Haints: Not Your Average Paranormal Webseries

     Haints is a new, independent webseries that promises to deliver on the paranormal! Haints is the story of a group of paranormal investigators who happen to be paranormal themselves. Director, Audra Caitlyn Moss, tells us Haints is "X-Men meets every vampire movie you've ever seen-- with a twist!" Oh! Sweet Audra, you had me at X-Men. The thing that interested me the most about this project was the cast (who will be listed below). I was so impressed by the talent that was assembled to make this happen. You're not going to see amateurs. These are a group of professionals who have worked in the film industry, been successful, and are committed to bringing excellence to this project. Before you do anything else, click this link and "like" Haints' facebook page.

     One of the greatest things about Haints is that it's  being filmed and produced here in Louisiana, namely Shreveport. These are our friends, our fellow artists who are pulling this together-- and we have an opportunity to support them in a real way. Haints has partnered with IndieGoGo to create a funding campaign to raise money quickly and securely. IndieGoGo's trusted platform has helped to raise millions of dollars for over 30,000 campaigns, across 197 countries. Haints need our help. Let's give it to them.


     If we pull our quarters, dollars, and credit cards, we can help Haints meet their $3,000 dollar budget. Your support will help purchase camera equipment, SFX contacts and dental wear, costume pieces, editing tools and support salaries for hair/makeup artists, a production assistant, camera/sound equipment operators, a fight choreographer, and the cast. This is an excellent opportunity to support local artist, local ventures, and local dreams. Please help. There is a video on Haint's IndieGoGo page that explains a lot more. I encourage you to take a look and seriously consider giving any little bit that you can. It will make a difference.

 So, in my excitement about this project I decided to "haints" myself. 

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CAST:
Mary Alfred Thoma, Bradley Silman, Audra Caitlyn Moss, Harvard Taylor, Jenna Glorioso, Wanetah Walmsley, Rachael Lee Magill, Luke Sexton, Rodney Hill Jr., Courtney Shay Young, Ariane Perideaux, Kent Jude Bernard, Meade Patton

my love/hate relationship with starbucks...

I love Starbucks.It's where I go to hang out with good friends on a Saturday morning.I get to chill, nap, talk, and people watch (which I refuse to admit is creepy).

EDIT: Wow! So in editing my site, I accidentally, prematurely posted this Starbucks post that I had been working on... might as well finish this so it's not quiet as embarrassing... at least there is header artwork for it... uh.... BACK TO THE BLOGGING.

However, I always fall into the trap of thinking that I'll get anything worthwhile done while I'm there. I go there with my laptop, books, and even a pair of snazzy glasses; I walk away unstudied and full of caffeine and conversation. I can't say that I'm losing, but I'm definitely not winning.... Charlie Sheen joke!.... anyone get that?... no?.... alright. Moving on.

Will I ever learn? Never. Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade and Splenda Iced Coffee are too good to ignore. So, I will continue to go to Starbucks, bring my books, not study, hang out with friends, and be the happier (and worse) for it.

#Hashtags Are for Twitter

 

      One thing that I have noticed more and more on Facebook is the use of #hashtags in people's statuses.... stati? Whatever. This is becoming a pet peeve. I would put one of the many examples I've seen, but the guilty parties would most likely see it and.... awkward. One person that I don't mind throwing under the Twitter bus is my friend Weston (because he's a good sport about it). LaBreeska (@la_brees_ka) and I confronted him on his #hashtag Facebook posts, and here's what he had to say (I don't know why I did the strange voice):

     So, there you have it. They just can't. I'll be going to Southwestern Assemblies of God University in the fall to finish my degree. I hope that I don't fall victim to this social media faux pas.

Want to follow me on Twitter so that you can use all the #hashtags that you want? Follow me at: @jdrinkard.
Feel free to share this blog on your Facebook so that we can begin twivangelizing. 

And now, the RANDOM FACEBOOK MOMENT OF THE WEEK:

They see me rollin'...

Yup! My first car was a 1987 Dodge Daytona. It wasn't as nice as the link shows. I opened the door with a lawn mower cord. I had the throw it in neutral when I turned so it wouldn't stall out.

Now, it's the new 2012 Hyundai Sonata GLS in midnight black. It's my new toy, and I love it. It's my favorite. I've never owned a car with "new car smell." Now, I do.

A Long Brutal War

Prank wars. I hate them. Eventually, they all devolve into a parade of destruction, remorse, malcontent, and rage.
Ok. I'm being a little melodramatic. But you get the point, right? Good.

It appears as though my group of friends-- once united under the banner of music, love, happiness, and tomfoolery-- have split down the middle and chosen brutal sides in a war of deception. So far, people's homes have been "home-alone'ed"-- their doors tied shut from the outside with no way of exit bar the window. The security of vehicles has been compromised. Threats of kidnapping, issued. In summation, people's once quiet lives have been plunged into chaos and fear.

I have been found in the middle, lacking. It appears as though my Switzerland-like position has cost me the trust of my friends-- and that's what hurts the worst. Neither the Haus of Jordan, nor the Haus of the Initiate look like they are waving the white flag of peace any time soon.

I'll keep you posted.

Joseph and Chelsea Do Bonnaroo (Coming Soon)

Coming this June, my friend Chelsea and I will be documenting the music festival of all music festivals: Bonnaroo. From the moment we leave Shreveport until the time we get back we'll be filming and bringing you along for the whole crazy ride! Expect laughs, a few shocks, videos, and insane pictures from the point of view of two music junkies who are always down for a good road trip!

Follow Joseph on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube!
Stay up-to-date with Chelsea on Facebook!

hook, line, and sinker

There are very few things in life to which I'd say that I'm addicted. (Note the correct grammar in that sentence.) By nature, I don't think I have an addictive personality. However, I came across something a few years ago that has alienated my friends, strained my relationships, and cost me money.

Netflix.

Yes, this seemingly perfect piece of entertainment convenience has become the wormhole into which all my time disappears. Oh, don't judge me! It's like I was culturally predisposed to my e-substance abuse. Think about it; I'm always stretched for time, and I work strange hours. Netflix was the perfect fix, and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

I can quit whenever I want. (Really, I can. There are not contracts and I can cancel any time.)

But I won't quit. There are 126 episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" and a cornucopia of documentaries beckoning me to come. Oh yeah, and Netflix now streams episodes of "Glee". I'm doomed.

rainy days and homecomings

There's something about me that I must confess. A lot of you have suspected this for a long time, but I have to get this off my chest.
I love rainy days.
Phew, there, I said it. Wow, that feels so much better.
Yes, dear reader, I love rainy days. There is something about the way the air smells, the way the wind blows just a little bit colder, the way things feel cleaner. I love the rain. My favorite days will start off with a thunderstorm and lots of rain. Gah! I love driving in it.
Enough of that random thought. Look at this picture now.

Great right? On a different note, some of my friends got back in town after a month-long west coast tour. From what I've heard so far (and I've heard quite a bit) it was a trip filled with twist, turns, great nights, and many-a-waking up in cars. For some reason (and I've yet to discover why) that all sounds perfect to me. Yes, I do appreciate cleanliness and order. Yes, I don't like the more-often-than-not hotel room. But it all just feels so free. Welcome home Ben and Landon. I missed you guys.  Lucky.

makers fair cut a rug

www.josephdrinkard.com

Chelsea got to feed a newborn puppy!

Hoop it up, smalls!

This past weekend myself and a group of friends went to the 2nd Makers Fair in downtown Shreveport, LA. It was Danielle (who was selling art), Chelsea, Adam, Alan, and other friends we happened to meet along the way. Most memorable Saturday I've had in a while. So much fun. There was great food, live music, and a ton of local artists!

I remember, when were all hoola-hooping, this guys came up to me and started telling me the history of the hoola-hoop and how he could remember when the first came out. After a while it got kind of awkward. I'm not gonna lie. Oh, and check out the sweet video the right of Chelsea and Danielle hoopin' it up. 

 

Oh, and by the way, don't come to Makers Fair if you don't want to dance. Check out the awesomeness that follows. You be the judge. Let me know who you thought the best dancer was!

  

You can't deny this girl definitely has the charm factor.

This man has inspired me to not care about what people think. You can dance if you want to!

This video needs no introduction. 

Seriously? Made from shells?!

I wish I had taken pictures of all the local art and food. There was a juicing booth, delicious tea and coffee from Heliopolis Coffee, a crepe booth (watch the crepe video), and lots of other stuff!

So what's the moral of this story? Explore your city, enjoy the things that make it unique and special. There's something to find-- I promise. Life is too short, so enjoy the small things like nutella crepes, dancing in the street, and good friends. 

To see all the pictures and videos from my Makers Fair weekend, find me on Facebook!

Inappropriate Questions

As most could have guessed from my blog, I get a lot of my inspiration from people around me. Today's blog is no different thanks to facebook. I was looking through my news feed and couldn't ignore the post that I saw. Priceless.

This post got me thinking. It can be annoying when people assume that they can do, ask, tell, or suggest something personal to you when they haven't earned the right to do so. It happens to me sometimes. Scratch that. It happens to me a lot.

So how do I deal? Well, I've learned that being rude is not the answer.
No matter how off-putting, annoying, vexing, or unsolicited the advice/suggestion/life-change idea may be, I just remind myself that they mean well. My god do they mean well.

Grin and bear it. Oh, and don't be one of those people that makes a dramatic, ambiguous post on facebook book about it. Tweet it, duh.

Dead Baby Pigs + the royal wedding

www.josephdrinkard.com

Creepy blog title, huh? just pretend you're interested, ok?


One of my co-workers and I have started to smell this sour, repugnant smell. Little did we know, the school that meets down the hall is dissecting dead. baby. pigs. Needless to say, this got me thinking, and this random, nonsensical blog ensued.

Three new developments in my life:
1. Twitter is the new Facebook. Myspace is dead.
2. My girlfriend and I have been dating 1 year, 26days. (I had to do the math, I didn't just know that.)
3. I still don't feel like an adult.

www.josephdrinkard.com

So, Leah (my girlfriend, who I just realized I have never blogged about) is legit freaking out about the royal wedding. Leah's planning this whole night where her best friend, her best friend's boyfriend, Leah, and I will stay up and watch the ceremony. It's a big deal. Being the kind, awesome boyfriend that I am, I have to buy her a Royal Wedding Party Present, right? It's on it's way as I type. She's going to flip!

Alright, back to the dead. baby. pigs. I forgot my whole point with that train of thought. You make up something about not being able to control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it. Something like that. Circumstances don't define you. How's that?



Five things you can do if you're bored:
1. Find me on facebook.
2. Follow me on Twitter.
3. Follow this blog.
4. Leave a comment on this post.
5. Have a genuinely awesome day.

www.josephdrinkard.com

Sushi Love

 

So, Derek, Chelsea & I were at Sushiko @ the Boardwalk this past Tuesday, and had an... interesting time. Instead of trying to explain it all, I'd rather just show you our idea of a great time! Aside from Chelsea almost choking, this was an epic food-off! Hope you guys enjoy the video! I put tons of work into it. (Note the awesome effects, lol)

Needless to say, this was obviously one of the best nights ever. This post isn't long, just a snippet of my life. Just pretend you're interested. ok?

When I Grow Up

Just pretend you're interested. ok?

Today is a beautiful day in Louisiana. It's a sunny 68 degrees, I've had sushi and Naked Juice today, and have a fresh outlook on life that has put me in a great mood.

Sometimes I think that we all get so consumed with the future-- what are we going to do with the rest of our lives, how are we going to make money, how to handle the expectation others. For years, I struggled with questions like these. However, sitting in the warm sun with a cool breeze and two great friends helped me remember something that I seemed to have forgotten along the way: life is in the small moments-- the little miracles that go by almost undetected.

I encourage you to take some time today, go outside, and do nothing. Spend time alone with God, don't speak, and just be. Just be with Him. There's joy to be found-- even in hard times. 

Psalm 46:10 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth.”

 On a very different note, I found my facebook comment of the week while I was browsing on my phone one morning. I hope you find it as off the wall and funny as I did. I'm not saying I laughed out loud-- just a small internal chuckle.

**edit: this is not MY comment. this is one I found in my news feed. Wow, definitely should have said that. **

friendship and new glasses!

new glasses. impromptu photo op. why not?

It's a rainy day, but my heart is full. I've realized just how awesome my God and my friends are. A quick quote for you guys:

"Every relationship goes through periods of testing, times of boredom, times when those involved in the relationship must decide whether they are going to develop it to its fullest potential or slide off sideways and begin a new one. Developing a true friendship means digging deep. The stuff of which it is made comes from the depth of our souls. Those who dare to make the commitment discover not only the treasure of a true friend, but the truth about themselves as well." 

A quick thanks goes out to all of you who have been reading my blog! So far, we have readers in USA, Canada, Malaysia, and Singapore. If you just finding this blog, just pretend you're interested. ok? If you haven't commented or "followed" this blog, give it a shot! You can do it without an account or use the other options available!

In other news, Gateway Church has a big Bilingual Signs & Wonders Conference coming up next weekend. Know what that means? Yes! I get to lead worship in both Spanish and English! I'm so excited! I've never had the opportunity to lead bilingually, so I'm pretty stoked!

Cops: The First Ingredient for the Perfect Morning

from left to right: cop writing my ticket, mcdonals menu where I had to repeat my order 18 times, and creeper guy

 Last night was my second night in our new house in Bossier. Today was my first experience with Bossier's finest. I was driving to work, passing the CenturyTel Center, when a motorcyle pulls me over! Needless to say, I find humor in everything, and I mean... everything, so I decided to joke around with him. He said that he was going to give me the benefit of the doubt and write me up for going 60 in a 45mph zone. Favor? What did make me feel better was seeing someone else get pulled over right in front of me. Awesome! Misery loves company. The cop told me to have a good morning. I said the same back and added, "by the way, I hope I never see you again". He laughed (Praise God).

After that, a sausage biscuit and a Diet Coke was definitely in order. I saw this commecial for Diet Coke, and that's exactly how I wanted to feel. Obviously.

Live like it's your party. Light it up. However, I made the mistake of getting stuck behind "weird-guy-who-has-to-get-out-of-his-car-to-pay-in-the-drive-thru".  Crap.

But today is a good day. Why? Because Jesus rocks, and I'm forgiven. Even when the cops pull me over for speeding (on accident) and the guy at McDonald's is mentally inept, I still have Grace. Prasie God.

Someone told me that I couldn't sing...

...and that's alright. When I start to feel bad, I just watch this video, and I feel so much better. I know this is a short post, but it'll make you smile. Just watch this video, please.

I Swear I'm Not a Hoarder...

There's nothing like a good moving day after years of living somewhere to show you just how much stuff we own! We don't realize how much junk we carry along with us until someone comes along and begins to clean it all out! In my room, I still had stuff from my 16th birthday party packed in my closet-- not gifts, mind you, decorations! Needless to say, I had to seriously re-evaluate if I had hoarding tendencies. Word of advice: "When in doubt, throw it out!"

I think that same thing can be said for our spiritual lives. I felt like the Lord dropped this thought in my mind-- there is a big difference between letting me clean you up, and you tucking your secrets back in the dark. To the outside world, both look the same, but there is a world of difference between the two. I want to challenge you today, let the Lord search you. I'm reminded of Psalms 51. Check it out sometime. It'd be a good read for us all.

As far as moving is concerned, I've determined that I'm not a hoarder. There is a big difference between the two. We both have huge stacks of magazines. Hoarders just have dead cats under them.

Watch Joseph Drinkard on
TLC's "Hoarding: Buried Alive"
Sunday Nights @ 9/8C

Barnes & Noble & Homework?

Barnes & Noble is the best, and worst, place to do homework. On one hand, I get to look all artsy and contemporary with my laptop and wireless connection. People look at me and assume that I am smart and educated because I am vigourously typing on my computer and have a stack of books next to me that look used and broken it. What they don't know if that I just started a Blogger account and am blogging. I have been on facebook for the past hour and have only gotten 20% of my homework done. I guess doing homework at Barnes & Noble is like plastic fruit. It's probably the best looking thing you every did see, but it's useless when you have the munchies. My advice kids-- stay at home, go to the library, because a barista yelling "PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE NO WHIP EXTRA FOAM" every 34.5 seconds is hardly a scholastic environment.