12/01/2012 by admin.

The high street bookshop Waterstone’s has decided to drop the apostrophe from its online presence - a move designed to bring more vesatile and practical for the modern digital age.

The decision has not been without its critics with the Chairman of the Apostrophe Society calling the decision, ‘plain wrong’. Others have tweeted voicing their disquiet.

None of this surprises us since we had a huge debate about the appropriateness or otherwise of an apostrophe in ‘The Haymakers Survey’. The point is to illustrate how modern society is too focused on detail and triviality and has lost perspective and a sense of proportion on a whole range of issues.

Maybe the distractions are deliberate - to take our minds away from the bigger picture - maintain the status quo and defer action needed to protect the natural world and bring about a more just world.

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q62a Is life logical?, Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q17 Can you speak another language? | No Comments »

21/12/2011 by admin.

This year’s most popular video on You Tube features a talking dog - some 79 million hits and counting. Curious as I’m sure Malachi our very own messenger and speaking dog in The Haymakers Survey would be a number one fan. It’s jolly good fun.

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

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q56 Do you believe rules are there to be broken?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q17 Can you speak another language? | No Comments »

12/12/2011 by admin.

Our Haymaker Caleb Hitch asked us to report that in Vancouver, Canada a cheeky black bear surprised everyone by hitching a ride on a rubbish truck in the centre of the coastal seaport city.  The British Columbian Conservation Officer Service suspect the bear climbed aboard in North Vancouver.  The bear was tranquilisedand caught in tarpaulin before being returned to a rural area.

The bear took the ride in Downtown Vancouver, close to Point Grey - one of Canada’s most affluent areas. Point Grey is also home to a diverse and ecologically appreciative populace.  Maybe Fanny Ebbs - the distraught Lady in Grey in our novel - would have something to say about the bear’s actions.  She symbolises the impact of the industrial revolution on the natural world. Maybe the bear was making the point that we’re throwing nature in the rubbish?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9EMWQGeWmc&feature=related

Hardly a teddy bear’s picnic?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuNf70eV6sY

Posted in Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q17 Can you speak another language? | No Comments »

23/02/2011 by admin.

I was at a sustainable development conference in London today.  It was fabulous to see so many committed people from an array of backgrounds, experiences and expertise come together to explore issues.

The coalition government for England and Wales claim to be the ‘greenest government ever’ using the Big Society idea to stimulate partnerships at local level to ensure communities work together towards common environmental goals and solutions.  It was pity then that a government minister wasn’t at the event to reaffirm that commitment. However, this was more than compensated by presentations and panel discussions involving senior representatives from a number of key organisations including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the Future’s Forum. The event was sponsored by British Gas and it was surprising to learn of their environmental care initiatives, including a £2m scheme called Green Street. Though serious questions remain on whether their actions go far enough given the extent of their record breaking £2billion annual profits just announced. We also witnessed presentations from companies doing retro-fit on buildings.

Having reflected on the day one of the challenges on sustainable development may be the term itself.  It may work for practictioners, Radio 4 listeners, Newsnight viewers and readers of the quality press but will it enthuse and engage the wider community?  It’s a confusing, clumsy, limiting and arguably overly positive term.  It suggests ‘business as usual’ to many with a bit of tweaking here and there. We need a more viable and sexy alternative expression. If you want to be understood speak in the language of your audience.

Here’s a story about stuff which underpins challenges on sustainability…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqM&feature=related

So western society as a whole is ‘making hay whilst the sun shines’ and had been doing so since the 1950s.  We’re programmed to consume and aspire to levels of wealth, possessions, comfort and experiences.  We want to see a new form of Haymaking - where people are empowered to live sustainably in partnership with nature led by businesses demonstrating genuine transparent corporate responsibility. 

Being a Haymaker also means reconnecting with Nature. Remember the passion of the people in protecting our woodlands made the government U turn? Maybe we should do more to harness that passion to redirect it to the wider environmental cause. This is part of our vision to make people happy.

Posted in Q41 Do you like surprises?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth?, Q34 Have you ever restored something?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »

02/07/2010 by admin.

Is Mother Nature sounding the alarm? Make your own mind up from these 3 recent examples… 

First - a sperm whale has been sighted off the coast of Devon. Its an unlikely visitor to the UK as it usually found in the Atlantic Ocean. Its the first time a sperm whale has been seen in the area since records began back in 1840.

Whilst a rare massive superpod of some 1,000 short-beak common dolphins has been sighted by thrilled wildelife watchers off the Isle of Skye near Scotland.  Dolphins are among the most intelligent animals on Earth and sometimes come together to protect humans from danger.

It follows the sighting in mid June of a vulture perched on the roof of a Bridgend house in South Wales. The giant bird of prey is a native of Africa or America and may well have escaped from a falconery. The bird was caught on camera by local photographer Mr Keenor who said “It was a bit of shock but the bird seemed quite at home even though it maybe thousands of miles away from its usual haunts.”

Let’s explore these examples further. The appearance of a sperm whale could be symbolic of the challenge of managing human population growth (page 117) and there’s mention in our novel about Moby Dick and the obsessive revenge mentality of Captain Aheb with a sperm whale who bit of his leg.  In Moby Dick the author uses symbolism and metaphor to explore a number of complex themes - just like our novel.  The book initially received mixed reviews - much like The Haymakers Survey but is now widely acclaimed as one of the greatest novels in English literature.

The sight of the dolphins off Skye is equally intriquing. In Charles Lamb’s journal he speculates that Captain Richard Lewin feared lost at sea may yet have survived through the help of dolphins! Skye as a location is interesting - given the Rose cloud seen in the sky by Charles as a sign to cherish and love nature. Skye is also an anagram of KEYS and the hidden message in our tale evolves around a key.

It’s not our business to scare monger but the presence of a vulture is ominous. Page 64 of our novel recalls how Julia witnessed the sight of a bird of prey - an implied vulture - hovering overhead when she meets ‘Mother Nature’ in a dream.  A dream in which she is warned that we hold the future of our planet in our hands.

Posted in Q65 Have you ever wished you could fly?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst?, Q16 Have you ever had a psychic experience?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

05/05/2010 by admin.

A horse named Chase has become the first ‘animal ambulance’ in Britain.  Chase will be kitted up with a medical kit and will work with his paramedic owner Mark Bennett who patrols Cannock Chase Country Park in Staffordshire. Chase will be galloping to the aid of people across a 3,000 acre country park.  The seven year old steed starts work with the West Midlands Ambulance Service in June and Mark says, “it might sound crazy but this horse really could save lives. He’s very switched on and fast which is what you need in an emergency.”

We agree but for different reasons. The opening scenes in our novel (see online sample) includes the appearance of a steed galloping to the aid of Mother Nature… with a message from a mysterious Lady in Grey (she symbolises the industrial world) that its not too late to save her Mother Nature. There’s an uncanny resemblance between Chase and the horse recorded in our novel. It’s a nine neigh nine call!

Posted in Q72 Are you a good time keeper?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q60 Have you ever experienced deja vu?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

02/02/2010 by admin.

Our regulars will know of the significance in Charles Lamb’s journal of white/albino animals and the role of hearts in illustrating the value of Love, Art and Nature.  Well, surprise surprise there’s a white whale in Polar land China that has been trained to blow heart shaped bubbles.  Interesting…

Here’s a video of the whales blowing bubbles and doing other tricks…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCAUleX5h8A

But there’s a dark side to this. Should such majestic creatures be confined to a tank for human entertainment? You decide!

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

Posted in Q77 Do you get bored easily?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q71 Is there something missing in your life?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q.8 Do you crave a better life? | No Comments »

24/11/2009 by admin.

150 years ago Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species was published.  At the time its publication was controversial yet today its seen as the foundation of evolutionary biology.  It presents evidence that the diversity of life on Earth arose through a branching pattern of evolution - termed Natural Selection.

Today also marks the 35th anniversary of the discovery of a 3.2 million years old skeleton of a hominid named ‘Lucy’ (Amharic).  Lucy also has a second name (Dinkenesh) which means ‘You are beautiful’ or ‘You are wonderful’.  The fossilised skeleton was discovered by Tom Gray and Don Johanson from Texas in a small gully near the Awash River in Ethiopia.   That evening everyone in the expedition set up camp by the discovery and celebrated by playing loudly and repeatedly a taped recording of the Beatles song, ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ afterwhich she was named - and we all know the significance of the Beatles in providing inspiration for The Haymakers Survey. 

The Lucy fossil is currently part of a six year US regional tour: Lucy’s Legacy:  History of Treasures from Ethiopia.   The tour is designed to raise awareness of human orgins. It began in September 2007 and included a film titled Lucy’s Cradle: The Birth of Wonder.  Lucy has been in New York City since this June.

Let’s wrap all this up! In our story the fossil like remain’s of a human like figure ‘Lucy’ is found connected to a ‘Web of Life’. Simples! We interpret the anniversaries and Lucy’s US tour as a clear indication that humanity is at risk if we countine to disrespect Mother Nature and put the diversity of life in jeopardy.

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q46 Do you value a good education?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q17 Can you speak another language? | 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 »

07/09/2009 by admin.

LORD MAY ‘GOD HELP US’ 

Lord May, president of the British Association of Science, has suggested that the world [humanity] may have to turn to God to save itself from climate change. On the eve of the association’s national conference, the government’s former chief scientist warned that no country was prepared to take the lead on the issues and a supernatural ’punisher’ was needed to ensure the rules of co-operation were not broken. 

He said that in the past a belief in a god, or gods, that punish the unrighteous may have been part of the mechanism of evolution that maintains co-operation in a dog-eat-dog world. He also believes religious leaders should be doing more to persuade people to combat climate change.

Well our project is designed to help show a deeper magic to creation - be it through God, the Earth Spirit or some other force - through the many examples on this Watch, including…

EASTER ISLAND: HATS OFF

Archaeologists believe they have solved one ancient mystery surrounding the famous Easter Island statues - the source of their giant red hats!

Researchers, Dr Colin Richards and Dr Sue Hamilton from the University of Manchester and University College London, think the hats were rolled down from an ancient volcano.  They came to the conclusion based on a series of clues on the island. Each hat, weighing several tonnes, was carved from volcanic rock. They were placed on the heads of the famous statues all around the coast of the island.  The researchers are joint directors of the “Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Landscapes of Construction Project”. They will be working on the island over the next five years.

We find the timing of the research and its early findings fascinating, especially as a ceremonial adze (axe head) was found in pristine condition next to the hats.  

Precisely how and why the hats were attached is unknown but the comparisions with the mystical top-hat figure at the heart of our story are striking. Its also intriguing that the axe head was discovered beside the monuments given that Charles Lamb’s journal records how Capt Lewin bought one back to Britain following his transatlantic tour and how he inadvertantly caught Charles’ hand with it at ‘The Haymakers Survey’.

The significance of the links is that Easter Island is infamous for the destruction of the eco-system through one of the worst cases of deforestation ever, potentially to help provide sustenance for an ever increasing population. There’s a clear lesson here, especially given the mysterious man in the top hat who seems to be orchestrating every in our tale.

Posted in Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q51a How many people does it take to fill up the Earth?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q47 Do you know your history?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q22 Do you love our Earth?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »