John Hodgman: Obama First Nerd President?

[Brian Rucker]

From the Radio and TV Correspondents Dinner and, yes, Obama is there and even quizzed.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/19/john-hodgman-radio-and-tv_n_218349.html

[Matthew Gallant]

Hodgman is an amazing talent.

[Ephraim]

Very entertaining. I'm no longer ashamed to admit I knew the answers to the final 3-part question! With a nerd President of the United States, I'm ready to let my nerd flag fly.

[Woolen Horde]

That was both hilarious and remarkably salient and touching, particularly the last two minutes.

You could tell Obama was touched by it. He shot out of his seat to shake Hodgman's hand.

[Pogo]

There is talk, in some states, of even... decriminalizing evolution

Ahhh that is great.

[Wendelius]

That was great. Really enjoyed it too.

Wendelius

[Cosmic Hippo]

Yeah, saw this a couple days ago. John Hodgman is the man, and I hope his star continues to rise.

I still love the idea that he got his job on the Daily Show because his interview on Areas of My Expertise went so well, and he got his role in the Get A Mac ads because the director liked the book so much.

[Skipper]

Wow, that was amazingly great. Thanks for the link, I knew nothing of John except for the Apple commercials. His speech was surprisingly poignant and adapted to the truth.

[Eric P]

i've seen him give a few talks here in nyc as well. he's quite entertaining. if you get the chance, i'd suggest seeing him.

[Acoustic Rob]

Thanks for posting this--I really enjoyed it.

And for reminding me that I need to pick up his followup to Areas of My Expertise.

[CLWheeljack]

So, out of curiousity, (not having read Dune in 15+ years), what were the answers to the final three questions? I knew all of them up until those three, but not those. (unless one of them was "Thumper")

[mystery]

Yes, Fremen used Thumpers to call sand worms.

[LesJarvis]

1) Shai-Hulud
2) Thumper (you were correct)
3) I didn't know the answer to the third one, and can't remember the question now (I watched this on Friday night). Something about what do the sandworms excrete when submerged in water? EDIT: Oh yeah, water of life

[Matthew Gallant]

Confirmed:

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/04iV8Ds5nY8ol/610x.jpg

[Mordrak]

You sure that hasn't been photoshoped? It looks surprisingly awkward.

[Jeremy Johnsen]

I wonder if she ever looks at him like my wife looks at me when I discuss the various origin stories of superheroes?

[russellmz00]

I wonder if she ever looks at him like my wife looks at me when I discuss the various origin stories of superheroes?

Obama grinned and bent down until he was almost at eye level with her waist. He jabbed a playful finger toward her belt buckle, and let loose his inner nerd. "The lithium crystals! Beam me up, Scotty!" Obama squeaked, laughing at his own lame joke as Michelle rolled her eyes.

btw, i have to call the accuracy of newsweek's quotation above into question. it's more likely he said, "dilithium crystals."

[Lynxara]

Clearly Newsweek should have had a bigger nerd write that article.

[Matthew Gallant]

http://www.truemeaningoflife.com/images/obamalightsaber.jpg

He possibly could be mimicking the sound effects as well.

[antifood]

I originally saw that picture right next to an article about the John Hodgkins Student killing a burglar with a sword.

[McKertis]

Having a wife automatically fails him as a nerd.

[Eric T Cheng]

Having a wife automatically fails him as a nerd.

Great! Now you made Will Wheaton cry (http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/wil-wheaton/the-secret-mini-drivers-club-h/).

[antifood]

Great! Now you made Will Wheaton cry (http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/wil-wheaton/the-secret-mini-drivers-club-h/).

Funny article, but it is kind of odd that there is a picture of someone other than the author.

[Eric T Cheng]

Funny article, but it is kind of odd that there is a picture of someone other than the author.

That photo of of Wil but the name is the credit of the photographer.

[antifood]

That photo of of Wil but the name is the credit of the photographer.

I can be such a doofus. Thank you for that.

[AndrewM]

Obama certainly isn't the first nerd president. Thomas Jefferson and Woodrow Wilson seem to have been pretty nerdy too.

[Eric T Cheng]

Obama certainly isn't the first nerd president. Thomas Jefferson and Woodrow Wilson seem to have been pretty nerdy too.

No, they were proto-nerds since the word "nerd" didn't come into existence until the 1950s.

[WarrenM]

This sort of thing happens regularly in my life:

"Did you notice that the person driving that Mini was a girl?" she asked in a voice that I've come to recognize as The Patient Wife Who Is Married To A Geek Voice.

"Yeah, so wh-" It hit me, and I understood. "It's a boy thing, isn't it? Girls don't care.

[AndrewM]

No, they were proto-nerds since the word "nerd" didn't come into existence until the 1950s.

Did gravity not exist before there was a word for it? <drops coffee cup>

[Rock8man]

Did gravity not exist before there was a word for it? <drops coffee cup>

No. Back then it was proto-gravity.

[zengonzo]

That crop makes it look like she's even yelling 'Nerd!' in the background.

[Eric T Cheng]

Did gravity not exist before there was a word for it? <drops coffee cup>

Nope. Before Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity humans just thought it was some dark matter pulling on them...

[CLWheeljack]

I thought it was all the phlogiston pushing things down.

Note to self: create Champions Online character named Phlogiston.

[StGabe]

Great! Now you made Will Wheaton cry (http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/wil-wheaton/the-secret-mini-drivers-club-h/).

Aww. I'm a nerd husband married to a non-nerd wife who, nonetheless "gets me". In our case, however, I own the MINI but sadly people in SoCal don't seem to do the MINI wave. :-(

[Calistas]

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/9804/obamakanye.png

[AndrewM]

Hah. Is that ever going to get old? (not sarcasm)