Bibliogryphon

Well neither do I but I didn't want Terry Pratchett, Leonard Nimoy or Tony Benn to die either.

In the light of Lauren Hill I have been reassessing these types of deaths. Does Lauren Hill and Steven Sutton provide the counter point to Misao Okawa and Gertrude Weaving. If we plotted the ages of all the picks we would come up with a skewed bell curve with a long leading tail. I imagine the peak of the bell would be somewhere in the 85-90 range. But the deaths of the youngest are as notable as the deaths of the oldest. It is also the changing nature of celebrity and the way social media and the internet have changed our lives. However because of this I think it is important to keep stringent rules for the DDP on the qualifying nature of obituaries. I have just calculated the average age of the people on my 1000 list. The mean age is 73 (based on age as at 31.12.2014). There are 32 people who are that age on my list. I have not calucated the mode or the median.

Despite being left leaning. I am actually quite happy with the appointed upper chamber but many of the senior Lords are famous for their prior political service or service in other walks of life. They just won't be conveniently collected all in one place.

I am currently reading Prime Minister Boris and Other Things That Never Happened (25p from The Works) which is a series of counterfactual essays discussing how things could have been different if events had changed (e.g if AV had been introduced with universal sufferage, Gordon Brown had stood for leader against Tony Blair when John Smith died). Most are quite informative and interesting but one "What would have happened if the Pope had been assassinated during his visit to Britain in 2010" essentially reads like an edgy (used in the best sense of Dr Z) political drama rejected by Channel 4. It describes a possible series of events designed to create a secular martyr (his chosen victim was Lalla Ward). Well written but left me feeling slightly uncomfortable. Good reading for election time.

If you are going to San Franscisco be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.....

In the Netherlands that was a usual pattern, well into the 20th century, particularly in calvinist rural areas. I'm a descendant of several instances. I don't have a middle name, but my names are identical to my granddad's. I have the same first name as my father and both my Grandfathers. Different middle names though. However I do not have a son and don't think my daughter would have thanked me for giving her that name.

Depends what we were electing you for. I reckon you'd make a memorable bishop. Since when were bishops elected? Maybe he meant Pope.

I remember that the police did investigate some MPs back in the day. Greville Janner was caught up in a massive child abuse trial in Leicester when Frank Beck tried to implicate him in his trial. Janner was not charged with anything. Beck died shortly afterwards in prison at a relativly young age. I am not sure how widely this was reported outside of the East Midlands. Greville Janner will not be charged owing to the severity of his dementia. Interesting, some accused politicians at least have the manners to die of shame. So the dementia might work in this man's favour. If the health reports are to be belived if he is still standing on Dec 31st then he should be a surefire 2016 hit. If he is considered famous enough.

Don't even think about it... Is that because you want that line for the DDP?

If he makes the list and dies, he should be replaced by Peter Davison the following year. That is the way it should be but I think both Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy will go before Peter Davison.

Can we talk about Tom Baker? I have no new health information but he is now 81 and is known to have enjoyed a drink in the day. He is still working but is looking decidedly rickity. The previous Doctors all died well before this (William Hartnell & Patrick Troughton @67, Jon Pertwee @76). I am just thinking it might be worth including him next year as a bit of a wildcard and it would be a big death in nerdland. If he does get his own thread the tag line has to be The end has come but it has been prepared for...

I am hoping this is posted here out of irony

Same here. My mum had a bit of a thing for Patrick McGoohan. Visited Portmerion last weekend. Still quite stunning. A bit expensive to get in mind you. £10.00 per adult. I hope you didn't get possessed by Mandragora energy whilst there.

In the light of Lauren Hill I have been reassessing these types of deaths. Does Lauren Hill and Steven Sutton provide the counter point to Misao Okawa and Gertrude Weaving. If we plotted the ages of all the picks we would come up with a skewed bell curve with a long leading tail. I imagine the peak of the bell would be somewhere in the 85-90 range. But the deaths of the youngest are as notable as the deaths of the oldest. It is also the changing nature of celebrity and the way social media and the internet have changed our lives. However because of this I think it is important to keep stringent rules for the DDP on the qualifying nature of obituaries.

I suppose heatstroke will make a pleasant change from frostbite. Starts today...probably dead within the week. According to reports today he has been overtaking people who are almost 50 years younger than him. He's completed the run, despite 'heart problems caused by physical exertion' and 'back pain'. 159 miles in six days. and is still alive.. Good for him.

This is the sort of thing Lard would normally comment on.... She seems to have been missing recently.

I wouldn't bother with Betty. As I wrote in my About Me page, Betty White and Jimmy Carter will live to be 100. I am actually thinking Betty White should now become the Deathlist Favorite and be included on the list each year until she finally goes to a Golden Girls reunion gig. She will be testement to longevity (or a cheap hit)

IMHO, people in their 70s (up to 80) are "too young" to be considered good candidates in the absence of any health (or at least, lifestyle) info. Leonard Cohen is still active, and I didn't hear about any life threatening illness either, so I'd wait until we have some cancer rumours or until he turns 90. Well-stated, GG, in general. IMO all people regardless of age MUST have a medical reason to be mentioned, as stated herein:http://www.deathlist.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=8444&p=221730 Now don't be an ass--obviously if you want to list people who are 112 go for it but don't heap praises upon yourself for getting one right for anyone over 100 to me. My 4-yr old daughter could compile that "No Shit, Sherlock" list. SC You're overlooking those people who, while not reported to be ill, are spotted looking unexpectedly frail. Fair enough. I'm certain I can come up with 20 and maybe 50 (cancer alone) without resorting to these folks. I admit getting terribly annoyed when a death is reported and the culprit had 'long suffered from X disease' yet none of us knew. Maybe in a case like that you could resort to how a person looks; but if they're aloof enough to keep their medical conditions out of the media, how many photos will there be? SC Doesn't have to be photos. Could be someone actually seen, you know, in real life. Like at a sporting event, to give just one example. For example P D James had nothing wrong with her of significance but she was still a hit last year. Anyway it is always interesting when someone you had a hunch about gives you an unexpected hit.

25th April 10:30am A Girl called Elizabeth with Diana as one of her three middle names.

If the SNP are supporting a Labour Government on a vote by vote basis, unless they refused to do it unless Trident was off the table, all Labour would have to do is bring forward a bill and then dare the Tories to vote against it just for political expediency. The SNP only have that power if it is given to them. Personally I am not sure why having a nuclear submarine constantly at sea makes us any safer, who are they defending us against?

What goes around....

I've always considered standing for the loonies - maybe next election. Nominations for this year don't close until tomorrow. There is still time. And possibly still time for Nigel Farage to pull a Tory defector out of the bag. I haven't got a suitable outfit to go collecting the ten signatures I'd need nor the £500 deposit that I'd almost certainly not recuperate. The latter being the greater stumbling block. Cheers Thatcher for upping the fee you cretinous dead bastard, your legacy of trodding on the poors hopes and aspirations lives on. I'll just set up a savings plan and The other option could be standing as Deathlist candidate with your backing our policies could be something like legalising the murder of celebrities for advatageous purposes in dead pools, that ought to get the daily mail going. Whichever of us stands might need to buy a mask and change our name by deadpool though. And I doubt the EC would accept our circular with "Let's kill celebs for internet points" written over the skull and cross bones. [For those lacking an off-colour humour detector or any police officers reading - this is not serious, we are not planning and extremist murder-supporting party, we've got the Tories and Labour for that already) I think we could perhaps agree around a more modest set of policies such as making it a criminal offence for the national news media to fail to provide obituaries for writers and sitcom actors and to exempt persecution of guests from hate crime legislation.

There is a name that brings back unwelcome memories of Midlands Today Yes, we were an ATV Today household. Midlands Today seemed too 'establishment' for my tastes - mind you I was but a callow youth at the time. Like Tiswas vs Swap Shop. Tiswas won every time... What about Magpie vs Blue Peter?

I've always considered standing for the loonies - maybe next election. Nominations for this year don't close until tomorrow. There is still time. And possibly still time for Nigel Farage to pull a Tory defector out of the bag.

To be fair it is not just the BBC. Jeffrey Segal is missing everywhere.