Another year has passed, and I am again left on the shore while another round of marvelous editors embark their Viking ships and set sail to college. I have written this letter to see them off with words of thanks.

Katherine Chan, eres mi chica bonita por siempre. I could not have survived this year without you; I have no clue how I’m going to live next year. I’ll miss your big heart, unshakable support, and lovely eyelashes. Dang it, we worked our butts off to produce a grand newspaper. Even through all the stress and freak outs, still “[y]ou have a really beautiful smile, you know.” You’ll have loads of fun, you little globe trotter, you, without my constantly ringing you up about technical difficulties. Enjoy college life, and if one day another mysterious figure approaches you on the street with compliments about your upturned lips, well, then it’s all you.

Kitty-Kat Pong, I have always admired you, with your bubbly personality, skillful writing, and impeccable grammar. Alex, at your best, working with you was very easy, and I appreciated your cooperation. Anurag, don’t even get me started. In any case, I enjoy your nerdy company and intellectual insight. Alberta, thanks for being there for me these past three years. You’re tons of fun to be around and you always know how to make me (and the entire class!) crack a smile. I’ll have you know now that I expect special discounts when I purchase bao and dan gao from your future chain of bakeries. Kayleen and Stacey, you two definitely managed our class funds expertly, leaving us a good stash to get us started next year. Jennifer and Becca, thank you for working so well under all the crunch-time deadlines we pushed at you. You both handled the layouts wonderfully and beautified our paper ten times over. I’m relieved to still have you two at Mills with me next year.

I am honored to have had the pleasure of working with all of you, and I hope you’re all proud of your contributions to The Thunderbolt.

On March 9, 2012, Portlandia, a sketch comedy show on The Independent Film Channel (IFC), ended its second season. Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein act out the various alternative archetypes living in Portland, Oregon. From imitating women working in a feminist bookstore to a couple who is trying to adjust to life in Portland, their show makes fun of the various alternative communities that make up Portland and poke fun at themselves at the same time.

When I first started watching, I did not really know what to expect from their spoofs of the counter culture; however, from the first episode of the first season, they started out with lots of laughs. I finished all of the episodes of the brilliant first season in three hours. Various other guest stars, such as Aimee Mann and Sarah McLachlan, appear and add dimension to the show

In the second season, Armisen and Brownstein build upon the characters created in the first season while making fun of more things in hipster culture. Popular characters such as the Mayor of Portland return, while new plot points like pickling and the “Allergy Pride Parade” make fun of Portland and the values of the hipster.

I encourage everyone to watch Portlandia. Not only is it funny to people in the hipster culture but also to people who are bystanders to the changing ideals of major West coast cities. The third season for the show will not begin for a while giving viewers ample time to catch up and prepare themselves for the next season. Portland may not be Seattle or San Francisco, but it has its own collection of misfits, stereotypes and laughs to be had.

The week of March 13, The Ting Tings and The Decemberists released their new albums, Sounds from Nowheresville and We All Raise Our Voices To The Air, respectively.

The Ting Tings is an English band known for their hit “That’s Not My Name.” Four years after the release of their first album, We Started Nothing, they released Sounds from Nowheresville. Though they planned to have an electro sound and a release in 2010, they scrapped most of their songs and rewrote most of the album.

Katie White, the lead singer, said, “We were in Berlin where there is a great electro scene, and so we made songs like that, but quickly realized that everything on the radio was Euro-pop.”

Their song “Hands” is one of the tracks that is from their electro phase. Their new album features a distinctive rock sound mixed with new-wave hallmarks. Their first single, “Hang It Up,” mixes the usual rock instruments with synthetic sounds and beats.

In junction with their 2011 release, The King Is Dead, The Decemberists are releasing We All Raise Our Voices To The Air, an album featuring live material from concert performances of their recent and past songs. The King Is Dead, their most commercially successful album to date, has spawned hits such as “This Is Why We Fight” and “Down By The Water.” Their live album mixes vaudevillesque experiments and banters to the audiences between performances of their songs, an interesting concept for a live album. Their choice to mix the two mediums presents the true spirit of The Decemberists’ concerts, allowing listeners to really feel like they are in the audience.

Most addicting games on Smart Phones

People have been obsessively playing games on their smart phones with wide eyes, nonstop finger swiping and occasional happy faces and defeated faces. With catchy background music and eye-catching graphics, addictive apps are a phenomenon for new videogame-lovers and for people who want to occupy themselves.  Some people strive to beat their previous high score while others take two minutes out of their busy lives to play a game or two. The following are a few of the most addictive phone apps:

Temple Run: What seems to be an idiotic and simple game of a crudely drawn ranger running through ancient ruins is one of the most addicting games in the app store. The goal of the game is to survive through water hazards, trees, and gorillas while collecting coins. People try to beat their highest record and collect more coins to unlock equipment and new players. Given a rating of five, Temple Run is definitely an addictive game that you will not be able to get your hands off of.

Draw Something: A game involving two people, Draw Something is a game that tests the ability for a person to depict a picture and for the opponent to guess what the image is. Not only is this a fun way to digitally impress friends with your expertise in art, but it is also a way to laugh at silly drawings and impressions made by other people. From drawings that range from bacon to Brad Pitt, Draw Something has been one of the most fun and addictive duels of drawing.

Fruit Ninja: You might have seen people madly swiping on their phones; there can only be one answer to this mad action—Fruit Ninja! An Asian-and-fruit-infused ninja game, Fruit Ninja is a highly mental and physical game with the player’s goal of reaching a high score. With an instant swipe of a finger, sounds of fruit chopping are heard while the number on the screen’s left side increases.

Cut the Rope:Cute and adorable, Cut the Rope is a game with a candy-loving frog. Your goal is to get the candy through different obstacles and into the frog’s stomach in order to clear a level. With attractive and witty background music, Cut the Rope is definitely an addicting game

for all game lovers.

Wondering what Mills students think about the holidays? Here are some fun things about what students have to say!

What was the weirdest Christmas present you received?

"The weirdest present I ever got was toilet paper and socks with money in them from my parents." -Olivia Chow, sophomore

What do you do with gifts you don’t like?

"I save them and give them to other people." -Angelina Dwyer, senior

"I'll keep them in a box labeled 'Gifts I Don't Like.' It's funny because I actually have one." -Rafael Rivas, senior

Do you believe in Santa? Why or why not?

"I do believe in Santa because he stands for happiness." -Danny Hogan, junior

"I believe in Santa because when I leave out ginger bread cookies for him and carrots and water for the reindeer, they are gone and eaten up in the morning. He also replies to the letters I give him." -Lindsey Huffman, sophomore

What would you do if  it suddenly started snowing in Millbrae?

"I would make a Facebook status about it." -Kendra McIntyre, junior

"I would go outside, make a snowman, and go sledding!" -Nate Gaffney

What’s the best way to celebrate the holidays?

"The best way is to spend it with the fam, friends, and loved ones." -RJ Reyes, sophomore

All Photo Credits: Serina Hersey

Don’t you just love to snuggle in a warm blanket while watching a holiday movie and snacking on delicious, festive treats? Well, these are a few recipes that will definitely taste like the holidays.

Egg Nog

You will need:

• 4 Cups of Milk
• 5 whole cloves
• ½ tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 12 egg yolks
• 1 ½ cups of sugar
• 4 cups of cream
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg

Directions

1)     Boil the milk with cloves, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and cinnamon

2)    Separate egg yolks from eggs and whisk with sugar until it becomes wispy

3)     Wisk the hot mixture of milk into the wispy mixture of eggs and sugar

4)     Continue to stir and slowly add the cream

5)     Serve and enjoy!

Nutella Hot chocolate

You will need:

• Milk
• Nutella
• Marshmallows

Directions:

1)     Heat the milk on a stove

2)     Once it is at a boil, add Nutella and serve with marshmallows

Vanilla Peppermint Cupcakes

Vanilla Peppermint Cupcake

You will need:

For the Cupcakes

• 1½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
•  1/4 tsp coarse salt
• ½ cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. peppermint extract
• ½ cup (1 stick) of butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature

For the Frosting

• 1 Cup ( 2 sticks ) unsalted butter, firm but not cold
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3½ cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. Peppermint extract

Cake Directions

1)     Mix the dry ingredients together and set aside

2)     Cream together the eggs, sugar, and butter

3)     Add half of the dry ingredients with the sugar, eggs, and butter

4)     Mix together the wet ingredients and add it into the batter

5)     Add the rest of the dry ingredients

6)     Batter complete-scoop into cupcake liners and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

Frosting Directions

1)     Wisk the unsalted butter

2)     Add confectioners sugar slowly

3)     Add the peppermint extract and vanilla extract

Holiday Sugar Cookies

Holiday Christmas Cookies

You will need:

Cookie Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda

Royal Icing Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar

Direction for Cookies:

1)    Mix all the ingredients together

2)    Form dough and chill for 2 hours

3)    Take out dug from the fridge and roll it out

4)    Make holiday designs with cookie cutters

5)    Bake at 350 Degrees for 10 minutes

Directions for the Royal Icing:

1)     Whip the eggs until they are white

2)     Add confectioners sugar and cream of tartar

3)     Continue whisking until it forms peaks

4)     Decorate cookies and serve

Peppermint Bark

Peppermint Bark

You will need:

• White Chocolate
• Milk/ Dark Chocolate
• Candy Canes

Directions:

1)     Melt the white chocolate and the dark/milk chocolate separately

2)     Get a pan and place parchment paper in it

3)     Spread the dark/ milk chocolate on the bottom first

4)     Set in the fridge for 10 minutes

5)     Pour the white chocolate on top and sprinkle crushed candy canes

6)     Chill overnight and serve

The solutions to this crossword will be posted on December 22.

Answers will be posted on November 30.