Waiting to Exhale (giggles!)

Whitney Houston, an awe inspiring talent who's beautiful life Bobby Brown chewed up and pooped out, has died.

Now you may be asking yourself, How Will I Know she's dead?   Easy, they found her body.
Whitney, should I continue Saving All My Love for You?  No... again, she's dead.
This is terrible, Happy Funtime; I'm staring to get So Emotional.   I'm sorry, but again, she's dead.

She had like a kabillion number one hits, but none recently.  Oh she tried, mind you, had a new song but couldn't sing it because her voice was just so gone.  Even Kevin Costner couldn't save her from this. A sad ending to such a happy beginning of a life.  Whitney Houston, dead at the age of 48.  Read more HERE.

Carry us through our grief, Lin Yu Chun...

The Soul Train has departed

Don Cornelius, creator of Soul Train, has died. Famous for phrases such as "and you can bet your last money, it's all gonna be a stone gas, honey" and others you'd be embarrassed to hear me say in person, Cornelius introduced new sounds and style to an audience that might otherwise have never been exposed, and gave a platform to under appreciated musicians. Don Cornelius and his voice, dead at the age of 75. Read more HERE.

Joe Paterno, dead At Last

BOOM! You see what I did there? You expected that for Etta James... remember, the easy joke. But no, I saved it, and used it on Joe Paterno! Totally unexpected! Unlike JoePa's death, which was a long time coming. A tiny, cranky old man with a beautiful football mind, he's finally taking that long nap he so desperately needed. On this day though, let us remember the good things he did. Like his role of Carl Fredricksen in the Pixar movie Up. Mr. Penn State himself, dead at the age of 85. Read more HERE.

* points awarded (x2)

Etta James is dead

Singer of that song... you know the one. The one that everybody is going to use as a joke, thinking they were the first one to think of it. They'll laugh in their heads, giggling that her song also went so well with her passing, after all this time. They'll snort the first time they tell someone, and that person will say "Ha, I said the same thing when I heard!". And so it goes... But here at the Happy Funtime Friends and Family Death Predictions Extravaganza, we don't go for the easy joke. We think, think some more, till it's thunk, and then we run with it. So Jamesetta Hawkins, singer of my wedding song, is dead at the age of 73. Read more HERE.


* points awarded (x9)

2012 Picks are posted

So the picks are entered. Please look over them and make sure everything looks right. They are currently linked to the left under "2012 Links".

Well Friends and Family, it looks like we can call it...

And the winner for 2011 is Cathy H. Some of us may have not scored as many points as we had hoped, but in the end we had a competitive year and hopefully some fun along the way. That's all you can ask for, right? So if you see Cathy H., take a moment to congratulate her and ask her nicely not to rub it in to her husband too much during the next 12 months.

And with that, I leave you with the Celebrity Death Montage for 2011. The picks for 2012 will be up after the deadline, and I wish you all well with your lists.

Announcing the 1st Annual Margaret Walker Humanitarian Award

Much like Harriet Tubman delivering innocent souls from certain death, Margaret Walker has worked tirelessly for the last 2 years providing safe passage for celebrities, all but assuring their health and well being. In that time, twenty choices have been made by her, with zero points earned. Just a mention on her list can extend the life of those assumed dead. In 2011 alone, Mrs. Walker extended the lives of both Betty White and Billy Graham.

In recognition of her efforts, we here at the Happy Funtime Friends and Family Death Predictions Extravaganza have created The Margaret Walker Humanitarian Award. To be presented annually, the Award recognizes those who refuse to earn points in a game based on earning points. The award comes with a cash prize; the interest earned on the pool money for the year.

It is only fitting then, that the first "Peggy" be awarded to Margaret Walker. Enjoy your recognition, and 19¢, Mrs. Walker. We salute you.