TAFKAG

A friend of mine rode the Brussels metro recently, where she didn't get off till kunst wet.

Prabhakaran has 'been killed' in the Sri Lankan endgame. A unique DDP hit for H5N1, who also count embattled Speaker of the House*, Michael Martin, amongst their uniques. *Edit: ex-speaker.

This article from 2004 confirms Compagnoni was certainly still alive then: "As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, Mr Compagnoni returned to Pakistan." And this one confirms the same for Lacedelli I'm sure if they'd popped their crampons since then, we would have have been made aware. With due respect to Vaagheid, here's a UK obit for Compagnoni. Sounds like he was a bit of a naughty boy (Comps, not Veggie).

Finally deported to Germany and is probably developing dirty rotten swine flu as we speak.

Any other Doms to die? This one's 92. Not much news about him in a while.

Controversially about 12,000 years ago. Anthropologist speak for some diminutive Hominid apparently. Perhaps Banshees is coming around to the idea that we are decendants of apes. Yes, I was naïve and foolish to doubt Professor Banshee.

Not a band blessed with the best of luck, now their bass player Ean Evans has died at 48.

There's a BBC programme on Bacon science today.

Feminist author Marilyn French dead at 79. I'd heard of her, but only via an appearance in ABBA's Bergmanesque knees-up The Day Before You Came.

On the subject of poetesses, Carol Ann Duffy has become the first female Poet Laureate. Time to brush up on rhymes for queen, corgi and nazi, Carol. Can I put poetry into Room 101? I just don't get it. At all.

Healthy-looking and unretired BB King interviewed on Newsnight this evening, ahead of his UK tour in June.

Great Escape tunnel digger Alex Lees going underground again.

As Guest Sean has pointed out on The Dead, Bea Arthur has died.

Dio de los Muertos? I wonder how his Elf is these days.

Today is Earth Day, founded by maritime mincer Gaylord Nelson. The activist who came up with the concept, John McConnell, appears to be 94.

Mia Farrow's giving up food for Darfur. I shall refrain from any cynicism, as ever.

William 'The Fridge' Perry has a faulty thermostat.

DDP hits are like London buses...fares please.

Bottle, glass - glass, bottle.

JG Ballard has Crashed. He's popped my DDP cherry.

L & H statue unveiled in Ulverston. Ken Dodd was on hand to do some dusting, but his father's pooch was a no-show.

Phil becomes GB's longest-serving royal appendage. 350+ possible gaffe opportunities last year, I can see him carrying on for a while yet.

What a fantastically eclectic grouping that is. Of the remaining four non-Wings (John Conteh, Michael Parkinson, Christopher Lee and Kenny Lynch), surely Dracula must be next. Not to split heirs MPFC, but Emma Freud isn't actually married to Richard Curtis, so he wasn't quite a son-in-law. But the number of celebrity connections is making my head spin. Freudian slip.