I am a gentleman and a scholar; a singer and a dancer; a runner, climber, writer, photographer and lover of life; a world traveler and eternal student.

I’m a kind-hearted, confident, outgoing and self-sufficient person, but I’m also a bit of a dreamer. I have big ideas, but I don’t always see them through to completion.

Before I go any further, I’d like to invite you to visit my weblog Veritas, where I write about topics both important and trivial. You can probably get a good idea of the sort of person I am by reading some of what I have written over the past few years. There you can also find many examples of my photography.

I grew up in Austin, Texas, “Live Music Capital of the World,” and home of Barton Springs and 6th Street. I moved to Stockholm in 2000, and earned Swedish citizenship a few years later. I am a dual citizen of the United States and Sweden.

In October of 2008, I moved to Zürich, Switzerland to work for IBM Research. Prior to taking this job, I worked for IBM as a consultant and instructor. I have travelled all over Europe and around the world. There are few things I enjoy more than throwing myself into a completely new situation, or seeing a city that I’ve never seen before.

I fancy myself a bit of an athlete, and I like to keep fit by running, moutain biking, and climbing. In the winter, I enjoy ice skating and downhill skiing. Last winter, I tried ski touring for the first time. I really enjoyed it and look forward to doing more ski touring in the Alps this winter. When the weather is good, I also enjoy other outdoor activities like sailing, backpacking, camping, and horseback riding. I ran the Stockholm Marathon a few years ago and still enjoy running.

I like dancing, and most recently I have been taking salsa lessons. My non-dancing friends think I’m a pro, but I consider myself just a beginner. I also enjoy swing, foxtrot, waltz and tango. I’m looking forward to starting to dance here in Zürich too.

When I lived in Stockholm, I had two Burmese cats, Alex and Sasha. They are brother and sister and they're absolutely adorable. When I moved to Zürich, I left them with my ex. I miss them a lot. I’m definitely more of a cat person, but I like dogs too.

I love spending time in the outdoors, but I also enjoy living close to the city with its pulse of activity. I'm a bit torn between the energy of city life and a the tranquility and splendor of life in nature.

I can be very serious at times. My previous girlfriends have told me that when they first met me they found me distant and aloof, and were surprised how different I was once they got to know me. Actually, I’m a very friendly person at heart, but I can be a bit reserved with people I've just met.

Politics is always an interesting topic of discussion, as well as the important issues of the day. I have strong opinions, but I'm also respectful of others and open to new ideas.

Laughter comes easily to me, and once you get to know me you'll become acquainted with my somewhat dry sense of humor. I like being around people who are as witty as I am. Life is too short to take it seriously all the time, and I think it’s important to remember to find a little joy in every day.

I’m not religious, but I do find the topic of religion fascinating. I am a spiritual person and I enjoy conversation about philosophy and the deep, unfathomable questions of life.

I’m a Mac fan. I have a Mac Pro workstation at home, a MacBook Pro at the office. I also have a black 60 GB iPod and a 16 GB iPod Touch, gifts on two subsequent birthdays from my wonderful brother Ethan, who works for Apple in Cupertino.

I’m trying to make the most of life.

You only have one life to live, so you might as well live it. As the noted philosopher William Shattner once said, “Live like you’re going to die.”

So I’m making new friends, seeing new sights, and exposing myself to new experiences and new ideas.

After more than a month of searching, I finally found a place to live in Zürich. I share a nice home in Zollikon with a lovely couple. The house is located on a hill in a quiet neighborhood, and I can see the lake from my dining room!

Writing. Or so I’ve been told. I've never tried writing fiction, and my attempts at poetry don’t impress me. But persuasive editorial-style writing seems to come naturally to me. Maybe I should find a way to make a living with it. Procrastinating, but I’ll tell you about that later. Giving massages. I have large hands and they're quite strong from rock climbing.

My easy smile is probably the first thing people notice.

Books:

The Blind Watchmaker, The Songs of Distant Earth, The Moral Animal, Contact, Fouccault's Pendulum, The City and the Stars, Surely You're Joking Mister Feynman, Watchers

Movies:

Blazing Saddles, Brazil, Blade Runner, Jean de Florette & Manon des Sources, Star Trek II, Donnie Darko, Blues Brothers, Airplane, Doctor Strangelove, Mulholland Drive, The Black Hole, The Thomas Crown Affair, Lolita (the remake), A Bug's Life, Amélie de Montmartre, Das Boot, The Shawshank Redemption, Alien, Tous les Matins du Monde, Run Lola Run, A Summer Story

Music:

Jazz: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Oliver Nelson, Dave Brubeck, Curtis Fuller and many others

Classical: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Britten, etc. My mother was a voice professor at the UT school of music, so I probably got my love of choral music from her.

My taste in music is very diverse, and I like a little bit of almost every genre, includng country, gypsy, zydeco, R&B, hip hop, funk, folk, gospel, synth, house, new age, fusion, contemporary, ambient, minimalistic, latin, afro-cuban, and just about every other type on the planet.

Rock: U2, Steely Dan, Alan Parsons Project

Foods:

Indian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, American Southern, Cajun, BBQ, French, German, Slovakian, Swedish. I really love dry venison sausage.

1. My family & friends

2. passion, love & sex

3. hope for the future

4. reason & rationality

5. curiosity & exploration

6. chocolate

How to make the most of each day

How to make the world a better place

What place I’d like to travel to next

The job I’d like to be doing in two years’ time

What piece of photographic equipment to buy next

What piece of computer/electronic equipment to buy next

What piece of sporting/outdoor equipment to buy next

Where to get my next chocolate fix

Dancing, going out with friends, going on a date, or just having quiet dinner at home. Sometimes I’m in the mood for partying with lots of people and totally letting loose. Other times I prefer to cuddle up on the couch and just watch a good film.

If I’m seeing someone, Friday night might be set aside for an intimate dinner by candlelight or a visit to the opera, ballet, or cinema.

I once shoplifted a toy from a supermarket when I was ten years old. I felt so bad about it that I went back to the store and gave them the money for what I had taken.

If you want to know something more private, just ask. ;)

* you want to meet an interesting and unique person with a positive outlook on life

* you find me attractive and you want to go on a date

* you think we have something in common and you want to chat

* you like messaging total strangers for no apparent reason

* you’re hot and a nymphomaniac