28/01/2009 by admin.

We’ve seen a collection of related stories in the media recently all about ice.  First, an account from scientists which reveals the temperature in the Antarctic is getting steadily warmer, disputing previous theories about the continent.  Its a complicated picture as West Antarctica is warming, whilst the East is cooling down.  Rather worryingly, if the West Antarctica ice sheet melted completely, global sea levels would rise by 5 to 6 metres! The study does not indicate how long that might take, nor does it consider the probability of such an event.

All the same, its bad news for the Emperor Penguin whose numbers are set to plummet by 95% by 2100 based on predictions of sea ice extent from climate change models.  The challenge faced by the iconic adorable creatures is that the sea ice plays a major role in their breeding season and influences the amount of food available to them.  So much for Happy Feet!

The Emperor Penguins are to the Anatarctic what the polar bear is to the Arctic.  Timely then that a sculpture of a giant polar bear and her cub adrift on an iceberg has appeared on the River Thames in London, stranded before the Houses of Parliament as an iconic reminder of the threat posed by climate change, not only to the bears but also to the 2 billion people worldwide who are dependant on fresh water from glacial meltdown - one third of the Earth’s human population.

Interestingly, the 16ft high structure was launched from Greenwich, the home of Time! 

Now the words of Vanilla Ice have a new meaning…

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MxN_pbMOFk0

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock? | No Comments »

25/01/2009 by admin.

Today marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national bard.  Events are taking place across the globe, celebrations including dancing, laughter and song.  He is regarded as the pioneer of the romantic movement, influencing William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge. 

Aside from this connection, we find yet another remarkale anniversary coincidence and we’re especially interested in one of his most famous works, “My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose” due to the role of the everlasting rose in our tale and Charles Lamb’s journal. 

 Let’s recite the wonderful words,

“My love is like a red red rose That’s newly sprung in June; My love is like the melodie That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in love am I; And I will love thee still, my dear, Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi’ the sun: And I will love thee still, my dear, While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only love And fare thee weel, a while! And I will come again, my love, Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.”

So, there we have it - another curious connection, describing a love that’s fresh and long-lasting.  Let’s celebrate!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9lAi9A9s5lg&feature=related

Posted in Q66 Do you have a favourite flower?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q50 Do you miss someone you love?, Q26 Do you take poetry seriously?, Q18 Do you let your heart rule your head?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

24/01/2009 by admin.

An exhibition at Leicester Museum launched today and tells the story of polar bears, the largest land predators on Earth, and their journey to the museums and stately homes of Britain.  Titled, Nanoq - Inuit for Polar Bear - its a visual art display. Between 2002 and 2004 artists Bryndis Snaebjorndottir and Mark Wilson carried out a study of taxidermied polar bears in the UK.  33 bears were traced and photographed in situ.  The research forms the photographic exhibition and documents the history of each bear; its captivity and age at death.

The touring exhibition runs until 5 April.  It has previously exhibited at the University of Iceland, the Horniman Museum and the Fram Museum, Oslo. Nanoq also featured as part of HEAT: Art and Climate Change in Melbourne.

We’re still tickled that they identified 33 polar bears, given the significance of number 3 in our tale!

Posted in Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q33 Do you believe in life after death?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

23/01/2009 by admin.

Barrack Obama has been sworn in as President of America for the second time in as many days because one word - faithfully - was spoken out of place during Tuesday’s inauguration ceremony.  The Chief Justice at the US Supreme Courts, Jonathan Roberts, administered the oath at the White House. 

The decision to repeat the oath was taken out of caution, but President Obama joked, “We decided it was such fun.”  Given the new President’s Green credentials, maybe the erroneous first oath was somehow meant to be.

Meanwhile, hundreds of tonnes of wood are beginning to wash ashore off the coast of Kent and Sussex in England. 

The load fell from the Sinegorsk cargo ship in the English Channel on Monday. The vessel is now berched at Southampton.   The incident follows a similar event last year when the Ice Prince shed at 2,000 tonne-load off the Sussex coast.  We see this as another timely reminder of the tragic deforestation taking place across the globe and the extent to which much of it is wasted needlessly.

Finally, we return to Mayfair, recent host of the Rose Cloud experience. 

On this occassion we report on a £22m property which has been taken over by a group of young ‘posh-squat artists’.  The group are occupying a house in Clargy’s Mews is owned by TimeKeeper Ltd who discovered the occupation last month when they spotted a Christmas tree inside.  As the group face immediate eviction they have been holding open days under the theme of an ‘Open School of Thought’.   Our curiosity is the link between the May Fair which featured at the beginning of Charles Lamb’s journal; Art, a central theme in our project; and TimeKeeper.  As the artists suggest, it makes you think!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QWKdokcvM7A

Posted in Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q60 Have you ever experienced deja vu?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q21 Have you ever hugged a tree?, Q.2 Are you an art lover?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

19/01/2009 by admin.

The number of foggy, misty and hazy days is diminishing across Europe, say scientists.   Since the 1970s, European temeperatures have risen by 0.5 degree Celsius per decade.  As the mists fade, they point to legislation that has helped clear up the continent’s air as a possile cause.  Fewer fogs, mists and haze mean more of the Sun’s energy has been reaching the surface, contriuting to a rise in temperatures.

Its an interesting perspective given the mysterious experiences in ’The Day of the Long Lingering Fog’ recording in our tale and in Charles Lamb’s journal.  It was a day in which Julia inadvertently found herself back in the 1800s witnessing for herself the arrival of Yggdrasil, The Tree of Life, under the watchful eye of Mother Nature.

Posted in Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q49 Do you ever think about the old days?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts? | No Comments »

18/01/2009 by admin.

Sadly, the much loved TV presenter, Tony Hart has died, aged 83.

For some 50 years, the presenter inspired children to paint and draw.  He designed the original Blue Peter badge and developed the delightful animated clay character, Morph.  His shows included Vision On, Smart and Hartbeat.  Fellow artist, Rolf Harris, described Hart as a, ‘talented and gentle man”.  In an interview last year, Tony said not being able to draw after suffering two strokes as, “The greatest cross I have to bear.”

We admire Tony so much as an ambassador of one of the three aspects of our project represented by hearts - Art! Thank you Tony for all the joy and fun you brought to so many.  Your creativity and vision lives on.  Lets celebrate…

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=iVR83ooN0gc&feature=PlayList&p=D1C0D633D6A90070&playnext=1&index=2

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UcCHRW8G9yY&feature=related

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jSMRPKM1evk

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q42 Do you enjoy drawing?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

16/01/2009 by admin.

Boy George, the former controversial frontman to the 1980’s band Culture Club, has been given a 15 month prison sentence for false imprisonment and gratuitous violence.  A barrister in the case said that, “At the heart of the matter was a descent into self destructive behaviour.”  The singer’s solicitor later claimed, “George is on the way to recovery, I sincerely hope this sentence doesn’t knock him back.” 

This is George in his hey-day! An artist known for wearing a ribbon or two in his hair and an ambassador for diversity in our world.

So, what does this have to do with the environment, we hear you ask? Simple really - in response to Ben Whittenbury’s decision to draw up ‘The Haymakers Survey’ our Magician invited the climate change sceptics to say no to climate chaos and join the Culture Change Club.  The implication is that Boy George’s troubles are a reflection of the unwillingness of many on our planet to take the environment seriously or see any real threat.  The culture change required remains a distant vision. 

Allow George to take you back to 1870 …

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YqeTpbV9nt0

Posted in Star Question - what happened to the blue ribbon?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q61 Have you ever worn fancy dress?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | No Comments »

15/01/2009 by admin.

The world has been marvelling at the miracle of US Airways Airus A320 which crash landed into the Hudson River after a flock of geese caused engine failure just 3 minutes after take off from La Gaurdia airport, New York. All 155 people on board survived whilst the experienced pilot - Captain Sullenberger -has been hailed as a hero for his prompt action and expert flying skills.   It’s the first time in 45 years that an airliner has crashed into water without loss of life - a truely remarkable escape for everyone on board. 

By a strange coincidence on the day when Mother Nature was responsible for bringing down an airplane the British government approved a 3rd runway at London’s Heathrow. 

Despite the rhetoric behind the decision, its ecological madness which will also lead to the demolition of the village of Sipson. 

Baa-humbug! At least there are some determined campaigners, including some celebrities, who have purchased some land in the proposed development area, which may hold things up for a while.

Any wonder that Mother Nature should intervene with kindness in an attempt to warn us to stop!  Even the Captain’s name fits - Sullenberger.  A warning about the hidden berg that we may, unwittingly, be on a collision course to strike. And, oddly, the plane hit the water just a couple of minutes before 3.33 New York time.

Time to celebrate a hero with the help of our X factor friends…

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HiwwOttHuv0&feature=related

Posted in Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q29 Could you live without machines?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

14/01/2009 by admin.

A perfect giant circle of ice 3 metres wide has been seen rotating slowly on the river Otter, near Honiton in Devon.  

Scientists are bemused as such circles are normally only found in the Polar region.   The Metrological Office estimate that the disc was spinning at 360 degrees every 4 minutes.  An official admitted to being stumped at the rare find but suggested that the circle may have formed due to the extreme cold and a circular water eddy set up in the river.

All very curious as Charles Lamb’s journal features a water eddy in the Nimley Bourne present when Lucy Ebbs revealed the hidden magic of the contents of her locket on him.  The journal also records his venture to Royston Cave and the bizarre spinning circles revealed before surprised eyes!  

What’s more, the River Otter runs through Ottery, St Mary - the birth place of Samuel Coleridge - author of the famous Rime of the Ancient Mariner.  The poem and the poet are prominent in Charles Lamb’s journal.  The ice circle follows the appearance of an Albatross on British shores within a stone’s throw of Samuel’s home town.  What does it all mean?  It’s illogical…

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pBAasek8NR4

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

12/01/2009 by admin.

British actress Kate Winslet aged 33 from Reading has scoped two Golden Globe Awards in Hollywood. She won best actress for her role in Revolutionary Road and she also won best supporting actress for her role in The Reader.  The actress, whose featured on our Watch several times due to her link to Titanic, had 5 previous unsuccessful nominations.  She was in shock after her win and made an emotional and chaotic acceptance speech.  Given the iceberg that awaited the Titanic, was this an unwitting representation of a world on the verge of climate chaos?

We find the doube award curious given the reference in our story to the theory that there’s an identical world to ours somewhere in the Universe with an identical you reading this Watch item simultaneously. Why not wave to them now. Go ahead what harm can it do?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=k6WohNq4ucY&feature=related

Posted in Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »