Today, part of my childhood disappears....I heard about the deaths of Alan King and Olive Osmond. I'll start with the one that didn't hit me all that hard, dear Olive. It's just that so much of my early childhood had to do with purple socks, and being a little bit country and rock and roll. Mom Osmond is no more.

As for Alan King, I always found him funny, in a way that comedians don't do anymore -- your Bob Newhart-Woody Allen standup genre. I also went to high school with his daughter. He always seemed like the kind of guy you could know and be comfortable around. I think we used to have one of his comedy books at home, too, because I remember reading it -- although it could have been a library book. I always liked the guy, and will miss him.