Combo

For most readers -- i.e., people who exercise at light to moderate intensities -- performing cardio and strength training on one day is fine. But the asterisks begin to fly as intensity levels increase. The majority of exercisers, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, aren't putting high enough demands on their bodies to significantly compromise the value of either activity or risk injury.

Just when the Angels needed a little pick-me-up bouquet, the Kansas City Royals showed up at their doorstep Monday night, a welcome sight for a weary team coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Seattle Mariners and fading fast in the American League West. The Angels got well soon.

THE artsy vibe of Long Beach's East Village Arts District might be best experienced communally -- the monthly Last Saturdays event draws quite a crowd -- but sampling its galleries, shops and eateries at a quieter time makes for a leisurely afternoon. The Museum of Latin American Art's diverse collection is a good kickoff to exploring the area's emerging art scene. An exhibition on kinetic art was intriguing, though dizzying.

It's an idea without a clear rationale. Sandy Alomar Jr. will catch when Odalis Perez pitches. Neither player knows why, and explanations offered by Manager Grady Little are vague. Their first pairing came Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves, and yes, it could be said they were double trouble. For the Dodgers.

SOME fast-food menus call it a "combo meal," others call it a "value meal" or simply say it's a "meal," but it usually adds up to the same thing -- a burger, fries and a soda. And you've probably ordered one, even if it wasn't exactly what you had in mind. Maybe you wanted a shake instead of a soda, or you prefer onion rings to fries, yet you settled on the combo meal because you figured you were probably saving a lot of dough. But have you ever taken the time to add things up?

Various Artists "Sounds Eclectico" (KCRW/Nacional Records) * * * * THIS disc of Latino-themed sessions from the "Morning Becomes Eclectic" show on KCRW-FM (89.9) could serve as a cool primer to Latin Alternative music and its many permutations -- from the lounge-rock of Los Amigos Invisibles and the haunting acoustic pop of Jorge Drexler to L.A. favorites Los Lobos and Ozomatli. But the collection is simply indispensable for serious Latin rock fans.

A new vaccine that combines four childhood immunizations has won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Merck & Co. said Tuesday. The vaccine, called Proquad, is approved to protect children 12 months to 12 years of age against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.

Times Food editor Leslie Brenner ordered this salad at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco while on vacation recently and called to ask for the recipe as soon as she was back in the office. "I thought the flavor combination was so striking, yet very simple," she says. The "marvelous and subtle" flavor of raw, shaved, white asparagus is key. Chef Judy Rodgers gets hers from Fairview Gardens, which also sells at the Wednesday Santa Monica farmers market. White asparagus from Chile may be too bitter, but Rodgers says Belgian endive would be a nice substitute.

At first blush, it seems like a gimmick: an album that consists of a single 60-minute song. But for the Australian jazz trio the Necks, an hourlong song is merely the best means of exploring the nuances of a sound or rhythmic pattern, allowing themes to emerge and unfold slowly without the pressure of time. That's why the group hasn't released just one 60-minute, single-song record but 12, the latest being separate CDs in a single package: "See Through" and "Mosquito."

There they were -- three graying veterans of countless gigs, recordings and music campaigns -- gathered onstage at Spazio in Sherman Oaks on Friday night, once again ready to do their thing. Guitarist Al Viola, 85, saxophonist-flutist Sam Most, 73, and bassist Chuck Berghofer, 67, applied their century and a half or so of accumulated musical experience to a program of standards. If that sounds like another night of jazz lounge music, don't believe it.