Heef

Bloody hell. This truly is squeaky bum time.

It's a pretty weak theme that they've gone for to be fair. I'd be surprised if there weren't other teams in the DDP who could claim the same theme. Ah well.

As the Birthing Pool didn't seem to go very well, I've thought of another idea. Basically, pick 20 dead 'celebrities' who died pre-1939 (i.e. World War II) and you get a point for every time they get mentioned in relation to a story on the website of a nationwide newspaper in the English language. The story has to be in some way about them as a figure, not about them peripherally (e.g. no bollocks like "what would George Washington make of Donald Trump..." blah blah blah. If the same story is taken up by multiple news sources, you still only get a single point per original news story. Something a bit different, anyway. Anyone who can get a list of 20 historical figures in before the end of April can participate and the final score will be due on 31 December 2018.

DL Cup 2018: Kept picking the same couple of people who I thought were on their last legs but weren't. Still managed the revenge win over DI, so not all bad. Narrowly defeated by DDT in Quarters. B- DDP: Heeflich Manoeuvre: Let down by picking Bill Crider as a joker. Should have known a QO was a virtual impossibility. Buggered it up from the off. Sir Ngatata Love not getting a QO was a little bit more of a surprise, but not vastly. D Heef's Politics XX: Pretty good effort all round. Top of the Theme Team League as things stand. 8 hits with a couple that I'm amazed are still with us. A BBC Heaven: 3/20 is okay, all 3 unique hits including two heroes from my formative years. Definitely more possible with such a broad theme, so probably a little disappointing. C Birthing Pool: Run your own pool, forget to enter a team. Didn't even reach the starting line. Pathetic. Grade U Gonna have to try adding up my other idea for a pool at some point. That'll be a blast.

Pass the Dutchie by Musical Youth, under the assumption that the person dying may have desired some biological relief and this being a subtle way of asking. Or alternatively, I'm guessing.

Can I hold on at the top of the Theme Team league? Plenty of potential in the 2nd placed team, but I don't think there's any hits left on mine.

I see Murphy did get a QO in the end. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/dec/04/geoff-murphy-dies-aged-80

The combination of Geoff Murphy and Bruno Lawrence made some quality films - Utu, Goodbye Pork Pie and of course The Quiet Earth.

Geoff Murphy, Director of my favourite NZ film (The Quiet Earth) has died according to Radio NZ. Wonder if he’ll pick up a UK obit.

Not soldiers, just Aussie or Kiwi celebrities who’d get a mention on the main news sources in either country ( list of sources tbc)

David Byrne was excellent. Really puts on a show, and even played some Talking Heads tunes. I've not seen backing singers have to work so hard. Not only singing at the right pitch and in time, but doing choreographed dance routines at the same time. Definitely worth the admission money.

The Keith Allan vehicle The Magnificent Eleven was absolutely diabolical. Watch it at your own peril.

List of the lost addition: Sir Ngatata Love died 23rd October. I had him, but no QO.

Cool. What's the best way to go about it. Anyone interested send me a list of 50 ANZAC celebs in some kind of order and I'll combine them together, resend the prioritised list together and we can debate any required adjustments? Sound reasonable?

Roger Donaldson too. He's in his 70s. 72 I think. Perhaps more seen as a Kiwi, but he was born in Victoria I believe. Any Aussies keen on putting together a semi-official ANZAC list for 2019? I think I suggested such earlier in the year, but had already missed the boat for 2018.

And for those of an Olympian persuasion, given the mention of John Walker. Here's a list of every living Kiwi Olympic Gold medallist: Yvette Williams, Women’s Long Jump, 1952 Helsinki (25 April 1929) Peter Snell, Men’s 800 Metres, 1960 Rome (17 December 1938) Men’s 800 Metres, 1964 Tokyo Men’s 1500 Metres, 1964 Tokyo Murray Halberg Men’s 5000 Metres, 1960 Rome (7 July 1933) Earle Wells, Sailing - Flying Dutchman, 1964 Tokyo (27 October 1933) Warren Cole Rowing - Men’s Coxed Four, 1968 Mexico City (12 September 1940) Ross Collinge Rowing - Men’s Coxed Four, 1968 Mexico City (21 November 1944) Dick Joyce Rowing - Men’s Coxed Four, 1968 Mexico City (1 May 1946) Rowing - Men’s Eight, 1972 Munich Athol Earl Rowing - Men’s Eight, 1972 Munich (1 October 1952) John Hunter Rowing - Men’s Eight, 1972 Munich (8 November 1943) Tony Hurt Rowing - Men’s Eight, 1972 Munich (30 March 1946) Gary Robertson Rowing - Men’s Eight, 1972 Munich (12 April 1950) Wybo Veldman Rowing - Men’s Eight, 1972 Munich (21 October 1945) Lindsay Wilson Rowing - Men’s Eight, 1972 Munich (15 October 1948) John Walker Men’s 1500 Metres, 1976 Montreal (12 January 1952) Mark Todd Equestrian - Individual Eventing, 1984 Los Angeles (1 March 1956) Equestrian - Individual Eventing, 1988 Seoul Shane O’Brien Men’s Coxless Four, 1984 Los Angeles (27 October 1960) Les O’Connell Men’s Coxless Four, 1984 Los Angeles (23 May 1958) Conrad Robertson Men’s Coxless Four, 1984 Los Angeles (27 December 1957) Keith Trask Men’s Coxless Four, 1984 Los Angeles (27 November 1960) Rex Sellers Sailing - Tornado, 1984 Los Angeles (11 November 1950) Russell Coutts Sailing - Finn, 1984 Los Angeles (1 March 1962) Ian Ferguson Canoeing - Men’s K1 500 Metres, 1984 Los Angeles (20 July 1952) Canoeing - Men’s K2 500 Metres, 1984 Los Angeles Canoeing - Men’s K4 1000 Metres, 1984 Los Angeles Canoeing - Men’s K2 500 Metres, 1988 Seoul Paul MacDonald Canoeing - Men’s K2 500 Metres, 1984 Los Angeles (8 January 1960) Canoeing - Men’s K4 1000 Metres, 1984 Los Angeles Canoeing - Men’s K2 500 Metres, 1988 Seoul Alan Thompson Canoeing - Men’s K1 1000 Metres, 1984 Los Angeles (14 June 1959) Canoeing - Men’s K4 1000 Metres, 1984 Los Angeles Grant Bramwell Canoeing - Men’s K4 1000 Metres, 1984 Los Angeles (28 January 1961) Bruce Kendall Sailing - Tornado, 1988 Seoul (27 June 1964) Barbara Kendall Sailing - Women’s Lechner, 1992 Barcelona (30 August 1967) Danyon Loader Swimming - Men’s 200m Freestyle, 1996 Atlanta (21 April 1975) Swimming - Men’s 400m Freestyle, 1996 Atlanta Blyth Tait Equestrian - Individual Eventing, 1996 Atlanta (10 May 1961) Rob Waddell Rowing - Men’s Single Sculls, 2000 Sydney (7 January 1975) C Evers-Swindell Rowing - Women’s Double Sculls, 2004 Athens (10 October 1978) Rowing - Women’s Double Sculls, 2008 Beijing G Evers-Swindell Rowing - Women’s Double Sculls, 2004 Athens (10 October 1978) Rowing - Women’s Double Sculls, 2008 Beijing Sarah Ulmer Cycling - Women’s Individual Pursuit, 2004 Athens (14 March 1976) Hamish Carter Triathlon, 2004 Athens (28 April 1971) Valerie Vili Women’s Shot Put, 2008 Beijing (6 October 1984) Women’s Shot Put, 2012 London Tom Ashley Sailing - Men’s RS:X, 2008 Beijing (11 February 1984) Nathan Cohen Rowing - Men’s Double Sculls, 2012 London (2 January 1986) Joseph Sullivan Rowing - Men’s Double Sculls, 2012 London (11 April 1987) Hamish Bond Rowing - Men’s Coxless Pair, 2012 London (13 February 1986) Rowing - Men’s Coxless Pair, 2016 Rio Eric Murray Rowing - Men’s Coxless Pair, 2012 London (6 May 1982) Rowing - Men’s Coxless Pair, 2016 Rio Mahe Drysdale Rowing - Men’s Single Sculls, 2012 London (19 November 1978) Rowing - Men’s Single Sculls, 2016 Rio Jo Aleh Sailing - Women’s 470, 2012 London (15 May 1986) Polly Powrie Sailing - Women’s 470, 2012 London (9 December 1987) Lisa Carrington Canoeing - Women’s K1 200m, 2012 London (23 June 1989) Canoeing - Women’s K1 200m, 2016 Rio Peter Burling Sailing - Men’s 49er, 2016 Rio (1 January 1991) Blair Tuke Sailing - Men’s 49er, 2016 Rio (25 July 1989)

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/102156124/golden-moment-cast-in-bronze-sir-john-walker-statue-unveiled-in-south-auckland That's back in March. Looks reasonably well with it to be honest. Still on Auckland Council as this confirms: https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-auckland-council/how-auckland-council-works/governing-body-wards-committees/wards/Pages/ward-councillors.aspx

Sir Ngatata Love, convicted fraudster, passed away recently. He was on one of my teams. Unlikely for a QO, I suspect. https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/108026719/wellington-mori-leader-sir-ngatata-love-dies

For those after Centenarians, I've just found out Sir Lloyd Geering, (ONZ & Heretic) is in the old folks' home round the corner from me. Still driving himself and saw him in a café a couple of weeks back. Looking fit for a while yet, perhaps.

Small thing. Is the Theme Team league not connected to the other scores in some way? I only ask as I notice that BBC Heaven are down for 31 points on the main scoreboard, but only 22 on the Theme Team league. I'm guessing the difference between the two is John Cunliffe, but the Theme Team league has been updated since his death.

"Days to live" according to sources today. If that's really the case (which hopefully it isn't) then a unique pick for my BBC theme team. https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/106809757/bbc-newsreader-rachael-bland-diagnosed-with-cancer-has-days-to-live

Another hit for my Politics XX, but I think that might be the last this year. Graeme Richardson seems to be doing bloody well given how ill he was at one point.

Kind of disappointed that Dutton didn't win. I could have expected the hard right of the Libs to be annihilated in a snap election. Less likely now, I suspect.

Big news in NZ in the last couple of days has been the suicide of TV1 news anchor Greg Boyed: https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/106475034/greg-boyed-a-life-on-screen

NZ press reporting that Turnbull will resign his seat if he loses the premiership. Could result in an early election. Would be hilarious if Dutton lost his marginal seat. Guy's an absolute grub.