I have more info to follow up with on the Blood Diamond Blu-ray Disc but that nonsense is going to have to wait in the wake of the passing of our friend and colleague Randy Tomlinson.

As TJN's obit makes clear, Randy was a multi-faceted and an increbidly interesting man who could and would converse engagingly on a broad number of subjects at any time.

Randy took to the video world later in life as something of a hobby and became as thorough and complete a professional as I've yet encountered in the fields of both calibrating displays and writing expertly about them. This speaks to his versatility, native intelligence and the dogged perfectionism that was his trademark in every area of his life in which he endeavoured, work or hobby.

In addition to all of that, I do want to pass along a couple of things about Randy that you may not have gathered from reading his writing, which was never anything less than superlative, a pleasure to read, always thorough and informative.

Randy spoke with a wonderful and immediately noticeable southern accent, and in spite of how very serious he was in his video writing, he had an oustanding sense of humor. He didn't joke much in print, but laughed often in conversation and was always fun to talk to whether the subject was modifying hi-fi gear or hotrodding his car or computer (Randy was one of those guys who never used anything "stock," always preferring to roll his own).

Among the things that always amused me- a born and raised California kid at least a couple of decades younger than he was- was Randy's penchant in conversation for using the word, er, term "daggum." He said it in that accent of his, in the same context that some would say "gosh darned," or someone who's more crass (like me) would say "goddamn."

I laughed inside every time he said it, which was often, and more than once tried to talk him into using that term in his reviews. But, daggum it, I never could get him to bite on that one and use it in print!

I'm very happy and proud to have gotten to know this man. Randy and I worked together closely at The Perfect Vision for several years prior to both us coming to work here at UAV. And beyond that, he was a friend and I'll miss him.