This post was published more than a few years ago (on 2004-10-11) and may contain inaccurate technical information, outmoded thoughts, or cringe takes. Proceed at your own risk.
I found out this morning that Christopher Reeve died last night. Not only was he Superman, but an inspiration to me. He was one of the few people that didn't give up. When life dealt him a spinal cord injury, paralyzing him, he didn't just fade away--- he became an outspoken proponent for research into repairing spinal cord injuries, and an opponent of President Bush's shortsighted severe limitations on stem cell research which, if allowed, could have someday allowed Reeves and many others to walk again. I don't believe in the afterlife, so it's hard for me to feel comforted that he's anywhere other than in the ground. A great man is gone from this earth, and it's up to us to see that it wasn't in vain. May he rest in peace.