gcreptile

Yeah, I just read about him again. Wonder if he'll obit. Once that HBO 1-hour special is telecast, it's an absolute given. The fact Ellen got involved almost makes it a lock already imho. SC Ah yes, glad you're keeping us up-to-date on this one. It had fallen off my radar.

German: http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/leute/rob-ford-ex-buergermeister-von-toronto-gestorben-a-1083676.html

My team: Team name: "O" (that is, the letter O) 1. Vera Caslvaska (joker) [going for the slavic grand-slam here] 2. George Bush Sr. 3. Robert Mugabe 4. Helmut Kohl 5. ZsaZsa Gabor 6. Peter Esterhazy 7. Billy Graham (the evangelical) 8. Mikis Theodorakis 9. Sumner Redstone 10. King Michael of Romania 11. Joao Havelange 12. Kirk Douglas 13. Little Richard 14. Muhammad Ali 15. Javier Perez de Cuellar 16. Yoshiro Nakamatsu 17. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi 18. Joe Jackson (Jackson family despot) 19. Rob Ford 20. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Replacements: Ilse Aichinger, Merle Haggard Replacement joker in case Caslavska dies before: Yoshiro Nakamatsu

Tease. Did he have surgery with complications?

Prince writes his memoirs: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/mar/19/prince-memoir-2017-release-the-beautiful-ones In my opinion, he could die any day of some kind of freaky, embarrassing accident. Though in this case, he was apparently made an offer he couldn't refuse. He announced it at some kind of event in New York City. Also in attendance, Harry Belafonte.

Yes, congratulations to those who took a risk on him. Thomas Jefferson Survives is looking better with each day, now that all his gambles are turning to his favour. I thought he was a 50:50 case and changed his "expected points value" almost weekly. So in Dezember he was worth 5 expected points for me (10 base pts*50% of dying*100% chance of obit - no chance for unique points). That was exactly where I aimed to make a cut between those picks for the DDP and those for other pools. So he ended up in my Shaun's Deadpool team (that one rewards younger picks more).

There's a double-death in german politics today, as former christian democratic regional prime minister Lothar Späth also died: http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/lothar-spaeth-meister-des-verdraengens-a-1083112.html He was a rival of Helmut Kohl at one point, but failed to topple him in the 80s. After german reunification, he got a shot at a second career by managing Jenoptik, a german optical (?) company salvaged from the wreckage of communist East Germany that was then turned into a very successful international company by him. And then he became a political talk show host. Probably not enough for an english obit, but more or less a household name in Germany. His advanced dementia had just been announced a week ago.

Yeah, he was a DDP pick in 2015 and probably would have been a bigger favourite amongst the main teams if he hadn't announced remission in, what, October 2014? So he was forgotten in 2016? He was making public appearances in late 2015/early 2016, but shortly later, he announced that the leukemia was back. I wasn't shocked at his death, but it was a bit of a risk in late 2015.

Jake Lamotta

A couple of points for me for Cliff Michelmore.

Ok, THIS is the sixth hit of my B-Team. Needless to say, Mother Angelica is still alive. The B-Team is now one death away from the top 10, with the joker still alive.

The imperial japanese couple visits Fukushima for the sixth time since the disaster: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/03/16/national/japans-imperial-couple-pay-fifth-visit-to-fukushima-since-2011-disaster/#.VunDX_nhCUk The emperor looks like a bobblehead.

DDP heavyweight Peter Esterhazy has published his new book "The Marcus Version" and wants to present it in Berlin at April 7th: http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/literatur/die-markus-version-von-peter-esterhazy-kritik-zum-buch-a-1082258.html(german link)

You´re in. Good luck. I think he's just trolling. His team is an exact replica of The Unknown Man's, and it even has fucking Feek and Crowe. Indeed. Not sure there is anything in the rules that prohibits me from submitting a team identical to that of another player? None of the rules I posted forbid it, I didn't notice the problem (didn't read it all, actually) and wrote: so it looks like I painted myself in the corner here. If Deathray wants to play this team I cannot kick him out. For revenge I will not use subs on the team, though. I've asked myself this regarding the DDP as well. I mean, theoretically you could submit a team with those 10 "must-haves" and then 10 optional people, whose probability of dying isn't exactly 100%. Now, could you submit three teams with the same 10 "must-haves" but different optional people?

I've submitted my team, good luck everyone! I decided to go for something conventional. Basically, only Stephen Hawking is missing from it.

Another secret medical trip to Singapore? http://www.radiovop.com/index.php/national-news/13403-mugabe-mysterious-trip-raises-fresh-concerns-over-his-health.html

Christy Dignam's amyloidosis is back, but not the myeloma. He says you shouldn't worry. Also, he was dead for a short time last year: http://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/irish-showbiz/aslan-rocker-christy-dignam-reveals-7552120

You sure? I checked your team and don't see SPMD listed. Ha, you're right! Now I recall, he was the first replacement! Damn, I was so sure I picked him. Much like I tend to forget that King Bhumibol was first replacement for my main team.

Sarah Palin's husband Todd seriously injured in snowmobile accident: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/14/sarah-palin-husband-todd-injured-snowmobile-accident

Hilary Putnam, philosopher, computer scientist and mathematician dead at 89: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/martha-c-nussbaum/hilary-putnam-1926-2016_b_9457774.html Few obits so far, which is surprising because a couple of his thought experiments are very well-known, for example the "brain-in-a-vat" scenario or his idea about how to get the piece of the cake you really want.

Yes, that interview was the reason I didn't pick him in the DDP. A survival chance of slightly higher than 50% was too risky.

This year, the quality of the teams is so good that it will not be decided by the number of hits, but by their quality. I mean, I could see Captain Chorizo and Devon Death Trip both getting 20 hits. The unlucky 13 hit might play a role.

Sixth hit for my B-Team, and now I'm going to quit mentioning that Mother Angelica can't be far behind, because I thought she'd die in January, but she has now survived a third of that team. My third hit with a classical musician this year. It's not a very exciting field, but very obitable and full of old people.

Herr death will definitely decide the Theme Team race, unless someone else from Shameless dies first. With the 10 points for Granger, Shameless will have more hits than any theme team ever had.

Liverpudlian comedian Mickey Finn has been in hospital for three months, probably seriously ill: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/get-well-soon-show-seriously-10929351 Edit: Woops, already dead: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/tributes-paid-legendary-comedian-mickey-11005760