Secretary Of The Treasury Hobo Joe Junkpan

I hate Radar Online, not only because I was highly disappointed when I found out their site had nothing to do with Gary Burghoff, but because they took what is by far the best title you could have for a story about John Hodgman for their interview with him, Hodgmania! Because really, it's the only suitable term to describe the state of the nation right now. You might not even be aware of it, but you're a hodgmaniac. Yes, that would explain the rashes.

You probably recognize him from his work on 'The Daily Show' as 'That Guy Who Makes Things Up' (which isn't really as specific a term as I thought it would be), or as his personification of the most used computers in the world. Those of you who still know what a radio is might know him from his work on This American Life (click here to hear his great 'Flight Vs. Invisibility' piece), or his book, 'The Areas Of My Expertise'. This is the 'Daily Show' interview that started his gig there (arguably the origins of 'Hodgmania'), and also made me run out and buy the book (he had me at "drawing of a bird with a hat"). In it he mentions the list of 700 hobo names in the book, and how he read them all to musical accompaniment. This list has also inspired the creation of E-Hobo.com, a web community where people have banded together to illustrate all 700 of Hodgman's Hoboes (plus the 100 extra names that were added to the new paperback edition).

He's currently on a literary tour for the paperback edition, and is stopping in Chicago this weekend. I'm nervous though, what will I say? How can you thank the man who taught you that you must tip the hotel lullaby singer $5 per song, and an extra $2 if they use a harp? How?