I suppose I should write something on the death of Heath Ledger.

A lot of gay people seem to want to put up velvet portraits of Heath Ledger in their homes, like the Hispanics do with Jesus or the urban do with John F. Kennedy, due to his performance in Brokeback Mountain.

The problem is, I liked the idea of Brokeback Mountain, but the reality of the film felt flat to me. Ledger's portrayal of Ennis Del Mar to me felt more bewildered than stoic, and there was no chemistry between Ennis and Jack Twist that I could see.

And does every "mainstream" film about gay people have to be about suffering through doubt and self-hatred in a relationship that inevitably ends in tragedy? Can't just once the gay cowboys live happily ever after? Is that too much to ask?

This may be heresy, but to me, Ledger's upcoming performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight seems much more interesting. But that's just me, and the thing with me you have to remember is that when Mary Kate Olsen's name came up in connection with the death, my first thought was "Well, of COURSE she was involved. She is, after all, a succubus."

People can quit Searching for Bobby Fischer.

He gone.

Notable passing.

Stoners across America are despondent as news of the death of Wham-O co-founder Richard Knerr spreads.

Frisbee tossing will never be the same.

Brad Renfro, RIP.

I the excellent movie Sleepers (which is in my top 10, by the way), he grew up to be Brad Pitt.



In real life, things didn't work out so well.

The sad mime of life . . .

. . . becomes the sad mime of death.

Marcel Marceau, 1923 - 2007.

Surrender Monkey is inconsolable this morning.