Hi, my name is Mark. I'm 37 and live in Toronto, Canada, where I work as a software program manager. I came here at 18 in 1983 after growing up on Cape Sable Island on the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia.

Back in Nova Scotia, I was introduced to the political philosophy of libertarianism early in high school, by Boston radio talk show host David Brudnoy. I was immediately fascinated with this radically different way of looking at politics. It was principled, logical, and started with a premise — the non-initiation of force — that seemed inarguably right. A name that often came up as one of the prime sources of libertarian thought was Ayn Rand. After a few years of reading both her fiction and non-fiction, I began to consider myself more of an Objectivist than a libertarian. I was convinced that Rand was correct in her view that politics rests upon philosophy and that without a change in a society's philosophical base, lasting political change will never occur. Needless to say I also agreed, and still do, that Objectivism is the philosophy that underlies a politics of freedom and individual rights.

Unlike most Objectivists' experiences, it wasn't Rand's fiction that first drew me to her ideas. I actually had a very tough time getting into her novels. I started and stopped both The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged a few times before I managed to finish them. Now, however, I've read all her novels several times each, and it's hard for me to imagine that initial lack of enthusiasm with Rand's brilliant fictional creations.

Despite reading most of the books and taking several courses over the years, I still don't feel that I truly and completely understand the philosophy. (Not in the "Mack truck" sense, for those of you who've taken Leonard Peikoff's Understanding Objectivism course.) In an attempt to address that problem, I'm now (Fall 2002) finally embarking on a methodical study of the philosophy. I expect that will take me at least a year or two. I'll be very happy if I reach 40 with a firm grasp of Objectivism.

More about me: I enjoy running; I dabble in photography; I'm gay, single, and looking — please forward all tips on eligible gay male Objectivists; I like mysteries, especially by Agatha Christie and Sue Grafton; my musical tastes range from Jane Olivor, Eva Cassidy, and Nancy LaMott to the Pet Shop Boys and trance; I have a beautiful but emotionally distant cat named Coco; you can reach me