Modern Talking pictures from New York Magazine

Flowers for Heath

Photo: Melissa HomAbove is a snapshot of the flowers, candles, and cards that are already amassing on the doorstep of Heath Ledger's Soho apartment. Fans and curious passersby are still stopping by the block on Broome Street where the actor died yesterday afternoon. We know we should be used to this phenomenon, being bloggers and all, but we're still awed by the speed with which the news spread yesterday. The 28-year-old's body was found at around 3 p.m. Less than two hours later, it was being reported on television and on the Internet nationwide. While this isn't surprising in terms of the capability of the modern media, what struck us is that people passed the information to one another with incredible speed. Something about Heath Ledger, be it his youth, his popularity, or the mere unexpectedness of his death, caused people to IM friends, shout out in open office spaces, and call relatives. Ledger had grown into an iconic New York figure in recent years. What was your reaction? Since it's all anyone is talking about today, we'd love to hear what you have to say. Drop us a note in the comments. Earlier: Heath Ledger: Covering the Coverage Related: Terry Gilliam's Heath Ledger Movie: What Happens Now? [Vulture]

Published: 2008-01-23 Provider: New York Magazine

Your Council Speaker Is Totally Crushing on Valerie Bertinelli

Christine Quinn, quietly loving.Photo: Getty Images In 1978, before we knew we really like boys, we had the mad hots for our bubbly 13-year-old babysitter, Lisa, who rocked gym shorts, knee-length Jox socks, and two perfect, feathered brunette wings over her forehead. But why did we really worship her? Because she was a dead ringer for Valerie Bertinelli, that spunky Italian nymphette who, back then, played youngest daughter Barbara on One Day at a Time. (Today, she duels with Kirstie Alley in those Jenny Craig commercials.) So, in this new NY1 clip, when our (sometimes) bubbly, openly lesbian City Council speaker Christine Quinn said that she likes to chill out by watching Lifetime flicks starring the adult, still-perky Val, we knew just what she was talking about: "Anything with Valerie Bertinelli is usually a good show because there are struggles," said Quinn, who also did the usual dodge of the usual probe into her mayoral ambitions. "They are strong women, and it usually ends on an up note."Oh, come on, Chris. Stop talking in that family-friendly code. We know that your adolescent, pre-out-and-proud, pre-power-consolidating self was reduced to total, quivering sapphic jelly at the sight of sexy Val — and that modern-day Speaker Quinn probably still is (even if Rachael Ray, who's kind of a younger, more annoying Valerie Bertinelli, very likely steams your tilapia a bit more). Oh, and don't think that we couldn't read into this little coda: "A Nancy McKeon movie is a good one, too." Chris, everyone knows that Nancy McKeon, as butchy, wrong-side-of-the-tracks Jo on The Facts of Life, was the lust object of every budding femme lesbian in America. We're on to your little tween fetishes that you've carried into adulthood and right into the Speaker's seat. You are so, so busted. Um, anyway, that's all. You can go back to not focusing on running for mayor now. —Tim Murphy City Council Speaker Stays Mum About Possible Mayoral Run [NY1]

Published: 2007-12-05 Provider: New York Magazine