But, happily, the tale pretty much dwindles away here.
What really had him bothered, in the case of Salton, Inc., wasn't so much the dwindling stock price as the suggestion of entitlement and sloth.
At the time, Scholastic said its decision was influenced as much by dwindling sales as it was by the campaign's push.
Asked how much the ratings dwindled this year, he said, "I have no idea.
In 1996, 8m people voted for him and polls say his support has not dwindled much since then.
To judge from the throngs still jamming the Sistine Chapel and lining up outside the Accademia in Florence to check out "David," his popularity hasn't dwindled much.
But as a film-maker who loves film and who was formed in a movie house in the dark sharing that experience with strangers… to see how much that has dwindled is hard.
In the first decade of the 21st century, as the effects of economic liberalization began to show and middle-class Indians boldly purchased comforts that gave them the sweet feeling of growing personal affluence, Mr. Tendulkar's extraordinary influence over the mood of the nation dwindled (much to his relief).
George magazine's best-selling issues -- till Kennedy's death created a spike in interest -- were its first ones, while the audience for Maher's program (on which performers, who in earlier decades might not have made the cut for "What's My Line?" were asked to give their opinions on welfare reform) failed to grow much and, ultimately, dwindled.
