Dead Pool March Update

It's been an interesting month, but all of our pool entrants are still yet to score.

The month began on the 2nd with the death at age 82 of Paul Raymond, respected publisher of gems of the British literary establishment, Razzle and Men Only.

On the 4th as previously reported, the world farewelled E. Gary Gygax, co-creator of the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons and widely considered the godfather of modern gaming.

On the 5th we heard the sad news that actor Patrick Swayze had been diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer, and has approximately five weeks to live. The outpouring of emotion following this announcement was huge, and our hearts go out to Patrick and his family.

Also on the 5th was the death of computer science professor Joseph Weizenbaum, creator of the classic computer game ELIZA in 1966. ELIZA was a text-based game in which the computer acted as psychologist, responding to keywords entered by the user. Infuriating, but fun and very addictive, ELIZA prompted a lot of early discussion about the potential applications and the potential dangers of Artificial Intelligence.

On the 16th, US actor Ivan Dixon passed away at the age of 70. Ivan was best known for playing Sergeant "Kinch" Kinchloe (the black guy) in classic 1960s TV show Hogan's Heroes.

On the 18th, award-winning director Anthony Minghella, famed for The English Patient and The Talented Mr Ripley, died at the age of 54 after complications from throat cancer surgery.

The 19th saw the death of British science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke. I've already said quite a lot about this. And I'm still quite upset.

Finally, on the 25th we farewelled a man who has brought so much happiness to so much of the world. You may not know his name, but he has helped you through hangovers, he has been with you on those early morning drives, and his legacy will remain for many a year.

Herb Peterson, inventor of the Bacon and Egg McMuffin, has passed away at the age of 89.

Rest in peace, man. Rest In Peace.

Arthur C. Clarke

March is turning out to be a rough month for the nerds.

On the 4th we lost Gary Gygax, a giant of the gaming and fantasy world, and today Arthur C. Clarke, renowned writer, scientist, futurist, humanist and visionary passed away at his home in Sri Lanka.

I'm not going to attempt to offer a detailed obituary for Clarke. Most of it is well known, and anything else I know of his life is just what's on Wikipedia. I don't have much to add to that.

All I do want to say is how much this man's vision and work has touched my life.

As a child I loved his television show Mysterious World. It opened up my curiosity for science. It showed me that asking questions was the way to knowledge, and that even the strangest of phenomena could be studied and understood and explained.

As a teenager I read and loved his novels and short stories. His writing combined the very best of storytelling with his extraordinary visions of the future. These visions were at once optimistic and cautionary. He knew that mankind could achieve great things but also had the potential, if compassion were missing, to wreak havoc on itself and its world.

This compassion was the key to his storytelling genius. In every single one of Clarke's stories, he never lost sight of the need to make it about people. Technology and its impacts were only ever important to the extent that they affected people.

Clarke's philosophies, both scientific and storytelling, were perfectly crystallised in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film's theme of man's evolution, from Neanderthal to star child, is mesmerising and deeply moving. The film shows us that man can reach for the stars, and that great things await him when he gets there.

At the age of 90, I guess Clarke's passing is not totally unexpected.

There will be shock and sadness as the news is announced, but I think this is because people like Clarke just seem like they could live forever.

His work and his name certainly will.

Vale Gary Gygax

Nerds the world over are mourning the death on Tuesday of E. Gary Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons and the father of the modern role-playing game.

While I was into some role-playing games as a kid, I wasn't hugely into D&D. The fantasy genre always left me a little cold, and D&D was always a bit too Tolkein for my liking.

Some fantasy-buff friends of mine would spend days at a time building D&D characters, creating scenarios and drawing ridiculously detailed maps of mountain paths and dungeons. I'd sit and watch for a while, play the odd game with them, but soon get bored and go read some Asimov or Lovecraft.

Even in the role-playing world it was always the horror and science fiction genres for me, with games like Chill, The Call of Cthulhu and Paranoia.

But still, I appreciate that D&D is where it all began.

Almost from inception, D&D managed to engender moral panic in some of the less imaginative sections of society. I remember hearing a lot about this when I was at school in the early 1980s, with D&D being blamed for everything from the rise in teen suicide to the impending apocalypse.

Of course, this only served to increase its exposure and popularity. Boggle just didn't get that sort of press.

D&D's influence on popular culture in general and gaming in particular cannot be denied. Its notion of immersive and freeform gameplay has influenced a new generation of computer games, with World of Warcraft and Second Life just two of the most obvious examples.

But even this isn't really new. These recent MMORPGs are just the latest in a long line that started way back with text-based adventure games on the very earliest home personal computers. D&D's genesis in the mid-70s coincided with the introduction of the first PCs, and those text-based adventure games were simple attempts to recreate the atmosphere of a D&D round-table.

The tabletop game still exists of course, although its popularity has taken a hit from the ubiquity and quality of the gaming console. But in any high school or university you'll still be able to find, huddled away in some dark corner, a group of nerds quietly rolling their dice and going on their heroic quests.

Gygax really started something special with D&D. It continues to this day and Gygax will be remembered for as long as nerds continue to gather together, fuelled by too much pizza and coke, to lay waste to the armies of orcs and demons in their imaginations.

And when the battles are done, there'll be more than a few mugs of virtual mead raised in Gary's honour tonight.

Dead Pool February Update

Another month has passed, and no-one is yet to score in the competition. Here we are, one-sixth of the way through the year and all those nominated are still hanging on.

But over in the realms of the un-nominated, we've seen a few well-known souls drop off the perch this month.

On the 2nd actor Barry Morse passed away. He was best known for playing Lt. Phillip Gerard in the 1960s TV show The Fugitive, a role later made famous by Tommy Lee Jones in the 1993 movie (albeit with the name changed to Marshall Samuel Gerard).

On the 5th Maharishi Yogi, the father of transcendental meditation and spiritual adviser to The Beatles, died at the ripe old age of 91.

This was the very same day that the Beatles song Across the Universe (supposedly influenced by John Lennon's interest in transcendental meditation) was beamed into space to celebrate NASA's 50th anniversary.

Spooky.

Two days later Ray Martin's career, which had been on life support for some time, finally gave up the ghost with his sacking from Channel Nine.
And not a moment too soon.

The 10th brought the death of US actor Roy Scheider, famous for the line "You're gonna need a bigger boat" in Jaws, and for playing Heywood Floyd in 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the not-too-bad sequel to Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

On the 13th Smoky Dawson, Australian Musician/Radio Star/Armchair Salesman/Legend died at the age of 94 after a short illness.

On the 19th it was announced that Fidel Castro had resigned as President of Cuba. This, of course, does nothing to address the conspiracy theory that he actually croaked a full 18 months ago.

Then at the Oscars ceremony on the 24th Brad Renfro (whose death last month shocked the entertainment world, until Heath Ledger's death a week later rendered it instantaneously forgotten) was mysteriously and controversially omitted from the Oscars "In Memoriam" montage.

No good reason was given by the Academy, apart from some lame excuses about "not being able to fit everybody in". One can only assume his death, from an overdose of heroin and morphine, was considered too sordid.

At the same ceremony, Owen Wilson looked healthy and well presenting the Oscar for Best Short Film. This maybe puts predictions of an untimely death for the actor into the long-odds category. But then again, maybe it doesn't.

Our interest was piqued on the 18th when Nancy Reagan was admitted to hospital with a suspected broken hip. But she was released two days later. Close, but no cigar.

And finally, the 19th brought the sad death at age 100 of Emily Perry, the British actress famed for her role as Madge Allsop, Dame Edna's long-suffering bridesmaid. May she rest in peace. She certainly deserves it after all that.

And that's it for February, folks. Another month down and ten more to go.

Our eyes are scanning the magazines for that magic headline. Our ears are attuned to the sound of the death knell. Our minds, which could be otherwise productively occupied, are constantly considering the implications of the tiniest events.

As soon as anything happens, we'll let you know.

Dead Pool January Update

We're one month into 2008 and already there's been a huge amount of activity in the area of celebrity mortality. Unfortunately none of it has translated into points for any of our entrants.

The month started with Britney having a very public meltdown and custody crisis. It's all gone a bit quiet now, but earlier today (Melbourne time) celebrity blogger Perez Hilton reported on another media gathering at her house, and the rumour that she'd attempted suicide. We'll be watching this one closely.

On the 11th we saw the passing of Sir Edmund Hillary, conqueror of Everest, philanthropist and all-round nice guy. Then on the 15th the world lost Brad Renfro, a young and talented actor taken way before his time.

The 17th was a tragic day for classic TV, with the passing of both Suzanne Pleshette (of The Bob Newhart Show and Will & Grace) and Allan Melvin (otherwise known as Sam the Butcher from The Brady Bunch).

On the 22nd, we were shocked by the announcement that Heath Ledger had been found dead in Mary-Kate Olsen's SoHo apartment.

On the 27th, Indonesion dictator Suharto died after suffering renal failure, and it's just been announced in the last few hours that British TV personality Jeremy Beadle has died, aged 59.

Scores in the dead pool are still nil-all. But the year is young.

Dead Pool 2008 Nominations

Thank to everyone who has entered the 2008 Dead Pool.

We've got a huge variety in the nominations . . . big-scoring outside chances rub shoulders with low-scoring safe bets.

It should make for an interesting year.

The nomination lists are below for your ghoulish pleasure.

Amanda
Tom Cruise
Queen Elizabeth II
Paris Hilton
Barry Humphries
Elton John
Bert Newton
Nicole Richie
Ian Thorpe
Donald Trump
Amy Winehouse

Eliza
Muhammad Ali
Fidel Castro
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Michael Jackson
Jenna Jameson
Osama Bin Laden
Courtney Love
Liza Minelli
Keith Richards
Amy Winehouse

Jill
Akihito, Emperor of Japan
Ernest Borgnine
Kirk Douglas
Angela Lansbury
Liza Minelli
Peter O'Toole
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Nancy Reagan
Britney Spears
Gough Whitlam

Kate
Pamela Anderson
Fidel Castro
Doris Day
Andy Dick
Farrah Fawcett
Estelle Getty
Rudolph Giuliani
Michael Jackson
Margaret Thatcher
Steven Tyler

Kylie
Pamela Anderson
Fidel Castro
Clint Eastwood
Queen Elizabeth II
Hugh Hefner
Osama Bin Laden
Liza Minelli
Keith Richards
Britney Spears
Amy Winehouse

Shannon
Fidel Castro
Ben Cousins
Jayden James Federline
Sean Preston Federline
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Jerry Lewis
Nelson Mandela
Pervez Musharraf
Ariel Sharon
Margaret Thatcher

Spoon
Tony Bennett
Queen Elizabeth II
Michael J. Fox
Paris Hilton
Michael Jackson
John Laws
Paul Newman
William Shatner
Elizabeth Taylor
Owen Wilson

Five days to go . . .

Only five days remain to get your nominations in for the 2008 Celebrity Dead Pool!

Here's your chance to ponder the eternal questions of life and death. Tell the universe whose time you think is up, who may be likely (sadly) to go before they deserve, and who you just flat out don't like anymore.

There's no entry fee to play and a double pass to Village Cinema Gold Class for the winner. Rules and scoring details are here.

All nominations must be received no later than 31 December 2007 (that's Melbourne time, kids) so email your entries to me at mattsdeadpool@gmail.com.

And thanks to my lovely wife for the awesome sidebar banner. Isn't she talented?

Dead Pool Update - Email Address

Greetings, players.

A few people have expressed concern about posting their nominations before anyone else . . . and showing their hand, as it were.

It's felt that waiting until the last minute will provide an unfair advantage over those with the courage to get their nominations in early.

This is a very valid concern and to alleviate this, I've created an email account for your use.

If you'd rather not advertise your nominations before the game begins, then please email them to mattsdeadpool@gmail.com.

I will collect and collate all the nominations, and post them once the game has begun.

Dead Pool Update

A couple of quick updates on the Dead Pool.

First, the keen-eyed among you will have noticed the link on the right-hand sidebar. Clicking on this will pull up all posts relating to the Dead Pool, allowing you quick and easy access to all the relevant info.

Second, the mysterious unnamed prize has been decided. The winner of the 2008 Dead Pool will be awarded with a double pass to Village Cinema Gold Class. This will be an Australian pass, and therefore useful only to Australian entrants.

If you're playing internationally, then . . . we'll work something out.

Good luck !

Celebrity Dead Pool 2008

Welcome friends, to the macabre world of The Celebrity Dead Pool 2008.

The rules are very simple.

You nominate a list of up to 10 celebrities that you think will shuffle off this mortal coil between 12am on 1 January 2008 and 12am on 1 January 2009.

Points are awarded for each correct guess, and the highest score at the end of the year will win a prize.

That's it. It's very simple.

Please enter your list in the comments section of this post.

I will post updates as events unfold throughout the year.

The scoring method and rules are below.

Let's get to it.

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Scoring

1. The score awarded for a correctly predicted death will be determined by the formula 100 minus Age at Date of Death.

2. A person's "age" will be defined as their Age Last Birthday. This figure is incremented at the instant of 12am on the date of the person's birthday. This means that if a person dies on their birthday, their age is taken as the age they had just become that day.

3. If a person is over the age of 100 at their date of death, the score will be zero.

4. In the event of dispute about a person's precise age, the issue will be investigated by the moderator (which is me) and a decision made based on the best available evidence. The moderator's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered in to.

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The Rules

1. All nominated persons must be human and must be alive as of 12am on 1 January 2008.

2. If you make a nomination and the person dies before 12am on 1 January 2008, you may substitute another name. You have 1 day's grace, and the substitution must happen before 12am on 2 January 2008.

3. Nominated persons must be famous or infamous in their own right, not (for example) because they're sick, or because they're very old, or because they're hideously and tragically deformed, or because they're about to undergo an extraordinary, ground-breaking and very risky operation.

4. For a death to be valid, it must be reported by at least one major mainstream media outlet. Examples include AP, AAP, Reuters, a major national or metropolitan newspaper or a major national or metropolitan TV network. Your blog doesn't count.

5. The death of a local celebrity will only be valid if their death is reported by a national media outlet, or by a major media outlet in another city.

6. If a nominated person is on death row at the start of the game, no points will be awarded if they are executed. Similarly, if a nominated person is being held hostage at the start of the game, no points will be awarded if they are killed by their captors or in a rescue attempt. Points will be awarded only if the nominated person dies from another cause.

7. Each nomination list may have at most 10 names.

8. No name may appear on a nomination list more than once. You may, however, submit more than one list.

9. Any attempts to influence the result via murderous acts will result in immediate disqualification.