April 29^th, 2008, that is the planned release date on Amazon.com for Beverly Hills 90210 Season 4. Now, our generations (meaning those 15-18 or whoever feels they fit in this category) are more into the OC – Taylor…really? – Or One Tree Hill – Season 5 is here – But this is old school teen drama. Well, old in the way that their outfits were “so 90’s.” This teen drama dealt with everything teen before The OC and One Tree Hill hit the scene. I give Degrassi more credit for numerous reasons but I won’t go into that now.

The reason I am bringing this up, is just the fact that I was thinking about it and in my opinion – not to put down any of the other shows – but Beverly Hills was and is the best teen drama of all time. You have the Dylan (Rebel without a cause), Kelly (most beautiful/ riches girl in school), Brenda (Shannen Doherty) love triangle which hit the screen during season three – this is what the show is known for. Then there is the whole Andrea Zuckerman (nerdy girl) and Brandon (cool sensitive guy) thing. There is so much drama which surrounds this over-a-decade-running-show. Personally, I think the first seasons, I feel the acting is superb. If you don’t care to watch, “The High School Years,” then there are “The College Years and “Adult Years” too.

Catch Beverly Hills 90210 on SOAPnet, the channel also features One Tree Hill and The OC.

-Sean Krimmel

Okay, so the storm that has been hitting our area for the past few days finally cleared up. Just in time too because now its time to return to the windowless halls of Northgate. Exactly what type of trials and tribulations does one face in the gloomy weather? There are the crucial ones like the power going out and giant floods (levy break – Nevada.) I am talking about the little things that affect all of us. No matter where or who you are.  The thing I really dislike is wet shoes.  

Background: Friend’s Birthday

Time and Date:  Saturday January 5, 2008

Mission: Get Apple Store Gift card

Plan: Park in Barns n Noble parking lot at Downtown Walnut Creek, go up the elevator (Which has anyone noticed the safety check form in it has expired…like two years ago?), Exit through the CD area, run past that one store, arrive at apple store.

 I drove into the Barnes n Noble Parking lot only to discover it was full, on a Saturday I shouldn’t be surprised. Anyway, as I went down a steep ramp into the underground parking my windows fogged – fast. I am never quite sure what to do turn up the heat or the cold air? The heat usually works but right then it wasn’t. I took a turn with not enough room and hit the side of the wall. Don’t worry my car is fine, so is the wall. More cautious I continued down to the very bottom, windows still foggy, I had to maneuver my car to turn around – in a ridiculously narrow space and back out. This was the first problem by the rain, foggy windows. 

Eventually I made my way to the parking structure behind Macy’s and walked the long walk all the way to the Apple store. My brand new converse – made to look old, go figure – were probably the worse thing to wear that day. If there is anything I hate about downpours is when they soak shoes all the way to your toes. I stepped into a few puddles on the way there and my shoes got wet. This would be the day I realized there was no umbrella in my car. Another thing about the rain is, for those with glasses, when the drops fall on them it is impossible to see. Those were reasons two and three.

 I got the gift and returned home. Okay, yeah compared to the inconvenience others suffered that day I got off pretty lucky. This blog was about the tiny things though.

- Sean Krimmel

Okay, okay, I know it is kind of sort of a chick book. Yes, I am talking about Twilight, anyway I got it for Christmas and finished it yesterday and I get it. Twilight written by Stephenie Meyer is a book about a girl named Bella and her romance with a boy…er…vampire named Edward. What lured me into this book was the fact that numerous of my friends had read it and recommended it highly. There are already two sequels out for it: New Moon and Eclipse. Both Twilight and New Moon are on New York Times bestseller list.

 Back to what I thought, so there were parts that dragged on for me, the romance parts of course. A big chunk of this book is basically Edward and Bella saying they love each other. That got boring for me after a while, so what kept me reading? I really liked the supernatural aspect of the book and how Meyer created a unique vampire that doesn’t go by the books. There is also so action and suspense here and there, which kept it exciting. Her writing style was simple and easy to follow. I like that in a book. I like this book, it might be worth checking out, plus they are making a movie out of it. Way cool.

-Sean Krimmel

Just a thought: ambulances are scary. Okay, now for more detail. Last weekend my friend and I decided to see ‘August Rush,’ so being spontaneous, we went to ‘This Christmas.’ An ambulance appeared behind us and we were in back-to-back traffic unable to move over. We got out of its way eventually, but it got both of us thinking just how scary ambulances are. It’s not really the actual ambulance, but the idea of it. The thing is, if you get in their way someone could die – literally. We both discussed all the intricacies of this scenario and decided, yes it was the worst. If you get in the way of a cop car all that can happen is an expensive ticket. Handling something yourself is much different than knowing you were part of the reason someone lost a life. Just a thought, from a couple of teenage drivers.

-Sean Krimmel

I just watched Atonement and it was brilliant. The movie itself jumped back and forth in time and followed different characters points of views, the way it was done was beautiful. Plus, it was like a period piece and everything was amazing. There was this once part, I won’t ruin the movie don’t worry, on the  beach at Dunkirk and it was so cool how the camera moved around the scene. I highly recommend  this movie for everyone to see.

-Sean Krimmel

Tomorrow the seniors of Northgate will dress up in business attire and spend their day in “Senate.” I am looking foward to this, just not all the work that comes with it. Mock Congress is a big deal around campus because basically this determines your government grade. A grade which determines if you graduate or not. In preperation, the teachers instruct us to make pre-votes, write speeches, and understand four pages of rules. It’s complicated and confusing, so the best time for it would be right arond when CSU and UC apps were turned in and USC suppliments as well as the scholarship consideration is due. Well, I am off to be Senator Krimmel.

-Sean Krimmel

I woke up at 5:50am and rolled out of bed the day after Thanksgiving to go to Kohls. There were great deals and I got all my shopping done quickly. It was the waiting in line for one hour that got to me. Okay, it wasn’t the waiting that got to me it was the buying. The line wrapped throughout the store. Thus, it twisted around all the on-sale signs. I waited in line and as I passed a good deal – rainbow colored slippers half off, heck yes – I got it. I tripled the amount of things I bought just waiting in line.

So now I am in dept to my mother and it’s Monday, that special after thanksgiving on-line sale Monday. At least I wont be in a line.
-Sean

Okay, so being (co) president of the Red Cross Club at my school it was my duty to pick days for a carwash. Naturally, I pick Saturday. No SAT’s or ACT’s or anything. Perfect day, right? Well, it was sunny all week so that, of course, means that it would and it did rain on Saturday.

So what was I to do? A car wash in the rain? I did what any kid in my position would do. I danced out in the rain holding up a sign. Turns out, I hit a nail. Instead of washing cars we held up signs that had “You can donate,” or “It’s raining and our car wash was ruined!” Looks like this was the trick, we got more money from donations than I think we would have if it were an actual car wash.

Today my feet hurt from jumping around…but it was worth it.

Happy Monday after Veteran’s Day, hope everyone who has a day off is enjoying it.

-Sean Krimmel

I am not much of a sport player, as a matter of a fact I don’t really have a sports aspect in my life at all. There is the occasional game of soccer with friends or trip to the community pool to swim laps but beyond that I don’t invest much time in it. Then there is football, lord knows why this isn’t Americas pastime instead of baseball.

Homecoming game: Northgate vs. Mt. Diablo.

The thrill in the air captivated me. There was something about the cheers and shouts, this game more than any other. For the majority of the game the score was 8 Northgate 7 Mt. D. Mt. Diablo got a touchdown in the fourth quarter, which sent Northgate into a frenzy. I was caught up in the excitement and our team got another touchdown. Mt. Diablo was trudging down the field and it was intense. If they would have gotten another point it would have been all over. They tried to kick it in the four seconds left but missed.

Then it hit me, it wasn’t the actual game that mattered. Sports were still in the same category as before. It was the pride I get from my school when we win a game. I thought before I became a senior I wouldn’t have any school spirit. The year’s leading up to it were lacking with the red and gold (my school’s colors.) Yet, when senior year rolled along there it came. I am not sure exactly where it comes from, but it’s here, and I don’t hate it.

-Sean Krimmel

Since Halloween is just around the corner, I thought I would share one of my favorite pastimes: horror movies. I am not sure if I have some psychotic mentality about it but when I watch horror movies I usually end up laughing.

It all started two years ago, with Nightmare on Elm Street. I watched it on Bravo and the story instantly caught me. The thought of being killed in your dreams by some powerful entity named Freddy Kruger just intrigued me. Oh, let’s not forget, the precious “nerdy-girl-next-door,” archetype. This is probably one of my favorite things about the horror genre, powerful female characters. These tend to be the most exciting scenes for me, when they finally take the monster on one-on-one.

In Nightmare on Elm Street it was Nancy who took on her night terror by setting up traps in her house before going to confront him in her sleep. She isn’t the only tough chick in town.

Laurie Strode combated Mike Myers in Halloween. (I liked both versions new and old, for different reasons. Although, I think the newer Laurie wasn’t as resourceful as Jamie Lee Curtis played her in the original.) In the original she used everything, from knitting needles to close hangers. Laurie was a force to be reckoned with.

Those are two basic’s from the teen-slasher genre, but both are good to watch for Halloween. One movie that people usually haven’t heard about is called The Reeker, yeah dumb title, but I thought it was fairly decent. Basically, teenagers stuck in the desert and an evil entity is trying to kill them. I can’t give away anything else or it would ruin the twist.

Anyway, my friends and I have been looking into Horrorfest, (http://www.horrorfestonline.com/.) It’s a grouping of horror movies that enters select theaters for a short time. Horror movie buffs might want to check it out.

The movies I am planning on watching for Halloween, or when I get to them, are: The Exorcist and Poltergeist, I need to see these old-school horrors and it’s frightening that I haven’t seen them yet.

-Sean Krimmel