I currently live in a very small town in Northern California, but I grew up and lived most of my life in Sacramento (California'​s capitol.)  I design and build custom homes for a living.  I am a VERY proud father of two boys named Atticus and Levi (6 and 3 years old.)  My life revolves totally around them, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
     I have a small, yet closely knit, group of friends.  Most of us have known each other since childhood.  Lately the group has gotten a little thinner due to people getting married and moving away, but until recently we all spent a great deal of time together-- mostly BBQ's and movies at my place, but we go camping and hiking together, and pretty often take day trips into San Francisco to have bonfires on the beach and to enjoy some of our favorite spots (like the Plough and Stars pub to drink Guiness and listen to Culann's Hounds play!)

I'm interested in meeting people from anywhere/eve​rywhere around the world.  I have a particular interest, culturally, in Northern Europe-- specifically​ Scandinavia,​ the British Isles and Germany-- mostly because that is my ethnic heritage. 
     I also have a minor fascination in Japanese culture and history, as well as in Malta and other Mediterranea​n islands.  Age and gender do not matter-- I'm just looking to learn some things, correspond with people , and exchange ideas.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  In the first 24 hours of being on this site, I have received 6 messages from people calling me "cutie"​ and "honey"​ and "my dear friend."​  What is wrong with you people?!  I'm not looking for sex with strangers or any sort of elicit relationship​.  I sure as heck don't want some African dude hitting me up for love and money!  Seriously, is this world filled with nothing but freaks and perverts?!!  For a second I thought I was on myspace. 
     So, if you want to exchange ideas about culture, philosophy, life, or just want to learn more about the world around you and the people in it, then feel free to write me.  Otherwise, do us both a favor and waste your time elsewhere.  I'm not a horny old man or a naive teenager.  I'm a 33 year old father and business owner.  I can see stupid people, crooks, and creeps coming a thousand miles away.

My interests are probably too many to name, but most of my personal time revolves around history, literature and music.  I am a huge collector of records.  I often spend several years tracking down specific albums.  I once made a trip into Saskatchewan​, Canada, just to buy an album I had been looking for (that's about 1700 miles from home.)  Maybe you could say I'm a little obsessive.
     I am an avid reader.  I read stuff like  the Icelandic Sagas, Nibelungelie​d, and the Estonian Kalevipoeg.  Every year or two I read Caesar's Gallic Wars.  A lot of geeky stuff like that-- it just floats my boat.
     I love art in general, and I used to do quite a bit of painting, sculpture and drawing-- but not so much since I had children. 
     I truly enjoy traveling, as long as it includes some camping and hiking.  I've traveled more than 30,000 miles around the US and Canada.  Unfortunatel​y, I haven't yet made the time to leave North America.
     I play a little guitar (well, the guitar's not little-- it's regular sized) but I am not very good at all.  I've been playing for about ten years, but there is nothing about my skill level that would account for it.

There are few things that I have stronger opinions on than music.  My tastes in music are quite varied-- everything from punk to jazz to bluegrass-- but that doesn't mean I like everything.  People that say they like "all kinds of music" generally mean that they are undiscerning​ and don't have any taste.  (I told you I have strong opinions on this subject!)  It's cool if you don't like the same things I do, but PLEASE have an opinion!
     I especially like bop-era jazz, delta blues, and classic rock.  My favorite jazz musicians are Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis and Eric Dolphy.  My favorite blues artists include Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, and Buddy Guy.  For rock it's Zeppelin, Neil Young, Zappa, Rory Gallagher, Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Free, Santana, Phish, etc.

The newer bands I listen to lately are Flogging Molly, White Stripes, Kings of Leon, Galactic, Tea Leaf Green, Black Keys.

Other honorable mentions:  Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen, Townes Van Zandt, Leo Kottke, Jorma Kaukonen-- it goes on forever.

Too many to name, but a really well made film excites me!  Some of my favorite classics are The Hustler, Streetcar Named Desire, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  I love O Brother Where Art Thou?, Lost in Translation,​ American Beauty, Bottle Rockets,The Station Agent, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern​, Shaun of the Dead, Death at a Funeral, Harold and Maude,  Nacho Libre (I think I'm the only guy in the world that loved that movie for art's sake.)  My favorite film makers right now are the Cohens, Wes Anderson, and Jared Hess.

I don't watch much TV, but my all-time favorite shows are MASH and Seinfeld.  I do watch The Office and 30 Rock religiously.​

My favorite authors in general are C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Ayn Rand, and Jack Kerouac.
     Some of the books that really changed my perception of life and influenced the way I think are Catch-22, That Hideous Strength, Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Rings, To Kill a Mockingbird (I named my first son Atticus,) Animal Farm, and Atlas Shrugged.
     Lately I've been reading some Japanese writers like Yoshikawa, Ogai Mori, and Yukio Mishima.  Currently I'm reading King Hereafter by Dorothy Dunnett.

"Never go with a hippie to a second location."​ --Jack on 30 Rock

"That ape is very, very cunning, and he will do what he has to to stop you!" -- A serious nerd in the documentary King of Kong

“Those who sacrifice essential liberty for temporary safety are not deserving of either liberty or safety.” --Ben Franklin