'Eyes on the Price'

Twenty-one years ago I watched a series about the history of the African-American struggle called 'Eyes on the Price'. It showed the struggle even to be recognised. It went from the 50s through to the 80s and how the Civil Rights Movement was started.
I am an Irish-American who loves history. It is very hard to explain to people the impact of President Obama's election. In his acceptance speech on November 4th 2008 he singled out a 107-year-old woman who, as he put it himself, was born a generation after slavery and lived through all the hardships.

Obama had seen Ann Nixon Cooper while watching TV a month before his election.
She had experience of the impact of segregation in the Deep South were people were singled out just because of their skin colour and the Civil Rights Movements that grew out of that struggle.

I was only 15 when I saw this programme in the late 1980s but I have adapted that phrase in my own life. The BBC should release the 'Eyes on the Price' 6 programme series but this time with Obama's acceptance speech included so that people from around the world can buy it commercially. I asked my father to get the DVD for me as a Christmas present. He told me it was only available for Universities.

Who would have thought in the 1950s when the Civil Rights Struggle was united by one woman's refusal to sit at the back of the bus that 50 to 60 years later a black man would be elected President of the United States of America, the most powerful position in the world.

However, Obama I believe was elected also on policy grounds and the eloquence with which he dealt with the issues.
Commentators say that when America sneezes the rest of the world catches a cold. Since tuesday when he officially became President Obama has already issued several executive orders and honoured a number of campaign promises such as Guantanamo bay and ethics. Unlike the Republicans Obama told people that there is no immediate fix for the economy. But Obama still has optimism that the economy will get better but only working together with the people.

Is Polyvore stealing your images...

I am writing this to let the public know that there is a website which is using paintings, illustrations and photographs without asking permission regardless of copyright. It may not be the whole picture that they are using but parts of a picture.
Artists be aware!
The internet is a useful tool but this is an example of how dangerous it can be especially when it comes to people's livelihoods.

Here is a link to inform yourself about the issue:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/968666@N20/discuss/72157612457008979/

and here is the link if you want to sign the petition - for artists and non-artists alike:
http://www.gopetition.com/online/24378.html

We need as many signatures as we can get to stop this hineaous infringement. People have signed from many countries but the more people sign the sooner this problem of copyright ignorance will be tackled.

Therefore, if you are visiting my website feel free to sign the petition.