RIP, Claude. May you walk the many realms of the dead, cataloging their similarities and differences.Claude Levi-Strauss is taking notes on the Happy Hunting Grounds vs. the Elysian Fields and you DPers don't seem to have noticed. For shame! (And how is it that I'm paying more attention to this than the participants??) -- John (who did not join us this year, for mysterious reasons of his own)
Alas, Becca is no longer our angel of deathlessness. Thanks for putting her on the board, Claude. Double-alas, Claude's demise is similar in structure to many other recent demises in that it brings me points. Nine more ravens also go to Tom and Craig.
That brings my lead to nineteen points over the nearest contender, the very-annoyed-not-to-have-Claude-this-year Holly. Heather, Craig and Tom are all within ten points of Holly.
Unlike last year at this time, we don't have to do pretend to propose new scoring rules in order to imagine knocking me from my place in the lead. We all picked good portfolios so we all began with around 100 potential points. My remaining potential is down to 40, Holly's is 61, etc. Based just on those numbers, Heather has the best chance of catching up right now, with 73 potential points and only a 13-point deficit.
There are actual scientists amongst the ghouls, so I won't embarrass myself with further faux statistical hoo-hah. But here's my main point: don't stop trash-talking just because I'm kicking your butt.
If you do, the kicking will lose a certain sweetness.
