BCAlum2000

I'm still here, but my status has been reduced to that of a lurker. Anyway, I understand where you are in your life. Best of luck and all that squid.

Maggie Smith is actually a fairly well known and prominent actress. Maggie Jones on the other hand......

What are the new health problems? UGH! I somehow got Maggie Smith mixed up w/ Maggie Jones! Maggie Jones is the one w/ the recent health problems! Real sorry about that.

I would definitely add Maggie Smith to the 2010 list. She's a fairly high profile actress who's been battling various health issues lately. She overcame breast cancer, but now has new health problems.

RIP Mario. Another part of my childhood has died. Yes, I watched The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! It was purely dreadful, but I was like 8 years old at the time and didn't know better.

Honestly, of the five, save BB King. He's the only one I do know for sure is battling health problems. He's been ill for quite some time (including diabetes, etc.). The rest are old, but old age itself is generally not enough for me to include in next year's death list. Unless they have known underlying health issues that could expedite their deaths, people who are on the death list on the basis of old age alone are not good cnadidates, imho.

Keep your chin up, you have an entire lifetime to be right.

Nice one, BC. sir, could you hand me a nice dish of crow pie?

I thought this was to give the news that he had died... This guy is a TEASE, I tell ya!! A huge TEASE!!!!!! (before i get in trouble, i was being sarcastic and self-effacing. carry on.)

Muy interesante. I remember Bob Hoskins at his career peak, starring in such classics as Super Mario Brothers and Doomsday.

The hoax, which didn't originate on DL, has made the papers. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemon...y-gelbarts.html It's a shame that the story was revealed to be hoax, because Larry Gelbart has just died. Are you in tune with my brainwaves today Devon? I was only reading about Larry Gelbart and M*A*S*H earlier this evening... Gelbart was one of the great influences of contemporary comedy. It's a shame his passing didn't get more mainstream coverage in the media, especially since he's the force behind some of the greatest and most well known works of comedy including the TV series M*A*S*H, the comedy classic Tootsie, and the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. n

Swayze is not gonna die anytime soon. I'll wager that he'll live to see 2010. The National Inquirer is getting a bit ridiculous. This is like the 5th or 6th time they claim that Patrick's time on earth is up and that he's gonna die very soon. Ain't gonna happen. As much as I have him as one of my big hits for this year, I'm no longer gonna wait till he dies. Instead, I'll focus on rooting on his treatment and rehabilitation.

I'll go out of my way and consider speculating that Maura Tierney will not make it in 2010. She could possibly be the tragic celebrity death who fits the "gone too soon" bill of 2010. I'm also considering Robin Williams as well, particualrly in light of his recent health problems. He could be to 2010 what MJ was to 2009.

Hong Kong movie buffs are mourning the death of actor Shing-Fui On, who passed away at the young age of 54. Maybe not a familiar name to most people, but he was a significant character actor who appeared in some of the biggest Hong Kong movies in the 1980s and 1990s. if you are a fan of John Woo's Hong Kong movies, you may recognize him as the lead villian in the cult classic The Killer. He also had supporting roles in other John Woo classics including A Better Tomorrow I and II. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/...nt_11956514.htm Filmography: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0793924/

Next to MJ, probably the biggest loss this year (along w/ Walter Cronkite). Ted Kennedy was a force to reckon w/ in US politics. For 40 plus years, Ted Kennedy was a staple in the United States senate and politics in general. Presidents come and go, but Ted served our country (the US) through approximately 10 presidencies from JFK to Barack Obama. Government politics won't be the same w/o Ted Kennedy. He's left a huge void that will be impossible to fill. Thank you for your 40 plus years of public service, Ted. Although you've experienced some dark moments in your life which you have never quite been able to live down, you're a powerful example of redemption. It is your strength, your integrity, and your leadership that has kept the US Senate strong.

Summer of death indeed. From David Carradine to Robert Novak, the celebrities who passed away this summer were noteworthy, not the least of which was Michael Jackson. As for Ted Kennedy -- stick a fork in him, he's done. I doubt he'll survive by the end of this year. In fact, I predict that 2009 will end w/ a bang w/ Ted Kennedy dead by the winter holiday season. Kennedy leaves behind a mixed legacy, but he has taught us all one powerful lesson -- it is never too late for redemption.

C'mon Patrick Swayze, won't you join us? Yes, join us! you know you wanna. You can't resist any longer. You can't hold out forever. Just let go and you may join us. Trust us, it's not so painful. it'll be quick. It's better to join us -- it certainly beats having to live with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Yes, join us and you will be dancing in Heaven w/ Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Michael Jackson! Sincerely, the ghosts of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, David Carradine, Billy Mays, Steve McNair, John Hughes, Natasha Richardson, and Ron Silver.

Another success story! Yes! Finally got another name on my list. Rest in peace, Robert Novak. He's one of the more well known political columnist in the US, though he's probably an unknown in the UK.

James Garner, of The Rockford Files fame, has been in a wheelchair since suffering a stroke last year. I like the guy, he's one of my favorite actors, but I'm afraid he's probably got another year or two to live. I've read that he's been struggling since and his health continues to decline. I would definitely put him in as a strong DL candidate for 2010.

I don't think he's going to go anytime soon. However, you never know, especially since we always get shocking deaths every year and this year is no exception (e.g., Michael Jackson, Steve McNair, Natasha Richardson, and John Hughes).

Admittedly, Swayze probably is my biggest hit of this year (maybe next to Farrah Fawcett) and frankly, he's living far longer than he should be given the seriousness of his illness. The fact that he continues to smoke despite acknowledging that his smoking habits are likely linked to his cancer make me resent him more for still being alive. I'm not necessarily wishing for him to die, but he has no right to be smoking and still living w/ pancreatic cancer. He probably has access to the most state-of-the-art technology (laser cutting) available for anyone fighting pancreatic cancer. 99.9999% of people w/ his condition can't even afford what Swayze is receiving for his treatment. He's only living right now b/c he has access to treatments that i doubt anyone else w/ pancreatic cancer has (maybe Steve Forbes and Ruth Blader Ginsburg are the only other individuals who have access to this state-of-the-art laser technology for treating pancreatic cancer, that's why they're still alive). And it disappoints me that despite all the above, he can't kick his cigarette habit. Anyway, death had the opportunity to claim Patrick Swayze back in January 2009 when he was hospitalized w/ pnuemonia. That was probably Patrick's one major chance to die, and he survived. The National Enquirer can publish all the BS articles it wants claiming Swayze is at his "last days." Swayze ain't gonna die soon, and he's flaunting his cigarettes to prove to everybody that if you're a big shot celebrity (even if your last big hit was back in 1991), you can have the most advanced treatment possible that will allow you to resume your favorite leisurely smoking activities.

Who would've thought that over 18 months after being diagnosed w/ Stage 4 pancreatic cancer (the most lethal kind), Patrick Swayze is still alive. and not only that, he appears to be going strong and getting better!!! Ever since Patrick Swayze has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the following celebrities have died (prematurely and/or under tragic circumstances): Anthony Minghella Sydney Pollack Tim Russert George Carlin Bernie Mac Isaac Hayes Don LaFontaine Michael Crichton Ron Silver Natasha Richardson David Carradine Farrah Fawcett Michael Jackson Steve McNair John Hughes If someone were to have told me that all those celebrities would die before Patrick Swayze, i would've told them they were full of it (w/ the possible exception of Farrah Fawcett and Sydney Pollack). Yet Swayze has somehow managed to outlive all of those celebrities above. anyway, here's more Swayze news: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertain...r-1225759094232 Apparently, he's turned to medical marijuana to help him cope w/ the effects of pancreatic cancer. Of course, the source is none other than The National Enqurier, so take that for what you will (and y'all know my thoughts on the Enquirer).

It's clearly not a good year for icons from the 80's Ugh ... why do I feel so saddened over this guy's passing? I know why ... I'm in my mid to late 20s and I already feel like I'm old. The icons of my youth are fading away so quickly. It's one thing to lose guys like Walter Cronkite and Karl Malden. Although their deaths were sad, they were very old anyway so they didn't really affect me, especially since their peak was way before my time. But to lose guys like Michael Jackson and John Hughes is sad b/c you realize that you can't turn back time to a more innocent youth. John Hughes was another individual who influenced my youth. I simply love his movies, especially his classics The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

One of cinema's most prolific B-movie producers and screenwriters has died at the age of 88. Harry Alan Towers has produced and wrote screenplays for over 100 films, many of which became instant cult classics. Some of his better known films include The Phantom of the Opera (with Robert Englund), The Mangler (also with Robert Englund), The Hitman (with Chuck Norris), and The Castle of Fu Manchu (with Christopher Lee). http://www.variety.com/article/VR111800681...yId=13&cs=1 Unfortunately, his death was ignored by virtually all the media.

There has to be a way you can edit this poll to reflect its correct tally. Anyway, my vote for seventh death goes to... Swayze! Swayze! Swayze!