Here's who I am:

I am outgoing, independent, sophisticated, and passionate. As the quintessential Pisces, I am very sensitive, sentimental, creative, predictable and approachable. I avoid drugs, tobacco, gambling, baseball caps, rarely drink, and do not worship. I have been divorced since 1990, and have a 25 year-old daughter who lives in another province.

I breeze through tough times, am thankful for many things, don't envy others' successes, enjoy seeing others do well, but am unsympathetic towards those who dwell upon past failures of themselves, their family or their government.

I enjoy hearing what most people have to say, even in anger. I am not defensive, and have rarely felt intimidated or unduly insulted by criticism, orders, suggestions, or anything else said to me.

Although a natural optimist, I don't wait until my drink slides off the table before realizing my ship is in dangerous waters. If you're confused with this remark, take a second to let it sink in.

Here's what I've Done:

I have a 20-year IT background but now dedicate most of my workdays to restoring old houses, freelance writing, and occasional IT work.

I spent 34 years in Toronto, 5½ in Calgary, and 8 years ago half-heartedly moved to Hamilton to care for my elderly father who has since moved on to solve more important problems elsewhere. With this behind me, I am in the final stages of preparing for a big re-location to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. I get my new place in March, and will be living 100 yards from the Atlantic Ocean.

Here's what I Enjoy:

I love learning, teaching, and meaningful conversation. Having mostly avoided TV, sports, travelling and raising children, I have had major amounts of time to spend on myself and my special someone. Being an avid reader, I peruse several online newspapers and blogs every day. I am especially fond of Anne Coulter.

As shown above, I enjoy big-time home-improvement projects, cross-border shopping, cards, board games, great wit, target practice, antiques, some art, American poetry, American culture, dystopian films, and conservatism.

With or without a partner, my goal in life is to build my sand castles as grandly, intricately, and beautifully as possible -- and hope the tide doesn't come in for a very long time.

Here's what I Don't Understand:

• Unionized factory workers earn more than most healthcare workers.
• People continue to get scammed by sweet-talking Third World degenerates.
• Hollywood movies glorify violence against humans but routinely ensure the dog is safe.
• One student with a peanut allergy equals 1,000 students who can't eat peanuts at school.
• Most young people lament about social injustice yet own an iPod loaded with pirated music.

Here's what I Laugh at:

• Hug-a-Thug justice and the wussification of society.
• The every-kid-is-special and every-kid-deserves-a-trophy myths.
• NIMBYs, tree-huggers, champagne socialists and ponytail journalists.
• POF members with social skills no better than those of an aardvark, walrus or the duck-billed platypus.
• Young people's psychological co-dependency, delusional sense of entitlement, and detachment from reality.

Here's what I Try to Remember When I'm Feeling Sorry for Myself:

• Half of the world lives on less than US$2.50/day.
• A third of the world has inadequate shelter.
• A fifth of the world has inadequate drinking water.
• A sixth of the world's adults cannot read or write.

Here are the Two Most Important Lessons I've Ever Learned:

• Life is about the quality of our relationships and the memories we leave for others, not our materialistic achievements.
• I can't rescue a woman who has spent her life being a doormat to men, her kids, her parents or her co-workers.

Here's what I Seek:

One (and only one) lady who:
• doesn't live at Mommy's house
• can spot a bullsh*tter at 20 yards
• knows when to speak up and when not to
• is kind and considerate, yet knows when to put herself first
• thinks enough of her looks and POF to provide a recent photo
• has benefited from several significant and constructive romantic relationships
• is properly socialized, enjoys cultural capital, excels at communication, and is not child-centric
• doesn't ruminate about the past, and isn't consumed by her own personal sphere of drama

My new lady would be, like me, very kind, giving, romantic, and old enough to know who to avoid on POF, but young enough to still trust people here.

Here are Some of my Favourite Quotations:

• "Why should a woman buy an entire pig just to get a little sausage?"

• "Looks aren't everything; just ask the best-looking horse in the glue factory."

• "As you climb the ladder of success, make sure it’s leaning against the right building.”

• "Integrity: if you have it, nothing else matters; if you don't have it, nothing else matters."

• "The left-wing promotes what civilized societies have condemned for thousands of years."

• "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of those who are evil, but because of those who don't do anything about it."

Here's my Strategy for Success on POF:

• Try
• Hope
• Trust
• Share
• Flaunt
• Be kind
• Aim high
• Don't quit
• Be careful
• Be yourself
• Don't settle
• Be aboveboard
• Read profiles fully
• Avoid the moochers
• Insist on seeing photos
• Disregard skimpy profiles
• Don't focus on what others think
• Be skeptical of those much younger
• Go with the odds; espouse stereotypes
• Expect rejection; POF competition is fierce

Here's How to BLOW a First Date with Me:

We make arrangements to meet on another day, then on the morning of our scheduled date you contact me to ask, "Do you still want to meet me today?" Nothing spells low self-esteem better than a woman who asks me this insulting question.

For Those Already Meeting New People:

Some of you ladies are leery of risking yet another first-date disappointment. Don't worry about it. I assure you that when you make the sincere effort to meet a man and are repaid with only insults, unwanted sexual advances, or just plain rudeness, you'll remember the many other POF men who would cherish you if given the chance. Remembering that, you'll know exactly what to say to that jerk sitting across from you. You'll be doing us all a big favour …

For Those Thinking of Leaving a Bad Relationship and Trying POF:

Don't waste any more time trying to fix the unfixable; life is short. You know what your partner has done for you, and what you can expect in the future. Knowing this, remember if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.