17/06/2009 by admin.

President Obama has swatted and killed a fly during an interview with John Harwood on CNBC. Hehowed impressive hand-eye co-ordination and declared, “that was pretty impressive, wasn’t it? Got the sucker.”  In a bizarre re-enactment from one of the scenes in our novel, the fly had buzzed around his head in a similar way to the one that vexed our psychic, Julia Whittenbury.  The US leader is now being dubbed Obamazilla, after the act and his suggestion, “You wanna film that, well there it is!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ2H1K_0FXw&feature=popular

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q44 Is there anything worse than a fly at night? | No Comments »

07/05/2009 by admin.

The opening senes of our novel record how Ben Whittingbury seemingly witnessed an imaginary arrow as if fired by Cupid’s bow.  In a cruel twist of fate we have no pleasure in recording how a hunter became the first woman to kill an elephant with a bow and arrow.  The hunter apparently slayed the animal for a bet. She had spent some 8 months building the strength to fire the hi-tech bow before travelling to Zimbabwe to hunt down an elephant from 12 yards. 

No photo of this from us since our project is very much anti-poaching, but we include the story in our watch because we believe the Cupid link is a reminder to love our Earth and the animals we share our planet with.  

Posted in Q71 Is there something missing in your life?, Q48 Have you ever played solitaire?, Q44 Is there anything worse than a fly at night?, Q22 Do you love our Earth? | No Comments »

28/04/2009 by admin.

The world is facing a potential ’swine flu’ pandemic.  The outbreak has already claimed more than 100 lives in Mexico with thousands more infected and the virus has now spread overseas.

Now transmitted from human to human the virus is said to have arisen from people working on pig farms.  So, how does this link to our novel? Well in our account of events:

• To help open her mind to the power of the imagination to see the otherwise unseen, Sarah Whittenbury recites the nursery rhyme ‘Ring a ring o roses, a pocket full of posies. Atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down.’  Many have associated the verse with the Great Plague of London in 1665 or earlier outbreaks of bubonic plague.
• Ben Whittenbury dreams of receiving ‘pennies from heaven’ to restore the disused pig-stys in the grounds of Keeper’s Cottage, whilst Charles Lamb’s journal records the pig farm in its full glory.  And, Malachi our messenger claims that ‘it’s gone to pigs and whistles’ an idiom which means its become ruined or worthless.
• Sarah likens Ben Whittenbury to Dr Who:  WHO is an acronym for The World Health Organisation a specialised agency of the United Nations acting as a co-ordinating authority on international public health.  The WHO have a key role in leading the global response to the threat.
• The curious notes from the future left within our pages include one that speculates on the potential growth of the human population. It concludes with an observation that the predictions for growth by 2100 may well be impacted by a pandemic.
• In Charles Lamb’s journal, Lucy Ebbs, Mother Nature personified, warns that humanity needs to mend our ways and show the planet more respect or we will feel her wrath.

Life on Earth is indeed most mysterious. If previous pandemics are replicated then a whole generation is potentially at risk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0XknwXqLDo

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q73 Do you like nursery ryhmes?, Q44 Is there anything worse than a fly at night?, Q16 Have you ever had a psychic experience?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | 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 »

19/04/2008 by admin.

The Hammer horror star, Hazel Court, has died of a heart attack, aged 82. She was known as the Queen of Scream, because of her loud and bloody roles in a handful of films created by a monster cult following.  Among her original fans was the writer, Stephen King, who once said, “Who could ask for more?” when describing the thrill of meeting her.  Hazel starred in such films as The Raven, The Man Who could Cheat Death and The Curse of Frankenstien. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTaj3rLPd68

Many regarded her as very much of the English rose generation. Here’s an iconic image:

Hazel took the screaming seriously, “One can’t just scream,” she said in 2000. “To give a good scream one has to take an enormous breath, and such one’s stomach in, and fill one’s lungs and let go.”

This as a study by the UK Noise Association reveals that noise pollution in Britain has doubled since the 1960s.  People are often woken at night by the piercing scream of a car alarm, the wail of an emergency vehicle whizzing passed, or the bleep of a mobile phone with a low battery!  The hum of traffic is rarely far away and our skies echo to the sound of planes and helicopters.  At work, the low drone of the computer hard drive is inescapable.  Walk into a store and we’re often greeted by piped music! Complaints about anti-social levels of noise have soared, as many flats and apartments have poor sound insulation.  Now, what was it Sir Peter Scott said to Sarah about his hearing?

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

Posted in Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q44 Is there anything worse than a fly at night?, Q33 Do you believe in life after death?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q10 Have you ever seen a ghost? | No Comments »

27/02/2008 by admin.

The fossilised remains of a collosal sea monster excavated in 2007 on an Arctic island is the largest marine reptile ever discovered. Dubbed ‘The Monster’, the 150 million-year-old specimen was one of 40 sea reptiles found on Spitspergen, in the island chain of Svalbard, in 2006. It was excavated the following year. During the Jurassic era, the enormous beast would have measured 15m (50ft) long from nose to tail. 

Palaeontologist Richard Forrest said, “These animals were awesomely powerful predators. If you compare the skull of a large pliosaur to a crocodile, it is very clear it was much better built for biting. A large pliosaur was big enough to pick up a small car in its jaws and bite it in half.”

Posted in Q44 Is there anything worse than a fly at night?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

05/11/2007 by admin.

A multi-talented artist known as Mr. Fly is taking the world by storm.  The insect can play piano and guitar and can even ride a bike. His manager, Mr Hendrix, says, “it’s amazing. Flies and humans aren’t normally meant to wrok together. Flies are really meant to annoy us with their buzzing and pooping on stuff.”  Yes, we know all about that in ‘The Haymakers Survey.”

More magic in the natural world - a species of giant wild pig has been discovered in Brazil.  The giant peccary is about the size of a large dog and about twice the size of its cousin living in the Amazon forest. 

Meanwhile in another part of South America, Columbia to be precise, a huge and unexpected hail storm caused chaos in the country’s capital, Bogota.  Within minutes roads were blocked and more than 100 people were stuck in their cars and buses in ice. 

Remarkable in itself, yet the most striking message from ‘The Haymakers Survey’ perspective is that ‘Hail, Columbia’ was the unofficial national anthem of the USA until its replacement in 1931.  It was used by the USA as its national anthem for most of the 19th century. The opening lines reading,

How curious is this? Charles Lamb’s journal was written in the 19th century - the War of Independence song, ‘Yankee Doodle’ runs within it and some of the participants in the ‘Blakesware Set’ were famous nature lovers from the ‘New world’ Is this a clear message to the USA on the environment from Mother Nature?

Posted in Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q44 Is there anything worse than a fly at night?, Q40 Can you play a musical instrument?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you?, Q12 Is our Earth enchanted? | No Comments »

16/10/2007 by admin.

have you noticed how many stunning dinosuar discoveries have been made these last few weeks?  In Argentina the fossil of a huge new dino has been found reaching nearly 33 meters in length.  It’s one of the biggest ever discovered.  In an American desert the footprint of a Tyrannosaurus Rex has been found at a place called Hell Creek - people have been trying to find these tracks for over 100 years!  Whilst in late September in China, the remains of six infant dinosurs were found huddled together, assumed caught in some kind of an eruption. What does this all mean? A clear extinction warning?

Posted in Q80 Have you ever searched for buried treasure?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q44 Is there anything worse than a fly at night?, Q36 Should a good life cost the Earth? | Comments Off

08/08/2007 by admin.

A sad day! Environmentalists have confirmed the Yangtze dolphin extinct! It’s the first aquatic mammal to be lost to the world in 50 years. The irony is that the dolphin was revered by the Chinese as the goddess of the river Yangtze.  Question 76

Still, the oldest virus in the world is growing; an 8 million year old bacteria taken from the oldest ice on Earth is now growing in a lab, researchers say. It may prove that ancient bacteria and viruses will come back to life as polar ice caps melt due to global warming, with unknown consequences.  Questions 44 and 73

New York has been hit by torrential rain and high winds, bringing chaos and flooding.  Trees were uprooted and power-lines crashed into trees. Temperatures are expected to reach 100F.  Question 30

Despite the severe warnings from top environmentalists, a survey by a London paper claims that 40% are indifferent or skeptical that global warming is a genuine phenomenon. Many are also shunning a greener life style if it hits them in the pocket and many with no plans to reduce the number of flights taken.  Question 1

Still, Mother Nature keeps trying to convince us – using the number three. A British woman has beaten odds of 200 million to 1 by giving birth to identical triplets, who are now doing well. The mother, called Mae – significant because Charles began his journal in May – had three girls: each given three letter names. Every baby weighed 3.3lb. They were conceived naturally! Question 39

The World of Art is trying its best too – the London auction house, Sotherby’s, has had a record six months die to an art boom. It has already taken more money than in any other full year in history. The Chief Executive said, “These past six months have been historic by every sense.” Question 2

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, parents have named their baby boy, Superman.  They wanted to call him 4Real, but the move has been quashed by officials.  Question 7

Posted in Q44 Is there anything worse than a fly at night?, Q73 Do you like nursery ryhmes?, Q76 Are you going to take action now to save our world?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q30 Did you ever watch the rain on your window?, 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 »

07/08/2007 by admin.

A mobile phone mountain worth more than £1billion is pilling up in homes, a survey has shown. The now has 37m mobile phone owners. Question 29 

This as an infestation of mosquitoes is predicted to hit London within weeks. Apparently wet, warm weather has created perfect breading conditions for a range of bugs, bringing the threat of malaria. Questions 44 and 73 

More from outer space: the largest known planet has been discovered; it’s about 70% larger than Jupiter.  It’s called TrES-4!  It orbits its sun every 3.55 days. Question 70 

Posted in Q73 Do you like nursery ryhmes?, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q44 Is there anything worse than a fly at night?, Q29 Could you live without machines?, Uncategorized | No Comments »