Actor Heath Ledger found dead

[Soap]

RIP - I really liked the kids acting. Very sad news.

Me too, indeed sad and I hate to hear it.

[Bengal]

Well, I can't get thrown in jail for smoking pot. Nor could I have my son taken away from me. I fotunately live in a somewhat enlightened country. As for the physical effects, I'm sure that pot does have some negative effects, but considering it's less dangerous than smoking or drinking, I'm not too worried about it. I also eat pizza, and fast food sometimes, and I bet that's even worse.

Oh, I'm sure Fast Food is worse. Hell, the regular air may be worse. So I feel you there...

And you are lucky to live in an enlightened place. I'm envious of that. See what your government can do about opening the borders huh?

It's all good...

[zeegler]

Hey don't get me wrong here. It's not like I had anything against the kid. I agree he was a great actor. It just grinds me the wrong way when I hear people mourning and shedding tears over someone who doesn't deserve pity as much as many thousands of others do. Also don't forget that these type of things become somewhat glamourized by the media. Chris Farley, John Belushi, Jim Morrison, River Phoenix, the list goes on and on, and teenagers who are depressed, and in need of serious help can see things from a really different perspective. How many will opt for the easy way out because all these "cool people" did? People who everyone felt sorry for. I know, it's a stretch, but not unfathomable. God forbid, if my son is ever in that situation, I'd rather he viewed excessive drug use and/or suicide as something uncool, disrespectful and stupid. I'm not religious, but I still view life as the most precious thing in the world. Without it we have nothing.

[Jack The Riffer]

That's messed up. I just read it on CNN. Damn shame. Says they found a bottle of pills near his bed. Not saying suicide, just pills.

When will people learn that prescription drugs are worst than anything else you can take almost. I had a good friend and my Mother passed from accidental overdoses/mixing liquor with pills.


Very sad.

I lost my wife a year ago to an accidental overdose of prescription painkillers.

[ABSOLUT CHARVEL]

my wife is heart broken ....

[ABSOLUT CHARVEL]

oh, one of my co workers is in rehab right now for smoking pot. she has done it everyday for about 10 years. it is about a 7 week program with many, many NA meetings ahead. i talked to her this morning and her boyfriend had just dumped her cause he could not except the fact she has been clean for 2 weeks.

[Joe_Steeler]

Man!!..... it has been quite a day. Economics with the stock market, politics everywhere and this.
I think it refelects on how people jump on each other's shit with such aggresiveness.

Wether he died of a voluntary or accidental overdose, we shouldn't call him anything. It is a great loss as he was somebody's son, brother, cousin or friend.

If it was an accident, what a tragedy.

If it was suicide, we should keep our words to ourselves because none of us really knew the kind of "personal" hell he was living. That was his choice and I am sure it felt right and correct to him at the time and that is ALL we are entitled to.

Calling him a loser or any derogatory word is just plain ignorance.
You will never know, for sure, that you are in hell until you look at the devil face to face and you make a move. Your move and people shall respect your right to do so.

[åron]

Well said, Joe_Steeler.

The kid had talent. RIP.

Zeegler, get a grip, maybe go on a Youtube posting spree with the rest of the opinionated blabbermouth dbags.

[bonghits]

Man!!..... it has been quite a day. Economics with the stock market, politics everywhere and this.
I think it refelects on how people jump on each other's shit with such aggresiveness.

Wether he died of a voluntary or accidental overdose, we shouldn't call him anything. It is a great loss as he was somebody's son, brother, cousin or friend.

If it was an accident, what a tragedy.

If it was suicide, we should keep our words to ourselves because none of us really knew the kind of "personal" hell he was living. That was his choice and I am sure it felt right and correct to him at the time and that is ALL we are entitled to.

Calling him a loser or any derogatory word is just plain ignorance.
You will never know, for sure, that you are in hell until you look at the devil face to face and you make a move. Your move and people shall respect your right to do so.

I completely agree. I used to pass judgment on people fairly quickly until I looked at myself in the mirror one day and realized that I'm just as fucked up as the next dude is. So I'm trying to better myself instead of pointing fingers at others. RIP Heath. May you find comfort and solace wherever you are.

[ozzuk1]

I was never anti pot or anything extreme but after living with pothead who would literally start going mad after not smoking for a few hours these guys would literally smoke all day...

We don't know the full info yet for all we know he could have had a brain tumour my uncles then fiancee's mom died within three days, they sent her back from the hospital even though perhaps they should have kept her in but they probably knew it was beyond healing...

Let's hope his role is better than hyped in Batman II, the Dark knight..

That rhymed Irony...

Someone pointed out that he's the second(makeup) young actor to die in strange circumstances before the film was finished/released...

Someone on another forum jokingly said he died of a broken back which made me lol...

If you think thats sick we had diana jokes the day after her funeral didnt mean any disrespect( I personally felt that having every channel show coverage of her funeral was overkill)...

We didnt have sky then....

[VitaminG]

Man!!..... it has been quite a day. Economics with the stock market, politics everywhere and this.
I think it refelects on how people jump on each other's shit with such aggresiveness.

Wether he died of a voluntary or accidental overdose, we shouldn't call him anything. It is a great loss as he was somebody's son, brother, cousin or friend.

If it was an accident, what a tragedy.

If it was suicide, we should keep our words to ourselves because none of us really knew the kind of "personal" hell he was living. That was his choice and I am sure it felt right and correct to him at the time and that is ALL we are entitled to.

Calling him a loser or any derogatory word is just plain ignorance.
You will never know, for sure, that you are in hell until you look at the devil face to face and you make a move. Your move and people shall respect your right to do so.

good post, J_S.

I've never attempted suicide, as I think it the ultimate selfish act. It might end your pain, but it fucks up the lives of everyone else you leave behind. But I've certainly been low enough to consider it.

Why people feel a need to interrupt other's celebrations or commiserations because of their overriding need to "keep it real" confounds me. If you don't agree with the prevailing sentiment in a thread like this, then don't post.

it reminds me of a time when a formerly good friend of mine found god. The father of one of our classmates had committed suicide and a few of us were expressing our sadness that whatever had bothered him had ultimately lead to that point, and for his family who have now lost their father. My born-again friend could only (LOUDLY) express pity for the father, who would now apparently spend all eternity burning in a firey pit, and shouted down anyone whose opinion differed from his own.

Let those who want to mourn mourn. Start another thread if you must go off on a tirade against those pathetic druggies & losers who (apparently unlike your potsmoking self) can't handle it & endanger their own lives

[skorb]

what's Naomi Watts' number, she probably needs some cheering up bout now.

[SeventhSon]

it reminds me of a time when a formerly good friend of mine found god. The father of one of our classmates had committed suicide and a few of us were expressing our sadness that whatever had bothered him had ultimately lead to that point, and for his family who have now lost their father. My born-again friend could only (LOUDLY) express pity for the father, who would now apparently spend all eternity burning in a firey pit, and shouted down anyone whose opinion differed from his own.

lol. i've encountered a few born-agains who try and convert me for whatever reason. and in our back and forth discussion, i casually ask them where they think my maternal grandparents are (who were Buddhist and passed). "Why, in hell, of course!"

good post, J_S.
I've never attempted suicide, as I think it the ultimate selfish act. It might end your pain, but it fucks up the lives of everyone else you leave behind. But I've certainly been low enough to consider it.

I've heard that phrase used "ultimate selfish act" many times to describe suicide. Personally, I think it's a stupid cliche. Why does a spy agency give its spies cyanide tablets? Is biting into a cyanide tablet the "ultimate selfish act" when you'd rather die a quick death than face excruciating torture to give up state secrets that could put other people's lives in jeopardy?

also, did you know that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for children ages 10-14 and the third leading cause of death for teenagers 15-19? i'm pretty sure their parents would disagree with your opinion that they committed the "ultimate selfish act". gee, maybe the person has severe depression? gee, you know, not able to think clearly?

zeegs, you'd feel perfectly comfortable saying what you said to the parents of a 10 year old who committed suicide?

suicide is unconditionally a "sin" in the same way as killing a person is unconditionally "murder".

[Bengal]

SS,
I hate to disagree with you but any teenager that commits suicide is selfish. See, at the point of suicide, it's all about them. Isn't that the definition of selfish? All about the person? That's where suicide is called selfish. A teenager, or anyone for that matter, that kills themselves are only thinking about themselves. Not their mother or father or children or whomever. So I think it is a selfish act...

A spy that pops a cyanide pill is not the same thing. Nice try but that's a swing and a miss...

The overused phrase I like about suicide is it's a perminant solution to a temporary problem. I think that fits nicely...

But we don't know this was suicide so this is all really a moot point...

Sin Schmin. Lets keep religion out of this...

[VitaminG]

I've heard that phrase used "ultimate selfish act" many times to describe suicide. Personally, I think it's a stupid cliche. Why does a spy agency give its spies cyanide tablets? Is biting into a cyanide tablet the "ultimate selfish act" when you'd rather die a quick death than face excruciating torture to give up state secrets that could put other people's lives in jeopardy?

How many times have you found yourself in that situation? Regardless though, it isn't a selfish act to sacrifice yourself for the good of many others. I'm sure many martyrs loaded with explosives have comforted themselves in that.

also, did you know that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for children ages 10-14 and the third leading cause of death for teenagers 15-19? i'm pretty sure their parents would disagree with your opinion that they committed the "ultimate selfish act". gee, maybe the person has severe depression? gee, you know, not able to think clearly?

I can only speak from my own experience, and maintain that (for me) it is a selfish act. In the deepest despair of my own depression, I had considered it as an option as a quick way to end my own miserable existence. But the one thing that stopped me was the thought that the lives of my parents, my wife, my children and my remaining friends would be irrevocably damaged. It doesn't just spoil the survivors' day or even their year. Plenty of people never recover from the suicide of someone they love. Life doesn't just carry on as usual for the people left behind.

So as Bengal said, it is a selfish act, to so negatively impact so many people in order to solve my own petty problems. Often those problems aren't nearly as bad as my current state of mind would have me believe. I'm not talking about euthanasia here, taking your own life to end the pain & suffering of a debilitating and ultimately terminal illness, but folks who opt out of life because their mental anguish is so great they feel there is no other option. That might be the solution to their problems, but it is selfish in that no consideration is given to the lifetime of suffering they will be creating for everyone around them.