Formal logic and reasoning...or some such stuff

I haven't written much about the class I'm taking this semester other than to say that it is challenging. It's a Philosophy course, "Formal Logic and Reasoning," which sounded "reasonable" when I registered for it. It satisfies the Math/Reasoning requirement of my liberal education plan without me having to take Calculus or some other unspeakable, unthinkable math class. As I mentioned in a previous post, please keep in mind that I haven't had a math course since high school--nearly 28 years ago. And I didn't do that well it the subject then. So, the Formal Logic course sounded a little more palatable.

In a nutshell, I was mistaken. It's a form of calculus slyly cloaked in a deceptive cover of philosophical jargon. Grrrr! When my former boss, who is a physicist and incredily intelligent, told me upon finding out what class I was taking that Formal Logic had been his favorite class, I was certain that I was doomed. Yikes! But thankfully, I was wrong about that also. While I do have to work very hard in this class, it's not quite the castrophe that I imagined. I'm actually doing fairly well in the course and--hold onto your hats--I'm enjoying it. Whodathunkit, right?

Having a professor who genuinely wants everyone in the class to not only understand the material but enjoy the learning process has made the difference. I'm convinced that had I gotten a different instructor, one with less enthusiasm or patience for teaching a complicated subject to non-philosophy majors, one whose idea of teaching is just a monotone lecture and a directive to memorize the material, one who's actual teaching gets sidetracked by their own ideological opinions, that I would be struggling. I've had a couple of those latter instructors, and it's not been pleasant.

So, to Professor Yesh and other wonderful, dedicated, supportive, enthusiastic, and effective teachers out there, I thank you! To the rest of the teachers who don't fit that description--and I believe most of you know who you are--perhaps it's time to re-think your profession. Maybe sooner rather than later.

It's April and raining...

The weather folks are calling for more rain tonight and tomorrow - up to two inches! A portion will likely be in the form of thunderstorms, "some severe" they said. But I love rain and storms; they're very calming and soothing to me. Even the most severe thunder and lightening brings with it a tranquil peace for me. It's a wonderful thing.

Hmmm....sounds like a good day to be inside, snuggled up reading, or better yet writing, doesn't it.? I agree with you, but unfortunately I'll be working instead. Schlepping through puddles and mud in my fancy pancy rain boots and cursing an umbrella that's just about ready to give up the ghost. After all, work duty calls on the weekdays. They are calling for a sunny, warm weekend, though, and since I have to be out in that torrential mess tomorrow, I'll gladly take the more hospitable weather on my weekend. I have a few to-do's on my list, and a couple of should-do's too, and hopefully I'll have time to write a little.

I do have a writing update to report. A short piece I wrote and submitted a couple of weeks ago was accepted for publishing/posting by Six Sentences. It should appear on the site on April 23. I am very pleased about this because I thoroughly enjoy the site. Six Sentences is on online literary blog dedicated to short stories or written pieces that are six sentences in length--no more, no less. The size, style, and topics vary greatly, but most of the writing is intelligent, crisp, and, quite often, thought provoking. A bonus is that it can also be a quick read for those of us with little time to spare. So if you have some time, please check it out at http://sixsentences.blogspot.com/ and perhaps try your own hand at it. As the site asks, "What can you say in six sentences?"

More later folks....stay dry, or cool, or warm, or wet....whereever you are.