I'm passionate, open-minded, honest, sincere, ethical, caring, affectionate, and fun. I love life, and I want to share it with someone wonderful. I want to explore the world, and discover the beauty and joy in all things and peoples. I love it when I find ways that I've closed my heart and mind, because it gives me something new to explore. I've been known to purposely do things I fear or even hate, just so I can understand my own mind better.

What I'm probably most passionate about is freedom. This is a multi-faceted word, kind of like love. It can mean so many things in so many contexts, so I like to explore the meaning of freedom in each context. In the context of relationships, it doesn't mean not making compromises. It means being open and honest, and honoring one another's feelings and needs, so that we can feel like we're giving of ourselves freely, without anxiety, fear, or resentment.

I'm fascinated with Buddhist meditation, because it helps me illumate ways that I'm "asleep at the wheel" in my life, letting habits and conditioning drive me rather than my highest intentions. I don't feel right identifying as a Buddhist though, as there are some things about it that don't quite fit for me. And anyway, it probably misses the point.

I love music. I play the acoustic guitar and sing, and I'm inspired by several genres. I spend much of my free time practicing music, enjoying music I love, exploring new music, and performing for others. I also host house concerts in my home and an open mic at a local coffee shop.

I'm a computer geek. I was a computer programmer in my former life. My idea of fun is installing a new version of Linux, learning a new programming language, or writing a program that improves my life in some way.

I'm not very "outdoorsy," but I love hiking, and I'm definitely down for the occasional adventure. I'd like to go kayaking again some day, and two things that are on my bucket list are swimming with dolphins, and hanggliding.

I'm not a stereotypical male. I'm more sensitive and gentle than tough and strong.

I strive to live simply, which means that I try to live with few possessions and an abundance of love and joy. In other words, more fun, less stuff. This philosophy, along with hard work, allowed me to retire at a very young age, so I can focus on what truly matters. Now I have plenty of time for exercise, learning, reading books, watching movies, programming, playing music, meeting interesting new people, and most of all, being available and supportive to the people I care about.

Thinking. I enjoy learning and problem-solving. I'm a voracious reader. I love both sides of my brain.

Listening, caring, and helping others. It's extremely important to me, pretty much priority one, to be there for others when they need me.

Investing. I was raised in a family of financial planners, so money feels like a second language to me. It's important to me that I use this skill to make myself a better person and the world a better place, rather than just accumulate lots of material possessions.

Organizing my time and getting things done. I wrote my own todo list program that I use to manage everything from reminding myself to eat enough fruit to maintaining my entire social calendar. I'm not obsessive--it's just important to me that I follow through on my goals and commitments.

I also like to think I'm a pretty good musician.

Probably my eyes. Some say I have "Asian eyes." I think some people think I'm shy, whereas others think I'm quite open and assertive. It depends on the person and the situation. Good conversationalists probably think I'm intriguing and intelligent. People in distress usually find me very compassionate and empathic. People with whom I have little in common probably find me aloof.

Many books have had a profound influence on my thinking and my life. The books that have shaped me the most are Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn, Your Money or Your Life, by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin, The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, by Alan Watts, Nonviolent Communication, by Marshall Rosenberg, and The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo.

My favorite movies are Serenity, all six Star Wars movies (yes, I even liked Jar Jar), The Matrix, American Beauty, Danny Deckchair, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight. My favorite TV shows are Star Trek (every series), V (every series), Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, My So-Called Life, Thirtysomething, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe, Heroes, and Big Bang Theory. I'm a sci-fi geek, could you tell?

My taste in music is pretty eclectic. I especially love music that crosses genres, and some of the best music isn't the popular stuff. That said, my favorite genres are folk, rock, and heavy metal. Glam metal is my musical equivalent of comfort food. Some of my favorite artists are, in no particular order: Cat Stevens, Simon & Garfunkel, CSNY, Aerosmith, Kamelot, The Bangles, Iron Maiden, Tesla, Joe Satriani, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bruce Cockburn, Richard Thompson, Danzig, Jim Croce, The Who, U2, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Huey Lewis and the News, Queen, Santana, Tricky, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Pearl Jam, Dire Straits, Extreme, Genesis, Helloween, John Hiatt, Megadeth, Queensryche, Martin Sexton, Swell Season, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Nine Inch Nails, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Gabriel, and Steely Dan.

My favorite cuisines are Ethiopian, Indian, Mexican, Italian, Thai, and Chinese, in that order. I don't eat meat or eggs, but I loves me some cheese.

Freedom
Laughter
Supportive friends who care
Chocolate milk
Music
Mental stimulation

Evolutionary psychology. I've been watching YouTube videos about it, and a couple of books. I'm re-reading some parts of The Blank Slate. It's a fascinating subject. It's a new field, so it's all in a theoretical phase, but it makes sense of so many human behaviors.

Hanging out with a friend, reading books, or watching a DVD.

I'm not close with my family. For me, family is something that I create and nurture, not something I'm born into purely by chance. Some people hit the jackpot in the Family Lotto, and sometimes I envy them. But I'm pretty content now, with several people in my life I support and love deeply, and that's what really matters.

You're fun, sincere, honest, and open-minded. You have a curiosity, and a passion for that which is new and challenging, tempered with knowing how to honor your own needs, boundaries, and limitations, which of course means knowing what those are.

I move somewhat slowly in relationships, and I'm more focused on just getting to know interesting new people. I usually can't tell if someone has romantic potential until I've hung out with them a few times. If your idea of dating is romance and courtship, if you expect fireworks right out the gate, or if you want to be swept you off your feet, I'm not your man. If you find conversation, compassion, and honesty sexy, and like to be treated as an equal, you might want to contact me. Meeting new people from OkCupid sometimes feels like a job interview. Let's just keep it light and fun!