Marian's Blog

Help me raise $500 by June 4 "Race for the Cure" against Breast Cancer

OK... one of my No. 1 goals for the next few days is raising 500 smackers for the Susan Komen Race for the Cure - and to finish next Saturday's 5k in good time. Thanks to some angels we've already raised about a third of the goal. If you can pledge something here’s the Marian’s Race for the Cure Pledge page link. Thank you in advance for a small or even a medium pledge. Less than 2 years ago I had a great time running Nairobi, Kenya's first women's 10k (for HIV/AIDS awareness) in about 1:40. That was then and this is now so my current race strategy is to practice without overdoing and see how well I do. A 5k is a fun run and that’s how it’s going to be. Oh cool, this is my 43 Things link... Run the 5k Race for the Cure against Breast Cancer.

Fitness honey - "The Old and The Restless" Wash Post 25 Jan 05

You know you're up to it. Check Abigail Trafford's Tues, 25 Jan Wash Post article, "The Old and the Restless" (on pg. HE01).

"The new fitness freak is the 60-year-old who lifts weights every day. Or the 70-year-old who runs marathons. For some, regular exercise becomes the organizing focus of the week, the way raising children and building a résumé used to be.

"I do it -- it's like drink," quips Peter Barnes, who retired for several years after practicing law for more than 35 years in Washington and Baltimore. Now back to work in a less frenetic job, as a lawyer for the federal government, he goes to the gym five or six mornings a week for an intense regimen of spinning and body building. "It's very much an organizing principle of my week," says Barnes, 64. ..."

It's my turn next week when we head for the snow (skiing-yes!!).

8 Feb: "Eyes on the Prize" - Viewing parties wherever You are

Picked up on this news at social bookmark space del.icio.us. To me del.icio.us is kind of like listening to radio, only you read.

I wasn't familiar with something called downhillbattle.org - as 'music activists' dedicated to the music downloading struggle - but it seems they've taken up the cause of getting historic t.v. documentary "Eyes on the Prize" re-distributed. There's some kind of complicated copyright problem not to mention its producer, Henry Hampton, passed away in 1998. He was only 58.

Sorry for not having names of many other collaborators here. Check the links I've included or surf for more.

I remember that "Eyes" kind of made Henry Hampton's professional reputation. He founded and ran the film and video production firm, Blackside Inc. In its day it was the largest Black American owned tv/film production company.

EOTP is narrated by the boyishly cute Civil Rights Movement veteran Julian Bond. His father, Horace Mann Bond, was the first Black president of historically Black Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

Frances K. Gateward writes at Museum.tv: "Produced over the course of twelve years by Blackside, Inc. one of the oldest minority-owned film and television production companies in the country [U.S.], the series received over 23 awards, including two Emmys... the International Documentary Association's distinguished documentary award... and the CINE Golden Eagle."

There's also the programme's companion book, written by journalist Juan Williams. There doesn't seem to be a copyright battle - at least not over the paperback: Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965 (1987), by Juan Williams, introduction by Julian Bond; also written with the Eyes on the Prize Production Team. Judging by its unexplained unavailability maybe the hardback is another (copyright) story.

1987. It's darn near 20 years since this book came out, and it's shameful the video and the books (hardback especially) have gotten relatively little play in so many years.

The video. Possibly a brilliant move by downhillbattle and potentially a win-win strategy, though I'd love to know exactly how many Black interactive media [& music] principals downhillbattle has, knows, helps & works/networks/partners with.

It may be strategic (as in new "allies"?) that they've taken up the cause of getting "Eyes on the Prize" - "the most comprehensive television documentary ever produced on the American civil rights movement" [pbs.org] - back to the world.

I hadn't realized it's been 10 yrs since EOTP last saw the public light of day. That is way too long.

What's the deal, who holds copyright? What's the beef?

On Tuesday, Feb 8th, at 8pm/20.00hrs downhillbattle is asking us all to organise mass public showings of EOTP. Details @ the website. I'm there already...