Obama's LEGO lesson

[Bruce N H]

Hey all,

Obama’s LEGO lesson - story about the President visiting an educational program that uses LEGO, presumably NXT, to teach about technology.

“I used to build some pretty mean LEGO towers when I was a kid,” the president told an audience of mostly Intel employees. “I thought I could participate, only these students used their LEGO’s to build models, to build robots that were programmable, to model brains that could repair broken bones.”

Bruce

[eNiGMa]

Haha, This was a fun read! Thanks for sharing!

[KarenJ]

That was a nice article and I like to give credit where credit is due (Obama needs more Lego!), I didn't agree with this statement from the author:

While Republicans have criticized the administration for spending too much time focused on investing in the future, and not enough time on reigning in the federal deficit, the president insisted new technology will create jobs and help the ailing economy recover.

That is not a true statement. A better representation of the same statement would be:

While Republicans have criticized the administration for spending too much time focused on bankrupting the future of our children, and not enough time on reigning in the federal deficit, the president insisted new technology will halt job creation and destroy the already ailing economy.

Viewed through the lens of reality, that means LESS Lego for everyone.

[Blueandwhite]

Just three posts in and I can already see that this topic is going to become quite heated. It just goes to show you; politics and LEGO go together like oil and water. As an outsider (Canadian), I just find it cool when LEGO is highlighted by a major news affiliate.

[Karrde]

Just three posts in and I can already see that this topic is going to become quite heated. It just goes to show you; politics and LEGO go together like oil and water. As an outsider (Canadian), I just find it cool when LEGO is highlighted by a major news affiliate.

I strongly agree, this is awesome, let's not taint it with ideology.

[Bluesecrets]

I will remind you briefly of the TOS of CC

5. Do not post Off-Topic threads. Off-Topic threads are threads that do not directly relate to the LEGO Company, its' products (LEGO Bricks), LEGO Fan creations, LEGO Fan customizations, the LEGO Fan community at large, and the topics relating to the architecture, lifestyle, and sequence of events of medieval history and medieval style fiction. Topics in question will be judged on or off topic by the Administration and/or Moderators, and if necessary, those topics will be locked. Users who frequently post Off-Topic threads with disregard to Administration and/or Moderator warnings will recieve disciplinary action.

Discussing politics in this thread is off topic. Keep this to a discussion of Obama's LEGO lesson only. I do not want to have to lock this topic, but I will if it strays into the politics area again.

_________________________

Now back on topic. I find it to be a very good thing that important people around the world are exposed to our LEGO passion, may it be a president, an actor, a sports figure, whoever...the more the merrier.

[Rogue Shadow]

I strongly agree, this is awesome, let's not taint it with ideology.

I second that notion!

[Highwayman]

Good find, Bruce! So President Obama used to build LEGO towers? I wonder if he would consider hanging out and working on a castle with me.. ^^;;

Something tells me he wouldn't be able to fit that into his schedule.

Anyway, it's always nice to see stories of people learning through the utilization of LEGO.

[KarenJ]

I do apologize, don't know what I was thinking. Not thinking at all, I guess. However I would like to mention that it was a GIRL team... Gender issues OK?

[Blueandwhite]

However I would like to mention that it was a GIRL team... Gender issues OK?

Nice catch! I didn't even pay it that much attention when I was reading the article. It's really fantastic to see when LEGO is reaching out to girls. For decades LEGO has always been identified as a "boy's toy" so it's always nice to see young students of both sexes enjoy the brick.

[Memsochet]

I just wonder if he'd ever go to Brickworld since it's held in his home city of Chicago. Maybe he'd add a "presidential" MOC of his own.

[eNiGMa]

I just wonder if he'd ever go to Brickworld since it's held in his home city of Chicago.

Someone should invite him.

[Bluesecrets]

Someone should invite him.

How about..um..no. Do you realize what that would do to the con?!?! Or the cost? Or the people running it? DAAAAAAAAAAANG...do you realize the security that guy requires?!?! I was in the air flying when he was...we got 30 miles from him and had to circle for an hour. This is the most power man in the country, if not the world. And while it might be cool to think he would/could show up...it would like totally ruin the con in more ways that you can imagine. I certainly do not want to get frisked, or show proper id, or have to go thru metal detectors, or full body scans, just to attend a con...all because someone invited the President. It would totally suck all the fun out of it...TOTALLY.

[Memsochet]

Someone should invite him.

How about..um..no. Do you realize what that would do to the con?!?! Or the cost? Or the people running it? DAAAAAAAAAAANG...do you realize the security that guy requires?!?! I was in the air flying when he was...we got 30 miles from him and had to circle for an hour. This is the most power man in the country, if not the world. And while it might be cool to think he would/could show up...it would like totally ruin the con in more ways that you can imagine. I certainly do not want to get frisked, or show proper id, or have to go thru metal detectors, or full body scans, just to attend a con...all because someone invited the President. It would totally suck all the fun out of it...TOTALLY.

That made me chuckle. Just imagine how much fun you could have with the Secret Service. Lego Guns, Assassination MOCs, subtle hints at mayhem as can only be told by little yellow plastic men. You could make their too serious lives so much more fun in the process of getting a full body cavity search by some guy who looks like a WWF reject in a business suit.

[Forestboy]

Now that's what a president should be doing! Teaching kids about Lego! They should totally replace the bowling alley and movie theater in the White House with two giant Lego rooms.

~FB~