OCD, fish and letters to the editor

18 August

Last night I lay in bed reading and came across something called OCD. Well, I had heard about it before but neither of us could remember what it is. Just done a google search and its proper name is Oppressive Compulsive Disorder. At least we now we know; not that it matters to us seeing as far as we know we don’t suffer from it. Extreme depression can bring it on though, and depression is something I do struggle with at times. Thing is, knowing that might actually cause it to develop. Oh the circles we go round in.

Last week I was writing about whether Dorktown needed anymore supermarkets. I used part of what I wrote here and sent to the local paper; and the letter is in there this morning. In the last few years I’ve had a number of letters printed on various topics but what I had hoped for is some sort of response from some of the others. There’s be nothing from any of them. Now I’m wondering why that is.

I don’t accept that my arguments and points are so good and so concise that there is no response needed. Perhaps I need to choose my subjects more carefully. I am aware that there are two or three other regular letter posters and they seem to be always falling out over minor issues; the usual ‘You said, I said’ sort of thing. I wouldn’t really want to descend to that level. We’ll see how it works out.

Angling is one of my pet hates! I just don’t see the point of catching a fish and letting it go later so they can catch it again. It is claimed by some people Anglers among them, that fish don’t feel pain, nor do they have long memories. I would beg to differ on both points. I once saw a small fish pulled out of a pool by a young angler and got very angry when I saw that the hook was caught on the fish’s eye. A look at the way the fish was gasping while it was being freed didn’t help either. I don’t accept that that fish didn’t feel something. But what of their memories …

These same anglers say that older fish have learned to be careful around food dangling in front of them. That is why some older carp and trout are so difficult to catch. Oh yes? If they can’t remember, how can they learn? We have a cold water tank in our living room with four goldfish and around 10 mountain minnows in it. If they can’t remember and don’t learn, why do they all gather at the corner of the tank where we feed them whenever one of us goes near them?

Brain function is a very difficult subject to understand. We don’t understand how our brains work properly, so how, in all honesty can anyone claim to know to know the brain of a difference species works? Not only that, but in a species that has a different physiology to ourselves? Nope … I just don’t accept what they claim!

Today’s photo then … 

A really big fish!

And today’s funny is from Yankyland …

For a couple of years I’ve been blaming it on lack of sleep and too much pressure from my job, but now I found out the real reason: I’m tired because I’m overworked. The population of this country is 237 million. 104 million are retired. That leaves 133 million to do the work. There are 85 million in school, which leaves 48 million to do the work. Of this there are 29 million employed by the federal government, leaving 19 million to do the work. 2.8 million are in the Armed Forces, which leaves 16.2 million to do the work. Take from the total the 14,800,000 people who work for State and City Governments and that leaves 1.4 million to do the work. At any given time there are 188,000 people in hospitals, leaving 1,212,000 to do the work. Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons. That leaves just two people to do the work. You and me. And you’re sitting at your computer reading jokes!