By Jonathan Shih Embedded in Chinese culture is the belief in the existence of an intangible force named "e-chi". Simply put, it is a mysterious aura that attracts two opposite things together for a particular purpose. Often inconceivable and obscure to the individual it is acting upon, "e-chi" initially occurs through a variety of bizarre events and experiences before it … [Read more...] about From Tommy Guns to Tommy Trojan
Archives for 2008
Children of an Indifferent God: The Way of Taoism
By Rachel Marie Mohr In the fifteenth year of my life, a great wall of nothing crashed down on my lungs, and I decided to kill myself. I walked out of my high school, down the hill towards the country town below. It was an Oregon autumn, and cold rain slithered down my shoulder blades. I remember I wore boots that day, but the deep puddles penetrated to my frozen toes … [Read more...] about Children of an Indifferent God: The Way of Taoism
Sending my Son to War
By Pat Halliwell After completing two years at City College, my son Dustin decided to enlist in the U.S. Army for a four-year term. His initial plans were very specific: according to his contract, after completing basic training and airborne school, he was to be stationed in an Airborne Infantry Brigade in Vicenza, Italy. I was very proud of Dustin, not only for the choice … [Read more...] about Sending my Son to War
Westwood’s Charming Secret
By Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich Whether you look at Los Angeles as a melting pot or a lumpy stew, the distinctiveness of its ethnic makeup cannot be rivaled. LA draws people from across the world, be it to escape political persecution or in search of a better life, the pot accommodates them, making LA all the more unique. Attracted to the magic brew of this pot and in the heart … [Read more...] about Westwood’s Charming Secret
Inspiration with Caffeination
By Lindsay Meyer If you don't let the trucks and traffic and sprawling, rude, mayhem of Los Angeles drive you insane, you can actually find some pretty serene places. The Office in Santa Monica is one I have recently discovered. Okay, let me set the geographical technicality to rest: Santa Monica and LA are not one and the same. But San Vicente and 26th Street, The … [Read more...] about Inspiration with Caffeination