I think we've got the whole "Glass Half Full-Glass Half Empty" thing backwards. They say if you see the glass as half empty, then you're pessimist, but that's just not true. To see the glass as half empty is to see the potential for what the glass could be, and want to work to make it that way. Those who see it as half full expect only an empty glass, so they'd be pleased with anything. I like being a "Glass Half Empty" kind of guy.

I like a healthy balance between instinct and planning, but I know I lean more towards instinct. There's a romance to Napoleon's Battle Plan of showing up and seeing what happens, but that sort of thinking will never win Waterloo. I like to know what I'm getting into, I tend to operate with caution around new people I like. Not saying I need to know every nook-and-cranny right off the bat, but I definitely want to know the topography, climate, chief resources, that sort of thing.

Another thing people say that bothers me is "admitting it is half the battle". Sure, but it isn't the second half. You're supposed to admit you have a problem and then work to correct it, but I know way too many people that think acknowledging the problem is all the heavy lifting they need to do. Like naming the problem will embolden it to fix itself. Luckily I've managed to get a lot of those people out of my life, as surrounding one's self with failure and mediocrity only produces a tolerance for failure and mediocrity.

Last year I moved from Cincinnati to Los Angeles to pursue my goal of becoming a professional screenwriter. I write for a bi-monthly magazine about screenwriting, as well as its online weekly blast about the same. Also, I work a screening series that hosts Q&As with filmmakers.

One of the best things about the move is that I'm surrounded by people pushing me forward in my progress as a writer. I have a writing partner now that I always seem to learn something from, which was the point of this whole thing. I could have stayed in Cincy and been the best screenwriter in town, but I wanted to see if I had what it takes to play at the Big Boy Table. And if I fail, well at least I know.

Karaoke. I enjoy getting on stage and attacking songs the way Kool-Aid Man attacks walls.

Deconstruction and Metaphor. I spend a lot of time thinking, about things both abstract and concrete. I have been known to go on tangents wherein I break something down and find a metaphor to explain it all away.

Oh, and Inappropriate Humor.

Most people don't like me very much when they first meet me. Not sure if it's my sense of humor (which can skew towards mean and withering), or that I'm not impressed with people just because they wear a cool t-shirt or something. I mean, I know plenty of guys who hear a girl likes Radiohead and see their dream girl - I just see a girl born after 1980. (This is not a judgment on the band. I dig Radiohead. I'm just saying if a band can give their album away and still make money, their's is probably not a small fan club.)

Also, I'm a contrarian, and it seems most people don't want to spend hours playing Devil's Advocate.

The people that like me, though, really like me.

I tend to have favorite authors instead of favorite books. And those authors are:
Neil Gaiman, for being a master storyteller who trafficks in genre and darkness, and creates characters that are relatable even when they're centuries-old Gods.
Michael Chabon, for telling large stories through small details. Also, I really dig that his dialogue is all grammatically correct.
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., for being stark raving awesome. When I start a book of his, I wonder how I'm going to get through it; halfway I wonder how I'll ever put it down.
Garth Ennis, for writing men as men are. Even when they have superpowers.

Favorite films are too numerous to list here. This is a sampling:
The Graduate, Annie Hall, Pulp Fiction, Citizen Kane, Boogie Nights, 8 1/2, American Pop, MASH, Sunset Boulevard, Dr. Strangelove, Contempt, Die Hard, Groundhog Day, Young Frankenstein, Do The Right Thing, GoodFellas, Friday Night Lights, Fargo, Schizopolis, The Jerk, Swingers, and Roger Dodger.

The first band I knew I loved was The Clash. My favorite band is Pearl Jam. Outside of those two, I really enjoy U2, Modest Mouse, Todd Snider, Tom Waits, Interpol, Eels, Kanye West, The Hold Steady, Scott Miller and the Commonwealth, TV On The Radio, Explosions In The Sky, Nirvana, Radiohead, The Decemberists, A Tribe Called Quest, Ryan Adams, The Strokes, and Bob Dylan.

As for food, I've never had strong feelings on the matter. Having said that, I'll never say no to Skyline Chili, Chipotle burritos, Big Mama's and Papa's pizza, Big Wangs' wings, or a good Half-and-Half. Yes, beer counts.

There aren't any physical things I couldn't do without. I've purged my life many times, and am good at doing without. While I enjoy my DVD collection and iPod and G1, I could give them all up if I had to. The stuff I cannot live without? Those things are a bit more abstract.

Storytelling. Take away my ability to spin a yarn, and you've pretty much removed my identity.

Friends, even if they're not nearby. I know a lot of people, but I don't have that many friends, and yes that is by design. I'm fortunate enough to have a couple of friends cool enough to understand the give-and-take nature of friendship.

Logic. I spend enough time alone to know I need my rational mind. I have to be able to reason out things, follow a train of thought to its logical end - otherwise how will I ever form the opinions I so enjoy hurling at people?

Art. Because people leave, or at least can't always be there when you need them, but a great film or song can offer solace when everything else fails.

Rationalization. Because rationalization is more important than sex. I mean, when's that last time you went a day without a rationalization? (17 points if you get this reference.)

Inspiration. I never know where it'll come from next, but I know it'll come. I suppose if that ever stops, everything else goes too.

Everything.

Cinema. The greatness that has come before, the greatness that will come again, and where I might fit into all that.

Theoretical Physics. String Theory and the Theory of Everything are particular favorites.

Football. It's a great game that not everyone fully understands, but rewards those who do. Also, I'm a lifelong Cincinnati Bengals fan, which prompts me to spend a lot of time thinking about

The Bleakness. Because sometimes we all feel like a fucking cockroach.

Women. They're soft and they smell good. They may not always make sense, but they can stop me in my tracks just by saying my name. In the good way, like you want.

Baseball, Reality TV, Transformers, Julia Roberts, and tabloid culture. It's called Mediocrity, and it fascinates me.

The end of House Season 5 and the "conversation about art" scene between Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate. Because you may think you want answers, but you really don't.

Questions. Answering a question hasn't resulted in nearly as many deaths as asking one has.

Hope v. Hopelessness. Because we've all had those days, those weeks, those months, those years.

Material Possessions. There are two sides of me that are constantly at war. One wants lot of cool stuff, and lots of space to put it. The other thinks Jack Kerouac was right when he said "If you have a welcome mat, you have too much."

See, Everything.

Doing whatever makes sense in the moment. Maybe singing karaoke somewhere, maybe on the couch watching a movie or reading.

I've spent a night in jail. Twice.

You're looking for a partner. If you're looking for a father for your kids, I'm not for you. If you're already thinking "husband", I'm not for you. We have to run the marathon before we get to cross the finish line.

If you want someone in whom you can confide and take solace, I'm good for that. Also, if you want someone with whom you can have fun, hide from the world, storm the castle, and whatever else the world throws at us, then yeah, message me.

Just know that I see a relationship as a partnership. We're not going to fix each other, because we don't view each other as broken. Well, maybe a little bit. I mean, no one's perfect.