# The Celebrity Death Pool 2012 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** death-pool\ **Created:** [December 1, 2011, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679 "2011-12-01T06:00:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 143
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2842 "2012-12-05T17:39:38Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > I’ll take my whopping 9 points for Brubeck. “Brubeck was one day short of his 92nd birthday.” Under English common law you turn a year older _the day before your birthday_, so he was officially 92 years old. Sorry to try to steal one more point from **garygnu** , but has this question of the official determination of age been addressed? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2843 "2012-12-05T17:58:20Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > “Brubeck was one day short of his 92nd birthday.” Under English common law you turn a year older _the day before your birthday_, so he was officially 92 years old. Sorry to try to steal one more point from **garygnu** , but has this question of the official determination of age been addressed? We’re not in England. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2844 "2012-12-05T18:04:06Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > “Brubeck was one day short of his 92nd birthday.” Under English common law you turn a year older _the day before your birthday_, so he was officially 92 years old. Sorry to try to steal one more point from **garygnu** , but has this question of the official determination of age been addressed? That whole bit was in the List of Grievances in our (US) Declaration of Independence. One of the primary reasons for the revolutionary war.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2845 "2012-12-05T19:08:38Z")
As DeathMistress I’m going to give out the full nine points. And a heads up, check the 2013 for a special announcement/question!😃 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2846 "2012-12-05T19:26:21Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > As DeathMistress I’m going to give out the full nine points. You always do the ri…wait a minute, is he higher than twelve? No. the right thing, Death Mistress! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2847 "2012-12-05T19:46:58Z")
And **garygnu** leaps from being tied for 123rd place to being tied for 106th place. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2848 "2012-12-05T20:04:03Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > And **garygnu** leaps from being tied for 123rd place to being tied for 106th place. Time to re-do your score card post? … And then have someone else kick it after that? ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2849 "2012-12-05T20:10:07Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > As DeathMistress I’m going to give out the full nine points. [The headline on this obituary](http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-dave-brubeck-20121206,0,4002374.story?page=1) agrees with your decision. However, had I made the pick, I would honor Brubeck’s most famous number and only “Take Five”! Meanwhile, [David Oliver Relin](http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-1204-david-relin-20121204,0,2761610.story) committed suicide at the age of 49. The book _Three Cups of Tea_, which Relin cowrote, came into controversy last year when much of the text was attacked as fabrication. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2850 "2012-12-05T20:11:00Z")
It hasn’t changed enough for me to post it again so soon. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2851 "2012-12-05T20:12:01Z")
Question: If I picked Bessie Cooper, would I have lost 16 points? > **[Besse Cooper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Besse_Cooper)** > > Besse Berry Cooper (née Brown; August 26, 1896 – December 4, 2012) was an American supercentenarian who was the world's oldest living person from June 21, 2011, until her death in 2012. > Cooper was born Besse Berry Brown in Sullivan County, Tennessee, on August 26, 1896, the third of eight children born to Richard Brown (1861–1932) and Angeline Berry (1866–1927). As a child, she did well in school and was an avid reader. She graduated from East Tennessee State Normal School (now East Tennessee ... ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2852 "2012-12-05T20:18:11Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > Question: If I picked Bessie Cooper, would I have lost 16 points? > > [Besse Cooper - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Besse_Cooper) No, you wouldn’t have lost points. All she would have done for you though is to count towards the “Quantity, Not Quality” award. My grandmother wasn’t quite up there with Bessie, but she just passed away a month short of her 108th birthday. ---
**Author:** ![BACI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@BACI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BACI)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2853 "2012-12-05T22:09:27Z")
And speaking of centenarians - Dame Elizabeth Murdoch - mother of Rupert, gardening enthusiast, and charity and community icon in the state of Victoria has departed this mortal coil aged 103. [http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/dame-elisabeth-murdoch-a-woman-who-touched-so-many-lives/story-fncynkc6-1226530839457](http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/dame-elisabeth-murdoch-a-woman-who-touched-so-many-lives/story-fncynkc6-1226530839457) ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2854 "2012-12-05T22:19:50Z")
He’s 81. Do you suppose he’ll live another 20 years? :eek: ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2855 "2012-12-05T23:06:33Z")
Oh no! Dame Elisabeth was a real class act. Ok, she unleashed Rupert on the world, but she worked tirelessly for charity to make up for it. 103 is a damn good innings but I’m still sorry to see her go. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2856 "2012-12-06T01:11:49Z")
Another centenarian, Brazilian architect [Oscar Niemeyer](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ap-newsalert-193) has died. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2857 "2012-12-06T03:24:32Z")
Marmalarde … dead! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2858 "2012-12-06T03:29:57Z")
> [@Invisible\_Chimp](#): > > Another centenarian, Brazilian architect [Oscar Niemeyer](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ap-newsalert-193) has died. Damn. His hot dogs were so good. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2859 "2012-12-06T04:26:07Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Damn. His hot dogs were so good. Well played… ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2860 "2012-12-06T20:01:15Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Damn. His hot dogs were so good. The architect had a first name – O S C A R He also had a second name – N I E M E Y E R Oh, I’m announcing his death today And if you ask me why I’ll say, “'Cause Oscar Niemeyer had a way With B R A S I L I A!” ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2012/604679/2861 "2012-12-06T20:17:37Z")
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