The 2011 Off Topic Celebrity Dead Pool

[Al B. Sure!]

Not a celebrity but a relevant death for a gaming site:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/jerry-lawson-creator-of-cartridge-based-video-game-consoles-di/

Gerald "Jerry" Lawson, the man who invented the video game cartridge, died Saturday morning of a heart attack at a Mountain View, California hospital at the age of 70. His brainchild, the Fairchild Channel F Video Game System, more commonly referred to as the Channel F, came out just one year before Atari's cartridge-based console, the VCS, opening the floodgates of modern gaming. His earliest foray into consumer electronics began early on, but it wasn't until he joined Fairchild in 1970 that he really made his mark on the tech industry. During that time, he became the only black member of the infamous Homebrew Computer Club that counted Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniack as members. He was honored at this year's GDC for his monumental contribution to modern gaming.

[-Jrabbit]

Also Sidney Harman has passed at age 92.

Co-founder of Harmon/Kardon (stereo receivers), later headed Harman International (including brands JBL, Lexicon, AKG Acoustics, dbx, Digitech, BSS, Studer, Soundcraft and Crown, among others). He was a legend in the pro audio business.

More recently, he purchased Newsweek Magazine (basically to keep it alive) and also The Daily Beast. In addition, he was Secretary of Commerce (1977-78) and did a lot of major philanthropy.

He led a rich, full life. RIP, Sidney.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-04-13/sidney-harman-an-extraordinary-life-by-jonathan-alter/#

[SlowwHand]

Phoebe Snow, 'Poetry Man' singer, dies at 60 (AP)

AP - Phoebe Snow, a bluesy singer, guitarist and songwriter who had a defining hit of the 1970s with "Poetry Man" but then largely dropped out of the spotlight to care for her disabled daughter, has died.

RIP

[Wezil]

After a year in a coma.

[Tuberski]

Jrabbit and HC have scored with OBL.

ACK!

[Hauldren Collider]

Woo!

[SlowwHand]

CRAP! I had him at #1 last year and left him off entirely this year. What a hose head.

[Hauldren Collider]

In all fairness slow, if there were justice he'd have died twenty years ago and never would have been on your dead pool.

[Guynemer]

Took him off my list this year too.

[Wezil]

Technically there is an issue with Rule 23(d) with regard to OBL. We are expected to take the word of the US government - hardly a reliable source.

That said, since OBL's guys aren't denying the report I will award the points if there is no general disagreement.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Not dead. Antichrist rises from teh sea with full recovery from a fatal head injury. FACT !

[Wezil]

It's a "Steve Fosset" type rule Ogie.

[-Jrabbit]

Dude, it's not like there wasn't a corpse. Take all the shots you want at the US govt, but in terms of the dead pool, there's no reason to avoid awarding points.

It's not like you can't correct mistakes later in the year.

[Wezil]

I've already said I'd give the points. If OBL's guys were issuing denials I would not.

That said, there really is no body. The presumed corpse of OBL was disposed of in quick fashion in a way that makes it irretrievable for any further examination. This would be a mistake that would not go corrected at any point.

And I can't as OBL is the second most important news item for me today and the elaborate DP scoring system takes some time to update. I'll :doitlater!:

[-Jrabbit]

Whatever/whenever, Wezil.

This is all Internet/news media driven. It's not like Dead Pools have fact checkers taking DNA samples and attending funerals. It's a frigging game.