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Frank Oz is 78. "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering".

I actually have just googled it I think I was getting mixed up with Mark Curry who presented Blue Peter?!

Pictured at the Chelsea Flower Show in the papers yesterday. This one from the Times doesn't look too bad but in the Mirror she looked quite frail.

Yeah, the "misleading parliament" bit could be the killer. Basically the silence of most Conservative MPs atm is deafening on this. They're all waiting for Sue Gray though a few hours from now they'll likely all be waiting for each other. There's clearly no hunger for a leadership contest and with Sunak conspicuously on the Sunday Times Rich List as the cost of living becomes the big political issue the whole succession thing is complicated because Sunak was likely the leading contender a few months back. Truss - apparently - has distanced as many people as she's won over with her "Fizz with Liz" events though her blatant attempts to imitate Thatcher would likely be useful if she made the final two in a ballot and it was left to the white, 70+ mob around the country who actually are voting members. Interesting times, or summat.

I think it's definitely possible. I also think it's possible that one or two of my picks still score. I think we really have to wait until the last day.

Wojciech Jaruzelski died on this day 8 years ago, aged 90. After Germany and the Soviet Union kicked off World War II by invading Poland, 16-year old Jaruzelski and his family fled to Lithuania, which was soon forcibly annexed into the USSR. The Russians deported the Jaruzelskis to Siberia (his father was sent to a gulag and died in 1942), and Wojciech was forced to clean the forests. During his labor, he suffered eye damage, causing him to wear his iconic sunglasses for the remainder of his life. He was able to return to Poland by joining the Soviet-controlled First Polish Army. In 1948, he joined the Polish United Workers' Party. He rose through the party ranks, and became the Minister of Defense in 1968. When the liberal Alexander Dubcek began loosening censorship in Czechoslovakia, Jaruzelski began an invasion of the country (along with the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, and Hungary). This saw a Warsaw Pact victory, and Dubcek was forced to resign. In 1981, Jaruzelski was appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers. In December of that year, he declared martial law to strengthen his power against the Solidarity Party (led by Lech Walesa). This lasted until 1983. Thousands of political prisoners were taken, and most of them would not be released until 1986. In 1989, Jaruzelski restored the presidency, following Gorbachev's lead in the Soviet Union. He resigned on December 22, 1990, following the election in which Walesa won. Communist Poland was officially over. In 1998, Jaruzelski made his first appearance on the DeathList. He would appear again in 2000, and consecutively in 2012 and 2013. He was dropped for 2014- he died from complications of a stroke that year. He was the last survivor of the 1998 list- it was the first ever list extinction, having taken 16 years.

British comedian, writer and television presenter Julian Clary turns 63 today. Famous for comedy shows high in smut and innuendo such as All rise for Julian, Sticky moments and Terry and Julian, Clary went under the name The Joan Collins fan club in the 1980s in his early career on the alternative stand up comedy circuit . British singer Paul Weller , formerly a member of the hugely successful bands The Jam and The Style Council celebrates his 64th birthday today.

Very possibly! But I have always been sceptical about claims the Queen is on her deathbed and some people have more or less proclaimed she was at a stage in life were even doing what we see in that links photo was now beyond her! When we no longer see these photos that would be a time to maybe be concerned. According to the well sourced royal commentator Lady Colin Campbell the Queen has chosen to initiate a form of semi regency now and this well understood by senior palace courtiers with a plan in place. I am still pretty much firmly in team the odds are in favour of the Queen reaching 100.

God almighty. Could it possibly be that she only needs the stick if she is walking a distance as opposed to walking from that chair over there?

Its 16 years since the death of Desmond Dekker, ska/rocksteady/reggae singer, from a heart attack, aged 64. After success in his native Jamaica, his 1967 release 007 (Shanty Town) brought him his first UK hit, reaching number 15; the follow-up, The Israelites, reached number 1 and the followingyear It Mek also reached the top ten. Following his UK success, Dekker relocated to the UK in 1969, enjoying further chart success, most notably with You Can Get it if You Really Want, reaching number 2. Here's Desmond's grave in Streatham Park cemetery (via Twitter @helenbarrett, via @StreathamSoc)

Aleksandr Kalnitsky, ataman (leader) of the Novopokrovsky District Cossack Society has died from shrapnel wounds https://selgazeta.ru/lenta-novostey/obschestvo/17-maya-pri-ispolnenii-sluzhebnogo-dolga-v-hode-voennoy-spetsoperatsii-na-ukraine-pogib-ot-oskolochnyih-raneniy-ataman-novopokrovskogo-rayonnogo-kazachego-obschestva-kalnitskiy-aleksandr-ivanovich.html Age not known but as someone said he spent atleast five years in the Soviet army in the 1970s judging on the ribbons. Kadyrovites/Cadaverites are apparently falling like flies in the battles, one reason for it being how they shout the Takbir before shooting... There were an estimated 5000 of them before the war, I wonder how many there are now. The Tushayev guy who commands them (mentioned here a few times) is apparently still alive despite having been rumored dead a few times and is in Luhansk. And apparently the commander of Kadyrov's so-called "tiktok battalion" (Idrisov) has been killed:

No obvious candidates in the near future (not even Valerie Singleton) based on that photo as they all look well to me. I suppose those who are not present might be more significant.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10849243/Blue-Peter-presenters-past-present-unite-unveil-garden-RHS-Chelsea-Flower-Show.html Blue Peter presenters past and present meet at garden unveiling at the Chelsea flower show.

To be fair, I've got Jean Marsh on my team. The fact she's still going having ended her involvement in the Upstairs Downstairs revival due to ill health a decade ago is astonishing!

Current ages 84, 87, 77, 84 & 87 respectively; it's almost as if being picked by me assures longevity, whatever health issues you may face!

He pissed off a lot of Muslims, it just takes the right combi of means, motive and opportunity. I'm thinking the timescale is more about someone willing to make a massive sacrifice than whether they think Bush has any influence over current events. Doubt any DDP entrant will get as lucky as me with the head of ISIS as a scoring unique pick with a few points bonus on the back of a drone strike. But, Bush's chances of genuine old age like Carter are probably limited too. Of all the ex-presidents out there he's likely the shortest odds on assassination. Blair might also be a decent outside bet on a DDP theme team or similar.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/18673841/queen-stands-unaided-emir-qatar-jubilee/ The Queen stands unaided again today as she meets the Emir of Qatar .

Nell Cambell of Rocky Horror fame is 69 today. Gary Burghoff is a decade older. There that's two of my obsessions covered.

Recent picture, three days ago:

Ukranian champion boxer Oleg Prudky, a semi-pro boxer, dies on the frontline: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxing/ukrainian-champion-boxer-dies-fighting-27049760

Thom Bresh, country singer and composer, reportedly dead aged 74: https://steveandjohnnie.wordpress.com/2022/05/24/r-i-p-thom-bresh/ Illegitimate child of Merle Travis, who swore Bresh to secrecy about his true parentage until Bresh's stepfather died. IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2133980/ Various country hits in the 1970s, including:

She was also the widow of Richard Sharples, the British governor of Bermuda who was assassinated in the 70s.

Reading birthday greetings, picture apparently taken around a week or two ago (https://www.benedictusxvi.com/congratulations)