The Galveston Wizard

TM Book 2 Chapter 2 Galveston Wizard TM G’Wiz www.galvestonwizard.com www.myspace.com/galvestonwizard TM Vol. #12. Book 2, Chapter 2. Galveston Wizard Periodical. Previous Volumes Online. Let Your Light Shine (take a look outside) “Seek and Ye Shall Find” – 1st Annual Scavenger Hunt - HUGE SUCCESS! Page 6 Piddling Around and Wrote This Page 7 THANKS FOR TH GOOD TIMES GALVES ON!!! R THE GOOD TIMES GALVESTON!!! HE O TIMES ALVES ON!!! TIMES, ALVESTON!! IMES STO !!! ON! Page 9 TM More! Exploding Through Exile 2 Let Your Light Shine G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard “Come down the one-way on Ave P until you hit 31st, We’re Right On the Corner.” See today why DiBella’s Italian Restaurant has been where Locals have been found enjoying top quality Italian Food for over 19 years this last Memorial Day. Tourists in-the-know can also soak (or resoak) up the scene and delicious quisine whenever possible on thier visits. Enjoy DiBella’s daily lunch and weekend night specials, or catch traditional favorites like the Shirmp DiBella, Chicken Carbonara, the Ribeye with Pasta, and much more. As if the food wasn’t good enough, the great service, atmosphere and personality make DiBella’s a frequent requirement for all who love good food. (Don’t forget about the garlic bread!) Stop by during business hours or make reservations today at DiBella’s. Who might we ﬁnd at DiBella’s tonight? We hope it’s you! Stop by and congratulate Charlie DiBella today on his 19 years of outstanding service. Tell them the Galveston Wizard Guided you there! DiBella’s ITALIAN RESTAURANT Tuesday-Friday From 11am - 2pm Lunch Tuesday-Sunday From 5pm - 9pm* Dinner 'Gimme another glass of Pinott 31st and Ave P Cash or Check only. Accepting Credit Cards Soon! 10-6 Mon-Sat. 409 766 7878. 2505 Market St, 77550. “The Original Island Bicycle Shop” Reservations Recommended says 409.763.9036 Ch l Charley *Open ‘til 10, Friday and Saturday Catering and Gift Certificates Available Be ready for the beach Atmoshere the Salon $45.00 body $25.00 legs 1221 23rd Street Galveston 409-443-7587 Galveston Island , TX I TA LIAN RESTA URANT TA A lla BURN without the Why Not paint this one Green? “safe tan” (How do you want YOUR Galveston?) Ask For Teri. Speak up or shut up, but please,...do read on. www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine 3 A Wizard Is Nothing Without His Staff G’ Wiz: Galveston Wizard Periodical, Volume #11, Book 2, Chapter 2. 12, Cover Photo by: Linda Sivy from the East Beach AIA Sandcastle Competition Publisher/Editor/Design/Layout/Photography/Content: David Torkelson Quest: Put the puzzle together. Manipulated by: Isaac Almaguer Assistant-to-the-editor/ Content/Advertising/Distribution Photography/Content: Arlessa Wise Baconious Millionaire Quest: Carpe Diem Webmaster, laughing Advertising/Design/Layout/ Editorial/Photography/Content/ Duties as Assigned: Linda Sivy Quest: Be myself and no one else. Advertising/Promotions: B. Baughn Quest: Art Direction/Design/Layout/ Editorial/Photography/Content: Isaac Almaguer Quest: Be Professionally Awesome. Has to be able to: Create possiblilties/Learn the realm & Role(S)make it thier own how to Your name here Opportunities for: Quest: You Street Team, Writers, PhoAdvertising tell us. tographers, People-About-Town Share you wisdom with us! Baughn girl Baughn girl Beach Apparel TM Help Wanted ? TM A+ for Awesome We never doubted for a minute that we’d get some fiercely creative competitors for our unofficial “Stand & Rack-Off!” challenge to readers in Volume #11 “Perfecting the Process”. (See original, below) Friend and artist Nic Noblique was determined to make a huge impact on our readers, leaving also a calling card for his skills with each and every custom rack created. Good idea! Readers, at unique distribution points (we’re thinking our advertisers should get ‘em first) will be treated to Custom Created Stands. A masterpiece holding masterpieces? Hey Nic, we love delivering the goods too! We still want to see your rack, reader!...or stand! In what creative ways can we present our publications to readers? Let us know! Part Newspaper, Part Magazine, Part FAQ...A ..A Periodical ‘til the rubber leaves the runway. Join us in our quest to bring you more events, bring more customers to your door and bring your voice to the people! Look! We got a blog-spot! PHOTO NOT AVAILABLE Blog: http://community.galveston.com/blogs/galvestonwizard Web Site: www.galvestonwizard.com Email: thewiz@galvestonwizard.com Forum: www.galvestonwizard.proboards62.com Myspace: www.myspace.com/galvestonwizard Phone: 409.621.2864 Mail: P.O. Box 3467 Galveston, TX, 77552-3467 Challenge Winner! Stand&Rack-Off! We invite...no wait, we CHALLENGE any of you out there with an ounce of creativity to pay attention. Have you ever seen an 83-year-old woman bend over, risking life, hip and limb to reach the newest volume of the Galveston Wizard? Well, frankly we’re tired of seeing it. We’re looking for creative ways to display and promote the Galveston Wizard Periodical, stands, racks, and bins where people can ﬁnd their latest volumes of the Galveston Wizard. Help us reach out to our readers, or, up to them rather. Welding? Carpentry? Hmm. What do you think? Your Favorite business want one? Let us know. Functional racks will gain real world experience out in the community. Winners will herald new Galveston Wizard Periodical arrivals to your fellow readers. Disclaimer (or, claimer that we’re not dissin’) The views expressed in each Galveston Wizard are those of the authors and in no way represent the viewpoint of Galveston Wizard Periodical, advertisers, afﬁliates, friends or relatives. It is just that, a viewpoint. it’s adve What do you do with that? Well, properly hearing it out is a start. Driven to rage? Upset? How or why? Feel free to let us know of any views, ideas, su ideas suggestions, or clariﬁcations you have and we’ll make every effort to relay those to your fellow reader as well. Discussions end ignorance and increase tolerance and understanding. The Galveston Wizard serves as a mirror. One in which you can see many viewpoints. For Submission details see page 30 www.galvestonwizard.com thewiz@galvestonwizard.com send us an email. (your ad here) (or our lost revenue here) (let’s get your sales way up here) Moving Made Simple Everything packed up Invite friends Ice-cold Water (adult beverages optional.) Dolly(s) Rolling Cart Deﬁned tasks/objectives Breaks As much patience as you can muster. Now get’r’done! Smile as you sweat! Call Bobby with Hick’s Auto Service at 409.744.4374 for your U-Haul truck rental. (it starts here) (doing nothing keeps you here) thewiz@galvestonwizard.com www.galvestonwizard.com 4 Let Your Light Shine G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Letters to the Galveston Wizard Periodical Thanks for the call, Gabriella. We appreciate the input and encouragements. We’ll be sure to check out your “The Way of the Wizard” by DePatChumpa recommendation. Still waiting on your story submission (: Ah, Spring is here! The birds are singing, the bees are buzzing, the ﬂowers are blooming, and the island has awakened from it’s wintry slumber. As a resident of the island, and as a FedEx runner on the island, I have the advantage of meeting some of the most interesting people. I see a lot of the same customers every day who greet me with a smile and a warm heart. I also have the great advantage of literally watching the Island grow before my eyes. My route runs from 45th to Pointe Westthe end of the Island. From beach houses that look like 18th century mansions and resorts competing for that “ﬁve-star” rating, anyone who has been around a while can clearly see that the Island is getting herself a well-deserved make-over. Looking good, Galveston! -FedEx Mike ****** Hi there Mr. Wizard: your layout of my article was superb, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (again!) each forthcoming installment will I Hope be entertaining, an easy read. I appreciate being able to write for ya. And, i can write on a variety of subjects, too, so pls. keep me in mind if you want/need anything else! just got back from camping/tent/ campﬁre in Yosemite Natl Park in CA. sheeee-it, man, it was the most incredible bit o nature Ive been in, with waterfalls at their glory (8 that i saw) and just an awesome place. went friday thru yesterday, monday. awesome. all back, less stressed, my projects are somewhat caught up vs. how they were before, ready for some Galveston work now! I am going to Prague Cz. Republic in a few weeks for 7 days. then, just here being a galvestonian for the rest of the year. :) best to ya, keep up the great work, and let me know how you think i can assist with your endeavors. -sf ******* Dear Wiz, Congratulations to you and to Linda Sivy. I have read your article about the Skate boarding park to be built at the Menard Park. I am actually Ricardo Rivera’s mother. I want to tell you a little about my son. At age 10, when he told me to work harder to build a skateboarding park in the back yard, I just laughed and told him to go ask the city. He asked me if I was joking, and I answered ﬁrmly, of course not! He took this thought at heart and by his own will, he started later the process of asking the city to build the skate boarding park. He even made a design for it, called some designers in other states. He started selling BBQ lunches, to gather funds. The city offered to put as much money as he would gather, not knowing that he would take this at heart. Between the city, LULAC and the skateboarders association, they collected over $100,000, but then the project ﬂopped! My son wanted to be part in the creation of a park that would help young people in Galveston. ...Finally, I want to thank those who revived the idea. I am a teacher for College of the Mainland. I see a great need for activities for young people here in Galveston. I know this will save many children out from drugs. Thank you to all those that took over the idea and continued it to make it a reality. occupying youth in a wonderful sport. Thanks Ana M. Rivera ice cream and do high ﬁves with Barney as he waddles off for a smoke break. Then ask your 6-year old who is hurt by this. Anybody you know? Any lessons learned here by all involved? Do you both now think that 1.2 million per year is enough? -Richard ***** Any info or plans for an issue that lists programs or lessons at local businesses or schools, etc. for summer activities? I have 2 teens - too old for little kid summer camps - that would beneﬁt from learning surﬁng, skateboarding techniques, golﬁng, bowling, ﬁshing, swimming, etc. Where do I ﬁnd places that offer 3 day classes (or lessons) or even a week’s worth? What kind of costs are involved? Anything to keep my 2 teens from becoming glued to their computer/video games and TV. -Laura Koppe lakoppe@utmb.edu ****** Try this http://www.puritanboard.com/f52/eightdeepest-holes-world-31277/ ****** Thanks for calling today - great to hear from *** you. Latest Video: http://www.youtube.com/ Dave, watch?v=CTEaxAAt4Kc What’s your day look like today? Do you Please visit www.TransportAnihave time to speak? mals.com - read the blog for updates and -Sam also visit the press room to see the coverage **** we got two weeks ago. It’s basically a lifeWhat are you guys a bunch of saving public relations stunt. I need all the Wimps? The Galveston Daily Mistake. The help I can get, getting this off the ground. Police News The GalvestonReporter.com (sorry, pun intended!) Spread the word for All these news source’s published the me will you? name’s of the whoredog’s caught in that Also - for getting that kitty ﬁxed sting. call Animal Alliance - 409-933-1600 - they The Wiz blacked out the name’s Why? are open Wed-Sat. I think Galveston Island Do you think anybody with I Q of a whore- Humane Society - 409-740-1919 may have dog would have brain’s enough to sue.ya? a trap you can borrow. If they don’t have Have ya ever thought about doing a story a trap let me know, I do. But, I’d hate to on Prostitution here in Galveston? tramatize you by having to make two trips to We got some real dog’s working on the Is- the mainland....... land. Thanks Have you been to the Casino on the Seawall Jennifer yet? Might check it out the next time you want ******** an Ice Cream. You’re very welcome. It was really Edward@Gavlestonreporter.com no big deal. Hmmmm……let me put my www.Galvestonreporter.com thinking cap on. What has been your most recent path thus far? Aside from reading ***** the Wiz, which I have…….what is you vi(Re:Vol 9 Article) sion? Where are you seeing the Wiz going? Julie, Having trouble explaining il- My feeling is……. true, accurate journalism legal immigration to a six-year old? It’s not with topics that readers actually care about? that tough. My God, how did you ever ex- May is Homes Tour, graduation, blah, blah, plain Bill and Monica to your six-year old? blah……I would like to see more info about Here’s a big help for you both to the accomplishments of our grade school understand opposition to illegal immigration. and Jr. High kids both academically and othStart by telling him that 1.2 million legal im- erwise…....kind of like a braggers corner… migrants are welcomed to this country each …*giggles* People can submit their brag and every year. Then ask him to imagine that of the month or something. What do you he and mommy are standing in a long line think? too goofy? for ice cream and a hug from Barney. You -Kathy have been obidiently and patiently standing in that line for 40 minutes when eight kids ****** come from out of nowhere and crash into the Dear Wizard: I hope you can run line in front of you. They take the last of the something about this in your paper. Closing the Galveston SS ofﬁce will be very harmful to our minority and disadvantaged and disabled community members. -Margaret Canavan (409)771-6252 The Galveston Social Security Ofﬁce on Seawall is slated for closure in the summer of 2009. A new ofﬁce is in the works for the League City area, with no access via public transportation. This move has been in the planning stages for several years without the knowledge and participation of local citizens or leaders. Closure of the Galveston ofﬁce will mean abandonment of many senior, disabled, and disadvantaged members of our community. While we understand the desire that people in north Galveston County have to locate an ofﬁce in their vicinity, it is wrong to abandon those on the Island whose wellbeing depends on the access which has historically been provided here, and transportation available to them through the City of Galveston. Those who are concerned about this are urged to contact their City Council representative, Mayor Thomas, County Judge Yarborough, Representative Ron Paul, Representative Nick Lampson, and our Senators Hutchinson and Cornyn. Here are some important points regarding this ofﬁce closure: 1. Moving the ofﬁce as planned (to League City, with no public transportation available to the area) will create extreme hardship for the vulnerable senior and disabled citizens on the island and the Bolivar peninsula who lack transportation. Taxi fare to League City is $70 one way, according to a local taxi driver. 2. There is already an ofﬁce in Pasadena, only 16-18 miles from the area where they propose to move the ofﬁce. People are allowed to go to any, not necessarily one in their own county. There is no need to have two ofﬁces so close together, leaving so many transportation-less folks in Galveston and Bolivar with a difﬁcult commute. 3. Social Security and General Services Administration (who oversee buildings for SS) have been working on this move for three years. It was only by accident that a reporter found out about it and it became public knowledge. Even when asked a few weeks ago a SS worker denied rumors of the ofﬁce closing. 4. SS ofﬁcials originally stated that the move was due to rental fees for the Seawall ofﬁce becoming four times higher. This is not the case according to Don Mafridge, leasing agent, who says the increase is more like 10%. Social Security folks later state the cost was not the issue. 5. Local SS Director Patsy Lewis says the Galveston ofﬁce is too crowded and there aren’t any affordable options in Galveston. However, she is unable to state how much they are willing to pay for ofﬁce space, and unable to indicate what locations in Galveston they have considered. (Complete Submission Guidelines Page 30) Event-Making Contest You could call us hunters of hunters, ﬁshers of ﬁsherpersons (G.D.P.C.S.D.O.R.), whatever!...we want to know who out there is putting on the best events. Who among you has an idea for an event? Who wants to bring together more than themselves on something they enjoy, ﬁnding other cool people out there with similiar interests. Such events also give the opportunity to introduce newbies to things that they “might” enjoy. An event starts with an idea. Gary at Crazy Oaks needs mudwrestlers for a mudwrestling contest, who will answer the call? What event or gathering do you want to see in Galveston? You make the call. Help us help you. Call (409.621.2864) or email (thewiz@galvestonwizard.com) Who wins? We all do! www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine 5 Greetings From The Galveston Wizard This is going to be the best summer of our lives, but not without much effort. You knew that it would not be just handed to you, did you not? What quests await you? You can decide! (If you want to). Nearly everything good in this world requires effort to reach. Great is your reward! Don’t be in the mold of becoming hard and bitter about the journey. The efforts you make shake the whole universe. Don’t get caught in the circle of sorrow, just smile and wave. Excusing yourself out of possibilities affects more than you know, and can limit you greatly. Relate...We’re all doing the same thimg, but with diffferent currencies and names. Share experiences, discover possibilities. No more begging, borrowing, or stealing time. Make it for yourself and others by sharing quests and relating to your fellow man. It’s so easy to meet people, all we need is more “Yes” and less ess “not now’s.” Don’t be a hater, be a congratulator. Don’t be stuck on the fence. You’ve got a mind of your own and you can do anything you can imagine. Graze your own pasture. Never wait on the phone call. Figure Out What You’re Worth, then go out and get what you want! YOU! Resting in comfort, making no mind, offering no aid in our quest to bring quality edutainment...know this, we bring community and prosperity. Will you be there with us when our quest is complete? If your not going to compromise, then shut up and get out of our way. Together we can. Don’t say that these pages aren’t for you. Your presence makes it towards that demographic. Congratulations, you are already a reader. Help us to reach you faster by being a doer also. Seek it. Quest Log: Meeting of the Minds Between 7 and 8 sometime every week. A marketplace of ideas and fun to be formalized soon. KBOI Galveston Radio Alllllllllright there Galvestonians and thanks for tuning in to KBOI Galveston. Remember, none of this is possible without your support...Stay tuned! Up next we’ve got an oldie but a goodie.... Clear Lake Wizard We can see clearly the growing possibilities of a land not far from here...are the people there ready for a Wizard? Web site Upgrade Buying the time, ﬁnding the masterminds to creating an even more useful Web companion. Camping (with nature) and Floating (the river) Organized back to nature trip for enjoying life’s simple pleasures and meeting new people. Where, why, and how fun! -Galveston Wizard Let’s discuss possibilities. s. www.galvestonwizard.proboards62.com http://community.galveston.com/blogs/galvestonwizard Visit our Web site at www.galvestonwizard.com to browse previous volumes, view ad rates and more! WOW! The Galveston Wizard Periodical is a log of your everyday quests and journeys. Every day we learn something new about ourselves and the world around us. Every person in your world holds signiﬁcance, if you let them. People, businesses, ideas and viewpoints are presented to you. Heed them! Inspire the hunt for wisdom within your realm by seeking it yourself. We need more people sharing, caring, and helping to make their communities, it’s citizens and visitors the best they can be. What’s a for um for? Well, a forum is an online community geared toward talking about speciﬁc topics, which usually end up in arguments. Sort of like delayed chatting. Still don’t know what I am talking about? Well, worry not! I will help guide you through the process of registering at the new G’Wiz Forum! There you can chat it up with other locals about the on goings of Galveston or talk about what you would like to see done. Your thoughts do matter! The G’Wiz Staff will also be on hand to yak it up when we can from time to time (it can get very busy around the tower.) Step Step Step Step 1: Head over to www.galvestonwizard.proboards62.com 2: At the top of the page click the “Register” link 3: Create a username, password, and all of the other standard registration lines 4: Start speaking your mind! The forum is still under construction will go under changes that will better suit the G’Wiz Style, but you can still star topics and see who replies. Who knows where we go from here? There is only 1 real rule. Try to be civil towards each other and treat others well. With that out of the way. Have fun! 6 Let Your Light Shine G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard “Seek and Ye Shall Find” – 1st Annual Scavenger Hunt -HUGE SUCCESS! On April 27th, from 6-8pm, The Galveston Wizard hosted its 1st Annual “Seek and Ye Shall Find” Post-Scavenger Hunt Party at Gravity Bar on the Strand. Scavs promptly began to trickle in with their booty; a growing crowd of hunters, pacing, waiting for the next to show with one more item than the last. Our staff and judges, adorned in the latest, coolest, G W I Z apparel, t a l l i e d up scores. The atmosphere was carefree despite a palpable suspense. Prize packages and t-shirts were awarded to the top ﬁnishers, but all participants received a hand burned certiﬁcate of completion. We learned much on this, our inaugural foray into hunt hosting (and gosh darn, your feedback has been phenomenal – thank you so very much). For instance, it’s now apparent that successful scavenger hunts require exhaustive research. People pay professionals to host these things. Who knew? As well, involving advertisers in a scavenger hunt can be a bit taxing. Coordinating roles for all parties involved is almost impossible (somebody remember that one). Finally, we can now tell you from experience that coming up with outstanding clues takes considerably longer than an hour. Despite our mistakes, now armed with these lessons learned, we have determined that The Galveston Wizard will host a 2nd Annual – “Seek and Ye Shall Find” Scavenger Hunt in April 2009. We must vindicate ourselves. No, we won’t do it on a Sunday again. Yes, we’ll give you more time. Trust us, we heard you. All in all, however, we’re calling this ﬁrst try a success. Cos it was just fun. After the festivities were over for most, the winner announced and the goodies dispersed, we staff members called it a night. All of us, except the wizard. He stayed behind for a bit. Lucky him. Not long after the 8:00 deadline, in walks Tara with 23 of the 25 items on the list. Incredible. But Tara’s disappointed because she thinks she’s too late. Technically she’s right. I mean, for normal people. But she’s talking to the wizard. He reassembled the judging panel via telephone and we unanimously decided that Tara had done such a thorough job, she deserved the top prize. Therefore, the wizard folded the space-time continuum, turned back the hour and happily anointed our ofﬁcial Champion of the 2008 hunt. Sorry if the time warp caused any annoying paradoxes. By the way, our initial winner was consulted before the wiz did any of this. She demonstrated such grace in agreeing that Tara should take ﬁrst place that we would like to tell you who she is, but she wishes to remain anonymous. www.galvestonwizard.proboards62.com Thanks again to all of our http://community.galveston.com/blogs/galvestonwizard advertisers and participants. Wm. Scott Field, AIA Restoration Architect and Firm Principal Dumb@$$ Tax Accountability We haven’t worked up an ofﬁcial form,...yet. We’re looking more into the “keeping your friends out of trouble” tax, enacted by you and your friends. Once set in place, failures to ARCHITECTURE PRESERVATION keep commitments, blunders, and all around dumb@$$ moves can be taxed towards a common fund. Keeping each other sharp, calling MOBILE 512. 426. 0802 24/7/365 b.s. when it’s there, and doing so in a playful yet positive way will ultimately save them (and you) money in the long run, as you count 1815 URSULINE 77550 - 4743 USA your blessings that your mismanagents of your GALVESTON TX world are replaceable. How could you spend www.parkinsonﬁeld.com 409.765.5232 such tallied funds together? L.U.K. PARKINSON FIELD ASSOCIATES www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine TM 7 Realmstomper Tara Makes The Effort Piddling Around and Wrote This by Calvin Wehrle Almost gone are the days of creativity in Galveston . Now if you have a date you are expected to go to a Landry’s or those closely molded into the group ,,,, of franchises… It is safe, she will love your billfold and amply award you for double digit debit. To walk in the worn franchise tracks of all others is safe .As long as your credit holds out she will be swooned by the gold coins spilled for love . Will there be a day when love can only be expressed by franchises and cattle truck cruise lines ? In the near future they will say what did you do to persuade before franchises and the room will be silenced by neon mental vision of billboard happiness. Although I am not a boi , I would like to preserve for posterity what this island has offered me before we became like they are. 1. A simple walk on the strand or beach . It does not count if you do not put your arm around her. There is the story of the man who buried roses in the sand. 2. Bicycling. Absolute Must! Want to impress her . Take the bikes up the elevator of the National banks to the top of the parking lot. I do not think they have security camera’s there so enjoy (the view) and then coast for almost a mile back to the strand. It’s not the mile high club but is special . 3. Ya”bons Coffee house. Down home hospitality . 4 Old Quarter Café. Especially on open mic night during the week. We all love the talented redneck******* /Wrecks who is very talented and real even though you hope your own children mature before they become mummiﬁed. 5. Joyce Fields is the piano player at the Tremont. She is not only talented but a wonderful smile. If she see’s love in your eyes and “what the heck” a small tip she will impress your woman . Enjoy her then go to the roof for a sunset drink. 6. Sunsets…. East beach ,, yes east beach . Wrong direction but our little island is on an angle. Pier 21,,,, ﬁrst go visit the pelicans on the mosquito ﬂeet. 7. Sunrises. Pier 21. Find the schedule of the cruise ships and seeing them come in and turn around is as awesome the sun’s rising . East beach ,, There is a small tower at the bird sanctuary . 8. Ferry. The ferry is always awesome. Bring a blanket to get a little more intimate. Also note the tinted window on top deck are one tinted one way . 9. Beach rock groins… An must with a bottle of wine. Absolute guarantee you the rythmatic pounding of the waves brings out LOVE. Please remember not to take glass out there. 10 . Pelican Island. Not going to tell you how to get out there. It is not for the soft . My favorite spot is the Island of lucidity. Oh my God! The beaches there are never cleaned so it is at your own risk, but not many go there and those who do are mostly ﬁshermen. It has a great view of the Bolivar lighthouse and the U.S.S Selma the sunken concrete ship. The pelicans usually ﬂy in single convoluted patterns along the edge of the beach as they seek shelter at sunset. Inland west of the concrete ship are 2 old 50’ guide towers. There is just enough room on the top for 2 . Absolute killer sunsets and sunrises. The top of the tower is so small that it is almost like being suspended above the island. If you do it right expect to come home with a few ﬁngernail and briar scratches. Watch out at sunset. One mosquito means a million in ten minutes at certain times of year. 11 .Fishing.. Never take 2 poles. Never…. Bait the hook for her while she sit on your lap in front of you . When she set’s the hook hold her like it is the ﬁsh of her dreams. It fools her every time. The ﬁsh might turn out to be small or get away but you will never forget the experience. 12. Fullens Jewelry , 2215 Post ofﬁce. First I must admit this has commercial intent. Fullens is where I keep my photography of the island on display . Then again it was taken with love and is a great opportunity to share how you enjoy the island. The hospitality and ambience of the owners are perfect to impress your woman that you care for her. They do take credit cards but are not a franchise and she will be impressed with your original taste. 13. Seawall....Bubbles are awesome on the seawall , The wind blows them for you . A kite is also special. A Queen size air mattress is god but only if the wind is from the south unless cuba sounds romantic. 14 The pink train. It has changed hands since I last rode it and no one can replace the original owner. Inexpensive and full of pureness. Bring bubbles, kazoo’s, lots of love and absolutely smile and wave at everyone. 15.Bagism. The most utopic experience any couple seeking togetherness can ﬁnd. Galveston boasts of no place it is prohibited. and Is Rewarded Dear Wizard, I wanted to thank you for the incredible time I had with your last issue. You had a scavenger hunt for all around town. What an amazing idea. I did it all by myself and had a blast. I can only hope that there are more amazing things to come. I mean, you invited the whole town to come out and play, and that is what a good paper does. It helps involve and educate a community with places and people in their own home town. Thank you very much. -Tara Help us help you help us “Uh Oh! Has Chuck qualitycrafted himself into the corner c again?!” Lend someone a helping hand and see what happens! a A nice pile of leaves raked earlier by Baconious, was halted and went unbagged until Brandon one day just grabbed a rake, took handfuls of the leaves, put them in trash bags and hauled it to the curb! Wow! It looked so easy! Good friend Chuck and later Mike helped make quick work of some shelving, made from old warping hurricane plywood. You rule! There are certain things in our lives that seem nearly impossible to accomplish by ourselves. Strangely, they are usually simple straight-forward things that we could do in a short time, but we often get caught up in the “idea” of the work and “overwork” our brains into dreading and not doing the work at all. How do you tackle this problem? Friends! Family! Offer your time to help them clear their inboxes and unﬁnished projects, and you help them buy time! You and they can help be fresh eyes and hands on projects that you and they are stuck on. What’s tackle-able? Be of assistance wherever and however you can to others, and others will follow your lead! Level ‘Em Up! Bear in mind that you are their friends, and their helping you helps them help everybody. A Special Thanks from the Galveston Wizard Periodical to everyone who help make this Galveston Wizard possible. Linda, Isaac, Mike, Arlessa, Brandon, Chance, Jason, Jamie, Thomas, Sidney, Hope, Roger, Loraine, Alex, Tara, Calvin, Michelle, John, Mr. Virus, Robert, Nick, Marc, Gil, Scott, Marie (free beers!?!), Chris (in advance), and Rick, also pen-names using their voices, and others, you all enjoy YOUR volume! Also, all of our amazing advertisers and you, the reader for making it work for them.You know who you are! How may we be of service to you? Using your Galveston Wizard helps us help you! Thanks for that! Read and then do. (repeat) 8 Let Your Light Shine G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Clean out Your Closets and Mark your dirty vehicles for the CAR W ASH (Rain or Shine) Come show your appreciation for the uplifting that we do. It’s not about kissing up to us...that doesn’t matter. Show us YOUR heart. Let us know who our readers are, thats all. We want a head count. We hope to have people lining up to thank us for our time. Donations for washes will help us help you, better and faster. Cameras, Ofﬁce Space, Buying Wizards’ time to help the quest to reach you, the reader. We’ll even wash your car as an added bonus! YOU are the Galveston Wizard! We hope to see you out there! Come show you support! Hotties of Summer “Write It Down Or You’ll Forget!” When: Noon to 5pm Saturday, June 28, 2008 wee ope n n 9am 7 days a - 10 pm (i week n se ason ) io ladie n of sw brati imw s-m ng e ens ls ge 20 years on - child ar in Gal vest ta rens the on *wit islan h th d! is show (does disc not coupon oun your incl an app t* reciat ude sa d ID ion an le item Plus s) Size d ge clo t a go 1-pie ce sw thing fo od d r eal im 2-pie suits u women p to ce sw Cust tops 2 omiz up to imsuits 4w e yo bott E cu u oms p lette r own Tup to Shirt ri XL over ng avai up to lab 1000 5x Kariz desi le We h a Vin gns ave tage Spee & Ti do’s shells in st ddies Sa and - so henn ock ndle G-str a tato uvenir s ings sos for m herm gifts en it crab beac s beac hwear beac sungl h toys h to b wels asse s - h each su p ats sport plies swe ar Seawall Parking Lot. Back Behind Salsas and Academy. (Look for the Hotties of Summer) 45th Who: Why: How: Hotties Tanning Bargain Beachwear GBE Automotive Us & You! Ave U Where: Goodwill 4525 Avenue U 4708 S bet eawall B lv Acad d. 40 9 emy & Ra .762.633 dio large Shac 4 st se k lect Cele loca 20% Spray er my Mon- space.com/h ~ Bronz 4 Fri: 1 ottiesta Off 619-C Loti ing 4 Seaw m0 n 0-9 all, b Ft. C ys9-62 pa ehin rockce1-H Sat: 10 ~ Ski ons .co O d& -3 Pr ncare TT betw ett - m/ho t (46 G een oduc Aca AL tiesta 8 n dem VE 8 ) ts y& ST O Sals a’ M N IS ’s exic ican LAN Res taur D ant Prom Gradu Cruis ation is Wedd e i gs in Bronze! Get Fea tu ~ Shimres: m Clean out your closets, garages and attics and bring your barely-worn clothing and items to Goodwill. While you’re there, let us clean your car. Have some fun and learn more about a few of our fellow businesses that helped make this possible! We thank you in advance for your support, encouragement and action. Yea You! else can we make sure you’re paying attention? Best Prices on the Island (Behind Academy) To volunteer time or ideas, email us at thewiz@galvestonwizard.com www.galvestonwizard.proboards62.com or call us at 409.621.2864. We look forward to seeing you out there! http://community.galveston.com/blogs/galvestonwizard Galveston Liquor 4613 Ft. Crockett Blvd It’s okay, you’ve missed church before, but you won’t know what you’ve missed until you do go! “Stock Up And Save!” 409.765.7003 www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine 9 THANKS FOR THE GOOD TIMES, GALVESTON!!! by Hope Crenshaw This trip back to Galveston has been a long time coming. The last time I was on Texas soil was almost 12 years ago and I’ve been dreaming of coming back ever since. Seriously, I’ve been have dreams about Galveston 3 or 4 times a year. Most of the time they were more like nightmares, obviously I needed to come back! I ﬂew into Houston with (1) 2 yr old, (1) 4 yr old and (1) agoraphobic babysitter! Why, you ask? Because I was desperate!!! We stayed the ﬁrst night at H’s house. H is what I would call a gentle giant. My kids loved the crap out of him, especially when he took them on all the rides in Kemah! I could get them to listen just by telling them we were going to see H! (He’s one of my boys and manager at YAGA’S) You could say that my “Boy’s” are part of, or are THE YAGA’S crew. Yes, I am a lucky bitch!!! H was gracious enough to let us stay with him the ﬁrst night because the wouldn’t be ready until the next day. We also stayed the last two nights at Hs, because I refuse to ﬂy hung over with 2 kids and the agoraphobic babysitter! Dog Fight.... The next morning, I am tired and jetlagged. After all, there is a one hour time difference between Michigan and Texas! I traipse down the stairs (H’s apt is on the second ﬂoor of a house, meaning that is a long walk downstairs hungover!) and have to step over 3 quite interesting looking mongrels, I mean dogs. The oldest looks like a ﬂuffy Australian Shepard mix, with one eye. The second is a large hound dog with ‘ach-hm’ the largest set of cohones you’ve ever seen. They hang down to his ankles! Almost. I can’t remember the 3rd because I was drunk, hung over or detoxing most of the week. This IS Galveston after all. I have two small children and I NEVER go out at home, so I was having a grand ole time!!! I start to get our luggage out of the car, I turn around and THE DOGS HAVE ESCAPED!!! “One Hung Low” makes a break for it and as I grab for him, I get caught in the skeletal remains of a for sale sign. I spin around, do a double backtuck and procede to put a large hole in my favorite pair of Banana Republic jeans! What the heck! I’m am screaming for help this whole time and I guess H was sleeping on the couch at Biff McLargehuge’s. apt. just listening and probably laughing his butt off. I ﬁnally get two of the three dogs back in. (F.Y.I the dogs were great with the kids!) All the while hobbling on one foot dripping blood down my very white legs. Don’t worry lads, they didn’t stay white for long. All this happened on my very ﬁrst morning, Welcome to Galveston, have a f*%#& nice day!!! I should have a “Made in Galveston” sign tattooed around the scar, bloody brilliant! Mold, migraines and waves... By the time Sunday came around we had already moved twice in the timeshare complex. We had to move from the ﬁrst townhouse because the ceiling in the downstairs bathroom was dripping water on your head every time you used the crapper. Drip... Drip...Drip.. That does get old after awhile, The taste was slightly tart and unexpected. door so fast I must have looked like a crazy not to mention the mold covering the ceil- We sat at the sushi bar and were having a woman! ing. It was all puffy like moldy cottage grand ole time when low and behold, They were having a fundraiser for the Leuclan walks in! kemia and Lymphoma Society th night at cheese. The second and last townhouse T and his that YAGA’s, so he had to work the rest of the was better, at least you could see the gulf It seems e night. No biggie, I ﬁgure I would from the patio. It was also very loud and like you ﬁgured n’t just hang o at the every night you had a beautiful display of can’t go out bar trafﬁc lights ﬂashing on your walls. I de- a n y bar. Low and behold cided to call those lights “mood enhancers” w h e r e it was 80’s But they are newly refurbished! (that was on the and nigh and the sarcasm) Most of the furniture was chrome, island night costu with glass tables. The couches were so w i t h costumes were quite well loved you just sank into them and o u t amusing! I loved not in that shabby chic way. I was getting r u n ng the guy with the ready to go to the beach when my babysit- ning o socks p ter comes running up the stairs and tells me into pulled up to his kn that a cockroach was crawling along the knees, plaid shorts a side of the couch. Of course she was too and white polo shir with the freaked out to kill it, so for a couple days shirt collar turn up. I we were afraid to sit on the furniture. Good turned Pati enc think he even had Times! e, H ope a terry cl I feel my mind clear and my mood lighten cloth head , Bra ndi meone you band on! Most of as we mosey on down to the beach. The someone and Cha ow. It always seemed the people w from beach was lined with umbrellas and chaise know. were nel e UTMB and I didn’t relounges , kids were playing in the sand, my like I wasn’t wearing a stitch of make up make-up version of heaven. Colin (my 4 yr old) let and then I’d see someone I hadn’t seen in ally know any of them. I did meet out a yell and headed for the waves. H said years. John though, at least that is what I was callN M is a ma- ing him all weekend! He is quite handthat he knew the Now rin guy who rented rine biologist some with the coolest hair around. I knew an is a teach- he wasn’t from around there when I saw the chairs out. and er She is one his “faux hawk”. I got Colin a faux hawk We walk over er. co chick, she at his last haircut. Anyway, John is pretty and there is this cool is trying to get new to town and he teaches Yoga around very tall and very a volunteer job the strand and does something in the meditanned Adonis on this “pirate cal ﬁeld. Go ﬁgure, I was drunk. standing there! I sh think I was able ship”!! They I can’t forget to tell you about Coby, he’s sa to mumble hi sail around one of the waiters at YAGA’s and barely th world tak- legal. Give him about 6 yrs and watch and wish I had the in a burqa to wear. ing pictures out! He has the cutest dark curly hair (you of people il- know the kind of curls all of us girls want) Lets just say le I’ve found some legally ﬁsh- and very beautiful blue eyes. I’m was siting for sharks, ting at the bar, he walks by and say’s hi of the best eye Homer and Colin in a plane. wh candy on the whales and Miss Hope. I looked right at him and said hunting baby harp seals Us beach! seals. Usually the bad “please don’t call me that”.I felt old! He When you walk down the stairs from the guys ram the boat to get them to stop tak- replied with a smile, “I was being polite”. I seawall to the beach, Frankie works the ing pictures. So, you know what these hate polite. He never said that again!!! right part of the beach and RL (aka Ronnie, guys do? They have a “Can Opener” on I ﬁnally got sick of looking like one of RL’s f t h e y groupies. Sorry Buttercup! So I d Leroy, or my favorite Buttercup!) works the side of their boat and decided !!! to go hang out BEHIND the bar. It w the left. No. they don’t “work” the beach, sink them!!!! Then they wasn’t busy and since I have common sense, (of course maybe if the price is right!), they rescue the crew and evves I knew when to stay out of the work for RL’s lovely Aunt, Mona Good- eryone lives happily way. There are privison, who owns WATERWORKS BEACH ever after. The End. most r leges to h SERVICE. Waterworks rents out chaise P.S. Almost forhaving nk friends lounges, umbrellas, and boogie boards on got to thank you in high the beach at 10th st. and 17th st. M for the nightplac We went to the beach every day, can you mare’s I had places.. ! Brit blame me? We ﬁnd our new buddies and that night!!! Brittney, the get a couple chairs, but it was so frickother ht bartender ing windy, that my kids turned blue at the My night lips and umbrellas shot like missle’s down out with was supe cool super the beach. It like something out a horror RL..... and we had a movie. Ever see the movie Damien? You Since I ball! ! I had needed to yell FOUR! to give people a didn’t such a grea time great Th eG heads up. want hanging with them. uys y to leave my She is a total do and doll ,G uar ngs Blew off....... few evenings bea great dancer. She’s din gT okoff Since the last few days were laid back, I fore the cookoff to chance, going to go to up north hei o was dying to go out. T and C went ﬁsh- I knew who I could call that would a little and ﬁnish studyrP rize ing dance. Maybe we will ut. w ing every day and then they had “couples” take me out. RL! He said to come by . nd time in the evening. I could have been the YAGA’s and then we would go hang out see you on “So you think 5th wheel but nooooooo I wasn’t invited. I with some friends of his. I had my babysit- you can dance!” decided to make a few calls and very sweet ter (the agoraphobic one) drop me off, you So I’m sitting there thinking I was looked M said she would go out to dinner with me. could hear the kids screaming down the hot in my white shirtdress. I thought it So we decided to go this great sushi restau- strand! Each night was louder and loud- looked like a ﬁtted version of a man’s dress rant (?) on 61st. Both of the owners can be er, by the end of the week they knew if it found there on any given night. You have was dark out and we headed for the strand, to try the seaweed salad, it was amazing. mommy was going out. I jumped out the Page 26 See Thanks 10 Let Your Light Shine G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Galveston Real Estate…Fact or Fairytale? These days, real estate development seems to be a “hot” subject here on the Island. Debates about density issues, the “Miamiﬁcation” of Galveston, rising property values due to Second Home and Vacation Home sales, and taxation all fuel rumors concerning our local real estate market. This time of year we all hold our breath about receiving our CAD valuations. Will all this new development be costing us more…. again? Should we collectively take a strong stand against future growth? And, if so, how will it affect us in the long run? Myths and rumors abound…and some of them might not be completely true. The national media reports certainly don’t help. Since real estate is “localized,” an Associate and I wanted to know the truth about our local market. In doing a little research, we found some interesting information to consider… Fairytale #1: “Galveston real estate sales are dropping like all other resort communities in the USA.” According to the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, Galveston had more residential transaction on the MLS in 2007 than in 2006. Very few other resort communities in the US performed as well as Galveston in 2007. On the contrary, the majority of “second home communities” saw decreases of resales in 2007 compared to 2006. As for January and February 2008, despite the fact that we are bombarded almost everyday in the news by negative stories related to real estate and the mortgage crisis, Galveston had a total of 127 residential transactions on the MLS for these two months as opposed to 147 for the same period in 2007 and 130 in 2006. Not bad at all! Since many people decided to put their property for sale in 2007 and the inventory of available homes raised, some of us have the impression the market is slow. In reality, the volume of transactions is pretty healthy… especially in light of the national media negativity. Fairytale #2: “New house and condo projects will increase the value of our homes and consequently our property taxes.” The value increase in Galveston is not created by developers, it is driven by demand. And that demand comes mostly from Baby Boomers, the largest group of the US population. According to an article published on EscapeHomes.com (an online listing service for vacation homes): “There were 77 million people born between 1946 and 1964, these people (Baby Boomers) are just hitting their peak buying years. For the next 10 years, you should see similar demand pressure.” “It’s the same up and down the coast. Anywhere that people can even sniff the sea breeze, prices are soaring. Housing experts estimate the average price of homes in ocean communities has doubled during the past ﬁve years.” Some people say that we should limit the construction of new homes in order to keep our own home appraisals down and consequently pay less property tax. In fact, it is just the opposite! Less new houses and condos means less inventory to choose from, and consequently prices will rise even faster. It’s the fundamental law of supply and demand! If we limit development, it has to be for reasons other than to keep the price of our real estate low. With 25.5 million people living within a 300-mile radius of Galveston by 2010, there will be many Baby Boomers amongst them that will be looking for a second home in which to relax and enjoy their retirement. If we do not have enough inventory, the potential for prices to rise quickly is substantial. According to the Research Institute for Housing America 2006, their Special Report entitled Housing Trends Among Baby Boomers stated “there are strong patterns of regional demand for the location of the second home.” Fairytale #3: “Secondhomes do not create local jobs and a strong economy.” Most of us would like to see more (and better-paying) jobs created in Galveston. We’d also like to see more families move to the Island. But as people choose to cross the causeway in search of larger homes (and lots) for the same price, better schools, etc., we’ll eventually learn this trend is not easily reversed. On the other hand, the demographic trend of Baby Boomers is inevitable! Why would we not take the opportunity to reach this segment of the homebuying population? The most common dream in terms of real estate is to own a second home “by the water.” If Second Home owners do not create local jobs and a strong economy I wonder why resort cities like Boca Raton (FL), The Hamptons (NY) and Myrtle Beach (SC), Charlestown (NH) just to name a few, are so appealing and have been so prosperous…Probably because the people buying and building in those communities often have good disposable income and need plenty of services and goods. Our own local workforce is crying out for this type of support (as recently demonstrated by their strong presence at one of the City’s Public Hearings)! Additionally, it seems logical the more Second Homes a city has (especially near the water), the more retirees it will have. Baby Boomers are aging, and many plan to retire in their weekend retreat one day. An article published in Galveston Daily News in February 2007 states that a formula devised by Jacksonville State University calculated that “a retired couple packs an economic clout equal to 3.7 factory jobs.” This is good news for Galveston Island, which is growing in popularity amongst retirees. Based on the numbers, our future is actually pretty bright! Let’s all work together to make Galveston a Fairytale with a happy ending. Procrastination is the assasination of motivation. www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine 11 seeking peace lets fight together! ready for war Hi David Torkelson: You may or may not know this, but I am personally affected by CF as my wife (Melanie) has the disease. Melanie and I joined thousands of other volunteers in an effort to raise money for the eventual cure of CF, a disease that affects tens of thousands of children and young adults in the United States. Research and care supported by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is making a huge difference in extending the quality of life for those with CF. However, we continue to lose precious lives to CF every day. That’s why your help is needed now more than ever to ensure that a cure is found sooner - rather than later. To learn more about CF and the CF Foundation, visit www. cff.org. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those with CF! Thank you for supporting the mission of the CF Foundation and GREAT STRIDES! The preliminary view is an estimated $722,000.00 raised from the University of Houston walk. That early estimate ranks as the number one site in the U.S. “What’s Johnny Up To Now?” Be a peace-seeking missile as the island is ﬂooded with people wildly interested in all of Galveston’s offerings! That’s right, tourism season is here!They bring money and incentives for you locals to present a better island, and you tourists be sure to respect our island home. Look for ways to be of assistance and encouragement to your fellow human.Be kind to others, the more you do so, the more things begin to work out for you as well! You are someone else’s other person! The Galveston Wizard seeks to be of assistance. Often, we see others get caught up in the little things, taking things personally. We sometimes take life too seriously ourselves, and restist the urge to violently reject and ignore ways we can be of service to our fellow man. We get caught up in our worlds. But the tourists continue to ﬂood the island with fresh eyes and perspectives,...what do they see? We would do well to see things that work for others, helping them, and in doing so, apply the positive principles we learn to our own work. Ultimately, no one but you can work towards solving the problems that you face but you. Ask and you shall receive. 12 Let Your Light Shine G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Wear’d You Get That? Show your sense of style AND your support! Check out new styles and old favorites at these ﬁne locations across the realm! Online Marketplace coming soon! Get Yours While Supplies Last! (Ask nice and we’ll maaaybe make more.) Seek them conveniently across the realm. PHASE I Student of GW001 only $12.00 + tax Learn more at www.galvestonwizard.com TM Galveston Knocks Island School of Hard Teaching people the hard way since 1900 Student of Galveston Island. only GW002 $12.00 + tax TM Galveston Island ""It's Near Texas" " It's Near Texas" Sun N Fun Foodmart 3228 Seawall Blvd (409)762-8160 Galveston Island, Near Texas GW003 only $12.00 + tax TM Classic G’Wiz Logo Tee. Got a design ideas? You’ve had million-dollar ideas. You will have more. Dust off one of your favorite Galveston Tee ideas and let us help you make it real. Tourists and locals eagerly await. Wear the proof for them. They’ll want one, too. www.galvestonwizard.proboards62.com http://community.galveston.com/blogs/galvestonwizard Get Yourself an on the map. Want G’Wiz merchandise in your store? 409.621.2864 or thewiz@galvestonwizard.com www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine 13 De-Americanization (Part Three) by Thomas Graves Happy June to everyone (especially to those teachers that are enjoying a well deserved summer off!). For those of you that are reading this for the ﬁrst time, I have been going over my story of a random decision that changed the course of the rest of my life. For those of you that have been reading, we left off on my blossoming romance with a Dutch receptionist named Marieke, and my new aching blister on the back of my leg. The blister showed up the day after I spent the night on the streets, and with every passing day it got more and more painful and red. The night watchman (Kervin), had the idea to go ahead and pop the blister and drain it, thinking that would solve the problem. I did just that, and what was once a blister turned into a festering wound. So at this point, I’m having to worry about how I’m going to pay back my friend and soon to be house mate Benny, and pay the money due to stay in the house that we moving into. Oh, and I was hating my job. After I got robbed, I lost all feelings for my colleagues and my job. My intended subbing position was to become available in two weeks, so I was feeling the urge to quit the White Horse. In the meantime, all I could do was give Benny as much of my income as would be sufﬁcient for his peace of mind. I would spend 20 pounds on a weekly transit pass and keep about 15 pounds to feed me until the next pay check. The rest would go to Benny. But more about Marieke. After our ﬁrst day out together, I went back to her work. She went to work and I went home. One of her colleagues asked me out for drinks around Piccadilly Circus. I agreed and met him around Leicester Square. We found a nice, comfy pub, and proceeded to talk about all sorts of things. We talked about him, we talked about me, and then we talked about Marieke. At this point I knew that I liked Marieke, but I had no idea what her feelings were for me. While I was sitting there in the pub, I received a text message from her telling me that she was off and wanted me to come over. I agreed and jumped on the subway. I got back to Swiss Cottage and hiked about eight blocks to meet her. We got back to her one room apartment and had beers and talked for a few hours. I left still not knowing if she liked me as much as I liked her, and as I was almost arriving home, I received a text message from her conﬁrming my wish. It was ofﬁcial, I had a girlfriend! At that moment, my heart felt so much better. No longer did I feel that terrible loneliness. Now I had someone who I could feel comfortable to share things with that I would not want to share with other people. With her, London ceased to feel so intimidating. A couple of weeks passed and our relationship grew and grew. My feelings for my job on the other hand declined. I decided to quit. My job with Protocol Teachers would begin any day now and I was on the verge of hating everyone I worked with. One day I took my break, and never came back. I felt better initially but it would soon prove to be a huge mistake. The job with Protocol Teachers was to start on a Monday. I didn’t start working for almost a month. It was horrible. I was completely out of money and Marieke fed me, and let me stay with her so I wouldn’t have to keep commuting to see her. I stopped going home to North Acton (where Benny and I lived) except to change clothes and say “hi”. I could tell that it bothered Benny that we moved into the house together and I was hardly there, but the more I stayed there, the more I would have to borrow from him. I felt that me not being there would work out for Marieke and I as well as preserving my friendship with Benny. I think it should also be of interest to inform you that my wound on the back of my leg was now getting fever and going deeper into my leg. Every morning that I woke up I would put on my tie and slacks, and think to myself “today will be the day”. It took initiative on my part to get the ball rolling. I called the agency and pleaded with them to look anywhere in London for some work. I told them that I didn’t mind commuting for over an hour and I didn’t have any preferences. They started searching the Acton area for jobs, but I also told them that I was living in West Hampstead (where Marieke lived). So they started looking in that area as well. Two days passed and the work ﬁnally started rolling in. Every morning at nine o’clock I would get a phone call telling me to go to some unfamiliar neighborhood and teach. Each school that I showed up to work for unlocked a new area to me. Every place I taught at had something interesting about it. Every day that I worked I earned £119, and I now had work everyday, ranging from south west London, to far east London, and central London. I ﬁnally was getting on top. I started paying back Benny, and taking Marieke out to dinner. It was a fantastic feeling. If I wanted to buy something, it was now possible. Without warning, mine and Benny’s house mates decided to move out. Since their names were on the lease, that meant we had to move out as well. Benny and I came home to an empty room. They took our beds and everything else that belonged to them. Benny moved back into Palmers Lodge and I ofﬁcially moved in with Marieke. Soon November rolled around and Marieke and I were falling for each other. Though in the back of my mind, I knew that my departure date was coming fast. My heart told me that I should stay with Marieke, but my logic was saying otherwise. For some reason, I thought there was something for me to come home to. Of course I missed my family and friends, but I was ﬁnally becoming successful in a foreign country and I had a beautiful girl by my side. What more could you want? But something kept urging me not to get too attached to my new life style. Marieke at the same time had to make decisions of her own. She was thinking of returning to Holland later in the year, when suddenly she got a call from one of her old employers offering her a reception job. This hostel was right next to the Kings Cross tube station (where the terrorists attacks occurred). The job offered a live in arrangement, where Marieke would live on the premises. On the top ﬂoor of the downtown hostel were small apartments where the staff got to live. Marieke offered for me to move with her, and I accepted. Moving a person’s belongings without a car is quite a difﬁcult task. We had to drag her stuff down the street, onto the subway, and drag it back out onto the street and up to her new apartment. We had to make about 5 trips. Once we were done, it was perfect. We could open up a window and look out across the city. It was wonderful. In just 5 months, I was able to go from the bottom of the barrel to having a well paying job, a great girlfriend, and a downtown apartment (just a 30 minute walk from Big Ben). My birthday came in midNovember and all the friends that I had Caption: My sister and I in front of Big Ben made over the course of the past months came out for it. We bounced around to all of our favorite pubs in downtown London and stayed out till morning. Just before Thanksgiving my sister arrived for a week visit. It ﬁlled me with pride to show her around the now very familiar city. I could pay for things, and she got to spend time with Marieke. It was perfect for her as well as for me. It put everything that had happened to me (good or bad) into perspective. One day as my sister and I were walking up to Westminster Abbey we started talking about what I was to do about my feelings regarding Marieke. I told her how much I wanted to stay with her, but I also knew how much I needed to go home. My departure was only a month away and it was time to make a decision. So I decided at that moment, that I was going to try staying with Marieke. This of course was great news for both of us, but now we had to start thinking about the legalities of our decision. Marieke wanted to move to Texas with me, so that was easy. The big question was what we would have to do to get her over here. While my sister was here, we did a lot of stuff. We even took a trip to Bath and Stonehenge. It was a great time. After she left, it was time to focus on Marieke and discuss our intentions. Just how were we going to make this work? What’s next? Find out next month. If you are completely lost, don’t forget that The Galveston Wizard is online (www. galvestonwizard.com). You can ﬁnd all the back issues there. Next months article will involve mine and Mariekes big European adventure, and me holding the weight of a domino fall of drunk Finnish people on an escalator. We won’t tell you N FUcling Game! Recy EXACTLY who lost the recycling game we shared with readers in volume #11, (available online), but we will tell you that the non-losers quickly reasoned that ALL of the recyclables needed to go to the recyAL cling center off 61st and Broadway at that time. clin (Getting there. Turn right while on the feeder ( (Ge facing 61st Street like you were going to Target, faci then hang a quick right into the facility.) Quick thinking to take aluminum cans further down the Broadway feeder for $3.50 cash had us getting the last laugh...we mean...them....uh, those who lost....but not us...yeah, someone else. Recycling Heads-Up Phone Number: (409) 741-1446 Address: 702 61st Street, Galveston, TX 77551 Hours of operation: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday - Saturday, Closed on Sunday Please do not leave anything at the Recycling Center gate if the facility is closed. (Put this on your fridge) acks player st er! Each ea. Whoever consum to play, e designated ar ing it to the w to br Here’s ho d can in th it all has ng rights. se topples their rin can that make for braggi es THE s plac hand ! Steady recycler Sort out and bring in the following items to be recycled. Glass: Brown, Clear, and Green Sorted Separately. No broken glass. All Types of Paper Cardboard All Scrap Iron & Metal Aluminum 5 Tires Per Week-Proof of Residency Required Old Gas Antifreeze Ink Jet Cartridges 1-9 Plastic *Please Pack All Plastic Bags In 1 Bag** Computers & All Electronics Automotive Batteries & Rechargeable Batteries Cell Phones No Styrofoam *No Paint or Hazardous Waste *Complete information at www.cityofgalveston.org Keyword: Recycling. (What else should we let them know, Keith? We need more room!) 14 Let Your Light Shine An Interview with the Rev. John Bostock The Senior Minister of the Christian Unitarian Free Church Q. “Welcome to Reverend John Bostock the founder and Senior Minister of the Christian Unitarian Free Church, a new church in Galveston”. A. “Thank you, it’s nice of you to invite me here” Q. “Reverend John, I have read your leaﬂet about the Christian Unitarian Free Church. You say that you do not believe in the traditional view of the trinity, why?” A. “Well, I think that the traditional Christian churches have taken the concept too far. For instance, it seems that they are advocating three different gods that somehow form a single God, and yet at least one of them is a lesser god. This just doesn’t make sense to me. I believe in one God and one God only in the universe.” used. “Christ” is a Greek word meaning “Messiah” which in turn is Hebrew for “Anointed one” meaning one who was anointed with oil. Well of course Jesus was anointed with oil; it is a common practice, and has been around since the time of Moses.” A. “No, the Catholic faith does not offend me. If it wasn’t for the Catholic Church there would be no Christianity. That is where all Christian faiths come from. I have the greatest respect for the Catholic faith and all religious that believe in the one God. Where I differ from the Catholics is that I do not think it is right to put a human (Mary) above God. God does not have a mother; He is the Mother and Father of all creation. I would be happier if they were to say “Mary mother of Jesus”, that would be much more accurate. On the same subject, I also think it is wrong to pray to Mary or any other Saint, it clearly says in the Bible that you must pray directly to God, “talk to God and he will answer”, by praying to someone else you are effectively saying that they are also a god, this is not how it should be.” G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard players in the others, for example, both the Jewish and Islamic religions accept the existence of Jesus and both the Jewish and Christian Religions accept the existence of Muhammad. The only difference between them is who they follow.” Q. “You say “One God in the universe”, does that mean that, if there is other life out there somewhere, our God is their God too?” A. “Of course, He is not only our God and their God; He is the God of all. This means He is also the God of the animals that live on the earth with us and any life form that exists anywhere in the universe, even life forms that we may not recognize as life. I ﬁnd it interesting that you said “if” there is life out there, I am certain that there is, out of all the billions of billions of stars in the universe it would be arrogant in the extreme to believe that we are the only planet with life. It says clearly in the Bible that God made the universe, why would he only put life here?” Q. “So you have no problem with either of them?” A. “As I said I have great respect for all religious beliefs that are centered on the One God and advocate peace and respect for each other. Only God can say who is right. Who knows, we may all be wrong.” Q. “But does that mean you don’t believe in Jesus?” A. “It certainly doesn’t mean that! I believe in Jesus and I believe that the message he brought was a message from God that God wanted us to follow. I don’t believe that Jesus was a god. Jesus himself never once said he was the son of God, other than in the sense of us all being children of God, he only ever said that he was “the son of man”. I do believe, however, that he was sent or “chosen” by God. That is why I call myself a Christian.” Q. “So you believe that animals have souls?” A. “Yes I do. I believe that all life has a soul. You can call it a soul or consciousness or what ever you want, I don’t believe you can separate life and soul; they are one and the same. Look, if you have a cat or a dog or a horse, you can watch them thinking and dreaming, so they must have thought which means they must have consciousness, if they have consciousness, they must have a soul.” Q. “So you don’t believe in the concept of patron Saints?” A. “No I don’t. I don’t think it is up to human beings, even the Pope, to decide if someone is a saint or not. And who is to say what their job is after they die? Certainly not the Pope that is God’s decision.” Q. “Just one last question. Do you think that the Bible is the word of God?” A. “That is probably the most difﬁcult question. Do I believe that the Bible was written by God? No of course not. - Do I believe that it was inspired of God? Yes of course. - Do I think it contains the words of God? In some places, yes, if fact it tells you which is the word of God by saying “and God said”. The Bible, or should I say, the books that make up our Bible were written by many different people in different languages at different times, they have been translated into ancient Greek, Latin then old English then more modern English, played around with by the Vatican and various Popes and Kings etc. So do I believe it is the exact words used? No I don’t, but I do believe that it has survived pretty well intact and it is the best book available to guide us through this life and, after this life is over, into an everlasting life with God.” Q.” But to be “Christian” surely you must believe that Jesus was the “Christ”?” A. “Well, to answer that, ﬁrst you must understand the meaning of the words Q. “In your leaﬂet for the Christian Unitarian Free Church, you said, and I quote: “the phrase ‘Mary mother of God’ offends me”. Why does that offend you? Does the Catholic faith offend you?” Q. “What about the other two big religions, Jewish and Islamic?” A. “Well I certainly do not want to get into politics or the war in Iraq here but to answer your question, Judaism is the mother of both Christianity and Islam. Abraham was the father of Judaism, and all three of the big religions are what is known as “Abrahamic” religions, because Abraham was the one that put it all together and came up with One God who is still known in some religions as the “God of Abraham”. The Jewish bible forms the ﬁrst testament of both our Holy Bible and the Islamic Quoran. All three accept the existence of the principle “Rev. John Bostock, Senior Minister of the Christian Unitarian Free Church, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with me.” “My Pleasure, thank you for listening.” 11AM-2AM 11-7 MON-FRI Early Registration Due By July 14th If you’ve never been, you need to go. Heard about your old tv set becoming obsolete? “On February 17, 2009 Television Will Evolve.” Check out www.dtvtransition.org for info. www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine 15 Slaying Serpents Pay Up / Square Up That $20 you borrowed from Grandma is the serpent. Pay her back and slay the serpent that looms in your subconscious, blocking progress and communication. Get right with others and others will get right with you in turn. Knowing what slows you and facing it then grows you. Clearing your realm of serpents allows you to face the dragons that must also be slain for true peace, prosperity and happiness in your realm. 16 Let Your Light Shine G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard 3033 Gulf Freeway Dickinson, Texas 77539 Sales Service Parts Collision Center 281-337-2521 800-880-6744 www.gaypontiacbuickgmc.com 2008 Yukon’s, XL’s & Denali’s $7000 Off MSRP $11,000 Off MSRP with Loyalty 3610 Ave N 1/2 Savings include: $5000 discount. $2000 Rebate. Several to choose. *Offer expires 6/30/2008. Must show proof of 1999 or newer GM vehicle registered at same address to qualify for additional $4000 loyalty rebate. Galveston, Tx 77550 www.derrickandco.com Ofﬁce (409) 740-1148 Fax (409) 740-0549 derrickandco@yahoo.com “Oh Noooo..! It’s A Toothache!” Don’t let a toothache take a bite out of your fun this summer! Come see us... We’ll get you swimming again! Kenneth S. Gluski, DDS 1025 Rosenberg (409)765-9190 Hmm... I did not know that. We also do Bleaching and Cosmetic Dentistry . (Tell them you saw them in the Galveston Wizard!) “Call for an estimate today.” Access Gates. Sales. Installation. Service. www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine 17 GALVESTON.COM, GALVESTON.ORG, & GALVESTONCRUISES.COM Hello from Galveston Island, Texas! Spend the day at a sun-ﬁlled beach, venture into a tropical rainforest, splash in a yearround waterpark, experience life on an offshore rig or explore a World War II naval display. Do all this and much more on Galveston Island. Galveston offers a wide variety of activities for every age and is a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon or weekend. For your complete guide to Galveston Island, visit Galveston’s website for springtime fun at Galveston.com! Star Party Saturday, June 28, 2008 Beginning at Dusk Stars, planets and other wonders of the universe will come into sharp focus when Moody Gardens hosts a Star Party on June 28th. Astronomers of the past set the foundation for today’s astronomy and we have come a long way since Galileo’s ﬁrst telescope. Stargazers of all ages are invited on a journey through outer space as Moody Gardens hosts its Star Party from dusk until 10:00 pm. This event is free. For more information, call Moody Gardens at 800/582-4673 or visit www.moodygardens.org. Fourth of July Parade Friday, July 4, 2008 10am Don’t miss the annual Fourth of July Parade, July 4th at 10am. The event begins downtown at 25th and Santa Fe Place; continues from Santa Fe Place to the Strand at 21st; continues 21st to Postofﬁce; then Postofﬁce to 24th; 24th to Sealy. Following the parade there will be a 4th of July celebration at Sealy Pavilion (24th and Sealy) with patriotic entertainment, free hot dogs and lemonade, and free American ﬂags for the children. Art in the Park Sat, Jul 5, 10am – 6pm Don’t miss Art in the Park, an open-air market event held the ﬁrst Saturday of the month (March thru October) at Saengerfest Park, 23rd & Strand. Dozens of artists will set their masterpieces out for all to see. This event is free to the public and whether you’re an art enthusiast or not, it is a great chance to see some unique artwork by local Galvestonians. For details, visit www.galveston.com Summer Band Concerts Every Tuesday 7:30pm As we usher in the Summer season, we embrace the humid weather and sunny days - and welcome the annual return of the Summer Band Concert Series. Now in its 81st year, the Island Beach Band, directed by Frank Incaprera, is as a part of Galveston summers as snow cones, ﬂip ﬂops, and trips to the beach. Summer band concerts are free to the public. Performances start at 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday in June, July, and August. For more information, please call the Parks and Recreation Department at (409) 621-3177. Check out the Galveston.com video channel, where you’ll ﬁnd a library of over 20 high-quality, tourism-related programs, varying from shopping to entertainment to beaches. Simply enter “video channel” in the search bar, or go to www.galveston.com/popupvideo, and sit back and enjoy top-quality footage. For a complete list, visit our Calendar of Events at www.galveston.com/calendarofevents. 18 Let Your Light Shine G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard In loving memory of Roger Winslow Stone 1/8/1955 – 6/8/2008 Pictured, from left in the back row: Steven Guy, Captain Jim Atchley, Joseph Savana and Travis Wright. Pictured, from left, sitting: Steve Conway, Ross Busby and Roger Stone. Roger made the ultimate sacrifice to save the lives of his sailors. He is survived by a wife Linda, his son Eric, his daughter Elizabeth, many more loving family members and friends. He lived a life full of integrity and he passed away a hero. For this we will be forever thankful. Contributions can be made to the Roger W. Stone Memorial Fund at any Bank of America location. by Jamie Steichen The Texas A&M University Offshore sail team was participating in the Regatta de Amigos from Galveston, Texas to Vera Cruz, Mexico when their boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico. Four students and two safety officers (shown above) were aboard the Cynthia Woods when the boat overturned. 5 of the 6 crew members were able to escape the vessel. The group drifted for approximately 26 hours before they were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue team. Safety officer, Roger Stone, 53, selflessly assisted other sailors in escaping from the cabin of the overturning vessel. Sadly, he was unable to escape from the vessel himself. He put the lives of his sailors before his own and sacrificed his life for their safety, the ultimate duty of a safety officer aboard a sailing vessel. Roger you will never be forgotten. You will always be remembered for your heroic actions and the life you lived. We Are Word Of Mouth “Speaking Foul of No One, Wishing All Well.” New to town? Been Here Your Whole Life? Design e Be r $30/hr Just Visiting? Mixed Drinks Monday thru Friday. 2pm-2am. Saturday and Sunday Noon -2am. W ine Not Us. We’re here Just Right. In fact, we’re everywhere. The Galveston Wizard has been available to readers for almost two years now. Real, online, and in action. Finding businesses, organizations and people to bring to readers is what we do. (listeners, and viewers soon.) Who are our readers? Anyone thirsting for knowledge and edutainment. (Psst. You’re reading now, aren’t you?) We recently got a Call from our good friend Nic about a new bar we should check out. Sharon recently bought Sharon’s Elbow Room on 20th and Strand. We asked if we could help, got a yes, and now we get to bring her business to you. Advertising dollars help us buy the time to be where its at, and then tell you about it. Elbow Room 209 20th St. Galveston, Texas Po ol Sharon’s 409.750.9703 (Actu al Siz e) Bands, Food and Good People. All day and all night. Scruz Loose will perform. Grand Opening July 12 r Da ts SHOW OTHERS YOUR PROOF . Is that wood in your shop...? Or are you just glad to see us? Actually, our new friend John had never even heard of the Galveston Wizard. Weird, we know! John was busy carving up his latest design out of a wood block. We liked his work and asked if he had any more than the one he was working on. He showed us a secret compartment where he had dozens of original works. A “Wizard” piece jumped out at us. We talked shop and then left him to his. He got a Galveston Wizard Periodical and we got a new original work, signed and everything! We see big things for you there, John! Keep it up! On the West End, Where the Seawall Ends. www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine 19 Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right, but Three Lefts Do… by Linda Sivy So, I’m sitting at home playing Uno with the kids, right? Not the original version. I’m talking about the new Uno Attack. You load the cards into a sadistic little dealing machine. Instead of drawing from a pile in a slow, oh-come-on-and-giveme-a-red fashion, you reach toward this device with great fear in your heart because the cards may unpredictably shoot out at you like ninja throwing stars, designed to cut off your ﬁngers or lodge one in your jugular. For no reason – save bad luck. And I’m thinking, this is just like life. But, do kids need to know that much about how the world works, how you can fall under attack through no fault of your own? My mission: write a piece on hard knocks. While humming my own melancholy tune of “shelter, food, ﬁre and water”, I realized I needed to research this matter a bit. Different perspectives. Typing Hard Knock Life into Google turned up an interesting site: hardknocklife.wordpress.com. The ﬁrst sentence grabbed me. “A strong person and a waterfall always channel their own path.” Anonymous The site contained blogs of hard knock stories that were nicely written. From legal-stay options for immigrant victims too putting a price on a life. As I scrolled and read, my own worries diminished. Jeez. Recession was there, possible hope for troubled homeowners was too. I learned how to save money by performing car maintenance myself. I couldn’t understand the story on why young Chinese and Indian kids are bleaching themselves white. Marketing, I guess. George Bush was everywhere. Heaven and anguish are harvesting together. I don’t know what that means. Trepidation of reality is setting in. As we ossify ourselves for battle. All this, normal living, so I’m ﬁnding out. Driving home down 61st Street a few weeks ago, I happen to notice a young boy about 12 years old walking quickly, waving his skateboard over his head and shouting at the top of his lungs. I looked backed to see who he was yelling at. Seemed to be two guys in a light blue pick up truck. I rolled down my window to listen while waiting for the light to change and heard the passenger of the truck screaming obscenities at the little guy. He was yelling that he was going to kick the little sucker’s tail. The kid waved to him and just kept walking while praying or something. The guys peeled off and that was that. But the look of dread in that little boy’s eye burned. He looked at me and I wondered where his mom was. I smiled at him. Fierce like. Tough break, kid. At least you’re not being deported. Or bleaching yourself. Back at Google, I found another site, livingthetruth.com, that amused and depressed me. Here, you can become a member, create a proﬁle and post your issues on- line, for the whole wired world to read. The majority of the posts were from men and women unhappy with love, or broke, or manic, or overweight, or just downright pathetic. They’re a little older than the MySpace crowd. Reading their issues is what depressed me. I got over it. What strangely amused me was that not one of these people has ever taken a hard look in the mirror. I got the impression that they all just wanted someone to read about their dramas. Most of them were sidestepping the truth (on the Living The Truth site… see the humor?). The truth being, with few exceptions, they’re bringing this crap on themselves and they could ﬁx it themselves. On the other hand, there’s nothing a 12 year old can do to deserve the uncensored ire of adults. Threats of bodily harm. And there’s nothing he can do about it, either. He can curse back, if his mamma raised him that way, or he can run. Pretty much the same options he’ll have in ﬁfteen years when he loses his job, defaults on a mortgage, his wife leaves him, and his dog gets hit by a bus. So, in this case, the low tech paradigm is superior. There’s more of value to be learned from Uno Attack than from Google. Adults whine too much. Take your knocks and gather up all those cards. There might be a Draw Four Wild you can lay on somebody next go-round. Because, though life’s not always a zero sum game, Uno is, and you don’t wanna get beat by a 12 year old. How will he learn if he keeps winning? Oh Salty Galveston by The West Isle Virus You, again, ﬁnd me here on the West End, home and hearth, ranching, settin’ sails, and allaround handy-manning about. You know the beach has its own sequence of events taking place. Normandy and Utah Beach wear the dog tags of Theodore Roosevelt’s son. So much blood ﬂoating, staining the grains of sand, just as the water around a 70’s era supertanker turns faded-jacket red. Red seaweed” exfoliating puffs in a menopausal gulf of hot and cold spots. Watching the beaches erode up to the hoses at Sea Isle, the Sargassum natans slap and grab at the quoins of the pilings. A scared, scarred, and shaking Devil’s Tower of sea foam clings to an old three-foot piling in the sand. Mischievous balls of sea foam, the tower’s children, chase each other across the sand, while some kind of small albatross bastard skims the shoreline with it’s mouth opened, ﬁltering the water like a whale’s baleen. I think of Babe Schwartz. His solution for the open beaches, destroy the houses covering the beach. And leave the homeowners without compensation, BRILLIANT! An even grander idea posseses me, destroy these kinds of bills, and leave lawmakers who come up with them without compensation. “To drain the marshes of the water,” Montgomery once said, somewhere. The Dunes: the Hamptons on the Gulf. White picket spears in Big Thickets of grass, a Leave it to Beaver Iron Curtain, a myopia of deeper meaning for the brethren who want a better look at an architectural bohemoth. Like Solzhenisyn’s “Lake Segden,” no person or pelican is allowed to visit these ginormous asylums, prison for the ﬁnancially insane. Eagle talon marks rip diamonds in the clouds, letting the sun show through to paint-pitted leaf reﬂections on the crests of waves. And I see,...CHIMNEYS? In Texas? What kind of soulless god do we worship who would allow Gulf beaches to be warmed with ﬁreplaces? It’s a Z-Brick theocracy. But I’m Seneca: stoic and seaworthy, letting the waves crash against my hull as I ride out the storm. 20 Let Your Light Shine G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard In Our America Our soldiers are on foreign soil for the Twin Towers and the oil. We pray they will survive. There are tornadoes, earthquakes, ﬂoods and hurricanes. So how do we survive? The warning is sometimes too late. Now there is Hillary, Obama and McCain, running for president, who will survive? The vote in November of ‘08 in the USA. Where hope, faith, and belief, God willing will survive. From now until the end of time. In the United States of America, where daily, we see IN GOD WE TRUST. When we spend our hard earned money to survive. Paying taxes, the continuous rising price of gas, as well as groceries, milk, meat, rice and such. Sometimes it seems to be a bit much, just to survive. Where pride and dignity ,along with freedom, are ﬂown in the Red, White, and Blue, for everyone, including you. Thanks to our soldiers, past and present, that have fought and served to protect us and our freedom. In our America, so we survive as a NATION UNDER GOD, once written in our PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, taught to us, our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, there was nothing to discuss. Unless it was about a gold rush, in the black hills, or the blooming daffodills. In our America, full of beauty, protected by our armed forces unity ,and their sworn responsibility to America. All of us now wondering why we never went to court over the disaster in New York, and why our men and boys are gone, for a payback that is taking way too long. For our America that is strong. But we need GOD, where LIBERTY and JUSTICE are FOR ALL, so as a nation we won’t FALL. E.MARIE ALDRICH-CREASY Poop Deck. 30th & Seawall Galveston, Texas. May 15, 2008 copywritten Hardly Knew You. by UPS Mike When I moved into my apartment, the ﬁrst thing that I wanted was a cat. All of you hard-core dog owners might call me a wuss, but hey, cats are cool too. Any cat I’ve ever owned has learned to attack on command. I guarantee my cat will send your pooch home, tail between its legs, whining with claw marks on its snout. When I moved in to my new apartments, the ﬁrst thing I needed, besides necessities, was a cat. As I walked out onto my balcony one day, I saw a black and white “sylvester” cat looking up into a tree as a squirrel looked down upon it, seemingly laughing at the cat. That’s when I knew that THAT was the cat I wanted. I attempted to lure it to me whith whatever I had at the fridge at the time, when a car pulled up. The person driving gets out and the cat runs to her. “Dammit.” I thought to myself. “the cat has an owner...but maybe not.” I thought again. “It won’t hurt to ask.” “Hey! Is that your cat?” I asked. “Yes, why” she answered. “Well, I just tried to steal it but it wouldn’t come over.” I said with a guilty smile. She laughed and we struck up a short conversation. We saw each other from time to time after that on our way to and from work and such. She even stopped me one day to ask me if I would like a kitten when the newly pregnant cat had her litter. I had to decline due to the outrageous pet deposit and my girlfriends’ dislike for anything that takes my attention away from her. Ha-ha, in case you’re reading this, baby! :) Four days after that last encounter with Kristen, “The cat lover,” she was killed in a car accident. Her car ﬂipped over into the water and she drowned. Kristen Anet Sanches died April 26, 2008 at the age of 20. I really didn’t know very much else about Kristen except that every time she spoke, it was with a kind, trusting heart. Kristen, I know you are somewhere surrounded by kittens and everything else you cherish. From one cat lover to another, you are missed. “By the way, where’s my kitten?” by Grafﬁti A friend of mine told me that as you get older you have a tendency to obsess about everything. It doesn’t really matter if the subject is big or small. She’s a few years down the road ahead of me, so I try to pay attention. Her words have been true in the past. So my newest “obsession “ was over dress policies. I don’t know why it should bother me so much, but to be told what to wear at my age really BUGGED me. I mean you would think that once you passed the half-century mark, you would at least know what to wear to work. It is really how the individual decides to view it. On one hand someone might say, “Yippee! I don’t have to decide what to put on when I get up in the morning.” I even tried to make the irritation go away by saying to myself. “Now I can save wear and tear on my own clothes.” It didn’t work, and so the obsession began and my discontent grew. So I looked back, and back, and back. And I wondered: Did Jesus balk at being told what sandals to strap on? Was he harassed by his parents at the length of his hair like everyone in the hippie generation? Or did He obediently just put them on, trim His beard and go on to tackle bigger and more important problems? Well we all know the answer to that question. I guess I felt that in being told what to wear, it was stripping me of my individuality. But I began to think about it and wonder why I was worried and could that really be taken away from me? I looked around. The pelicans didn’t seem bothered that they were going to ﬂy in the same feathers each day. A blue crab didn’t get up and say, “I think I’ll be a red crab today.” But they are not equipped with the same thought process as we are and so I knew I had to look deeper. Soldiers get up and proudly put on their uniform. Law Enforcement , Firemen and many others get up daily and cheerfully don the attire their company has chosen for them. They are a reﬂection of their chosen career ﬁeld and they are happy to serve and wear the uniform. And so the obsession began to unravel a bit and the internal examination begins. Cheerfully I realize that there isn’t a uniform for who I am. I might have to don someone else’s choice of clothing for me while I am at work, but I am an individual and the clothes I wear usually reﬂects what I want to do or where I want to go that day. And living in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, (thank’s to those wearing uniforms every day) I can wear almost anything, anywhere I go. Perhaps these obsessions are worth it! www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine 21 Buzz Generation Big names in music and entertainment want to play here on Galveston Island. Big names are also getting their start here as well. The same-difference? Finding the perfect place AND the people that would kick up the coin for the efforts to bring top quality acts to the island is what it’s all about. We want to marinate readers minds’ in some of the possibilities we can create together, because you have to know about it to go to it! Where? This is the biggest issue we’ve faced in bringing big names to Galvestonians. Convention Center Doesn’t want a rock show, it seems. Grand Opera House costs 5 of em, plus security. Beaches out East are sandy, but maybe feasable. Mitchell is agreeable. Parks Board wants heads in beds, so how could they say no to helping us out? Airport Hanger would be cool. Moody Convention Center could work? At Crazy Oaks, we gotta invite the neighbors. Behind Willie G’s, Perhaps? A Warehouse somewhere? What do you suggest? Who? Gravity Bar Java’s Poor Michael’s Yaga’s Local bars and Restaurants are already setting the scene, giving bands, groups and musicians the opportunity to bring their skills to you! Who are we missing? Who are our musicains? Where are they playing? Together, let us unite, grow, and expand the music scene in Galveston. Club 21 B. Jiggers The Spot JuJu’s Balinese Room Woody’s Jack’sMktStreetTavern Cafe Madrid Mary’s Place OldQuarterAcousticCafe Baja Beach Club Lucky Lounge Galvestock (Are You Ready To Rock?) www.galvestonwizard.proboards62.com http://community.galveston.com/blogs/galvestonwizard COMING SOON TM How... much? This is where we lose some of you. Heck, we hear ya, it sucks when things cost money. Think of it as an investment into fun! To put on a music event, we gotta get the place, the bands, sound, security, parking, stage and stage crews, lighting, generators, toilets, vendors, permits, (loud noise permits), advertising, and the time from the wizardly experts who can make it happen. Deadlines are the biggest dragons to be slain, and many hands will make for a light load. We’re interested in bringing back some of the rock culture to the island. Sounds easy for a place touted as the Birthplace of Rock And Roll. We’d have to put up fences on one side, and have a way to let the audience in. Toadies and Papa Roach have been wanting to play Galveston for a while, but there seems to be no venue suitable for the number of ticketholders such a show would draw. But for us, where there is a will, there is a way. Low Local response to music events on the island further slows progress and heightens apprehension for would-be organizers. Lets show them all how we roll. (and rock) Our Family, Celebrating 73 Years Of Serving You! Contact Information J. Maisel’s mainland ﬂoral inc. www.jmaisel.com Money-Saving Coupon Roses Congratulations ations ations tio ons Thank You Thank You Just Because st st Because Buy One (1) Entree (minimum of $6.99) Get One (1) (of equal or lesser value) 2710 Broadway. Galveston, Texas. t T (409) 765-ROSE (7673) Free Expires June 1, 2008 No Cash Value One Coupon Per Customer Per Visit 22 Let Your Light Shine G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Isle Style The Greek Invasion of Galveston… 170 Years Ago! by Scott Field 4nd in a series, presents That’s architecturally-speaking, dear readers! The Greek Revival style became popular in America about 1830 and lasted in Galveston up until around 1870. We have on the island many great examples of what was then known as the new National Style - a reinterpretation of classical Greek te temples that associated our ﬂedgling c country with the democratic ideals a and spirit of ancient Greece. H Hallmarks of the style include: even n numbers of columns creating a central e entrance bay, columns in Doric, Ionic a and Corinthian orders, triangular p pediments or a wide band of trim at th the cornice, multi-paned windows, a and impressive front doorways. Pattern books that clearly spelled out the correct details and proportion were the design guides used by craftsmen and architects to enable such handsome, and sometimes very simpliﬁed, compositions. The 1838 Meynard House on 33rd Street and nearby 1839 Samuel May Williams House on Avenue P - the two oldest buildings on the island - are prime examples of Greek Revival style. Other, less-known examples pictured here are scattered in our older neighborhoods from there towards the Strand. Go look and admire! W Wm. Scott Field, AIA, is a restoration architect with over 25 years of experience with Victorian building restoration. Inquiries may o b be sent to the editor or to wsﬁeld@att.net. Gulf Coast Bail Bonds (Here if you need us.) Located Across from the Galveston County Jail 24 Hour Service BONDING FROM THE COUNTY JAIL 7 DAYS A WEEK Gale Lilliman - OWNER BONDING FROM ALL CITY JAILS Sante Fe Hitchcock Galveston Kema Dickinson Texas City League City Friendswood La Marque Winnie St. County Courthouse Ball St. 5324 Ball St. 1.800.585.0854 409.762.0188 Gulf Coast Bail Bonds 54th Street Broadway CHECKS ACCEPTED www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine 23 The Galveston Island Gourmets Nick Saum & Robert Taylor discover exciting and unique island dining options. Be sure to tell them the Galveston Wizard guided you! The Market Cafe 16th & Avenue L 409/763.4400 Hours are 8am-8pm Tuesday thru Saturday. 8am-3pm on Sunday. Tucked away in a quiet east end neighborhood, The Market Cafe is sure to become one of Galveston’s favorite spots for a new and unique dining experience. Located in the old Alderigi Brothers Corner Grocery, the Market Cafe offers a wide array of fresh entrees, salads, salads and desserts, carefully prepared under the watchful eye of renowned pastry chef Marilyn Descours. The Taco House Restaurant 50th & Broadway 409/762.5777 http://www.myspace.com/tacohouserestaurant The Taco House Restaurant serves up some of the ﬁnest Mexican food this side of the border. The Taco House originally opened on 39th Street in 1961, however in 1963 the opportunity came to move to a historic former gambling house, and its a place they have called home ever since. Owners Pedro and Celia Quintanilla have lovingly cared for the building, keeping the 1930s-era neon lighting that illuminated the old poker and black-jack tables. However the card tables are long gone, and these days the only thing being illuminated is ﬁrst class, homemade Mexican cuisine. A favorite among the young and old, the Taco House has found a new following with the opening of the Galveston County Justice Center a few blocks away. Attorneys, Police Ofﬁcers, and even a few Judges have made the Taco House their ﬁrst destination before heading into work. To keep up with the growing morning business, Pedro & Celia have expanded their hours and introduced several new breakfast items including the very popular Taco House Supreme (THS) Burrito. In addition to new breakfast offerings, the Taco House has introduced a new “Fajita Burrito”. This monster burrito is made with a 10” ﬂour tortilla that is stuffed with lettuce, sliced avocado, cheese, sour cream and of course a generous portion sliced beef fajita meat. The burrito is so big that we were only able to eat half of it. Our original intention was to save the left-over half for lunch the next day, but it was so good that it became a hefty midnight snack! Another new offering is the Mixed Platter Appetizer. The Mixed Platter comes with very tender slices of battered chicken breast, tasty corn tortilla beef taquitos and fried stuffed jalapenos, all served with generous portions of sour cream and guacamole. This appetizer is big enough to serve as a meal for two!!! Other offerings include family favorites like shrimp, beef and cheese enchiladas, tacos and quesadillas. For those not in the mood for Mexican food, or for youngsters who are a bit “picky”, the Taco House also offers traditional American favorites such as Chicken Fried Steak, Hamburgers, T-Bone Steak and even Fried Chicken. Patrons will also be glad to know that unlike many other Mexican restaurants, the Taco House doesn’t use any lard in its cooking. Instead they have opted to use healthier, all natural vegetable oil. While vegetable oil is more expensive than lard, the Quintanilla’s have been able to offer customers healthier food without sacriﬁcing any taste. We guarantee it will become one of your favorites. Grilled Portabella Mushroom Panini On our most recent visit we partook in a number of their freshly prepared, innovative items. The Market Cafe has taken an East Coast favorite, the Maryland Crab Cake, and recreated it using ﬂavorful Gulf shrimp. The “Shrimp Cake”, as they call it, was probably one of the best seafood items we have ever tasted and was served with a delicious side of cheesy potato casserolle. Nicely seasoned and generously sized, the “cakes” have already become on of the most popular items on their menu. We also sampled their Pesto-Parmesan Penne Pasta and Grilled Portabella Mushroom Panini. The pasta has been cooked until “al-dente” and is tossed pesto sauce, grated parmesan cheese and heavenly slices of katmala olives. The panini had thick, meaty slices of grilled portabella mushroom, along with roasted tomatoes, provolone cheese and their special signature pesto parmesan mayonaise. After feasting on our delicious lunch, we ﬁnished our meal off with a piece of decadent bread pudding, topped with a sinful pecan-caramel hard sauce. Meatloaf Sandwich Wide Array of Salads The Market Cafe has also become known for their homestyle, just-like-mom-made, meatloaf sandwhich, their freshly baked Shrimp Cakes and Potatos baguettes and of course killer caramel brownies. They recently have expanded their hours to 8am until 8pm, Tuesday through Sunday and have added a full breakfast menu. If you’re in a hurry, no need to stress about planning your lunch or dinner. The Market Cafe is perfect for take-out, with many items available on an immediate walk-in basis. 100% GUARANTEED EXPERT ADVICE REFILL INKJET & LASER CARTRIDGES NEW INKJET & LASER CARTRIDGES GENUINE & COMPATIBLE COPIER TONER PRINTER & FAX SUPPLIES C L EAR LAK E Phone: 281.286.8244 Fax: 281.286.8288 102 W. El Dorado / Friendswood, Texas 77546 Bread Pudding Know of a restaurant, diner or other gourmet jewels yet to be discovered by the masses? Tell us about them and why they should be seen, and we will seek them out. s Email Nick.Saum@g.co.il or call us at 409.621.2864 for how to get the Galveston Island Gourmets through your front door. Dinner is served! Cruzin For A Bruisin? Putting each volume of the Galveston Wizard together is like stufﬁng all of the SeaWall into a tea cup. Sound impossible? Pah! The proof is in your hands now. Magic! Enjoy the quality craftsmanship. Each and every part of this chapter of the Galveston Wizard is hand-crafted for your edutainment. Apologies to those of you who inadvertently went to 25th and Mechanic looking for a quality Clothier. Stop by and meet Cruz and learn a thing or two from the man. We’re pre-brainstorming a Luau or Formal Walkabout for you soon! Oh, and you’ll ﬁnd his shop on 2327 Postofﬁce St. We apologize for any confusion in the error in our excitement to reach you in a timely manner! We’re Perfecting the Process. Check out Previous Volumes online at www.galvestonwizard.com PromTim e! 2428 Mec hanic (2 Phone: 40 5th & Mec 9-763-96 hanic) 00 • Fax: 409-7639601 Cle Cruz Cor tez Cloth lo iers ie arance It ems Ava ilable Scrutinize your volume. (Go on, it’s ok...we do too! It shows you care.) 24 Let Your Light Shine by Isaac almaguer & Isaac markowitz April 28, 2008. For most people just another day at the ofﬁce, as for me, I was preparing myself for one of the biggest game releases of the year. Grand Theft Auto 4. by midnight that night, i would have my copy and having a virtual “nerdfest” in my room going over all of the intricacies that the game had to offer. A special shout out is in order to the Game Crazy crew; Miguel, Christian, and Mike, who let me take pictures around the store to mark the event. only 40 min. and 32.9 seconds left! The Game Crazy crew hard at work. frim left to right : Mike, Christian and Miguel. F.Y.I: On Algonquin Island, in the neighborhood of Purgatory, there is a street named Galveston Ave. You assume the role of Niko Bellic, a eastern-European immigrant, lured to Liberty City by his cousin, Roman, in pursuit of the American dream. From the looks of it, that dream includes, money, fast cars, women, and guns....lots of guns. From past GTA games, this one doesn’t stray much from the recipe previously done. (I.e. someone has a problem, they tell you about it, you go out and solve it, the storyline continues.) Rockstar has added new features to this installment to set it apart from previous GTA games. Such as: Internet cafes, where there are a few side missions to get involved in, and friends you can make throughout the game. You can choose to nurture those relationships to unlock helpful abilities, such as a taxi service or that much needed backup. You will do so, via mobile phone. Much of the game is based on this important piece of equipment. It will also allow you to access the multi-player feature. In multi-player mode, there is a total of 15 game modes divided into 3 categories, Player Match, Ranked Match, and Party Mode. You get your own customizable character to unleash your virtual rampages upon the city. I have to admit, that at ﬁrst, I was a little confused on how to properly use the multi-player feature, but after a few minutes of tinkering, I was able to successfully play a match. The controls might seem a little delayed for veterans of the GTA franchise, but that is due to the fact that the Rockstar team used a the new Euphoria physics engine as opposed to the “rag-doll” engine. With this engine, players get a sense of ultra realistic motion. ( for a more in-depth look on what the Euphoria engine is and does visit: http://www.naturalmotion.com/euphoria.htm and watch the video.) Now there might be some people worried about technical details and a comparison between the XBOX 360, and the PS3 version. Don’t worry. Isaac has all of those details. No, not me. Isaac Markowitz. He has done the research and reported in. For those people who are unaware, the developer of Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar North experienced some trying times while working on their Magnum Opus. Designing a sprawling metropolis and populating it with thousands of individuals going about their daily routines proved to be an enormous challenge despite the increased processing horsepower of the latest generation of gaming hardware. In fact, Rockstar North even appealed to Microsoft to allow them to require a hard drive to run the game, though this plea was ultimately rejected effectively neutering Rockstar’s ability to develop a product that could fully utilize the potential of current generation gaming consoles. While that decision preserved the ability to play GTA IV on non-HDD equipped 360s, it certainly limited the ﬁnal product as the non-HDD 360 was the hardware spec Rockstar North was forced to develop for. Owners of the more powerful 360s and the PS3, therefore, are not seeing the most they could, theoretically. Owners of the PS3 version will see less aliasing (also known as “jaggies”) due to superior processing from the Cell engine while the 360 version is a little bit brighter. Perhaps the biggest difference between the consoles is the forthcoming DLC (downloadable content). While this DLC will be available much sooner to 360 owners, this long-time fan of video games feels conﬁdent that PS3 owners won’t be left out for too long... and so it begins.... F.Y.I: Halo 3 broke 1st week sales records with $300 million, GTA 4 smashed that record with nearly twice that amount. Great SStyles H AIR ALON JEFF KILGORE Mediator / Lawyer /Arbitrator Services in Dispute Resolution Civil ~ Construction Family ~ Commercial P.I C.A.D. Tax Value Arbitrations Please Note: We’ve Moved! 6501 Stewart Rd. St. 201 Galveston, Texas 77551 Now Broadway, Galveston Tx 77550 2020 Located in the Texas First Bank Building Microchet Hair Extensions NO GLUE NO HEAT NO BEADS AND NO BRAIDS 3-D Lashes LONGER AND THICKER FULLER AND MORE DEFINED TUES.-FRI. 10 AM - 6PM SAT. 9AM - 4PM 409.740.3040 HOURS: NATURAL AND WEIGHTLESS 409.762.1758 409.762.1758 mediate4u@yahoo.com www.kilgoremediation.com 2724 61ST STREET ACROSS THE STREET FROM QUIZNO’S Wondering where your stimulus check is? If you ﬁled on time and qualify, you should get your money according to the last two digits of your Social Security #. as follows. 39 through 51, June 13. 52 through 63, June 20. 64 through 75, June 27. 76 through 87, July 4. 88 through 99, July 11. living the Dream... G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine 25 PRO MOBILE POWER WASH May 6-9, 2008. Assignment: Washington, DC May was the most exciting month of my eleven year-old life. I went to Washington DC with some of my ﬁfth grade classmates from Oppe Elementary. It was my ﬁrst time out of the state and also my ﬁrst time ﬂying. The plane was smaller than they look on TV – but I got the window seat both times. We arrived in Washington DC at close to eleven o’clock. We were all so excited that we couldn’t sleep at the hotel, which was in Maryland and Washington DC is in Virginia (sorta, that part’s confusing) so we had to get up at six in the morning just to have enough time to eat breakfast, round up every sleepy-head, get on the bus and then drive to (sorta) Virginia. Our schedule for each day was full. Day One: We toured the Arlington National Cemetery, over 200,000 soldiers buried on 600 acres of land. The changing of the guard was unforgettable. Next, we headed over to the Reagan Trade Center for lunch. We visited Capitol Hill, The Supreme Court, Library of Congress, National Archives and The White House (for photos only…bummer). But the pizza at Armand’s Pizzeria for dinner was decent. By this time, my feet were hurting. It was nearly 8:00pm when we made it to the Twilight Tattoo Show, Jefferson Memorial, Kennedy Center and the Iwo Jima Memorial. Basically, we all passed out at the hotel that night. Day Two: Up at 6:00am (again) and off to the FDR Memorial, WWII Memorial, Embassy Row and the National Cathedral, all before 11:00am. We did not get to go to the National Zoo because it rained and I don’t think any of us paid that much attention to missing it. Lunch at the Roy Rogers Café was cool because they had a buffet and we got to sit anywhere we wanted. After lunch we got back on the bus and drove to Mt. Vernon, George Washington’s house. Mt. Vernon is a big hill, as the name implies. DC is loaded with hills. We worked up a huge appetite and ate dinner at The Waterfront Gourmet, ending our day with the Alexandria Colonial Ghost Tour which was not scary at all. Day Three: Our last, and a crazy one. We went to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. As we left, our tour guide told us to raise our right hand and wave goodbye to the money. That was really funny. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Women’s Memorial, Korean Memorial, Lincoln Me- morial and the Einstein Statue are all a blur. More rain caused us to see wet reﬂections on the reﬂecting wall. Huddling together and freezing, we waited to get inside of the Washington Monument to ride up a big elevator. Once we made it up, we were told to look down the crack of the elevator shaft to see how high up we were. That made me woozy. The Washington Monument is the tallest structure in DC. Why they took us to lunch at The Smithsonian Complex afterwards, made me wonder. I guess it was better than riding the elevator after we ate. The Natural Science and Natural History Museums were the last places we toured before returning to the airport. I was looking forward to ﬂying again so I didn’t feel sad about leaving. The whole experience was exciting, nerve wracking and a little boring at times. I’m glad I got to go and being able to share my experience with our readers is super duper cool. The FDR Memorial was my favorite place to visit because it had so many different statues to dress up, play with and photograph. I will never forget my trip to DC and I can’t wait to ﬂy again. Yours truly, Sydney Sivy Jr. Correspondent – The Galveston Wizard Wanted: catchy Ballot Ballad, maybe a nice jazz backbeat? “Vote!” Slammers (!) bug me, whether in print or implied by walleyed enthusiasm. I’m thinking, jeez, calm yourself before you blow an O-ring. It’s that particular exclamation, though. Seriously. We’ve all heard it. Kindly desist. A woman says to you, “Don’t drink and drive.” She’s likely got some straightforward reasons why doing that is a bad idea; ranging from the safety of her children to the luster of your upholstery, what with these bumpy roads. Next time a guy tells you what you should be doing on election day, bet him a ﬁver he can’t explain in 25 words or less how the president is elected. Hell, give him a hundred words, but then start singing I’m Just a Bill from Schoolhouse Rock while he’s trying to think– I’m just a bill, Yes, I’m only a bill, And I’m sittin’ here on Capitol Hill… If you ﬁnd anybody who can actually do it, ask him what a super-delegate is. Oh and please, for me, ask him whether it’s hyphenated. Granted, this particular nonsense is a Democratic phenomenon, but I have a nagging premonition it’s important. However, if you’re looking for enlightenment in these column and shut up. Throw your 45 million votes at Ralph Nader and see what changes. Last time folks got that uppity, the Big Dems busted out with SUPerrrrrr Delegate (looks better without the hyphen). I’m thinking next they’ll spring Aqua Voter on us. He comes up, cast several hundred thousand votes, disappears back into the sea. Just as goofy, but has more mass appeal than U-Don’t-Matter Man. So, what of our forefathers and that Lee Greenwood song? Well, it’s like this. I don’t believe anybody fought and died for my right to be duped. If the colonials had this in mind, they could’ve skipped the whole shebang. The Brits don’t seem so unhappy to me. At least they have socialized medicine. No, I’m thinking the Continental Congress would’ve completely understood Bill’s plaintive ditty, even if they missed the bluesy overtones. But say they’re sweating up in Philly, arguing over what, exactly to declare, and some dude in the back is like, “Say hey yall! Let’s get some super-delegates in this thing!” That would be Marvin “Marvel” Adams. Brother by another mother to Samuel “Summer Ale” Adams. It was decided early on that their talents lay elsewhere. ~Marc Phillips, Political Correspondent inches, you can stop reading. My liberties itch when I try to explain such things. My pursuit of happiness starts feeling very Peter Pan-ish. What you can do, you can go to Rock The Vote dot com and see if they know what a superdelegate is. Read how they’re set to “empower the 45 million young people in America who want to step up…and change the way politics is done.” Uh-huh. That’s sweet, dear hearts, but I think yall did that back in 2000 and were told to sit down RealmStomp Galveston Pelican Island BolivarPeninsula Texas City League City Hitchcock Dickinson Friendswood TM On the same day that “Breakfast at Tiffany’s showing at saengerfest park, there was also a “Moonlight and Martinit’s” being held. Across town. Slightly off-island, John Maisel was hosting a Firewalking (www.eagle-heart.com). We wanted to be everywhere at once. How can we guide our readers to all of the cool options we hear about? The realm is so vast, wide, and diverse! Let our readers start with these pages, and the advertisers therein...there is much of the realm to be discovered yet. Sante Fe Kema La Marque And Beyond! www.galvestonwizard.proboards62.com http://community.galveston.com/blogs/galvestonwizard Let us put you where its at. 1/2 PRICE FOR GALVESTON RESIDENTS For Spotless Businesses & Homes (409)370-WASH (9274) SYD’S DC TRIP’N… SUMMER SPECIAL: 26 Let Your Light Shine G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Children’s Fund Wild Game Cookoff. Just the rafﬂe by itself made over $1000 and every penny goes to the children. If you haven’t been to the cookoff before it is held on Pier 21. There were over 80 tents set up and the scent of roasting ﬂesh was amazing! I guess I got there a little late and everyone was already sitting around a banquet table. I have a beer in one hand and my huge purse in the other. Maybe I was a little overloaded because as I went to give the godfather a hug, I spilt half my beer on him. I didn’t just spill alittle on his shoulders, I poured half it down his shirt! I didn’t even realize I was spilling it until he started yelling bloody murder!! That was a great start to the night!!! The girls had been there setting up all day for the fundraiser and were really exhausted so they left fairly early (including F), as they had to be there really early the next day. My guys are the famous “THE TEXAS BARBEQUE MASSACRE” One of our buddies E was offshore and couldn’t be there so they named all the dishes after his mom! I’m not sure if they were pretending to cook E’s mom or were honoring her? I guess either way its an honor, as E’s moms pork loin won ﬁrst place in the chef’s choice division. You should ask them about their secret sauce! I guess they seem to win something every four years. Also in honor of E, they brought a tiny garden gnome and named it E. Someone ended up “killing” E. Their wild game dish was kangaroo! That was the sweetest, most tender meat I’ve ever had. They called it Kangaroon after the creator (also known as “little dutch boy”) R! I guess he comes from a long line of famous Dutchmen and is also quite funny. You have to have a perverse sense of humor to hang with these guys. As the evening wore on , we played 101 uses for kangaroo embryo’s (Roo nuggets anyone?) and drank tea. We had a hard time ﬁguring out what to do with the tea bags, garbage was full, but R soon took care of that one! The godfather and surfer boy usually stay the night at the bbq, they have to cook the meat all night and they usually pass out sometime during the festivities. I guess a few years ago T woke up with sharpie all over his face!!! Not long after we won ﬁrst place, most of the guys (and girls) packed up and went home. That left 8 of us. One of my new friends is THE Boog, former professional skater and owner of OHANA, the skate and surf shop. Boog is quite the guy, we probably chatted for about an hour over at one of the other tents. Let’s just say that Boog and I really saw “EYE 2 EYE” on quite a lot of things. Go see Boog at Ohana, they even have a surf camp for kids that starts in June. I can’t forget my new friends P, C and B! All the girls work at UTMB, P is a doctor. C is an nurse is the O.R. and B is a radiologist . We were pretty well covered in case anything happened! We made quite the foursome, two brunettes and two blondes. You might have seen me sitting on B’s lap later that night. See.. I do have girlfriends. We all headed to YAGA’s and I can’t remember having a better time. Oh yeah, yesterday, the day before, the day before that! But it was great, I was all smiles and I think I spoke with half the bar. I even had to dance with a certain persons ex-husband and son. Yes, son! The Ex creeped me out a little bit, he had this intense look on his face that made you want to turn and run the other way. I did it for C and no it wasn’t her ex. Later, they had to leave the back way so Mr.Intense wouldn’t see them. Good Times! Everyone had a great time and one of the guys even fell and maybe broke his nose! He fell right in front of Galveston’s ﬁnest onto the curb. I’m pretty sure he is okay! Myself, I took a cab home. If you ever need a Cab call Nelson at Yellow Cab. He is #8, 409-457-2324 Call him and you will deﬁnitely get home safe and sound. I’m going to call him “the Deepak Chopra of cabbies” as he was very insightful, all in a 10 min ride! Can you hear me? No? Crap! The next morning I woke up with no voice! I’m not saying alittle hoarse, I was totally croaking! Everytime I tried to put some volume behind it, I just squeaked. It was aweful. It was Mother’s Day and I spent about three hours at the beach. I was still valiantly trying to get more color. Of course my boy was working so I had some entertainment, too bad I couldn’t talk at all. I was also supposed to go to a polo match in Houston with my friend Carol’s ex-husband Kurt. He sells jaguars at Momentum Jaguar in Houston and they sponsor the polo matches. How can you beat drinking champagne while watching men in tight pants ride horse’s around ? I’ll tell you all their dirty little secrets next time I’m in town. Before our ﬂight left, we decided to have one last lunch at YAGA’s and that is how this article came into being. I met David and Rick from this great publication and was regaling them with stories of my trip. Next thing I know, I’m writing for the Galveston Wizard!!! That is so cool....... I have to tell y’all that it has only been 6 days since I left the Island and I am obsessing about coming back. I am being very truthful when I tell you I feel like one of the empty spots in my heart was ﬁlled up again and I didn’t know it was empty before! I can’t wait to come back and tell you more stories of my escapades as I’m sure you now know they will be quite numerous. I want you to call the guys here at the wizard, email them or stop them in the street and tell them to bring me home! I hope to see you soon! Love Hope..... THANKS (Continued from Page 9) Where’s our teleport technology? I want to be “there” in seconds. Quit just spying with satellites and lock in those coordinates to exotic destinations! Cool special effects and you’re there! shirt, which always looks hot the next morning especially if you didn’t bring a change of clothes. Well apparently I was wrong. I had this nice but very drunk girl, with posh spice hair, tell me she loved my dress! It was soooooo 80’s. I did..not.. know it was 80’s nite when I got dressed for the evening!!! Lovely! My Boys, Tea and First Place Chefs Choice....... I need y’all to know that I have missed my “Boys”! Ever since my freshman year at TAMUG I was one of the guys. The girls just didn’t like me very much, so I found myself with a great group of guy friends. It is truly a special thing to be included as “one of the guys”. They used to pick on me all the time (like they do to each other) and one day I said something to the Godfather, I guess I was PMS’ing or something. He told me they wouldn’t pick on me if they didn’t like me! I never forgot that. What I love about this town is that people stay friends forever. Even a lot of our friends intermarried. I at ﬁrst thought it was alittle like incest or marrying your second cousin but it can make gatherings pretty interesting, especially when you are friends with all parties involved! First you have the Godfather. He kind of reminds me of the comedien Ron White. I swear, none of my friends has changed much. His hair is alittle grayer but is still cute as a button! Awe...you just want to pinch his cheeks. (That one is for saying I cried at the cookoff because you told me to shut up!) His place, whether it was the dorm room at TAMUG or one of the many houses they ( The Godfather, or C) rented was the place to be. You never made plans, you just went there. Godfather’s wife hotstuff, is beautiful and seems to be very sweet. I wish I had had more time to chat with her, but she was in charge of the silent auction and rafﬂe for theYaga’s P.S. Names have been changed and alias’s used to protect all involved and myself from getting my butt kicked!!! 3424 Seawall Blvd., Galveston, TX, 77551 409.763.0655 Hours: Monday - Friday 11am to Midnight Saturday & Sunday Noon to Midnight All prices are per person per game B e s t ch a n d fu e e s e burgers i l l s erv ice lou n town n ge Tune Time continuing to alternate Saturdays 9pm - Midnight $10 per person/shoes included Practice Night Mondays: 9pm - 2am & Thursdays: 6pm - 2am Before 6pm After 6pm Children - 2.75 3.25 Adults - 3.00 shoes - 2.25 www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine 27 Hey Guys! Due to complications, we are in the process of re-building my MySpace page. Please bear with me and send all comments and questions to Arrrlessa74@yahoo.com. I appreciate ‘yall and keep on keepin’ on! Yall Rock! Q: Dear Arrr, I’ve been dating my boyfriend for two and a half years and it seems like we just aren’t on the same level anymore. I care for him deeply but not in the way I use to. It’s so hard to walk away because of our history. I don’t want to regret any choice I make. How do I know when it is time to move on? Ms. Hesitant A: Dear Ms. Hesitant, Look, you need to really ask yourself if you’re totally and completely happy. It’s so hard to let go of something so familiar and safe. It’s like breaking a habit, literally. Take smoking for instance, it’s a habit that a lot of people share, although difﬁcult to break, you know deep down that it’s unhealthy. Who are you now? Who is he? Do you see it going anywhere to be more than what it is now? Think with your mind and let your heart be a guide, but not the main decision maker. Ultimately, what should matter the most is what is healthier and best for you darling. Arrr Q: Dear Arrr, My girlfriend has a best friend that she always hangs out with of the opposite sex. He happens to be gay. I tend to get jealous because they are always together. If he doesn’t like girls then I have nothing to worry about right? So why does it bother me so much? Slightly Jealous A: Dear Slightly Jealous, Jealousy doesn’t always get triggered by romantic insecurities. When we care for others and we see someone spending more time or doing things with someone else that we’d like to do, it’s natural to be somewhat envious. You just need to talk privately with her and sort of put your feelings out there so that you won’t end up harboring ill will later. Try to remember what YOU share together and the times YOU do things together. Everyone shares a different bond. You have her heart. Arrr Q: Dear Arrr, I have a fear of approaching the opposite sex. If I like a girl I won’t talk to her because I don’t have anything to offer material wise. Is it possible for a girl to want to date a guy with no money and no car? Captain Obvious A: Dear Captain Obvious, Sounds to me that you’ve given up on dating and you’re justifying it with a stereo type. There are tons of people out there who date and end up ﬁnding someone special who doesn’t have any material things to offer. You need to focus on what you can offer. You can be the richest man in the world with all money and all the cars you want but, if you can’t offer someone your true self, then what else can you offer that no one else can? Think about it doll. Good Luck! Arrr Q: Dear Arrr, My issue is a sensitive one because it involves a close friend, whom is my room mate and my brother that just got out of the service. Not only did he just get out of the service, but is still married with two children. My room mate and very close friend is going through a break up with another close friend and somehow managed to ﬁnd comfort in my brother while he was visiting. This bothers me. I feel like I’m being torn by all of this and that my current friendship with my room mate will either end or never be the same. I’m not sure what to say or do. Help? Torn A: Dear Torn, It does weigh on a person when they are inserted into a certain hectic situation involuntarily. Since this is your brother and close friend, it makes it a little more stressful because you have your brother who you have had a sibling bond with all your life and you have a close friend that you can have that different kind of bond with. When the two collide, it can leave you with feelings of being left out. The fact that you are friends with your room mate’s Ex brings it to a whole other level because you don’t want to take sides. If you’re apprehensive of confrontation, sit down, write a letter to both of them separate and write down all of your thoughts and feelings. Read it out loud to yourself when you are done and then fold it up, stick in an envelope and give it to each of them. One way or the other you need to talk with them. You can’t go on harboring ill will doll, it only causes animosity. Sounds to be a lot more to the story and you should definitely find the best way for all of you to get past this, and soon. Arrr Also, check her out at www.myspace.com/askarrr or e-mail her at arrrlessa74@yahoo.com WORLD’S EASIEST QUIZ (Passing requires 4 correct answers) Class Beg es June in 2 1) How long did the Hundred Years’ War last? 2) Which country makes Panama hats? 3) From which animal do we get cat gut? 4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? 5) What is a camel’s hair brush made of? 6) The Canary Islands in the Paciﬁc are named after what animal? 7) What was King George VI’s ﬁrst name? 8) What color is a purple ﬁnch? 9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? 10) What is the colour of the black box in a commercial airplane? 11) What do you have to type in your browser to go to www.galvestonwizard.com? 2008 SUMMER REGISTRATION! OPEN REGISTRATION FOR SUMMER I & II May 27-29 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. LATE REGISTRATION FOR SUMMER I June 2-3 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. OPEN REGISTRATION FOR SUMMER II July 7-8 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. LATE REGISTRATION FOR SUMMER II June 9-10 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (409) 944-GCGC 4015 Avenue Q www.gc.edu It is the policy of Galveston College to provide equal opportunities without regard to age, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability or veteran status 28 Let Your Light Shine G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Women By John Bostock Aren’t women strange? I know that as a mere male I am not supposed to understand them. I am convinced that they come from a different planet. Even their language is different from ours; take just a few phrases like: “I don’t want to talk about it,” means - I want to talk but you can only listen. “I’ll call you,” means – if you ever hear from me, it is because I’ve called your number by mistake. “Do I look fat in this?” means – if you say yes I’ll kill you. “I look terrible today” means – convince me I look lovely. “Oh, Hi, nice to see you again” means – do I know you? “There is nothing wrong” means – of course there is something wrong you moron, but you are going to have to suffer for sometime before I tell you. “I’m not crying, I have something in my eye” means – you bastard! Why did you do/say that? “You don’t have to buy me anything for my birthday/Christmas” means – you dare to forget to buy me the most expensive thing I want and see what happens to your private parts. “No I don’t mind you going to that tittie bar with your friends” means – you go out that door and I will crush your nuts. “You are the only man in my life,” means – you are the only man here until I check my messages. “I have to go home to feed my dog” means – even my dog has more sex appeal than you. “Sorry I have to go, my cell phone is running out of minuets,” means – I didn’t want to talk to you, I answered the phone because I thought it was someone else. “You don’t have to take me home, I have my car nearby” means – I wouldn’t be seen dead in public with you. “I’m not ready for a relationship right now” means – see previous deﬁnition “Sorry but I’m sort of seeing someone” means – see previous deﬁnition. “I like that shirt on you” means – your pants suck “I like those pants on you” means – your shirt sucks “I like your shoes” means – your shirt and pants suck “You would look good in (any colour)” means – your shirt, pants and shoes suck “You are a really nice guy but I don’t have time for a relationship at the moment” means – you are the last man on this earth that I would date “I can’t make our date, my friend/sister really needs my help that same night” means – someone nicer than you has asked me out the same night. “Sorry, I didn’t see you over there” means – damn, I was trying to avoid you. “I’m having trouble with my cell phone” means – see previous deﬁnition. “Sorry I didn’t call, I lost your number” means – I threw it away “That girl who just came in is really pretty” means – why don’t you talk to her and leave me alone. And of course the most used one in the world “I don’t get PMS” – yea right. Gil Encourages Readers To Seek Activities It’s been quite a few years since I have seen a major softball tournament in Galveston. Growing up I spent several nights a week playing in league games and countless weekend tournaments with my dad. I remember how awesome it all was, teams from all over the state of Texas and some from neighboring states all decked out in their various uniforms, the buzz of all the action, the smell of the goodies at the concession stand, and the excitement of playing competitive softball in my hometown. I can recall each of these things like they happened yesterday. Unfortunately those days are gone. No longer can you drive out to Airport park any night of the week and catch a game. The last time I saw a tournament hosted here on this beautiful island I was about 19. That was 13 years ago. So what happened to the interest of baseball and softball lovers that reside on the island? I don’t believe that it is a lack of interest, as a matter of fact I believe the interest is higher than ever. On Wednesday nights there is softball being played but after years of seeing the parks lit up 6 nights a week one night is hardly enough to keep teams playing here. After speaking to many of my softball buddies that I used to play with here I began to see the problem. Currently on the island there are only 1 or 2 ﬁelds available for a softball league to use. The condition of these ﬁelds is something that has always been a complaint of mine as well as other inﬁelders and base runners. The dirt in the inﬁeld is not always well kept and contains lots of solid gravel that can lacerate skin o and cause balls to take “bad hops” a that can injure players. This coupled t with the inviting shine of Big League w Dreams has left a void in Galveston’s D sports and recreation. s Just a short drive up I45 from Galveston is Big League Dreams G Sports Park in League City. For anyone who has ever visualized a themselves playing in the big t leagues or as we sports nuts call it l “the Show” this park is irresistible. “ With six ﬁelds that are replicas of W major league ball parks, artiﬁcial m turf inﬁelds, lush outﬁelds, and 2 t clubhouses with full bars and huge c ﬂat screen televisions who would not ﬂ want to play there? The park draws w league teams 5 to 6 nights a week l with tournaments on the weekends. w With all these amenities and much W more how could any self respecting m softball player not want to step up s Greetings from Greetings from the Galveston Wizard Periodical Each Each and every volume of the Galveston Wizard is painstakingGa Gal Galv ly crafted for our readers’ edutainyc ment. We are a reﬂection of our m me realm, it’s businesses and it’s re people. An edutainment guide to the people, places, things and ideas making a differa ence in the rea of Galveston, let us share realm our realms, wisdom, u n d e r s t a n d i n g s and possibilities with this unique and effective communication forum. Let us grow together in wisdom and prosperity. Updated 10/07 Rate Sheet 1/2 Page Full Page (10.00" x 10.5") Galveston Wizard Let the Galveston Wizard guide you. 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Help us bring quality edutainment, wisdom, and you to the community in which we share. Help us help you. View us online at www.galvestonwizard.com, and email us at thewiz@galvestonwizard.com or call us at 409.621.2864 for more information. Volume #12 to print last week of May. Advertising and Content Deadline is at our door. p www.galvestonwizard.com DidYou Get ou Did Y Get Y our Your New Issue? ? Issue All back issues available online at : www.galvestonwizard.com 25") Pa 1/2 Pa ge ge 1/4 Pa ge XL Bu Panel siness Card Color Black &W hite 6 Issue 3 Issue 1 Issue Com mitm ent Full Com 6 iss 3i to the plate and try to blast one over Fenway Park’s Green Monster? I myself play at this park 2 to 3 nights a week and in various tournaments throughout the year and I can’t help but wonder why Galveston with its plethora of hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions hasn’t jumped on the opportunity to bring tournaments to the island. I hope that in the near future the city of Galveston or a private investor will see the huge opportunity here. Perhaps a new softball/ baseball complex near Moody Gardens would draw more tournaments and regular league teams. At the same time traveling teams and their families will need hotel rooms, transportation, food, and something to do when they are not playing thus generating business for local merchants, so it is easy to see how this could help the local economy and bring back some fun times for those of us who love the game. Besides softball there are plenty of facilities in Galveston for those of you who would like to get involved in a team activity. All thats needed to start a league of your own is a place to play and a few of your friends or coworkers. There are ﬁtness centers across the island for those of you who prefer to sweat it out in a gym, the local YMCA offers adult sports leagues, and Stewart beach should be hopping with beach volley ballers soon. Then there is the good ole’ beach where a some lines drawn in the sand, a few good friends, and a cooler of cold ones can turn into your own personal super bowl if no one forgets to bring a football! Whatever your sport is get out and do something, create your own off the wall game, you never know who might take an interest. If you have an announcement about an activity, league, or tournament please let me know and we will get the word out. (3.3" x 3.25") Panel XL Business Card 1/4 Page (5.00" x 5.25") (10.00" x 5.25") (10. 1/2 00" x5 Pag e F www.galvestonwizard.com Let Your Light Shine 29 Lights, Camera, Now We Need Action Seeking Committees and committers. What would we like to see? We’d like to see people working together to make cool things happen. Uniting with all, sharing strengths and possibilities to create something grand! A Galveston Film Fesetival! What do we need? Where are we going? How do we get there? We need to get people to take ownership...focus on the project itself, get input and move forward. Who, what, where, when, and how can I get involved? Where are our wizards? We asked for a few cents from some of our island Audio/Video wizards and those seasoned with ﬁlm festivals. Why? Because we want to organize one. Who: Organizing Organizers (What Wizards we’ve talked to have to say) David, The First Annual Galveston Film Festival seems like a long time from now but time ﬂies. The ﬁrst item up for discussion is a really cool name and as I’ve been speaking to some creative types, they’ve had some good ideas. One of the good ideas incorporated the word Hurricane. I like it. What I like even better is the positive and exited response to the future event. Most importantly, it is generating interest in the business community here on the Island and volunteers are already throwing their names in the tophat (c’mon, we are talking movies here!) to take some positions of responsibility with organization and services. So if anyone out there is reading this and wants to contribute in any fashion, please contact us here at the Wizard so we can add your name to the list. You don’t have to have any experience and if you’ve ever been to a ﬁlm festival of any type, we would love your best ideas from the event. There must be some locals out there who have attended SXSW in Austin or the fabulous Austin Film Festival. Bye for now... -Linn Fallon One of the main “cool idea for a movie” that we had was that of a Galveston Island Zombie Movie. Typical Zombie ﬂare but we can use our glorious island as the backdrop! (ie, UTMB experiments at the jailhouse, perhaps throw in a hurricane to boost awareness of hurricane readiness? But we want to show it in normal weather, too. There’s everything to do and see in Galveston, so the story possibilities are endless. Main plot elements could include the diversity of Galveston, with unique situations forcing people to cross thier comfort zones with others and team up to survive, bringing forth characteristics and strengths completely before unseen, within themselves and others. Smashing stereotypes and reinforcing the teaming up to ﬁgure out what happened on their island will be fun to do. Brilliant Monologues while holding a shotgun by candlelight...perfect! Bonus Points if we can talk a few local businessmen or ofﬁcials into pretend being eaten. What: Deﬁne the scope of the Festival. How it will work, how it will be judged. Also, having the right dates, times, and organization is essential. -Tim Day Having attended the Sundance Film Festival, I understand this artform unites a multitude of people. What a great idea and opportunity for Galveston. -Mike Millo Well for our entry, we’ll need actors, a camera man, crew, a director...heck, a screenwriter and post production people! We’ve got a lot of work to do on our projBuild a man a ﬁre, and ect.. What would you do with a Film Festival? Are you interested? Start ﬁndhe’ll be warm for a day. ing the other pieces...we’re running out of time. Light a man on ﬁre and he’ll burn for life. We’ve got to get people ﬁred up, and they can only ﬁre themselves up. Venue options abound. -Vincent How: When: 09-09-09 Event Kick-Off Where: Who are our players? Strand Theatre? Premiere Cinema? Grand Opera House? etc. Theater? Renovated Martini Theatre? We need to, just a few of us, get together and decide how to make it work. I’m currently working on a Screening Event at the Strand Theatre. Tickets are $10, and the ﬁrst showing will be July 4th. -Tony Dabney What can you do? What do you want to do? You already know what happens when you do nothing. www.galvestonwizard.proboards62.com http://community.galveston.com/blogs/galvestonwizard Why Not? Boo! We just missed the awesome-looking Houston Palestine Film Festival, judging by an ad in the Free Press Houston. Check out the Web site at www.hpff.org and imagine the possibilities! 30 Let Your Light Shine ViX Presents: G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Return of Scoop That’s right I’m back. Here to break down the walls of oppression and lets face it, closet racism. Well its been awhile since my last entry and man I have got to tell you Galveston wake the hell up. Will all my black bartenders please stand up. No! Alright will all my black coffee-makers please stand up. No again. Alright will all my black cooks, construction, bus boyz and whatever low-paying job please stand up. Bingo! Now with that stated this is just not for African Americans, no this is for every person that has applied to jobs surrounding the areas of let say 1st street and 25th! How many times have any of us gone to the bartender about a job and the bartender looks right at you and turned the job to their friend because you didn’t fit the bill! MESSAGE!!!! I’m not a bitter Galvestonian. No!!! I am upset like everyone else, Galvestonians. I write these articles to stir something up and to shake and rattle some chains. Oh here’s one to all my waiters and waitress. Have you ever busted your ass so hard, and the managers and you don’t hang out or flirt or do whatever before and after work, but do they eye you for praise? No, instead more lessthan-meaningful-work. Why?!! Survey says because you just wasn’t quality enough. bull*%^!!!!! Will all my people in the Landry’s corp please stand up if you want to give your boss the finger and say “the hell with you I’m done with school !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”? Please stand up!!!! All I’m saying, if you put in the work you should benefit accordingly, common sense says that. Well, in my opinion, common sense has never seen the inside of a Landry’s food chain!!!! MESSSAGE!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!! IF WE ALL MY PEOPLE GOING TO EVER MAKE IT WE HAVE GOT TO WAKE UP AND SAY I WILL NOT TAKE THAT LESS THAN MEANINGFUL JOB! I WILL NOT BE PUSHED AROUND BY MY BOSS OR MY FELLOW WORKERS! I WILL NOT BE HARASSED AT WORK AND AS BARTENDER I WAS HERE FIRST!!!! Now all I’m saying is please will somebody - I don’t care who it is - please stand up!!!! Exiled ‘n’ Chaos I must have an Addiction 2 chaos, At this moment my spirit feels corrupted and soul eternally lost, I wage warz on a daily basis 2 ﬁnd the reasons 2 do the right thing, for an illegitimate child out here there are no victors 4 kingz, My ﬁght goes deeper than the eye could see, This battle is over the many demonz of insecurity, because they prolong my urge 2 live a life of simplicity, The Darkside consumes me from the warmth of the light, Prayer becomes useless when ur sinful nature leads u to make choices that aren’t godlike, Inside this Exiled state of mine, Rightousness reveals a veil of solitary, A heavy burden to carry, so selﬁshness will comfort me until the day I am buried, Mentally I break, I give up the challenge 4 purity, In the depths of desperation a serpent serves purpose 2 be a savior 2 me, I’ve reached the pinnicole of no return, The desire for passions unparalled only leaves a sacred heart scared & torn, Reclusive, My thoughts are persised with the many rodz of disarray, Sanity is just a fantasy that helps me survive one more day, I wage warz on a daily basis 2 ﬁnd the reasons 2 do the right thing, for an illegitimate child out here there are no victors 4 kingz, Addicted 2 Chaos. Written By:Victor King Deadlines, You Gotta Love Them Without them we’d probably do nothing...sit around and waste away and make nothing of the awesome life you’ve been given. Deadlines are everywhere, and can be ultra-subtle and routine all the way to making, meeting, and setting deadlines of your own making. Some deadlines are ﬂexible, others require precision and timing. The deadline for making a bowel move-  ment, for instance is one that can only be put off for so long before it becomes a top priority. Relatedly, not many people can be ahead of their sh*t on deadlines. Some appear and are gone, others provide second chances to meet deadlines, and receive the gifts and beneﬁts thereof. Got a viewpoint or voice for the people to hear? Want to help others relate to your world, and in turn help you relate to theirs? Want to showcase your creativity? Want to lay out ideas, formulate worldchanging plans or simply have a simple solution to enduring obstacles? You are the Galveston Wizard, but only when you choose to be. Below are upcoming volume deadlines, also in this volume note event dates and times, which require your presence at a speciﬁc deadline but will undoubtably reap proactive beneﬁts for any effort you offer. Before you forget, organize the thoughts you’ve been meaning to and get started on sharing your wisdom viewpoints, ideas, and realms with your community, to inspire positive thinking and change. Guide your fellow Galveston through your world, and share the possibilities such discoveries and commonalities we can bring forth together. Speak your thoughts. (or only you know about it.) Submission Guidelines: Something Buggin’ Ya? We want real letters to the Wizard. What do you think about our progress? Honest supports, criticism and encouragement will help us grow to be a better guide to all things edutainment...for you. Letters to the Wizard: 2 words to 200 (Text or Word Document Preferred, or right in an email.) Editori Editorial/Coaching/Edutainment: 300-700 (Each picture paired with a submission is the equivalent of 100 words...and 1000. Text or Word Document Preferred, or in email.) wo Artwor Artwork/Poetry/Humor: Send and See, .jpg’s and .pdf’s please. .jpg .pdf Send us your Viewpoints, Letters, Art, and Ideas. But ultimately, it’s up to you. It’s Your Viewpoint we want. Please send us your stuff early! Volume #13 Timeline: June 27th: All advertising and Content Due July 4th: Ad design/Content in Place July 18th: Print Projection, Volume #13, Title “Luck & Load” (“ping” us and we’ll “pong” you back) thewiz@galvestonwizard.com www.galvestonwizard.com g Let Your Light Shine 31 Take a walk on the Galveston Pub Trail No matter what mood you’re in, ﬁnd the perfect atmosphere for you at any one of these quality establishments. Spotlight on Buskers Sports Bar 2005 Postofﬁce St. Buskers Sports Bar is located on Postofﬁce Street, across from The Grand 1894 Opera House, and in the heart of Galveston’s central nightlife district. Offering a full bar, this spacious bar is surrounded by over 20 regular and widescreen televisions, each offering satellite games from your sports teams. Buskers also features an excellent selection of games, including foosball, video games, darts, and pool. Plus, with their state-of-the-art internet jukebox, you’re can hear what you want, when you want. When it comes to great sports bars, Buskers is one of the best.* Hours&of Operation: Monday Tuesday: 5pm - 2am Wednesday thru Friday: 2pm - 2am Saturday & Sunday: Noon - 2am Sundays and Mondays Domestic Draft $5 Pitchers, $2 Pints, $3 Jagermeisters Free Hot Dog Buffet Tuesdays $2.50 Well Drinks $2.50 Domestic Pints Pint Night Thursday Pints are $2.50 Ciders are $3.50 Fridays Big Ass Beer Wednesday (For the draft lover) Domestics $2.50 Imports $3.50 Shiner Bock $2 a Pint, $6 a Pitcher. $4.50 Bullblasters & Starbusts Saturdays Power Hour $2 You Call It 10pm-11pm *Find detailed information on all Galveston Pub Trail Offerings at Galveston.com GBE PERFORMANCE AUTOMOTIVE Serving Galveston Since 1921 3502 Broadway • 409.762.7551 Steps Grilles Hitches Hitches tches c ch Visors/B Deﬂectors Visors/Bug Deﬂectors Visors/Bug Deﬂectors isors/ sors sors sors/ s/ eﬂect e cto ct to Power Programmers Tonneau overs To neau Covers Tonneau Cover Tonneau Covers overs rs Bumpers To oxes Too boxes Toolboxe Toolboxes ool ox oxe xes SUMMER A/C CHECK STATE INSPECTIONS $39 00 + Chemicals Mon-Fri 9-5 Emission Repair Facility. Up to $600 in free emission repair for those who qualify. SPECIAL PRICING ON ALL TRUCK/AUTO ACCESSORIES. 32 Let Your Light Shine “Use It or Lose It.” Gifts, Toys, Cards, Trinkets & More! A Tourist Must-See! 20% DISCOUNT Show your support, locals! Bring this ad in Today for a (Hurry! Offer Expires July 31) (Hurry! Offer Expires July 31) y! er G’Wi Galveston Wizard G G’Wiz: G l Wi d photo Credit: Calvin Werle. More at clwphoto.com Birthday parties, Novelties, Specialty Sale Items! T.F. Hippies Cool Toys and Fun Gifts www.tfhippies.com 2415 Mechanic St eet 5 ec a c Street t Galveston, TX 409.762.1969 Buck’s west Jamaica Village - 16708 San Luis Pass Road (409)737-3700 www.sub way.com “Buckshots are a requirement people” for more info visit: http://www.myspace.com/bucks_west Melanie Buck - Owner Subway Jamaica Beach 16510 San Luis Pass Rd. - Suite B Jamaica Beach, Texas 77554 (409) 737-9463 (409) 737-9516 Fax A local-based neighborhood bar that caters to the tourists in the summer and parties with the locals year round. We have a quick menu containing such treats as pizzas, wings tenders, cheese sticks, and damn fine burgers we serve ‘til 9pm. We also provide live entertainment on fridays and Sundays,and a live DJ. karoke on Saturdays. Come check us out! “Go get your cookie from Melanie” Timothy and Joey Buck - Owners “Get a shot (photo) at Buck’s West”. “who’s this?”