08/08/2008 by admin.

A truely spectacular opening ceremony for the 23rd Olympic games has taken place in Beijing, China.  In Malachi’s words, “The World Games are well and truely open!” The ceremony began at 08:08 on the 8th of the 8th 2008 - or ‘Triple 8′ day. The number 8 is revered as a bringer of good fortune.  The ceremony occured just one day after the Chinese Valentine’s Day or the Qixi Festival, with the demand for red roses blooming!

The Double Seventh Festival comes with a legend:

‘A long time ago, there was an honest and kind-hearted fellow named Niu Lang (Cowhand). He married a fairy from heaven called Zhi Nu (Weaver Maid) who was in love with him and escaped from heaven to earth secretly. They lived a happy life and she gave birth to a boy and a girl.  Unfortunately, the God of Heaven soon found out the secret and the Queen Mother wanted to separate the couple. She used her gold hairpins and made a billowy river between them. The Cowhand and the Weaver Maid were separated on the two banks forever and could only feel their tears.   Finally, their loyalty to love touched the magpies, so tens of thousands of magpies came to build a bridge for the Cowhand and Weaver Maid to meet each other. The Queen Mother was eventually moved and allowed them to meet each year on the 7th of the 7th lunar month.’

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q61 Have you ever worn fancy dress?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q25 Do you believe in fairies?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

04/08/2008 by admin.

Astronomer, Patrick Moore, McFly and Gillian Anderson have signed up to A Message from Earth. It’s an initiative by the social networking site Bebo. On 9 October, they plan to beam 500 messages in a digital capsule to the nearest planet thought able to support life - Gliese 581c.  Bebo users are invited to submit ideas for the messages, which will arrive in 2029.

http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=6864550350

Meanwhile, Grace Bergere, a 12 year-old girl from New York, has miraculously survived a 14 storey fall down a chimney. She plummeted 180ft but emerged largely unscathed after landing in a huge pile of soot.  Firefighters  had expected to find her dead. Grace’s father described her survival from the fall as a miracle.  Curious that the chimney and the soot seem to be an uncanny reminder of the ‘Dark Satanic Mills.’

http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=7118899&version=1&locale=EN-US

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

02/08/2008 by admin.

Firefighters had a surprise when they were called to rescue a sheep from the roof top of house in Middlemoor, North Yorkshire.  Three crews tried to rescue the animal after it made its way to the roof top via a kennel, shed and lower adjoining building.  The sheep eventually fell and suffered a broken leg. It was being treated by a local farmer.  The watch manager at Harrogate fire station said, “Its the first I’ve heard of a sheep getting stuck on a roof.” 

Perhaps this is Mother Nature’s way of helping Charles Lamb and his mission - shout it from the roof tops! Here’s some music from The Drifters…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06iKj7o8p9g&feature=related

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »

01/08/2008 by admin.

It’s been a long wait, but the second feature-length movie of the cult TV series X Files has reached British cinemas. It’s called ‘The X Files - I Want to Believe’ and comes six years after the end of the TV series.  It ran between 1993 and 2002.  The first feature film, ‘Fight the Future’ issued in 1993.  Commenting on the movie, Director, Chris Carter said, “It’s always magical to see David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson together; it’s almost as though time stops for them.”

The timing of the release is curious as we asked early on in our story - Do we have the X factor?  Humanity must also decide whether the many ’coincidences’ we’ve recorded on this Watch amount to a message from Mother Nature, the Earth itself or some other force, or do we have an over-active imagination? As Mulder would say to Scully, “Open your mind Scully… The truth is out there.”

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »