msc

Also a lot of these older women who had long careers with reps for being nippy sweeties tended to be folk who needed to be harder nosed to survive in their industry. Like Paddy Russell, one of the first female directors at the BBC ever, who, once you got past her "she was a monster" reputation, was apparently lovely as long as you weren't rude or wasted her time needlessly. And back then, she became a director because production staff were paid equally because no one assumed a woman would ever take up the course, whereas actresses were paid peanuts. Anyhow, this is a bit of a detour (Paddy Russell was awesome btw), but she works as an example for those sorts of women.

The Guardian tend to commission and have good names to write their obits on call. Alas when they're not interested... I know at least one Jane Baker obit was offered (not by me) to several of the papers, but got turned down.

This might only be of note for Maryport, but Paul Goresh - Beatles super fan who took photos of Lennon in 1980 - has apparently died.

"We'll get that guy from Espanyol!" "He said no." "Right, we'll get Ranieri or Bielsa or someone like that, they're free?" "They all said no." "Well I give up, get Paul Lambert..."

Look, you know, if you want me as a Deathlist Cup hit one day, you'll have to accept that the substitute host, Joey Russ, might be biased against you in any showdown. Back's fine btw.

Looking back, I forgot all about the "My wife is Bono, she is not Larry" thing.

Was there much warning about Clarissa Dickson Wright? or Richard Griffiths? Moore more likely than not will go as quickly some day before 75.

Bloody hell, she didn't Linger.

Sad last days as Cher may only have 9500 days left to live (give or take a few thousand)...

PS Thanks for the wishes. This bit did make me laugh.

Sorry to hear about your dog.

Just a small note to mention I don't have cancer after all (didn't think I did but nice to be confirmed), apologies for any undue tetchiness (more than usual) since start of December while waiting for all this to clear up, and yer all stuck with me for a bit longer. PS Had tests start of December for lung cancer after some health setbacks, didn't want to make a big deal of them at the time. Anyhow, no worries. As we all were.

Paul Lambert is new manager of Stoke City.

Here you go. I think we all know the odds on a relapse from Stage IV bowel cancer.

Correct me if I'm wrong but that was before the DUP/Tory alliance was made official? iirc he did make mention to the Lib/Lab pact as an outlier, though this one is more of an outlier: 2 parties united by their hatred of Jeremy corbyn!

Wake up, there's going to be an actual by-election. However, it's for West Tyrone, which seemingly no one picked?

Yusuf Buhari – dc Nyssa Burrells - dc Bill Crider – dc*, di, dt* Oliver Dragojevic – dc, di Toon Greebe - dc Mohd Poad Md Kassim - dc Frank Lucas – dc Don Lusk – bg, dc Simon Ricketts – dc, gu, sn Renee Simonot – dc, fb, ng, pm Marieke Vervoort – bk*,cc*, dc, di*, dr, ds*, dt, gr*,gu, jr*,mp, sn*, to*, yt The specific danger zone with regards to The Dead Cow. Hmm, Lusk and Simonot remind me of some jammy sod who beat Death Impends in 2015...

Kevin Carr, surprisingly a unique for me.

On the case of Remigino, I have no doubt he'll get a QO when he goes. In fact, I think there's an 70/80% chance of a mention in The Times, who have mentioned him in recent years in obits of other US Olympians of that era. Discounting Stokes for a moment, my biggest obit worries would be Toothill and Goodwin, and I decided that if they'd mentions in at least half the QO papers (and multiple ones at that in some), then the odds were high at least one would go back to them on death. Also Times references, I figure anyhow who gets a proper reference in The Times passes the fame barrier.... now watch me get that wrong!

Remember the next round is drawn at the same time as the current round. So it were "Joey or Someone Else I forget vs Grim" as the potential Round 2 match.

Yes, and that's just Sister Wendy!

Well, Joey, I kid you not, I simmed a draw with the folk we had before Mr Key joined in - so not part of the actual game, just testing the procedure out - and it brought up a potential Joey/Grim Round 2 match!

Jokes aside, I am interested to see if we get any "rematches" and if we do, I still wouldn't be able to call them: no way a 16-2 happens again between two top deadpoolers. Also, some improved players got terrible luck of the draw, maybe they'll be luckier this time - or just draw DDT ASAP, who knows. Oh another thing, I'm not making my team public before the round starts. I feel its good graces for the host to bow out ASAP in these circumstances, but even then, I was as good as a de facto BYE last year, so this year YWillz has kindly agreed to be PM'd my team. And if I bloody draw him in Round 1, I'll swear. Hah.

Whats that, Mr G Creptile? You want me to find 8 more Cup players ASAP and rig the draw so you can face Death Impends again? It's a tough ask!

That's one of the reasons I discarded him early. He was going to need to live X weeks from seeing the film, with no follow up QOs after... See, I do sometimes listen to the advice of better deadpoolers...