Octopus of Odstock

250cc World Championship motorcyclist Roberto Locatelli is on a life support machine after crashing in practice at Jerez.

Indeedy so, as I've just checked him for my (now reduced & revised) list, there was also a recent photo of him. I can't seem to find it at present, but he looked healthy enough, about 10 years younger than he is. With your new avatar, CP, whilst the choice is good, maybe you could lighten it up a little? It looks a bit dark so you can't really make it out? Try here or here

Hmm.. very good. Reading that made me forget that the guy who played Dengar the Bounty Hunter had also gone. Didn't know the Mos Eisley bartender in A New Hope was dead though. I suppose when you look at the sheer amount of names there, and the numbers that are yellow (dead) compared to red (alive), then they haven't done badly, but three of the movies are very recent, and a large amount of the older films had younger actors, I suppose. One to watch then I would say is:- Jason Wingreen, voice of Boba Fett, 88 later this year & frequent film & TV actor. He should get some mention state-wise when he goes, which means the Guardian will pick it up & hey presto, UK Obit!

Typhoid Harry is right. As I put in the avatar thread, the fact that Admiral A is a top military commander AND a squid beats Stevie Coppell any day.

Uh.. it's considerably more than two. I'm afraid Star Wars actors & actresses have a bad rate of dying as much as any other film of that era: All (Credited actors only) Star Wars Alec Guinness Don Henderson Phil Brown Peter Cushing Shelagh Fraser Alex McCrindle Eddie Byrne Jack Purvis William Hootkins Jeremy Sinden Empire Strikes Back Alec Guinness John Hollis Jack Purvis Michael Sheard Des Webb Bruce Boa Richard Marquand (Director) Return of the Jedi Richard Marquand (Director) Sebastian Shaw Alec Guinness Claire Davenport Jack Purvis There are probably numerous others I've missed, but those are some of the main ones.

The link doesn't work for me and with no further explanation, which Bob Taylor are we talking about? The ex-West Brom striker? The cricketer? The darts player? Or none of the above? (In which case, I've never heard of him)

Dame Helen Gardner, author, died in 1986. She was the Lady Chatterley lady. Dame Helen Gardiner was the former clerk for Buck Palace. Last year, I e-mailed DDP to say they were different, which they changed in 2006. Upon looking her up for the DDP database for this year's competition, I found she's dead as well. In short, they're both dead, no points to those who picked her, and thus now a damn poor choice for future Death Pools, but not as poor as Dame Helen Gardner who is even deader.

Dame Helen Gardiner is dead. Trouble is for those who picked her, she actually died in 2001! Entry in English & Welsh Death Index 2001 Definitely the same lady. As it's on the Ancestry site, the link above may not work, but it's the same lady. Amazing that she didn't get an obit, and equally amazing that two papers reported her as alive with birthdays, when she wasn't! Bad luck to the four teams who picked her, especially Foxy T as she was their joker pick. Interestingly, she's not on the Genarians website when I checked, so, I'm obviously not the first person who found this out.

Sadly, the Jimmy Durante pic that supplies my avatar appears to have gone offline. Shame. So, brought forward, some 250 posts early, is my third main avatar. It was a close run between this one and Steve Coppell, but Admiral Ackbar wins as quite simply, he is a Squid-like creature who also happens to be in a position of great authority - not many squids can have that honour, I think. It also means I don't have to upload my main profile picture either, after mass protests. (Okay, one person..)

Irish Cricket President Bob Kerr has died of a heart attack in Jamaica. Link Another who seemed fine & suddenly gone. Ireland, of course, beat Pakistan to ruin all the match-fixers hopes. Murder number two??? Probably not, but it's one hell of a coincidence.

Not exactly a health update, but at least he is still alive. He also seems to be going by the title of "Father Amir", which might be helpful when finding out further info on him.

Detoriating Fast Don't think he'll be around for 2008 DDP/DL consideration but he's worth thinking about for WDP etc.

A good pick too by Grobler - kind of like Kenneth Griffith was for MIB last year. That M & C site doesn't count, no.

Kurt & Ban-Ki have tea & cakes Tea & cakes rumour not confirmed. By doing so, it seems Ban-Ki Moon has committed his first blooper as UN head, according to some. Still some way to go to match Ol' Kurt though.

Antonioni to start filming for new project after receiving funding Not bad for a 94 year old in a wheelchair...

One report, from a South-East Asian publication, I read after his death said that one unusual thing the police found was the amount of vomit in the hotel room, more say than if it had been for a heart-attack. Secondly, there were huge protests in Pakistan after they went out - effigies of Woolmer were burnt publically, crowds shouted "Death to Woolmer" (and others, of course) and the team were sent death threats. This report, from Australia, says about the vomit again, but he also had suspicious marks on his throat. The report also says he was about to reveal a lot about match-fixing in a book, and also that he wasn't diabetic after all. In addition his wife said he never mentioned any chest pain to her before his death. Also the police in Jamaica are actually now doing a murder investigation as to just an "Investigation". Full Details here If this is murder, then you have to wonder if they will continue with the World Cup. I know they didn't stop the World Cup when Escobar was shot in 1994, but...

This is an old news report, but significantly, he is still bedridden. Last year he was quite active but age & ill health seem to be taking their toll. If he lasts until 2008, he's GOT to be a good candidate for the DL. Zahir Shah "Ill and bedridden".

It is ridicilous isn't it? How Ian Brennan & the Bates family can be happy with that, I do not know. I agree with the general consensus that the arms are too long, the legs are laughably short and agree it does look like Milan Mandaric. Make me glad we put up a simple but striking plaque to honour dear Maurice Evans, and not a statue like this.

Clear of Cancer but has a few minor health scares. Looks like he might make 90, now, but after that? Not so sure - all these health scares can't help. Mind the man did beat cancer at 88 - that takes some doing.

According to the latest table from the grg.org site, it looks like she is the 84th oldest person in the world.

Don't worry about it, you don't got it in you. Just be happy to go outside and see a beautiful day. It's a f*****g awful day, hail, bitingly cold wind. If we go outside, we'll be even more depressed than we already are looking outside the window.

Quite a while back now, I believe. Then he had skin cancer, but beat that too. As I understand it, and from the above article and others, he's cancer free, and just withered & frail from battling it.

Interview with the great man who, amongst other things, says this is the busiest year of his life. Having beaten cancer, and being quite seemingly active, it would appear fraility is his major problem right now.

Ali still delights a crowd I think the DL did well to drop him for this year, as he's still getting out & about (say more than Ray Kennedy) & still seems to have some wits about him. After all, Jeremy Thorpe's still going strong & has had the disease longer, and is, of course, older. What I'm saying is Ali doesn't seem to have anything wrong with him bar his Parkinson's. Same report, but with a picture. Also, Ali certainly looks robust & healthy looking in the face, not gaunt etc.

Banshees, eight of them have already met their fate but only the Iraqis got obits - three others got stays of executions, so it will indeed be years. Hardly inside info, the list of soon-to-be executed prisoners in the US is not difficult at all to find. Either way, like I say, this may well be the last execution on No Noose's team that gets an obit. Executed on the 4th anniversary of the war as well, note.