(I finally rewrote this thing. Huzzah!)

I hate writing these things, but here goes. I'm politically active, having previously written for political websites; I've been slacking off in that area, however. I enjoy an eclectic variety of music, particularly alternative rock, hip-hop and ska. I play obscure video games, write short stories and read constantly - mostly nonfiction as I find most novels overly verbose and poorly written in general. (Snobbery!) I just enjoy the creative process, even when it doesn't work out (and it usually doesn't). My hope is to get some of my works published, but first I must get some of this down on paper - most of my ideas are sitting in my head, unrecorded.

Artificial structure makes me itch. That's probably why I up and decided to leave the country. Ironically, I hate traveling - I never get anything out of it. Seeing a place from the inside is a lot different. Now I'm back, and I'm once again adrift without much of a plan.

This is mostly an attempt to meet new people. I'm hoping to make some contacts with people in whatever city I wind up in. As I've just come out of a rather bad relationship, I'm not really looking for a girlfriend right now. If I do end up in a relationship, I'd like it to be something that happens naturally - far healthier than looking for a set-up. I get along better with women than men, and always have - even as a child.

I ended up here out of boredom and curiosity several years back, and I've enjoyed what I've seen. Unfortunately, I'm really lousy at writing beginnings and endings. For everyone's sake, imagine that I wrote something really witty and unique here. Thanks.

I have a degree in political science and a general idea of what to do with it. I'm coming off a stint as an English teacher in Changchun, a city in northeastern China. I've written a book about my experiences there, and I'm in the process of finding a publisher. In the meantime, I'm looking for a job that fits my skill set. Right now, I don't even know where I'll be working, let alone what I'll be doing. I have considered doing a year in South Korea, because I'm crazy and learned nothing from the past year.

Singing, writing, and putting up with stupid people (not necessarily in that order). I'm also good at math, but it doesn't interest me. I wish I was better with foreign languages, but I'm working on it. As it is, I know enough Mandarin to not starve. Literally, as it turns out.

Well, you'd have to ask other people, wouldn't you? Judging by my experience, most people don't notice me. I think most people assume that I'm cold because I don't really express my emotions, but that's simply not the case.

a - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, The Handmaid's Tale, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, World War Z, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Napalm and Silly Putty (and George Carlin's other collections), Freakonomics, some of Hunter Thompson's stuff

b - The Shawshank Redemption, Dr. Strangelove, Pulp Fiction, Rain Man, Memento, The Big Lebowski, Pan's Labyrinth, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Training Day, Clerks, Dogma

c - REM, Public Enemy, Weezer, the Toasters, Badly Drawn Boy, Queens of the Stone Age, Talib Kweli, Del the Funky Homosapien, Gorillaz, Cake, Matisyahu, Radiohead, Chris Thomas King, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Green Day

d - Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean (so it's regional, sue me), but I mostly go for simple foods. I'm constantly searching for a better BLT.

A notebook, a supply of Altoids, a decent book, comfortable shoes, someplace with a door I can lock, and (of course) a doomsday device (for duck-huntin'). Actually, I've spent most of the past year without access to any of the above (including the mutated anthrax) so maybe I should reconsider this...

I spend a lot of time thinking in general. 96% of the time, it's my latest idea for a book/movie/etc. The rest of the time it's random crap.

I don't know, at home? Maybe at a bar if there's a decent one near where I live.

. . . would no longer be private. Ask and ye shall receive.

...you caught all the goofy references and they didn't scare you off. I'm always in the mood to meet new people, so drop a line.