Hello there. I used to work in a field where continuous improvement was the mantra. Between that background and my love for existential psychology, self-improvement is a core desire. Not a manic kinda of "i suck and gotta get better like yesterday" type of self-improvement. More a gradual feeding my mind and soul, a continual moving forward toward being an authentic being.

I am happily married in an open relationship. What does that mean? That means that my wife and i are open to engage in relationships outside of our marriage with the full disclosure to each other. She calls it "consensual non-monogamy". We both believe that it is possible to meet and become involved with friends on multiple levels as is appropriate to those friendships. The key word there is "friendships". So, mutually enriching relationships are a big deal to me as well as they are to her.

If you would like to see my wife, please check out rpu3. Yes she is real and yes she knows that i am here. I guess it goes without saying that i know that she is there.

Would you believe it is a bit easier for her to be a "consensual non-monogamist" that it has been for me? I guess the world is different for men and women (I know, thank you Dr. Obvious). Undaunted by this and facing the reality that many women are looking for life-mates, Mr. Right, etc, i still hold some hope of meeting a woman that would like a good friend that will not interfere with her pursuit of a more permanent night in shining armor (or whatever her preferred metaphor happens to be). In fact, i am a good listener/sounding board- i am certainly willing and interested to share in that womans trials and tribulations.

If this sounds at all strange, or even a bit lame, well, i can appreciate that. This approach to life, living, and friendship is not too well culturally defined. And i find quite a bit of value in that. I realize that it requires a relatively open mind to even consider this type of friendship. But i believe there is much to be gained between a friendship built on respect, caring, concern, honest, interest, and fun between two people.

I have also made a few journal entries to provide a bit of insight into some of the stuff i think about and how i tend to think about that kind of stuff. Please feel free to comment.

I am clever, cool, and irreverent

I am teaching at a University (several flavors of psychology) and a community college as well. i recently taught a course in the psychology of creativity that impacted me greatly. In addition to the above "self-summary", i gained an understanding of and desire to "re-create" my self. Not drastic changes, but again, incremental, original, and hopefully useful, re-creations.

As far as hobbies, i do some reading, but graduate school destroyed much of my intrinsic motivation for that activity. I love riding my motorcycle- a naked sportbike: Honda 919. I like to hike and do a bit of backpacking.

Travel is one of my passions and i have been to Europe several times, Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii. I love to sail and have done so in the Caribbean and Greece.

I also listen to a pretty wide variety of music (see below). And i love home improvement projects. We built a master bedroom bathroom in the attic of our 100-year old house not too long ago.

But i guess as much as anything, i work. I am very fortunate that i love what i do.

Teaching. I love teaching. There is nothing i would rather do and i do it well. I am also pretty good at getting along with people: interpersonal skills. As i mentioned earlier, i am a good listener and people often share their difficulties with me.

I am also pretty damn skilled at being a smartass at times.

Wow, i don't know. Probably depends on the context in which they notice me. If its the classroom, they probably notice i am the one in front. If its on the freeway, it is probably the tailpipes tucked under my ass getting smaller quickly. ;-)

Books: Crime and Punishment, Casteneda's series, Courage to Create (May), 1984, Atlas Shrugged- hmmmm. there are a lot. Currently just finishing up Reading Lolita in Tehran- wow, what a book. Sitting on the table in line are: Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man by Marshall McLuhan and Lewis H. Lapham, and Politics of Self-Determination by Timothy Leary (finished this one. fascinating- did you know Leary developed a complete model of personality when he was in graduate school? i didn't) - both of which were recommended by students last quarter. Just finished Huxley's Doors to Perception & Heaven and Hell- an amazing read.

Movies: Clerks, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, To Sir with Love, The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, El Mariachi, American Beauty, Amelie, Run Lola Run.

Food: Thai, Italian, Mexican... again a lot of different types and i love to cook.

Oops, I forgot Music:
Top five perhaps: Grateful Dead, The Who, David Bowie, The Beatles, Jethro Tull. Beyond those absolute favorites, pretty diversified tastes for different genres: classical, jazz, lots of different rock (alternative seems to resonate especially with me), blues, etc. I am not much into country or rap. I guess mood has a lot to do with it. And favorite songs are a totally different way to answer the question...

Travel, teaching, my computer, music, our dogs, friends, my wife... (oops that is 7)

I spend a lot of time thinking, period. i think about politics, psychology, people, thinking (metacognition).

Sometimes i wish i thought a bit less.

Quite often, grading papers. No, we actually manage to go out on occasion.

My second grade teacher put a note in my file that said i was more interested in creating my own rules than following the established rules. Hmmmmm...

Especially if you are interested in an intellectually and personally enriching relationship. If you are contrarian and/or enjoy flaunting convention, interested in travel, curious about creativity, or pretty much amused by life and people in general. I guess especially you should message me if you think i have something worthwhile to offer you and vice-versa.