Deep Dives

Long-form on the stuff worth understanding for real — tech, faith, cars, life, and the stories behind it all.

Tech The OSI Model, Actually Explained Seven layers. Every packet. One mental model that makes all of networking click — from the wire to your browser tab. ~18 min read·Layer stack · reference tables · real examples Tech How DNS Actually Works You type a URL. Six servers later, a packet shows up. Walk the whole resolution chain — resolvers, authoritative servers, TTL, and why it breaks. ~14 min read·Resolution chain · record types · debugging Tech Certificates, TLS, and Why HTTPS Isn't Magic Asymmetric keys, certificate chains, handshakes, and what "the padlock" actually means — and doesn't mean. ~16 min read·Crypto · certificates · HSTS · phishing reality Tech Passwords: What Actually Makes One Strong Credential stuffing, the death of clever tricks, Gibson's haystack math, password managers, passkeys, and a personal policy that actually holds up. ~20 min read·Haystacks · managers · MFA · passkeys · breach reality Faith The Parable of the Ten Virgins A personal, honest read on what it means to have oil in your lamp — and what happens when you don't. This one kept me up at night. ~12 min read·Matthew 25 · oil that can't be borrowed · the long wait Faith The Prodigal Son Wasn't the Hero We always read it as a story about the son. I think it's a story about the father. And about the other brother — which hits closer to home. ~10 min read·Luke 15 · the older brother · impossible grace Cars Every Fast & Furious Car, Chassis Code and All The definitive reference table. Platform codes, engine specs, screen-accurate mods, and whether any of it would actually work in real life. ~10 min read·2JZ · 4G63 · RB26 · what they got wrong Cars Reading a VIN Like a Pro Every character in that 17-digit string means something. Decode trim levels, plant codes, production sequences, and what dealers don't tell you. ~8 min read·WMI · engine codes · model year · recalls Life What I Wish I Knew at 19 Not a list of clichés. Real decisions, real consequences, and the mental frameworks I had to build the hard way. ~15 min read·Money · identity · accountability · faith · starting before ready Life How to Have a Hard Conversation The framework I use. Not conflict avoidance, not blowups — actual productive friction with people you care about. ~9 min read·Intent · listening · repair · real apologies History Baqubah, 2006–2007: What the News Missed I was there with 2-35 Infantry. The context, the texture, and the things that don't make it into after-action reports. ~20 min read·Diyala Province · AQI · the Awakening · what it felt like