Well, around this time I figured we'd be finishing off our summary of what bloggers in Northeastern Pennsylvania had to say about Hurricane Irene. I mean, a hurricane hard on the heels of an earthquake that affected much of the northeastern U.S. - people would have a lot to say about that, right? It's not like we should expect another natural disaster with regional effects anytime soon, right?
The storm that hit this week didn't even have a name. Technically this was the remnant of Hurricane Lee, but that name isn't being bandied about like Agnes was back in 1972 (or even like Eloise was a few years later.) This storm was totally different from Agnes. Agnes was a major tropical storm whose outer bands dumped heavy rain onto NEPA, but whose major mechanism of destruction was parking itself over the headwaters of the Susquehanna in upstate New York after having made landfall through New York City. This storm did the headwaters trick as well, but first ran through the area in a track that ran vertically from the Washington/Baltimore area straight up the right-of-center of Pennsylvania, dumping inches and inches of water onto the region before swelling the Susquehanna to levels not seen since Agnes.
Destruction and damage in NEPA is enormous. The full extent will not be comprehensible until the floodwaters recede. One region that fared better than in 1972 is the Wilkes-Barre / Kingston / Forty-Fort region, which sustained massive damage when sandbag levees were breached and the river blew through and expanded across the valley. Now that region is protected by 41-foot levees (with, it turns out, three foot bonus walls at the top). Unfortunately, protective levees in one area mean a bottleneck for water trying to flow downstream. So places like West Pittston are experiencing levels of flooding much worse than they did in 1972.
Anyway. Here's what bloggers throughout the region have been saying at the outset of this flood:
The Susquehanna River Sentinel has had quite a bit to say:
- Susquehanna River Blessing CANCELLED DUE TO UNSAFE RIVER LEVELS (Monday, Sept. 5; updated)
- Susquehanna River: Same Old, Same Old (Wednesday, Sept. 7)
- Another Agnes? (Thursday, Sept. 8)
- Susquehanna Flooding: How many more? (Friday, September 9)
- Toxic Tommy: Tell Us the TRUTH! (Friday, September 9) - Warnings about toxic chemicals that have spilled into the flooded Susquehanna. Stay away from the water, and don't breathe the dust after the water goes down!
David DeCosmo of No News Is...Good News? talks about fleeing the flooding in Hershey in "The Hershey Curse!" and going from bad to worse in Deja Vu! All over again?
Larry Hohol had to cancel promotional appearances at the Luzerne County Fair and the Wilkes-Barre Barnes & Noble due to the weather.
Lorina of Is THIS Bliss?! gives credit where credit is due in Praise the Engineers!
James Rising looks at what the storm looked like in email and through Facebook photos and their comments.
Ricochet's Rapid Detail provides some information that some people who got very, very lucky may find useful in the next week or so: How to properly clean carpets. (Not directly flood related, but helpful when it comes to post-flood cleanup for those who aren't gutting their houses or simply tearing them down.)
The Valley Scanner gives some basic information and a video.
The LuLac Political Letter looks at the currently-popular trend of anti-government attitudes as people are turning to the government for help.
Mike Burnside looks at the flooding with a photographer's eye in Hi, Water.
Andy Palumbo looks at the Water Street Bridge in Pittston on Thursday morning in The Unthinkable.
Stephen Albert at Not Cease From Exploration fires off a brief missive in Thoughts, Hopes & Prayers.
Gort at Gort42 surveys the situation in Wyoming Valley Flood 2011.
The folks at We are: clamco offer some Thursday thoughts in Noah, I want you to build an ark! and Earthquakes, hurricanes, droughts, fires, floods...
Mark Cour of Circumlocution for Dummies gives a "before" picture in Watching, waiting, and praying and an "after" (well, during) picture in Still crossing the fingers.
Nicole of Here and Now...and Then shares a personal moment with her children - and the experience of nine inches of rain in twenty-four hours in When it rains.
The SPCA of Luzerne County had a pre-flood message on their blog.
There will be more.
A clearinghouse providing links to blogs and other sites about Northeastern Pennsylvania or by people from Northeastern Pennsylvania. Submit blogs to nepablogs@gmail.com
Friday, September 09, 2011
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
NEPA Blogs coming to PA Live!
Thanks to the efforts of Michelle D., NEPA Blogs will be featured weekly on the upcoming WBRE afternoon show PA Live!
From their website:
WBRE-TV the NBC affiliate serving the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton DMA announced today that it will launch PA Live! on September 12, 2011. PA Live! will be the market's first one-hour live, local 4:00 p.m. newscast.
PA Live! will offer Northeastern Pennsylvania viewers fresh, innovative, news programming with a specialized focus on local lifestyle content including segments from experts on myriad topics of personal and community interest. PA Live! will also promote interactivity with viewers online in real-time through PAHomepage.com and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
As of now, NEPA Blogs is slotted for a ninety-second spot every Tuesday, beginning September 13. (PA Live! debuts Monday, September 12.) Tune in to PA Live! on WBRE at 4:00 every weekday starting September 12, and look for us every Tuesday, talking about blogs and blogging in Northeastern Pennsylvania!
See also:
PA Live! on Facebook
PA Live! (PA_Live) on Twitter
From their website:
WBRE-TV the NBC affiliate serving the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton DMA announced today that it will launch PA Live! on September 12, 2011. PA Live! will be the market's first one-hour live, local 4:00 p.m. newscast.
PA Live! will offer Northeastern Pennsylvania viewers fresh, innovative, news programming with a specialized focus on local lifestyle content including segments from experts on myriad topics of personal and community interest. PA Live! will also promote interactivity with viewers online in real-time through PAHomepage.com and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
As of now, NEPA Blogs is slotted for a ninety-second spot every Tuesday, beginning September 13. (PA Live! debuts Monday, September 12.) Tune in to PA Live! on WBRE at 4:00 every weekday starting September 12, and look for us every Tuesday, talking about blogs and blogging in Northeastern Pennsylvania!
See also:
PA Live! on Facebook
PA Live! (PA_Live) on Twitter
Sunday, September 04, 2011
Tim J Fox
Another Twitter Find:
Tim J Fox is a techy blogger from Drums PA. He first started blogging in September of 2010. He posts semi-infrequently about IT (that is to say, information technology) topics.
From the first blog post:
~M
Tim J Fox is a techy blogger from Drums PA. He first started blogging in September of 2010. He posts semi-infrequently about IT (that is to say, information technology) topics.
From the first blog post:
I've been procrastinating for awhile on creating a blog, but the day has finally come to execute on it. I'm not completely sure what this solidify into, but only time will tell. I believe most of my posts will be tech related, but there might be some additional topics added. I'll be finishing up the design early this week, so look for the 1st "real" post shortly.If you are a technology or computer geek and have a blog, give us a holler at nepablogs@gmail.com so we can add your URL to the blogroll.
~M
Friday, September 02, 2011
Job Seeker blogs
Blogs can be used in many ways: to express opinions, to record thoughts, to advertise products or services - the applications are virtually limitless. And here's another one.
Job seekers in today's competitive job market need to make use of all the tools at their disposal. Traditional résumés and pounding the pavement still have their place, but now they are joined by such tools as online job searches, social networking sites, and job-seeker sites like LinkedIn. Blogs can serve as another tool in this ever-expanding toolkit, a tool that can be used to express aspects of the job seeker that go beyond the limited scope of résumés, cover letters, and even highly structured sites like LinkedIn. With a blog a job seeker can reveal as much or as little about themself as they wish, and can link to other sites and resources that they feel will aid them in their search and will provide prospective employers with additional useful information.
So. I'll go first. Here's a blog I created to aid me in my quest:
Harold F. Jenkins
http://haroldfjenkins.blogspot.com/
B.S. in Physics and over nineteen years experience in industry. Analytical, intuitive, and creative problem solver. What can I do for you?
Self-serving? Sure. You've gotta serve yourself; you can't expect anyone else to serve you. And by tapping into the networking power of NEPA Blogs, I will vastly increase the exposure and "linkiness" of this blog - two clicks away from anyone with a link to NEPA Blogs.
How about you? If you're searching for a job, or simply looking to improve your employment situation, is a blog a tool that can aid you in that search? If you live in NEPA and you decide to create a job seeker blog, let us know. We'd love to link to you!
Job seekers in today's competitive job market need to make use of all the tools at their disposal. Traditional résumés and pounding the pavement still have their place, but now they are joined by such tools as online job searches, social networking sites, and job-seeker sites like LinkedIn. Blogs can serve as another tool in this ever-expanding toolkit, a tool that can be used to express aspects of the job seeker that go beyond the limited scope of résumés, cover letters, and even highly structured sites like LinkedIn. With a blog a job seeker can reveal as much or as little about themself as they wish, and can link to other sites and resources that they feel will aid them in their search and will provide prospective employers with additional useful information.
So. I'll go first. Here's a blog I created to aid me in my quest:
Harold F. Jenkins
http://haroldfjenkins.blogspot.com/
B.S. in Physics and over nineteen years experience in industry. Analytical, intuitive, and creative problem solver. What can I do for you?
Self-serving? Sure. You've gotta serve yourself; you can't expect anyone else to serve you. And by tapping into the networking power of NEPA Blogs, I will vastly increase the exposure and "linkiness" of this blog - two clicks away from anyone with a link to NEPA Blogs.
How about you? If you're searching for a job, or simply looking to improve your employment situation, is a blog a tool that can aid you in that search? If you live in NEPA and you decide to create a job seeker blog, let us know. We'd love to link to you!
NEPA Blogosphere Hurricane Irene wrap-up, Part 2
This is Part 2 of the continuing wrap-up of blog posts that deal with the effects of Hurricane Irene in NEPA. There will definitely be a Part 3.
UPDATE, 9/9/11: I lied. There were only two more posts about Irene that I'm aware of before our next regional disaster - the worse-than-Agnes flooding brought on by the remnants of Hurricane Lee. I've appended these posts at the end.
As I was assembling Part 1 of the wrap-up, Dave Yonki of The LuLac Political Letter was blogging his thoughts on how Hurricane Irene - like previous regional disasters - brought out the worst in some people.
Gort at Gort42 has a follow-up to a question he raised in his previous post about Irene: Barletta and Marino back Cantor's response to Hurricaine Irene.
After a grueling five days without electricity or water - and looking at a possible 30 more days of roadblocks and closures around her house - Michelle is back at mhryvnak.net, giving us hurricane irene: post #1, complete with three videos of the wind from the approaching storm and its effect on trees. She promises that there is "More to come as well as an EXTENSIVE post on my thoughts about UGI vs. PPL, how to PROPERLY prepare in the storm and more miscellaneous thoughts running through my noggin."
And from those long-ago days before Hurricane Irene hit, Daniel Hodorawis at NEPArtisan warned us of the shape of things to come in Hurricane Irene Says Get Your Milk & Bread.
********
There will be more. And again, if we missed your posts about Hurricane Irene, please let us know!
UPDATE, 9/9/11: Here are the only additional posts that I'm aware of. Oddly, they're by two of the administrators of NEPA Blogs.
Michelle D. continued to blog about her experiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene - including being without electricity or water for five days - in Hurricane Irene – Post #2. And she summarizes her thoughts in I can name that tune (week) in 2 notes (words).
Finally, I decided to get all preachy in Lessons we learned from the storm.
UPDATE, 9/9/11: I lied. There were only two more posts about Irene that I'm aware of before our next regional disaster - the worse-than-Agnes flooding brought on by the remnants of Hurricane Lee. I've appended these posts at the end.
As I was assembling Part 1 of the wrap-up, Dave Yonki of The LuLac Political Letter was blogging his thoughts on how Hurricane Irene - like previous regional disasters - brought out the worst in some people.
Gort at Gort42 has a follow-up to a question he raised in his previous post about Irene: Barletta and Marino back Cantor's response to Hurricaine Irene.
After a grueling five days without electricity or water - and looking at a possible 30 more days of roadblocks and closures around her house - Michelle is back at mhryvnak.net, giving us hurricane irene: post #1, complete with three videos of the wind from the approaching storm and its effect on trees. She promises that there is "More to come as well as an EXTENSIVE post on my thoughts about UGI vs. PPL, how to PROPERLY prepare in the storm and more miscellaneous thoughts running through my noggin."
And from those long-ago days before Hurricane Irene hit, Daniel Hodorawis at NEPArtisan warned us of the shape of things to come in Hurricane Irene Says Get Your Milk & Bread.
********
There will be more. And again, if we missed your posts about Hurricane Irene, please let us know!
UPDATE, 9/9/11: Here are the only additional posts that I'm aware of. Oddly, they're by two of the administrators of NEPA Blogs.
Michelle D. continued to blog about her experiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene - including being without electricity or water for five days - in Hurricane Irene – Post #2. And she summarizes her thoughts in I can name that tune (week) in 2 notes (words).
Finally, I decided to get all preachy in Lessons we learned from the storm.
Thursday, September 01, 2011
NEPA Blogosphere Hurricane Irene wrap-up, Part 1
Just a week after we saw a wrap-up of the August 2011 earthquake as it was viewed by the bloggers of NEPA, we have another event that's being seen through the eyes of many bloggers: Hurricane Irene. This is an incomplete set of links to NEPA bloggers' posts about this event, in part because several local bloggers - including NEPA Blogs co-administrator Michelle D. - are among the million or so folks who are still without power. I suspect she will have something to say about that when she is fully back online.
Mike Burnside photographically documented Irene's departure in his post Irene Goodnight.
The Susquehanna River Sentinel found himself contemplating the issue of Irene: Man vs. Nature... and found himself cast in the role of "Man" in Irene: Man vs. Nature - Part 2.
The folks from We are: clamco came home from a trip to Alabama to find that Irene had left a mess for them to clean up in Coming home to the remnants of Irene.
Daniel Hodorawis at NEPArtisan had a message for us all from various politicians, preachers, and pundits: God Doesn’t Like You That’s Why There’s Natural Disasters.
Gary R. Ryman over at Fire Men expressed gratitude that, locally at least, Irene was not a replay of Agnes - and recounted a harrowing and amusing tale from that storm, nearly 40 years ago, in Not Deja Vu All Over Again....Luckily.
Frank Dutton grabbed some gorgeous photos of hurricane-swollen Roaring Brook (here, here, here, and here,) Nay Aug Falls, and Step Falls over at Frank's Place.
David DeCosmo at No News Is...Good News? laments the lack of local radio coverage of local emergencies in Good Night Irene, good night! and discusses the danger of driving out ahead of a hurricane in a car that for some reason is not equipped to receive cable TV news and weather updates in The Hurricane Hunter!
James Rising summarizes his personal damage - including the toll taken by being a McDonald's refugee - in his WEEKENDER Column: Goodnight Irene.
At Mark's Tech Tock Professor Mark Rutkowski talks about how New York City's power lines and other utilities stayed safe during Irene, and reflects upon our dependence on electricity and the problems that face those who have been without it since the storm.
Andy Palumbo filed some Hurricane Notes regarding what it was like being on duty and on the air as the storm hit.
Gort at Gort42 had a thing or two to say about Eric Cantor's parsimonious attitude towards dealing with natural disasters in Paying for Irene.
Holly at Woman Tribune issued an apology of sorts...to hurricanes: Trust Me Hurricanes, I Will Never Doubt Your Power Again.
Stephen Albert at Not Cease From Exploration had something to say to Critics of the hurricane Irene warnings.
John Cole put the hurricane in perspective as yet another piece of bad news for weary Americans.
Colin Devroe of cdevroe.com/blog gave us another view of Hurricane Irene.
Jill at Jilly beansTALK shared her plans for riding out the storm.
In Hurricane Irene and the National Guard, Coal Region Voice wondered if any state's National Guard had been deployed to assist with Hurricane Irene recovery - or if they were all occupied elsewhere.
Jenny Hill looks at the weather's point of view in the poem Seven Trees.
In the days leading up to the storm, JimboBillyBob of Posts From The Fringe seemed to be of two minds on the issue of whether or not to be concerned.
Mark at Circumlocution for Dummies expressed a lack of concern about Hurricane Irene in The Approaching Storm or: Bikeabout?, and related tales of inadvisable activities during past storms. Somewhat ominously, he has not posted since.
At Another Monkey, I took on those who have been dismissive of the seriousness of Hurricane Irene, especially those who seemed to have been hoping for a Katrina-level mass casualty event, in the unimaginatively named Irene, Goodnight.
As I mentioned earlier, Michelle at mhryvnak.net has not had anything to say on her blog about the storm yet, mainly because she has been without power at her house since the storm. I expect she will have a thing or two to say, particularly about the relative virtues of electricity providers PPL and UGI and the quality of their respective customer service, after she is fully back online.
******
If I missed your post on Hurricane Irene, please let me know and I'll be sure to include it in Part 2!
Mike Burnside photographically documented Irene's departure in his post Irene Goodnight.
The Susquehanna River Sentinel found himself contemplating the issue of Irene: Man vs. Nature... and found himself cast in the role of "Man" in Irene: Man vs. Nature - Part 2.
The folks from We are: clamco came home from a trip to Alabama to find that Irene had left a mess for them to clean up in Coming home to the remnants of Irene.
Daniel Hodorawis at NEPArtisan had a message for us all from various politicians, preachers, and pundits: God Doesn’t Like You That’s Why There’s Natural Disasters.
Gary R. Ryman over at Fire Men expressed gratitude that, locally at least, Irene was not a replay of Agnes - and recounted a harrowing and amusing tale from that storm, nearly 40 years ago, in Not Deja Vu All Over Again....Luckily.
Frank Dutton grabbed some gorgeous photos of hurricane-swollen Roaring Brook (here, here, here, and here,) Nay Aug Falls, and Step Falls over at Frank's Place.
David DeCosmo at No News Is...Good News? laments the lack of local radio coverage of local emergencies in Good Night Irene, good night! and discusses the danger of driving out ahead of a hurricane in a car that for some reason is not equipped to receive cable TV news and weather updates in The Hurricane Hunter!
James Rising summarizes his personal damage - including the toll taken by being a McDonald's refugee - in his WEEKENDER Column: Goodnight Irene.
At Mark's Tech Tock Professor Mark Rutkowski talks about how New York City's power lines and other utilities stayed safe during Irene, and reflects upon our dependence on electricity and the problems that face those who have been without it since the storm.
Andy Palumbo filed some Hurricane Notes regarding what it was like being on duty and on the air as the storm hit.
Gort at Gort42 had a thing or two to say about Eric Cantor's parsimonious attitude towards dealing with natural disasters in Paying for Irene.
Holly at Woman Tribune issued an apology of sorts...to hurricanes: Trust Me Hurricanes, I Will Never Doubt Your Power Again.
Stephen Albert at Not Cease From Exploration had something to say to Critics of the hurricane Irene warnings.
John Cole put the hurricane in perspective as yet another piece of bad news for weary Americans.
Colin Devroe of cdevroe.com/blog gave us another view of Hurricane Irene.
Jill at Jilly beansTALK shared her plans for riding out the storm.
In Hurricane Irene and the National Guard, Coal Region Voice wondered if any state's National Guard had been deployed to assist with Hurricane Irene recovery - or if they were all occupied elsewhere.
Jenny Hill looks at the weather's point of view in the poem Seven Trees.
In the days leading up to the storm, JimboBillyBob of Posts From The Fringe seemed to be of two minds on the issue of whether or not to be concerned.
Mark at Circumlocution for Dummies expressed a lack of concern about Hurricane Irene in The Approaching Storm or: Bikeabout?, and related tales of inadvisable activities during past storms. Somewhat ominously, he has not posted since.
At Another Monkey, I took on those who have been dismissive of the seriousness of Hurricane Irene, especially those who seemed to have been hoping for a Katrina-level mass casualty event, in the unimaginatively named Irene, Goodnight.
As I mentioned earlier, Michelle at mhryvnak.net has not had anything to say on her blog about the storm yet, mainly because she has been without power at her house since the storm. I expect she will have a thing or two to say, particularly about the relative virtues of electricity providers PPL and UGI and the quality of their respective customer service, after she is fully back online.
******
If I missed your post on Hurricane Irene, please let me know and I'll be sure to include it in Part 2!
Friday, August 26, 2011
"I live in northeastern pennsylvania" + blog
That was the search I decided to try today. The phrase "i live in northeastern pennsylvania" plus the word "blog." It was a shot in the dark, but I thought it might yield some results. And it did.
Michelle Coulter has a blog on the Open Salon network which, as best I can tell, is called either "Fence Posts" or, more simply, "Michelle Coulter's Blog." I didn't discover her blog directly, but followed her back from a comment she left elsewhere that had the magic phrase in it. Judging by the content of the front page, it appears to be a poetry blog.
http://open.salon.com/blog/mcwriter
The second blog I found is called "Plank House Construction." From its "About Me" page:
Hello, my name is Dennis and I live in northeastern Pennsylvania. The reason I published this blog is one day I was going through a forum for a home repair website and I saw this question from a woman who has a plank house and was looking for information on how to go about remodeling it. Well. she got 3 or 4 replies and even had one from a contractor. A few tried to help but with a plank house, their suggestions were not very helpful. The contractor was not much help either. Most of the forums I go through the replies are to tear the house down and build a new house. For some people this might be a good idea, but then you have to think about all the other expenses such as having blueprints drawn up, all the new codes that must be followed. I own a plank house and have spent the last six years remodeling it. I went through all of the problems you can possibly have when remodeling a plank house. I have installed new electrical, new plumbing, new doors and windows, new heating system, leveled floors and ceilings, built new interior walls, new drywall, anything you can think of I did it to this house. The house is an 1870's Victorian house and I am about 90% finished. When I read in this forum about the problem this woman was having I had to reply to her and try and help her out. Needless to say she was thrilled with the information I supplied her. I have been working in carpentry since I graduated high school in the early 70's and about 75% of the homes I worked in were plank houses. They are very well built homes and with proper upkeep they will last a very long time. If anyone has questions or problems that I can help you with feel free to contact me.
I'm a little fuzzy on what a plank house is, and for all I know I may own one. Many of the houses in NEPA are very old, built with construction methods that may baffle modern contractors. A blog like this can be very helpful.
http://plank-house.blogspot.com/
Plank House Construction: Problems Encountered When Remodeling a Plank House
This next one...I'm not even sure if it counts as a blog. It's the Vimeo site for Matt Taylor, who identifies himself as living in New Milford and says "I live in northeastern pennsylvania. I like to make little videos." I don't know if a collection of apparently unconnected videos counts as a blog - but, what the heck, let's say that it does.
Matt Taylor's Vimeo page
http://vimeo.com/matttaylor
The final blog I'll list in this post is called cdevroe.com. Colin Devroe lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania - or at least did, back in 2005. Many of his recent posts are from the far-off territory known as the Lehigh Valley, which may or may not be part of Northeastern Pennsylvania, depending on who you ask. From a quick scan of the most recent posts, it seems like this is a "Life" blog as well as a Technology blog. Maybe even a Photo blog!
http://cdevroe.com/blog/
That's just four, all from the first page of results. Maybe I'll drill down into this some more in the future.
Michelle Coulter has a blog on the Open Salon network which, as best I can tell, is called either "Fence Posts" or, more simply, "Michelle Coulter's Blog." I didn't discover her blog directly, but followed her back from a comment she left elsewhere that had the magic phrase in it. Judging by the content of the front page, it appears to be a poetry blog.
http://open.salon.com/blog/mcwriter
The second blog I found is called "Plank House Construction." From its "About Me" page:
Hello, my name is Dennis and I live in northeastern Pennsylvania. The reason I published this blog is one day I was going through a forum for a home repair website and I saw this question from a woman who has a plank house and was looking for information on how to go about remodeling it. Well. she got 3 or 4 replies and even had one from a contractor. A few tried to help but with a plank house, their suggestions were not very helpful. The contractor was not much help either. Most of the forums I go through the replies are to tear the house down and build a new house. For some people this might be a good idea, but then you have to think about all the other expenses such as having blueprints drawn up, all the new codes that must be followed. I own a plank house and have spent the last six years remodeling it. I went through all of the problems you can possibly have when remodeling a plank house. I have installed new electrical, new plumbing, new doors and windows, new heating system, leveled floors and ceilings, built new interior walls, new drywall, anything you can think of I did it to this house. The house is an 1870's Victorian house and I am about 90% finished. When I read in this forum about the problem this woman was having I had to reply to her and try and help her out. Needless to say she was thrilled with the information I supplied her. I have been working in carpentry since I graduated high school in the early 70's and about 75% of the homes I worked in were plank houses. They are very well built homes and with proper upkeep they will last a very long time. If anyone has questions or problems that I can help you with feel free to contact me.
I'm a little fuzzy on what a plank house is, and for all I know I may own one. Many of the houses in NEPA are very old, built with construction methods that may baffle modern contractors. A blog like this can be very helpful.
http://plank-house.blogspot.com/
Plank House Construction: Problems Encountered When Remodeling a Plank House
This next one...I'm not even sure if it counts as a blog. It's the Vimeo site for Matt Taylor, who identifies himself as living in New Milford and says "I live in northeastern pennsylvania. I like to make little videos." I don't know if a collection of apparently unconnected videos counts as a blog - but, what the heck, let's say that it does.
Matt Taylor's Vimeo page
http://vimeo.com/matttaylor
The final blog I'll list in this post is called cdevroe.com. Colin Devroe lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania - or at least did, back in 2005. Many of his recent posts are from the far-off territory known as the Lehigh Valley, which may or may not be part of Northeastern Pennsylvania, depending on who you ask. From a quick scan of the most recent posts, it seems like this is a "Life" blog as well as a Technology blog. Maybe even a Photo blog!
http://cdevroe.com/blog/
That's just four, all from the first page of results. Maybe I'll drill down into this some more in the future.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
NEPA Blogosphere earthquake wrap-up
Unless you have been living in a closet for the last 48 hours, chances are that you've heard about (or felt) the 5.8-magnitude earthquake in VA which was felt all along the east coast, including right here in NEPA. Below is a small sampling about what our local bloggers had to say about the day's events.
David DeCosmo from No News Is...Good News? has a post titled "All Shook Up" in which he writes...
WNEP's A Pal wasn't frightened. This was his second earthquake experience. The first one happened while he was sitting in the WNEP newsroom several years ago.
--
Valley Scanner has Wilkes-Barre Earthquake Footage. Click here to see it.
--
Chuck Anziulewicz from PolishBear's World talks about experiencing his first earthquake ever.
--
Gort as an extensive earthquake wrap-up blog post here (to which I kind of borrowed the idea for this post) linking to other posts from his blogroll.
--
Mark over at Circumlocution for Dummies is not impressed with the the quake so much.
--
Jimbobbillybob of Posts from the Fringe discusses the earthquake, but compares it to the potential hurricane we may experience at the end of the week.
--
The Further Adventures of Heathcliff's nephew got an unpleasant surprise for his birthday which was on the same day that the quake happened.
*Shameless Self Promotion* Harold and I both briefly talked about the earthquake on our blogs here and here respectively.
--
In the end, I'm glad that everyone managed to stay safe and that there was no major damage in the area to report. I'm not so sure we will escape Irene's path this weekend though. Stay alert and tune in to your local news authority for more updates on that potential mess.
~M
David DeCosmo from No News Is...Good News? has a post titled "All Shook Up" in which he writes...
"At first I thought it was caused by some sort of heavy equipment driving by. Or maybe dynamite blasting at a nearby construction site. But, since we didn't hear anything we ruled that out.--
I mentioned "earthquake" then confirmed it by a
call to my former News Assignment Desk."
WNEP's A Pal wasn't frightened. This was his second earthquake experience. The first one happened while he was sitting in the WNEP newsroom several years ago.
--
Valley Scanner has Wilkes-Barre Earthquake Footage. Click here to see it.
--
Chuck Anziulewicz from PolishBear's World talks about experiencing his first earthquake ever.
--
Gort as an extensive earthquake wrap-up blog post here (to which I kind of borrowed the idea for this post) linking to other posts from his blogroll.
--
Mark over at Circumlocution for Dummies is not impressed with the the quake so much.
--
Jimbobbillybob of Posts from the Fringe discusses the earthquake, but compares it to the potential hurricane we may experience at the end of the week.
--
The Further Adventures of Heathcliff's nephew got an unpleasant surprise for his birthday which was on the same day that the quake happened.
"Amazingly it was also, for most people I know, our very first ever experience with an earthquake. Although it occurred somewhere over in Virginia, because it registered at 5.8 on the Richter scale it affected the entire eastern seaboard. I happened to have been looking at my Facebook account at the time so I was able to get reactions & comments from friends, relatives & former classmates & teachers of mine in many different parts of the country. When it first happened the woman sitting right next to me made a comment about how maybe it was from the truck that was passing by. We then realized, though, that that couldn't have been it because the building shook violently & it lasted for about ten seconds."--
*Shameless Self Promotion* Harold and I both briefly talked about the earthquake on our blogs here and here respectively.
--
In the end, I'm glad that everyone managed to stay safe and that there was no major damage in the area to report. I'm not so sure we will escape Irene's path this weekend though. Stay alert and tune in to your local news authority for more updates on that potential mess.
~M
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Almost Colossus
Almost Colossus
al·most (ôlmst, ôl-mst) adv. 1. Slightly short of; not quite; nearly.
co·los·sus (k-lss) n. 1. A huge statue. 2. Something likened to a huge statue, as in size or importance.
http://almostcolossus.blogspot.com/
Jamius Yost, of Kingston, is the newest personal blogger to be featured this week. Jamius is fairly new to the whole blogosphere. He just started this blog on July 12th. I was unable to locate a detailed about page, but I think his first blog entry sums up the blog's contents pretty well...
As always, if you'd like us to give your blog a mention, please leave a message in the comments or email us at nepablogs@blogspot.com. You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
~M
al·most (ôlmst, ôl-mst) adv. 1. Slightly short of; not quite; nearly.
co·los·sus (k-lss) n. 1. A huge statue. 2. Something likened to a huge statue, as in size or importance.
http://almostcolossus.blogspot.com/
Jamius Yost, of Kingston, is the newest personal blogger to be featured this week. Jamius is fairly new to the whole blogosphere. He just started this blog on July 12th. I was unable to locate a detailed about page, but I think his first blog entry sums up the blog's contents pretty well...
Manifest d'oh!
I'm not quite sure to what means I intend to reach in this, my own little bubble of introversion. Certainly I intend to utilize this space for my own creation: surely some sketches, hopefully complete works, poorly edited musings on music and other media, and most certainly in-cohesive ramblings on life and varied interests.
Ever the perfectionist, I intended on some grand unveiling, but as I sit here, hot, sloshy, and tired, I'm thinking, this is it. Honest. Bare bones.
So here it is. It's not pretty. I do plan on decorating.
As always, if you'd like us to give your blog a mention, please leave a message in the comments or email us at nepablogs@blogspot.com. You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
~M
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Is THIS Bliss?!
Occasionally, we will receive blog submissions from our NEPA Bloggers Facebook group. This would be one of those occasions. Our newly listed blogger, Lorina, is the author of the "Is THIS Bliss?!" blog
The URL is: http://www.isthisbliss.com
Lorina journals a lot about her journey to get into shape. "What's her secret?" you are probably asking (as am I). Here's the beauty of her blog: she willing shares with you all of the activities and exercising she does to maintain her healthy weight. I can tell you right now, homegirl has more will power than I do! This blog also has lots of photos and fun stuff to read about (such as her dog, lovingly named "Beavis").
From the About Page: "The purpose of this blog is to figure out just who I am right now. No, I don’t have amnesia. I know who I’ve been. I’ve been a daughter, a wife, a sister, an aunt, a geek, an artist (not quite starving, but I was quite skinny), a web developer, a web publisher, and a vet tech. I’m still some of those things, but I can’t quite pin down exactly what I am NOW."
Let's all give her a warm NEPA Blogs welcome!
Happy Tuesday :)
~M
The URL is: http://www.isthisbliss.com
Lorina journals a lot about her journey to get into shape. "What's her secret?" you are probably asking (as am I). Here's the beauty of her blog: she willing shares with you all of the activities and exercising she does to maintain her healthy weight. I can tell you right now, homegirl has more will power than I do! This blog also has lots of photos and fun stuff to read about (such as her dog, lovingly named "Beavis").
From the About Page: "The purpose of this blog is to figure out just who I am right now. No, I don’t have amnesia. I know who I’ve been. I’ve been a daughter, a wife, a sister, an aunt, a geek, an artist (not quite starving, but I was quite skinny), a web developer, a web publisher, and a vet tech. I’m still some of those things, but I can’t quite pin down exactly what I am NOW."
Let's all give her a warm NEPA Blogs welcome!
Happy Tuesday :)
~M
Monday, August 22, 2011
Amye Archer
Another twitter find! Amye Archer is a literary fiend from NEPA. Ironically, she's using almost the same exact theme/layout as Sara Tompkins (who we featured yesterday below).
Amye Archer
http://amyearcher.wordpress.com/
Amy also is associated with the Wilkes Write Life blog, which is located at http://wilkeswritelife.wordpress.com which is dedicated to the Creative Writing MA/MFA Program at the college.
Some random facts about Amye from her about page:
Amye Archer
http://amyearcher.wordpress.com/
Amy also is associated with the Wilkes Write Life blog, which is located at http://wilkeswritelife.wordpress.com which is dedicated to the Creative Writing MA/MFA Program at the college.
Some random facts about Amye from her about page:
- I earned my BA in English here. My MFA here.
- I teach at Keystone College, Marywood University, and on occasion, Penn State.
- I am the Reviews Editor for [PANK]
- I read and occasionally review for Hippocampus Magazine
- I worked in Television for a long time.
- I know how to decorate cakes and play some guitar.
- I am afraid of birds, bugs, heights, clusters, and being wrongfully imprisoned.
- I have read for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship, and the Norman Mailer High School and College Award
- I belong to the Mulberry Poets and Writer’s Group.
- I am the creator of Prose in Pubs, a Scranton reading series!
- I am a Libra.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Sara Tompkins' blog
While perusing Twitter, I came across a very witty blogger from NEPA that deserves a spot on our blog roll.
Sara Tompkins' blog
"The awkward (and fun) life of a twenty-some"
Sara Tompkins' blog
"The awkward (and fun) life of a twenty-some"
http://saratom.wordpress.com
I might add that the title in the header of the blog is absolutely priceless: "I'm at that weird point in my life where I divulge all my personal information and write about dating."
From the About Page:
I might add that the title in the header of the blog is absolutely priceless: "I'm at that weird point in my life where I divulge all my personal information and write about dating."
From the About Page:
The tagline says it all, my friends.
I’m 21, going on cat lady. Yeah, you read that correctly. I’m entirely sassy and sometime too dry for my own liking. I’m a Communications Art student with a concentration in Advertising/Public Relations. So I guess I can’t be all that boring.
Weird facts you probably don’t care about:
- I’m huge into indie music. I’m currently the programming director at my college’s station, VMFM 91.7.
- I love to eat food. Specifically anything that is terrible for my insides.
- I hate dating. Yes, this blog is dedicated to just that: I’m going to make myself like it. And you’re all going to read about it.
Friday, August 19, 2011
The Groove Music Life
A blog submitted via the NEPA Bloggers Facebook group:
The Groove Music Life
http://thegroovemusiclife.com/
From the "About" page:
The Groove Music Life is a total reboot of what once started out as Stuck In A Pagoda With Motoko Aoyama. It is wholly devoted to intelligent musical commentary on Japanese pop and Western punk rock, alternative, and independent music, placing both musical cultures on equal footing, as well as promoting the wider legal availability of Japanese pop and rock acts to Western and European music fans by way of a grass roots campaign to obtain live and retail access of these acts to the general public at large.
From the "About the Author" page:
CJ Marsicano is a writer and musician from the Northeastern Pennsylvania area. He has written about music and pop culture for such online publications as Scoops, The Bagpipe Report, and Project X, and conducted interviews with such noteworthy musicians as Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, The Stooges), Bif Naked, and Brendan Canty (Fugazi, Rites of Spring, Bob Mould). In addition to his music blog The Groove Music Life, he maintains worship blogs for Morning Musume vocalist Reina Tanaka (So Hot She Shits Fire) and SDN48/ex-AKB48 member Megumi Ohori (My Sweet Meetan, in collaboration with Christopher Knuody of Chuo Dori)
He is presently wrapping work on his first novel, Here Is The Wonderland, as well as a non-fiction project presently in the embryonic stage.
If you're from Northeastern Pennsylvania, live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, or blog about Northeastern Pennsylvania, we'd love to link your blog! Contact us through the NEPA Bloggers Facebook group, drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com, or leave a message in the comments!
The Groove Music Life
http://thegroovemusiclife.com/
From the "About" page:
The Groove Music Life is a total reboot of what once started out as Stuck In A Pagoda With Motoko Aoyama. It is wholly devoted to intelligent musical commentary on Japanese pop and Western punk rock, alternative, and independent music, placing both musical cultures on equal footing, as well as promoting the wider legal availability of Japanese pop and rock acts to Western and European music fans by way of a grass roots campaign to obtain live and retail access of these acts to the general public at large.
From the "About the Author" page:
CJ Marsicano is a writer and musician from the Northeastern Pennsylvania area. He has written about music and pop culture for such online publications as Scoops, The Bagpipe Report, and Project X, and conducted interviews with such noteworthy musicians as Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, The Stooges), Bif Naked, and Brendan Canty (Fugazi, Rites of Spring, Bob Mould). In addition to his music blog The Groove Music Life, he maintains worship blogs for Morning Musume vocalist Reina Tanaka (So Hot She Shits Fire) and SDN48/ex-AKB48 member Megumi Ohori (My Sweet Meetan, in collaboration with Christopher Knuody of Chuo Dori)
He is presently wrapping work on his first novel, Here Is The Wonderland, as well as a non-fiction project presently in the embryonic stage.
If you're from Northeastern Pennsylvania, live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, or blog about Northeastern Pennsylvania, we'd love to link your blog! Contact us through the NEPA Bloggers Facebook group, drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com, or leave a message in the comments!
Vote for NEPA Mom!
One NEPA's famous Mommy bloggers has been nominated for Parents Magazine 2011 Best Blog Awards. More specifically, for the "Gear and Toys" blog category.
NEPA Blogs would like to congratulate fellow blogger Megan Galko for receiving a nod from the magazine. In order for her to win this award, she needs votes! If you'd like to help her out, please click on the picture to the left to vote for her or click right here. You will need to create a Parents login if you don't have one already in order to vote. I was unable to tell how many times you can vote for the blog, but the button was grayed out after I clicked it.
Good luck, Megan!
~M
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Bulk Business Blog Bonanza
NEPA Blogs is now up to 189 followers on Twitter. Some of these followers do not have blogs at all and others have already been linked to from here. On Sunday, I did some extensive research (*ahem* blog stalking) on the rest of the followers and came up with an extensive list of blogs that are not in our directory. I now present to you the business blogger portion of the list:1. Miles of RV Smiles: http://milesofrvsmiles.com/
From the About Page: Fretz RV first opened as a small country hardware store in Sellersville, Pennsylvania. Since opening its doors in 1946, Fretz RV has built a reputation for quality products accompanied by an outstanding dedication towards complete customer satisfaction. Fretz RV has grown into a proud and caring family business, who to this day remains as loyal to its customers as the day they opened for business. Fretz RV provides the customer with reliable service and high quality products from manufacturers that share the same desire for customer care and satisfaction as Fretz RV does. They stand behind all the products they sell and always consider the value of the product or service the customer is receiving. If you are looking for an RV in PA, NJ, NY, or DE, please consider Fretz RV. We ship RVs ANYWHERE in the WORLD!
2. Yellow Cat Creative Solutions: http://yellowcatcs.com/blog
From the About Page: A Little Bit About Yellow Cat Creative Solutions.3. Brook Valley Farm PA: http://brookvalleyfarmpa.blogspot.com/
“Out of limitations comes creativity.” – Debbie Allen
Yellow Cat Creative Solutions aims to provide creative solutions services to large corporate entities, while catering to the needs of America’s backbone – the small business. We were founded on two foundations – we are good at what we do, and we enjoy doing it.
Located in Carbondale PA, Brookvalley Farm is a family-owned and operated horse drawn vehicle service. They also offer pony rides for all occassions. Laura & Steve (owners) maintain this blog. As they put it "You can come to us of we'll come to you."Are you a local business that started blogging recently? Shoot us an email at nepablogs@gmail.com And if you are already on twitter, make sure you follow us to get updates about our blog!
~M
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Mark's Tech Tock
A blog about technology and its relationship to society, from a professor at LCCC in Nanticoke.
Mark's Tech Tock
http://www.markstechtock.com/
It's probably best to just quote from the "About" page for this blog:
Tech Tock is written by Mark Rutkowski, Professor of Technology and Coordinator of Innovative Technology at Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke, PA, USA. The intent is to make students and others aware of current issues in technology and the relationship of technology to society.
...
Mr Rutkowski is a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania. He has a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Administration. At Luzerne County Community College, Mr Rutkowski developed new academic programs in Nanotechnology, Cyber Security (inc computer forensics), and Sustainable Energy.
Fascinating stuff. Take a look - and as Bill Cosby used to say, if you're not careful, you might learn a thing or two!
Mark's Tech Tock
http://www.markstechtock.com/
It's probably best to just quote from the "About" page for this blog:
Tech Tock is written by Mark Rutkowski, Professor of Technology and Coordinator of Innovative Technology at Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke, PA, USA. The intent is to make students and others aware of current issues in technology and the relationship of technology to society.
...
Mr Rutkowski is a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania. He has a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Administration. At Luzerne County Community College, Mr Rutkowski developed new academic programs in Nanotechnology, Cyber Security (inc computer forensics), and Sustainable Energy.
Fascinating stuff. Take a look - and as Bill Cosby used to say, if you're not careful, you might learn a thing or two!
Monday, August 15, 2011
The Scrantonite
Happy Monday everyone!
Did I sound cheery enough? I was faking it....
Everyone loves some good eye candy, so this morning I present to you "The Scrantonite" photo blog at http://www.scrantonite.com/
Peter Kamali authors this blog along with the following other blogs: beaniac.com | illrobot.com | microurban.org | techbean.org
Grab another cup of joe and the explore the city that made NBC's "The Office" TV show famous.
~M
Did I sound cheery enough? I was faking it....
Everyone loves some good eye candy, so this morning I present to you "The Scrantonite" photo blog at http://www.scrantonite.com/
Peter Kamali authors this blog along with the following other blogs: beaniac.com | illrobot.com | microurban.org | techbean.org
Grab another cup of joe and the explore the city that made NBC's "The Office" TV show famous.
~M
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Ice Cream Journal
What the french vanilla? How have we missed the Turkey Hill ice cream blog in our listings to date?
http://icecreamjournal.turkeyhill.com/
Turkey Hill's "Ice Cream Journal" has the inside scoop (get it?) about ice cream and the Turkey Hill Dairy. Who knew that there was so much to talk about regarding dairy products? Turkey Hill has an expert on the blog ("Ernie") that will answer any technical questions you may have about ice cream. You can also suggest new flavors or inquire about discontinued ones. They have an extensive Social Media platform and can be contacted on Facebook or Twitter. BTW, Each week they run a Twitter Trivia contest in which the winner receives coupons for their products. I won the contest once and received coupons for free ice tea and ice cream. And hey, who can beat free anything?
But don't take my word for it...from the blog's welcome message:
Yum! Be sure to enjoy a big indulgent scoop of this blog on us.
~M
http://icecreamjournal.turkeyhill.com/
Turkey Hill's "Ice Cream Journal" has the inside scoop (get it?) about ice cream and the Turkey Hill Dairy. Who knew that there was so much to talk about regarding dairy products? Turkey Hill has an expert on the blog ("Ernie") that will answer any technical questions you may have about ice cream. You can also suggest new flavors or inquire about discontinued ones. They have an extensive Social Media platform and can be contacted on Facebook or Twitter. BTW, Each week they run a Twitter Trivia contest in which the winner receives coupons for their products. I won the contest once and received coupons for free ice tea and ice cream. And hey, who can beat free anything?
But don't take my word for it...from the blog's welcome message:
Yum! Be sure to enjoy a big indulgent scoop of this blog on us.
~M
Twitter/Mailbag Submission
Thomas Proctor of Clarks Summit replied to one of my recent twitter updates and said "I'm from Tunkhannock unfortunately my blog is from Clarks Summit. Guess I failed! :)"
Wrong.
I responded to him and encouraged him to send along his links to us and we would include them on the site. Shortly after that, we received the following email:
Enjoy!
~M
Wrong.
I responded to him and encouraged him to send along his links to us and we would include them on the site. Shortly after that, we received the following email:
"I have two blogs The Outdoors Experiment at oeoutdoors.com and Totally Random By tom at mylifeastom.blogspot.com. I will make sure to put a link for you on oeoutdoors. Thanks for your service.Be sure to check them out! The Outdoor Experiment blog features a wide variety of outdoor activities, events and product reviews. The "My Life As Tom" blog is more of a personal blog about his life and ideas.
Tom"
Enjoy!
~M
Saturday, August 13, 2011
We Are: clamco
The "We Are: Clamco" blog was a discovery of DB Echo when they corrected an "oopsie" in one of his most recent blog posts.
What exactly is clamco? Good question. After doing a bit of reading on their blog, I discovered that the blog is that of a tightly knit family living in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Acronym "Clamco" stands for (C)hris (L)orraine (A)nd (M)egan (Co)mpany (i. e. the members of the family).
From the Author's mouth:
I mainly write about Ebay stuff, my running (if you can call it that), my family's travels and experiences, our pets, etc. I try and keep it light and upbeat. "Be positive" is my motto (as well as my blood type!)
You can check it out here: http://clamco.blogspot.com/
Family blogging is such a great idea. I wonder how many other of these types of blogs exist in NEPA? If you know of any, please let us know in the comments or via email at nepablogs@gmail.com.
~M
What exactly is clamco? Good question. After doing a bit of reading on their blog, I discovered that the blog is that of a tightly knit family living in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Acronym "Clamco" stands for (C)hris (L)orraine (A)nd (M)egan (Co)mpany (i. e. the members of the family).
From the Author's mouth:
I mainly write about Ebay stuff, my running (if you can call it that), my family's travels and experiences, our pets, etc. I try and keep it light and upbeat. "Be positive" is my motto (as well as my blood type!)
You can check it out here: http://clamco.blogspot.com/
Family blogging is such a great idea. I wonder how many other of these types of blogs exist in NEPA? If you know of any, please let us know in the comments or via email at nepablogs@gmail.com.
~M
Google Plus anyone?
Is anyone else on Google+?
For those of you that don't know, Google Plus (or Google+) is Google's new social media platform. It is very similar to Facebook. If you already have a Google account it is a breeze to setup. You can read more about it here.
When I was invited to Google Plus about a month ago, I also received some Google Plus invites as well. I invited the NEPA Blogs email address and setup a Google+ account for it. Is anyone else on there? Please add us! We only have 4 people in our circle, two of which being myself and DB.
Here's the link: http://gplus.to/nepablogs
**Don't forget we are also on Facebook and Twitter as well. Please connect with us!
~M
Bucktown Bargains
From the Mailbag:
For those of us on a Shoestring budget these days, this blog is a great resource for coupons and deals. You can find all sorts of freebies and coupons for everything and anything imaginable. I invite you to check it out.
Also, you can check out Jenna Urban's blog posts at Go Lackawanna here:
http://www.golackawanna.com/blogs
Both are now linked from the side bar.
Enjoy your weekend NEPA!
~M
Hello,
I just came across your site and was wondering how I can be added to it. I am a local coupon/deal blogger who runs a national blog with over 1000 page views a day. I also write for Go Lackawanna and blog for them as well.
Thanks,
Jenna Urban
www.bucktownbargains.com
For those of us on a Shoestring budget these days, this blog is a great resource for coupons and deals. You can find all sorts of freebies and coupons for everything and anything imaginable. I invite you to check it out.
Also, you can check out Jenna Urban's blog posts at Go Lackawanna here:
http://www.golackawanna.com/blogs
Both are now linked from the side bar.
Enjoy your weekend NEPA!
~M
Friday, August 12, 2011
Larry Hohol - Judicial Corruption Blog
Larry Hohol, author of "The Luzerne County Railroad" - a book that is not about locomotive-based transportation systems, but rather about getting railroaded by the corrupt judicial system in Luzerne County - has a blog that is timely and relevant as Mark Ciavarella, the main figure in the "Kids For Cash" judicial corruption scandal, is finally sentenced for his crimes - at least, those crimes for which he was convicted.
Larry Hohol - Judicial Corruption Blog
http://www.theluzernecountyrailroad.com/larrys-blog.php
Northeastern Pennsylvania has a well-known and well-deserved reputation for corruption and criminality. It's not nice, it's not pretty, but it's not something that's going to go away by pretending it's not there. Perhaps in the short term, rooting out the corruption will give NEPA an even worse image. But maybe, with enough effort and enough support from law enforcement agencies at the highest levels, NEPA will be able to excise the corruption that has choked it and held it back for so much of its history, and will finally live up to its full potential.
Larry Hohol - Judicial Corruption Blog
http://www.theluzernecountyrailroad.com/larrys-blog.php
Northeastern Pennsylvania has a well-known and well-deserved reputation for corruption and criminality. It's not nice, it's not pretty, but it's not something that's going to go away by pretending it's not there. Perhaps in the short term, rooting out the corruption will give NEPA an even worse image. But maybe, with enough effort and enough support from law enforcement agencies at the highest levels, NEPA will be able to excise the corruption that has choked it and held it back for so much of its history, and will finally live up to its full potential.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
La Cascina: The blog of Old Tioga Farm
Another one from the mailbag! In this case, Nicole from Springhouse Woodshop and "Here and Now...and Then" suggested to her friend that she submit her blog to be listed on NEPA Blogs:
My husband Justin and I run a small, seasonal restaurant called Old Tioga Farm in rural Luzerne County (http://www.oldtiogafarm.com/). Our blog is La Cascina (The Farmhouse) at http://www.oldtiogafarm.wordpress.com/. We've been operating for 4 years.
Fantastic! Here it is:
La Cascina
http://oldtiogafarm.wordpress.com/
This is quite clearly a treasure in Luzerne County - my own back yard - about which I knew nothing! How many other such treasures are waiting out there? And how many of them have blogs? Nicole, thanks for letting your friend know about us!
If you or your friend is a blogger in Northeastern Pennsylvania, originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania, or just blog about Northeastern Pennsylvania, please let us know - or ask them to contact us!
My husband Justin and I run a small, seasonal restaurant called Old Tioga Farm in rural Luzerne County (http://www.oldtiogafarm.com/). Our blog is La Cascina (The Farmhouse) at http://www.oldtiogafarm.wordpress.com/. We've been operating for 4 years.
Fantastic! Here it is:
La Cascina
http://oldtiogafarm.wordpress.com/
This is quite clearly a treasure in Luzerne County - my own back yard - about which I knew nothing! How many other such treasures are waiting out there? And how many of them have blogs? Nicole, thanks for letting your friend know about us!
If you or your friend is a blogger in Northeastern Pennsylvania, originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania, or just blog about Northeastern Pennsylvania, please let us know - or ask them to contact us!
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
SPCA of Luzerne County
SPCA of Luzerne County
http://spcaluzerne.blogspot.com/
The day to day updates about the SPCA of Luzerne County, located in Wilkes Barre PA.
What more is there to say? It's a blog for the SPCA of Luzerne County! Go and take a look for updates, upcoming events, and photos from past events!
http://spcaluzerne.blogspot.com/
The day to day updates about the SPCA of Luzerne County, located in Wilkes Barre PA.
What more is there to say? It's a blog for the SPCA of Luzerne County! Go and take a look for updates, upcoming events, and photos from past events!
Saturday, August 06, 2011
Pittston Politics, LuLac Politcal Letter among best PA political blogs
This is news from June, but it just popped up on the feed from Joe Valenti's Pittston Politics (which finally has a working feed, after languishing at the bottom of the right sidebar for several years! Granted, the title being supplied by the feed was "Front Page News:", but I've corrected that.)
Pittston Politics: Local blogs chosen top in the state
The blogs in question are Joe Valenti's Pittston Politics and Dave Yonki's LuLac Political Letter, and the choices were made by the site PoliticsPA.com on the post PA's Best Political Blogs. PoliticsPA declared the LuLac Political Letter "Best Blog by Region" for NEPA1, while Pittston Politics is listed as one of the "Best Local Blogs."
Congratulations to these political bloggers on this recognition!
Remember, there are a whole lot of other things to blog about than just politics! If you have a blog, whether it's political or not, and you're from NEPA, in NEPA, or just blogging about NEPA, we'd like to link you! Contact us at nepablogs@gmail.com .
1. PolitcsPA lists the "Regions" as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, NEPA, Lehigh Valley, and Northwest PA. Seems to me that there's a whole central third (or more) of the state that's absent here, including - oddly - Harrisburg. (State College, too!)
Pittston Politics: Local blogs chosen top in the state
The blogs in question are Joe Valenti's Pittston Politics and Dave Yonki's LuLac Political Letter, and the choices were made by the site PoliticsPA.com on the post PA's Best Political Blogs. PoliticsPA declared the LuLac Political Letter "Best Blog by Region" for NEPA1, while Pittston Politics is listed as one of the "Best Local Blogs."
Congratulations to these political bloggers on this recognition!
Remember, there are a whole lot of other things to blog about than just politics! If you have a blog, whether it's political or not, and you're from NEPA, in NEPA, or just blogging about NEPA, we'd like to link you! Contact us at nepablogs@gmail.com .
1. PolitcsPA lists the "Regions" as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, NEPA, Lehigh Valley, and Northwest PA. Seems to me that there's a whole central third (or more) of the state that's absent here, including - oddly - Harrisburg. (State College, too!)
Friday, August 05, 2011
Fashion Vandals
From the nepablogs@gmail.com mail bag:
Hi,
If possible, I would like to have my blog included on your NEPA blog site. I'm a blogger who lives in Kingston, and my blog is http://www.fashionvandals.com/. It's a blog all about alternative fashion and designers, and alternative models. Thank you very much.
- Riss Vandal
Here it is:
Fashion Vandals
http://fashionvandals.com/
From the "About Riss Vandal":
Riss Vandal has always been drawn to designers, brands, and models that stand apart from the mainstream. She’s a staff writer for Gothic Beauty Magazine , the woman behind Strange Days jewelry, and cohost of The Phillips Family Fun Time radio show. Often in the midst of a fashion identity crisis, on any given day Riss is likely torn between goth, punk, neo-Victorian, and over-the-top glam styles.
Go and check out Fashion Vandals, and Riss Vandal's other very cool sites!
If you know of any sites that should be added to NEPA Blogs, be sure to drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com . And don't forget about the NEPA Bloggers group on Facebook!
Hi,
If possible, I would like to have my blog included on your NEPA blog site. I'm a blogger who lives in Kingston, and my blog is http://www.fashionvandals.com/. It's a blog all about alternative fashion and designers, and alternative models. Thank you very much.
- Riss Vandal
Here it is:
Fashion Vandals
http://fashionvandals.com/
From the "About Riss Vandal":
Riss Vandal has always been drawn to designers, brands, and models that stand apart from the mainstream. She’s a staff writer for Gothic Beauty Magazine , the woman behind Strange Days jewelry, and cohost of The Phillips Family Fun Time radio show. Often in the midst of a fashion identity crisis, on any given day Riss is likely torn between goth, punk, neo-Victorian, and over-the-top glam styles.
Go and check out Fashion Vandals, and Riss Vandal's other very cool sites!
If you know of any sites that should be added to NEPA Blogs, be sure to drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com . And don't forget about the NEPA Bloggers group on Facebook!
Thursday, August 04, 2011
Lisa Ceaser Photography
Here's a blog that I've struggled with for a while - I've had it in reserve, but I was having a hard time verifying that this was actually by someone from Northeastern Pennsylvania. I was about to send her a query by email when I recognized her address: she is a blogger we actually have listed already with another blog, the name of which I need to change.
(Odd story: I actually "met" this blogger a few years ago through the blog site of a once-prolific blogger in Michigan whose blog we both read and commented on regularly. I followed back the link on one of her comments to her blog, and that's where things started.)
Lisa Ceaser Photography
http://www.lisaceaserphotography.com/
From her "About":
Do you like pretty pictures? Me, too!
And I want to share my eye for pretty pictures with you. I want to make you see, feel, experience all that is beautiful in this world. And I want to capture special memories and moments in time and preserve them for you for an eternity.
My style has been called "photojournalistic". I don't try to make you sit, stand, smile in positions that are uncomfortable, unnatural or just overdone. I shoot your family/event/wedding as it happens, with an eye for details that tell the story from the heart. Yes, we will do the traditional bridal party shots, the grandparents, the bride and groom. But when you choose me for your wedding/portraits/event, you get much more and at an affordable price.
If you're a blogger based in Northeastern Pennsylvania, or are from Northeastern Pennsylvania, or blog about Northeastern Pennsylvania, or know someone who falls into any of these categories, please drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com and we'll be happy to list you - or them!
(Odd story: I actually "met" this blogger a few years ago through the blog site of a once-prolific blogger in Michigan whose blog we both read and commented on regularly. I followed back the link on one of her comments to her blog, and that's where things started.)
Lisa Ceaser Photography
http://www.lisaceaserphotography.com/
From her "About":
Do you like pretty pictures? Me, too!
And I want to share my eye for pretty pictures with you. I want to make you see, feel, experience all that is beautiful in this world. And I want to capture special memories and moments in time and preserve them for you for an eternity.
My style has been called "photojournalistic". I don't try to make you sit, stand, smile in positions that are uncomfortable, unnatural or just overdone. I shoot your family/event/wedding as it happens, with an eye for details that tell the story from the heart. Yes, we will do the traditional bridal party shots, the grandparents, the bride and groom. But when you choose me for your wedding/portraits/event, you get much more and at an affordable price.
If you're a blogger based in Northeastern Pennsylvania, or are from Northeastern Pennsylvania, or blog about Northeastern Pennsylvania, or know someone who falls into any of these categories, please drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com and we'll be happy to list you - or them!
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Jenny Hill
This is a blog which, like Jeanne Moran's, was culled from the list of the Top 50 NetworkedBlogs in Scranton. Unlike Jeanne Moran's, there wasn't anything top-level obvious that screamed "Northeastern Pennsylvania," even in the Profile. But a little poking around revealed some clues: there's a link to Clockface and Plate, "Real Life Reviews" of restaurants - many of which are for places in NEPA. Under "Where I Work" she lists Paper Kite Press in Kingston. Finally, she has a section for "Radio Interviews on WVIA - PBS," NEPA's public broadcasting network. So, we can safely draw the conclusion that Jenny Hill is based in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Here is her blog:
Jenny Hill
http://jenniferdunnhill.blogspot.com/
It's hard to describe what you'll find on this blog. It might help to simply look at Jenny Hill's profile:
Jenny Hill
Gender: Female
Industry: Arts
Occupation: Poet, Book Wench, Hoop Fitness Instructor
Interests: Poetry typewriters coffee hooping dance toy piano peppermint patties jars of buttons small towns people like you.
That should give you some idea of what you're in for. Stop by and give this fascinating blog a read!
Here is her blog:
Jenny Hill
http://jenniferdunnhill.blogspot.com/
It's hard to describe what you'll find on this blog. It might help to simply look at Jenny Hill's profile:
Jenny Hill
Gender: Female
Industry: Arts
Occupation: Poet, Book Wench, Hoop Fitness Instructor
Interests: Poetry typewriters coffee hooping dance toy piano peppermint patties jars of buttons small towns people like you.
That should give you some idea of what you're in for. Stop by and give this fascinating blog a read!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
NEPA Blogs interview to air tonight!
Harold Jenkins and Michelle Davies, two of the administrators / contributors to NEPA Blogs, can be heard in a radio interview at 7:55 tonight (Eastern time) with Jessica Durkin on WFTE - 105.7 in Scranton, 90.3 in the Poconos, and online at http://wfte.org/. "Listen Live!" options are available on the right sidebar of the WFTE site.
Listen to hear the shocking truth behind the origin of NEPA Blogs, the secret to getting your blog noticed once it's listed, and why blogging about kittens might just earn you an arch-nemesis!
Listen to hear the shocking truth behind the origin of NEPA Blogs, the secret to getting your blog noticed once it's listed, and why blogging about kittens might just earn you an arch-nemesis!
Friday, July 29, 2011
A blog from Tunkhannock: Jeanne Moran
http://jeannemoran.blogspot.com/
One woman's efforts to listen to her muse, write what it tells her, and get it in print.
This blog probably falls into the category of "Life" blogs (and I think I'll start using labels like that to help categorize the blogs we're listing), though it is also a "Writing" blog in that it documents work on a book in progress. The last post as of this writing was on June 8, 2011, when she mentioned that she was going on a two-week tour of Europe. Let's hope she starts blogging again soon - maybe with a report on that trip!
One woman's efforts to listen to her muse, write what it tells her, and get it in print.
This blog probably falls into the category of "Life" blogs (and I think I'll start using labels like that to help categorize the blogs we're listing), though it is also a "Writing" blog in that it documents work on a book in progress. The last post as of this writing was on June 8, 2011, when she mentioned that she was going on a two-week tour of Europe. Let's hope she starts blogging again soon - maybe with a report on that trip!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
How we look for blogs
One of the difficulties with finding blogs in Northeastern Pennsylvania is...well, actually finding them. I've had some luck with the Blogger "Location" feature, which will let me see the profiles of bloggers with Blogspot blogs who have identified their location as, say, Scranton or Wilkes-Barre or Towanda or Tunkhannock. I can then look at these profiles and see if these people actually have blogs, and if their blogs are active, and if their blogs are worth linking to. Or I can do a "brute force" search, Googling terms like "NEPA blogger" (that one gets a lot of hits from Nepal and Nigeria, where the electricity is provided by an outfit called NEPA) or "Wilkes-Barre blog" or terms like that.
I think I was doing a brute force search for "Scranton blogs" when I came across this site:
Top 50 Blogs in Scranton, PA - NetworkedBlogs.com
I've heard of Networked Blogs before, though I don't know anything about them. All of these blogs must be linked to Networked Blogs in some way. Each one lists how many followers it has, and then how many followers from Scranton it has. So while Mashable.com has nine followers in Scranton, that doesn't mean much considering that it has 89,290 followers total. But I did notice that for some of these blogs, a larger percentage of followers are from Scranton: For example, VeganSweetiePie also has nine followers from Scranton, but this is out of a global total of thirteen. So it seems likely that VeganSweetiePie is a blogger from somewhere in or near Scranton, or has a strong Scranton connection.
So now we go to this site:
VeganSweetiePie
http://vegansweetiepie.blogspot.com/
Poking around a bit, I see she makes a reference to ECTV - Electric City TV out of Scranton. So far so good. I also see that she hasn't posted since - ummm, 2.18.2010, which, assuming we're not in a European country where they have eighteen months, translates into February of last year. Is this a dead blog?
Moving to her profile, I see she's listed her Location as NEPA. That's good. But she doesn't list any other blogs, so I have no idea what she's been up to for the past seventeen months.
Let's see. Her video on Vimeo identifies her as Heather M. Davis (assuming that the person in the video and the person in the profile pic are the same person.) Clicking through on her name link takes you to this page, which doesn't tell you much more other than the fact that she "liked" something 30 days ago. The link from her Vimeo page to her MySpace page is to a page that hasn't been updated in over two years.
And that's where the trail gets cold. There are lots of Heather Davises on Facebook, and fewer Heather M. Davises. Googling her name plus "vegan" returns some promising results. But, all in all, it looks like this is a NEPA blogger who has stopped blogging.
So I'll file this away. Maybe someday I'll post it to NEPA Blogs, along with a few other interesting but apparently dead blogs that I have recently found. There are plenty of other blogs on the Networked Blogs Top 50 Blogs in Scranton, PA that need investigating. And then I have to start poking around on Networked Blogs to see if I can get results for places other than Scranton.
I think I was doing a brute force search for "Scranton blogs" when I came across this site:
Top 50 Blogs in Scranton, PA - NetworkedBlogs.com
I've heard of Networked Blogs before, though I don't know anything about them. All of these blogs must be linked to Networked Blogs in some way. Each one lists how many followers it has, and then how many followers from Scranton it has. So while Mashable.com has nine followers in Scranton, that doesn't mean much considering that it has 89,290 followers total. But I did notice that for some of these blogs, a larger percentage of followers are from Scranton: For example, VeganSweetiePie also has nine followers from Scranton, but this is out of a global total of thirteen. So it seems likely that VeganSweetiePie is a blogger from somewhere in or near Scranton, or has a strong Scranton connection.
So now we go to this site:
VeganSweetiePie
http://vegansweetiepie.blogspot.com/
Poking around a bit, I see she makes a reference to ECTV - Electric City TV out of Scranton. So far so good. I also see that she hasn't posted since - ummm, 2.18.2010, which, assuming we're not in a European country where they have eighteen months, translates into February of last year. Is this a dead blog?
Moving to her profile, I see she's listed her Location as NEPA. That's good. But she doesn't list any other blogs, so I have no idea what she's been up to for the past seventeen months.
Let's see. Her video on Vimeo identifies her as Heather M. Davis (assuming that the person in the video and the person in the profile pic are the same person.) Clicking through on her name link takes you to this page, which doesn't tell you much more other than the fact that she "liked" something 30 days ago. The link from her Vimeo page to her MySpace page is to a page that hasn't been updated in over two years.
And that's where the trail gets cold. There are lots of Heather Davises on Facebook, and fewer Heather M. Davises. Googling her name plus "vegan" returns some promising results. But, all in all, it looks like this is a NEPA blogger who has stopped blogging.
So I'll file this away. Maybe someday I'll post it to NEPA Blogs, along with a few other interesting but apparently dead blogs that I have recently found. There are plenty of other blogs on the Networked Blogs Top 50 Blogs in Scranton, PA that need investigating. And then I have to start poking around on Networked Blogs to see if I can get results for places other than Scranton.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
InOtherNews.us
InOtherNews.us
Online news and information beyond legacy media
http://inothernews.us/
NEPA blogger Jessica Durkin's blog addresses a global question: Where do you get your news in a world where traditional news media is rapidly collapsing on itself?
From the About page:
Where do you get your news?
InOtherNews is a compilation of online, independent journalistic start-ups in the wake of legacy media layoffs and industry shrinkage.
E-mail me links to new news endeavors at jessdrkn@gmail.com. The (loose) criteria are that the sites serve as a “replacement” or supplemental news source in areas where the local newspaper or broadcast companies are dropping coverage. The scope can be local, state or national and be niche or broad-focussed — it just needs to be a journalistic endeavor with a newsgathering mission and not part of a corporate media site. However, no hate-speech sites please, such as a community site that serves only to bash a certain group or political figure or to spread unverified/false information.
Me: http://jessdrkn.wordpress.com/about-2/
Jessica's blog looks at independent journalistic endeavors from all over the country. Visit her site to see how people are dealing with the evolution of news media - and the loss of traditional news outlets.
Online news and information beyond legacy media
http://inothernews.us/
NEPA blogger Jessica Durkin's blog addresses a global question: Where do you get your news in a world where traditional news media is rapidly collapsing on itself?
From the About page:
Where do you get your news?
InOtherNews is a compilation of online, independent journalistic start-ups in the wake of legacy media layoffs and industry shrinkage.
E-mail me links to new news endeavors at jessdrkn@gmail.com. The (loose) criteria are that the sites serve as a “replacement” or supplemental news source in areas where the local newspaper or broadcast companies are dropping coverage. The scope can be local, state or national and be niche or broad-focussed — it just needs to be a journalistic endeavor with a newsgathering mission and not part of a corporate media site. However, no hate-speech sites please, such as a community site that serves only to bash a certain group or political figure or to spread unverified/false information.
Me: http://jessdrkn.wordpress.com/about-2/
Jessica's blog looks at independent journalistic endeavors from all over the country. Visit her site to see how people are dealing with the evolution of news media - and the loss of traditional news outlets.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Two from firefighter and author Gary R. Ryman
Here's a blog written by Gary R. Ryman, a firefighter from Northeastern Pennsylvania.
http://www.garyryman.blogspot.com/
I'm a father, husband, engineer, freelance writer, history student, and fire fighter, and the author of Fire Men: Stories From Three Generations of a Firefighting Family. http://www.fire-men-book.com/
If you follow that link, you will go to this site:
http://fire-men-book.blogspot.com/
This site is primarily about the book; however, it duplicates some (but not all) of the posts from the Keep 200 Feet Back site. This site also includes additional background information:
Having served over thirty years in fire departments across three states, Gary R. Ryman brings a unique perspective to the firefighting experience. The son and father of firefighters, Ryman ignites the fire, smoke, blood and fear spanning three generations of the "family business." He recounts his early days in upstate New York learning from his father, the department fire chief. He describes the blazes he battled with a career and volunteer crew in the crowded suburbs of Washington, D.C. He examines the mentoring relationship established with his son as they respond to the calls of a volunteer department in rural Pennsylvania. Overall, Ryman shares both the personal and professional turning points that define a firefighting career.
Check out these two blogs!
http://www.garyryman.blogspot.com/
I'm a father, husband, engineer, freelance writer, history student, and fire fighter, and the author of Fire Men: Stories From Three Generations of a Firefighting Family. http://www.fire-men-book.com/
If you follow that link, you will go to this site:
http://fire-men-book.blogspot.com/
This site is primarily about the book; however, it duplicates some (but not all) of the posts from the Keep 200 Feet Back site. This site also includes additional background information:
Having served over thirty years in fire departments across three states, Gary R. Ryman brings a unique perspective to the firefighting experience. The son and father of firefighters, Ryman ignites the fire, smoke, blood and fear spanning three generations of the "family business." He recounts his early days in upstate New York learning from his father, the department fire chief. He describes the blazes he battled with a career and volunteer crew in the crowded suburbs of Washington, D.C. He examines the mentoring relationship established with his son as they respond to the calls of a volunteer department in rural Pennsylvania. Overall, Ryman shares both the personal and professional turning points that define a firefighting career.
Check out these two blogs!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Honesdale Online Blog
Far to the northeastern part of Northeastern Pennsylvania is the borough of Honesdale: setting for the thriller The Long Kiss Goodnight, location for the filming of Wet Hot American Summer, and...well...I'll let you find out for yourself.
Not only does this blog provide information about what's going on in Honesdale, it also provides essential links to other Honesdale sites. It's your central source for everything about Honesdale!
"It's What's Happening in Honesdale"
Not only does this blog provide information about what's going on in Honesdale, it also provides essential links to other Honesdale sites. It's your central source for everything about Honesdale!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Three from Tumblr
I'll admit it: I'm one of those people who don't "get" Tumblr. Some of the Tumblr blogs I've seen are indistinguishable from blogs hosted on other platforms. Some are just endless streams of disjointed photos, reposted by and from hundreds of other Tumblr users. And some are something in-between, a photo-heavy version of a blog.
I came across this while reviewing the NEPA Blogs SiteMeter "Recent Visits by Referrals:"
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/nepa
OK, that could be interesting. I followed through and found...a picture from Nepal, three from koreanphotoshoots, and a bunch of other things that, as far as I could tell, had nothing to do with Northeastern Pennsylvania. But then I spotted a few that clearly did.
http://curtainsarent.tumblr.com/
Described (in text I can't copy and paste) as "Daily musings of a husband, father of two, full time civil servant, thinker, opinionator, and starter."
I came across this while reviewing the NEPA Blogs SiteMeter "Recent Visits by Referrals:"
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/nepa
OK, that could be interesting. I followed through and found...a picture from Nepal, three from koreanphotoshoots, and a bunch of other things that, as far as I could tell, had nothing to do with Northeastern Pennsylvania. But then I spotted a few that clearly did.
http://curtainsarent.tumblr.com/
Described (in text I can't copy and paste) as "Daily musings of a husband, father of two, full time civil servant, thinker, opinionator, and starter."
A photo blog, with plenty of evidence to indicate the blogger has a connection to NEPA.
A photo blog of Scranton. The photos on the front page (at least) were made using the Instagram app for the iPhone, making them appear to be snapshot photos from the 1970's.
That's just three. Rooting around on Tumblr for photos tagged with "nepa" will probably reveal more. Some other day.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Posts From The Fringe
I came across this blog in an odd way. I spotted a hit on my personal blog coming from a blog I had never seen before. It took a few minutes to figure out that this blog is written by someone I have met several times - one of the least fringy people I know!
This blog has been sitting out here utterly unused since I first created it back in 2008. I suppose you could say I've just been waiting for the right chain of events to get me to that first post.
This past week was the last link in that long chain. I find myself at yet another turning point in my life. At 53, I'm looking at a career change later this year. I've been an over-achiever the last sixteen years of my life. It's time to see if that will bear any fruit.
Scared? Sure. It's the worst economy since the Great Depression. People far smarter and with much more education than me have been unable to find decent work after losing a job. But my attitude is that this is perhaps the last chance to re-invent myself. I'll be 54 when the page turns and I start over. It's one last chance to do what I want to do with my life.
And that's where I'll leave this brief first post... on a note of optimism and hope.
God Bless from Fringeville, America....
JimboBillyBob
Go grab some chicken wings and the adult beverage of your choice, and pay JimboBillyBob a visit over at Posts From The Fringe!
The introductory post:
This blog has been sitting out here utterly unused since I first created it back in 2008. I suppose you could say I've just been waiting for the right chain of events to get me to that first post.
This past week was the last link in that long chain. I find myself at yet another turning point in my life. At 53, I'm looking at a career change later this year. I've been an over-achiever the last sixteen years of my life. It's time to see if that will bear any fruit.
Scared? Sure. It's the worst economy since the Great Depression. People far smarter and with much more education than me have been unable to find decent work after losing a job. But my attitude is that this is perhaps the last chance to re-invent myself. I'll be 54 when the page turns and I start over. It's one last chance to do what I want to do with my life.
And that's where I'll leave this brief first post... on a note of optimism and hope.
God Bless from Fringeville, America....
JimboBillyBob
Go grab some chicken wings and the adult beverage of your choice, and pay JimboBillyBob a visit over at Posts From The Fringe!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Billtown Blog
I hit this blog by sheer accident while doing a Google search for 5k Run/Walk's in the Bloomsburg/Benton/Berwick area. I'm looking to get into shape and was hoping to find one somewhat close to my house.
Billtown Blog is authored by "Billtown Blonde" of Williamsport. It is a blog about News & Commentary on Life in Willamsport, PA and the Surrounding Area. The most fascinating thing that I found about this blog was the blog roll. Who knew that there were so many bloggers from the Williamsport area? I hope that by linking Billtown Blog, some of the Williamsport bloggers will want their sites listed at NEPA Blogs as well.
This brings me to raise a thought provoking question: Is Williamsport technically part of NEPA? I am not sure. There are no set boundaries for the area known as "NEPA" (at least as far as I am aware). DB & I discussed this before going on the air on ComputerWise and a bit while on the show. What do you consider to be "NEPA"? Leave a comment with your response. I'd be curious to see what your thoughts are about this topic.
Billtown Blog is authored by "Billtown Blonde" of Williamsport. It is a blog about News & Commentary on Life in Willamsport, PA and the Surrounding Area. The most fascinating thing that I found about this blog was the blog roll. Who knew that there were so many bloggers from the Williamsport area? I hope that by linking Billtown Blog, some of the Williamsport bloggers will want their sites listed at NEPA Blogs as well.
This brings me to raise a thought provoking question: Is Williamsport technically part of NEPA? I am not sure. There are no set boundaries for the area known as "NEPA" (at least as far as I am aware). DB & I discussed this before going on the air on ComputerWise and a bit while on the show. What do you consider to be "NEPA"? Leave a comment with your response. I'd be curious to see what your thoughts are about this topic.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
From the mailbag: Jilly beans TALK
Hey,
I was wondering if you could include my blog, Jilly beansTALK, on the NEPA Blogs?
Thanks.. and do you know of any other NEPA style blogs out there? I've looked and looked and can't find any. I can't be the only person who has one!
Thanks a lot,
Jill
P.S. I really like your site!
Be sure to check out Jilly Beans TALK: A Plus-Size Style Blog!
http://jillybeanstalk.blogspot.com/
And how about it, NEPA? Does anyone know of any other style blogs based out of Northeastern Pennsylvania? If you do, drop us a line, and we'll be sure to list them here on NEPA Blogs!
I was wondering if you could include my blog, Jilly beansTALK, on the NEPA Blogs?
Thanks.. and do you know of any other NEPA style blogs out there? I've looked and looked and can't find any. I can't be the only person who has one!
Thanks a lot,
Jill
P.S. I really like your site!
Be sure to check out Jilly Beans TALK: A Plus-Size Style Blog!
http://jillybeanstalk.blogspot.com/
And how about it, NEPA? Does anyone know of any other style blogs based out of Northeastern Pennsylvania? If you do, drop us a line, and we'll be sure to list them here on NEPA Blogs!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
New Visions Studio and Gallery
New Visions Studio and Gallery
http://newvisionsstudio.blogspot.com/
Located at 201 Vine Street in Scranton.
We are an art gallery and all-over creative space for local artists We have monthly art exhibits, with openings on First Friday. We show all forms of art: paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, installations, mix-media, ect. We teach art to children and adults and we sell hand-made and collectible goods!
Go check out the New Visions Studio and Gallery blog! And if you like what you see, why not visit them in person?
http://newvisionsstudio.blogspot.com/
Located at 201 Vine Street in Scranton.
We are an art gallery and all-over creative space for local artists We have monthly art exhibits, with openings on First Friday. We show all forms of art: paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, installations, mix-media, ect. We teach art to children and adults and we sell hand-made and collectible goods!
Go check out the New Visions Studio and Gallery blog! And if you like what you see, why not visit them in person?
Saturday, July 09, 2011
Carl Abraham and his fascinating News Media Tribute Site
I want to preface this blog post by saying ahead of time how shocked I am that this website has never made it to our blogroll sooner (As an aside, his webpage is not a blog, but I strongly feel that it still deserves a spot on our blogroll).
(From LinkedIn) Carl Abraham is the Assistant News Director at WNEP-TV for those of you that don't know. A few years ago, through doing a Google search for WNEP, I came across his webpage - which can be found at http://www.carlabraham.com.
The webpage is broken out into the following sections:
Carl's Scranton PA Homepage - There are a bunch of photos showing the downtown landscape and how it has transformed with the various constructions projects that have happened over there years.
WDAU-TV Tribute Web Site - A pictorial page of WDAU-TV (*ahem* now referred to as WYOU-TV)'s cast and crew. If you look hard enough, you can find David DeCosmo author of the "No News Is..." blog which is linked on our blogroll.
WNEP-TV Tribute Web Site - The WNEP Tribute Web Site section has the same feel as the WDAU website section, except (you guessed it) with WNEP cast members. I spy with my little eye....blogger Jennifer Wade and A. Pal in some of the photos posted, although, I'm sure there are many more faces you will will recognize.
Scranton St. Pat's Parade - Aerial photos of the city during the parade and various marchers along the parade route with some brief commentary about the parade.
**There are also links to a Genealogy Page and a NY Mets Fan Page
I think the page is worth a look if you haven't already as it is a historic look on NEPA's media presence and landscape and how it has evolved over the years. I sincerely hope that Carl keeps updating the "virtual museum" (as I like to call it) with pictures so we will always have a way to remember the past.
Have a great weekend everyone!
~M
(From LinkedIn) Carl Abraham is the Assistant News Director at WNEP-TV for those of you that don't know. A few years ago, through doing a Google search for WNEP, I came across his webpage - which can be found at http://www.carlabraham.com.
The webpage is broken out into the following sections:
Carl's Scranton PA Homepage - There are a bunch of photos showing the downtown landscape and how it has transformed with the various constructions projects that have happened over there years.
WDAU-TV Tribute Web Site - A pictorial page of WDAU-TV (*ahem* now referred to as WYOU-TV)'s cast and crew. If you look hard enough, you can find David DeCosmo author of the "No News Is..." blog which is linked on our blogroll.
WNEP-TV Tribute Web Site - The WNEP Tribute Web Site section has the same feel as the WDAU website section, except (you guessed it) with WNEP cast members. I spy with my little eye....blogger Jennifer Wade and A. Pal in some of the photos posted, although, I'm sure there are many more faces you will will recognize.
Scranton St. Pat's Parade - Aerial photos of the city during the parade and various marchers along the parade route with some brief commentary about the parade.
**There are also links to a Genealogy Page and a NY Mets Fan Page
I think the page is worth a look if you haven't already as it is a historic look on NEPA's media presence and landscape and how it has evolved over the years. I sincerely hope that Carl keeps updating the "virtual museum" (as I like to call it) with pictures so we will always have a way to remember the past.
Have a great weekend everyone!
~M
Friday, July 08, 2011
Jim Thorpe, PA
After watching WBRE's news at 6pm tonight, I learned all about a Town-Wide Sidewalk Sale occurring in Jim Thorpe this weekend. I wanted to learn more about the event and the details so I could announce it on the NEPA Blogs Twitter page (as I do from time-to-time).
Jackpot!
I came across the Jim Thorpe, PA Wordpress Blog. You can find out all about the history, tourist attractions and upcoming events in Jim Thorpe. I'm not sure if you have ever been to Jim Thorpe or driven past it, but it is quite the charming little town. The blog is linked from the main JimThorpe.org website where you can find even more information about Jim Thorpe. I hope that you take the opportunity to check out the blog and website. I will link them both from the sidebar!
By the way, if you are interested in attending the Sidewalk Sale in Jim Thorpe this weekend, you can read all about the details of the event here.
(Or if you are too lazy...see below)
Jim Thorpe, PA hosts its fifth annual Merchants and Neighbors Sidewalk Sale. If you are looking for a great bargain, finding some fun stuff or hidden treasure, than come to Jim Thorpe’s Historic Downtown District Saturday July 9th and 10th, 2011. Noon to 5 PM, rain or shine – come and make a day of it.
A new site for We Shop Deals 4 You!
NEPA Blogger We Shop Deals 4 You has moved to a new website: http://weshopdeals4you.com/
For now, we will be maintaining links to both the old and the new sites.
For now, we will be maintaining links to both the old and the new sites.
Darling Stewie: A Cute Geeky Blog and Design Portfolio
I decided to do another brute-force search engine search for bloggers in Northeastern Pennsylvania. After picking my way through one about the Nigerian electricity service (called NEPA) and another by someone from Nepal, I came across this:
http://darlingstewie.com/
A Blog About Cute Geeky Stuff, Silly Drawings, & Kawaii Design
From her "What is This?" on the sidebar:
This blog is chocked full of adorable geekery, spooky chic fashion, internet magic, ridiculous drawings, and cute web design. I am not responsible for any brain damage that may occur. You've been warned.
It took me a while to be certain that Stewie (the blogger) actually has a connection to Northeastern Pennsylvania, but that was quickly cleared up when I noticed that she has a tag for posts about NEPA, which includes posts about Jim Thorpe, Hazleton, appearances in local newspapers, and web design for local businesses. (And if I had actually just checked her most recent post, I would have seen that she is in the process of moving to Wilkes-Barre!)
Go and visit Darling Stewie! Just try not to overdose on the cuteness. You've been warned.
http://darlingstewie.com/
A Blog About Cute Geeky Stuff, Silly Drawings, & Kawaii Design
From her "What is This?" on the sidebar:
This blog is chocked full of adorable geekery, spooky chic fashion, internet magic, ridiculous drawings, and cute web design. I am not responsible for any brain damage that may occur. You've been warned.
It took me a while to be certain that Stewie (the blogger) actually has a connection to Northeastern Pennsylvania, but that was quickly cleared up when I noticed that she has a tag for posts about NEPA, which includes posts about Jim Thorpe, Hazleton, appearances in local newspapers, and web design for local businesses. (And if I had actually just checked her most recent post, I would have seen that she is in the process of moving to Wilkes-Barre!)
Go and visit Darling Stewie! Just try not to overdose on the cuteness. You've been warned.
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
The Right to Gripe
(This blog was shamelessly stolen from the sidebar of Mark Cour's Circumlocution for Dummies.)
The Right to Gripe (or, more accurately, THE RIGHT TO GRIPE)
http://therighttogripe.blogspot.com/
From the introductory post (which also serves as the blog header):
WELCOME TO THE RIGHT TO GRIPE
I had to do it! I had to create a blog so you and I could gripe about all of "The Crap" that we encounter everyday in our lives. Believe me, there is plenty! You can now come to this blog to Gripe because you have the right to do so. Over time, we will Gripe about topics ranging from sports to politics to just about all of the garbage that happens around us. When you Gripe, you can add your name or not. It's your right! You can vent any way you want. Use foul language if you are angry enough to and if you are offended, just Gripe It!
There's a lot to gripe about in NEPA, and this blog isn't afraid to do it. If you have a gripe, or just want to read other people's gripes, stop by THE RIGHT TO GRIPE!
The Right to Gripe (or, more accurately, THE RIGHT TO GRIPE)
http://therighttogripe.blogspot.com/
From the introductory post (which also serves as the blog header):
WELCOME TO THE RIGHT TO GRIPE
I had to do it! I had to create a blog so you and I could gripe about all of "The Crap" that we encounter everyday in our lives. Believe me, there is plenty! You can now come to this blog to Gripe because you have the right to do so. Over time, we will Gripe about topics ranging from sports to politics to just about all of the garbage that happens around us. When you Gripe, you can add your name or not. It's your right! You can vent any way you want. Use foul language if you are angry enough to and if you are offended, just Gripe It!
There's a lot to gripe about in NEPA, and this blog isn't afraid to do it. If you have a gripe, or just want to read other people's gripes, stop by THE RIGHT TO GRIPE!
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Happenings Magazine
As you know, Harold and I did an interview with Happenings Magazine several months ago about NEPA Blog Fest (Spring Edition) that was to appear in July's issue. I was very excited when the calendar flipped from June to July yesterday so I could see the fruits of our labor. I searched throughout Happenings Magazine's online PDF files of their magazine and to my dismay I did not see our interview. Deciding to dig deeper, I Googled myself (which kind of sounds perverted when you really think about it) using the phrase "Michelle Davies Happenings Magazine" and came across the interview. As it turns out, the interview appeared in the June edition of Happenings Magazine. I am extremely disappointed by this because I'm sure by now most copies of the June edition have long been recycled or thrown away. Luckily, my Google sleuthing skills helped me get the path and a screenshot of the article.
Click here to read the PDF
Or if you are too lazy for that, see below:
Click here to read the PDF
Or if you are too lazy for that, see below:
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
University of Scranton Small Business Development Center
From the mailbag:
Just wanted to let you know that the University of Scranton Small Business Development Center has a blog. Our center is one of 18 SBDCs in the State of PA and we help entrepreneurs in eight counties of NEPA.
http://scrantonsbdc.wordpress.com/
From their "About the SBDC:"
The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center or SBDC provides no cost small business consulting services that are tailored to fit the needs of small business clients of Bradford, Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne & Wyoming Counties. The center offers confidential individualized assistance designed to identify and address the problems of small business owners as well as individuals interested in establishing a business.
The program is jointly funded by the United States Small Business Administration, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and The University of Scranton.
Just wanted to let you know that the University of Scranton Small Business Development Center has a blog. Our center is one of 18 SBDCs in the State of PA and we help entrepreneurs in eight counties of NEPA.
http://scrantonsbdc.wordpress.com/
From their "About the SBDC:"
The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center or SBDC provides no cost small business consulting services that are tailored to fit the needs of small business clients of Bradford, Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne & Wyoming Counties. The center offers confidential individualized assistance designed to identify and address the problems of small business owners as well as individuals interested in establishing a business.
The program is jointly funded by the United States Small Business Administration, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and The University of Scranton.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
A Mommy's Blog About Places To Go In Northeast Pennsylvania
It's not a new blog that we're adding to the NEPA Blog lists - we actually first added it a few weeks ago. But the blogger, Cassie DeAng, has decided to take her blog in a different direction
A Mommy's Blog About Places To Go In Northeast Pennsylvania
http://mommiesfreeopinion.blogspot.com/
This blog is now a valuable source of links and information about places to go and things to do in Northeastern Pennsylvania! The new title hasn't "caught" on our sidebar yet, but be sure to check out the blog for lots of ideas about family fun in NEPA this Summer!
A Mommy's Blog About Places To Go In Northeast Pennsylvania
http://mommiesfreeopinion.blogspot.com/
This blog is now a valuable source of links and information about places to go and things to do in Northeastern Pennsylvania! The new title hasn't "caught" on our sidebar yet, but be sure to check out the blog for lots of ideas about family fun in NEPA this Summer!
Friday, June 24, 2011
The NEPA Real Estate Photo Blog
We received a new blog submission via email from Gillian Peterson. I would like to say that she seen the ComputerWise TV show with Harold and I and was inspired to send us an email to list her blog, but I don't know if that is true...I will find out though!
The NEPA Real Estate Photo Blog is the professional blog/profile for Gillian Peterson. She takes all the pictures, and posts all of the information and ideas to the blog. A one (wo)man show you may call it.
From the About Page: Hello! My name is Gillian Peterson. I am a 28-year-old licensed Realtor (RS308732) in the resort area of the Pocono Mountains. This includes areas such as historic Stroudsburg and Mount Pocono, as well as Tobyhanna, East Stroudsburg, Tannersville, Bangor, Windgap, Marshalls Creek, etc. Basically all of Monroe, Pike, Wayne, Carbon, Northampton, and Lehigh counties. I will not only blog about events in the Poconos, but also in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Nazereth, Northampton, and beyond!
Thanks for the submission, Gillian! I am adding her blog to the sidebar as I type this entry out. For the rest of you, please feel free to send your blog to nepablogs@gmail.com if you would like them to appear on our website.
The NEPA Real Estate Photo Blog is the professional blog/profile for Gillian Peterson. She takes all the pictures, and posts all of the information and ideas to the blog. A one (wo)man show you may call it.
From the About Page: Hello! My name is Gillian Peterson. I am a 28-year-old licensed Realtor (RS308732) in the resort area of the Pocono Mountains. This includes areas such as historic Stroudsburg and Mount Pocono, as well as Tobyhanna, East Stroudsburg, Tannersville, Bangor, Windgap, Marshalls Creek, etc. Basically all of Monroe, Pike, Wayne, Carbon, Northampton, and Lehigh counties. I will not only blog about events in the Poconos, but also in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Nazereth, Northampton, and beyond!
Thanks for the submission, Gillian! I am adding her blog to the sidebar as I type this entry out. For the rest of you, please feel free to send your blog to nepablogs@gmail.com if you would like them to appear on our website.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
For anyone who missed NEPA Blogs on TV...
...and that would probably be everyone in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area, at least, since our show was pre-empted here by a baseball game (it did actually play live in the Lehighton/Kunkletown area), here is the schedule of repeat broadcasts of yesterday's ComputerWise TV:
REPEATS
Blue Ridge Communications TV 13
Blue Ridge Communications TV 11
Service Electric TV 2 & 3
REPEATS
Blue Ridge Communications TV 13
- Thursdays at 4:00PM
- Saturdays at 10:00AM
Blue Ridge Communications TV 11
- Mondays at 10:00AM
- Tuesdays at 7:00PM
- Fridays at 7:30AM & 8:00PM
Service Electric TV 2 & 3
- Sundays at 7:00PM
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