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Dead Pool 6th October 2024

No points this week, but some good news regarding the website. I will be migrating to a new host in the next couple of weeks, so the problems some of you are experiencing will all hopefully go away. So there might be some disruption for a couple of weeks whilst it all gets sorted out. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Frankie Valli has addressed a series of viral TikToks that sparked concern among fans over his recent live performances. The Four Seasons crooner, 90, has been the subject of a number of clips doing the rounds on social media. In one, he is seemingly a few beats behind the choreography of his classic single “December 1963 (Oh What a Night)”. Another shows the band performing “Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby, Goodbye)”, where Valli appears to miss some of the lyrics. Some fans claimed that he appeared to be lip-syncing. “He needs to rest,” one viewer commented, while another said he looked “exhausted”. In a statement to the Flying Monkeys on Monday, Valli dismissed the concern as he insisted he still loves performing live shows. “I know there has been a lot of stuff on the internet about me lately so I wanted to clear the air. I am blessed to be 90 years old and still be doing what I love to do and as long as I am able, and audiences want to come see me, I am going to be out there performing as I always have,” he said. “I absolutely love what I do. And I know we put on a great show because our fans are still coming out in force and the show still rocks.” Valli said he’d had a “chuckle” reading the comments from those wondering if he was being “forced” to go on stage. “Nobody has ever made me do anything I didn’t want to do,” he said. “How do we do the show?! The Four Seasons sound was always about layering vocals and instruments. We use our 60 years of experience so we sound like the records. I sing, I have singers who sing, great arrangements… everything.” Valli’s statement concluded: “I plan to be doing shows as long as I can, delivering that great Four Seasons sound. Like that line in Jersey Boys, I’m like that bunny on TV, that just keeps going and going and going. Chasing the music.”  

Popular Cuban reggaeton artist El Taiger is said to be in “very critical condition” after he was shot in the head. The 37-year-old Latin American singer, whose real name is Jose Manuel Carbajal, was found Thursday morning in a black Mercedes SUV with a gunshot wound, Miami Police Department officials said in a press conference on Friday. After first responders rendered first aid, he was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he underwent surgery and remains in “very critical condition,” according to Miami Chief of Police Manuel Morales. An investigation is ongoing. “We’re confident that we’ll get to the bottom of this and solve this incident,” Morales said. “It is a tragic incident that has shaken our local South Florida community.” Carbajal suffered significant brain damage and was put on life support, according to the Flying Monkeys. Miami police spokesperson Mike Vega told us that it is not yet known whether the gunshot wound was self-inflicted. Officials do not believe that the incident happened in the same place Carbajal was found. “Our officers are investigating because we think this didn’t happen in the city of Miami,” Vega said. “We’re sure that it didn’t happen in that corner where the vehicle was found. This happened in another place; someone brought him here, left him, and left on foot.” Carbajal’s manager, Macel Reinosa, told the Flying Monkeys that “nobody on the team believes that he tried to commit suicide, based on what they are saying on the bullet.” “It was in the front of his head, so I would really doubt someone would shoot himself and then get on the back of the trunk by himself,” Reinosa said. Carbajal is well-known within the Latin music community for his contributions to reggaeton, a music genre characterised by its blend of Caribbean rhythms and urban beats. Some of his most listened-to tracks include “La Historia” and “La Guariconfianza.” 

Janey Godley has revealed the “worst thing” about dying as she receives end-of-life care. In September, the Scottish comedian confirmed that her cancer had spread and she is now getting palliative care in a hospice. “The chemo ran out of options and I just couldn’t take any more of it and the cancer has spread,” the 63-year-old said in a video at the time. “So it looks like this will be getting to near the end of it and it’s really difficult to speak about this and say to people.” In an interview with the Flying Monkeys, conducted together with her 38-year-old daughter, Ashley Storrie, Godley revealed what she believes to be the “worst thing” about approaching the end of her life. Godley said that she  dreads to think of the day she is unable to see Ashley, a comedian and actor, who she called “the best thing to come out of my vagina”. “She’s my big success in life and I’m dead proud of her,” Godley added. “The worst thing about me dying is not being able to see her. I can’t imagine being a spirit and not having her in my orbit.” Similarly, Godley said the “worst” part of her cancer diagnosis was having to tell her daughter. “The worst part of it was having to tell Ashley,” Godley told the publication. “She has always been a catastrophiser; telling her was like throwing a hand grenade.” Godley was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021, and has undergone treatment since then, which she called “dreadful”. “I had been on chemo, which kept pushing it back, but have run out of options and the cancer has spread,” she told us. “So it looks like this will be getting to near the end of it. I’m now in palliative care and at end-of-life care in the hospital. It is devastating news to know that I’m facing end-of-life, but we all come to an end sometimes.”

On This Day

  • 1927 – Opening of The Jazz Singer, the first prominent “talkie” movie.
  • 1981 – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat is murdered by Islamic extremists.
  • 1985 – Police constable Keith Blakelock is murdered as riots erupt in the Broadwater Farm suburb of London.
  • 1995 – The first planet orbiting another sun, 51 Pegasi b, is discovered.
  • 2010 – Instagram, a mainstream photo-sharing application, is founded.

Deaths

Dead Space

Have you ever wondered what would happen to your body if you were to die out in space? Researchers have put their brains together to answer the difficult questions regarding the unusual scenario.

NASA are planning another space mission to send humans to the moon within the next seven years, with wilder plans to send people to Mars in the 2030s. The journey to the red planet will require a long-distance mission and many months in space. Because of this, there’s a need to consider how humans will survive such a long time out in the ether. 

Since the beginning of human spaceflight over 60 years ago, 20 people have died. However, none of these deaths were actually in space and were due to failed launches before leaving the Earth’s atmosphere.

Though NASA hasn’t illustrated set protocols for dealing with a death that happens in space (because they haven’t had to deal with it yet), some of the world’s space researchers have come up with their own hypothesis.

One of the ways someone could die in space is by being exposed to its vacuum without having a suitably pressurised suit to protect them.

Chris Hadfield, Canadian astronaut and former commander of the International Space Station, shares his thoughts on what could be the worst possible outcome.

He said: “In the worst case scenario, something happens during a spacewalk. You could suddenly be struck by a micro-meteorite, and there’s nothing you can do about that. It could puncture a hole in your suit, and within a few seconds you’re incapacitated.”

Here comes the gruesome part. You probably thought it was just a dramatic effect for films, but nope. 

Emmanuel Urquieta, professor of space medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, described the horrific death experienced by an astronaut who was exposed to the vacuum, saying that it would become impossible for them to breathe and their blood and other bodily fluids would effectively boil. According to Popular Science, the unfortunate astronaut’s blood would vaporise, along with the water in their body, in just 10 seconds. They would lose consciousness in 15 seconds as their body horrifically expanded and their lungs collapsed. They’d be paralysed or more likely dead in 30 seconds, most likely of asphyxiation or decompression.

Then there’s the issue of burial – or lack thereof. If someone died on Mars, Urquieta explained burial or cremation wouldn’t be possible as they ‘could contaminate the Martian surface’. He said ‘the crew would likely preserve the body in a specialised body bag until it could be returned to Earth’. If the astronaut was unlucky enough to die out in space, their body would eventually enter a frozen or mummified state and float through the ether – potentially for millions of years, since there’s no oxygen to prompt decomposition – until it was destroyed by a planet or star, or perhaps heat or radiation.

A cheery thought for a Sunday.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Elisabeth Shue (61), Emily Mortimer (53), Ioan Gruffudd (51), Britt Ekland (82), Kate Winslet (49), Guy Pearce (57), Jesse Eisenberg (41), Karen Allen (73), Diane Morgan (49), Clive Barker (72), Neil deGrasse Tyson (66), Liev Schreiber (57), Dakota Johnson (35), Alicia Silverstone (48), Christoph Waltz (68), Susan Sarandon (78), Melissa Benoist (36), Nick Mohammed (44), Alicia Vikander (36), Lena Headey (51), Denis Villeneuve (57), Neve Campbell (51), Clive Owen (60), Seann William Scott (48), Noah Schnapp  (20), Gwen Stefani (55), Lorraine Bracco (70), Avery Brooks (76), Sting (73), Brie Larson (35), Charles Edwards (55), Julie Andrews (89), Zach Galifianakis (55), and Monica Bellucci (60).

Posted by  |  6th October 2024 | Categories: 2024 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 29th September 2024

A sad week as Dame Maggie Smith passes away. But we do have points to award to Gryffindor, er no, to Vic and Iwan, who both had her listed as their Woman, so 161 points each! Ceri had her listed too, so another 61 points to her tally. Well done all three of you!  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Police in Switzerland say several people have been detained over the suspected death of an American woman, 64, inside a “suicide capsule”. A criminal investigation has been opened after prosecutors in Schaffhausen were informed by a law firm that an assisted suicide involving the Sarco capsule had taken place near a forest cabin in Merishausen. They said several people had been taken into custody with investigators looking at possible incitement and accessory to suicide. The pod, which had never been used before, is a 3D-printed device that cost more than $1m to develop. Exit International, the group behind the device, said in a statement that a 64-year-old woman from the US had died using it at approximately 4:01pm on Monday. It added that the woman “had been suffering for many years from a number of serious problems associated with severe immune compromise”. The group said the co-president of The Last Resort Association, a Swiss affiliate of Exit International, Dr Florian Willet, was the was the only person present. “The death took place in open air, under a canopy of trees, at a private forest retreat in the Canton of Schaffhausen close to the Swiss-German border,” the statement read. The group said it had followed legal advice from lawyers which, it said, showed the use of the capsule was lawful in Switzerland. Swiss law allows assisted suicide so long as the person takes his or her life with no “external assistance” and those who help the person die do not do so for “any self-serving motive”, according to a government website. Switzerland is among the only countries in the world where foreigners can travel to legally end their lives, and is home to a number of organisations that are dedicated to helping people kill themselves.  

A mother-of-five has become the first person to die from a Brazilian Bum Lift procedure in the UK. Alice Webb, 33, passed away on Monday just hours after having the surgery, which is believed to have been performed in the West Country. Gloucestershire Police confirmed it is investigating the death and has arrested two people on suspicion of manslaughter. The practitioner alleged to have carried out the surgery is one of those who has been arrested. Alice was an advanced aesthetic practitioner at Crystal Clear in Wotton-under-Edge, a market town in Gloucestershire. A GoFundMe page set up by her pal Abigail Irwin revealed the tragedy. It said: ‘I am hoping to raise as many funds as we can to support Dane, the partner of Alice and their five beautiful children at this very difficult sad time. According to a report from Save Face published in July there has been an ‘alarming increase in the number of patient reported complaints relating to non-surgical breast augmentation and BBLs’. The report said that more than half have resulted in severe and life-threatening complications, including sepsis, abscesses and infections.   

The world’s longest-serving death row prisoner was acquitted by a Japanese court on Thursday, more than half a century after his 1968 murder conviction. The Shizuoka District Court ruled that 88-year-old Iwao Hakamada was not guilty in a retrial obtained by the former boxer and his supporters a decade ago. ‘The court finds the defendant innocent,’ judge Koshi Kunii said. Hakamada’s health is delicate and he was not present in court, but his 91-year-old sister Hideko, who often speaks for him, bowed deeply to Kunii several times. Until he was freed in 2014 pending retrial, Hakamada had been on death row for 46 years after being convicted of killing his boss, the man’s wife and their two teenage children. But over the years, questions arose over fabricated evidence and coerced confessions, sparking scrutiny of Japan’s justice system, which critics say holds suspects ‘hostage’. Hundreds of people had queued in the morning at the Shizuoka District Court, trying to secure a seat for the verdict in the murder saga that has gripped the nation. ‘For so long, we have fought a battle that has felt endless,’ Hideko had told reporters in July. ‘But this time, I believe it will be settled.’ Japan is the only major industrialised democracy other than the United States to retain capital punishment, a policy that has broad public support. Hakamada is the fifth death row inmate granted a retrial in Japan’s post-war history. All four previous cases also resulted in exoneration. After decades of detention, mostly in solitary confinement, Hakamada sometimes seems like he ‘lives in a world of fantasy’, according to his lead lawyer Hideyo Ogawa.

On This Day

  • 1940 – Two Avro Ansons collide in mid-air over New South Wales, Australia, remain locked together, then land safely.
  • 1957 – The Kyshtym disaster is the third-worst nuclear accident ever recorded.
  • 1988 – NASA launches STS-26, the first Space Shuttle mission since the Challenger disaster.

Deaths

  • 1902 – Émile Zola, French journalist, author, and playwright (b. 1840).
  • 1981 – Bill Shankly, Scottish footballer and manager (b. 1913).
  • 1997 – Roy Lichtenstein, American painter and sculptor (b. 1923).
  • 2010 – Tony Curtis, American actor (b. 1925).

Last Meals

An Alabama death row inmate gave a chilling two sentence final statement in the moments before his execution by nitrogen hypoxia.

Alan Eugene Miller, 59, became the second person to die from the controversial method on Thursday night. He had been on death row for decades for killing three people in back-to-back workplace shootings in 1999.

Protesting his innocence until the end, his final words were: ‘I didn’t do anything to be in here. I didn’t do anything to be on death row.’

Alabama corrections officials then pumped nitrogen gas into a mask that covered Miller’s face from his forehead to his chin, forcing him to shake and tremble on the gurney for about two minutes. His left hand shook and clenched into a fist several times, and he was forced to lift his head from the gurney. That was followed by about six minutes of periodic gasping breaths before he finally went still.

Miller was finally pronounced dead at around 6.38pm, Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said at an ensuing news conference, noting the two minutes of shaking was to be expected.

‘There’s going to be involuntary body movements as the body is depleted of oxygen, so that is nothing we did not expect,’ Hamm said. ‘Everything went according to plan and according to our protocol, so it went just as we had planned.’

But Hamm later admitted that a corrections officer had to adjust the inmate’s mask before the gas started to flow.  ‘That’s just making sure the mask is fitted,’ he said.

The execution was the second to use the new method Alabama first employed in January, when Kenneth Smith was put to death. The method involves placing a respirator gas mask over the inmate’s face to replace breathable air with pure nitrogen gas, causing death by lack of oxygen. 

Miller had selected the option to die by asphyxiation in a 2018 form distributed to Alabama death row inmates. But the state was still not prepared to use nitrogen hypoxia as a form of execution when officials received a warrant for Miller’s execution in September 22nd, and opted to instead try to execute him by lethal injection. That attempt was then called off when state officials said they could not access Miller’s veins before the execution warrant expired at midnight. The inmate later filed a lawsuit against the prison, claiming that prison workers poked him for ninety minutes while trying to start an IV and left him hanging vertically as he laid strapped into a gurney.  State prosecutors ultimately settled the suit, and agreed not to execute Miller using any method other than nitrogen hypoxia. 

Miller, a delivery truck driver, was convicted of capital murder in 2000 for the August 5th 1999 shootings that claimed three lives and shocked the city of Pelham, a suburban city just south of Birmingham.

He had worked with each of the three victims – Lee Holdbrooks, 32, Scott Yancy, 28, and Terry Lee Jarvis, 39 – and had accused them of spreading rumours about him.

Police say he entered Ferguson Enterprises and fatally shot Yancy three times, leaving him unable to move after the first shot ‘traveled through his  groin and into his spine, paralysing him.’ Holdbrooks was also shot about six times and tried to crawl down a hallway to escape before Miller shot him in the head ‘causing him to die in a pool of blood,’ according to court documents. Miller then headed to his previous employer Post Airgas, where Jarvis worked. He walked in and said, ‘Hey I hear you’ve been spreading rumours about me.’ Jarvis replied that he had not been spreading any rumours, a witness said, but just moments later Miller shot Jarvis ‘a number of times.’ He was later captured on the highway with a Glock pistol with one round in the chamber and 11 rounds in an ammunition magazine, police said.

Miller had initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but later withdrew the plea. A psychiatrist hired by the defence said that Miller was mentally ill but his condition wasn’t severe enough to use as a basis for an insanity defence, according to court documents. Jurors convicted Miller after 20 minutes of deliberation and recommended by a vote of 10-2 that he receive the death penalty. 

‘Just as Alan Miller cowardly fled after he maliciously committed three calculated murders in 1999, he has attempted to escape justice for two decades,’ Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement Thursday. ‘Tonight, justice was finally served for these three victims through the execution method elected by the inmate. His acts were not that of insanity, but pure evil,’ the governor said. ‘Three families were forever changed by his heinous crimes and I pray that they can find comfort all these years later.’

Family members of the three victims did not witness the execution and did not issue a statement to be read to reporters, state officials said. Miller’ last meal was of a hamburger steak, baked potato and French fries. 

Last Week’s Birthdays

Zachary Levi (44), Erika Eleniak (55), Ian McShane (82), Luke Goss (56), Mackenzie Crook (53), Halsey (30), James Lance (49), Jeffrey Jones (78), Naomi Watts (56), Mira Sorvino (57), Hilary Duff (37), Brigitte Bardot (90), Dita Von Teese (52), Jenna Ortega (22), Indira Varma (51), Gwyneth Paltrow (52), Avril Lavigne (40), Linda Hamilton (68), Bella Ramsey (21), Will Smith (56), Catherine Zeta-Jones (55), Michael Madsen (67), Michael Douglas (80), Mark Hamill (73), Donald Glover (41), Heather Locklear (63), Beth Toussaint (62), Felicity Kendal (78), Kevin Sorbo (66), Kimberley Nixon (39), Sven-Ole Thorsen (80), Jack Dee (63), Rosalind Chao (67), Bruce Springsteen (75), and Karl Pilkington (52).

Posted by  |  29th September 2024 | Categories: 2024 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 22nd September 2024

Alas no points this week, but plenty to read! Let’s crack on!  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Former NBA star Michael Jordan has sparked health concerns among fans after he was spotted at a Champions League game on Thursday. During the match the 61-year-old basketball legend was pictured with glassy, orange-coloured eyes. On Twitter, Bleacher Report Football posted a photo of Jordan in the stands, amassing over 17.6 million views and hundreds of comments. The photo, which has now been reposted over 3,600 times, the six-time NBA champion is smiling in a black Air Jordan Jumpman hat and a matching shirt. His eyes appear to be bloodshot in an orange-yellow pigment. Immediately, fans flocked to the comments section, questioning whether they should be worried about Jordan’s health. Some Twitter users thought his eyes were a sign of liver failure. “That boy’s liver is cooked,” one blunt individual wrote, while another questioned: “Does he have Jaundice?” Though jaundice can occur at any age, the condition poses serious health risks in older individuals. Jaundice can be a sign of problems with the liver, pancreas, or gall bladder, which could signal liver disease or a severe infection. Jordan has not spoken publicly about the colour of his eyes nor any recent health issues. 

Musician Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen’s wife and E  Street bandmate, has revealed that she was diagnosed in 2018 with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. The singer-songwriter addresses her diagnosis in the new documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which premiered last Sunday at the Toronto Film Festival. Scialfa disclosed that her illness has made it difficult to perform, leading to her decision to take a step back from touring. “This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go. Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs on stage, and that’s been a treat. That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that.” Scialfa explained that she received her diagnosis while she and Springsteen were on the rock singer’s Broadway run in 2018. Multiple myeloma, also known as myeloma, is a form of bone marrow cancer, and can affect several areas of the body including the spine, skull, pelvis and ribs. Over time, it can cause issues including persistent bone pain, fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath, and blurred vision, headaches or dizziness. Scialfa, 71, has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984; she was inducted with the rest of the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. She and Springsteen married in 1991. They have three children together.  

Heart Radio presenter Jamie Theakston has revealed that he has been diagnosed with cancer. In a statement shared online, the radio host told followers he recently underwent an operation to remove a lesion from his vocal cords, but the biopsy identified Stage one laryngeal cancer. “So…I have cancer… but cancer doesn’t have me!” he told fans. “The prognosis is very positive and I’m hoping to be back with you in October.” The radio host, who presents the station’s breakfast show on weekdays with Amanda Holden, explained that he has been advised to undergo vocal rest until he is fully recovered. “Until then, I leave you in the mostly capable hands of JK [Jason King] and Amanda Holden. Huge thanks to them and all the Global Family who have been unbelievably supportive.” He continued: “Be thankful for this day, and when I see you next, I’ll have a great story to tell.” The 53-year-old was prompted to get his throat examined after listeners noticed his voice sounded different on air. In a health update shared on 1st September, Theakston thanked his listeners for urging him to get it checked. “Got it checked – Doctors found a lesion on my vocal cords which I’ve had removed this weekend – thanks for all the kind messages – should be back on my feet soon,” he wrote at the time. After announcing that his condition had been identified as cancerous, Theakston has been met with well-wishes from his celebrity colleagues and fans. Carol Vorderman wrote: “Sending best Jamie. thank goodness your listeners spotted the change in your voice, all found early and you’ll be back keeping everyone happy very soon.” Theakston’s former presenting colleague Lisa Snowdon wrote: “Sending lots of love Jamie,” as Emma Bunton, his co-presenter from 2013 to 2018, simply added, “Love you to bits.” 

Janey Godley has cancelled her forthcoming tour as she deals with ongoing treatment for incurable ovarian cancer. Godley, 63, who was due to begin her UK tour Why Is She  Still Here? this autumn, was advised to stop working “for the foreseeable future” because her cancer is spreading. In a video shared online, the comedian told fans that she has been in hospital for eight days to be treated for sepsis, and told by cancer specialists that she should not return to work. “The sepsis is under control but the cancer is spreading so they’ve told me not to work,” she said. “I’m really sorry. We sold thousands and thousands of tickets and there’s so many people employed and my poor bloody agent Chris has been magnificent.” A statement to the Flying Monkeys said: “It is with huge sadness that we must announce the cancellation of Janey Godley’s autumn 2024 tour. Janey has been living with stage four ovarian cancer for the past few years and the treatment from the wonderful Scottish NHS has kept the disease at bay, but sadly in the last few weeks the cancer has returned and there have been a few added complications. Her doctors have now advised her that she must stop work for the foreseeable future. Janey is devastated to let down her thousands of loyal fans, and the wonderful venues, she has played many times over the years. She would like to thank everyone for their love and support at this difficult time.” Godley, who became a viral hit with her voiceover videos dubbing then-first minister Nicola Sturgeon’s daily Covid briefings during the pandemic, revealed she had ovarian cancer in November 2021. She was given the all-clear in 2022 but announced the following year that the disease had been found in her abdomen. Despite this news, she continued with her tour in February and March 2023. 

On This Day

  • 1934 – The Gresford disaster in Wales kills 266 miners and rescuers.
  • 1975 – Sara Jane Moore tries to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford, but is foiled by the Secret Service. 
  • 1993 – A barge strikes a railroad bridge near Mobile, Alabama, causing the deadliest train wreck in Amtrak history. Forty-seven passengers are killed.

Deaths

Last Meals

A man who killed two people in cold blood uttered just  one word before he was executed in a South Carolina prison on Friday – the state’s first in 13 years.

Freddie Owens said ‘bye’ to his attorney and was then strapped into a gurney where he awaited the lethal injection that led to his ultimate demise. Owens remained conscious for a minute before his eyes closed, his breaths shortened and his face twitched for five minutes before he died.

The 46-year-old killed convenience store clerk Irene Graves during a botched robbery in Greenville in 1997. During his trial, he murdered fellow inmate Christopher Lee at a county jail which earned him the death penalty. 

Owens’ execution was the first carried out in South Carolina in 13 years amid a struggle to source the required drugs for lethal injections. After he said his farewell, his attorney responded ‘bye’ and the injection was administered. A doctor came in and declared him dead a little more than 10 minutes later at 6.55pm.

His last meal was two cheeseburgers, French fries, well-done ribeye steak, six chicken wings, two strawberry sodas and a slice of apple pie.

Owens’ last-ditch appeals were repeatedly denied, including by a federal court on Friday morning. His execution was thrown into last minute chaos after a key witness said in a sworn statement that he lied in order to have him convicted. On Wednesday, his lawyers filed a statement from his co-defendant Steven Golden saying that Owens wasn’t at the store at the time when Graves was killed. Golden said that he had blamed Owens, who was 19 at the time, because he was high on cocaine and facing pressure from police. He wrote: ‘I thought the real shooter or his associates might kill me if I named him to police. I am still afraid of that. But Freddie was not there.’ But despite Golden’s recantation, the South Carolina Supreme Court  ruled on Thursday it wasn’t enough to halt prison officials from executing Owens. Prosecutors said that several other witnesses testified that Owens had been the one that pulled the trigger. Those witnesses had been friends of Owens who said he had bragged to them about killing Graves. His former girlfriend also testified that he confessed to the killing.

Since the unintentional execution pause, South Carolina’s death row population has dwindled. The state had 63 condemned people in early 2011. It now has 31 after Owens’ death on Friday. About 20 people have been taken off death row and received different prison sentences after successful appeals. Others have died of natural causes.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Billie Piper (42), Tom Felton (37), Ruth Jones (58), Nick Cave (67), Bill Murray (74), Luke Wilson (53), Stephen King (77), David Wenham (59), Ricki Lake (56), Alfonso Ribeiro (53), Liam Gallagher (52), Jon Bernthal (48), Moon Bloodgood (49), Asia Argento (49), George R.R. Martin (76), Danielle Panabaker (37), Jeremy Irons (76), Jimmy Fallon (50), Twiggy (75), James Marsden (51), Jason Sudeikis (49), Tim McInnerny (68), Keeley Hazell (38), Ella Purnell (28), Cassandra Peterson (73), Bruce Spence (79), Ed Begley Jr. (75), Madeline Zima (39), Jennifer Tilly (66), Mickey Rourke (72), and Amy Poehler (53).

Posted by  |  22nd September 2024 | Categories: 2024 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 15th September 2024

A sad week indeed as the voice of Darth Vader dies. However we will not lose him forever, as prior to his death Jones sold the rights to his voice to an AI company, so that future Star Wars films and series can include his iconic voice. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

The disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was rushed from prison to a New York City hospital for emergency heart surgery after he experienced chest pains, his representatives told the Flying Monkeys. “Mr Weinstein was rushed to Bellevue Hospital last night due to several medical conditions,” Weinstein representatives Craig Rothfeld and Juda Engelmayer said in a statement. “We can confirm that Mr Weinstein had a procedure and surgery on his heart today, however we cannot comment any further than that. As we have extensively stated before, Mr Weinstein suffers a plethora of significant health issues that need ongoing treatment.” Weinstein was out of surgery as of Monday afternoon and is in recovery, they said. Weinstein, 72, was transferred to Bellevue from New York’s Rikers Island jail complex, where he is awaiting retrial on rape and sexual assault charges. It is the second time in two months he had been taken to hospital. Weinstein’s lawyer, Arthur Aidala, said they requested jail officials immediately move Weinstein to Bellevue “based on his complaints to us regarding chest pains”. In one email, Aidala said, he told them: “This guy is going to die on your watch if you don’t do something.” He was admitted in July for treatment for a variety of health problems including Covid-19 and pneumonia in both lungs. Representatives at the time said the former director and producer also suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal stenosis and fluid on his heart and lungs.  

The Cure’s Roger O’Donnell has revealed a “devastating” Lymphoma diagnosis. The keyboardist revealed his diagnosis in a post for Blood Cancer Awareness Month on Sunday after he was diagnosed with the “very rare and aggressive” cancer in September 2023 and subsequently underwent treatment. “September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month so it’s a good opportunity to have a dialogue about these diseases,” O’Donnell started in a series of posts on Twitter. “In September last year I was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of lymphoma. I had ignored the symptoms for a few months but finally went and after surgery the result of the biopsy was devastating.” He explained that he’s now “fine” and has an “amazing” prognosis after undergoing several rounds of treatment over the past year. “I’ve now completed 11 months of treatment under some of the finest specialists in the world and with second opinions and advice from the teams that had developed the drugs I was being given. I had the benefit of the latest sci-fi immunotherapy and some drugs that were first used 100 years ago. The last phase of treatment was radiotherapy which also was one of the first treatments developed against cancer. I’m fine and the prognosis is amazing,” added O’Donnell. O’Donnell went on to urge others to get tested for cancer so they can catch and better treat it early. “The mad axe murderer knocked on the door and we didn’t answer,” he wrote. “Cancer CAN be beaten but if you are diagnosed early enough you stand a way better chance, so all I have to say is go GET TESTED, if you have the faintest thought you may have symptoms go and get checked out. If you know someone who is ill or suffering talk to them, every single word helps, believe me I know. I would also like to thank my Drs, rockstars everyone of them, all the nurses and technicians, my friends, family and Mimi, sometimes its harder to be on the other side of this…” added O’Donnell.  

A teenager who appeared in Freddie Flintoff’s BBC documentary has tragically died in a horrific double death crash after the high performance car he was driving smashed into trees. Umar Mahmood, 18, died in hospital last week after being seriously injured while at the wheel of an Audi A3 Sport which veered off the road in Preston, Lancashire on Tuesday. Back seat passenger 16-year-old Adam Bodi also suffered fatal injuries while a 17-year-old who was also in the car remains in hospital, with police investigating the cause of the double tragedy. Umar had been filmed being coached by the England cricket legend in ‘Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams’. He had been a pupil at Penwortham Priory Academy, finishing his studies two years ago, as was Adam who left after his GCSEs this summer. The show saw England all-rounder turned TV presenter Flintoff recruit teenagers from under privileged parts of Lancashire in a bid to change people’s perspective of the sport. Umar’s school paid tribute to the ‘bright’ and ‘studious’ youngster. Principal Matt Eastham said: ‘We are again saddened as a school to hear the news that Umar, who was in the same accident as Adam, and who left Priory two years ago, has also passed away. Umar was a bright, studious and well-loved member of our school community. He had a passion for geography as well as his cricket, playing for Priory’s school team and appearing in the BBC One documentary Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams. It was a privilege for us here at Priory to know Umar. He was a young man who was always considerate to those around him and who showed ambition and kindness in all that he did. It is of course with great sadness that we hear this news. We give our sincere condolences to all of Umar’s family and friends on behalf of the school, at what will be a very difficult time. They too, are in our thoughts and prayers today.’

On This Day

  • 1830 – The Liverpool to Manchester railway line opens; British MP William Huskisson becomes the first widely reported railway passenger fatality when he is struck and killed by the locomotive Rocket.
  • 1916 – World War I: Tanks are used for the first time in battle, at the Battle of the Somme.
  • 1954 – Marilyn Monroe’s iconic skirt scene is shot during filming for The Seven Year Itch.

Deaths

Our Final Thoughts?

The first ever recording of the very moment someone dies has revealed what our final thoughts could be.

Probably since the beginning of time, what happens to us after we die is the question we have always wanted to know the answer to.

Even though we will probably have to wait until we’re dead to know for sure, scientists reckon they’ve been able to look into our last ever thoughts before we pass away.

This comes after researchers in Vancouver, Canada, took a look at the brain of a 87-year-old patient suffering from epilepsy, but he unexpectedly died of a heart attack while they were observing him. 

By using the results from an electroencephalogram (EEG) test, they were able to determine what was happening in his brain during his last moments – specifically the 30 seconds before and after his heart stopped beating.

And that age old idea that one’s life ‘flashes before their eyes’ might just be a real thing after an increase in ‘gamma oscillations’ was detected.

‘Gamma oscillations’ are linked to the retrieval of memories and dreaming, which might suggest the patient was reliving past experiences before he died.

Lead author of the study – published in the journal Frontiers in Ageing Neuroscience – Dr Ajmal Zemmar said: “Through generating oscillations involved in memory retrieval, the brain may be playing a last recall of important life events just before we die, similar to the ones reported in near-death experiences.

“These findings challenge our understanding of when exactly life ends and generate important subsequent questions, such as those related to the timing of organ donation.” 

The study showed similar changes in brainwaves between rats at the time of death – but it’s the first time it was detected in humans.

However, as with most studies, the team say that further research is needed in order to provide more conclusive results.

It’s also important to note that the data focuses on just a single case study and the patient’s brain had already been damaged from epilepsy.

Therefore, professionals aren’t able to truly say if the same thing would happened with a different person, near the time of their death.

“Something we may learn from this research is: although our loved ones have their eyes closed and are ready to leave us to rest, their brains may be replaying some of the nicest moments they experienced in their lives,” Dr. Zemmar added.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Tom Hardy (47), Tommy Lee Jones (78), Ben Schwartz (43), John Bradley (36), Brendan O’Carroll (69), Jimmy Carr (52), Sam Neill (77), Andrew Lincoln (51), Lolly Adefope (34), Walter Koenig (88), Amanda Barrie (89), Alfie Allen (38), Linda Gray (84), Virginia Madsen (63), Tyler Hoechlin (37), Roxann Dawson (66), Johnny Vegas (53), Guy Ritchie (56), Colin Firth (64), Adam Sandler (58), Hugh Grant (64), Jeffrey Combs (70), Eric Stonestreet (53), and Julia Sawalha (56).

Posted by  |  15th September 2024 | Categories: 2024 | Leave A Comment »

Dead Pool 8th September 2024

Short and sweet this week, also considering making next years list full of American rappers! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

In Other News

Queen rocker Brian May has revealed that he was rushed to hospital after suffering a minor stroke and temporarily losing control of his left arm. The British musician, 77, shared the health update with fans in a video posted to his website as he addressed the events of the past week. May referred to a “little health hiccup” that saw him rushed to hospital in an ambulance: “The good news is I can play guitar,” he said. “They called it a minor stroke, and all of a sudden out of the blue, I didn’t have any control of this arm,” he said, moving his left arm and flexing his fingers to show the movement had returned. “It was a little scary, I have to say. I had the most fantastic care and attention from the hospital where I went, blue lights flashing, the lot, it was very exciting. I might post a video if you like.” He continued: “I didn’t wanna say anything at the time because I didn’t want anything surrounding it, I really don’t want sympathy. Please don’t do that, because it’ll clutter up my inbox, and I hate that. The good news is I’m OK.” The musician appeared slightly disgruntled as he explained he’s “grounded” and not allowed to drive, get on a plane or do anything that might risk raising his heart rate. “Not allowed to have planes flying over, which will stress me,” he said, glancing up at a plane flying noisily overhead, before concluding: “But I’m good.” May has suffered health issues in the past, including a heart attack that turned out to be a symptom of an arterial disease. The guitarist told fans he was “very near death” after being admitted to hospital in May 2020, where doctors discovered that three of his arteries were blocked and in danger of stopping the blood supply to his heart. He admitted he was baffled by the heart attack: “I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t have high cholesterol and I was exercising through the tour, so why did it happen?” he questioned. “At least I now have a heart that is working far better than it was.” His doctors advised him to undergo heart surgery, but he instead chose the alternative to have three stents put inside his heart.  

Elle Macpherson has revealed she has been secretly battling breast cancer, but is now in remission despite refusing chemotherapy against the advice of “32 doctors and experts”. The supermodel was diagnosed seven years ago and underwent a lumpectomy but opted against further treatment which went against her “belief system”, instead relying on an “intuitive, heart-led holistic approach”. “It was a shock, it was unexpected, it was confusing, it was daunting in so many ways and it really gave me an opportunity to dig deep in my inner sense to find a solution that worked for me,” she said in an interview with The Flying Monkeys. Macpherson, 60, underwent the procedure to remove a tumour at the time before being diagnosed with HER2 positive oestrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma. Her doctor recommended she undergo a mastectomy with radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and breast reconstruction. However, she decided against the advice. “I realised I was going to need my own truth, my belief system to support me through it,” she said. She described her decision to go against traditional medicine as “a wonderful exercise in being true to myself, trusting myself and trusting the nature of my body and the course of action that I had chosen”. In 2022, medical researchers at Yale found that those who used homeopathy and alternative remedies to treat cancer, were twice as likely to die from the disease. The businesswoman who owns her own wellness brand, WelleCo, says she did not take the decision to decline chemotherapy lightly. However, she has been known to be vocal within the anti-vaccination community, having previously dated disgraced British doctor Andrew Wakefield. “Saying no to standard medical solutions was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. But saying no to my own inner sense would have been even harder,” she said. She later describes feeling that chemotherapy and surgery were “extreme”. Her family were divided over her decision. She said her “more conventional” 19-year-old son “wasn’t comfortable with my choice at all”, meanwhile her 14-year-old son “thought that chemo kills you”. Their father, and her ex-husband Arki Busson had a mixed reaction, being “supportive” but Macpherson admits, “he didn’t agree with what I was doing” 

On This Day

  • 1727 – A barn fire during a puppet show in the village of Burwell in Cambridgeshire, England kills 78 people, many of whom are children. 
  • 1888 – In London, the body of Jack the Ripper’s second murder victim, Annie Chapman, is found.
  • 1900 – Galveston hurricane: A powerful hurricane hits Galveston, Texas killing about 8,000 people.
  • 1966 – The landmark American science fiction television series Star Trek premieres with its first-aired episode, “The Man Trap“. 
  • 2022 – Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom dies at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years.

Deaths

Last Week’s Birthdays

Heather Thomas (67), Martin Freeman (53), Gaten Matarazzo (22), P!nk (45), Miles Jupp (45), Jodie Turner-Smith (38), Michael Emerson (70), Evan Rachel Wood (37), Jonathan Majors (35), Toby Jones (58), Julie Kavner (74), Doug Bradley (70), Freya Allan (23), Idris Elba (52), Mathew Horne (46), Michael Keaton (73), Carice van Houten (48), Rose McGowan (51), Paddy Considine (51), Michael Berryman (76), Beyoncé (43), Charlie Sheen (59), Keanu Reeves (60), and Salma Hayek (58).

Posted by  |  8th September 2024 | Categories: 2024 | Leave A Comment »