I was, like every other American who has watched Tim Russert, deeply saddened by his death on Friday. It really shook people. Immediately I saw tributes on Twitter. Everyone I asked had already heard the news. The media, and our country, lost a true gem that day.

I’m somewhat of a political junkie, having been raised by two of them. I enjoyed watching Tim’s neutral, hard-hitting interviews on Meet the Press and his segments on the Today Show.

This morning I was watching some TV while making coffee. I caught the end of Inside the Actor’s Studio with Matt Damon. One of the questions he was asked was, “what turns you on?” Instead of giving a trite or pat answer, he said (and I paraphrase), “People who are intellectually curious.”

Matt also recounted the time when Mickey Rourke gave him a lecture about maintaining professionalism, and being courteous and punctual in his acting career.

Then I switched over to Meet the Press. I was touched by the commentary from Tim Russert’s friends and colleagues. The thing that struck me the most was his passion for what he did. He was singularly dedicated to Meet the Press, commenting on how fortunate he was to be able to prepare Monday through Friday for his show on Sunday. While his guests were sometimes not prepared, Tim always was. He was the consummate professional in his field. He lived and breathed politics, and his intellectual curiousity made him stand head and shoulders above the rest. Meet the Press changed the face of political journalism and made history.

The theme of my morning: intellectual curiosity of two remarkably professional and well-respected men.

Rest in peace, Tim Russert: 1950-2008.

I set out to write a post about mobile app design, but I’m sitting here so captivated by this great music that I have to share that instead.

Back in undergrad I spent a summer at Rhode Island School of Design. It was a great experience - I was submerged in design projects working with all of the computer applications that would become my toolkit. Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark. I roomed with a fascinating girl named Katie Isenberg who had just graduated from Harvard. I only know two people who have graduated from Harvard but they are two of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.

Kate just released a new album on iTunes and it’s wonderful. Her voice is smooth and blends so well with the acoustic guitar and other vocals. I can’t believe it’s the same voice I tried (unsuccessfully) to harmonize with on Galileo and Eddie from Ohio tunes back in that stuffy room in Barstow. Before we broke for Ben and Jerry’s. Check it out.