Famous People Who Died at 36

As I celebrate another year on this planet, I constantly find myself in some sort of mental competition with those I have outlived. Not by year, but by age. Now, as a 37-year-old, I look back at those who passed away at age 36...and who I have beaten in the game of life (no disrespect intended).

1. Marilyn Monroe - In August of 1962, this icon passed away from a drug overdose. Maybe because of the fact that we never got to see her age, this might be the reason people still see her a sexual icon. The image of her standing on the grate with her white dress being blown upward is perhaps one of the most famous in Hollywood history. Her death also sparked the interest of conspiracy lovers everywhere.

2. Bob Marley - The most famous reggae artist of all-time, Bob Marley died at age 36 in 1991. A victim of a form of skin cancer, Marley also still lives on to this day through his music and the pictures that adorn every other dorm room in America.

3. Doc Holliday - The legendary gunfighter could never be taken down, even when he participated in the Battle at OK Corral. A drinker, a gambler, a dentist, and an overall risk-taker, it was tuberculosis that ended up taking Holliday down in 1887.

4. Princess Diana - The most famous of the modern era British royalty, Princess Diana is perhaps the most famous victim of the paparazzi gone bad. After one of the most famous divorces in history, Diana went on to work for the benefit of many different charities. She could have done more good if she hadn't died in a car accident in 1997, which has also sparked many conspiracy theories.

5. Maximilien Robespierre - Beheaded at age 36 in 1794, Robespierre's role in France in the 18th century eventually led to the French Republic. He was against slavery, for controls in the price of food so the poor could afford to eat, and for a democratic republic. Against the death penalty, he still had a major role in what would end up leading to the beheading of Louis XVI.

 6. General George Armstrong Custer - Forever known for his blunder at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, Custer rose quickly through the ranks despite graduating last his class at West Point. He fought at Gettysburg and fought off a Confederate flank, and he was there General Lee's surrender to General Grant.

From Prince to a Princess; 10 Celebrity Deaths in 2016

Screencap from Return of the Jedi of Carrie Fisher playing Princess Leia

Normally in any other year, I can identify 10 or less celebrities that passed away that had a large impact on me in some way. Whether it is in what I enjoyed watching, what opened me to new types of art, or are part of the background soundtrack of my life, the following people had some sort of impact on me without my ever meeting them once.

This year was different. It was almost as if the Grim Reaper was a sales associate at a retail store and was working his ass off to not only meet a quota, but to also exceed it. One celebrity after another passed away this year, regardless of what they were famous for. Movies, music, politics, and more. It didn't matter what they did to gain notoriety.

What's worse is that it feels like the Grim Reaper is racing to take a few more down before the year comes to a close. So I give you a top 10 list of celebs that passed away that impacted me in some way. This is not to say these celebs are the most impactful than others that passed away this year, it's just the ones that meant the most to me in some way. Your list may be very different.

1. David Bowie: Kicking off the year the wrong way, David Bowie died on January 10. The very first music video I remember while growing up was Bowie's "Lets Dance." Later on, I would receive David Bowie's Never Let Me Down album as one of my very first cassette tapes I owned. I played that tape out until it finally died on it's own. He also played made an impact on the movie industry, but it was his role as Nikola Tesla in The Prestige that I enjoyed the most. I couldn't imagine a better casting choice to play the Tesla role. To this day, some of Bowie's music still rates as some of my favorite music.

Personal Favorite Piece of Work: "Rebel, Rebel"

2. Prince: This one shocked me. He was still young and visibly never seemed to age much. A pop music legend, just as Bowie was, Prince was known for his singing, writing, image, and his eccentricities. What stood out to me the most was his ability to play the music, not just sing over it. Prince is perhaps one of the best guitar players of his generation, but this ability is not what you think of when you think of "The Purple One." He also had the ability to play various other instruments from piano to drums to even having been credited for creating his own instruments to get the right sound that he needed for a song. He also was the writing genius behind other hit songs that he didn't sing on and behind other hit bands such as Morris Day and The Time.

Personal Favorite Piece of Work: "Guitar"

3. Abe Vigoda: Known as Fish on Barney Miller, Vigoda stood out to me for his work in The Godfather as Salvatore Tessio. He just carried a mobster-like presence about him that made him believable as a possible rival to the Corleone family. Later on, though not a major role, Vigoda would appear on Late Night with Conan O'Brien as himself in various skits.

Personal Favorite Piece of Work: The Godfather as Sal Tessio

4. Alan Rickman: Only within days of Bowie dying, Rickman passed away too. Perhaps known for his roles in Die Hard and in the Harry Potter movies, Rickman is about as distinguished of an actor as one can get. One of the best voices in the entertainment industry, Rickman could hold his own against anyone. Bruce Willis or Jason Mewes...it didn't matter. Rickman played the voice of God (the Metatron) in Dogma and it didn't even feel like a stretch. During this same year, he would go on to play Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest. Later on, Rickman would go on to be the perfect choice for Marvin the Paranoid Android in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. When he died, it was a shock because much of the world had no clue he was suffering from cancer.

Personal Favorite Piece of Work:  Dogma as the Metatron

5. Gene Wilder: Possibly best known for his role as Willy Wonka, Wilder had a charm about him that made movie fans instantly connect to him. His likeability helped him excel in his roles he played in Mel Brooks' movies. As Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein, Wilder won awards not only for his acting, but also for his writing. His ability to play off of Cloris Leachman, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Teri Garr, and Madaline Kahn was outstanding and hilarious. Many people also loved him in Blazing Saddles and The Producers.

Personal Favorite Piece of Work: Young Frankenstein as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein.

6. Jose Fernandez: As the rising star pitcher of the Miami Marlins, Fernandez not only had the talent to be an all-star for years to come, but he was one of those type of players you wanted to root for because he genuinely seemed like a good guy and looked like he enjoyed being on there one the field. He had overcome a major injury to come back in 2016 and put up Cy Young Award level numbers until his death in August. In a time where many players appear to only care about the money, Fernandez was the type of player that inspired a new generation of baseball fans to play for the love of the game instead.

7. Anton Yelchin: Still a young actor, Yelchin died when he was pinned in between his car and the security gate of his house. Even though he was only 27-years-old, he still had done enough in his career to establish that he was a talented actor. He took over the role of Chekov in the Star Trek reboot and despite not looking a whole lot like the original Chekov played by Walter Koenig, Yelchin made the role his. Chekov wasn't his only large role in an established series. Yelchin played Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation and nailed the role. While writing my book, A Hundred Kisses, I had mentally cast Yelchin as the lead character.

Personal Favorite Piece of Work: Chekov in the Star Trek trilogy reboot

8. George Martin: Famously known as the "Fifth Beatle", Martin's producing skills elevated the Fab Four into legendary status. Martin produced over 700 records in his career and was knighted by the Queen of England for his work. Martin was one of only six producers to have number one hit albums in three different decades.

Personal Favorite Piece of Work: The music for the Cirque du Soleil show, Love, featuring music and images from the Beatles

9. Arnold Palmer: The Babe Ruth of golf, Palmer was a golfing legend, winning 62 PGA tournaments. Beyond his incredible golfing abilities and where he has affected me the most, Arnold Palmer is credited for creating the drink named after himself. Three parts tea to one part lemonade, Arnold is said to have famously asked for this drink while at the bar of the Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colorado during the 1960 U.S. Open. Wanting a non-alcoholic drink, he ordered the drink that he said he would have often at his own home. A woman sitting nearby, overheard Palmer's order and told the bartender that she wanted the Palmer drink. A similar incident happened in Palm Springs and the name began to spread. To this day, I'm an Arnold Palmer drink addict.

10. Carrie Fisher: Most famously known as Princess Leia in the Star Wars series of movies, Fisher was the daughter of celebrity royalty. Her mother was Debbie Reynolds, her father was Eddie Fisher, the sister to Joely Fisher, and her stepmother for a time was Elizabeth Taylor. As Slave Leia, her gold bikini costume might be one of the most iconic movie costumes of all-time. Slave Leia's costume is perhaps the most cosplayed role in the cosplay world. What should be noted is that she had other hit roles in movies such as When Harry Met Sally, Shampoo, and The 'Burbs. She even played a small role as the nun that Jay tried to give oral to in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. It's not widely known, but she also punched up the scripts for The Wedding Singer, Sister Act, and Last Action Hero. When the news broke that she had a massive heart attack just before Christmas, it didn't seem real. She seemed too young and feels like one of those actors/actresses that almost seem immortal because of her most famous roles.

Personal Favorite Piece of Work: Marie in When Harry Met Sally

Top 10 Cultural Events of 2016

Screencap from the movie Suicide Squad; Will Smith (left) as Deadshot and Margot Robbie (right) as Harley Quinn

Well, as you all know, 2016 was a jam packed year full of events that most people want to forget about. Obviously, if you're an American you can attest to this fact. Politics aside, there were plenty of other events, for better or worse, that occurred this year that will make it memorable for various reasons. I give you a look at 10 cultural events that changed America this year (that don't involve politics).

1. Musicians and actors galore died this year: Pop culture took some massive hits this year. Prince and David Bowie's deaths were massive and unexpected, but they weren't the only cultural icons to die this year. The music industry lost Glenn Frey, Leonard Cohen, Merle Haggard, Maurice White, George Martin, Natalie Cole, and Vanity. The silver screen and boob tube didn't go without their shocking deaths either. Alan Rickman, Gene Wilder, Doris Roberts, Anton Yelchin, Garry Marshall, Mickey Rooney, Alan Thicke, Noel Neill, Theresa Saldana, Patty Duke, Florence Henderson, Garry Shandling, Abe Vigoda, David Margulies, and Pat Harrington Jr. As far as writers go, Harper Lee passed on as well. And the sports world took massive hits when Arnold Palmer and Muhammad Ali passed on...oh and Chyna died too.

2. Cuba is ripe for the change: Now I know I said I would try to stay out of politics, but I put this topic here because of the cultural significance. President Obama visited Cuba early in the year and just recently with the death of Fidel Castro, the door to Cuba opening up to the world has cracked open a little bit. A country rich with music, sports, and art, if Cuba were to join the rest of the world in the 21st century, a new wave of pop culture and sports stars could feasibly find its way into America. From a tourism standpoint, people can visit the very same beaches that the mob once hoped to turn into a second Las Vegas with nightclubs and casinos. Fidel's brother Raul is still in power and he is surrounded by hardliners, but maybe with continued pressure to join the rest of the world, Cuba's oppressive system will eventually collapse.

3. Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature...and he couldn't care less: Now it may be debatable that song lyrics count as literature, but the Nobel committee apparently thought so. The awarded Dylan with the award, but they failed to receive an immediate response from the music legend. Once they did, Dylan informed the committee that he wouldn't be able to attend the ceremony and that he "might" make it to Stockholm in 2017. At least that's what we think he said, but sometimes Dylan can be hard to understand.

4. The Cubbies finally won the World Series: Just a year too late to make Back to the Future writer, Robert Zemeckis, look like a genius, the Chicago Cubs not only made their first World Series appearance since 1945, they won their first World Series since 1908. Events such as World War I, the Titanic sinking, and women gaining the right to vote, happened more recently than a Cubs World Series victory. The last time the had made it to the World Series, black baseball players hadn't even been integrated into Major League Baseball.

5. The rise of data collecting devices hit an all-time high: On the surface, devices like Amazon's Echo and Dot with the virtual assistant known as Alexa; and Google's "Google Home" seem pretty cool, but that's only if you don't value your privacy. With a generation of youth that values privacy less than the previous generation, it should be no surprise that a device that presumably captures, stores, and utilizes keywords you say in front of it, has begun to integrate itself into many Americans' everyday lives. Las Vegas hotels have started installing Amazon Echo into their rooms to control functions such as temperature and to possibly order room service. What you don't see is that the information collected helps companies customize the advertisements you are exposed to and stores this information on a database that will either be sold or hacked one day.

6. Apple went toe-to-toe with the government: Shortly after the San Bernardino, California terrorist attack, the FBI wanted to hack into one of the shooter's phones to gain a better idea if the attackers were directed to conduct the attack or if they were lone wolves. A debate erupted when Apple told the government that they wouldn't develop software to allow the United States to access the shooter's personal information from his phone. On one side of this debate was that Apple should be patriotic and do what they can to assist the government to possibly prevent further terrorist efforts. On the other side of the debate was that giving the US government the necessary software to break into Apple produced phones would only lead to a slippery-slope of determining when the software should and shouldn't be used. Eventually the government announced that they were successful in hacking the shooter's phone without the help of Apple. Even then, debates across the country argued when does patriotism override one's right to privacy?

7. Nerds across America wandered around the map to catch fictional creatures: Pokémon Go sprung up out of nowhere to become one of the most successful games in cellphone history. People who rarely stepped foot outside in the real world were forced to visit new places to catch fictional characters that only they could see with the help of their phones. Along the way, the occasional car accident or mugging would occur, but that still didn't appear to hurt the game's popularity. But just as fast as the game gained popularity, the game would decline severely in users within three months of the game's release.

8. Nintendo rehashes their old games...again: When the Nintendo company comes up with a hit game or character, they keep releasing games and re-releasing games with these same characters over and over again. This year was no different. A popular item for Christmas is the Nintendo NES Classic Edition which brings back 30 of those games you played to death in 1980's. All the games are pre-installed into the system, so now you don't have to have all those cartridges that you used to blow into before shoving it into your system.

9. Los Angeles gains at least one NFL team with the possibility of a second coming soon: Several NFL teams flirted with the idea of moving to Los Angeles. In the end, the Rams moved back to LA and the Chargers might not be far behind. The country's second largest city went from no teams to possibly two. So far, the Rams haven't done well, even behind a head coach that had experience guiding a team that changed cities. It took in what seemed forever for the Rams to even play their number one overall draft pick from the 2016 NFL Draft.

10. Every other female under the age of 30 dressed up as Harley Quinn for Halloween: Suicide Squad hit theaters earlier this year and the character of Harley Quinn broke free from being popular with comic book fans to becoming popular with all of America. Margot Robbie's portrayal of Joker's former girlfriend became an instant hit with both males and females alike. By the time Halloween rolled around, tons of women were wearing t-shirts reading "Daddy's Lil Monster" while wearing booty shorts and fishnets. It's conceivable that this costume could end up becoming the Halloween male version of The Crow where guys would still dress up as the undead character years after the movie release. With several more movies in slated to be released featuring Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, her costume is bound to be seen for years to come.

Random Facts About Your Favorite TV Shows

Screencap from M*A*S*H of Gary Burghoff playing Radar O'Reilly

Every television show out there has a story on how it got made, who stars in it, and/or other behind the scenes stories that only some of the most loyal fans to these particular shows would know. The fun thing is that these facts are some good conversational fodder while talking to your coworkers around the water cooler or with your buddies while scarfing down wings and beer.

So here it is, some facts about your favorite TV shows and actors that starred in them.

1. Scotty has no middle finger: Star Trek favorite James Doohan, known for playing Scotty, was in the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II. On the night of D-Day, Doohan was shot six times, including in the chest where a bullet hit a silver cigarette case and in the right hand which led to his middle finger having to be amputated. So next time you see Scotty do a shot or throw a punch, take a look at his right hand if you can.

2. Radar always hid his left hand with a clipboard: "Radar" O'Reilly of M*A*S*H was always seen holding a clipboard with his left hand. When he wasn't holding a clipboard, usually his left hand was out of the frame of the picture. This was because actor Gary Burghoff was born with a congenital deformity of three of his fingers. Occasionally, you can see this if you pause a scene at the right moment. There have been scenes with Burghoff weight-lifting and holding a football that it is most noticeable. Despite this deformity, Burghoff was a drummer for a band called the Relatives in 1968. The lead singer of this band...Wonder Woman's Lynda Carter.

3. The J. Peterman catalog in Seinfeld is real: In real life, there is a J. Peterman catalog that the writer's of Seinfeld incorporated into the show when a catalog came across their desk. The real life company is based out of Kentucky and the owner is named John Peterman, unlike his TV show counterpart, Jacopo Peterman. Want to go a little more meta? Actor John O'Hurley, the man who played J. Peterman, now works and is a part-owner of the real life J. Peterman catalog.

4. Sophia Petrillo was younger than her daughter: Actress Estelle Getty played Sophia Petrillo in the 1980's hit, The Golden Girls. Her character was famous for being short, old, and the mother of Dorothy Zbornak who was played by Bea Arthur. Make-up and acting went a long way as Getty was actually a year younger than Arthur was in real life.

5. Cobie Smulders was not originally asked to play Robin: A hit show that aired for nine seasons and 208 episodes, How I Met Your Mother's Robyn was not originally supposed to be played by Cobie Smulders. A little known actress at the time, show creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, cast Smulders only after their original choice for the role had turned it down. In wasn't until 2014 when the show came to an end when they stated during an interview who their first choice to play Robyn was...Jennifer Love Hewitt. Afterwards, Bays and Thomas said it was best that Smulders was an unknown actress because it was like America was meeting her for the first time at the same time Ted Mosby did.

6. Portlandia's Fred Armisen was originally a drummer: Some people have realized that Fred Armisen is musically talented since he became the band leader for Late Night with Seth Myers. What some people don't know is that Armisen used to be a backup drummer for the famous Blue Man Group. Armisen was also for a punk rock band called Trenchmouth during the late 1980's and into the early 1990's.

7. Comet is Air Bud: The dog known as Comet on the ABC hit show, Full House, was played by a golden retriever named Buddy. Later, after finishing his role as Comet, Buddy went on to the big screen to star in kid-friendly movie, Air Bud.

8. Kevin Arnold dated sisters: A hit series in the late 1980's to the early 1990's, The Wonder Years centered around the life of a teenaged Kevin Arnold while his adult self narrated the series. Arnold's love for friend-turned girlfriend, Winnie Cooper, is a main theme for the show as he tries to figure out how women work. As many people know, Arnold wasn't always part of a couple with Cooper the entire series. Arnold dated Becky Slater, sometimes as a way to make Cooper jealous in hopes that she would come back to him. What many people don't know is that the actress that played Slater is Crystal McKellar, the real life sister to Danica McKellar who played Cooper.

9. The number 47 is everywhere: In the spy series Alias, the number 47 appears all the time. Sydney needs to access information on Server 47 to take down SD-6. There are 47 parts to Rambaldi's magnum opus. Marshall wants to improve a camera design so it has 47 exposures. The key code to access the computer room that houses information on SD-6 is 4747. The number 47 is seen in large print on the door Sydney's abductors take Sydney through while she's retrieving her lost memories.

10. Mitt Romney's sister-in-law almost caused a TV show to be cancelled: Terry Rakolta, Mitt Romney's former sister-in-law, started a letter writing campaign that cost the show Married...with Children many of their advertisers. Rakolta was angry and determined that the show be ripped off the air after she witnessed an episode that featured Al Bundy and Steve Rhoades buying a bra for Peggy. Rakolta would go on to be a guest of many talk shows while the show would garner its highest ratings ever less than a year later.

11. Van Wilder wasn't almost a cast member of Buffy: While many people know that Katie Holmes was originally asked to play the role of Buffy in Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, not as many people know that Ryan Reynolds was asked to play the role of Xander. Coming out of high school in real life at the same time, Reynolds didn't want to play a high school kid and instead was searching for more adult roles. Holmes, of course, would go on to play Joey Potter in Dawson's Creek.

12. People would frequently go missing in Philadelphia...and no one cared: In the ABC's TGIF hit, Boy Meets World, it wasn't uncommon for characters to just disappear without a word. Mr. Turner never appeared again after his motorcycle accident. Stuart Minkus disappeared after the first season, only to be seen one more time when they all graduated high school. Corey's little sister disappeared and was replaced by an older pre-teen version. Shawn's sister Stacey was mentioned in one episode when Shawn called her on the phone, only to have Stacey never heard from or about again. Topanga's parents kept changing appearances. Peter Tork and Michael McKeon both played her father at some point. Marcia Cross and Annette O'Toole both played her mother. Finally, two years of the kid's lives go missing. They never were seen attending the 9th and 10th grades.

13. Jennifer Love Hewitt sure passes on a lot of roles: As earlier, when revealed that Jennifer Love Hewitt was originally asked to play Robyn in How I Met Your Mother, she also passed on the role of Piper in Charmed. Instead, Rose McGowan would go on to be cast in this role that would replace Shannen Doherty's character leaving the show.

14. Twitter is not just for Trump: Wil Wheaton was asked to be a reoccurring member of Big Bang Theory after he tweeted that he enjoyed the show. Producers saw the tweet and asked Wheaton to play an "evil" version of himself to be Sheldon Cooper's archrival.

Baseball Hall of Fame 2017 Ballot

Photo of Barry Bonds by Daniel Millhouse

Yet another year goes by and I find myself without an official ballot for Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame for the 2017 class. I know I would have to be a BBWAA writer, but I figure they should have made the exception. Either way, I give you my picks to make the hall this year (in no particular order)...

1. Barry Bonds - All-time home run leader, eight gold gloves, all-time leader in walks and intentional walks, seven MVP's, 12-time Silver Slugger winner, and 514 stolen bases. It's ridiculous that he hasn't been voted in during the first four times he was eligible. One anchor on the MLB Network claimed that he couldn't vote for Bonds solely because Bonds wasn't a nice guy. If that's the case, then explain players such as Ty Cobb, Reggie Jackson, and Don Drysdale who were known to be hated players while still playing.
2. Roger Clemens - Almost the pitcher version of Barry Bonds. Seven Cy Youngs, one MVP, 354 career wins, third on the all-time strike outs list behind fellow Texan Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson, and a 3.12 career ERA. Just like Bonds, he has been passed by four times so far for the hall.
3. Jeff Bagwell - A former Rookie of the Year, MVP, three time Silver Slugger, Gold Glove first baseman, with 449 career homers, a .297 career batting average, over 1,500 RBI's, and 202 stolen bases. In any other time period Bagwell may have stood out more, but he played first base in the National League at the same time as Mark McGwire, Fred McGriff, Andres Galarraga, Mark Grace, Ryan Klesko, and Todd Helton.
4. Trevor Hoffman - He's second all-time in career saves behind Mariano Rivera, second for the Cy Young Award in 1998 and 2006, and sported a career ERA of 2.87.
5. Billy Wagner - Sixth all-time in saves, Wagner often hit over 100 mph on the radar gun and was feared by hitters. He had a career ERA of 2.31, had a K/9 of 11.9, and a WHIP of 0.99. Only John Franco had more saves as a left-handed closers.
6. Ivan Rodriguez - Known for being one of the best defensive catchers of all-time, Rodriguez had an amazing arm that he would use to throw base runners out all the time. Pudge wasn't bad with the bat either. He had 312 homers, a .296 career batting average, over 1,300 RBI's, and 2,844 base hits. He won the AL MVP in 1999, won the Silver Slugger 7 times, and 13 Gold Gloves.
7. Fred McGriff - Overlooked because he played first base in the National League while so many other stars also played, many people don't realize how good he exactly was. He retired with 493 homers (tied for the most with Lou Gehrig for players who failed to reach 500), 1,550 RBI's, a .284 career batting average, and three Silver Slugger awards.
8. Mike Mussina - Mike Mussina won 270 games, stuck out over 2,800 hitters, won seven Gold Gloves, and he only failed to reach double digit wins in a season once in his career (during his rookie season). The Moose was in the top 10 for Cy Young votes nine times, but the closest he ever came to winning was in 1999 when he came in second. Good to the end, Mussina was 20-9 with a 3.34 ERA and a Gold Glove his final season.
9. Vladimir Guerrero - One of the freest swinger hitters in recent times, Guerrero is one of two first-time ballot eligible players I voted for this year (Ivan Rodriguez is the other). He hit 449 homers, had 1,496 RBI's, a .318 career batting average, and 2,590 career hits. He won the MVP during his first season with the ANAHEIM Angels and won eight Silver Slugger awards. If the Gold Glove was solely based on arm strength, Guerrero would have won some. He had a cannon for an arm which kept him playing in the outfield for a couple extra seasons before being converted to a designated hitter. In 2002, he was one homer short of being a 40-40 player. He is also the last former Montreal Expo left with a valid chance at making it to the hall. If he receives enough votes to get in, I hope he goes in as an Expo.

Star Trek Reboot Killed Picard, Seven of Nine, and the House of Mogh

Promotional photo for Star Trek by Paramount Pictures

People often wonder what life would be like if events in the past played out differently instead of the way they did. A change in past events can easily end up worsening a situation just as easy as it can improve the present day.

This happened in the Star Trek universe when it was rebooted after Nero traveled back in time for his revenge on Spock. While the movie was enjoyable, everything in the Star Trek universe was changed. Not just what you saw in the trilogy of reboot movies released to date, but it also changed the universe in other ways you may not have noticed.

For starters, the changing of the universe surely affected the future captain-ship of the USS Enterprises. This means that Jean-Luc Picard may or may not be the future captain of Enterprise D. It's even possible that he not only may not become the captain, he may also decide to enter the field of archeology after making the choice to follow in his favorite professor's footsteps. If the leadership of not only the Enterprise, but also the Federation is shifted around in the past, who knows what the future may hold for other Enterprises.

Another change in the universe is that now with present day events in the original series changed, there's a good chance that the famous kiss between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhara may never happen. With Uhara and Spock being romantically involved, the storyline from a romantic standpoint has forever changed.

A third change in the universe affects Star Trek: Voyager. With the planet Vulcan now obliterated, future Vulcans such as Tuvok will surely never be born. If his ancestors died in the near extinction of the Vulcan species when Nero blew up the planet Vulcan, Tuvok cannot exist in the future universe. Even if his ancestors are one of the survivors that the elder Spock led, the tragedy would surely change the storyline completely.


In the category of diplomatic relations, if the TNG has changed because of prior events, what will become of the House of Mogh? Not only would Worf's history be changed, but his grandfather, Colonel Worf, who was the legal advocate for Kirk and McCoy in Star Trek VI: Undiscovered County, may have never come to defend them after they were accused of murdering Chancellor Gorkon. With the universe changed, Gorkon may never meet Kirk and McCoy, Colonel Worf's history may take a different direction, and eventually his grandson may never find himself in the Federation, working for Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Lastly, if the storyline to the original universe is changed, it can be assumed that first contact with the Borg may change. With Picard possibly not leading the Enterprise D, he could never be assimilated and become Locutus. The movie Star Trek: First Contact is completely out the window. Also, Seven of Nine may never become a member of Voyager, if she is ever even assimilated in the first place.

The new reboot of the Star Trek movies have been wonderful so far, led by good acting and intriguing storylines that lead to more debates. It unfortunately leaves the future of the universe up in the air, possibly destroying it as we all know it. On their own, the reboot holds up, but if it changes the future of the greatest captain (Jean-Luc Picard), then was the change worth it?

Talking Turkey: The Truth About Ben Franklin and the National Seal

Coming closer to the big turkey day, a common misconception is that the turkey could have been our national bird instead of the bald eagle. Some people believe that Benjamin Franklin himself argued to make the turkey our national bird. This is simply not true.

After the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin was one of several people tasked with coming up for an idea for the seal of the United States of America. A few ideas floated around, just not the idea of using a turkey.

It is true that Franklin talked about a turkey, but this was in a letter that he wrote to his daughter, Sarah. He praised the turkey, calling it "a much more respectable bird" and "a true original native of America." In contrast, he called the bald eagle "a bird of bad moral character" and "too lazy to fish for himself" because it tends to steal fish from hawks.

The revelation of the existence of this letter later hit newspapers a century later, long after Franklin and his daughter had passed. Franklin's disdain for the bald eagle being on the seal was never publicly revealed until then, as was his respect for the turkey.

Over the years, just as the subject can change when people play the "telephone game," the story of Franklin and the turkey developed into the false notion that he wanted gobblers to be the national bird.

He did not.

The turkey was never considered to be the national bird, thus never putting the status of a turkey in jeopardy from not being the main course for a Thanksgiving dinner.

Turkey and avocado sandwiches...safe.

Those large drumsticks that you enjoy at county fairs...safe.

Your ability to stay awake after a big Thanksgiving dinner...well, that's still in jeopardy because of the tryptophan.

What I've Learned from Saturday Night Live

Promotional image from NBC's Saturday Night Live

Debuting on October 11, 1975, Saturday Night Live has been a fixture on Saturday night television for 42 seasons and over 800 episodes. It has been guest hosted by a variety of celebrities, from Tom Hanks to George Carlin to even politicians such as Bob Dole. Speaking of politicians, SNL has spawned out a mass amount of stars to go on to bigger and better things including Senator Al Franken.

A show that has been on for so long is bond to accidentally teach a lesson or two to the audience. Believing to have watched all 42 seasons, I will now share with you XXXX lessons I have learned from my years of enjoying the comedy skit show.

1. "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me." - Often the lessen given to the audience and the guest of the Stuart Smalley skits performed by now Senator Al Franken, the message was both positive and hilarious at the same time. Smalley would impart his message with those who even didn't necessarily need it (i.e. see Michael Jordan). The character of Smalley is obviously a flawed one (fictionally), but he always tried to see the best side of life anyway by trying his hardest to stay positive.

2. "Consume Mass Quantities!" - Perhaps the worst aliens in disguise as humans, the Remulak natives known as the Coneheads (Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtain, and Laraine Newman) found themselves stranded on Earth. Trying to blend in, they lived life to fullest. That included drinking a whole six-pack of beer at once and smoking a pack of cigarettes simultaneously. Unfamiliar with their alien biology, I'm sure that this is probably something that doesn't bug them. The family mislead others by claiming they were French, but unlike any European, the Coneheads ability to consume "consumables" was more American than anything else.

3. "Devon? What are you doing here?" - The Californians mock the accent of those who live in the Los Angeles area, but one of the reoccurring themes is that the unexpected is likely to happen. You have to be prepared and not caught off guard like Stuart (not Smalley) is when he see Devon. (Stuart-Fred Armisen; Devon-Bill Hader)

4. "Sorry." - A sincere apology is always appreciated, but when Gilly (Kristen Wiig) gradually ramps up the violence and still gives the same apology, one could surmise that the apology is fake. Some people will do things to get under your skin, but when they say sorry and continue to do it, they don't mean it. Gilly is an extreme example, but there are people out there that will intentionally mess you and try to come off as apologetic the whole time.

5. "I am filled with anticipation, and it is most delicious." - Sometimes the anticipation of an event is more enjoyable than the event itself. Dieter (Michael Myers) from the "Sprockets" skit teaches us that, usually just before dancing to techno music by Kraftwerk. And he's right. Sometimes an event such as a holiday doesn't live up to the build-up of the day itself. That's why it's sometimes better to enjoy the build up to the event than the event itself.

6. "...living in a van down by the river." - Motivational speaker Matt Foley (Chris Farley) is a down-on-his-luck man who famously points out that he lives in a most unfavorable place to reside. Often tasked to scare kids straight, Foley has driven his point home by (accidentally) crashing down on a table while the kids laugh while breaking character. But it does prove that while you might be down, you can help others from meeting a similar fate and still be a positive influence in someone else's life.

7. "We're not worthy!" - Wayne and Garth (Michael Myers and Dana Carvey) praise those that they idolize such as Madonna with the phrase, "We're not worthy!" Now this is not to say that you have to gush over someone in an embarrassing way, but just letting them know that you are appreciative of the work someone has done isn't a bad thing. People, including artists, often doubt whether what they do has a positive impact on other's lives. Finding out that others are appreciative of what you do can not only make their day, but also give them motivation to keep doing what they do.

8. Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey - While there is not a single quote by the Deep Thoughts skits that stand out more than others, it does reveal that you're not the only one with odd and sometimes disturbing thoughts. While you may have grown up thinking you're awkward, others grew up thinking the same thing.

9. "When I see a solar eclipse, like the one I went to last year in Hawaii, I think 'Oh no! Is the moon eating the sun?' I don't know. Because I'm a caveman -- that's the way I think." - Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, Cirroc (Phil Hartman) said things like this while in the courtroom. It reminds us that there are people out there that haven't been able to enjoy the wonders of everyday life that many others have. Don't take life for granted. While you may have witnessed a natural wonder many times, others may have not. Soak up your experiences and don't be afraid to share them with others if you have the chance.

10. "Lambortini" - The Former Porn Star Commercials remind people to always aim higher. I'm not kidding. Even though the former porn stars (Cecily Strong and Vanessa Bayer) aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, they aspire to be something more than just porn stars. In this case, they want to be spokespeople for various brands such as Lamborghini and Swarvoski. They just have trouble pronouncing the brand names. Even with that said, they want to better themselves and that is commendable.

11. "Toonces, no!" - Cats can't be trusted to drive a car. Enough said.

How Captain Jean-Luc Picard Influenced Me

Screencap taken from an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation

There are not too many characters on television that can go multiple seasons and remain a true hero type the entire run. I'm not necessarily talking about super powers when I say hero. Just someone that can remain a role model for every episode during a show's run. Often a protagonist-type of character will have at least some sort of slip up if their television series runs long enough (unless you're in a sitcom).

One character that remained the positive role model type for 178 episodes.

His name was Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Out of all the main cast members from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Picard was the only one that remained a positive character for every episode. Data turned evil when his brother Lore and the Borg teamed up; Riker fell under the influence of Q for an episode; and even La Forge got in a war of words with Wesley when it came to Crusher's dating life.

You could say that Picard may have been swayed towards the dark side when he became Locutus of the Borg. I would argue that with the nanobots that transformed Picard into a member of the Borg, he was temporarily no longer himself, but a whole separate person.

Now to get to the point of this post. I give you the things that I have learned from Jean-Luc Picard.

1. Earl Grey Tea - I have had tea many times in my life, but it wasn't until Picard would order the replicator to make him Earl Grey tea that I even knew there were other flavors. I only thought tea came in one flavor. Because of Picard, I found out that tea could have a hint of citrus. As I grew older, I found that I actually preferred tea to most non-alcoholic drinks. Not just hot tea, but iced tea as well. This revelation came because of Captain Picard's obsessive ordering of the same flavor of tea.

2. Pulp Fiction - I have always been the bookworm type. It wasn't until Captain Picard entered the holodeck and assumed the role of the private detective known as Dixon Hill before I knew what mid-twentieth century pulp fiction was. It was because of the Dixon Hill character that Picard loved that I became interested in the cheesy but interesting storylines. This eventually led to my love of movies such as LA Confidential. In some way it may have been one of the factors to my current career as both a writer and online investigator.

3. Whiskey - Maybe this isn't a positive aspect I learned from Picard, but his choice of alcohol is Aldebaran whiskey. Obviously I can't try an alien brand of whiskey, but it led me to try whiskey first out of all the hard liquors. Now, out of all the hard liquors out there, I found that I enjoy a nice whiskey the most. The moment Picard shared a shot of whiskey with Scotty from the original series was an awesome moment for me. It connected my favorite character from the original series to one of my favorite characters from the newer series.

4. Never Back Down - In fairness, I've learned this from many different avenues of influence in my life. Picard was just one of those who cemented this thinking into my personality. Even when confronted with malevolent characters with god-like powers such as Q and Ardra, Picard never flinches. From episode one of the Next Generation series, Picard matches wits with characters of undeniable powers and in every case, he defeats them through will and occasionally with his smarts. He even put the Enterprise on the line in a court case against Ardra who claimed to be also known as the devil on Earth. Confident in his abilities in a courtroom setting, Picard held his own.

5. Dealing with Lose - In this, I don't mean dealing with the death of someone close to you. I mean dealing with the fact that no matter what, you will lose at some point in your life. In the episode called "Peak Performance", Picard tells Data, "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life." He was right.

6. Be Yourself - Picard realized that one of the biggest headaches in life is when you try to be someone you're not. It causes problems and could lead to disaster in your social life. From the first episode of the series, Picard said, "If we’re going to be damned, let’s be damned for what we really are.”

6. Silence is Golden - Picard was not written to be the Captain Kirk-type of character. Initially he wasn't the type of captain that would sleep with every alien woman he encountered. He was quiet and did not brag about those he slept with or at least had relationships with. By the time the television series wrapped up and the movies were done being made, Picard had been in the most relationships out of any of the crew members of Enterprise D. I'm not kidding.

Picard started in the academy, pining for a woman with the initials A.F. His feelings for her were strong enough that he carved their initials in groundskeeper's Boothby's prized tree and then failed Organic Chemistry because he couldn't take his mind off her.

He then had a relationship with Jenice Manheim, but chose his career over love. He then moved on to Vash when he vacationed on Risa. The two not only had a physical attraction, but a common love in archeology. Any hope of this relationship was quashed when she ran off with Q.

Picard had a run-in with an empathic metamorph named Kamala (played by Famke Janssen). The two bonded so well that it left a lasting impression on Picard.

Another woman, Nella Daren, took over the Enterprise's Stellar Sciences department. The red-head (a common theme for Picard) became so inseparable from Picard that the rest of the crew noticed. Troi gave her blessing while Dr. Crusher became jealous. Eventually, Picard was forced to make a decision to save lives, putting Daren's life on the line. She survived, but the two knew they couldn't continue to work together.

And then there was Anij, a 300-year-old woman that Picard fell for while saving her people from the Ba'ku. Before leaving, he pledged that he would spend his 318 days of shore leave to visit her.

And then there are those that Picard never hooked up with--or at least not on camera. He had a relationship with Guinan that was said to go beyond friendship. Maybe they hooked up a few times, but decided to be friends. Then there was Lwaxana Troi. She would openly say that she liked the naughty thoughts that he had about her. Even when butting heads with the false god, Arda, she made it known that she wanted Picard to be her own personal love toy and even was willing to morph into the shape of others including Deanna Troi to get him hot.

Finally, there is Dr. Beverly Crusher. Picard has a thing for red-heads and she fits the bill. Despite commanding the mission that led to the death of her husband, Crusher had feelings for Picard for the entire series. In several "future" based stories, it was shown that the two would eventually marry.

Ultimately Picard had the best love life on the Enterprise without bragging about it or using the holodeck to fulfill his fantasies (i.e. Barclay).

Final Point... While many still view Captain James T. Kirk as the ideal star ship captain, it was Picard that held all the necessary traits to be a legend. Kirk was just born before Picard and therefore his legend grew. If he had to live up to the expectation levels of Picard, Kirk may have only been considered above average.

108 Things That Have Happened Since the Cubs Won the World Series

With the Chicago Cubs battling it out with the Cleveland Indians for the title of World Series champion this year, one of Major League Baseball's longest droughts will come to an end.

The Cleveland Indians are currently in the middle of the longest drought in the American League having last won in 1948. The Cubs aren't much better. Their last appearance was in 1945, but their last World Series victory was in 1908.

In those 108 years, a lot has happened. Events that changed world history; people that were born or died; and changes in popular culture. So here's a list of 108 events that happened in the 108 years since the Cubs last won a World Series.

1. World War I
2. World War II
3. The creation of the state of Israel
4. Ronald Reagan was born (and died)
5. The Mexican Revolution
6. Lenin's October Revolution
7. The United States adds Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii to the union
8. Major League Baseball expanded from 16 teams to 30 (Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, ANAHEIM Angels, Washington Senators/Texas Rangers, New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays) and 7 teams moved/changed their mascot (Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, New York/San Francisco Giants, Boston/Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins, New York Highlanders/Yankees)
9. The Great Depression
10. The Social Security Act
11. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
12. India and Pakistan become independent countries
13. I Love Lucy airs for the first time
14. Lucille Ball was born (and died)
15. Television is invented
16. Disneyland opens for business
17. Rock'n'Roll is invented
18. Jean Harlow was born (and died)
19. Scientology was formed
20. The NFL formed
21. 19 different American presidents are elected
22. 9 popes take the helm of Catholicism
23. Mount Rushmore is finished
24. The city of Las Vegas, Nevada incorporates
25.  Berlin Wall is constructed (and falls)
26. Medicare and Medicaid created
27. President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act into law
28. The fall of the Ottoman Empire
29. Iraq was created
30. The Titanic sinks
31. Motorized movie cameras replaced hand-cranked cameras
32. The crossword puzzle is invented
33. Life Savers candy is created
34. The modern zipper is invented
35. Bras are invented
36. Charles Jung invents fortune cookies
37. Band Aids are invented
38. Pluto was discovered
39. Velcro is invented
40. The Holocaust
41. Prussia falls
42. Bubble gum is invented
43. The game, Monopoly, is invented
44. Credit cards are invented
45. Yugoslavia forms and falls
46. The Hindenburg disaster
47. The NBA formed
48. Pablo Picasso died
49. Nikola Tesla died
50. Martin Luther King Jr. was born (and assassinated)
51. The hula hoop is invented
52. Superman is created
53. The first handheld calculator invented
54. Wyatt Earp died
55. Women's Suffrage
56. Prohibition
57. The Star Spangled Banner is adopted as the national anthem of the United States
58. The Empire State Building was built
59. The Dust Bowl
60. Mark Twain died
61. The Cold War
62. Bettie Page is born (and died)
63. Mother's Day is nationally recognized
64. The NHL is formed
65. Frank Sinatra is born (and died)
66. The Bloody Mary cocktail is created
67. The Black Sox scandal
68. The first black baseball player plays in the MLB (Jackie Robinson)
69. McDonalds opens up their first restaurant
70. The KKK ran the city of Anaheim, California
71. Thomas Edison died
72. The minimum wage was created in the United States
73. Leo Tolstoy died
74. Sigmund Freud died
75. The first home versions of refrigerators were sold
76. Ranch dressing was created
77. Desegregation of schools
78. Franz Ferdinand was assassinated
79. Snickers candy bars was created
80. Wizard of Oz was released in the theaters
81. Instant coffee was invented
82. D-Day
83. The Roswell incident
84. The rise of AIDS
85. Babe Ruth's whole career
86. The Grand Canyon is declared a National Park
87. Bugs Bunny and the other Warner Brothers cartoons were created
88. Mickey Rooney was born (and died)
89. Amelia Earhart disappeared
90. The CIA was founded
91. HG Wells died
92. The Charleston and Jitterbug dances were created
93. Teddy Roosevelt ran for president under the Bull Moose Party ticket
94. The modern hula-hoop was invented
95. The vaccine to Polio discovered
96. Marie Curie died
97. Japanese attack Pearl Harbor
98. Modern scuba diving invented
99. Al Capone is held at Alcatraz
100. Bonnie and Clyde's crime spree
101. The discovery of King Tut's tomb
102. The Spanish flu killed millions
103. The first talking movie
104. The first radio station goes live
105. The Dust Bowl
106. Penicillin is discovered
107. French fries are introduced to America via soldiers returning home from World War I
108. Christ the Redeemer statue erected in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

And as a bonus...Ford introduced the Model T to the world while the Cubs were playing the last World Series they won.

Patriots Show Disrespect to Bills

Looks like the New England Patriots are at it again. In their last game against rival Buffalo Bills the Patriots ran right through the middle of the Bills' pregame warmups. Is there a specific rule against this? No. It's a matter of respect...or disrespect in this case.

Every year the Patriots find themselves embroiled in a new controversy. Deflategate being one of the most recent ones which led to Tom Brady being suspended for the first four games of this season.

Another being that multiple visiting teams have complained their headsets don't work when they visit Gillette Stadium. It isn't until a referee checks that they magically begin to work again. If a team's headset doesn't work, the other team is supposed to go without their headsets as well to even up the odds. Opposing coaches have complained that they hear the radio broadcast of the game instead of their coordinators.

Somehow, despite constantly pulling things that would dirty the image of any other team, the Patriots seem to be able to shed the dirt and remain a favorite of millions of fans. How? Maybe it's because they win. It would be hard for the NFL to come down on a team that brings them millions of dollars in revenue. Plus Patriots owner Robert Craft and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell are known to be good friends.

Now this...

For whatever reason, the Patriots ran right through the Bills pregame warmups, disrespecting their rival in the process. But why? There was no reason other than the Patriots decided to be punks. It's doubtful that the whole team had an airheaded moment at once and accidentally did this.

These two teams will face each other again this season. The Bills have already publicly said that if the Patriots do this again, retaliation will be a guarantee. And who could blame them? If the Patriots do it again, they deserve to get their butts kicked.

Will it happen again? Who knows.

The 5 Scariest Mainstream Clowns

Screencap from Poltergeist

Coulrophobia...the fear of clowns.

With all the creepy clowns hitting the news these days people are genuinely scared of those who were meant to entertain people originally. Clowns were entertainers that were supposed to cheer up children. Parents would hire clowns to entertain their children at birthday parties. Other clowns such as Bozo would be a daily staple for children in the 1950s.

Now, all has changed. People have genuine phobias about those who don the red nose and colorful clothing. That's why the following list is not the typical happy-go-lucky list of clowns that make you happy.

You won't see DC Comics' Joker on here. While being a very mainstream character these days and having the nickname "The Clown Prince" to live up to, the Joker is thought to be the victim of unforeseen circumstances. Team that up with the "super-sanity" and his crime boss tendencies, the Joker is more mobster than clown.

These are the top 5 scariest clowns in the American mainstream.

1. Pennywise - This should be a give in. Google scary clown and images of Pennywise from Stephen King's It popup everywhere. Every thirty years this shape-shifter comes back to terrorize children. More of a supernatural character than a physical one, Pennywise lived in a realm called deadlights when not scaring and killing people.

2. Pogo - Who is Pogo you ask? Perhaps you know him by his real name...John Wayne Gacy. The serial murder's day job was entertaining children at parties and hospitals. At night he murdered an estimated thirty people at the very least. Nicknamed the Killer Clown after his reign of terror began, Gacy was eventually arrested and put to death by lethal injection in 1994.

3. Poltergeist Clown - This children's toy come to life was one of the scariest aspects of the Poltergeist movie. This toy with an evil smile should have never been allowed to be in the house by the parents. It wouldn't be long before this toy assaulted the child...no shock there. Just the scene of him crawling under the kid's bed was enough to give people nightmares.

4. Twisty - This clown was once the focus of the carnival show that became the focus of the fourth season of American Horror Story. After being accused of pedophilia, Twisty tried to end all by shooting himself in the head with a shotgun. He ended up failing at this, mangling his face by shooting off his jaw. Since then, he remained outside of the circus, kidnapping children and trying to entertain them. Don't worry...he hid the fact that he was missing his jaw by wearing a mask.

5. Ronald McDonald - Perhaps the biggest killer of all the mainstream clowns, Ronald has slowly killed many off by utilizing calories, sugar, and fat in almost all of his fast food. He rebranded his death packages as Happy Meals and millions of Americans would become addicted almost overnight. For those who weren't 100 percent sold on buying one of his death traps...a toy to sway a few more to eat his food while playing with their plastic choking hazards.

2016 Millhouse MLB Awards

Christian Yellich put up a Silver Slugger level season in 2016; photo by Daniel Millhouse

It was definitely a season to remember this season for Major League Baseball. The death of Jose Fernandez was definitely the lowlight of the season and was possibly one of the more tragic stories in all of sports this season. But this year also had many high points. The emergence of one of the best rookie classes in years, Ichiro reaching the 3,000 hit plateau, and David Ortiz putting up one of the best seasons of his career in his final season.

One day the Millhouse MLB Awards will be covered by all sorts of media. Until then, I present to you the award winners for the 2016 Major League Baseball season as picked by Daniel Millhouse.

American League:

MVP: Jose Altuve...This Houston Astros middle infielder won the batting title, played well enough to win the Gold Glove, tied for second in the league in stolen bases, hit a career high 24 homers, had 96 RBI's, and scored 108 runs. He was the total five-tool-player this season despite playing on a team that underperformed this season. Runners-Up...Mookie Betts, Miguel Cabrera, and David Ortiz.

Cy Young: Rick Porcello...If you asked anyone before this season started who the American League Cy Young winner might be, even Porcello himself would have never picked. He was 22-4 this season, was fifth in ERA (3.15), allowed only 32 walks with a 1.01 WHIP, and put up stats that MLB fans would have loved to see from David Price. Runners-Up...Zack Britton, Justin Verlander, and Corey Kluber.

Rookie of the Year: Michael Fullmer...This rookie pitcher stepped up and replaced the roster spot left vacant by Porcello when the latter left for the Red Sox. Fullmer gave the Tigers steady pitching for most of the season, giving Detroit a nice one-two punch with Verlander and Fullmer. The rookie was 11-7 with a 3.06 ERA. This spot almost went to Yankees' catcher Gary Sanchez who was the fastest player to reach 20 homers to begin their career, but it was hard to award a player with barely over 50 games played, the rookie of the year. Runners-Up...Gary Sanchez, Normar Mazara, and Tyler Naquin.

Fireman of the Year: Zack Britton...He was a perfect 47 for 47 in save opportunities and in 67 innings, he only allowed 4 earned runs and a .162 batting average. His ERA was a staggering 0.54 and his WHIP was 0.84. Still think lefties can't be closers? Runners-Up...Alex Colome, Wade Davis, and Roberto Osuna.

Manager of the Year: Jeff Banister...The Texas Rangers' manager led a team that wasn't predicted to ever make the playoffs. Yet, they did. They lost in the playoffs once they made it, but getting that far was an amazing feat considering the players he lost to the disabled list and those that underperformed. Runners-Up...John Gibbons, Buck Showalter, and Brad Ausmus.

Silver Sluggers: Catcher-Stephen Vogt, 1B-Miguel Cabrera, 2B-Jose Altuve, 3B-Josh Donaldson, SS-Xander Bogaerts, OF-Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Ian Desmond, DH-David Ortiz

American League All Rookie Team: Catcher-Gary Sanchez, 1B-Dae-Ho Lee, 2B-Whit Merrifield, 3B-Ryan Healey, SS-Tim Anderson, OF-Nomar Mazara, Tyler Naquin, and Hyun Soon Kim, P-Michael Fullmer

National League:

MVP: Nolan Arenado...He led the league in homers and RBI's while hitting .294. Arenado also played some of the best defense at any position this season. There wasn't much he couldn't do except for maybe steal a couple of more bases. Runners-Up...Charlie Blackmon, Joey Votto, and Ryan Braun.

Cy Young: Kyle Hendricks...A pitcher that started the season as a free agent in many fantasy leagues, Hendricks took the National League ERA crown, posting a 2.13 ERA. Combine this with a 16-8 record, a 0.98 WHIP, and allowing only 15 homers the whole season, it was clear to see that Hendricks had a dominate season for the Cubs. Runners-Up...Jose Fernandez, Madison Bumgarner, and Jon Lester.

Rookie of the Year: Trea Turner...Playing out of position at centerfield, the Nationals were determined to find a way to get this top rookie into their starting lineup. Normally a shortstop, he still played good defense while hitting .342, stealing 33 bases, and hitting 13 homers. Runners-Up...Corey Seager, Trevor Story, and Seung Hwan Oh.

Fireman of the Year: Mark Melancon...Combining his season on the Pirates and Nationals, Melancon pushed Jonathan Papplebon down to setup man. He had 47 saves with a 1.64 ERA while compiling a 0.90 WHIP. Runners-Up...Kenley Jensen, Seung Hwan Oh, and Kenley Jensen.

Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon...So far it has been a magical season for the Cubs. It would have been even better if this happened last season to prove Back to the Future 2 right, but what can you do? The Cubs won over 100 games this season and there's a chance that they actually make it to the World Series. If they win, they'll break their long drought. Runners-Up...Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, and Clint Hurdle.

Silver Sluggers: Catcher-Wilson Ramos, 1B-Joey Votto, 2B-David Murphy, 3B-Nolan Arenado, SS-Jonathan Villar, OF-Ryan Braun, Charlie Blackmon, and Christina Yellich, P-Adam Wainright

National League All Rookie Team: Catcher-Wilson Contreras, 1B-Tommy Joseph, 2B-Jose Peraza, 3B-Brandon Drury, SS-Corey Seager, OF-Trea Turner, Travis Jankowski, and Keon Broxton, P-Seung Hwan Oh

Top 10 Private Investigators in Television and Movies

Promotional Poster from the Marvel series Jessica Jones which airs on Netflix

There are few professions depicted in television shows and in the movies that are portrayed as being as cool as a private investigator. Many times these fictional investigators are often written to be lone-wolf types who often will go as far as risking life and limb to solve their cases...and they almost always solve all the cases they have on their plates. Like a bloodhound, they always seem to find the necessary evidence to turn a case in their client's favor and in the process save a life or two along the way. While being a private investigator in real life can be a rewarding job, it's tough to even come close to the levels that the following fictional P.I.'s have reached.

Here's a top-10 list (in no particular order) of private eyes that can be seen on the silver screen and on the boob tube...

1. Sam Spade of The Maltese Falcon: There are several screen versions of this character, but perhaps the best known iteration of Sam Spade was played by Humphrey Bogart. Spade is a noir-style detective that probably helped kick start the rise in popularity of the American detective novels during the pulp fiction era. He was a cynical character, but still was likeable enough for many fans to wish that Dashiell Hammett wrote more stories for the prototypical movie P.I. The mental image that some people imagine, a handsome man wearing a trench coat and smoking a cigarette, most likely originated from Humphrey Bogart's interpretation of Sam Spade.

2. Thomas Magnum of Magnum P.I.: The 1980's was the decade of television where the starring characters of the various hit dramas lived life in luxury and excess. It was no different for Magnum even though he was an investigator. He lived in a mansion, drove a Ferrari, chugged beers, was surrounded by attractive women that often were victims or were involved with his cases somehow, getting free rides in his buddy's helicopter, working only when he wanted to, and of course, living on the island of Hawaii. Magnum got to enjoy the rich lifestyle without being rich himself. In favor of his technical expertise, famous author Robin Masters let Magnum do anything he wanted. Higgins was the only thing standing in Magnum's way, but the two often found a way to co-exist.

3. The Angels in Charlie's Angels: Not a specific set of characters such as Magnum or Spade, the nickname "Angels" was bestowed on a group of women that work for Charles Townsend's private investigation firm. The first ones were graduates of the police academy that excelled in their training, but were relegated to lackluster roles because of their gender. Seeing the potential they had Charlie hired them and doled out assignments to the girls through Bosley. Every episode the girls would go undercover to solve a case, eventually being thanked by Charlie via speakerphone. The three key girls would often change out for others, but the moniker "Angels" never did change. Almost all the girls remained loyal to Charlie despite never meeting the man in person. That tradition continued even after the show jumped onto the big screen a couple of decades later.

4. Paul Drake of Perry Mason: The right-hand man to the most successful defense attorney in Los Angeles, Drake was the business suit wearing P.I. that would gather the necessary evidence that it would take for Perry Mason to eventually win his cases. He was sort of the stiff type, but managed to find himself dating nearly every single woman that made an appearance on the show...except for one. Della Street. He may not have been flashy like Magnum, but the results he produced were more than enough to prove that he was one of the most successful fictional P.I.'s around.

5. Sherlock Holmes: Guinness Book of World Records recognizes the character of Sherlock Holmes as the "most portrayed character in movie history". The private detective was usually aided by his physician buddy, Dr. Watson who was a genius at solving crimes on his own. With Holmes, the pair nearly solved every case that came their way from Scotland Yard. Sometimes more computer than man, Holmes would find clues that no one else would ever find, sometimes imparting his knowledge on how he solved the case to his best friend. Often depicted in the Victorian era, Sherlock Holmes was moved up into present-day London when he was played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Even in the fictional future, Holmes is a favorite of Data and La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

6. Hercule Poirot from Agatha Christie's writing: Holmes wasn't the only private detective in England that assisted Scotland Yard. Perhaps Agatha Christie's greatest character, Poirot was a refugee from Belgium who moved to England during World War I. During his time as a detective, he saved the British Prime Minister from abduction, undertook cases for both the British government and civilians alike, and traveled all over the world while sporting a mustache that could go head-to-head with Magnum's. Perhaps Poirot's most widely known case was Murder on the Orient Express in which he had to solve the murder of an American business tycoon on the famous train line.

7. Angel Investigations from Angel: A spinoff of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the vampire with a soul fled Sunnydale, California to get over his broken heart after his breakup with Buffy. Unlike 99 percent of vampires out there, Angel was determined to "help the helpless" by starting his own private investigation firm that specialized in the supernatural. It didn't take long for him to form a team that would eventually take on the ultimate evil, Wolfram & Hart. Angel was the muscle and leader of the team, Wesley was the brains, Cordelia was the heart, Gunn was the street-smart muscle turned ultimate lawyer, and Fred was the science geek. Unlike the villains that Holmes and Poirot faced, Angel and his team would face vampires, demons, and even demigods on a nightly basis and not even blink.

8. Jessica Jones: A recently created Marvel comic book character, Jones was created in 2001 by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos. She would go on to star in her own comic book series called Alias. The former high school classmate of Peter Parker (Spider-man) opened up her own private investigation business after her traumatic experience with Zebediah Killgrave. Under the mind control of Killgrave, Jones was depressed that no one knew she was missing for so long while he used her like a puppet. Her hatred for Killgrave was transferred from the comic book to the small screen via Netflix. The streaming service took a chance on Jessica Jones after Daredevil did well and now because of her popularity, Luke Cage (Jones' husband in the comic books) will also get his own series. She is the product of the streets, gritty, dark, and definitely not the positive role model type.

9. Batman: The Dark Knight is the only member of the Justice League that doesn't have super powers. He doesn't need them. He is perhaps the most prepared character in the comic book world and that's due to his investigative abilities. He was shunned for a while by the Justice League when it was revealed that Batman had dossiers on each superhero and knew how to kill each one in case they turned evil. At times, heroes were even surprised to find out that Batman knew their true identities. Batman's transition to television and the big screen was no different. Batman used the ultimate surveillance system, OMAC, to track the Joker down in The Dark Knight movie. Even as a teen in the current show Gotham, Bruce Wayne is using his intuitive skills to track down the evil-doers within Wayne Enterprises. And of course, there is the original Batman series that starred Adam West. That campy-version of Batman could solve any riddle left for him. His skills over the years have saved the world countless times.

10. Jessica Fletcher of Murder, She Wrote: A mystery writer and part-time amateur detective, Fletcher always found herself in the wrong place at the right time. Murder and crime seemed to follow her everywhere. A resident of a small community called Cabot Cove, Fletcher was a retired English teacher that always found herself involved in murder investigations going on in her hometown. The cops would often arrest the wrong suspect, but Fletcher wouldn't rest until she found the real one by utilizing her intuition and her ability to piece the clues together like others couldn't. If the fictional town of Cabot Cove existed in real life, it would top the FBI's crime statistic lists in homicides, but no one in Cabot Cove seemed to notice. There is even a theory out there that believes that Fletcher herself is secretly the killer in most of the episodes and is pining her crimes on others to avoid suspicion and boost her reputation for book sales. Either way, she is easily one of the best detectives on the small or big screen that doesn't have a super power.

Honorable Mentions: Shaft, Jim Rockford, Easy Rawlins, Dixon Hill (the fictional character within the fictional universe of Star Trek: The Next Generation that is played by Jean Luc Picard on the Enterprise holodeck), Tony Rome

7 Celebrity Divorces Out of Leftfield

The announcement of the Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt divorce blindsided the entertainment world. No one saw it coming...well, maybe Jennifer Anniston did. But as far as Hollywood couples went, Brad and Angelina were as close as can be to being king and queen of the cinematic world. The announcement of their divorce came out of left field, but it's not the first time something like this has happened.

So here's a list of seven divorces that surprised the entertainment...

1. Marilyn Manson and Dita Von Teese: In some odd way, this seemed like a match made in Heaven. The gothic shock-rocker and the former fetish model, burlesque queen, and makeup spokesperson...that appeared to be a match. They could share cosmetic tips while tying each other up.

Originally thought to be the rebound girl to Manson's breakup with Rose McGowan, the more people saw the two together the more they saw that they clicked well. Manson strayed away from the shock side of his rock persona and actually started wearing suits that were similar to those worn in the age of burlesque. His image classed up and the pair hit the red carpets with a style that hadn't been seen in decades. They married in 2005 and everything seemed right.

Then on Christmas morning, 2006, Dita left Marilyn. What leaked out was that Marilyn had a side affair with then 19-year-old actress, Evan Rachel Wood. After the divorce, Manson released his 2007 single, "Heart-Shaped Glasses" which starred Wood in the music video. The song was about the first time they met. What wasn't released as a single was the song "If I Was Your Vampire" which was the lead song on Eat Me, Drink Me and was about his breakup with Dita.

Since then Manson has released more albums, acted in shows such as Sons of Anarchy and Californication, and continued his career in art. Dita went on to design her own line of lingerie and clothing while also becoming a spokesperson for MAC.

2. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner: Not unlike Brad and Angelina, Ben and Jennifer became closer on the set of an action movie. At the time of filming Daredevil, Garner and her husband at the time, Scott Foley, split, but Garner did not instantly go after Affleck. Instead she ran into the arms of her Alias co-star, Michael Vartan.

That relationship last a year and Garner found Affleck again. In less than a year, the two married each other in a ceremony officiated by another Alias co-star, Victor Garber. For the next 10 years, the two starred in a number of hit movies. Garner in movies such as Valentine's Day, Juno, Draft Day, and Dallas Buyers Club. Affleck in movies such as Hollywoodland, The Town, and Argo. The two even had three kids together.

Out of nowhere, the two then split. There were rumors of Affleck's affair with the nanny, but Garner said that the two of the separated months before she heard those rumors. The two continue to live in the same residence to this day despite not being married. They have publicly said that this is so they can both be there for their children.

3. Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger: Okay, so they're not entertainment royalty. Actually they're some of the only Canadians that people hate. Kroeger of Nickleback fame found himself working together with Lavigne to write more music that gives Canada a bad name. It didn't take too long for the two to decide that they wanted to be together forever. After a month of dating the two became engaged.

The two married on Canada Day...yes, another fact about the two that just seems to make us hate them a little more. It's like they were trying to prove how Canadian they are.

Within two years Lavigne announced to the world that she was leaving Kroeger in the only way she knew how...via her Instagram account. The only person she can now hookup with that could potentially create a more hated Canadian couple is Justin Bieber. May God have mercy on Canada if they find each other.

4. Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe: This match seemed to be right out of the movies. Although the bad omen might have been that the movie was Cruel Intentions and that Phillippe's character was originally more interested in sleeping with his step-sister played by Sarah Michelle Gellar.

The pair dated while shooting the cult hit and eventually married just two months after it was released. They were both up and coming actors that appealed to the youth demographic. Potentially a Hollywood power couple that could last for years. During their time together, Witherspoon starred in movies such as Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama, and Walk the Line. Phillippe starred in The Way of the Gun and Crash.

The pair had two children and everything seemed perfect...until Witherspoon found herself bored with Philleppe and found herself in the arms of Jake Gyllenhaal. Phillippe and Witherspoon broke up and not too long afterward, Witherspoon and Gyllenhaal also broke up.

5. Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee: Together for only four days, the couple married on a beach and never even told their own family. Anderson's mom found out about their wedding while reading a copy of People magazine. Though it seemed like they rushed into marriage together, something about the two made sense. He, the drummer from Motley Crue and she was the Playboy playmate turned star of movies such as Barb Wire. Both of them were rock stars in their own right.

It didn't take long for their relationship to change the entertainment world. The sex tape from their honeymoon became the first prominent celebrity sex tape to hit the internet, almost making them more famous for their amateurly shot tape than they were for their already A-list careers.

The two partied hard, but burned out quickly. Within three years the two split, occasionally reconciling here and there as time passed. Anderson would find another rock star, Kid Rock, to hook up with, but her A-list career faded out and she would go on to announce that she had contracted Hepatitis C from a shared tattoo needle with Lee.

6. Bruce Willis and Demi Moore: The two married not long after Moore called off her engagement to fellow Bratpacker, Emilio Estevez. Both of their careers were soaring at the time they hooked up and instantly they became a power couple.

Willis ditched the TV career and became a bonafide action star. He starred in hits such as the Die Hard series, Pulp Fiction, The Fifth Element, and Armageddon. Moore would go on to be a sex symbol in movies such as Ghost, Strip Tease, G.I. Jane, Disclosure, and  Indecent Proposal. Together the couple had three kids.

The problem was that they were too powerful. Constantly finding hit movies to star in, neither made the time to spend with each other. This eventually led to Moore calling off the marriage as the two grew apart.

Moore would go on to be a cougar and marry Ashton Kutcher. During their marriage, Willis always found himself around and the three were somewhat oddly close. Willis also married later on, but to a lesser known actress. This didn't stop him from starring in more hit movies such as Sin City, more Die Hard movies, and Looper.

7. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe: This marriage appeared to be one straight out of a story book. A baseball legend and the prototypical Hollywood starlet. Shortly after being suspended by 20th Century-Fox for refusing to act in the stereotypical role of a dumb blonde-bombshell, Monroe married the Yankee Clipper.

DiMaggio's strength helped her through the time period in her life when she challenged the standard Hollywood studio system that treated actors and actresses like indentured servants. With his support, Monroe formed her own production company with photographer Milton Greene. This was the beginning of the end of the Hollywood studio system.

Monroe starred in River of No Return to get out of her suspension before movie on to hit movies such as The Seven Year Itch and There's No Business Like Show Business.

Determined to become known as a serious actress, Monroe then moved to New York. While there, her affair with playwright Arthur Miller led to the end of her marriage with DiMaggio. She ended up marrying Miller while DiMaggio remained heart broken. He never stopped loving Marilyn.

Even after death, DiMaggio paid for Monroe's funeral and sent flowers on a regular basis to her final resting place until the day he died.

15 Songs Written for Another Artist

Promotional Photo of the Pussycat Dolls

There are many great music artists out there that write their own songs. Since the days when record albums started to gain popularity and purchasing music became a massive retail industry, there have been song writers that write songs for other music artists. More music artists write their own music than ever today, but there still have been some hit songs written by these writers that your average music fan has never heard of.

These songs are often written with a music artist in mind, but things don't always go as planned. Sometimes the artist doesn't like the song or it doesn't fit in with the music they are currently working on. At other times the labels get involved and pitch the song to another artist that they think the song fits better.

Here's a list of songs that most people know because they topped the music charts at some point. What you might not know is that these songs were made into hits by artists that they weren't originally written for.

1. "Disturbia" by Rihanna: One of the songs that solidified Rihanna as one of pop music's heavy hitters, it was originally written for her then boyfriend, Chris Brown. With the rumors of how much hell Chris Brown put Rihanna through, this may have been the best thing he gave her in their time together. The song fits her personality more and combined with the music video, it fit her like a glove.

2. "Telephone" by Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce: This was big hit that featured two of the music industry's biggest female pop stars. What people don't know is that Britney Spears was originally tapped to sing this song. There are even copies of her version that could be heard at such websites such as YouTube. Listening to it you'll probably agree that it was better that it was done by Lady Gaga.

3. "I'm a Slave 4 U" by Britney Spears: A pop hit that Britney Spears did end up releasing was "I'm a Slave 4 U" which was written by the Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo). The song that helped Britney shed the teen pop princess image was originally written for Janet Jackson who has released songs in the past with kinky undertones. There have also been rumors that the song was offered to Jennifer Lopez before Britney got her hands on it. It is not known why Janet Jackson passed on this song, but Britney benefitted from this decision.  It is Britney's only song to ever chart on Hot R&B/Hip Hop charts.

4. "Rock Your Body" by Justin Timberlake: Another hit song written by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo was not originally intended for Britney's famous ex. The song was originally given to Michael Jackson for his Invincible album, but the singer passed up on this song along with other tracks that the Neptunes wrote for him. Two years later they sold the song to Timberlake.

5. "Call Me" by Blondie: Blondie's biggest release ever, it wasn't meant for them originally. The theme song for the movie American Gigolo, it was brought to Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac by the song's writer. Due to a contractual conflict, Nicks was unable to work on the song. The producer then to Debbie Harry. The rest is history.

6. "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith: The biggest hit by the legendary band Aerosmith was the hit soundtrack song for the 1998 hit movie, Armageddon. It was written by Dianne Warren who originally wrote the song for Celine Dion. It's not known why Dion never performed it, but it turned out to be a windfall for Aerosmith.

7. "Umbrella" by Rihanna: The beneficiary of another song that another A-list music artist passed on, Rihanna took this song and made it one of her most successful releases of her career. This song put her on the music map and put her in the eyes of the mainstream media. People don't realize that the song was never written for her. It was written for Britney Spears with the intention of reviving her career while she was going through a tough time in her personal life.

8. "Don't Cha" by the Pussycat Dolls: Originally written by Sir Mix-a-Lot, Busta Rhymes, and CeeLo Green for music artist Tori Alamaze, the song was actually released to little fanfare. Alamaze had conflicts with her record label and signed over the rights to the song to void her contract. The song was then offered to the Sugababes and then to Paris Hilton who was trying to kick off a music career, before it fell into the laps of the Pussycat Dolls.

9. "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson: The lead single on Clarkson's album Breakaway, the song was power-pop song that empowered women all over the country. Little do people know that Clarkson was not the first choice for the song written by Max Martin. It was first offered to Pink, but she turned it down. Then it was offered to Hilary Duff, but Duff was unable to vocally hit the high notes in the song. Finally legendary producer Clive Davis got involved and convinced the writers to offer it to Clarkson. She made it her own when she tailored it to her personality by adding heavier guitars and harder drums.

10. "Holiday" by Madonna: This song was originally written for Phyllis Hyman, then to Mary Wilson of the Supremes fame. Supposed to be an R&B song originally, it was remastered to fit Madonna's debut album, giving the future music legend her first mainstream hit.

11. "Black Widow" by Iggy Azalea: Originally a song intended to be released on Katy Perry's Prism album, the song was axed because she felt it didn't fit in with the other songs. Perry presented the recorded version of the song she wrote to her friend, Iggy. From here, Iggy recorded her own version of the song with the help of Rita Ora. The song became Iggy's first number one hit single.

12. "Miss Independent" by Kelly Clarkson: Fresh off of winning American Idol, Clarkson had a previous hit that was given to her by the producers of the show. "Miss Independent" was her first single from her first album release which boosted her credibility as a pop star. The song was written for Destiny's Child, but the turned it down. Then the song was reworked by Christina Aguilera and originally intended to be released on her album, Stripped. The song was never completed in time and found its way to Kelly Clarkson.

13. "We Found Love" by Rihanna: The hit song written by Calvin Harris was recorded by Rihanna with the help of Harris and hit number one on the pop charts. Although it was never confirmed by Harris, Nicole Scherzinger of Pussycat Dolls fame, claimed that she was offered the song first for her solo career.

14. "Happy" by Pharrell Williams: Ever the overachiever, Pharrell wrote another song for another music artist that eventually became a massive hit. He wrote the song for CeeLo Green, but CeeLo's record label nixed it even though Pharrell thought Ceelo's version of the song was better than even his. Pharrell then released his own version of his song which became the main soundtrack song for Despicable Me 2. The song charted for 47 straight weeks and to this date is Pharrell's best performing song.

15. "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry: This was Perry's first mainstream hit. Before this song, Perry was a semi-known Contemporary Christian singer. No one foresaw that she would break out to be one of the biggest A-list pop stars of the past decade and that her image would go from conservative to the latex dress wearing woman who would go on to top every magazine's sexiest list.