I like games of all sorts: board games, card games, computer games, some sports, mind games. I make stupid jokes sometimes. I am a linguiphile. I play with words, I write stories, and I tend to use proper punctuation at all times. I use capital letters when appropriate. I use "whom" instead of "who". But I am not a grammar "Nazi". See, I just started a sentence with "but"!

I am extremely liberal, and politics could be a deal-breaker for me. If you are not "for the gays", I'm not especially interested in talking to you. My social policies are borderline socialist, and proud of it, though I keep an open mind for pragmatism. Ultimately, I support whatever works best.

I'm looking for a woman who shares interests with me and can carry an intelligent, thoughtful conversation. I have a large collection of awesome board games that stimulate the mind, and it would be nice if you were willing to at least try playing some. I'm not looking for casual sex. I won't sleep with someone I don't have a deep affection for; sex has always been a secondary interest for me, though I'm certainly willing to entertain the prospect.

Mostly I want to meet a woman whom I will love and love being with for the rest of my life. I'm not afraid of commitment, and I want to have children and raise them in a caring, dedicated way. My ultimate goal is to find someone I can grow old with. Shoot, am I coming on too strong?

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I have an undergraduate degree in Bioinformatics from Duke University, North Carolina. Go Blue Devils! Subsequently, I received a Master's degree in Computer Science from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

Now I am working toward a Master's Degree in teaching secondary school science. That's high school for you lay-people out there. It's not a high-paying career, but I will have a large number of certifications (Chemistry, Biology, General Science with an eye toward adding Physics and Math). Teaching is my passion, and I have started tutoring on the side to help pay for the school bills. Meanwhile, I run a successful game night every Saturday that is very satisfying, and in my spare time I write stories, play games, and otherwise socialize. My other full time job is taking care of my two-and-a-half-year-old German Shepherd.

writing, editing, thinking, discussing, and having an open-mind. I'm good at being interested in a variety of things, and have historically focused on intellectual breadth over depth. My best friend says I am an incredibly good friend, who is willing to sacrifice time and energy to be supportive in the extreme.

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Probably my positive attitude, good sense of humor, and bad sense of humor. I tend to make bad jokes and puns. I try to make people groan. But every once in a while, if you pay attention, I make a good joke or two. I can be a little awkward, to a degree, as I am not great at knowing what's appropriate in a given situation, and societal norms have little sway over me. But I can be taught!

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Food is a passion of mine. I am eager to learn to cook, and have several good dishes under my belt, mostly involving a crock pot. Chili, curries, soups, stews, and stir fries are my specialties. I love all vegetables with a passion. I could become a vegetarian, or even a vegan if that is important to you, but I draw the line at "fruitarian". My favorite foods, in descending order, are: Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Mongolian, Middle Eastern, Pakistani, Italian, Ethiopian. You may notice a relatively Asiatic theme to these choices. I could eat Asian food every day and be completely happy. I have "American" food occasionally, and sometimes am forced to get Mexican food, which isn't really my thing.

Music: Not really a major interest. I like classical, choral arrangements (especially Handel's Messiah), rock music, oldies, alternative (especially Garbage), and any band with female lead singers. I'm a tenor and I love to sing, though the majority of my singing experience recently is with Rock Band and Beatles: Rock Band.

Movies: I watch bad movies fairly often. I like movies, like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Hero (with Dustin Hoffman), The Shawshank Redemption, anything by Pixar except Cars, Terminator 1 and 2, Bridge to Terabithia, Big, American Beauty, Chicago, Alien, Little Miss Sunshine, Best in Show.

Books: I've gotten out of the habit of reading, and I feel bad about that. I've read and read a lot of high fantasy, and my favorite series currently is George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones series. It is unpredictable and not cliche. I, Claudius was really good. I have a soft spot for young adult stories. Guns, Germs, and Steel was life-changing. The Grapes of Wrath was interesting, but I preferred Steinbeck's Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday, which were less depressing.

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1. Dogs. I love dogs, and currently own a two-and-a-half-year-old German Shepherd puppy, named McKinley. She is pretty and obedient and fun, and something of a lap dog. I love her a great deal, and intend to have dog(s) for the rest of my life. They are the best therapy money can buy.

2. The Internet. I am a junkie.

3. Games. I love the thought involved in playing and designing games, and spend a great deal of time thinking about them. I don't play World of Warcraft, though I have in the past.

4. Friends. Next best thing after dogs. Without friends, games are pointless. I forge fewer, stronger friendships that last a long time. I would definitely want a significant other to be my friend, first and foremost.

5. Helping others. From teaching, to simply being there when a friend needs me, I thrive when helping others. Sometimes I let my desire to help others get in the way of taking care of myself, but I don't regret it. I live by the Golden Rule whenever possible.

6. Food. Beyond needing sustenance, I simply love food, especially vegetables. I love cooking, though I don't have much experience baking.

games, as I have mentioned. I play fancy board games, like Agricola, Dominion, Race for the Galaxy, Boggle, and even things like Magic: The Gathering. I am a self-avowed dork. But honestly, Magic is a pretty good game. I like some video games, like fighting games, Starcraft, and a guilty pleasure, Diablo. I'm a fan of Rock Band, where I sing, primarily. I'm not obsessive about playing video games, though. For instance, I tend to play about one to two hours of video games a day, and that is either directly with friends, or when my friends are busy. I vastly prefer personal interaction.

I think about politics a lot, recently, and I watch way too much news. The media, all sources, are so weak and stupid that I can only really recommend "factcheck.org", "politifact.com", The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and The Rachel Maddow Show. As I have mentioned, I am extremely liberal.

playing games with friends. I don't drink, or smoke, or do any other drugs.

I have only one testicle! One of the little buggers never descended at birth.

you read all this stuff and want to talk to and/or are interested in me.

You shouldn't message me if you are intolerant, especially with regard to social "morals". I am pro-LGBTQ, some of my best friends are gay, and I've even tried trying it once. Don't message me if you refuse to acknowledge evolution as scientific fact. Don't message me if you think Global Warming is a global conspiracy (though questioning its causes and effects is fine). Don't message me if you smoke and won't be able to stop, or you get drunk regularly, or if you do drugs. Don't message me if you think a fetus is a human being. Don't message me if you believe in eugenics or are racist, or otherwise bigoted.

(Disclaimer: The above are certain mandatory beliefs if you were to consider dating me for a long-term relationship. I have and have had friends who believe or do or are all of these things, and I can deal with that. I don't hate people who disagree with me, but if you don't match the above belief system, it will be difficult for me to want to pursue a relationship beyond friendship.)

Otherwise, drop me a line. I like friends, even if it can't lead to a romantic relationship. Thanks for reading,
Tim

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