Happy Birthday Hank
Hi, Hank.
1. Happy 33rd Birthday.
2. In the past, we’ve gotten you extremely elaborate birthday presents here in nerdfighteria. We got you a piece of the James Webb Space Telescope, planted many trees in your honor, and so on. This year, I’m giving you the biggest and best present ever:
You don’t have to do anything elaborate for my birthday this year. I know this is a huge relief to you, and I happen to know it’s the present you want most of all.
2a. Also I am getting you a niece/nephew, which is a bit time-consuming at the moment.
3. I was going to make a video about this, but I didn’t because I just had oral surgery and there are a lot of stitches in my mouth.
4. You are a great brother, a made-of-awesome nerdfighter, and a person who is changing the world in cool ways. And I love you.
5. Nerdfighters, if you want to join me in celebrating Hank’s birthday, why not make a loan to an entrepreneur in the developing world through kiva.org? If you’re new to kiva, your first loan is free.
“the more everyone knows just what a nerdfighter is, the more the definition hardens. The most beautiful and intriguing parts of any identity tend to be the fluid ones. And the young people nerdfighteria attracts, after all, are often as confused and lonely and frustrated as they are because they don’t fit into the boxes, a problem that can hardly be resolved by creating a new one.”
—Michelle Dean, on the New Yorker’s web site, succinctly making a point that I’ve been trying to make for ages about why we don’t want to be on TV or have nerdfighteria be a “mainstream phenomenon.”
- John Green: Let me tell you a story about how you got your name.
- Alice/Eleanor: Dad, I already know th-
- John Green: So we asked the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
- Alice/Eleanor: You've told me this five hun-
- John Green: THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, BARACK OBAMA. We asked him what we should name you-
- Alice/Eleanor: Dad, please.
- John Green: AND HE TOLD YOU TO NOT FORGET TO BE AWESOME.
- Alice/Eleanor: Can I have some money now?
- John Green: Fine, but don't accept any pennies as change.
