At this point I'm ready for a serious LTR, so that's my focus in this social exercise. That said, I'm always open to making friends with exceptional individuals, though I'm a terrible correspondent and overbusy. Smart, mature women with wisdom to share and comfort with their sexuality have always been my favorites.

I'm extra-tactile in all kinds of ways, low-drama, and light hearted. I'm graduate-educated (design and technology related), with an undergraduate degree in physics. I've been to Guatemala, Kenya, Europe (mostly Italy), and most recently went to Japan in February of 2008. (I ate lots of noodles, and some amazing sushi.) And I've been to Black Rock City many times.

Here are the sort of things I'm looking for. Good communication. Maturity. Low drama. Someone who is fundamentally optimistic, with a sassy edge. The ability to enjoy social time as well as serene downtime. Lots of good kissing. A willingness to not take too many things too seriously. Independence. Integrity. Lots of touch. Engaged curiosity. Separate time. Interest in constructive problem resolution, not fault or blame (including self blame). Choosing happiness. A peer and partner.

I'm pretty much all of the above, or darn close. Beyond that, deep voice, big hands and feet. Single, childless, no addictions stronger than chocolate. Anti-TV, pro-NPR (and NYT and Salon online). Financially responsible. Sometimes not as physically active as I could be. Way too analytical at times. Committed to doing good in the world. Playful and enthusiastic, caring and adoring, oblivious and distractable. Progressive, open minded, opinionated, mostly anti-consumer culture (but I own too many shoes). Into alt-culture in non-superficial ways. Haven't owned a car since 2004, and am biking a lot this year, including the STP. Serious sushi junkie. Occasional sculptor. Lucky at first-time recipes. Sometimes I talk too fast, but that's just my mouth trying to keep up with my brain. Sometimes that gets me into trouble.

I'm frequently annoyed by the questions on OKC. There are too many that present absolutes. "Would you [ever] ...?" For many of these I can think of plausible scenarios where I might, even if it wouldn't be my usual path. I'm flexible like that. And both is often a very good answer. Binary choices endorse an artificial sense of scarcity, which is fear-based, and I'm all about abundance.

I don't drink much, though I don't have anything against social/casual drinking. If alcohol is a vital part of your social life or profile, we may have different ideas of what constitutes a good time.

As a last note, I know the difference between its and it's, and you're and your, and among there, their, and they're. And finally, because someone else had it listed, I'll admit that I, too, Love Reed.

I'm in a place in life where my priorities and choices are changing. And I like it.

My new job is challenging and rewarding.

I'm trying to drink more water and get more sleep.

I'm cooking more often and better, spending time with friends, improving myself, and riding my bike.

Hugging, visualizing information (often as diagrams), helping out, using my hands for all kinds of things, listening, talking, teaching, connecting ideas, kissing (occasionally I teach; lecture, not lab), playing Set, pondering interface, giving advice, not taking it personally, making babies smile, connecting people with things or experiences (or people) that make them happy.

I don't know; I don't usually ask*. I'm often told that people enjoy my smile and my low voice, and that I smell good (this still surprises me every time).

* It may well be "he sure can talk."

Slaughterhouse Five, China Mountain Zhang, The Design of Everyday Things. Plus an entire shelf on visualizing knowledge.

Alien, Aliens, Bound, Dr Strangelove, 12 Monkeys, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Secretary, The Manchurian Candidate [original version, of course], Ridley Scott, Terry Gilliam, John Woo.

Deb Talan, Miles Davis, Dire Straits, Woody Guthrie, Ben Harper, Jimi Hendrix, Louis Jordan, The Police. Old blues, folk, jazz, and swing.

Sushi, Italian, Vietnamese, Thai. Chocolate. Homemade fruit crisp. Bread and cheese.

Friends & family, interesting challenges, good tools, teachers, snuggling & sex, and my MacBook Pro with a fast connection.

Communication, and how important it is.

I ponder the choices that people make, what makes them happy, and why they make choices that make them unhappy.

I also think about sex, design and interface, politics, food, how to make the world a better place, (anti-)consumer culture, serendipity, scarcity vs abundance, and contentment.

Usually I'm spending the evening eating and socializing with friends, or enjoying downtime by myself at home.

I am looking for some degree of consensual non-monogamy, as that best suits who I am and how I'm wired. What that looks like all depends on the partner and the relationship. For a variety of reasons, I don't call myself polyamorous; I prefer the term mostly-monogamous.

My choices aren't my identity, they're just my choices. That also applies to my spirituality, politics, etc.

In person I'm less serious than I may appear to be here.

Beyond that, ask me anything.

I'd love to hear from you if you're interested in delight, integrity, openness, and great communication. Bonus points for an unabashedly optimistic outlook on life, a sense of humor, a sense of where you're going in life, and irrepressible tactile inclinations.

I do believe that the match scores here are pretty accurate, given that they're based on your own answers. If we're less than a 90% match, or more than 10% enemy, there's almost certainly a good reason for that. I'm not saying we won't be friends, but we probably won't date.