Observations:

Having the day off of school because of snow is great.

Having no homework to do on my day off is even better.

At what age did relationships become political. All relationships?

A Time to Kill is a great movie.

Brad Pitt gives a great performance in Se7en, also in Fight Club.

Friends are fantastic, possibly even the best thing on earth.

The "L" in Samuel L. Jackson stands for freaking great.

My "Principles of design for theatre and film" class reminds me of Kindergarten. Its great.

Understanding "art" would be a huge help, or would it?

How did Peter Jackson win Best Director Golden Globe over Eastwood?

"Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness." -The Architect, Matrix Reloaded

Girls are confusing, on a gradation of confusion, more confusing than boys.

Girls are cute however, on a scale of cute, cuter than boys.

"If there weren't purple Skittles, indigo would just be getting the shaft." -My Roomate

Sean Penn deserved his Golden Globe for best actor.

How the heck did LOTR: ROTK win picture over Mystic River?

Charlize Theron is beautiful.

Someday I wanna make movies.

There are no "Show Me's" restaurants in Nebraska.

and thats about all I got.

Oh yeah and the space between the words Sean and Penn stands for Freaking Awesome.

People who think they got it all together are just confused.

The movie 12 Monkeys for $7, its less that a dollar a monkey.

War is such a messed up institution.

Are grocery carts with squeaky wheels manufactured with squeaky wheels?

Recalcitrant is a word.

Pedantic is a great word.

People who are given the opportunity to be crazy will act crazy.

This post has been brought to you by the letter "L".

We Live,

We live in a world of towers that sway,
and these monoliths are mere mortals.

We live in a world of plastic,
of toys and molded plastic cars,

We live in a world where what is is,
and what will be...

Days of Semester Break: 23
Christmas parties attended: 3
New Year's parties attended w/o drinking: 1
New Year's parties attended: 1
Pounds gained on break: 3
Times during break I worked out before tonight: 0
How sore Im gonna be tommorow: very


So yeah, break is over, first semester grades are in(I got all A's and B's!) and second semester classes rear their menacing head as classes start this morning. The end of a dream, dead in the wake of the end of break. But lets not dwell on the bad. Lets look forward to a semester perhaps of new growth, the spring semester, a period in which many species inherit new life, a chance to breathe again. And we could all use a chance at a new start.

Break was fantastic. I hung out with unquestionably some of my favorite people in the world. Truly, I would have to say that among the holiday hustle and bustle aimed at distracting us from what is really important during the holiday season that it is vital to remember what is truly important; people. Really, being with people I must say, is one of the most incredible times in the world. It is so very incredible to me that we have the ability to form relationships. So to those that I love, I say thank you for the honor of being able to hang out; My Family(Mom & Dad, Chris and Nate) Jeremy, Mike, Stephanie(both of them!) Rachel, Kelly, Lindsay, David, Ivan, Jason(thanks so much for the pics), Brent, My grandparents and relatives, Erin, Julie, Ben, Sonja. As I think back over this past break, I really am reminded of how great life is and how blessed I'am to be in the presence of such great people. (I will stop there and hope that I have not alienated any of you with my overt sentimentality. Just please know that I really am sincere in it all.)

Yeah, speaking of hanging out with my grandparents I am happy to say that one of the highlights of my break was caught up in the apparent insanity of my brother Chris. Approached one day in church by my brother, proposition was made in the detail of attending the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. After very little initial thought and later laborious pondering I eventually caved. 14 hours and very little sleep later, we arrived at my grandparents house in San Antonio. A great evening of conversation, catching up with grandparents(I havent seen them in nearly 6 years!) and a day of hanging out on the RiverWalk amongst the other visiting revelers and I found myself seated(standing rather) in the Alamo Dome. Where two gridiron rivals peddled there various wares but in the end, it was Nebraska who walked away victorious. As an aside, I must say that this game came in stark, and most welcome relief to the KSU game that I attended in Nov.(see my post dated Nov. 15th). But yeah, hopping back into our car and out 14 hours later we found ourselves back in Omaha.

Other highlights of the time at home included the attendance at and the viewing of a wide array of assorted movies. A list of which I will supply you with, should you make further petition. The highlights of which I shall share with you here. I must say that of the season a film by the title of In America was my favorite. It is the story of an Irish-immigrant family to the U.S., with two daughters they move into a rundown apartment in Manhattan and the film is a narrative of their trials and triumphs. Starring Paddy Considine Samantha, Morton(Minority Report) and a fiery Djimon Hounsou(Amistad, Gladiator) as an artisitcally-inspired, reclusive building tenent, with a complicated disease. The film is amazing in its detail as presented by Jim Sheridan(In the Name of the Father) but it is still lighthearted and uplifting enough to avoid the tragedy billing. In my opinion, very good and enchanting.

Well, that sums up some of my Holiday experiences, however I will walk away with more memories from this break than would be logical to write down in this medium for fear of boring you. So it is here that I will end my tale. Thank you all.

YEAR IN REVIEW!!!

So yeah, this is the time of year that we are supposed to reflect on the events of the past year and also ponder the possibilities of the one to come. Right? So with no further ado, I present to you "As the years go by; a reflection."

As 2002 came to a close and the pages of 2003 were still damp with the possibilities of the new year, those who were watching observed as Matt finally moved from under the vigilant wing of his parents house. The infamous East-Wing became my newest haunt and the location which I would call home for the next 8 months. At the time I had just finished my first semester at college and one would presume that the undertaking of the next would be an order, but "...fate it seems is not without a sense of Irony."(Agent Smith, The Matrix -I think) I decided at the time that in order to truly get the degree that I wanted (in Film Production) I would at least need to go to Lincoln, UNO would have only supplied me with a Communications major(which would do wonders in getting me a job as a news anchor, and we all know how much I envy that job.) So I proceeded to get a job, and after a few months a different job, and a different job and a different job. So in retrospect, the first 8 months of 2003 saw Matt working at China Buffet, Chili's, The Olive Garden and finally PayPal, all of which pissed me off in their own sort of unique ways. I was also working at the Word Made Flesh office part time, which was a great experience, (fleshies rock!)

Then came August, a flourish of packing, a number of complicated forms and a 45-minute drive and I found myself moving from Omaha, to the Great city of Lincoln! "There is no place like Nebraska!" and that is where I have been for the waning 4 months of the year. Dorm life and classes and cafeteria and attention-starved theatre-majors came rushing in from all sides. It has been a fun semester and a semester of change. As a Chrysalis takes shape inside the cocoon, I to have seen alot of change this past year. From moving out to going to school, changing majors to changing philosophical stances.

A year that I wouldnt trade back for just about anything. I think that it is safe to see that this past year has seen more development in my life than any of those in the past. From chasing Bats in the East-Wing, to agonizing over exams in Lincoln, to pouring my cerebrum through any number of the philosophy books or papers that I have read(and I still came out alive in the end) is all proof that it is possible for the brain to process too much information. However, as we depart from the out-dated 2003, I feel that a dent has been made if not a conquest. The development of a person takes place on a micro-level and this year will certainly take its place in that course of development.

And as is with all of these "review" letters, one is supposed to make a quick glance to the next year, and me being one to shy from bumping societal norms and conventions will oblige. This next year is probable to see two more semesters of college, with more good times to be had by the gentlemen of Selleck 6300. This next year may see me working on or being in a few different films(if the fates would will it :-) ) and also hopefully a few different theatrical productions at school. Other than that it is tough to say, I try to plan out my life, that way it has a greater propensity to be spontaneous.

Well thats about it, I hope I provided enough detail to be informed yet been cryptic enough that you guys will still talk to me. I love you all and lets have a world changing 2004!

peace,

matt

"I still haven't found what Im looking for."
-U2