msc

There is something like 10 septillion planets out there (a trillion *squared*, a number with 24 zeroes after it!) and of those, they think there's about 500 MILLION planets in our small sector of the universe capable of supporting life. As Carl Sagan put it, you'd have to be very arrogant to outright state there is no life elsewhere in the universe without proof with those numbers! James Burke (cool guy, very DL worthy in my book) once said he thought we'd have interstellar travel but we were as close to it now as Canute was to colour TV! Crowleys last words were "I am perplexed", which are some of the better ones on record tbh.

Scottish crime novelist Val McDermid is 66 today, which is about 400 years old in Fife Years. The Tony Hill novels were adapted into popular ITV detective series Wire in the Blood. Her recurring serial killer from the late 90s, Jacko Vance (played by John Michie on TV) was based on Jimmy Savile. He never sued despite it being quite spot on about his MO as he never realised it was meant to be him!

Worry not, Biblio, Euro 2020 starts in a weeks time and if I've learnt anything from over a decade on this place, its that someone major always dies in the middle of one of the games at the Euros or World Cup. It's the Casey Kasem tradition.

Although Tim Healy is looking ancient and ghastly on that episode of Still Open All Hours on BBC1 right now. Didn't recognise him at first. (Recorded in 2019 apparently.)

Just for the record, Colin Baker isn't known to be terminally ill. He did campaign for the then terminally ill Brian Rix in 2016, however. And yes, his weight is still an issue as it has been for most of his career so I wouldn't be surprised if he's gone in the next 5 years. Hopefully not, though. He's a complete grump but he's *our* grump. I was told years about Tom being very frail when not in performance mode due to the boozing in his past, but the person who told me that (a name actor) has since died themselves!

Bad news, everyone, I'm afraid the great Damaris Hayman has died. (4) Toby Hadoke on Twitter: "RIP that gloriously eccentric character player Damaris Hayman, not far off her 92nd birthday - she helped Doctor Who battle The Daemons, walked the halls of St Trinian's, saw the Pink Panther Strike Again and was the essence of genteel English wit opposite many great comics. https://t.co/83sLbMoq51" / Twitter

Nowt wrong with academic doctorates of course, unless you try and use to peddle medical bollocks to the public. I think everyone who has ever had to do proper research for something (as opposed to deadpool research of checking Google!) exhaled a short breath in disbelief at that interview. It should go without saying: always, always triple check stuff, and if something sounds fascinating and unique its probably wrong.

But DO listen to Matthew Sweet politely assassinating her career on BBC Radio here: Author realizes her new book contains gross inaccuracies on live radio - YouTube

It's a Scavenger first for me - no uniques whatsoever!

Cue the commentary team: "That wasn't in the script!"

The survivors. Dean Smith now seems quite safe at Villa unless he gets a promotion to another club. Hassenhuttl wont be sacked but is doing as well as anyone can at Saints so how much longer does he want to stay there? Guardiola tends to do 3-4 years then needs a break, hes been at City 5 years now so a sudden exit wouldn't shock. Farke surprised me. So did MK Dons, annoyingly. Carlisle I listened to one of Maryports more depressed posts on football. Gerrard? I assumed he'd either quit or get poached. He's safe until he wants to go now though. McPake - Dundee were a complete mess and prone to sacking managers, their sudden promotion push caught me by surprise. Albion Rovers seemed like a good bet for the bottom spot in the league if Brechin improved, but instead Brechin were fucking shite. Steve Bruce is a useless man (imo) who you just can't get rid of. As for Thistle we were in a complete mess and I'm not a big fan of Ian "glass half empty, and also smashed into little bits" McCall, so he seemed like a good candidate to walk, but I never saw us going on the best run of form in a decade to climb to 1st place in the last month of the season. We're not really a sacking club and that'll buy him more time. He's also a big Thistle fan, so if he can knuckle down and win another promotion I will gladly accept it.

My lambs to the slaughter are also in, with added best of luck in the future to Caleb (unless he gets 2 uniques in the next 2 hours of course...) What's the Squonk record again?

Susie Steiner

Although while its not new news, that chemo failed and radiotherapy is not an option pretty much means 90% she wont see Christmas as implied above.

In February they (as in UK and Scottish governments) dumped a whole bunch of folk on the shielding list off the immediate category for vaccine at the time and a bunch of them fell through a red tape gap. I'm getting mine 4 months later than was intended for someone on my meds soon only because we kept reminding them about the error...

Not quite all, Sean. Cross fingers now they've finally acknowledged the issue though.

My first jab is in just over 2 weeks time so I'm hoping folk can avoid passing on any new strains to me before then.

Yes, I've heard it quite often (and use it) - its the sort of weak middle of the round "hello I acknowledge you but don't want to intrude too much on your personal life" comment that makes for effective polite reply. Very British imo. As is the answer "Aye, we're alright" or the equivalent!

If you put those crumbles together you'd be player of the month. tbf I've done no counting whatsoever on that. (It has to be done manually, which is a fucker...)

Never picked by looks of it.

One of my Scavenger picks from the last round. See, Willz? The DDP always picks up as soon as I start to clear out the "to do" list!

I really need to pay more attention to my own bloody forum tips...

Died of a stroke. That's really going to help Engineers nerves, that is.

I've started clearing out the missing front page obits, which is usually signal for the Reaper to go mental again...

Sadly for him, COVID took the decision to a VAR check...