Wednesday, May 29, 2013

About the header image: May 29, 2013


I realized we hadn't had a header image by co-administrator Michelle Hryvnak Davies in a while, so I asked her if she had any pictures we might use. She sent me three of her "Sweet Valley Sunrises" images. While they were all beautiful, the one that I picked for the header blew me away: the shadows, the fog, the crepuscular rays, the overwhelming brightness of the rising sun that makes me squint every time I look at this picture.

This is actually a crop of a larger image. I wasn't able to use the entire thing due to the aspect ratio requirements of the header - we want the header to be about one and a half to three times wider than it is tall, to allow the entire header and some of the top post to fit on the screen at the same time. This is actually a wider ratio than a standard photograph, so some cropping is called for with almost every image. Usually there's a little something at the top and/or bottom of an image that can be trimmed without losing anything essential, and often a careful crop can actually focus the image, emphasizing a particular element that might otherwise be less obvious.  In this case the image was actually done in portrait mode, taller than it is wide, so nearly one third of the image has been cropped out. I tried to do the edit in a way that retained the initial impression I had when I saw this image. Here is the original, uncropped image:



Do you have an image you'd like to see used as the NEPA Blogs header for a week? Send it to us at nepablogs@gmail.com!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

PA Live! Blog of the Week: AFA Gallery Blog

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=347582


Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is the AFA Gallery Blog (http://artistsforart.org/blog.html.)

Scranton is a city full of artistic and creative people, and it is inevitable that in such a place there will emerge gathering spots for those artistic and creative individuals. The AFA Gallery - the letters stand for "Artists for Art" - was founded in 1988 to serve just such a purpose. The AFA Gallery's goal, according to their "About" page, is "to promote the appreciation of the visual arts, and to provide support for regional visual artists." In addition to mothly exhibitions the AFA Gallery also hosts the Tuesday Night Life Drawing Group, and the "Drawing Social," a drawing session accompanied by live music.

The AFA Gallery blog is a way of keeping the public informed of events - not just at the AFA Gallery, but art events throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. More than just a static website, the AFA Gallery blog allows information to be presented in a way that fully engages the reader.

If you're an artist who lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania, you should definitely check out the AFA Gallery blog to see all that they have to offer. And then perhaps find your way to the AFA Gallery itself to experience it in person! The AFA Gallery is located at 514 Lackawanna Avenue in Scranton, Pennsylvania.



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, May 22, 2013

About the header image: Wednesday, May 22, 2013



Our header image for this week comes from Don Williams, who blogs at (and is) the Susquehanna River Sentinel. This is an image from a post from March 2012 from an earlier kayak journey on the Susquehanna. If you're not familiar with Don's blog, or if you're not familiar with all the Susquehanna has to offer, or if you're not familiar with all the things that threaten not just the Susquehanna, but clean water statewide, you should definitely check out the Susquehanna River Sentinel!

If you have an image you'd like to see featured as the NEPA Blogs header for a week, send it to us at nepablogs@gmail.com!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

PA Live! Blog of the Week: 570 Mine Fire


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=345462

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is 570 Mine Fire by Bill Thomas.


"Independent music is like a mine fire," Bill Thomas says on the sidebar of his blog. "It’s always there. Burning underground. Just because you can’t see it doesn't mean it isn't there. And no matter what you throw at it, you can't snuff it out. It’s damn near impossible to kill."

570 Mine Fire is a blog about independent music. Not just independent music in Northeastern Pennsylvania, or even within the 570 area code, but independent music from throughout Pennsylvania. Since July 2012, Bill Thomas has been reviewing albums, interviewing local musicians, and keeping his readers up-to-date with goings-on in the local music scene. Through his blog you can learn about bands you might never have heard of otherwise. Thorough his blog, bands can get exposure to listeners who might never have heard of them otherwise.

If you're interested in local independent music, 570 Mine Fire is an excellent resource for you. And if you're an independent band from Pennsylvania, a mention on Bill's blog can get you valuable exposure. Check out 570 Mine Fire and see what he has to say!


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, May 15, 2013

About the header image: May 15, 2013


The header image comes to us this week from photographer Brent Pennington, and is from the grand re-opening of The Vintage in Scranton last September. The Vintage, located at 326 Spruce Street, is Scranton's premiere art space and performance venue, and is also this week's Blog of the Week. See there for much more information.

The Vintage is also currently putting on its first staged production - an event so large, it had to be relocated to the theater next door! Tickets are still available for the 1960's-style re-imagining  of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice!" Be sure to check it out!


If you have an image that captures some of the unique character of NEPA, send it to us at nepablogs@gmail.com and we'll use it as the image header some week!


Tuesday, May 14, 2013

PA Live! Blog of the Week: The Vintage Blog


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=343322 


Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is the blog of The Vintage in Scranton (http://scrantonsvintagetheater.com/blog/).

Northeastern Pennsylvania is very fortunate to have a large number of talented individuals living here. Artists, musicians, poets, and writers flourish in an environment that encourages their creativity and allows them to meet and mingle with like-minded individuals. Since 2009 The Vintage in Scranton has been one of the places that has provided such an environment. Located at 326 Spruce Street, The Vintage (formerly known as The Vintage Theater) is a gallery, art space, performance venue, and gathering place. It houses the Morning Glory Café and has many secondhand books for sale. It is also the home base for a writing group (the Northeastern Pennsylvania Writers' Collective) and provides space for both their weekly meetings and their monthly Open Mic Poetry Readings. The Vintage is also presenting its first play, a 1960's-styled version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. (Tickets are still available for the final performances on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18!)

With all of this going on, it's important for The Vintage to be able to communicate these events to the world. One of the tools that they use to do this is their blog. The Vintage blog is a simple but effective way of letting the world know the basics: what, where, and when things are happening at The Vintage. From music performances to craft workshops and art exhibits, The Vintage blog lets you know what is going on in Scranton's premiere art space!

The simple, user-friendly interface of The Vintage blog demonstrates why blogs are one of the best choices for businesses large or small to connect with their customers. When your business is an art space and performance venue, it's  important to be able to do more than simply sell a product - and blogs are more than up to the task. Whether you own a business or curate a gallery, consider using a blog to make that critical connection with the people who will make your endeavor a success! 

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, May 08, 2013

About the header image: May 8, 2013


The header image for the week of May 8 through May 14 comes to us from Nicole Karr of Springhouse Shop and Studio (http://www.springhousewoodshop.com/blog/) and features Azaleas, Serviceberry, and Violets as seen in Luzerne County this Spring. This is actually Nicole's second submission for this week; the first featured some blooms from just a few weeks ago that are now distant memories, and she felt these more recent images were more appropriate. (Actually, this is her third submission for this week - her second was a slightly different arrangement of these same three images, and this one looks much more balanced.)

Spring is here! Though some days, it feels like Summer is already here, too. Do you have images that capture the natural or man-made beauty and uniqueness of Northeastern Pennsylvania? Send them to us at nepablogs@gmail.com and we'll use them as the header of the week!

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

PA Live! Blog of the Week: NEPA Geeks Geek Blog


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=341222

Our PA Live! Blog of the Week this week is the NEPA Geeks Geek Blog (https://www.nepageeks.com/blog/) by Dale Culp and Jason Percival.

If Dale and Jason seem somehow geekishly familiar, perhaps its because they're two of the folks behind the Growing Up Geek Podcast. While that blog/podcast is a lot of fun, focusing on technology, entertainment, and all sorts of geekery, the NEPA Geeks Geek Blog is actually a somewhat more serious blog, an extension of the NEPA Geeks computer repair service located at located at 108 N. Mountain Blvd Suite B, Moutain Top, PA. It's technically a "small business blog," but the content might make you think that Jason and Dale want to keep your computer out of the shop! It's full of really useful information on how to keep your computer in top condition and how to prevent problems before they happen. But if you really need their help, they're there for you!

If you own or use a computer or mobile device - and if you're reading this, that's a pretty safe assumption - you should definitely check out what Jason and Dale have to say on the NEPA Geeks Geek Blog. Even if you don't need their repair services at the moment, their blog is loaded with information that will help you keep your system up and running. And if you own a business, maybe you should consider a small business blog as a way of defining your business and connecting with current and future customers!


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, May 06, 2013

From the mailbag: I Choose A Clean World

Nicole Karr from Springhouse Shop and Studios recently sent us a suggestion for a new blog she discovered:

Please visit our new site. In our continued effort  to protect our world:
  
I Choose a Clean World site has been developed:
Choose to take this action. Choose a clean world.
 http://ichoosecleanworld.wordpress.com/
I Choose A Clean World is a project of the Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition (GDAC), Luzerne County, PA.

In a world where finite energy resources are dwindling, and methods use to extract the little that is left is causing more harm than good, GDAC is taking steps to make people aware of real sustainable energy.

Each of us needs to make a choice – to continue down the path of dirty fossil fuels, or to stand up and choose a clean world.

We can clean up our world, the first step is in choosing to do so.

 GDAC Team

Take a moment to breathe in the fresh air and then check out "I Choose a Clean World" which is now added to our sidebar.

Wednesday, May 01, 2013

About the header image: May 1, 2013


This week's header image comes to us from journalist and blogger Andy Palumbo (http://andypalumbo.blogspot.com/) and is of the Tunkhannock Viaduct, also known as the Nicholson Bridge. This bridge is considered an engineering marvel, and even has its own web site.


Submit your photos of Northeastern Pennsylvania to nepablogs@gmail.com and we'll use them as headers some week on NEPA Blogs!