Dead Pool 3rd October 2021

Another  decidedly average week, no points to award and another bunch of ‘famous’ people who you might not have heard of… 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

 In Other News

Vic Reeves has candidly revealed he is ‘living with deafness’ after doctors discovered a tumour is growing on his brain and has cut off all hearing in one of his ears. The 62-year-old comedy star has been diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma – also known as acoustic neuroma, which is a non-cancerous brain tumour. The NHS explains that acoustic neuromas “grow on the nerve used for hearing and balance, which can cause problems such as hearing loss and unsteadiness.” They can become dangerous if they grow to a large size – with Vic saying doctors are now monitoring his tumour to track it’s size, requiring regular trips for MRI scans. And he says he has now been robbed of all hearing in one ear, prompting him to throw out all his favourite old LPs. Opening up about his health battle Vic said: “I’ve got a vestibular schwannoma – it’s a tumour in my head. I’ve gone completely deaf, 100 per cent deaf, in the left ear, and it will never come back. It’s dead – absolutely completely gone. It’s like the size of a grape so they just have to keep an eye on it.” The comedian went on to explain that the growth is fortunately not at risk of being deadly, and he’s being advised on treatment. He said: “It’s benign. They can’t remove it – they can shrink it or they can leave it and keep an eye on it, and that’s what they’re doing. The eardrum and your brain, there’s a nerve and that takes all the information from your ear to your brain and the tumour is right in between the nerve, so it’s gone ping and snapped it and you can’t reattach nerves.” Describing how the illness has affected his life, the Shooting Stars legend said: “I had to throw away all me stereo LPs. I’m living with deafness. Can you imagine a life without stereo records – no more will I hear Jimi Hendrix, well the producer. On If 6 was 9 he goes all over the place. I thought it was great stereo when it first happened. All I’ve got left is Frank Ifield and mono!” He continued: “Because I like going out bird watching I never know where the birds are because I can hear them, but I don’t know what direction they’re in.      

Phil Collins has been pictured leaving his hotel in a wheelchair before his gig in Leeds on Tuesday night. The musician, who recently admitted he can ‘barely hold a drumstick’ in one of his hands, has been suffering from ill health for the past 15 years. On Tuesday night, the 70-year-old performed alongside his band Genesis at Leeds Arena and remained seated throughout the show. As he belted out his hit songs, the musician stayed in his chair and leant against a microphone stand while treating a delighted audience to renditions of his best-loved songs. Ahead of the gig on Tuesday, the Genesis star was pictured in a wheelchair on Monday afternoon. As he was wheeled out of a hotel in Leeds, the drummer and singer wore a medical face mask and baseball cap as he was pictured out and about. Clutching a brown wooden walking stick, the One More Night singer kept warm in the cold weather conditions in a leather jacket and blue scarf. Earlier last month, Phil sparked concern amongst fans as he appeared on BBC Breakfast and gave a rare interview where he discussed his health. The dad-of-five has been suffering from ill health for the past 15 years with him suffering an injured vertebrae in his upper neck which has led to crippling nerve damage. During his chat on the early morning breakfast show, the award-winning artist spoke candidly about his future and admitted that the band he plays with will be retired after their current UK tour.   

Katie Price has been seen for the first time since court as she was photographed on her way to rehab. The former glamour model, 43, has pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance following a crash near her home in Sussex on Tuesday. The mother-of-five was involved in a single-car collision that left her BMW flipped on its side on the B2135 near Partridge Green. Katie’s sentencing has now been deferred until December 15th to allow her to have treatment at the Priory Centre and speak to the probation service. After her appearance in court, Katie was photographed driving through London on her way to the Priory. The star looked downcast and tense as she sat in the passenger seat of a Fiat 500. Katie held her hand to her forehead after pleading guilty to the charges. She was told that her sentence would be deferred on the condition that she have treatment at the Priory Centre, not commit any further offences, and be banned from driving in the interim. The reality TV star was told she must also engage with the probation service so a report can be prepared. It will not be the first time that the multi-millionaire has had a stint at the facility as she checked into rehab in September 2018 in order to tackle her drug issues. She spent 28 days in the facility after deciding to receive professional help after depending on cocaine to numb the pain of her problems. 

On This Day

  • 1863 – The last Thursday in November is declared as Thanksgiving Day by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. 
  • 1952 – The United Kingdom successfully tests a nuclear weapon to become the world’s third nuclear power.  
  • 1981 – The hunger strike at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland ends after seven months and ten deaths.  
  • 1995 – The O. J. Simpson murder case ends with a verdict of not guilty.

Deaths

Last Meals

Emeline Meaker was the first woman who was legally executed by Vermont. In 1883, Meaker was convicted and hanged for the murder of her husband’s niece Alice. 

Sometime in the spring of 1879, a child welfare worker approached Meaker and her husband to ask if they would consider taking Mr. Meaker’s eight-year-old niece, Alice and her brother, Henry, into their home, as the children were living in an overcrowded orphanage. Mr. Meaker was offered a stipend of US$400 (equivalent to $11,110 in 2020) to care for Alice, and so he agreed. Emeline Meaker was not pleased with the arrangement and beat, starved, and otherwise mistreated Alice.

Meaker decided to kill Alice, and ordered her son Almon to get a lethal dose of strychnine from an apothecary. On April 23rd, 1880, Meaker and Almon seized Alice, placed a sack over the girl’s head, and took her to a remote area outside Burlington. When they arrived at a clearing by a stream, Almon handed the poison to his mother and she poured it into a drink which she gave to Alice. While Alice thrashed about in reaction to the strychnine poisoning, Meaker forcibly held her hand over Alice’s mouth to keep the girl from crying out, keeping it there until Alice was dead, and then Almon and his mother buried Alice’s body.  

Alice’s disappearance was investigated, and Almon confessed to the local sheriff. At trial, both he and Emeline were sentenced to death; however, Almon’s sentence was commuted by the Vermont Legislature because it was believed that he was dominated by his mother. Almon’s confession was published in the newspaper on the date set for Emeline’s execution. It was reported that Emeline acted violently while in jail, but calmed as her execution date drew nearer.  

On March 30th, 1883, the morning of her scheduled execution, Meaker ate a large beefsteak, three potatoes, a slice of bread and butter, a piece of meat pie, and a cup of coffee. Then, at her request, she went to view the gallows, remarking that it was not half as bad as she thought it would be. She sent a message to her husband through the sheriff, and then ate a lunch consisting of two boiled eggs, two slices of toast, one potato, one doughnut, and a cup of coffee.

Over 125 spectators gathered in the prison guardroom at the Vermont State Prison in Windsor County, and it was reported that the sheriff was besieged with requests for passes to witness the hanging. When Meaker was finally led to the gallows, and asked (by slip of paper as she was deaf) if she had anything to say, Emeline said in a low voice, “May God forgive you all for hanging me, an innocent woman. I am as innocent as that man standing here,” indicating a deputy. None of her family was present at the execution and her husband and children did not accept her body for burial after the execution.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Denis Villeneuve (54), Alicia Vikander (33), Lena Headey (48), Clive Owen (56), Neve Campbell (48), Seann William Scott (45), Gwen Stefani (52), Tommy Lee (59), Greg Proops (62), Lorraine Bracco (67), Sting (70), Avery Brooks (73), Tiffany(50), Brie Larson (32), Julie Andrews (86), Zach Galifianakis (52), Randy Quaid (71), Monica Bellucci (57), Alistair Petrie (51), Kieran Culkin (39), Eric Stoltz (60), Omid Djalili (56), Ian Ogilvy (78), Rula Lenska (74), Zachary Levi (41), Ian McShane (79), Erika Eleniak (52), James Lance (46), Mackenzie Crook (50), Luke Goss (53), Robert Webb (49), Patricia Hodge (75), Naomi Watts (53), Mira Sorvino (54), Hilary Duff (34), Brigitte Bardot (87), Dita Von Teese (49), Gwyneth Paltrow (49), Indira Varma (48), Meat Loaf (74), Denis Lawson (74), and Avril Lavigne (37).

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