h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Sad to report Joost van der Westhuizen has died.

A great rugby player and my favourite Springbok.

A sad day for World Rugby Union. And only 45.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38882762



MMF



(He had been my under 60 until this year!)

a truly terrible disease.

GB

Home Page updated: A87883285
Scoreboard updated: A87883294

First points for MMF.

JvdW was picked 4 times in this game since 2015: by Demon Drawer in 2015, and by MMF in the three years since 2015.

Icy

It's been a few weeks since the last reported death on the list, so here's another stats bulletin. Today I'm looking at the ages of our picks.

***

It’s no surprise that older picks are more likely to be successful, but there are a few anomalies. Picks in their fifties are more likely to be successful (9.9%) than picks in their sixties, seventies or eighties (each between 7% and 8%)

Out of 183 picks of celebrities in their forties, only 3 have ever been successful, two for Jane Tomlinson, who was picked at age 42, and, recently Joost van der Westhuizen. Two other celebrities who went on to die in their forties had dropped off people’s lists: Adam Yauch and Whitney Houston.

When a celebrity dies, it’s on average 2.9 years after the years in which they were picked.

These are the average ages of picks for current players (including their previous games):

Bluebottle 83.4
coelacanth 81.3
Galaxy Babe 71.7
Just Bob 72.1
logicus tracticus philosophicus 84.1
MMF 72.6
Mol 77.3
paulh 82.0
Pink Paisley 78.5
TC 74.4
The Groob 85.6
the_jon_m 70.9

***

Mine is distorted by my first year, when I picked several young-uns inadvisedly. This year, they are very old.

Sir Gerald Kaufman, Labour MP, 1970-2015, has died aged 86.

A great Orator, and MP.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39099489



MMF



(Points to jon_m)

Ooh, that's our constituency MP, and Father of the House. Looks like another by-election due, and this one Corbyn would struggle to lose.

Home Page updated: A87883285
Scoreboard updated: A87883294

First points for The jon m.

This was the first and only pick of Gerald Kaufman since the game started.

Icy

Alas, Emma Morano has just died
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39610937

<BB<

Points for Bluebottle

His was the first and only pick of Emma Morano in this game.

Home Page updated: A87883285
Scoreboard updated: A87883294

Icy

Geoffrey Bayldon - Catweazle actor

http://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/worzel-gummidge-actor-geoffrey-bayldon-dies-aged-93-a3536706.html

Points for The Groob…

Home Page updated: A87883285
Scoreboard updated: A87883294

Icy

Catweazle was one of my favourites as a kid.

I still refer to the 'telling bone' from time to time.

PP.

I loved it too, and I still think of electrickery.

My (joint) lead remains in place.

Snap. My older 3 children and I never say telephone or electricity to each other, it's always the telling bone and electrickery.

Catweazle is how I learned about familiars.

GB

I have never seen it. Was it on ITV? We weren't allowed to watch ITV.

I don't recall perhaps you can find links from here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39885577

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cgIHS7am9g

It was indeed on TV.

PP.

Moors Murder Ian Brady has died aged 79.

I don't think there is much point saying more.

Points to Galaxy Babe and Just_Bob

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/39929538

No emoticons please.

MMF