Josh G.

September 18, 2008

Movin' On Up

Posted by Josh G.


Hey everyone.  I've started sophomore year which makes me no longer a freshman.  So I'm going to be blogging this year under my own blog!

If you wanna stay up to date with my life here at Hopkins, keep tabs on my new blog The Reel Life of Josh.

So bon voyage, Freshman Blog!  And thanks to all of you who read.   

August 20, 2008

In Transit

Posted by Josh G.


Now summer is nearly over.  That means I’m done with my internship, done with IMing Jackie all day while we multitask during work, and almost done relaxing at home and writing on this blog.  Yes, it is my last time EVERGleasonfamily writing a freshman blog for in a mere couple of days now I will be back in Baltimore preparing for my sophomore year.  I’ve looked back on Freshman year a few times over the course of the past few months, but now it’s time to look forward to what’s next. (And I apologize in advance for the random string of ideas sure to come)

This year I’m looking forward to some big things.  First off, I am going to be an Orientation Assistant so I am looking forward to moving in early and helping out the incoming freshman make their own transition.  I’m looking Charlescommons forward to living in Charles Commons this year.  It will be a whole new experience not living in a dorm and having more household responsibility (aka cleaning).  It will also be fun sharing a suite with 3 of my friends.  Another great thing about college is that you actually look forward to most of your classes.  Since you pick what you want to study, most of your classes involve learning about things you are actually interested in.  It’s great to love what you study.  This year I’m looking to keep myself busy with more Hopkins Interactive work and helping my film professor on his upcoming feature.  I will also be blogging some for the Film Department on their new “Hopkins CinemAddicts” blog.  I’m going to have to relearn time management skills that I have definitely lost this summer. 

It’s strange to no longer be a freshman.  I remember last summer.  I wasMovie_green_film_abstract excited about starting something completely new.  I was bored of being home all summer.  It was time for a change. I just wanted out.  I frantically scrambled to read every piece of mail Hopkins sent me and find out everything I could.  Reading the blogs for the Summer Blog Contest (or Context, as some mistakenly type it as) brought me back to that.  Just remembering what all that was like and the excitement surrounding it.  It’s a different feeling now.  I’ve been there before. I’m looking to pick up where I left off.  It’s amazing how quickly time flies.  I remember one of my high school teachers saying something that actually made sense.  The reason that time seems to go faster as we get older is because it’s a smaller fraction of our lives.  When you are 5, a year is 1/5 of your life.  When you are 18, a year is 1/18 of your life. 

And I am 1/4 of the way done with my college career.  I can’t believe it!  For all of those out there who are making their way to college now or in the future, here is my advice:  Live every moment of it:  The good, the bad, the funny, the tragic, the stressful, the hectic, the laid back, the romantic, the hopeless, the helpless, the triumphant, and the epic.  You may be nervous about A_bout_de_soufflegoing off to a new place and anxious about what is to come.  It won’t all be amazing.  It will be hardly like the movies.  But it’s life.  And it’s wonderful.  And it’s all yours now.  You choose who you are and who you will be and who you want to be.  Open yourself up to new people, opportunities, and possibilities.  A quote from possibly the greatest film of all time (A Bout de Souffle) sums up what I’m trying to say.  “I told you being afraid is the worst sin there is.”

Now it’s time to bid you adieu.  For everyone that has ever read my blog, I thank you and I hope that reading it gave you further insight into the college experience of a freshman at Hopkins.  So whoever you are, wherever you are, and whatever time it is, thank you and goodnight. 

July 22, 2008

Here, There, Everywhere

Posted by Josh G.


We’re in the dog days of summer now and I’m up to too much for my own good.  The past few weeks have been crazy. 

I’ve been working Mondays and Tuesdays since the beginning of June at an entertainment company in New York City doing interny stuff…lots of excel usage, organizing documents/files/folders/binders and searches that are 0617081441 hard to find what you need even with Google helping along the way.  The company does TV (currently working on a show like Top Model, but with Hawaiian Tropic girls or something), Documentary Film (their first was about the destruction of land in the rainforest by oil companies, their next 3 are a series on the Maidanek concentration camp, its survivors, and theArthur_and_friends_cafeteria Holocaust), and Live Entertainment (Icecapades, Arthur Live!, USAG Gymnastics Tour). It has definitely taught me that I don’t think I could stand to work a regular office job.  (Except for maybe as an admissions officer, that job is a cakewalk.) 

But here is some advice to prospective students/freshman: you must seek out these internships and other kinds of opportunities yourself.  What I mean by this is Hopkins won't do the work for you.  They have some resources that you may use (like the Career Center), but overall you have to realize that it is now up to you to go out there and look for something.  The best resources at Hopkins you can use are your departments.  Mine sends out emails all the time about opportunities for internships, jobs, or film festival entries.  They will usually know where to find internships and jobs related to your field.  But other than that, you have to be independent and diligent...and having Johns Hopkins on your resume is definitely a boost.

Back to my busy schedule…2 weeks ago Lauren came up to visit and saw
Walle_3Wall-E together.  Wall-E is probably one of the best films of the year and possibly Pixar’s best.  It does things that I have never seen other animated films do that most people wouldn’t notice.  Sometimes the director chooses to rack focus (switching where the scene is in focus, from foreground to background or visa versa) and they even include glare on the “lens” of the camera from the sunlight.  I keep saying that this movie will do more for the environment than “An Inconvenient Truth”.


Then last weekend my friend/new roommate Andrew and his friend
Siren_2007from home came up from D.C. to go to Siren Festival which is a free music festival at Coney Island presented by The Village Voice.  We had an awesome time and fought our way into the crowd to be in the front to see Ra Ra Riot and Islands, near the front for Dodos, and as close as we could get to see Broken Social Scene. 

This coming weekend I’m headed to LA where my brother is looking at colleges.  The first weekend after I return I may be working on the set of a short film by another company I interviewed for. (Check out their first video here)  **Disclaimer: The video contains some mature content** They are doing a series of short films for a Democratic website.  The following week its down to visit Lauren again.  The week after that it’s my last week on the job before a week off to get ready to move back down to Baltimore where I get to move in early because I’m an Orientation Assistant.  I can’t wait.

Movies to see (that I have recently seen):
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.  The Savages.  Blow Up.  Punch Drunk Love (saw it for the 3rd time and this time really liked it).  Brick.  Trainspotting.  4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days.  The Player.  Be Kind Rewind. Wall-E.

I leave you here with a video of the Icecapades (now owned by the company i'm working at) from 1988.  Also there is a video of Broken Social Scene at Siren Festival.  Enjoy...

June 06, 2008

Sentimental Heart

Posted by Josh G.


It’s all over!  Freshman year is done and so I thought I’d provide some perspective to all of you about to embark on the same journey.
Joshua2
Last year at this time, I was full of mixed emotions. You can see some of how I passed the time by reading my blog entry that was one of four chosen in a contest run by Hopkins Interactive last summer.  (Strangely enough, 3 of the 4 winners of the contest are also on Hopkins Interactive and from NJ – Lauren and Jessica are the others.) 

But anyway…I was feeling anxious and excited to move on to college, but I was sad to leave high school.  Not that I particularly enjoyed high school so much that I didn’t want to get out, but more that it was a huge step of my life that was over.  Its just that feeling that comes over you after you look forward to something for so long and then it’s finally over.  It all happened too quickly. 
P5310006
I remember sitting around watching the lacrosse final four games realizing that next year I’d actually be attending the school I was so adamantly rooting for.

The entire summer was a huge build up to go away to college.  The last few weeks were filled with goodbyes (or “see you laters” as I liked to call them since we’d all be back in a few months).  Everyone’s experience is a little different, but it’s mostly the same.  I think it’s one of the most incredible times. 

And then you finally get to Hopkins. I was going to get sentimental and walk you through my year, but I’ve decided to turn it into a sort of Survival Guide on how to get the most out of Freshman year. 

Step 1: Orientation.  Participate in as much as you can and be open to everything.  You will meet so many amazing people. 

Step 2: Get used to it.  You must learn to deal with being away from home, taking on lots of new responsibilities (everything from grocery shopping to dealing with the cable company to taking care of yourself when you are sick), getting used to the workload and how to manage your time, and learning how to live with other people.  It’s a lot of new freedom and responsibility that is much needed after so many years of being at home. 
Baltimore
Step 3: Explore. After you establish a group of friends and explore, you will begin to feel more comfortable and want to explore Baltimore…more.  Make sure to a) stay out of bad neighborhoods at night and b) find all the cool places in Charm City.

Step 4: Participate.  Get involved in stuff on campus.  And no, this isn’t like high school where you get involved in 50 different groups to put on a resume or application.  Do stuff you actually enjoy.  There are so many things I wanted to and did get involved with.  Make sure you have enough time to do the things you commit to, and try new things.  Hilogo_2 Go to the first few meetings of a club to see if you are inter
ested.  You can always drop out if it’s not for you, but you still get to meet people and find out more about what you like and don’t.  And if you like blogging and feeling smarter than people by answering their questions, try applying for admissions groups like SAAB or Blue Key…or both.

Step 5: Work hard.  Yes Hopkins is hard.  But if you learn how to manage your time, it gets easier.  I never thought I’d be able to do it, but I did.  I even made Dean’s List second semester.  It’s ok to bitch a little about it, but don’t complain too much or people will start to get annoyed.  Especially if you complain about getting an A- instead of an A on something. 

Step 6: Enjoy.  Don’t get too caught up in things.  The days go by slowly, but the weeks go by so quickly.  Make sure to take it all in and enjoy every minute of it.

Freshman year is an exciting time.  It was one of the best year’s I’ve ever had and I’m sad that it’s over.  I’m hoping it just gets better from here, butN6424238002_7467 another stage of my life is over.  Hopefully you all can feel these mixed emotions a year from now.  I can’t wait to go back.

On that note, here is a little music video I made of some brief footage I took the last few days of school and when I got home.  I was going to make it into something longer, but I just got caught up in moving out so this is the best I could do.  Hope you enjoy! (and if you can play it in high quality on YouTube go for it because it was shot in HD and looks amazing)

May 31, 2008

(I've Had) The Time of My Life

Posted by Josh G.


So this is that time of year we all start to get sentimental on you.  Those of you who are Class of 2012ers are all graduating and getting ready to head off to Hopkins.  This blog is basically my freshman year in a nutshell.  A little slice of life (at least the stuff I can - and want to - publish on the internet for all to read).  Trust me.  Freshman year is all it is cracked up to be.  You'll have to work hard, you'll have fun, you'll meet amazing people, and you'll probably end up beginning the age old college process of finding yourself (which just shows you that Hopkins hasn't changed me from a humanities student to pre-med even with a whole year under my belt).  So here is my Freshman year: Revisited!

The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most
The one about who I am (or at least who I was way back then).  Move in.  Heat.  Fall Fest. Dashboard concert.

Hopkins_fun_018_2This Charming Man
The one with Fall Break. Getting Home. Seeing my family again. First Hopkins midterms. Rushmore.N1144980003_30610124_9011_3_3

The Devil's Workday (All Those People That You Know...)

The one with the first Open House.  Halloween.  Entering Wolman for the first time.  All of my wonderful friends. Apples to Apples: Jewish Edition.

Do You Believe In Magic?
Hopkins_fun_044
The one with Parents Weekend.  Good food at FFC.  Academic Advisor meeting. First serious trip to the library.  Steve Scifidi.  Figuring out the Wolman turnstiles.  David Blaine Street Magic parody videos.

Hopkins_fun_016_2Friday I'm In Love
The one with The Cure motif.  Broken Social Scene concert.  Second round of midterms.  Walking from Penn Station to Grand Central with luggage.   Thanksgiving.

Positive TensionHopkins_fun_043_2
The one with Chrismakkuh.  Interruption for Facebook and Message Boards. First snow.  End of first semester.  Fornicating snowmen.  Slippery walkways.  Creed's Blog on The Office.  Finals approaching quickly.

Hopkins_fun_050_2Me and My Friends
The one with the beginning of Winter break.   EDers  get in.  Christmas.  Old friends.  My gingerbread house.  The Pleo.  My Shamless plug.   

Sleep All Damn Day
The one with Intersession at home.  The Parent's Blog.  Visiting my Hopkins friends in NYC.  Lots of movies.  Freaks and Geeks.  Kevin Devine concert.

If Work Permits...
The one with the return to Hopkins.  The new schedule.  My new sleep schedule.  Towson and the Melting Pot.  David Blaine Pt. 3.

Where You'll Find Me Now...
The one with the beginning of Blue Key training.  Barack.  Awesome movie recommendations (all of which are still very highly recommended to you).Wesanderson_2

JHU_Josh: My Favorite Things.

The one with the favorites.  Bittersweet Symphony.  Wes Anderson.  Fran Drescher.

Where is My Mind?
The one with Spring Break.  Bogged down by work.  New computer.  Birthday.  Officially in Blue Key.  Declaring my major.  Oscars.  More movie recs.

1004071501_2Hopkins CRIBS: AMR II, Lazear House (The Men Who Live Upstairs)
The one with Cribs.  Sesame Street on the TV.  Wall of Randomness.  The fan.  The courtyard.  Sneaking in more movie recs. 415pxjhu_001_2

How Soon Is Now?
The one with Homecoming.  The Film Fest.  The hospital.  Start of Open House season.  Praise You music video.  More movie recs (I sense a theme).N1047240319_30349102_7466_2

Memories on a Deck, Pt. 1

The one with Spring Fair.  My first film.  The Alpha Phi formal with my gal.  My sentimental side.  The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. 

So that's the year in review.  Looking back on it all, everything flew by.  N746966392_1200610_2649_2The hours of the day went by so slowly, but I wish I had some back now because the weeks and months and year went by so quickly.  I hope that all you future Hopkins students enjoy Freshman year as much as I did and make sure you take it all in!

May 04, 2008

Memories on a Deck, Pt. 1

Posted by Josh G.


It’s that time of year again…Finals week!  Somehow I’ve managed to keep myself destressed and sleeping well.  With tons of work still to do, I thought I would look back on some stuff I’ve done recently, my freshman year as a whole, and what is to come…

Some of the best things I’ve done all year have come in these past few133791716_4cc5d899b9 weeks.  First, I got to experience the amazing weekend of Spring Fair for the first time!  The freshman quad was filled with (somewhat overpriced, but still soooo delicious) food vendors ranging from Thai food to BBQ to Maryland Crab Cakes to smoothies to (everyone’s personal favorite) Funnel Cakes. Greek organizations among others were fundraising.  TN746966392_1200610_2649he Beach was buzzing with activities and music.  The upper quad had local vendors selling lots of random things.  There was a wing eating contest, break dancing, and a Vocal Chords performance on Saturday night.  The weather was amazing so it worked out well.  (Picture is of me and my friend Andrew playing around in the Kiddie Area)

The next thing that was really amazing was that I filmed my final project for film.  I’m still in the process of editing it together, but it should turn out really great.  I’m really pleased with what I shot.  (I have to thank my friends Nathaniel and Alyssa for acting in it) 

N1047240319_30349083_8981The final exciting thing was the Alpha Phi formal.  Lauren (read her blog here) invited me as her date to my first sorority formal.  We got all dressed up and took our promish pictures.  It was an amazing time.  One of theN1047240319_30349102_7466 pictures I was hoping to include was one stolen from Julia who took a picture of all the SAABers that were at the formal (Rob, Stephanie,  Jackie, Julia, Lauren, and Me – also Adam was there, but he is no longer an active SAAB member), but she didn't put them up in time so I urge you to check out their blogs about it to see the whole gang.  The others are stolen from other N1047240319_30349079_941people via Facebook.   

Looking back on Freshman year, I can’t believe how quickly it passed.  Every week seemed to take forever, but the closer and closer it got to the end, I just wanted to go back.  Although I want to obviously grow up and move on, I don’t want to lose one of the best years of my life.  So for all those out there who are getting excited about going to college, prepare yourselves to enjoy it.  Get involved, meet tons of new people, learn some stuff, and have fun while doing it. 

This is my last official blog as a Freshman blogger before I become a sophomore and head off to guest blogging (since it’s hard enough for me to keep up with my responsibility with this one…as you can see with this blog being posted half a week late)  Hopefully everyone enjoyed following along with my freshman experience.  (I know my mom sure did -thanks mom -, but I’m hoping others enjoyed too)  I remember way back when in October when my first blog went up and I never thought this day in May would come so soon.  I may be doing some blogging for the film department next year reviewing films and whatnot depending on what they want me to do so I’ll definitely plug that in the future if I get the gig.  Good luck with everything, keep reading my blog over the summer, and if you are one of the chosen few coming to Hopkins next year, maybe I’ll see you around.

As always I have to leave you with my movie recommendations and aDivingbellposterbig YouTube video to enjoy.
Best Films I’ve Seen Recently:
El Topo (very violent and strange)
Hamilton (I got a free DVD of my Intro to Film Production professor’s first feature length film that is actually really visually pleasing)
Cloverfield (one of the few monster movies that I actually like, filmed in a really interesting way)
And finally…
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (probably the best film I’ve seen in years)

Here’s the video (thought this one would be appropriate):

April 12, 2008

How Soon Is Now?

Posted by Josh G.


Since the last time I blogged things have been pretty hectic. 

Where to start…Last Friday, I made my first film!  The Friday before break my Intro to Film Production class went out around campus to create a short Splice story by filming a bunch of different shots and then editing them together.  We finally learned how to make cuts and edit using a linear format which literally involves cutting the film (no digital editing).  Soon I’ll be putting together a short up to 3 min for the final project which will be screened along with many of the other film production classes offered this semester.  415pxjhu_001

Last Saturday at the lacrosse game, Bill Bellichick was roaming the sidelines.
I think he is the reason we lost big to UNC.  But after a tough loss to Duke, the Homecoming game will hopefully turn us around.  We finally won big against Maryland which was the catalyst to last year’s turn around too.

New_1Thursday, unfortunately, was a crazy day spent in the hospital and in bed because of an injury.  Fortunately enough, Union Memorial Hospital is only 2 blocks away from campus so I was in good hands. 

Friday was movie night. My  friends sympathized with my situation and we had a night in just watching really bad movies and TV.

This past week started Open House season…one of my favorite times of the year.  Strangely enough, I actually like answering questions about Hopkins (as you can tell if you are part of either of the Facebook groups), even if it is the same question over and over or a crazy parent asks about how easy it is to get into med school.  If you come to the Open House say hi at the Ask A Student table and pick up one of the Insider’s Guides we worked so hard on to give you a students perspective of Hopkins sans admissions censorship (for the most part).

Finally (and sorry for this stream of consciousness type blog but it’s 2 days late and I’m in a hurry to enjoy more Homecoming festivities), here is something to note for prospective Film and Media Studies majors/minors.  There is a pre-registration day to make sure people in the department get into the small upper level classes.  This is awesome because it is a week Splashbefore rising sophomores register for classes and I already know that I am in 2 classes that I want to take (Intermediate Production and a new screenwriting class taught by my current Production professor who is awesome).  The film department is on the rise with our new Provost hopefully and it is finally getting offices in Gilman after the renovation is completed.  I am looking forward to the next 3 years of being in the most incredible department at Hopkins! 

And if any of you are in the area April 17-20, the Hopkins Film Festival is going on.  Check out hopkinsfilmfest.com for more details

And I can’t leave you without my latest movie viewing list:
-    Rear Window (better than Disturbia)
-    Charlie Bartlett (not worth seeing in theaters)
-    The Squid and the Whale (really good indie flick)
-    Paranoid Park (new Van Sant film)
And more…

Here’s this week’s YouTube video I picked out for you all…

March 27, 2008

Hopkins CRIBS: AMR II, Lazear House (The Men Who Live Upstairs)

Posted by Josh G.


So we are taking the time now to show off our Cribs so you all can get a better picture of what you might be moving into soon, but i definitely couldn't leave you without a song title in the name. 

I live in AMR (Alumni Memorial Residence) II Lazear House.  The AMRs (there are 2 of them) house a majority of the freshman in traditional dorm style living.  It’s basically you and your roommate (unless you get a single).  There is a common bathroom usually not too far from your room.  AMR II has a main building that houses the mail room for the AMRs and Buildings A and B along with a lounge area (that used to have a place to buy food, and they may bring it back next year) that has vending machines, a TV, and couches.  Downstairs, there is a laundry room, a lounge, a kitchen, the BSU room, and some other secret nooks.  It is organized into houses.  In AMR II there are no physical division between the houses except for fire doors so you can move freely about. 

Now for my room...
First is my Cribs video, and then for a better feel of what it's like read my written tour below.



We have a typical setup for a room that we kept from when we moved in.  My roommate and I are separated at our desks by the dresser with the Dscn0874drawers next to them. This provides for a nice little changing area when you open the doors. You have to learn how to use space efficiently in the AMRs so we have lots of shared things on the middle drawers. We share a printer, a TV, and I have shelves where I keep my books and things.

Dscn0872Shelves are a good storage idea.  I keep some food in there, some notebooks, and then textbooks and such along with all my DVDs (a collection that is slowly growing and taking over where books once were). 

Each person gets a small mirror hung by the door.  On the backDscn0871 of the door are 2 towel bars to hang towels.  We also have a MicroFridge rented through the school that stores some small perishable food items and is good for heating up soup or Easy Mac.  My roommate created a little nightstand by putting a little top on crates that he uses to store stuff. 

I don’t have my bed lofted at all.  You can get it quarter, half, or fully lofted if you want.  Or for those who get intense acrophobia, I guess you could just move your mattress to the floor.  Under bed storage is a good investment.  There is lots of room and getting things that help you stay organized is crucial.  There is lots of room to store stuff in the back part of the bed while keeping necessary items towards the front. 

In order to stop people from peeling paint off the walls, in AMR II there are 2 Dscn0873 walls with cork covering.  This way you can hang up posters and pictures with thumbtacks.  Definitely bring stuff to hang.  You will accumulate more things as the year goes on, but you don’t want your wall to be blank and bland. (One of my favorite things up right now is my countdown until George W. Bush is out of office calendar that my mom got me.  As of today only 298 more days!)

The desk is a place where you will spend a lot of time.  I like to work in my Dscn0878room because I get distracted easily when there is no noise like in the library.  Me and my roommate are always playing music while studying.  The drawers are filled with dishes, utensils, and cleaning supplies in one, cables, cords, and electronic necessities in another, and papers in the top on.  The top drawer is actually one of those pull out laptop trays so there are no sides on it although most people use it to just store stuff.  The small drawer on the desk is a good place for school supplies.  The rest of it has become a place where random things accumulate although I try to clean it up and organize as much as possible.

March 16, 2008

Where is My Mind?

Posted by Josh G.


The title of this blog is a direct reference to my state of mind right now. As the spring semester slowly creeps along (with spring break as the only break in the schedule), things can get a little hectic. Midterms, school work, lots of stuff going on with the groups I'm involved in, and spring fever are all starting to get the best of me.

Macbook_pro_head_on

Now on spring break (with my birthday only a few days away) I’m finally typing this on my new laptop. So when I haven’t been seeing a few of my friends that are home from school, I’ve been playing around with it. It’s my first Mac and my friend says that in a short while, it will change my life and I will become one of those people who couldn’t imagine life without a Mac.

But back to some Hopkins topics:

HomewoodhouseOne of the most exciting things about the past few weeks has been training to be a tour guide for Blue Key Society. (Only a solo tour evaluation left!) I love working in Admissions and talking about my school to others because it’s fun to get others really excited about coming to a place that you love. The only problem is now I have the urge to throw out the random facts I now possess in common conversation like how the Homewood House has the first coed outhouse in America.

More things on the agenda that are interesting to me (and probably only me):

* The Wednesday after break, I get to declare my major if I want to or I can wait up until the end of sophomore year. I will probably declare though as a Film and Media Studies major. The film studies program here is actually really awesome so if you are interested at all you can even consider minoring in it.

* I’m definitely going to hold off on deciding my minor. It has switched from Writing Sems to Entrepreneurship and Management even to French for a little, but now I’m leaning towards a Psych minor because I love the classes here, the are interesting, and I only need a few more classes to complete the minor.

Now that I blabbed on about my life it’s time to wrap things up with random stuff:

* First off, congrats to all the Oscar winners (especially the Coen Brothers, Javier Bardem, and Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova…”Once” should have been nominated for more than just best song, but it was 100% the best original song of the year). B0006z2nao01lzzzzzzz_2

* Secondly, here are the latest films I saw that I would recommend: Tout va Bien (a brilliant French film by Jean Luc Godard that has quickly become one my all time favorites), Weekend (another Godard film that is trippy and awesome), The Darjeeling Limited (not the best Wes Anderson film, but definitely worth checking out), and Grindhouse (both part of the Tarantino/Rodriguez double feature are worth the time spent)

Finally, here is a video that will make you smile (hopefully). Until next time…

February 26, 2008

JHU_Josh: My Favorite Things.

Posted by Josh G.


This week, the students of Hopkins Interactive have decided to change things up a bit and all present a common blog topic.  Through the blogs and the message board we really enjoy providing you with a glimpse of our lives at Hopkins while helping reveal to you what might lie in store for you if you decide to become a Hopkins student as well.  In addition to detailing life here at Hopkins, we also all enjoy getting to talk about the totally random things that we love.  Just like we’ve done with the Off-Topic Discussions on the message boards, we’re taking a break from Hopkins to talk about our favorite things.

Caution – Random Stuff Alert:

WilliamsWho is your favorite author?: I do enjoy Hemingway.  I like his minimalist style.  Also Bret Easton Ellis is good.  Most of his books are now movies. William Carlos Williams is one of my favorite poets.  Plus he was a character on an episode of Arthur.

What is your favorite website?: Facebook.  I’m completely addicted.  Also, Wikipedia and IMDB are runners up.  I’m usually on one of them at all times.

What is your favorite item in your bedroom?: Here it is probably my guitar.  At home it’s a tie between my guitar and my big comfortable bed.Newipodnano

What, in your opinion, has been the greatest invention of your time?:
The internet is a pretty big one, but I’m going to have to go with the iPod.  No more having to carry Walkmen and CDs. 

What is your favorite news source?: CNN.com because it pops up on my home page with the days top stories.

Mibmen_in_blackWhat is your favorite movie series?:
Would say the Godfather, but 3 ruins that all.  And I don’t want to give a typical answer with an actual good series, so I’ll give 2 guilty pleasures.  Saw I-IV (with 2 more coming out the next 2 years) and Men In Black/MIB II because Will Smith is my idol.

What is your favorite time of day and why?: I like late in the afternoon.  I’m a night owl so it is like my mid-day.  Plus it means I still have time to put off work for later.

Who is your favorite one-hit wonder?: The Verve’s hit “Bitter Sweet Symphony” is a good choice.  So many to choose from.  It’s sad that every time it plays the Rolling Stones make money.Wesanderson

Which famous person, living or dead, would you like to have a cup of tea with?:
Well I’m not much of a tea drinker, but it would be cool to sit down with someone like Martin Luther King, Jr.  I would also love to sit down with Wes Anderson and talk because he is my favorite filmmaker.

What is your favorite quote?:
“Gentleman, you can’t fight in here.  This is the War Room!”  I have a better one from Annie Hall, but it is a little too racy for me to put up here.

Are you a dog/cat/other person? why?: Definitely a dog person.  They’re man’s best friend and cats are just creepy.

What is your favorite game?: Monopoly because there are never any winners.  The game just ends with someone quitting and throwing game pieces everywhere.
(Click here for Dane Cook's explanation)

Who is your favorite TV villain?: Maybe Ari on Entourage, but he isn’t really a villain. 

Where is the one place in the world you would want to visit?: I really want to go to Australia to see what it’s like down under.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?: Any trash TV on VH1, E!, or MTV.

To finish this survey, we will be stealing questions used at the end of every broadcast of Inside the Actor’s Studio.  James Lipton, the host, always finishes each interview with a questionnaire invented by the great Bernard Pebo. 

- What is your favorite word?: Spatula.  It has an interesting combination of sounds.
- What is your least favorite word?: Barf.  It’s just gross.
- What turns you on (creatively, spiritually, or emotionally)?: Music. 
- What turns you off?: People who aren’t themselves.
- What sound or noise do you love?: A movie camera rolling.
- What sound or noise do you hate? Fran Drescher’s voice/laugh.

- What profession would you like to attempt?: If I were good at math, I would have liked to be an architect.  A college professor actually sounds like a good gig too.  But an airline pilot seems like such a cool job.  I love to travel and even like hanging out in airports (although not on a regular basis – usually just when waiting for a flight).   
- What profession would you absolutely not like to attempt?: Shark fisherman or garbage man seem to be jobs I’m not really looking to ever attempt.
- Finally, if Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?: “I didn’t think you were gunna make it.” or sing some kind of “Welcome to Heaven” theme song.

To comment or debate any of my answers, or just to share your views and continue the discussion with me, be sure to head over to my personal message board thread.  I look forward to hearing from you all.  As always if you have nay Hopkins-related questions, don’t hesitate to ask them there as well.