maryportfuncity

Couldn't agree more but it's likely something worth ranting about if only because it is so pointless. They're elected on a ridiculously low turnout and you'd suspect the Tories like them because the whole concept of some right minded person keeping the police honest appeals to avid Daily Mailsters and the like. So this daft situation where only the Tories appear willing to give Cumbria a go despite their tanking fortunes tells us something important about the whole PCC role. I promise I won't go hog wild on this. Doubtless there's some arm twisting taking place at this very moment whereby Labour (probably) field someone who gathers votes from everyone who wants the Tories out and even Cumbria has a tight election, possibly even their first Labour PCC.

Not exactly a by-election but I'm not thinking to start another thread for the non-event of Police and Crime Commissioner elections. Interesting development in Cumbria (where the post also includes responsibility for the fire service). The incumbent - Peter McCall (Conservative) - has done two terms and isn't standing again, though the Conservatives do have another candidate. The problem is, as things stand, he's currently the only candidate! https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/pcc.cumbria.2024-05-02/police-and-crime-commissioner-for-cumbria/

He's also a GP, maybe she was after a medical opinion!

Just doing some research ahead of blathering about mysteries to a crowd next week Joseph Davidovits - French scientist who went a long way to proving the ancient Egyptians were clever to the point of building much of the pyramids out of their own version of Breeze Blocks (and it was therefore nowt to do with ancient aliens) - is still around, and recently turned 89 That stuff on the pyramids is likely a q/o shoo-in story as and when

I'll leave it to the crew in charge to decide if we should subsume the Nobel laureate thread into this but I was struggling to see where else to post the fact that I've just read a remarkably chipper interview with Carl Djerassi 87 years old yesterday. The length and quality of his remarkable life doubtlessy improved by his involvement in the development of the birth control pill. He'd probably have been competing more strongly for resources, a seat on the bus, space in a supermarket aisle etc if every one-night stand in the last fifty years had resulted in a sprog, or summat. There are probably many other obit-worthy 'Tomorrow's World' types we should be listing here, before we list them in search of points.

Aye, age restricted on YouTube, a few broken bones but everyone's going to okay eventually

No seriously, Godot will turn up in the end!

Update to the above - not entirely clear from the statement but Hawkwind's social media seems convinced Brock's struggling to the point the band are carrying him now and the decision has been made to honour the existing tour dates and knock the live work on the head after A New Day (17 Aug) which is the final date on the current list. He celebrates his 83rd three days after he plays his last encore. Last chance to see, then, though the man has a home studio and a contract with Cherry Red, so the albums are likely to keep coming.

One of the Tories at Nigel Farage's birthday party Seriously, this is west end gold if someone were minded to put a production together on the last days of this government and the machinations because they still think there's a future for them. Farage is a serial choker where taking on true leadership is concerned, and there's a track record of former colleagues chucked overboard at some point who've no particular wish to work with him again Kinda like Mark E Smith's leadership of The Fall except Farage couldn't write anything approaching Cruiser's Creek to save his life! So, to see a former PM reduced to this kind of ligging within 18 months of leaving office is likely a new low for post-war British politics https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68731273

Not exactly an Olympic medalist but multiple distance record holder (then again, competition on the Isle of Man isn't the toughest), Brenda Walker has died. To be fair, she qualified by right for major international competition (Commonwealth Games standard) https://www.iomtoday.co.im/sport/athletics-legend-brenda-walker-passes-away-674465

Not from my DDP team she fuckin' isn't! Not the smartest choice in the 20, then

The Comedians was massive once over but it's strange that IMBD - normally a mecca for anorak who know their facts - doesn't post a birthdate for half the performers. Has anyone around the UK noticed the likes of Charlie Daze playing a local club? How many of this lot are still alive? Some of them will be well into their seventies now, late nights, loadsa fags and drink, stressful job. We could have us some future winners here.

Aye, exactly the kind of message that makes sense to dead poolers - what posting name is he hiding behind on here?

Dunno about you but I get that tingle of anticipation when I hear the music introducing the news and find myself thinking: I wonder where a lonely nutcase will strike today? So I've lined up 50 nations with one notion; call the venue from the menu and feel made up when others get slayed up. Seriously though folks, where do you think the lonely and rejected world tour will touch down next?

Posted the reduced bond - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68709895

Aye - 274 points, then - think you might struggle to make quadruple figures if this is your first hit!

It's fast, it's furious it's f***in' good fun. Teams of 20 topplers posted on this thread or PM'd to MPFC will be collected into a masterlist to provide a carnival of carnage, the counting of which goes live in the first second of 2024. Points aplenty pour into the scoreboard until someone snags the stupendous total of 2024, at which point the event that used to be the fastest deadpool in common useage (until MPFC started something faster!) slams on the brakes and the lucky winner is duly given metaphorical back-slaps and allowed to claim a prize worth about a tenner (though tradition thus far dictates this turns into a charitable donation). Closing date for entries is midnight on 30 December 2023. Currently MC'ing the whole operation is an experienced public servant with a book to promote and an address book full of press contacts who didn't want to know when it came to printing extracts. We told her this would help, she told us Boris will be back in Number 10. The 49 teams in it to win it this year are... An Fear Beag - af Arghton - ar BabyBlue - bb Banana - ba Bibliogryphon - bg Book - bk CalebH - cl Captain Chorizo - cc Commtech Sio Bibble - cs Deadsox - dx DeathByArsenic - da DeathBecomesThem - db Death Impends - di Diego - dg Drol - dr Etushispushingupdaisies - ed Famous6Eva - f6 gcreptile - gr Gooseberry Crumble - gc Great Uncle Bulgaria - gb GuyFromFuture - gf Hell - hl Captain Hemlock - ch Imelda - im The Immortal - ti John Key - jk TheKilling Time - kt Ladyfiona - lf LizLemon - ll MariNisia - mn Marshqld - mq Maryportfuncity - mp JoeMoneypenny - jm msc - ms Nantonian2013 - n3 RadGuy - rg Sean - sn Sideik - sk Summer in Transylvania - st Thatcher - th The Old Crem - tc theoldlady - to ThereWillBeDeaths7 0 t7 The Unknown Man - tu Toast - tt Wannamaker - wm WEP - we WillyWonka442 Yorkshire Banker - yb  Top talent aplenty in our list of previous champions: 2009 - Raskolnikov 2010 - Nobody, I mean f***in' nobody, reached the winning points total 2011 - DDT 2012 - Spade Cooley 2013 - DDT 2014 - Death Impends 2015 - MSC 2016 - DDT 2017 - Death Impends 2018 - MSC 2019 - Phantom of the Midway 2020 - RadGuy 2021 - An Fear Beag 2022 - Banana 2023 - Banana 2024 - Banana (provisional)

I'll confess to an impulse buy in Tesco's whilst gathering Guinness to visit my mate. The gist of it being his step brother (who coincidentally lives in the International Hotel Las Vegas and presents a one man show sharing his memories of Elvis) is the one claiming the spooky encounters. So, yeah a cash grab to scrape the dregs of die-hard fan base cash, for sure

There are those in public life willing to take a stand against terrorism and the sociopathic headcases who volunteer to carry out the worst acts thereof. It struck me listening to Judge Leonie Brinkema's remarks as she told the only person convincted of involvement in 9/11 that he would 'Die with a whimper' that some of these people may be signing their own death warrants. Her words might play well in middle America but I'll bet somewhere in darkest Afghanistan there's a bloke logged on to the only computer in the street, typing in her name and asking the big question: 'Where does that bitch live?' I think we need a thread that can bob up and down identifying these semi-suicidal outspoken types when their mouths put their entire well-being in danger.

Quality moment as Hibs faced Rangers this weekend and Nectarios Triantis' free kick took out two of his own team mates https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/68704147

So, I'll misuse the thread now, then Paul Chantler, sometime presenter on radio, longtime executive and general wheeler dealer, dead: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/tributes-paid-after-death-of-influential-uk-radio-executive-304320/

For the busy DL'er facing too many choices in too little time, this is the thread to provide advance warning of media coverage of those we might like to 'research.' Studs Terkel - 94 year old author, still chucking them out - is on The Culture Show, BBC2, next Saturday, repeated Sunday.

Frida Maanum collapsed and was stretchered off on oxygen during the women's league cup final today. Stable, apparently and didn't look like she got the full Christian Eriksen revival treatment, but still a worry all round https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68704055

Yeah, if bands went in for twinning like towns do, maybe Fairport Convention and Spinal Tap would find common ground very quickly.