I'm unusual. I mean, statistically speaking, I'm no kind of minority, being a Christian white male, but I've found that I tend to stick out without trying. People see me and they remember me, even before they know my name. *shrug* For whatever reason, I'm an anomaly that people notice. Nice enough for interpersonal situations, but it's pretty much doomed my early aspirations of a life of crime. "Yeah, it's the guy on the left. No, you don't need to have them turn or anything, that's the guy who stole my jewelry!" *sigh* Well, so much for such dreams and aspirations.

As for remaining dreams and aspirations, I'm currently in a period of relative drift. I just got my Masters of software Engineering from CMU. It was not so much for the passion of learning (although I do enjoy that) or for the increased social contact (I enjoy that too), but because it was an acceptable thing to do at this stage of my life and I figure it can't hurt (other than my pocketbook... I'd forgotten about college debt). It was hard work making it through the program for all that I'm the kind to coast when I can get away with it. *wry grin* Truth be told, I coasted more than I ought to have. Looking back, I wish I'd applied myself more, but what can one do? The past is the past. All you can do is learn from it for the future. Currently, I'm doing programming for a government contractor (one of the benign ones... no missile guidance code for me) as my vocation and enjoying life as my avocation.

I'm a fairly musical person. I've never gotten the hang of most instruments, but I've been told I have an excellent voice and I know that I love singing, whether it's church, karaoke, or just singing for the joy of singing. Fair warning, I have shown tendencies in the past to serenade without worrying at all about the people around me. Consider yourself fairly warned. While it's not a requirement that the girls I hang out with have good taste in music, or are good musicians themselves, it would be a nice thing.

Hmmm... what else to say. I'm a loyal if sometimes absentminded friend. I have a slight problem with overanalyzing things and not noticing what's right in front of my eyes, but I'm working on that. I'm always open to new experiences, although there are occasions when I will be the voice of reason. :-p There will also be times when I'm that little voice that tells you to go ahead and climb that wall... after all, why would they build a wall if they didn't want it climbed? I'm... me, unabashedly, and that's quite a trip sometimes.

Anyhow, feel free to send messages. I don't bite. Much. Unless asked. Etcetera.

I am working in New Jersey, Camden to be precise. I've accepted a position with L-3 Communications Systems East. It's a computer programming job, and interesting enough, at least for now. The company has a good reputation for retention. We'll see how it goes.

Other than that... I've held multiple jobs, acquired advanced degrees, and I still haven't quite found my place in life. I don't know where to look next, honestly. I'm kind of considering pursuing a side career in entertainment. I already do community theater and choir work and karaoke. Maybe... it sounds silly, but I can see myself as a lounge singer, blasting out the Elvis and Sinatra for people. Being intimately close to them in song, if but for a night. Problem is, I have no idea how to even start in such a career. So, for now, I'm keeping my repertoire polished and watching and waiting for an opportunity. I've found that my life tends to have these random opportunities in it when I need them, so one is bound to show up.

As for extra-curricular activities, I'm getting back into acting. I've done Taming of the Shrew and The Pajama Game for two different companies here in New Jersey. I've taken a few dance classes at the local community college including belly dancing, and I'm start to attend swing dance events again (I was big into it in college but ran out of spare time). I'm doing Capoeira at a school in Philadelphia, recently went through Batizado and got my green belt. ^_^ Oh, and I sing in the church choir and play D&D on Sundays. It occupies most of my afternoons, but there's still plenty of space and the schedule is flexible for the most part.

I'm a generally intelligent person, doing well at picking up things both intuitively and by prolonged study. I'm not only fluent in English, but I actively work to maintain my skill in language, learning new words and doing my best to continue to be a good communicator. I've got an excellent natural talent in singing and I'm a decent actor.

I'm told that I'm a good listener, someone to talk to when you want someone to just listen to you, to be interested in what you're saying, but to not judge you or question you beyond what you give. I'm a loyal friend, although I'm occasionally the kind who'll drift in and out of lives because it doesn't bother me to not communicate for long amounts of time.

As noted two questions above, I do have a fair degree of vocal talent, albeit partly untrained. I sing because I enjoy it, whether it's in church, at karaoke, or just walking down the street. Lately, I've been trying to expand my range, both in terms of low and high notes and in kinds of music. Lastly, as long as I'm given a set of steps, I'm not half bad at dancing. Just don't ask me to improvise on the fly or else things get really ugly...

Good question... I've had people comment on my hair, my voice, my eyes... and, oddly enough, a few times my eyebrows. *shrug* Apparently they're very expressive? I'm still figuring out how to react to a girl saying I have sexy eyebrows beyond saying "thanks."

Like I said before, my general presence tends to be something which people see and remember.

My favorites shift according to what my tastes of the day are, but the following are examples:

(A) Kencyrath saga, Chronicles of Harry Dresden, The Mouse and His Child, Taking Flight, The Conrad Stargard series, most anything by Tamora Pierce, The Coldfire Trilogy

(B) The Princess Bride, Love Actually, Dark City, Who is Cletis Tout?, Chobits, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Equilibrium

(C) Pretty much anything but lately Gaelic Storm, Ivor Biggun, Weird Al, Big and Rich, MC-Plus+

(D) Chili, rice casserole, cheese puffs, KBAC, pizza rolls. I'm actually not horribly discriminating when it comes to food... I find a lot of things very delicious and I take full advantage of my family's high metabolism.

I had the bright idea and sudden inspiration to write this in the form of doggerel. It's a shame that OkCupid mangles the next to remove line breaks... My attempts to manually insert them have more or less failed.

I need my friends and I need my kin / I need the glow of faith within / I need my freedom and I need my song / And DSL helps me to get along.

I'm a simple man who needs little / Not concerned with jot and tittle / I need my freedom and I need my space / I'm a unique member of the common race.

I actually spend a lot of time contemplating nothing. I studied meditation at one point and the idea of having no thought in your head for a time seems extremely peaceful. As it is, I can only really reduce it to the normal background hum and whatever music happens to be looping through my head at the time.

When I do let my mind ramble, I'm usually running through potential conversations, what to do if something entirely bizarre happens, and generally planning possible ways that my day might go. I like to think of my mind as contemplating the quantum state of the world which will only be collapsed upon observing it.

Every other Friday, I go down to the Greenville Inn in Marlton for some very well-managed karaoke (the guy has an amazing selection and is scrupulously fair in maintaining the song rotation) and excellent wings. The other Friday night and early Friday afternoon, I call Bingo at Queen of Heaven in Cherry Hill. ^_^ What can I say? I love performing onstage to a receptive audience.

While I'm usually not altogether concerned about my appearance other than being hygenic and reasonably presentable, I'm very vain about my hair. I'm not worried about going grey (personally, I think it would make me look distinguished) but the idea of receding hairlines and going bald scares me half to death. I know it's irrational and yet the thought of hair-loss greatly disturbs me.

You're interested in fascinating if somewhat random conversations. If you need someone to talk to. If you're looking for someone and something completely different. Message me and I promise I'll write back. You never know where you'll find a connection.