Acclaimed Australian actor Heath Ledger passed away in New York this week aged 28 in mysterious circumstances. Although it's largely believed he didn't commit suicide, if I was Heath Ledger and I didn't get an Oscar nomination for my seething portrayal of Blood On The Tracks-era Bob Dylan, yet the movie Norbit did get an Oscar nod, I would reach for the six different types of pills too. Critics have unanimously said Ledger's best work lay in front of him (along with some empty canisters), which means they all obviously saw A Knights Tale. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced a national day of mourning, to be called "National Why Couldn't It Have Been Russell Crowe Instead? Day", which will have a state funeral featuring a 21 water pistol salute. The media sprung on the event as soon as they could, and the next Walkley goes out to leading newspaper group Fairfax for their indepth and touching red carpet interview with celebrity chef Jamie Durie that appeared online. WHAT A SCOOP! What's next? Don Burke eulogising Davd Wenham? Peter Cundall looking back on the varied career of Geoffrey Rush? Peter Russell-Clarke reflecting on the troubled life of Garry McDonald? Practically the same age as me and working in the same industry, many people i know have come forward with their encounters with Heath Ledger, so here's mine. A friend of mine once met him in a bar, and said he seemed like a bit of a tosser. There you go, please direct all press enquiries to my agent. To other news now: Two anti-whaling protesters, an Australian and an Englishman were forcibly detained onboard a Japanese whaling vessel they boarded. They claimed to be well treated, clothed and fed a delicious meat stew that "they can't wait to get the recipe for". The US Presidential Primaries are underway with candidates promising to "remove fundamentalism from the White House and restore good old fashioned family values to the office of President" - and that's just from the Republican and Mormon candidate Mitt Romney, who according to Democrat sources has "like a thousand wives or some shit". The candidates are up against a touch contestant in Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who's slogan "I Like Mike" is the political spin equivalant of Kryptonite: you just can't argue with it. Meanwhile, Barack Obama has launched the new slogan "Mike, he's not so good", much against the advice of his alliteration advisors. Housing affordability is still a big issue in Australia, even after the latest federal election, but Federal Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek has come up with a long term solution. "Go buy a Centro shopping centre for ten bucks and live in that!" she told reporters. Richard Branson has unveiled the first designs of the atmosphere-defying spaceship for his much hyped VIRGIN GALACTIC project. Looking for a cheap source of rocket fuel, they're going to be powered by Drayton's Wines. Singer Lenny Kravitz has announced he hasn't had sex for three years, "not counting oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex, elbow sex, nasal sex, Papal sex and Afro sex." Also in entertainment news, here's my one word review of Bjork's tour: BJORING! Sydney dance music fans have been shocked to see that legendary Hyde Park nightclub The Globe (home to the institution FunkTrust for many years) has been turned into a Toni and Guy hairdresser. Ironically, more neighbours are complaining about the loud techno music now than when it was a fully functioning nightlcub. In all seriousness about Draytons: we hope winemaker Will (aka Wags) who, in summing up Drayton's wines brought a case of Coopers to a work dinner party we had in the Hunter, gets well soon! Back