Opinion

When I said I’d talk about masturbation, I didn’t mean that I’d be providing a handy (ha!) how-to guide. Masturbation is pretty private, and most people have figured out their preferred method, so you don’t need my help. What I can do is tell you that masturbating is a normal activity with a number of […]

The Research Works Act, currently awaiting decision in the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in the U.S. House of Representatives, seeks to keep federal agencies funded by taxpayers from permitting the distribution of “private-sector research works” without the consent of the publisher. However, the bill’s definition of private-sector research works include scientific studies funded […]

After the tents of Occupy Wall Street have been packed, the drum circles silenced and the signs of fury discarded, there is at least one thing that will carry on the movement’s legacy: a new crop of startups that are looking to capitalize on consumer anger against banks. One such company is Simple, whose name […]

Anyone who knows me understands that I find great pleasure in publicity train wrecks, so naturally I’m completely transfixed by Lana Del Rey right now. Back in November, when she was just another talented YouTube sensation waiting to blow up, I wouldn’t have known, or frankly, cared, about the origins of indie pop’s latest girl […]

Writing in an era before political correctness, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels described unwarranted faith in electoral politics as “parliamentary cretinism.” Stricken by this disease, politicians and their constituents imagine that “the whole world, its history and its future are directed and determined by a majority of votes.” Under the influence of this chronic disorder, […]

It’s that time of the month. No, not THAT time, you pervert. Rather, that time of the month we court the “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” topic of sex. I use air quotations because I just overheard a girl yell out, in mathematical terms, an account of a certain late-night dalliance –– “subtract clothes, divide legs, add a bed […]

Imagine there’s a student at UCD who plays guitar. He starts performing around town and builds up a pretty good following. Upon graduation, instead of going to law school as planned, he decides to take a break to pursue his first love, music. One year becomes two, then five. His band extends its reach beyond […]

I want to apologize for what happened last week. I’m referring to the yelling preachers that preached condemnation for three hours on the Quad. I am asking for forgiveness on behalf of Christians who don’t portray God’s love accurately. I hope you will not attribute a lack of love from humans for a lack of […]

Question. Well, a few questions. Who is “The Man”? What makes a man part of “The Man”? Can we get a new name for this dubious Man that doesn’t make me feel like I’m a cog in the Iron Giant? Although the occurrence of phrases like “sticking it to The Man” and “The Man is […]

During the UC Regents meeting this week a group of students from UC Riverside under the name “Fix UC” are proposing the UC Student Investment Proposal, a model aimed at reforming the current financial system of the University of California. The plan proposes that students defer their tuition until they get a steady job, when […]

What if the magic pill to easier studying was the food that you ate? In most cases, diet will directly impact the key variables to successful learning — namely, mood, energy and brain health. If these are on your list of resolutions, look to what you eat. When midterms begin, you may find yourself cutting […]

Between the fields of psychology, linguistics, sociology and computer science, there are at least 10 theories on the evolution of humor. “Relief Theory” is my favorite. It posits that we laugh to release tension. In this way, humor is a kind of homeostatic mechanism for regulating fear. If this is true, we may get a […]