[Swan217]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Norris

Sounds like an good initiative from the President, but I was personally disappointed by their seemingly lack of knowledge of the FIRST Robotics Program. In the press release and articles about the announcement they keept on referring to the 'cougar cannon'..... which I found as a pour way to describe a FIRST Robot, and FIRST probably doesn't like thats their main mention in the press releases. Its one of those things that the media thinks sounds cool, but doesn't describe what a FIRST Robot really is. I was hoping for more, I have yet to figure out how FIRST and FIRST teams will be able to benefit from the program. Hopefully we will see more details about it soon.

As a veteran press spokesman, please ENUNCIATE when you're talking to the Press, especially the WH Press pool. You know that they are hard of hearing!!!

From http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...112301978.html

So, with that, just as proof of the extraordinary promise of American young people, I'd like to invite Steven Harris (ph) and Brian Ortelano (ph) from Oakton High -- High School to come up here and demonstrate what their team has built. And it's flashing, so far. I don't see it whirling.
(LAUGHTER)
Where are they?
Give them a big round of applause.
(APPLAUSE)
All right. What do we got going here?
(UNKNOWN): So, we built our robot to compete in a competition called (inaudible).
(LAUGHTER)
And so, the object of the game is to shoot the balls, that they called the moon rocks, into moving goals (inaudible) team's robots.
OBAMA: OK.
(LAUGHTER)
(UNKNOWN): And (inaudible).
OBAMA: OK.
(LAUGHTER)
All right, let's see it toss the ball.
(LAUGHTER)
Now, what are they aiming at right now?
(LAUGHTER)