31/03/2009 by admin.

Dr Nina Fedoroff, an influential science advisor in the US Government believes the human population has already exceeded planet Earth’s limits of sustainability, saying “there are probably already too many people on the Earth.” 

Its an issue we explore in our novel. Let’s review some of the latest facts about our crowded Earth:

• Current world population = 6.8bn
• Net growth by day = 218,030 people per day.
• Forecast for 2040 = 9bn.

There are many challenges around food production, access to fresh drinking water, aspirations for a ‘good life’, competition for limited resources and land, and the ceaseless encroachment into the natural world.  All this at a time when the world we know is under threat from rapid changes to the climate. What to do? Its a major global dilemna - with no obvious solution.  It makes us question, “The Meaning of Life?”  Time for some perspective…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buqtdpuZxvk

Posted in Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Q74 Do you like puzzles?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

26/03/2009 by admin.

Love is one of the key three themes embedded in our novel. But today we ask is there a cure for a broken heart?

 OR   ?

Why? The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has urged a radical change of heart in order to prevent runaway climate change. He said humanity should turn away from the selfishness and greed that leads it to ignore the interdependence with the natural world.  He warned that God would not guarentee a ‘happy ending’, saying, “God’s faithfulness stands, assuring us that even in the most appalling disaster love will not let us go - but it will not be a safety net that guarantees a happy ending in this world.”

Without a change of heart, Dr Williams warned, the world faced a number of “doomsday scenarios” including the “ultimate tragedy” of humanity gradually “choked, drowned, or starved by its own stupidity.” The poorest and most vulnerable and our children and grandchildren would pay the heaviest price for climate change, he added.

Given the spiritual nature running through our story and the curious numerous examples of coincidences we’ve witnessed since we began our Watch, we are moved to ask once more are we being warned by an unseen force of the need to act and do so now? Let us heed the final words in our book… in the footnotes, ‘Out of the depths I have cried unto the‘. You decide!

For now we ask, if Mother Nature could sing might she plead…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryZSZVmTzzM

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q43 Do you believe in happy endings?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

25/03/2009 by admin.

We have yet another example of mischevious grey squirrel behaviour.  Oonagh Nutt from Moira, County Down has seen her home overrun by our furry friends. They first came into Mrs Nutt’s garden from from an adjoining park about 6 years ago, but 18 months ago they decided to move in to her house - about the time when we began our Whittenbury Watch!  The squirrels have caused serious damage and their behaviour has been unruly to say the least - growling and barking, scratching and chewing!  Mrs Nutt has spent thousands trying to tackle the problem and says the local council have been less than helpful. 

So we have a person with the surname Nutt overrun by malicious grey squirrels - curious this given the role of squirrels and nuts in our tale. Its one of many we’ve seen involving grey squirrels. What are they trying to tell us? Its a most befuddling thing…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDWnuddCf0E

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

20/03/2009 by admin.

As seemingly anticipated within Charles Lamb’s journal, we have yet another example of an albino appearance in Mother Nature.  On this occasion a little pink African elephant has been caught on camera in Botswana. He was spotted by a cameraman amongst a herd of about 80 elephants. Its an extremely rare phenomenon in African elephants.  Albino elephants are not usually white but instead have a pinkish hue. 

A member of the film crew said , “This was a really exciting moment for everyone in the camp. We knew it was a rare sighting - no one could believe their eyes.”

Is this another message to warn us of the need to preserve the diversity of life on planet Earth? Wht not see for yourself? Use the search box in the left hand column to see just how many albino examples we’ve witnessed.

Time to celebrate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nwNPaYoTY8

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

16/03/2009 by admin.

HRH Prince Charles, our revered ambassador for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest has journeyed to the region to witness the dramatic impact of deforestation and seek solutions for preserving it.  The Prince of Wales made clear that he was visiting to ‘listen and learn’ and not present solutions to local people and politicians. 

Charles’ joy at seeing the beauty and sheer size of the forest first hand was tinged with sadness that some 15% of the Brazilian Amazon had been subject to deforestation with illegal logging gangs a growing problem.  An area the size of London has been lost in the last 3 months. Maybe the demise somehow led the Prince to a spontaneous waltz with some local tribes people.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPN-L2KfNN4

Was he unwittingly replicating the scene in our story where Mother Nature uses dance - Julia and Ben in a hypnotic Waltz - to illustrate the plight of our natural world? We’ll let you be the judge of that - but remember Malachi our messenger refered to the Prince of Wales’ feathers and the words ‘Ich Dien’ German for ‘I serve’.

A lesson for us all? Did not the Prince recently warn that the world has less than 100 months to save the planet from irreversible damage? The clock is ticking!

Posted in Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q21 Have you ever hugged a tree?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock? | No Comments »

13/03/2009 by admin.

Friday the 13th is embroiled in superstition as being unlucky for some.  So, on a day when campaigners have lost their battle to block the expansion of Stansted Airport, we speculate on the wider implications of the judicial decision.  Stop Stansted Expansion argued that the government did not give proper consideration to the ‘adverse effects’ of the expansion but the High Court Judge Sir Thayne Forbes dismissed the legal challenge arguing that there had been no misinterpretation of air transport policy. SSE were made to pay £20,000 in legal costs.

The decision follows swiftly on the heels of some profound and deeply worrying predictions on climate change from leading scientists at a conference in Copenhagen.  We won’t repeat them here but the message is loud and clear on rising sea levels and temperatures.  We are very much in The Age of Stupid with decisions of this kind replicated worldwide by governments preaching the environmental cause yet acting against it and popular demand in the name of ‘business as usual.’  Where is the democracy? Is it any wonder that some people resort to ‘adolescent’ acts of protest?

So, if we want to watch a horror film on Friday the 13th, try a preview of The Age of Stupid. In common with our tale it includes a take from the future which implores action now to preserve the Earth and creatures we know and love.  The significant difference between the film and our project is that we feel Mother Nature or a force of creation is behind us, leaving a trail of messages and signs to try to convince us beyond the hard evidence being presented by the scientists. Hay - all’s fair in love and war!

http://www.ageofstupid.net/

Posted in Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q44 Is there anything worse than a fly at night?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q29 Could you live without machines?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q11 Do you believe in justice? | No Comments »

11/03/2009 by admin.

A spectacular new ‘Dracula fish’ has been discovered in Burma. Its the only species of carp-like fish to have ‘teeth’ - bones that project through its mouth to look like fangs.  Scientists were surprised at the discovery since none of the 3,700 varieties in the Cypriniform group have teeth. The fishes colourness and almost translucent appearance adds to its errieness. Relax - it seems the fish do not use the bones to suck blood, but to spar with other males. Still, the discovery amused Sarah given her prank with the straws in our story where she pretends to be a vampire to ward off Bill Darvill.  Here’s the fish with the fangs alongside.

RAT PLAGUE

Meanwhile, Britain’s rat population is booming with councils receiving some half a million complaints last year.  One of the worst places hit is Flamborough in East Yorkshire, which is experiencing a plague of rats running wild.  People living in the area say they have seen hundreds of them carpeting the streets, especially to the north of the village.  Curious given Malachi’s odd post of fate using the proverb “The cat, the rat and Lovell the dog rule all England under a hog.” What’s more, the letters forming FLAMBOROUGH EAST YORKSHIRE include the word HAYMAKERS!

So much for the Rat Race! Let’s have some rat rapping…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb4Sf-EuPXk

SPEEDING UP THE GREEN MAN

The Green Man, an icon for pedestrians across Britain, may be joined by a Countdown Clock as part of plans to help with traffic congestion in London. If London Mayor Boris Johnson gets his way pedestrians crossing from oneside of the road to another will have to do so against the clock.  Under the proposals the crossing time for some Londoners will be reduced by 6 seconds, surrendering priority to cars and putting the elderly and disabled at greater risk.  Tony Armstrong from the Living Streets campaign says “we’ve designed people out of the environment.”  Ironically, this could be a covert message “speed up green man and address the urgent environmental challenges now.”  Do we have the X Factor?

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock? | No Comments »

06/03/2009 by admin.

The date 03:06:09 (US date line) brings the release in the UK of the superhero film ‘Watchmen’ adapted from the 1980s comic book series. 

How ironic? Let’s take a closer look at the characters:

• We’re particularly amused by the hero called the Comedian as he wears a Smiley badge!’
• Whilst another, Rorschach, is disguised in a mask similar to that used by our Magician.
• Dr Manhatten has the ability to manipulate time and space - features in our story.
• Silk Spectre was haunted by ghosts - another trait in our tale.
• NightOwl - which is strange given the role of the owl in helping to unleash our magic; and
• Ozymandis - the smartest man in the World: Celeb Hitch would have something to say about that!

Maybe our famous five will one day command a similar level of adulation? LOL!

THE FAT DUCK

Since January, some 400 diners at The Fat Duck restaurant run by top chef Heston Blumenthal in Bray, Berkshire, have fallen ill leading to the temporary closer of the world-renowed venue.   The Fat Duck was named the best restaurant in the world in 2005 and in second place since then in an annual poll if international chefs and critics.  The Health Protection Agency are working closely with the restaurant and the borough’s health team, but the cause of the outbreak is currently a mystery.

We have a potential explanation.  Our novel records how debates about the threats about climate change and global warming take place in the White Horse beneath the sign, ‘Duck or Grouse’.  One such outcome is the increased risk of disease and famine.  Perhaps this explains why the letters within the words BLUMENTHAL, BRAY and BERKSHIRE include the words HAYMAKERS TRUTH.  

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q72 Are you a good time keeper?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q55 Do you believe in truth?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock? | No Comments »

03/03/2009 by admin.

Today’s the 3rd of the 3rd so we anticipated some magic from Mother Nature. She hasn’t disappointed sending shockwaves, another albino creature and a close encounter with an asteroid.

Let’s begin by recalling how the 2007 Watch examples in our Novel record an earthquake near Folkstone in Kent and reports of an offshore dolphin which behaved in a way that suggested he was conscious of the impending tremor. How curious then that a second earthquake has hit the coastal town. The tremor was around a 3.0 magnitude and occured some 3 miles beneath Folkstone.

The sense of deja vu has been endorsed by news of the amazing appearance of the world’s only pink bottlenose dolphin in a lake in Louisiana, USA.  Charterboat Captain Erik Rue photographed the animal, which is actually an albino, amongst a pod of dolphins. He described it as “quite beautiful and absolutely stunning”.  The mammal is entirely pink from tip to tail and surprisingly unaffected by its environment or sunlight given its condition.  Was this a demonstration of the majestic of creation? Here’s the amazing albino:

As if to impress home the risks we are taking with our planet an asteroid about the size of one that hit Siberia a cenutry ago just buzzed the Earth.   The asteroid named 2009 DD45 was a mere 48,000 miles away - less than one fifth of the distance to the moon.  It was a close call as the 1907 asteriod levelled 800 square miles of forest with the force of a thousand atomic bombs.

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q60 Have you ever experienced deja vu?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »