Author Archives: John Bell

Veterans’ Day 2016

Posted on November 11, 2016 by John Bell

It’s a raw, windy, gray day here in Northwestern Ohio.  I was hanging laundry out, and the dampness of the clothes instantly chilled my fingers numb.  Which matched the numbness of my heart as I contemplated the last week’s events. So … Continue reading →

Posted in about living, big ideas | Leave a comment

A SWRv in my life’s path: Intro

Posted on August 13, 2016 by John Bell

Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 – Part 6 – Part 7 What did I want? I wanted a Roc’s egg…. I wanted to get up feeling brisk and go out and … Continue reading →

Posted in about living, big ideas, geeky friends, martial arts | 1 Comment

Dinner: Duck bacon, spaetzle, wilted kale and leeks

Posted on November 2, 2015 by John Bell

So, I brag about being a pretty good cook.  Here’s an example – you judge. We had visited my brother and sister-in-law just north of Cincinnati Ohio last weekend, and as part of the outing went to Jungle Jim’s – … Continue reading →

Posted in about living | Tagged | Leave a comment

Walk The Walk

Posted on June 12, 2015 by John Bell

Here’s a not-fully-expected consequence  — When I posted my last bit about contributing to the support of the Internet, I was contacted by the Director of the Internet Civil Engineering Institute.  She asked me if I would like to volunteer to be … Continue reading →

Posted in about hacking, big ideas | Tagged | 4 Comments

TANSTAAFI

Posted on May 8, 2015 by John Bell

(… as a Free Internet)   Hey, the Internet is “free”.  I can publish any stupid web page I like, say anything I want on my blog, or as comments on other peoples’ blogs, or … But I didn’t mean it … Continue reading →

Posted in about hacking, big ideas | Tagged | 1 Comment

Building The Perfect Beast

Posted on December 8, 2014 by John Bell

Imagine you are a moderately-successful but unknown pipe organ builder in early 18th-century Leipzig, with far more ego than brains, and a mouth bigger than both.  One evening, you go to a neighboring parish to listen to a recital by … Continue reading →

Posted in about hacking, geeky friends | 1 Comment

Fighting Back

Posted on February 11, 2014 by John Bell

Today I am participating in “The Day We Fight Back“.  Maybe all of three people will see it here.  That’s fine; I didn’t do it because I thought I would drive gazillions of eyeballs to their site from mine, nor … Continue reading →

Posted in about hacking, about living, big ideas | Leave a comment

Science Fiction Will Save the World

Posted on June 17, 2013 by John Bell

Let me tell you a little story. Nearly seventy years ago, two erstwhile allies, at the end of a planet-spanning war, found themselves bitter rivals, and entered into a struggle to see which could develop the military and economic means … Continue reading →

Posted in about living, about writing, big ideas | 1 Comment

‘That Wascally Wabbit’

Posted on June 16, 2013 by John Bell

Well, this hasn’t turned out as well as I hoped… I mentioned that I succumbed to the temptation to follow the White Rabbit down the hole, and re-created my blog (for the third try) using a hand-rolled WordPress instance.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in about hacking, administrivia, backstory | Leave a comment

Please Pardon Our Dust….

Posted on June 4, 2013 by John Bell

  While things are still under construction, here’s a de rigueur cat picture –  

Posted in about living, big ideas | Leave a comment