gcreptile

Dude you couldn't take the time (15 seconds) to google his name and locate a link to a story in ENGLISH?! SC No, Google News gives the headlines in my native language (German) first. Then there are a couple of links in finnish (which I would say is my best option since Törmänen was also finnish), and swedish. I guess the death only came to my knowledge because the Four hills tournament was taking place at the same time, so it made the news. I am a bit of a fan of that sport myself. You're welcome to add an english link though. I couldn't find it that easily, and it might be that there was no english obituary at the day I posted this.

The last edition of Charlie Hebdo was about Michel Houellebecq's new book about a Halibut becoming french president. Maybe he would have been a good pick for 2015 already...

Oh wow... how sad! I mean it, that's pretty tragic.

Two members of the U.S. ski team, Bryce Astle and Ronnie Berlack die in an avalanche in Austria: http://www.sltrib.com/sports/2021706-155/us-ski-team-member-bryce-astle

Michel Houellebecq looks more and more like the wreck he wants to be:

Robin Williams, but I had forgotten that Sharon died. I think he comes close. Apparently, he was an excellent general, but his government was unremarkable and, of course, cut short by his stroke.

Joukko Törmänen, finnish ski jumper and gold-medal winner in 1980, has died at 60: http://yle.fi/urheil...kuollut/7718929 (finnish link)

Unless someone actually picked him, it's a bit of a miss.

The TV dead pool for 2015: http://www.hitfix.com/news/tv-dead-pool-which-characters-will-bite-the-dust-in-2015

German sociologist Ulrich Beck, dead at 70: http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/literatur/ulrich-beck-soziologe-und-autor-von-risikogesellschaft-ist-tot-a-1011091.html (german link) His death made headlines here today, but he wasn't that important, in my opinion.

Jack Nicholson actually has Alzheimers (at least according to the National Enquirer). It also seems he has quit acting. I picked him this year already, but he was last seen accompanying his daughter and didn't look too bad: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2876745/Jack-Nicholson-beams-fatherly-pride-steps-daughter-Lorraine-art-Beverly-Hills.html A commenter there says that David Bailey looks close to death, and I would agree. Also, Mario Cuomo's death reminded me of another former US governor I had forgotten about, Birch Bayh. Much like Cuomo, he also had his eyes on the presidency (but lost to Carter) and has a son that followed his footsteps. And while the fathers were both liberals, their sons are moderates.

The grandmother of Neil Patrick Harris: http://www.gossipcenter.com/neil-patrick-harris/neil-patrick-harris-mourns-loss-beloved-grandmother-1228728?utm_source=radaronline.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pubexchange_article

Indeed, very nice work! But, my candidate Ilse Aichinger is missing in the main list. She was a replacement for an error of mine, which I corrected before the deadline.

Better than last year. Could still be better, but then I haven't yet attempted to collect 50 names on one list myself.

I was wrong with every guess last year, even when I chose "None of the above" around Christmas. John Nash.

Leonard Nimoy, even more than Helmut Schmidt.

Helmut Kohl. Though I think Schmidt is a good bet for 2016.

He's still very active. He was in the current Hobbit movie (I haven't seen it), and released a christmas song last year: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/christopher-lees-metal-carol-weirdest-4800449

Indeed, well-deserved. I hope she outlives her husband.

He was also present at the grand finale of the Stephen Colbert show (along with future Death List canddiate Willie Nelson). That's why I didn't pick him. http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/style/2014/12/19/colbert-exits-with-singalong-and-sleigh-ride/wlYCftwhQIrpfA5hriu0NO/story.html

Co-Founder of Krispy Kreme Donuts, Lewis Rudolph, is dead at 95: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30641026

Alright, 25 for 2015. I guess, since regional or national obituaries count, I can use all my german candidates here: 1. Egon Bahr (politician in the 60s/70s) 2. Johanna Quandt (matriarch of BMW) 3. Anneliese Uhlig (actress) 4. Horst Eckel (last (?) living football world champion of 1954) 5. Hildegard Hamm-Brücher (stalward of the dying german liberal party) 6. Elke Sommer (actress) 7. Wolfgang "Wölli" Rohde (drummer of the punk band Die Toten Hosen) [wildcard] 8. Heinrich Windelen (another ancient politician) 9. Guido Westerwelle (relatively young politician with cancer) 10. Ingeburg Herz (another rich german matriarch) 11. Michael Schumacher (racing driver) 12. Hans-Jochen Vogel (another german politician) 13. Benedikt XVI (former pope) and the non-germans: 14. Shimon Peres (Israeli president) 15. Sheldon Adelson (US casino magnate) 16. Donald Sterling (US sports team owner) 17. Scott Stapp (ex-frontman of Creed) 18. David Rockefeller (US business man) 19. David Prowse (Darth Vader) 20. Ian Holm (UK actor) 21. Harper Lee (US writer) 22. Olivia de Havilland (US actress) 23. Manoel de Oliveira (old director) 24. Alexej Nawalny (russian blogger/activist) 25. Jacques Delors (EU politician/economist) And the sub: Queen Elizabeth II

I was very close to choosing Putin critic Alexej Nawalny, but I decided that the gamble on Alexis Tsipras was enough. Edit: And I also forgot to include Jacques Delors...

Chillax man they're gonna do it, they are most likely just busy at work now! I would I would love to stick my spoon in her hot creamy drink too . Looks like this will end up being the last ever pic of The Latte Luise Rainer Even now, I still would.

My submissions: 1. Jin Youzhi (brother of the Last Emperor of China) 2. Irving Kahn (financial investor) 3. Ingrid Van Bergen (german actress) 4. Peter Vaughan 5. Phil Rudd (a drummer) 6. Prince Mikasa (Takahito) (uncle of currenct japanese emperor) 7. Robert Mugabe 8. Geordie Howe 9. Fidel Castro 10. Bernie Ecclestone Sub: Jerry Lewis