Paul Newman

Paul Newman, dead at 83. He was one of my favorite actors and he eschewed the Hollywood scene as being 'rubbish'. Married twice, he was married to Joanne Woodward for fifty years before his death - how un-Hollywood is that?

Randy Pausch

How many times can you say you saw someone on tv and your life will never be the same?

I can say that about Randy Pausch.

Randy was a Carnagie Mellon (Whoa...big brains) professor whose greatest gift wasn't in teaching others, it was his love for his children.

In academia, it's common to ask tenured professors to give a lecture called The Last Lecture. This lecture is all about what they would want to say if they learned they were going to die tomorrow. The difference in Randy's lecture was the he was really going to die.

Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Paudch delivered the lecture of a lifetime in September 2007. It wasn't so much about what he wanted to say, it was more about what he wanted to say to his children in the future - the future without him. It was funny, poignant, uplifting and brilliant - an amazing statement from an everyday guy.

Thankfully someone uploaded it to YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo - be warned, it is long but SO worth the time. Once you see it, your life will never be the same.

I first saw this in December and I immediate sent links to all my close friends. The Last Lecture was made into a book and has been on the best seller list since April.

Randy Pausch passed away today at the age of 47.

So Long, George

"We're all fucked. It helps to remember that."George Carlin

Heath Ledger

CNN is reporting that actor Heath Ledger was found dead in New York City. I enjoyed his work and the entertainment world and his family have suffered a great loss. So young, what a loss.