Monthly Archives: May, 2013

May 24, 2013 - Hundreds of thousands of food activists, worried about the health effects of GMO crops and pesticides sprayed on our food, will be holding worldwide marches against Monsanto and GMO food tomorrow on Saturday, March 25, 2013. You can go HERE to find out a march near you that you can join. Marchers will be calling attention to Monsanto's very unethical practices of squeezing out the small family farms, genetically modifying our food into Frankenfood, and spraying our food with poisonous chemicals that is causing rampant diseases and probably even killing us slowly. They also want to bring attention to the fact Monsanto is trying to patent the seeds of our food supply, so then only private corporations control the food supply. Activists will also be calling on Congress to require labeling of GMO food, which most countries have already done, but is being blocked by Monsanto's lobbyists that have bought and sold the US Congress. JTMP asks any of our supporters that can make it please join one of these marches, for our food supply is very important. Also, please contact both your state and federal Representative and Senators, and tell them you want GMO labeling on all our foods. Check out more info at the March-Against-Monsanto.com website, and check out their Facebook Page here. Watch this video below for more info, and how this march can and will change the world! See you Saturday!!

MAY 23, 2013 - Chinese musical-activist Ai Weiwei has released his new music video to his activist song "Dumbass" and strongly criticizes the Chinese government. In the video, Ai is jailed, hooded and is abused by the Chinese state power for speaking out politically similar to when he was jailed for 81 days for speaking out politically back in 2011. Naturally, China has blocked the video. The video is filled with heavy metal screeching guitars and obscenity screaming against the oppression in China that censors and punishes free speech. In a statement Ai Weiwei said, "People who are detained suffer traumas, and those who detain us know this very well. This is why we are secretly detained, blindfolded, cuffed, not allowed to meet with lawyers and relatives. I had been thinking about how to recover from the trauma. And I came up with the idea of using music to convey a sentiment that is tremendously secret, and private, to the public." Watch the video below.

MAY 23, 2013 - Musical-activist Bono from U2 discusses politics and issues in an interview with Charlie Rose back on May 16, and Bono talks about AIDS and Africa; and even praises conservatives like George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rica and Jesse Helms and how they got America to provide antiretroviral medicines for over 8 million people in Africa and forgiving  African debt. Bono has been doggedly trying to work with both conservatives and progressives, wanting to bring everybody to a "radical canter". He rankled his bandmate Edge by meeting with Helms, because Edge points out how Jesse Helms and other conservatives constantly hack the budget for the arts. Check out the whole Charlie Rose interview of U2 here.

MAY 20, 2013 - Two musicians lost their battle with cancer yesterday. One was the keyboardist Ray Manzerek from the iconic band The Doors, who lost his battle with a long fight with bile duct cancer. Manzerek was part of the 60s music social revolution, but spent his last years as a simple farmer with his family. The Doors guitarist Robby Krieger said in a statement, "I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today. I'm just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him." The family asks that in lieu of flowers that people help out the great cancer-fighting organization, "Stand Up To Cancer".  (photo credit: KingTrivia/CC)

Also, on a very sad note, Zach Sobeich, a Minnesota musician who battled osteosarcama and whose video and song "Clouds" went viral, lost his battle with cancer and also passed at home surrounded by family and his girlfriend. His song "Clouds" was all about facing his mortality, and he had said, "I want everyone to know you don't have to find out you're dying to start living." His family said in a statement, “It is with heavy heart that we announce the passing of our son Zachary David Sobiech. Our family has been blessed not only by his amazing presence in our lives, but also by the love and support of our family and friends and by so many people in the community. In particular we'd like to thank those people who listened with their hearts and helped Zach bring his message and his music to the world.” Zach had worked closely with Children's Cancer Research Fund, and a group of celebrities had lip-synced his song in an effort to help raise funds for his struggle earlier this month. Zach's video of his song "Clouds" has received over 3 million views, and you can watch it below. JTMP calls for more funding for cancer research, and Medicare For All, so people don't have to fight bill collectors and health insurance companies while they fight cancer.

MAY 20, 2013 - The Organics Consumers Association, citing conflict of interest and corruption, have started a petition calling on Senator Roy Blunt from Missouri to resign over the recently passed "Monsanto Protection Act". Read more on JTMP Green here.