Post #1

Dammit Eph, why don't you ever update your Website? I can't bare to live without it!

Don't fret young ones, explanations are forthcoming:

Wow ... it just seems like yesterday when I started www.ephmaniago.com (6 years to be exact), and in those 6 years, I believe I updated the site a whopping 6 times. The initial purpose of the site in 2000 was really just to practice my Web development skills in an effort to entice potential employers. Well right in the middle of getting the site off the ground, I became gainfully employed as a Web Developer at the second largest investor-owned electric utility in California (more on this later). Excellent! I tricked someone into giving me a job doing what I loved to do! What I came to realize however, is that doing something as a job, becomes just that -- a job. So understandably, coming home after doing Webdev all day, why in the world would I want to do it on my precious free time? It's like the trashman coming home, only to take out the trash along with all his neighbors trash. You wouldn't want to do that to Mr. Trashman now would you? But I digress....

Now that I've been a Web developer for a while now and having talked to many experts in the field, I've found that the best Websites aren't necessarily the best looking (ex. www.digg.com, www.craigslist.org, etc.), but rather, are the ones with the most captivating content. Through this epiphany I've come to realize that I was trying too hard to make a "cool" Website, and neglecting the reason why people came here in the first place - to find out about all things Eph! Surprisingly, the original site logged over 10,000 hits (thanks mom!!!), so I suppose people are indeed curious about what I'm up to. Soooo - to make a long story even longer, in an effort to quench you eph-a-maniacs out there, I've opted to go with an off-the-shelf blogging system which will hopefully allow me to update more often.

Lastly, it's fitting that this post is entitled "Post #1" as it is posted during a time of many firsts (and lasts) in my life. From the butt-breaking (my first time roller-skating), to the sappy romantic (my first real love -- wut thugz need hugz too), to the heart-breaking (my first time without my Dad around), I'll try and chronicle them all here. It is my sincere hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them ...

- eph