Research for the sake of research?

After this weeks readings --- experiment, quasi-experiment, sampling, confidence intervals, control groups, generalizations, surveys, pilot testing, I am in full data overload. Reserach on research methods, ethnography, small populations, niche populations, general populations, the list goes on. My head is spinning and yet at peace. Now, I completely understand more than ever that there is nothing... no sacred topic, nothing too small, nothing too big... that cannot in some fashion be brought to study. It is what seems to make the world go round. So this afternoon, I took to the newspaper and made a concerted effort to see how many front page news items were related to some research paper that has just come out --- the answer.... of the 3 front page news items....2 were directly related to presenting research facts. It's quite simply everywhere!! And so, no matter if my SSHRC is accepted or if I go on to do my thesis, these valuable methods if nothing else will help me enjoy and dissect the Saturday paper with coffee.