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10 people Hollywood said goodbye to in 2015
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Born in Boston, Massachusetts and acting in community theater since the age of 8, Leonard Nimoy made his mark on just about every aspect of the entertainment world before his passing earlier this year. Beloved by sci-fi fans around the globe for his portrayal of the highly logical Spock, son of Sarek, Nimoy was also responsible for directing two of the most successful films in the Star Trek universe Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Nimoy was 83. - photo by Travis Poppleton
HOLLYWOOD In a few weeks, 2015 will be just another object placed in our long-term memory deposit box.

Like most people, we movie lovers recognize this transition as a bittersweet inevitability. Sure, were looking forward to the next film festival or summer blockbuster, but we also realize weve seen or heard from some of our favorite Hollywood icons for the last time. Weve experienced their final performances, seen their last shots, or heard their farewell compositions.

So before we open our arms to embrace the wonderment that is the new year, lets take a moment to remember 10 people we said goodbye to in 2015.

Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee has been entertaining audiences since the 1940s, and has played in some of the most iconic roles in Hollywood history. Whether he was portraying classic movie monsters, master detectives, or Jedi hobbit hunters, everything Lee touched was more important because of his involvement.

Lee had over 150 credits to his name when passed away in June at the age of 93.

Maureen OHara

So many families remember Maureen OHara as the actress who starred in Miracle on 34th Street, or Disneys The Parent Trap. But OHara had been wowing audiences since the 1930s, starring in films like The Hunchback of Notre Dame and How Green Was My Valley. OHara was 95 when she passed away in October from natural causes.

Roger Rees

TV fans remember Roger Rees as Rebecca Howes very wealth boyfriend, Robin Colcord, while movie fans remember him as the funniest part of Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Rees was an accomplished actor, stage director and playwright, and in July, the multi-talented artist said goodbye to this world at the age of 71.

Leonard Nimoy

Born in Boston, Massachusetts and acting in community theater since the age of 8, Leonard Nimoy made his mark on just about every aspect of the entertainment world before his passing earlier this year. Beloved by sci-fi fans around the globe for his portrayal of the highly logical Spock, son of Sarek, Nimoy was also responsible for directing two of the most successful films in the Star Trek universe Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Nimoy was 83.

Yvonne Craig

Yvonne Craig had appeared in everything from Perry Mason to Gidget before landing her most iconic role as Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl. The television actress was a regular on the small screen between the 1950s and 1980s, and lent her voice to the animated series Olivia from 2009 to 2011. Craig reprised her most famous role as Batgirl, in the 2015 video game, Batman: Arkham Knight. Craig was 78 when she lost her two year battle with breast cancer.

James Horner

James Horner is without question one of the great film composers of our day. If I only said he was the composer behind Captain EO, that would be enough, but Horner is responsible for the music behind An American Tail, Willow, Glory, Field of Dreams, The Rocketeer, Sneakers, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Legends of the Fall, Apollo 13, The Mask of Zorro, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Beautiful Mind, Titanic, and so, so many more. Horners final soundtrack will be 2016s The Magnificent Seven. Horner was 61 when he was killed in a plane crash near Santa Barbara, California.

Wes Craven

Horror fans know Wes Craven as the man behind A Nightmare on Elm Street and the director of the hugely popular Scream series. But Cravens work wasnt entirely confined to a single genre. In 1999, Craven directed Music of the Heart which earned actress Meryl Streep an Academy Award nomination. In August, Craven lost his battle to brain cancer. He was 76.

Omar Sharif

Star of the silver and small screen, Omar Sharif is probably best known for playing Yuri in the 1965 classic, Doctor Zhivago, though he was first seen by American audiences when he played Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia. Sharif was also a big name in the bridge community, becoming known as one of the best known contract bridge players, according to IMDB. Omar Sharifs licensed his name to the video game and app, Omar Sharif Bridge. Sharif passed away in July in Cairo, Egypt.

Fred Thompson

Entertainment fans knew him best as D.A. Arthur Branch from Law and Order or Sheriff from Sinister, and Republicans considered him as a possible presidential candidate. Thompson worked his way from shoe salesman to lawyer before becoming an accomplished actor and U.S. senator. Thompson was also a senior political analyst for ABC News Radio and eventually took over Bill OReillys The Radio Factor with The Fred Thompson Show. Thompson was 73 when he lost his battle with lymphoma.

Alex Rocco

You may not know Alex Rocco by name, but youve definitely seen him. Rocco was an actor who showed up everywhere, from major Hollywood movies like The Godfather, to video games like Fallout: New Vegas. Rocco was the kind of actor who was just as convincing as a ruthless mob boss as he was Jos father on The Facts of Life. Rocco died in July in Studio City, California at the age of 79.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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