Dead Pool 2010 Begins January 22

Deadlines

Submit your victims by January 22
Challenge names by January 29
Money due by January 31

How to Play

Make a list of ten famous*, non-fictional people you think will die in 2010, along with one alternate. If anyone on your list dies between the time that you send the list and January 22, s/he will be replaced by your alternate. Once the game begins, your alternates are no longer relevant to the game.

Check out Dead or Alive: Over 85 for a list of the aging famous by birth year, but remember: young folks drop dead, too, especially if they lead perilous lives.

Send your list with alternates to deathpuddle@gmail.com.

Scoring works as follows: the points for each death = (number of people participating) minus (number of people who picked that goner).

Example: 20 people participate. Bill Clinton dies. Five people had him. Each person gets 15 points.
Example: Eight people participate. Bill Clinton dies. Three people had him. Each person gets 5 points.

Once the deadline has passed, I will post everybody's lists at the Dead Pool Blog (http://deadpuddle.blogspot.com). I will also set up a Google document spreadsheet and invite us all to view it.

I am playing, too. You're just going to have to trust that I'm not going to sneak peeks at your picks before I submit mine.

Once you have submitted your list, give me $20. You can give it to me in cash, by check (made out to me), or via PayPal to deathpuddle@gmail.com. (PayPal will take a small percentage.) If I have not received your $20 by midnight on 1/31/09, you are not in the game. (PayPal takes a small cut of all money paid using it, so the pot will be slightly smaller than all the money submitted. Deal with it.)

Throughout 2010, when someone on one of our lists dies, I (or someone faster than I) will post on the blog. Subscribe to its RSS feed or check in regularly to stay updated.

The Dead Pool closes at midnight 1/22/09. I will announce final scores and the winner on New Year's Day, 2010. I will send a check or PayPal the winner his ill-gotten booty the following day.



*Famous for something other than being really, really old. (No Maria de Jesus dos Santos, smart-ass.) I'm not going to define "famous." When I send around everyone's lists after New Year's, we will all have a week to challenge each other's picks for famousness. Once a pick is challenged, a majority vote will knock that pick off the list without a replacement.

**Yes, this is the same as Holly's note from last year.

And the winner is ...

Danny with Bob Novak, Claude Levi-Strauss, Patrick Swayze, Susan Atkins, Tapan Sinha, and Ted Kennedy. Six dead people, 55 points.

Losers:

Bob and me, 36 points.
Heather, 32.
Craig, 30.
Andy, 26.
Tom, 25.
Betsy, 20.
Emily & Kevin, 17.
Holly G., 15.
Ben, 11.
Becca, 9.
Cathy, 6.

Danny, I'll be sending you a check once I get the check from PayPal.

Now:

Who wants to organize this year's Dead Pool?

It ain't over 'till it's over

Please check your list and make sure we haven't missed any timely demises.

Claude Levi-Strauss

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)

RIP, Claude. May you walk the many realms of the dead, cataloging their similarities and differences.

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.

Ghost II

Now that he's dead, only I can see Patrick Swayze. Perhaps that is because I love him so much for giving me a substantial lead.

He danced dirty in Dirty Dancing, got into Whoopi in Ghost, and got up early to fight the commies in Red Dawn. He also brought points to moi, Heather, Holly G and Craig. I'm now in the lead with 36 points, with Heather at 32 and Holly and Andy next in line with 26 each.

I'd say more, but to quote Jed, Swayze's character in Red Dawn: "Shut up, Danny! Shut up!"

Kennedead

I gotta say... I'm not feeling the in-the-face-of-death goofies this morning, so I'll stick to the facts (more or less).

Ted's dead, baby. Ted's dead. His death gives us our second political brain death in a row. (That's a straight line, ready for any takers.) It also pushes me into an oddly unsatisfying lead, giving a mild endorsement to my geriatric/cancer strategy.

Seven of us scored points on the Senator's death. He had a particularly strong impact on those competing to be the Bright Anti-prophet of Doom: Tom, Cathy and Holly G are all out of the running for Angel of Deathlessness. That leaves Becca and Craig. If either of you suffers a tragic accident we will suspect foul play, so don't try anything.

Novacula

Known vampire Bob Novak "died" today. His "death" renders him unavailable for subpoena on the Valerie Plame outing, which is convenient for some folks.

His death also benefits many of us. Heather holds onto her lead, but Andy, Betsy, Holly and yours truly all scored points. I'm in second place by a (dead) nose. Holly, Andy and Betsy make up the unstoppable zombie horde in third place. Thanks, Bob.