more thoughts

I have decided to ramp up my blogging , and visit the site more often. We have a couple of squatters in our garden .two collared doves have taken up more or less permanent residence . They are very tame and almost settle on your hand . They are mildly contemptuous of the dog and will sit on a fence post just out of reach andf coo at her , it drives her mad . Its funny to think that whenI was a child they were a very rare bird in England now I can see four or five by just looking out of the window . The news was interesting tonight apparently there is a chance that we may all be returning to the economic level of the fifties . The government seem to think that this is necessary to "save the economy " If we are going back half a century, who are they saving it for ??
Yet again I see that education especially higher education is being starved of funds , It might seem strange coming from a leftie like me ,but I believe that not everybody needs academic qualifications to do a worthwhile job , and be of value to society .My father was very kowlegeable and able at his job as a farm labourer, highly regarded by his employers and always did the job to the best of his ability :However I do believe very strongly that higher education should be based on merit and application .You want to save money ? then stop supporting the students of higher and further education that do not apply themselves , are never seen at lectures or in any place of study , but regard it as a right that they will get a qualification. Let there be less degrees and diplomas but let them mean that the student has worked and applied themselves . I once had a student ( not of nursing ) who took 3 years to do the first year of a course , as far as I know she is still in the system some 6 years later . Sorry rant of the day over.

I took this picture some time ago , when the dog was even smaller than she is now & I was wondering how she perceives the world . These trees look big to me but they must look enormous to her .I don't think its silly to talk about perception and concept forming in animals . The dog clearly has categories of people she recognises as "friends " and friends of different types as well . for instance she knows those who bring her gifts , those who don't and those she mustn't greet with her usual spittle laden ,wriggly madness . So to my mind there mus be some categorisation and the beginning of the concept "friend" .I wouldn't like to guess what that concept is in dog language . but there are definite reactions for disparate groups that importantly she has not been trained to do. These are categories that have been set by the dog due to some cues that I do not recognise. I think that implies at the least, behaviourist learning. As an aside ,a definite example of behaviourist learning, is that she has learnt that if she brings in a pebble from our garden , and tosses it around, I will give her a biscuit to drop it before something gets smashed. There are now less and less pebbles in the garden, as I seemed to have trained her to "fetch" pebbles