Octopus of Odstock

That's my guess too - for what it's worth I've dropped him but pencilled him for 2008 (in theory) However, a few words of caution/hope - since that interview in May, there's been very little news about him. Depends on if you believe no news is good news from DL point of view....

Back to all matters Pinochet:- Recovering so well, he'll be out of ICU shortly By heck, he's as much a faker as Tomlinson. Well, I've made my mind up. Before this little debacle he was off my list, and he stays off the list. Old Gerry Ford is in. Feel free to laugh if when looking at this one year on if Fordy is about to reach 2008 & Pinochet is long gone.

I've found the article from 2005. Evel Knievel ill, readies gravestone Compare him in this picture, to the one in May 2006: Iller A bit of a decline, but not shockingly bad. Peter Benchley & Marlon Brando died from it. However as Brando also had dementia, liver cancer & heart problems, it's hard to gauge just how long it can take to kill someone. The doctors said 3-5 years then, which would mean 2008-2010. I'm inclined to wait 12 months to put him on a DDP list if 2008 is the 1st year he might go.... Just thought I'd shed more light now this thread is back than the birthday of Edwards will.

Grobler recently posted in the football thread about ex-Dagenham players being ill with cancer. Well, I can't find any of them, but I can find one poor chap who plays for Didcot Town (about 1/3rd of the way down the page), who IS ill with cancer. It's a risk, but at 29, would be an outside bet for a DDP stab.

Brian Curtin, disgraced Irish judge, says he is in "such a stage of ill-health he can no longer protest his innocence."

Ieng Sary, ex Cambodian henchman of Pol Pot is certainly worth watching. He suffered a recent heart attack Wiki entry after years with a heart condition. He was also in hospital and near death for pluerisy, pneumonia & another heart attack in 2004. One to watch, me thinks. Reports say he has gone to Thailand where he is having medical treatment for heart trauma. However, his son says bollocks. Even so, one to keep a wary eye on.

Go to Cwmfelinfach and you'll see what I mean. It's so bad my great-grandma committed suicide.

Just bringing this thread back one last time before it dies its natural death at the end of the year, so people can remind themselves of the best candidates for 2007. Word of warning, I last updated new entries about two weeks ago as work committments have increased recently, so people like Balasingham aren't on the list.

How interesting... Compared to Cwmfelinfach, Blackwood is a metropolis of all things exotic

Thanks, CP, always good to check with a fellow DL'r. Rather than just take free advice & run, my musings (followed on from last night) Charlie Drake- There's no reason why he should die. But when Freeman died, I thought "I must include Drake in 2007". In the cold light of day I'm not so sure. Verdict: Undecided Shoko Asahara - Due to the age restructcing, I think he might be worth the big risk. Verdict: Probably Saddam & Co - I'm very, very wary of naming all three. I believe I should drop one of Saddam or the Judge who both fall under the same age bracket. The Judge might get commuted to life, but Saddam might have to stay alive for the next trial, pass 70 years of age and will either be unable to be hanged due to his age, but also will drop 1 point for passing 70 on DDP. Verdict: One to be dropped, but not sure who. Barzan's on though. Evel Knievel - agree totally CP. He's a goner soon, but I don't think it'll be as early as next year. But as you say, he's a good bet due to his age. Verdict: Undecided. Luciano Pavarotti - My own feeling is that given his cancer, age & fatness, he should be gone already. He was all set to be removed, but as noted above, missing an engagement is never a good sign. Verdict: probably not Lansana Conte - the trouble is, how ill is he? Rarely, for an African despot, he has admitted he IS ill. But I agree with your sentiments. Verdict: Undecided Basil d'Oliviera - a difficult one. He has Parkinson's badly, but as you mention, so has Ray Kennedy and he's in the same boat. But B d'O is a lot older. Verdict: Undecided Harold Pinter - essentially he's beaten cancer, he's just very, very frail. This article is about as close to the truth with his current health as I've seen, and on that basis, he's out. Verdict: Dropped Fidel Castro until he missed the recent celebrations, I would've left him off. But not even making an appearance was really odd. He may take a back seat, but if he was doing that, he would've been at one function. Verdict: Probably Gore Vidal - he does look terrible & has aged badly in 12 months. But like Pinter, has fire in his belly. Verdict: Probably might end up being 21st & reserve Charlton Heston - I think I agree with CP. Certainly hasn't been any good news in the last 12 months Verdict: Almost certainly on John Forsythe - signs are it's a slow recovery, but it is a recovery. I'll give him the benefit of a doubt. Verdict: Dropped Rev Billy Graham - he has so many things wrong with him that he should be on the list. But still I'm not certain. Verdict: Undecided Yitzhak Shamir - I see your point of view, CP. But Stroessner surprised me in 06, maybe Shamir 07? Verdict: Probably Augusto Pinochet - before his recent antics, he was off the list. Now IF he's had a real h/a, I think he could be like Shelly Winters. If he's faking, he'll last for years. Verdict: F**k knows Gerald Ford - no reason why he should suddenly drop dead, but too much of a risk to remove. Verdict: Probably on. Louis Farrakhan - sticking my neck out & saying he's not as ill as rumoured. I can't see him AND Graham going. It's a risk, but I think he'll pull through Verdict: Dropped Maurice Papon - like DL's Dunny for me. Been on every list - him & Gloria Stuart. She's out already, and I don't think i can risk taking them both off Verdict: In, but only for sentimental reasons (ie the bugger has to die soon)

*sigh* Same here too. I have 21 candidates for DDP and that would be easy if I didn't already have 12 in my team... Trying to decide who to keep and who to drop is causing a few furrowed brows at OOO Towers:- THE CANDIDATES:- Charlie Drake Shoko Asahara Saddam & Cronies Evel Knievel Luciano Pavarotti Lansana Conte Basil d'Oliviera Harold Pinter Fidel Castro Gore Vidal Charlton Heston John Forsythe Rev Billy Graham Yitzhak Shamir Augusto Pinochet Gerald Ford Louis Farrakhan Maurice Papon and 3 secret candidates, one young but obscure, one old & not, and one in the middle. Somehow I've got to drop at least 11 of them......

Zuwadza

I haven't been back for some years but originally from Cwmfelinfach. More about Cwmfelinfach at Wikipedia. My family worked in the coal mines "Nine Mile Point" there from its opening to its closure, and before that lived in Merthyr Tydfil and worked in the coal mines there. Other descendants are from Tredegar and other parts of what used to be historic Monmouthshire.

Len Sutton, former Indianapolis 500 driver and personal friend of mine, has died, I'm very sorry to say. News Mention He had cancer. Len, you'll be much missed.

Recently, Sihanouk has been talking about his death/funeral plans. Put me in an urn So, eyebrows raised, I searched some more, as he was now in the running for a 2007 DDP place in my team. Until I found this medical update. As fit as a fiddle, no. But close to death with that report - I don't think so. Of course, Sihanouk has a habit of lying, and as it was posted on his own site, might be as rosier than normal, but I think the detail of it means I shall wait for 2008 onwards to plop old Norodom in.

Survivors from 1950: 1st race:-British GP - de Graffenried, Rolt 2nd race:-Monaco GP - Gonzalez, de Graffenried, Manzon 3rd race:-Indianapolis - J Rathmann 4th race:-Switzerland - de Graffenried 5th race:-Belgium - no survivors 6th race:-France - Manzon, Gonzalez 7th Race:-Italy - de Graffenried, Manzon, Pietsch Total Survivors: 6

1950 British GP: Cla Nº Driver Car / Engine Laps Time Delay/Retirement 1 2 Nino Farina Alfa Romeo 70 2:13'23.6 2 3 Luigi Fagioli Alfa Romeo 70 2:13'26.2 2.6 3 4 Reg Parnell Alfa Romeo 70 2:14'15.6 52.0 4 14 Y.G.-Cabantous Talbot-Lago/Talbot 68 2:13'25.0 2 Laps 5 15 Louis Rosier Talbot-Lago/Talbot 68 2:14'28.4 2 Laps 6 12 Bob Gerard ERA 67 2:13'26.4 3 Laps 7 11 Cuth Harrison ERA 67 2:13'26.8 3 Laps 8 16 P.Etancelin Talbot-Lago/Talbot 65 2:14'30.6 5 Laps 9 6 David Hampshire Maserati 64 2:14'03.6 6 Laps 10 10 Joe Fry/B.Shawe-Taylor Maserati 64 2:15'00.4 6 Laps 11 18 Johnny Claes Talbot-Lago/Talbot 64 2:15'28.6 6 Laps (2) 1 J.M.Fangio Alfa Romeo 62 - Oil leak (13) 23 Joe Kelly Alta 57 - Not classified (7) 21 Prince Bira Maserati 49 - Out of fuel (12) 5 David Murray Maserati 44 - Engine (16) 24 Geoff Crossley Alta 43 - Not classified (7) 20 T.de Graffenried Maserati 36 - Engine (14) 19 Louis Chiron Maserati 24 - Clutch (6) 17 Eugène Martin Talbot-Lago/Talbot 8 - Oil pressure 9 Peter Walker/Tony Rolt ERA 5 - Gearbox (21) 8 Leslie Johnson ERA 2 - Compressor

5. 5 points for 90-99. 4 points for 100-109 3 points for 110+ 6 points for 80-89 I admit someone like Brooke Astor isn't perhaps worth it, but Pinochet might be. Likewise Papon, Shamir, Ford. If all 4 go that's 20 points, and I'd rather take 20 points then take the risk of 21 possible from Pinter, Pavarotti & Conte. I doubt all three will go next year as things stand right now.

You sure you're English mr ICU I'm not English, full stop. I am from the land of coal mines, leeks and Charlotte Church

Well, considering how humungously fat he was, it can hardly be a surprise...

Much concurring in February but how about now? The last news I can find about him was just after his disposal as Emir. He has dementia, has HAD (or has??) colon cancer, and is in a wheelchair. That was the state of play in January, and I've heard nothing since. I'm tempted to leave him off my DDP list as he might do a Shamir & last for a fair few years in a rest home now he's out of sight, out of mind in Kuwait, as it were and has no Emir-like pressures.

Indeed. I'm still yet to be convinced & think the whole thing might be an elaborate publicity stunt. Anyway, a question... By leaving his house for a hospital, does this mean old Gus violates the terms of his house arrest?? If so, then surely he should be thrown into jail as soon as he's out of ICU.

3 quick ones to roll off: Fromer Reading & Bristol Rovers footballer John McIlvenny died last month, aged 76. Ernie Tagg, one of Crewe's all-time legends, and who was still active till recently, died on the 29th November 2006. and my great-uncle, Uncle Frank (Bibby) died on Thursday, after a long spell fighting against illness. Great-Uncle Frank. He was about 85, I think.

Right, to solve all arguments. Rolt was born in 1918, he is currently 88, I've seen the birth certificate & know the man, and he's on my DDP list for 2006 (but not for 2007, as it happens). Secondly, he was the relief driver for Peter Walker. The good Baron Toulo is the ONLY starter left, but Rolt raced in that 1st race - thus there are TWO survivors from that 1st race. Please check www.forix.com (although again, I'm biased, I freelance for them as well) and please do not rely on Wikipedia for any motor racing classification. and if you won't accept that (Rolt in 1950) from me, then god knows who you WILL accept it from...

I'm not going to reveal my list (I've only got 10 names on it anyway so far) but I'd be happy to reveal who I'm considering if anyone's interested. My short-shortlist, as it were.