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QUESTION FRIDAY: Spelling is Hard Edition

2011-02-04 · Q&A · John · 3:38 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: Science & nature, Books & writing) · mode: Q&A & conversation · tags: recurring series, community lore, self promotion, fundraising ask

John answers rapid-fire viewer questions: words he can't spell, how a telescope sees the past, his half of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, index funds, why now is the best time to live, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, his free zombie novella, babies' crying and his Warner Chilcott stock.

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: Question Friday, real questions from real nerdfighters

00:00:04 — Words John can't spell; NASA tweeted Hank's video; how a telescope sees into the past

  • ★ John still struggles to spell 'occasionally', 'refrigerator', 'sacrilege' and 'queue', making this the spelling-bee nightmare edition of Question Friday. (playful) — 00:00:04 · Question Tuesday
  • ★★ John did see that NASA tweeted Hank's video, and is glad Hank is less space-obsessed than at 16, when it might have made his brain explode. (playful) — 00:00:11
  • ★★ Explaining how Hank's telescope sees the past: light takes time to travel, so something 13 billion light-years away is seen as it was 13 billion years ago; the Sun is about 8 light-minutes away. — 00:00:20

00:00:49 — Will Grayson, Will Grayson; Jiffy Lube; 'who is Hank' as Batman; index funds; living now rather than in Rome

  • ★★ In Will Grayson, Will Grayson John wrote uppercase Will, a.k.a. 'straight Will' or 'Schrödinger's Will'. — 00:00:49 · Will Grayson, Will Grayson
  • ★★ Asked who Hank is, John describes Batman: a DC comic-book superhero first appearing in 1939, also known as the Caped Crusader. (joke) — 00:00:59
  • ★★ For investing a small amount of money John recommends a broad index fund like the Wilshire 5000. — 00:01:08
  • ★★ Of all periods of history John would live in this one; Rome was fantastic, but a nerd with four days can recreate it in Minecraft. — 00:01:13 · progress

00:01:27 — Blue creatures sewn by a nerdfighter; Peeta or Gale; hair product; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

  • ★ The blue creatures behind John were sewn for him by a nerdfighter, possibly as a present for Henry, but he took them. (playful) — 00:01:27 · Nerdfighteria, Henry Green
  • ★ Peeta or Gale? John is 'with the bakers', i.e. Peeta. (playful) — 00:01:43
  • ★ John uses no hair product: 'the puff needs hair product like Hank needs caffeine'. (joke) — 00:01:46 · the Puff
  • ★★★ John's overall stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: both sides need to recognize the legitimacy of the other's narrative. — 00:01:51

00:01:58 — The zombie novella under Creative Commons: thank the donors and read a real book

  • ★★ John's zombie novella was released under a Creative Commons license and is freely available online, linked in the description. — 00:01:58
  • ★★ Before downloading, readers are 'ethically obligated' to comment thanking everyone who donated, without whom the 'terrible' novella would not exist. (playful) — 00:02:06
  • ★★ Readers must also promise to read one of John's actual books so they don't think he is as bad a writer as the novella suggests. (playful) — 00:02:10 · Looking for Alaska (novel), An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, Will Grayson, Will Grayson

00:02:21 — Eyelids; Cluedo's Reverend Green; spelling-bee nightmare; Esther bracelet; why Henry cried

  • ★★ In the original British Cluedo, Mr. Green is Reverend Green, renamed for America because that was felt to be sacrilege; John usually plays Colonel Mustard. — 00:02:25
  • ★★ John wears an Esther bracelet and tells viewers to get one, since they make the world suck less; link in the description. — 00:02:49 · world suck
  • ★★ Asked why Henry cried at the end of his last video, John says babies have only two thoughts, 'I am ecstatically happy' and 'this could be better', and one strategy: crying. (playful) — 00:02:55 · Henry Green

00:03:13 — Why bubbles are round; Warner Chilcott stock down $32; last questions

  • ★★ Bubbles are round because they are minimal-surface structures and spheres have minimal surface. — 00:03:13
  • ★★ John is down $32 on his Warner Chilcott stock and tells the company to do a better job of 'Warner Chilcott-ing' sick people so he gets his money back. (playful) — 00:03:17

00:03:32 — Plug: the Whomping Willows' gold eagle shirt

  • ★★ John points Hank, and viewers, to an awesome gold eagle shirt from 'our friend' the Whomping Willows, linked in the description. — 00:03:32

Humor (significant)

  • Asked which words he still can't spell, John names one. — 00:00:04

    “I occasionally struggle with occasionally.”

  • Asked who the eff Hank is, John gives Batman's description with Hank's name in it. — 00:00:59

    “Hank is also known as "The Caped Crusader" and "The Hank."”

  • Asked why we have eyelids, John admits he doesn't know. — 00:02:21

    “blinking is for COWARDS.”

  • John has lost $32 on the Warner Chilcott stock he bought in protest. — 00:03:17

    “Warner Chilcott you need to do a better job of Warner Chilcott-ing sick people”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Zombicorns

Also: People: Henry Green

Works: Cluedo · Minecraft · This Star Won't Go Out bracelet · Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Organizations: Creative Commons · Jiffy Lube · NASA · Twitter · Warner Chilcott

Groups: The Whomping Willows

Rituals: Question Tuesday

Terms: the Puff · world suck

Concepts: index fund · minimal surface · progress

Places: Ancient Rome

Events: Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Characters: Batman · Colonel Mustard · Gale Hawthorne · Peeta Mellark · Reverend Green

Products: Wilshire 5000

Only in the description or credits: An Abundance of Katherines · Looking for Alaska (novel) · Paper Towns

Also centred on Zombicorns: My Zombie Apocalypse Novella · CONCUSSED Question Friday · Am I ... Good? · Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff!

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