Dr_T

On the apostrophe topic I think this is the accepted usage. If a singular noun (or proper noun) naturally finishes with the letter "s" then the possessive will take an apostrophe s, e.g. a walrus's tusk or Mrs Jones's dilemma. When a plural ends with a "s" the possessive will take just an apostrophe, e.g. the cars' exhaust fumes. This is usually but probably not always consistent with the pronunciation. When you use 's you will use an extra syllable (-es) in the pronunciation to give the possessive, whereas when it is just the apostrophe there is no pronunciation shift away from the plural word. So my recommendation is that you write what you would do for the pronunciation, which is pretty much the idea with punctuation after all.

Thanks for the advice YoungWillz. Truth be told I am not that keen to send him back. I don't think he was that fond of Yorkshire and personally think it is more fitting to scatter him at one of his favourite places here. We'll see, just surprised at how difficult the process is. I thought it would be a case of just shipping with whatever overseas courier service you fancy, but not true. Thanks again.

My mother was adopted by Iris and Wally. Wally died when Mum was quite young and Iris remarried. They had 2 children, a boy and a girl. My mum refuses steadfastly to acknowledge that she is their half-sister. Whenever asked, she says she is their step-sister. I think she gets confused by the fact she is adopted but that makes no difference. I use the Brady Bunch to illustrate my point. Mike had 3 boys (Greg, Peter and Bobby) and Carol had 3 girls (Marcia, Jan and Cindy). If Mike and Carol were to adopt a child from Africa (Mbobo) then Mbobo would be a half brother to all of the children while the other boys would be the girls' step-brothers and the girls would be the boys' stepsisters. I also have a friend whose parents have been married a number of times, and whose various partners have also been married more than once. She has this colourful array of half/step/siblings. I have told her that she doesn't have a family tree, she has a family hedge. Once I visited her and she said Ï've done a really stupid thing...I had sex last night with my sister's brother". It was her half-sister's half brother and they have no common parent. They never lived together and have little common history so it really isn't as icky as it might sound. Still might make Christmas a little complicated.

Maybe she should be considered famous in her own right but probably more famous as the mother of Ben Stiller and the wife of Jerry Stiller, Anne Meara has died at 85. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-25/actress-and-comedian-anne-meara-dies-aged-85/6493950

I voted for Liz Smith. Hard to believe that Letitia Cropley is still alive 21 years after Series 1 of The Vicar of Dibley.

Jesse Williams, a 24 year old defensive tackle playing with the Seattle Seahawks (or not playing as he is yet to make his NFL debut) has been diagnosed with Type 2 papillary cell cancer of the kidney. He was born on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait and went to high school in Brisbane at Cavendish Rd High School where a good friend of mine teaches science and maths. http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/jesse-williams-seattle-seahawks-player-diagnosed-with-kidney-cancer-2015195 From what I have just read, if it is in the early stages the 5 year survival rate of such a cancer may be above 80% but if there has been progression of the cancer then the survival rates drop dramatically. Surgery is scheduled. Apparently it is unusual for such a cancer to manifest in someone so young so there may be some underlying problem. Probably not that obit worthy (in the UK), unless he blogs/sets up a charity etc., but certainly a much higher profile athlete than Lauren Hill was before her illness and death.

@ Mary....If I get to 2015 I will get 2 T-shirts made saying 2015 Deathrace Finisher and send one to you (keeping the other). Unless Nicholas Winton goes soon I don't really like my chances.

I will add my congratulation to msc and thanks to Mary for running the competition. I realise it's a dollar short and a day late but Ellen Albertini Dow died on Monday which would have scored me 241 points by my reckoning. My target was to score 2015, even if I wasn't the first to do so. Currently on 835. http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/05/entertainment/feat-wedding-singer-rapping-granny-dead/

I read a scientific paper about 20 years ago and one of the co-authors was a Candida G. Smellie. I have always been curious as to whether Mr and Mrs Smellie were so mean as to name their baby daughter Candida or whether Candida met and fell in love with Mr Smellie and was so smitten that she never quite realised what her new name was. Another one, there is a man I know from around here called Dick Trollope (which he pronounces as rhyming with scallop). If that were me I would be calling myself Richard Trollope (rhyming with rope).

Here is the link to my earlier post about living to 1000. http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/researchers-believe-a-biological-revolution-enabling-humans-to-experience-everlasting-youthfulness-is-coming/story-fnpjxnqt-1227304902553

According to news reports yesterday that a Californian scientist says there is an 80% chance that the first person to live to 1000 has already been born. That would make deathlisting a bit of a slow game!

Vale Bob Appleyard. If anyone has the time they should read his story. Endured more tragedy than any person should ever have to and stayed a gentleman to the last. On the bright side he was a unique pick for me on DDP.

Hi there, I think I have been mistakenly credited for having the late Mr Simon as my joker (but I think it was Nicholas Winton). So I lose a few points there, but should get all but a couple back for Stuart Wagstaff who died last night and seems to have a qualifying obit (posted on the Hooroo Mate thread).

Here's a little limerick I wrote for the occasion A rocker named Gary Glitter, Raped young girls (according to Twitter), A jury of his peers, Gave him 16 years, Now he's found a new use for his shitter.

A man goes to confession and says, Bless me Father for I have sinned. The priest says, Confess your sin to me my child The man says, Yesterday I saw my wife bend over the freezer and I was overcome with lust. I had to have her there and then. So I went over to her, whipped her panties down to the floor, hiked up her skirt and just went for it. The priest said Well I see no sin here my son, a healthy sex life is an important part of a loving marriage. Go in peace. Gee father, said the man, You're a lot more understanding than the people at Woolworths!

Is Pointless a popular show in Britain? I caught a few episodes when I was there on holidays in 2013 and really liked it. All I have seen since are a few episodes which have been posted on YouTube. I seem to remember seeing that a DLer suggested that they had a Pointless trophy at home.

No it refers to an off-the-cuff comment made by Phil the Greek when he was in Australia some years ago. For the full story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-102604/Prince-Philips-spear-gaffe.html

1960 British Open (golf) winner, Kel Nagle, has died today aged 94. Now complete with a link. Kel Nagle dead at 94. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-29/australian-golfing-great-kel-nagle-dies-aged-94/6054078

I don't really want to reveal my full name on this list but when I include my two middle names the anagram is: A horny man will oral the joint All discovered without the help of an anagram solver.

Is Julie Bishop the next cab off the rank? Personally, I would prefer Turnbull, although when you compare Bishop with most of the senior LNP ministers she is certainly one of the best. Hockey must be a chance although be is arguably a greater political liability than Abbott. If Christopher Pyne becomes the next prime minister I will move. If nothing else if we replace Abbott with Bishop we are getting closer to the right hand of God. At least in the absence of a Cardinal or a Pope. Apologies to all non-Australian DLers. I will no longer comment about Australian politics in this thread and allow it to return to its true purpose of discussing the likelihood of the Duke of Edinburgh's death.

I can just imagine the conversation at Buckingham Palace this morning. QEII "I say Philip, the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has just made you a knight" Phil the Greek "Who does that #$%$##$%wombat riding, koala fondling, kangaroo jockey think he is giving me a demotion?" Very hard to think what Abbott was thinking here. I believe the system here is that every year that 2 knighthoods/damehoods (is that the word?) can be given to extraordinary Australians. And so Abbott could think of no-one in Australia more deserving than Philip. I think Abbott has shown an unbelievable lack of awareness to go around cabinet and award this honour. I think Rolf Harris should be practising his acceptance speech for next year if this is an example of the level of thought that goes into these appointments.

I had never heard of him before this but an apparently well known fitness guru and reality tv star, Greg Plitt, has died from over-training. By over-training I mean being overly close to a moving train. He was hit by a train whilst filming a commercial for protein shakes. Oh well, you get that on the big jobs.

Here is my list of survivors. This could be the final nail in the coffin for some of these knowing my luck. 1. Paul Gascoigne 2. Michael Schumacher 3. Rob Ford 4. Glen Campbell 5. Jimmy Carter 6. George H.W. Bush 7. Vera Lynn 8. Leonard Nimoy 9. Prince Philip 10. Mike Porcero 11. Ian Brady 12. Peter Sutcliffe 13. Wilko Johnson 14. Fidel Castro 15. Chuck Berry 16. Doris Day 17. Pope Benedict XVI 18. Christopher Lee 19. Brruce Forsyth 20. Denis Healey 21. Peter O'Sulleven 22. Jerry Lewis 23. Hosni Mubarek 24. Daisy Berkowitz 25. Olivia de Havilland Good luck and good health to these 25 Cheers

A little boy is with his mother while she is dress shopping. He wanders off and after much looking she finds him under a mannequin's skirt looking up and staring. She is concerned that he is taking such an interest at a young age and tries to put him off by telling him that he needs to be very careful about that part of a lady's anatomy because they have "Big teeth, sharp teeth, sharp teeth that bite". She repeats it to him a few times and he grows up genuinely believing that women have teeth there, big teeth, sharp teeth, sharp teeth that bite. He grows up and gets his first girlfriend and things are getting hot and heavy on the couch and despite all of her urgings, he won't go anywhere near her ladybits. She says "Why won't you touch me down there?" He replies, "Cause you've got teeth down there, big teeth, sharp teeth, sharp teeth that bite." "What?" "You have big teeth, sharp teeth, sharp teeth that bite." "That is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard..Look I'll show you" So the girl lifts up her skirt and pulls down her panties and pulls her lips apart. "See no teeth!" And he says "Well, with the state your gums are in I am hardly surprised"

Richie Benaud is on tv starring in an ad promoting eating lamb on Australia Day. While not looking the absolute picture of health he doesn't look like he is quite ready to leave the crease just yet. However, considering that this ad "resurrected" Ned Kelly, Burke and Wills and Captain Cook (not to mention Ita Buttrose) is might all be smoke and mirrors. Did any Aussies hear whether Richie did any commentating of the Sydney test? I was at work for the most of it and so could only listen on radio.