Things to Know Before You Go

Traveling can be a wonderful adventure that allows a person to explore different cultures or even just escape the mundane every day activities. However, traveling can also be dangerous, so people should make sure that they are aware of the realities of the places they travel to.

The United States government posts international travel information, which updates citizens on what places they should avoid visiting at the present time. There are 2 different types of alerts: the travel warning and the travel alert. The travel warning is used for countries that have been deemed to have been long-term unsafe places for tourists to travel. The travel alerts usually include more immediate and usually more specific dates and places that American citizens should avoid traveling. These alerts usually call people’s attentions to natural disasters, anniversaries of terrorist attacks and coups.

The places that are listed on the travel warnings page include the countries that most people would expect to see there, including Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Chad and Columbia. The more surprising places can be found on the travel alerts page which currently includes Germany and Honduras.

The travel alert in Germany was released November 12 because the Department of State wanted to alert American citizens to the fact that Al Qaeda has been sending videos threatening to conduct terrorist attacks against the country. Considering I am planning to visit Germany this summer, it was good to be alerted that was taking place. I will not be changing my plans, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

In order to help assist American citizens who are traveling out of the country, the government urges people to register with the U.S. Department of State in order to expedite any help they may need from a U.S. embassy or consulate. This is important because situations can come up such as terrorist attacks and natural disasters, during which United States citizens may need special help. It is easy for travelers to register their trips online through the U.S. Department of State website and it is well worth the time.

The most basic way that travelers can remain safe is to pack and act consciously while they are preparing for and while they are on a trip. It is wise to leave expensive jewelry, social security cards and extra credit cards at home. Another thing that people should do is photocopy any important documents such as passports, airline tickets and driver’s licenses and leave a copy of that information with friends or family before they leave on their trip. While people are on their trip it is a good idea not to travel alone at night, beware of pickpockets and scam artists.

Overwhelmingly, the amount of people who leave the United States come home in one piece and have the opportunity to share how wonderful their trip was with their friends and family. However, it is important for people who are leaving the country to be aware of the dangers that could come up.

My Christmas Wish

Christmas is a mix of excitement and stress. Most of the stress comes from finding the perfect present for everyone on my list while at the same time keeping my budget in mind. My only wish this Christmas is that I find something great for all the great people in my life.

I don’t know what it is about men in my life, but they are incredibly hard to shop for.

My dad is one of those guys that always has says that they don’t need or want anything when Christmas or a birthday comes around. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, for him I have never showed up empty handed on Christmas Day. My poor dad has pretended to be excited about gas cards, movie tickets, handmade ornaments and many other things that only a father would appreciate. This year is going to be more of the same stress as Christmas approaches, but hopefully this year I can somehow come up with something wonderful at the last minute.

The other person in my life who is impossible to shop for is my boyfriend. It’s not that he doesn’t want anything, it’s just the fact that he will mention something he likes and I will get it, but eventually have to return it for some reason. For example, this year I have already bought and returned an iPod because his mom bought it for him and I have returned a set of tools because he bought them for himself. I will have to listen carefully to come up with another gift idea soon.

The problem doesn’t go away when it comes to my mom and my friends either. Sure I would love to get my mom that trip to Paris she would love, but the reality is when you are working part time at a craft store there is a budget you have to stick to. I think I have finally settled on a present for my mom, but she has a habit of buying everything she wants.Once again I need to find something that she says she wants,but that she has not bought for herself.

Over the years I have had to pare down the list of friends that I buy presents for because buying something for all of my friends isn’t possible monetarily. I usually buy presents for my close friends and we do a small gift exchange one evening during the week of Christmas. Because I do not get to see my friends as much as I would like to while I’m in school, the evening is usually the time that we all catch up on what has happened during the past 3 months. It is always a fun night and it’s a great way to relax after a long, stressful semester.

I still have a lot of work to do to ensure that everyone in my life gets the presents that they deserve because I they are all important to me. I know that whatever I come up with they will all appreciate, but it would be nice to find a great gift for everyone.

Turkey Day

Like most people in the United States, I celebrated Thanksgiving with my immediate family like we do every year. I’m sure other people in the class will have torrid stories about drunken relatives doing crazy and unimaginable things; but my Thanksgiving was what the holiday is really all about: spending time with family and enjoying a big meal.

I awoke to the sound of my mom shutting the cupboard doors quite loudly at 5 a.m. I love to sleep and I can usually sleep through anything, so I was annoyed and surprised that I was up at such a crazy hour. I tried desperately to stay perfectly still in hopes that I would drift back to sleep, but it was no use. I climbed out of bed and headed downstairs to see what the need for being so loud.

Just as I was reaching the landing that connects the stairs in my house, I realized with much excitement that it was Thanksgiving, which meant not only would I be eating tons of yummy food, but also that there was tons of ads to look through.

Like most women that I know I love to shop and I love to get a good deal when I do shop. Yes, I have been known to wake up at crazy hours in hopes of getting a cheaply made Disney snow globe from JCPenny. I can’t help it. The whole process of flipping through pages and pages of sales items just makes all my common sense go down the drain and in my mind I get the crazy idea that waking up at the crack of dawn is worth saving 10 dollars on an item.

I ran down the stairs and out the front door picked up the newspaper and shuffled through trying to find what I was interested in. Meanwhile, my brother and my dad had wandered downstairs just in time for a wonderful breakfast of waffles, hot chocolate, coffee cake, toast and eggs.

My family is notorious for eating early, so it was no surprise that our Thanksgiving “dinner” actually took place at 1:30 p.m. As we happily consumed our turkey, mashed potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce, stuffing and all the other holiday staples, we talked about what stores we were interested in going to the next day and had the television on in the background.

As I was sitting there eating my food, I couldn’t help but get sentimental and think that I really do have a lot to be thankful for. I have wonderful parents who have put up with me through car accidents (even when I hit the side of the garage), school dances and all the times that I snuck out in high school. I have a brother who is equally understanding and forgiving. Next year, when I am stuck eating at a restaurant for Thanksgiving because I will be away at school and I have never made a huge meal on my own, I’ll be wishing that my mom was there to make me a delicious meal and that I had my whole family for company.

A Little Piece of Heaven

I already know the one place I am looking forward to going after I graduate this semester: Monterey Bay.

With its beautiful Pacific Coast views and wide range of attractions, it is the perfect place to relax and enjoy life again. Apparently this belief is expressed by other people as well, because Monterey came in third place in Yahoo’s survey of prettiest towns .

Arguably the most famous part of Monterey is Cannery Row, which contains restaurants, hotels and miscellaneous shops. Cannery Row has a little bit of everything including a Mexican restaurant, a couple of art galleries, a Ghirardelli shop, a wax museum and an As Seen on TV Infomercial Products store. The street is so popular that it is mentioned in Bob Dylan’s song Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (“With your sheet-metal memory of Cannery Row/ And your magazine-husband who one day just had to go…”) and it served as the setting for John Steinbeck’s books Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. The movie titled Cannery Row, which was released in 1982, was based off of the two books by Steinbeck.

What really draws in the crowds is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is located on the north end of Cannery Row. The aquarium houses a diverse range of sea creatures and is one of the largest aquariums in North America. Out of all the exhibits, the ones that I make sure never to miss are the giant kelp forest and the penguin exhibit, which opened in 2008.

Of course, there are many other reasons to visit the city. Monterey has several historic sites that might be of interest to visitors including the Cooper-Molera complex, which once belonged to a wealthy merchant and today shows the difference between the Mexican natives and the wealthy class and Colton Hall, which is where the 1849 constitutional convention took place.

Monterey is also the perfect playground for people who enjoy outdoor activities. Being so close to the ocean allows gives people the perfect chance to go out on a boat, go kayaking and scuba diving. There are also extensive trails that visitors can use including one that I have walked on several times called the Monterey Peninsula Recreational Trail. The 18-mile trail extends from Pacific Grove, goes through Monterey and eventually ends in Castroville and it provides an amazing view of the ocean from start to finish.

Another interesting fact about Monterey is that it has been and currently is home to an extensive list of artists. Among the most famous are musician Frank Zappa, author Josh Billings who is credited as being the second most famous humorist after Mark Twain and who died in Monterey, author Robert Louis Stevenson, who is the author of The Strange Case of Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde and who stayed in Monterey in 1879.

If you are looking for a calm place that has abundant natural beauty, a wide variety of attractions and has an extensive history, then Monterey Bay is the place for you.

Lots of Love for "Big Love"

The television show “Big Love” brings interesting plot lines and solid acting to the concept of present day polygamy. The show has drawn a lot of attention since its premier in 2006 and surprisingly most of that attention has been positive. Since its premier the show has been nominated for 4 Golden Globes, 5 Emmy Awards and 1 Television Critics Association Awards among other awards.

Dorothy Rabinowitz of the Wall Street Journal gave the show 90 out of 100 and wrote that the show is a, “thoroughly sharp, seriously compelling drama about a family of Salt Lake City Mormons living in a polygamous arrangement.”

The show was co-created by Mark Olsen and Will Scheffer, who completed 3 years of research in order to make sure that they accurately portrayed the polygamous lifestyle. One big name that is associated with the shows crew includes producer Tom Hank.

The show depicts the life of a middle-class business man named Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) and his three wives Jeanne Tripplehorn, who plays the part of first wife Barb Henrickson, Chloe Sevigny, who plays second wife Nicolette Grant and Ginnifer Goodwin, who plays the role of third wife Margene Heffman. Bill is shown as a Viagra-popping bed-hopper who keeps the women on a tight sexual schedule.

The women are expected to obey Bill and essentially make sure that he is happy at all times. He gets to live like a king and the three women are left to raise the ever growing group of children that are in the family. However, even with these character flaws, Paxton is able to convince viewers that he is a loving family man who would do anything for his wives and children.

Of course, the story lines also revolve around the children that this family has created. As the older children have continued to grow up, the story lines have shifted to include more information about their lives. For example, Sarah, Barb and Bill’s daughter finds out that she is pregnant and that starts a whole new storyline.

Overall, the show portrays polygamy in a more positive way than it has been shown before. While there are points in the story line that show the consequences of the lifestyle they have, Barb gets excommunicated for not denouncing her family life and their neighbors threaten and alienate them, the audience gets the impression that this is a family that does genuinely care and love one another.

It is refreshing to see a serious drama that really makes an audience question everything they knew about people who choose to practice this lifestyle. This show certainly beats out the huge amounts of television shows that are airing right now.

Since the action in this drama comes only so often, the viewer needs to stick around through a couple episodes to get hooked on this compelling show. With the new season premiering on HBO in January 2010, viewers should tune in, sit back and prepared for a slowly developing, but rewarding plot line.

Stress:The Enemy

The list of student worries is never a short one: Tests, papers, illness, work, relationships among other things lead students to experience a high level of stress.
Personally, I have had to struggle with the difficult task of balancing homework from 7 classes, work and trying to maintain some semblance of a relationship with my boyfriend all semester. At this point it’s a struggle just to remember to set my alarm in order to make sure I climb out of bed and make it to class at the right time.
According to Questia Trusted Online Research, “if stress is not dealt with effectively, feelings of loneliness and nervousness, as well as sleeplessness and excessive worrying may result.” Obviously students don’t need to experience these additional things on top of the stress they have to begin with.
To avoid these unpleasant side effects students can engage in a number of stress relieving activities.
After asking several of my friends who happen to also be Sacramento State students what they do to relieve stress, there seems to be 5 things that most students think of when they think stress relievers.
The most common response that students gave as a way to relief stress is through exercise. Even if a person can only get away for a 30 minute walk, the benefits can still be great. Exercise has been shown to “stimulate[s] various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out,” according to MayoClinic. Not only does exercise make people feel happier, it contributes to a healthy lifestyle, which is one less thing that can contribute to stress.
The second most common answer was to manage time and money effectively. It is important for students to invest in a datebook or some other way to keep track of weekly assignments and work schedule. One student, Nikki Pottier, suggested a great way to keep track of expenses. She writes down what her income is every month and then writes down her expenses, with some simple subtraction she is able to see what money she has for shopping and going out with friends.
Another thing students cited as a way to relieve stress is by listening to music. Although several students wear headphones on the few minutes to their next class, listening to music for longer periods of time can be more relaxing. One of my friends said she listened to loud music instead of the usual classical music because the upbeat tempo actually helps her escape the stress of school.
As the semester starts picking up pace there are the mixed feelings of wanting it to speed up so I can officially say that I am a college graduate, but at the same time having so much to do that I wished there was more time. One thing I know for sure is that I will be trying these tactics out in the last weeks of the semester so that I don’t become totally overwhelmed.

Columnist Gail Collins

Gail Collins: author, groundbreaking journalist and journalism award recipient.

Collins started working for The New York Times in 1995. She joined the staff as a member of the editorial board and as an Op-Ed columnist. In 6 short years she managed to become the first women to ever be appointed editor of The New York Times editorial page.

This was not the first major accomplishment for Collins. Before she joined the Times she founded the Connecticut International Bureau. When she sold the Bureau in 1977, the Bureau was one of the largest news services in the country and had an impressive circulation of 30 news chains.

Collins had other miscellaneous jobs in the journalism field before joining The New York Times including working as a reporter for the United Press International and as a columnist for New York Newsday and the New York Daily.

Collins writes mostly political columns on everything from political advertising to political grooming, but she has also written on a wide range of topics including the soap opera “Guiding Light”, which recently went off the air. No matter what her topic, Collins manages to bring her signature sense of humor to every column.
It was that sense of humor and her down-to-earth tone that helped her land the prestigious New York Women in Communications Matrix award in the newspaper category in 1989.

In 2007 Collins stepped down as editor of the editorial page and took a leave from work in order to complete her latest book “When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present.” The book was published in October 2009.

As the title suggests the book is about the trials and tribulations of American women over the past 5 decades and actually is intended to take over where her lost book “America’s Women” left off. In the course of her writing, Collins reveals several statistics from the past that are unbelievable now including that in 1960 two-thirds of women that participated in a survey didn’t like the idea of a female president. Collins also discussed the mistreatment of women in professional careers including doctors and pilots.

With facts like that in mind, journalist Lesley Stahl sat down with Collins to talk to her about her new book and asked her the loaded question:

First question: Did we win? Have we achieved equality?

We definitely won. I’m not quite sure I know exactly what equality is, so I’m not sure that I would be willing to go that far. But to look back, which it’s hard to do, I was talking to the people who’ve been there. You forget what it was actually like. And, for perspective, you really have to go back and look at, say, 1960. And it’s such a stunner on every possible level.

Collins has also written “America’s Women,” “Scorpion Tongues: Gossip, Celebrity and American Politics” and “The Millennium Book,” which she co-authored with her husband, Dan Collins who is the senior producer of CBS News.com.