MEDIA ROOTS — If you’re like me, you’ll do your darnedest to make sure you catch the lovely J Mascis or the tender and mighty Dinosaur, Jr. anytime they come to town. For some of us, this means catching life-altering gigs at venues like San Francisco’s Fillmore or Slim’s. So, imagine my delight when my dear brother Mónchis said Henry … Read More
MEDIA ROOTS — Suzanne Maloney is a mainstay within élite U.S. foreign policy circles. A former employee of ExxonMobil and the U.S. State Department, Maloney now works for the Brookings Institution’s Saban Center for Middle East Policy. She recently presented testimony to the United States Congress entitled Progress of the Obama Administration’s Policy toward Iran. The Saban Center later provided … Read More
MEDIA ROOTS — The function of the U.S. presidency, essentially, is to give a human face to the empire, to offer a humanizing appeal to barbarism abroad and domestically—at least under our rigged de facto two-party dictatorship. A point Obama doesn’t deny: “People have a sense the game is rigged…” Enter Obama, to assure them otherwise. So, when uncritical corporate … Read More
MEDIA ROOTS — In today’s fast paced, mostly club-dominated, electronic music culture, it is rare for dance music to convey an evocative message. A wonderful exception to this standard is Oakland analog synthesizer solo musician, Identity Theft. He has just released a new EP, Security Theatre, which you can stream for free in its entirety. Its titular track tells us that “All … Read More
MEDIA ROOTS — It’s been a whole year since Osama bin Laden was allegedly assassinated in a Pakistani Navy Seal raid, but that isn’t stopping water-carrying media outlets and the White House from ratcheting up fears of terrorism, painting the potential for an ‘anniversary attack.’ Not surprisingly, a federal judge recently ruled, because of ‘national security,’ the Obama Administration does not … Read More
