Do You Actually Research?

[gcreptile 10,213]

Indeed, nice list. I have one big Excel table of now 1669 names. I started it in early 2015. Since then about 500 names on it have died. (Last ones were Jerome Golmard and Ross Blair) But honestly, it is overwhelming. Indeed, the choice is too big. You need some kind of order, which is where my statistics come in. However, I think this year shows that apart from statistical guess-work, one also needs a good instinct. 

[Death Impends 7,361]

I did a WordPad list for the longest time but it eventually felt too disorganized for me. Since then I moved onto an Excel spreadsheet, though my approach a bit less... numerical, I guess the word, than gcreptile's. IE I don't do percentages for how likely I feel someone is to die, but I do color code the cell on their illness by how severe it seems... green = doing very well, yellow = in neutral/can't figure out severity, orange = quite unwell but may survive a few years longer (maybe even recover), red = fecked. Gut feelings naturally come into play.

[The Mad Hatter 1,091]

I just relay on word of mouth on this forum. 

[Sir Creep 7,011]

1 hour ago, msc said:

Both.

 

By way of proof, I found my September 2016 long-list and it's copy and pasted below in the spoiler tag - after I checked it for any names I was keeping secret...

 

Obviously, lots more names came in Oct-Dec, and a whole bunch of folk snuffed it early.

 

I even kept the references to Aki Hintsa and John Hurt "getting better", because LOL...

 

 

 

  Hide contents

 

 

 

Getting Better:

Aki Hintsa, John Farrell, Fabian Bolin, Larry Hogan, Sophie Sabbage, Charles Bissell, John Derbyshire, tom Fell, Chris Mortensen, Elliot Willis, John Hurt, Paul Barrere

LongList:

Jimmy Carter, , Joost, Juliet Ace, Christy Dignam, Richard Smith (BMJ), Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, Phil Lesh, Keith Farnham, Paul Darrow, Dez Cadena, Vivian Campbell, Gino Odjick

Keep An Eye On:

Fernando Ricksen, Pat Bowlen,

**

Dr Mark Sims, John Total Biscuit Bain, John Wetton, Rick Davies, Shannen Doherty (using alt-medicine), Sharon Jones, Gordon Aikman, Charles Trippy, Baroness Campell, Nobby Stiles, Gerd Muller, , Errol Christie, Javier Munoz, Daisy Berkowitz, Kevin Drum, Helen Fawkes, Simon Fitzmaurice, Aly Hipkins, King Michael, brian reader, Craig Spector, Michael carberry, , John Newman, Martin Peters, Charlie Davies, Gregg Allman,

Jimmy Snuka, Piers Sellers, John Underwood, Heather Shannon,  Smith Hart, Peter Sarstedt, Tony Booth, Michael Birch, Peter Matthews, Ken Watanabe, Bruce deHaven, Sir John Hall, Rob Resenbrink, Ian St John , Sharon Jones, , Spencer P Jones, Paul Van Zandvliet, Joe Haldeman, Willie Thorne, Vithiya Alphons, Helen Kelly, John Rigas, Colin Smith (Sheridan’s dad), Akihito, Ginger Baker, Kid Frost, Tom Wolfe (Gov), Matt Patrick, Quincy Jones, Claire McCaskill, Craig Sager, Marian Cisovsky, Roy Davis Jr, Pete Frates, , Martin Peters, Erick Erickson, Bekele Gerba, Ibrahim Babangida, John Stossel, larry holmes, Marie Frederikson, Simon Ricketts, Little Richard, , Marco Russ, Neale Daniher, David Ginola, Gord Downie, Marietta Giannakou, Dave Strader, Gord McKay, Sadie morgan, Noel Edmonds, Matt Southgate, Stuart Hodgkin (terminally ill murderer), Dennis Nash, Helen Fawkes,  Jarryd Roughead, Mao Kobayashi, Ian Liston, bart starr, john brodie, Sian Williams, Simon Ricketts, Martin Kelner, George Alagiah, Gord Downie, Bap Kennedy, Nick Robinson, tom Brokaw, Paul Hayward, Clyde Stubblefield, Lee Kerslake, Susanne Cameron-Blackie, Craig MacGregor, Colin Butts, Mesrob II Mustafyan of Constantinople, , Steve Dyer, Morgan Tsvangirai, Andrew Lambo, Joe Tait, Brodarious Hamm, Tashawn Manning, Muhammadu Buhari, Gary DeCarlo, Nana Pat, Jessica Knowles, Philip Williamson, Ken Farlow, Lady Helen Stewart



 



 

Ian St John, Errol Christie, David Fisher, Sumner Redstone, Gunther von Hagens, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Clare Atkinson, Gordon Banks, Daisy Berkowitz, Tony Booth, , Oliver Bohuon, Lloyd Blankfein, Darren Lehmann, Shimon Peres, Jackie King, Ray Pfeifer, Brenda Edwards, JI Packer, Thandiwe Banda, Rikki Rocket, Wesley Pipes, , alberto Fujimori, joan lunden, Peter Chelkowski, Michael Fabricant, Larry Hogan, Mac MAharaj, JL Lewis, king Salman, morgan carey, jack Peterman, kid frost, bill wyman, ivan Julian, Celeste Yarnall, , Jane Gardner, Meredith Bissette, George Alagiah, Tony Booth, Glen Campbell, Bruce Langhorne, , Ian St John, Laura Boyd, Lizzie Treip, Siobhan Talbot, Valerie harper, frank Worthington, Mahdi Akef, Amir Guttman, Thangam Debbonaire, Kris Hallenga, Jack Robertson, OJ Briggance, Vincent Lambert, Judy Martz, Holly Dunn

Leonard Cohen, Sharon Jones, Christian Lealiifano, Frank Miller, Valeri Spridinov, Sir Colin Meads, Rod Gilmore, Violet Crumlish, Jack the Insider, Kevin Yoko, Fabienne Saint-Louis (further tests in November), Earl Bathurst (Allen Bathurst), Chatunga Mugabe, Jerome Golmard, Steve Gleason, Mike Peters (The Alarm), Sir Roger Norrington, Holly Dunn, Bert Le Clos, Willie Clarke, Sprent Dabwido, Brian Kennedy, Geoff Fox, Ron Bumblefoot Thal, Lauren Holiday, Lisa Ray, Giles Oakley, Dan Gurney, Tony Brooks, Stirling Moss,

OoO list survivors: Francesco Acerbi, Ralph Boettinger, Lord Blyth, Unita Blackwell, Barbara Cooke, Kenneth coope, Salvatore di Masi, Anto Finnegan, Bill Longmore, Sir Douglas Myers, Ernest Maxim, Jimmy McIlroy, Olive Nicol, Divya Palat, George Rhoden, Agne Simonsson, Kris Taylor (footballer0, Baron Thomas of Macclesfield, Joe Thompson (footballer), Lord Vincent of Coleshill



 

Barbara Hagerman, Shimon Peres, Craig Lyons, Ronnie Campbell, Belinda Love, Amy Pejkovic, David Gardiner, Bishop Eddie Long, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Dan13ll3 K3mp, Terry Funk, Terry Jacks, Susan Jacks, Mark Hall (Casting Crowns), Rayya Ellias, Elle Halliwell, Holly Rowe, Isy Suttie, Hector MacMillan, Jordan Moore, Latham Grant, Mia X, Nancy Jacobs, Annett Artani, Angie Everhart, Anna Danes, Joe Ferrera, Billy Beale Woods, Anthony O’Shea, Maria da Silva (Willian’s mother), Dave Strader, Costa Botes, Gabriel Montoya, Cassie Mitchell, Doug Meijer, Mike Evans (police officer), Larry Garza, Cathal O’Grady, Terry Jones, Steve Hewlett, Rita Marley, Estelle Parsons, Desmond Tutu, Malcolm Watt, Larry Muhoberac, Ryan Texeira, Billy Boston, Sally Becker, Frenchy Martin

 
 

 

 

 

I just list everyone I stumble across, and then whack a list into shape in December. If anything, this shows the issue with too much choice...

Like you, I had a list about 300 long and started scything bit by bit.  But I don't/won't bother writing names daily.  Ain't got time for dat.  I'll probably spend a solid weekend in early December going over the names mentioned here and a 100 or so I've written on post-it notes all year, stuffed napkins in books, the back of time sheets for work, etc.  

[msc 17,719]

Just now, Sir Creep said:

Like you, I had a list about 300 long and started scything bit by bit.  But I don't/won't bother writing names daily.  Ain't got time for dat.  I'll probably spend a solid weekend in early December going over the names mentioned here and a 100 or so I've written on post-it notes all year, stuffed napkins in books, the back of time sheets for work, etc.  

 

Sometime in July:

 

Friend: Oh, So and So has cancer, did you hear?

Me: No.

(quickly opens Ideas word file, scribbles down name, returns to work or chatter or whatever...)

 

Sometime in December:

 

Me: Right, time to look at that shortlist.... where the hell did all these names come from?

 

[Joey Russ 7,119]

5 hours ago, The Mad Hatter said:

I just relay on word of mouth on this forum. 

Do you even play the DDP? 

[Sir Creep 7,011]

10 hours ago, Joey Russ said:

Do you even play the DDP? 

Why is that important or relevant?  There are like a dozen other DPs just on this site, much less many of us play DPs locally with friends.   A person may do plenty of research and just play a couple of those DPs.  I didn't play DDP the first two years I was hanging around here.  This is a thread re: research, not DDP.   
SC

[FixedBusiness 407]

I've never replied to this thread yet, so here goes
I have a google doc of about 200 names (and still adding) to be future dp candidates and such. The thing is, most of these people are older people instead of younger ill people because I have no idea how to research for younger ill people (I'm dumb...) except for looking in other peoples signatures

[msc 17,719]

It's very simple. Google "Young people who are ill and totally not on David Quantick's Showbiz Pals shortlist", and hope for the best.

[Joey Russ 7,119]

1 hour ago, FixedBusiness said:

I've never replied to this thread yet, so here goes
I have a google doc of about 200 names (and still adding) to be future dp candidates and such. The thing is, most of these people are older people instead of younger ill people because I have no idea how to research for younger ill people (I'm dumb...) except for looking in other peoples signatures

If you need any help, I'm pretty sure I just heard that Peter Falk is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. 

[FixedBusiness 407]

5 minutes ago, Joey Russ said:

If you need any help, I'm pretty sure I think I just heard that Peter Falk is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. 

Thanks a lot! Did you hear that Peter Falk is suffering from Alzheimer's disease?

[msc 17,719]

Damn, that's a shame. Love Columbo.

[msc 17,719]

 

[Joey Russ 7,119]

I am tired of all the folk who are under 18 that are showing up on a lot of my search terms. So annoying. 

[Joey Russ 7,119]

Right, so I was trying to figure out how obitable a person was, but while I was trying to figure it out, there turns out to be another person with the exact same name born in the exact same year. Which means if they make the final cut, I'm actually going to have to actually differentiate between the two people...

[RadGuy 1,605]

So I've been too busy with school to visit the DL forums. This morning I came on for the first time in 4 days.

Read all 84 unread threads and 500 unread posts just to make sure I don't miss out on anyone for the longlist. Glad I did - 5 new additions.

[msc 17,719]

Was watching random shit on Channel 5 a few weeks ago, when one of the talking heads on a documentary was actually on my shortlist at one point last year! I'd turned her down early on due to obit concerns, and here she was talking about snogging a famous guy! Feck it, critical research failure, I thought. Went to look her up. In remission for 7 months. Phew!

 

Only I've just discovered she's relapsed, so man, lots of swearing from Glasgow might be incoming soon!

 

 

 

 

[Sir Creep 7,011]

I really don't want to start another thread, but I would like to put together a few target names as examples of people who did not obit who I find rather astonishing.  I think it would help when cobbling together a DDP team, and useful as a litmus test of who NOT to put on your team or to do so with trepidation.  Simply looking at the List of the Lost is useless, many of those names were shots in the dark.  A couple may be notable though.

Don't you folks OWN Canada?  I mean...in a manner of speaking.  Australia too.
So I do find it interesting that Canadian MP Arnold Chan, who's 2-year battle with cancer was certainly known, fails to obit in the UK media.  Thus, I guess I am wrong about the tie-in between the countries.  Sure, the likes of Chan could be a unique pick on a slow news cycle day, but it wasn't meant to be.  I should think, therefore, when compiling a groups of people who will not obit, Canadian MPs must be near the top of the list.

SC

[msc 17,719]

Canada's weird like that. No one really dislikes it, it seems cool, but it rarely seems to be thought about. Canadian MPs, even less so. Unless they were a rare household name like Trudeau. Either Trudeau. Their PMs will obit, sure, but even their Cabinet members might struggle.

 

Any Joe or Jane Bloggs who ever got into parliament in the UK (Scotland, Wales, N Ireland or UK as a whole) will get the obit. Any President, President's cabinet member, notable family of President, Senators, and probably most congressmen will get the obit. Their families too, if the stories big enough. Any state congress folk or dog catchers, forget it.

 

This year's had a few wrong turns (bloody hockey players! what's up with really old chess guys? etc) but in general, the biggest group who don't obit are Obscure Nonentities no one has ever heard of.

 

[Sir Creep 7,011]

Our political structure is a bit muddling for sure.  We have the federal govt (Washington DC) and each state has 2 Senators.  Those should obit, even across the Pond.  Each state sends numerous Representatives to DC, and due to abundance, they may not (probably won't?) obit in the UK.
Each state has it's own govt and senators/representatives.  They almost certainly won't obit (this is why I bellyache about the UK DPers having an edge, imagine if tables turned).  In fact, even the dramatic cancerous death of Rep Ruth Samuelson (N.C.) this year went all but unnoticed in American outlets not located in North Carolina.  I woulda thought they all get a NYTimes obit, but that wasn't the case.  Not even close.  So there's that.

SC

[Thatcher 2,123]

Important to remember that the Daily Mail has DailyMail.com (covered mostly by reporters in the USA) and Daily Mail Australia (covered mostly by reporters in Australia). They're quite different from just a regional section, the like of which appears on the BBC homepage. That increases your obituary chances for a few more obscure figures and politicians, as the reporters have more chance of picking up local stories. Additionally, the Daily Mail often gives obituaries for US Senators and Representatives through the Associated Press wire, due it being an American news organisation. 

 

Ice Hockey, Baseball and American Football players are also profiting from the AP wire on the Daily Mail and gaining obituaries when those sports have a very low level of importance or coverage in the UK. 

[Joey Russ 7,119]

Yeah, that's why some obscurer politicians from those countries (not all of them) may have a chance to obit. For example, had Fiona Richardson lasted the year out instead of dying 12 hours after her health announcement, there was a large likelihood she would've made my lineup. Whereas some obscure Bollywood star such as Sitaram Panchal had no chance of making my team despite being in Slumdog Millionaire cause he didn't do anything else notable. So, it's probably a good idea to try to sniff out which picks are good picks and which picks are bad picks, and those Mail sites will help you, which is a reason why I'm against removing the mail... 

[msc 17,719]

.... unless they're on my team, of course.

 

 

wow, Joey, talk about ninja'ing a post in and completely wrecking the flow of this one!

 

[msc 17,719]

Yes, the Mail is the deadpooler's (and fascist's, of course) friend.

[Sir Creep 7,011]

21 hours ago, Joey Russ said:

Yeah, that's why some obscurer politicians from those countries (not all of them) may have a chance to obit. For example, had Fiona Richardson lasted the year out instead of dying 12 hours after her health announcement, there was a large likelihood she would've made my lineup. Whereas some obscure Bollywood star such as Sitaram Panchal had no chance of making my team despite being in Slumdog Millionaire cause he didn't do anything else notable. So, it's probably a good idea to try to sniff out which picks are good picks and which picks are bad picks, and those Mail sites will help you, which is a reason why I'm against removing the mail... 

I consider all Bollywood and most Asians for that matter, obscure.  For our purposes.  Oh hell, for any purpose.

SC