The Definition Of Insanity

Commentary: The definition of insanity in correlation with the FWC

There have been a lot of thefts around the island recently. Thefts of things that mean a lot to people, like very expensive fishing poles and gear, and the tarpon from in front of Gasparilla Properties. When we report those things, it makes some readers sit up and take notice of the fact they might want to lock up their stuff.

But there are other things going on as well. We’ve obviously had an active few weeks on local waters, particularly in Boca Grande Pass. I’ve heard of some alleged illegal things have happened there as well, but I can’t write about them yet.

Why is that, you ask? Well, let me tell you.

I got a call over the weekend that something happened during a particular tournament (one of those tournaments they hold earlier in the day) that was particularly interesting. Rumor was, someone had been cited for something to do with illegal fish transportation or tagging. Not sure about that, and can’t give you any names. But I heard from good sources it was true.

Let me tell you why.

Last Sunday I sent an official public records request to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, asking for arrests, written citations and warnings in Boca Grande Pass from June 10 to June 13. That’s three days of activity from a very small area of the region. It’s not a big deal.

I assumed, with great naivete, that the information would be provided in a timely manner. The reason I assumed it would be timely was because it said so, right next to the link to click on for a public records request.

“It is the policy of the FWC Division of Law Enforcement that all required reports and forms documenting the activities of its members be completed accurately and in a timely manner.”

So on Monday I got my official acknowledgement that the FWC had received my records request. I got a confirmation email with an incident report number, and it said they were looking into my inquiry.

I felt secure and comfortable in seeing this email. It looked official and reliable. They gave me a number, I was “in the system.”

So I waited.

On Tuesday, I got a second official email with my incident report number on it. It too, said, that my request was being looked into. I thought maybe this particular spot of information was a little too complex for them to handle in one day, so I was still resting easy.

After all, they did email me again.

And there I sat on Wednesday, sending my follow-up email. I asked when I might get the information that I had asked for three days prior. I pleaded that I was on deadline, and any information would be appreciated.

The Definition of Insanity: Groundhog Day | The Suitcase Entrepreneur

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a never ending loop? As though you woke up every day and did exactly what you did the day before but expected it to be different? Einstein once defined insanity as repeating the same actions over and over again and expecting a different result.

It’s like you know you should shut down email so you can work on the important project that’s going to bring you more business and create more revenue. But you don’t. Instead you get stuck replying to emails, which then illicits a response from said person, which you then `have’ to reply to and so it goes on.

Before you know it the day is almost gone and you’ve achieved nothing!

It’s an interesting question, and yesterday might be a good day to explain the answer. It was groundhog day. A day that’s typically reserved for figuring out if winter weather’s here to stay for another six weeks or if spring’s coming early (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere).

But more importantly, this particular day shares a movie of the same name. Groundhog Day , starring Bill Murray and Andy MacDowell was a comedy film that came out in 1993. It centered around Murray’s character, an egocentric Pittsburg TV weatherman who finds himself repeating the same day over and over again.