The Gift of Gary Busey

2009-08-26 · John · watch on YouTube · Nerdfighteria · reflection essay

John thanks Hank and Nerdfighteria for his birthday video and argues, via Faulkner and the Gary Busey family portrait, that people should make things as gifts rather than for money or fame; then plugs a Teens' Top Ten vote, a Question Tuesday record attempt and the Global Geek Week winner.

What is said

00:00:00 — Thanks for the birthday video; Willy damages the wall of cow and the sock puppet

• ★★ John, the day after his 32nd birthday, thanks Hank for the birthday video and says, in playful hyperbole, it made him happier than anything ever has. (playful) — 00:00:00 · John Green
• ★ John shows that Willy has damaged the 'great white wall of cow' (now two-legged and tailless) and seems to have blinded the sock puppet. (playful) (hedged) — 00:00:00 · Willy

00:00:42 — Why the birthday gifts show what he loves about Nerdfighteria and the internet: making things as gifts, not for fame or money (Faulkner); the internet sometimes makes something magical

• ★★★ John says people made the birthday songs, art and clips not to become famous or rich but, quoting Faulkner, to create something that did not exist before. — 00:00:42 · Nerdfighteria
• ★★★ John says what he loves most about the Nerdfighter community is making stuff with and for each other as gifts, not for money, attention or subscribers. — 00:01:12 · Nerdfighteria
• ★★ John says the internet is often flashy lights, but occasionally, like a thousand monkeys at typewriters, makes something magical, such as the Gary Busey family portrait. (playful) (hedged) — 00:01:12

00:01:40 — Example: the Gary Busey family portrait made to make people happy

• ★★ John argues the creator of the Gary Busey family portrait was not thinking of riches or fame but of doing a great idea well to make people happy. (playful) — 00:01:40

00:02:09 — Advice to aspiring writers: don't make stuff for money or fame; make gifts

• ★★★ John's advice to aspiring writers: don't make stuff for money, it will never be enough, or for fame, you will never feel famous enough. — 00:02:09
• ★★★ John urges making gifts for people and working hard on them; whether or not people notice, one's responsibility is to the gift itself. — 00:02:09

00:02:38 — Three things: Paper Towns Teens' Top Ten nomination, Question Tuesday world-record attempt, Global Geek Week winner; sign-off

• ★★ John announces Paper Towns is nominated for a Teens' Top Ten award and invites teens to vote for it or other books. — 00:02:38 · Paper Towns
• ★★ John says he will soon break the Question Tuesday world record by answering 100 questions in four minutes and asks for many succinct questions. — 00:02:38 · Question Tuesday
• ★★ John announces the Global Geek Week winner, a geek-art video, winning two Virgin America tickets anywhere in the continental US; the runner-up wins only his respect. — 00:02:38

Threads in this video

• retro · Happy John Day 2009 edition: Nerdfighters' birthday collaboration video for John — John thanks Hank for the birthday video, listing the wishes, blenderizing, songs, stuff on heads and Willy cakes, and says in playful hyperbole it made him happier than anything. (00:00:00)
• refine · What is the community for? — John says what he loves most about Nerdfighteria is making stuff with and for each other as gifts, not for money, attention or subscribers. (00:01:12)
• new · Why make things? — John argues people should not make things for money or fame, which never feel like enough, but as gifts, responsible to the gift itself. (00:02:09)
• open · John invites teens to vote in the Teens' Top Ten, where Paper Towns is nominated (2009) — John invites teens to vote in the Teens' Top Ten, where Paper Towns is nominated. (00:02:38)
• make · John: break the Question Tuesday record by answering 100 questions in four minutes (2009) — John says he will soon break the Question Tuesday world record by answering 100 questions in four minutes. (00:02:38)
• open · John asks Nerdfighters for many succinct questions for his 100-questions-in-four-minutes Question Tuesday (2009) — John asks Nerdfighters to leave many succinct questions in the comments for his 100-question record attempt. (00:02:38)
• result · Global Geek Week 2009 edition (video contest) — John announces the Global Geek Week winner (a geek-art video; two Virgin America tickets) and a runner-up. (00:02:38)
• thanks · Hank asks Nerdfighters to make Global Geek Week videos about being a geek and giving back (2009) — John thanks everyone who helped make Global Geek Week a success. (00:03:14)

Replies to

• HAPPY JOHN DAY!!! — «that video made me happier than anything has ever made me»

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