My buddy Ross Pfund, senior editor at the surprisingly un-boring Minnesota Law & Politics magazine, has, for some reason, decided to read the latest Dan Brown novel. Over the last few days, he's been sharing facts about Professor Robert Langdon, the be-mulleted academic/literary hero played by Tom Hanks in "The DaVinci Code". The punchline: The facts are not made up. Well, OK, they're made up in that Professor Robert Langdon is a fictional character. But any comedy you find here is the work of Dan Brown and is, ostensibly, unintentional.
- Did you know: Professor Robert Langdon avoids enclosed spaces because a childhood accident left him trapped at the bottom of a well for a day.
- Did you know: Professor Robert Langdon wishes someone would ban the word "awesome."
- Did you know: Professor Robert Langdon was an All-American water polo player in college.
- Did you know: According to Professor Robert Langdon, the favorite beverage of Harvard freshmen is alcohol.
- Did you know: No matter how dire the circumstances, Professor Robert Langdon prefers not to look at a piece of art on the internet if the original is in a gallery nearby.
- Did you know: One of Professor Robert Langdon's foremost professional regrets is that he's only an expert in a single runic language–Futhark, the most basic runic language of them all.
- Did you know: Like most teachers, Professor Robert Langdon hates being lectured to.
- Did you know: When you and I watch ESPN, we see end-zone celebrations. When Professor Robert Langdon watches ESPN, he sees athletes engaging in pre-Christian ritual traditions.
- Did you know: Professor Robert Langdon prefers hand-ground Sumatra coffee beans for their exotic aroma.
Pictured: A god among men.