It was a magic day…I was taken to a clinic, of sorts, where I was drugged, flung onto a gurney and wheeled to an O.R.. I was flipped, uncerimoniously, onto a table and people of dubious ability arranged for a photographic roto-tooter to have it’s way with my innerds. Those who know me well, would have laughingly described this as “brain surgery”‘  I  have arranged to show you (above)  the first picture of my colon, which just came in. I was surprised at the color. ..and the image of God’s face…just like on the infamous grilled cheese sandwich.. I have a feeling it might be worth some money on E-Bay.  I, of course, had the colon removed and put in a pickle jar, where it resides next to my appendix and my tonsils. Unfortunately, my doctor says I can not have any more children…pity!

dm

Sooooo…April, they tell me, is national humor month…personally, I always thought October was a much funnier month…but what do I know. Humor is a strange commodity. It doesn’t exist in reality, only in one’s personal perception, and there are so many forms.  For example, there is frame of reference humor.  If you don’t have that frame of reference, You couldn’t possibly understand it…and if you don’t understand it, you’re a long way from deciding whether it’s funny or not. That’s only one of the complications that make humor so difficult to discuss. Here’s something you won’t think is funny because you have no frame of reference for it. Yesterday, I got a residual check for a guest shot I did on MARRIED WITH CHILDREN. We all know that actors become rich on residuals. This was for episode # 1993.016 Called HOW GREEN WAS MY APPLE.  THE CHECK WAS FOR $ 0.08…THAT’S RIGHT, 8 CENTS. It costs them 38 cents to mail, God knows how much for the envelope, the paper, the processing…and I got 8 cents. Now I have to pay 10% to my agent, 20% to a manager, if I had one…and let’s not forget the cut to the State and Federal Government. Now, if you don’t find that  funny, then we have totally different senses of humor. If I didn’t know better, I’d call it an April fools joke…but the studios don’t deal in that.  I feel badly that so many people are unemployed…I have a lot to be thankful for…I have 8 cents….sort of….

dm 

I AM INCLUDING A PHOTO THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WHEN I  WAS GETTING REQUESTS  FOR PICTURE WITH EVERYBODY’S AUTOGRAPH, IT WAS ALREADY TOO LATE TO GET EVERYBODY TOGETHER  FOR AN AUTOGRAPH ON THE SAME PICTURE…SO I DID IT MYSELF.  I SIGNED EVERYBODY’S NAME THE WAY THEY ALL WROTE (OR IN SOME CASES PRINTED)  BACK IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES. THEN I HAD THE PHOTO REPRODUCED AND WOULD SEND IT OUT IN ANSWER TO REQUESTS.  THIS IS THE PICTURE (ABOVE)  I SAW ONE OF THESE REPROS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO ON eBAY AND IT SOLD FOR $75.  I FELT GUILTY EVER SINCE. SO HERE IT IS…THE FORGERY AND THE PICTURE. SORRY ABOUT THAT!

dm

 Well…I’m back

Been away…not “put away” as it’s been rumored, but away.  In and out (like the burger) and ready to update you who care.

REUBEN ON WRY WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE AS AN AMAZON E-BOOK AS WELL AS IN THE PAPERBACK FORMAT.

The fourth season  and last (gratefully) of the Partridge Family TV series has been released as of Feb. 3rd 2009 and will fit snugly into your backpack or bookshelf. The cover has a wonderfully (young) photo of me and the family on the cover.  I hardly recognized us.

An old friend, Joanthan Winters, released a quote recently - and I quote…

“If anyone should write a book about his life in and out show business, it’s Dave Madden. I’ve always thought he was one of the funniest and most clever guys around. I enjoyed reading Reuben On Wry very much.”

Thank you Jonathan…your check is in the mail.

If you watched the recent PBS special,  MAKE ‘EM LAUGH: THE FUNNY BUSINESS OF AMERICA  you saw me during my Laugh - In  days.  if you didn’t see it…well, I was there anyway.

Sandy and I are going off on a cruise soon to help my old friend Bob Morris celebrate his birthday so I may not be with you for a little while.  Try to stay warm.

P.S. My book will be available in the Kindle format on Friday, February 27th. If you don’t know what that is…Google with undoubtedly inform you.

dm

 Tis the seanon to be silly…at least that’s what most everyone seems to be. Whether it’s sitting under a dead tree in your PJs and eating candy out of your socks or singing traditional songs that nobody understands (can anyone explain the exact meaning of Auld Lang Syne to me?). Spending exorbitant sums of money you don’t have (God bless credit cards) on people you barely know or care about…except, of course, during the holidays. Sending out cards to everyone in your address book without checking first to see if they’re dead or alive…and saving some back to send to people you forgot, in case they send one to you. Madness prevails during this time of the year. Is it no wonder that many wish it were over before it’s barely begun. Humbug, you say? Not really. I prefer this madness to the boredom of the rest of the year. So buy a copy of “Reuben On Wry” from Amazon and the third season DVD of “Partridge Family” that is now in the stores…and give it to your favorite (or least favorite) person this Holiday Season. There are sillier things you can do. Have a “Happy” (or a Merry if you prefer)

dm

Holidays

On Saturday September 13th, I will be signing my book at the the Florida Heritage Book Festival in St. Augustine, beginning at 10AM . Maybe I’ll take a drink or two from the fountain of youth. Join me if you can!

dm

So Sandy and I packed up our spurs and saddled off to Colorado Springs. It was August, and we were in our best short-sleeved cowhides.  Big Mistake. Temps in Colorado ran between 46 and 70 degrees -  and that ain’t Celcius.  It rained almost the entire 3 days…but that didn’t matter much.   I was kept pretty busy. I was there to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the “Odyssey” radio show. I  have been with them the whole 20 years. We performed 3 shows for 1500 people per show.   Did 3 autograph sessions that ran 2 and a half hours each…and this old man came home exhausted. Between 4500 and 5000 people showed from 49 states plus Canada and New Zealand. It was an amazing spectacle. Odyssey is a product of “Focus On The Family” operated by astonishingly pleasant people  and the people I performed with were equally nice.  A great, if  wearying, experience. I hope it lasts another 20 years…but I know I won’t!

dm