DevonDeathTrip

Radio 4's In Our Time this morning had an excellent highbrow discussion about all things cephalopod. Melvyn Bragg seemed quite enthralled. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09pjgrn

Imad al-Alami, one of the co-founders of Hamas, has died after "accidentally shooting himself in the face while cleaning his gun"...

Hannah Hauxwell. She was made famous in TV programmes about her simple farming life in the Yorkshire Dales. I assumed she'd died years ago, but it appears not. Anyone know her date of birth?

Let's have some Stalinist style authoritarian repression instead. Thread locked!

Nothing to do with me. I'm just back from my jog. I worry about some of the posters here (not just you). Life is fleeting and we spend far too greater a proportion of it just squabbling about... nothing really.

What is it with you and Monday nights? You were kicking off this time last week as well.

I thought this footage taken last summer of some of the original Merry Pranksters deserved airing here. They're a colourful bunch and they're all knocking on a bit now. At least two of them will walk a UK obit when their long trip ends. The lady in the red and white blouse is Carolyn Garcia, former wife of Jerry and better known as Mountain Girl. The gentleman in the clown outfit is - unmistakably - Wavy Gravy, who will be 82 this year. He is the only person who has performed at all three Woodstock festivals. Holding the microphone is George Walker, Mountain Girl's first husband and probably less likely to obit. The man not dressed in hippy garb is Julius Karpen who later became manager of Janis Joplin's band Big Brother and the Holding Company. He was known as Green Julius due to his absolute refusal to do business with anybody unless they smoked marujana with him first. Sadly that probably won't be enough to get him an obit, which is a shame as he looks extremely ill in this footage. The lady in the black hat is Denise Kaufman, also known as Mary Microgram, who later became a founding member of the first all female rock band The Ace of Cups

If funds run low, you could always try and emulate Scotland's answer to Davey Crockett, Robert Sinclair. I guess he must be dead as well by now, but he was briefly famous about twenty years ago.

My DDP joker in 2009 Eluana Englaro, comatose for years after a car crash and then starved to death when her feeding tubes were withdrawn, didn't get the unnatural bonus points. Not that still I'm bitter about it or anything.

@charon, have you ever read about Sutherland resident James McRory Smith? It's a shame he's dead because I've got a feeling you would have liked him... https://jamescarron.wordpress.com/features/surviving-strathchailleach/

Here's the active member stats, which I found surprisingly high, but I suppose there is a hardcore of about 20-30 of us who contribute the vast majority of posts. 1 Sep 2003 1 1 Oct 2003 8 1 Nov 2003 6 1 Dec 2003 9 1 Jan 2004 13 1 Feb 2004 11 1 Mar 2004 14 1 Apr 2004 18 1 May 2004 23 1 Jun 2004 32 1 Jul 2004 29 1 Aug 2004 30 1 Sep 2004 29 1 Oct 2004 37 1 Nov 2004 48 1 Dec 2004 45 1 Jan 2005 65 1 Feb 2005 84 1 Mar 2005 71 1 Apr 2005 83 1 May 2005 60 1 Jun 2005 76 1 Jul 2005 84 1 Aug 2005 84 1 Sep 2005 91 1 Oct 2005 111 1 Nov 2005 102 1 Dec 2005 107 1 Jan 2006 144 1 Feb 2006 114 1 Mar 2006 108 1 Apr 2006 88 1 May 2006 96 1 Jun 2006 87 1 Jul 2006 86 1 Aug 2006 90 1 Sep 2006 94 1 Oct 2006 111 1 Nov 2006 114 1 Dec 2006 137 1 Jan 2007 140 1 Feb 2007 115 1 Mar 2007 98 1 Apr 2007 85 1 May 2007 83 1 Jun 2007 91 1 Jul 2007 98 1 Aug 2007 101 1 Sep 2007 100 1 Oct 2007 84 1 Nov 2007 82 1 Dec 2007 82 1 Jan 2008 114 1 Feb 2008 88 1 Mar 2008 93 1 Apr 2008 87 1 May 2008 69 1 Jun 2008 82 1 Jul 2008 77 1 Aug 2008 85 1 Sep 2008 79 1 Oct 2008 73 1 Nov 2008 75 1 Dec 2008 99 1 Jan 2009 121 1 Feb 2009 90 1 Mar 2009 118 1 Apr 2009 87 1 May 2009 79 1 Jun 2009 113 1 Jul 2009 119 1 Aug 2009 100 1 Sep 2009 98 1 Oct 2009 85 1 Nov 2009 96 1 Dec 2009 105 1 Jan 2010 110 1 Feb 2010 86 1 Mar 2010 97 1 Apr 2010 77 1 May 2010 82 1 Jun 2010 76 1 Jul 2010 68 1 Aug 2010 76 1 Sep 2010 71 1 Oct 2010 90 1 Nov 2010 77 1 Dec 2010 90 1 Jan 2011 121 1 Feb 2011 69 1 Mar 2011 88 1 Apr 2011 74 1 May 2011 90 1 Jun 2011 64 1 Jul 2011 82 1 Aug 2011 78 1 Sep 2011 71 1 Oct 2011 68 1 Nov 2011 70 1 Dec 2011 79 1 Jan 2012 92 1 Feb 2012 76 1 Mar 2012 67 1 Apr 2012 69 1 May 2012 75 1 Jun 2012 87 1 Jul 2012 77 1 Aug 2012 78 1 Sep 2012 71 1 Oct 2012 70 1 Nov 2012 106 1 Dec 2012 127 1 Jan 2013 129 1 Feb 2013 101 1 Mar 2013 92 1 Apr 2013 110 1 May 2013 87 1 Jun 2013 105 1 Jul 2013 106 1 Aug 2013 74 1 Sep 2013 71 1 Oct 2013 81 1 Nov 2013 72 1 Dec 2013 137 1 Jan 2014 121 1 Feb 2014 93 1 Mar 2014 89 1 Apr 2014 84 1 May 2014 75 1 Jun 2014 90 1 Jul 2014 71 1 Aug 2014 85 1 Sep 2014 84 1 Oct 2014 86 1 Nov 2014 78 1 Dec 2014 92 1 Jan 2015 114 1 Feb 2015 94 1 Mar 2015 97 1 Apr 2015 83 1 May 2015 92 1 Jun 2015 95 1 Jul 2015 94 1 Aug 2015 113 1 Sep 2015 87 1 Oct 2015 109 1 Nov 2015 108 1 Dec 2015 127 1 Jan 2016 144 1 Feb 2016 133 1 Mar 2016 122 1 Apr 2016 120 1 May 2016 113 1 Jun 2016 116 1 Jul 2016 95 1 Aug 2016 103 1 Sep 2016 94 1 Oct 2016 107 1 Nov 2016 111 1 Dec 2016 165 1 Jan 2017 195 1 Feb 2017 147 1 Mar 2017 139 1 Apr 2017 111 1 May 2017 138 1 Jun 2017 157 1 Jul 2017 133 1 Aug 2017 151 1 Sep 2017 165 1 Oct 2017 167 1 Nov 2017 168 1 Dec 2017 205 1 Jan 2018 268

I thought the stats fans among us might like to see the list below - posts counts per month since the forum opened. 1 Aug 2003 0 1 Sep 2003 15 1 Oct 2003 82 1 Nov 2003 39 1 Dec 2003 48 1 Jan 2004 120 1 Feb 2004 225 1 Mar 2004 195 1 Apr 2004 252 1 May 2004 381 1 Jun 2004 732 1 Jul 2004 667 1 Aug 2004 796 1 Sep 2004 493 1 Oct 2004 685 1 Nov 2004 842 1 Dec 2004 727 1 Jan 2005 1,897 1 Feb 2005 2,241 1 Mar 2005 1,816 1 Apr 2005 2,262 1 May 2005 1,388 1 Jun 2005 1,924 1 Jul 2005 3,140 1 Aug 2005 4,152 1 Sep 2005 4,056 1 Oct 2005 4,816 1 Nov 2005 3,395 1 Dec 2005 3,211 1 Jan 2006 6,418 1 Feb 2006 3,862 1 Mar 2006 3,861 1 Apr 2006 2,592 1 May 2006 3,039 1 Jun 2006 2,671 1 Jul 2006 2,417 1 Aug 2006 3,239 1 Sep 2006 3,349 1 Oct 2006 3,473 1 Nov 2006 2,368 1 Dec 2006 3,673 1 Jan 2007 3,534 1 Feb 2007 2,413 1 Mar 2007 2,531 1 Apr 2007 1,800 1 May 2007 1,997 1 Jun 2007 2,071 1 Jul 2007 1,949 1 Aug 2007 2,172 1 Sep 2007 1,974 1 Oct 2007 1,420 1 Nov 2007 1,053 1 Dec 2007 1,004 1 Jan 2008 2,011 1 Feb 2008 1,241 1 Mar 2008 1,300 1 Apr 2008 1,211 1 May 2008 1,287 1 Jun 2008 1,420 1 Jul 2008 1,208 1 Aug 2008 1,037 1 Sep 2008 996 1 Oct 2008 1,332 1 Nov 2008 1,757 1 Dec 2008 1,880 1 Jan 2009 2,075 1 Feb 2009 1,337 1 Mar 2009 2,010 1 Apr 2009 1,121 1 May 2009 972 1 Jun 2009 1,439 1 Jul 2009 1,513 1 Aug 2009 1,218 1 Sep 2009 1,145 1 Oct 2009 1,156 1 Nov 2009 1,065 1 Dec 2009 1,043 1 Jan 2010 1,408 1 Feb 2010 905 1 Mar 2010 1,369 1 Apr 2010 746 1 May 2010 838 1 Jun 2010 850 1 Jul 2010 627 1 Aug 2010 940 1 Sep 2010 979 1 Oct 2010 1,042 1 Nov 2010 772 1 Dec 2010 905 1 Jan 2011 1,479 1 Feb 2011 843 1 Mar 2011 1,093 1 Apr 2011 988 1 May 2011 1,429 1 Jun 2011 894 1 Jul 2011 993 1 Aug 2011 873 1 Sep 2011 720 1 Oct 2011 944 1 Nov 2011 829 1 Dec 2011 1,346 1 Jan 2012 1,425 1 Feb 2012 913 1 Mar 2012 755 1 Apr 2012 971 1 May 2012 836 1 Jun 2012 1,036 1 Jul 2012 1,283 1 Aug 2012 1,078 1 Sep 2012 983 1 Oct 2012 1,172 1 Nov 2012 1,611 1 Dec 2012 2,033 1 Jan 2013 2,325 1 Feb 2013 1,420 1 Mar 2013 1,226 1 Apr 2013 1,448 1 May 2013 1,299 1 Jun 2013 1,571 1 Jul 2013 1,441 1 Aug 2013 1,007 1 Sep 2013 856 1 Oct 2013 972 1 Nov 2013 829 1 Dec 2013 2,406 1 Jan 2014 2,156 1 Feb 2014 1,165 1 Mar 2014 1,489 1 Apr 2014 2,086 1 May 2014 1,481 1 Jun 2014 1,560 1 Jul 2014 1,322 1 Aug 2014 1,246 1 Sep 2014 1,215 1 Oct 2014 1,345 1 Nov 2014 1,010 1 Dec 2014 1,642 1 Jan 2015 2,871 1 Feb 2015 2,035 1 Mar 2015 2,220 1 Apr 2015 2,110 1 May 2015 2,107 1 Jun 2015 2,553 1 Jul 2015 2,429 1 Aug 2015 2,748 1 Sep 2015 2,181 1 Oct 2015 2,219 1 Nov 2015 2,848 1 Dec 2015 3,548 1 Jan 2016 5,219 1 Feb 2016 4,579 1 Mar 2016 3,942 1 Apr 2016 3,774 1 May 2016 2,696 1 Jun 2016 3,465 1 Jul 2016 2,046 1 Aug 2016 2,358 1 Sep 2016 2,311 1 Oct 2016 2,531 1 Nov 2016 3,128 1 Dec 2016 5,679 1 Jan 2017 7,283 1 Feb 2017 4,146 1 Mar 2017 2,884 1 Apr 2017 2,717 1 May 2017 4,000 1 Jun 2017 4,769 1 Jul 2017 3,409 1 Aug 2017 4,209 1 Sep 2017 3,398 1 Oct 2017 3,217 1 Nov 2017 3,393 1 Dec 2017 3,965 1 Jan 2018 5,202

Mrs DDT assures me that we saw The Fall live when we were at Uni in Glasgow. The problem is I have no recollection of these events whatsoever. That probably says more about the psychedelic blizzard I almost permanently inhabited at the time, than it does about The Fall being in any way forgettable. Anyway, RIP you curmudgeonly, misanthropic old bugger. It was a privilege to have seen you perform, even if I can't remember a damned thing about it.

Notts County's goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimmons managed to excel himself in last night's match against Crawley. In injury time, while he was actually holding the ball, he decided to kick an opposing player right in front of the referee, get himself sent off, concede a penalty and lose the match. http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11750/11220365/watch-notts-county-goalkeeper-sees-red-after-moment-of-madness

It is clear that you have firmly held beliefs on the subject of teenage gender identity. I'll ignore the indignant froth and personal abuse, content in the knowledge you're making yourself look a bit silly.

Thank you for your feedback, which I have carefully considered before ultimately deciding that I'm right and you're wrong.

Actually, on reflection I didn't realise that the subject of the above posts was still a child. As such, they are entitled to privacy, so I'm hiding the posts. Not exactly quality modding, I admit, considering the posts were left on view for 24 hours and then I bumped the thread to the top again, but I think I'm doing the right thing.

Dylan's seminal 1968 album John Wesley Harding was definitely country. Recorded in Nashville with country musicians.

A lot of pressure on my two unique picks, Gerard Basset and Kalpana Lajmi, to score for the team this year. Basset was the wildcard - I just thought the team needed a sommelier - so I'm pinning most of my hopes on Lajmi, as well as hoping the Guardian take an interest in deceased low budget, feminist Bollywood directors. Sorry to see long term veterans Ali, Banshees and OoO bow out. Hopefully at least one of them will be back in the future. Thanks to @Spade_Cooleyfor the hard work and a special thank you to @themaninblack for your years of toil.

Notorious groupie Barbara Cope, AKA The Butter Queen, has been killed in a Dallas house fire. She was namechecked in the Rolling Stones song Rip This Joint. I like this bit from her wiki page: Whoever said that romance is dead...

I'll have you know that there is currently an Archers storyline featuring young Freddie Pargetter dealing mushrooms and ecstasy in order to get his burgeoning DJ career off the ground. Not exactly the soporific fare sought by insomniac pensioners.

1.04 posts a day for me apparently. Tempted to go offline for a couple of months, just so I can achieve perfect symmetry.

John Perry Barlow, 70, non-performing member and lyricist for the Grateful Dead, is probably someone worth keeping an eye on. This week's Dead Hour podcast* ended with the presenter, somewhat cryptically, asking listeners to keep Barlow in their thoughts "during these difficult times". Barlow's an interesting character - a borderline genius essayist, poet, pioneering exponent of LSD, former cocaine dealer and political activist who, at the height of his lyrical contribution to the Dead, was simultaneously running a cattle ranch in Wyoming. His wiki page alludes to health problems in 2016. * I often wonder if I'm the only person who tunes into the Dead Hour and The Archers each week without fail...

That's what I like about the DDP; a concerted exercise in media studies, oncology, physiology, statistics and moral philosophy all rolled into one.

I'd put Remigino's chances of getting an obituary as higher than that. I would have thought being an Olympic 100m gold medalist should warrant broadsheet and BBC treatment when the time comes.