02/11/2009 by admin.

Our readers will know all about how our novel poses the question - “do we have the X factor?” That is do we (humanity) have what it takes to preserve our natural world or are we simply too selfish and greedy a species to merit our position as alpha species for very much longer?  Well we’ve seen a number of examples on this Watch of events linked to this point (just enter X factor in the search function below). 

Today we have another example to reveal: at the heart of arguably one of Europe’s busiest shopping streets a giant X has appeared in the road. Its a new pedestrian crossing at Oxford Circus based on designs from Tokyo which allows people to cross diagonally as well as straight across. 

So in these hey days of consumption we wonder whether the large X at the centre of a shoppers paradise is in reality a poser for humanity! 

Posted in Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination? | No Comments »

26/10/2009 by admin.

This year’s 12 X-Factor finalists include the very talented Lucie Jones.  At the weekend during a live performance on the show of the song ‘My Funny Valentine’ a rose coloured petal landed on her head.  During the judges comments, Simon Cowell told her she had the petal in her hair so she could remove it. 

Its another example of world events linked to the name Lucy that relate to our story.  Its a remarkable coincidence given Charles Lamb begins his journal with an account of how he would lay down a path of flowers for his beloved Lucy! (page 225).  What’s more, later in the journal Charles reveals how he receives a Valentine’s message - presumably from Lucy. (page 382).  Here’s the performance with the petal in her hair (see 3.33) on the video…

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

Another curious link is Charles’ dream (page 444) about ‘Footprints in the sand’ and how Lucy walks barefeet along the sandbanks of the Nimley Bourne (page 408) to show that ‘humanity is out of step with nature - that we walk with heavy laboured steps.  Our curiosity is simple since ‘Footprints in the sand’ was Lucie Jones’ debut song on the X Factor.  Also, in week 2 of the show Lucie sang ‘How will I know’ which is about finding out if she is loved!  So the big question for us is do we love Mother Nature enough?

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

30/09/2009 by admin.

Lucy’s in the headlines again -a sheep in her name is the matter of a legal custody battle.  Last December Bethan Parkinson from Buckley bought her nine year old daughter, Lauren, a pet sheep and called her Lucy. Initially Bethan kept her in stables with her pony but this proved troublesome so she chose to give her temporarily to an animal sanctuary whilst looking for land.  Five months later Bethan returned to claim Lucy but after a dispute which involved the police she produced a receipt and reclaimed the sheep.  However, the animal sanctuary have not given up and have taken the family to court over the pet sheep, under the Return of Goods Act. Next week, a judge will decide Lucy’s fate at a court in Mold.   

A curious tug-of-love for Lucy. From our perspective the ovine (Charles Lamb) link is obvious but the use of the Return of Goods Act stands out because humanity has exploited the Earth’s finite resources for many many years whilst feeding the material world that we live under. Its time to Return the Goods!  

Posted in Q71 Is there something missing in your life?, Q18 Do you let your heart rule your head?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »

16/09/2009 by admin.

A former employee of ASDA supermarket in Preston has been caught on camera doing some instore raw ‘chicken licking’ amongst other things.  There was also an appearance on the X-Factor by the Lickin’ Chicken, including a search for keys!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnK3QiIw4n4

We have our own take on these incidents! Number 26 in Caleb’s footnotes at the rear of our novel explains the fable of Chicken Licken and the phrase ‘The sky is falling in’.  He reminded us that the phrase is commonly used to indicate a hysterical or mistaken believe that disaster is imminent. The footnote refers to mention in Charles Lamb’s journal (page 296) extract:

…Lucy stopped in her tracks and cried, “The sky is falling in. The Sky is falling in!”  “The rush to tell the king,” I (Charles) said in jest.  An acorn had fallen from a nearby oak and hit her on top of her head. “Oh woe is me,” she mumbled, feinging serious injury - duping me into her arms. “Lucy Ebbs what ails thee?” The acorn was beneath her feet. She picked it up. “We fear the curse of the dark Satanic Mills’ she said.

Later when the Blakesware Set have come together (page 338) the Duke of Wellington comments on the pessimism, “Next you’ll be telling me the sky is falling in.”  The Duke was playing the role of Devil’s Advocate and was later persuaded by the  members’ arguments and need for action.

We see this tension taking place worldwide - with people on the one hand campaigning for change and tacking action with others dismissing the arguments and many more caught up in the middle - either disinterested, unengaged or unclear on what it all really means.  Those who deny the threat often recite the fable…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T2Yrt2gU7A&feature=related

We happen to think the Chicken Lickin incidents are timely given news from some of the world’s leading geologists gathering today for in London a conference warning of potential catastrophic consequences of rapid climate change, including Tsunami’s, avalanches and volcanic eruptions.  Its significant as many people will simply dismiss the warnings as empty threats. We say the coincidence of the Chicken Licken’ episodes are just another example that we ignore the risks at our peril. As we ask early on in our novel ‘Do we have the X-Factor?’ - See our opening extract.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/video/Climate-Change-Geologists-Warn-Of-Natural-Catastrophes-Including-Tsunamis-Avalanches-And-Volcanic-Eruptions/Video/200909315381672

Posted in Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »

14/09/2009 by admin.

A Red Panda has escaped from London Zoo to hide up a tree in Regent’s Park. The rare animal was spotted at 03:00am by a local cameraman Martin Ellerbeck.  Zoo-keepers were unable to coax the creature down so resorted to using a tranquilizer.  An inquiry will be held into how the animal escaped.

Our take on this is simple: RED ALERT for action to preserve Mother Nature! Where’s our evidence? Its another example of an escaped animal to feature on our Watch; the creature was first seen at three - a number key to our project; and he escaped to Regent’s Park - our novel includes several mentions of the antics of the Prince Regent. To cap everything, the Panda’s name was Peter - in our novel we have a cameo appearance from Sir Peter Scott - founder of the WWF and designer of the orginal WWF panda logo. Do the panda’s antics amount to a life imitating art moment?

The Red Panda is also known as a FireFox so here’s a suitable emergency response…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGDq1aXRwls&feature=related

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?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q21 Have you ever hugged a tree?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »

09/09/2009 by admin.

In a live TV event magician Derren Brown successfully predicted the six numbers for the UK National Lottery.  The numbers predicted were 2, 11, 23, 28, 35 and 39. Let’s see what happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmxua_V1AcM

Whatever artistry was involved its curious that this event should have occured during the Watch since Charles Lamb’s journal records two incidents of a magician predicting double numbers correctly. Whilst our very own Sarah witnessed numbers being predicted by a magician (page 154) prior to offering her questions for The Haymakers Survey, including double one - Snakes Eyes - which could be number 2 or 11 depending on how you look at things.

We also smiled because number 39 came up: Q39 is ‘Do You Believe in Magic?’ What were the odds? We have to ask who is the real magician? LOL!  This leaves 23, 28 and 35. Q23 about the laws of physics - probability?  Q28 about poverty, which is why many people do the National Lottery and Q35 about trusting instincts. So, do you believe the trick was real or fake?

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q23 Do you believe all the laws of physics?, Q28 Have you ever lived in poverty?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »

06/09/2009 by admin.

In our novel Charles Lamb’s journal makes early mention of a May Fair and his desire to love and care for Lucy Ebbs - Mother Nature personified. Whilst in the run up to the discovery of the journal The Beatles song, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds helped lead us to it.  We also make a link to the prospect of converting peanuts (a metaphor for those with little care for the environment) into diamonds (those who do and seek and take action).

 FROM  INTO   MEANS

Mayfair in London has already featured a few times on this Watch and we have another example: on 6 August Britain’s record gems heist took place in Mayfair.  £40m worth of necklaces, earrings and watches were taken after a gang forced a member of staff to fill a bag with 43 items.  The gang were smartly dressed and wore masks to disguise their features. They made their getaway in a BMW - the same initials as Ben Michael Whittenbury -our self-appointed Earth Champion.

Six people have since been arrested in connection with the robbery, so we now feel comfortable about including the raid in our Watch.  We see it as a timely reminder of the true value of diamonds - they are forever - just what Mother Nature needs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3KdY_rm1SE&feature=fvst

Posted in Q80 Have you ever searched for buried treasure?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »

24/07/2009 by admin.

A woman whose lottery ticket was found and cashed in by someone else will receive £15,000 - or half the money on offer. Amanda Stacey, 34, from Swindon, Wiltshire, reportedly found the prize ticket on the floor of her local Co-op. She and her husband spent half the money, but when Dorothy McDonagh reported the ticket as lost the Staceys were arrested and the rest of the money was frozen. The Staceys admitted fraud and false representation and were given suspended sentences. On Friday Michael Stacey was ordered to pay Dorothy McDonagh £15,111.24, the amount the couple hadn’t spent - including interest.

In a discussion forum covering the story the BBC begs the question - ’should finders be keepers and losers be weepers?’ Curious this since Ben makes the statement, ‘Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers’ at the discovery of Lucy’s Locket (page 35).  The contents of which are later revealed to Charles Lamb.  Presumably the message here is that we’re gambling with our future!

Posted in Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »

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 »

31/12/2008 by admin.

A runaway beaver is on the loose in Devon, felling trees and leaving a trail of destruction covering 20 miles.  The beaver was one of three to escape last October from Upcott Grange Farm in Lifton.  Conservationist, Derek Gow, who keeps 24 beavers under licence from Natural England, is perplexed as to how they may have escaped since the perimeter fence of their managed enclosure was undamaged. 

Two beavers were quickly caught but one has evaded capture and has been busy felling trees 20 miles away from the farm on the banks of the river Tamar.  The beaver is the only one of his kind at large in the wild in Britain; beavers became extinct in the UK after the 16^th century after hunters trapped them for their fur.   Our interest is that Charles Lamb’s journal describes how Captain Richard Lewin returned from his travels in the New World with a fur hat made from beaver fur and wore it for his comic performance of ‘Yankee Doodle’ to admiring onlookers (page 253).  

Posted in Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q21 Have you ever hugged a tree?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »