1.0 INTRODUCTION

You know how it goes. If you're gonna play the game, ya gotta play by the rules. The natural question is, "what the hell are the rules?" The seemingly endless text presented below makes up the Official Rules and Regulations for the 2009 Old Blue Eyes Memorial Celebrity Death Watch (O.B.E.), a little contest operated by The Guys at the O.B.E. Do you have to read 'em? Not if you don't want to. But, don't come crying to us when you find out your entry is being returned, you lost on a technicality, or one of your celebrities is ineligible and has been removed from your list. Look, you've gotten this far, why not read the whole thing. Okay? Good! Here goes.....

2.0 DEFINITIONS

The following terms, when used within these Rules and Regulations, will have the meanings presented within this section.

2009 O.B.E., O.B.E., OLD BLUE EYES MEMORIAL CELEBRITY DEATH WATCH, and DEATH WATCH shall all mean the activity, managed by The Guys at the O.B.E., in which all participants compete to determine who is best at guessing which celebrities will die during a specified calendar year. The winning participant(s) will be awarded a prize.

LIST and ENTRY shall both mean the manner in which participants present their choices for the 2009 O.B.E. Each list shall be comprised of thirteen (13) picks and one (1) Alternate as outlined in the Rules and Regulations.

PICK shall mean an individual name listed within an entry.

DEATH WATCHER shall mean a participant or team of participants in the 2009 O.B.E.

BITE IT, KEEL, KEEL OVER, BUY THE FARM, CASH OUT, KICK, KICK OFF, KICK THE BUCKET, PASS-ON, MEET ONE'S MAKER, PUSH UP DAISIES, BITE THE DUST, and SHED THIS MORTAL COIL, ETC. shall all mean die.

3.0 OBJECTIVE

The objective of the O.B.E. is for Death Watchers to pick which celebrities will pass-on, meet their maker, buy the farm or, in other words, DIE (see Section 9-WHAT IS DEATH) over the course of a calendar year. For O.B.E. purposes, we're looking at the 2009 calendar year. To do this, Death Watchers need to compile a list of the thirteen (Oooooo, spooky) celebrities they think will bite it in 2009. Each Death Watcher must also pick one alternate (see Section 7.0-THE ALTERNATE). For convenience, The Guys at the O.B.E. have prepared a form which Death Watchers can use to make their picks. A link to the form can be found in Section 5.0-HOW TO ENTER. It's really a simple idea. Famous people are bound to push up daisies at some point, all a Death Watcher needs to do is predict which ones will buy the farm this year (2009).

4.0 METHODOLOGY

There are several schools of thought on how to make good picks. Presented for contemplation are just a few of these methodologies. Death Watchers are under no obligation to use any listed methodology in making picks for their lists.

AGE: Let's face it, life is a finite game. Ultimately the years win. But, don't forget guys like George Burns, Bob Hope and Pope John Paul II. They shocked death pool participants the world over for years. Age matters but it can fool ya too.

LIFESTYLE: A guy or gal who spends lots of time main-lining heroin, doing drive-bys, or otherwise living a less-than-quiet lifestyle may just cash out. Overdoses, gunshots, and overall misdirected angst have a nasty way of killing people. But, let's not forget guys like Tim Leary who, for years, doped up to the max and lived to tell about it. Ultimately it was the next methodology that got old Tim.

TERMINAL ILLNESS: The Guys know it's kinda shitty to list these folks, but a fact is a fact. Celebrities are people and people get sick. So, why not make the most of it and put a few on your list? Be forewarned though....remission happens.

PUBLIC POSITION: In some cases the very thing that makes a person a celebrity is the thing that can "get 'em." Positions of power and fame tend to attract criticism. Depending on the time and place, criticism sometimes comes in the form of a loaded weapon or some explosive device. It ain't a fact of life we relish, but it's a fact of life nonetheless. Of course, some critics have bad aim.

In the end, The Guys believe that a Death Watcher's list is a personal thing. Each Death Watcher is encouraged to do their homework. There are tons of resources on the internet as well as countless entertainment rags and T.V. shows. A little digging on a Death Watcher's part can result in lots of graves on celebrities' parts. Remember that!

5.0 HOW TO ENTER

Before entering, Death Watchers should read all Rules and Regulations presented herein. Once they have done that, they'll be forwarding their list to the O.B.E. But, The Guys are getting ahead of themselves.

Death Watchers may enter as an individual or as part of a team. However, each Death Watcher may enter only ONCE as an individual and each team may enter only ONCE as a team. Each list received by The Guys is considered a single entry and is judged accordingly. When playing as a team, each team list constitutes one entry. The Guys view each entry as a single entity. All prizes are awarded by entry and it shall be the responsibility of a team to split any winnings should a team win said prize.

To enter, Death Watchers will need to compile a list of 13 celebrity (see section 8.0-WHAT CONSTITUTES A CELEBRITY) picks who they believe will keel over between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. In addition, Death Watchers must present an Alternate with each list which will be used in the event of an early death (see Section 7.0-THE ALTERNATE).

All celebrity picks must be listed by common first and last name except where a single name clearly identifies the celebrity (for example Cher, Madonna, and Bono). In addition, the Death Watcher MUST indicate who each of their celebrity picks are on the entry (for example: Buddy Hackett, chubby comic). Where two celebrities have the same name, the Death Watcher shall clearly specify the celebrity to which they are referring (For example: Michael Jackson - King of Pop as opposed to Michael Jackson - Renowned Beer Critic and Author). If the Death Watcher fails to do this, The Guys will determine the celebrity they believe was intended and that decision shall not be debated. Also, you had better read Section 18.0-THE TRANNSFIXUS SED NON MORTIMUS STIPULATION really, really carefully!

All entries shall be submitted on the Official O.B.E. entry form or a reasonable facsimile thereof. The form can be found at the entry form link at http://www.flymetothetomb.com

Once a Death Watcher's list is complete with 13 picks and one alternate, it must be delivered to the O.B.E. Three manners of submitting lists will be accepted:

1. HAND DELIVERY: Lists may be hand delivered to either of The Guys at The O.B.E. Hand delivered lists must be in the possession of one of the Guys at The O.B.E. at or before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on December 31, 2008. No Late entries kids!

2. MAIL: Lists may be mailed to the O.B.E. at the address presented below. All mailed entries must be post marked December 31, 2008 or earlier. Entries with a 2009 postmark will be discarded, spindled or othewise mutilated.

All mailed entries must be delivered to:

The Guys at the O.B.E.
C/O
P.O. BOX 343
MIDDLESEX, NEW JERSEY 08846

3. EMAIL: Lists may be emailed to the O.B.E. at the_guys@verizon.net. Emailed lists must be received on the Verizon server at or before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (other time zones take note) on December 31, 2008. Sorry kids, if the email indicates that it arrived later than that, it's void. So come on, send the list at least several hours ahead of time to be sure!

6.0 THE O.B.E. BEGINS

As the 2009 calendar year rolls on each Death Watcher gets sucked into the O.B.E. They turn on the news, read the papers, and surf the internet looking to see who has shed this mortal coil. The Guys will be tracking the the deaths of those folks in the limelight to see who won't be popping the bubbly come New Year's Eve 2009. Based on reports of celebrity death in the Associated Press (see Section 9.0-WHAT IS DEATH?), The Guys at the O.B.E. will track each entry (see Sections 10.0-WINNING THE O.B.E. and 11.0-BREAKING TIES). A running tally of the standings will be posted on the O.B.E. web page located at http://www.flymetothetomb.com. Each time a celebrity on a list keels, The Guys will mark off that pick on each appropriate list. At the conclusion of the year, the Death Watcher(s) with the most marked picks wins the O.B.E. Pretty simple, right? Well, some other technical matters do come into play....read on.

7.0 THE ALTERNATE

Each list submitted is comprised of 13 living celebrities and one Alternate living celebrity. The Alternate is used to replace one (and only one) celebrity on a Death Watcher's list in the unlikely event that one of a Death Watcher's picks for 2009 kicks off before the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2009. In this case, the Alternate will be used to replace the celebrity pushing up daises (remember Sarah Knauss). Note that an Alternate can be used once. So, if more than one celebrity on a list doesn't make it to that 2008 finish line, tough luck for the Death Watcher who listed the dead picks. Their list will simply be a bit shorter than the rest of the Death Watcher's lists. The Guys know this kinda stinks for the Death Watcher who loses some picks, but imagine how the folks who keeled over feel.

Understand that the Alternate is only used if the death occurs AFTER the list is postmarked (for mailed or e-mailed lists) or received by one of The Guys at the O.B.E. (for hand delivered lists). Should a list contain picks that were already dead when the list was prepared, those picks will be removed from the list and the Death Watcher submitting that list will participate one or more pick(s) short.

8.0 WHAT CONSTITUTES A CELEBRITY? (THE EXOENDO ZUZUBAR RE-REWRITE)

This question has plagued the O.B.E. since its inception. We tried to tidy things up in 2009 and we ended up with big headaches. For the 2010 game year (and all years after we hope), the definition of celebrity will be as follows in this section. We don't really give a poopy if you don't like it. This is how it's going to be.

Several factors must be met in order for a pick to meet the definition of celebrity.

First, the pick must be alive at the time the list is mailed or submitted. A pick who is dead when placed on a list, will be removed from that list by The Guys and The Death Watcher submitting the list ends up playing with a list containing less than thirteen (13) picks. The Death Watcher simply loses the pick from their list and plays out the season with a reduced number of picks on that entry. (Remember, do your homework kiddies).

Second, a celebrity must be a human being. No animals, fictional characters, or other non-humans.

Third, a celebrity must be, well, A CELEBRITY, A BIG NAME, A DARN TOOTIN' FAMOUS PERSON THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE KNOW OF BECAUSE OF SOME FAMOUS OR INFAMOUS ACHIEVEMENT(S). Here's what we mean....

8.1 CRITERIA

The following criteria must be met for a pick to be considered a celebrity. If these criteria are not met, the pick will be removed and the alternate will not be exercised.

A pick must be a WELL KNOWN celebrity who is READILY IDENTIFIABLE BY THE GUYS or who, when BRIEFLY RESEARCHED BY THE GUYS is EASILY IDENTIFIABLE as VERY FAMOUS. Here's a tiny bit of guidance.

8.1.1. HOW DO THE GUYS VIEW CELEBRITY?

Recognizing that celebrity, to some extent, is subjective and personal makes defining the term for the purposes of our little game difficult. Furthermore, age, education, interests, and geography also make Celebrity a tough nut to crack. We know all this. We accept it. Thing is, we’ve got a pool to run. To that end, here are the general objective and subjective criteria we will use:

Criteria (A): In order for a pick to be considered a Celebrity their death must be reported in the AP.

Criteria (B): A Celebrity must have at least one of the following to the Guys: immediate name recognition, immediate face recognition, or immediate character recognition. Keep reading, we’ll explain where we’re headed.

Criteria (C): Criteria B must be verifiable by entering the picks name into Google and having the first several hits verify the pick and the underlying reason for the Guys' recognition.

Since there is a good deal of subjectivity on our part, here are some Guy characteristics to help you see how we may consciously or unconsciously make decisions.

*Both of The Guys were born and grew-up (so to speak) in New Jersey, USA. Specifically, the Guys were raised in the greater Metro-New York area.
*Both Guys are college educated, one in the liberal arts and the other in the sciences.
*One guy leans left politically, the other right. Both follow national and international affairs.
*Neither guy is big into professional sports but both keep up on the news in general including the big names in sports.
*Both Guys have a sick fascination with popular culture, entertainment industry especially. One guy is better in the 1940’s-1970s. The other is better in the 1970’s-1990’s. Both have a pretty good handle on the here and now.
*One Guy is great with the theatre and movie scene.
*One Guy is great with the music scene.


Let’s take a look at the broad pools from which we pick celebrity and make some comments, shall we……

Actors/Actresses: This category will likely get the most leeway from the Guys. Any actor/actress with immediate name recognition is going to count. Think Tom Hanks, Gene Wilder, and Lauren Bacall. Think more star than supporting role. Additionally, actors/actresses who have widespread face recognition will count. Think of the “Where’s the beef?” lady. Finally, there are folks who are so well known for a character they play (or have played) that the character name eclipses the Celebrity’s name. As long as the character is widely known, they’ll count too. Think Jim Varney (Ernest goes to…..) or Will Lee (Mr. Hooper). Note however that Mr. Varney and Mr. Lee are both already dead.

The key here is widespread notoriety and ease of recognition by name, face, or character.

Musicians: This one proves to be the toughest category. As we hope should be obvious, folks like Cher, Madonna, and Paul McCartney are celebrities. That’s easy! But what about members in well-known bands? Sure Bono is a celebrity and maybe the Edge too, but the drummer from U2, pretty much no. Some bands are celebrity loaded. Think The Who. Other bands have a celebrity front man and the rest are not celebrities. Think Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Bottom line, if your picking musicians, make sure they’re big names or THE big name in their celebrity band.

We realize that this is going to come down to our judgment to a great extent. Recognizing that this is the case, don’t push the envelope silly.

Politicians: Presidents and vice presidents are all going to count (so will first ladies by the way). Not all senators, not all congresspersons, not all cabinet members will count. Ted Kennedy, of course. Hillary Clinton, of course. Joe Lieberman, of course. Robert Menendez, no. Jim DeMint, no. Hopefully you get this. Big names, involved with big scandals, etc. Otherwise, forget it. Same holds true on the international scene. Don’t give us some member of the UK parliament unless he got caught banging a 20 year old transvestite. Get it? Got it? Good.

Athletes: This category is probably our worst. Neither of the Guys is big into the sports world. Sure we follow a bit of baseball and football. Certainly we know the BIG names. But folks, not every hall of famer is a celebrity. In fact, most likely aren not celebrities. Reggie Jackson. Celebrity. Vida Blue. Sure. Bobby Orr? You betcha. Joe Nameth. Absolutely (heck, based on Love Boat and Brady Bunch appearances alone!)! You want to go for the lesser known great player. Go for it. We’ll probably knock it off the list. Fair? Not really. But that’s the way it is fanatics.

Business Leaders: Dudes, Steve Jobs…yes. Bill Gates…duh. Alan Mulally….not so much.

Others: What the heck is an others? Well, Paris Hilton is one. So was Foster Brookes. They’re celebrities because they are, well, celebrities (for better or worse). Other others include scientists, academics, and various other notables. Again folks, big names only. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, sure. But don’t you dare give us the Russian Secretary of agriculture. DON’T!!!

8.2 EXEMPTIONS

The following classes of people will not be considered celebrities even if they meet the above criteria. If you enter their names, they will be removed and the alternate will not be exercised.

1) Any pick whose celebrity status is contingent on words such as "World's oldest...," "Oldest Person in..." or any other similar age qualifier will not be considered a valid pick. Yup, read it again. No friggin' oldest person, man, woman, or hermaphrodite in the world, in Kansas, in Guam, or in any other gosh darn place.

2) Any pick whose celebrity status is contingent on an illness suffered by that person will not be considered a valid pick. That means no more cancer sufferers who take bike rides for awareness, etc. (well, except for maybe Lance Armstrong).

3) Any pick whose celebrity status is contingent on their relationship to another celebrity will not be considered a valid pick. That's right, no "mother of," "father of," "sister of," "brother of," "wife of," "husband of," or any other darn relationship familial or otherwise of. Picks like John Voight (father of Angelina Jolie but also a well known actor) are good. Picks like Vergie Arthur (Anna Nicole Smith's mother) are bad - very bad!

4) Any pick who is killed by a scheduled execution: foreign, federal, or state, (this does not include assassination, overthrow, or coup d'etat) will not be considered a valid pick. The idea here is no capital punishment, political prisoners condemned to death, or the like will count as a celebrity.

5) Any pick who, like Terri Schiavo, has a feeding tube removed, a respirator removed, or any other life support removed and whose celebrity status is contingent on the issue of such a removal will not be considered a valid pick.

9.0 WHAT IS DEATH?

For the O.B.E.'s purposes, death is "the death of a celebrity" (as outlined in SECTION 8.) occurring between 12:00 a.m. EST on January 1, 2009 and 11:59 p.m. EST on December 31, 2009. This means that deaths announced in 2009 that occurred prior to 2009 WILL NOT COUNT as deaths for the 2009 O.B.E.! For instance, if February of 2009 rolls in and The Guys find out that Paul McCartney really did die in the 1960s and actually was replaced with a look alike of equal talent (uh huh), this would not count as a 2009 death nor, as a matter of fact, would it be particularly believable!

In addition, for a death to count towards the 2009 O.B.E., the announcement of death (via the Associated Press) must be made between 12:00 a.m. on January 1, 2009 and 11:59 p.m. on January 10, 2010. This allows ten days following the New Year to hear about a death. At that point, the winner(s) of the 2009 O.B.E. will be announced and the whole 2009 O.B.E. will come to an end. If a pick is announced after the deadline, that death will not count towards the 2009 O.B.E.

10.0 WINNING THE O.B.E.

The list with the most correct picks at the end of the 2009 season is the winner. The list with the second most correct picks will take second place. The list with the third most correct picks at the end of the 2009 season will take third place. The first place prize (assuming a single winner) will be $250. The prize for the second place winner (assuming a single winner) will be $70. The prize for third place winner (assuming a single winner) will be $30. In the event that more than one person wins a place, even after the tie breaking criteria are applied, the prize for that place will be evenly split among the winning entries.

11.0 BREAKING TIES

11.1 BREAKING TIES BY SCORE

In order to establish a tie breaking system, each dead celebrity pick will have associated with them a point value. In the event of two or more Death Watchers having the same number of correct picks at the end of the 2009 O.B.E., the sum of the points on each tieing list will be used to determine the score for that list. The highest score will take the winner's position with each lower score being eliminated from that winner's position. So, three lists with 8 deaths each (presuming 8 deaths is the highest number of correct picks for all entries) and scores of 16, 12, and 10 respectively would place as follows: First Place-8 deaths, 16 points and the remaining two players with 8 deaths listed being eliminated from first place. This process will be used to break ties in both (or either) first, second and/or third place positions as needed.

Because there is a second and third place winner, a tie breaker in the first place position will end up creating the second place winner (or winners in the event of a multiple way tie). The same holds true for third place. In the event of a tie breaker in the third place position, one or more poor chumps will be telling all their friends how they "almost won" the O.B.E. Please understand this criteria! It means that, although the number of deaths is the primary factor in determining winners, score may separate players with the same number of deaths into the placing positions, knocking other players with one death less out of the running.

So how the heck do the points get awarded? Well, each dead celebrity on one list and ONLY one list will be awarded 5 points. We will call these picks "Tad Szulcs." If a dead celebrity appears on two lists and ONLY two lists, the death of that celebrity will be valued at 4 points. We will call these picks "Double Whammies." Deaths listed on 3 or 4 lists are valued at 3 points each. We'll call these hits "Mortage à Trois." Hits that are on 5 or more lists get 1 point. We'll call these "patheticly easy picks."

Remember, the primary factor in winning the O.B.E. is NOT score, it is the number of marked off picks you have at the conclusion of 2009. It is conceivable that a higher scoring list will have less deaths than a lower scoring list. The higher scoring list, in this case, will NOT beat the list with more deaths. The number of marked off picks on a list is the key factor to winning. Score will only be used to break ties.

11.2 WHEN THE SCORE SYSTEM STILL RESULTS IN TIES

In the event of a tie, even after the scoring system is applied, each tieing entry, for the position it ties, will evenly divide the prize for that postion. That means that, if enough entries tie for first, each winner might actually get less than one entry taking second. Tough turds.

11.3 AN ALL WAY TIE FOR LAST

In the unlikely event that not a single listed celebrity dies in the 2009 calendar year, no prize will be awarded, we'll keep the money, drink ourselves stupid, and start over next year. Don't count on this one happening.

12.0 COST FOR ENTRY

THERE IS NO COST TO ENTER THE O.B.E.!!! Yup, it's free. However, you are limited to ONE entry per individual or team. Now, and we're damn serious about this part, we will accept donations. Note that you are NOT REQUIRED to submit any money and Death Watcher entries will not be judged based on whether or not they show up with some moola.

We kindly request that you submit with your entry, $5 USD. Running the O.B.E. costs The Guys about $200 dollars a year plus our time. We pay for server space, a P.O. Box and the prize. We know that you players enjoy the fun of this Death Watch and sincerely request that you put your money where your mouth is. If donations exceed the cost of running the O.B.E., we will either increase the prize for the 2009 O.B.E. or use the funds to increase future O.B.E. contests. The Guys do not make a profit on the O.B.E.!!!!!!!!! It's for fun darnit! Each year since we've requested donations response has been swell. We started with a single $50 dollar prize and are up three prizes totaling $350. Should things continue this way, we hope to offer larger prizes in the future. It's really up to you folks. The more we get this year, the more we pay next year.

Remember, you don't have to give us a darn thing to play the O.B.E., but it sure would help us if you supported our efforts in running this pool. Even if you email your entry in, you can always send that generous $5 donation to The Guys at the P.O. Box listed in the Entrys section of the rules. Five measly bucks ain't much for a year of heart felt chuckles and you know it. And yeah, you can send cash in the mail. Heck, that Unabomber dude sent all kinda crap in the mail, $5 won't hurt anyone. Also, you can use PAYPAL! Yup, there is a link on main webpage to PayPal. Just make a donation there! Please...

13.0 WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

Right off the bat we'll tell you that The Guys at the O.B.E. will not participate. Their role in this silly endeavor will be as the managers of the O.B.E. (see Section 14.0-THE ROLE OF THE GUYS). Other than that anyone with a sense of the absurdity of it all can play. However, persons must be 18 years or older to collect cash winnings. So if a wanna-be Death Watcher is younger than 18, we recommend they participate on a team with a legal guardian or parent. In cases where minors participate on a team with parents or guardians, all prize money will be awarded in the name of the parent or guardian. Should The Guys find a participant is below the age of 18 and not participating with a legal guardian or parent, The Guys will award the prize money to a legal guardian or parent only. If the minor fails to provide the Guys with the name and address of such a parent or guardian within 30 days of notification of winners status, the minor shall forfeit all prize money. Furthermore, we'll tell on you.

14.0 THE ROLE OF THE GUYS

The Guys at the O.B.E act as managers and sole decision makers for the O.B.E. The decisions of the Guys are final and may not be disputed by Death Watchers. The Guys reserve the right to alter, waive, omit, and add rules to the O.B.E. as they deem necessary. The Guys shall not use such rights for their personal financial gain or for the financial gain of family, friends, acquaintances, or business relations. Remember that all decisions of The Guys are final (unless The Guys themselves change their minds). The Guys are the judge, jury and, well no, they're not the executioners, but they are the judge and jury. So, if a potential Death Watcher does not trust the judgment of The Guys they should not participate. This fact is more important than ever in light of the "fine tuned" definition of celebrity outlined in SECTION 8.0. If you think that you can argue with us about picks we remove from your list, think again. Please.

The Guys are not responsible for the obligations, financial or other, of any Death Watcher. Each Death Watcher shall be solely responsible for any and all financial and legal obligations brought on them by their participation in the O.B.E.

With that legal crap out of the way....the most important role of The Guys is to let the Death Watchers have some fun. Think of them as a ray of sunshine on a bleak and dreary day. Consider them a coke and a smile. Aw hell, just keep reading.

15.0 AWARDING THE PRIZES

The winner(s) will be notified by email (if available) and by regular mail no later than January 30, 2010. Prizes will be awarded no later than February 23, 2010. Death Watchers agree that, in the event The Guys are challenged by any legal authority, The Guys have the sole right to determine whether or not prize money shall be distributed.

Winners will be required to sign a statement indicating that 1) The person receiving prize money is 18 years of age or older, 2) They release The Guys at the O.B.E from all obligations associated with their prize and, 3) They grant The Guys full and free use of their names when used in reference to their participation in the O.B.E. Failure of a winner to sign said statement within 20 days of its receipt may result in forfeiture of the prize and the prize money being placed into the pot for the current O.B.E.

16.0 DEBORAH'S RULE

This rule is important as it is our first Death Watcher related rule. See, in 1997 Deborah submitted a list with 21 picks and an Alternate for play in the 1998 O.B.E. Now the 1998 rules required 20 entries and an alternate. See, she had two number 11 entries. So The Guys informed Deborah that the last pick on her list would be removed making her list the required 20 picks plus an Alternate. Guess who her last pick was. Go ahead, we'll wait. Right, Linda McCartney. Recall that Linda keeled over in 1998. So the rule is this: If you submit a list with additional picks, those picks will be removed from the bottom (last pick) up until only 13 picks are left. The Alternate will remain unchanged. Your entry will remain valid and no money will be refunded. Get it? Got it? Good.

17.0 JODY AND JOHN'S RULE

Here's our second Death Watcher related rule. See Jody and John scoured the internet in December of 1998 for really old people. Then they proceeded to put some of these folks on their lists for the 1999 O.B.E. Two things happened. First, one lady died and didn't get an AP mention. Bummer. Second, the fellas didn't even remember who some of their entries were or what the hell made them even remotely famous. So the rule is this: You need to know who your entries are and must be able to prove a mention of their deaths in the AP if asked by The Guys. Inability to produce such mention of death in the AP, if asked, will cause The Guys to consider your dead person a "Non-Celebrity." Non-Celebrities will not count as valid picks in the pool and will not be counted to tally up a winner at the end of the 2009 Death Watch.

18.0 THE TRANNSFIXUS SED NON MORTIMUS STIPULATION

Okay, here's the deal. In 2006, this fella TRANNSFIXUS SED NON MORTIMUS enters a list. On it, he lists Eddie Arnold - Oliver from Green Acres. Of course, it was Eddie ALBERT who was Oliver from Green Acres. However, the O.B.E. super-computer recognized the name Eddie Arnold as a famous singer and took the name. Now, poor Eddie Albert croaks in 2006 and our pal TRANNSFIXUS SED NON MORTIMUS wants credit. He makes a compelling case that it was clear he meant Eddie Albert. After some debate, we give him the hit but we were never really jumping for joy about it. So, if you name one Celebrity and describe another, no matter how close their names are, we're using the name only. That doesn't mean you shouldn't describe them. It just means you've got to describe them correctly. We often need the descriptions to figure out who some of these Tad Szulcs are. Although, we hope our "fine tuned" celebrity description in SECTION 8.0 helps resolve some of that figuren'.

19.0 THE EXOENDO ZUZUBAR REWRITE

After ten long years of bickering about what makes a pick a celebrity we finally changed the rules. We simply got tired of a 1) whole bunch of no names whose deaths were difficult to track, 2) a whole bunch of very very old people who really did nothing more than get really, really old, and 3) a whole bunch of people (sometimes even kids) whose terminal illnesses brought them some notoriety.

For the 2009 we changed our definition of "celebrity" presented in SECTION 8.0. We renamed the section THE EXOENDO ZUZUBAR REWRITE because all year the guy asked us to and we felt sorry for the little bugger. So Zuzubar, here's your 15 minutes brother. Revel in it.

20.0 BETTER READ THIS STUFF

1. The O.B.E was created and is managed by The Guys for fun. The Guys do not condone, nor will they be held responsible for any illegal acts of Death Watchers. Any Death Watcher who breaks any federal, state, or local laws in conjunction with their participation in the O.B.E. is automatically disqualified from the O.B.E. and forfeits all money they have contributed in association with their participation in the O.B.E. So no, you can't kill people to win.

2. The tracking of the O.B.E. will be done on the O.B.E. web page at http://www.flymetothetomb.com.

3. If you cannot access the internet and wish to confirm your list has arrived contact the O.B.E. at:

THE GUYS AT THE O.B.E.
C/O
P.O. BOX 343
MIDDLESEX, NEW JERSEY 08846
Email: the_guys@verizon.net
Please include a telephone number where you can be reached.

4) If you hear about a death, drop us an e-mail. It will certainly help us keep this thing going. Since we will post all the entries, pay special attention for names that appear on people's lists but don't hesitate to e-mail with other names too.

5) If you're late with your entry, it will be destroyed. You will not be allowed to participate. See the information above. Come on, can't ya be on time for once?

6) Obviously, you gotta play by the rules.

7) The Guys reserve the right to disqualify participants and the right to cancel the O.B.E. should it become necessary. It will be the sole decision of The Guys as to whether or not entry donations are refunded following a contest cancellation.

8) Participation in the O.B.E is void where prohibited by law.

9) By participating in the O.B.E., Death Watchers agree to all Rules and Regulations set forth in this document. Death Watchers agree that all taxes, regulations, and liabilities related to a Death Watcher's participation in the O.B.E. shall be the sole responsibility of said Death Watchers.

10) It would behoove all entrants to join the O.B.E. email list (click on the 'Join O.B.E. Mail List' link on the web page at http://www.flymetothetomb.com. This way entrants will be updated with the latest O.B.E. breaking news, information, events and death bulletins as they become available.

Now, can we get back to something a bit more interesting?