Once in a while a band comes along that sweeps people off their feet through sheer talent and charisma. Swedish glam-rockers the Ark have attracted a small but religiously committed group of American fans who are sure to embrace "Prayer For the Weekend," their fourth album.

In 2004, CSUN instructors assigned twice as many As as Cs in upper division classes. The overall percentage of A grades at CSUN increases every year, which does not necessarily mean students are performing better. On the contrary, it gives cause to believe that academic standards are being lowered.

The iconic Tower Records is preparing to close its doors forever in Los Angeles and around the country in the continuing systematic shift of the music industry from high-priced music stores like Tower Records, Wherehouse Music and Sam Goody to online sales and large discount stores.

Originally Published Nov. 2, 2006 The political season is upon us and the war in Iraq has become the major midterm election issue as the Republican Party fights to keep control over both the House and the Senate. In September, 2,600 Iraqis were killed in Baghdad alone, while Democrats and Republicans used the war to attack each other and score points with voters.

Entry-level salaries for tenure-track professors in different disciplines at CSUN vary by as much as $30,000, the 2005-2006 salary report suggests, a trend that reflects market forces largely outside of the university's control. Accounting, business, economics and mechanical engineering are among the highest paying disciplines, whereas faculty in the humanities and ethnic studies programs are among the lowest paid.

While many good-hearted people struggle to figure out how to afford the necessary purchases in order to uphold good relations with family and friends, others express religious outrage about how a holiday that is significant to Christians came to be referred to as just "the holidays.

Is there life on Mars? Astro-biologists, scientists who study the possibility of extraterrestrial life, have moved beyond the red planet to pose the broader question by asking if we are alone in the Universe. "The Search for Life in the Universe" is the title of a CSUN planetarium show that explores the possibilities of finding earth-like environments where life, at least hypothetically, could exist.

The latest online phenomenon is the much-hyped virtual world Second Life, a vibrant social outlet that resembles a mixture between a happy version of the Matrix and the networking site Myspace.com. Second Life has attracted the interest of millions of people around the world, including educators, corporations, artists and entrepreneurs, who help create a parallel universe, which may revolutionize the Internet.

For Northridge-based pop-rock band Matcli, the music is the priority. Unlike many Los Angeles groups that focus extensively on image, either dressing down in designer jeans and T-shirts or donning glammed-out latex gear and cheap feather boas, Matcli avoids such trend traps.

In a dreamy gallery environment turned upside down, carpeted with a blue sky dotted by puffy clouds and decked with freeway intersections on the ceiling, Belgian surrealist Ren? Magritte's work is playfully featured in a current exhibit that looks at the pop-culture icon's impact on American and European post-war artists.

During the recent midterm elections, voter turnout once again became voter "tune-out" as 60 percent of eligible voters stayed home and misguidedly contributed to a historic legacy of democratic "couch potato-ism." Most Americans did not make it to the local polling place because of various personal reasons, few of them valid.

In 2004, CSUN instructors assigned twice as many As as Cs in upper division classes. The overall percentage of A grades at CSUN increases every year, which does not necessarily mean students are performing better. On the contrary, it gives cause to believe that academic standards are being lowered.