I'm an easy-going guy with a good sense of humor. But who isn't? I believe in giving people a fair chance and love working with kids. I'm a baseball and stand-up comedy nerd. I feel like there must be better uses for those brain cells than remembering that Willie Mays' lifetime batting average (.302) and every word to George Carlin's "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television," but I haven't found them yet. I'm a native Chicagoan and grew up going to Wrigley Field with my dad, and Second City with my friends. I still get back to my hometown from time to time, though my family has all moved away.

I've lived in the Midwest, on the East Coast, and the West Coast. I've worked in the arts, community service, and education... which all really come down to the same basic idea in a way. I've co-founded a company and worked as a temp. Despite my moves and careers, I'm a dedicated person. I still keep in touch with friends from preschool, elementary school, high school, and college.

I like exploring new places and interests. Right about now, I'm up for some adventure. If you've got an idea, I'll drive.

I teach middle school Humanities in Newark. Working with my kids can be a challenge, but it's also very rewarding. I feel like these are my kids, and I love working with them, even the ones who drive me crazy. Particularly the one who drive me crazy, actually. And I'll be honest: it's fun. There are ALWAYS stories. I used to be an actor and I still like to act from time to time, but teaching is my full-time career. The nice thing is that it still leaves time for writing.

Bar trivia. I'm really good at listening and analysis. I'm a very dedicated person. I'm very supportive. It's something I enjoy and get lots of practice doing thanks to my job. I'm usually quick with a joke, though I can't promise it'll be good. I'm resilient. I'm forgiving and caring. I look for balance. I'm a pretty good writer, particularly of speeches and letters... which may be my most outdated skill set. I'm not so good at writing bios.

I'm also good at editing. In fact, this sentence is an edit. And it made this section slightly better, don't you think?

People often think they've met me before. I don't know what it is, but they do. Oh, and I'm also the random guy who strangers ask for directions. Sometimes even when I'm not from wherever I am. Most people, though, tend to notice my eyes next.

Favorite books: Catch-22, Huck Finn.

Movies: Field of Dreams, Usual Suspects, most of the Judd Apatow movies, the Indiana Jones movies... I like a lot of different kinds of movies.

Shows: Daily Show, Colbert Report, The Newsroom, 30 Rock, Modern Family

Music: Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Mumford & Sons, the Hold Steady, the Stones, the Beatles, Motown, Sam Cooke, Talking Heads... I like music from most genres. Not so into opera. I just don't get most of it. My favorite album of all-time is Paul Simon's "Graceland."

Food: I love breakfast for dinner, burgers, steak, bbq, sushi... I'll try most anything.

Comedians: George Carlin, Chris Rock, Woody Allen, Eddie Izzard, Demetri Martin, Steven Wright, Dave Chappelle, Hannibal Burress.

Baseball, music, a sense of direction, something to make me laugh, something to make me think, and people to share it with.

Writing. I spend a lot of time thinking about writing. I love to edit, but getting started, the blank page, is always the toughest part for me.

In fact, if you've visited my profile before, you may have noticed that it has really just been a series of edits. I'm a believer in getting something down, then fixing it.

I think a lot about baseball. The game itself, the history of the game, what it means to our culture... there's a part of me that believes that baseball is kind of the American ideal: incredibly perfect and incredibly flawed.

On a typical Friday night I am looking to blow off some steam from the work week. Teaching has some long hours, so I'm usually looking to relax on Friday and enjoy my weekend.

I'm an honest, open person, but I think I'll save the private details for face-to-face time. Ask me what you want to know then, and I promise to tell you.

Okay, I'll admit that I was disproportionally happy that my "Which Shakespeare Play Are You?" test came out "Much Ado About Nothing." I love that play; it's got everything.

You are interested in meeting up. Or if you just want to start a conversation and see where it goes.