User:Ztrawhcs
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Matt is an attorney living in Washington, D.C.
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[edit] Biography
Matt sings, plays piano, takes pictures, reads the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, and occasionally edits entertaining videos on his MacBook Pro. He practices law in Washington, DC, and is also licensed to practice law in his home state of Michigan. Matt feels that this Mark Twain line (modified for gender) aptly sums up his personality: "He was not quite what you would call refined. He was not quite what you would call unrefined. He was the kind of person that keeps a parrot." Matt's parrot is named Rudy.
[edit] Early History
Matt was born at 12:13 a.m. on Sunday, October 21, 1979 at the now-defunct Sinai Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. He arrived with a full head of bright red hair and a healthy set of pipes, both of which would serve him well in the future. As an infant, the doctors predicted he would grow to the then-unheard-of height of 6'1" to 6'4". (Matt just barely lived up to expectations.)
Few records of Matt's early years exist, due in part to his parents' obstinate refusal to write anything down. Fortunately for Matt's future biographers, his parents did manage to take several thousand photographs of the young redhead, and to this day those pictures are neatly organized in random piles stuffed into 20-year-old shoe boxes. These pictures reveal a boy of surprising plumpness who was powerless to prevent himself from smiling like a game show host whenever a camera was present.
[edit] Education
Matt received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2007, and holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Michigan.
In his early years of schooling, he was known as a "bright" student who did not try very hard, instead getting by on the strength of his raw intelligence. This technique served him just fine until high school, when he was forced to actually study if he wanted to do well.
Matt applied to just two colleges - the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University. After being accepted into the Michigan State Honors College, Matt planned to attend MSU and major in advertising. However, after attending a "New Students Orientation Day," he had a change of heart, and decided instead to pursue greatness at U of M. His college grades were mediocre, as he spent most of his time writing for and editing The Michigan Review, and singing in the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club.
After graduating and working as a newspaper reporter, Matt decided to attend law school. He completed his first year at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he tried hard for the first time in his educational career. Having actually done the reading and come prepared to class, he realized that law school was awesome. He came to love the law, considering it a form of Applied Philosophy. Matt transferred to Georgetown Law after his first year.
[edit] Fitness
Fitness has been important to Matt for several years. Matt was a chunky youth but in high school his body grew, and he flattened out. Unfortunately, college was not friendly to his waist line; meal plans included dessert, and seconds were fair game. After the first few years of college, he had gained 40 pounds. "Alas, my 'Freshman 15' did not end after the first year of college," Matt says.
The weight creep would have continued indefinitely were it not for high school chum Ian, a fatty by no one's definition, who sent Matt an Amazon.com link to "Body For Life," an exercise and nutrition plan Ian had recently followed. After a couple of failed tries, Matt successfully lost about 25 pounds during the summer of 2001.
Unfortunately, the weight crept back on, spurred along by the heavy time demands of law school. Now Matt is trying to reverse the trend. Again at the encouragement of Ian, Matt ran the 2008 Cherry Blossom 5K Run/Walk in Washington, DC in the remarkably slow time of 42:29. (See Race Report)
Matt was determined to run the 10 Mile Cherry Blossom race in 2009, but after several weeks of intense training, he developed a stress reaction in his fourth metatarsal bone and had to endure forced rest for several weeks. This made completing the Cherry Blossom impossible.
[edit] Notable
• Matt usually has a red beard. Matt believes it makes him look older and somehow makes his legal analysis seem more incisive. Most agree with this assessment (except for his mother, who believes it is scruffy and has perturbed prospective employers). Every several months, Matt grows tired of the beard and shaves it off. (He generally regrows it again after a few weeks.)
• Matt purchased a black Segway i2 in early June 2007 to commute to and from work. When he reached the 300-mile mark in August, he posted a detailed write-up that was featured on a popular automotive blog. Although he used to ride the Segway almost daily, when Matt moved several miles away from work, it quickly became an impractical commuting vehicle. For the past several months, it has been gathering dust, and only gets used when friends want to see what it's like to ride a Segway. If anyone is interested in getting a great deal on Pre-Owned Segway, feel free to contact him.
• Matt ran the 2008 10 Mile Cherry Blossom Run, despite the fact that he cannot run to save his life. By "10 Mile" run, he means the 5K version. But hey, the shirt says 10 Miles, so that's good enough for him. About two weeks after the race, he stopped running and spent the next several months dormant. He keeps a blog of his fitness experiences, which he hopes will motivate him.
• Matt is renowned for his unique ability to quickly "tune a room," finding the exact frequency at which it resonates. He particularly enjoys tuning parking garages -- in many ways, it reminds him of playing a Tibetan singing bowl.
• Matt enjoys Chopin's piano music, Saint-Saens' compositions, starry nights, and Van Gogh's Starry Night.
• Matt is a published writer who enjoys pontificating on various inane subjects. In 2007 a respected law journal published his paper arguing that the government should punish indecency on cable TV! In high school, Matt won a prestigious writing award given by the National Council of Teachers of English.
• A few years back, Matt tried to take up golfing. In his first few outings, he shot more than double par. He then told everyone about it -- in song.
• In high school, Matt refused to sign up for Choir because he thought it was for nerds. NOW look at him!
• Matt exists primarily for the amusement of others. [citation needed]
[edit] Critical acclaim
- "Matt taught me how to love a woman, and how to discipline a child." --Donnie Milton III
- "Did you know the study of beards is called pogonology?" --Elizabeth Amy Schwartz
- "Always thinking creatively, Matt has an agile and curious mind." --Elizabeth S. Olson
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