time

It being his 93rd birthday, for those not aware.

All my entries into every pool I've entered since I started deadpooling years ago are just to amuse myself - isn't that the point? If I get close enough to a win so I get excited (even a little bit) that's a bonus. P.S. Your secret theme is no longer a secret.

Right, I have 3 teams entered this year, my usual team of hangers-on in times-up, more Rons not to do one plus a team of random selections which started as my research for my HPDP entry but I got carried away.

Colombian writer & director Jaime Osorio Marquez has died via assisted suicide (which is legal in Colombia); he had suffered a recurrence of cancer which he'd beaten in 2009 & 2012. He was 46.

Finished with Succession; verdict pretty good. A minor criticism - sometimes there seemed to be too much filler, strangely the third season seemed most affected despite being an episode shorted than the first 2 seasons. There's also the usual disappearance of characters with no explanation (though perhaps understandable for the enforced gap due to Covid, speaking of which the child characters had noticeably aged beyond the timeline!). Of the main cast, not a bad performance amongst them. ETA: It would be remiss of me not to mention the music; the incidental/background music is as good as I've heard anywhere. Next up, Your Honor, which was recommended to me months ago but as its on Sky I mistakenly thought I didn't have access to it, but I have found (thanks to watching Succession) its available on Sky Atlantic via Now TV

Gary Lineker appeared as a pundit during football coverage on Dutch TV & Al Jazeera, but probably spoke English; he speaks Spanish but hasn't afaik had a presence on Spanish TV.

I have for the past few years included 'oldest people' in my HPDP teams, precisely because they are (were!) assured of a QO and therefore points; considering the press coverage she got when she reached 112, and later when she had her Covid jab, a real surprise that there's no mention of her death outside the 'specialist' websites.

Updated

Martha Earnhardt, mother of Dale Earnhardt Sr, has died aged 91.

obviously couldn’t face the Boxing Day test! I’d imagine a few subs coming in to play now. I don’t think I picked him.

Oriol Bohigas, masterplanner behind Barcelona's redevelopment for the 1992 Olympics, dead aged 95 back on 30th November.

Merry Christmas all..'

Don't die in December!

If the few seconds I heard as described a couple of weeks ago weren't enough to knock me out, then I definitely got knocked out a few days later, as the wake I attended seemingly only had one Christmas CD which they played on repeat for about 4 hours.

Joan Didion, dead-ion at 87.

I strenuously deny this.

This Express piece the only English source I can find, though numerous French sources, because of his association with Johnny Halliday (or maybe the French surname, who knows).

Toby Slater of 'Catch' who had a hit with 'Bingo' in 1997, reported to have died aged 42/43 (depending on source). Son of Stephanie de Sykes.

He’s rubbing my face in it now!

Never understood people being so eager to post "Never heard of them", as if its either important or a source of pride. For the record, I bought Q. Are we not men... on its release over here on the the strength of extensive radio play of Jocko Homo.

Cross-posting John Morgan of The Wurzels, as he was the drummer!

News of John Morgan's death has reached the public domain. Covid, it would appear. Still gigging a fortnight ago.

The Unknown Man suggests an unknown man.

Just as a matter of interest, what would you consider notable?

There's a 'Presenters' thread, where this news broke a couple of months ago; the local news coverage included tributes from 85 year-old Lawrie McMeneny, who looked & sounded pretty good, and 66 year=old Paul O'Grady, who looks absolutelya wful, but is apparently still working and sounds just the same. Former weatherman Carl Tyler added his tribute too, looked alright for his age (must be over 80). Dinenage still has projects on the go, including the return of the latest regeneration of How? due for broadcast next year.