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August 28th: Starring Mom

2007-08-28 · letter vlog · John, Hank, Sydney Green · 2:49 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: Personal life) · mode: Q&A & conversation · tags: guest or collab, community lore

With Hank visiting, John wakes him in the actual morning, thanks Hank and the Nerdfighters again for his birthday while racing to finish Paper Towns, asks for help on the difference between a nerd and a geek, and features their mom, who learns the Nerdfighter sign.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — John wakes Hank at 11:40 on Tuesday: good morning in the actual morning

  • ★★ With Hank visiting, John wakes him and says good morning in person at 11:40 on Tuesday morning. (playful) — 00:00:03 · Hank Green

00:00:27 — Hank on Scott Westerfeld's Peeps and his 'wisdom'; John thanks Hank and Nerdfighters for his birthday while racing on Paper Towns

  • ★★ Hank, woken up, says he has been reading Scott Westerfeld's Peeps and finds it very engrossing and very good. — 00:00:27
  • ★ Hank: Asked for wisdom for the Nerdfighters, Hank offers 'The only problems worth solving are solutions'. (joke) — 00:00:27
  • ★ John says the line sounds profound until broken down and means nothing, and inverts it: the only solutions worth having are problems. (playful, hedged) — 00:00:27
  • ★★ John thanks Hank and the Nerdfighters again for his birthday: the videos, pictures and songs rejuvenated his awesome. — 00:00:27 · Hank Green, Nerdfighteria
  • ★★★ John is working like mad on Paper Towns and has only a couple of weeks left before he turns it in. — 00:00:27 · Paper Towns

00:01:13 — Paper Towns deadline; Hank the raccoon and eco-geeking; nerd vs geek question for Nerdfighters; Mom wants to be in a video

  • ★ John teases Hank for not getting up until 2 p.m., 'like a raccoon', then allows that Hank is probably awake and eco-geeking. (playful) — 00:01:13 · Hank Green, EcoGeek
  • ★★★ Relaying a forum question on the difference between a nerd and a geek, John admits he doesn't know and hopes he and the Nerdfighters can work one out. (hedged) — 00:01:13 · Brotherhood 2.0 forum, Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ Because Mom was upset that Dad got to be in yesterday's video, John puts her in this one. (playful) — 00:01:13 · Sydney Green, Mike Green

00:01:42 — John interviews Mom on Brotherhood 2.0: fame, asking strangers about Nerdfighters, learning the sign; sign-off variant

  • ★★ Sydney Green: Mom says she keeps asking young people she meets whether they know about Nerdfighters, hoping one will give her the sign. (playful) — 00:01:42 · Nerdfighteria, Sydney Green
  • ★★ Mom tries the Nerdfighter sign on camera, and John declares her 'such a nerdfighter'. (playful) — 00:02:16 · Sydney Green, nerdfighter

Humor (significant)

  • Hank's sleepy wisdom 'The only problems worth solving are solutions' is judged meaningless, so John offers his own. — 00:00:27

    “I think the only solutions worth having are problems.”

  • John grumbles that Hank doesn't get up until 2 in the afternoon. — 00:01:13

    “Hank, you're like a raccoon.”

  • Mom finally performs the Nerdfighter sign for the camera; John celebrates, then dismisses her. — 00:02:16

    “That was awesome! Okay, go away now.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Sydney Green

Also: People: Katherine Green · Mike Green

Projects: Brotherhood 2.0 · Brotherhood 2.0 forum · EcoGeek

Works: Paper Towns · Peeps (novel)

Rituals: Good morning greeting · Nerdfighter gang sign · See you tomorrow

Terms: in your pants · nerdfighter

Concepts: nerd

Only in the description or credits: Scott Westerfeld

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