Hiya. Well, first and foremost, I don't particularly like writing about myself; it always feels very odd... which is probably why I had a blank profile for a while, yeah?

I'm a pretty casual guy looking for a bit of companionship in the Phoenix area. I'm not really into "the scene" much, which, incidentally, is probably why I'm single.

In general, I have fairly particular tastes. As Chris Lowe once said (bonus points if you didn't have to look up who he is), "I don't like much, really, do I? But what I do like, I love passionately."

And, as a matter of fact, I *do* like the movie Amélie; thanks for the suggestion.

You may notice that okcupid thinks I am both "less generous" and "less greedy." I suppose I'm nothing if not contradictory...

I'm a graphic designer ("Creative Director" is the rather-inflated title I've given myself) at a small software and web-design company in the northeast Valley. I oversee the creation of template-based websites, and am in control of pretty much anything visual that our company presents to the public.

Other than that, not whole lot? Which, I suppose, is why I'm here.

Does procrastination count as a skill?

Oh, right, positivity and that... ok, um... typeface identification, color scheme preparation, proper resolution of dissonance in common-practice-era counterpoint (you wouldn't believe how often this comes up), gin consumption (not so often any more, but I am still good at it), and proper usage of grammar and punctuation.

My unusual taste in T-shirts? My slightly-laughable facial hair? Perhaps my general rotundity (no, really, it's a word—I just looked it up)?

Though I consider myself fairly smart and decently-educated, I have to admit I just don't read much. Unless Wikipedia counts...which it almost certainly doesn't.

Having said that, I do, on a very rare occasion, get it into my head that I should read one of the Significant Novels or other pieces of Great Literature. Sometimes I even finish the damned thing. So, anyway, I can say that Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children" is the best thing I've ever read, by far. ("The Satanic Verses" is, on the other hand, an utter disappointment.)

I'm not actually a big movie fan. Two hours of my concentration is a lot to ask, and so many movies are at least fairly bad, so I often feel gypped or cheated at the end. But of course, I do have some a short list... "Amélie" actually is one of my favorites. "Annie Hall." "Little Miss Sunshine." "Lost in Translation." "Best in Show." "Shaun of the Dead," and to a lesser extent, "Hot Fuzz." "Young Frankenstein." "Howards End." I thought the movie version of "Sweeney Todd" was done quite well (best Broadway musical ever). I adore all five hours of the A&E "Pride and Prejudice" miniseries.

But, in general, a well-done TV show is much more my speed—a commitment of an hour or less each time, and the ability to tell a story in more detail. I think the original version of "The Office" is one of the best things ever written for TV. (Incidentally, the American version is funny, but isn't anywhere close.) I've just gotten into "The Thick of It" on BBC Two, and it is fantastic. I really enjoyed "Six Feet Under." And I still like "I Love Lucy."

I like a fairly wide range of music. I've really only been listening to popular (i.e. non-Classical) music since college. First, let me say that Kate Bush is a genius without peer. (Pity about "The Sensual World" and, especially, "The Red Shoes," but we'll forgive her.) Other artists that have figured largely in my music collection are Pet Shop Boys, The Stranglers, The Kinks, New Order, The Smiths, Marianne Faithfull, Blur, David Bowie, Regina Spektor, The Beatles, The Streets, Kylie, and Depeche Mode. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Cyndi Lauper, as it was "She's So Unusual" that turned me back onto pop music in the first place.

At the moment my exploration of pop music has stagnated a bit. Need to start listening to Steve Lamacq again...

I like food. Except celery, pickles, and olives. I'm game for pretty much everything else. I'm a pretty good cook when I can be bothered. Some staples among me and my friends include Thai, Indian, and sushi. And Ethiopian, when we can be arsed to head into to Tempe. In general, I really enjoy expanding my gastronomic horizons with new food experiences.

I also have a great love for anything British in general, and English in particular. This includes their vocabulary and mode of speech… which accounts for me occasionally slipping in a phrase like "when we can be arsed."

Things to which I don't give time of day: anything involving Microsoft, religion, or cats.

A Mac, music, Kleenex, BBC radio (Radio 4 if I have to choose), Aveda products, and Stabilo pens. More or less in that order.

...you thought I was gonna say friends and family, didn't you? Well, they're alright too, I guess.

I think a lot about things in general. Name a topic, and I've probably over-analyzed it. Heigh-ho.

Well, often coffee with friends of mine. About half the time we end up finishing the night off at one of the bars, though that is less exciting than it perhaps sounds.

When I don't go to coffee, I just basically stay in at home, re-listening to that day's News Quiz, organizing my oversized music collection on my aged computer, or some other activity that takes my mind off the fact that I need to do the dishes.

Nothing springs to mind. If I'd wanted to impart some secret, I probably would have done it in another of these boxes—sorry.

You should message me if you're a guy with a desire to cuddle with something vaguely teddy-bear-shaped.