Well we tried this last year, but of the 64 individuals named, a grand total of 64 of them are still alive and well. Few were particularly bad guesses, so the inevitable conclusion is that we are simply fated to do badly. Anyone considering refraining from hypothesising should therefore consider that by taking part, they are quite possibly increasing the likelihood of survival for those that they would have picked.

Before I name my guesses, I think it's apt to remember Luciano Pavarotti, Evel Knievel (who I'd have sworn had been dead for years), Kurt Vonnegut and all the others that did leave us in the last year.


The scoring system is as follows. Each correct guess is worth 10 points plus another point for each year below 90 that they were on death (if they were below 90). A 91 year old individual would be worth 10 points, as would a 110 year old. However a 85 year old would be worth 15 points and a 25 year old, a whole 75 points. So you could pick a lot of more likely, low point people; or a set of high value longshots. Or a mixture of the two. Or whatever you want really.

And now on to the picks:

1. Abe Vigoda (86) - although I've read that his death has been foretold for a while now

2. Tony Bennett (81)

3. Kirk Douglas (91)

4. Amy Winehouse (24) - My only real long-shot pick. I read somewhere or other that she doesn't think she can survive without her husband, who I think is going to prison or something. I don't put as much research into this stuff as my canny foretelling suggests.

5. Quincy Jones (74)

6. Roger Moore (80) - It's been 46 years since the first Bond film came out, and unless you count David Niven, they're all still alive. Moore is the oldest, so I'm picking him as the first one down.

7. Ray Wilson (73) - Same as with Moore, I have no desire for this to happen but I figure that it's about the right time for another of the England '66 team to go.

8. Ariel Sharon (79) - This was a toss-up between Sharon and Castro. According to the great, but unreliable source of information that is Wikipedia, Castro is on the mend, so that sorted this choice.

9. Carl Reiner (85)

10. Olivia de Havilland (91) - Even though she's the oldest one on this list, for some reason I don't think this will be her year. I'm just putting her down for the benefit of gender equality.

Why do we give children pets? More importantly, why give children adorable and lovable pets that have a lifespan that practically guarantees that the animal will be dead before the child is grown up. I mean; rabbits average about 5 years, mice and other rodents last about 2, and even the ever-popular cats and dogs each have an average life-expectancy of 12 years or so.

What's needed is a rise in support for alternative pets. The advertising campaign pretty much writes itself. "[insert animal name] - the pet that won't let you down".

With inflation taken into account, I predict that horses will become the new dogs in the next decade or so. So at least when it does kick the bucket, the average life-span of 20 years means that its owner will be emotionally equipped for the loss. And since the general populace will now be able to afford horses, the rich and famous will need a new animal. Since I'd expect them to want in on the new long lasting animal phenomenon, they'll all probably go with dolphins (20 years) or elephants (40 years), depending on whether or not they already have a swimming pool. The super-rich will naturally get polar-bears (20 years), and then later turn them into carpets, handbags or shoes. Or people could just keep it simple and go with the friendly tortoise. But then again, it isn't quite as cuddly. Perhaps cuddly furry shells are what's needed.

I haven't been checking the news for the past few days and the first I heard of this was prime minister's questions on the BBC news website this afternoon.

My page is starting to look more like the obituary section of a newspaper as of late, but this is a person that I have an intense respect for so I'm going to post it anyway.

Peter Law was a lifelong politician. He became a local councillor in his home constituency of Blanau Gwent at the young age of 22. He was appointed to the Welsh Assembly (like the House of Commons but without the power or the neat looking building) in 1999 but lost out when the leader stepped down to be replaced by the new (politically correct fool) Rhodri Morgan in 2000.

2005 was to be his starring year however. I should precede this by pointing out that Blaunau Gwent was the safest Labour constituency in the entirety of Wales, and I believe the second or third in the UK. In a shocking display of 'positive discrimination', the Labour party created a shortlist for the candidate for that seat consisting only of women. Their reasoning, and I quote, was that "it needed to increase the number of women MPs from Wales". Mr Law broke away from the Labour party to stand as an independent. Unfortunately the discovery of a tumour in his brain forced him to stand down as a candidate. However, after his swift recovery, he changed his mind and decided to stand anyway. He won the seat with over 9,000 majority. (The Labour candidate he beat, incidentally has recently been nominated for a peerage - entrance into the House of Lords). The Labour party never forgave him for costing them that seat, and their majority of 1 in the Welsh Assembly, but he was also named Welsh politician of the year last December.

Unfortunately ill health has dogged him for months and this was an end that was inevitable. He died on April 24th, leaving behind a wife and 5 children. He was 58. He was a man who fought against injustices and one of the few politicians that I can say that I truly admire without sarcasm or jest. Blanau Gwent, and the world at large is poorer for having lost him. I apologise for ranting. This is probably a far better look at his life. Thanks for reading.