About the Blogger

I am "8-bit Bill". The name comes from my username wnl256. Years ago I tried to get the username wnl on a site, only to discover that it had already been taken. So I added the first number that came to my mind: 256. In a computer, 8 bits can be used to store up to 256 different numbers, so wnl256 is 8-bit Bill.

I write about the things that interest me, and the things that I enjoy doing. These include: aviation, bicycling, photography, dining out, home theater, and computer networking.

Aviation: I own a small airplane and I often take my family on trips. The plane is a Mooney 201. We often take it to see relatives in Chicago, Kentucky, and Clearwater (Florida). We also use it to take fun family vacations.

Bicycling: I mostly enjoy road biking, either by myself or in groups. I currently ride a Specialized Allez. My typical ride is between 15 and 30 miles but I occasionally go for longer rides (50 miles or more). In 2011 I rode RAGBRAI: a 7-day 400+ mile bicycle ride across the state of Iowa.

Photography: I have been in to photography since I was in high school. I currently shoot with a Nikon D7000 and a variety of lenses.

Dining out: my wife and I enjoy eating out at good restaurants. These could be "fine dining" establishments where suits are required, or they could be informal places with family style serving. What matters to us is well prepared food with interesting flavors. Good presentation helps, too.

Home theater: I have built out a dedicated 7-seat home theater in our basement. We enjoy watching movies in our theater more than at a movie house, and I also like to use the theater's sound system to listen to music.

Computer networking: Since that is what I do for a living I also do a bit of it at home to get things running the way I want.