CURRENT MISSION

Meeting good people. I find that most cities are pretty similar to each other, and all that really matters is the kind of people you meet in them.

ABOUT ME

I am twenty-one years old, and a recent graduate of Reed College in Portland, Oregon. My idea of a good time is tasty food, classy booze, strong cigarettes, and stimulating conversation. I dislike rural areas; I feel much more at home in a big city. Nature is not particularly appealing to me; not enough bars and restaurants. I like colder climates as well.

PHILOSOPHY

My personal philosophy is inspired by my study of economics. Basically, I'm pretty live and let live. I think that most people are good folks, who are similar enough in the important ways, who basically want the same things out of life. I feel like people should be happy, that no particular path to happiness is necessarily better than any other, and people should be let alone to do whatever it is that makes themselves happy (Within reason, of course). I describe myself as a secular humanist. Politically, I am a classical liberal (socially libertarian, economically right-wing).

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I haven't ever actually used this before.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

None to speak of yet.

Interests

Travel, history, economics, cinema, mixology.

• dining
• cocktails
• movies
• traveling
• economics
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

I'm not sure how to approach this section, but I'll do my best. Just listing my favourite movies and books seems a little clinical, but I don't really know how else to go about this sort of thing, so I'll restrict myself to a top five of each. My favourite movies are The Magic Christian, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Paths of Glory, Brazil, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. My favourite books are The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody, World War Z, Breakfast of Champions, Catch-22, and Freakonomics. As for music, I feel I can be a bit more descriptive. My favourite band is Procol Harum, and other blues rock outfits from the late '60's and early '70's tend to be among my favourites as well, like Ten Years After and Creedence Clearwater Revival, along with other classic rock bands like Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Three Dog Night, The Velvet Underground, and Chicago. '50's and '60's pop, like Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Tommy James and the Shondells, and Johnny Rivers is also great. '50's doo-wop, '60's Motown, and '60's folk like Simon and Garfunkel and Crosby, Stills, and Nash score highly as well. I also like the more modern folk and country scene, Johnny Flynn being my favourite musician to come out of the past few decades, but I'm also currently into Fionn Regan, Mumford and Sons, Trampled by Turtles, The Avett Brothers, and Old Crow Medicine Show. Modern indie rock as well, The Shins and The Bicycles come to mind as stand-outs. I like jazz and blues, but unfortunately in a pretty superficial way; I listen to them because I think they sound nice, without any particular ability to appreciate the art. I just listen to what sounds good to me.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Renn Fayre at Reed College.

Teach, Learn, Share

Well, my field is economic history, and I did write a thesis about it, but I don't know how many folks out there want to hear about it. But if you do, I'm your guy.