Bibliogryphon

Repeat ad infinitum I am not a civil servent. Yes I came from a working class background but for me Christopher Lee was a superb actor who had a remarkable and long career. He was not known for making political statements and I would not have held them against him. I was a big fan of Patrick Moore and he was well known Tory (later UKIP) supporter but he was a great astronomer and science communicator.

Easier said than done... True but I have been lucky.

Maybe not. There are a lot of contenders for the Republican nomination... Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Rand Paul to name a few with the biggest shots... not as obvious as with the Democrats, where Hillary Clinton is definitely going to get the nomination. Also, maybe it's time to make a thread for the 2016 election in extra-curricular? We have the London Mayoral election before that but I suppose the primaries will begin in January. The trouble with the Republican race is that from outside they mostly look like a bunch of nut jobs. Jeb Bush looks at least vaguely electable and has a hispanic wife.

One thing that has been pleasing is the sheer warmth and genuine comments which his tributes have brought as well as his own comments: When asked about the secret of his 50 year marriage he replied "Marry someone wonderful"

If every player picked a unique list of 30 MPs I would need at least 22 players to complete the parliament. Suffice to say I have 14 teams in and less than a third of MP's have been selected.

and potentially the dynasty might get another shot at the top job.

Mainly how utterly ridiculous some uk constituency names are!? As well as how thoroughly obnoxious some MPs are and a interesting conspiracy about the mysterious death of a former SNP MP.

Bloody hell - looks like me and Predictor are no longer the young'uns round here! I'd like to go at the respectable age of 90 in 2086. I don't smoke, I don't drink regularly and I walk and wank regularly bit which are both meant to prolong your life - my shitty diet might knock it down to 2066 aged 70 though. Hmm I think the exercise thing might be my undoing. My Dad had an active job until his early sixties but I am a bit of a desk jockey. On the plus side I didn't have a fatal car crash on the way home.

Ron Moody won a Tony award for his portrayal of Fagin on Broadway. He also turned down the role of Doctor Who before it was offered to Jon Pertwee.

He's actually a huuuuge name in jazz circles. That's a very significant death. Not as big as Christopher Lee's, but bigger than Ron Moody's. I am not convinced about Coleman being bigger than Moody. He was one of the 420 names on my work game where 52 players each get 50 picks. (Nobody picked him, 8 people picked Ron Moody and 15 people picked Christopher Lee. I had thought for a long time that Ornette was a woman. Depends where you're coming from really. Coleman was a big, big name in jazz- perhaps the last of the greats (I don't count Herbie Hancock because of the 1980s). Moody was just as important in his own field, but the two aren't really comparable because they come from different worlds. Both made significant contributions. To me as a part-time jazz listener, Coleman's death means more. To a lover of musical theatre (not a euphemism) Moody's death might've had a more profound impact. Indeed. I like to listen to jazz occasionally and yes, apart from Hancock, Coleman might have been the biggest name in Jazz still alive (and not owing his standing to Miles Davis). However, though I don't like musicals, I knew Oliver! - but I didn't know Mr. Moody. The British factor might also play a role. Coleman's death got big headlines in Germany yesterday, Moody got small ones. I picked up Ron Moody's death from twitter and for about 20 minutes the only website where it was being reported was the Jewish Chronicle..... Just sayin...

OK In the spirit of Hamlet's father I come to whet your somewhat blunted purpose.... I have 14 entries so far all checked and correct. I have not had any since the weekend so please let me know if you are going to play. You have until June 30 to get those entries in but I would like to get up to 20 players. There are some regular UK poster who have so far not stepped up to the challenge. Thank you to all the players (including some from overseas who have decided to pit their wits against their fellow posters over the next five years. MorbidKid I know you can't vote yet but research this game and I can gaurentee you will be better informed than most of your contempories. I have found out things that I never knew. Good luck everyone

Just had a quick look at the photos of mourners arriving at Charles Kennedy's funeral. Menzies Campbell walking with a stick and Malcolm Bruce looking strangely tired. As always with these events they are probably not the best times to photograph people (Will someone explain that to my sisters?)

Looking on ebay just a few minutes ago, there are signed copies up for sale prices range between $40-$400 Sad that when a celebrity dies suddenly these things go up for sale. If I had a signed copy of the book, I'd certainly would not want to sell it. A couple of days after Terry Pratchett died I walked past my local British Heart Foundation charity shop and they had made a big display in the window of all the TP books they had. My wife has over 30 signed TP books. They will not be on ebay until we are both in the ground.

Good news on the family integrity front. His daughter Rhianna has said that after the last books have been published later this year there will be no more Diskworld books. This is in the contrast to other children of literary parents who think that it is fine to publish endless inferior books to exploit the parents fame Brian Herbert and Adam Hargreaves spring to mind

He's actually a huuuuge name in jazz circles. That's a very significant death. Not as big as Christopher Lee's, but bigger than Ron Moody's. I am not convinced about Coleman being bigger than Moody. He was one of the 420 names on my work game where 52 players each get 50 picks. (Nobody picked him, 8 people picked Ron Moody and 15 people picked Christopher Lee. I had thought for a long time that Ornette was a woman.

I hadn't noticed that before. I had assumed that this was Gary in fit of pique or something. Would we still allow such a selection? I had to read the riot act to some of my players over another infant George.

This is blatent rubbing our noses in it. I have a daughter older than you. However I do not drink or smoke and have been a vegetarian for nearly 20 years my father is currently 86 but in decling health. So I am going to say Feb 2061 aged 91. (or car crash on way home today)

I think Peter Sallis, no evidence just seems to fit with Moody and Lee.

Damn right it does congrats CaptainChorizo (and MPFC) who seem to be the main beneficiaries of that one.

Loved the title of his autobiography Tall, Dark & Gruesome Shows a lovely sense of self-depricating humour.

A lot of people might now reassess their June choice.

Not a good year for the SF/Fantasy genre with Nimoy, Pratchett and Lee all gone. He was always worth watching even when he was better than the material required one thing I liked him in was the BBC adaptation of Ivanhoe where he played the leader of the Knights Templer. Very very sad but he was a true icon of cinema.

Postpone thier Birmingham gig for one month due to illness Doesn't say which one of them is ill and seem confident to make a recovery.

and then ten years later at 86.

This joke would have worked much better if you were able to spell. Here's a word that's quite easy to spell - TWAT. It woulda worked better if the average age of those reading the joke was 16. SC PS in the words of Monty Python, "I preferred the dirty version." Unfortunately most 16 year olds would probably look blankly at you the same as if you tried the old chestnut from the eighties: What is the difference between Domestos and Princess Grace of Monaco? I happened to mention Victor Meldrew to a younger person at work (17 years old). Not a clue. Another one had never seen Father Ted! I'm getting old... Someone I worked with didn't know what Christopher Lee had to do with Vampires. (shakes head)