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Insufficient Funds: A Story of Canada

2012-06-26 · story · John · 2:29 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Personal life · mode: Personal update · tags: on location, community lore

From a conference on educational video in Canada, John tells why he is always taken aside at Canadian immigration: in 1995 he was turned away for insufficient funds, and since 2001 he has been on a list. He then predicts Hank will miss his VidCon-week video and asks for punishment ideas.

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; VidCon is this week; anxiety scream

  • ★ John says VidCon is this week (week of 25 June 2012) and lets out a long scream he calls the sound of his anxiety. (playful) — 00:00:00 · VidCon

00:00:06 — At a conference about educational video in Canada with CGP Grey, Vsauce, MinutePhysics and Vi Hart; hard for John to get into Canada

  • ★★ John is in a hotel in Canada at a conference about educational video featuring CGP Grey, Vsauce, MinutePhysics, Vi Hart and many other fascinating people. — 00:00:06 · Canada

00:00:24 — The Insufficient Funds Incident: sent to special immigration every time; turned away at Windsor in 1995 with $14; on a list since 2001; 'you're gonna die on that list'

  • ★★ John says every time he flies into Canada he is sent to a special immigration office and asked whether he has ever been denied entry before. — 00:00:24 · Canada
  • ★★★ John recounts that in 1995, as a college freshman, he and a friend drove to Windsor, Ontario with Mountain Dew, bread, peanut butter and $14 and were denied entry for insufficient funds. — 00:00:41 · Canada
  • ★★ John says Canadian officers searched their car for drugs and turned them around, then US officers searched it again for three hours though they never got into Canada. — 00:01:12 · Canada, United States
  • ★★ John says he had no trouble entering Canada until 2001, when his name appeared on a list of undesirables; now he must explain the 1995 refusal each time and his bags are searched. — 00:01:28 · Canada
  • ★★ John says that today he asked the officer whether he could ever clear his name, and was told he would die on the list. (playful) — 00:01:53 · Canada
  • ★ John tells Canadians the story may explain why he does not tour in Canada more often. (playful) — 00:02:09 · Canada

00:02:13 — Prediction that Hank will miss his Friday video due to VidCon stress; ask for punishment ideas; comments/comets aside

  • ★★ John predicts that, if history is a guide, Hank will fail to upload his Friday video because of VidCon stress. (playful) — 00:02:13 · Hank Green, VidCon
  • ★★ John asks Nerdfighters to prepare punishment ideas for Hank and leave them in the comments. (playful) — 00:02:21 · Nerdfighteria, Punishment

In the description and comments

  • ★★ In the description John says he is at the Perimeter Institute learning by watching YouTube, and lists educational channels to subscribe to: Crash Course, SciShow, CGP Grey, MinutePhysics, Smarter Every Day. — video description · Crash Course, SciShow

Humor (significant)

  • Announcing that VidCon is this week, John lets out a long scream. — 00:00:00

    “is the sound that my anxiety makes”

  • John lists what he and a friend brought to Canada: a two-liter Mountain Dew, a loaf of bread, peanut butter and fourteen dollars. — 00:01:08

    “I don't know by what definition that constitutes insufficient funds.”

  • John asks the border officer whether he could clear his name, perhaps by donating to Canada's health care system. — 00:02:05

    “Mister Green you're gonna die on that list”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Canada

Also: People: CGP Grey · Henry Reich · Michael Stevens · Vi Hart

Projects: VidCon

Rituals: Punishment

Places: United States · Windsor, Ontario

Products: Mountain Dew

Only in the description or credits: Crash Course · Destin Sandlin · Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics · SciShow

Later videos replying to this one