This is basically comprised of the survivors from my last two lists. Lots of survivors to choose from, unfortunately, I think I only got one hit last year!
Happy Birthday Baker!
Valerie Harper
Muhammad Ali
George H.W. Bush
Nancy Reagan
Fidel Castro
Dick Cheney
Daisy Berkowitz
Gordie Howe
Mary Tyler Moore
Sam Simon
Little Jimmy Dickens
Jerry Lewis
Abe Vigoda
Alternates:
Bob Barker
Barbara Bush
I considered keeping the Notorious R.B.G on my list (since that seems to guarantee continued existence), but I decided to change things up this year. She’s still on the list as an alternate; maybe that confers health benefits as well.
Tommy Chong
B.B. King
Richard Simmons
Sam Simon
Terry Pratchett
Valerie Harper
Bret Michaels
Amanda Bynes
Scott Stapp
Rob Ford
Rev. Billy Graham
Pat Robertson
Phyllis Schlafly
alternates:
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
George H. W. Bush
Shia LaBeouf
I think Lauren Hill is only a celebrity because she is dying. You might have to put in one of your alternates.
Back in the day Dad was concerned about the astronauts leaving the earth’s orbit because he thought that once they did that their souls would leave their bodies. Thankfully, the small step for man and giant leap for mankind came safely home.
And now for my sure-fire survivors!
Fancy list:
1 Clarke Carlisle (ex PFA chairman)
2 Jules Bianchi (F1 driver)
3 Caroline Aherne (actress)
4 Fidel Castro (Cuban)
5 King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia
6 George HW Bush (former President )
7 Joost van der Westhuizen
8 Sam Simon (director)
9 Kim Jong-un (NK dictator)
10 Pope Emeritus Benedict
11 Stuart Scott (sportsman)
12 Lauren Hill (the basketball player with cancer)
13 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Alternates
Raul Castro
Terry Pratchett.
Dick Cheney
Plain:
Clarke Carlisle
Jules Bianchi
Caroline Aherne
Fidel Castro (Cuban)
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia
George HW Bush
Joost van der Westhuizen
Sam Simon
Kim Jong-un
Pope Emeritus Benedict
Stuart Scott
Lauren Hill
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Alternates
Raul Castro
Terry Pratchett.
Dick Cheney
I’m expecting Lauren Hill to be excluded and therefore Raul Castro to join the list, but others have her so I don’t want to miss out.
I think Lauren Hill is known only because she is sick and happens to play sports. The Death Mistress has final say, of course, but in my reading of the rules, she is intelligible.
Keeping most of my list from last year:
King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Barbara Bush
Fidel Castro
Olivia De Havilland
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Billy Graham
Valerie Harper
Orrin Hatch
Empress Michiko
Prince Philip
Antonin Scalia
Gloria Vanderbilt
Lil Wayne
and, should any of them not make it until midnight:
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Okay folks, sorry to do this, but at least four people have now challenged the status of Lauren Hill. That’s enough for me, after looking her up too.
So I’m going to go back and pick out the alternates for those who have selected her.
Again, I’m really sorry.
First off … HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAKER!!! and thanks again for being our Mistress of Death.
Here is my list for this year (unless I rewrite it later tonight 
)
Bryan Murray
Helen Fawkes
Jean Doré
Steve Hayner
Dave Benton
Gino Odjick
Ion Trewin
Christy Dignam
Ahmad Givens
Daisy Berkowitz
Martin Crowe
Sam Simon
Stuart Scott
Rob Ford
Clive Derby-Lewis
Ryan Buell
Wilko Johnson is reporting that he’s been cured of his cancer.
Baker, you shouldn’t be sorry at all!
I, for one, was appalled that posters would have selected her due to her imminent departure, being only 19 with a terminal illness and known only for that which is in direct contradiction of the rules. She is on a Div III team and I am positive that absolutely no one on this board would have heard of her except for her illness. The first poster to list her said that she only came to said poster’s attention within the last 3 days. Well, I’ve known of her for several months and only because of her terminal illness. My sister is a huge women’s college basketball fan who can tell you about numerous women’s college basketball players, both current and past, and she never heard of this young lady until she came to prominence this fall due to her diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumor.
Thank you Baker for enforcing the rules even though that may be a somewhat noxious task.
I’m beginning to think I need to open that bottle of champagne now, instead of waiting for later.
That is vile and tacky at 7:00 on New Year’s Eve, when folks are going to parties and can’t make changes. I think challenges should be made in public, in a timely manner so that players have time to defend themselves and make considered, reasoned changes.
Sneaky, cowardly, hall monitor, crossing guard informers, the lot of them.
When were the challenges made, and what is wrong with her?
From Wikipedia:
Were it not the last moment, I would have time to register this complaint in a polite and timely manner.
I apologize to Baker, but this appears to show the complaining players and sneaky, nit picking and not sportsman like, as the paint ball gun players who revel in winning because they can afford a $500 machine gun.
I wish I could give you extra points!
Maybe I’ll send you some special cookies recipes instead.
No, the players are choosing a basketball player with the same name. And all but one have done it publicly.
Sorry to you for the misunderstanding, carnivorousplant.
flytrap, Lauren Hill and Lauryn Hill are two completely different people, and Baker is right to exclude the basketball player. The singer is healthy and not on anyone’s list, that I noticed.
Thrilled that Lauren Hill is out. Thank you for enforcing the rules, Baker. For posterity:
[ol]
[li]Valerie Harper (8/22/1939) - American Actress[/li][li]Bob Benmosche (5/29/1944) - American CEO[/li][li]Sam Simon (6/6/1955) - American TV creator[/li][li]Sally Waters (c. 1960) - American civil rights plaintiff [/li][li]Dave Benton (c. 1963) - American newscaster[/li][li]Gino Odjick (9/7/1970) - Canadian hockey player[/li][li]Joost van deer Westhuizen (2/20/1971) - South African rugby player[/li][li]Oren Miller (c. 1973) - American parenting blogger[/li][li]Sirajuddin Haqqani (c. 1973) - Afghan militant[/li][li]Kjell Lindgren (1/23/1973) - American astronaut[/li][li]Omar Treviño Morales (1/26/1974) - Mexican druglord[/li][li]Pete Doherty (3/12/1979) - English musician [/li][li]Pete Frates (12/28/1984) - American viral fundraiser[/li]
[/ol]
Alternates:
George H.W. Bush - ex pres
Abe Vigoda - why not?
Clean list:
Valerie Harper
Bob Benmosche
Sam Simon
Sally Waters
Dave Benton
Gino Odjick
Joost van deer Westhuizen
Oren Miller
Sirajuddin Haqqani
Kjell Lindgren
Omar Treviño Morales
Pete Doherty
Pete Frates
Baker, don’t apologize to that troublemaker. he lives to stir up controversy. He doesn’t even use Google!
I’d be happy to swap cookie recipes with you. Making cookies with my daughter for Christmas is one of my favorite things to do for Christmas! Although most of ours are pretty well known. Our favorite is thumbprint cookies right out of the old Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook like Mom used to make back in the '60’s.
Oh, I think the plant was whooshing me. He’s fun, even if the chocolate hasn’t got here!