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Brotherhood 2.0: April 16: Brotherhood of Traveling Shirts

2007-04-16 · letter vlog · John · 3:29 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Science & nature (also: Nerdfighteria, US politics & society, Books & writing) · mode: Personal update · tags: community lore

John missed the Step It Up rallies while flying home, so he starts a week of using only the electricity he really needs; he also praises Hank's EcoGeek podcasts, proposes sharing the one Nerdfighter shirt with Hank, and announces Daniel Biss's run for Illinois state representative.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Greeting and tax-day reminder; John missed the Step It Up rallies flying from San Antonio to New York; he made a poster

  • ★★★ John couldn't attend any Step It Up rally: instead of protesting carbon consumption he was consuming it on airplanes from San Antonio to New York, arriving after the rallies ended; he made a poster. (playful) — 00:00:00 · New York City

00:00:38 — The poster: not doing enough on climate change; a week of using only necessary electricity (lights, TV, hot water); asks Hank for ideas; praises Hank's EcoGeek podcasts

  • ★★ John says (via his poster) he feels he too is not doing enough in the fight against climate change. (hedged) — 00:00:38 · climate change
  • ★★★ For the next week John will use no electricity he doesn't absolutely need: fridge and computer stay on, lights only for reading, no TV except important soccer games, minimal hot water. — 00:00:38 · climate change
  • ★★ John will do further things through the week to reduce his carbon emissions and asks Hank for ideas. — 00:01:07 · climate change
  • ★★ John loved Hank's EcoGeek podcasts, looks forward to more, and advises him not to cut off the beginnings of his sentences. — 00:01:07 · EcoGeek

00:01:37 — Nerdfighter shirt from the Texas Library Association convention, '10% awesome'; custody-sharing with Hank as the Brotherhood of the Traveling Shirt; sharing clothes as kids

  • ★★ At the Texas Library Association convention this weekend John got a Nerdfighter shirt; he jokes its Hanes tag says 80% cotton, 10% polyester and 10% awesome. (playful) — 00:01:37
  • ★★★ As there is only one Nerdfighter shirt, John proposes custody-sharing: he sends it to Hank now, Hank maybe sends it back around June, and so on, like 'the Brotherhood of the Traveling shirt'. (playful) — 00:01:58
  • ★ John recalls the brothers shared clothes growing up, including a sailor suit their mom made them. (playful) — 00:01:58 · Sydney Green

00:02:27 — Daniel Biss runs for Illinois state representative: education funding (Illinois 49th) and carbon cuts; shutting off the camera; sign-off

  • ★★★ John shares that 'our resident mathematician' Daniel Biss is running for state representative in Illinois, able to pass legislation helpful to brothers, nerds and video blogs. — 00:02:27 · Daniel Biss
  • ★★ Biss's two top issues are raising education funding in Illinois, which John says is the 49th state in terms of education, and cutting carbon emissions. — 00:02:49 · Daniel Biss, education, climate change

00:03:14 — P.S.: the sign is on a page of John's book, which he is starting to revise for several months

  • ★★ The sign was made on recycled paper, a page from John's book, which he is just beginning to seriously revise; it will take several months, so he expects to be moody until about September. — 00:03:14

Humor (significant)

  • John reads the Hanes tag on his new Nerdfighter shirt: 80% cotton, — 00:01:37

    “10% polyester, and 10% awesome.”

  • John proposes mailing the one Nerdfighter shirt back and forth with Hank under a custody-sharing arrangement. — 00:01:58

    “It's kind of like the Brotherhood of the Traveling shirt.”

  • John recalls the brothers sharing clothes growing up, including a sailor suit their mom made them, which was really cool. — 00:02:27

    “Man, no wonder we were nerds.”

  • John says Illinois is the 49th state in terms of education. — 00:02:49

    “Thank God for Mississippi!”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: climate change · Daniel Biss · the Nerdfighter shirt (2007)

Also: People: Sydney Green

Projects: EcoGeek

Works: John's untitled new novel · The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (“Brotherhood of the Traveling shirt”)

Organizations: Illinois House of Representatives

Concepts: education

Places: Illinois · Mississippi · New York City · San Antonio, Texas

Events: Step It Up · Texas Library Association Annual Conference

Replies to

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