Thankful for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is awesome.

The annual gathering of family and food is always a pleasant experience in my household. The food is always succulent and generous in portions, and the talk around the table is entertaining.

There's enough wild conversation to keep things fun, but nothing ever gets out of hand. Playful banter bounces around the table frequently, and although there is occasionally a real hurtful statement made -this family is not going to be politically correct anytime soon- everyone leaves with a smile on their face.

Delightful is a great word to describe this year's event.

Around fifteen people were there enjoying the day, a welcome decrease from the thirty that shared turkey last year.

There have been virtually no divorces within my family, so there are no strange ex's that show up or anything. The same stable family comes together every year. It's great to have a family that is close enough to not have potential awkwardness or even hostility.

Truly, I am thankful for my family and the times I get to spend with them all.

Many people don't have that experience that I do, whether it's due to broken families or harsh memories from previous Thanksgiving.

For some people who live in poverty-stricken countries, having a bountiful feast is incredibly far removed from reality.

This reasons are a huge reason for this gratitude. My experience is rare. So I cherish it.

Thanksgiving also means that it's the beginning of Christmas season, which at my house means decorating.

I love decorating my parents' house, because the end result is always something that resembles a warm glow, and truly inspires Christmas spirit around the house.

This particular season, once all the decorations were finished, I realized that the reason why the lights are so cool is because they represent the great times behind it.

Those Christmas lights are really just a cover for the fact that Christmases at my house are always great. Without a great family, great experiences, and great memories, the lights are just that: lights.

At Thanksgiving, without the great family times, the turkey is just that: turkey.

So I try to treat every moment with my family as precious, because that it is.

Those of you out there who have families that meet every year for food, understand how awesome that is, and how many people don't get that opportunity.

Cherish those moments that you get, because you may never know how many you will have left.

As for my family, Thanksgiving is great, but I can't wait for Christmas, because it's more of a great family moment.

The Aliens Have Arrived in ABC's New Show "V"

ABC's new show "V" wastes no time getting to the core of its plot. Mere minutes into the pilot episode of "V" the audience is treated to an alien invasion, as alien motherships show up and suddenly hover over nearly every major city worldwide, not unlike the movie Independence Day.

Unlike Independence Day, though, these "visitors", led by the attractive human-like Anna, claim they come in peace, and attempt to set up diplomatic relations with the worlds' countries.

The first episode is filled with mystery, scenes of awe, and plenty of intrigue, and sets up what looks to be, at the very least, an incredibly interesting show.

For what it's worth, this review will be discussing important plot points of the show, and the best way to enjoy the show is to go in knowing as little as possible. You have been warned.

From the start, the alien visitors in "V" are nice, but extremely unsettling. These visitors seem just about perfect, and while they seem to have good intentions, there's something inherently untrustworthy about them.

Citizens notice this too, and there are a good number who claim that this particular interaction with the visitors is part of a bigger scheme to destroy all human life.

Others side with the visitors, impressed by their apparent peacefulness and amazed by their healing powers and advanced technology.

Throughout most of the first episode, there is an undeniable tension as you truly don't know who to trust.

Then the last scene occurs.

The last scene of the first episode shows beyond the shadow of a doubt that the visitors are, indeed, plotting something that humanity won't like.

A fight occurs during which one of the main characters, FBI agent Erica Evans, discovers that her partner of seven years was a visitor all along, as part of the first wave that happened years ago to infiltrate the humans.

By the end of the first episode, all intensity surrounding the aliens' true intentions is gone. Instead, the show takes on a vibe not unlike Invasion of the Body Snatchers, where you don't know who you can trust, as anyone could be a visitor.

This is much less interesting than the mystery surrounding whether the true intentions of the visitors.

The second episode is a definite decrease in quality compared to the first, as close to nothing actually happens. In only a day after watching it, the episode has already faded from memory.

The second episode lacks much of the excitement and intrigue the first had, while trying to build on the plot, but only adds tidbits of information.

Putting both of the episodes together creates an uneven experience, one that begins with excitement and mystery but ends with disappointment.

Not all critics agree. IGN, a well-known website covering entertainment, liked the first two episodes, saying of the second, "Overall though, this was a good follow-up episode to the pilot." They called the show promising, and look forward to its future.

The Miami Herald said the show had anti-Obama messages, but even so said, "With or without the political sheen, V is sweeping television storytelling at its best."

The New York Times wasn't as kind, saying, "The ideas in “V,” about alien encounters and mass delusion and media manipulation, are enticing. It’s too bad that they’re floating around in a show that at this early stage, is so slapdash and formulaic in its storytelling."

Currently, "V" seems to be at a crossroads. It could get better, or it could definitely get worse. To this reviewer, it seemed to be an unwise decision to reveal the true intentions of the visitors' plot so early. This element could have been sustained for longer episodes, making for a more intriguing show.

To be fair, only two episodes of "V" have aired so far. It has a strong-enough premise that the series could probably go either way.

Although "V" is off to an uneven start, it has the potential to be incredibly interesting, and is, at least, worth checking out.

"V" airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC. Previous episodes are available to watch at hulu.com or abc.com. Only two more episodes will air before the show goes on a break until the spring.

Don't Stress Out Over Stress

November.

Students know this time as a time filled with stress, as the school semester that once seemed so long now has a mere four and a half weeks left before finals. (Yes, that's correct fellow students: Only four weeks.)

With only four weeks left, the once-distant due dates for research papers and final projects are no longer creeping up on us students, but instead are hurtling towards us with reckless abandon.

Many classes have over 50% of their grade determined in these final weeks, and with added pressure coming from the impending craziness of Christmas, students can feel the stress oppressively pulsing through their veins.

It's incredibly easy to get overwhelmed, isn't it?

One word of advice. Don't.

There are ways to control the madness.

First, simply practice good time management. That episode of House can wait, you know.

Look at your schedule and allocate time for school work based on accurate estimates of how long it should take to complete that work. You would be surprised how productive you can be when you take a little time to create a schedule for your life and stick to it!

Second, just start your work. Seriously. Just starting the assignment makes it so much easier to finish. Don't procrastinate. Starting the assignment is half the battle.

Third, when you create your schedule, be sure to pencil in some relaxation time. Once you work for an hour or two, why not take a ten minute coffee break?

Why not take a quick stroll around your neighborhood? Taking a quick break can really clear your mind and continue to prepare you for the work load ahead.

Finally, the biggest advice to offer is the simplest: Take a breath, calm yourself, and look at the big picture. How much of a difference in your life will an "A" instead of a "B" really make?

Sure, in some cases it can matter quite a bit, but in most cases, we tend to stress over things that we have given inflated importance to. Reread that last sentence, and think about it. Isn't it true?

Half of our stress is not the work load itself, but the importance we place on it. It's not only important that we get that paper done, but also that we get the grade we want on it. If you take a second and truly evaluate the worth of the assignment, your stress level can drop dramatically.

It seems that in the middle of all the craziness that is the end of the semester, our view on life can become incredibly narrow, as if it seems like the only thing that matters is what is happening in our lives right then.

It feels as if everything doesn't get done the way it's supposed to, the world will crash and our lives as we know it will end.

But they won't.

The truth is that it doesn't matter how you do on your paper; Christmas will still come. It doesn't matter what grade you get on your final; The seasons will still change. The sun will still come up tomorrow morning.

God is ultimately in control, not us.

Isn't that awesome? Isn't it awesome that we don't have to worry about the most basic facts of life? No matter what we do, the world goes on. The stars still shine, the plants still bloom.

I can stand outside and watch the amazing work of an infinite God occur all around me. It is then that the Bible verse Psalm 46:10 comes to life.

"Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

God himself asks us to slow down, take a breath, be still, and recognize his divine hand at work. It's amazing how much pressure is taken away when we realize that we are not in control.

Personally, I am forever thankful that God is in control and not me. Knowing me and how I operate, if I were in control of everything, it would be a chaotic mess. But imperfect me is not in control; God is.

What this means for school is that we, as students, need to do the best we can do on our work. After that, though, we don't have control over it. Once that paper is turned in, there is nothing we can do to affect the outcome.

We need to do well on the assignment, sure, for that is the only thing that any of us do have control over. Once it's turned in, however, an all-powerful and loving God takes care of the details.

That's awesome, if you think about it.

Ultimately, if you want to do well in these waning weeks of the semester, I urge you to realize what you do and do not have control over, and only try to control those things whose outcome is affected by you.

When you focus solely on those things, you'll naturally find your worries will decrease, and your assignments will be easier to complete.

In the meantime, take a little time to wonder in the world around you.

Check out the sun as it peeks through the trees.

Witness the explosion of life that happens near the river.

Stand in awe of the fact that there is so much more going on in life than your final paper.

It really puts things into perspective.

Of course, in the meantime, get your work done. But once you're done, give up control and realize that God has it all in his hands. It just may take all the worry out of your system.

Besides, life is too short and beautiful to worry.

Dan Walters: "The Last Grown-Up In Sacramento"

Dan Walters doesn't need a witty phrase or a one-sentence opening to catch your attention.

Instead, Dan Walters takes a look at the big picture of California politics, with his straight-forward, almost lecture-like analysis leading the way. His near-daily columns for the Sacramento Bee explore the world of the capitol from the viewpoint of a longtime observer.

Dan Walters began his career in journalism at the age of 22. His experience in covering California politics started in 1975 when he started writing for The Sacramento Union's Capitol bureau. It wasn't until 1981 that his column about Sacramento politics began, and in 1984 Walters moved to the Sacramento Bee, where he continues to publish his columns, still specializing in California politics.

Walters' columns are quite cynical, but when the job is to cover the always changing and often-frustrating field that he does, that type of mindset is usually needed. When you read his columns, you can tell that his insight on the issues that arise in the capitol are derived from a lifetime of experience. Walters knows how the game of politics works. He knows the players and who has the power. He understands California's past and how that affects our current situations. Ultimately Dan Walters knows what he is talking about.

However, just because Dan Walters knows what he's talking about doesn't always mean the reader will know what he is talking about.

Walters' columns are not entirely accessible. They're fine and deliver great insight into issues if the reader is already familiar with details, but if the reader does not already follow California politics, it is easy to get lost in the middle of all the names and organizations being mentioned.

Perhaps the point of Walters' column is not to inform the ignorant, but rather to enrich those who know enough already, and that's fine. However, even for someone who is in the know, Walters' writing can be dry, often simply rehashing old information rather than contributing to a discussion.

Other times, though, Walters truly brings something new to the table. A recent article discussing the water problem in California shows how previous state legislation and current land developers are key players in the issue. Another recent article highlights the trouble of gerrymandering district lines, which will be a hot issue in 2010.

Walters' columns have a conservative slant to them, although he often criticizes both Republicans and Democrats at the capitol, offering honest criticism of anyone who doesn't do their job correctly.

Walters wrote an article over the summer that criticized the new budget for California, calling out both the Governor and the State Assembly and Senate for using tricky accounting methods and borrowing to help close the state budget deficit. This column prompted popular radio talk show hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty to declare Dan Walters "the last grown-up in Sacramento" for his realistic stance on California's budget woes.

In his personal life, Walters enjoys grown-up tastes as well. He said that he likes to spend as much time as possible on the Sacramento River with his boat. Walters is even the treasurer of the Sacramento Yacht Club.

He enjoys spending time with his current wife of 14 years. He was married to another woman for over 30 years. He currently has three grown daughters, with three grandsons.

His column is syndicated throughout California, appearing in over 50 state newspapers. His columns, while sometimes dry and hard to follow, can offer good insight to the carnival that is California politics, and they are well worth reading.

You can check out all of Dan Walters' most recent columns by clicking here.