Is that your answer, old man? Well, I guess you're a hard case too.

Cool Hand Luke passed away this weekend. Well, Paul Newman did. The actor, philanthropist and race car driver. I always liked Newman. He played some really good roles. Memorable ones at least.

Few things about actors impress me. Most are overpaid, uppity and downright jerks. Now I never met Mr. Newman, but a few things in his life actually impressed me. First off he was a veteran. He became a rear gunner of a TBF Avenger torpedo bomber when his color blindness disqualified him from being a pilot. After his stint in the Navy, the GI Bill got him through his first 3 months at Yale. To pay tuition for the rest of his time there, he sold Encyclopedia Britannica. He claims he was very good at it.

In an industry that is known for its members to have many marriages, his to JoAnne Woodward is impressive. For a Mother's Day gift one year, he gave his wife 2 hours of uninterrupted driving around the roads of Westport, Connecticut that they had never seen before. After being asked so many times what the secret was to being married so long to Joanne Woodward, he was asked yet again and simply responded, "I don't know what she puts in my food". The man had a sense of humor. He is quoted as saying, "Why fool around with hamburger when you have steak at home?" Good thought.

Not only did he win an Oscar but he was a noted philanthropist. He gave away millions to charity. All from his brand of salad dressings. In keeping with his aloofness he said, “Once you've seen your face on a bottle of salad dressing. it's hard to take yourself seriously.” He had a reputation of being a practical joker as well. I like that. Prior to filming The Hustler (1961) , Newman lacked talent at playing pool. But after brushing up on it for the role, he felt very confident in his ability. So he bet co-star Jackie Gleason $50 on a game of pool. Being the excellent pool player he was, Gleason beat Newman. Instead of paying him in dollar bills, Newman dumped $50 worth of pennies on the table for Gleason to take. Now that’s classic!

Students at Princeton University have named 24 April Newman's Day. Students try to drink 24 beers over the 24 hours of the day. The tradition stems from a comment that Newman is alleged to have made; "24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not." The event is not officially sponsored by the university, and Newman has commented that he would "like to bring an end to the tradition".

We say good-bye to an icon. A man who should be remembered more for his charitable work and that he was a devoted husband and father than as an actor. I guess he was one who lived out what he said. “A man can only be judged by his actions, and not by his good intentions or his beliefs.”