Hai!

New rule: I'm not going to keep track of points this year. I'm just starting the pool and moderating the list. Per FAG's wonderful suggestion, this year you will all keep track of your points.

Other rules:

Okay, there were folks who missed the 2011 version of VFTW's favorite non-American Idol voting game, the celebrity death pool.

Don't miss out on next year's game, the nomination period starts now, and goes through December 31, 2011. Lists will not be taken after midnight, California time. In other words, if your list isn't in when the ball drops in California, you miss out on the opportunity to be named Champion of the 2012 Celebrity Death Pool.

Here's how it works: either post a list of 10 celebrities who you feel will die during 2012, or if you don't want your super brilliant picks stolen by your competition, you may send your list to me by private message.

Points are awarded when one of your picks dies, based on their age at death. You get more points if your pick is young than if they are old. The formula for point award is simple; 100 - age at death = your points awarded.

For instance, you would earn 10 points if your celebrity has lived 90 years before dying, and 75 points if your pick was only 25 at death.

There are differing schools of strategy involved. You could choose 10 old, cancer ridden, celebrities, and hope for many deaths, each yielding a few points. Alternately, you could play the "Heath Ledger" strategy, where picking 10 young drug users will yield massive points if just one or two end it all too soon. Of course, you can mix picks, like stocks, for a well diversified portfolio.

When you submit your list, don't assume that you are done. If one of your picks dies in 2011, be prepared to submit an alternate nomination or you will enter the game with 9 or fewer picks instead of the 10 allowed.

I will endeavor to inform you if one, or more of your picks dies too soon; but ultimately, you are responsible for your own list.

When submitting lists, be specific. "President Bush" will be disallowed, as there are two people who could be intended.

Finally, Celebrity is hard to gauge, but I am fairly liberal in allowing nominations. Wikipedia will be used to determine birthdate. If a celebrity does not have a pre-existing Wikipedia entry, your pick is not a celebrity (every nomination for 2011 had a Wiki entry, that is how birth dates were determined).

I will let you know if one of your picks doesn't reach celebrity status; you may submit an alternate choice, or appeal to Deb for a over-ruling.

Lists will be posted on, or shortly after, January 1, 2012 by player and celebrity.

Okay, start preparing your best list and get in in for the 2012 Celebrity Death Pool.

My picks will appear on a separate post, as when the thread gets locked/dumped this post may timestamp after midnight on 1/1. And because I'm not ready.

ETA: Here are the picks that were sent to me privately:

WhatsADikFur

1 ) ABDELBASET ALI MOHMED AL MEGRAHI b. 04/01/52 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdelbaset_Ali_Mohmed_Al_Megrahi

2) ETTA JAMES b. 01/25/38 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etta_james

3) FIDEL CASTRO b. 08/13/26 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_Castro

4) GEORGE RIVAS b. 05/06/70 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Rivas

5) IAN BRADY b. 01/02/38 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_brady

6) RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH b. 08/29/23 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Attenborough

7) ROBIN GIBB b. 12/22/49 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Gibb

8) RODRIGO NEWBURY b. 05/18/62 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Newbury

9) TAMARA GRIGSBY b. 11/19/74 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamara_Grigsby

10) YONG VUI KONG b. 01/23/88 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yong_Vui_Kong

------

Fallen Angel Gabriel

Abdelbaset al-Megrahi

Anthony Sowell

Donald Keith Newbury

Etta James

Gary Carter

George Rivas

Muhammad Ali

Robin Gibb

Tariq Aziz

Zsa Zsa Gabor

---

Lola57

1. Jeb Corliss - 3/25/76

2. Aretha Franklin - 3/25/42

3. Robin Gibb - 12/22/49

4. Johnny Hallyday - 6/15/43

5. Tom Hamilton - 12/31/51

6. Etta James - 1/25/38

7. Artie Lange - 10/11/67

8. Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi - 4/1/52

9. Roddy Piper - 4/17/54

10. Alain Robert - 8/7/62

---

Phantom13

1) Etta James

2) Jerry Lewis

3) Joseph Ratzinger

4) Lady Gaga

5) Lindsay Lohan

6) Michael Douglas

7) Paul Henderson

8) Queen Elizabeth II

9) Regis Philbin

10) Zsa Zsa Gabor

---

Smarterthanpickler

Bashar al-Assad

Muhammad Ali

Nouri Kamil Mohammed Hasan al-Maliki

Abdelbaset Mohmed Ali al-Megrahi

Julian Assange

Robin Gibb

Whitney Houston

Lindsay Lohan

Barack Obama

Vladimir Putin

---

Smartie

Jim Stynes 23 April 1966

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Stynes

Bernie Madoff April 29, 1938

Andrew Lloyd Webber 22 March 1948

Kylie Minogue 5/28/68

Tom Cruise 7/3/62

Ali Lohan December 22, 1993

Paul Allen January 21, 1953

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Allen

Kim Jon Un 8 January 1983

Mark Zuckerberg 8 January 1983

Dina Lohan September 15, 1962

as some of you may not have seen the original post show up.

OK - I'll batter up.

- Aretha Franklin

- Nancy Reagan

- Gough Whitlam (ex-Aust sacked Prime Minister) Wiki link

- Bear Grylls (UK survivalist-doco-wanker)

- Matthew Newton (famous Australian actor-total psycho case) Wiki link

- Manuel Uribe (world's fattest whatever)

- Courtney Love

- Lindsay Lohan

- Harold Camping (Doomsday Failer - the Devil's coming to collect any day now)

- Kanye West ( . . . 'cos Harold I'm be happy for an all, but Kanye should have one of the best deaths of the year. Yo!)

I will be posting mine at 11:59ish pm PST on December 31, 2011.

^^ Hey, are you stealing my strategy?

Dear celebrities who may be reading this: I am now accepting monetary incentives in order to put you on my list. This will almost certainly assure you a year of life and good health. I'm especially suggesting this for the older and more infirm amongst you. In case of more than 10 celebs signing up for this service, consideration will go to the highest bidders. Thank you in advance.

Aretha Franklin

Cliff Richard

Margaret Thatcher

Queen Elizabeth II

Prince Phillip

Brett Michaels

Lindsay Lohan

Dame Vera Lynn

Rupert Murdoch

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi

I have a feeling LiLo is going to be on a LOT of lists.

1) Scott Weiland

2) George H.W. Bush (the Prez after Reagan)

3) Don Rickles

4) Doyle Brunson

5) Lindsay Lohan

6) Jon Voight

7) Artie Lange

8) James Caan

9) Trent Lott (he is NOT dead!) (U.S. Senator)

10) Mindy McCready (Hope she meets her Ten Thousand Angels )

New list as I had missed Mr. Byrd by 1 1/2 years....

^^Robert Byrd is DEAD!

John Goodman

Mickey Rooney

Michael Douglas

Dick van Dyke

Yoko Ono

Meatloaf

Pete Doherty

George Michael

Aretha Franklin

Jim Stynes (Aussie football legend and lovely man - sorry Jim)

I'm waiting to put my list of immortality together.

I'm playing my risky strategy from this year's contest: (undercover) drug addicts, people who push themselves way too hard, and people who look like death.

Bruno Mars--October 8, 1985

Nicki Minaj--December 8, 1982

Carol Channing--January 31, 1921

Stephen King--September 21, 1947

Betty White--January 17, 1922

Ryan Seacrest--December 24, 1974

Richard Branson--July 18, 1950

Lindsay Lohan--July 2, 1986

Joyce Carol Oates--June 16, 1938

Lea Michele--August 29, 1986

And let me be the first to wish these ten celebrities a happy, healthy, and productive new year.

Last minute edit: so I hear Richard Branson is going to try to go 20,000+ft under the sea this year in a brand new kind of submarine. I don't think that'll turn out well. Added birth dates.

Betty is immortal. Just thought you should know.

I was going to post that last night, but decided it wasn't necessary.

I would be traumatized if Betty died, but if the old bat earned me points, I'd put her on my list.

So whose going to kick the bucket this year? Probably not anyone on my list

1. Robin Gibb

2. Joe Paterno

3. Jonathon Winters

4. Steven Adler

5. Matt Hardy

6. Lindsey Lohan

7. Micheal Lohan

8. Aretha Franklin

9. Nancy Reagan

10. Courtney Love

Might as well get this show on the road...

1. Muhammad Ali- 1/17/42

2. George H.W. Bush- 6/12/24

3. Beth Ditto- 2/18/81

4. Zsa Zsa Gabor- 2/6/17

5. Billy Graham- 11/17/18

6. Matt Hardy- 9/23/74

7. Etta James- 1/25/38

8. Joe Paterno- 12/12/26

9. Andy Williams- 12/3/27

10. Ethan Zohn- 11/12/73

Damn you, Hitchens...could you have just held on for two more weeks?

1. Joe Paterno

2. Jerry Sandusky

3. Barack Obama

4. Vladimir Putin

5. Kim Jong Il

6. Roman Polanski

7. Michael J. Fox

8. Lindsay Lohan

9. Jeff Hardy

10. Matt Hardy

RBloodworth, Hitchens just dieded.

I am posting 5 psychics, that way if one dies, I can make a joke about them not being psychic enough to predict their own death.

1. Sylvia Brown- October 19, 1936

2. Jose Ortiz El Buen Samaritano-July 28, 1952

3. Danielle Egnew- February 28, 1969

4. John Edward- October 19, 1969

5. Miss Cleo- August 12, 1962

Then these are five that I would not mind seeing die.

6. Jamie Dimon- March 13, 1956

7. Bono- 10 May 1960

8. Madonna- August 16, 1958

9. Nancy Grace- October 23, 1959

10. John Yoo- July 10, 1967

Edited because I've decided Rachael Ray can live.