themaninblack 2,112 Posted January 2, 2008 One thing that bothers me, and the DDP has come to this, is that the form guide these days amounts to a cancer watch. If it's lung, stomach, pancreas or brain tumours, basically they're in if they have a fighting chance of a news mention. It's a shame that Benazir Bhutto didn't last since at least she would have added a little variety. I'm not really criticising, just pointing out that the only way of winning the DDP is to keep a sharp eye out for people with advanced cancers. No wonder people think we're sick. A hell of a lot of intellectual activity is being expended on this stuff, trawling the internet in search of a juicy and hitherto undiscovered tumour, then fighting and bitching over the bragging rights for finding it first. In reality this place is part research centre, part cancer ward and part actuarial service. Anyway, I hope you've had the courage of your convictions this year and gone for a little "variety" in your final DDP team, so we don't get a repeat of last year's hypocrisy... Nah, hypocrisy's my middle name DDT; my list is like a cancer hot house, crammed full of the little buggers all a poppin' and a sproutin'. But I am quite proud of Maurice Allais who I think may be cancer free and a unique pick. Almost wasn't mate, until I discovered Peggy Jay (that's if she's unique of course, pending..) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 1,859 Posted January 3, 2008 I hope to have the site up soon - I have processed all the teams now & just need to do the following: 1) Send out the confirmation e-mails - 105 in total. 2) Update the website, put the links together & make sure everything is tickety-boo. 3) Once/If it is, I'll send out the game is underway e-mails. So, hopefully it won't be long. I'm back at work tomorrow though, so I'll aim to have it up & running by Sunday 6th Jan. I still have to work out most popular picks etc but Allais & Jay were both unique picks. Lubbock was chosen by quite a few. and this, by the way, is my team: Octopus of Odstock Sydney Pollack Alexandr Solzhenitsyn Peter Arundell Rev. Billy Graham James Ellis Betty Ford Sir John Hermon Velimir Zajec (JOKER) Charlton Heston Erland Josephson Phillip Jones Griffiths Sir Norman Wisdom Francis Pym Basil d'Oliveira Edwin Morgan Jesse Helms Maurice Strong Nigel Plews Yves Saint Laurent Frith Banbury and like DDT, I'll save time & argument & say that Cristodoulous, Zelkjo Sturanovic, Ingemar Johansson (at the 11th hour), Yitzhak Shamir, Les Leston & Sir Bobby Robson were those that just missed out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
themaninblack 2,112 Posted January 3, 2008 I hope to have the site up soon - I have processed all the teams now & just need to do the following: 1) Send out the confirmation e-mails - 105 in total. 2) Update the website, put the links together & make sure everything is tickety-boo. 3) Once/If it is, I'll send out the game is underway e-mails. So, hopefully it won't be long. I'm back at work tomorrow though, so I'll aim to have it up & running by Sunday 6th Jan. I still have to work out most popular picks etc but Allais & Jay were both unique picks. Lubbock was chosen by quite a few. and this, by the way, is my team: Octopus of Odstock Sydney Pollack Alexandr Solzhenitsyn Peter Arundell Rev. Billy Graham James Ellis Betty Ford Sir John Hermon Velimir Zajec (JOKER) Charlton Heston Erland Josephson Phillip Jones Griffiths Sir Norman Wisdom Francis Pym Basil d'Oliveira Edwin Morgan Jesse Helms Maurice Strong Nigel Plews Yves Saint Laurent Frith Banbury and like DDT, I'll save time & argument & say that Cristodoulous, Zelkjo Sturanovic, Ingemar Johansson (at the 11th hour), Yitzhak Shamir, Les Leston & Sir Bobby Robson were those that just missed out. Velimir Zajec was the World Cup player you were hinting at last year OoO... Surely Ayers and Hewitt from my team are uniques otherwise I'll be very disappointed.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Miser 17 Posted January 3, 2008 and like DDT, I'll save time & argument & say that Cristodoulous, Zelkjo Sturanovic, Ingemar Johansson (at the 11th hour), Yitzhak Shamir, Les Leston & Sir Bobby Robson were those that just missed out. Why Johansson? I have him my larger list but couldn't find any recent updates. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 1,859 Posted January 3, 2008 Velimir Zajec was the World Cup player you were hinting at last year OoO... Surely Ayers and Hewitt from my team are uniques otherwise I'll be very disappointed.... Yes, he was. Ayers & Hewitt? Na... Yes they are. Miser, why Johansson? He has Alzheimer's & he's in his 70's. But I dropped him at the very last (or rather the 3rd of December) in favour of James Ellis, who has had bouts of illness for a while - to be honest I was surprised no-one else picked Ellis, but there you go. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
themaninblack 2,112 Posted January 3, 2008 Velimir Zajec was the World Cup player you were hinting at last year OoO... Surely Ayers and Hewitt from my team are uniques otherwise I'll be very disappointed.... Yes, he was. Ayers & Hewitt? Na... Yes they are. Miser, why Johansson? He has Alzheimer's & he's in his 70's. But I dropped him at the very last (or rather the 3rd of December) in favour of James Ellis, who has had bouts of illness for a while - to be honest I was surprised no-one else picked Ellis, but there you go. A case of nobody here but us chickens then? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Godot 148 Posted January 3, 2008 Velimir Zajec was the World Cup player you were hinting at last year OoO... Surely Ayers and Hewitt from my team are uniques otherwise I'll be very disappointed.... Yes, he was. Ayers & Hewitt? Na... Yes they are. Miser, why Johansson? He has Alzheimer's & he's in his 70's. But I dropped him at the very last (or rather the 3rd of December) in favour of James Ellis, who has had bouts of illness for a while - to be honest I was surprised no-one else picked Ellis, but there you go. I was keen to have a Z-cars pick but didn't know Ellis had been ill. I think that someone from an old TV series adds solidity to any deathlist. I was trawling through the cast of Compact but couldn't find anyone suitable. I think there's nothing to worry about Christodoulous not getting a mention, or Randy Pausch. Pausch is getting more famous by the minute with a huge book contract. Pancreatic cancer is the best thing that's ever happened to him (in a way). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 1,859 Posted January 4, 2008 Unfortunately a slight problem with the access databases is holding up the site's launch date, so apologies for that. The good news is all confirmation e-mails have been sent, all teams processed, the deaths of Choi & Princess Thingy have been sorted without too much difficulty & Abdulov added to List of the Lost. All that remains (when I have time) is to sort this problem out (which is probably just minor), do a few cosmetic changes & double check everything, add an insane analysis page & then send out (the already written) 2008 Game On e-mails. None of these in the "To Do" file will take all that long, so the hoped for launch day of the 6th is still the most likely day I would imagine. Thanks for your continued patience. Oh, the final count was 459 teams, 2,029 celebrities. A lot, but not the 600 odd I feared! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
themaninblack 2,112 Posted January 4, 2008 Unfortunately a slight problem with the access databases is holding up the site's launch date, so apologies for that. The good news is all confirmation e-mails have been sent, all teams processed, the deaths of Choi & Princess Thingy have been sorted without too much difficulty & Abdulov added to List of the Lost. All that remains (when I have time) is to sort this problem out (which is probably just minor), do a few cosmetic changes & double check everything, add an insane analysis page & then send out (the already written) 2008 Game On e-mails. None of these in the "To Do" file will take all that long, so the hoped for launch day of the 6th is still the most likely day I would imagine. Thanks for your continued patience. Oh, the final count was 459 teams, 2,029 celebrities. A lot, but not the 600 odd I feared! Looks like the DDP has reached its ceiling, unless there are less doubling of teams (theme teams etc) than before. Well done anyhow... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,017 Posted January 4, 2008 Unfortunately a slight problem with the access databases is holding up the site's launch date, so apologies for that. The good news is all confirmation e-mails have been sent, all teams processed, the deaths of Choi & Princess Thingy have been sorted without too much difficulty & Abdulov added to List of the Lost. All that remains (when I have time) is to sort this problem out (which is probably just minor), do a few cosmetic changes & double check everything, add an insane analysis page & then send out (the already written) 2008 Game On e-mails. None of these in the "To Do" file will take all that long, so the hoped for launch day of the 6th is still the most likely day I would imagine. Thanks for your continued patience. Oh, the final count was 459 teams, 2,029 celebrities. A lot, but not the 600 odd I feared! With that tonnage of traffic and clear evidence that many involved are erudite intelligent sorts, you might be able to get sponsors for 2009!! Your work is hugely appreciated by everyone but the 2,029 celebs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grobler 35 Posted January 5, 2008 Unfortunately a slight problem with the access databases is holding up the site's launch date, so apologies for that. The good news is all confirmation e-mails have been sent, all teams processed, the deaths of Choi & Princess Thingy have been sorted without too much difficulty & Abdulov added to List of the Lost. All that remains (when I have time) is to sort this problem out (which is probably just minor), do a few cosmetic changes & double check everything, add an insane analysis page & then send out (the already written) 2008 Game On e-mails. None of these in the "To Do" file will take all that long, so the hoped for launch day of the 6th is still the most likely day I would imagine. Thanks for your continued patience. Oh, the final count was 459 teams, 2,029 celebrities. A lot, but not the 600 odd I feared! I dunno how you do it O of O , but well done mate ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 1,859 Posted January 5, 2008 Hopefully you should have had the e-mails but the main thing is - IT'S UP & UNDERWAY! The problem was indeed a minor one & although there is still some minor stuff to be sorted out (and it really is minor - cosmetic stuff & all that), I can do that in the spare time that is lacking right now - I just wanted to get everything there. Any queries, let me know. I'm well chuffed to do it all after 5 days and all! So much so, I'm opening the wine & sitting down to Match of the Day soon.. bliss Enjoy reading it & enjoy the game! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
themaninblack 2,112 Posted January 5, 2008 Hopefully you should have had the e-mails but the main thing is - IT'S UP & UNDERWAY! The problem was indeed a minor one & although there is still some minor stuff to be sorted out (and it really is minor - cosmetic stuff & all that), I can do that in the spare time that is lacking right now - I just wanted to get everything there. Any queries, let me know. I'm well chuffed to do it all after 5 days and all! So much so, I'm opening the wine & sitting down to Match of the Day soon.. bliss Enjoy reading it & enjoy the game! Well 2-2 is rather better than 4-6! Well done son! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canadian Paul 93 Posted January 5, 2008 Wow, I can't believe you got that all up and running so quickly! You have my reverence and appreciation. That won't of course, stop my from pointing out little mistakes like Manoel de Oliveira having been born on December 11, 1908, the fact that Milvena Dean is the last remaining Titanic survivor or any other little things that only I would notice and certainly only a pretentious, pompous, sod-W**ker-git such as myself would care about. To make it up to you, let me know if you need help with photos. As a member of Robert Young's Yahoo Group, I can at least be useful in getting you pictures of the old such and suchs picked by All Nails in the Coffin. Again, let me end by saying how utterly amazed and in awe I am at your work. Next time we're at the pub, I owe you a beer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DevonDeathTrip 2,288 Posted January 6, 2008 Well done OoO, brilliant effort. I'm delighted to see that five teams have had the good sense to pick Steve Fossett. Amy Winehouse has also done very indeed well this year. It's nice to see so many theme teams. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Death Impends 7,372 Posted January 6, 2008 Also you'll have to archive 2007. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 1,859 Posted January 6, 2008 Also you'll have to archive 2007. No, I don't. For that, I'm waiting for SB & RK to do. That won't of course, stop my from pointing out little mistakes like Manoel de Oliveira having been born on December 11, 1908, the fact that Milvena Dean is the last remaining Titanic survivor or any other little things that only I would notice and certainly only a pretentious, pompous, sod-W**ker-git such as myself would care about. Oh, I hate people like you! In my defence, those errors were already there when I took it over, but that's fine, I'll edit them so they're changed at the next update. When I do the inane analysis, it might focus on some picks & number crunching a bit more (Winehouse, for example was picked by 121 teams - that's 120 more than in 2007!) for those who like that sort of thing, but I think there's a nice mix, and I feel it's potentially more open this year than for years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Godot 148 Posted January 6, 2008 Well done OoO, brilliant effort. I'm delighted to see that five teams have had the good sense to pick Steve Fossett. Amy Winehouse has also done very indeed well this year. It's nice to see so many theme teams. Excellent work OoO. I don't get this comment about Fossett DDT. If he died in 2007, as he almost certainly did, that would rule him out for 2008 unless he happens to be wandering the desert somewhere ready keel over at any moment. Or am I missing something? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,017 Posted January 6, 2008 Like awesome, Dude!! Some great teams and some stunning names this year; top marks to Croaker De'ath and the Prognosticators for team name, IMHO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Banshees Scream 107 Posted January 6, 2008 I don't get this comment about Fossett DDT. If I died in 2007, as he almost certainly did, that would rule him out for 2008 unless he happens to be wandering the desert somewhere ready keel over at any moment. Or am I missing something. An intelligent human being would probably realize that Steve Fossett crashed his plane into a retired area and (died instantly) on impact. They might also realize Steve's wife was not only screwed out of having a husband but she was also screwed out of a tremendous deal of money searching for him. I would imagine our dedicated organizer Triple O (great job by the way- I guess it took up a good proportion of your free time) was only substituting the 'Pick of the year! WHO Knows?!?) for - what a bunch of f*****g idiots!!!!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 1,859 Posted January 6, 2008 Quick one - the alphabetical errors have been sorted - so everyone is where they should be now. As there were a few duplicates, the late Brad McGann & Dorothy Boyd were chosen, and as one team entered as a joke but didn't want to play any more (idiot), they have been deleted, at their request - so it's 458 teams, 2,022 candidates - still a record anyway. And still waiting for an obit for Abdulov... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Godot 148 Posted January 6, 2008 .... as one team entered as a joke but didn't want to play any more (idiot), they have been deleted, at their request..... Gosh! Is everyone else taking it seriously Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
themaninblack 2,112 Posted January 6, 2008 Like awesome, Dude!! Some great teams and some stunning names this year; top marks to Croaker De'ath and the Prognosticators for team name, IMHO. My personal favourite is 'This Team Is So Safe It Is Sponsored by Volvo' Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DevonDeathTrip 2,288 Posted January 7, 2008 OoO, there is something about the DDP photo of the elderly female African-American author, Toni Morrison, which just isn't quite right: This is a far more accurate representation: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,017 Posted January 7, 2008 OoO, there is something about the DDP photo of the elderly female African-American author, Toni Morrison, which just isn't quite right: This is a far more accurate representation: She's got smaller tits by the look of it! I'll get me coat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
