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Boxes, Butterflies, and Regular Aunts: Live from the Past, It's Question Tuesday

2017-05-23 (said on 2017-05-14 — implied: date said in the video; uploaded 9 days later) · Q&A · John · 3:37 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: Personal life) · mode: Q&A & conversation · tags: recurring series, community lore

In a Question Tuesday filmed nine days early during his break from the internet, John answers viewer questions on the boxes, butterflies, uncertainty, VidCon, his first half marathon, the Mountain Goats and favourite things, reports that Willy has a slow-growing cancer, and answers a request for marriage advice with a Philip Larkin poem.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Filmed nine days early during John's internet break; weekly shocking scandals and Dorothy Parker

  • ★★ John says the video was filmed nine days earlier because he is taking a week or two away from the internet to work. — 00:00:06
  • ★★ John says shocking scandals seem to grip the nation every week, each seeming the properly shocking one until the next; as Dorothy Parker said, 'what fresh hell is this?' (playful, hedged) — 00:00:15

00:00:29 — Questions: boxes, butterflies, uncertainty, favourite word, VidCon, 100 Days, Mountain Goats, aunts, shapes, painting, superhero, dog breed

  • ★★ Asked what's in the boxes, John claims an absolutely true story: he opened one and was stunned to find inside it another box. (joke) — 00:00:37
  • ★★ John says butterflies seem able to remember smells from when they were caterpillars, though that is not quite self-awareness. (hedged) — 00:00:57
  • ★ John asks in turn whether humans know what they are doing as they mature, or just wonder 'what the heck am I doing?' (playful) — 00:01:04
  • ★★★ John says he copes with uncertainty quite poorly: he desperately wants to close the loop on his thoughts and be absolutely certain of something. — 00:01:09
  • ★★★ John argues uncertainty is underappreciated: discourse expects a position held with absolute certainty, yet he can hardly be certain he is a human, let alone of the right top tax rate. (hedged) — 00:01:19 · United States
  • ★ John's favourite word right now is 'nonsensorial'. — 00:01:39
  • ★★ At VidCon John most looks forward to the annual Nerdfighter meetup, where they talk about future plans for Crash Course and more. — 00:01:42 · VidCon, Nerdfighteria, Crash Course
  • ★★★ Asked about life after 100 Days, John says it is good: he finished his first half marathon in two hours and seven minutes. — 00:01:48 · 100 Days
  • ★★ John says the Mountain Goats' new album Goths is one of his favourites and took him back into his past with an intensity he hasn't felt in a long time. — 00:01:59
  • ★★ For starting with the Mountain Goats, John always recommends the album All Hail West Texas. — 00:02:05
  • ★★ To a viewer whose brother expects a baby, John jokes she will be a regular aunt, not a great aunt; taking 'great' as excellent, he says not to worry, she'll be great. (playful) — 00:02:09
  • ★ John's favourite pasta shape is the bow tie and his favourite regular shape the spiral. (playful) — 00:02:25
  • ★★ John's favourite painting is probably one by Raymond Pettibon. (hedged) — 00:02:29
  • ★★ Asked his favourite superhero, John jokingly says Batman, then says Batman isn't a superhero but a rich person. (playful) — 00:02:32
  • ★★ John says his favourite comic-book superhero at the moment is probably Ms. Marvel. (hedged) — 00:02:36
  • ★★ John's favourite dog breed is mutts, though he is also partial to what Alice calls 'Willy dogs'. — 00:02:39 · Willy, Alice Green

00:02:43 — Willy has a slow-growing cancer

  • ★★★ John says Willy is not doing great: he has a very slow-growing cancer, but he is much loved and has a relatively good prognosis, so they are hopeful. — 00:02:43 · Willy, cancer

00:02:58 — Happier news: an engagement, hope, and a Philip Larkin poem on marriage

  • ★ Demanding happier news, John refuses to answer questions on Russia and Trump and on AFC Wimbledon failing to score in their final six games. (joke) — 00:02:58 · Donald Trump, AFC Wimbledon
  • ★★★ Congratulating a newly engaged viewer, John says the world goes on, people fall in love, and hope, 'that thing with feathers', refuses to be shushed. — 00:03:15 · hope

  • ★★★ For marriage advice, Sarah reminded John of a Philip Larkin poem ending 'we should be careful of each other, we should be kind while there is still time'; John wishes the same for him and Hank. — 00:03:23 · Sarah Urist Green, Hank Green

    “we should be careful of each other, we should be kind while there is still time”

Humor (significant)

  • Asked what's in the boxes, John opens one on camera, promising a stunning reveal. — 00:00:42

    “is another box.”

  • John reports his first half marathon took two hours and seven minutes. — 00:01:49

    “meaning that if I can just reduce my time by like an hour, I'll be a world-class runner.”

  • A viewer asks how to prepare to be a great aunt; John takes 'great' literally. — 00:02:12

    “You're just going to be a regular aunt until like your brother's kid has a baby of its own.”

  • Asked his favourite superhero, John answers Batman, then takes it back. — 00:02:33

    “Batman isn't a superhero. He's a rich person.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Willy

Also: People: Alice Green · Donald Trump · Dorothy Parker · Philip Larkin · Raymond Pettibon · Sarah Urist Green

Projects: 100 Days · Crash Course · VidCon

Works: "Hope" is the thing with feathers · All Hail West Texas · Goths · The Mower

Organizations: AFC Wimbledon

Groups: The Mountain Goats

Rituals: Question Tuesday

Concepts: cancer · Half marathon · hope · Intellectual humility · metamorphosis · tax bracket

Places: Russia · United States

Characters: Batman · Ms. Marvel

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