msc

Aye, as the old Victorian era sayng goes, "If there's a death and one of Thatcher, Willz or Ulitzer don't announce first, did it actually happen?"

My efforts to beat Thatcher to this news was as successful as Neil Kinnock's efforts in the 87 election...

Non-American of course, but note there's at least 3 big EU fans there, which is great news for a certain muppet leader we all know. The chap at Homeland was big on cyber crime so that looks like a focus, alongside climate and rebuilding international relations. Oh, and his Treasury Sec's a Keynesian. Who knew they were still allowed post Thatcher/Reagan?

Quite big name in French rugby - 3 World Cups, including one of the French tries in their 1999 Semifinal comeback win over the seemingly unstoppable New Zealand, widely regarded as one of the greatest rugby matches of all time.

They've really added a whole new jeopardy level to pass the parcel here.

I'll let you know in 2024!

On the contrary, I think Biden grabbing the popularism of job protectionism in key swing states early on was a masterstroke that had Trump on the backfoot in the very states he needed to win (Rust Belt, basically). Trumps quite clearly far more popular in the US than social media would have you think, and his support went up in quite a lot of places so you needed a highly focused and competent campaign to beat him for the Presidency. In fact, hot take, I think most of the other Dem candidates would have lost. This doesn't promise competent Presidency of course. Bush Jr was a solid campaigner - and like Biden, this was heavily underrated by his opposition - but rotten at the actual running the country bit.

These BBC4 tips have no staying power in 2020...

Oh FFS. Another shortlister bites the dust!

Aye. Yet every single time...

Watching the Bobby Ball tribute. You ever get a celeb that, anytime they appear on TV, you think "fucking hell, I thought they died years ago!"? On that note, a old looking Bernie Clifton appeared.

He punched massively above his weight with women (see also Arthur Miller), he pissed off all the sorts of people who get pissed off easily (Bible belt politicians, humourless orthodox academics, Guardian writers), a science popularist who writes easily accessible books but doesn't dumb down as if Joe Public can't understand evolutionary theory written without flowery scientific language, played a big part in conservation of the leopard, big football fan. imo there's a lot to like about Desmond Morris, even if you think he spends too much time thinking about breasts. (Clearly a unique stance in society, that one!) Speaking of the Guardian's corrections page in 2013: Poor sod.

Don't besmirch a forum immortal by comparing him to a charlatan.

So you're saying I should delete the bit in my shortlist that reads "sneaky unique pick??" then?

Oh wow, I'll be having a look out for that. David Graham is a proper legend and still doing the odd bit of kids TV voice work too. Leela and Adric? TV Heaven and Hell there, I add quickly before Willz growls...

When they did the mass TB checks in the 1950s to deal with the sod, they had mobile units set up in the major city squares and any spare space they had. In and out x-rays, nobbled the spread of the disease significantly. Although, is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that plan!

I hadn't really heard of her either (it's an age thing) but I got the news from *two* members of my own family texting me the news, so that tells me she was a proper big name.

Not heard of it but put it on our Netflix watch list, thanks. I like Chess but am absymal at the game. iirc my record is something like 1-202. And the one person I beat quit playing in horror and shame. (True story!)

I used to think that was a real thing when I first read about it. I was 8. Hell of a curse to know FDR was going to get another election win in first. Although worth noting that both Garfield (who seemed like a promising career cut down) and McKinley (we know enough of him to know he was a MOR President) would have lived with the medical technology around when Reagan got shot. Both died from blood infections caused by lousy medical practices of the time. Which incidentally is why Teddy Roosevelt refused to have the bullet taken out of him when he got shot in 1912, a degree of wisdom he subsequently wasted by travelling down the Amazon on a whim of adventure, and promptly weakening his heart by catching malaria! Also William Henry Harrison died because he didn't wear a jacket in Winter during a rainstorm. 1840s covid denialist! Only Lincoln stood no chance whatsoever, shot at point blank range through the back of the head while laughing at a joke in a comedy play. Likely didn't even know what happened, like the end of the Sopranos.

The programme page will - if its written down - from 1st January 2021. No good for this year though.

Nobody noticed at the time of course...

They always keep 25 though, apart from 2011 when they kept 26 due to one of the long forgotten unwritten rules about dropping Al Megrahi.

Another one of those cases where cancer gives a tap in for covid. Makes sense as he had been active till recently.

Oh, so he's been.... DELETED? (Death Note....)

Given his current address, his current phone number, his until recent fan mail replying and that he looks after his wife are all known information, it's a tough one. He might just be alive... Although I did like the person on another forum who said "he was alive in Brighton in 2005 but then I lost track". He's lived in the same bloody house for the better part of 60 years!