Increase in females equalizes gaming


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The image of the typical gamer has been something of a caricature: a rambunctious teenage male mashing buttons with his friends or a post-college mama’s boy cooped up in his parents’ basement. Most of us acknowledge these stereotypes as funny exaggerations, but the crux of their humor lies in a key assumption — gamers are […]

Hatha yoga works and heals the body


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Anything in excess can be dangerous in the long run — even working out. Though exercise keeps your body strong and fit, continuous stress on your frame can result in physical problems you might not notice. This recently happened to me; I was beginning to feel sore from my regular routine. A friend recommended yoga […]

Mole brings LA families and cultures together


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There’s probably no Mexican dish more gorgeous and historically rich than mole (pronounced “mo-lay”). The dish looks like muddy gravy but packs a scrumptious array of flavors. It’s a complex paste of miscellaneous earthy ingredients that takes a day to make. Rich in flavor and folklore, mole is a complicated dish because of the sheer […]

Alternative histories generate fuel for films


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Sometimes it’s not the future that gets people buzzing, but the past. Though some films get derided for butchering history, others gleefully flaunt substitute narratives; these unapologetic deviations are often more acclaimed by critics and history buffs alike. Alternative history films are a small niche, but they encompass a lot of material; from Nazis to […]

Artists from coast to coast innovate media


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Some time during the ’70s or ’80s, a man named Robert Leitch came across some curious-looking items on a curb. The objects, contained in boxes and bags, turned out to be intriguing, complex art pieces from things like coins, mirror fragments and cigarette packs. The artist, who has yet to be identified, has been dubbed […]

Nintendo hopes to rebound with alternative strategy


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For decades, Nintendo has been one of the most successful video game companies in the world. But in terms of annual revenue, this year is turning out to be one of Nintendo’s worst. Last Thursday, Nintendo announced its staggering $925 million net loss for the first half of the fiscal year. Its total net loss […]

Rebuild routines to break dry spells


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Having a consistent exercise routine is crucial for staying fit. But, in the hubbub of college life, it’s hard to maintain stable routines. For a couple months, a combination of birthday-related indulgences and a midterm-heavy schedule left me out of shape, with no time to exercise. Everyone knows it’s important to rebuild solid exercise habits, […]

Soybeans present unlikely mélange of dishes


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Is there a legume more controversial than the soybean? It’s been accused of being Monsanto’s evil, earth-killing, bio-tech child, an allergy trigger, an impediment to proper development in infants, a duplicitous pouch of carcinogens and an emasculating testosterone leech. At the same time, soybeans are lauded as key to the longevity and slim characteristic of […]

Halloween flicks hold nostalgic, eerie thrills


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As children, we embraced Halloween as a night of spooky thrills. We bravely tramped through the neighborhood, demanding candy and creeping past scary skeleton displays, only to shriek our heads off when the display turned out to be the neighbor’s evil teenage son. Today’s costumes tend to be more risque, and booze tends to replace […]

Los Angeles provides variety of spooky art


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A Halloween weekend in Los Angeles is a little like trick-or-treating: Sometimes you get great candy, sometimes you get a rock. Your options this Halloween weekend might not seem like anything beyond a Halloween party or rave, but if you look hard enough, you can find plenty of fun, alternative and artsy ways to enjoy the […]