Leaderboard

Michael Dukakis is 90. (the picture on the right (with Dukakis on the right) was him back in February)

I went through these again as I stumbled upon a mostly unrelated article about Cuban leadership. Seems that (excluding Raul) there's 5 major old guard military/political leaders left, and a few smaller names: 1) José Ramón Machado Ventura (1930) Hardline communist who was pretty much Raul's second-in-command during Fidel's long illness. Looks ancient. 2) Osmany Cienfuegos (1931) Older brother of legendary revolutionary Camilo Cienfuegos who died in 1959. One of the revolutionary commanders who've held onto power for massive amounts of time, multiple time minister. He's slowly been retiring due to minor health issues since the 2000s but still as of 2019 was seen as one of those remaining who are more powerful than the current President (with Raul, Ventura, Menendez and Garcia Frias). Known also for his involvement in suffocating Castro opponents. 3) Ramiro Valdés Menéndez (1932) Major revolutionary commander, former interior minister (initial interior minister too), former vice PM. Probably the healthiest of the bunch. Survived a car crash this year but still around weekly making appearances and walking without any aid. 4) Guillermo García Frías (1928) Born before Che, one of the last revolutionary commanders, former head of the army and multiple-time minister. Still making appearances, owns a lot of companies in Cuba and apparently very rich. Smaller names: 5) Abelardo Colomé Ibarra (1939) Laid the foundations of State Security in 1959 as head of the Chief of the Intelligence Directorate of the Rebel Army at age 19. However his career didn't really peak until 1989 when he became Minister of the Interior until his retirement in 2015. 6) Julio Camacho Aguilera (1924-2024) First Transport Minister of Castro's cuba, later a longtime Central Committee member. Oldest revolutionary commander living. 7) Teté Puebla (1940) Castro bodyguard, "legendary" guerrilla, head of the veterans affairs office, Hero of Cuba recipient and first woman to be a general officer in Cuba. Still recently a parliament member but has made less appearances since the pandemic started. 8) Leopoldo Cintra Frías (1941) Accompanied Fidel during the revolution, later led a large unit of Cuban tanks in Angola and Ethiopia. Minister of Defence from Julio Casas Regueiro's death in 2011 to his retirement due to health issues in 2021. Sanctioned due to human rights abuses. 9) Álvaro López Miera (1943) Successor of Leopoldo Cintra Frías and current minister of the armed forces. Only 14 when he joined the 26th of July movement, might well end up the last living old guard member. He's still shaking hands with his Russian and Vietnamese counterparts and will definitely be the last revolutionary doing so. 10) Ramón Espinosa Martín (1939-2024) Old Politburo member and Hero of Cuba recipient. His granddaughter is an escort in Miami. 11) Samuel Rodiles Planas (1935) Current housing minister and post-Revolution Chief of the Police force. Nearly all now "retired" but behind the curtains quite many of these people still hold a lot of power...Raul, RVM and JRMV were all well enough to appear and stand without aid at the Jose Marti birth anniversary in January. Delio Gómez Ochoa is also one of the last living "revolutionary commanders", 94 years old but unlike the others, as far as I know never really held any political positions. Edit: Here's an image from that January event. L-R Machado Ventura, Valdes Menendez and Raul Casto.

I see the voting has gone back to the same old way.

Last survivor of the Great Train Robbery, Bobby Welch, dead at 94 and straight to QO.

3/Nov/2023 34 Natalie Imbruglia — Torn 32 Underworld — Born Slippy 28 Blur — Song 2 +2 28 Sash! ft. Rodriguez — Ecuador 26 Mark Snow — The X-Files 26 The Verve — Bitter Sweet Symphony 25 Sash! — Encore Une Fois 24 Kula Shaker — Hush +2 24 Manic Street Preachers — A Design For Life 23 The Cardigans — Lovefool 23 Robert Miles — Children 22 The Bluetones — Slight Return 22 Supergrass — Richard III 21 George Michael — Spinning The Wheel 21 Toni Braxton — Un-Break My Heart 21 Gala — Freed From Desire 21 Chumbawamba — Tubthumping 21 George Michael — Star People '97 21 Dario G — Sunchyme 20 Kula Shaker — Hey Dude 20 Warren G ft. Adina Howard — What's Love Got To Do With It 20 Backstreet Boys — Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) 20 No Mercy — Where Do You Go 20 Sash! ft. La Trec — Stay 20 Boyzone — Baby Can I Hold You / Shooting Star 19 Warren G — I Shot The Sheriff 14 3T ft. Michael Jackson — Why 14 George Michael — You Have Been Loved / The Strangest Thing '97 14 3T — Anything 14 Robbie Williams — Old Before I Die 14 Fugees — No Woman, No Cry 11 Boyzone — Isn't It A Wonder -3 10 Robbie Williams — Freedom 07 Los Del Río — Macarena 06 Oasis — Stand By Me -3

I can't see Borman and Lovell going on for much longer unfortunately.

Charles Duke now the last surviving crew member of Apollo 16. He is also the youngest surviving crew member of all of the Apollo missions at 88 years old, Mattingly was 87. Really shows they are part of a dying breed: there are nine crew members left, aged 88-95. (Apollo missions 10, 11, 15, 16 and 17 have one surviving member; infamous mission Apollo 13 has two living crew members while Apollo 8 has all three of them still living. Apollo 12 and 14 have died out in 2018 and 2016)

DDP pick Ken Mattingly reported dead by NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-administrator-remembers-apollo-astronaut-thomas-k-mattingly-ii/

DDP pick Peter S Fischer, creator of Murder She Wrote and Columbo writer Hollywood Reporter Obit: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/peter-s-fischer-dead-murder-she-wrote-columbo-1235635648/

You know what i'm realising. I like the late 90's dance music compared to early 90's. I don't have a reason yet, maybe it's because I have been exposed to them more. Also having photosensitive epilepsy means I was (and still am) heavily encouraged not to watch things with a lot of flashing lights, and strobe lighting is usually prevelant in dance tracks.

Congrats Door slammer  1923   Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat / Jack Burke jr 1924 Jane Morgan /  David Ferry 1925 Lucine Amara / Leo Esaki  1926  Rowena Jackson / Stanley Baxter  1927 Genevieve Page  / Frank Sedgman  1928 Yvonne Furneaux / Joss Ackland    1929 Lady Pamela Hicks / Stuart Hall 1930 Sara Jane Moore  / Robert Wagner  1931 Claire Bloom / Robert Duvall  1932 Shirley Conran / Dennis Skinner

Bit part actor Howard Coggins reportedly dead: https://www.livingspit.co.uk/ Doc Martin, Sherlock, Casualty, Waking The Dead, etc etc.

Congratulations, @DoorSlammer! 1923 Yuriko, Princess Mikasa / Mike Nussbaum 1924 Joyce Randolph / Charlie Munger 1925 Ruth Slenczynska / Jacques Delors 1926 Gudrun Ure / Shecky Greene 1927 Cleo Laine / William Smithers 1928 Ethel Kennedy / Frank Borman 1929 Joan Plowright / Len Deighton 1930 Sandra Day O'Connor / Thomas Patten Stafford 1931 Alice Munro / Edwin Meese III 1932 Elaine May / Dabney Coleman

Jessa Seewald is pregnant again! Added points to @DeathBecomesThem.

DDP pick Bobby Knight reported dead all over the XMusk.

In Scotland we call that "taking a header". Ironic, really.

So that was probably nothing, as they returned and dropped numerous tracks over the past 12 months. However, Pete has now confirmed he has skin cancer and will be postponing tour dates.

She will die later this year as she is 94 so will definitely late with in 2 months left of thus Yr I guarantee

You are my first pick; Don’t disappoint hahah.

She isn't really doing much to put her name out there. Being declared dead and then not dead by TMZ will get you some attention, no matter who you are. She said she wants to move on with her life and occasionally put out some mediocre songs, I guess. We shall see if that happens. It'll be better for everyone's sake if it does.

Bob Knight hospitalised and recently released for an 'acute illness'. Declining health reports in 2019, looking frail in videos in 2020, and no longer replying to fanmail as of last year due to illness are all noted here. I don't fancy his chances of seeing the year out.

Willis Reed, Knicks legendary player is dead at 80.

Ronald Reagan won the Cold War. Then he lost his mind... and his battle with Alzheimer's on this day 14 years ago, aged 93.