Rickles.

We lost Don Rickles today.
He made it to ninety.
A lot of people don't.
Rickles was officially a legend.
I'm going to attempt to backtrack about him some of the things I said that were less than complementary when he was alive, even though they still apply.
Rickles was at his best working opposite Carson, or Leno or Letterman.
They all brought the best in him and vice-versa, and would all roll over and play dead for him whenever he appeared with him
Even at his advanced age.  When all he had going for himself was '''hockey puck", and being stooped over.
No wonder they all loved him.
In Martin Scorcese's documentary about him, you saw a much smarmier side of him.
He was stooped over, and spent his whole act making fun of tourists.  Usually Japanese or blacks.
This is not a fair fight.
He'd shlep some of them up on stage and perform some semi-lewd acts upon them in the name of "good fun"
I witnessed this in person on casino comps, and he did it every time.
That was usually my cue to leave..
He had a reputation for being a "nice guy", but how nice could he have been when the last time I saw him, he had an opening act, the extremely talented Lorna Luft, who came on and did a tremendous first 45 minutes.  Without billing.  Nobody knew she was appearing.
But he did enough legendary things, at least before he was 70 years old, and made me laugh often enough to deserve his place as a show business icon.
I know I've made this rant before, but I felt it bore repeating.
But, after all, the man is dead.

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My books, "Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
They are all compilations of blog entries that have since been removed from the blog.
So this is the only way you can find them.
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not e-books.
But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@comcast.net
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

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