Wednesday, June 25, 2008

CGBlog Find Recap
Posted by Joe Coastie

This week I didn't have time to investigate a new CGBlog Find, though I have gotten a few nominations I haven't had the time to fully investigate 'em. So instead of not giving you anything I would like to give you something... a recap of our previous blog finds. Clicking on 'em will bring you to their original post. From oldest to newest, here they are.

1. CGBlog Find #1: ChristiaanConover.com, May 2, 2008


2. CGBlog Find #2: My Coast Guard Career, May 7, 2008


3. CGBlog Find #3: Hell of a Day at Sea, May 14, 2008


4. CGBlog Find #4: Waiting for ships to come in..., May 28,2008


5. CGBlog Find #5: gCaptain.com | A Blog About Ships, June 4, 2008


6. CGBlog Find #6: USMilNet, June 11, 2008


7. CGBlog Find #7: Mama, Did You Wear Combat Boots?, June 18, 2008


8. CGBlog Find #8: Not really sure yet...
   

Posted on Wednesday, June 25, 2008
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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

CGBlog Find #7: Mama, Did You Wear Combat Boots?
Posted by Joe Coastie

I love reading this website- I was going to start of with an example of an earlier post, however, a few days ago there was a post that hits home for many of you out there- pretty funny:

Mommy, we are getting deployed.

Honey, what do you mean? Wait....do you know what deployed means?

Yes, it's when daddy goes away.

That's right, when daddy goes away for work, just like other members of the military do, he is deploying.

OK, well, since we are going somewhere this weekend, we are going away this weekend deploying.

Reminds me of my oldest daughter...

This week's CGBlog Find is Mama, Did You Wear Combat Boots?, a personal blog by one of the contributers to Waiting for ships to come in... by the handle of Just a Girl in a Port. I highly recommend this one!

Though if asked I would have to say this site aimed towards the female spouse audience. However, as I stated for a previous site, I would recommend this site to anyone who is trying to learn the way of a spouse and there thoughts when the active one is away.

Check out this weeks CGBlog Find at Mama, Did You Wear Combat Boots?

**Have a blog or website you would like to see as a CGBlog Find? Leave a note in the comments or email me (Joe@CGBlog.org) for your nomination. ~Joe

Posted on Wednesday, June 18, 2008
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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

CGBlog Find #6: USMilNet
Posted by Joe Coastie

The search through the tubes of the interweb continues as we scour the vast wasteland looking for the good site you should be reading. And I found it... USMILNET. To be a little more specific I am referring to their Coast Guard Forums. I've been following the forums for a few weeks now and though it's not a active as other forums out there, the members and guest have a great amount of knowledge to share. The CG forums on this site also allow for it's users, that's you and I, to maintain a great amount of control over their profiles. I encourage our users to check out the USMILNET site. You may also like to know that the site offers forums for those other services as well as special areas of those services (i.e. Special Ops...). Though I haven't found anything for the T.U.N.A. teams... Anyhow, it's worth checking 'em out. And when you get there- tell 'em Joe sent ya.

Check out this weeks CGBlog Find at USMILNET.com

**Have a blog or website you would like to see as a CGBlog Find? Leave a note in the comments or email me (Joe@CGBlog.org) for your nomination. ~Joe

Posted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008
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Wednesday, June 4, 2008

CGBlog Find #5: gCaptain.com | A Blog About Ships
Posted by Joe Coastie

This weeks CGBlog Find is outside the Coast Guard realm, yet, not too far. We bring you gCaptain.com | A Blog About Ships as our pick. This blog is uniqe, in my opinion, as it covers a parrellel world to the one covered here on CGBlog. The stories covered on the gCaptain blog range from shipping matters to the impact the maritime industry has on the marine ecosystem (these are both recent stories).

From der'Captains site 'erslef (I'm watching Pirates of the Caribbean right now...):

Our daily blog provides reporting on the most important and interesting stories in the maritime community. Our original stories are enriched by photos and videos which allow us to report on the latest stories in a unique way that is unmatched anywhere in the industry.

TOOLS: Oh, but the fun doesn't stop there... This site is full of surprises. gCaptain also offers a multitude of tools aimed at the seasoned and weekend captain alike. Some of the tools available are mashups of news, publications, and the most important... WEATHER!

FORUMS: Though, and this is my opinion only, the gCaptain Forums aren't in the easiest format to follow- they're still a great source of information... and humor alike.

PODCAST: Last but not least gCaptain offers its users a podcast for those on the go. Messing About In Ships is their near weekly audio show all about, can you guess it?, the maritime world. This last episode (23):

In this episode Capt. Kelly Sweeney gives us “A Mariner’s Perspective” and we bring you Part II of the harrowing rescue by the U.S. Coast Guard in saving the Sean Seymour II’s crew. BUT FIRST… if you haven’t listened already be sure to check out Part I of this series: Interview with USCG Rescue Helicopter Crew.

As a Coastie I have found this site particularly useful in keeping up with my fellow Auxiliarist- it's amazing how much the know. In fact it was they who first steered me towards this site

Check out this weeks CGBlog Find at gCaptain.com- A Blog About Ships

**Have a blog or website you would like to see as a CGBlog Find? Leave a note in the comments or email me (Joe@CGBlog.org) for your nomination. ~Joe

Posted on Wednesday, June 04, 2008
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Wednesday, May 28, 2008

CGBlog Find #4: Waiting for ships to come in...
Posted by Joe Coastie

I tell ya, even the best laid plans have their problems- case in point: the weekly CGBlog Find. The goal was to highlight those blogs out there that were Coast Guard centric, however, as I have found, there aren't a whole lot of them. So with that, I have already changed my unpublished "Find" criteria to websites I/we think it would be worth your time to check out, and maybe even subscribe to. However for this week we struck gold- well, at least pyrite... it's a CG centric blog! So without any further blabbering, I bring to you our CGBlog Find #4: Waiting for ships to come in...

Waiting for ships to come in... has several, well actually 9, contributers with a varying style of writing. This blog has been mentioned several times on this site as having some great insight on being a military spouse. Here is a sample of what can be currently found on their front page:

Adjusting to "boat life"

While I certainly had my doubts about boat life, and whether I had the necessary "brave face" that I hear talk about, I've been adapting pretty well, I think. It's not so hard to clean the house the way I want it cleaned with just myself and the kids. There are no attempts from the boys to play one parent off the other. The boys have fallen right into our daily routine, and I'm glad about that...

Asking your boss for a transfer-- 4700 miles away

With great relief, I am finally writing to say that I am moving to Kodiak, AK. We received orders weeks ago. Within minutes of the news, my breath starts shorten, my brain begins to race, my adrenaline courses through my veins...

I'll admit it, I have been on a trip to try and view things the way my wife does- that is, with regards to my job. And by golly I think I may have found the website to help me in that venture: Waiting for ships to come in...

Another great aspect to this site is, as mentioned above, the several writers and their styles. You can find everything from photo contests to what it's like when the hubby (or DH) is gone on a deployment.

Check out this weeks CGBlog Find at Waiting for ships to come in...

**Have a blog or website you would like to see as a CGBlog Find? Leave a note in the comments or email me (Joe@CGBlog.org) for your nomination. ~Joe

Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

CGBlog Find #3: Hell of a Day at Sea
Posted by Joe Coastie

It was looking like our newest find, Hell of a Day at Sea was going to be last weeks CGBlog Find- but that would have been to predictable. So this week I would like to showcase a blog we found by way of asking for comments/nominations off of our first CGBlog Find. Again we find a blog run by one of our own, Casey Wardynski. Mr. Wardynski entered the CG in 2003 and has been rockin' it since.

I would like to point out a post made by Peter a few weeks ago when we discovered this gem titled The first DECKPLATE blog where it's noted that Peter (and I agree) has

discovered the perfect blog to serve as the ideal FROM THE DECKPLATE coastie blog. The blog is from Casey Wardynski, and it's called Hell of a Day at Sea.

This is the real deal. Stop on by Hell of a Day... ; scroll to the bottom and start reading up.

As noted, I agree. This is a great blog! Mr. Wardynski has a great career in the blog world, as either an "off the cuff, tell it how it is" blogger, or a great legit writer. I would like to highlight a sentence from his post dispelling common misconceptions, an exercise in futility I think I will be using in my personal eMail signature:

We ARE NOT all rescue swimmers. They are a critical component of our service but when looked at in size compared to the Coast Guard as a whole, they comprise a small part of the Coast Guard.

This is a great read... Keep it up Casey!!

Check out this weeks CGBlog Find at Hell of a Day at Sea.

**Have a blog you would like to see as a CG Blog Find? Leave a note in the comments or email me (Joe@CGBlog.org) for your weekly nomination. ~Joe

Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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Wednesday, May 7, 2008

CGBlog Find #2: My Coast Guard Career
Posted by Joe Coastie

This week we have changed our blog find name from "CG Blog Find" to "CGBlog Find," it's the little things such as the space that get me every time, so- it's now CGBlog Find, this makes a little more compliant with our site! On to the find...

This weeks find is from one of our own, that is, a Coastie. Connie Braesch runs this blog of a small town Midwestern girl who left home to enlist in the United States Coast Guard. The blog goes by the name of My Coast Guard Career and covers what Ms. Braesch finds interesting. Her posting career started in January 2008 with what seems to be an investigation into the New Media (a.k.a. Blogging) thing-

Why it is that I just started this blog? Well, as you continue to read my postings, you will find out that the Coast Guard is full of amazing opportunities and I am in the midst of one... a full scholarship to attend graduate school.
...
So, what does that have to do with a blog you ask? Well, I am learning how to use social media to develop an image (if you are reading this blog, you are probably well aware of the power of social networking). I am on an adventure to see how I can connect with others and develop an identity online. So, I am off like the tortoise!

I should also note that this blog was already featured here on CGBlog as one of the sites showing off the "mandatory disclaimer" in a post by Peter titled Mandatory disclaimer starting to pop up all over... Anyway the rest of her blog covers a wide verity of topic both in and out of the Coast Guard, however, I would like to highlight a particular post: SocialMedia. Though this post isn't CG specific, it's right up our (CGBlog's) ally. Check it out.

Check out this weeks CGBlog Find at MyCoastGuardCareer.blogspot.com.

**Have a blog you would like to see as a CG Blog Find? Leave a note in the comments or email me (Joe@CGBlog.org) for your weekly nomination. ~Joe

Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2008
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Saturday, May 3, 2008

The first DECKPLATE blog
Posted by Peter A. Stinson

I'm back from Chicago and have discovered the perfect blog to serve as the ideal FROM THE DECKPLATE coastie blog. The blog is from Casey Wardynski, and it's called Hell of a Day at Sea.

This is the real deal. Stop on by Hell of a Day... ; scroll to the bottom and start reading up.

I look forward to Mr. Wardynski's future posts.

Now, if we can just solve the technical problem in delivering a Coast Gaurd FROM THE DECKPLATE aggregator...

Posted on Saturday, May 03, 2008
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Friday, May 2, 2008

CG Blog Find #1: ChristiaanConover.com
Posted by Joe Coastie

It's time to start a new series here at CGBlog- if you will recall our friend John who is the owner/operator of CoastGuardNews.com started, well before I got here, a series on bloggers of the Coast Guard world and the story behind their blogging. Well, I'm here to revitalize said practice with a new series: CG Blog Find, as opposed to CGBlog. The goal is to scour the the tubes of the interweb and find CG related blogs/sites. For you tech junkies out there you'll get a laugh from those last two links.

Lets get started!

The first blog for this series hasn't, so far as I am aware, been covered here before on CGBlog. I would like to introduce you to the blog of Christiaan Conover which is creatively named ChristiaanConover.com. Mr. Conover is a cadet at Massachusetts Maritime Academy in the class of 2011 and has been running this blog since March 1st of the this year. The reason I choose this blog as my find is for it's look into the world of a midshipman. It chronicles the in's and out's of Massachusetts Maritime Academy and is a pretty good read if one whats to know what they do. You don't see our CGAcadamey students blogging about there day's too often... Or maybe I just haven't look to closely.

Anyhow, as this was started this year, it would be interesting to see if he could continue it though to his graduation, and than entrance to the Coast Guard... That is what you want to do right Christiaan?

Check out our first CG Blog Find at ChristiaanConover.com.

**Have a blog you would like to see as a CG Blog Find? Leave a note in the comments or email me (Joe[at]CGBlog.org) for your weekly nomination. ~Joe

Posted on Friday, May 02, 2008
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