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Watched Dreams of a Life (2011), a documentary about a woman named Joyce Vincent. She died alone in a bedsit in December 2003, but she wasn't found until bailiffs broke down her door on 25 January 2006. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Vincent It had a profound effect on me and I took a few days to think it over. It's easy to ask questions like "why didn't they come sooner?" (half her rent was paid by an abused women's organisation, and the debt was forgiven for a while) or "why did nobody look for her?" (they did, her family hired a private investigator and sent letters to her, but she was already dead). It's also easy to assume she was an old cow who no one loved, but that just wasn't the case. She was young, intelligent, talented and "upwardly mobile" - she personally chatted with the likes of Nelson Mandela and Stevie Wonder. Nice to look at, too. That's why her life makes for a far more interesting 90 minutes than the circumstances of her death. We know how she ended up decomposing in North London. The real question - why? How did someone with so much to live for end up so alone? She was wrapping Christmas presents when she suddenly died - who were they for? When I go onto Facebook just now and see 16 messages from my Irish cousins saying "happy birthday Clorox!", I wonder if I would even notice if one of them were to disappear. Morbid, but whatever. Just an observation. Some of the fictitious scenes are... of questionable taste... but the actress Zawe Ashton does an excellent job of imagining Joyce as a real person. The interviews from people who knew Joyce are particularly insightful. It's hard to blame them for what happened. Worth a watch if you're up for a cry and/or existential crisis.

Yes. Yes.

THE DICK VAN DYKE HEALTH THEORY The real reason Dick Van Dyke is so damn healthy for his age is that God's control panel has a swear filter, so each time God types his name under the column INFLICT FRAILITY, DISEASE, AND/OR DEATH UPON: [Enter name], only "Van" shows up. That would explain some vehicle-related accidents also.

Supposed to rain all afternoon; instead we saw a few drops around 4:30pm. Then nothing. Which was fantastic cuz all of Lafayette was able to enjoy the 6:30pm Krewe of Rio Parade—the first of this Mardi Gras season! Laissez les bons temps rouler! And in a very rare DL event, Sir Creep posts a selfie for your enjoyment. And the wean (and current Inverse DP participant!)

Harry Reid says he won't endorse until the Nevada caucuses (in about a year). He thinks he's going to make it that far? https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/431080-harry-reid-says-he-wont-make-2020-endorsement-until-after-nevada-caucus

Its 85 years since the death of Edward Elgar, aged 76. His Nimrod is, appropriately enough, a popular piece at funerals and remembrances and other mournful occasions.

Would Eva Maire Saint be famous enough to make the list. Oscar winner but probably not a household name in the UK. But is 94 and still seems healthy enough so could be around a few more years. Same with Hal Holbrook.

UPDATE 1 Hits/Misses Tanya Gendle | disqualified | 2 teams Andrew McGahan | 1st February | 15 teams Conway Berners-Lee | 1st February | 3 teams John Cocks | 6th February | 8 teams Albert Finney | 7th February | 1 team Dick Churchill | 13th February | 1 team Paul Flynn | 17th February | 1 team Fifteen teams hit the ground running after the death of Oz author Andrew McGahan, with 4 of those players cashing in on wildcards. The death of computer scientist Conway Berners-Lee was announced shortly after, but he has since been in obit limbo. Ditto New Zealand's answer to Nick Knowles - John Cocks - who brings misery to a further 8 teams. Tanya Gendle's off-radar death means I cannot award points, nor can I sub in replacements. It wasn't all quiet on the obit front. The sad death of Albert Finney put Gooseberry Crumble in the lead... only to be eclipsed by Death Impends with Dick Churchill, a unique DDP pick on the unlucky 13th! The Old Crem then shot into 2nd place with solo wildcard Paul Flynn. Only 5 teams remain deprived of hits. Scores in full: 1. Death Impends - 16 2. The Old Crem - 10 3. Gooseberry Crumble - 9 4. Sir Creep - 8 =5. Book - 6 =5. CaptainChorizo - 6 =5. FixedBusiness - 6 =8. An Fear Beag - 4 =8. Banana - 4 =8. The Mad Hatter - 4 =8. Pedro67 - 4 =8. RadGuy - 4 =13. Joey Russ - 3 =13. msc - 3 =13. theoldlady - 3 =13. Skinny kiltrunner - 3 =17. Bibliogryphon - 0 =17. Clorox Bleachman - 0 =17. Toast - 0 =17. The Unknown Man - 0 =17. YoungWillz - 0

Manohar Parrikar hospitalized again, but they insist he is "stable" and "recovering".

A dog has been found safe after being missing for 101 days after the California wildfires. He survived by hunting skunks. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47315701

Yes, he is 95, but he looks incredibly thin now. I think he has a slow progressing form of cancer, maybe the prostate cancer which was rumoured years ago.

Over the next seven days the planet Mercury can be seen with the naked eye low in the western skies shortly after sunset. It's the brightest thing in that region of the sky and it usually takes on a redish or pinkish hue as it's so close to the horizon. Online Planetarium

Stanley Donen is a 3rd hit for me too and a sad loss! I simply love Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Funny Face, and Charade!

One of my DDP themed lists seems to be going in alphabetical order: Carol Channing, John Cocks (no QO), and now Stanley Donen. I should have looked at the list and voted on the DL 2019 for Kirk Douglas to be the Second Death.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6734279/Michael-Caine-continues-walk-cane-following-ankle-injury.html Michael Caine is looking ill to me.

My 3rd hit, I’m really sad about this one

Correct one is.... Think I've deleted it for you. PB.

It was bound to happen, he was on a road to nowhere...........

A picture of Mugabe was shared on his 95th birthday, and apparently he has his party tomorrow, so we may get a few more.

Dead. Good riddance to the cunt

Aboyne in Aberdeenshire has broken the 122 year old record for the warmest February day in Scotland. The Scottish record for the highest temperature in February of 17.9C (64.22F) was set on 22nd February in 1897. Today it hit 18.3C (64.94F).

BBC has more of the same Leah Bracknell talks of cancer nightmare

Reported that Director Stanley Donen has died:

So to sum up her blog update: 3 hospital stays, 2 of them over a week, in last 3 months. Bone fractures and spinal weakness caused by cancer spread. 2 falls. Struggling to breathe. Heart problem being looked into, meaning all her treatment has to currently be stopped. Traveled to France in October but caught a lung infection there and nearly sepsis, seemingly downhill since.