msc

Apparently well enough to meet the Japanese PM, who is currently visiting Cuba, and discuss North Korean nuclear capabilities.

Update on the above: Judge ruled Joost can get his money back. Company appealed that, but have lost.

Doesn't Andrews live in America nowadays? She doesn't tend to reply to mail either these days. As for Plummer he's a bit above their paygrade...and really, really, really hates The Sound of Music.

Interesting episode. As seems to be the norm, the lesser known folk came across as far more interesting than the "headliner". I like how James Cronin's life appeared to have been "drink whisky, drink whisky, come up with Nobel Prize winning idea, drink whisky".

Found a bag of Curly Wurlys going cheap at the local shop. For some reason, I was immediately reminded of the late Howard Marks.

When will Michel Delpech be on? *checks DDP* February 2017, hopefully.

Three of those died a few weeks ago. They've a backlog to get through, clearly. True story, George Melly was featured on Last Word less than 24 hours after it was announced he had died. The interviews for that Last Word took place in Melly's home...while his dead body was still there.

And who was he talking to? It's that man, Eddie Mair, again!

Blimey, they kept that one quiet!

There have been whispers about Jones's health for some time now though... Note - aphasia is often reversible, Primary progressive aphasia is not. If caused by cancer or a serious stroke, the outlook is very grim.

I'm still convinced that he's away on work related activities, for fear of the alternative. Didn't he have a lengthy hiatus a number of years ago? It also struck me that he disappeared shortly after Cruyff's death. If The Grey Horde don't show up in the 2017 DDP, however...

Aye, happy birthday.

When I first heard this I thought "Rico? He wasn't there five minutes!", but then I remembered his cameo in the 2004 Royal Rumble match (where Orton drops him over the top rope and he falls face first - you even see one of the crowd cringe) that makes me go "Ah, makes sense actually". Bizarrely, Rico holds a pinfall victory on TV over Ric Flair.

Yes, but, and this might open a can of worms, I'd say if someone makes the Drop 40, they are famous for more than just being ill. Famous solely for dying people just don't get picked in the huge numbers, yet Dr Kate made the top 15 of the Drop 40 twice. The only other example is Katherine Crow and she only made the 40 when she was "dying singer in the top ten of the UK charts", not the year before when she was "inspirational cancer case". Drop 40 cases need that extra pop culture osmosis than this forum or a glance over google for cancer mums.

Oh btw, Rockhopperpenguin, should someone like Dr Sims or Joost die on the 13th of a month this year, I will happily accept those points.

To quote TMIB himself: The proposed rule change would give super famous folk like Ali 10 points instead of 7, so as many points as a Joey Feek, but it doesn't take those 10 points away from a Joey Feek. Theoretically a Martin Crowe could gain as many points as a joker as a Dr Mark Sims. Having time to think over it, I like it. It wouldn't change anything this year at the top, but you can't really look at things that way.

These things can happen naturally. In January 2012 I heard by text from an "in the know" politico journo, via his pals in the South African government, that Mandela had died. Luckily, I was in a chip shop at the time picking up dinner, and by the time I got home to the internet, it had been denied by Mandela's spokespeople, so no premature posting on Deathist Forums here. It wasn't a hoax though, just someone close to the family jumping the gun on a dire situation, Mandela obviously recovered enough to live nearly 2 years. Another time, a much regarded sitcom actor went through the same, had the last rites even, and the news came from inside his own house - only he then rallied, but was in obvious poor health and died a few months later. Chirac might not be dead quite yet, but it feels more like one of the above than random rumours.

I like the idea of subbing in a Drop 40 bonus for the Unlucky 13 bonus, because a Drop 40 bonus would have given me points this year, whereas the 13 bonus never has. Selfish but honest!

Twelve years ago, European Cup (x2) winning football manager Brian Clough died. Some Cloughy quotes:

I always wish someone would just create a thread for this all year, because it crops up time and again, and its not Ideas and Possibilities for the new year, it's Fantasy Booking Deathlist.

And the Terry Funk major health issue is...a hernia. All that, for that! Strike another one up for everyone jumping the gun on a bit of pro-wrestler hypochondria.

Ciampi, Caroline Faber, and Edward Albee are top bets for this weeks. Gabrielle Amorth and Mandoza might fill their interesting world lives.

Patrick Van Aanholt misses Sunderland game due to something in his cardiology medical, thereby ensuring he'll appear as a punt DDP pick in at least one team next year. Most people miss Sunderland games due to sudden narcolepsy.

On the bright side, 5/50 is still probably better than any of Lewd Squirrel's wrestler heavy shadowlists have managed.

Robert Hardy to travel to North Yorkshire for James Herriot Gala Dinner on 1st October. He lives in the Cotswolds, so able to travel significant distances, then. I like how active he's been this year after this thread was made, with BBC appearances, and gala dinners. If I'd known I had this level of jinxing power, I'd have made a thread for Patrick Macnee when I'd had the chance!