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So, where are we with this pool? Lets see - the last hit scored on here was June Brown of 3rd April. Probably about time we had another update then. By my counting we have had 19 hits since then, so there is a lot of scoring and adding up to be done. I won't manage to get all of the update into this one post - I may not even get it all done tonight. But lets make a start anyhow. There are a few items of house-keeping to be done before we get down to business. First up, we have the issue of Natty Wailer. Died on 30th March, but so far no QO in the DDP. In the 2020 scoring, I allowed hits that did not receive a QO (it did not affect the final standings). My reasoning was that the rules did not specifically say that they had to have a QO, unless they were a wildcard pick - "If they die and receive a qualifying obituary for DDP, they will score double points." However this year, Natty Wailer was a wildcard pick by @Salmon Mousse, leaving the question as to whether points should be awarded, and if so, should wildcard points be added. I passed the decision onto our adjudicator @Clorox Bleachman. The decision was that the line about wildcard picks suggested that a DDP QO was required to score in this game, and that should apply to all selections whether a wildcard or not. So no points for Natty I'm afraid, unless a suitable QO arrives later in the year. Bad luck for Salmon Mousse and also for @Annamiwho is denied a bonus for 2 hits in a day. By the same token, I have not awarded points yet for Ayman Al-Zawahiri who has not yet received the necessary confirmation of death from Al-Qaeda to allow him to be a hit in the DDP. Clorox also made adjudications on the following picks: George Perez : Hidden bonus of 5 points awarded Boris Pahors : Hidden "bonus" of -3 points awarded Jean-Louis Trintignant: Hidden bonus of +3 points denied These bonuses will be revealed at the end of the year (or possibly before then). I have made a decision myself to award the +3 points "unnatural death" bonus to James Lovelock as according to Wikipedia he died from "complications related to a fall". I believe this is accepted in the DDP as an "unnatural death", although it is debatable whether a fall is unnatural in a 103 year old man. If anyone has any objections, let me know and I will forward it to Clorox for an official adjudication. And while double checking his age, I have just realised that he died on his birthday, which means he gets an extra 5 bonus points, and I have to back and re-do the scores So you are not getting any more of an update tonight - you can wait a couple of days before I post anything further on the scores. Damn these endless bonuses

What were the chances? That's a massive statistical anomaly.

On this day in 1988 Muhammed Zia ul-Haq, a Pakistani General and President of Pakistan from 1978 until his death ten years later, died aged 64 in a plane crash along with 31 others. Both the US and Pakistan launched their own investigations into the crash and reached rather different conclusions- with the Pakistani authorities highlighting the possibility of foul play including deliberate incapaciation of the pilot. There has always been suspicion in some quarters in Pakistan that this was an engineered accident or revenge by any number of other countries including the USA, India or the Soviet Union the last as revenge against Pakistans government for supporting the Mujahideen against the Russians in their war with Afghanistan.

Bobby Caldwell, the American contemporary jazz singer and songwriter best known for his 1978 hit single "What You Won't Do For Love", is 71 today. Jim Dale, the British actor, director, lyricist, narrator of the Harry Potter audiobooks and the television series "Pushing Daisies" and singer, is 87 today.

Only daughter of Queen Elizabeth ll, HRH Princess Royal, widely known as Princess Anne, celebrates her 72nd birthday today One of the busiest working royals of recent years in the British Royal family.

I wonder if they're building up this manufactured 'energy crisis' and talking about £5000 bills next year (society won't function and will begin to collapse with energy bills that high) and how it'll keep rising so Liz can come in and say she's putting in a new cap after the October rise (already more than doubled in price btw by then) and take all the glory and 'win' over the British public. Media will praise her for putting an end to the energy crisis and majority of the sheep will lap it up as they toddle off to get some more sheep dip. Just like sheep some get slaughtered some get fleeced.

Russian painter Dmitri Vrubel being reported dead at 62 from COVID. Most known for the legendary Berlin Wall graffiti painting My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love (1990):

Barbara Barton dead at 113: https://the110club.com/barbara-barton-t28295.html

With regards to your last paragraph Will I hope you are OK? Sending my best wishes to you. You are a valued forum member. Take care Gooseberry

Hope he does.

Glad he looks like he might survive. Hope he makes as full a recovery as is possible, and he continues to tour and give speeches! That's the best revenge for salman. If I was him I'd write the satanic verses 2

Another First Lady of the United States died on the 14th August- this time in 1852. Margaret Taylor, wife of the 12th President of the United States Zachary Taylor, died on this day in 1852 aged 63. The daughter of a wealthy family from Maryland whose father was a veteran officer of the American revolution. She met Lieutenant Zachary Taylor whilst she was visiting her sister in Kentucky. It is said that she became rather reclusive when her husband was participating in the Mexican American war, because as a devout Episcopalian she had pledged to God she would give up most of the pleasures of society in return for her husbands safe return home from war. Zachary became something of a national war hero and that was a large part of his popularity and political platform fir running for the Presidency. His critics say his political policies were vague and general with the notion of preserving the union being one of his central aims. Anyway he won the election despite his wifes prayers for him to lose became she feared the personal consequences and burdens of the Presidency for both of them. At this stage in Margarets life, after multiple childbirths and the physical toll of years of following her military husband around from one fort to the next , her health was precarious and limiting. She was a semi invalid and left the usual first lady hostess duties in the White House to her daughter Mary Elizabeth 'Betty' Bliss. During her husbands President she lived largely in seclusion on the second floor in the White House . Her husband died suddenly from severe stomach issues just 16 months into his term of office. The former first ladies health spiralled and declined rapidly after her husbands death andshe died just two years later aged 63.

Need a Jozef Tomko QO? Hey, here we are, unless they start having funerals for alive people: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-11105807/AP-Week-Pictures-Europe-Africa.html

Needless to say following Olivia's death, the Patrick McDermott story raises its head, courtesy of the Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11104689/What-happened-Olivia-Newton-Johns-ex-boyfriend-Patrick-McDermott-vanished-sea.html

On this day in 1995 british mountain climber Alison Hargreaves died aged 33 whilst descending the summit of the worlds second highest mountain-K2 in Pakistan. She was very accomplished in the field having successfully scaled Mount Everest alone without supplementary oxygen or the support of a Sherpa team, solo climbed all the greath north faces of the Alps in a single season-a world first. A number of climbers died in the same tragic expedition as Alison including notable american mountain climber Rob Slater aged 34. Alison left behind two young children and tragically her son Tom died in 2019 also while mountain climbing abroad and like his mum trying to accomplish rare feats.

Please don't leave us, @YoungWillz. I'm going to miss your poor musical taste on the Cup.

I thought that name seemed familiar

A little bit late, but I've now 'won' Scavenger Hunt Bingo II.

And a popular pick in Scavvy Hunt 2.

harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy, I just saw "Tillsammans" on television this morning. It's a funny film with hilarious situations and very satirical. Great choice harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy, really great to see. Such a good film. I think that this film is the sort of "small films" where discovery can be a pleasure. You have good taste. I'll give you that. Thanks for the recommendation.

Book... You have another one... You can mark it... Good on you!

Believe me, I understand you perfectly. At night, I really want to watch something more cheerful now. Like most people at this time. Thank you for the recommendation, the_engineer. And I'm real glad you remembered me. You're very kind.

Camilla Wicks, one of the first women to have an international career as a violinist, died at 92 years: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/camilla-wicks-died/2020/11/27/8957decc-30ce-11eb-bae0-50bb17126614_story.html

Confirmed: https://heavy.com/entertainment/hal-ketchum-dead/