebook right here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/So-Many-Roads-Photography/258464370875656



So as Manny Gordon would say, enjoy, enjoy the latest photographers who have now been added to our blog roll. If you know of any other talented bloggers in the area that deserve a mention, shoot us an email at nepablogs@gmail.com


~Michelle

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Blogs stolen from Amye Archer's blogroll

One great way of discovering new blogs is to click through the blogroll of a blogger you like to read. It also turns out that this is a great way to find local blogs, too! Amye Archer is a NEPA-based writer whose blog we added a while back. I noticed that Amye had put up a new post recently and decided to check it out. While there two things caught my attention: a list of Agent Blogs (someone had just asked me to see if anyone in the blogosphere knew how to find an agent) and a list called Writers Who Blog. Noticing a few familiar names on that list, I decided to check it out in case there were more local writers there. And, whaddya know - I was able to conclusively determine that there were at least three NEPA Bloggers there that we don't have listed yet.

Ally Bishop
http://allybishop.com/
Born in Florida, educated at Wilkes University, ally blogs about writing, society, life, and anything else she feels like.

Process This!
http://patriciakinney.wordpress.com/
Tricia is a writer, a mother, and a senior at Keystone College who plans to go on to an MFA or Ph.D. sometime.

Scrivengale
http://galemartin.me/blog/
Gale Martin is an author and speaker who lives in Lancaster but got her M.A. in creative writing from Wilkes University.

As a bonus, here's a fourth blog that I apparently clicked through to from one of these other blogs! (Also known as, "How the heck did I get here?"):

LisaGelatt.threedivas
http://threedivas.wordpress.com/
Lisa has a long and complicated life story that involves, among many other things, getting an Associate's Degree at Lackawanna College.

So, thanks for the blogs, Amye!

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Paintbrush words.

Here at NEPA Blogs we're always on the lookout for blogs to link to. "Do you have a blog?" might sound like a cheesy pickup line, but it's always great to find out that someone you've just met (or even someone you've known for a while) is a blogger. Here's one from a poet who has recently joined the writers' group I belong to to which I belong.

Paintbrush words.
http://colorofpoetry.tumblr.com/

Even if you're a blogger who is just starting out in the world of blogging - if you live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, are from Northeastern Pennsylvania, or blog about Northeastern Pennsylvania, we want to list you here on NEPA Blogs! Drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com !

Friday, March 23, 2012

The Forgotten Coal Industry of NEPA

Having grown up and lived and worked most of my life in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it's hard to imagine the coal industry ever being forgotten. Its mementos are all around us: the decaying structures, the long-repurposed mansions of the Coal Barons, the culm banks, the scarred land, the poisoned streams, the occasional mine subsidence, and the need for residents to purchase mine subsidence insurance. But some people have forgotten - or, living outside the "Coal Region" that is concentrated in the Wyoming Valley, have chosen not to pay attention to this history at all. (And in Marcellus Shale territory, history is repeating itself.)

Ed is taking care of that with his blog.

This page is dedicated to the coal industry of NEPA and to make sure it doesn't become a forgotten piece of our past. As an explorer, most my explorations are of abandoned coal mining related buildings, I do stray away from that at times though. So much of the industry has been lost. Most of the collieries are long gone but some still have buildings that still stand to this day, some abandoned some used.

The Forgotten Coal Industry of NEPA
http://theforgottencoalindustryofnepa.blogspot.com/

Coal mine exploration, like other explorations on abandoned sites, can be dangerous and even illegal. Ed doesn't encourage anyone to try this stuff on their own. Instead, just visit the blog and let Ed show you the things he has found. And never forget the Coal Industry of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

When Exactly Does it Get Easier?

This come through on the electronic mail surrogate system the other day:

Do you allow beginners??? I am not very adept at buzzing around Blogger, but I try. Here is a link to my profile, which in turn should allow you to take a gander at my first two attempts.

- karlapro

Indeed we do! Our (completely unstated) mission here at NEPA Blogs is not only to link to all of the blogs throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania, but also to support and encourage blogging in NEPA! So beginning bloggers are totally welcome here!

I am somewhat of a late bloomer. Even though I did not give birth at an exceptionally young age, looking back I can recognize I was not always the model of maturity. Perhaps I grew up with my daughters. Three of 'em. And no matter how many times I heard, "Oh, don't worry, it will get EASIER," I am still waiting...Um, okay, they are all pretty much adults now, it is going to be soon. Right?

When Exactly Does it Get Easier?
http://karlapro.blogspot.com/

Blog Fest is FRIDAY, MARCH 30!

In just over a week we'll be having the Spring 2012 edition of Blog Fest at Rooney's Irish Pub, 67 S. Main Street in Pittston. Festivities officially start at 6:00 and continue until everyone goes home, which usually isn't until 10:00 or later.

As Gort recounts in his secret history of Blog Fest (or "Blogfest", or "BlogFest"), this was originally conceived by him and Pittston Politics blogger Joe Valenti as a purely political event, even a political carnival of some sort (which really sounds like fun!) The two of them, along with Dave Yonki of the LuLac Political Letter, put a lot of effort into persuading local politicians and candidates to show up at the event.

But you can't call something "Blog Fest" and have it only be about politics - even though some political bloggers (and some non-bloggers) have the mistaken notion that political blogs are the only blogs out there, at least the only blogs worth reading. That's wrong, as wrong as assuming that one genre of music (jazz, dubstep, whatever) is the only real sort of music, or that every movie is a Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler movie. So from the start, Blog Fest attracted more than just the handful of political bloggers in the area.

Unfortunately, some non-political bloggers might have stayed away from the event, turned off by the toxic taint that lingers around politics in Northeastern Pennsylvania. And that's too bad. Because in the end the politics isn't the central theme of Blog Fest; it's more a sort of side show in which all are welcome to participate, but not required to. And at the same time it should be noted that this event gives everyday people unprecedented access to current and future legislators. Where else would you be able to bend the ear of a state or national Senator? Where else would you get a chance to share your thoughts with your member of Congress one-on-one? And where else will you get a chance to size up candidates while talking with them over a beer?

More than that, this is also a networking event. Whether your goal is to network with current and future political office-holders or to network with other regional bloggers from Northeastern Pennsylvania, you will find that this is one of the best networking opportunities anywhere!

All are welcome, bloggers and non-bloggers alike. Michelle Hryvnak Davies has been hard at work publicizing this event, working the media and getting the word out on every forum and bulletin board she can find, while I've been handing out business card-sized fliers (reproduced above) everywhere I've gone. We'd like to see more bloggers of every stripe at Rooney's on Friday, March 30, political as well as non-political. As a bonus, the nearby Arts SEEN Gallery will be staying open that evening, providing Fest-goers the opportunity to stretch their legs, get a breath of fresh air, and stroll through a gallery filled with local art. Please join us!

The official NEPA BlogFest Spring 2012 Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/events/221094474639276/

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

My Electric Life

I've been totally slacking on posting new blogs to NEPA Blogs for the "March Blog Madness" theme this month. Sometimes life just gets in the way, and other things take a back burner. But here I am once again, with my latest peace offering.

My Electric Life is the blog of Jeff Haskell from Berwick PA.

http://myelectriclife.wordpress.com/


"Green Thoughts, Pure Thoughts and Mad Science"

From the About Page: Hi there! Thanks for showing interest in me and my blog. I go by Nevyn here on the internet, and Jeff in real life. I’m just getting started with this blog thing; bear with me until I get moved in and everything unpacked. I’m into social media, computers, cars, green living, and my family. Primarily here you’ll find the odyssey of my friends and I starting from nothing, and making (eventually) a full fledged electric car. Life sometimes will get in the way, and posts about that will come up. Enjoy the rides, and live your life like it’s ELECTRIC!

You can also follow Jeff on Twitter via @NevynPA.

~Michelle

About the Header Image: Wednesday, March 21, 2012

This week's header image is by Cheri Sundra: guerrilla historian, urban archaeologist, and explorer of the lost and vanishing places of Northeastern Pennsylvania. It's an image of one of her favorite local subjects, the Huber Breaker in Ashley. This is "The Beast", an enormous generator located within the breaker.


I've seen the Huber Breaker hundreds of times from the outside, and it always looks like a dark and miserable place, suffering from decades of vandalism and neglect. Cheri's photo makes the inside of the place look almost cheerful, with sunlight pouring in from the numerous windows all around and a touch of Springtime with the greenery growing up alongside The Beast.

For more views of the Huber Breaker, see this post by Cheri, which showcases images by various photographers, some of whom traveled great distances to see this sight. Cheri features more of her own photos in this post. Cheri's blog was featured as our Blog of the Week on WBRE's PA Live! back in February. And be sure to see all of Cheri's photos from Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond on her Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheri_sundra/.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Lattimer Massacre Project

And now a blog about a dark incident in Northeastern Pennsylvania's history. One of many.

From the "About" page:

The Lattimer Massacre Project is a collaborative endeavor which aims to recognize the historic events surrounding the Lattimer massacre, a tragic incident that changed the labor movement and impacted the world by bringing to light economic disparities and ethnic tensions in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania.


This is a way for the public to make the Lattimer massacre recognized by national and international audiences, through contributions from all the communities involved. We welcome photos, stories, history, maps, website links and anything else you would like to add to the Lattimer Massacre story, relaying to the broader public its place in history.


Lattimer Massacre Project
http://lattimermassacre.wordpress.com/

PA Live! Blog of the Week: The LuLac Political Letter

NEPA Blogs will be presenting a "Blog of the Week" on the 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://pahomepage.com/palive-details?nxd_id=234952

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is The LuLac Political Letter.

Politics, I've long observed, is the most popular contact sport in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and political blogs are among the most popular blogs in the area. Local author, commentator, and political maven David Yonki writes one of the most popular and well-reviewed political blogs in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It's called The LuLac Political Letter - the "Lu" and "Lac" referring to Luzerne and Lackawanna counties, respectively - and it focuses on "issues of politics on all levels," including state and national politics, as well as local and regional politics in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Dave also looks at pop culture, especially the pop culture of years gone by.

Make no mistake: this isn't objective reporting, this is blogging with a take-no-prisoners attitude. Dave will highlight corruption and double-dealing from anyone at any level, regardless of political affiliation. He'll go on at length about dirty little secrets that have come to light.  In The LuLac Political Letter Dave will write all about the little details that others might just brush aside, details that seem irrelevant at the moment but might turn out to be the basis for scandals months down the road. But in the next breath he'll tell you about the most popular songs and TV shows from this day forty-five years ago.

Dave's output is remarkable: he will write a full-length blog post every day, and sometimes multiple blog posts in a single day. One peculiarity of his site may prove frustrating to new readers: his posts are titles with "issue numbers" and dates, rather than descriptive titles, an anyone looking for anything specific from an older post will have to read through every past post (and he's rapidly closing in on 2,000 "editions" - he's been at this since May 6, 2006!) or perform a site scan for relevant keywords.

The LuLac Political Letter has been recognized by PoliticsPA.com as one of the state's best political blogs, and with good reason. Dave works very hard at what he does, and has made many contacts throughout the state and local political scenes. It should come as no surprise that Dave is one of the political organizers behind Blog Fest, which is coming up March 30 at Rooney's in Pittston. Through his efforts (and the efforts of local political bloggers Gort and Joe Valenti), numerous politicians and political office-seekers will be in attendance at Blog Fest, there to meet bloggers from throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania of every stripe, political as well as non-political.  Blog Fest is open to everyone, and it's your opportunity to meet these politicians and candidates in a relaxed, casual setting and let them know what's on your mind, as well as a chance to meet bloggers like David Yonki and many others. Come on out and join us!


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!


All are invited to meet the bloggers of Northeastern Pennsylvania at the Spring 2012 Blog Fest on March 30, 2012 at Rooney's Irish Pub in Pittston! Stay tuned for more details!

Monday, March 19, 2012

Tort Talk

Tort Talk is a blog about Civil Litigation Law by Attorney Daniel E. Cummins. Oh, sure, I know what you're thinking. BO-RING. Who wants to read about legalistic details and whatnot?

Try this post on for size:

A New Twist in Facebook Discovery Decisions

Judge William R. Carpenter of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas granted a Plaintiff's Motion to Compel a Defendant  to produce his user name and password for the Defendant's Facebook page in the case of Gallagher v. Urbanovich, No. 2010 - 33418 (C.P. Mont. Co. Feb. 27, 2012 Carpenter, J.)...

....While the Court did grant the Plaintiff access to the Defendant's Facebook page and ordered the Defendant not to delete any info from the Facebook profile, the Defendant was granted permission to change his login name and password after seven (7) days following his compliance with the Court's Order.


Interested now? Knowing that you can be forced to turn over all access to your Facebook account to someone who's suing you? Isn't that interesting?

When you're done hiding in the corner, be sure to check out:
Tort Talk
http://www.torttalk.com/

Updates, Trends, and Thoughts regarding Pennsylvania Civil Litigation Law by Northeastern Pennsylvania Insurance Defense Attorney Daniel E. Cummins.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Jason N. Gaylord

This is the second time around for this blog! We first added the tech blog JasonGaylord.com back in July of 2008. But somehow something went wrong, and we wound up with him only being on the "static" NEPA Bloggers sidebar list, and not any of the "dynamic" NEPA Bloggers Updates lists. So when we received his email at the beginning of the month I was a little confused. But all shall be clear now - once we add him to the sidebar!

Jason N. Gaylord
http://jasongaylord.com/

About Jason N. Gaylord
Jason N. Gaylord is an application developer and is the Director of IT at United One Resources in Wilkes-Barre, PA.


In addition to his daily duties, Jason, who is a Microsoft MVP and ASPInsider, is the group leader of a technology user group called .NET Valley. He resides in Northeastern Pennsylvania with his wife, Lisa, his two daughters, and his son.


Categories featured on his blog: Announcement, Current Events, Design, Dev, Download, Entertainment, Event, Link Sharing, Microsoft, Mobile, Personal, Tech, Tutorial, Video, Windows, Xbox.

There's some high-level tech stuff going on here. But if you're into that sort of thing, you may find this site fascinating!

NOTE: For some reason (possibly high-level tech stuff), this blog is showing up on the dynamic list on the sidebar as "Jason's Blog," and nothing I am doing to try to change that name works. So, "Jason's Blog" it is.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Chris Dolan's Blog

I'll let you in on a secret: like the song says, I've never been too good with names. And contrary to what the song says later, I don't always remember faces, either. So when I saw this blog from a student at the University of Scranton it didn't ring any bells. Only after going to his first post to get more information about him did I realize that he was recently an intern at WBRE and PA Live! He was the one who would escort me onto and off of the set every Tuesday! Let's give a big NEPA Blogs welcome to Chris Dolan, a Communications and Business major at the University of Scranton who's into Bruce Springsteen playing the piano, and collecting autographs and presidential and political stuff!

Chris Dolan's Blog
http://www.christopherdolan.net/