Heath Ledger - No Cause Of Death Reported Yet

There's more news regarding the shocking death of actor Heath Ledger, who was found dead, naked in his bed with pills around him (just how many is not known). The pills were over-the-counter sleeping medications and its said in reports that Ledger had a terrible sleeping problem -- he didn't get any sleep. ( And to that, I add a clarification that he had no illegal drugs near him, and according to the NYTimes , he was found on the floor, not the bed. )

The news of the sudden passing of one who became an indelible part of the World Cultural landscape comes as a massive jolt to everyone regardless of the business they're in.

It hits me hard because I was looking forward to seeing this great artist's rendition of one of the greatest comic book character villians in history, The Joker.



But it seems, from what I'm hearing, that his separation from his wife really hit him hard. He wasn't happy, and was reportedly "into partying" a lot in New York City, and it's too bad he didn't have -- it seems -- God as his guide to keep him sane during a hard time.

And one wonders where his friends were. These are the statements of other actors who knew him:

Everyone, celebrity or not, is shocked at the horrible news of Heath Ledger's death. Some stars have already made statements about the tragedy.

"What a tragedy. My heart goes out to his family." — Nicole Kidman

"I had such great hope for him. He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family." — Mel Gibson

"He is one of my favorite actors. His abilities are rare…it's a tremendous loss. It's hard to be here celebrating Australia under these circumstances." — John Travolta

"It was with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of Heath Ledger. It is tragic that we have lost one of our nation's finest actors in the prime of his life. Heath Ledger's diverse and challenging roles will be remembered as some of the great performances by an Australian actor." — Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia

"The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news. The entertainment community has lost an enormous talent. Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person. Our hearts go out to his family and friends." — Statement by Alan Horn, President and COO of Warner Bros. and Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group

Lindsay Lohan was also seen leaving Le Pain Quotidien visibly crying after hearing the news. The two were linked together in December.

Chicago Tribune Says Clintons Tell Lies

The Chicago Tribune's Eric Zorn tears a new one into the Clintons regarding their lies and mistatements, which are, well, lies. Check out this from Zorn:

Originally posted: January 22, 2008
Why stop short? The Clintons are lying about Obama's remarks on Reagan
(Barack) Obama stopped just short of calling (Hillary) Clinton and her husband liars... from the Swamp's live blog of last night's Democratic debate.

Hmm. I see no reason to stop short. Bill and Hillary Clinton have lied brazenly about Obama's recent statement about Ronald Reagan.

Let's look at the transcripts (emphasis added):


Hillary Clinton, Jan 18:

My leading opponent the other day said that he thought the Republicans had better ideas than Democrats the last 10 to 15 years.

Bill Clinton, Jan 18:

(My wife's) principal opponent said that since 1992, the Republicans have had all the good ideas....I'm not making this up, folks.

Well, yes he is. The key, inflammatory words in the Clintons' quotes are better and good, and I invite you, reader, to find it in these transcripts of what Obama has actually said:

I don’t want to present myself as some sort of singular figure. I think part of what’s different are the times. I do think that for example the 1980's were different.

I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it.

I think they felt like with all the excesses of the 1960s and 1970s and government had grown and grown but there wasn’t much sense of accountability in terms of how it was operating. I think people, he just tapped into what people were already feeling, which was we want clarity we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing.

I think Kennedy, twenty years earlier, moved the country in a fundamentally different direction. So I think a lot of it just has to do with the times.

I think we’re in one of those times right now. Where people feel like things as they are going aren’t working. We’re bogged down in the same arguments that we’ve been having, and they’re not useful.

And, you know, the Republican approach, I think, has played itself out.

I think it’s fair to say the Republicans were the party of ideas for a pretty long chunk of time there over the last ten, fifteen years, in the sense that they were challenging conventional wisdom.

Read it all again if you want, you won't find "better" or "good" in there, or synonyms or implications along those lines.

When the Clintons used "better" and "good" in alluding the Obama's remarks, they weren't paraphrasing, they weren't misremembering, they weren't distorting. They were simply lying.

Heath Ledger Reported Dead In New York - Stars As "The Joker" In "The Dark Knight"

This is a developing story and we all hope it's not true. But according to TMZ.com and other sources, materful actor Heath Ledger was reportedly found dead in his New York residence by his housekeeper.

Leadger had completed what appears to be a materful performance in "The Dark Knight" as "The Joker."

Heath also started in the critically aclaimed "Brokeback Mountain". UPDATE on Ledger here.

Need a Lawyer? Robert G. Schock is a great personal injury lawyer.

Clintons First Dis Then Sleep On Martin Luther King

Wow. What can I say except that we're seeing the real Clintons and not the 1990s political version. First, Hillary Clinton's caught giving what sounds like a total dis of the legacy of Martin Luther King about two weeks ago, then on Monday, Martin Luther King's birthday, we have former President Bill Clinton falling to sleep during a rousing speech at the Convent Avenue Baptist Church in Harlem!

And all of this as Barack Obama gives a bring-the-house-down speech on that Sunday!

I can't help but think there's a small problem there, other than the fact that Bill's sleepy. But man, on MLK day?

The Davos Question - My Video Call To End Racism Around The World

YouTube in partnership with The Davos Forum has established a great "contest" although I don't think of it like that. YouTubers are asked to submit a video answering the question "What one thing do you think that countries, companies or individuals must do to make the world a better place in 2008?"

I thought a long time about the question, and then, after approaching Mayor Gavin Newsom to be in the video, then getting caught up against deadlines, I had the answer: to end racism around the World.

I got the video into the YouTube Davos system at the last minute, litterally, before the day of the 21st ended. Then I got the confirmation email, so I guess and hope it makes it.

Here's the video: