msc

I'm an extremely antisocial git who took a vow of poverty (aka have weans, or black holes of all money ever) but enjoy the meetup, anyhow!

Aye, so how was Dave, then? Hey, its British music, I've probably got a... 15-20% chance of nabbing the right first name by default.

If Spade is bowing out DQSP next year (afaik), then 2018 will be a rather open. Be interesting to see how some folk deal with the position of being favourites rather than as underdog. Perhaps someone entirely unheralded will come racing up to the front, or even Ali or Banshees will finally win one. All very open and interesting.

Look out Digital Nun, Christy Dignam and Gino Odjick then!

You say that, but even the top teams talk themselves into a sneaky Luke Halpin.

Those who actually research to death are about 15 teams out of 500, if that. And that's vastly overestimating the research, no doubt. Rules shouldn't be changed to suit 15/500.

I did wonder who'd be on the Drop 40, but... man, was my finger not on the pulse of the DDP! As for those, 3 is destined to grumpiness when taking on Spade.

So? Used to be you could win the DDP with 20 points. Are they? And if the people are picking more popular (and thus more famous by default) people, how is that reducing the quality of the teams? You just said they were all gaining more points. That's a reason in favour of it, imo. Got to give it a year or two to see how that adjusts. Its clear that a fair few folk (hi) didn't quite twig how the Drop 40 bonus would trigger certain picks.

Reminds me of when Tony Hart announced he couldn't draw anymore, as that came out around this time of the year, too. He was dead the next January.

Ah yes, June Foray did that for a bit in the 1960s, explaining her longevity.

Official abdication announcement expected to have been brought forward to next month, instead of next summer.

He's been "in remission" twice this year, for Stage IV pancreatic/other stuff in that area of the body cancer. And it returns swiftly because it's Stage IV pancreatic/other stuff in that area of the body cancer. I'm full James Randi on this news, till proven otherwise.

Oh, I thought it meant "Don't panic!", tbh.

So, about this legend: Well, he died in March, aged 105. Not a single obit, let a QO, despite his role in history. So in reference to @Weebl and @maryportfuncity's doubts on this man getting an obit, well: my bad!

Ric Flair in hospital with "heart related issues". His PR team say not to worry. He's 68 now, coming rapidly close to my "he wont see 70" line.

Well I guess there's been some movement: 2011 - Dr Sree Sree Swaniji, Johan Van Hulst, Mary Carlisle, (3/50) 2012 - Penny Marshall, Peregrine Worsthorne, Clive James, Mary Wilson, Leslie Philips, (5/20) 2013 - Robert Mugabe,Judy Blume, Nicholas Edwards, Danny Kirwan, Bob Dole, Michael Jopling, Mark Eden, Ryan Buell, Freddie Starr (9/20) 2014 - Ryan Buell, Liz Dawn, Valerie Harper, Wilko Johnson, Chris Moncrieff, Pat Rice, Ian Watkins, 7/20 2015 - Seumas Milne, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jacques Villenueve Sr, Vojislav Seselj, Mary Wilson,Peter Sutcliffe, 6/20 2016 - Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, Nobby Stiles 2/20 2017 - 10/20 I wonder who'll be last man standing for 2016: the cancer stricken bishop, or the demented footballer.

Yeah, just looks...70 odd to me, too. Of course, now he'll pop his clogs next year and this thread will be full of people going "What a miss!"

That wouldn't be an abdication. Daft headline.

Watching An Evening with Glen Campbell that were on BBC4. Introduces Jimmy Webb, and the wife goes "Oh its him who was talking about him on Last Word". She was right, and all, and spotted it before me. Highly obitable, but only turning 71 this week, so a wee while before he troubles deadpools.

Bit like 2013, then. It felt quiet next to 2012 (which was carnage), but it was a bonanza on the DDP, and if you actually look at the big names that went that year (Mandela, Thatcher, Winner, Chavez, Bearer, Briers and Griffiths, Ebert, Harryhausen, Jack Vance and Iain Banks and Matheson, Gandolfini, Heaney and Frost and Mel Smith, Tom Clancy, Ken Norton, Doris Lessing, Peter O'Toole and Lou fucking Reed, to give a few)... well, it were a creeper, I guess.

They stretch this out another few months, someone somewhere's going for the sneak Pak Doo-ik DDP spot next year.

Yes, if King Michael, and then 1 of the 3 old, ill but not bankers (Ewing, Hall, Baddiel) go.

Of course, the UK had a Pat who was on TV a lot and brainwashed people with propaganda too.

I see. Mixing up my right wing political Pats.