Hello. I enjoy Lebanon, Egypt, Isreal things, projects, everything else, identity politics, sarcasm.

Three places I have lived and liked a lot are Central New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; and Alexandria, Egypt. I went to school in Montreal, it's good too.

My main thing is U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, counterterrorism, and Egyptian politics.

Just got back from living in Egypt for a while where I was a student and working for an Egyptian newspaper. Doing media research now, translating some Arabic short stories on the side.

Well I'm not that great at painting, but I still really like doing it and no one is going to stop me. I do ok at cooking, smoking ribs and briskets, running, and playing and writing music.

Affable? Clothed.

I recently read "The Story of Zahra" by Hanan al-Shaykh and it was amazing. All time favorites: 1984, Sophie's Choice, The Secret Life of Saeed the Pessoptimist. Non-fiction...Assad: The Struggle for the Middle East, For Land and the Lord, Nations and Nationalism, The Prize, One Palestine Complete.

New Yorker Fiction, Radiolab (podcasts, had to include them).

I'm listening to Grouper a lot now, also Twin Shadow, Wild Nothing and Tame Impala. Beach House. Crystal Castles, Actress, Grimes, Metz. Titus Andronicus, windows open, crossing the Delaware Memorial Bridge into Jersey is a highlight of the month, every month, at least once.

I love movies, but I don't watch enough, suggestions welcome. Some of my favorites include almost every Coen brothers film, most Herzog films (especially Grizzly Man and Aguirre), Almodovar (Talk to Her), Wes Anderson, just saw 21 Jump Street, hilarious!

Food: Indian, Iranian, Ethiopian.

Not an avid TV watcher, but "The Wire" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" are enjoyable. A ramadan series about the Muslim Brotherhood called "Al-Gama'a" is excellent. I mostly watch Egyptian shows these days.

These days: Iron Dome and its effects on Palestinian militant group behavior all the time cause of work, but also Egyptian politics, institutional and bureaucratic wars in the Middle East, raspberry sorbetto.

You want hang around, drink some wine, talk about the Middle East, get some Rogan Josh, drink espresso.