I'd like to meet a woman who enjoys both ideas and intimacy. I like someone who thinks for herself, expresses her ideas, and expects to benefit from sharing thoughts. I admire anyone who is aware of how many possibilities for varying life-choices we have in our society, is dissatisfied with simplistic roles, and can successfully live an original life. This does not have to be bohemian or radical - being consistently kind is rare enough.

I like to balance an intellectual and analytical approach with an awareness of human experience and feelings. My sense of humor is sometimes very dry and ironic, and sometimes silly - I like everything from Aristophanes to Airplane, Bocaccio to Beckett, (err, how many letters do I get here?)

My boys are 19 & 20; they spend most of their time with me. The youngest drew his first political cartoon when he was 9: George W. Bush (in tie and cowboy hat) getting a hot foot from a fire-breathing Pokemon. It's on our fridge. We are close & affectionate, and do lots of things together. We have a nature trail on the hill behind our house, and some small pets.

Once my son asked me if I believe in life after death. I told him, "Of course. There is obviously life after death. Just look at how many other people will still be alive after any one of us is dead!" For each of us, I believe the greatest challenge is to live with the reality that none of us is more valuable than any other. This is just as much a challenge in intimate, family relations as in public or business life.

I love my work, which is writing software as an independent consultant. I'm financially secure, have flexible hours and bright, creative colleagues. I like new ideas, and read voraciously in many fields.

(As I'm writing this in mid-February, I'm wrapping up an off-site project in the NYC area. It's been fun while it lasted but I'm looking forward to coming back to NC in March.)

Thinking and writing. Sometimes I do them in the wrong order, though. SO I get lots of practice at editing too. Sigh.

Usually I notice them first.

What I like best is learning to appreciate new things that once put me off. Black coffee, straight Scotch, rock climbing, Kronos, Mondrian, hip hop, cylindrical algebra, Bunuel - each has a bite but also real depth once you are over the hump

Contributing to the community is important to me. Before my children were old enough to have activities, I taught reading skills to inmates in the Durham County jail. Later I coached my boys soccer team, and helped with Scouts and the PTA.

I'm quite the thinker. Sometimes I write articles and sometimes I get invited to interesting places to talk about stuff.

Technically I'm an atheist. But I grew up as a Lutheran and I still appreciate the tradition of thinking for oneself against orthodoxy. I've found I have more in common with people whose outlook has been formed by traditional religion, than with those who are shaped by contemporary psychotherapy.

All ideas are human products, and none of us need be a pure consumer of them.

With the right person, laundry and dishes are delightful. But while getting to know someone I like to go to the art museums, concerts (classical, early music & blues are my favorites), movies (foreign/indy), ride bicycles, paddle and hike.

My dog was once called a "being of light" but that maybe because we were in Carrboro at the time. Now we have two ferrets which we wash often (so they smell nice) and are amazingly lovable too.

If you like the way I write.