The "Doomsday Generation"

In a generation that has yet to be defined, I believe I have a suggestion. The "Doomsday Generation." In the 1940s there was the "Greatest Generation" and in the 1960s you have the "Flower Power Generation", but the current generation is a lot more gloomier...and they like it.

In a Reuters poll, 15 percent of people worldwide, believe that the world will end in their lifetime. In a separate Newsweek poll, up to 71 percent of Evangelical Protestants believe the world will end in their lifetime. Out of that 71 percent, 28 percent are "looking forward" to the end of time.

Nearly one in four people who identified themselves with a religion, are happy because they believe the world will end while they are alive. Why? Presumably, many of these people have kids and grandkids. Don't they want their relatives to enjoy a full life? It's one thing to believe in a glorious afterlife, but why rush it?

In another Newsweek poll, in the November 1st issue, 47 percent of people who believe in the  Armageddon prophecy from The Bible, believe that the Anti-Christ is already walking this planet and is setting his plans in motion.

Large majorities of believers in the second coming of Christ believe that current events such as natural disasters (83 percent), epidemics like AIDS and Ebola (66 percent) and outbreaks of violence like shootings (62 percent), are a sign that it will happen soon.

This doesn't even count the people out there that believe in a more science-based ending to humanity and/or our planet. This demographic believes that the world will end via climate change, nuclear weapons, asteroid, or disease/famine.

In the past 15 years alone, there have been two major dates that passed, that were believed to be the end of the world. Y2K was supposed to be the end of the world because many people believed computers would reset themselves to 1900, instead of 2000. One in five people actually believed that Y2K would produce at least some tragic accident.

For those that are into the Mayans, they believed that on December 21, 2012, that the planets would align, ripping the planet apart, or that an asteroid would connect with Earth and send us into the fourteenth b'ak'tun . The day passed just as any other would, and some people were actually depressed that nothing major occurred.

Even the head of one of America's largest churches, John Hagee of the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, which has 20,000 followers, announced that he believed that the world would end in 2005 when Islamic and Russian states invade Israel and be destroyed by God. This would allow the head of the European Union, who he believed to be the Anti-Christ, to create further confrontation over Israel, between China and the West.

It just seems absurd that people of this generation, seem to welcome some sort of end to our world. Has this generation become so jaded, that they don't care about the future of humanity, let alone the future of their own family? Whether it's simple curiosity or some sort of dislike for one's fellow man, there are too many people out there, literally hoping for the worst.

This is why I term this generation, "The Doomsday Generation." Even with all the advancements in culture, science, and human relations, people are more negative than ever. Instead of looking for ways to end the world and even encourage it, people should be finding ways to preserve it and even preserve the human race.

15 Artists/Groups That Have Been Snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

With the recent announcement of the latest inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, there leaves a long list of music artists and groups that have been snubbed. The 2015 inductees include Green Day, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and Bill Withers. To be voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a music group or artist had to released their first album 25 years prior to nomination.

Here's a )))))))) groups/artists that have been snubbed, despite having waited the appropriate 25 years.

1. Nine Inch Nails: Having released Pretty Hate Machine in 1989, this Cleveland band's first album had four hit songs. Head Like a Hole, Sin, Something I Can Never Have, and Down in It. Since then the industrial metal band has poured out more hits that most bands will ever have in a lifetime. Other hits include Closer, The Perfect Drug, The Hand That Feeds, and Only.

Singer and writer Trent Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails (pictured above) and has been at odds with the corporate music world for years. He formed his own record label called Nothing Records in 1992, to release his own music without the interference of a major label telling him what he could and could not do. Under Nothing Records, he not only released the Nine Inch Nails albums, but also fellow industrial metal artist, Marilyn Manson. Nothing Records became defunct in 2004, but Reznor then formed Null Corporation in 2008 to release more Nine Inch Nails albums.

Reznor and Nine Inch Nails have not always been a favorite of the music industry. After giving away flash drives containing his music, for free at select concerts, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sent cease and desist notices out to the fans who spread the music on the internet, despite the permission of the band and label. Reznor also found himself in a battle with Fox News, when on multiple occasions, they used Nine Inch Nails music on their programming, despite being told they weren't allowed to use any of Reznor's music.

2. Bon Jovi: The second biggest New Jersey rock act behind Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi released their first album in 1984. They have been snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the past five years.

With hits such as Livin' On a Prayer, In and Out of Love, Wanted Dead or Alive, and It's My Life, Bon Jovi has racked up a total of 100 million-plus record sales world-wide. Members Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009, but as a band, have yet to reach that distinction. The pop/rock group has been nominated for nine Grammy awards total.

3. The Cure: The English Goth-emo band has been snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for over a decade now. Releasing their first album in 1979, it wasn't until 1982, when The Cure released Pornography, that they finally started to gain momentum. Pornography was listed number 83 out of the top 100 "albums that changed the world" by Mojo Magazine.

Later on, they released some of the biggest hits of the '80s and '90s, including Boys Don't Cry, Just Like Heaven, Lovesong, Pictures of You, and Friday I'm in Love.

The Cure was one of the first alternative rock bands to chart, before alternative rock went mainstream. With the amount of hits they cranked out, they are still one of the best selling alternative rock bands of all-time.

4. Depeche Mode: The English electronic rock band first released Speak & Spell in 1981, which contained hit single Just Can't Get Enough. For the past eight years of eligibility, they have yet to even been nominated. Having sold over 100 million albums, they are one of the best selling rock bands in history.

Depeche Mode hits include Never Let Me Down Again, Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, and Precious. They have been nominated for five Grammy awards and have released 53 singles that have charted on US and/or UK music charts. Q Magazine listed them as one of the top 50 bands "that changed the world."

Despite their success, that still continues 'til this day, Depeche Mode has received no love from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

5. Ozzy Osbourne: Formerly the lead singer of Black Sabbath, the band that laid the foundation for heavy metal, Ozzy has never been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, despite having success in his solo years. Since leaving the hall of fame band in 1979, Ozzy recorded 11 studio albums that resulted in 34 singles.

Hits of Osbourne's include Crazy Train, Mr. Crowley, Bark at the Moon, Mama I'm Coming Home, and I Don't Wanna Stop. The Grammy award winning solo artist has earned the nickname "Godfather of Heavy Metal."

Despite his success, Ozzy will be forever known for his antics including biting the head off a dove after signing a record deal and biting the head off a bat on stage. He also has been accused by various Christian groups for promoting Satanism through his music, despite the fact that he's a practicing member of the Church of England.

6. Steve Miller Band: Forming in San Francisco in 1968, the acid-rock band has released 30 singles from their 18 studio albums. Their album Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits 1974-1978 sold 13 million copies alone.

Steve Miller Band hits include The Joker, Rock'n Me, Fly Like an Eagle, and Jungle Love.

Despite their success, they have yet to be nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite being eligible for the past 21 years.

7. Deep Purple: Despite being eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the past 21 years and selling over 100 million albums worldwide, the band has only been nominated twice.

In 1975, Deep Purple was listed in The Guinness Book of World Records for being "the globe's loudest band" for a concert they played in 1972. They have been credited as one of the pioneers of hard rock and heavy metal along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.

Deep Purple hits include Hush, Smoke on the Water, and Kentucky Woman.

One of the two years they were nominated, they were second place in the fan vote, with over a half of million votes. Various members of other legendary rock bands including Slash, Lars Ulrich, Geddy Lee, Gene Simmons, and Steve Lukhather have all lobbied unsuccessfully on behalf of Deep Purple.

8. Dick Dale: Achievements such as the hall of fame status, should have been a "no brainer," but 27 years after his being eligible, Dick Dale has yet to even have been nominated. The "King of Surfer Rock" was born out of Boston and comes from Lebanese descent.

The lefty guitarist, was known to string his guitar upside-down and has played with his original reverb and Showman amps since 1960.

His song Misirlou is one of the most famous rock songs in history. Let's Go Trippin' is often regarded by music experts as the first official surf rock song in history.

9. Duran Duran: Since 1981, the English new-wave band led the "second British invasion" and have sold over 100 million albums world-wide. They have won two Grammy awards and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the MTV Video Music Awards.

One of the lead bands to fully grasp the potential of the music video, Duran Duran filmed videos at exotic locations such as Antigua and Sri Lanka. They even had future movie director Russell Mulcahy shoot their videos for them.

Duran Duran hits include blockbusters such as Girls on Film, Hungry Like a Wolf, Rio, and The Reflex. In total, they released 39 singles and sold over 70 million albums. Despite their success, they have been eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 8 years, but have yet to be nominated.

10. Soundgarden: Forming in Seattle in 1984 and releasing their first album in 1988, Soundgarden became one of the giants to form the grunge rock movement along with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains.

Their album Superunknown produced five hit singles, 2 Grammy's, and a "Best Metal/Hard Rock Video" for Black Hole Sun at the MTV Video Awards. Superunknown debuted number one on the Billboard 200 album chart and has been certified five times platinum.

Soundgarden hits include Black Hole Sun, Spoonman, Burden in my Hand, Blow Up the Outside World, and Live to Rise.

They have been nominated eight times total for a Grammy and their involvement with Sub Pop Records, is what inspired Kurt Cobain to convince Nirvana to sign with the legendary grunge label.

11. Dolly Parton: The country pop artist has been recording since 1959 and has released 106 singles over the years. Despite being in the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, she has yet to have been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Parton's hits include Jolene, I Will Always Love You, 9 to 5, and Islands in the Stream.

She has earned eight Grammy's out of 46 nominations. Parton has had 25 RIAA certified gold and/or platinum albums, 25 songs that landed the number one spot in the Country Billboard charts (record for a female artist), 41 top 10 country albums, and over 100 million albums sold.

A multi-faceted performer, she has translated her music career into a stage, film, and a philanthropic career as well.

12. Dire Straits: The blues rock band from England, that released their first album in 1978, has been eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the past 11 years, but has yet to receive a nomination.

Their hit Sultans of Swing is a song that can be heard in any baseball stadium across America before and during games.

Brothers in Arms sold over 30 million albums alone and was the very first CD to sell over a million copies. They are one of the world's most commercially successful bands, with over 120 million albums sold.

Dire Straits' hits include Sultans of Swing, Money for Nothing, Walk of Life, Lady Writer, and So Far Away.

Over the years, they have won four Grammy's and have been nominated 9 times total.

13. Jan and Dean: Pioneers in the surf rock craze, over an eight-year period they released 26 hit singles. In collaboration with the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson they released hits such as Surf City and The Little Old Lady From Pasadena.

They have been eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the past 29 years, but have yet to receive one nomination. Despite this, they were elected to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.

14. The B-52's: Releasing their first album in 1979, the B-52's ushered in the new wave scene into the mainstream. Their "guys vs. gals" vocals and the "call and response" style of music, has been a trademark of theirs over the years.

Their hits include Rock Lobster, Funplex, Love Shack, Roam, and Private Idaho.

15. Massive Attack: The first trip hop group to go mainstream, Massive Attack has two albums that are listed on Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 Greatest Albums of All-Time."

Eligible for their first nomination this year, Massive Attack was unable to gain a nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Massive Attack hits include Unfinished Sympathy, Protection, Angel, Inertia Creeps, and Teardrop, which served as the theme song for the hit TV show House.

Without Massive Attack, artists/groups such as Portishead, Tricky, and the Sneaker Pimps would have had a harder time making it to the mainstream.

3 TV Characters That Deserved Their Own Spinoff

Throughout television history, there have been characters that captured the TV viewers attention. Most of the time this is the starring character, but occasionally a supporting character steals the show. Sometimes these characters develop into the starring character, such as Jaleel White's Urkel on Family Matters. Sometimes these characters get a spinoff of their own, such as Frasier from Cheers.

During shows with longer runs, many of the supporting characters are so well written and gain such a following of their own, they deserve their own show.

Here is a list of five characters that deserve their own show...

1. Willow Rosenberg: The quirky sidekick to Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Willow developed into a major player in the final seasons. She learned witchcraft and within several seasons, became one of the most powerful people on the planet--especially when she was angry. Any doubt to how powerful she could be, was erased after her girlfriend, Tara, was murdered. She even brought Buffy back to life after she died during the final battle against Glory.

Willow also appeared in several episodes of the Buffy spinoff, Angel. And why not? She was powerful enough to restore Angel's soul into his body, making him the only vampire with a soul--for a while. She was a likeable character, but also showed hints of kicking ass and even hints of having a dark side. When she met her alternate universe self, her evil alternate who happened to be a vampire, was turned on by seeing the good version of her self.

Surviving the fall of Sunnydale, she could foreseeably have a continuing storyline. While she has one in comic book form, a television version would have made Buffy fans excited. Unfortunately with the success of How I Met Your Mother, Alyson Hannigan would probably never reprise her role as Willow.

2. Worf: The lone Klingon serving in the Federation, Worf went from the lowest ranked member on the bridge of Star Trek: The Next Generation to a lieutenant who was head of security on the Enterprise-D, to lieutenant commander on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to Federation ambassador on the Klingon home world.

Worf's story continued in the pocket books, when he eventually replaced William Riker as commander on the Enterprise-E. There was a motion to film another generation of Star Trek on television, with Worf as the captain of his own ship, but this apparently has been delayed or killed off.

A spinoff with Worf as a captain could have been captivating. It could have been the first Star Trek universe show or movie that centered around a Klingon ship. Not only would this have given Worf more of a backstory that has been developed so well through two Star Trek series, but clever writers could have added more to the backstory to the Klingon race.

3. Jack Bristow: Now you're probably flashing back to the Alias episode when Jack died. Jack had years of experience as a covert agent of the CIA and infiltrating the crime syndicate, SD-6. In his years before the Alias storyline, he had partnered with former CIA agent Arvin Sloane to run SD-6, married a Russian spy named Irina, and did this all under the cover of a airplane parts supplier, during the Cold War era.

There's a lot of possible storylines that can be featured in a prequel series. Fans of the Alias series would even get a kick out of seeing how a young Arvin Sloane turns evil, a young Irina Derevko seduce Jack, and how a young Sydney Bristow grows up.

Sony Pictures Lacks Backbone in Pulling 'The Interview'

Setting a dangerous precedent, Sony Pictures The Interview from movie theaters, in fear of retaliation from the North Korean government. The Seth Rogen and James Franco movie, features a possible CIA assassination attempt on North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

Michael Lynton, CEO to Sony Pictures, backed out in fear of terrorist actions by North Korea or further by their ominous Unit 121, a cyber hacking unit that operates in North Korea or in cities within the borders of China, but near North Korea. Lynton blamed movie theater chains for backing out of showing the movie.

The problem with that is, that there are movie theater chains, including independent ones that are still publicly saying they are willing to show the movie.

Even if all movie theaters backed out, Sony Pictures would still have avenues to distribute the film, but at this point, have ruled them all out as well. While they wouldn't recuperate all their costs in making the film, they could still recuperate some of their $44 million costs by releasing the film on video-on-demand.

If they are scared that terrorist attacks could happen in individual theaters, let movie spectators view the movie in the safety of their own homes. North Korea can't attack every home in America.

The movie was originally slated for a Christmas release date. Imagine all those families that join together over the holidays, watching the movie at home for $10, which is a steal of a discount for the movie spectators and still a way to lessen Sony Pictures' loses.

"To date, we don't have any takers — neither on the video demand side nor on the e-commerce side," said Lynton. "People have been generally fearful about the possibility of their systems being corrupted, and so there have been a lot of conversations about the robustness of various systems to be able to make sure they're not hacked, if and when we put the movie out digitally."

This is another falsehood by the Sony Pictures CEO. While a small percentage may side with him on this, many more people don't. They want to see the film.

It was even suggested that The Interview be shown on Sony PlayStation systems, which can stream movies. Lynton backed out of this as well, saying he believes that if the movie were to be released, it would have to be on a wider scale.

Sony finally announced today, that they plan to distribute the movie on Crackle, a streaming service that they own. Unfortunately for many moviegoers, this limits the possible audience that can see it. Crackle is the fourth most watched streaming service in America, behind Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.

Hacker group, Guardians of Peace, released a follow-up threat to Sony Pictures, stating, "Now we want you never let the movie released, distributed or leaked in any form of, for instance, DVD or piracy." They continued to say, "And we want everything related to the movie, including its trailers, as well as its full version down from any website hosting them immediately."

While lacking in grammatical skills, the threat still has Sony Pictures shaking in their boots.

The situation even garnered attention from the American government and President Barack Obama called Sony Pictures' standpoint, a mistake. President Obama said that Sony could have contacted the U.S. government and found a way to distribute the movie, not letting a foreign dictator determine whether a movie comes out or not in America.

It sets a dangerous precedent said Obama. He's right. If movie studios are so willing to back out, other dictators or even terrorist organizations such as ISIS could possibly follow a similar route now, when a movie or even a documentary is slated for release, that they don't approve of.

Unfortunately, Sony Pictures is not the only movie studio to bow down in fear of the North Korean government. Paramount Pictures, which screens their film Team America: World Police in individual venues because of the movie's cult following, has pulled the plug on the movie being shown.

Team America: World Police features an American paramilitary unit going in to assassinate then North Korea leader, Kim Jong Il, father to Kim Jong Un. Starring a cast made of marionette puppets, the movie was to be shown at the famous Alamo Drafthouse. Paramount Pictures followed Sony Pictures lead and pulled the plug.

When these movies were originally green-lit, the studios had to been aware that the movie could anger the North Korean government. To claim different, is either a blatant lie or the lack of backbone at the last second.

Falling under the radar is the fact that pulling The Interview from theaters, has cost Seth Rogen millions of dollars for writing, directing, producing, and starring in the movie. Despite having the opportunity to sue Sony Pictures with just cause, Rogen announced he'll refrain from doing so.

So what's next? Al-Qaeda forcing Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to pull DVD sales of Zero Dark Thirty? What about Warner Bros. being threatened by Iran for the hit movie, Argo? Setting a dangerous precedent, Sony Pictures has now opened the flood doors for other studios to also be attacked.

8 Characters in Movies/TV That Never Should Have Been Created

Many times when screenwriters work on their scripts, they have an idea who the popular characters will be. Sometimes though, a pleasant surprise takes place and a character they wrote will gather a fan base.

Initially Kevin Smith never meant for Jay and Silent Bob to be as popular as they became. In cases such as this, some of these characters could be absurd in nature and utterly ridiculous. I submit to you, the top 10 characters that are popular in movies or TV, but for no real reason, should have become the pop icon that they became...

1. Towelie: Perhaps the most absurd character ever created on TV, Towelie was purposely created my Matt Stone and Trey Parker to be the worst character ever created. In brainstorming for "horrible" ideas, they came up with a talking towel that continually asks people, including the kids of Southpark, "don't forget to bring a towel." No real depth to the character. No real motivation other than getting high. Yet, thanks to a faux commercial in between the commercial breaks, when the episode debuted, Towelie's popularity soared.

Parker and Stone were increasingly aware of how their characters were being merchandised by Comedy Central and intended to design Towelie purposely as a two-dimensional character, both literally and figuratively, to poke fun at this.

Even Towelie was aware of his own lackluster quality. In the end of the episode he debuted, even Cartman said to Towelie, "You're the worst character ever, Towelie." Towelie then responded, "I know."

2. R2-D2: The popular droid from Star Wars is essentially a robot that rolls on three wheels and beeps, boops, and whistles. No communication skills that the audience can really understand, beyond the screaming sound in an action scene, R2-D2 provides no real depth as a character. Essentially he is a white trashcan that exists because he is possibly the only character that could deal with C-3PO.

3. Poochie: A character of a show within a show, Poochie was a skateboarding riding dog seen on The Simpsons. His character was sort of a comment on how marketing departments of television and film, create characters not for entertainment value, but for monetary value. His character was added to the Itchy & Scratchy show because the producers thought the cartoon was getting stale. Unfortunately for Homer Simpson, Poochie was killed off.

4. Aubrey Flemming-Dakota Moss: From the horribly rated movie I Know Who Killed Me, Lindsey Lohan played both twins, that have no idea that each other exists. After the "good one" (Aubrey) is abducted and tortured, the "bad one" (Dakota), ends up setting aside her stripping career (and apparently her emotions) to avenge the abduction and what might be the death of her identical twin that she had no idea existed. In the end Dakota saves Aubrey from a death of being buried alive.

5. The Great Gazoo: A little green alien from The Flintstones, that is banished from his home planet of Zetox, he is sent back into time and to Earth, but only Fred, Barney, the kids, and animals can see him. Despite being smart enough to apparently invent the first device that can destroy the universe, he seems to get Fred into trouble constantly, when he tries to help out his stone-age friend. He constantly refers to his prehistoric friends as "dum-dums". Despite his wishes to return home, he never does...because "The Flintstones" was cancelled before his story-arc was ever wrapped up.

6. Dawson Leery: Other than the obvious whiny attitude he has, the Dawson's Creek star is constantly in what I call a "Betty and Veronica" syndrome. He constantly bounces back and forth in relationships between Joey Potter, the brunette, and Jen Lindley, the blonde. Despite having two girls that would at times appear to cut off their right arm to be with him, he swims through his teenage and early adult years, stuck in what can only be the physical embodiment of a Smiths song...emo and always contemplating whether the grass is greener on the other side. Even when he's not bouncing back and forth between the two girls, he manages to snag and sleep with his best bud's older sister (Gretchen Witter), find another blonde girl who is willing to get down and dirty (Eve), and in his adult years he finds another girl who is an aspiring actress that is even willing to role play with him. Yet he is never happy. Plus we all know it really should be called "Joey's Creek" since everyone seems to end up wanting to hook up with her.

7. Seven: The newest member of the Bundy clan in Married With Children, during season seven, he was the son of Zemus and Ida Mae Wanker, Peggy's cousins. After being ditched by his parents, he is semi-adopted by the Bundy family for seven episodes, before mysteriously disappearing from the show, without any explanation. Fans of the show hated the character and some guessed that he only appeared as an answer to Peg Bundy's mysterious pregnancy that also never happened (actress Katey Sagal was pregnant in real life and it was written into the show, but she after an emergency cesarean, delivered a still-born daughter).

8. Disco Stu: The one-dimensional of The Simpsons, who serves little purpose on the show than to be annoying. The only depth to his personal storyline is that he is one of Selma Bouvier's many husbands.

My 2015 Hall of Fame Ballot, if I Had One

Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Wikipedia via Flickr

A week ago, the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) announced which retired baseball players would be placed on the 2015 ballot for the Hall of Fame vote. A total of 34 players were included on the ballot, including 17 first-year eligible players.

Like any given year, a writer can vote for up to 10 players on their ballot and in any other year, this would have been more than enough. The last few years have been the exception though. A large amount of players with hall of fame credentials are eligible and some may end up finding themselves pushed back another year. With only 10 years of eligibility to be voted into the hall, some of these players may even have to wait until they are eligible to be voted in by the Expansion Era Committee.

So I give you the 10 players I would vote for, if I had a ballot....

1. Roger Clemens: In an era of the homerun, Roger Clemens put up numbers that many pitchers in the Dead-Ball Era would have loved to have. Putting up 354 wins (ninth all-time), a career 3.12 ERA, 4672 strikeouts (third all-time), and for the saber metrics fans, the third best WAR of any starting pitcher of all-time, Clemens should be a shoe in. He won 7 Cy Young Awards and even an MVP.

Thrown onto the Mitchell Report, Clemens defended himself in court and even in front of Congress, which had no business getting involved. Getting frustrated with his answers, Congress started to mudsling at Clemens, asking if he had ever cheated on his wife before. In a move that many men would have done, he said no. It wasn't their business. Congress then cited this as one of the reasons he would be indicted for charges of perjury because allegedly Clemens had slept with country music star, Mindy McCready. He was acquitted of all charges, including use of PED's, but the writers still held their opinion of Clemens, as being a shady one. In his first two years on the ballot, Clemens couldn't even break the 40 percent mark, let alone the 75 percent required to vote in a player. He deserves to go in. He could arguably be considered the best pitcher of his generation and maybe ever.

2. Craig Biggio: The all-time record holder in the modern era for being hit by a pitch, the Astros' great never once charged the mound in his career. He had 3060 hits, 1844 runs scored (fifteenth all-time), 668 doubles (fifth all-time), 291 homeruns, 53 lead off homeruns (National League record), and 414 stolen bases.

In an era where many of the best hitters were accused of PED use, Biggio was a player that people believed to have played clean. He was a 7 time all-star, 4 time gold glove winner, and 5 time Silver Slugger Award winner. Biggio began his career as a catcher, converted to second base, put up some of the best stats by a second baseman, moved to centerfield, moved to leftfield, and then ended his career by moving back to second base. This perhaps made him one of the best and most versatile players of his generation. Yet, with all this under his belt, he is now on the Hall of Fame ballot for a third year. Last year he fell 2 votes short of making it, which tied him for the closest a player has ever come to being voted into the Hall of Fame, without making it (Nellie Fox and Pie Traynor). This should be his year.

3. Randy Johnson: Perhaps the scariest pitcher of his generation, Johnson stood 6'10" on the mound and scowled with every pitch he threw. In his first year on the ballot, Johnson should be a no-brainer. He had 303 wins, 4875 strikeouts (second all-time), 5 Cy Young Awards, 10 time all-star, and led the league in strikeouts 9 times. He threw a no-hitter in 1990 and a perfect game in 2004. His 372 strikeouts in 2001, were the closest an pitcher has come to breaking the single season record, since Nolan Ryan. Johnson retired from baseball with the highest strikeouts per 9 inning average in a career, with 10.6.

For most of his career, Johnson was able to hit triple digits with his fastball and his slider he nicknamed "Mr. Snappy", was able to hit as high as 94 MPH. If Clemens hadn't pitched in the same time frame, Randy Johnson could have arguably be considered the best pitcher of his generation.

4. Pedro Martinez: When one looks at Pedro's 5'11", 170 lbs. frame, it's hard to believe that he could be the flamethrower he turned out to be. He was an 8 time all-star, 3 time Cy Young Award winner, and with his extreme control, had the lowest WHIP in history. Martinez had the third highest strikeout ratio of all-time and for the saber metric nerds, the best adjusted ERA of all-time.

While his 219 wins sound a little low compared to those already in the Hall of Fame, Martinez is able to brag about his 3154 strikeouts (thirteenth all-time) and a career ERA of 2.93.

5. Barry Bonds: What can you say bad about the numbers he put up in his career? He is the all-time homerun leader with 762 homers, the single season homerun leader with 73, the all-time walks leader with 2558, and the all-time intentional walks leader with 688. Beyond the records he holds, he also had 514 stolen bases, 601 career doubles, 1996 RBI's, and 2935 hits.

Bonds was a 7 time MVP, 14 time all-star, 8 time gold glover, 12 time Silver Slugger Award winner, and second on the all-time WAR list behind Babe Ruth.

The question of PED use has prevented Bonds from getting in his previous two attempts. While I don't argue that Bonds has the reputation of being an ass to the press or stand up for him when it came to paying his taxes, I don't believe Bonds should be prevented from being in the Hall of Fame. He made a lot of enemies in the press during his playing days, but the writers continue to drag this into his post-playing career. Unlike other stars like Rafael Palmeiro, Bonds never tested positive for PED use.

6. Mike Mussina: Another pitcher who excelled during the homerun era, Mussina retired with 270 wins, 2813 strikeouts, 5 all-star game appearances, 7 gold gloves, and is twenty-fourth all-time in WAR among pitchers. While never winning more than 20 games in a season, he won 11 games 17 consecutive seasons and won 15 games in 10 separate seasons.

Some voters cite his lack of Cy Young Awards as a reason not to vote for him, but he did rank in the top 5 of the Cy Young vote, 6 times. Unfortunately for Mussina, he pitched in the American League at the same time Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, and Pedro Martinez did, making the Cy Young Award insanely hard for him to obtain. A vote in the Hall of Fame should not be the same.

7. Jeff Bagwell: Part of the Astros' "Killer B's" with Craig Biggio, Bagwell was another victim of being accused of PED use, despite not being named on the Mitchell Report, nor having been suspected of taken PED's while he was an active player.

The former Rookie of the Year, was a 4 time all-star, 3 time Silver Slugger Award winner, won the MVP award and gold glove in 1994. His 449 homeruns rank thirty-eighth of all-time and he boasted 1529 RBI's, 488 doubles, and 2314 hits in his career. Another player that was a victim of being overshadowed by other star homerun leaders such as fellow first baseman Mark McGwire, Fred McGriff, and other position players like Barry Bonds, Bagwell did well ranking in the top 10 in the MVP award 5 other times than his 1994 season. Unfortunately, his career was cut short due to an arthritic shoulder, otherwise it can be assumed that Bagwell could have reached the 500 home run mark.

8. John Smoltz: A lot of debate has been made on whether Smoltz should go to the hall. The third of possibly one of the best trio of pitchers to ever pitch together (Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine), Smoltz could have easily been an ace pitcher for any other team. He has the distinction of being only the second pitcher in history to have a 20-win season and a 50-save season (Dennis Eckersley).

Smoltz was an 8 time all-star and despite being in the shadow of Maddux and Glavine, Smoltz gained a Cy Young Award in 1996. He had 213 wins, a 3.33 ERA, 154 saves, and 3084 strikeouts (sixteenth all-time). After going through Tommy John surgery, Smoltz went from being a top of the line starter, to a dominate closer, before eventually moving back to a starting role several years later. A first time eligible player for the Hall of Fame, Smoltz deserves to join Maddux and Glavine.

9. Fred McGriff: A player that had been overshadowed by other long ball hitters, McGriff hit 493 homeruns without a whisper of possible PED use. While never winning an MVP award, McGriff was in the top 10 of the MVP vote 4 times in his career. While playing for the Braves, led by the most dominate pitching trio of the '90s, McGriff anchored the offense that won the Braves their only World Series in the playoff streak run.

Despite having nearly 2500 hits and over 1500 RBI's, McGriff still managed to fly under the media's radar. Pitchers knew who he was and never liked facing the Crime Dog.

10. Carlos Delgado: Another player victim to the lack of press, Delgado never found himself on great teams. He was a power hitter for the Blue Jays, Marlins, and the Mets. He was one of only six players in MLB history to hit 30 homeruns, 10 straight seasons. He is the all-time Puerto Rican hitter in the MLB, in homeruns (473) and RBI's (1512). In his career, he broke many of the Blue Jays' offensive records.

Despite the great numbers, Delgado was only voted into the all-star game twice and only won a Silver Slugger Award three times. Four times in his career, he made the top 10 in the MVP voting, but despite hitting 42 homeruns and 145 RBI's in 2003, he was overshadowed by Barry Bonds. With nearly 2100 and a .280 batting average, Delgado deserves to finally be recognized for his stellar career.

Baseball Hall of Fame Eligibility Rule Change

A week ago, the Baseball Writer's Association of America (BBWA) announced the list of eligible players for the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot and new rule changes.

Among the changes, after a player retires, after the five year grace period after their retirement, they are eligible to remain on the ballot up to 10 years, compared to the previous allotment of 15 years. Currently three players are beyond the 10 year period (Lee Smith, Don Mattingly, and Alan Trammell), but will be allowed to remain on the list until the 15 years is up, under a grandfather clause.

I am torn by this rule. I am under the belief that if a player is good enough to be voted into the Hall of Fame, that it is the duty of the writers to elect them as soon as they can. Some writers will purposely hold off on players and let them remain on the list for several years, before deciding to vote for them. This is wrong. The only time I think a writer should refrain from voting a player in when they are eligible, is when they believe that over 10 players deserve to legitimately be voted in, but are constricted by the fact that they can only vote up to 10 players. In this case, they must choose who they think are the top 10 players eligible for the Hall of Fame out of the 10 plus players they feel should go. Within a 10 year player, I think if done right, all players eligible who should be in the Hall of Fame, should have been voted in already.

Unfortunately, the writers don't always see things this way. The most recent case being Bert Blyleven. While his stats proved he deserved to be in the Hall of Fame, he could never manage to gather 75 percent of the votes that it took to get in. It wasn't until his 15th and final year of eligibility, before he received enough votes to be inducted. Players such as Bert Blyleven and Jack Morris had to almost campaign like a politician to be voted in by the writers. Morris couldn't garner enough votes by year 15.

This year will be year 15 for "Donnie Baseball" Don Mattingly, who has refused to hit the radio and television sports talk shows to sway the writers in his favor. Mattingly will most likely fall of the ballot, but not without serious consideration. His stats shows a great career and he was one of the few players in baseball history to have the title of "Captain" in a Yankees uniform, but they don't quite show that he was a Hall of Famer. I do believe that after his 21st year of retirement, when he is eligible to appear on the Expansion Era Committee ballot, he should receive some serious consideration.

With the new rule in effect, the player that will be first up against the 10 year cutoff point, will be Mark McGwire. He is currently on his ninth ballot this coming year and if the past elections have been any indicator, he will probably not receive near enough ballots this time around either.

Best Christmas Movies You Should Have Seen

It's that time of year where no matter where you are, especially if you are out shopping, you are surrounded by Christmas music, decorations, lights, and just about everything imaginable. On television, cable stations flood their outgoing feed with Christmas movies that they can only show at this time of the year. Many of these movies are crap, but some are almost requirements to have seen if you call yourself American. In no particular order, I present to you the top ten Christmas movies you should have seen.

1. Miracle On 34th Street: I start with this one because actor Edmund Gwenn, who played Kris Kringle himself, played the part of Santa flawlessly; possibly the best Santa in a movie ever. Recently it also has popped up on some people's Google searches because Susan, the little girl that Santa befriends, is played by Natalie Wood, the focus of the reopened accidental death case involving Robert Wagner and Christopher Walken. In a post World War II (1947) era, this movie solidified the image of a glorified 1940's and 1950's era that many reminesce about.

2. Bad Santa: The opposite of Edmund Gwenn's Santa, Billy Bob Thornton plays a dark and twisted robber who poses as a mall Santa to rob mall anchor stores. It's everything that is wrong with Christmas, but somehow still comes off as humorous. Also this movie features that last filmwork by actor John Ritter. At the end of the movie, the darkened heart of Billy Bob opens up as he risks everything to get the little boy a Christmas present. On a side note, this movie also features one of the best movie lines of all time, "Fuck me Santa! Fuck me Santa! Fuck me Santa," as said by actress Lauren Graham.

3. The Grinch: Speaking of dark hearts cracking open at the end, the Grinch is possibly the best character that Dr. Seuss ever created. Now the Jim Carey version lacked what the animated one did...heart. The animated one is about best Christmas movie to watch with your young ones, but not be bored by some message that will make you want to down a shot of Jack Daniels after they go to bed. The Grinch also has a twentieth century classic Christmas song, You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch.

4. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold is the everyday dad trying to create the perfect Christmas for his family. From a house massively decorated in lights and annoying his neighbors to a family dinner ruined by the police busting in after Clark kidnaps his boss over a laughable Christmas bonus, Clark feels the pain of a Christmas not going to plan.

5. It's A Wonderful Life: This one speaks well to the current climate of American society...the banker is the evil guy. Featuring an almost suicide by Jimmy Stewart's character until an angel intervenes, this movie actually flopped while it was shown at the theaters. Through television, it survived and became a staple of television stations for over a half a century. This movie also coined the phrase, "Everytime a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."

6. A Christmas Story: The best Christmas movie of the 1980's, this movie features a boy focused on trying to get a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. He deals with a Santa that pushes him down a slide, licking a frozen pole, and a father who receives the sexiest lamp ever. Peter Billingsley's glasses also became an iconic look for the nerdy boy.

7. Scrooged: Bill Murray plays a television exec who has lost his Christmas spirit. A spectacularly funny performance by Carol Kane as the Ghost Of Christmas Present is the perfect match to Billy Murray's Frank Cross. In their pairing, unexpectedly bust Bill's balls...literally.

8. Gremlins: Not very well known as a Christmas movie, Gizmo was possibly the cutest Christmas present a parent could present their son. Unfortunately the three important rules were broken and a small town's Christmas is overun by small, green looking monsters. Despite the troubles, eighties children grew up wanting to own their very own mogwai.

9. Home Alone: Mac's best performance of his career, he was chased by Goodfellas star Joe Pesci and Wonder Years voice Daniel Stern. Forgotten by his departing family on their Christmas vacation, Mac survives on his own and staves off the would be burgulars from robbing his home.

10. A Charlie Brown Christmas: More like a Christmas short movie, I still count this classic because of genuine warm feeling you get when you watch it,. Charlie Brown picks the worst Christmas tree in the lot, which at first couldn't even support one Christmas decoration, but with the help of his friends, has the classic tree any family should have. A b-story of Snoopy decorating his doghouse is also classic.

Honorable Mentions:
The Nightmare Before Christmas (I know many of you are reading this and saying what the hell?! Only honorable mention? Yes, I dislike Disney. Plus unlike some of the other Christmas specials/movies Disney has done in the past, this one is massively commercialized.)

Elf (James Caan is one of the best actors of all time and Will Ferrell is so new to the life experiences he comes across. Zooey Deschanel would also make a big step in this to mainstream her career.)

Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer (A holiday classic, with the best characters being Yukon Cornelius and Bumble the Yeti.)

Die Hard ( Yes, you read that write. Almost making my list, this is probably the most action packed Christmas movie ever. It features a performance by Alan Rickman that is outstanding. He is one of the best villains in movie history.)

Paparazzi Should be a Synonym for Stalker

 

In an age where everyone has a camera on them at all times due to smartphones, photographs of celebrities in their most private moments, flood the internet. Now many of these photographs are on personal social media sites like Facebook and were the result of personal encounters with a celebrity in a public place such as a restaurant, but on many for-profit websites, these photos come from photographers that would in any other scenario, be considered a stalker.

Known to the public as paparazzi, the word is an eponym, dating back to the 1960 film "La Dolce Vita". A character in the movie is named Paparazzo, is a news photographer and director Federico Fellini said in an interview with Time magazine, "Paparazzo...suggests to me a buzzing insect, hovering, darting, stinging." By the late 1960's, the term became a commonly used word for intrusive photographers.

It didn't take long for members of the paparazzi to become a thorn in the sides of celebrities.

The usually well mannered, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, ordered Secret Service agents to destroy the camera of photographer, Ron Galella. The incident in 1972, led to Galella suing Onassis for damage to his property. She counter-sued, claiming harassment of her and her family. In "Galella v. Onassis", Onassis was able to retain a restraining order against Galella.

Most famously, the intrusiveness of the paparazzi led the death of Princess Diana and film producer Dodi Fayed. Paparazzi became so aggressive in following the two, that after a high-speed car chase, their Mercedes-Benz crashed in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel. Even with Princess Diana struggling for her last breaths, instead of providing her assistance at the scene, paparazzi raced for the best positions to take pictures of the very accident they caused. Police took several of the photographers into custody, but none of them were ever charged.

In some states and countries, paparazzi are restricted by laws and curfews. In California, a bill was passed in 2013, protecting children of celebrities from the harassment of paparazzi. Ironically, it did not include children who were celebrities themselves.

In other cases, organizations such as TMZ and the Globe, won the right to be considered a form of news media protected by the First Amendment. 

Making matters worse, various celebrities have learned how to manipulate the paparazzi to boost their own fame or even make more money. Public relations agencies working for some celebrities, actually will call up paparazzi and inform them of when and where their employers will be. In other situations, some celebrities have even sold the paparazzi photos of themselves or leads to stories such as weddings or pregnancy announcements. 

One example is when Kim Kardashian married NBA player Kris Humphries. Though the couple was only married for 72 days, Kardashian pulled in $15 million from the E! for the rights to film the wedding. Not long afterward, after she divorced Humphries, Kardashian married Kanye West and E! once again shelled out the big bucks ($21 million) for the rights to broadcast their wedding. Kardashian earned $36 million for just saying, "I do."

Just two days ago, singer Katy Perry, had a run-in with the paparazzi while trying to take a moment to relax from her Prismatic World Tour. While walking on the beach of Sydney, paparazzi became aggressive with her to the point, that the normally good-natured singer lashed out on them after they demanded that she strip down to her bikini and let them get some shots of her, in exchange for leaving her alone. She took to Twitter, tweeting pictures of some of the photographers and informing her fans that any pictures they see of her on the beach of Sydney, were taken against her will. A couple of the photographers actually had the audacity to lash out against the pictures Perry had taken, were taken against their will. 

It is one thing for a celebrity to have pictures taken of them at events such as a movie premier or at a public event of some sort, but at the same time celebrities should be given their privacy. It's one thing for a legitimate fan to possibly snag a selfie with a celebrity, but these moments usually don't result in profit opportunities for the fan. The majority of the time, these fans don't make the celebrity fear for their personal safety.

The paparazzi photographers on the other hand, are basically professional stalkers.

Internet Kills Experience of Retail For Today's Youth

Tower Records...photo credit on bottom

 

As technology advances, businesses fade away and the electronics that occupy teenagers changes constantly. When you reach adulthood and raise your own children, they grow up with electronic gadgets that make the devices of your generation look like they belong in "The Flintstones".

Now this may sound like only a problem for the older generations, but I disagree. One might say that the older generations get gypped because they didn't get to grow up with the technologies that the millennials are growing up with now. Many of these advancements make life easier, which older generations didn't get to utilize while they grew up. Especially when it came to entertainment media.

 The way I see it though, it's the youth of today that have been robbed. In a world of instant gratification, the current generation of kids have been robbed of experiences that we, the people of older generation, look back on fondly.

Today's youth can download a song, movie, or book instantly on various devices thanks to the internet, but for those of us who grew up in past decades, sometimes the search made obtaining the prize much more gratifying.

With the invention of software programs like iTunes, record stores began to fall, one by one. The experience of sifting through bins of records and cassettes (yes, not CD's) and finding the gem that you didn't even know existed, made the whole experience feel like it was worth it. Youth of older years would spend hours at record stores, share their music tastes with fellow kids, and often grow up with much more appreciation and ownership of the music artists they enjoyed.

Today, kids have been robbed of this experience. They can sit behind a computer or even a cellphone, pick a specific song they want, and never share the experience of sharing music with anyone beyond their social network. Even the corporate record stores such as Tower Records are gone. Beyond the random indie music store and the limited music selections that Target, Best Buy, and Walmart stores offer, there are no more brick and mortar locations to buy music in person.

The movie industry isn't fairing much better either. A victim of the same circumstances, many rental locations disappeared after a surge in the '90's. Similar to searching for a record in a music store, the experience of searching for a VHS tape on a weekend night has vanished. Searching shelf by shelf, glancing at past movies you never heard of, but had cool box covers, you give a random movie a shot because the description sounded like something you and your friends might enjoy. Now this experience is gone as well.

With technology like Blu-ray in existence, physical movie media is holding on just a little longer than the music industry is. Red Box locations have replaced Blockbuster Video stores, but soon may find themselves being purged when more people grasp onto services like Netflix, Hulu, and iTunes.

Best yet, is the reactions you get when today's youth gets their hands on old forms of media that existed before they were even born. Show a kid a LaserDisc and they'll look at you funny. Show a kid an 8-track and they'll have no idea what they're even holding. Vinyl records have a niche market out there thanks to club DJ's, but otherwise, many of the old forms of entertainment media has been lost on the youth.

Never again will a kid have to remember to rewind a video tape before returning it to the video rental store. Never again will a kid have to flip over a music cassette to hear the music on side two. And I doubt that ever again, will a kid holding a large boombox on his shoulders or over his head, a la John Cusack style, ever be something that the "cool" kids do again.

Tower Records photo uploaded by Caldorwards4 at Wikipedia.com

Millhouse 2014 MLB Awards

Yep, it's that time of year again where I announced who the winners of the Millhouse awards are for the 2014 MLB season. With the season wrapping up, this is about as good time as any. By the way, my sleeper pick for the American League, the Kansas City Royals are still going strong in the playoffs. Unfortunately, my National League pick of the Nationals lost and my national league sleeper, the Pirates fell in the one game Wild Card round to the Giants.

And now for the awards...

AL MVP: 1. Mike Trout (ANAHEIM Angels), 2. Nelson Cruz (Bal), 3. Jose Abreu (Chi), 4. Jose Altuve (Hou), 5. Miguel Cabrera (Det)...I gave the edge to Trout because of his stolen bases, but just barely. Cruz had such a large impact on the Orioles making the playoffs, it was hard to ignore.

AL Rookie of The Year: 1. Jose Abreu (Chi), 2. Masahiro Tanaka (NYY), 3. Yordano Ventura (KC), 4. Matt Shoemaker (ANAHEIM Angels), 5. Danny Santana (Min)....This was one of the best years for rookies I can recall. In any other season, anyone of these top five guys could have won it. I could have easily went farther to include players like Houston's Colin McHugh and George Springer or Tampa Bay's Jake Ordorizzi.

AL Cy Young: 1. Felix Hernandez (Sea), 2. Chris Sale (Chi), 3. Corey Kluber (Cle), 4. Greg Holland (KC), 5. Matt Scherzer (Det)...Hernandez and Sale were neck and neck to me, but I gave Hernandez the edge because he stayed healthy all season.

AL Silver Sluggers: C-Yan Gomes (Cle), 1B-Jose Abreu (Chi), 2B-Jose Altuve (Hou), 3B-Josh Donaldson (Oak), SS-Alexei Ramirez (Chi), OF-Mike Trout (ANAHEIM Angels), OF-Jose Bautista (Tor), OF-Mickey Brantley (Cle), DH-Nelson Cruz (Bal)

Breakout Player of The Year: Corey Kluber (Cle)

Manager Of The Year: Ned Yost (KC)
--------------------------------------------------------------
NL MVP: 1. Giancarlo Stanton (Mia), 2. Andrew McCutcheon (Pit), 3. Buster Posey (SF), 4. Todd Frazier (Cin), 5. Ian Desmond (Was)...Giancarlo Stanton squeaked by McCutcheon in my eyes. Stanton's supporting cast wasn't as good and he had to do more to put up the numbers he did.

NL Rookie of The Year: 1. Jacob deGrom (NYM), 2. Billy Hamilton (Cin), 3. Chase Anderson (Ari), 4. Travis D'Arnaud (NYM), 5. Ender Inciarte (Ari)...The NL's race was lackluster compared to the NL. Rookies at best in the NL were role players compared to the AL's top rookies. Billy Hamilton could have won it, but put up subpar numbers during the second half.

NL Cy Young: 1. Clayton Kershaw (LA), 2. Johnny Cueto (Cin), 3. Adam Wainwright (Stl), 4. Craig Kimbrel (Atl), 5. Jordan Zimmerman...Kershaw was the clear winner this year, despite his injury at the beginning of the season.

NL Silver Sluggers: C-Buster Poser (SF), 1B-Adrian Gonzalez (LA), 2B-Neil Walker (Pit), 3B-Todd Frazier (Cin), SS-Ian Desmond (Was), OF-Giancarlo Stanton (Mia), OF-Andrew McCutcheon (Pit), OF-Justin Upton (Atl), UTL-Josh Harrison (Pit), P-Madison Bumgarner (SF)

Breakout Player of The Year: Lucas Duda (NYM)

Manager of The Year: Clint Hurdle (Pit)

The 10 Best Cars In Movies Or TV

Everyone who is a fan of movies or television, has at some point or another, wished they an automobile that their favorite fictional characters drove around. Many kids had Hot Wheels, or model toys, or some other toy of their favorite cars. No matter how ridiculous the car might be if it existed in real life, you still wanted it. I give you my list of the top ten best cars in movies or TV, starting first with my number one choice...

1. The Batmobile: There are too many variations of Batman's favorite mode of transportation to identify a specific version as being THE top one. The old Adam West series was iconic and cool, but not the best equipped. The Nolan-verse Batmobile was perfect from a functionality standpoint, but not as stylish as the past versions. Tim Burton stuck a real jet engine in his version. But no matter, what, more people than not, would want the Batmobile if given an option.

2. The DeLorean: The Back To The Future trilogy made the 1982 DeLorean DMC-12 an iconic car, despite being considered an iffy car at best as far as how well it ran, Doc Brown was able to make this car the ultimate time travel device. It could take you anywhere in time you wanted (until it was destroyed in the 1800's) and was sporty enough to look cool in present day as well. Doc fixed it up to even run on garbage, making it an early version of a fuel efficient car.

3. Ecto 1: From Ghostbusters, this 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Hearse was essential to capturing mischievous ghosts. With the screeching alarm and the classic "no ghosts" logo on the side, this was one of the coolest cars in the 1980's. The Kenner toy version was one of the hottest sellers in it's time. The white wall tires, red trim, and the gadgetry on top made this car standout in it's environment.

4. The Flintstones Car: Obviously animated, it would have been the dream car for any man living in the days of the dinosaurs. With it's large rock wheels, it could have doubled for an early steamroller...before steam was even used. The top, made of what is presumably some sort of animal skin and the red wood trim, made it the hottest car in the road in the prehistoric age. If it wasn't a television show, you know you would argue with your friends about how Fred could afford a car that nice with his income. At least it saved him money in gas.

5. The Munsters Koach: The Munsters family traveled in style. This car was designed by George Barris who was also the designer of the Adam West Batmobile. The body of the Munsters Koach is eighteen feet long and pieced together from three Model T cars. Even though the TV series was in black and white, the interior was blood red and the engine was brass. The small details made it an awesome car to drive, even for a monster family.

6. KITT: The Knight Industries Two Thousand, a customized 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, was perhaps a SIRI capable device before Apple developed it. With the voice of Mr. Feeney and the memory capacity of 1,000 megabits, this was the perfect car for Michael Knight. Unmatched computer A.I., the ability to withstand fire, turbo boost, the ability to see and smell, oil jets and smoke screens, flame thrower, tear gas launcher, a telephone Comlink (before cellphones), and much more. If you were a crime fighter for FLAG, you too would need a car with this amount of functionality.

7. Wayne's Pacer: From Wayne's World, Wayne drove a 1976 Pacer, baby blue in color, with flames on the side. Did this car talk? No. Did this car help fight crime? No. Was this car eco-friendly? Probably not. But this was the best car in the 1990's to lip sync to "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. The perfect car to pick up Tia Carrere in.

8. The Mystery Machine: If you were looking for old guys dressed up as ghosts and goblins, this was the essential form of transportation. The 1963 Ford Econoline Customer Van was how The Scooby Gang got around. Inside, the van had shag carpets and enough room to transport a talking Great Dane. As to what made the dog talk, that's a whole different story. Every time the door opened, smoke would flood out, but it went well with the psychedelic paint job.

9. Phoebe's Taxi Cab: After inheriting her car from her deceased grandmother, Phoebe Buffet from Friends often gave her friends a ride in her 1977 Checker Taxi Cab. Perhaps one of the nicest taxis in television, that car took the cast everywhere. It made trips from New York to Las Vegas and took the crew to vacation beach houses.

10. Black Beauty: From the Green Hornet television series in the 1960's, this 1966 Imperial Crown was loaded with weapons and surveillance equipment for Green Hornet and Kato to fight crime in, while pretending to be villains themselves. It was sleek looking with it's glossy black paint and even without it's weapons, would be a smooth car to drive in.

(photo credit to Jennifer Graylock/Ford Motor Company on Wikipedia)

Three Movies That Made Me Want To Write Screenplays

In some fashion, I've always been a writer since I was a teenager. In college, I took screenwriting classes that opened up the possibility of writing something that could possibly land on a film or television screen one day. Unfortunately nothing did except for a dialogue-less short movie and another short that eventually became the general idea for one of my published short stories.

As with most screenwriters, a movie or multiple movies inspire that idea that you could possibly write too. Whether it's being so inspired by someone's work that it produces your own ideas or being outraged that a movie is so bad that you can do better, everyone has a film that incited them to create their own unique work. Here are my top five....

1. Clerks: Released in 1994, by first time writer/director/actor Kevin Smith, it was shot for just above $27,000 using his own money and maxed out credit cards. To Smith, this was his answer to Richard Linklarter's Slacker. Catching the movie in a theater, Smith was under the belief that he could make a movie on par to the Linklater movie and he went on to enroll in a film school. Dropping out half way through the program because there wasn't enough hands on experience with film production, he took his prorated tuition refund and put it towards making his own movie, along with money he received in government aid after his hometown had a flood.

The movie was shot in black and white and at nighttime at the Quick Stop convenience store, that was his place of employment, to cut down shooting costs. Clerks won awards at Cannes, Sundance, and three Spirit awards while racking up three million dollars in the box office despite the limited amount of theaters showing it.

For me, just as Linklater's Slacker made Kevin Smith think he could do at least just as well, I felt like I could at least shoot something just as good cinematography wise and possibly even writing wise. Topics in the movie ranged from Star Wars, to customer psychology, relationships, and even death. The screenplay was dialogue heavy and between average Joe's getting by in their day to day life. The movie inspired me because it shattered my own belief that movies took millions of dollars to make and that only a few select people could ever make one. True, it's not an easy thing to do this day, but with today's technology, the many new outlets to showcase movies, and the cost of equipment becoming more attainable to buy or rent, it made me think I could one day write and maybe even direct my own movie one day.

2. High Fidelity: Based on Nick Hornby's book of the same name, this movie not only inspired me to want to make a movie, but write a book. Hornby's writing is often in first person and the lead character from High Fidelity, Rob Gordon, often thought a lot like I did about music and even relationships. John Cusack's interpretation of Rob was well done, talking directly to the audience and breaking the fourth wall down to show you what his character was internally thinking in various scenarios. Just like the book, the characters often came up with top five or ten lists of songs or artists in different categories that weren't typically discussed among casual music fans. They also ranked other categories of life such as "Top 5 Girlfriends".

Ironically set in another retail setting, just like one that I was working in at the time, the film was relatable to me. I worked in a music store at the time of the movie was released, I often made lists (and still do) in my head of my top fives and tens, and just like Rob who was going through relationship woes, I wasn't in the most stable of relationships at the time.

When I saw this movie, it opened me to the possibility that I could have a character that revealed his internal thought process to the audience, while still trying to interact with the characters of his world and better his own life. Even at the end of the movie, when everything supposedly gets better, he acknowledges that his life still isn't perfect, but will have to do. It wasn't the happily ever after that many rom-com movies have and made it feel a little more life real life to me.

3. Four Rooms: A movie directed by four different directors, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Alexdre Rockwell, and Allison Anders. Each director oversaw the filming of one of the four rooms based in a fictional hotel on New Year's Eve night. The protagonist was a bellboy working on his first night, played by Tim Roth. Despite the modern look of cinematography to the movie, the writing seemed to reflect styles that were reminiscent of the 1940's or '50's. Tim Roth played Ted similar to how Jerry Lewis used to act out his characters during his prime.

I liked how each room was a story of its own, but also intermingled beyond the bellboy. One such crossover was when Sarah, the little girl in the third room, makes a call to a random room, she reaches Siegfried from the second room. The idea that completely separate stories could be set in a similar universe and intermingle with each other, was new to me. Kevin Smith in his movies would take this to a more macro scale, as all of his characters existed in the same universe for all his movies containing Jay And Silent Bob. Four Rooms was just like that, but all within one movie. It intrigued me that I could have four separate storylines, yet connect them all together.

And though I have my favorite storyline in this movie (The Wrong Man based in the second room), each story was just as strong as the rest while also subtly displaying the abilities and style of each director involved. Each room was filled with stars and the cast list reads as a who's-who of Hollywood. The cast list included actors and actresses such as Tim Roth, Madonna, Bruce Willis, Quentin Tarantino, Jennifer Beals, Salma Hayek (as an extra), Alicia Witt, Ione Skye, Lili Taylor, Antonio Banderas, Marisa Tomei, and Kathy Griffin.

Review of The First Episode of Gotham (spoilers after second picture)

A day late, but I finally got to see the first episode of the new television series Gotham. Leading up to the debut of the show, I was excited to finally get a Batman based television show. Yes I know "Birds Of Prey" existed for almost a whole season on the former WB Network, but Batman never made an appearance, even if only as Bruce Wayne. In fact the only allusion to Bruce Wayne in a live action series since "Batman" from the '60's was in Smallville in a Lex Luthor flashback to his teenage days when one of his fellow students was named Bruce. Finally as a DC Comics fan, I finally got to see a Bruce Wayne on television--that wasn't doing a Bat-Toosie.

Unfortunately, I came away with both hope and anger from the pilot episode. I'll start with the negatives and wrap it up with the positives. Also I'm using the picture below to divide the intro of this blog from the pros and cons so I don't spoil anything for anyone who has yet to watch the show. So if you have yet to watch the show, do not read past this...

The Cons:
I'm not exactly sure where to start, so I'll go character by character.

Oswald Cobblepot has a significant role in the pilot episode...but as a lackey to Fish Mooney. By this point, he should be an established boss himself. His family was one of the First Families of Gotham along with the Wayne family, the Kanes, the Elliots, and the Crownes. He is from a family of wealth and shouldn't be rubbing feet of local gang bosses and running around like a butler. The writers also heavily emphasized that he is nicknamed the Penguin, which in the show, the character hates. It almost happens so much, some of the characters almost seem to go out of their way to call him that. Cobblepot in the comics wasn't ashamed or angered by his Penguin nickname, but so far in the show he is. Hopefully he will adopt it.

Selina Kyle is introduced in the pilot as mainly an observer. She is an hidden witness to the murder of Bruce's parents which is unlike the comics. If she witnessed the murder, I wouldn't have expected her to try to interfere, but just her presence seems a bit off. Selina also appears to be wearing an early version of a Catwoman costume, but she never took on that persona until she was an adult in the comics. The actress who plays her, Camren Bicondova, is fifteen years old in real life and it appears so far that is the age of her character. In the comics, she is slightly younger than Bruce Wayne, yet appears to be at least three years older that Bruce in this show. Lastly, most of the developments that turn her to becoming Catwoman, happened in her early adult years. Unless Gotham skips some years into the future or the show goes on for at least four or maybe five seasons, I don't see how you can properly develop her character as a prominent character in this show.

Ivy Pepper is a big spike to the heart for me. First off, this is the character that is supposed to be Poison Ivy, but Poison Ivy's name in the comics is Pamela Isley (Lillian Rose originally). She appears to be no older than seven to eight years old, which would make the age about right in comparison to Bruce, but she never becomes a villain until she's at least in college. Pamela grew up in an abusive home and the Mario Pepper character that's her father fits that role, but he is killed in the pilot while the mother lives on. In the comics, he kills Pamela's mother and buries her in the garden. I also don't like that with this character, as I stated it will at least a good ten or eleven years before she starts doing anything "evil" and that's only pheromone pills to fellow college students. She eventually becomes one of the biggest eco-terrorist alive, but not until her adult years. Introducing her character seems to be way too early.

Edward Nigma played a small role in Gotham as a coroner for the Gotham P.D. In the comics, there has never been an origin story that ever mentioned that he worked for the police department as a coroner. In either version of his origin story, he never works for the public sector. He was a carney in one version and a Wayne Enterprises employee in another.

Another stickler, despite how small the detail might be, was that when Gordon meets Bruce Wayne for the first time at the murder scene, he is supportive, but distant. In the comics and even in the Nolan-verse, Gordon puts his jacket on a young Bruce and the kid cries his eyes out. In the show, Bruce already has a blanket on, so I understand not trying to place his jacket on the kid, but there isn't that connection really. It was that simple connection that kept Gordon in Bruce's memory as he got older and built that first layer of trust between the two, even though Gordon is unaware that Bruce is Batman.

Other negatives that bugged me included the small nod to the Joker, the harlequin dancers, and the Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen team up. It seemed that the writers were trying to prove their knowledge of DC Comics and stuff everyone they could into the first episode. The comedian who entertained Fish Mooney was clearly the nod to Joker's origin as a failed comedian. The harlequin dancers on the stage when Gordon first met Mooney is a small nod to Harley Quinn. They wore the red and black alternating colors in their lingerie. Finally the duo of Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen. While Allen and Montoya were partners at one point in the comics, it was because Commissioner Gordon is the one that assigned them together. Gordon in the show is younger and lower ranked than her unlike the comics. It also seems to early to introduce Crispus Allen to the show as well.

The Positives:
Donal Logue plays a good Harvey Bullock. He is content on living with organized crime, instead of trying to take it down like Gordon wants. Bollock comes off as a borderline villain himself, but being the first episode, it gives him plenty of time to develop as a character and redeem himself bit by bit.

A Batman show that has Montoya! Now, I know I just complained a couple of paragraphs ago about her role, but the fact that the writers included her in the show is great. In the comics, she is a cop that eventually washes out from an alcohol addition and almost fades away until The Question takes her under his wings and mentors her to take his place. She played the role of The Question extremely well in the comics and I hope that there is some nod to her possible future as the show goes on. I just wished that they didn't make her character older and higher ranked than Gordon. She also has some sort of hidden past with the future Mrs. Gordon, which if played right, can be awesome or fail horribly. I'm still on the fence about that, but I am hopeful.

David Mazouz is the kid with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He is given the task of playing the pre-teen Bruce Wayne. From a casting standpoint, he appears to be a good pick. Visually he looks like he could be a young Bruce Wayne and he appears to have the gravitas to pull off the brooding personality.

Crispus Allen makes an appearance! While it's too early in my opinion, for him to be part of the Batman world, I think it's great that the future Spectre is on the show. Knowing his future role in the comics, I am going to keep my eye out for a Gotham cop named Jim Corrigan, who is Allen's murderer. Should be interesting since both Allen and Corrigan play host to The Spectre. While the show so far has played like a real life drama, I wonder if they'll add the supernatural element then when or if Allen is killed.

Ben McKenzie of The OC fame takes on the lead role of James Gordon. So far after one episode, all is well. He seems to have that unwavering quality about him that he fights for good, no matter what. He breaks up the beating of the Fish Mooney lackey, saves Cobblepot's life by faking his murder, and promises Bruce that he will find Thomas and Martha's killer. I hope that they don't necessarily play this up too much verbally, but instead continue to show that he's THE good guy by his actions. The only thing he needs is the mustache, but there's time to grow that as the show progresses.

Lastly, I sort of like the role of Fish Mooney played by Jada Pinkett Smith, but I'm torn at the same time. While I do admit to liking a show more when it follows comic book cannon as closely as possible, sometimes there does need to be a little variance to give the show it's own personality. Fish Mooney doesn't exist in cannon, but I wonder if her character is derived from a pre-existing midlevel boss such as Great White. While not disfigured like Warren White was, she shares the aquatic theme and is placed about the same level of "boss hood" as Great White was in the comics. Warren White went mad and adopted his Great White role and maybe that's something similar to what the writers have planned for Fish Mooney. I also can foresee a bad pun coming up soon when Cobblepot eventually overthrows her (he already has shown interest in doing show) from his position..."Penguins eat fish".

Last Thoughts:
I like the prospects of the show so far. The potential is there to be great, but also to be bad. I'm hopeful that the writers keep it a little closer to cannon and don't take too many liberties with the Batman universe. They already have with Fish Mooney, but there was room there to create a midlevel crime boss that early into Bruce's life. It's not as if the biggest comic book readers can identify all the midlevel bosses of Gotham before Batman came around. Gotham producers seem to have casted Bruce Wayne, James Gordon, and Fish Mooney well. I just hope that future roles keep up the decent casting they've done so far. I hope to see future appearances by other Gotham staples such as Thomas Elliot (Bruce's old best friend and future Hush), the Flying Graysons, and maybe some hints or mention of The Court Of Owls. If done right, I can see this show lasting as long as Smallville did and hopefully it ends with some sort of glimpse of a young Batman.