The guy who thinks for himself--he's hot, hot, hot

It was time for the phone call.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I'd had to put it off a few times.

So we'd exchanged a few more emails -- I had questions.

Shoot, I always have questions. I betcha I spend about a third more time in a normal conversation with a guy asking questions than answering them.

But though I did ask, occasionally, I mostly listened to this fellow talk about geopolitics. He's really smart. Apparently, he's also got an incredible memory for dates.

At the end of the conversation (which I had to close because I was getting my hair done for a family photo shoot I'd bought on Groupon how superficial is that...), I wasn't sure that I'd be able to keep up with him.

O.K. Let me be honest here. I have the ability to keep up with a man like him. But I don't have the work ethic.

I don't mind exchanging opinions. I've been giving another fellow quite the online workout, mostly for fun. He seems pretty resilient.

On the other hand, as I've lamented before, I'm incredulous as to what now passes for thought on the Internet.

In part because the new Facebook format is so annoying, I miss a lot of posts. But I've actually blocked the feeds of certain friends because of the endless number of quotes and links that they post.

An article is great -- particularly if I have the sense that you've actually read it.

Some status updates stolen from others are pretty funny. Family pictures? Fantastic. Links to your own work? Well, that's part of why we have Facebook friends. Our achievements and ideas are fair game.

But I'm not interested in the gospel according to Rachel Maddow, Bill O'Reilly, or the latest pop-culture guru.

Am I picky? Yeah, probably. But there's an epidemic of second-hand thought sweeping the country -- and it's abetted by the ease of our social media.

Again and again, I see profiles in which men ask for the same independence from potential dates -- they don't want a woman who will nod and say "yes, dear."

My "perfectly imperfect" imaginary man? He'll be clever enough to read carefully -- but lazy enough to skip the front page on Saturday mornings. He'll know about baseball (tennis will do, in a pinch) and what's going on in British conservative politics. When someone mentions Greece, he won't think they are speaking about French fries - but he won't be above the occasional sentimental chick flick with a side of Raisinets.

He'll be able to talk about religion and politics on the couch and off of it.

And he'll have his own ideas. Lots of them.

I prize creativity.

Bring it on.

Now would be good.