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...

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

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:
Enjoy! If you are a blogger who would like to be added to our Blog Roll, please leave us a message in the comments or hit us up at nepablogs@gmail.com.

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"

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!

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.

“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.
3. Brook Valley Farm PA: http://brookvalleyfarmpa.blogspot.com/

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!

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

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:
Welcome to the Ice Cream Journal! Here you'll find a collection of thoughts and stories about ice cream as well as a glimpse inside the ice cream making process at Turkey Hill Dairy. We'll also be updating our blog several times each week, so feel free to stop by often.
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:

"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.

Tom"
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.

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

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:

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.

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!

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!



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!)

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.


"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."

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!


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.

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!

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?

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

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.

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.

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!

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:

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.

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!

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.

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
  • 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
It is also on various cable stations throughout Eastern & Central Pennsylvania. Consult your local listings. Times are subject to change. The show can be viewed on Blue Ridge Cable FREE On Demand up to 6 days after original broadcast.

Jam in the Park


The Wilkes-Barre River Common is hosting a series of mini-concerts at the River Common Ampitheater. The "Jam in the Park" series happens twice a month on Thursday evenings at 6:30pm throughout the summer season. Admission is free and all are invited. Pass it along. It looks like it will be a diverse selection of music artists.

I noticed that RiverCommon.org is not linked from our sidebar. I will take the opportunity to link it now.

The River Common hosts a wide variety of entertainment and activities that are normally free to the public throughout the year.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Pocono Blogs

Pocono Blogs
http://www.800poconos.com/blog/

A blog consisting of posts by multiple writers from the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau.

From their main page:

Welcome to the Pocono Mountains Blog! As team mates at the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, we're constantly telling folks about our great outdoors, upcoming events, the low down on our accommodations and a bounty that includes some seriously good wine, micro-brews and a host of fresh fruit and veggies! This blog is an up close and personal narrative of our experiences living, vacationing, traveling and working in the Pocono Mountains.


Started in January 2008, with posts credited to thirteen individual authors plus the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau itself, Pocono Blogs is truly a team effort. It is also an excellent source of information for anyone interested in visiting Northeastern Pennsylvania's lovely Poconos!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

NEPA Blogs on ComputerWiseTv

Hey NEPA! Its been a while . . .

I haven't been posting blogs recently because I have a new job and am also taking classes over the summer semester at LCCC. That doesn't mean that I haven't been busy "behind the scenes".

Prior to BlogFest, I had secured an interview with NEPA Happenings magazine. I was working with journalist Kieran Kern to bring some attention to our bi-annual get-together. The interview should be hitting the magazine in July. You can pick-up a free copy at any of the following locations (from the website) - Over 30,000 magazines are distributed throughout a ten county area. You'll find Happenings at each of our advertiser locations. The magazine is also available at over 500 other locations in Northeast Pennsylvania. You'll find Happenings at such high traffic locations as banks, libraries, restaurants, hotels and shopping malls.
Happenings is also available by subscription. Be sure to pick one up to check out the interview next month!

Also, I wanted to announce that DB Echo and I will be on the ComputerWise TV show this coming week on Wednesday (06/22/11). In case you aren't aware, George Roberts' blog is linked on our sidebar. He is the host of ComputerWise. We will be discussing blogging topics, such as what a blog is, how NEPA Blogs got started, and why someone should create a blog vs. a Twitter or Facebook account. We hope that you tune in and watch us make train wrecks of ourselves on LIVE TV. Did I mention the show is LIVE? Yeah...it is.

From the website - here's where you can find the show on your cable dial:

Our TV Show

LIVE Wednesdays at 7:00PM ET
on Blue Ridge Communications TV 13
& Service Electric Cable
in Northeastern Pennsylvania

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

As always, my hope is with these interviews and TV appearances that we attract more attention to the blogging community within Northeast PA. We have such a vast and diverse audience that there really is something for everyone.

Not to beat a dead horse, but should you want your Blog listed here, please send an email to nepablogs@gmail.com with your Blog URL and a brief description about what your blog is focused on and we will be happy to add you to the list!

Have a great Father's Day NEPA!
~M

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

A blog from Stroudsburg: Broken Lance Enterprises

And now a blog from Stroudsburg, one of several active ones that I've come across in my search. (Too often I find fascinating blogs that haven't been updated in months or even years. Eventually I'll be linking to a few if those, I think.)

Broken Lance Enterprises
http://www.wmjwatson.com/

Blog on writing and Civil War reenacting, with links to historic fiction and how-to resources for Civil War reenactors.



Putting together good stories, good writing, good art and people who appreciate all of that: Broken Lance Enterprises, a niche-boutique-micro (pick a word) publishing house built on a dream and fueled by hard work.
 
From the "About Me":
 
I publish stories guys will read. I write stories about history for people who wish they'd been there when it happened. I write murder mysteries where things blow up, people get hurt, problems get solved and monsters are hunted down and destroyed. Usually.

Monday, June 13, 2011

A blog from Towanda: The Life of an Army Wife

The Life of an Army Wife
http://thelifeofanarmywife1.blogspot.com/

This BLOG is about being a United States Army wife. We have been through recruiting and now a deployment. This blog is for any spouse, friend or family member that wants to put input into my life on how to deal with the ups and downs of being involved in the military life. Additionally for you to get information on how to deal with what is going on in your life too as a military spouse, family member or friend.

Tanya Smallwood

Towanda, Pennsylvania, United States

I am a wife to a wonderful man who serves in the US Army and I am a mother to two great children. I have one boy and one girl. I additionally have 17 years invested with working with children, running businesses and online selling. I have a BS in child development and psychology and I additionally have my Masters in business with a focus on human resources, marketing and management.


What more is there to say? Visit this blog.

Friday, June 10, 2011

A blog from Hazleton: Free Opinion Of A Mommy About Life Its Ups And Downs

Northeastern Pennsylvania is much more than just the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton corridor. Towanda, Tamaqua, Tunkhannock, Williamsport, East Stroudsburg, Pottsville, Bloomsburg - all are part of the uniqueness of Northeastern Pennsylvania, as are the many smaller places in-between.

Hazleton is not a small town by any means, and it's not at all far from the elongated splotch of communities stretching from Carbondale in the Northeast to Nanticoke in the Southwest. But I'm not sure if we have any bloggers from Hazleton represented on NEPA Blogs. If we don't, then this latest addition will be the first.

Free Opinion Of A Mommy About Life Its Ups And Downs is a blog written by Cassandra in Hazleton. From her main page:

Hello! I'm Cassandra! I'm 25 years old. From Pennsylvania. I'm a Mother, Wife, Sister, and Friend, I have Big opinions! I wanted to start to get them out there into the world! I talk about things on Facebook with people and then It usually ends up all messed up because there friends comment, people just act soo childish! So I would love to Post MY opinion on MY Blog and I would love if you Commented and even Debated with me!


We'll be adding Cassandra to our blogroll. She's new to blogging, so be sure to stop by her blog and give her some encouragement!

Free Opinion Of A Mommy About Life Its Ups And Downs
http://mommiesfreeopinion.blogspot.com/

If you live anywhere in Northeastern Pennsylvania and would like us to list your blog, just drop us a line at nepablogs@gnail.com and we'll be happy to add you to our links!

Monday, June 06, 2011

Unity Festival

The annual Unity Festival (or Festival of Unity) is being held in Scranton's Nay Aug Park on Saturday, July 9, 2011.  The organizers have a blog with information about the upcoming Festival, as well as posts about past Festivals stretching back to 2008.

From their About page:

This multicultural celebration continues to demonstrate the rich diversity of people in the communities of Northeast Pennsylvania and more specifically Lackawanna County.  Every year this festival grows in popularity because of our multi-ethnic representation and family oriented atmosphere that has attracted thousands of visitors and vendors from as far as New Jersey, New York, and Ohio.

...This intimate community event successfully began in 2005 in celebration of Melanian News bridging the gap to the merging cultures in Northeast Pennsylvania. It is our hope to continue it each year as an integral part of the unique heritage celebrations throughout our area. The festival is free to the public and all proceeds cover event expenses, planning, and community initiatives that improve the quality of life in NEPA.


And from this post:

Scranton is the First city in Northeast Pennyslvania to have an all inclusive cultural celebration that is beginning to take this nation by storm. Let’s not just be the first, Let’s be the best! Come on board for an inspiring day of fellowship under ONE sky….Leave NO one out…Come Celebrate ONE True community with us at Nay Aug Park, Saturday July 9, 2011.


Visit their blog and read all about it!


Unity Festival
http://unityfestival.wordpress.com/

Friday, June 03, 2011

This Just In...

Via a mention on Andy Palumbo's blog a little while back, here's the blog of Kevin Jordan, former radio and television reporter and former Director of Voter Services for Luzerne County.

http://www.kevinjjordan.blogspot.com/
This Just In...

I grew up hearing Kevin Jordan on the radio and then seeing him on TV, first as a reporter and then in his position of public service. It's impossible for me to read his posts without hearing them in Kevin Jordan's uniquely rich and mellow voice!