Death Impends

And that's a wrap on 2023. Congrats Banana!

I have all the names of all celebs picked 2018-2024 in my database, including the dead. So something must have happened there, but given their names are nothing alike I have no idea how. Fixed now.

Actually, just for fun, if Rolf Harris did play baseball, here's what the hypothetical scoreboard would look like:

In what was a fairly low-key December for the Hartlepool, US sitcom gamechanger Norman Lear had stifled himself to get the ball rolling. Two teams had it made as they sing off key at the piano - 30 points apiece for diego and Lord Fellatio Nelson. Qapik Attagutsiak was living history in her Inuit community, contributed to Canada's WWII effort by collecting bones to turn to weaponry, and had a cool name. Hers was an interesting enough life to get a Telegraph obit, though for the HPDP in particular CBC.ca meant she was never in any real danger of not QOing. Torva Messor collects 49 points worth of bones (35 base + 14 bonus). The final two hits both came on the 27th. Reclusive gun billionaire Gaston Glock fended off assassination attempts and got embroiled in legal tangles before old age took aim and fired. GuyFromFuture gains from this Glock down, to a bullet rain of 49 points (35 base + 14 bonus). Lastly was politician and EU innovator Jacques Delors, who bid "up yours" to 2024 in the waning days of the year. The Thatcher nemesis was a unique for our own Thatcher, who goes up your scoreboard by 28 points (20 base + 8 bonus). Thus comes the penultimate scoreboard. The top 10 was completely unimpacted by these final few weeks, and short of a dramatic reveal that Rolf Harris had playing baseball among his litany of evils, it looks like we'll be crowning Reptile fairly soon. About 5 1/2 days to go until that final scoreboard, which will also account for the 13th place bonus, interesting teams bonus, and a triple check to see if any deaths slipped through the cracks. 1. gcreptile 567.95 2. CaptainChorizo 473 3. Perhaps 472.95 4. LizLemon 437.7 5. markb4 432.95 6. An Fear Beag 422.95 =7. MariNisia 420 =7. Pedro67 420 9. Banana 411 10. TheDumbReaper 400.95 11. ThereWillBeDeaths7 360.82 12. Thatcher 353 13. msc 348.77 14. maryportfuncity 343 15. Murdoc 335.82 16. RadGuy 333.7 17. Sean 327.82 18. John Key 326.95 19. diego 323.82 20. wannamaker 316.95 21. chilean way 309.82 22. Hell 308 23. DeathBecomesThem 293.77 24. Lord Fellatio Nelson 292 25. Great Uncle Bulgaria 286.77 26. YoungWillz 273 27. Funeralopolis 271.95 28. nantonian2013 268.27 29. Charles De Gaulle 262.77 30. Toast 251.95 31. theoldlady 244 32. Young One 241 33. The Old Crem 233.95 34. John "요한" Sulu 231 35. The Unknown Man 225.82 36. drol 222.77 37. DeathByArsenic 189 38. Clarence 177.77 39. Book 174 40. Joey Russ 172.82 =41. BuffaloPhil 139.95 =41. justonecornetto 139.95 43. WEP 133 44. TheKillingTime 124 45. Famous6Eva 120 46. Etushispushingupdaisies 116.4 47. Torva Messor 105 48. Death Impends 99 49. BabyBlue 95.95 50. GuyFromFuture 95.82 51. Gooseberry Crumble 86 52. JoeMoneypenny 75 53. YorkshireBanker 61.77 54. time 56 55. CalebH 25.82 56. arghton 10 57. DevonDeathTrip 0

1/2/2024 65 Petula Clark — Downtown 64 The Animals — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 52 The Kinks — All Day And All Of The Night 49 The Who — My Generation 24 The Yardbirds — Heart Full Of Soul 20 Manfred Mann — If You Gotta Go, Go Now 18 The Fortunes — You’ve Got Your Troubles 15 The Everly Brothers — The Price Of Love 14 Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders — The Game Of Love -6 11 Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons — Rag Doll +4 What Jersey girl would I be if I didn't upvote Frankie even when doomed

Norman Lear Qapik Attagutsiak Gaston Glock Jacques Delors I think that's all since the last update? Will post penultimate update tomorrow.

Farewelled my old guinea pig today. She was a right character, a skittish bug-eyed little thing made of far sterner stuff than you'd think. Lived long enough to witness three presidencies, two monarchies, five prime ministers, and four permanent Jeopardy hosts. She would've been worthy of the drol immortal list were she remotely famous, she rebounded fully from multiple health scares and even in the end lasted over a month in hospice. The final few days were a real struggle so there is a sense of relief, but will miss her dearly

In a perfect world I would only let Yahoo count if I personally find them an interesting obit to write

Outside the top 40. I'm truly a casual now. But if I didn't enter a casual team, I wouldn't have gotten to write a Napoleon XIV obit, so all worth it in the end.

Keeping it open out of spite.

Strutt died in late 2022...

1/1/2024 61 Petula Clark — Downtown 54 The Animals — We Gotta Get Out Of This Place 49 The Who — My Generation 47 The Kinks — All Day And All Of The Night 24 Manfred Mann — If You Gotta Go, Go Now 20 Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders — The Game Of Love 20 The Everly Brothers — The Price Of Love 19 The Yardbirds — Heart Full Of Soul 19 Andy Williams — Almost There 14 The Fortunes — You’ve Got Your Troubles 15 Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons — Rag Doll +4 9 Millie — My Boy Lollipop -6 8 Them — Here Comes The Night 5 The Hollies — Just One Look

For a while I thought I'd keep all my 2023 survivors bar Andy Taylor. But I got so bored with Linda Nolan as well so she dropped to subs bench. The other subs were Starmer-Smith and Burrow. Also the names that I would've picked if competing but didn't feel right going on a casual team. Jason Smith, for instance.

Good to see that (along with Whitehouse's last survivors team) my assessment Duke Fakir would be on the DDP even if I dropped him was correct. Most interested to learn that Petula Clark charted in 88. A dance remix of Downtown I see.

Yes, doors fully shut as of 27 minutes ago

Kudos on picking Bob Dishy! I'd be sure to have warm words how he helped Columbo pin down a Nazi magician should he go

Very casual TJS outing ahead: Derek Draper (joker) Alexander Butterfield (Nixon aide who revealed the taping system) Jimmy Carter Philip Casson James Carter Cathcart (Wildlife) Simon Cowell Shannen Doherty Roberta Flack Johnny Gilbert Clarence "Frogman" Henry Jonnie Irwin Toby Keith Steve McMichael Patrick Murray Stu Phillips Esther Rantzen David Rosen (cofounder of Sega) Michael Tilson Thomas Harrison Ruffin Tyler James Whale

Masterlists unhidden. Good luck to all.

Jimmy

So many music octogenaries in recent years have been a bit wow. Sly Stone's octogenary was an utter how the FUCK did he make it.

He should've been the perennial #1 post-Prince Philip. But this time it really could not be denied.

Going to unhide the masterlist posts early tomorrow my time (or midday UK time). I thought there would be fewer teams this time, but the tally of 59 slenderly outdid last year's 57. Here's all the teams I entered. If you don't see your name here please let me know. An Fear Beag arghton BabyBlue Banana Bibliogryphon Book BuffaloPhil CalebH Captain Hemlock CaptainChorizo Charles De Gaulle chilean way Death Impends DeathBecomesThem DeathByArsenic DevonDeathTrip diego drol Etushispushingupdaisies Famous6Eva Funeralopolis gcreptile Gooseberry Crumble Great Uncle Bulgaria Grimgrass GuyFromFuture Hell Imelda JoeMoneypenny Joey Russ John Key justonecornetto ladyfiona livingbygrace LizLemon MalePoster MariNisia markb4 maryportfuncity msc Pedro67 Perhaps Prophet RadGuy Sean Thatcher The Old Crem The Unknown Man TheKillingTime theoldlady ThereWillBeDeaths7 time Toast Torva Messor wannamaker WEP WillyWonka422 YorkshireBanker YoungWillz

My space theme team removed the dead folk, promoted Thomas Stafford to joker, demoted Francis Graham-Smith to regular pick. Added William R. Lucas and Loren Acton. My US #1s theme team removed the dead folk as well as Abdul "Duke" Fakir (I'm focused on names who might not otherwise be DDP picks and he was on 4 teams in 2023 so I'm pretty sure heeeee'll be theeeeere regardless). Added Jimmy Gilmer and Bobby Goldsboro. Very casual TJS to be posted after absolute deadline.

Such high placement means surely they're seeing him out. Popes shouldn't be misses in general, but yes, feels symbolic given he's far more iconic than Benny was.

I mark that as the first DL where no one was initially picked before the 2000s. Kissinger guaranteed the 90s were covered beforehand, and before he became a bedblocker there was at least Kirk.