They said to "play nieve."
"Just pretend like you dont know anything and you'll be fine" They advised.
"Just act dumb and eventually, they will leave you alone."

Well, let me tell you this. The longer you keep that one up. The dumber you begin to feel. Couple this feeling with the fact that I'am at college, the intellectual hub or learning ground of the city. A place where we are supposed to be learning. College, isn't that a step above stupid and a step below living on our own? Ever feel like you are back in kind-e-garten?

Can't we grow up?

If you need an apology, Jeremy Styles most recent blog posted on Wednesday, Nov. 19th, I think should suffice. You can find it at discipleforlife.blogspot.com
He's a great guy.

I have no intention to "...offend with improprieties or obscenities..." Simply seeking for this place to be a better one. Cant we grow up and tell each other like it really is, without succumbing to the wiles and temptations of childhood games like "cooties" and gossip?
(quotes from, The Birth of a Nation.)

In closing, I would like to thank you for taking part in this, yet another one of "Matt''s Rants." More to come, please stay tuned.

p.s.- Wow, in retrospect, I have one more question. Could one be anymore vague in his describing his thoughts on a very specific subject? "....I hope that the answer will make you smile." -to quote my roomate.

KSU@NU

I was a occupant of the 4th largers city in Nebraska today, as a matter of fact, simultaneously I was in the second largest city as well. Crazy. Newton get out your protractior and try to assign a formula to that!

There are alot of things one would expect or at least hope for in their Maiden voyage to Memorial Stadium, and winning is one of them.

So, here's the scoop, noon on a Saturday afternoon, Saturday November 15th, 2003. This cute girl that I know and is a friend of mine instant messeges me. She apparently has decided to go into Omaha for the day in order to pay the family a visit, unfortunatley these actions would leave one Husker Student ticket lonely and in her draw waiting to be thrown away. A devistation, so the offer is put forth, rather the plea put out of whether or not I would like to procure one Husker Football ticket and add my number to the ranks of the 78,000+ on hand today at Memorial Stadium. WOULD I!?! WOULD I?!! (No this is not some cheesy joke about some guy with wooden eyeballs.) So, said ticket is dropped off by about 1 o'clock and I am on my way by almost 1:30. OH BOY!!!

Now, every single Joe Schmoe will blab on and on about "the experience" and I guess I must say, it is something that should be enjoyed on a personal basis. There's alot of people in one stadium in Northern Lincoln on gameday. Lots of people, a veritable throbbing mass, a pulsing collective all bent on Husker Domination, well I guess most in the stadium are. Really and truly, the raw power that can be felt, during the minutes before kickoff as the team takes the field, perhaps even heightened today because it was the seniors last home game. But the Nebraska Fight Song pumps out of the band and the loudspeakers, 78, 000 are on their feet, the anticipation, the noise, the excitement. The blackshirts, the offense the emotion is already thick enough to take flight.

Now, I would actually like to just make out some points that most others may not have observed from an experience of this magnitude. First of all, they say that if you are ever in a swarming mob, just pick up your feet and you will be carried along. Well, there just weren't enough other feet there to carry my feet. To be honest I was dissapointed, and I must have looked like a fool trying to pick up my feet and having nothing happen.

Second, to me it is most amazing how efficient the restrooms can be during half time. There is a line probably 30 feet long outside of the restroom, but amazingly enough that line is continually moving, a steady stream in-going and out-going allike, absolutley amazing. Gotta love the trough.

Thirdly, props to the hot-dog slinger guy. He's great! Although I wasn't a personal recipient of any of his fair today. Many others were and heck, who isnt awed by the sheer power of a contraption that can shoot a frankfurter about 30 yards. WOW! I think they call him "Da Vienter Schlinger" almost like its supposed to be German or something. How inane.

Fourth thing of worth that I noted from the game as well is that these are not just "fans" filling the seats of the stadium. Rather, today I entered an arena of nearly 78,000 people that completely felt like they knew and understood "the game" better than the professionals on the field. Ok, Im not only talking about the coaches. But the guys and gals of the seats near mine apparently, truly believe that they know football better than the coaches, players, referees and any other sort of person that spends 5 days a week practicing. There are some gosh darn smart people in these stands.

The noise, sure its powerful almost deafeningly so at times. But I must say that to me even more impressive than that was the silence. Today Husker Nation paid its regards to the seven men and women from Nebraska who have given their lives in Iraq. 78,000+ and all you could hear was the nervous shuffling of feet and clothes from people fidgeting about. (I teared up.)

Well, to this point I have explained alot, but have left out what perhaps should be the main point of a trip to a football game. Sure it was good to see, but I think that when it all boils down, we walked away after 60 minutes of football with a most regretable performance. I did however stay for the entire game. I fought the urge to which many succumbed and that was to leave early. Nope, I stayed.

Now my arm and hands are sore from all the clapping. I must have clapped more today than we normally do in church.

So Peter Weir's Master and Command the Far Side of the World starring Russell Crowe comes out today. Which brings me to my next point.

People

Why do people have to be so freaking dumb? Seriously, everybody walks around trying to pretend to own this place that we all have to share. I mean, don't get me wrong goofing around is great, I myself enjoy it quite often. But going out of your way to make a joke that makes others uncomfortable, being loud and rambunctious. Whats with it? I mean nobody cares to see that you are comfortable enough with yourself to yell something in the Cafeteria. I dunno thats just me.

Stupid people annoy me and yet I open my eyes and the world is full of them, chock full of them. Grow up people, there is more to life than your own. Think about someone besides yourself.

Then on to other news. Its FRIDAY!!!! How bout that? My favorite day of the week, and there is now a week and a half till thanks giving break, then about 2 or 3 weeks till semester. Hot Dang.

Power to the People.

Do you ever sit down with the express intention of writing something? Something that will be great, could even change the world, ideas bumbling, rambling aimlessly stumbling through your head so fast that it would even make Hans Blitzer's head turn this way or that. You sit down to the low hum, and the bright glow of your computer screen, crack your back, stretch your fingers and place them cautiously on your keyboard. Your brain is pulsing, you hope that everything will come out ok. A brief flash of light and you see yourself standing at a podium, holding a pulitzer prize. The audience is applauding graciously and you cry. Lists of verbs, nouns and dangling particples course through your brain.

"I sure do hope that this comes out right."

and nothing happens.

Tonight is one of those nights for me.

Hello all. I, here at my desk here,(wow that sounds so official) from my dorm in Lincoln, NE. 68508(mmm...there went official) offer you these few words concerning my life.

Yup. Just over a month later and still here "playing" college(quotations, my brother's - Thanks Chris! I love that guy!) I guess as redeemable we find that we are now over halfway through the sememster. Which in my opinion is really phenomenal. It is about this time, and I think that anyone who has ever been a college student would agree, that you begin to look forward to a new semester, some new classes, a fresh shot of life.

Before that, however, we have the holidays. Sure, there is some debate on whether or not the holidays are happy times or not, taking into account a number of factors. But, I think that any college student, the holidays are a wonderful thing. Going home. Now that phrase says alot for a college student. By the time the college kids go home for Christmas, they have lived in a box where that can walk 5 feet in any direction and carry out any number of activities: Turn on the TV and watch Jeopardy, Get in bed and take a nap, open a drawer and comb(or spike, in my case) your hair, get online and check the scores of last nights game or research the effects of the Macabbean revolt on modern civilization. You can open your closet and gaze upon the beauty of all of your worldly possesions crammed delicately into a corner of your room, I hop in bed, which also doubles as my couch and read a book(preferably not a text-book), or my personal favorite, in room activity staring out the window that overlooks the union lawn and observing the activities of other vibrant UNL students.
As you can tell, there are a number of experiences that can be had from the shrinking square feet of a dorm room and the prospect of going home and actually walking to the kitchen, (which is up-stairs!) open up a FULL-SIZE fridge to see what kind of goodies await your consumption(all paid for by Mom and DAD!) Currently, the contents of me and my roommates, "college-size" fridge includes; hmmmm....one jar of Bakers brand grape jelly. I guess that could be useful in the making of a PB&J sandwich, in the event that we had some Peanut Butter and Bread!
Now,speaking of food, going home is a time of festivities, spent with family. Now in the eyes of a college student, seeing all the relatives is a FANTASTIC idea. However, the key point that sticks out is that they are not spending meal-time in the local cafeteria! Dont get me wrong, the local cafeteria is good, its just that you start to look for something new, when you notice fried cat-fish sticks on the menu for the third time in two weeks.

Ok, well thats all I got as far as creative goes. I really wasnt planning on boring yall with that long of an intro, but for some reason those are the words that came crashing out of my brain.

Things her at college are good.(I would use the word great, but I was just reminded that "great" means big, not good.) It is true however, that the longing has set in for a new slate of classes and a new schedule. Not to say, that I have given up on the classes I am in now. I am actually enjoying them quite a bit. But, my mind begins to shift toward the spring semester and all of the new and EXCITING opportunities that it brings.

Well, speaking of exciting. These next few weeks are shaping up to be something to write home about. There is an upcoming performance of A Flea in Her Ear(a french farce) and as a Bottom-of-the-Totem-pole Intro to Theatre Student, I will be doing "light hang"(ie-hanging lights) for that production, taking up two of my upcoming Sundays. From there, I got a VERY small part in a "Directors scene" which is for the senior theatre majors, who are in a directing class, that have to produce a short scene. So I have a few rehersals for that and then an in class performance. Also, for a show called The Blue Room, I am doing run crew. Run crew are those people that dress in all black and run around on stage between scenes doing absolutley nothing. No really, we move props and scenery changes. Also, there is opportunity for me to help out in some regard on a few different film projects that are being done by different film majors around campus. So yeah, should be fun. Other than that, classes, and food, and sleeping, and hanging with friends, and watching JEOPARDY! WHEEEE!

So there you have it. Sorry to cut this email so short, but really I cant think of much else that is exciting enough to keep you awake. I have been visiting some different Churches around the city which has been good. Also, just to lay all of your minds at rest, I as of 2:43pm on Novermber 3rd, 2003 still do not have a girlfriend. I just dont want anyone to worry, hmmm...unless you are my Mom and are highly concerned with timeliness in which I find a girlfriend(I love you Mom!) She wants grandkids. But that may be awhile(see my quote near the end of the page.)

Well thats it. I love you all dearly. Sorry that my communication has been so sparse, I must say in my defense that I have been busy.

peace,

matt

"Girls are confusing."