Heath Ledger was indeed the man of the hour. Although he had no more than an average acting career behind him, his depiction of a closeted Wyoming ranch hand in love with another cowboy was powerful enough to win him the Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Ledger's performance in "Brokeback Mountain" was a revelation, a gradual unveiling of the vulnerability, longing, and desolation which sometimes hides itself inside of masculinity and apparent strength. Sadly, the Academy chose not to give Best Actor to Ledger, or Best Picture to his film, creating a significant upset which suspiciously smacked of Hollywood homopobia and catering to the lowest common denominator (Brokeback Mountain had already won the vast majority of respected film critics' awards). But whatever people of influence may think, I will always remember Heath for touching my soul with his unforgettable performance. I should also say that despite his not winning, Heath has gotten an awful lot of praise and I don't want it to go to his head. On the other hand, I feel like we should start naming streets and sporting arenas after him. Its not just generals, politicians, and scientists who contribute to our society and culture, after all. As Napoleon said when the poet Goethe was introduced to him: "Here is a man!" Heath, baby, you've got courage. Keep on doing things as an actor that really matter and the world will be a better place for it. God bless you, you crazy, gutsy Australian.