Career opportunities

So, Matt went to Walgreens today. And as he's checking out, the guy at the register notices that Matt is wearing a Kendall County coroner baseball hat. (Why? Who knows.)
"Do you work for the coroner's office?" the cashier asks.
"No," Matt replies. "A friend just gave me this hat."
"Oh yeah," says the cashier. "You look like you do something in construction."

First time someone's said that.

Two Illini videos

Did you know that before Matt met Lynne, she had never heard of the NCAA Tournament/March Madness? It's not that she saw it and just didn't care. She didn't even know it existed.
That seems impossible, since it's on constantly on TV in March and everyone in just about every office is filling out a bracket with the Illini, Albany, Indiana and Northeastern Illinois in the Final Four.
Just another way that marrying Matt has broadened Lynne's horizons.
In the meantime, enjoy these two YouTube videos. The first is a commercial that's been running constantly during the tournament. And even though it brings up that devastating 2005 national championship game, it's pretty funny.



The second, for hardcore Illini fans, shows the future. This video is awesome. These two high school teams were playing to go the state finals. Brandon Paul's team is down two with he gets fouled with 4.7 seconds left. He makes THREE free throws to put his team ahead. Then Jereme Richmond makes takes the ball up and...well, watch it.
And both Paul and Richmond are scheduled to join the Illini very soon. Good times.

Fantasy Baseball Draft live blog

I'll take Things I Never Thought I'd See for $1,000, Alex

So, this has to be pretty high on the list of things no one ever wanted to see. Matt holding a gun. And pointing it at some dude who looks a little upset.

And - to be honest - it's pretty high on the list of things Matt never wanted to be part of.

It was for work, of course. Matt did a story about police use of deadly force and he got to use the police shoot/don't shoot training program, which you can read here. (The main story is here.)

Although the gun was "real" (it was just like the ones the cops carry) it was obviously disabled. The gun had a laser you pointed at a TV screen so you could practice scenarios where police might have to use deadly force.

When Matt walked into the training room, the officers asked if he had shot a gun before. From the tone they used it was clear they meant: well, of course, you've shot a gun before, right? Who hasn't?

Well, Matt had fired a gun. When he was a child. In Cub Scouts.

The reason the photo was shot from that angle is so you can't the pee running down his leg.

Table for Tthew Hauley? God bless you.

So, one of the funny things about getting married is the name and address changes that occur at the same time. This can lead to some mail problems. For instance, after Matt moved in and switched his Netflix account to Lynne's house, the first two movies didn't make it through because they had the "wrong" last name on them. Matt tried taping a note to the mailbox that said both last names, but all the letters ran off and it peeled away on the first day. So Matt had to change his account to include Lynne's (old) last name and his last name. Which is pretty funny, since that person doesn't exist.

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That fixed the problem and Matt hasn't remembered/bothered to delete Lynne's (old) last name. But that still finishes third in the strange mail category.
Lynne has been getting letters addressed to all sorts of people: Lynne Hanle, Lynne Shanley (a popular one - she moved her old last name to her middle name), Lynne Haley and this one below, from the National Education Association.



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Lynne and Matt got a good laugh over that one. But the next day a one-upper arrived, addressed to Matt, from the Illinois Sheriff's Association.


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When Matt was a kid he knew that he had a middle name. But he didn't know it was Edwin. He thought it was "Hew". First name Matt, then second name Hew - MattHew.
Turns out, Tthew was his first name. The things you learn.

A star is born

So, Matt was on Yahoo or some such website today and he noticed they had a list of the 10 most searched phrases. It was your standard boring stuff: Taylor Swift, Belly Bandit, Chris Brown (side note: I never heard of this guy a month ago), meatless recipes. Blah, blah, blah.
But then...Number 6... public enemies.
What? Why were people searching for Public Enemies, the film starring Matt and co-starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Billy Crudup?
Could it be? Is it possible? Is the trailer out?
Yep!

Pretty good trailer (side note 2: Matt once wrote a paper in college on trailers in film noir - he got an A, so that makes him an authority on such things). Only one quibble, really: It appears they left Matt's name off the credits. But this is only the first cut so there's time to get that corrected.
All three scenes Matt acted in appear in the trailer if you don't blink. Matt is not shown directly, probably becuase the director wants to save at least one big surprise for the audience.
The first scene is a very brief shot of the Biograph Theater, where Matt spent hours walking back and forth, back and forth - having no idea what was going on. It's about 20 seconds into the trailer, when Johnny Depp is saying, "I like baseball, movies..."
The second scene is a high overhead shot of Union Station, just after Billy Crudup says, "John Dillinger has given us a second chance..." Matt spent about an hour outside that room walking back and forth, back and forth - having no idea what was going on.
That shot is followed immediately by a very brief clip of a steamy train pulling into Union Station. Matt spent about five hours walking back and forth, back and forth next to that train. Needless to say, he had no idea what was going on. But he did get to carry a suitcase.
OK so, yes, it's infantile, but Matt has watched the trailer approximately 80 times since Thursday afternoon. It is awesome. Probably the best movie Matt has been in.
And, well, it was more fun than the end of that Penn State game.

Oscarama

So, you're saying you want to read everything that Matt wrote about movies this year?
Well, you're in luck.
Right here, you can read his annual Overlooked for the Oscars column, written for the Beacon, written with his friend, Andre. You can also gander at yet another critique of the The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the worst movie ever made.
Right here, you can see Matt's list of 11 Great Running Movies, compiled on his running blog.
And just below these words, you can see Matt's list of the best movies of 2008. (With notations/exceptions for movies he couldn't see because Hollywood believes the best way to promote films is jam them all into the last two weeks of the year.)
And below those words, Matt listed his should win/will wins for tonight's show. Not as comprehensive or accurate as Tripp's list, but with twice the vowels!

Matt's Top movies of 2008

10. The Band’s Visit
I could have put Dark Knight here. But you’ve all seen Dark Knight, right? It’s good. Now go see The Band’s Visit on a night when you’re feeling thoughtful. It’s the story of a small Egyptian band that gets stranded in Israel .
9. Ghost Town
Another great little comedy that came and went, poof. Ricky Gervais is the key to the film – the cynic who changes without abandoning himself. Great writing. A movie that made me laugh. That's nice.
8. W.
This movie sort of faded away, didn’t it? I enjoyed this look at the 43rd President and I actually felt I understood him better. Josh Brolin should have been nominated for this movie, not Milk.
7. Iron Man
This was a good, old-fashioned enjoyable action movie with Robert Downey Jr., as the perfect superhero - a guy who thinks it's awesome that he has superpowers, a man of ego rather than humilty. I had no idea I would like this that much. I am actually looking forward to the sequel. Downey Jr was really good in Tropic Thunder, but should have been nominated for this movie.
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
This was a year for great comedies and none were better than this early year tribute to love. And when they finally make the movie version of Dracula’s Lament, that will probably make my Top 10, too.
5. The Visitor
This is a fantastic movie with spot-on direction and great acting all around. I was totally engrossed and for the most part never knew where the film was heading, but never felt cheated when it got there.
4. Milk
Years ago, I had seen a documentary on Harvey Milk and yet there were times when I forgot I was watching Sean Penn acting as Harvey Milk. A very powerful film with the best acting of the year. The speech Milk/Penn makes in Washington is fantastic.
3. Wall E
Another brilliant movie, visually and emotionally from the Pixar folks. Can we finally get these movies out of best animated film and into Best Picture?
2. Slumdog Millionaire
I don’t think many of the movies I saw this year will have much lasting power. The Top 10 is weaker than year’s past. Maybe it was the writer’s strike. But, I won’t forget this movie’s compelling storytelling. Jon Stewart was right: most depressing feel good movie of the year.
1. Standard Operating Procedure
Along with last year’s Taxi to the Dark Side, these two movies best explain why the United States policies in Iraq have not worked as well as we originally hoped. Somehow, director Errol Morris got interviews with Lynndie England the other members of the Abu Grahib scandal. And you know what? They had some smart, powerful things to say. A must see.

The Elevens: Baby Mama, Tropic Thunder, Man on Wire, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, Rachel Getting Married
Worthy movies I haven’t seen: The Reader; Gran Torino; Doubt; Trouble the Water; Pineapple Express; Frozen River; Synechdoche , New York

Should win/Will win

Best Picture
Should win: Standard Operation Procedure. Of the five nominees, Slumdog
Will win: Slumdog

Best Actor
Should win: Sean Penn, though Richard Jenkins was great, too
Will win: Mickey Rourke

Best Actress

Should win: Sally Hawkins for Happy Go Lucky. Since she's not nominated, Anne Hathaway was awesome
Will win: Kate Winslet because she's going to win eventually (admittedly, Matt hasn't seen Doubt or Frozen River or The Reader)

Supporting Actor
Should win: Heath Ledger
Will win: Heath Ledger (Yeah, he was awesome.)

Supporting Actress
Should win: Amy Adams, because even though Matt hasn't seen the movie, she's awesome
Will win: Penelope Cruz (Matt thought Cruz was good, but in fairness he hasn't seen the other contenders. Plus, Tripp says she'll win.)

Supporting Supporting Actor in a Johnny Depp Film That Has Not Yet Come Out
Should win: Matt
Will win: Christian Bale