Another one of *these*... marvelous.

My name is Eric, I'm a Bay Area native, I've been called an "old soul" (whatever that means), a "beatnik punk," (whatever *that* means), mysterious, a conundrum and a "diamond in the rough," among other things. I like to create. I used to sleep on the couch in our practice room at my drummer's old house. I think that Halloween and roller derby are two of the greatest things. Ever.

I enjoy good food and intellectually stimulating conversations and have a strong desire to travel, but I think it's impossible for me to use the terms "foodie," "witty banter" and "wanderlust" with a straight face. It's okay if you do, though. But, please don't tell me you're looking for a "partner in crime." If you've ever used that phrase, chances are you've never committed/will never commit a crime more serious than getting a parking ticket, so don't. Just... don't.

I often wonder if I'm really from another planet, but I'm pretty easy to get along with once you get to know me.

Bike riding, reading, entertaining the thought of recording a series of punk/garage band covers of rock and pop songs from the 60s, starting my own business, learning to cook, attempting to break a world record. "There's a Donkey Kong killscreen coming up if anyone wants to watch..."

This question sounds like something a family friend that you haven't seen in years would ask while playing 20 Questions with you at dinner, trying to find something that can be even remotely considered a fault with your response, so they can tire you for the rest of the evening with a lecture about what they think is best for you.

Not that I've ever had that happen.

Making espresso beverages, having my intentions misconstrued, pissing you off, air hockey, go-kart racing, getting around without a car in the midst of suburban sprawl (suck it, oil industry), kissing (so I've been told), making hasty decisions when playing chess, calling you out on autocorrect fails, trivia.

My eyes, my Three Stooges tattoo or my ethnic ambiguity. People sometimes try to speak to me in Middle Eastern languages, and I feel bad because I have no idea what they're saying.

Do I really have to list all these? In either case, I'm not going to.

Books (believe it or not, I read, and even enjoy it!): The Lord of the Rings, Youth in Revolt, Get in the Van, Lone Wolf and Cub, American Psycho, 1984, Black Coffee Blues, The Time Machine, A Clockwork Orange, The Lorax, Lobotomy: Surviving the Ramones, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Akira, TMNT, The Hobbit, etc. etc.

Movies (far too many of these to list; and if any of these have ever been remade, chances are I'm referring to the originals): Seven Samurai, Mad Max, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Harold and Maude, Monkey Business, Animal Crackers, Grandma's Boy, Flash Gordon, The King of Kong, M, The Big Lebowski, Ghostbusters, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Freaks, Gojira, The Little Shop of Horrors, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Kid, Dr. Strangelove, What About Bob?, Back to the Future, Office Space, They Live, Yojimbo, Big Trouble in Little China, The Sandlot, Nosferatu, Halloween, Psycho, many others.

Shows (I haven't watched TV on a regular basis since I was 16): The State, The A-Team, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, I Love Lucy, The Ren and Stimpy Show, The Incredible Hulk, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job!, Firefly, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Star Trek (TOS and TNG), Whitest Kids 'U Know, a few others.

Music (again, too many to list): Wesley Willis, the Descendents/ALL, the Ramones, X, Black Flag, ? and the Mysterians, the Residents, the soundtrack from the 1967 Spider-Man animated series, Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, John Lennon, Ella Fitzgerald, Roy Orbison, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, the Dead Milkmen, the Misfits, Black Sabbath, the Latin American punk compilation album ¿Donde Estabas Tu? (it's pretty bad ass), the Beatles, etc. etc. etc.

Food (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A12o3gjvKtg&feature=youtube_gdata_player): Italian, burgers, pizza, breakfast, cheese steaks, home cooked meals, Rolling Rock, red wine, sake, rich desserts, sandwiches.

On second thought, let's not answer this question. It is a silly one.

how hilarious it is when commercials for prescription drugs display pleasant images of families playing with dogs in their spacious back yards or elderly couples walking along the beach on a sunny afternoon while the voice-over runs through a grocery list of horrifying side effects, how I can make the world around me better for myself and everyone else (no, really), how disturbing it is that UFC has gone from being mere pay-per-view fodder to being a cultural phenomenon, what's the name of that gorgeous redhead, kink, how great it would be to own a loft and video arcade like Flynn from Tron, what's for lunch.

what I am, and that's all I am.

Nothing private, really... I'm pretty open.

I have a crush on Angela Ryan. And Christina Hendricks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuNeNTnSApA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

That, and I understand nothing. If you know what I'm thinking before the words come out of my mouth, I want to know you.

You've read this far... and if you're not afraid to be passionate, not afraid to take chances and not afraid to be vulnerable.