Skip to content

Category: My History

Published on

VCF East 2025 was bittersweet in a way that I didn't admit to most attendees, for you passed away the weekend before the show. I know that you would have never wanted me to change my plans on your behalf, so I still exhibited at the show, and my exhibit was enjoyed by many. I also know you didn't want any of us to do anything big to memorialize your death, so this is my small memorial post on my small blog.

There is an appointed time for everything.
And there is a a time for every event under heaven—
A time to give birth and a a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NASB95)

I'll miss our weekly chats and your encouragement. Until we are reunited in Christ, I will remain your little grandson who wanted a computer for Christmas.

Published on

Grandma always says to remember the good times.

I remember the camping and fishing trips like they were yesterday. I'm not sure if I caught anything of any account (I remember catching and releasing lots of Bluegill), but I still had fun.

I remember the woodworking that you did, the things you helped me build, and the things you built for me. I still have my clock (though it needs a new mechanism) and my truck, among others,

I remember the TV shop, where you repaired electronics, and where you got me interested in electronics. I remember the trips where we stopped at Radio Shack, and I eventually had a small collection of Forest Mims books to learn from.

I remember the gadgets you picked up at yard sales, which included an NES and a Texas Instruments TI-99/4A.

I recently learned that the scene of an accident where personal items are strewn about the road is called a yard sale: yeah, not that type...

I remember the day we visited my uncle at work, and got to see the data center. I remember the room was huge but advances in technology had left most of it empty. And I remember they had a plotter that drew the state of West Virginia county-by-county.

I remember many of the trips you took us on as our chauffeur, the "ejection seat" lever on the back of the seats of the Thunderbird, and the propensity of the vehicle to stop at any and all yard sales.

And I remember the times you took us to church, just like you took your children when they were young: "Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6 (NASB95)

But there is an appointed time for everything... (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

As dementia slowly took hold of your mind, you had to stop doing the things you enjoyed: the woodworking, the electronics repairs, the driving, the yard sales. But you never lost the hope that is in Christ Jesus, who while we were yet sinners, died for our sins so that we may have everlasting life. (A few verses for the reader: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17)

Though death has separated us for now, you will always be my grandpa.

Until we are reunited in Christ, I will take care of myself.

Published on

On Daves Vintage Apple Tech's last Sunday livestream, the question was asked of everybody on the livestream about the first concert they attended: The first concert I remember attending was DC Talk's Jesus Freak tour when they performed at Liberty University's Vines Center.

All week, I have been pondering the chorus of the title track of the Jesus Freak album:

What will people think when they hear that I'm a Jesus freak?
What will people do when they find that it's true?
I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak.
There ain't no disguisin' the truth.

I am one of these "Jesus Freaks"; I've been a Christian ever since the early 90s. I believe that I am a sinner from birth, and that on my own there is no way I can get to Heaven - in fact, if left to my own devices, I would be headed to Hell for eternity to pay for the wages of my sins. I believe that Jesus, fully God and fully man, died on a cross to pay for our sins, and in conquering death, rose again on the third day. And in believing in Jesus, I will have eternal life with God in Heaven. And if you believe in Jesus, you will also have eternal life with God in Heaven.

I can't say that I wasn't warned about what people can or will do when they find out that you are a "Jesus Freak", as all four Gospels record Jesus saying the same thing: the world will hate you because of Me (my paraphrase). Hey, they're not called the Synoptic Gospels for nothing...

When I started doing livestreams and making videos on YouTube, I knew up-front that I could lose subscribers for being a "Jesus Freak". I knew that it could cost me followers on social media platforms. And yet it has not deterred me, for I am not chasing after subscribers and followers, but I am chasing after Jesus. So go ahead, unfollow and unsubscribe.

And when you've come to the realization that nothing of this world can fill the God-shaped hole in your heart, Lord willing, I'll be here to pray with you and/or help you find a local church.

Published on

Happy 23rd Anniversary, jdmcs.com!

Normally, I'd forget about the anniversary of registering my first domain name until tomorrow. However, this year, I remembered about it yesterday. And my inner nerd was telling me to do the math (or for my UK readers, do the maths) on which anniversary it would be. December 19, 1998 to 2021... that's 23 years.

Hey, that's a Prime Number Anniversary, if that's a thing! (They should be!)

Cue one unnecessary, over-the-top animation for celebration:

Here's to the next Prime Number Anniversary for jdmcs.com!

Seriously, society gets all worked up over round numbers. I'm just thankful to have a short domain name.

Then again, maybe the 25th Anniversary will be reason to celebrate again, even if 25 is neither round nor prime.

And now, for those of you who bothered to keep reading after playing my animation, I'll answer a question that I am often asked, but in the context of the day I registered my domain name: What does JDMCS™ mean?

The only reason I was registering a domain name as a high school student was so I could professionally host a school project that I was working on, before the website for the non-profit that agreed to host it long-term was ready. But we couldn't put our names on our display board, as these projects were going to be judged in the Project Forum and our names on the display board could sway the judges. So both GeoCities and registering a domain name with my name in it were out.

At the time, I was working as a contractor for a local computer repair shop. Since I was a contractor, I also did work on the side, so I wanted a domain name that I could use if my computer repair "side gig" ever took off. I think I had "Justin D. Morgan's Computer Services" on some business cards I had printed up. I may have considered "JDM Computer Services" as an option for the domain name, but that would have still been a really long domain name as so many short names were still available in 1998. Then it clicked:

Justin D. Morgan's Computer Services == JDMCS™

"Dot Com!"

That's how JDMCS™ was born on December 19, 1998.

Published on

I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that today is the 22nd anniversary of registering my first domain name (jdmcs.com)... which conveniently happens to be the domain name being used for Computerized Start™ at the time of this post.

Hooray to the human obsession with anniversary dates!