White male: part of the problem and the solution One evening a while back, my wife asked me to go downstairs and fetch the last load of clothes in the dryer. Read more...

Defense of ‘choice’ is just an excuse for murder By Chris Ford "Disturbing" is the word that came to my mind when I read Roxane Marquez’s Jan. Read more...

Joy comes to those who make life meaningful By Cynthia Rosenthal A response to Ron Bassilian and others with the same question about the meaning of life: Dear Ron, et al: You asked, "What is the meaning of life?" A religious person who believes in some form of afterlife might say that the purpose of one’s life on earth is to prepare oneself for a better life in heaven (or wherever one’s religion says one goes after death). Read more...

Slaying the American dragon of ‘big government’ To capture the Rhinegold, the fabulous treasure of the Nibelungs, the hero Sigurd had to slay the dragon Fafnir. Read more...

One year later … and the aftermath continues One year ago today at 4:31 a.m., UCLA and the rest of the Southland was rocked by a force beyond anyone’s control. Read more...

One nation under Santa: just 342 days left ’til X-mas! I know it’s second week, but I still have Christmas on the brain. Maybe it’s the weather, or maybe it’s just the first slot my editor could give me, but my frontal lobe, amid the dread of class schedules, book lines and the "F" word (financial aid), is still filled with Christmas. Read more...

True stories from life in ‘The Weird World’ This is the true story of several students picked to live in a townhouse and have their lives documented. Read more...