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Maine Inspires Deep Thoughts

2008-06-16 · letter vlog · Hank · 2:32 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: US politics & society) · mode: Personal essay · tags: on location, timely hook, self promotion, fundraising ask, punishment or challenge, community lore

From the Maine coast, Hank announces the brothers' temporary Obama's Idiots fundraising project, then argues that Nerdfighteria should welcome Republicans but not anti-environmentalists, because caring for others includes the people of the future.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Hank in Maine; announcement of Obama's Idiots: fundraising for Democratic candidates, punishments for goals, John's commentary

  • ★★★ Hank announces that he and John are starting a temporary project, Obama's Idiots, about the 2008 presidential race, at youtube.com/obamasidiots. — 00:00:00 · Obama's Idiots, United States presidential election, Barack Obama
  • ★★★ During the project the brothers will raise money for Democratic candidates and, when goals are reached, do painful or embarrassing things; Hank has not yet got John to agree to that part. — 00:00:00 · Obama's Idiots
  • ★ Hank opens the video in Maine, which he calls a very nice place. — 00:00:00
  • ★★ Hank says John will deliver political commentary and news, while Hank will punish himself in return for donations to Barack Obama and other Democrats, starting with Daniel Biss. — 00:00:40 · Barack Obama, Daniel Biss

00:00:40 — A commenter's complaint about propaganda; Republicans welcome, anti-environment people not: nerdfighting means caring for others, including future people

  • ★★ Responding to a comment on the Obama's Idiots channel about 'environmental and Democratic propaganda', Hank partly agrees on the Democratic part: he doesn't want that to be what nerdfighting is. (hedged) — 00:00:40 · Obama's Idiots, nerdfighter, Barack Obama
  • ★★ Hank says he is 100% in favour of there being Republican nerdfighters. — 00:00:40 · Republican Party, nerdfighter
  • ★★★ But Hank doubts he wants anyone anti-environment in the community, because being a nerdfighter is about respect and caring for others. (hedged) — 00:01:09 · nerdfighter
  • ★★★ Hank thinks the people we give chances to should include future people, like our kids, because we have only one planet and it must stay livable for centuries and millennia. (hedged) — 00:01:09

  • ★★★ Hank argues environmentalism isn't about today but about how what we do now affects future people; he doesn't want his kids to inherit a poisonous ball of slime. — 00:01:38

    “Environmentalism isn't about today. It's about the future.”

  • ★★ Hank understands if the environment isn't someone's top issue; health care is about as important to him, if not more, because it affects him personally. (hedged) — 00:01:38

00:02:07 — Hank coins 'Tobian' for world-destroying evil; the beauty of the Maine coast; sign-off

  • ★★ Hank calls wanting to destroy the world 'kind of Tobian', a word he says he just made up because it sounds evil (he also tries 'Decepticony'). (playful, hedged) — 00:02:07 · Tobian, Decepticon
  • ★ Hank says Maine's beauty makes such thoughts hard not to think; signing off from a beautiful day on the Maine coast, he is off to get ice cream. — 00:02:17

In the description and comments

  • ★★★ The description asks viewers to give to Daniel Biss via an ActBlue page and says that if $1,000 is reached Hank will dress up as Carrie and go to see the Sex and the City movie. — video description · Daniel Biss

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: environmentalism · Obama's Idiots

Also: People: Barack Obama · Daniel Biss

Organizations: Democratic Party · Republican Party

Terms: Decepticon · nerdfighter · Tobian

Places: Maine

Events: United States presidential election

Only in the description or credits: ActBlue · Carrie Bradshaw · Sex and the City (2008)

Also centred on environmentalism: How to Be Green Without Being a Prick · I Disagree with Me (Thoughts from Lake Powell) · Why Environmentalists Hate Captain Planet · Wrong on the Internet

Later videos replying to this one