msc

Wait, what? Bloody hell! Just logged in, still feeling hideous. Right, give me 5 mins or so.

Could the BBC have found a more "looks like shit" photo to use?

Mail on Sunday writer tweets it.

Hey, with predictions like this, no wonder I was defending 148th place in the DDP early on.

It's like Zorders never left, sometimes. All we need is someone to start moaning about their mummy issues.

The food usually looks hideous, too. That's how I knew that Terry Wogan show, the last one he did going round the UK eating food at local cafes, was good. I'd watch it, and get really hungry.

Used recent ill health to continue on my quest to read the memoirs of folk who appear often in deadpooling circles. Denis Norden - Clips from a Life: Was alright, full of lightly amusing anecdotes (Tynan realising he was in trouble for swearing on live TV when he got a congratulatory telegraph from George Melly, for example) but much of life is glossed over. One might suggest that's the perfect description of Norden himself, casually directing the viewer away from the grim and the in-depth analysis in favour of a few silly moments. So we get the war in brushstrokes and lots on silly things people did on radio/etc. Diana Athill - A Florence Diary: To be honest, each new Athill book that comes out, I expect to be the last. She as much as admits it herself in the introductions. We're now five books on since the wonderful Somewhere Towards the End (written when she were a mere 90), and six books of memoirs on since she wrote her actual memoirs themselves! I do suspect this one might actually be the last Athill, till proven wrong, however. For one, it has scarcely any new material. 17 pages in slighter larger font than normal are the sole interlude by the 99 year old Athill, the rest of the slim book being a reprint of her diaries from a trip to Italy in the 1940s. The book itself barely reaches 64 pages with that conceit, a third at best of one of her normal books. It is striking in its sparsity. Oh well. As a result, it is one of the lesser Diana Athill books, but its descriptions of post-war Italian (for lack of a better term) "English yuppy" holidays as they were is of some interest. And for something entirely different: Neil Nixon - Beatles Myths and Legends: As recommended on this very forum! Great book, which goes into depth on the history and origins of many of the (insane) myths which follow each of the Beatles. For example, that Lennon got shot by the CIA. Then essentially debunks or shows why they were highly unlikely. For those who can't stomach more Lennon (although in fact, the writer does the rare feat of making John come across sympathetic imo), there's a wonderful rant in defense of Ringo Starr, and some good research on Harrison. I'm not a big Beatles fan (I appreciate their spot in music history, however) but I found this musical history tour damn near hypnotic and amusing in turns. Highly recommended!

Do people then think that Jimmy Carter might smash the record in 2018?

I feel much the same as when news came out about Gerry Rafferty being on life support: saddened but not surprised in the slightest. Like Rafferty, Flair is a mercurial but flawed genius in his own art. On the basis of wrestlers tendency to linger in this state, if this is the end for Flair, I'd say circa August 31st/start of September. Which would bring him close to the 9th anniversary of Killer Kowalski. Damn, I knew I should have put "bet Spade says DLJ" into print because I had a feeling you'd name him.

Ah yes, the chap who caused me spelling nightmares for 4 months.

Oh I'm going for the weaker team. Bernard Hepton and co returning.

*ominous music plays* Nah, it's always cool to have DDT in best form in these things.

To the minute! I love it.

Wow, a whole month, it's a miracle. My grandfather did that sitting in his armchair drinking whisky!

Quite hard and solid iirc. Not something you want to whack into you at great speeds.

Calderwood's 62? Flipping 'eck.

As someone who was on my dreadful 2013 DDP team, you can imagine my shock that he was actually able to die.

That's a family tree of shit genes.

Yeah, I saw that and thought: "bet I can beat him". Apparently, the answer is no I couldn't, because I completely misread the fame requirements for it! Tierny must play the DDP, I assume. Anyhow, I'm beating Death Impends, so I like to think I'm the morale victor.

Incidentally, is Cancerous Hatred on the Alt Obituaries Deadpool our very own @JiroemonKimura? If so, they've opened up a 61 point lead in it, with 4 months to go.

School holidays were late June to late August up here when I was at school.

So, ITV adapted a whole bunch of Marple novels last decade. They're generally shit, but it got me thinking about Deathlist stuff. Namely, A Pocketful of Rye (not see it, not read the book yet, ITV probably changed the killer though) was first broadcast in September 2009. Wendy Richard was in it, so a posthumous appearance, which isn't unusual. Large swathes of actors die between filming and the thing appearing in cinema or TV - Tim Pigot-Smith might win a BAFTA next year for it. However, her - Wendy's - husband in this Marple's played by Ken Campbell, who himself had died in 2008. So, can anyone think of any TV or film with 2 or more posthumous appearances in it at time of first broadcast? Must be several, but my brain isn't working this early in the century.

Hits for year if added rest of year to current total 2016 (14), 2015 (12), 2014 (12), 2013 (13), 2012 (12), 2011 (10), 2010 (14), 2009 (14), 2008 (11), 2007 (10), 2006 (14), 2005 (12), 2004 (12), 2003 (14), etc. It'd require unprecedented hittage in the last third of the year to break the record. Although, take precedent out of it. How many of the current list are known to be frail or very ill? 12-14. So, yes, the record can be broken. Valerie Harper and Liz Dawn, don't you think they look a little lonely on the list now? Also, we've had a rather warm summer here, and whenever one of those happens, there's a a fucker of a winter to follow. Lots of old people on the list. Old people didn't like cold winters. With all that said, no, I don't think they'll beat the record, till its broken one day.

Like I say, Tony Hart. (Who should have been on the 2009 list. Some of the Cmme posting on here even agreed, he'd been last man dropped from the 50 or something...)

Nice find.