"Very Busy"

An email update to family:

Hi everybody,
I haven't had a chance to communicate with everyone since this week I simultaneously had two English papers due, an article deadline at work that kept me at school past midnight, and my phone became disabled (after the mess of working things out, I won't get a new one until Monday, Tuesday at the latest).

I've been very busy, but very productive. I got a chance to meet with one of my professors this week and we're both excited about my term paper for his class. His name is John Goshert, and the class is Multi-ethnic Literature. I also met with my professor, Jans Wager (for my Race, Gender, Class and Sexuality in U.S. Cinema class) about my project in that class, and it turns out that I might get to go to a Pop Culture conference in the spring. I might also get to return to NCUR, the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (reason I went to Maryland this last April) in the spring - and it will be in La Crosse, Wisconsin. In addition, the editor-in-chief and I have gotten to be good friends - his name is Jack Waters, and he and I are arranging to get the staff to go to Kansas City and/or San Diego in the spring. Finally, there's a slight chance that if I work hard, I'll get an internship D.C. for Senator Bennett, Matheson, Hatch, Representative Bishop, or Senator of Nevada Harry Reid next summer! Anyway...basically, it looks like I might go on a few trips early next year.

This week, I saw two movies that I'm absolutely crazy about. One is called Masked and Anonymous and stars Bob Dylan, Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Penelope Cruz, Luke Wilson, Val Kilmer, Ed Harris, Chris Penn (right before his death), Micky Rourke, Giovanni Ribisi...and a lot of other big people. :) Anyway - more importantly, I saw an older independent movie called Bamboozled and directed by Spike Lee (Inside Man, Dad, that movie with Denzel Washington and Clive Owen where they're robbing a bank) and stars Jada Pinkett Smith (wife of Will Smith, plays Naobi in Matrix). I wish I'd seen this movie when I was in high school. I think one day I should buy it, and then [the family] should sit down to watch it together. It's a hilarious satire, but it's a very important message about racial tensions in American society today.

Speaking of movies: apparently, director Ridley Scott (Gladiator) is gonna make a new Robin Hood movie called Nottingham that's set to be released this time next year. Who will play the Sheriff? Russell Crowe. And who shall play Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves? ...Russell Crowe.

I recently took inventory of my library of books. Apparently I own 126 books. So my friend/co-worker Whitney is building me a bookshelf. It's fantastic, and she's very good at carpentry.

Anyway...other than that, I'm doing fine, just busy. I had a stomachache yesterday, but I'm much better today, I think. All week I've had some pain in my jaw because my wisdom tooth is finally starting to impact the rest of my teeth and it hurts a bit to open my mouth and chew. I guess I'd better start saving up money to get it pulled out.

By the way, for anyone who cares - I watched the debates and let me just say that McCain makes me sick! Furthermore, I would rather watch Rocky Horror Picture Show three times in a row than watch McCain smile one more time as he says, "My friends...." It's a creepy smile! Dad, let's move to Canada if he's elected.

Talk to everybody later!
--[Elder Roxas]