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Viewer questions, 2007

67 viewer questions, requests and challenges answered in 37 videos uploaded in 2007, grouped by topic (the domain of the part of the video the answer is in), in upload order within a topic. Each question is followed by the answer as summarised, with the speaker and timestamp. Question Tuesday marks the Q&A series. Back to the overview.

Topics: Nerdfighteria (50) · Books & writing (7) · Pop culture (4) · Everyday life (2) · Personal life (2) · Internet & YouTube (1) · Philosophy & meaning (1)

Nerdfighteria

  • Q [challenge]: “A commenter suggested that I drink a glass of Strawberry Hill wine and then say” (00:01:56) — Brotherhood 2.0: January 5th
    • Hank: Following a commenter's suggestion, Hank says he will drink a glass of the wine and then say the Nepal challenge phrase really fast without vomiting. (00:01:56)
  • Q [request]: “Maureen from the comments suggested that I build a business card house.” (00:00:38) — Brotherhood 2.0: January 17th
    • Hank: Taking up Maureen's suggestion from the comments to build a house out of his misprinted business cards, Hank, who didn't know how, researched card houses on the internet. (00:00:38)
  • Q [request]: “A commenter suggested that I drink a glass of Strawberry Hill wine and then say” (00:05:21) — Week 1 Condensed!
    • Hank: Finding no Strawberry Hill where he lives, Hank substitutes Sutter Home White Zinfandel, and takes a commenter's variant: drink a glass, then say the Nepal phrase fast without vomiting. (00:05:21)
  • Q [request]: “Hank, for the request of several commenters” (00:02:48) — Brotherhood 2.0: February 7, 2007
    • John: At the request of several commenters, John challenges Hank to answer every question in his survey in one video of 3 minutes 30 seconds or less. (00:02:48)
  • Q: “Kelly Fineman asks, if you could own a house in any country in the world other than the US, where would it be?” (00:01:48) — Brotherhood 2.0: February 19, 2007
    • John: Asked where outside the US he would own a house, John answers Ireland. (00:01:48)
  • Q: “Where is the weirdest place you've ever brushed your teeth?” (00:02:17) — Brotherhood 2.0: February 19, 2007
    • John: Asked the weirdest place he has ever brushed his teeth, John says only 'Good question'; the description says the video shows him brushing his teeth in unusual places. (00:02:17)
  • Q [request]: “A very long time ago a commenter suggested that I make a cube out of my misprinted business cards” (00:00:42) — March 22nd: Book Club and Business Cards
    • Hank: Hank demonstrates the tutorial: six same-size cards bent into cups and joined make a sturdy cube; six more slid into the flaps give it flat faces. (00:00:42)
  • Q [challenge]: “Commenter Chuck noted that this has kind of become a girly place.” (00:02:59) — March 28th: Taxes
    • Hank: Answering a commenter who said the channel has become 'kind of a girly place', Hank says they are not marketing specifically towards women: they are guys and would like guys to watch Brotherhood 2.0. (00:02:59)
  • Q [request]: “Hank, several weeks ago, commenter Peter asked to see what it's like when I'm working.” (00:00:11) — Brotherhood 2.0: April 2: A Day in the Writer's Life
    • John: Because a commenter asked several weeks ago to see what it is like when John is working, John shows Hank a day of writing in a hotel room. (00:00:11)
  • Q [request]: “I propose that you have every eighth week off to regenerate your humor and energy.” (00:00:33) — Brotherhood 2.0: April 6: Nerdfighters Never Surrender
    • John: John rejects the break: injustice, despair, global warming and suck don't take every eighth week off, and nor will the Nerdfighters, who fight all year except weekends and occasional holidays. (00:00:56)
  • Q: “What is my opinion of drunk driving?” (00:02:00) — Brotherhood 2.0: April 10th: Role Models
    • John: Last week (week of 2 April 2007) several teenagers emailed John asking his opinion of drunk driving; he is opposed to it, as, he jokes, everyone but drunk drivers and jerks is. (00:02:00)
  • Q: “Someone has asked in the comments how long it takes to make one of these videos” (00:01:50) — April 23rd: Celebrity
    • Hank: Asked in the comments how long a video takes, Hank says it is hard to say, since he interleaves writing EcoGeek stories and breakfast, but concentrating it takes at least two hours. (00:01:50)
  • Q: “And people are asking if I'd like to comment on that” (00:02:19) — April 23rd: Celebrity
    • Hank: Asked to comment on reports he is on someone's free pass list, Hank notes he is apparently a celebrity, declines to comment, is fine with it, and is disappointed to rank after Brian Setzer. (00:02:19)
  • Q: “I notice you are a nerd. Why?” (00:01:41) — Brotherhood 2.0: June 20: Moving
    • John: Prompted by the one legible comment ('I notice you are a nerd. Why?'), John asks Hank and Nerdfighters why they are nerds and why they are proud to be nerds. (00:02:28)
  • Q [request]: “The commenters in my pants have been crazy about the idea that we're going to dye our hair green.” (00:01:46) — Brotherhood 2.0: Harry and the Potters are Nerdfighters!
    • John: Since forum commenters love the idea of the brothers dyeing their hair green, John asks to add one more thing to the punishment. (00:01:46)
  • Q [challenge]: “Get a life, nerd.” (00:00:50) — July 25: Brotherhood 2.0's Youtube Comments Are Answered!
    • John: Answering a 'get a life, nerd' comment, John argues no cool person has ever had a 'blank is cool' screen name, so the commenter is a nerdfighter, which is a good thing. (00:00:50)
  • Q [challenge]: “Whoever made this is a nerd.” (00:00:50) — July 25: Brotherhood 2.0's Youtube Comments Are Answered!
    • John: To comments calling the brothers geeks, nerds and dorky, John answers that being nerds is the idea: 'We're nerds.' (00:00:50)
  • Q: “What's a nerdfighter?” (00:01:40) — July 25: Brotherhood 2.0's Youtube Comments Are Answered!
    • John: John defines a nerdfighter as a regular person made out of awesome instead of tissues, cells and organs; nerdfighters hang out on the forum 'in my pants' and embroider pillows. (00:01:40)
  • Q [challenge]: “Harry Potter doesn't care about you because he's not real.” (00:02:30) — July 25: Brotherhood 2.0's Youtube Comments Are Answered!
    • John: To a commenter saying Harry Potter isn't real, John asks what 'real' means when people know each other only through the internet, and suggests Harry Potter may be real and the commenter not. (00:02:30)
  • Q [request]: “Nate Junglepants suggested that you write a 1960s-style protest song” (00:02:21) — July 31: HP, Secret Siblings, and Books
    • John: John tells Hank he must someday write a nerdfighter's suggested 1960s-style protest song on why ninjas and pirates should end their mutual hatred to bring world peace. (00:02:21)
  • Q [request]: “I got an excellent suggestion from a guy named Dave” (00:02:59) — August 3: The Retail Dance
    • Hank: Hank adopts a viewer's suggestion: John must call an ex-girlfriend and talk for at least one minute, mentioning certain things. (00:02:59)
  • Q: “Hank, speaking of eco-geeking, everyone in my pants wants to know what the difference between a nerd and a geek is” (00:01:13) — August 28th: Starring Mom
    • John: 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. (00:01:13)
  • Q: “Why do they call her the Yeti, John?” (00:00:45) — August 30th: A Secret Project for Nerdfighters · Question Tuesday
    • John & Hank (joke): Asked which brother is which and why Sarah is called the Yeti, they introduce themselves and joke that she is so hairy. (00:00:45)
  • Q: “Why is there an I missing in communication in the animated intro?” (00:00:45) — August 30th: A Secret Project for Nerdfighters · Question Tuesday
    • John & Hank: Asked why an 'I' is missing from 'communication' in the animated intro, they answer that there is no I in brotherhood. (00:00:45)
  • Q: “How do you become a nerdfighter?” (00:01:14) — August 30th: A Secret Project for Nerdfighters · Question Tuesday
    • John & Hank: Anyone who wants to become a nerdfighter probably already is one; technically you should go to Brotherhood2.com and write a song. (00:01:14)
  • Q: “How do you become a secret sibling?” (00:01:14) — August 30th: A Secret Project for Nerdfighters · Question Tuesday
    • John & Hank: To become a secret sibling, make a video response to one of their YouTube videos, preferably several, every day. (00:01:14)
  • Q: “Whatever happened to that?” (00:01:43) — August 30th: A Secret Project for Nerdfighters · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked about the compilation they said in January they would make, they admit they didn't; John jokes there are '70 million' abandoned Brotherhood 2.0 projects, like Question Tuesdays and his tote-bag giveaway. (00:01:43)
  • Q [challenge]: “Hank, I know that everyone in comments was like, pirates, pwn.” (00:01:57) — October 4th: Happy Dances, Feuds, and Raccoon Infestations
    • John: Against commenters saying pirates pwn, John says pirates haven't been cool since Goonies, and names the online series Ask a Pirate as one of the best in history. (00:02:26)
  • Q: “By the way, Hank, speaking of nerdfighting, a few commenters have been asking whether or not nerdfighters fight for or against nerds” (00:00:36) — October 24th: RANDOM NERDFIGHTING
    • John: John says a few commenters have asked whether nerdfighters fight for or against nerds, reasoning that stain fighters don't fight for stains. (00:00:36)
  • Q [challenge]: “Oh, Hank, incidentally, a nerdfighter recently pointed out to me that there's a challenge that I gave myself that I tried to complete and failed to complete.” (00:01:34) — October 24th: RANDOM NERDFIGHTING
    • John: A nerdfighter pointed out that John never completed the challenge he set himself on January 2: he talked about Nepal but failed to eat the five sheets of toilet paper. (00:01:34)
  • Q: “I signed up for the mailing list, but I can't seem to get your emails. Why is that?” (00:00:00) — December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked why sign-ups aren't getting the emails, John says they may be in spam (unblock nerdbot@ and hank@brotherhood2.com) or blocked by Hotmail, which the brothers are working on. (00:00:00)
  • Q: “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” (00:00:39) — December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked the woodchuck riddle, John says woodchucks cannot chuck wood, but a wildlife biologist calculated that if they could they would chuck about 700 pounds a day. (00:00:39)
  • Q: “Why is the name of your website Sparks Fly Up?” (00:00:39) — December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked why his website is called Sparks Fly Up, John says the name comes from a line in the Book of Job: man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. (00:00:39)
  • Q: “What's your stance on gay marriage?” (00:00:39) — December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked his stance on gay marriage, John says he is for it. (00:00:39)
  • Q: “How many books do you own?” (00:00:39) — December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: John says he owns around 1,300 books. (00:00:39)
  • Q: “Are you dreading the end of the year or are you looking forward to it?” (00:01:08) — December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked about the end of the year, John says writer Amy Krouse Rosenthal taught him the word wabi-sabi and he feels very wabi-sabi about it all. (00:01:08)
  • Q: “What's the best video game you've ever played?” (00:01:38) — December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: John says the best video game he has played is Wii Tennis, at a 2,399 skill level, and that he has played video games since Christmas Day 1984. (00:01:38)
  • Q: “Can an SUV owner be a nerdfighter?” (00:01:38) — December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked whether an SUV owner can be a nerdfighter, John says clearly yes. (00:01:38)
  • Q: “What do you find so appealing about Walt Whitman's Song of Myself?” (00:02:07) — December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked what appeals to him in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself, John says readers will find out when Paper Towns comes out, in September. (00:02:07)
  • Q: “What does the Yeti look like?” (00:02:48) — December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John (joke): Asked what the Yeti looks like, John says she looks kind of like a kitten wrestling a rainbow. (00:02:48)
  • Q: “Do you think it's inevitable that humans will one day be controlled by robots?” (00:03:35) — December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked whether robots will inevitably control humans, John says he unfortunately thinks people will go extinct before robots can take over. (00:03:35)
  • Q: “What's our scavenger hunt clue?” (00:03:35) — December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: John gives the scavenger hunt clue: in New York City a baby penguin is flanked by two baby Washington monuments, and opening the door of one reveals a prize. (00:03:35)
  • Q [request]: “A couple of people said that they thought that camera was gonna go over and they wanted to know what that looked like.” (00:01:16) — Dec 11: Secret Project...And More Punching
    • Hank: Since his video last week (week of 3 December 2007) Hank keeps wanting to punch the camera; because some viewers wanted to see it fall over, he knocks it over, which stings a little. (00:01:16)
  • Q: “Is there going to be a punishment before the end of the year?” (00:00:39) — Dec 18th: The Project for Awesome and Question Tuesday!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Answering whether there will be a punishment before year's end, John says yes: Hank communicated with him in the comments of Nalts's video, so Hank will be punished. (00:00:39)
  • Q: “If a Nerdfighter falls in the forest and there's no one there to hear her fall, is she still made of awesome?” (00:01:09) — Dec 18th: The Project for Awesome and Question Tuesday!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked whether a Nerdfighter alone in the forest is still made of awesome, John says Nerdfighters are even more awesome when they act nerdfighterly with no one watching. (00:01:09)
  • Q: “What's the meaning of life?” (00:01:09) — Dec 18th: The Project for Awesome and Question Tuesday!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked the meaning of life, John answers: other people. (00:01:09)
  • Q: “What unit is awesome measured in?” (00:01:09) — Dec 18th: The Project for Awesome and Question Tuesday!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: John says the unit of awesome must be giga-cools rather than kilo-cools, because there is too much awesome. (00:01:09)
  • Q: “Do authors really put as much symbolism into their books as English teachers seem to think you guys do?” (00:02:07) — Dec 18th: The Project for Awesome and Question Tuesday!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked whether authors really put in as much symbolism as English teachers think, John says they do, but that even if they didn't, the reading experience would be equally rich without authorial intent; a Hamlet typed by monkeys would still be good. (00:02:07)
  • Q: “Is your book looking for Alaska based on real life experience?” (00:02:07) — Dec 18th: The Project for Awesome and Question Tuesday!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked whether Looking for Alaska is based on real-life experience, John answers yes and no. (00:02:07)
  • Q: “What is the book you most wish you'd written?” (00:02:36) — Dec 18th: The Project for Awesome and Question Tuesday!!! · Question Tuesday
    • John: Asked which book he most wishes he had written, John names Huck Finn. (00:02:36)

Books & writing

  • Q [request]: “In terms of what you're going to read, apparently none of our viewers want you to read anything, because they all want you to write.” (00:02:30) — Brotherhood 2.0: January 9th
    • Hank: Saying viewers all want John to write rather than read, Hank makes John's only book-club option the book John is writing. (00:02:30)
  • Q: “Hank, several Brotherhood 2.0 commenters have been asking three questions about my new book” (00:01:09) — Brotherhood 2.0: February 9, 2007
    • John: Answering commenters' questions about his new book, John says it is called Paper Towns and will be published in September 2008. (00:01:09)
  • Q: “Yesterday, a commenter, Julia, brought up a problem” (00:00:03) — Brotherhood 2.0: February 22nd: Where Do Books Go?
    • Hank: Answering a commenter's problem of too many books, Hank shows how he deals with a couple hundred: built-in shelving, wall-mounted 'floating' book stacks and random stacks around the house. (00:00:35)
  • Q: “What will the Looking for Alaska movie be rated?” (00:03:03) — Brotherhood 2.0: April 2: A Day in the Writer's Life
    • John: Answering FunkyPenguin402's question about what the Looking for Alaska movie will be rated, John says the more important questions are when it will be made and when principal photography will start. (00:03:03)
  • Q [request]: “some Nerdfighters made a suggestion that I really, really like” (00:00:49) — September 10th: Airports and Whitman
    • John: With little time for Brotherhood 2.0, John takes up Nerdfighters' suggestion that he read Paper Towns excerpts on Wednesday and Friday, which would also give him feedback. (00:00:49)
  • Q: “John, I've been noticing a lot of people asking you how do you become a writer” (00:03:02) — September 13th: HA! I read from MY Novel :-p
    • Hank: Answering people who ask how to become a writer, Hank says writing is exploring, a walk in your own brain; don't worry about being a writer or novelist. (00:03:34)
  • Q: “Hank, last week our secret brother Alex posted a video in which he asked if I had any advice for young aspiring” — asked by Alex (community member, mentioned from 2007) (00:01:08) — Nov. 26th: Writing Advice (And Notes on Surnameless Tiffany)
    • John: Answering Alex's question, John advises young writers to write a story that, unlike his childhood book, has a beginning, a middle and an end. (00:02:23)
    • John: John advises that a story you hope to publish should be written for other people, not just yourself: his elf story neglects its most interesting element, the elf. (00:02:44)
    • John: John says that as a child he had not read many books; reading is as important as writing for a would-be writer because it is the only apprenticeship. (00:02:44)

Pop culture

  • Q: “Now, the reason I'm talking about this, John, is because one of the commenters asked me what I would do if I woke up in the morning and had Spider-Man's powers” (00:02:03) — May 11th: Heroes
    • Hank: Answering a commenter, Hank says with Spider-Man's powers he would start like Peter Parker in the first Spider-Man film, flexing shirtless in the mirror, then at Katherine and strangers. (00:02:03)
    • Hank: Hank would probably move away from Missoula, where Spider-Man's powers would be fairly useless; Spider-Man there would be bored and go hiking a lot. (00:02:25)
    • Hank: Hank concludes that as Spider-Man he would either keep it secret and flex a lot, or move to a big city and actually accomplish something. (00:03:27)
  • Q: “Also, I wrote this song before the book came out, so for the people who are asking me why I didn't include certain things in the book in the song” (00:00:56) — Re: July 18: Accio Deathly Hallows
    • Hank: Hank explains he wrote the song before the book came out, so it has no spoilers; that is why things from the book are not in it. (00:00:56)
  • Q: “Someone asked” (00:00:10) — August 1: It's Too Hot
    • Hank: Asked about it, Hank thinks he would probably have been a Ravenclaw, not in Harry's house, but likes to think he would have stayed to the end. (00:00:10)
  • Q [challenge]: “Now, I know that there's some people out there who have been talking about my lack of Mortal Kombat knowledge” (00:00:00) — September 7th: Fatalities, Dances and Thanks
    • Hank: Hank rebuts commenters: in Mortal Kombat Deception Sub-Zero rips out a whole skeleton and Scorpion uses Sub-Zero's spine-ripper, so a spine rip is technically a Scorpion fatality. (00:00:00)

Everyday life

  • Q [challenge]: “Commenter Margaret said something about how my academic decathlon medals prove that I'm smart” (00:01:17) — Brotherhood 2.0: Harry and the Potters are Nerdfighters!
    • John: Answering a commenter who said his academic decathlon medals prove he is smart, John says that is not the case. (00:01:17)
  • Q [challenge]: “I'm very sorry to the people who were offended by my statements that sometimes people begin to resent their tattoos later in life.” (00:00:58) — October 23rd: Some Explaining to Do…
    • Hank: Hank apologises to people offended by his remark that people sometimes come to resent their tattoos, and acknowledges that a tattoo is a personal choice he has not made. (00:00:58)

Personal life

  • Q [request]: “A commenter recently had an idea that we should release a Brotherhood 2.0 calendar to increase the funds to decrease world suck” (00:00:10) — Brotherhood 2.0: May 8th: House Hunters
    • John: John calls a commenter's idea of a Brotherhood 2.0 calendar to raise money for the fund to decrease world suck a great idea. (00:00:10)
  • Q: “they were confused that I was driving to Seattle just to get on a plane” (00:00:10) — October 23rd: Some Explaining to Do…
    • Hank: Answering viewers confused by last week's (week of 15 October 2007) driving, Hank says he and Katherine drove about eight hours to Seattle to see friends and then fly to Georgia, where they now are. (00:00:10)

Internet & YouTube

Philosophy & meaning

  • Q: “What if your efforts to decrease suck levels actually make suck levels increase?” (00:01:51) — Brotherhood 2.0: March 15: Decreasing Suck
    • John: Answering a viewer's worry, John shares the concern that they might accidentally increase suck levels, noting that most of the suckiest things began as attempts to decrease suck. (00:01:51)
    • John: John says the worst thing one can do is not try to decrease suck levels, which he says is what the first Brotherhood 2.0 book club book was about. (00:02:15)