gcreptile

Again, I'm reminded of how extraordinary the 122 years of Jeanne Calment were. I mean, the most holders of the title "world's oldest person" die around the age of 116-117. Simply because of the distribution of a bell curve one would expect then the odd person living to 118 or 119, and so there is just one person who died in that age range (as far as we know). But Jeanne Calment beat Sarah Knauss by three whole years. Truly a biological wonder.

Portuguese economist Jose da Silva Lopes dead at 82: http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/02/jose-da-silva-lopes-rip/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Opinion&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body

85th birthday today... Last week, he made the news because his last big interview (six hours long) was released to the press. That interview, however, is already twelve years old and he apparently does not make any media appearances today.

I'm thinking of putting all those "overdose, suicide, assassination" candidates into one team and call it "They couldn't wait" or maybe "God called early today" or something like that, Or maybe a theme about people whose name contains variants of the word "cross", like Cruz or Delacroix, Cross itself, or Skandinavian and German variants like Kruse or Kreuzer. The name could be "Crucified" or "On the Cross".

"Mob wives" "star" "Big Ang" has a massive tumor in her throat: http://www.tmz.com/2015/04/02/big-ang-hospitalized-throat-tumor-surgery-mob-wives/

Manoel De Oliveira is dead: http://www.efe.com/efe/noticias/portugal/portada/morre-aos-106-anos-diretor-cinema-portugues-manoel-oliveira/6/60020/2576926(portugese link)

The oldest working director, Manoel de Oliviera, is dead at 106: http://www.efe.com/efe/noticias/portugal/portada/morre-aos-106-anos-diretor-cinema-portugues-manoel-oliveira/6/60020/2576926

Guess there's no telling who gets an obit in this country *sigh* Gary Dahl made the BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/32150059 I guess it also depends on the amount of real news on that day. On a slow news day, Little Jimmy Dickens gets his obit. Gary Dahl sounds like an "April's Fool Day" kind of obit.

Ozzy Osbourne to have surgery in May: http://ultimateclassicrock.com/ozzy-osbourne-surgery/ No reason given, so fans might either worry about his health or as a "cover for poor ticket sales".

Preston Ritter, drummer of the Electric Prunes, dies at 65: http://ultimateclassicrock.com/preston-ritter-dies/

The wife has returned from a cancer operation abroad: http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2015/03/30/grace-mugabe-battling-cancer

Serbian far-right politician and possible recruiter of paramilitary forces during the Balkan Wars, Vojislav Seselj, has been ordered to return to prison from his cancer-related provisional release: http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-n-war-crimes-tribunal-orders-serb-nationalist-vojislav-seselj-back-to-detention-1427715609 They say he has colon cancer that has spread to his liver, but then he also really doesn't want to return to prison.

Former Virginia tech president Paul Torgersen dies at 83: http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/article_7ce9628c-d6f7-11e4-a6cc-53c370e9cb59.html He's not obitable enough either, I guess.

Tim Wallace, star of "Timstock" dies of cancer, but does so happily: http://www.cleveland.com/music/index.ssf/2015/03/much-loved_folk_singer_tim_wal.html

One of, if not, THE most acclaimed contemporary german directors, Helmut Dietl, is dead at 70: http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/kino/helmut-dietl-ist-tot-a-1026324.html(link in german) A hit for 2 DDP teams if there's a qualifying orbit. He had lung cancer but in late 2014 he said the tumour had shrunk. I saw him at an awards show and he still looked ok, though it was already suspicious that they gave him a lifetime achievement award.

Now, one of Schweich's spokesmen was also found dead in an apparent suicide: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/spence-jackson-dead-tom-schweich The spokesman, Spence Jackson, was the first to call out one of Schweich's opponents for the above smear campaign. Very, very curious... It's an interesting story in many ways... this intra-party struggle for the nomination had almost split the republican party in Missouri.

Was looking for info on Nancy Sinatra and discovered that her mother, Nancy Barbato, Frank Sinatra's first wife, is still alive at 97: http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Nancy-Sinatra-to-Discuss-Dads-Life-Career-on-CBS-SUNDAY-MORNING-329-20150327#

Nick Robinson has successful surgery, will start chemotherapy now: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/mar/30/bbc-nick-robinson-successful-op-lung-tumour

Czech cinematographer Miroslav Ondricek dead at 80: http://variety.com/2015/film/news/miroslav-ondricek-dead-amadeus-cinematographer-milos-forman-1201462236/ A frequent collaborator with Milos Forman, he is probably best-known for his Oscar-nominated work on "Amadeus".

Has plans for this year "and beyond": http://www.closerweekly.com/posts/doris-day-shares-her-big-plans-for-the-coming-year-and-beyond-54849

Drop 40 member Daisy Berkowitz giving a solo concert in a week: http://www.thestaffordpalacetheater.com/event/752835-night-manson-starring-daisy-stafford-springs/

Good find, IDIOT. I'm afraid not. That's "bbc.news.uk.com", not "bbc.co.uk/news". Only the latter is the real thing written by Auntie. Ah sorry... Although, when I google "Wim Ruska daily mail", not in the news but in a web search, I have an obituary from the daily mail as the second hit. But when I click on the link, there is no article there...

Brian Harvey, of East 17 fame, has been on a downward spiral for quite some time now (reminds me a bit of Paul Gascoigne). He considered suicide last month, can't pay the bills and faces eviction: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/mar/29/music-industry-chews-up-spits-out-stars-simon-danczuk-brian-harvey

Good find, IDIOT.

Padding your post stats w this moving entry. A local butcher? I'll bet all the top butchers in Burnley have gone to theatres in Estonia. SC Quite possible. After he closed his shop, he went on a cruise with his wife to Estonia: http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/burnley/11337202.Popular_Burnley_butcher_to_close_shop_as_he_battles_cancer/?ref=rss “I will be going on a cruise around Norway, Sweden and Estonia with Helen. We were going to go to the Caribbean but I can’t be out in the sun very long now.”