Dying Young

From left: Chris Jackson/Getty Images; Legends Archive/Reuters; Bettman/CorbisAs we mourn the recent loss of Heath Ledger, his "transformation is already under way, from acclaimed actor to most-searched Internet term, from film start to cultural touchstone" reports the New York Times."The unintended death of someone with so much to live for captivates the public...In generational terms, the death of a contemporary most frightens the young.  When one notable lifetime ends, that generation begins to end, too.  The death of someone cut down in the prime of life brings home our own mortality.  Maybe our rendering them immortal is our way of not facing that inevitability."After Ledger's death, "the blogosphere went into overdrive.  In two days his memorial page on Facebook had over 30,000 members.  The entertainment Web site TMZ generated over 74 pages of user comments.  Hundreds of eulogies for the 28-year-old Australian appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald's site."Everyone mourns or shows their respect in their own ways.  I planned to do this by watching Ledger's movies again and appreciating his talent.  I went to Netflix to add them all to my queue.  I guess others had the same idea: all of his movies now have a "long wait" on Netflix.