While on my break this afternoon, I checked my email via my phone and saw a breaking news alert. I half-jokingly said aloud, “Breaking news? Uh oh, who died?” Then when I opened the email, it told me that actor Paul Newman passed away. And then I felt sorta bad.

I couldn’t tell you the last movie I saw with him in it. I’m not sure I ever saw a movie with him in it, so I really have no opinion on his talent. I have tasted his lemonade, though; I found it refreshing.

Clay Aiken came out. *yawn* NEXT!!

Michael called me when I was on my way home from work to alert me to this:

NEW YORK (AP) — Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan residence, and police said drugs may have been a factor. He was 28. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the Manhattan apartment believed to be his home. The housekeeper who went to let him know the masseuse had arrived found him dead at 3:26 p.m.

Ledger was nominated for an Oscar in 2006 for his role in Brokeback Mountain, but I first came to know of him in the film 10 Things I Hate About You, a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s the Taming of the Shrew. I was looking forward to seeing him in the Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins. Well, I still am looking forward to it, of course, but fucking hell this news saddens me.

I have celebrity brushes in the oddest places sometimes. Many years ago, I ran into Macauly Culkin and Dr. Ruth in the same day in New York. When I worked as a game technician, I met several local sports stars. More recently, I spotted Madeline Albright in Georgetown — I think she was shopping. Even at the fruit stand, I’ve seen a local broadcaster or two swing by for a purchase.

Currently, I’m sitting at the terminal waiting to board my flight home to D.C. and minding my own business. There’s a non-functional power outlet next to me, so people have been coming by to plug in their laptops and phones to no avail. (Let this be a lesson to the lot of you: power up your gear before you travel. They make travel adapters for a reason.)

One person came up to me and asked if I was on WiFi. I looked up to answer in the affirmative, and Richard Kind — a regular on “Spin City” and the most recent version of “Hollywood Squares” — was the guy standing in front of me to ask about WiFi access.

That kinda makes my day.

• We’re prejudiced, now what?: Scientists now tell us bias toward others may be innate. But that doesn’t mean we have to behave like Bill O’Reilly. [more at Salon]
• Alanis Morissette tunes in to “Radio”: Alanis Morissette has joined the cast of sci-fi novelist Philip K. Dick’s semiautobiographical feature adaptation “Radio Free Albemuth.” [more at Reuters]
• Rosie ambushed by O’Reilly’s crew at signing: Rosie O’Donnell is certainly no stranger to controversy, but who knew she’d find her fair share during a quiet Saturday afternoon book signing? [more at MSNBC]
• Robert Goulet, 73; star of ‘Camelot’ matched idol looks with rich baritone: Robert Goulet, the strikingly handsome singer with the rich baritone who soared to stardom on the Broadway stage in 1960 playing Lancelot in the original production of “Camelot,” died yesterday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. A native of Lawrence, Mass., he was 73. [more at Boston Globe]
• Google pitches Gphones to Verizon: Google is pitching its vaunted Gphone to Verizon Wireless, but the odds are still against the search giant striking a major deal with the second largest phone company in the U.S. [more at CNET]

This morning, I offer two links of creepy imagery. First, photos of girls with meat hair; it defies explanation, and perhaps gives a whole new meaning to “beef curtains.” Second, celebrity facial mashups; the ones that incorporate Tom Cruise’s moonbat mug are sufficiently disturbing. (meat hair and mashup links via kottke)

John Inman, better known as Mr. Humphries on the BBC comedy “Are You Being Served?“, passed away at age 71. Ron Lynch, his partner of over 30 years, is devastated according to the BBC News report. Wendy Richard, who played Miss Brahms, said Inman was, “one of the funniest and most inventive actors [she has] ever worked with.”

I came to appreciate “Are You Being Served?” only a few years ago, and Mr. Humphries quickly became one of my favorite Britcom characters.

Below is a video clip of one of my favorite scenes. A customer walks into Grace Brothers to buy a dressing gown, and Mr. Humphries demonstrates a few different styles; he gets carried away while demonstrating a kimono.

(news link via Towleroad)

Bob Denver, who played the title role on “Gilligan’s Island,” passed away.

“Gilligan’s Island” was never a particular favorite of mine, though I’d leave it on if there was nothing else to watch.