::alio!::

a light has gone out somewhere

What a way to find out bad news.

If you read those last comments there, you'll know that my favourite professor, Karen Emilie Richter, passed away on Thursday from a long fight with cancer. It was something that we had all expected - I just didn't expect it so soon.

I have rarely felt so inspired from a single person. Charles Laughlin and Brian Given mentored her, and then all three, in turn, helped me figure out what I wanted to do. Karen and didn't agree on everything - in fact, we spent most of our time arguing - but it was all philosophical. We did agree on what was important - namely, that Firefly was the best television show never to make it big and that chilling out with a good beer on a hot day was the smartest thing to do.

Karen was one of the most underrated minds I have ever met, and it is a damned shame that others didn't have an opportunity to shine in her light. I will miss her.