gcreptile

There was the rumour that al-Baghdadi had escaped to Libya, but that IS branch has been reduced to their home base. I just read that the final battle for that city has begun. I guess al-Baghdadi is back in my main Team for next year. Even more critically, he'd probably be worth 32pts as a Joker.

Shameless pick Lisa Brown is in her very final days, but the obit is very unlikely as well: https://www.gofundme.com/LisaBrown

Shameless pick Sarah Swindells has died: http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/101037/farewell-to-fighter-sarah A QO is... unlikely...

IT'S OVER 9000!!!!!!

For about 11 months al-Baghdadi was a lock on my main team for next year. But with ISIS steadily losing and him not dead, he's probably somewhere else. Or he'll be found in some hole like Saddam, at some point in the future. I now believe that IF someone still beats Spade this year, it will be Cpt Chorizo with the unique hit of Seijun Suzuki.

I really need to watch Joost van der Westhuizen. He'll most likely be the youngest person on the Drop 40. But I tend to think that ALS won't kill him. I have my doubts about the lethality of sports related ALS.

Time for someone to make a John Glenn Vs. Buzz Aldrin poll.

Some similarity with Barbara Walters. The rumours are from unreliable sources, but there's only a written statement from her on Castro's death. You'd think she'd push herself in front of every camera, talking about her career highlight.

Sometimes I'm surprised by how bad people can look until they die, which reminds me... I should have picked Shameless pick Craig Lyons. He looked like death incarnate about two months ago on Twitter. He wasn't dead yet, two weeks ago when I last checked. The local obit would appear, I think. Wait... these picks are prohibited, aren't they...

Internet is still hardly available for me this week, but... Barbara Walters

The Queen to follow? http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/queen-sirikit-thailand-hospitalised-amid-talk-severe-ill-health-1592127

I voted for Graham.

I think I could make a winning DDP team out of the people I suggested but ultimately didn't pick, Colonel Abrams, Mark Farren, Big Ang...

Damn, still too slow. German media is still asleep. Anyway... I thought he had a little more time left.

Thanks Joey. My Internet access is still mostly restricted to mobile until next week but it's true, Ilse Aichinger is probably not getting an obit. I will try to announce the replacements next week. They need to be in the same age bracket I guess?

My research will not be as good as last year, but I think it will be possible to compensate that by picking the right people on the Drop 40. This spitfire pilot would neither have been a unique hit nor a Drop 40-member. So it's needless to worry.

Sounds more like the Prince being near the end (financially).

It true, wow, another big name gone. Just yesterday, I listened to Donna Summer's version of MacArthur's Park and then crossed over to Jimmy Webb and then proceeded to include a couple of Wrecking Crew members into my longlist, including Leon Russell.

Stepping down because of ill health? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3926512/Is-Putin-QUIT-Russian-president-step-ill-health-hints-Kremlin-expert.html He should name Donald Trump as his successor.

Lupita Tovar a hit for me and probably a couple of others.

Lupita Tovar would be a hit for me if a QO appeared.

Ilse Aichinger would be a hit for me if a QO appeared.

Well, fuck 2016... I like to think that Bob Dylan's songs inspired a generation but Leonard Cohen's songs inspired all of mankind.

Funny (?), I also immediately felt that he might die unnaturally, not just because of the people in the other party (and there are more Hillary voters than Trump voters), but because his own people might find him a bit of a nuisance and decide to push Mike Pence to the top.

Hillary is projected to win the popular vote by about 1,5% - though it depends a lot on California. That would be thrice the margin by which Al Gore won it. But she's going to receive even fewer EC votes. Bad strategy? Fucked up system? She might set a new record, beating (I think) Hayes Vs. Tilden in 1876. Edit: No, she won't. That popular vote margin was 3%.