Here we go for 2009. The rules are exactly as before, but with one change to the awards: the “Inside Track with the Grim Reaper” Award now goes to the person with the most unique picks, not shared by everyone who had a unique pick. 17 of 41 deceased celebrities in 2008 were unique, so too many people were sharing this award.
**Please note my request at the bottom of the post that you submit your list in a specific format. **
The Rules:
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You pick 13 celebrities (that’s thirteen, not ten) whom you predict will die within the calendar year 2009. If any of your celebrities dies, you score 100 points minus their age at death. Whoever has the most points at the end of the year wins the undying snort admiration of the SDMB.
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All picks must be time- and date-stamped by midnight Chicago time, Dec. 31st, 2008. (That’s U.S. Central time, which is six hours behind Greenwich.)
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Valid picks are not:
a. already dead
b. a fictional character
c. non-human
d. under age 18 at death
e. a registered member of the SDMB, 'cause that would be weird
f. political prisoners, 'cause we’re macabre but not THAT macabre. Please see Rule 7 regarding the likes of Saddam Hussein.
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You can pick people who are 100 or more years old but you won’t score points for them. See the “Quantity Not Quality” award, below.
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If we are uncertain about the celebrity’s age at death, we will go by the higher age (lower score).
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Your picks must specify a name: listing “anybody from [the cast of your most hated TV show or boy band]” as a pick will be ignored.
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Persons under sentence of death will be valid for scoring points only if they die by means other than official execution.
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Any poster who kills or otherwise contributes to the death of any celebrity mentioned in this thread is disqualified. It’s just a game, people. The only exceptions to this rule would be deaths caused by those posters serving as members of the police or armed forces of any country, in the line of duty.
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Editing your choices: be careful! You can make changes to your list before the end of the year, but it has to be clear which names are your final choices. You may submit one or more “alternates” with your list in the event that one of your picks dies during December 2008, or submit an alternate after the death of the original pick, as long as this is posted by Dec 31, 2008. If you do not submit a name, I will submit the rest. You can have no more than 13 picks. If you pick more than 13, or if any of your picks is otherwise invalid, I may ask for clarification. Otherwise, I will submit the first 13 names on your list. Do me a favor: check twice, post once.
We have no rule about submissions having to be unique, despite claims of “copying” anyone else’s list. We will just turn up our noses at you if you do this. Sharing news of celebrities in ill health and whatnot is up to individual posters.
We have no rule about valid SDMB memberships (disqualifying members who have been banned). If you submit a list and then change your username at some point, please post this news on the thread so I know who you are.
We have no rule about what constitutes “celebrity,” because it makes our heads hurt to think about this.
Spelling counts! Please try to spell celebrities’ names correctly.
Some celebrities have common, identical or similar names. It is helpful to be specific.
Additional awards:
The “Quantity Not Quality” Award: to be awarded to the poster or posters who pick the greatest number of celebrities who died, regardless of their actual point value.
The “Inside Track With the Grim Reaper” Award: to be awarded to the poster or posters who had the most unique picks that died.
The “Opening Kickoff” Award: to be awarded to the poster or posters who pick the first listed celebrity to die in 2009.
The “Final Hours” Award: to be awarded to the poster or posters who pick the last listed celebrity to die in 2009.
List Format
I have a spreadsheet that will allow me to post updated standings quickly and produce various other statistics. The pain is “loading” the data into the sheet. I can do each list in a single cut and paste if you use the following format and guidelines: present a plain, unnumbered list that contains just the celebrities’ most commonly used names (e.g. use “Al Gore”, not “Albert Gore”), correctly spelled. So, to use my 2007 list as an example, it would be:
Garry Betty
Ronnie Biggs
Fidel Castro
Farrah Fawcett
Dan Fogelberg
Jane McGrath
Magnus Magnusson
Tammy Faye Messner
Benny Parsons
Suzanne Pleshette
Ariel Sharon
Yuri Shtern
Chuck Strahl
However, I know that many of you like to include commentary within your lists, such as:
George “the younger” Bush
Yogi Berra, baseballer/malaproper, age 81 (82 in May 2007)- because it ain’t over till it’s over.
That is fine - it adds to the entertainment. But if you do that, please also include the list again in plain format for me to copy & paste.
Have fun, you bunch of fellow sickos.
