Good morning John it's Tuesday, June 19th!
(singing) I'm back in the basement again! I'm back in the basement again! I'm mostly underground and you can't hear a sound, 'cause I'm back in the basement again!
(spoken) It's pretty comfortable down here. I, uh, made a little nest for myself. Where I can nuzzle up. And, uh, come down here when it's too hot outside. (singing) And I'm back in the basement again.
But I don't envy you, having to move out of your house. Having to leave your little studio. I wonder what's gonna to be in the background of all your new videos? Is it still gonna be your bookcase? Or are you gonna do it somewhere else? Maybe Brotherhood 2.0 viewers would like a change of setting every once in awhile. I mean, for awhile people were, you know, impressed by my map of the realm of Narnia, and my floating bookshelves back there. But now nobody talks about that anymore. Maybe I should start filming upstairs, in my bedroom, with the cat. At the Missoula skate park. Maybe some more from downtown Missoula. Or from Target. You know, on-location. Not today, though. But I'd be interested if people had suggestions.
So what's the news, you ask? Oh let me tell you. There's news. (shows mental_floss article he wrote) There's this news. You might not be impressed with this kinda stuff John anymore, but it's still very exciting for me. I can go to Barnes & Noble and be like, hey, I wrote this. That's me. People will gasp, you're famous! Just like that. Famous! And I'll say, you don't know the half of it.
The other day I was wearing my Brotherhood 2.0 in my pants shirt, and a lady came up and asked me about it. I thought that was actually kind of brave of her. I mean, would you go up to somebody who had a t-shirt like that? I mean, I've seen a lot of weird t-shirts in my time, but I don't generally walk up to people and ask them what they're about. There's an idea for a project: asking people about their t-shirts. Gotta find someplace public with lots of t-shirts, and be like, (shows t-shirt) What the- It's the future! He saw it and it's going to crush him! A lot of times there's no explaining. I mean, talking to strangers is fun, right? As long as the t-shirt doesn't say something like, don't talk to me about my t-shirt or I will put forks in you! That would be an amazing t-shirt.
Other news! I was on the Weather Channel. I mean, I knew that they had recorded me, for the Weather Channel, but then suddenly I was actually on the Weather Channel. I missed it, but it will be on again, several times. The show is called "Forecast Earth" I believe. The particular episode is entitled something about hotness, heat, global heat, heating up, heat or heaters, space heater. Space heater? Probably not. It starts out, I think, with John Kerry, and I'm the very end. But that's definitely my first national television appearance, and I'm pretty sure that they mentioned Brotherhood 2.0. (Mouth pop) Hoo hah! (Mouth pop) Hoo hah!
Anyhow, I talked to the Yeti this afternoon, and she and John were in the moving truck, leaving New York. Actually, trying to get out of the city, while in a moving truck, which I'm sure can't be very easy. So, let us all get together, and say, Lucky lucky lucky-lucky-lucky-lucky woo! Good luck getting out of the city and getting to Indianapolis, good luck moving into your new house, good luck doing a video tomorrow, while moving into your new house. Cause that's gonna suck. And thanks for your video, it always sucks leaving a good place. I hope I don't have to do it anytime soon. I'll see you tomorrow. I hope.
Showing posts with label Narnia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Narnia. Show all posts
Saturday, November 6
Tuesday, November 2
March 28th: Taxes
Good morning, John. It’s Wednesday, March 28th. Today’s not really a good day because today is tax day, for me anyways. I’ve gotten two different kinds of forms. There’s the W-2, and that’s kind of a good one because all the taxes have already been taken out and so you just have to send it in and then they give you money back. And the 1099 is for stuff that you haven’t paid taxes on yet.
So, up until now, I’ve usually had a W-2 and maybe a couple 1099s. Things have changed. (shows paper) These are my 1099s. There’s, like, twelve of them. Of course, when you look at ‘em, they’re actually kind of funny. You’ve got your rents, your royalties, your other. You know, everything else goes into other. Except fishing boat proceeds. I don’t even know what a fishing boat proceed is. But apparently it’s not other; it’s its own category. Also a big fan of this one: excess golden parachute payments. This year I didn’t have any excess golden parachute payments.
So, up until now, I’ve usually had a W-2 and maybe a couple 1099s. Things have changed. (shows paper) These are my 1099s. There’s, like, twelve of them. Of course, when you look at ‘em, they’re actually kind of funny. You’ve got your rents, your royalties, your other. You know, everything else goes into other. Except fishing boat proceeds. I don’t even know what a fishing boat proceed is. But apparently it’s not other; it’s its own category. Also a big fan of this one: excess golden parachute payments. This year I didn’t have any excess golden parachute payments.
So that’s what I’m doing today. Taxes. Not fun. Definitely my last video was more awesome, what with all the people putting stuff on their heads. (with the camera case on his head) This is a pretty snug fit. I like how I have, like, a ponytail (pulls strap that hangs from back).
It’s very exciting to hear that you’re feeling better. I admit, there were some times after looking up your disease on the internet that I was kind of really worried. But it seems like you’re doing a lot better. People don’t generally die from orbital cellulitis. I mean, they used to, but now we have penicillin and so things are better.
Some people have been calling attention to the fact that I have good posters, and I tend to agree. I made a decision when I was in college that I would always have one room in my house that was decorated like a college dorm room. Right now, that room is the office where I make these videos and also the office where I work and am most of every day.
(displaying posters)
Cowboy Bebop poster #1.
Stuff on my cat poster. You can spend a lot of time looking at this poster. (sees his reflection in the glass) Hey, look, hi! Here I am. (looking at a particular picture) Cat with little, little duckies. Go to stuffonmycat.com for more.
Speaking of stuff on cats, this is the pirate kitty. Katherine and I have had the pirate kitty for an awful long time.
Map of the world!
Map of the realm of Narnia.
Pretty pictures from a calendar that I cut out and put in a big frame.
They Might Be Giants Flood poster.
InuYasha poster.
Cowboy Bebop poster #2.
Yes, they are giant pictures of Katherine and I as babies.
Some other things not currently on my wall but I kind of wish they were include (holds up):
this Rancid poster
this amazing thing that my friend Wedgie made for me [looks like an engagement poster]
this, my placemat from the first restaurant where I ate with Katherine’s family
this amazing Valentine’s day card—it’s got a big carrot
another collage thing from my past—(points) Spice Girls…Babylon Five, even better
It’s very exciting to hear that you’re feeling better. I admit, there were some times after looking up your disease on the internet that I was kind of really worried. But it seems like you’re doing a lot better. People don’t generally die from orbital cellulitis. I mean, they used to, but now we have penicillin and so things are better.
Some people have been calling attention to the fact that I have good posters, and I tend to agree. I made a decision when I was in college that I would always have one room in my house that was decorated like a college dorm room. Right now, that room is the office where I make these videos and also the office where I work and am most of every day.
(displaying posters)
Cowboy Bebop poster #1.
Stuff on my cat poster. You can spend a lot of time looking at this poster. (sees his reflection in the glass) Hey, look, hi! Here I am. (looking at a particular picture) Cat with little, little duckies. Go to stuffonmycat.com for more.
Speaking of stuff on cats, this is the pirate kitty. Katherine and I have had the pirate kitty for an awful long time.
Map of the world!
Map of the realm of Narnia.
Pretty pictures from a calendar that I cut out and put in a big frame.
They Might Be Giants Flood poster.
InuYasha poster.
Cowboy Bebop poster #2.
Yes, they are giant pictures of Katherine and I as babies.
Some other things not currently on my wall but I kind of wish they were include (holds up):
this Rancid poster
this amazing thing that my friend Wedgie made for me [looks like an engagement poster]
this, my placemat from the first restaurant where I ate with Katherine’s family
this amazing Valentine’s day card—it’s got a big carrot
another collage thing from my past—(points) Spice Girls…Babylon Five, even better
this adorable wrapping paper from a Valentine’s day present that Katherine gave me—it’s a heart, and the heart opens and it becomes an apple, and then the apple opens and it becomes a penguin! Oh, my God, it’s cute!
And that is all that I have for you today. Commenter Chuck noted that this has kind of become a girly place. Uh, and I just showed you some baby pictures and also a Valentine’s day card from Katherine that was pretty adorable. And I just want to say that we’re not marketing specifically towards women. We’re guys and we’d like guys to watch Brotherhood 2.0, and, uh, pizza and beer sounds great. Maybe John can help you out with that next show; if not, I’ll see what I can do. So, hopefully you’ll be eating pizza and beer and home tomorrow, which is when I’ll see you, tomorrow. I’ll see you tomorrow.
And that is all that I have for you today. Commenter Chuck noted that this has kind of become a girly place. Uh, and I just showed you some baby pictures and also a Valentine’s day card from Katherine that was pretty adorable. And I just want to say that we’re not marketing specifically towards women. We’re guys and we’d like guys to watch Brotherhood 2.0, and, uh, pizza and beer sounds great. Maybe John can help you out with that next show; if not, I’ll see what I can do. So, hopefully you’ll be eating pizza and beer and home tomorrow, which is when I’ll see you, tomorrow. I’ll see you tomorrow.
Brotherhood 2.0: February 23, 2007: Books
Good morning, Hank. It’s Friday, Februrary 23rd. These are my books. There are many like them, but these are mine. (bookshelf) First we have this bookshelf, which I’ve had since college. (bookshelf) Then we have this bookshelf which we acquired this summer. This bookshelf is actually being held up by books. (bookshelf) We’ve had these bookshelves for a few years. (four bookshelves) Then we have these bookshelves, which I got as a present from my mother-in-law a couple years ago. (black bookshelves) And then, of course, we have this bookshelf, which is where I film most days.
(stack of books) And we have this, which is like your magical floating bookshelf, only slightly different. If you take one away, it continues to float. (book has been taken away, books above float)
So, Hank, that’s where I keep my books around the house. We don’t have lots of stacks of books in random places because, whenever we need a bookshelf, we just buy a new one. Bookshelves are, like, $20. I mean, you can buy a bookshelf for less than it costs to take your wife to see the Eddie Murphey movie, Norbit. I mean, a bookshelf is cheaper than Norbit. So, buy more bookshelves. Put ‘em down there by the map of Narnia.
It is very hard for me, however, to get rid of books and to moderate the number of books that I have. I mean, some of these books, let’s face it, I’m never going to read again. Consider, for example, The Day Nobody Shared…in your pants. Another example is Devin Deweese’s 638-page non-fiction book, Islamization and Native Religion in the Golden Horde. In my career as a YA novelist, it is rare that I am asked by someone, how is it that the Uzbek people came to be Muslims?
(John sits with Maureen Johnson) Hank, to answer your questions about e-books and libraries and used bookstores, I decided to bring in another author, Maureen Johnson, the author of four, almost five books.
John: What do you think about used bookstores?
Maureen: I like ‘em.
John: Me too. You don’t have a problem with the fact that they’re taking your money?
Maureen: Oh, no no no, not at all.
John: What about libraries?
Maureen: Oh, I love libraries.
John: I love libraries.
Maureen: You can't, You can’t not be pro-library…Is this actually a debate?
John: Well, it’s more of an agreement, it seems like. But a lot of people would think that authors might get angry about the fact that you don’t get money from every time someone checks your book out at the library.
Maureen: No, the trouble with my readers is that they don’t get money because I put a $20 bill in the copy of all my books (John laughs), and so the first person who reads it gets the twenty. How are people supposed to afford to buy everything they want to read?
John (alone): So, Hank, the agreement seems to be that writers, at least the extremely scientific sample of me and Maureen Johnson, are pretty much in favor of used bookstores and in favor of libraries. I think most of us would rather have an audience than countless riches. If we wanted to be rich we’d be doing something else, like blogging about environmental technology. Maureen Johnson just had a fantastic invention idea: the e-book for the Wii. I want to go to page 39 now. (John uses his Wii remote to simulate flipping through pages of a book) Ya! Ya! Ya!
And now, in parting, I am going to read a book with my Wii. (John stands above open book) By the power of the Wii, I compel this page to turn! (Tries to use Wii remote to cause wind to blow page) Turn! (leans down and blows) Yes!
(Said from behind The Day Nobody Shared) Hank, I’ll see you on Monday.
(after the Brotherhood 2.0 logo, John reappears with The Day Nobody Shared open to the last page) They throw a sharing party!
(stack of books) And we have this, which is like your magical floating bookshelf, only slightly different. If you take one away, it continues to float. (book has been taken away, books above float)
So, Hank, that’s where I keep my books around the house. We don’t have lots of stacks of books in random places because, whenever we need a bookshelf, we just buy a new one. Bookshelves are, like, $20. I mean, you can buy a bookshelf for less than it costs to take your wife to see the Eddie Murphey movie, Norbit. I mean, a bookshelf is cheaper than Norbit. So, buy more bookshelves. Put ‘em down there by the map of Narnia.
It is very hard for me, however, to get rid of books and to moderate the number of books that I have. I mean, some of these books, let’s face it, I’m never going to read again. Consider, for example, The Day Nobody Shared…in your pants. Another example is Devin Deweese’s 638-page non-fiction book, Islamization and Native Religion in the Golden Horde. In my career as a YA novelist, it is rare that I am asked by someone, how is it that the Uzbek people came to be Muslims?
(John sits with Maureen Johnson) Hank, to answer your questions about e-books and libraries and used bookstores, I decided to bring in another author, Maureen Johnson, the author of four, almost five books.
John: What do you think about used bookstores?
Maureen: I like ‘em.
John: Me too. You don’t have a problem with the fact that they’re taking your money?
Maureen: Oh, no no no, not at all.
John: What about libraries?
Maureen: Oh, I love libraries.
John: I love libraries.
Maureen: You can't, You can’t not be pro-library…Is this actually a debate?
John: Well, it’s more of an agreement, it seems like. But a lot of people would think that authors might get angry about the fact that you don’t get money from every time someone checks your book out at the library.
Maureen: No, the trouble with my readers is that they don’t get money because I put a $20 bill in the copy of all my books (John laughs), and so the first person who reads it gets the twenty. How are people supposed to afford to buy everything they want to read?
John (alone): So, Hank, the agreement seems to be that writers, at least the extremely scientific sample of me and Maureen Johnson, are pretty much in favor of used bookstores and in favor of libraries. I think most of us would rather have an audience than countless riches. If we wanted to be rich we’d be doing something else, like blogging about environmental technology. Maureen Johnson just had a fantastic invention idea: the e-book for the Wii. I want to go to page 39 now. (John uses his Wii remote to simulate flipping through pages of a book) Ya! Ya! Ya!
And now, in parting, I am going to read a book with my Wii. (John stands above open book) By the power of the Wii, I compel this page to turn! (Tries to use Wii remote to cause wind to blow page) Turn! (leans down and blows) Yes!
(Said from behind The Day Nobody Shared) Hank, I’ll see you on Monday.
(after the Brotherhood 2.0 logo, John reappears with The Day Nobody Shared open to the last page) They throw a sharing party!
Monday, November 1
Brotherhood 2.0: January 5th
I'm home! Good morning, John, it's January 5th, and I'm sitting in my basement back home, surrounded by all the things I love. I love orange juice. I love mental floss magazine, and Benjamin Franklin. Everything is reversed when I look at it on the computer. I thought he was over here. I love these old collages that were on my wall in college that I still have taped together because I think maybe someday I'm gonna put 'em back up on a wall someday. I love that, right there. You see it? There. That's a map of the realm of Narnia. Yeah, it's a map of the realm of Narnia. Hold on, I have to go upstairs and get something.
Movie magic! Lies of omission. What did I get? We don't actually have strawberry hill here. I didn't know that. I never looked for it. Until today. Alas, Sutter Home White Zinfendale will have to do. It's gonna be kind of embarrassing if I have any of this left over in the fridge when friends come over, but it's your challenge and you did stick several pieces of toilet paper in your mouth and discussed the political situation in Nepal. I'm glad I wasn't stuck with a political situation in Nepal challenge because I don't actually know anything about Nepal. Except maybe that there's rocks and that's really only because there are rocks everywhere. A commenter suggested that I drink a glass of Strawberry Hill wine and then say "Eat five sheets of toilet paper while discussing the political situation in Nepal" really fast without vomiting. I'm going to do that, and there's only one way I'm going to be able to do that. And that's by eating corn dogs. Corn dogs is the only way I can chug an alcoholic beverage without puking. I don't know why. I think maybe my stomache's just like, "Oh that corn dog is so good I can't let go of it! I have to hold on to the corn dog. I don't care how much alcohol you pour in me just don't let go of the corn dog!" I really like corn dogs. It's not Strawberry Hill, but it only cost $3.65. Ugh! Bugligigligah. To brotherhood. Eat five sheets of toilet paper while discussing the political situation in Nepal! HOOAH! That really wasn't all that hard. What was all the fuss about? Eat five sheets of toilet paper while discussing the political situation in Nepal.
Movie magic! Lies of omission. What did I get? We don't actually have strawberry hill here. I didn't know that. I never looked for it. Until today. Alas, Sutter Home White Zinfendale will have to do. It's gonna be kind of embarrassing if I have any of this left over in the fridge when friends come over, but it's your challenge and you did stick several pieces of toilet paper in your mouth and discussed the political situation in Nepal. I'm glad I wasn't stuck with a political situation in Nepal challenge because I don't actually know anything about Nepal. Except maybe that there's rocks and that's really only because there are rocks everywhere. A commenter suggested that I drink a glass of Strawberry Hill wine and then say "Eat five sheets of toilet paper while discussing the political situation in Nepal" really fast without vomiting. I'm going to do that, and there's only one way I'm going to be able to do that. And that's by eating corn dogs. Corn dogs is the only way I can chug an alcoholic beverage without puking. I don't know why. I think maybe my stomache's just like, "Oh that corn dog is so good I can't let go of it! I have to hold on to the corn dog. I don't care how much alcohol you pour in me just don't let go of the corn dog!" I really like corn dogs. It's not Strawberry Hill, but it only cost $3.65. Ugh! Bugligigligah. To brotherhood. Eat five sheets of toilet paper while discussing the political situation in Nepal! HOOAH! That really wasn't all that hard. What was all the fuss about? Eat five sheets of toilet paper while discussing the political situation in Nepal.
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