I'm from Boston, but I have lived in Los Angeles since 1999. I figure that means I'm from here too by now. I work in postsecondary academic administration, usually, but I am between jobs right now. I left my previous job to go to school for the summer, and now I intend to be selective and career-minded about choosing my next job.

It took years of living in Los Angeles for me to get over Massachusetts parochialism and just say "Boston." Here people freely say they live in Los Angeles when technically they might be in Santa Monica, or Burbank, or Culver City. People who live in, or near, Boston are much more precise.

Usually, I neither advertise nor deny that I'm a nerd, but it's true. I have no interest in inflicting Star Trek, cartoons, or complex boardgames on anyone who isn't interested, but if you have a complex Star Trek cartoon boardgame that you have been meaning to play, I'm down.

What else...I like to cook, I mix a good drink. I like to go out and I like to stay in. I don't have television at my place, so when I visit people who do, I find it kind of fascinating. I do HAVE a TV, but I watch netflix and DVDs on it--no cable or dish type stuff.

I spent the summer in Boston taking a couple of courses to finish my degree requirements, and I'm planning to go to graduate school in education within the next year. I'm interested in policy and postsecondary administration, but I am also considering teaching. I hear that's where the big money is?

In the meantime I am reading, writing, cooking, and selectively looking for trouble (here on OK Cupid, for instance).

I'm a pretty good cook and drink-mixer. I'm good at a lot of things but I am usually more the self-deprecating type. I am good at learning and teaching, I like to please and I'm often most comfortable when I feel others are satisfied.

I've seen quite a few people mention scrabble in their profiles. Now, so have I. I find bingos. I go out of my way to play words that only the dictionary and I know, so I can win challenges. And I play illegal words if I think you won't challenge them.

My hair, I assume, which has a little black left in it but is basically platinum. People ask me how I get it like this, but this is just how it is. It used to be black and a bit curly but it started turning when I was in high school.

Books:
The Selfish Gene,
Blood Meridian,
The Physics of Immortality,
The Once and Future King,
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind,
God Is Imaginary,
The Forever War,
I studied Paradise Lost this summer, and I figure now I am some kind of expert on it.

Movies:
Donnie Darko,
The Trip,
Bedazzled (the original, with Dudley Moore and Peter Cooke),
Young Frankenstein,
D U N E

Food:
Steaks, shakes, pancakes;
Sushi,
Barbecue

Oh, the six things question--ignore it? Mock it? Write an ironic list that mocks it indirectly? Point out that I can only think of five things? Mention carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, phosphorus, and/or sulfur? Five innocuous things and one hopefully sexy, but probably creepy, thing?

I discarded a lot of rationalizations in the past year. I've been thinking about evolutionary psychology, psychology in general, the phenomenon of culture, and social constructs.

I bowl better lefty.

I listen to Jack FM (only in the car!)

I'm a believer in the match-percentage rating. If our rating is 99%, then it's 99% likely that you should message me, and so on :)

I put "anywhere" and everything in my "I'm looking for" section. I promise, I am more sensible than that implies. I like to chat and exchange email, wherever you are, but I would rather meet people locally and go on dates.

If you're in Portland and wondering why I am visiting your profile, that's because I'm thinking of going to visit a friend who lives up there, who does theater and open mic nights and so forth, and I thought it would cool to have someone local to go to shows when I come. So if you are interested (and read this far...) please message me!