I've been on this site for a bit and dated a bit more. I don't believe in perfection, but I at least have a much better concept of what works for me and what doesn't. Skip to the end for a summary of THAT. As filler, here's a stream of consciousness synopsis of ME:

I am a somewhat ambivalent disestablishimentarian. I am a goofball. I once thought of myself as a raging moderate, but more often I'm just disgusted with the labels "liberal" and "conservative", because they inevitably lead to pigeonholing and people arguing with generalizations, and I hate that. These symbols can still hold meaning outside of the entrenched false dichotomy. I really don't think anything is inherently good or evil. Duality is a farce perpetrated on us and by us for convenience's sake. I try for the balance, or the middle path, but sometimes I think the very idea of the balance could be part of the aforementioned false duality. I curse like a sailor. I have a morbid sense of humor. It's both a coping mechanism and cherished personality trait. I sometimes think I spend too much time trying to be clever which isn't very clever. I enjoy irony, a lot. I like the word quirky. I like to think of myself as quirky. Lately I seem to have a penchant for existential crises. Sometimes it's terribly annoying, but mostly it's just this profile. I frequently think existentialism is a positive thing, but nihilism is a pain. I'm working on social work, but my real dream job is comic. I'm wary of superlatives. I find it disconcerting when people attribute my stupid mistakes to my sex, or [insert other demographic], as though it negated my responsibility for my actions. Everything I've noted finding irritating here I've probably done at one point myself, or am doing as you read this.

Editors

• AutumnSirens

Finished my Master of Social Work degree here in Chicago, and I'm sticking around. I have a (not clinical) license, and used it to get myself a real social working job. I'm doing direct practice now, but in the long term I'm interested in macro advocacy, policy analysis/formulation, clinical operations, and program evaluation. Social work sort of consumes my being but since it's social work it fits into everything else quite easily. I would be happy to provide more information about it if you message me.

Editors

• sweetdmoney

Friendly debate, listening, being whimsically morbid, losing everything, forgetting everything, remembering trivial somethings, seeing many sides to (apparently) simple things, hypocrisy, self-deprecation, letting things go, trivializing the important and over-analyzing the unimportant, self-awareness, and being shameless. Destroying things in the kitchen.

Editors

• freemarketnancy

My unintentionally unzipped fly. The oddly placed spot on my face I neglected to shave. The weird spot on the side of my head where I unfortunately trusted SuperCuts some months ago.

I don't believe in favorites and which of these things I currently like changes with the wind. But here's a summary:

(Books)I tend to like non-fiction that makes me feel guilty about my luck, fiction that makes me think about things outside of the fictional world, and loads of brevity. Recently read A Short History of Progress and Saul Alinksy's Rules for Radicals. Currently working on the Handbook of Attachment Interventions and a People's History of the United States.

(Movies) I like most movies if I think they're well done, regardless of genre. I especially like a variety of smart comedy, old school horror, and thinking person's action/thrillers. Sometimes I just like the crap that everyone else went to see too.

(Music) An increasingly eclectic mix. It's hard to list it all here. I tend to disparage the emo.

(Food) I can find something I'll eat at most any dining establishment. I sure like food.

(Stand-up Comedians) Sarah Silverman, Lewis Black, Maria Bamford, Steve Martin, Jimmy Carr, David Cross, Demetri Martin, Louis Ramey, Pablo Francisco, Mario Cantone, Dwayne Kennedy, Zach Galifinakis... There's more, but it's hard to remember 'em all.

Editors

• AutumnSirens

(1) Brain(s) (2) Social interaction (3) Insulin (4) Batteries (5) Gray areas (6) Manatees

The meaning of life, sociology, epistemology, comedy, social work, linguistics, mojo... The hallmarks of vanity, I'm sure.

Who is looking at this damn profile. If my job will slow down anytime soon (it won't).

Doing nothing special. I work at a crisis line. Sometimes also drinking. Sometimes movie-watching. Sometimes just trying to find something to do because I neglected to make plans. Sometimes recovering from the week. Always thinking about the next one. Sometimes all of the above. I like dive bars.

Periodically OkCupid deletes a photo of me, sends me a message about it, but doesn't hint at what the photo was. I have no idea what I did wrong. Also I like to IM. I spend all day writing long thorough e-mails for work, and find it way easier to IM when I get home in the evening.

Romantically:Chemistry is a plus and impossible to determine without even messaging. You have a relatively quick wit. I'm not always on my toes, and you don't have to be either... But I tell a lot of jokes, and I'm tired of being the only one telling the jokes. You don't have everything planned out, but have at least some inkling of direction. You aren't perfect, but aspire to realistic self-betterment. You can be comfortable with vile utterances and casual blasphemy. You filled out the "About Me". You either have strength tempered by your comfort with your vulnerabilities, or comfort with your vulnerabilities tempered by your strength. I think I want me a feminist. You're okay with silly questions.

If you don't fit these criteria, or don't exactly, I'm not a completely inflexible prig.

General friendly-wise:Always interested in networking.