Hehe

In researching birds commonly found in this area during the fall for my unit on birds and migrations, I wandered across a list of bugs that downy woodpeckers eat. Here are a few highlights:

Eastern blood-sucking conenose
Patent-leather beetle
Rabid wolf spider (actually a spider, not an insect)
Fiery searcher

Apparently entomologists (people who study bugs - and presumably named these species) have vivid imaginations. So it turns out that research can be fun - who knew?????

Yet another 180

I'm beginning to feel that my desired direction in life is about to go for yet another 180 degree turn. Those who know me well may recall that I just decided about a month ago that I should pursue a masters degree in education. Now I think I will go with what has always been my truest fascination - philosophy. Philosophy was originally the pursuit of knowledge - including everything for science to art to mathematics. I feel that academia has become too fragmented and no longer focuses on educating the whole person, on finding the questions that really matter and equipping us to search out the answers. So, it's back to philosophy for me - the search for who we are and our place in the world. If educating is truly "leading out" and teaching children to reason and solve problems, then what better way to do it than through teaching philosophy? Now to see if any doctoral programs will take me. :)

ponderings

I intend to include more of my random philosophical musings in the future. If I cannot be a student of philosophy in the conventional sense, I will teach myself. One philosopher who particularly interests me at the moment is Sophocles. I intend to read some of Plato's writings on him soon.

Random song lyrics that intrigued me "The more we know, the less we feel." It seems to express the conflict between reason and emotion, but I wonder if it can be seen differently. What if our feelings influence us the way they do because there is something we don't understand that we need to figure out, and that, once we do, we won't feel the odd, uncomfortable pulling. Yet still, there are some emotions, such as love (in the pure, non-sexual, compassionate, spiritual sense) that I think are not just a means to an end, but are good in themselves. I must admit though, I would be happy to give up the painful longing and obsession associated with romantic love for a sweet, strong, and full understanding of my completeness and union with God. I believe Plato touches on this topic, and I hope to find the places in his writings where he does.