Friday’s for Team Tallsome are very structured in that we do almost the same thing every week: Lots of GChatting, occasional coffee runs, zero productivity at work and a bevy of songs swapped on Spotify. This Friday ritual goes down all while we’re sneaking beers from the office keg (Max you lucky bastard), sneaking beers from my personal desk collection (I hope my boss isn’t reading this) and continuing to hardly ever post any original content on the Bro Journey.

With the increase in traffic during the week, Max and I felt motivated so we decided to experiment with film reviews yesterday only to be rewarded with our lowest visit rate yet. A very sobering day for Max. He’s currently doing solo keg stands and listening to Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago on repeat in his holding cell (cubicle). “Tell everyone that I’m in shock/awe from the lack of readers yesterday and my creative juices are currently steeping in failure” is what Max had to say about the lack of traffic yesterday. So there’s that.

Anyway, despite a minor setback yesterday we realized that we needed to get our asses in gear and keep the original content for you adorable readers on Friday so you can enjoy a good read while you’re sipping your fourth Yuengling of the morning (wait, that’s just me). So we’ve decided to start a little series called Full Disclosure Friday where we open up about ourselves and fully disclose things some of you may have not known about us… So here we are, welcome to Full Disclosure Friday at the Bro Journey!!!! (Here is where you punch someone in the head, start a USA chant and do as many push-ups as you can in 60 seconds)

Full Disclosure Friday kicks off with a guest post by someone very special and important to The Bro Journey and is the patriarch to this whole thing. Our dear friend, confidant, co-worker, Fantasy Football doormat, classmate and match maker of all bros everywhere: Max Hopkins. Max and I worked together at OU for two years and we have a special bond in that we got our asses kicked in a few co-ed basketball games through the years and irate Appalachian parents loved to yell expletives at us when we (poorly) officiated local junior high basketball games together. Max Hopkins and Max Bonem have been friends since the dawn of time and were seen trolling the Hyde Park square together as children and lived together for seventeen years while selling mushrooms to unsuspecting college kids in Athens. Wait, that’s wrong. They lived together for two years at OU, that seems to make more sense. Max Hopkins introduced Max Bonem and I a few years ago and we all hung out a lot in the summer of 2011 which led to the inception of the Bro Journey. Now that you know our back story lets hear from Max on the very first Full Disclosure Friday.

Cuddle time in Athens, a magical experience.

Max Hopkins Full Disclosure Friday

My name is Max Hopkins. When I grow up I want to be successful, wealthy, and fascinated by what I do every day. Sometimes, I take myself too seriously. Often, I don’t take anything else seriously enough.

Before college, I went to prep school, which is where I was introduced to boat shoes, bow ties, and some of the best people you will ever meet. Also, they let me graduate from high school for the second time, which was pretty nice of them. My older brother is a chemical engineer and my younger brother is going to be a teacher and high school football coach, and if you knew them you’d know just how perfect that is. I work at Walmart, and I enjoy what I do. I get to marry Brooke Sparks, and if you’re not jealous, you should be.

My favorite writers are Bill Simmons, Robert Jordan, and Ernest Hemingway. My favorite book might be “The Phantom Tollbooth,” my favorite movie is probably Bax Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, and I like music and don’t know anything about it. I just started my second round of P90X. Sometimes, I wish that there was more of a plan to life, but I think we all feel that way sometimes.

One time, I was Student of the Day at the Cincinnati Public School’s Alternative to Expulsion Program, and my dad is still proud of that. Another time, I was Camper of the Week at the Leadership Development Center, and I’m still proud of that. I am a believer in the neoclassical school of economics. I wish it was Maxapooluza all the time. Pale ale is delicious – the spicier, the better. I love to stare into a clear night sky. I like writing. Matt and Max agreed that it might be cool if I contributed to their blog from time to time (more’s the pity for you).

Why am I telling you all this? I think that’s its important that you have a good idea of who I am, where I’m coming from. I never really saw myself as a blogger, but I never saw the other Max as a blogger either, and look where that got us. I’m writing this to try to have more informed opinions about things and to be accountable for those opinions. I want to have an outlet for the rare occasions when the creative juices start flowing, and this seemed like as good an option as any, better than most. I have no idea what topics I’m going to write on, but I hope to add another voice and a different perspective to this “opinion space” (is that a thing or did I make that up?). Keep your eyes peeled, this isn’t the last time I’m going to post on The Bro Journey (more’s the pity for the internet).

The man himself...looking like he's ready to pounce on something.