DevonDeathTrip

Deeply offensive language MPFC

The Mayor of Pittsburgh has cancer of the brain

Many thousands of Tongans are returning from overseas for the funeral of Prince Tu'ipelehake and Princess Kaimana. It would save on air fares if King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV was to choose to expire whilst they were all still in the country.

A pub team!! Heaven forbid ! Holsworthy are stalwards of the Axworthys' Devon League. They compete against the greatness of Cullompton Rangers, Witheridge, Elburton Villa and Budleigh Salterton Athletic. I would concede however that none of their players have ever been paid a wage for their art. Holsworthy is my home town, although I feel a little uneasy about admitting this. I feel even more uneasy about telling you that the married goalkeeper you referred to is a relative of mine.

I'm quite upset by this. I might have to take the LSD tab I had been saving for Hoffman's demise.

This chap obviously didn't want the World Cup to end.

Just a thought - Jimmy Carter's mother, brother and sister all died of pancreatic cancer. Any reports of "ill health" for Carter might therefore be worthy of further consideration.

I'm one of those sinners and I have been shoved aside on Underground escalators. There are no such rules in continental Europe, and such habits are hard to break. I saw the error of my ways eventually and keep to the right even here. regards, Hein I've travelled around the world and got myself into quite a few scrapes, but I have never ever had a more traumatic experience than going on the tube in rush hour for the first time. It makes me feel ill just remembering it. Rush hour in Devon just isn't the same.

Exeter City started their pre-season tonight with a 5-0 victory away to Holsworthy Town. Luckily neither team sent players to the World Cup, so post-tournament fatigue wasn't an issue.

The disclosure in the article that Pavarotti will undergo chemotherapy as well as his operation don't bode terribly well. It suggests that the removal of the euphemistically quoted "malignant pancreatic mass", wasn't a success and that cancer still remains in the body. If this is the case, he is doomed. However he might be having a course of 'adjuvant chemotherapy' just to minimise the risk of the cancer returning in the future, but I wouldn't have thought his doctors would have gone ahead with that procedure, bearing in mind his already fragile health. I don't think Pav is going to be one of the lucky few. Interestingly Nessun Dorma translates as "No Man Sleeps" (I think)

I can't help thinking that a man with a beard that fine, does not deserve to die. Viva Castro!!

Chechen Rebel Leader/Terrorist Shamil Basayev has been shot dead

The last Queen Mother died in 2002. There will be no more Queen Mothers in the immediate future unless the Queen abdicates. There will be no Queen Mother in the reign of William because that one is already dead (she could not have been QM anyway). To end, I don't understand whats so bad about Elizabeth II. Most Britons and Americans (Dianaists) are quite keen to see her survive as long as her mother in order to outlive her son. I would remove the Royal Family altogether. And just to make sure there's no campaign to get them re-instated, I'd take the precaution of having them all shot.

A jumbo jet manned by Al-Quaeda terrorists to fly in to the stadium, blowing everyone to pieces.

First time I hear of him. I don't know why exactly, but I've read very few books by Asian authors. Some Indonesian and Japanese work, and a bit of Chairman Mao. regards, Hein I've read "Kanthapura" . It's about the struggle for independance in India in the 1930s. It's quite a good book, I would recommend it. I'm amazed he's only just died, I thought he'd popped off years ago.

How is Arthur C Clarke doing these days? Must be in his late 80s, didn't he have a Gary Glitter like experience a few years ago? Can't have been good for his health. Or it might have been someone else. DDT

I would like to revise my previous estimate of a 2% chance of survival. This from CancerHelp.org "Of all those people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, about 10 to 15 in every 100 people (10 to 15%) are alive 1 year later. Sadly, just over 1 in 50 (2 to 3%) are alive 5 years later. At 10 years after diagnosis the figures are almost the same as those at 5 years. About 1 to 3 in every 100 people (1 to 3 %) live for at least 10 years." However Pavarotti's previous ill health will count against his chances. If there is any cancer left in his system at all it could end up spreading to his stomach, spleen, large bowel, nearby large blood vessels and possibly the lymph nodes. It could end up getting worse if the cancer then spreads onwards towards his liver, lungs etc. Even if the operation was entirely successful, there will be massive damage to his digestive system. He is likely to become diabetic (unless he is already?) the removal, or partial removal of the pancreas will destroy the natural flow of enzymes and insulin which are essential for the digestive process. So even if the chances of death aren't 2%, they are bleak to say the least.

Tonga is not the last monarchy in the Pacific. There's Japan, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand (unless the last three are in the Indian Ocean). The word "last" implies that the Pacific Nations once had many Monarchs. This is far from the case and royalty as we know it would have been an alien concept in much of ancient Micronesia and Melanesia, where tribal chiefs ruled over very small villages, usually at war with their near neighbours. For example, Nauru always had 12 tribal leaders for a population of little over a thousand. It is only in parts of Polynesia where the more traditional idea of monarchy took hold. Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga for instance all had recognised leaders of the whole nation. This was not the case in other Polynesian nations such as The Marquesas Islands and Easter Island, who both had their own unique ideas of leadership. Here endeth the lesson.

Rosa Berlusconi. "Mama" of Silvio Berlusconi, 95 years of age and famous(ish) in her own land. Reckon she's get a UK obit?

It doesn't look good for him, I must admit. However, if its caught early there's a chance. It appears, that in Pavarotti's case, it has been, but even so, pancreatic cancer, as DDT pointed out, is the deadliest cancer. Sadly, I have to put Pavarotti in my top 30 possibles for the DDP as a result. "Doctors removed a malignant pancreatic mass" I think this is rather hopeful. Pancreatic cancer is to the human body what mare's tail and bind weed are to the garden, virtually impossible to remove. There is almost certainly something malignant remaining within the body and there is rather a lot of Pavarotti for it to hide in. I would certainly put him on my DDP for next year, if he makes it that long. Statistically speaking he has a 2% of been alive two years from today.

I wonder if the ghost of Rinka the murdered Great Dane might play a part in the next few months. Local legend has it that she still walks those moors. (It's also a well known spot for gathering magic mushrooms, that might have something to do with it.)

Jack Jones - former Trade Union Leader, 93 years old, not sure if he would pass the fame test, but worth keeping an eye on

The King's nephew and his wife have been killed in a car crash in California. They can check out any time they like, but they can never leave

He's doing well to hang on this long, might not see his 80th birthday in 2009. For you young 'uns the full Wiki might bring you up to speed. MPFC - you beat me to it. I do think Thorpe is worthy of a thread of his own. When Harold Wilson sacked half of his cabinet in the 60s, Thorpe was attributed with this famous quote: "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his friends for his life. " I do think these words rather came back to haunt him when he was tried and aquitted (God knows how) of a murder plot fifteen years later.

Mmm... fascinating Godot. I've been pondering whether or not to include him for 2007. I know he has advanced MS, but to be honest, I don't know much about the disease. Any extra details? Are you sure he's got MS? I thought it was advanced Parkinsons. Either way he's a very sick man from what I've heard. Norman Scott, the man he tried to kill (allegedly) was up in court for drink driving a few months ago. He didn't look too special either, damned if I can find the link though.