C. is talking more and more these days, and doing a good deal of researching as well, about aiming to go into translation in one way or another. She's been writing to translators and asking how they got started, what kind of education they see as essential, and so on. She's gotten a number of responses, and has I think gotten some good advice, both on the feasibility of the endeavor in general, and of the specifics that are necessary to make it happen.

One of the best schools for translation, says almost everyone who's responded to her email queries, is Georgetown in DC. It's convenient that my plans may take me there as well. While improbable that I'll make contacts in the liberal politics sector of DC while working for the country's biggest mortgage company, who knows what can happen. I would love to keep my eyes open for an opportunity like that. Just a chance to learn some things and occasionally work on my long term project of making liberal goals sound appealing to middle-of-the-road people, instead of just sounding like the rantings of the lunatic fringe. What's so lunatic fringe about a little health care and education? What's so funny about peace, love, and understanding?

I read an interesting article about George Bush in a magazine that our coworker Mike brought back for us from the States. The magazine was called Texas Monthly (and looked laughable at best) but had at least two interesting articles in it, both of which were written by apparently nonpartisan journalists about how the George Bush who had been governor of Texas had changed so drastically since assuming national power. There was a reference in there to his repealing the estate tax. Did I hear about this? Where was I? It is said to have happened before Sept. 11, 2001, which was when I was at SJC and oblivious to the goings-on in the outside world. It makes sense that I would have missed it. The article was right to point out that the estate tax served as one of the last lines of defense against the rise of an established aristocracy in the US.

I should be sitting down to read the last 50 or so student essays from last semester, but I just can't bring myself to return to the task of being a teacher. This break has been very nice, and I don't at all feel that my life is lacking a thing during the paid break from teaching. If I wasn't sure at the end of the semester, I am definitely sure now that I was not made to be a teacher. I am not looking forward to the return of daily classes and preparation, though I think a number of factors are cooperating, if not conspiring, to make this semester much more bearable than last. For one thing, I am teaching 3 different courses instead of 7. For another, I can from the beginning be putting to use the dos and don'ts I learned last semester. Lastly, I plan to assign only page-long-or-less writing assignments. It'll be doable, and not much more.

It's now 5:00 pm and I should go get dinner started (lox, brie, and roasted garlic on crackers--more of an appetizer than a meal, but we enjoy it immensely) so we can go see 21 Grams, which is playing as part of the film fest in town this week.