01/01/2009 by admin.

We wanted to mark our first post of 2009 with an iconic statement - a reminder of our purpose.  Our readers will be aware of the symbolism of the sinking of the Titanic neary 100 years ago, when it infamously struck an iceberg and sunk following complacency and arrogance that the ship would never sink.

Well, the two co-stars of the marvellous Titanic movie, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, have reunited after 10 years to make the movie ‘Revolutionary Road’.  How apt!

Here’s the famous clip of the ship striking the iceberg - a poignant warning to all those complacent about the likelihood of impending human induced climate change on our world.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nMMD-XeCFiM&feature=related

And here’s the link to Leo’s site devoted to his movie, ‘The 11th Hour’.

http://11thhouraction.com/seethefilm

Posted in Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q.5 Do you believe in fate?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock?, Q.1 Does your life have a purpose? | No Comments »

23/09/2008 by admin.

The autumn equinox is a key part of our story, so it comes as no surprise that the London edition of the cultural and events magazine Time Out is celebrating its 40th Anniversary edition.  The edition features a look back over previous iconic covers, interviews with global celebraties and identifies 40 London Heroes since the birth of the magazine.

So, we have a significant TIME OUT anniversary on the Autumn Equinox! Are we out of time to take remedial action to save our natural world? Let’s consult the Cranberries…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O28YoOIaXMA

Posted in Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q35 Do you trust your instincts?, Q24 Do you get enough time to yourself?, Q.4 Have you ever wanted to stop the clock? | No Comments »

08/09/2008 by admin.

Artists in Caracas, Venezuela, have used the living human body as a canvas. Amongst the exhibits was Nature Personified, which is very curious given Charles Lamb’s perception of Lucy Ebbs in his journal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7602547.stm

The exhibition coincided with a £3 trillion rescue package by the US Government for the American lending company, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  “What does this have to do with the environment?”, you may well ask.  Well, in our story did not Fanny plead to Ben for help, quote, “Please, I implore you, we have been waiting for so long.”  Is this life imitating art?  In some ways, the company’s logo resembles Keeper’s Cottage.

Posted in Q68 Does the Earth have a spirit?, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q61 Have you ever worn fancy dress?, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q.3 Do you have a good imagination?, Q39 Do you believe in magic?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

04/08/2008 by admin.

Astronomer, Patrick Moore, McFly and Gillian Anderson have signed up to A Message from Earth. It’s an initiative by the social networking site Bebo. On 9 October, they plan to beam 500 messages in a digital capsule to the nearest planet thought able to support life - Gliese 581c.  Bebo users are invited to submit ideas for the messages, which will arrive in 2029.

http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=6864550350

Meanwhile, Grace Bergere, a 12 year-old girl from New York, has miraculously survived a 14 storey fall down a chimney. She plummeted 180ft but emerged largely unscathed after landing in a huge pile of soot.  Firefighters  had expected to find her dead. Grace’s father described her survival from the fall as a miracle.  Curious that the chimney and the soot seem to be an uncanny reminder of the ‘Dark Satanic Mills.’

http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=7118899&version=1&locale=EN-US

Posted in Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q15 Do you sometimes fear the worst? | No Comments »

15/07/2008 by admin.

The new Batman film has premiered in New York to much acclaim. It co-stars Heath Ledger as the Joker.  Tragically, Heath died aged just 28 this January from an accidental drug overdose.  The movie has been dedicated to the actor.  Critics rate the film highly, predicting record box office receipts.  Take a closer look…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8kzkdmPCJI&feature=related

From The Haymakers Survey perspective, we recall how the Joker featured in a game of cards between Ben and Sarah.  

Posted in Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q75 Have you ever put on a show?, Q38 Have you built a house of cards?, Q32 Are you afraid of the dark? | 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 »

18/04/2008 by admin.

An interactive video art Cyclorama installation on London’s Southbank is capturing panoramic images every 5 seconds for 3 days.  Eleven cameras take digital photos throughout the day. The Memory Project allows a person to reveal historical images on a scream; effectively letting people move to and fro in time within a sealed chamber!  Take a look…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7355753.stm

Posted in Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q57 Have you ever spied on anyone?, Q37 Do you know how to have fun?, Q23 Do you believe all the laws of physics?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

09/04/2008 by admin.

The influential artist David Hockney has donated his largest work, Bigger Trees near Warter to Tate Britain, home of Stubbs’  Haymakers painting.  The landscape - 12 metres long and 5 metres tall - was first exhibited last year at the Royal Academy.

It was painted in situ on 50 individual canvases that fit together like a jigsaw.  Trees especially have caught his imagination - we know the feeling! Oh an anagram of DAVID HOCKNEY is C KIND HAY DOVE!

Proposals to protect honey bees in England and Wales have been announced, with the Government seeking advice of 44,000 bee keepers. Numbers have fallen by 30 percent in the past 50 years. One of the main causes has been an invasion of foreign bacterial diseases which have been thriving thanks to higher temperatures in recent decades.  The Farming Minister, Lord Rucker to the House of Lords has said the English honey bee population could be wiped out within 10 years.  Sir David Attenborough recently said, “If bees and butterflies disappeared, you wouldn’t have any food on your table.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niEZaD_G6PM

What do you think of it so far? Rubbish! Well plastic rubbish. The quantity of rubbish on British beaches has increased by over 100% over the past decade, and most of it is due to plastic. Not only is the rubbish ugly, its also a threat to wildlife. As Emma says, “its like living in the dark ages.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7339737.stm

Posted in Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Q74 Do you like puzzles?, Q31 Are you a charitable neighbour?, Q21 Have you ever hugged a tree?, Q.2 Are you an art lover? | No Comments »

05/02/2008 by admin.

To help celebrate 2008 as the ‘Year of the Assistance Dog’, The Royal Mail has issued a set of stamps which feature working dogs.  Although Samoyed’s do not feature in the collection, we especially like the image of a dog trained to deliver letters: A First Class Messenger overlooked by the Queen’s Head - all sound very familiar.  Take a look..

DRAMATIC ESCAPE: A baby has miraculously survived a horrendous fire after being thrown from a third floor apartment to firemen waiting below. The fire claimed the lives of at least nine others - including five children - in the German city of Ludwigshafen.

Posted in Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q58 Do things happen for a reason?, Q52 Do you believe in miracles?, Q17 Can you speak another language?, Q.7 Have you dreamed of being a champion? | No Comments »

22/01/2008 by admin.

An image beamed back from Mars by NASAs Explorer Spirit in 2003 is creating a stir of excitement.  It shows what may be a strange humanoid looking figure walking downhill. Sceptics might say it’s just an odd shaped rock formation, but whatever the explanation, it’s certainly intriguing and mysterious. Many stargazers are struggling to believe their eyes.

Posted in Q79 Have you ever looked into the shadows?, Haymakers: Watch Wonders, Q78 Do you want to be part of the picture?, Q70 Do you like to look at the stars?, Q54 Do you enjoy a bit of a mystery?, Q20 Have your eyes ever deceived you? | No Comments »