An Fear Beag

Best of luck with that. Hopefully a cut-down to zero. Never too late to quit. My mother-in-law is currently going through the horrors of lung cancer caused by years of smoking. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. (Or indeed my mother-in-law!) Lost a close cousin last year to lung cancer, also caused by smoking. Only in his late 40's. He left behind 3 orphaned kids. So do try quitting - it would be nice to have an OldWillz around here some day,

All joking aside, something similar happened to a relative of mine a few years back. Young fit man, early 20's, did a lot of running. Decent athlete by all accounts. Went out for a gentle run one day, came home, sat down in an armchair and dropped dead. Absolutely true story. Well when I say a few years back, it was my great-uncle in 1946. I don't think it was Covid vaccine related. My mother still gets nervous now when I go out for a jog - she is convinced I am going to keel over one day.

The important thing to know about an air-fryer is that at the end of the day, it is just an oven. A smaller and more fashionable oven admittedly, but an oven none the less. Turn it on. Put your food in. Take it out when it is done. You are welcome.

Could I suggest that maybe you change your user name to "Expected Demise". You're probably fucked mate!

That's interesting. I know of at least 5 people under the age of 50 who have died within 6 months of getting a haircut. And still the barbers insist that it is a "coincidence". Grow it long, folks, it's the only safe option.

I have no idea what her medical issues are, and care even less. I also have no idea what issues she had with her pregnancies. It may well be that she has had a hysterectomy for any one of a number of different reasons. If so, best of luck to her, I hope everything works out well. However, the idea that a hysterectomy would be performed because of hyperemesis in a previous pregnancy, is bollocks. Hyperemesis in pregnancy is relatively easily treated. Some IV fluids +/- anti-emetics will usually do the trick. It is also easily prevented- don't get pregnant! There are a lot of different ways of doing that, none of which involve a hysterectomy.

Thanks - I reckon you are favourite in this match, but who knows. I have a good few picks who will either be dead in a week or they will be a completely wasted pick. Most of your guys are definitely dying soon - only question is whether it will be this month or not. Could be a good game.

Last day of the month, so time for an update I reckon. The start of the month was suspiciously quiet, so there is a chance I have missed out on some obscure hits. As always, feel free to point out any deaths I have missed. This is what I can see: 5th February: Dries Van Agt 21st February: John Savident 21st February: Micheline Presle 23rd February: Manohar Joshi 23rd February: Wilson Fittipaldi 24th February: Stan Bowles 28th February: Dave Myers And so we have a new leader. The late hit of Dave Myers has elevated @Toastto the top of the pile, but at the cost of the Joker. @Grim Up Northrelinquishes the lead but still sits very close by in second, with @drolmaking up the top 3. @CalebHand @Bibliogryphonget their first hits of the game to enter the race proper, leaving a whopping 13 players still to venture out onto the course. Top 10 is as follows, full scoreboard is on Page 1. Toast (186 points) 4 hits [Dave Myers*, Glynis Johns, Jonnie Irwin, Toby Keith] GrimUpNorth (185 points) 5 hits [Dave Myers, Derek Draper, Jason Smith, Jonnie Irwin*, Toby Keith] Drol (124 points) 4 hits [Jonnie Irwin, Mario Zagallo, Manohar Joshi, Toby Keith] The Immortal (123 points) 3 hits [Dries Van Agt, Toby Keith, Wilson Fittipaldi] Salmon Mousse (123 points) 4 hits [Dave Myers, Jason Smith, Jonnie Irwin, Roy Battersby] The RadGuy (118 points) 4 hits [Brian Barczyk, Franz Beckenbauer, Jonnie Irwin*, Toby Keith] Funeralopolis (94 points) 3 hits [Dave Myers, Derek Draper, Jonnie Irwin] Prophet (86 points) 2 hits [Jonnie Irwin, Stan Bowles] CalebH (86 points) 2 hits [Dries Van Agt, Micheline Presle] Etushispushingupdaisies (81 points) 4 hits [Derek Draper*, Franz Beckenbauer, Jonnie Irwin, Toby Keith]

Sadly, it looks like I called this one right. Getting nervous about my match now. Can't find many good names out there and a couple of interesting ones from earlier in the week have not made it to the start line (Quelle surprise!)

Is the deadline the 28th or the 29th?

Thanks for the heads up on Stan No thanks for the incorrect use of "myself". What's wrong with "Me"?

I did consider changing the name of the pool when I took over, but I decided against it for two reasons. Firstly because this is what it has been called from day 1, and is known to all and sundry as the Hares pool, so I didn't feel it would be right to change it at this stage. And secondly because I have never liked the Tortoise in that story. Smug little talentless bastard. "Slow and steady wins the race". No it doesn't - fast and strong and not being a obnoxious prick like the Hare wins the race. You just got lucky, you slow horrible shelly fucker, so pipe down, take your "win" and piss off.

As I said, ordinarily I would be in absolute agreement with you. But a case like this makes you realise that , as with most things in life, it is not a black and white issue. Lots of horrible shades of grey. I don't know why it should seem worse that a person would choose to end their life because of mental health problems, rather than because of incurable cancer or any other disease. But deep down, for some reason, it just does feel worse. Maybe its because we (I?) have the idea that mental health problems should be treatable/manageable, while accepting the fact that cancer or many other diseases very often are not. I really don't know. I have very little knowledge or experience of mental health problems, so I am going to shut up about it now.

Ordinarily, I would agree with you 100%. I am a firm believer in a persons right to euthanasia. But, fuck me, a tragic case like this would definitely cause me to at least question that belief. Something about just feels not quite right. I suppose it comes down to the idea that people have the right to choose to end their life, but can you make a rational choice if you are suffering from depression or other mental illness. I really don't know how I feel about it- it just so terribly sad.

Or a cunt. Don't forget the cunts. A very important subsection of the membership.

A lot depends on when exactly the person goes into hospice care. If they go in a week before my Cup team is due in, the average life expectancy is 5-6 days, generally croaking it on the last day of the month, and thus bringing one of my crap subs into play. If they enter the hospice on the last day of the month, thus becoming a sneaky Cup pick, then they will live at least one month, and usually 2-3, or as long as it takes for me to be knocked out

He looks less alive than Shane McGowan did a few weeks AFTER he died!

And so the carnage continues. After players got stung by the early deaths of Glynis Johns and Franz Beckenbauer, everyone hoped for a quiet few months for their teams. It didn't happen of course, as the Reaper continued the busy start to his year by knocking out pool-favourites Jonnie Irwin and Toby Keith in quick order. Irwin was the third most popular pick this year with 27 backers, while Keith also made the team of most popular picks with 14 selections. These are the fallers I have since the last update - let me know if I have missed any obscure deaths. 17th January: Jaako Valtanen 19th January: Jack Burke Jr. 20th January: Norman Jewison 25th January: Jason Smith 25th January: Roger Donlan 30th January: Chita Rivera 2nd February: Jonnie Irwin 5th February: Toby Keith It has been a grim start to the year for "favourites backers" with 4 of the most popular picks gone in the first 6 weeks of competition. And it is a Grim look to the leaderboard as @Grim Up Northused their Irwin Joker and the picks of Keith and Smith to take the lead at the (far too) early stage of the race. @RadGuyalso jokered Irwin to lie in second, while @Etushispushingupdaisieshas put the disappointment of the Stuart Gray miss behind them to sit in third place. @wannamakercontinues their nightmare start to the year with 5 picks down for a mere 81 points, while further down the field @nantonian2013picks up a third hit in Jack Burke Jr, to leave them on 26 points after 3 hits, a quite impressive 8.66 points per hit. The popularity of Irwin and Keith has brought a lot of players into the race properly, with now only 15 players sitting idle on the sidelines. Among them are 2023 champion @Dying Probably, twice champion @Death Impends, and perennial contender @Wormfarmer. Very ominous on all counts. Here are the top 12 - full scoreboard is on page 1. GrimUpNorth (127 points) 4 hits [Derek Draper, Jason Smith, Jonnie Irwin*, Toby Keith] The RadGuy (118 points) 4 hits [Brian Barczyk, Franz Beckenbauer, Jonnie Irwin*, Toby Keith] Etushispushingupdaisies (81 points) 4 hits [Derek Draper*, Franz Beckenbauer, Jonnie Irwin, Toby Keith] Wannamaker (81 points) 5 hits [Brian Barczyk, Franz Beckenbauer, Glynis Johns, Roger Donlan, Toby Keith] Torva Messor (77 points) 4 hits [Glynis Johns, Jack Burke Jr., Jonnie Irwin, Joyce Randolph*] ZZZ - Boring Predictable Team (76 points) 4 hits [Franz Beckenbauer, Glynis Johns, Jonnie Irwin, Toby Keith] The Old Lady (75 points) 3 hits [Derek Draper*, Jonnie Irwin, Toby Keith] Drol (71 points) 3 hits [Jonnie Irwin, Mario Zagallo, Toby Keith] Toast (70 points) 3 hits [Glynis Johns, Jonnie Irwin, Toby Keith] Lady Fiona (67 points) 2 hits [Jonnie Irwin, Toby Keith] The Unknown Man (67 points) 2 hits [Jonnie Irwin, Toby Keith] Salmon Mousse (65 points) 3 hits [Jason Smith, Jonnie Irwin, Roy Battersby] Gcreptile (62 points) 3 hits [Franz Beckenbauer, Jason Smith, Jonnie Irwin]

Oh don't get me wrong, I have no feelings of defeat. I am fully confident of victory - I am just going to have to spend a lot more effort than I had hoped for to achieve it And I will definitely not be spending a month picking a team. Given that my picks have a habit of dying the day before the match starts, I shall start putting a team together around teatime on deadline day.

I am hopping mad - that is an absolute stinker of a draw Looking at the teams in the last round, @max_bossettilooks to be a very strong player. Definitely not the sort you want to be running into in your first match. (Sorry @Dying Probably - I'n not giving you much chance of a comeback - in fact I reckon a squonking could be on the cards)

A little bit of housekeeping to be done, before I get around to sorting out the hits. Firstly, Mairin Hughes, Ireland's oldest person, was named on my team for this year. This was despite the fact that: a. She died on September 5th 2023 b. She was on my team in 2023 c. I actually awarded the points for her when she died on September 5th 2023. Don't worry - I have subjected myself to the same level of ridicule as I would have done to any of the rest of you! Former footballer Peter McPartland moves up of the subs bench to take her place. Secondly, and more controversially, former Scottish footballer Stuart Gray (born 1973) has died. Stuart Gray was named on @Etushispushingupdaisiesteam for 2024. So what's the problem? Well Etush named Stuart Gray (football) on the team. And when I googled Stuart Gray Football back in December, the first name that came up was the English footballer Stuart Gray (born 1960), so that is the name that went on the masterlist. Now if you google it, the Scottish footballer comes up first, presumably because of all the recent activity surrounding his death. The rules are pretty clear on this: "If the host is not certain who a pick is (which to be fair is actually most picks), the player will be assigned the first living name that comes up on a google search, regardless of how young, healthy, or obviously-not-the-intended-pick they are. If no suitable name comes up on page 1 of a google search, the pick will be disregarded and a sub will move up. For example, if you wish to select John Smith, the former Wigan and Oldham player who is now head coach at Cornell University, then perhaps enter John Smith (Cornell Coach). If you enter John Smith with no description, then page 1 of a Google search gives the explorer of Pocahantas fame and the dead former Labour leader, and so the pick will be invalid. If you enter John Smith (football) then the first living person who comes up is the former New England Patriots kicker who will then be your (probably better) pick." So it's tough luck @EtushispushingupdaisiesI'm afraid. You miss out on the huge 26 points on offer. On the positive side, you still have an active (albeit apparently healthy) pick on your team!

Yeah - you and 26 others! There's an hour of my Sunday gone

Congratulations @Bananaon an excellent win. Too good for me yet again. The only hospice pick I managed to find decided to do a Jimmy on it, rather than a Rosalyn, which put paid to my chances. There is always the possibility of second place I suppose

Yeah - that will kill him for sure!

Lets see if I can improve on my appalling record of one top-10 finish in 5 attempts. So far its been 11th, 6th, 18th, 15th and 27th. I confidently expect all of the following to still be with us on Jan 1st 2025. 1. Michael J. Fox 2. Billy Connolly 3. Donald Trump 4. Joe Biden 5. Ozzy Osbourne 6. Andy Taylor 7. Phil Collins 8. Dick van Dyke 9. Clint Eastwood 10. Janey Godley 11. William Shatner 12. Prunella Scales 13. Yoko Ono 14. David Attenborough 15. Willie Nelson 16. Bruce Willis 17. Pope Francis 18. Erik Jensen 19. Rupert Murdoch 20. Robert Wagner 21. Dave Myers 22. Patrick Murray 23. Buzz Aldrin 24. Cleo Laine 25. Esther Rantzen Thanks for hosting again @machotrouts