Monthly Archives: August, 2012

Aug 13, 2012 - Pegi and Neil Young held another benefit concert for their Bridge School, a school that JTMP has reported on numerous times where they help kids with special needs using innovative techniques. Many musicians were on hand to help out, such as Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Simon and Garfunkel, The Pretenders (see video below!) and of even the man himself, Neil Young. The concert was filmed and is airing on your local PBS station. To find out times the show is airing in your area to watch the entire concert, punch in your Zip Code and check out PBS.org here.

Their Bridge School specializes in programs for the communicative and educational development of children with severe speech and physical impairments. Find out more about the great work they do on the Bridge School's website here.

Aug 8, 2012 - Reuters reports this morning that the members of Pussy Riot are as strong as ever in their defense, and one of the girls on trial Maria Alyokhina told the court yesterday, "I am not afraid of your poorly concealed fraud of a verdict in this so-called court because it can deprive me of my freedom. No one can take my inner freedom away." Read more on Reuters.com here.

Also, Madonna has come out in support of the 3 women musicians at her show in Moscow yesterday, even talking to the audience about American freedoms and said, "As an artist, as a human being, as a woman, I have freedom to express my point of view, even if other people don't agree with me. Even if my government doesn't agree with me. So I want to say a few words about Pussy Riot....I think that they have done something courageous...I pray for their freedom." Read more on NY Times here. Watch Madonna at her Moscow show yesterday thanks to SAIDCHILI on YouTube below. (photo credit: CC/David Shankbone)

Aug 7, 2012 - Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's most famous prisoner who got jailed for....well, for nothing, commented on the Pussy Riot trial and said on his website, "It's painful to watch what is taking place in the Khamovnichesky Court in the city of Moscow, where Masha, Katya and Nadya are on trial. The word ""trial" is only applicable in the sense in which it was used by the Inquisitors of the Middle Ages." He also said, "I am very ashamed and hurt. And not because of these girls – the mistakes of youthful radicalism can be forgiven – but for the state, which is profaning our Russia with its complete and utter lack of conscience." 

It looks like the Russian prosecutor trying the case, Alexander Nikiforov, is ignoring the calls for leniency from Putin to Pete Townshend and many human rights groups and will be seeking a 3-year sentence for the 3 female activist musicians for their free speech action at the Russian Orthodox Church altar. Read more on NBC News here.

Read the entire statement from Mikhail Khodorkovsky statement on his website here, and check out a JTMP video below of a recent Pussy Riot Protest in front of the Russian embassy here in DC. (photo credit: PressCentral - Khodorkovsky)

Aug 6, 2012 - JTMP's thoughts are out to the families of the victims of the Wisconsin Sikh Temple shooting, and strongly condemn this tragedy and the hate behind it.  This tragic shooting was done by a rightwing neo-Nazi "musician" (if you want to call their vile, horrible noise they produce "music") and the event exposes the ugly underworld of white supremacy "music", or as they like to sugarcoat it, "White Alternative Music". But make no mistake, this vile noise is filled with hatred and violence, and is founded on white supremacy platforms. They use these concerts to spread their hate among young people, and often times when hate speech flourishes, tragic events like the Wisconsin Sikh Temple shooting occurs. As it turns out, the shooter was a member of  rightwing white supremacy "band" called "End Apathy". Here is a good article of this violent "music" (noise!) scene from the Anti-Defamation League's website here, and a cached website with an interview and pictures of the band is on Google's servers here.
 

Aug 6, 2012 - JTMP urges young people, musicians and artists to join in the "Teddy Bear War" that is sweeping through Belarus and oppose the brutal dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who is brutally oppressing any attempt at reforms in that country towards democracy. Sweden dropped hundreds of teddy bears in a spirit of goodwill and an attempt to spark a democracy reform movement in the country. Read more on NBC News here. (photo credit naoK/Flickr)