Fan Expo (formerly Wizard World) was back in Cleveland the weekend of April 30, 2022. Billed as "the ultimate playground for Comics, Sci-Fi, Horror, Anime, and Gaming. Three BIG days of citywide events, family-friendly attractions and world-renowned celebrities including William Shatner, Katee Sackhoff and many more.
William Shatner at Cleveland Fan Expo
The huge show floor had lots of vendors selling collectibles, original art, comic books, toys, games, clothes, gear, etc. There were also educational and entertainment sessions off the main show floor. As always the costumes of the vendors and attendees were the best part of the event.
Jim Cookinham - Godfather of Cleveland Tech Industry
Jim Cookinham has lived and worked all over the world. (See stories and photos from Jim's experiences . After the Naval Academy and working on nuclear submarines Jim eventually ended up in Cleveland. In 1981 when the IBM PC came out Jim and his wife Cindy started IPCO which became the first publication for the IBM PC and the first to include a disk with each copy.
Jim met with other community tech leaders in an organization called CRITA in Salt Lake City and his 14 pages of notes led him to create the Northeast Ohio Software Association (NEOSA) when he returned to Cleveland. Jim created a thick directory of thousands of tech companies in NE Ohio. He was able, with the help of Crain's Cleveland Business and others, to educate the community that while there may not be a plethora of Silicon Valley type tech-focused companies in town, the IT departments of Progressive, Cleveland Clinic and others still counted. Jim and NEOSA developed many innovative programs to promote the advancement of the tech community and IT industry.
He challenged Mayoral candidates on their tech plans and when Jane Campbell became Cleveland Mayor she followed through and appointed the city's first Tech Czar, Tim Mueller. When City Hall's PCs were found to be outdated, Jim created an AdoptAPuter program that provided new PCs for the Mayor and 20+ others. He started an Angel Network to get funding for startups. The NEOSA Tech Thursdays (NETT) were held at Great Lakes Brewery and brought together tech industry people in an informal setting over great beer. He created an Entreprenerd (he used my word!) Boot Camp and brought in CIOs, CEOs and other leaders to help startups. The NEOSA CIO Symposiums exposed the tech community to the leading CIOs in town. NEOSA's Future Forums brought in brilliant minds to look ahead 5-10 or more years.
Jim is in Colorado now so this video was recorded remotely but you will see some of the major contributions made by Jim Cookinham to Cleveland Tech History.
We are honored to have the technology leaders of BlueBridge Networks as a sponsor of the Great Lakes Geek Calendar of Events.
Submit your open-to-the-public event (it doesn't have to be free, just open to all) and we will post. You can also sign up for the free Great Lakes Geek eNews which includes upcoming events.
"It just didn’t seem right to DJ. A body found bludgeoned in a place known for “Peace through Mutual Understanding.” But there she was, crumpled behind a bust of composer Franz Liszt in the Hungarian Cultural Garden. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. “What is the nature of your emergency?” the dispatcher queried. With a suddenly very dry mouth DJ managed to get out, “There’s been a murder in the Cultural Gardens.”
That's the beginning of the recently published first novel by Dan Hanson.
The whodunit, titled Murder in the Cultural Gardens, takes place in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens and all 30+ gardens are featured during the mystery. You may even recognize some of the characters.
Click the link above to learn more or to purchase in paperback or Kindle version from Amazon. Or contact Dan via the Murder in the Cultural Gardens webpage to have a signed book delivered.
What the Great Lakes Geek is reading
Geek Book
The Great Lakes Geek just finished reading (listening to actually) Make Your Bed - Little things that can change your life by Admiral William H. McRaven (US Navy Retired)
On May 17, 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin on their Commencement day. Taking inspiration from the university's slogan, "What starts here changes the world," he shared the ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his training and long Naval career, but also throughout his life; and he explained how anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves-and the world-for the better.
Computer techies (OK, geeks) Bob Coppedge and Dan Hanson used to take groups to various places of interest to computer professionals (OK, other geeks). They called it Bob and Dan's Excellent Adventures.
This video from 2004 was just unearthed from some old DVDs. This was a different adventure as Bob and Dan visited a cemetery and visited the graves of some old technology - from dBase to Win 95 before facing their own demise.
By popular demand (really, would we lie to you?) the Great Lakes Geek is bringing back the free Geek eNews. It will be sent via e-mail whenever we have something really good to share. Not too often, we promise.
So sign up and look for the news, tips, puzzles, contests, special offers and other information that only the Great Lakes Geek can bring you.
Order Domain Names, e-mail accounts, web hosting, SSL certs and the usual menu of Internet items for great prices at Great Lakes Geek Domains. Follow the link at the bottom of the nav bar (under search) or click to visit
We are proud to be Kroll Ontrack® Data Recovery Certified Partners.
This allows us to offer clients the best-of-breed products and services that Kroll Ontrack provides to recover your lost data.
NOTE: Tampering with media information may result in irreversible damage. Contact us right away when you have data loss to maximize the chances to recover your data.
We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Please note that some of the links on this website are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.