Thoughts in Darrick Wood - Covid 19

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 01 June 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) The Space x launch of astronauts to the ISS has been a success and everyone is to be congratulated on a fantastic technical mission which has so far succeeded. I watched with some consternation the look of glee on some astronauts, astronomers and administrators faces. NASA can leave going to the Moon to commercial organisations, and it could now concentrate on going to Mars. It is my opinion that space organisations such as NASA should confirm whether there is life or not on Mars. If there is life on Mars, then humans should not go there. It is almost certain that a human colony on Mars will infest and infect the environment with microbes and viruses from the Earth and human detritus. Mars should be left alone as a pristine environment for scientific study without being colonised and commercialised. Mars could already have been infected with Earth microbes, and it might already not be possible...

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 31 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) It is not just Pembrokeshire and Brittany which have some of the most beautiful scenes in Europe. West Cork, in Ireland, is also endowed with some wonderful places such as Lough Hyne which is Ireland’s first marine reserve. The scenery is magnificent, and the water is crystal clear and very clean. P ensées dans Darrick Wood par Trevor Morgan 31 mai 2020 Il n'y a pas que le Pembrokeshire et la Bretagne qui ont certaines des plus belles scènes d'Europe. West Cork, en Irlande, est également dotée de merveilleux endroits comme Lough Hyne, qui est la première réserve marine d'Irlande. Le paysage est magnifique et l'eau est limpide et très propre. http://friendsofdarrickandnewsteadwoods.co.uk/

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 30 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) In  the woods I often think about a trip to France, which means a glass of bubbly with family and friends. I just hope that the good times come back soon.  Pensées dans Darrick Wood par Trevor Morgan 30 mai 2020 Dans les bois, je pense souvent à un voyage en France, ce qui signifie un verre de champagne en famille et entre amis. J'espère juste que les bons moments reviendront bientôt. http://friendsofdarrickandnewsteadwoods.co.uk/

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 29 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) I often think of my home county of Pembrokeshire. In the foothills, at Pentre Ifan, we have a dolmen which are the remains of a burial mound built in 3,500 BC. Whenever I go there, I feel that it is a special place and that the ancients built the dolmen there because they believed it was a special place too. Perhaps, this is a case of autosuggestion. However, our Neolithic ancestors built the dolmen from the same bluestones that adorn Stonehenge, so maybe the place is special after all. Pentre Ifan means “Ivan’sVillage” in Welsh. P ensées dans Darrick Wood par Trevor Morgan 29 mai 2020 Je pense souvent à mon comté d'origine, le Pembrokeshire. Dans les contreforts, à Pentre Ifan, nous avons un dolmen qui sont les restes d'un monticule funéraire construit en 3 500 avant JC. Chaque fois que j'y vais, j'ai l'impression que c'est un endroit spécial et que les a...

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 28 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) No-one and no artificial intelligence model can predict the future. It is impossible to factor random events into calculated predictions. The three-dimensional gaussian cupola algorithms used to calculate the yield from financial derivative products failed. Hence, we had a financial crash in the years 2008 and 2009. Nearly everyone believed that the good times would go on and on. They did not learn from the financial crashes of the past and disaster happened, possibly as a result of hubris. Likewise, the best way of predicting what could happen in a pandemic is to learn from the past. Of course, few learn from history and the mistakes made, and this is how the human species gets itself into severe trouble. Luckily, we have nearly always found a way out of a crisis but thousands or millions have had to suffer. We might not be so lucky next time. https://www.wired.com/2009/02/wp-quant/ h...

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 27 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) I n the peace and quiet, it has only just sunk in that over 47,000 people have died of Covid-19 in the UK and similar numbers have died in other European states. This is shocking. People are still talking as if we are at war with the virus. This is a mistake. The virus has no intentions to kill us, it cannot think or make value judgements. The spread of the virus is in our own hands and if we think any other way, then we will fail to contain it. We can learn from past pandemics. The 1918 H1N1 pandemic killed more than 220,000 people in the UK and millions worldwide. It came in at least 3 waves. The 1st wave killed elderly people and those who had chronic medical conditions. The virus then mutated before the 2nd wave to kill younger people, and the 2nd wave killed more people than the 1st. It is quite possible that a 2nd wave of corona virus deaths could develop before a vaccine or cure is wide...

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan xx May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) If I could transport Darrick wood to Pembrokeshire, I could see sunsets like this. P ensées dans Darrick Wood par Trevor Morgan xx mai 2020 Si je pouvais transporter du bois Darrick dans le Pembrokeshire, je pourrais voir des couchers de soleil comme celui-ci.

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 25 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) It is hard work forgetting upon the problems of nations while walking through the woods especially when there is a crisis. Any political leader worth their salt should know that you should practice what you preach otherwise failure is inevitable. History provides countless examples of this maxim, which is demonstrated over and over again. P ensées dans Darrick Wood par Trevor Morgan 25 mai 2020 C'est un travail difficile d'oublier les problèmes des nations en se promenant dans les bois, surtout en cas de crise. Tout dirigeant politique digne de ce nom doit savoir que vous devez pratiquer ce que vous prêchez sinon l'échec est inévitable. L'histoire fournit d'innombrables exemples de cette maxime, qui est maintes et maintes fois démontrée. http://friendsofdarrickandnewsteadwoods.co.uk/

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 24 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) I am finding the lockdown most tiresome and I am observing social distancing not because a politician has directed it, but because it is the right thing to do from a scientific point of view. There is no cure and a tested vaccine is a long time away.   In the woods, I daydream about going to one of my favourite cafes for a salt beef sandwich, a cup of tea and a chinwag about music with the owner. I hope his business survives this mess. The only amusement I can see, in a macabre sense, is the fact that many people are going to beaches because they have been allowed to and these same people will not practice social distancing because the police cannot prevent them from touching each other. If this carries on there is a fair chance that the virus will start multiplying and spreading again and we will be back in a serious “lockdown”. We often go to Newgale beach in Pembrokeshire. T...

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 23 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) I am back to my usual self today and thoughts are racing through my head as little voices. Over the top of the voices I can hear Beethoven’s sixth symphony reverberating quite clearly. I can imagine this to be quite loud if I want to and I can make it soft as well. Perhaps, it makes up for my lack of ability to imagine strong visual images. I wonder what a neurologist would make of this, but I am not concerned to be the subject of an experiment. P ensées dans Darrick Wood par Trevor Morgan 23 mai 2020 Je suis de retour à mon moi habituel aujourd'hui et les pensées me traversent la tête comme de petites voix. Au-dessus des voix, j'entends la sixième symphonie de Beethoven résonner assez clairement. Je peux imaginer que cela soit assez fort si je le veux et je peux aussi le rendre doux. Peut-être, cela compense mon manque de capacité à imaginer des images visuelles fortes. J...

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 22 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) Sometimes, when I am walking through the woods my mind switches off for a minute or so. Because I rarely think in images, I only hear the actual sounds of the woods and my minds eye sees nothing. It is like an inverse form of meditation, and I find it quite refreshing. There are advantages to having “aphantasia” as the neurologists call it and I don’t see it as being a disability. P ensées dans Darrick Wood par Trevor Morgan 22 mai 2020 Parfois, quand je marche dans les bois, mon esprit s'éteint pendant une minute environ. Parce que je pense rarement en images, je n'entends que les sons réels des bois et mon esprit ne voit rien. C'est comme une forme inverse de méditation, et je la trouve assez rafraîchissante. Il y a des avantages à avoir une «aphantasie» comme les neurologues l'appellent et je ne vois pas cela comme un handicap. http://friendsofdarrickandnews...

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 21 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) For me, all the wildflowers in Darrick woods have their own special kind of beauty. All garden flowers have been bred from the wild varieties in our woods and meadows – and overseas ones. I am quite happy to water the cultivated flowers in our garden and admire their beauty. However, I wish that there could be more space for their ancestors. At least we are not killing the wildflowers with chemicals, and there is still some space for the dandelions. Pensées dans Darrick Wood par Trevor Morgan 21 mai 2020 Pour moi, toutes les fleurs sauvages dans les bois de Darrick ont ​​leur propre beauté. Toutes les fleurs de jardin sont issues des variétés sauvages de nos bois et prairies - et de l'étranger. Je suis très heureux d'arroser les fleurs cultivées dans notre jardin et d'admirer leur beauté. Cependant, je souhaite qu'il y ait plus d'espace pour leurs ancêtres. Au...

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 20 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) I have spent so much time doing international projects and studying work practices, that I find it difficult to get it all out of my mind in the woods. Team morale is rarely discussed outside of sports management. Successful football team managers and administrators will know that it is one of the most important ingredients of success. Without good morale your team will fail. Engendering morale is difficult, but you will not succeed by divorcing authority from responsibility. When teams realise that the management have assumed all the authority and have passed all the responsibility to the team, morale collapses. The management accrue all the plaudits of success when things go right but pass on all responsibility for failure to the team, when things go wrong – this injustice is rewarded with ultimate failure. Poor morale can result from a lack of enthusiasm, but equally it can resul...

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 19 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous)   I walk through the woods and watch the birds and other forms of life organise themselves to achieve success as a species. Their success or failure increasingly relies upon humanity which organises its activities with technical skill, but which often lacks wise and rational application. An astute and observant business manager would agree that authority and responsibility are Siamese twins which cannot be separated. If you try to separate them the organism withers and dies. Too often the masters of political and business organisations assume all the authority and delegate all the responsibility to those who have to implement the decisions. Those who assume absolute authority, make more than their fair share of bad decisions otherwise they would not assume absolute authority in the first place. The result is the masters appoint yes-men who are prepared to put up with this dire prob...

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 18 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) An astute and observant project manager knows that if you do not prepare sufficiently your project will probably start to fail. To recover the situation, it takes 4 or 5 times the effort to have prepared properly in the first place and still the project could fail. Unfortunately, very many project managers are neither astute nor observant. And worse still their political masters, who have never run projects, have got no idea why a grand scheme can go wrong. Pensées dans Darrick Wood par Trevor Morgan 18 mai 2020 Un chef de projet avisé et attentif sait que si vous ne vous préparez pas suffisamment, votre projet commencera probablement à échouer. Pour récupérer la situation, il faut 4 ou 5 fois plus d'efforts pour se préparer correctement en premier lieu et le projet pourrait quand même échouer. Malheureusement, de nombreux chefs de projet ne sont ni astucieux ni obse...

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 17 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) I often ponder the intelligence of other animals while I wander through the woods. Dolphins have been observed to give instructions to each other and they do this by some form of verbal language. Primates do the same. Monkeys and Chimpanzees show that they can pre-plan activities by carrying tools with them. I was in the woods the other day and stopped to talk to a friend, her dog was chasing squirrels and I could swear that the dog was indicating to me that I should join in. Wolves signal to each other to share tactics on a hunt. The domesticated dog is a brother of the wolf, so it has probably inherited the instinct to act co-operatively. This was, perhaps, one of the key reasons that wolves were domesticated to become dogs. Foxes and badgers have been observed co-operating with one another to catch rabbits and then share the prey. Dolphins have shown similar co-operative behavio...

Thoughts in Darrick Wood by Trevor Morgan 16 May 2020 (traduction française ci-dessous) We have lots of foxes in our area. They do not usually venture far, but I have seen a fox in our garden wander as far Darrick Wood about 1km away. We have caught it on a trail camera. People either love the foxes or hate them. Most people are glad to have them around and many people feed them. I like them a lot but do not encourage them to come near to the house and become habituated to humans. There is no need to persecute foxes either by killing them because you believe they are pests or catching them and relocating them to other foxes’ territories. Sometimes they are a nuisance when they dig holes to make a den, but I can live with that. Some of the foxes are quite tame. We got out of our car one night at 2 am, a fox was nearby -less than two meters – it made no effort to move. Most foxes will run away if you approach with 20 meters of them. The people that hate the foxes ofte...