My name is Eric Will. I'm from near St. Louis, in Illinois (the "Metro East" as it's so-called), about five miles from the Mississippi river. I moved to Baltimore, Maryland in August 2008 for work.
Steve persuaded his boss to hire me at EBL Engineers. Steve and I work at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Steve does a range of work, but so far I've mostly concentrated on software engineering.
I am 22, and was studying Pharmacy at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, when I was offered my current job. I previously studied Physics at the same school. I have been dating my girlfriend, Kristin, for nearly two years. We live together in Baltimore.
Most of my life (well, the parts I can remember) I lived growing up out in rural areas. Later in my life, I moved into a more urban setting, leaving me with a unique appreciation and love of nature while having an interest in technology and other complexities. I can tell you right now, if I had the chance to move out into a rural setting again, I'd be there in a heartbeat. I'd rather sit outside and talk to the trees than drive to the corner pizza place. Call me weird, but that's how I am.
I've been working with computers since I was 11 on a 386. I've programmed for a large part of that time, usually in C, and more recently Python and Ruby. Until recently, I no longer maintained any software, and was no longer active in programming. Sometimes I get the itch, but I just don't have the time, especially considering I do it at work all day long.
I was raised Catholic, as was my mother. My father is very Christian, but not really denominational. I have no religion, and I rather like it that way. I'm also a jerk. Most people either get me, or hate me, and I don't tend to care which so long as it has no bearing on myself. I play poker rather well, and I find that has endless analogies to human behavior in general. At this point, my friends urge me to make a note that I'm an opinionated emotionally-crippled egomaniacal narcissist who will never admit he's wrong about anything unless faced with the choice of "admit you're wrong" or "eat my fist, bitch." All of this sounds rather spot-on to me.
Music is another common question. Everyone usually replies "I listen to everything" and that's the dumbest answer ever. My taste in music is unique at best. I'll venture from pop to punk to rock to hard rock but never heavy/death metal or rap/hip-hop or country. That's the end of that road. I won't discuss it. It's pointless. Don't beat the dead horse. If you think that taste in music implies that you have something in common with another individual on some deep mystic level, you're an idiot.
Try to keep in mind that things that I say on my site are my opinions. I use this site as a way to combine technology and writing. If you don't like what I say, then leave. So, protect your family. This site contains explicit depictions of things which are real. These real things are commonly known as life. So, if it sounds sarcastic, don't take it seriously; if it sounds dangerous, do not try this at home or at all; and, if it offends you, just don't read it.
If you'd like to contact me, and I just really wish you wouldn't, I am on XMPP/Jabber
and IRC. My JID is rakaur -at- malkier -dot- net.
My email address is the same. On IRC,
I am on irc.malkier.net as rakaur.
