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5 Toys You Forgot Were Massively Popular

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Those of us who have ever cleaned out a garage or attic have found some relics from our childhood that remind us of what was popular back then. Toys play a massive factor in any trip down memory lane, especially when it comes to the toys that were only popular for a brief period of time.

What were some of the more notable toys that were all over the place seemingly for a week before they vanished? Let’s take a look at five toys you forgot were massively popular (and that you probably owned).

POGs

Nothing says the mid-1990s quite like POGs, but kids had been playing a variation of the game simply called Milk Caps for decades by that point. The game originated in Hawaii and had children dropping a heavier cap onto the lighter ones, keeping any of those which landed face up. The game experienced a huge surge in popularity when there was a branding effort resulting in the release of POGs.

Almost everything that could be licensed was made into a POG, including NFL teams and major motion pictures. POGs became highly collectible, with many hanging onto their collections thinking that some of them would be worth a lot of money. However, POGs proved to be a fad that left almost as quickly as they came. Many millennials still look back fondly on their time spent slamming plastic onto cardboard in their driveways.

Tamagotchi

When you translate Tamagotchi into English, it literally means Egg Watch, but that wasn’t exactly what you got when you had one Tamagotchi could fit right into your pocket and often had a key chain attachment, but instead of telling you the time, there was a digital pet that you had to take care of.

The pet ate, drank, and even used the bathroom, and you had to make sure that all of it was monitored or else there were tragic results. First introduced in Japan in 1996, Tamagotchi became a massive fad around the world and sold tens of millions of units. In Japan, Tamagotchi never really lost steam in terms of popularity, but in most other countries, it only lasted about a year before people started to ignore them.

Razor Scooters

If you’re a millennial or zoomer and have permanent scars on your ankles and shins, the Razor Scooter may have been to blame. These scooters were typically affordable and served their purpose as a means of quicker transportation. While scooters had existed for years prior to the Razor coming out, this brand made them cool to own, and they were a must-have at the start of the millennium.

The original models had foam handles that could spin in all 360 degrees, which made them unique but also made them a bit dangerous. That didn’t matter to kids, though, and they braved their rocky sidewalks and streets on their Razor scooters. While not nearly as popular as they once were, Razor Scooters are still kicking and causing minor injuries around the world.

Skip-It

Razor Scooters weren’t the only thing causing shin injuries by the minute, as the Skip-It had been doing it for years beforehand. The concept was quite simple for the Skip-It, as you put your foot through a loop that ultimately went around your ankle. That hoop was attached with a longer string and ball, and you had to spin it around like a Hula Hoop while skipping over the string.

The original Skip-It became popular in the 1980s, though it was a fad that went away quickly. However, Skip-It had a big comeback in the 1990s thanks to a massive branding effort on children’s television programming and had a second wind. That didn’t last long, either, but there are still some Skip-Its being made. In fact, finding one from its original run can be quite valuable.

Koosh Ball

Many of us think about the late 1990s when it comes to the Koosh Ball thanks to Rosie O’Donnell launching them into the crowd of her popular daytime television show. Koosh Balls date back nearly a decade beyond that, though, as they were invented in 1987 by Scott H. Stillinger. These soft rubber balls were safe to toss around the house (for the most part), making them appealing.

Koosh Balls were used for a bevy of reasons and many different brands wanted on board. A lot of licensed Koosh Balls were made, and they’re still in production today, but they aren’t featured as prominently as part of pop culture. Currently, Koosh is owned by Hasbro and there are plenty of product lines to keep enthusiasts busy.

Top 10 Animal Crossing: New Horizons Items You Should Always Keep in Your Inventory

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As one of the best-selling titles in video game history, there are plenty of people every day who are being introduced to “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” for the first time. There are also plenty of veterans who are looking for tips on how to become more efficient on their islands. For those in either category, there are some items that you should always keep in your inventory, with these 10 being the most important.

Shovel 

A shovel is a huge necessity in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. You can dig up trees and other plants to add to your inventory or move to a different location. You’ll need it to dig up buried bells, fossils, and other cool items hidden underneath. 

Wetsuit 

This one is important because without a wetsuit you can’t take a dip in the ocean to search for all the interesting creatures and items that reside there. Nobody wants to go all the way back to their closet to change, either. Keeping it in your inventory makes the process of changing for diving down into the depths a lot easier.  

Axe

Always keep your axe handy. Not only that, but keep a couple of different types of axes handy. The flimsy axe and stone axe are both easy to craft and allow you to chop branches off of trees without completely chopping the entire tree down. The regular axe, the next step up from the stone axe, is powerful and perfect for chopping down trees. 

Iron 

Iron is likely the most essential crafting item you’ll have access to in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Iron is extremely useful in crafting tools, and furniture, and donating to Timmy and Tommy to help them build their brick-and-mortar shop that will hold more items for you to purchase. Always keep some on you to craft new tools once they break, because you may not always be near your home storage when it happens. 

Net

Keep your net handy, because you want to avoid being met with a swarm of wasps coming toward you when you shake the wrong tree. You can defeat the swarm by quickly capturing them with your net. They sell for a pretty penny and take away the headache of being viciously stung and in need of medicine to heal. Nets are also great to have on hand for when you spot a special bug to catch and don’t want to run all the way back to your home storage to find your net in order to catch it. 

Bells

Bells are important to have on your person for the times you need to run to buy emergency medicine after a nasty wasp sting. Or if you want to plant a load of bells in a special glowing hole in the ground to grow a tree full of bell sacks. Or maybe you want something cool from the shops, but don’t want to run back and forth to and from the bank. 

Medicine 

As we’ve mentioned previously, being stung by wasps in the game, and probably in real life, is not fun at all. Your character ends up looking like they got sucker punched in the eye and if you get stung twice, you have to stop what you’re doing and start back at your home. Medicine is vital to have in your inventory, even if just a few doses. Those pesky wasps could torment even the most vigilant players.  So, relief is good to have on hand. 

Ladder

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of building ladders on every single ledge and cliff on your island, or perhaps you’re visiting an island that you cannot make any additions to, then a travel ladder is a must-have. You don’t want to get stuck somewhere and have to get rescued. Although, there’s no shame if it comes to that. Avoid annoyances like that by keeping your ladder with you at all times.  

Fishing Rod

Fishing is such a fun and relaxing part of this beloved game. There are so many creatures to catch, sell, donate to Blathers, and even keep as pets. You’ll never know when the perfect catch is going to be waiting beneath the water’s surface. Keep your fishing rod on you, so you never miss an opportunity to fish for all the cool marine life available to you. 

Slingshot

One of the most fun and exciting items to receive when playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the balloons floating around holding cute gift boxes. You never know what they’ll hold inside. The mystery and random appearance of the gifts make trying to obtain them even more fun. Always have your slingshot handy, because there’s really no other way to shoot down the balloons and receive your gift.

5 Greatest Women’s Tennis Players of All Time: A Retrospective

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No matter what era it is or if it’s men or women, there are certain people who dominate in tennis for an extended period of time. Out of the many generations of women’s tennis, there have been a handful of names who have been so much better than the rest of the field that you expected them to win each tournament.

It’s hard to say which ones were the best of the best as they mainly come from different eras, but here are our picks for the five greatest women’s tennis players of all time. Before we begin the list, here are some of the women that just missed the cut: Billie Jean King, Venus Williams, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, and Kim Clijsters.

5. Margaret Court

The first player on the list is Margaret Court, an Australian player who would dominate when it came to her home country’s largest tournament. At the Australian Open Court won her first title in 1960, the same year she became a professional player. Court went on to win the Aussie Open a total of 11 times, four more than anybody else in tennis history.

Court was no slouch in the other grand slam events, either. She won Wimbledon three times while adding five titles each at the French Open and US Open. Court added a long list of titles as a doubles and mixed doubles player, including 12 combined at the Australian Open. While Court played in an easier era, she still proved that nobody was even close to her skill level at the time.

4. Chris Evert

Someone had to take the mantle from Margaret Court as the next best player in tennis, and that honor went to Chris Evert. Toward the end of Court’s career, Evert started to take off and won her first grand slam titles in 1974, just two years after turning pro. That year, Evert won the French Open and Wimbledon, which was just the start for her career.

Evert won a total of 18 grand slam events as a singles player and another two as a doubles player. Evert was certainly more in her element when playing solo, and she won a total of 157 professional tournaments. The 1995 International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee pulled home nearly $9 million in career winnings and her record of 34 grand slam finals appearances is top all time.

3. Steffi Graf

Evert played a good chunk of her career in the 1980s, and during that time she had competition from our next two players. The first of which is Steffi Graf, who was the young up-and-comer during the decade whereas Evert was the seasoned vet. The German-born Graf turned professional in 1982 and won her first grand slam title five years later at the French Open.

Graf would win 107 titles in total, good enough for third all-time. The former number-one player took home the championship at 22 different grand slam events and added a doubles title at Wimbledon in 1988. Graf isn’t in the top 10 of prize money due to the increase in payouts but was still able to take home $21.89 million.

2. Martina Navratilova

For many years, Martina Navratilova was considered the greatest player in women’s tennis history, and it’s easy to see why. After several years of grinding as a young professional, Navratilova won her first grand slam in 1978 at Wimbledon and set the record for most titles at the tournament with nine.

Navratilova would win nine more grand slams spread across the other three events, including four US Open championships. Navratilova won a total of 167 professional tournaments, setting the women’s record. Overall she won 1,442 professional matches and earned $21.6 million in prize money.

1. Serena Williams

It should come as no surprise that Serena Williams is the top player on the list as she dominated in the modern era when players from around the world were at a higher skill level thanks to being able to focus on tennis full-time. Williams made her professional debut in 1995 and was a force all the way up until her retirement in late 2022.

As a singles player, Williams won her first grand slam in 1999 by taking the US Open title, and she would go on to add multiple titles from every grand slam event along the way. Williams won a total of 23 grand slam titles, including seven each from Wimbledon and the Australian Open. Just to make things even more impressive, she added another 14 doubles grand slam titles and brought home a record $94.8 million in winnings.

5 Most Dominating Performances at The Masters

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Out of all four of the majors on the PGA Tour, the Masters Tournament is the one that people look forward to the most. The main reason is that it’s the only major where the venue doesn’t change. Each April, the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia is home to the Masters Tournament, with the winner receiving the famed green jacket.

There have been some close calls as well as dominant performances. Today, we focus on the latter category and look at the five most dominating performances in Masters history. Before we begin the list, here are some of the performances that just missed the cut (no pun intended): Claude Harmon (1948), Dustin Johnson (2020), Phil Mickelson (2010), and Ben Hogan (1953).

Arnold Palmer (1964)

The first performance on the list isn’t close to the top of the list in terms of the best overall score, but few were able to leap ahead of the field as the legendary Arnold Palmer did in 1964. After a decent first round that saw him tied for first at -3, Palmer went off in the second round as he shot four-under while nobody else could improve on the first-round scores.

With a four-stroke advantage heading into the third round, Palmer extended his lead by one stroke, even as Australian Bruce Devlin had an amazing day that brought him to -5. It was too little too late for Devlin and the rest of the field as Palmer gained another stroke on everyone else in the final round. He would finish with a score of -12, six strokes ahead of Dave Marr and Jack Nicklaus.

Cary Middlecoff (1955)

While most of the dominating performances on the list included a strong first round, that wasn’t the case for Cary Middlecoff in 1955. He finished with an even 72 that day, putting him one stroke behind Julius Boros and Mike Souchak and a whopping five strokes behind Jack Burke Jr. Burke faded in the second round, though, as Middlecoff had a tremendous performance on cut day, finishing seven under par.

Middlecoff stayed at -7 during the third round, but so did pretty much everyone in the field with some tough conditions. During the final round, nobody threatened Middlecoff and he extended his lead to six strokes heading to the 18th hole. Middlecoff birdied the final hole and finished -9, seven strokes ahead of Ben Hogan.

Raymond Floyd (1976)

The conditions for the 1976 Masters were amazing for the first two rounds and the golfers were able to put up some staggering numbers. Raymond Floyd finished the first round at -7, which was still only able to give him a one-stroke lead above Andy North. Floyd extended his lead with a -6 performance in the second round, and his -13 was five strokes ahead of Jack Nicklaus.

As conditions got a bit tougher, Floyd increased his lead to eight strokes after the third round as he was the only one to improve his overall score. Nobody had a chance to catch him on the last day and that eight-stroke lead he took into Sunday would remain as he finished -17 with Ben Crenshaw taking the runner-up spot.

Jack Nicklaus (1965)

The legendary Jack Nicklaus has been in the top three for a lot of the most dominant performances, and in 1965 he was the one that was doing the dominating. Interestingly enough, though, Nicklaus didn’t have the lead to himself heading into the weekend. Nicklaus (-5) was two strokes behind Gary Player after the first round, then tied with Player and Arnold Palmer at -6 following the second.

Nicklaus raced through the course on Saturday, putting up a 64 to bring his total to -14, separating himself from Player by five strokes. He then shot -3 in the final round while Palmer and Player reunited at second place. Nicklaus finished -17, including a birdie on the final hole for the cherry on top.

Tiger Woods (1997)

We might never see a margin of victory at the Masters like the one that Tiger Woods was able to put up in 1997. Tiger shot a 70 in the first round, which actually put him three strokes behind leader John Huston. The other three days would be an entirely different story, however. After the first nine holes of the tournament, Woods was +4 overall, but following the second day he was -8, giving him a -12 performance over 27 holes.

Woods didn’t look back and extended his lead to nine strokes after the third round, then cruised in the final round with a 69. Woods finished -18 while Tom Kite was a distant second at -6. By the final day, the question was who would finish runner-up as it was a $100,000 difference between second and third.

5 International Soccer Stars Who Got Big American Paydays

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In late 1993, the United States wanted to restart its professional soccer program about a decade after the fall of the North American Soccer League. The hope was that some of the world’s best players would want to come to the United States and join the new clubs, and thus Major League Soccer was born with the first season being played in 1996.

Though the prestige of the MLS hasn’t matched the major leagues around the world just yet, there have been plenty of international players who have made their way stateside and earned some big salaries. Here are five international stars who cashed in on the MLS. Before we get to the list, some of the names that just missed the cut include David Villa, Jorge Campos, Gareth Bale, and Robbie Keane.

Carlos Valderrama

Colombian footballer Carlos Valderrama was the original MLS superstar, and the midfielder had spent much of the 1980s and early 1990s as one of the best players in the world. Known mostly for his time with Deportivo Cali in the late 1980s, Valderrama joined Major League Soccer during its first season, signing with the Tampa Bay Mutiny while in his mid-30s.

Valderrama spent six years in the MLS, and on top of Tampa Bay also played for the Miami Fusion and Colorado Rapids before retiring after the 2002 season. Valderrama finished his career with 175 matches and 16 goals, winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield in his first season, and was the MVP of the first season. Valderrama was far and away the highest-paid player of the fledgling league.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has had a lot of stops throughout his professional football career, playing for more than half a dozen clubs before joining the MLS. Most notably, Ibrahimovic was with Inter Milan for three years, netting 57 goals in just 70 matches.

Prior to the 2018 MLS season, Ibrahimovic surprised a lot of people by signing a contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy for just $1.5 million. That salary would increase dramatically the following year, with the star earning $7.2 million. While it might not seem like a lot, the MLS does have a low salary cap and Ibrahimovic was earning plenty on the side. After two seasons, he headed back to Europe and joined AC Milan in 2020, finishing with 56 games and 52 goals, making the All-Star Team in both seasons.

Thierry Henry

French football star Thierry Henry found a lot of success at the beginning of his career with Monaco, but truly hit it big when he joined Arsenal and became a tremendous goal scorer. After eight years with the club, Henry spent three more with Barcelona, then made his way to America.

Henry joined the New York Red Bulls on a five-year contract worth $22.4 million. This set a new precedent in the MLS as Henry’s salary alone exceeded the cap that was set by the league. Henry played for all five seasons, with his most impressive being the 2012 campaign in which he had 15 goals and 12 assists in 25 games. Overall, Henry had 51 goals before retiring following the 2014 season.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney was an absolute legend in England, starting his professional career with Everton for three years before being transferred to Manchester United. Rooney spent 13 years with Man U, scoring 183 goals in nearly 400 appearances, and then made another stop with Everton before heading to the United States. 

The details of Rooney’s contract weren’t explicitly stated for his second season, but he made nearly $2.8 million in his first year. Insiders said that the second season paid him north of $6 million, and those were his only two in Major League Soccer. However, Rooney would retire and become the manager of the team who signed him (D.C. United) and earned a cool $1 million in his first year. In his 48 career MLS games, Rooney scored 23 goals.

David Beckham

Even if he wasn’t the truly greatest player that England has ever seen, David Beckham was certainly one of the most famous. Beckham had come up with Manchester United, spending more than a decade with the club before heading to Real Madrid for a few years during the mid-2000s. 

Beckham was the biggest acquisition in American soccer history, with the player earning $36.5 million over his six seasons with the LA Galaxy from 2007 to 2012. During that time, Beckham scored 18 goals in 98 career games, but the most lucrative part of his contract was the ownership stipulation. Beckham’s contract allowed him to own an MLS team after his playing days, and he started an expansion team (Inter Miami).

5 Biggest Grammy Snubs of All Time

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Each year, the Recording Academy of the United States decides the best of the best from the year in music during the Grammy Awards. Many feel that what the Academy says is gospel and that whoever ends up winning these awards were truly the top picks from the year. However, public opinion from hardcore music fans can differ greatly from the Academy’s opinion.

Whether it’s the Album of the Year, Best Rap Album, or anything else, there’s always going to be at least one person who feels that the actual best choice didn’t win the award. Here are five of the biggest Grammy snubs of all time that had people scratching their heads the most.

1984 Song of the Year

There was a stacked card for the 1984 Song of the Year award, which included two Michael Jackson songs (“Beat It” and “Billie Jean”). There were two other massive hits that were nominated, as well, with Michael Sembello’s “Maniac” and Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long”. None of these songs would end up winning the award, though.

Many felt that one of the two Jackson songs would take home the title, especially since “Beat It” won so many other awards that night. The award instead went to The Police for their hit “Every Breath You Take”. Even Sting, the man who wrote the song, didn’t think it was deserving of the Song of the Year choice.

2014 Best New Artist

The title for Best New Artist is always one that gets a lot of backlash from fans. 2011, for example, saw Esperanza Spalding win over Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence and the Machine, and Mumford & Sons. Just three years later, though, there would be an even bigger blowback from fans when Macklemore & Ryan Lewis shared the title.

James Blake, Kacey Musgraves, and Ed Sheeran were all nominated, but the one who people felt got snubbed the most was Kendrick Lamar. Lamar had just released “good kid, m.A.A.d city” which was up for Album of the Year. Lamar didn’t take home any of the awards in which he was nominated, leaving a lot of rap fans confused.

1993 Best Rock Song

In 1992, Sting won the first-ever Grammy for Best Rock Song when he released “The Soul Cages” which was a big upset in itself. After all, “Silent Lucidity”, “Enter Sandman”, “Learning to Fly” and “Been Caught Stealing” were all nominated that year, too. The second-ever award in the category, though, was much more confusing for music fans.

“Layla” by Eric Clapton would end up winning the award. If that already sounds weird, it’s because “Layla” was a 1970s song, but the acoustic version from “Unplugged” was what earned the title. Both “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam and, of course, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana were the favorites, but the Grammys really didn’t like grunge at the time.

1989 Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance

The Grammy Awards finally began to recognize the world of hard rock in 1989 with the introduction of the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Award, but it would be the only year in which the award existed. Pretty much everyone felt that Metallica was going to win the award for their album “…And Justice for All”.

The Recording Academy had different ideas, though. Iggy Pop, AC/DC, and Jane’s Addiction were also nominated, but the title went to Jethro Tull for “Crest of a Knave”. Metalheads were instantly furious, and the award was removed from future Grammy ceremonies. Lars Ulrich of Metallica said that Jethro Tull winning was a mockery and opened the curtains to show that the Grammys didn’t really have their finger on the pulse of rock music.

1969 Song of the Year

The Beatles didn’t have a shortage of awards throughout their time together, but one title which they should’ve won came at the 1969 Grammy Awards. “Hey Jude” was up for the Song of the Year category, and many felt that the only real competition was from Simon & Garfunkel for their hit “Mrs. Robinson”. Neither of those songs would win, though.

Neither would two of the other more well-known songs in the category; “Harper Valley PTA” by Jeannie C. Riley and “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro. Instead, the title went to O.C. Smith for his song “Little Green Apples”. The song was a solid hit for its time, but has largely gone unremembered by music fans, especially compared to “Hey Jude”, which is considered a timeless classic.

5 Countries Whose Climates Have Changed The Most In The 21st Century

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Climate change has affected the entire world as average temperatures continue to rise on a yearly basis, but there are some parts of the world where it has been more obvious. Between natural disasters and rising water levels, the evidence of climate change is felt in some countries to the point where natural disasters are almost expected at this point.

There are dozens of countries that have been heavily impacted by climate change, but a handful really stand out as having some of the more concrete evidence. Here are five countries whose climates have changed the most in the 21st century, the effects of that change, and what to expect in the future.

Haiti

There has been a long list of natural disasters in the island country of Haiti, a lot of which are attributed to earthquakes that can’t really be placed on climate change. However, there have been plenty of tropical storms and hurricanes, which have been more frequent and intense due to changes during the 21st century. The average air temperature in Haiti climbed steadily during the 1980s and 1990s, plummeting briefly in 2011 before skyrocketing back up to an all-time high.

That massive increase in temperature in 2012 was responsible for the severity of Hurricane Sandy, which came while the country was still recovering from a massive 2010 earthquake. Sandy left hundreds of thousands without homes while killing more than 100 people due to massive floods. Other hurricanes in the 21st century include Matthew, laura, Tomas, and Gustav.

Japan

Unlike Haiti, Japan is well-equipped to handle earthquakes, but other natural disasters can cause havoc in the country. Most people know about the earthquake in 2011 that was the largest recorded in Japan’s history, as well as the tsunami that followed and left nearly 20,000 dead and thousands more missing. That disaster was not an indicator of climate change, however.

Japan hasn’t seen as extreme of a temperature increase over the 21st century as many of the other developed nations around the world, but it is still apparent. Japan has received a ‘highly insufficient’ grade for its policies regarding climate change, and even a slightly continued increase in temperature could cause extreme damage. With rising water levels, Japan as a whole is in danger, and experts predict that Japan’s coasts could suffer $1 trillion in damages over the next couple of decades.

Afghanistan

Very few countries have seen the type of temperature increase in the 21st century quite as Afghanistan has. For much of the 20th century, the average temperature was actually below average and had a downward trend, but that all changed in the 2000s due to a wide range of factors. The country has been designated by experts as one of the world’s most vulnerable, especially as they rely on hydropower.

Extended periods of drought and rising temperatures have left Afghanistan in a food crisis. There are even some residents who have said that they fear the lack of food as a result of climate change more than they do the Taliban. This has led to a mass exodus of citizens from Afghanistan who are hoping to find greener pastures, as the country is expected to be devastated in the coming decades.

Canada

Canada doesn’t really seem like the type of country that would be on this list, especially as they’ve taken more action toward climate change than many others. However, Canada is still one of the leading oil-producing countries in the world and, as a result, has had more greenhouse gas emissions than all but six other nations.

The country also has the highest emissions per capita, while deforestation has also played a large role in Canada’s climate. There are more extreme weather events in Canada each passing year, and this includes wildfires, torrential downpours, and drought-laden heat waves that affect the country’s crops. Sea levels have been rising in Canada, especially in the southwestern and southeastern regions.

Germany

Germany is another one of those countries that are leading the fight against climate change after seeing its nation affected heavily. Temperatures in Germany have risen at a faster rate than in many other developed nations, and it has caused the Alpine glaciers to melt at a faster rate, and has led to flooding. While it’s a good thing that the glaciers are melting, it needs to be slower to be sustained.

Eventually, no water from the glaciers will cause rivers to dry up and lead to extended periods of drought for Germany. Experts also say that in a few decades, there won’t be any colder parts of Germany left as the entirety of the country becomes part of a warm climate zone.

5 Longest-Serving Marines Four-Star Generals

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Earning the rank of Four-Star General in the Marines is perhaps the most difficult rank to achieve in any branch of the military. Marine generals have seen a lot of action in the years leading up to the ultimate promotion, and only a few dozen men have been named to the position. Some of them have been influential in political and militaristic strategy, though some have very short terms. Then, there are men who served over six years as a Four-Star General. There are only five of them, but these men were the ones that held the rank the longest before retiring.

James E. Cartwright

James “Hoss” Cartwright joined the Marines in 1971 when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Over the years, Cartwright moved his way up the ranks and was assigned as Commanding General, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing from 2000 to 2002. In the summer of 2004, Cartwright was the Acting Commander, United States Strategic Command and was sworn in as full-time Commander on September 1 that year.

On the same day, Cartwright became the 40th Four-Star General as part of the USSC. He played a big part in the War on Terror during the Bush administration and served as a Four-Star General for seven years, retiring on August 3, 2011. Cartwright then pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2016 during an investigation on leaked classified info but was pardoned by Barack Obama the following year.

Peter Pace

Born in New York City, Peter Pace grew up in New Jersey and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1967. Pace earned a dozen medals during his career in the Marines, including his time as Commander during the late 1990s. On September 8, 2000, he was promoted to the rank of Four-Star General and maintained the position until retiring on June 8, 2007.

Pace made headlines due to his hearings in Congress where things became contentious, leading to his retirement. Still, he was able to serve for just under seven years and was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Since then, he has been in the business world while also getting into political interests, nearly becoming Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor.

James L. Jones

James L. Jones was born in Kansas City, Missouri 1943 to a father who was a highly-decorated Marine during World War II and decided to follow in his father’s footsteps at the start of the Vietnam War. Jones had attended Georgetown University prior to joining the Marines and was assigned to Camp Pendleton in 1968. Jones remained in the Marines for 40 years, earning several awards along the way.

In 1999, Jones was up for the nomination to become the newest general in the Marines, and on July 1 he assumed the position. Jones maintained the position of Four-Star General until his retirement on February 1, 2007. As General, he was the 14th Supreme Allied Commander Europe and after his retirement became the U.S. National Security Advisor under Barack Obama.

Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr.

After he was born in Norfolk, Virginia on February 10, 1896, Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr. stayed in the state and attended the Virginia Military Institute. Shepherd was an early graduate, joining the Marines during World War I. He fought at the Battle of Belleau Wood, and afterward moved up the ranks of the Marines.

Shepherd also fought in World War II, earning himself another long list of medals, and was part of the Battle of Okinawa. During the Korean War, Harry Truman named Shepherd the Commandant of the Marine Corps, earning him the rank of Four-Star General, and was just the third man to hold that honor. In September 1959, Shepherd retired after nearly eight years as general and spent a quiet retirement in California until passing away in 1990 at 94 years old.

Joseph F. Dunford Jr.

Boston, Massachusetts native Joseph Dunford graduated from several schools and academies, including Georgetown University and the United States Army War College early in his life. Dunford joined the Marine Corps in 1977 in a time without a lot of conflict around the world. Dunford quickly earned promotions and was given the nickname “Fighting Joe” during this time.

Robert Gates nominated Dunford to become the newest Four-Star General in the ranks and was approved in 2010, taking the position on October 23. Dunford became the longest-serving Four-Star General with nine years under his belt before retiring on November 1, 2019. Since then, he has joined the board of directors with Argentina-based satellite company Satellogic.

5 Best Movies for Escape Room Fans

Posted on by scatty

Escape rooms have become such a common part of mainstream media these days that it should come as no surprise that there have been several television shows and movies that have included them. Then, there are entire films that are based around the premise of an escape room, though the consequences are typically much direr than they are in real life.

Most of the films that pertain to escape rooms are recent, but there are also a few that date back to the 1990s. Let’s take a look at five of the best films that have at least some element of having an escape room, how they fared at the box office, and why they’re worth your time if you’re an escape room fan.

Escape Room

Of course, escape room fans would have to check out a film that’s called “Escape Room”, but you have to be careful about which one you’re getting. There are some that are not-so-great, and that includes the 2018 film that was released exclusively on Redbox. The superior “Escape Room” movie was released the following year and stars Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, and Deborah Ann Woll.

When the film was in development, it was known as “The Maze”, but changed to “Escape Room” before being released and even warranted a sequel called “Tournament of Champions”. In this movie, six participants must get through a series of escape rooms after thinking that they’ve won a competition by solving a puzzle cube. Chaos ensues and it makes for an amazing watching experience. “Escape Room” cost just $9 million to make but ended up grossing over $155 million at the box office.

Saw

You can essentially close your eyes and throw a dart at a board that has all of the “Saw” movies listed if you want a film with an escape room premise. For now, though, we’ll stick with suggesting the original “Saw” movie starring Cary Elwes. Tobin Bell plays Jigsaw, the killer who places his victims into nearly impossible (and deadly) escape rooms to teach them a lesson if they survive.

The film had a lot of twists and turns at the end, which we won’t spoil if you haven’t seen it. “Saw” was one of the biggest surprise hits in cinematic history, grossing well over $100 million despite having just a $1 million budget. Within a year, a second “Saw” was released, launching an all-new horror franchise.

Exam

There aren’t too many big British movies these days, but one of the best psychological thrillers with an escape room element is “Exam”, which was released in 2009. Directed by Stuart Hazeldine, “Exam” stars Adar Beck, Gemma Chan, and Nathalie Cox. The film centers around a group of eight people who think they are taking an employment assessment, but find out that the paper is blank.

It becomes an escape room of sorts as they have to figure out the question asked on the assessment if they want to leave with their lives. There’s a massive twist (that we won’t spoil), and it’s certain to leave you on the edge of your seat. “Exam” wasn’t a hit at the box office, making less than $400,000 on a $600,000 budget. Still, it developed a cult following in the years after.

Cube

Released in 1997, “Cube” came many years before anyone knew what an escape room was. This Canadian film was independently released and only had a budget of $350,000 but ended up making nearly $9 million at the box office. Many also felt that this movie was a precursor to the “Saw” series, especially as it has horror elements.

There are thousands of puzzles within the cube, and the main cast has to try their best to figure each one out to save their lives. Vincenzo Natali directed the original “Cube”, which has been remade in Japan and has had several talks about an American remake. Still, the original holds up just fine for escape room fans.

No Escape (Follow Me)

Also known by its alternate title “Follow Me”, “No Escape was released in 2020 under director Will Wernick. Keegan Allen, Holland Roden, and Denzel Whitaker star in this horror film that takes an internet influencer, his girlfriend, and his friends, and puts them into a deadly escape room in Russia that they thought was harmless.

Things aren’t all that they seem, though, as Allen’s character (Cole Turner) goes for a wild ride in front of a live stream audience of millions. While the film didn’t receive great reviews, it was still considered a cult hit and made a few million worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic on a small budget.

5 Most Popular Songs of the Spotify Era

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Streaming has allowed everyone to listen to the songs they love without having to find a CD player or search for the song on YouTube and have an entire video load. More than any other streaming service, Spotify has been the go-to for those who want no-frills digital audio from their favorite artists and certain songs have been much more popular than others.

Since the Spotify era began, certain songs have appealed to everyone no matter what their preferred genre is. Of course, most of these songs fall into the pop category, but hip-hop does find its way toward the top of the list, too. Here are the five most popular songs of the Spotify era, but before we get into the list, here are some songs that almost made the cut: “Closer” by The Chainsmokers and Halsey, “One Dance” by Drake”, and “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee.

“Rockstar” by Post Malone ft. 21 Savage

Following the success of his debut album “Stoney” in late 2016, Post Malone didn’t disappoint with his sophomore release “Beerbongs & Bentleys” two years later. To get the fans who were waiting for a taste of what to expect from the entire album, Malone released the first single “Rockstar” in September 2017. “Rockstar” was an instant hit, becoming the first number-one song for both Malone and track-mate 21 Savage.

At the time of its release, “Rockstar” broke the record for the most-streamed song in a one-week span, and it stayed at the top of the charts for two months. “Rockstar” also became just the second song to be streamed more than 2 billion songs on Spotify, following another hit that’s on the list. “Rockstar” was nominated for several Grammy and American Music Awards, but surprisingly won none of them.

“Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi

There are certain artists who have seemingly come out of nowhere and delivered one of the biggest hit songs of all time. Lewis Capaldi is one of those artists, and in early 2019 his song “Someone You Loved” became an unstoppable force internationally. The soft-spoken Scot belted out this tune as part of his extended play “Breach” and the album “Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent”.

After it made waves in Europe, “Someone You Loved” started gaining steam around the rest of the world and reached number one in both Canada and the United States. It was quite the climb for the song, which had debuted at number 85 before spending three weeks at number one.

“Dance Monkey” Tones and I

Tones and I had a very similar path to stardom as Lewis Capaldi, coming out of nowhere as an international singer and dominating the charts in pretty much every country. Tones and I is an Australian singer with a very unique voice, and the song “Dance Monkey” was about her time busking in her home country trying to make ends meet.

The beat was incredibly catchy and the vocals were memorable, giving Tones and I her first-ever top 10 hit in most charting countries. Interestingly enough, despite being the third-most-popular song in the Spotify era, “Dance Monkey” was not a number-one single in the United States. In fact, it only reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Shape Of You” by Ed Sheeran

If you were driving around and listening to the radio in 2017, there was a good chance that “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran was playing no matter what radio station it was. Sheeran’s song was an earworm that became his biggest hit, reaching number one in nearly three dozen countries around the world.

That, of course, included the United States where it even debuted as the number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100. “Shape of You” didn’t let up after its strong start, either. The song would end up breaking the record for most weeks spent in the top 10 of the charts with 33, meaning that there were women in the world that spent almost an entire pregnancy with that song as a top 10 hit.

“Blinding Lights” by The Weekend

There aren’t many songs that could still be played on top 40 radio stations years after their release, but “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd is one of them. After going off the grid for months, The Weeknd popped back up in late 2019, releasing what would be the hit that got us all through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Blinding Lights” broke records left and right, even destroying Sheeran’s record as it remained in the top 10 for an entire year. The song helped propel The Weeknd to superstardom, landing him the halftime show of the Super Bowl with a memorable “Blinding Lights” performance.