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I'm an introvert who enjoys roleplaying games and collectible card games (CCGs), as well as a bit of woodsball (paintball in the woods). I enjoy reading as well, mostly nonfiction, but some fantasy now and then too. The occasional horror or science fiction movie is nice (including the terrible ones on the Sci-Fi Channel), and I ride my bicycle regularly. I tend to wear jeans and t-shirts, but I can dress like a grown-up when I want to. I've picked up a smattering of German and Klingon, but I am not quite conversant. With motivation I could improve, though.

At work I have been complimented on my "positive attitude". Which surprises me, because I am prone to sarcasm, or dry and inappropriate humor. So I have designated my attitude "cynically upbeat".

I do not like long walks in the park. (Swingsets are cool, though.) And I am neither wild nor crazy. But I try to be honest and considerate, and people seem to like me. (But if I were a total psycho, would I tell you?)

I think slowly and often fumble for words. I am affectionate, but it takes me time to get comfortable around someone. I talk to my cats. I seem to be a bit of a romantic despite myself. But I know it is possible to be too nice, and I am getting in touch with my inner jerk.

I am a night person. I do not like to be out of bed before noon. The games I play are an important part of my life - I like to spend one evening a week playing. I would greatly enjoy being part of organized atheism, but there is no such thing locally.

By "Drinks: Not at all", I mean I never drink to intoxication. A beer with a meal is my limit. By "Likes children, but doesn't want any", I mean I don't want to be a parent or babysitting service. Kids are okay, but only so long as they require little or no maintenance from me. Which sounds a lot like "Dislikes children", now that I think of it.

I'm not sure how to classify myself politically. I am pro-choice and I favor gay marriage. (Really, I think Uncle Sam should have nothing to do with marriage at all. But Separation of Marriage and State doesn't seem politically viable.) I believe immigration from Muslim countries should be curtailed, and we should face the fact that Islam cannot co-exist peacefully with western democracy. I generally favor small government, but I oppose any plan to privatize Social Security. I believe the FDA has done tremendous harm to Americans, and should be stripped of its regulatory powers. (It should be an advisory agency only.) I believe people should be encouraged to carry lethal weapons. I tend to vote Democrat and I think Bush should be impeached and tried for war crimes.

Regarding religion, I prefer to call myself an atheist, since it is the most inclusive term. But I could also be called a secular humanist, religious humanist, skeptic, freethinker, or Unitarian Universalist. You could call me an agnostic, but I avoid that word since it is used by so many pseudo-intellectuals who just don't want to be called atheists. (Yes, this is one of my pet peeves.)

You could even call me a Bright or nontheist, but the "agnostic" nonsense is bad enough. The world doesn't need more politically correct synonyms for atheist.

Here are links to some of my journal entries so you can get to know me better: My Love Languages I'm on the Wagon Why I Am Not an Agnostic Atheism 101 Modern Humanism 101

Getting it back in order. And re-inventing myself. My prior long-term relationship (which ended in the spring of '07) left my life a mess. My current goals are to save money so I can go back to school, and to make sure I don't become a doormat again. So if we go out, don't expect anything extravagant.

At one time I was a mentor for the local university secular humanist group, but the group is no longer active. (I was the founder and first president as well.) I was treasurer for the Unitarian Universalist fellowship, which also fell apart. I live in a small, largely fundamentalist town, and maintaining any sort of organized freethought here seems almost impossible.

In my spare time I like to play tabletop roleplaying games with my friends. If you're into such things, my favorites are Call of Cthulhu (the Basic RolePlaying version) and GURPS. I can also be talked into Dungeons and Dragons now and then, and I've been meaning to inflict HOL on the group one of these days. I've also scrounged up some books for d20 Stargate SG-1 and the new World of Darkness, though I haven't gotten around to playing them.

I am the local volunteer promoter ("Prince") for the Vampire: The Eternal Struggle (VTES) collectible card game. The game fascinates me, since it involves a great deal of strategy, and there is an element of negotiation as well as competition.

I have a few vintage decks for Magic: The Gathering, and I have a Personality Clash deck set for Illuminati: New World Order (INWO) gathering dust. And I have the Budget Battlefield rules and a bunch of cardstock miniatures, though I haven't played in years.

Being the Keeper in a Call of Cthulhu game. At least, I keep getting asked to do it.

My cane and my beard. I lean on a cane to take pressure off a bad ankle, and my beard is going gray. The combined effect makes me look older than I am - people have started calling me "sir".

So why don't I shave it off or dye it? Because it's my beard.

EDIT: Actually, I don't walk with a cane anymore. After going on a low-carb diet and thyroid hormone, the inflammation in my ankle cleared up. Now I'm just a skinny guy with an unfashionably bushy graying beard.

(A) Books: Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. The best book I've read on the science and politics of obesity, nutrition, and chronic disease. If you haven't read it yet, do it now. No More Mr. Nice Guy by Robert Glover. The definitive book on Nice Guy Syndrome. Religion Explained by Paschal Boyer. Truly eye-opening. The Deverry series by Katharine Kerr. An entertaining Celtic fantasy, though the earlier books in the series are the best. Humanism as the Next Step by Lloyd and Mary Morain. Brief but inspiring. The Best of H. P. Lovecraft. His style is verbose, but it has grown on me. Gospel Fictions by Randel Helms. The best book I know to put the Bible in perspective. Anything by Isaac Asimov. The Wolf fantasy series by Jane Linskold. Real World Self-Defense by Jerry VanCook. A Short, Sharp Shock by Kim Stanley Robinson.

(B) Movies: Ridley Scott's Alien. A brilliant horror film. James Cameron's Aliens. Not such a great film, but I enjoy it. Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings, of course. Bill Forsyth's Housekeeping. Rob Reiner's The Princess Bride. Borat. I can't watch it continuously all the way through because I laugh too hard. I have to pause it a few times to recover my strength.

(C) Music: Chromasex Monkeydrive by Luxt. Harrowing. Repeater by Fugazi. Inspiring. The Open Door by Evanescence. Comforting. Locust Abortion Technician by the Butthole Surfers. Fun.

(D) Foods: I'm on an extreme low-carb diet, so I mostly eat meat, eggs, and hard cheese. But before the diet I would eat almost anything. I'm fond of lizard on a stick, split pea and hand soup, and fresh human pineal glands.

(E) Games: See "What I'm Doing With My Life," above.

(F) Blogs: The Advice Goddess Blog by Amy Alkon. I love the way her mind works. You can check it out here.

(G) Web Comics: Something Positive by R. K. Milholland. The site is here.

(H) Essays: Life Is To Be Lived Now: A Vital, Personal Humanism by Fred Edwords. Lots of wisdom packed in there - it may be all you really need to know about finding meaning in life. It has been posted here. Caring for Your Introvert by Jonathan Rauch. A humorous explanation of introversion which helped me understand myself better, available here.

(I) TV Shows: Stargate SG-1. Escapist entertainment, though the writing is past its prime. It should have been cancelled years ago. The British comedy Absolutely Fabulous. I identify with the daughter, though perhaps that is too much information. All the Star Trek shows. The BBC production of I, Claudius. Mythbusters. Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Buffy and Angel, of course.

(J) Other Videos: The Combatives series by Kelly McCann, aka Jim Grover. Practical self-defense.

My cats. Hobby games, the kind that require study and preparation. Quiet time. Low carb food. Knives - I feel naked if I'm not carrying one. Stuff to read.

Scenarios for Call of Cthulhu. Why religion exists, and why so many atheists make religion-like mistakes in their thinking about politics, ethics, etc. What I would do in the event of a zombie outbreak. How much better off I would be without the government regulation of medicine. The adaptive nature of male pattern baldness. What Europe would be like today if the Celts had beaten the Romans. How Western civilization will weather the threat of fundamentalist Islam. My various mistakes and gaucheries, though I try not to.

...at work.

If you really want to know, I've taken the "What's Your Sexual Style?" test, and my results are more-or-less accurate. I have a dominant side, so I need a woman with submissive tendencies. But don't let my high generosity score worry you. I know now that being excessively generous is a bad thing, so I am reigning that in.

I am also recovering from Nice Guy Syndrome. So you have no idea how hard it is for me to admit to my dominant tendencies. But I am making progress.

And though this isn't very private, I do not have a car, and do not plan to get one in the near future. My plan for Life 2.0 requires a Spartan lifestyle for now.

...you live in the area and I sound like someone you would like to date. Or if you would like to play some of my nerdy games with me. Good gamers are scarce in this town, so I'm always looking for more. Or if you just want to chat about something we have in common.

I don't use the OKC instant messenger. It makes my computer ill. (I use a steam powered Babbage engine.)Just send an email if you want to contact me.

Regarding dating, I'm not particular about age, body type, etc, though I am usually not attracted to very obese women. (But you might be the exception, who knows.) Smoking is a problem - allergies, and I find it distasteful. Bonus points if you can correctly define atheism, and explain the relationship between atheism and agnosticism.

Regarding games, I'm an old-school gamer. I like to get together with my friends and play games with pencil and paper, and funny-looking dice. Or else decks of cards with monsters on them. See "What I'm Doing With My Life" for a list of games I'm into, and feel free to suggest something similar.