This Week in Death brings you: This Week in Death! Below are all the notes and news to cover a week's worth of health and death. There are more health notices than the sight-less can read, and more death than blind people on freeways. How is Tim Johnson this week? What's the latest on Fidel Castro? Which Music or TV persona - whom I have never heard of - died? (Hint: It's Bud Ekins) We don't need a seeing-eye dog to lead us down this path, we have TWID to mark the way....
No points deaths... means we jump right to Health...
With Kennedy, It's More Removing the Artery from the Blockage
Sen. Ted Kennedy was released from the hospital Saturday, following a procedure Friday to remove an artery blockage, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Democrat said."Senator Kennedy was released from Massachusetts General Hospital today following Friday's successful surgery to remove blockage in his carotid artery. After a few days of rest at home in Hyannis Port, the senator will return to the Senate," said Melissa Wagoner. Kennedy's office said the blockage was discovered "as part of a routine evaluation of Senator Kennedy's back and spine."
[CNN]
Next Time on the Castro/Chavez Super Fun Variety Hour... Fidel and Hugo Perform a Special Version of "Afternoon Delight"
Fidel Castro made his first live appearance on Cuban airwaves since falling ill 14 months ago, sounding lucid and in good humor as he exchanged praise and jokes Sunday with the Venezuelan president. Castro's telephone call to a television and radio program came minutes after visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez aired a new videotape of their weekend meeting in which he sang revolutionary hymns to Castro and called him "father of all revolutionaries." "I am very touched when you sing about Che," Castro told Chavez during his hour-long call to Chavez's "Alo, Presidente!" program — referring to revolutionary icon Ernesto "Che" Guevara, to whom the program was dedicated. "There is electricity in the air," Chavez said, obviously pleased with Castro's call.
[Yahoo!]
Big Stein to Have Plenty of Time for Ham and Cheese with the Fancy Mustard
The George Steinbrenner era is apparently all but over. According to a report in the New York Post, the "Boss" has handed over control of the New York Yankees to his sons Hank and Hal Steinbrenner as he faces up to declining health. George Steinbrenner, 77, was seldom seen at Yankee Stadium this season, attending only three games as his health kept him away. The Post reported that the final details of the new arrangement are yet to be determined — something that will happen in meetings scheduled for Tampa, Florida next week — but Hank and Hal Steinbrenner are to take over the day-to-day running of the team.
[MSNBC]
♪ Hey, Dakotans, it's me. I bet you thought that I was dead. But when I left the Senate I just had a stroke and got a hemorrhage in my head! ♫
A gathering here Wednesday billed as a forum to discuss farm legislation with Sen. Tim Johnson was from the start as much an opportunity for South Dakotans to assess the health and progress of their ailing senior U.S. senator. Johnson, who suffered a brain hemorrhage last December, took several months to rehabilitate before returning to work in September. He still shows signs of weakness on his right side, has slow speech and has difficulty walking - all effects of the stroke-like illness that suddenly afflicted him. But as Johnson tours South Dakota this week - earlier in Rapid City and on to Sioux Falls today - he says he feels stronger than when he visited the state in late August."I feel good. I feel better ... I hang in there, and it's going good, and I look forward to getting better and better," he said Wednesday.
[Argus Leader]
From health, it's just one small skip to death....
God, This Bud's For You. You'll Know He's Fully Cold When the Mountains on His Skin Turn Blue... Like Your Eyes.
Bud Ekins, a devil-may-care motorcyclist who went from racing through the mountain trails and desert rambles of Southern California in the late 1940s to renown as the stuntman double for Steve McQueen in a 65-foot flight over a barbed-wire barrier, died Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 77 and lived in Hollywood. The death was confirmed by his daughter Susan. Though known for that spine-tingling, if not vertebrae-crunching, leap to freedom while on the run from a German P.O.W. camp in "The Great Escape" (1963) and for some dazzling car stunts as well, Mr. Ekins was far more famous among ardent bikers and weekend fans of motorcycle racing.
[New York Times]
So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye
Werner von Trapp, a member of the musical family made famous by the 1965 movie "The Sound of Music," has died, his family said. He was 91. Von Trapp died Thursday at his home in Waitsfield. The cause of death was not announced. The family confirmed his death, but declined to comment further. "The Sound of Music" was based loosely on a 1949 book by his stepmother, Maria von Trapp, who died in 1987. It tells the story of an Austrian woman who married a widower with seven children and teaches them music. Born in 1915 in Zell am See, Austria, von Trapp was the fourth child and second son of Captain Georg von Trapp and his first wife, Agathe Whitehead. In the movie "The Sound of Music," Werner von Trapp was depicted by the character named Kurt.
[Yahoo!]
Edwyn Owen Did Believe in Miracles. Unfortunately, His Came Playing Hockey
Edwyn Owen, who played on the 1960 team that won the first Olympic gold medal in ice hockey for the United States, was found dead Friday in a burning car near a park here. He was 71. Autopsy results released Monday said that Owen, who was known as Bob, died of smoke inhalation, thermal burns and heart disease. Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire but said part of the engine probably made accidental contact with dry grass, leading to flames that spread to the car. Owen played on the team that won the gold in Squaw Valley, Calif. He did not play professional hockey after the Olympics. He supported Topeka's minor league hockey teams over the years.
[New York Times]
You Win, Soe, you Lose Soe, Soetimes you Die
Burmese Prime Minister Soe Win has died in a military hospital after a long illness, state media said. Relatives said Gen Soe Win, 59, had been battling acute leukaemia. Since May his duties have been performed by an acting prime minister, Thein Sein. Soe Win's death comes after Burma's military launched a deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters led by the country's revered Buddhist monks. Analysts say his death is unlikely to have much impact on the aftermath.
[BBC]
Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan -- You're 12th Man Has Arrived
Alec Kessler, a Georgia basketball star who played four seasons for the Miami Heat before becoming an orthopedic surgeon, died after collapsing during a pickup game. He was 40. He appeared to have had a heart attack Saturday in Pensacola, Fla., and was pronounced dead a short time later at Gulf Breeze Hospital, the university said Sunday. Kessler, 6-foot-11, was the captain of Georgia's 1990 Southeastern Conference championship team and became a first-round NBA draft pick. Kessler was an orthopedic surgeon in Pensacola. He graduated from Georgia with a microbiology degree and from the Emory School of Medicine in 1999.
[Yahoo!]
This Week Was Somebody's Birthday! Whose Birthday? Some Death Pool Entrants' Birthdays. How Old Are They? 1,2,3... And Never been Kissed By... Death
Happy Birthday to:
October 10: Harold Pinter (77)
October 12: Bob Sheppard (97)
October 13: Sacha Baron Cohen (36)
October 13: Margaret Thatcher (82)
October 14: John Wooden (97)
October 15: Yitzhak Shamir (92)
... And Many More!!!!!!!!
The points drought continues and, honestly, it's all your fault. The Top 5 remain...
1. El Esta Adead - 76 points (6 deaths)
2. The Ex-Parrots - 62.3 points (6 deaths)
3. Kraut's Picks - 60.9 points (8 deaths)
4. Yiz-score - 54.3 points (4 deaths)
5. Struck Down by Yahweh - 53.6 points (6 deaths)
Paris Hilton may think Stars are Blind; We light the way with TWID...
The Commissioner's Council
Monday, October 15, 2007
TWID - White Cane Safety Day Edition
Monday, October 1, 2007
TWID - Fourth Quarter Edition
This Week in Death brings you up to date on the week's events from the glorious afterlife. While the soothing light at the end of the tunnel may be a distance away, you'll find here the relevant information to secure the emotional bond that connects man and his soon-to-be corpses. Two roads diverge in Hades but only one leads to the Death Cup.
1. Health News
Castro Latest to Come Out with Shocking Celebrity Life Tape; Claims it was Made for Personal Use
Fidel Castro looked alert and healthier during an hour-long interview taped and aired on Cuban television Friday, responding to rumors of his death with a defiant ``here I am.'' In the first video of the ailing 81-year-old revolutionary seen in more than three months, a pale Castro stayed seated the entire time, spoke slowly and softly and didn't always look the interviewer in the eye. But he appeared to be thinking clearly. Early in the interview, Castro often trailed off mid-sentence, and needed some prompting by the interviewer. He had bags under his eyes, sunken cheeks and his thin gray beard looked as wispy as ever. But he appeared to get stronger and more comfortable as time passed.
[Guardian]
He Meant Howie Mandel, Dana Perino Said
Nelson Mandela is still very much alive despite an embarrassing gaffe by U.S. President George W. Bush, who alluded to the former South African leader's death in an attempt to explain sectarian violence in Iraq. "It's out there. All we can do is reassure people, especially South Africans, that President Mandela is alive," Achmat Dangor, chief executive officer of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, said. References to his death -- Mandela is now 89 and increasingly frail -- are seen as insensitive in South Africa.
[Reuters]
Yankee Doodle - Not So Dandy
The son of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has been elected as Chairman of the Board by the Yankees Board of Directors. That puts Hal Steinbrenner in line to one day run the team, something his father has done since the early 1970s. Hal Steinbrenner replaces Steve Swindall, who was removed as chairman after George Steinbrenner's daughter initiated divorce proceedings against him. The question of who would take over the team has been a major issue since the elder Steinbrenner's health has been in question recently.
[New York 1]
If Fawcett Leaves Earth Cast, Rumored to be Replaced by Cheryl Ladd
Former Charlie's Angels star Farrah Fawcett has suffered a relapse in her battle against cancer and plans to pursue alternative treatments in Germany, a celebrity magazine reports. "She is in Germany for therapy. She is getting informed about several treatment methods that would be possible for her," Kathrin Collins, a spokeswoman for the 60-year-old icon of the hit 1970s television series, told Germany's weekly Bunte which hits newsstands tomorrow. Bunte reported cancerous cells reappeared in her colon in May.
[The Age]
2. Death News
Benadryl Inventor Finds Death Relieves Allergy and Cold Symptoms
George Rieveschl, a chemical engineer (not a medical doctor) whom millions of sufferers of allergies, colds, rashes, hives and hay fever can thank for the relief they receive by swallowing a capsule of beta-dimethylaminoethylbenzhydryl ether hydrochloride — the antihistamine he invented and renamed Benadryl — died Thursday in Cincinnati. He was 91 and lived in Covington, Ky. The cause was pneumonia, his wife, Ellen, said.
[New York Times]
Overtime of Wirtz's Life Ends in Sudden Death
William Wirtz, the longtime owner of the Chicago Blackhawks notorious for driving a hard bargain, died Wednesday at age 77. In an announcement on the team Web site, the Blackhawks said Wirtz died at Evanston Hospital after battling cancer. Wirtz was chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Hockey League for 18 years and helped negotiate the merger of the NHL and the World Hockey Association in the late 1970's. Wirtz's stewardship of the Blackhawks was long questioned, with the criticism becoming more vociferous in recent years. Many fans blamed him for allowing too many good players to leave over the years, and for his refusal to televise most home games.
[ESPN]
Miss Moneypenny Only Lived Once, She Lived and was Let Die
Actress Lois Maxwell, who starred as Miss Moneypenny in a string of James Bond movies, has died aged 80. Maxwell starred in 14 Bond films as the secretary to M, the secret agent's boss and head of the secret service. She appeared in more movies than any of the actors who played the lead role in the spy series, including Sir Sean Connery and Sir Roger Moore. "I think it was a great disappointment to her that she had not been promoted to play M. She would have been a wonderful M."
[BBC]
Shapira Also Opposed Anatomical Concessions to Death
Rabbi Avraham Shapira, an Israeli Orthodox Jewish leader best known for urging soldiers to disobey orders to evacuate the Gaza Strip, died Thursday in Jerusalem. He was 94. Rabbi Shapira, a chief rabbi in Israel for 10 years beginning in 1983, spent much of his life fighting vigorously against territorial concessions to the Palestinians, emerging as one of the Jewish state's most divisive religious figures. In 2005, he called on observant soldiers to disobey orders to dismantle 21 Jewish settlements during Israel's withdrawal from Gaza that year. Rabbi Shapira also opposed the first Israeli-Palestinian peace accords in 1993, saying Jewish law forbade Israel from transferring holy land to the Palestinians.
[New York Times]
This Week Was Somebody's Birthday! Whose Birthday? Some Death Pool Entrants' Birthdays. How Old Are They? 1,2,3... And Never been Kissed By... Death
Happy Birthday to:
September 25: Colin Friels (55)
September 26: Emilio Navarro (102)
September 29: Jerry Lee Lewis (72)
September 30: Deborah Kerr (86)
October 1: Tom Bosley (80)
October 1: Jimmy Carter (83)
October 1: Grete Waitz (54)
... And Many More!!!!!!!!
We've entered the last quarter of the race. No points deaths this week means no change in the Top 5, who remain...
1. El Esta Adead - 76 points (6 deaths)
2. The Ex-Parrots - 62.3 points (6 deaths)
3. Kraut's Picks - 60.9 points (8 deaths)
4. Yiz-score - 54.3 points (4 deaths)
5. Struck Down by Yahweh - 53.6 points (6 deaths)
T-W-I-D And TWID Was Its Name-O,
The Commissioner's Council
Monday, August 13, 2007
TWID - Road Trip Edition
This Week in Death brings you: A welcome relief from the summer heat! Hop a fence with us and join in on the fun. Get your beach balls inflated and your swim trunks on. Jump in so we can catch you up on the veritable ocean of news you need to know to be an educated death pool competitor. Don't forget to bring a towel! There's plenty of room for everyone, especially during the next week and a half. Death Pool has just been handed an urgent news story and it needs all of you to stop what your doing and listen... Cannonball!
We may not have it all, but at least we have our Health Updates...
Don't Worry, Your Job'll Be Waiting for You When You Get Back. Get better, George! Get betteeeeeeeeer!!!!!
New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is in ailing health, according to a lengthy story about him in the upcoming issue of Portfolio magazine. "He doesn't look all right. In fact, he looks dreadful," reporter Franz Lidz writes in the story, which hits newsstands Aug. 15. "Steinbrenner's face, pale and swollen, has a curiously undefined look." Lidz recounts a visit to Steinbrenner's home with Tom McEwen, a longtime Steinbrenner friend, in which Steinbrenner answers a series of different questions, including inquiries about his wife, Joan, by saying, "Great to see ya, Tommy."
http://www.sportingnews.com
Biggs' iPod Playlist Update: Artist - The Strokes; Album - Is This It? Song: Alone, Together
Ronnie Biggs, one of the masterminds of Britain's Great Train Robbery in 1963, is making a renewed bid to be released from jail on compassionate grounds, his lawyers said on Friday. The 77-year-old, who is partially paralyzed and can barely speak after suffering several strokes, wants to spend his remaining years with his family.
http://iafrica.com/news
http://www.contactmusic.com
An Opera in Three Parts... Act I: Dramatic Hospitalization; Act II: Wondrous Recovery; Stay Tuned for Act III
Opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti, diagnosed with cancer last year, is doing better after being admitted to hospital two days ago, his wife said on Friday. Pavarotti, 71, regarded by many as the greatest tenor of his generation, was taken to hospital with a high fever in his home town of Modena on Wednesday. He is being treated in the hospital's cancer ward. "He is doing better, thank you," Pavarotti's wife, Nicoletta Mantovani, who is 34 years his junior, told reporters as she left the cancer ward on Friday morning.
http://www.cnn.com/2007
And if you haven't got your health, what have you got? Death...
I'll Take Dead TV Legends for 800, Please: R __ S T I N P __ A C __
His birth name was Mervyn, but the world knew him as Merv Griffin. The 82-year-old died Sunday after being hospitalized earlier in the week for a recurrence of prostate cancer. Born in San Mateo, Calif., Griffin created two of the most popular game shows in syndicated history. "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" remain in production more than two decades after they began. He even wrote the theme music for "Jeopardy!" Beginning in the early 1960's, Griffin was a fixture on daytime TV. The 32-time Emmy nominee actually escorted 17 golden gals home for his work on "The Merv Griffin Show," according to the official website for Griffin's company, The Griffin Group.
http://www.abcnews.go.com
Hazlewood Walked Over by Renal Cancer, Given the Boot from Life
Lee Hazlewood, the reclusive songwriter and producer behind a slew of hits by Duane Eddy, Nancy Sinatra, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin in the 1950s and 1960s, including Ms. Sinatra's No. 1 smash "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," died on Saturday in Henderson, Nev. He was 78. The cause was renal cancer, said his publicist, Perry Serpa.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08
Wine Prolongs Lives; Heart Attacks End Them
Baron Elie Robert de Rothschild, who helped France's renowned Rothschild winemaking and banking dynasty recover from the ravages of World War II, died Monday while vacationing at his Austrian hunting lodge. He was 90. Rothschild had been on a hunting trip at his lodge near the Alpine village of Scharnitz outside Innsbruck when he suffered a fatal heart attack, police in the province of Tyrol said in a statement.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap
No Word Whether He Died In Order to Promote MGM's Upcoming "Death at a Funeral"
Frank Rosenfelt, who as chairman and CEO of MGM Studios helped green-light such classic movies as Network and Doctor Zhivago, has died. He was 85. Rosenfelt died Thursday at his Los Angeles home, his granddaughter, Stacey Lubliner, told The Associated Press on Tuesday. She did not know the cause of death. Rosenfelt, a lawyer, joined MGM in 1955 after spending five years in the legal department of RKO. He became MGM's general counsel in 1969 and was named studio chief after mogul Kirk Kerkorian bought MGM in 1972.
http://www.usatoday.com/life
This Week Was Somebody's Birthday! Whose Birthday? Some Death Pool Entrants' Birthdays. How Old Are They? 1,2,3... And Never been Kissed By... Death
Happy Birthday to:
August 7: Walid Jumblatt (58)
August 8: Ronnie Biggs (78)
August 10: Doyle Brunson (74)
August 10: Tom Laughlin (76)
August 13: Fidel Castro (81)
August 13: Dan Fogelberg (56)
... And Many More!!!!!!!!
Back by popular demand, the Commissioner's Council proudly brings you "Skinny Dipping," a weekly glance at some of the goings-on in the Pool. Columns will feature a more in-depth look at some of the squads and picks. To comment on this feature, or suggest an idea for "Skinny Dipping," feel free to send an email our way.
Last week in this space, entrants' ages, maybe the most popular factor in deciding picks, was given a closer look. Since having an age is something everybody has in common, another look at the data is certainly appropriate. You might even learn a few new words in the process! As noted last week, the oldest pool pick is Ruby Muhammed, currently 110 years young, making her the lone supercentenarian (Age ≥ 110) in the pool. Joining her are 11 centenarians (Age ≥ 100), which means 4% of the pool is living life in triple digits. Of the remaining 269 with known birth years, as of today's date 59 entrants are nonagenarians, 79 are octogenarians, 67 are septugenarians, 28 are sexagenarians, 18 are quinquagenarians, 12 are quadragenarians, 3 are tricenarians, and 3 are vicenarians. As of today, the average age is 78.2; the median age is 81.
Reminding you that Death claimed 42,642 people on the road in 2006, we remain...
