So Cass, who is plugged into the NPR hivemind, just informed me that Heath Ledger (co-star of Brokeback Mountain, and the Joker in the upcoming The Dark Knight) has died in New York City. He was 28. The New York Times is reporting that he was found unconscious, with pills nearby, though the headline on the piece says he was found dead. It's pretty clear that the details at this point are fairly sketchy.

It's been possible to track the progress of the news across the office just by listening to the hubbub — "Wait, WHAT?" "Wasn't he only, like 30?" "Are you serious?" as each new person finds out. It's a little weird. Like a cartoon showing the progression of a mole (or Bugs Bunny) moving underground by showing the distortion of the dirt above him.

It's similarly odd watching the news progress across the blogosphere, and seeing what increasingly shady sites do with what little information is available:

TMZ.com: Ledger Deathbed Strewn With Pills

Defamer.com: Heath Ledger Is Dead OMFG.

I'm-a feelin': surprised