First off, I'd like to share with you that I have been known to bust a move. I prefer the type of dancing that doesn't require instruction, and love trying to devise ways to move non-dorkily to difficult rhythms (think Aphex Twin). You don't have to be good at it. Your dancing might resemble that of a rhythmless paraplegic, but that's perfectly fine - as long as you like to do it, or are occasionally willing to put up with doing it with me.

I'm a recent transplant from the SF bay area, and am back home in merryland taking a much needed break before heading back to school.

Serving as a sparring partner for people who love a good debate.
Indulging my own and others' weirditude.
Convincing people of how non-judgmental I am and getting them to reveal all their secrets to me (but, worry not, I never do anything dastardly with said secrets).

My hair. People have been saying I look like a black Goldilocks.

Recently read books:
Get to Work by Linda Hirshman
Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
City of Glass by Paul Auster
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Blood Music by Greg Bear
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
The Stuff of Thought by Pinker
Fat Girl: A True Story by Judith Moore

Currently re-reading A Song and Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Amazing fantasy novels, especially for those (like me) who don't consider themselves to be fantasy buffs. Also reading Dreamsongs Vol. II to tide me over until George R.R. releases the next book in the series, if it ever happens -- and from the looks of him it looks like he'll be finished before the series is, amirite, people?

I tend to judge the quality of a movie by how well it was able to manipulate my emotions the first time I saw it.

Movies that made me cry:
Lilya-4-Ever
Boys Don't Cry
Malcolm X
Sherrybaby

Though a movie doesn't have to make me cry to be awesome.

Movies I like that have yet to make me cry:

Crumb
The Cruise
Naked (dir. Mike Leigh)

Short stories that I am enamored of:
"The Circular Ruins" by JLB
"The Garden of Forking Paths" by JLB
"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
"Araby" by James Joyce

And I am required to pray to the South five times a day because I worship Flannery O'Connor.

Favorite television shows:

The Wire and Freaks and Geeks.

This list of songs gives a good feel for what kind of music I like:

"Lady Shave" by Fad Gadget
"The Calling" by Death in June
"The Somnambulist" by XTC
"Date With The Rain (Disco Remix)" - Eddie Kendricks
"Saints" - Breeders
"Frankie Teardrop" - Suicide
"Four Women" - Nina Simone
"Mesh" - New Order
"Isolation" - Joy Division
"Playgirl" - Ladytron
"Anthrax" - Gang of Four
"What Difference Does It Make" - Smiths
"Are Friends Electric?" - Gary Numan
"Beat My Guest" - Adam and the Ants
"Feels Blind" - Bikini Kill

And if you can turn me on to any music in the same vein that was made after 1992, please do. I have a somewhat unfortunate list for a 24 year old.

1) computer + a reliable Internet connection.
(corollary: Pandora, Lifehacker)
2) the music/art/movies/literature that remind me that I have emotions.
3) dwelling upon the future. how I'll turn out. how my spawn will turn out.
4) freakishly observant aspie friends.
5) mommy (maybe this has something to do with the fact that I'm updating my profile on Mommies' Day, but I'm pretty sure she falls somewhere on the list)
6) the occasional frozen chicken tikka masala dinner from Trader Joe's.

How best to create an language immersion environment so that I can brush up on my Spanish and Mandarin skills, which, prior to graduation, were mad skills.

How to take emotionally evocative photos.

Screenplay ideas, and then tweaking them in my head to the point where I am able to commit them to paper without cringing.

How to live as minimalist a lifestyle as possible.

How to be more productive.

This section is turning into a giant plug for ZenHabits.

Doing stuff like writing poems using all the words on AOL's welcome screen and only the words on AOL's welcome screen (don't make fun of me for using AOL - it was during a desperate time in my life):

"the morning after"

the morning after
nude.
scrubbing your mobile tip
shower 93% of the day
to get you clean as the Hudson

a cancer - with a prescription
without a pill
it finds a home in your center
in your fave personals
near you. in you.
and you are still heading to the stocks

kate is the drug, more more more
cat is shopping for a tiger at a discount deal
kate customizes, changes, reviews almost anything
you're a movie - IM the real deal
showtime.

explore the wallpaper map, and its cell-o-phone features
quest to find an outlet now
today (the new last minute).

--------------------------

love opens an army--an august storm of men
it searches the great woods
picking up hints in the city
the 25 aero ringtones of the storm travel wirelessly

the popular turn-ons lure them
the best rank is the drunkest on love

--------------------------

what's the local forecast? cloudy
and the storm fights the day to the max
casualty is a job without favor
no pictures in the directory reports from washington
no listings of your best quotes
still, you are a great mail

touring smiths bassist, welcome home to you and your 27 singles and your hair
retailers used you,
heading PGA tours at their estates.
and you ok'd

you are a mail on auto

...testing...

(Okay, I cheated. Words I cheated on, and why I felt entitled to cheat on them:

1) "Men"

It's a common word, for Marduk's sake. Plus, men are usually the people who fight in wars.

2) "Tiger"

I felt okay with using "tiger" because AOL's welcome screen referenced Tiger Woods, but only by his last name. And who could resist the cat/tiger juxtaposition?

3) "Their"

Can't I be granted a tiny little their?)

Please be into BDSM. I simply cannot have a fulfilling sexual relationship without it.

If you're beta and lovin' it.

More specifically, here's what I desire in a gentleman caller:

All of the men I've clicked with in the past have been fairly talky, super sensitive, and fairly opinionated. For me, good conversation is key - not necessarily conversation that is life-changing and enlightening, or one that breaks new intellectual ground (though those are great too), but the type of conversation that has the a rhythm and flow that is almost musical...ones in which both parties are sometimes bursting with anecdotes to share and sometimes pausing to appreciate anon-verbal moment of connection. Bonus points if you get a kick out of pun-filled wordplay.

Height doesn't matter too much me, but not having a protruding gut does. I have a thing for dark haired men who have either sparkling, bright, wholesome-looking faces or have evil, dark faces filled with menace (both appeal to me equally).

It'd be awesome if you laughed a lot and liked to talk about your feelings.