Full Hank
2024-04-23 · letter vlog · John · 4:10 · watch on YouTube
Topic: Everyday life (also: Personal life) · mode: Personal essay · tags: self promotion, community lore
Nearly a year after Hank's cancer diagnosis, John says that taking on some of Hank's jobs made him go 'full Hank': he overworks out of 'dread-drenaline' and because making things makes him feel alive; he plugs the Turtles All the Way Down film, the new Crash Course Pods: The Universe podcast with Katie Mack and the coming Crash Course Religions, and jokes that he needs work-life balance, but not yet.
What is said
The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).
00:00:00 — A year since Hank's cancer diagnosis; John took on Hank's jobs and has gone 'full Hank'; weather check
- ★★ John notes that Hank found out he had cancer almost exactly one year ago (April 2023). — 00:00:00 · Hank Green, cancer
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★★ When Hank was diagnosed, John took on a few of Hank's many jobs and enjoyed the work so much that he seems to have gone 'full Hank'. — 00:00:00 · Hank Green
“I seem to have gone full Hank”
00:00:29 — John's two reasons for giving too much to work: dread-drenaline and liking to make stuff; Potato break
- ★ In a weather check, John reports blooming, sprouting and a graying sky: it must be April in Indiana. (playful) — 00:00:29 · Indiana
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★★★ John theorizes that he and Hank give too much of themselves to work for two reasons; the first is 'dread-drenaline', a sought-after feeling between thrill and dread, which he calls the Twitter feeling. — 00:00:29 · dread-drenaline, Twitter
“dread-drenaline”
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★★ When John feels overwhelmed he wants to make more stuff, until he eventually hits a hard wall. — 00:00:58
- ★ John takes a 'potato break' with Potato, who is still a puppy and doesn't come when called, and compliments his bow tie. (playful) — 00:00:58
- ★★★ John's second reason for making stuff when overwhelmed is that he likes making stuff: being creative doesn't exactly make him happy, it makes him feel conscious of being alive. — 00:00:58
00:01:40 — Promoting the Turtles All the Way Down film in Los Angeles; the LA Times Festival of Books screening; May 2 on Max
- ★★ John has spent days in Los Angeles promoting the Turtles All the Way Down film: fun but overwhelming, lots of talking to strangers, but he loves the movie and wants to help it. — 00:01:40 · Los Angeles
- ★★ John says the Turtles All the Way Down film comes out May 2 on Max. — 00:01:40
- ★★ John watched the film with an audience of about 1,400 at the LA Times book festival: incredible, special to feel the room's energy and read the responses afterwards. — 00:01:40 · Los Angeles
- ★★ John says people have been generous about the film so far, which is awesome; it is the opportunity of a lifetime. — 00:02:10
- ★★★ John announces his new show, The Universe, a Crash Course podcast about the universe, coming out tomorrow. — 00:02:10 · Crash Course
00:02:31 — Crash Course Pods: The Universe with Katie Mack, and Crash Course Religions
- ★★ John loved astrophysicist Katie Mack's book The End of Everything and wrote to tell her; she replied, they became friends, and they have worked on the podcast with a team for a couple of years. — 00:02:31
- ★★ A sample of the podcast previews its topics: the Big Bang, cosmic noon, the fundamental forces, the large-scale structure of the universe, black holes and dark matter. — 00:02:31
- ★★ The Universe will be both an audio podcast and a video podcast; John will put links in the description. — 00:03:01
- ★★★ John has been working on Crash Course Religions, the first ever Crash Course on world religions, coming later this year (2024). — 00:03:01 · Crash Course Religions, Crash Course
00:03:30 — Work-life balance and Augustine's 'but not yet' prayer; recap of plugs and sign-off
- ★★★ John thinks he and Hank both need to find a better work-life balance. — 00:03:30 · Hank Green
- ★★ Echoing St. Augustine's prayer to be made chaste 'but not yet', his favorite prayer, John asks to be made work-life balanced, but not yet. (playful) — 00:03:30
In the description and comments
- ★★ The description says John is a ball of stress and worry but very grateful to everyone who watched the movie with them in Los Angeles over the weekend. — video description · Los Angeles
- ★ In a channel comment John says Henry put the bow tie on Potato. — creator comment · Henry Green
Humor (significant)
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Cutting to a weather check, John asks whoever is filming there whether they have been there the whole time. — 00:00:00
“Have you been there the whole time?”
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John calls a 'potato break' and summons the puppy Potato. — 00:00:58
“potato come that doesn't work he's still a puppy i just like to do it”
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Announcing a Crash Course on world religions, John claims to be calm about it. — 00:03:01
“It doesn't seem like it's at all dangerous to my reputation.”
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John delivers his secret while hidden in foliage. — 00:03:30
“I'm hiding. You can't see me. You have no idea where I am.”
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John adapts Augustine's prayer to be made chaste, but not yet, to work-life balance. — 00:03:54
“Lord, make me work life balanced. But not yet.”
Threads in this video
- retold · Hank's Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis and chemotherapy (2023) — John notes that Hank found out he had cancer almost exactly one year ago. (00:00:00)
- restate · Why make things? — John's second reason for making stuff when overwhelmed is that he likes making stuff: being creative doesn't exactly make him happy, it makes him feel conscious of being alive. (00:00:58)
- milestone · Turtles All the Way Down film adaptation (2017) — John watched the film with an audience of about 1,400 at the LA Times book festival: incredible, special to feel the room's energy and read the responses afterwards. (00:01:40)
- announced · Crash Course Pods: The Universe: John and Katie Mack's podcast about the universe (2024) — John announces his new show, The Universe, a Crash Course podcast about the universe, coming out tomorrow. (00:02:10)
- announced · Crash Course Religions: Crash Course series on world religions (2024) — John has been working on Crash Course Religions, the first ever Crash Course on world religions, coming later this year (2024). (00:03:01)
- restate · What is work for, and how much should people work? — John thinks he and Hank both need to find a better work-life balance. (00:03:30)
- update · John's family gets a puppy, Potato (2023) — John takes a 'potato break' with Potato, who is still a puppy and doesn't come when called, and compliments his bow tie. (00:00:58)
Where the stories that moved here went next
- Crash Course Pods: The Universe: John and Katie Mack's podcast about the universe (2024) — running; last: milestone, 2024-05-23
- Crash Course Religions: Crash Course series on world religions (2024) — running; last: milestone, 2024-09-06
- Turtles All the Way Down film adaptation (2017) — completed; last: milestone, 2024-05-21
- John's family gets a puppy, Potato (2023) — followed over 9 videos (2023–2026); last: update, 2026-02-15
Mentioned
Central: Crash Course Pods: The Universe · dread-drenaline · Turtles All the Way Down (film) · work-life balance
Also: People: Augustine of Hippo · Katie Mack
Works: Crash Course Religions · The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)
Organizations: Max · Twitter
Concepts: Big Bang · black hole · cancer · dark matter · Fundamental interaction
Places: Indiana · Los Angeles
Events: Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
Characters: Aza Holmes · Daisy Ramirez
animal: Potato (animal)
Only in the description or credits: Crash Course · Henry Green
Also centred on Turtles All the Way Down (film): On the Movies · An Amazing Day · Hello! Meet Daisy! · A Casting Announcement · Hello! Meet Aza! · Director Hannah Marks Is Nervous To Meet You
← Previous: I Closed My Boob in a Door · Next → One Year Out.