I'm a bright, hardworking, and ambitious guy just starting out. I try to achieve a good work/life balance, but work is winning right now. So, in my free time, I usually stay at home, but I'm trying to get out more these days.

I have a dog, Samson, who is a five-year-old Chow/Lab mix. He's smart, well-behaved, and a goofball. I guess the relevant cliche is "must love dogs." I don't think you should have to love dogs; you just need to love my dog. Most people seem to, so I'm not worried about it.

As for work, I'm clerking for an appellate judge in West Palm Beach. I research, write, and listen to music all day long. It's pretty much perfect. (Before I sold out and went to law school, I studied History and Russian Studies, spending a year abroad in Moscow and St. Petersburg.)

In my spare time, I like to watch movies and TV and play video games (when there's time). My favorite TV shows currently on the air are 30 Rock, Burn Notice, Fringe, Modern Family, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dollhouse, and Bored to Death. I love science fiction; I watch Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek. I have an elaborate (and perhaps convoluted) analogy of science fiction to old seafaring adventures.

My musical tastes run down the line between obscure and mainstream. I listen to a lot of Wilco, Ben Folds, Beach Boys, and Sleater-Kinney. Coldplay's not bad. I love The Band. I do not listen to classic rock. Right now, I'm on a The Delgados kick.

I try my best to keep up with current events by reading websites like the New York Times and the BBC (and, to my shame, Drudge). The last two books I read: "World War Z," a fictional oral history of a decade-long zombie apocalypse; and "The Shock Doctrine," about the imposition of free market economic policies through political oppression. I'm currently reading "Tsar," a pretty decent spy thriller (focused on Russia) I picked up at the airport in Seattle.

I'm very liberal. Socially, I'm a libertarian; fiscally, I believe in strong regulation. Thus, I think religion and religiously inspired ideas/morals should stay the hell out of government, and I abhor free market economics. Mostly, though, I'm open-minded -- good ideas are good ideas, no matter one's ideology. Kinda related to my politics, I'm a vegetarian, and have been for over a decade (but I can't remember exactly for how long).

I'm initially pretty shy but I warm up when engaged. I like intelligent conversation and playful sarcasm -- these things put me at ease. Law school was pretty rough, so I'm just learning how to relax and be easygoing again. Sometimes I take myself too seriously, but it's something I'm earnestly working on.

I haven't the slightest what I would like to do on a first date. CityPlace is usually a safe bet.