New Scaratings

His books were a huge reason I wanted to go to law school and become a defense lawyer. Once in law school, though, I learned that the reality of a criminal defense practice isn't representing innocent people. I then thought long and hard about the flip side: being a prosecutor. However, the danger I'd be required to over-prosecute people just for political purposes soon squelched that idea, and although I still think criminal law is the most interesting area of the law in general, my career was purely on the civil side. But I'm still particularly sad to see that we've lost someone who made the intricacies of criminal law come alive so vividly, especially for me.

Brooke/AARDVK

Ned Beatty, 83, actor

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Merkin

Actor Stuart Damon: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/stu ... 02892.html

I'm taking this one a little hard because long before his days as Alan Quartermaine on "General Hospital," as a child I had a crush on him as the Prince in the Lesley Warren TV version of "Cinderella," and one of the three protagonists of the sadly short-lived sci-fi series "The Champions."

Brooke/AARDVK

Dusty Hill, Bassist for ZZ Top, 72.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/ ... -greatness

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Anon
"He may seem like Mr. Rogers but a dark spirit lies beneath."

Ron Popeil, 86, infomercial star

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Merkin

Bobby Bowden, 91, college football coach, best known at Florida St.

Markie Post, 70, actress, probably best known for Night Court

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Merkin

Tony Esposito, 78, NHL/Blackhawk great

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Merkin

Everly Brother Don, 84: https://www.npr.org/2021/08/22/10301166 ... dies-at-84

Phil died in 2014, and I did several of their songs for karaoke that night. I saw them in Vegas in 2004 when they opened for Simon and Garfunkel.

Brooke/AARDVK

Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts Dies at 80

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment ... d=msedgdhp

Emmy-winning actor Ed Asner, 91: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/ed- ... 20215.html

He got to work up to the end. "Briarpatch" was one of the shows we watched during the quarantine. But I will always remember the first time I took note of him as an actor: "You've got spunk. I hate spunk."

Brooke/AARDVK

"Sweet Sweet" Connie Hamzi, Rock and roll groupie and camp follower, 65.

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Merkin

Stephen Sondheim, 91: https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/26/entertai ... index.html

He's my favorite composer; I've seen almost all his shows (never had the opportunity with "The Frogs"), some multiple times, and memorized most of the cast albums. I got to see him interviewed onstage at Jones Hall in Houston about 15 years ago, and was so thrilled when in the audience question period, he chose to answer mine about whether "Evening Primrose" would ever be available on video. He explained the copyright problems they were having, but a few years later, I did get to see it. I will always regret missing the perfect by 1 point when NTN did a Topix game on him in honor of his 70th birthday. (The question was about his latest musical-in-progress, then named "Bounce," and ultimately released in a form drastically different from the original premises as "Road Show."

Such a huge loss to the musical theatre world.

Brooke/AARDVK

I feel the same way—it was so sad to hear. We had just watched “Tick, Tick, Boom” just a couple of nights ago, in which he figures prominently.

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Anon
"He may seem like Mr. Rogers but a dark spirit lies beneath."

Mike Nesmith of the Monkees, 78: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/musi ... d-1270079/

In a world where I could have transported myself, the Monkees would have been my first concert, but I couldn't talk my parents into going. When I finally did see them in concert, Mike was no longer touring with the band. Must be terribly hard on Mickey to be the last one.

Brooke/AARDVK

I grew up a Blackhawks fan when we finally got cable out in the sticks in 1969 -- Tony Esposito's rookie season. When I moved here to St Pete Beach 2 1/2 years ago we didn't have cable connected yet so I went down the beach to a bar to watch playoffs. Unfortunately no games that night. An elderly man and his wife were sitting a few seats down and I chatted with them for a few minutes. When they got up and left the bartender said "That Tony Esposito is the nicest guy." I grabbed my cell phone and ran out to try to get a selfie with him but too late. Apparently he was a regular at that place so I figured I'd have another chance, but COVID prevented that. Too late now.

Anne Rice, 80, author.

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Merkin

Author Joan Didion, 87: https://tv.xfinity.com/recordings

When I was in my twenties, I read a lot of her essays, and especially remember her descriptions of Los Angeles.

Brooke/AARDVK

I haven't read much of her more recent stuff, because like many best-selling fiction writers, she got to the point where she didn't have to listen to editors, and her prose suffered for it, but I did enjoy much of the vampire series, and think of them whenever I'm in NOLA.

Brooke/AARDVK

Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 90: https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/26/africa/d ... index.html

Brooke/AARDVK

Crime novelist and children's rights attorney/advocate Andrew Vachhss, 79.

Brooke/AARDVK

John Madden, 85, NFL coach and commentator

Harry Reid, 82, US Senator, D-NV

Edward Wilson, 92, Biologist and author

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Merkin

Betty White, 99: https://people.com/tv/betty-white-the-g ... ead-at-99/

Brooke/AARDVK