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Look at this saga.

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Hank, this summer has sucked and I have this intense need to add 'but' to the end of every negative sentence.

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REAL GOOD story shared today

As I read, thinking about how I wanted to give Margo’s parents a stern talking to, a small 3-inch wide piece of paper slipped out from between the pages. A hand written note, it read “Congratulations, Reader, you might be a Nerdfighter!

Upon my introduction to them, the Nerdfighter Community was obliterating the world of suck I was currently inhabiting! Here’s how:

I occasionally suffer from mild to moderate depressive episodes; periods of about one to two weeks filled with anxiety, and intense apathy. I basically stop enjoying life in general.

It sucks; and although I’ve been learning a lot about my triggers in the past couple months, I’ve yet to unravel the complex formula for the triggers that end these episodes.

In the past, it’s been being around friends, it’s embarking on a new project, and the beginning of a new love.

This time around after one long week, I found I was still traveling through my daily life on autopilot, because even though my passions had ran away, the need to maintain my relationships and uphold responsibilities had not.

And unfortunately being around my loved ones, which had worked in the past, miserably backfired this time around.

Essentially, I could see that faking normalcy wasn’t working, and they could start to see that my smile didn’t reach up to my eyes.

The worst of it was my failed attempt to be near my boyfriend in order to snap out of it.

It hurt immensely to feel so tremendously hollow while he held me, and it hurt more when he, understandably and respectfully, asked for space.

I saw for the first time how my disorder could ruin this relationship, my first real relationship, and it terrified me. So I stepped back from my life for a few hours, took up temporary hermit hood, put the “fake it till you make it” mentality on hold.

I went back to my dorm, picked up a copy of Paper Towns and settled in with some coca-cola and chocolate morsels and nuts.

As I read, thinking about how I wanted to give Margo’s parents a stern talking to, a small 3-inch wide piece of paper slipped out from between the pages. A hand written note, it read “Congratulations, Reader, you might be a Nerdfighter! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I suggest you go to YouTube/Vlogbrothers and start exploring this TRULY AMAZING community (Nerdfighteria): We raise money for charities, support artist, decrease World Suck, and SO MUCH MORE! Hope to see you there. DFTBA and Best Wishes! -Missing Left Sock”

My first thought: What is world suck?

Second: Did someone go into Barnes n Noble and place these in copies of John Green’s books?! Third: Where’s my laptop?

The first thing I found was this live podcast hosted by John Green himself.

He was answering questions as they were appearing on his screen, and was remarkably funny and kind! And frankly very sassy.

On the side bar there was the insane flurry of questions racing up the page.

Honestly I don’t really remember the topic of the conversation, but I became acutely aware in a matter of minutes that this was a light hearted, accepting, inspirational, and powerful community. A force to be reckoned with.

And then I achieved the miraculous feat of laughing and erupting into tears simultaneously.

A live podcast might seem like such a menial thing, but to me it was a speck of light piercing the toxic pool I’d been drowning in. It was literally a beacon that showed me how to climb out of my current low.

They were happy tears, they were an expression of hope.

So there you have it. That’s the story of how my introduction to the Vlogbrothers and Nerdfighteria literally demolished my own personal world of suck, and I’ve been a proud Nerdfighter ever since. So thank you John and Hank Green, thank you Nerdfighteria, and thank you Missing Left Sock whoever you are.

I can’t begin to express how a small act had such a colossal impact on my world; because I’m on my way to recovery, to understanding, to control, to peace, to acceptance. I’m on my way, and will combat world suck at every step.

-AndTheEarthSighed (andtheearthsighed.tumblr)

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they’ve shown me that there should be more people like us in the world, more dreamers and thinkers and Sharpie-faced authors

Hank and John have each affected me in substantial ways, and I know that my life would not be the same without either of them.

John’s made me cry, Hank’s made me sing, and each day a video comes out, my day gets a little bit brighter. They’ve made me question myself, and question others.

Through them I have become a little more charitable and hopefully a little less ignorant. They have shown me that all my excitement, all of my passion for science, knowledge, and the world around me is completely, 100% okay.

If anything, they’ve shown me that there should be more people like us in the world, more dreamers and thinkers and Sharpie-faced authors. And, really, there is no better feeling than that.

-Alaina (-chasing-reality-.tumblr)

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John and Hank have helped me understand more of what goes on in the wider world. They have also helped me with college work through Crash Course and SciShow. Seeing John be so successful, especially from The Fault in Our Stars, has made me want to start writing again, even if it is crappy Harry Potter fanfiction. I know with time and practice it will get better.

They have taught me never to give up on your dreams, no matter how long it takes for you to achieve them.

-Cara Watson

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John and Hank are lights in the darkness for me.

Now matter how bad my day has been, or how much I want to die, they always make me laugh.

-Oliver

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The Vlogbrothers has made me like books again.

(dubuthecat.tumblr)

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The Law of Compound Nerdfighting—that 100 Nerdfighters as a group can do things that 100 Nerdfighters alone could not do

(Also, Happy Esther Day! I LOVE ALL OF YOU! -Matt)

Nerdighteria is a relatively new thing for me.

I just recently got out of public school, and am doing work on my own, so I have had a lot of free time the past few months to spend wasting on the internet. Being able to watch John and Hank’s videos is a blessing in and of itself, because I needed the break, but I am incredibly grateful to have the insight of two incredibly intelligent and funny adults who have a hand in so much that I am interested in.

Crash Course has made me feel like my brain is not in fact deteriorating at a faster rate than normal and that I might actually be learning and retaining things that are important to me.

It’s refreshing to hear about the world outside of my bedroom from people who are empathetic and who do not flaunt their knowledge, intelligence, and privilege like those who do not have those things are less than they are.

Very few adults in my life live and treat younger people this way. I’m very glad I discovered this micro-culture and I hope to explore it further.

-Kim

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Two particular things that Hank and John have stressed throughout their videos have affected me greatly. The first is the Law of Compound Nerdfighting—that 100 Nerdfighters as a group can do things that 100 Nerdfighters alone could not do—and the second is the phrase “imagine others complexly”.

The Law of Compound Nerdfighting has been a huge motivation for me as a leader in my college Nerdfighter club, as having dozens of Nerdfighters in a single place for 8 months out of the year represents an amazing opportunity to decrease world-suck.

Additionally, everything is better when you do it with Nerdfighters!

Imagining people complexly is a surprisingly difficult thing for me to do without consciously reminding myself of it, but doing so is more than worth it. It reminds me not to oversimplify other people in my head or to form conceptions of who they are off of how others portray them, and allows me to understand them better. It has helped me make and keep friends as well.

(freedomofwhat.tumblr)

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I had never dealt with the pain, only swept it away with medication, alcohol and distraction, until Hazel, Alaska, Pudge, and Augustus came into my life, and helped me

To explain how John has helped me you first must understand who I was before first encountering this amazing community.

I was (and still am) from Israel, I was (and still am) a nerd, and I was a kid who had found out his dad had cancer.

I say kid even though I was 23, because as soon as you learn about your father being so close to death you revert back to being a child, you become scared of everything.

After my first ever emotional experience with a book (Hunger games trilogy at 25) my reading buddy had suggested TFiOS by John Green.

Now, I knew John from Mental Floss but not much else, so I very apprehensively decided to go ahead and read a “cancer book”

Only it wasn’t and you know it wasn’t. Within 2 weeks I read John’s 5 books, each of them helping me figure out how to live with the possible impending loss of my dad, but more so, helping me cope with something I had long kept buried away.

When I was 18, one month after joining the army (mandatory in Israel) I had lost my girlfriend of 6 months to a drunken car accident, I fell in to deep depression and was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.

Since then, I had never dealt with the pain, only swept it away with medication, alcohol and distraction, until Hazel, Alaska, Pudge, and Augustus came into my life, and helped me become a better, more gentle, and happier person.

I am now writing a YA novel on the side. I am flying to Greece with my friends to watch the TFiOS movie opening weekend (doesn’t come out in Israel until three! whole!! weeks!!! later). I am better educated due to Crash Course and I have more friends due to the “Nerdfighters in Israel” Facebook group, and for all these things and so much more I thank thee, John, Hank, and the rest of the glorious nation that is Nerdfighteria.

May we never forget to be awesome ever again.

- TheguyfromTV (Johngreenmcdonalds.tumblr)

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Compilation of Butfartman Lore

It has taken a bit of time but I have now compiled a lot (possibly all but most likely I missed something) of the Butfartman lore that has been given to us during the 2014 and 2015 Project for Awesome Livestreams.  If any lore was discussed during Part 6 which is still unavailable, it is not listed here.

The Beginning:

Destin looked at an Australian 10 dollar note because an Australian donor gave the money he was requesting.  It was noted that there were words (later to be revealed as the poem “The Man from Snowy River” by Banjo Peterson). While scanning the words the screen showed “BUT FAR T” and enjoyment ensued.

 The Butfartman outfit of the same shirt on the top and the bottom is a modification of a suggestion by twitter user @tweetlikeatwit to raise money by wearing a shirt on your legs and pants on your arms/torso.  

Hank instead put the identical shirts he was given by Destin on the top and bottom and began waddling and saying “Beep bop bwoop boop,” the beginnings of Butfartman’s language (in 2014 it is decided that this is mostly saying “butfart” over and over, in 2015 this language was declared Butfartese and becomes much more eloquent). It was commented that Hank looked like “the awful sidekick of a banana” or a baby.  Hank insisted that he was obviously a space alien.  Soon after it was declared: neither baby nor alien, I am Butfartman!

As the night progressed, the following was revealed:

1. Butfartman is a superhero

2. Bartfutman lives in Ohio and is totally different

3. “We are all Butfartman” and “In Butfartman We Trust”

4. A children’s song was written: “Every time you fart, you fart on yourself!”

5. The first Fartmas miracle occurred at Castle Wheaton when a cloud of farts surrounded it after Anne made soup (although it is claimed that this was a fart mist and not Fartmas)

6. Fartmas celebrates the birth of Butfartman on December 14 (even though Wil claims Butfartman was actually born in Spring but we celebrate in December to co-opt the pagan fart rituals)

7. Pat Rothfuss decided we need scratch a sniff Fartmas cards 

8. A Fartmas tree is a pile of cans of beans topped with sour cream (some were immediately made by Twitter users; on camera one was made of green beans, black beans, chickpeas, and cottage cheese)

9. Fartmas Carols were written and sung (full list of carols below):

10. In our fart of farts, we are Butfartman

11. We are all but farts in the butt of Butfartman

12. Canada has Fartmas but it is in October

13. Butfartman crop dusts the entire world in one night

14. No fires are allowed on Fartmas Eve (it is too dangerous for Butfartman)

15. Fartmas is bad for global warming

16. The grinch’s fart grew three sizes that day

17. There will be a “top-notch” Fartmas perk in 2015 (did not happen)

18. Fartmas will be on the 2016 calendar (did happen)

19. “Fartmas isn’t about the carols, it’s about spending time with your loved ones.  And farting on them.” - Matthew Gaydos

During the 2014 Livestream Fartmas, butfart, and Butfartman all trended.

2015:

On the first night of the Livestream, Destin relocated “BUT FAR T” on the Australian money, Hank dressed as Butfartman using the sweatshirts YouTube sent him, a Fartmas tree was built, and people hummed “Oh Fartmas Tree”

On the second night of the Livestream, as we transitioned into Fartmas Eve the following was revealed:

1. Butfartman is much more communicative and eloquent in Butfartese this year.

2. Saying “Butfartman” three times makes Butfartman appear (but possibly not)

3. Butfartman is never nude! (aka wear Butfartman outfits over your clothing!)

4. Butfartman has a crotch hole (later named “Fartmakah”) for the following reasons: person reasons, Butfartman centipede, to hide a Butfartman’s head when scared (ButfarTim attempted this), to store things like a marsupial pouch (there are no pockets), fart storage, directing farts when traveling through the air, “Swiss Army Hole”, laying eggs

5. If you are good Butfartman brings you beans and sour cream to create future farts

6. If you are bad Butfartman brings you poop

7. Butfartman’s home planet (Butfartopia) has a higher gravity which is why the farts propel Butfartman through the air

8. Butfartman farted the first fart in space

9. There are no genders on Butfartopia

10. Butfartman does not mess with the Star Wars universe because it is too weird for Butfartman (although he is curious about the anatomy of other species like Yoda)

11. Butfartman greets others by spitting on them

12. Butfartdog was seen on Twitter but Butfartkitty is unlikely

13. Butfartman sneezes out of his butt, no one understands Butfartman

14. Butfartman crash landed in Boston

15. No one should kidnap Butfartman or the children of Butfartman to demand the P4A money as ransom

16. Wearing all white does not designate ghost Butfartman (bwop bWEEEEEp bwop bwoop!)

17. On Fartmas Eve, leave egg salad sandwiches (cut into quarters with the crusts cut off) and a large cup of pickle juice for Butfartman

18. We are all Butfartpeople and Butfartman is just a rich guy with an affinity for (but)farts

19. Butfartman is really good at math (sometimes storing a calculator in the fartmakah)

20. Butfartman does not necessarily know much about Doctor Who

21. Butfartman is a real, human-sized, person

22. None of us exist without Butfartman because we are all but farts in the butt of Butfartman

23. The Katherine does NOT find Butfartman attractive

24. Butfartman’s dating ritual involves dancing and is similar to Butfartyoga:

25. Butfartman shows approval by saying “AHHHHHHHHH” happily

We also learned more of the history of Butfartman’s kind:

Mouthfartman is a different species than Butfartman and the two species are in a civil war.  This is because the Mouthfartmen and Mouthfartwomen are confused by the Butfartman’s lack of gender and this has made the Mouthfartpeople angry.  Occasionally a Butfartman is born tending toward a gender despite not knowing the concept of gender because one has had sex with Commander Riker.

Fartmas Carols:

(Tune of Happy Birthday) Happy Fartmas to you, happy Fartmas to you, happy Fartmas dear Hank, happy Fartmas to you … and many faaaarrrrttttsssss!

(Tune of Silent Night) Faaartmas, Faaartmas, Fartfartmas, Fartfartmas, Fartfartfartfartfart Faaartmas

(Tune of Everything is Awesome) Everybody Fartmas! Everybody’s cool when you’re part of the fart!

(Tune of Silver Bells) Silver Farts! (This then caused a discussion of creating silver farts)

(Tune of Hark the Harold Angels Sing) Hark how the farts Butfartman farts all seen to say beans everyday! f-a-a-a-art, f-a-a-a-art, f-a-a-a-art, f-a-a-a-art, fartfartfartfartfartfartFartmas, fartfartfartfartfartfartFartmas, merry merry merry merry Fartmas (traditional)

(Tune of 12 Days of Christmas) On the first day of Fartmas Butfartman gave to me…

(Tune of Up on the Rooftop) Up on the rooftop fart fart fart

(Tune of O Christmas Tree) Oh Fartmas tree, oh Fartmas tree, oh how your smell repels us, you are dressed in all the beans, surrounded by clouds of green, oh Fartmas tree oh Fartmas tree, you really are delightful

(Tune of All I Want for Christmas is You) All I want for Fartmas is POO!  Baby!

(Tune of Santa Clause is Coming to Town) Lighting u farts, running away, burning down your house on Fartmas Day, Butfartman is coming to town! He sees you when you’re farting, he knows when you’re asleep, he knows if farts are good or bad

(Tune of Last Christmas) Last Fartmas I gave you my fart.  The very next day you gave it away.

(Tune of Deck the Halls) Deck the Fartmas with Butfartman, fart fart fart fart fart fart fart fart fart

(Tune of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen) God rest ye merry Butfartmen, may nothing you dismay, remember Banjo’s words were first seen on Fartmas Day

(Tune of Jingle Bells) Eating beans galore, away from open flame, stuffing our faces, if only (inaudible) bingle farts bingle farts bingle all the way! oh what fun it is to fart away from open flame OH  bingle farts bingle farts bingle all the way! oh what fun it is to fart away from open flame

(Tune of Santa Clause is Coming to Town) Open the cans, don’t ask me why, we’re gonna eat beans and bring tears to your eyes, Butfartman is coming to town!

(Tune of Silent Night) Silent fart, deadly fart, all was calm, until I farted. Destroyed all (inaudible) of peace, all of my family are hiding from me. Sleep in heavenly beans, sleep in heavenly beans.

(Tune of White Christmas) I’m dreaming of a nice Fartmas, just like the ones I used to blow.

(Tune of Particle Man) Butfartman, Butfartman, doing the things a butt fart can. What’s he like? It’s not important. Butfartman. Is he a butt? Or is he a fart? If he farts in outer space will the fart push him forward? Nobody knows, Butfartman.

(Tune of Jingle Bells) Dashing through the Fartmas with a big ole can of beans. O’er the fart field we go (the fart field of Butfartopia are well known) farting all the way HA HA HA Farts from the (inaudible) making spirits smelly, how fun it is to laugh and fart a Fartmas song tonight. Oh Fartmas bells, Fartmas bells, farting all the way! Oh what fun it is to fart with a big ole can of beans OH! Fartmas bells, Fartmas bells, farting all the way! Oh what fun it is to fart with a big ole can of beans. Now the room is reeking, go farting while you’re young. Take no poops tonight, and sing this farting song! Just take a can of beans and a really big ole spoon, shove them in your open mouth and PFFFT you’ll take the lead! (there are more verses that involve a farting contest)

Here is a Fartmas poem written by @hanklerfishcomic​

Links to the sections of the Livestreams with Butfartman: x x x x

This post is dedicated to the nerdfighters of bindle who are amazing.

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I’m sharing these daily again until I run out of them on the PDF! About halfway through.

It was the URL to John’s YouTube channel. A YouTube channel? Authors can do that? (answer: apparently)

I’m going to tell you a little story. The first time I saw John Green on the internet, I didn’t know his name. The only thing I saw of him was the gif where he’s sniffing the inside of a copy of TFiOS (“Oh God, it smells so good”). Naturally, I thought that was pretty freaking hilarious. 

From that point on, I went on with my life as normal, not that a funny gif can change you in any sort of special way.

A little while down the road, I was on Facebook, running the page I created, which was dedicated to all things books, movies, and TV.

If you’re wondering, this was before I discovered the miracle of Tumblr.

Through there I had heard some good things about this book called The Fault in Our Stars. The author was some guy named John Green, whoever that was. Weeks later, I finally picked up a copy from my school’s library, and dove headfirst into the world of Hazel Lancaster and her beloved Augustus Waters. Now, I didn’t normally read realistic fiction type books (“They’re not even interesting” -me), but from now on, I’ll always make an exception for John Green.

I never expected a book about two teenagers to be so lighthearted and funny at some points, and so dark and sad at others. Also, the metaphors were pretty great.

After all, who doesn’t like a good metaphor?

Once I stepped off of that emotional rollercoaster (I cried at the end– I never cry at books. What was happening to me??), I noticed something just below the author bio on the book jacket.

It was the URL to John’s YouTube channel. A YouTube channel? Authors can do that? (answer: apparently)

Until this point, I had no idea that the Vlogbrothers videos even existed.

Naturally, I logged on and watched the latest uploads. 

I ended up having to go back further and further in time to find content I had not yet seen. Somewhere along this journey, I learned that where there was a John, there also had to be a Hank. I watched more videos, enjoying Hank and John equally.

I think John and Hank are both amazing people. They help so many others and that’s really inspiring to me.

I will definitely keep watching and reading in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

- Lauren (flabbadon.tumblr)(@llochs)

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We’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here 💙💜❤️🧡 In honor of the new year, I updated my Auld Lang Syne Pizza John with my new name. Inspired by repetitive circles, repetitive signatures, and Amy Krouse Rosenthal. @sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog

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i felt this was more accurate

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Whatta beautiful  and delightful metaphor. 

my fav paragraph ever written

click on the second one, because its cut off

(paper towns - john green)

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The bravest thing you can ever do, is to stay kind and soft even when the world has been cruel to you.

Nikita Gill (via thoughtkick)

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My parents divorced in 2014 and it then it grew in many ways, and this movie’s story prepared me for that more than I could ever have predicted.

LILO AND STITCH | 2002

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she doesn't age

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This is a solid stretch today. SO GOOD

January 07 in Vlogbrothers History

2009: The Rock-Afire Explosion Controversy

2011: CONCUSSED Question Friday

2012: Kill your TV

2014: Warm Things for Cold Times

2020: Endings | Beginnings