18/07/2008 by admin.

The world statesman Nelson Mandela celebrates his 90th birthday today.

As a lawyer and activist he campaigned against South Africa’s apartheid regime. Accused of trying to overthrow the government, he spent nearly 30 years in prison. After his release in 1990, he went on to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and to become his country’s first black president.

Here’s a video of the highlights from the celebration concert in London…

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sWaYWA4hTwo&feature=related

Here’s a picture of the ambassador for justice and equality holding the FIFA World Cup after South Africa was announced as host for the 2010 competition.  Now, what was it Malachi said about the World Cup?

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q28 Have you ever lived in poverty?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

03/07/2008 by admin.

Columbia pictures has announced plans to direct a new film about the great detective, Sherlock Holmes.  In a comic remake, the film will star Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen.  Sarah will be pleased as she’s a fan of both actors - pity none will be Earth Detectives though…

New research suggests that the risk of extinction for many species has been seriously underestimated - by up to a hundred times greater in some cases.  Key factors have simply been ignored, including the ratio of the number of males to females.  Professor Alan Hastings from the University of California, Davis, said, ”There may be many species - and some will not be the large, charismatic ones, but things like insects and other smaller ones that are still very important - where we may be underestimating the risk by quite a bit.”The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has identified more than 16,000 species threatened with extinction. One in three amphibians, one in four mammals, one in eight birds and 70% of plants so far assessed for its Red Lists of Threatened Species are believed to be at risk.

Posted in Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q48 Have you ever played solitaire?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

28/06/2008 by admin.

In a recent posting, we commented on the success and fame of the controversial and troubled pop artist, Amy Winehouse. We noted how an anagram of her name is HAY U WIN SOME.   Curiously our novel records that the term ‘Haymaker’ also means being capable of delivering a hard punch - a knockout blow.  So, should we be surprised to find that the infamous singer chose to strike a fan whilst on stage at Glastonbury?  By no means do we advocate violence, but the incident might be seen as a covert message to inspire those who care for our planet to ‘fight’ for the cause!  Take a look, if you wish…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IN7yJWi21E

Posted in Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q.9 Do you feel in control of your life? | No Comments »

30/05/2008 by admin.

Paddington Bear is celebrating his 50th anniversary today.  Here’s a picture of the famed stowaway bear from Peru discovered by the Brown’s at a railway station in West London.  They found him craving a better life at platform 8 and had the good heart to take him in and ‘look after the bear’.

As you can discover from the video below, Paddington emigrated on the advice of his dear old Aunt Lucy!

 http://www.truveo.com/Paddington-Bear-Please-look-after-this-bear/id/1035976138

As our story explains, Malachi was pleased he wasn’t called Paddington as he felt he’d have to wear Wellingon boots, but he secretly has much love for the mischevious bear!

How curious then that the Brazilian national Indian Foundation today released amazing picture of an uncontacted tribe on its border with Peru.  The Brazilian government says it wants to help protect the tribe’s land from illegal logging.  They are designed to prove those who doubted the tribe’s existence wrong.  More than half the world’s uncontacted 100 tribes live in Brazil and Peru.  Take a look at these warriors reacting to the plane… didn’t cupid draw back his bow in our story? Does this mean humanity should live in better harmony with nature?

Let’s ask Amy Winehouse. Does she think that’s right? Here’s a video aired on BBC Three

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymcPoYo8S20

Oh… an anagram of AMY WINEHOUSE is  HAY IN ME HOUSE.  In April, Amy won 5 Grammy awards at the biggest night in the rock and pop calendar.  The star celebrated by visiting her husband, Blake Civil-Fielder, in Pentonville Prison.  She dedicated her awards to her imprisoned husband and London’s blaze hit Camden Market, expressing sadness as the fire destroyed her favourite pub amongst other buildings.

Posted in Q31 Are you a charitable neighbour?, Q43 Do you believe in happy endings?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q22 Do you love our Earth? FREE CHRISTMAS PRIZE DRAW!, Q21 Have you ever hugged a tree?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q18 Do you let your heart rule your head?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »

05/05/2008 by admin.

In recent week’s we’ve observed the troubled passage of the Olympics flame as it travels the globe ahead of the games in China this year. There have been protests against the torch bearer in Britain, America, Europe and elsewhere against the host nation’s human rights record in Tibet. 

 In response, Caleb Hitch reminded us of 3 things:

• Charles Lamb’s nightmare involving Lucy holding aloft a torch, similar to that representing the spirit of the games;
• Charles describing his training as being akin to that of an Olympiad in training; and
• Sarah’s trick with the London 2012 logo: where she transformed the shapes into one resembling a Samoyed.

What to make of it?

Posted in Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

21/04/2008 by admin.

A Yorkshire Terrier has been sent a polling card in his name to vote in the forthcoming local elections.  The card reads ‘Bobby Huckvale’ and advises the three-year old dog where to go to cast his vote on 1 May.  Swindon Council say the dog was sent the card because his details were on the electoral register.  Although knowingly providing false information on an electoral registration form is a criminal offence, we were struck that this particular dog had, in effect, been given the chance to ‘have his say’.  Assuming the 3Bs in BOBBY resemble hearts when turned sideways then an anagram of BOBBY HUCKVALE reads C UK HAY LOVE

Further East, and we find the secretive street artist Banksy’s been up to his tricks again, performing perhaps his most audacious stunt yet. In the heart of London’s  West End an image entitled ‘One Nation Under CCTV’ has appeared in the wall of a Post Office just yards from a CCTV camera.

A child in a red jacket is painting the writing on the wall whilst being filmed by a police officer accompanied by a barking dog.

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q74 Do you like puzzles?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

04/04/2008 by admin.

Another major anniversary. It’s 40 years to the day since the assignation of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King in Tennessee, USA.  A remarkable champion of equal rights and social justice his campaigns by non-violent means inspired millions.  His ‘I have a dream’ speech in Washington in 1963 is regarded as one of the greatest ever made.  We’ve selected 3 images of Rev. King.

He was a man of courage and vision who understood that love and compassion would triumph over hatred and bitterness.  His legacy will live long in history.

Posted in Q47 Do you know your history?, Q11 Do you believe in justice?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

03/04/2008 by admin.

The horrendous annual cull of tens of thousands of seal pups is taking place in the Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada.  The plight of the pups, clubbed to death or shot for fashion, is far worse this year due to the Arctic ice melting much sooner because of global warming - over 260,000 have estimated to have died in this way.

It brings tears to our eyes! Ben Whittenbury is fuming!  

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q51 Have you ever taken part in a protest?, Q11 Do you believe in justice? | No Comments »

26/03/2008 by admin.

As if to symbolise our ‘throw-away’ society, a plastic space warrior has found its way to the incredibly isolated Pacific island of Midway. 

The little figure must have been at sea for months. It was found during a beach clean-up.  We talk about “throwing away” but in reality “away” can mean a place like Midway. And the cost is grisly. The island is littered with the bodies of albatrosses that haven’t made it. Their stomachs are brimming with plastic.  This has a poignant ring of Samuel Coleridge’s, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, where the Captain slays the albatross and it returns to haunt him!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7320000/newsid_7326500/7326581.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

Meanwhile, further South, an ice-shelf is on the verge of breaking-up much faster than experts had predicted.  A chunk of ice the size of the Isle of Man has started to breakaway.  View the story here…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7310000/newsid_7313600/7313662.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

This, as in Bangladesh, a plague of rats is threatening 150,000 villagers in isolated communities with starvation.  Legend has it that the events only happen every 50 years or so.  What did Malachi warn about the rat? Mmm.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7310000/newsid_7314300/7314308.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q28 Have you ever lived in poverty?, Q11 Do you believe in justice? | No Comments »

28/02/2008 by admin.

The most powerful earthquake for a quarter of a century has hit the UK. It measured 5.2 on the Richter scale. The quake struck at 12.56 GMT.  The epicentre was in MARKET RASEN, Lincolnshire, which is an anagram of EN: ART MAKERS.  EN might readily mean English Nature?  Curiously, the rare quake was felt across the country - north, south, east and west.  The moment the quake struck was caught on video by a group of students, one of whom described the experience as ‘like the Cloverfield monster’ all over again.  Here’s the link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7260000/newsid_7266200/7266244.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

We also noticed the students were playing computer tennis at the time the quake struck - was the score ‘Love All’?

Oddly, the quake coincided with the conclusion of the consultation period on the expansion of Heathrow Airport to include a 3rd runway.  If the expansion goes ahead it will bring an extra 800,000 flights per year.

Its Earth Energy Day, an initiative backed by environmental and religious groups and major energy companies. It asks people to turn off electrical devices not in use.  Over 24 hours from 1800 GMT today, the National Grid will monitor what effect this has on UK consumption.

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted?, Q11 Do you believe in justice? | No Comments »