The Galveston Wizard

www.galvestonwizard.com Vol.. #8 Galveston Wizard G’Wiz A Closer Look 1 www.galvestonwizard.com www.myspace.com/galvestonwizard Your ﬁrst issue? Read up! Back issues online! “Take A Closer Look” Henry’s Pilgrimage Page 8 Median Income Supreme Buddha Weighs In Page 12 Page 25 More! “Periodical ‘Til The Rubber Leaves the Runway!” 2 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Why take a closer look? “Attention to details” landed many readers proof-reading satisfaction as they came across one of our clever market research experiments. Would an obviously-intentional “Totat Fitness” instead of “Total Fitness,” which is the ﬁtness center’s preferred nomenclature, be found by savvy readers? We also intended, with this experiement, to really drive home to the observant reader that they can get a pretty sweat deal on a membership to get themselves “ﬁt as a ﬁddle.” Be sure to let our advertisers know that you see them in the Galveston Wizard! They make this publication free to you! Don’t see a business you use? Tell them to get wise with the wizard! Also, don’t waste too much time looking for similar “market research experiments” in this issue, but see if you can be the ﬁrst to ﬁnd them all! Delicious Italian food above, Reliable Gate Installation and service below! Take your time! Totat Fitness ON 49TH AND SEAWALL IS OFFERING A GALVESTON WIZARD EXCLUSIVE 3 MONTHS FOR ONLY BRING IN OR MENTION THIS ADVERTISEMENT FOR DISCOUNT $99 “A REAL FITNESS CENTER THAT OFFERS REAL PROFESSIONAL HELP THAT PRODUCS REAL RESULTS. Totat Fitness 409.763.5448 Access Santa Fe Installation Repairs also available... Aluminum contact Mike Snyder Powder-Coated Gates @ 409.457.3988 for more information Sales www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 3 BEST ONE YET Or at least we think this issue to be! Each one we look to bring you a better, wiser, more useful periodical! We’re taking a long look at ourselves and the island to see what makes us “tick” as a community, )with the island being the clock). Every day the quest continues to put ourselves out in the realm, “where it’s at.” People from all cultures, religions, races and walks of life call this place home. Those who visit often find themselves calling it their “home away from home.” Take a walk thru the realm of Galveston, guided by the Galveston Wizard. Savy Businesses, Notable Events, Local Organizations and Interesting People. All of that and submissions of artwork, photography, poetry, and more made right here on the island. As reader responses continue to grow, we are able to inspire more businesses and event planners to work with us to bring the good stuff to you! We appreciate all submissions, suggestions, encouragements and chastisements! We have been planning to bring you edutainment from the realm more consistently, and have been working on ways to better represent your interests to important decision makers as well as your fellow community. How may we be of service? What do you want to see more of? What issues do we need to address? What would you like to see in the next issue? Remember, you are the Galveston Wizard! Submission Deadline For Issue #9Nov. 25 Whatcha Got? Let’s Get Word Out! James Jackson, Martin Martinex, Michael Gilbert working overtime! Thanks for the extra effort! Let people appreciate the work you do! What can others do to make your job easier? Email us “food-for-thoughts” for our readers at thewiz@galvestonwizard.com G’Wiz: GalvestonWizard Periodical, Volume #8, Book 1. “Take A Closer Look”. Cover Design by Thomas Graves, back issues online at www.galvestonwizard.com A Wizard Is Nothing Without His Staff Contributors David Torkelson Linda Sivy Rick Bacon Hoi Polloi David Stanowski Scoop Bryant Matty e The Outsider Thomas Graves Photography David Torkelson Rick Bacon Advertising David Torkelson Linda Sivy Rick Bacon Chance Weatherly Arlessa Wise Steven Kelley Distribution David Torkelson Jason Gorham Linda Sivy Rick Bacon Chance Weatherly Web Wizards (Re Awakening soon) David Torkelson Isaac Almaguer Bryant Brave Rogues Silkscreen Wizard Steven Kelley Peter Frutiger Press Gorilla Steven Kelley Publisher David Torkelson Editor In Chief David Torkelson Design/Layout David Torkelson Rick Bacon Hoy Polloi Web site: www.galvestonwizard.com Email: thewiz@galvestonwizard.com MySpace: www.myspace.com/galvestonwizard Phone: 409.621.2864 Mail: P.O. Box 3467 Galveston Texas 77552-3467 4 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Trial By Get burned on something? Show our readers how to avoid the same mistake! ...luckily we are cool under pressure! As we continue our efforts to bring our readers quality edutainment at a fair price (psst. it’s free!), we wanted to thank you for picking up this issue! Enjoy! Fire. Fire-Proof Your Castle! make sure all outlets are fully plugged in. Get at least one ﬁre extinguisher. Test smoke detectors. Consult Professional (owner) or Landlord/ Professional (tenant) if any problems develop in your castle. *Check out issue number #7, Raising Spirits, at our Web site at www.galvestonwizard.com, put your comments in issue #9! tion, drugs, thieves etc. they should be worried about instead of taking away something that could be treasured by so many. “ART” Thank You Pam J. cc: Galveston Daily News Scoop: I read with interest your article about a fellow Galvestonian. I know this man who came from another country. He gave me permission to write you about his situation. I also know that he is a very talented portrait artist; and a very kind man. It makes me so angry that he was kicked off the Strand. One more piece of evidence of the greediness and incompetance of the Park Board But as I was taking my tent down; Frank intervened. He had gone to get some supplies, and came back and told them that I was “legit”. I, too, am sickened by the fact that my wonderful friend will be hanging out at McDonald’s. I am praying for him that he ﬁnds his niche and is able to sell his work again. In fact, I might be the ﬁrst one to commission a portrait; and I urge other Galvestonian’s to do the same. and maybe the local government - but mostly the Park Board. I had a tent at Mardi Gras several years ago across the street from the Maceo’s business. Frank Maceo was sponsoring an open air market at the time. I had paid my dues; and even gone to the Park Board about the situation. And damned if the Park Board didn’t try to shut me down!! “Almost” We appreciate your support of our efforts to bring you, the readers, relevent information on and about some of the many cool aspects of Galveston Island, and Beyond! But we need your help! Help us be where it’s at. We want our readers to see the world thru your eyes! Let them see your viewpoint. Ideas, Stories, Suggestions, Corrections. You could be here. Tell it like it is. Let’s share cool things we’re ﬁred up about in life! Get Interested. What insights, observations, suggestions or other information could you share with fellow readers? They’ll only know if you tell them! And support our advertisers as they support us! Email us at thewiz@galvestonwizard.com! Scoop Article Hits Home With Vocal Readers! I am responding the your article in the Galveston Wizard regarding Street Level Interview by Scoop. I have met Ricardo Tovar an artist who is trying to make a living here in Galveston. He is a very nice young man and does terriﬁc portrait art and has a God Given Gift. He comes to the Library and is a very professional young man just trying to better himself. I’ve seen his work - he is good. Please Galveston don’t strip them of the streets where they can earn a living and may be someday become a Great Artist well known from this area. I personally would like to know WHY is it that he and others are not allowed to draw on a Public Sidewalk (Strand area). It upsets me that they would not give him an answer when he asked why it was not allowed to draw on the side walks. There are to many other areas of public prostituWake up and smell the coffee, Galveston; before it’s too late!! Sincerely, Debbie Stoutamire (832) 372-2649 What is wrong with making a little extra with the talent GOD gave you? I work in a medical library where Ricardo came by weekly to greet us and make us feel extremly happy with smile and conversation. It is becoming a communist country, this AMERICA, of ours. If people want to pay for portraits, regardless of where they are drawn, what is wrong with that? Galveston had something no other city had , and now we are back to the OLD WAYS! By the way, in the old ways, there were corner venders of all sorts, here! AND GALVESTON SURVIVED! Anonymous Submission Got Something To Say About Something You Read? Email us at thewiz@galvestonwizard.com www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 5 Global Day of Music for Peace Music, Dance, Snacks, and Information on places from around the world! On September 11th, We were privileged to attend the “Global Day of Music for Peace” presented by the Galveston Island Sister Cities Committee. With some very helpful literature, we discovered that their mission is to “build successful relationships and international understanding among youth, adults, businesses and organizations of Galveston Island and its sister cities through educational, cultural and exchange programs.” Galveston ﬁrst began its involvement with the Sister Cities program on May 12th, 1964 and Niagata, Japan became our ﬁrst Sister City. Vera Cruz, Mexico; Tamsui City, Republic of China; Stavanger, Norway; Trivandrum, India; Armavir, Armenia are our other Sister Cities today. President Dwight D. Eisenhower initiated the Sister Cities concept in September of 1956. More information can be found at www.sister-cities.org or by contacting City Council Member Patricia Bolton-Legg at patriciabolton-legg@ prodigy.net. Armed with this knowledge, we arrived at the Kempner Park Pavilion to ﬁnd multi-cultural performers singing and dancing. Patricia Grady greeted us warmly, showing us around the event and making sure we got our ﬁll of cookies as well. We furiously snapped as many photos as possible, and before we knew it we were packing up the tripod and were off to the next event! We left with a greater understanding of the enlightenment that sharing can bring. Good times! Great StylesHair Salon “Stop by at their new location” Quiznos 61st $ 00 OFF ANY HAIRCUT WITH THIS COUPON Haircut • Perms • Highlights • Color • Styling Now Offering Facials and Waxings Call for appointment at 409.7403040 Walk-ins welcome, Next To Dragonﬂy Coffeshop 2 Great Styles Virginia Jovie Call set up an appointment! 409.740-3040 Today! to 2724 61st Str. (Across From Quiznos) Stewart 6 A Closer Look So much is happening in the realm of Galveston! With so much potential out there, we ﬁnd ourselves with almost too many great events, people, organizations and happenings to talk about! As we delve into details on many of the interesting ideas, people, organizations, and businesses making things happen on the island, we’re continuing to learning a lot about punctuality. We’ve got to keep you in the loop! What are the big ideas? Where are your wizardly wise contributors? Where do we go from here? How do we get there? In what ways can we grow together as a community? Communication and understanding. You’re going to have to wait patiently like everyone else for your next issue, but “calm down!” because you’ve still got the whole rest of this issue to enjoy! Check out colorful back issues of the Galveston Wizard Periodical online at www.galvestonwizard.com. And remember! We’re free to the reader, funded by advertisers, so be sure to show them your support as they show us support to help us offer the Galveston Wizard as your edutainment guide! Thanks for all the support as we continue in our quest to bring you top-quality edutainment. “WHEW!” (Right on Time!) G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard GIVE US A SHOT* *Galveston Wizard and it’s afﬁliates, friends, colleagues, family, neighbors, and pets neither encourage nor discourage in any way “shots” or “alcohol” or even “oak table-tops.” We thought it was a cool picture and put another shameless self plug with it. To see it in color you gotta go to www.galvestonwizard.com ....for now. Kill 1/2 an hour at the job. You still haven’t been to our Web site? Treat yourself to one of our delicious back issues. Issue #7 “Raising Spirits” gave readers the opportunity to reevaluate where they are going, where we have been, and and how we can get there. Also, disc golf discussions, business showcases and quality inquisitive editorials! Issue #6 “End of Ages” was a spellbinding treat of Edutainment. Discussing “ageism,” Event-Planning observations, Walkthru’s of events, “Taking a Vacation,” the “Ah, Rome” article, and so much more! Issue #5 “Start Rocking and Keep Rolling” contained discussion starters like “Killer weed saved my life,” “Galveston Island: Birthplace of Rock and Roll,” and “Idiot’s Guide to Entrepreneurship,” And that’s just part of 3 pages! What’s not to like? Check it out! Thank you for all of the continued support. Suggestions/Requests for the site? Email them to thewiz@galvestonwizard.com www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 7 If you build it... It’s well after Labor day and a few scattered islanders and would-be tourists are under the impression that things are different around the island when the summer tourism season ends. “Where do we go now?” Calm down, Axel! But still, “Weather the storm!” These few cry as they shut themselves in, turning blind eyes to year-round entertainment options around them. Why hybernate and miss all the potential for big fun and big business throughout the winter months on Galveston Island? Our readers are constantly on the lookout for the latest edutainment information, a task which we do not take upon ourselves lightly. As we gain more and more readers, our responsibility, as well as our strength for you begins to grow. We look forward to bringing you as much edutainment as we can, as fast as we can! Where can we get good food on Monday Downtown? They Will Come (or, “Raising Spirits” distributed after Labor day) We will put the word out if you bring the turnout! “People will come, Ray. They’ll hand over the money, Ray, without even thinking about it.” Don’t Forget to get your tickets to see James Earl Jones at the Grand Opera House on Oct. 15. Please refer to the events calander on page 17 for further details. Island-bound, yearround! It’s “Island of Dreams! What do you want to see on Galveston Island? We’ve had skating rinks, drivein theatres and disc-golf courses that have been proposed in previous issues. The more we hear from you, the reader, the better and more diverse our edutainment guide becomes. You are wizards of this realm as well, help guide the community. Email ideas, plans, events, conventions, beneﬁts and more to thewiz@galvestonwizard.com. Let people know your business hours so they can “bank on it.” don’t say... “You should write a story on... “this” !” ...instead... FLAG Man on SeaWall Supports Everyone! send us your viewpoint. thewiz@galvestonwizard.com Because nobody knows your story like you do! We’ll tell ‘em! 8 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Henry’s Pilgrimage by Lingual One of our light-hearted, fun seeking friends turned out to be an illegal immigrant. (gasp!) He had been here for many years, and was a hardworking, pleasant human being. He often shared interesting stories, explaining cultural differences and descriptions of here vs. “back home.” Everyone liked Henry. One day we came to ﬁnd out that our friend was in jail. He had, we found out, a public intoxication ticket that went unpaid, and when they saw him again walking home one night, it was time to bring him in. Though the exact reason or reasons for Henry’s jailing were unconﬁrmed, his friends told me that he was scheduled to be aboard the next bus to Mexico. I tried to imagine going to another country, working there, then getting uprooted and replaced back into the world I would have left behind. Many of our mutual friends were afraid to go visit him at the jail. Overcoming my own indescribable uneasiness, I entered the Jail to see if I could learn more. The location of his drop in Mexico? Does he have any money? Does he have friends or family he can call? Jails resemble dungeons, so I quickly went to a clerk for information to get this quest over with ASAP. As I awaited the clerk to complete her phone conversation with a similarly confused caller in thier own search for information on liberations; someone being held in jail can only have 2 visits a week, and someone was already in to visit him on that day....and apparently only one visit a day. I turned over my shoulder to look at the groups of people, wondering which cousin, son, uncle, daughter, or niece was in here for which group, and what stories went with all of these people’s lives. All of those lives different, yet the same. We could write him a letter, though and he could respond back if he had money to buy the supplies to do so. We could also send him a money order. As to where in Mexico my friend was scheduled to go, those questions would go unanswered for the time being. A few days later I had a message from him in Winosas. He left his number and said that he was having a great time. Another friend, who actually spoke with Henry, was less than thrilled with the news of Henry’s contentment “south of the border.” This friend was older and wiser, having been in the United States for many years. Leaving his home, family, and everything he knew to ﬁnd opportunity here, my friend turned to me and said, “He does not know what it’s like.” Something tells me one day soon I’ll be able to ask Henry in person what all he went through. Until then, I guess I could buy a calling card to Mexico. Hmmm. Passport photo’s are $8, Applications completed at the Downtown Post Ofﬁce (oddly located on Church Street). Guess I could go ﬁnd him there...I could use a vacation. www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 9 Strike up a good time at Island Bowl SPECIALS! Monday - Friday until 5:00 pm Rent a Lane for an hour $15.00 Monday & Thursday after 6:00 pm $2.25 per person / per game 3424 Seawall Blvd. Galveston Texas 77550 (Off 35th and Seawall) (409) 763-0655 Family and Friend Fun Full Service Lounge “Best Cheeseburgers in Town!” HOURS Monday* - Friday 11:00 am - Midnite Saturday and Sunday - Noon - Midnite RATES Shoes - $2.25 Before 6:00 pm - Children - $2.75, Adult - $3.00 After 6:00 pm $3.25 All Prices are Per Person/Per Game *Open Late on Mondays! “We’ll be here if you are.” Dash. The man behind the sunglasses We had seen him before around the Strand area. Behind the hair and sunglasses, there lies a brilliant mind. A mind that with a ton of creativity, sheer force of will, and a little bit of luck, Dash the Ghostman of Galveston, Texas’ started very ﬁrst haunted walk of the Strand. Always intrigued by the mysterious and history he is the man to see when paranormal Texas comes to mind. Dash Beardsley relentlessly researched Galveston’s history, delving deep into its past, uncovering many secrets along the way. On his tours, Dash shares his love of Galveston and of course his fascination with the myriad spirits that roam among the living on this very haunted island. The ghost tour, which takes it’s followers through historic downtown Galveston, is entertaining, thought-provoking, and enduring. Known as “The Best Little Ghost Tour In Texas” After taking it you certainly know why it is such! What if....? Dash takes his Haunted Paranormal Ghost Tour work seriously, and like any great Paranormal undertaking, he has not been fought without resistance. That just means he’s on the path to success. His tour is now the #3 Most Popular Ghost Tour in America by www.HauntedAmericaTours.com listing America’s best haunted ghost tours in the United States. This of course was voted on by the 59 million visitors a year to the website. Becoming Number 3 “Haunted Best Most Haunted Ghost Tour” in the nation didn’t happen overnight. It took determination, persistence, and visualizing of his success. Pairing historic settings, instances in time, and real-life situations and many a told tale of ghosts and real hauntings is what makes it so special and entertaining, Ghost Tours Of Galveston, Texas Voted by Reader submissions as one of “The Best or Most Haunted Ghost Tour in America” for you to take and to investigate. Haunted America Tours 2004 - 2008. Americas’ Best Haunted Ghost Tours in the United States. Call 409.949.2027 for more information or visit www.ghosttoursofgalvestonisland.com 10 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Park Board Walk-In We were ﬂipping through the channels one evening, and stopped at our municipal channel 16. (Who wants to be a part of our hunt for making an island public access channel? Island News Hour, Event Promotions, …Wayne’s World of whatever clever Galvestonians come up with) We were wildly excited to see that channel 16 was playing a recording of a Park Board Meeting that had happened the day before! During distribution, we had actually found ourselves at the Park Board Ofﬁces where we sat in on the last half of a public meeting. At the end of the meeting we charged ahead with stacks of issue #7 and put them in the hands of all present, Park Board members and those members of the community concerned enough with our home to go take active part in our governing process. Immediately the Tivo was on and we waited for the end of the meeting where we would have our distribution practices to be broadcast to the community. As these things go, the wind was taken from our sails as the camera suddenly cut off immediately after the meeting ended. We learned a lesson in humility (as opposed to super-stardom!), and were glad to have been able to catch it live! Important things are discussed here! We look forward to learning of how we may be of more assistance in relaying information to and from our readers to the community and it’s prestigious organizations. Are they the people we talk to about getting the Disc Golf Course started? A Distinct Lack of Interest So as I go through my days I have a bad habit of “overhearing” conversations around me. I am beginning to think this is a major contributor to my lack of faith in the human race. The number one question these conversations pose is, “Why doesn’t anyone talk about anything interesting anymore?” being the soft spoken and well mannered man I am I intruded, “Excuse me, but why the (deleted explitive) do you care?”. Their response, “Well, we have to have something to gossip about.” My soul screamed, my mind pounded and I stood there dumbfounded, staring blankly before walking away. people, average minds discuss events and great minds discuss ideas.” Are we as a generation, or more likely a nation, relegating ourselves simple minded drones? It spoke volumes a few weeks ago when Newsweek’s world wide cover story was “Losing the War in Iraq” and the U.S. version was “Britney in Turmoil.” For example, while sitting at a coffee shop I heard two young ladies Why, why must we have somediscussing, in detail, the affairs of thing to gossip about? It was a couple of celebrities. Of course, once said, “Simple minds discuss brings up the celebrity of the hour, challenge them to an honest conversation about something that will actually force them to use their minds. Politics, religion, euthanasia... sure they may be “taboo”, heaven forbid you are forced to defend your beliefs amongst a group of friends with more than just, “It said so on E!”. Give it a go and thank me later. Don’t Do me a favor, nay, do yourselves forget to write in and let us know a favor, next time you are out and how it goes. about with friends and someone West End SeaWall East End “This dude sells fresh fruit out of his truck, just about every freaking day, on 3005. Notice... the Wizard in his back pocket. Ha. I got a free piece of fruit this day. Na na. “ -Linda Chris takes shelter from the sun and checks out his ﬁrst Galveston Wizard. Enjoy your issue! Readers can rent jet skis across from the Float bar on the Seawall, looks fun! All of these new people holders remind us that we are going to want a lot of cool things to do, cool places to go, cool people to see, and cool things to spend money on. Galveston is destined to be the third point in the New York, LA triangle of progress, ingenuity, development, and growth! Get involved today! Let us use wisdom in our growth! www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 11 Ultimate “Let us show more of a sense of family,” we were encouraged by . As a community, as neighbors, and as consumers we have responsibilities to the “ma-andpops” dining establishments that give Galveston it’s incredibly unique cuisine. Our impact and responsibilities go far beyond the cash register for buisnesses that struggle daily to keep thier doors open. We need to sing the praises of the perfect omlets and hashbrowns late-night spot our friends had told us about. Regale tales of the best d*mned buffalo chicken sandwich ever crafted by human hands. Anyone attempting to follow up on your claims will end up continuing the legend and a sort of bond of “We’ve both been there” generates mutual reminiscing and comraderie! We are constantly on the lookout for such places in Galveston, and we were happy to have found another “Galveston Landmark” in the form of Ultimate Subs & Salads, located behind Walgreens on 4th and SeaWall (706 Holiday Drive.) Alert readers noticed and used the coupon that we ran for Ultimate Subs & Salads in our last issue. (A free soda for trying a sub!) A conversation with Ultimate Subs & Salads owner, Frank, taught us that his recent decision to close his doors was an easy one. “We have other options.” This reinforced to us the importance of helping these businesses succeed! We must capture our readers attention and show them the cool, interesting and new (to you) places in Galveston. We want to help businesses like Ultimate Subs and Salads long before frustration and fatigue set in and surrender looks viable. It is also up to you, reader. Or rather, those non-reader-readers. Be sure to show your community support to local businesses Losses Love ‘em or Lose ‘em and places looking to bring you quality goods, products and services, as well as favorites from back home. We need your help readers! Let us guide you to places that we think you might enjoy! Show your local businesses your support! Speaking of supporting local businesses... Have You Been To Dixie Dolphin? We met up with a few friends recently at Pelican Island’s only bar and grill (beer and wine only, menu looks terrriﬁc!) Driving up dark 51st to Harborside onto Pelican Island was scary at ﬁrst, but soon we were on another island! (You already know of A&M and Seawolf Park there, but here’s another place you should know about!) Dixie Dolphin is located just after the second A&M campus entrance on your right behind the P.I.G. convenience store, we were easily able to ﬁnd fans of both fun and the Galveston Wizard there! Good times! Be the ﬁrst to have been there! Happening businesses, organizations and people should contact us at thewiz@ galvestonwizard. com so that we may guide our readers to you! 12 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard For more information on The Economy, or to view other work by editorial writer David Stanowski, check out his two resource Web sites. Find them at http://www.theﬁnancialhelpcenter.com/ and http://www.galvestonmusicscene.com/ Median Income by David Stanowski The Census Bureau web site to grease the wheels of the economy. would buy 240 ounces of gold. From there, more to maintain the standard of living that has a treasure trove of data on the income When they do this, they utilize the very the hyper-inﬂationary 1970’s pushed Real they desire, and started speculating, to try earned by Americans. They have median, deceptive statistic, that they developed, Median Income down until it bottomed, to get ahead. Their ﬁnal step was to specuand average incomes for individuals, and for this purpose, called the CPI, to reduce in 1980, when the Median Income would late using credit, i.e. leverage, which found its ultimate expression in the recent real esthese Median Income only buy 29 ounces of gold!! families. There is data ﬁgures about 2-4% After that, Real Median Income tate bubble, when homes were purchased sorted by the region of the per year. What does rose throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, with no money down, i.e. 100% leverage. country, city, gender, age, this “small reduction” and then peaked, in 2001, when the Medi- Some deals even gave the buyer cash ethnic group, etcetera. actually amount to? an Income would buy 155 ounces of gold. back, which could be thought of as inﬁnite When the data When the an- At that point, we entered a new hyper-in- leverage. Members of this group usually series begins, in 1945, the nual Median Income ﬂationary period, and Real Median Income have some assets, but just as much debt. key benchmark used to Over this period of time, there data are divided by the has declined over 50% since then! measure how the country What does this data tell us? have been a few big winners in the ﬁnanannual CPI, this “adwas doing, ﬁnancially, was Fig. 1 justed income” peaks From a long-term perspective, it clearly cial class, but millions of losers among the Median Family Income. In 1967, they started a Source: CensusBureau.gov at a level of 236.22, shows that the Federal Reserve, and the working and middle classes, who have in 1973. Then it works Federal Government have a long-standing been crushed in this process. We are now new statistic called Median Household Income. This includes the in- sideways for a quarter of a century until it policy to devalue the Dollar for their own in a very precarious ﬁnancial and political come for all of the persons living in a hous- reaches a new all-time high of 244.99, in political purposes, and ﬁnancial advan- situation where the losers will demand ing unit, no matter what their relationship. 1999. After 26 years, the American people tage. This means that even though we more programs, like socialized medicine, Obviously, as people began living together have seen their Median Income, after it is are living in a world that has brought us to redistribute the wealth. These policies untold riches, advan- have created a situation that will not end in arrangements, other than traditional fam- adjusted by the CPI, rise tages, and comforts, well! ilies, this measurement made more sense. a measly 3.71% higher through the advances The Census Bureau calculated than it was in 1973! The In the short term, the graph of in technology, since Real Median Income shows that the exboth statistics from 1967 to 1999, when government’s ofﬁcial data the 1960’s; when it pansion of the 1980’s and 1990’s did inthey dropped Median Family Income in fa- doesn’t look all that good comes to paying our deed end near the stock market top, in vor of Median Household Income. In order when you see the whole bills, for the necessi- 2000, and, regardless of the inﬂationary to study the history of Median Incomes, I picture. (Fig .2) In my ties of life, like food, illusions created by the real estate bubble, started my data series with Median Family article, Inﬂation; the Big shelter, and energy; or new highs on the DJIA; a recession Income, in 1945, and switched to Median Lie, the point was made Fig. 2 we have a more dif- (negative growth) began in 2000! As the Household Income, in 1967. that we use Dollars as our Like all statistics, of this sort, cal- standard unit to measure Source: Measuringworth.com ﬁcult time doing so to- ﬁnancial crises, and job losses continue, Source: CensusBureau.gov day, than we did from more and more people should begin to culated by the government, there are a lot economic performance, of estimations involved, and a strong inter- but that presents a very serious problem, 1965 to 1971, when our Median Income see this! nal bias to produce annual numbers that because the value of the U.S. Dollar has would buy about 200 ounces of gold! Even Does the change in the price of gold, beat the recent peak, in 2001, Median income tween 31 December 2001, and 31 Dealways go higher, in order to convince the declined steadily over time. populace that the government is doing a Therefore, in order to get a sense would only buy 155 ounces of gold, and in cember 2006 overstate the amount of ingood job of creating ever increasing pros- of actual, or “real performance”, we must 2006 it was down to 76 ounces! ﬂation and damage to Median Income in The policy that perity! ﬁnd some way to factor out the decline in this country? During The following graph (Fig.1) dis- the value of the Dollar. There are many was used to lower our that period the price plays this rosy picture of ever increasing possible ways to do this, but rather than standard of living, for the of gold increased prosperity, that we are all used to hearing use an artiﬁcially contrived, and perpetual- last 36 years, has sepa128.67%, the price about, during periodic updates. In fact, ly understated method, such as the CPI, I rated Americans into two of oil increased there are only two minor dips over the use the price of gold. This is not absolutely dominant groups. One 207.71%, and the entire history! Median Income begins in accurate, but a market price gives a much group has continued to CRB Index (a bas1945 at $2,379, and increases all the way better approximation than a government tighten their belts, and do ket of commodities) with less, just to try to stay to $48,201, in 2006. In 61 years, we have statistic! increased 106.49%. increased our Median Income more than Dividing the Median Income, by even in this quicksand. By Fig. 3 Therefore, the Real 20 to 1!!! This is the story that the govern- the price of gold, at the end of each year, being frugal, some have Median Income Source: CensusBureau.gov ment, most of the people on Wall Street, created the data series called “Real Me- been able to save and indata series created Source:Barchart.com vest a little of their earnings. and most in the media have been telling us dian Income”, shown in the next graph. using the price of gold This data shows the rise in Real By investing in inﬂating assets, their net should be a whole lot closer to the truth for years. T h e than adjusting Median Income using the The government even “admits” Median Income during the post-war boom worth has grown. that these ﬁgures should actually be re- from 1945 throughout the 1960’s. Real other group only sees the futility of saving government’s CPI. duced “a little bit” due to the “small amount” Median Income peaked, at the end of this a depreciating Dollar, so they have spent Which graph more closely reof inﬂation that they inject into the system, era, in 1970, when the Median Income all that they earned, borrowed more and ﬂects your own experience? Hummel’s General Store & Deli Pizza Delivery (Bermuda Beach to Terra Mar) Another “Moment” made in Galveston. Email us at thewiz@galvestonwizard.com West End Football Special! 3 PIZZAS for $20 call 409.737.9954 for details View from Woody’s Bar Patio. What do you see? What insights and observations do you make of your world? How can you help us set up our fellow humans for success? We need to encourage and support one another in all that we do! www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 13 Farmers’ Almanac 2007-2008 Winter Forecast Farmers’ Almanac® calls for a wet, wild autumn: Soggy season could hamper leaf peeking. LEWISTON, Maine – With fall right around the corner, the Farmers’ Almanac is releasing its prediction of a wet autumn that could make this year’s foliage less than spectacular for the eyes and a bit soggy for the feet. According to the 2008 edition of the Farmers’ Almanac, published in August, Americans should prepare for wet, stormy, and unsettled conditions for much of the fall. Long periods of persistent cold drizzle, punctuated by thundershowers, are expected to dominate late September and much of October.“Grab your umbrellas as you head out leaf viewing,” warns Peter Geiger, Philom., Editor of the Farmers’ Almanac, “this fall should be a wet, cool one. The wet, wild weather predicted for the coming months is likely to have a negative impact this year’s foliage viewing season, as bright, sunny autumn days, with moderately cool nights, contribute to the most spectacular color displays, Geiger said. This year’s autumnal equinox, will occur at 5:51 a.m. EDT, on Sunday, Sept. 23. This year’s edition of Farmers’ Almanac, released in August, explains how climate conditions affect the color and vibrancy of autumn leaves. Because more sugars are produced on sunny days, then trapped in the leaves during cool nights, a string of such days often results in more of the vivid crimson hues that so thrill leaf peepers. Overcast skies, on the other hand, hamper the production of sugars. “That’s not to say there won’t be some spectacular leaves, it’s just that there may be less of them,” Geiger added. Farmers’ Almanac forecaster Caleb Weatherbee bases his long-range weather forecasts on a top-secret mathematical and astronomical formula that ﬁgures in sunspot activity, tidal action, the position of the planet in relation to the Sun, as well as a number of other factors. Faithful readers of the Farmers’ Almanac estimate that its annual weather forecast is accurate between 80 and 85 percent of the time. According the Farmers’ Almanac’s outlook, tropical storms are likely to threaten the East Coast over the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the ﬁrst week of October holds the possibility of ﬂurries for the Great Plains. Early snowfall is also expected visit New England and the Great Lakes region during the opening weeks of November, with cold, damp, unsettled conditions looming over the Thanksgiving holiday in most areas. SOURCE: The Farmers’ Almanac is available online for free at Farmers’ Almanac’s newly designed, multi-media web site, www.farmersalmanac.com. All information in this article was taken from a press release from that site. October 2007 1st-3rd Fair weather 4th-7th Stormy, with some wet snow/ﬂurries over higher terrains 8th-11th Mostly fair, cold 12th-15th Turning unsettled, then clearing 16th-19th Heavy rains spread from southern Great Plains into Mississippi River Valley 20th-23rd Rain, thunderstorms Texas, points east, then clearing skies, colder weather 24th-27th Fair skies rapidly change to unsettled conditions. Light rains for Texas east 28th31st Tranquil, then increasing cloudiness, with very unsettled conditions spreading in from New Mexico. Editors Peter Geiger and Sandi Duncan consult the newest issue of the Farmers’ Almanac GBE AUTOMOTIVE Serving Galveston Since 1921 Emission System problems putting your Inspection Sticker We’re Here to Help! 3502 Broadway • (409) 762-7551 OUT OF YOUR BUDGET? think again. clean up our air act with help from the program! $600 towards repairs, or $1000 towards vehicle replacement if repair is not possible. There is a form to ﬁll out, and you will need proof of your income, (Social Security, Paystub, etc.), oh, and you have to fail an emission test (within the last month). They take that, and if you meet the criteria, the program helps you pay for it! Sniff! Ah, cleaner air and clear vehicle-related consciences! But where would you go to take advantage of this program on island? The professionals at GBE Automotive (see advertisement at left) were the wizardly wise people that told us about the program! And they honor it! Secure your inspection sticker today, or take advanatge of this program designed to help you get it right! Go! Fixed budgets, slow budgets, or working towards big budgets, we’ve got good news about your car! Open: M-F 8:00-5:30 Sat 8:00-1:00 Closed Sunday We’ve seen people driving their lives Full Line of Auto Parts in fear, not because they are on the run, but in a way, they are on the lam. Complete Auto Repair Yes, there is an important cross-town Foreign and Domestic obligation, we must brave the journey. UTMB, A & M University, Due to the costs of emission-related Government Employee Discounts problems, many cannot make the necessary repairs, these drivers are forced to dart around town in fear. The Towing Available* gamble? A ticket (which they can’t afford, and then they would still have the emission problems), or destination reached! Fear no more, brave and otherwise-good drivers! AirCheck Texas Repair Vehicle emissions testing and repair program, is now in effect. The program is to help Bring in or mention this ad for Galveston and several other counties special rates on select services! *Free with repair 14 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard The Lone Star Bike Rally Kick-Off Party Michael Hightower, chairman of the Galveston Parks Board of Trustees Mardi Gras Committee, and founder of the Krewe du Vroom, is gearing up for and has invited everyone to the Lone Star Bike Rally KICKOFF PARTY to be held Thursday, November 1 st , 2007 at The Roof Garden (2214 Strand), 2:00pm 12:00am. During this event, there will be a silent auction, 4 live bands rocking out and tons of “peeeeling out” fun. Diane Flores-Cowart, events coordinator, for Krewe du Vroom shared the details of this special event. The event is open to the public, tickets are only $50 dollars, which includes dinner, draft beer and set ups. Catering will be provided by The Spot and Queen’s BBQ. Prizes will be given away throughout the party. All proceeds benefit the R o n a l d M c D o n a l d House of Galveston. The Krewe du Vroom was founded in the fall of 2006, brainstormed by Michael Hightower and has grown to 78 friendships and continues to shared camaraderie among motorcycle enthusiasts and has encouraged safe and courteous motorcycling. Michael says the group got its idea for an all motorcycle krewe after they noticed the increasing popularity of The Lone Star Rally event. You may visit their website at www.KreweDuVroom. com. For additional information, please contact Diane Flores-Cowart at (281) 455-0805 or via e-mail cowartdfc@hotmail.com. www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 15 Chico’s Paradise? Tues Wed Thurs Fri Monday Hospitality Working Night Industry Women’s UTMB Ofﬁce Mon Football Reserve your slot today! Madden ‘08 Tournament on XBox 360 8pm Every Monday Sponsored by GameCrazy Need another reason to enjoy Wednesday Night* Party Night* *1/2 Apps. Drink Specials *Drink Specials “Um, yee-eaahh...” ‘til 7 *Buffet Start your week*Drink Specials end off right with our Happy Hour! Come Network ‘til 9 Ofﬁce groups of 12 or more and Mingle! qualify for special prizes! “Try the new fresh oyster bar!” Rafe’s back! http://www.chicos-paradise.com/ Jennifer Trigg - Owner learn more at COME ON IN! 10% OFF FOR STUDENTS “Call Today For Our Free Tanning and Massage Specials!” Tanning Supplies * Lotions * Monitored Child Care While Tanning * SpaBed Dry Hydro Massage TM T-Shirts Magnets Stickers Coffee Mugs Home Decor & More Giny Hogan Collection “Original Watercolor Designs by Island Artist ” 409.621.HOTT (4688) 4619-C FT. CROCKETT - GALVESTON ISLAND Off Seawall, behind & between Academy & Salsa’s HottiesTanningSalon.com www.zazzle.com/ginyhogan www.cafepress.com/ginyhogan www.printfection.com/ginyhogan 16 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 17 HAUNTED October 1-31, 2007 Daily Noon - 4pm Are We Haunted? Tours GALVESTON.COM, GALVESTON.ORG, & GALVESTONCRUISES.COM 1859 Ashton Villa, 2328 Broadway: From October 1 through 31, 2007, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., special “Are We Haunted?” tours begin at the October 13 - November 24 October 26th, and will feature live top of each hour. The last tour Second Nature, Disparate Country/Western music, great food, enters the house at 4 p.m. Housewife & Other Concerns, beer, and more. Admission is $6 for adults, and Joy Christiansen: Domestic $5 for students (half-price Encounters Saturday & Sunday, October for students in Halloween Galveston Arts Center, 2127 20-21, 2007 costume). Galveston HistoriStrand: Beginning Saturday, OctoSaturday 10am - 6pm; Sunday cal Foundation members are ber 13th, the Galveston Arts Center 10am - 5pm admitted free. The 1859 Ashton Villa house museum and presents three exciting new exhibiARToberFEST Heritage Visitors’ Center is tions. The exhibition continues ARToberFEST, Postofﬁce Street: located at 2328 Broadway. For through November 24th. ARToberFEST, Galveston’s premier art event, returns to downtown more information, call Jami Durham at 409-762-3933. Saturday, October 20 Galveston Saturday & Sunday, 8pm October 20th and 21st. Surround James Earl Jones yourself in the relaxed atmosphere Weekends in October 10am - 6pm The Grand 1894 Opera House, and historic charm of Postofﬁce Trick or Treat Weekends 2020 Postofﬁce St.: On October Street while enjoying the work of Trick or Treat Weekends, 20, the distinguished and versatile over 100 artists and artisans. Held Downtown Galveston: Every actor, James Earl Jones, will in the heart of the Downtown Arts Saturday and Sunday this perform at The Grand 1894 Opera and Entertainment District, this October, costumed visitors House. Possessing one of the most weekend-long celebration of ﬁne to downtown Galveston are instantly-recognizable voices in art is guaranteed to be fun for the invited to participate in Trick entertainment history, enriching ev- entire family or Treat Weekends, part of the erything from ‘Darth Vadar’ to “the month-long Ghosts of Galvesvoice of CNN,” Jones will present Saturday, October 20, 2007 ton Festival. Each weekend “Poems I Love to Read.” 9am - 11am from 10am to 6pm, participatBirding 201 ing Strand District businesses Saturday, October 20 Moody Gardens Aquarium Pyrafeaturing special “Trick or mid, One Hope Boulevard: Galves- Treat” signs in their windows 10am - 6pm ton is home to hundreds of species will offer kids in costume speArt in the Park cial treats. Admission is free. of birds. Egrets, herons, ducks, Art in the Park, Saengerfest Park: For additional information, Don’t miss Art in the Park, an hawks and gulls are a few who open-air market event held Saturspend time on the Island. Those in- call toll-free (888)GAL-ISLE. day, October 20th at Saengerfest terested in learning more about area Park, 23rd & Strand. Dozens of birds are invited to Moody Gardens Daily Call Ghost Line for Schedule, artists will set their masterpieces for Birding 201. or by Appointment out for all to see. This event is free Ghost Tour of Galveston to the public and whether you’re October 20 - December 16, 2007 Island an art enthusiast or not, it is a great Open Weekends and Select HoliGhost Tours of Galveston, chance to see some unique artwork days Throughout The Strand by local Galvestonians. Schlitterbahn Home School Days Historic District: Founded Schlitterbahn’s Wasserfest Heated in 1999 by Ghost Tours Of Friday & Saturday, October Indoor Season, 2026 Lockheed Galveston Creator Dash 26-27 Dr.: Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Beardsley, Ghost Tours of Friday 7pm-11pm; Saturday 11am- Waterpark is the perfect place for Galveston IS Galveston 7pm Homeschoolers to kick back from Island’s ﬁrst, foremost, and Island Oktoberfest their studies and learn a bit about original haunted historical Island Oktoberfest, 25th & Winnie: having fun. Homeschoolers can walking tour. The 26th annual Island Oktoberfest order special discount tickets for Thru October 31, 2007 will be held Saturday, October these days. A minimum order of Tues thru Fri 5:30pm; Sat & 27, from 11am-7pm at the corner 5 tickets and proof of memberSun 11am, 1pm, 3pm, & 5pm; of 25th and Winnie in historic ship are required for this special Closed Monday downtown Galveston. This year, offer. Orders must be prepaid and Haunted Harbor Experience for the ﬁrst time ever, Oktoberfest postmarked at least 5 days prior to Onboard GHF’s Seagull II will kick-off on Friday evening, your visit. Galveston Harbor Tours, Texas Seaport Museum: Join Galveston Historical Foundation for a journey into the mysterious waters of Galveston Harbor and learn the ghostly legends of Pirate Jean Laﬁtte, the native Karankawas, and unlucky souls from many walks of life who met their end on or around this legendary Gulf city’s waters. The Galveston Haunted Harbor Experience lasts one hour. October 1-31, 2007 9am - 5pm Is There a Phantom in The Opera House? Tour The Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postofﬁce St.: In honor of Galveston’s Ghosts of Galveston Festival, don’t miss these self-guided tours through the historic Grand 1894 Opera House where it’s been told that there are “cold spots” and “feelings” of paranormal importance. Will you get a sense of the supernatural? Saturday, October 27, 2007 7:30pm - 8:30pm Witches Brew and Ghost Tales The San Luis Resort, Spa, & Conference Center, 5222 Seawall Blvd.: As a guest of The San Luis Hotel, you’re invited to join The San Luis for our Witches Brew and Ghost Tales event. The evening is sure to get you in the Halloween spirit! Guests are welcome to The San Luis Hotel Lobby to savor The San Luis’ signature complimentary Witches Brew and Halloween treats. Saturday, October 27, 2007 Gates Open Noon; Showtime 3pm HalloweenFunkFest East Beach, 1923 Boddeker Drive : Don’t miss all the ghoulish fun as East Beach presents HALLOWEENFUNKFEST, Saturday, October 27th, at 3pm. Gates open at noon. The event will be hosted by J. Anthony Brown, opened by Coop Deville, and will feature The S.O.S. Band, The Ohio Players, Morris Day & The Time, and Cameo. MUSIC Friday & Saturday, October 12-13, 8pm The Spinners The Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postofﬁce St. Friday thru Sunday, October 12-14, Fri. 5pm-10pm; Sat. 11am-10pm; Sun. Noon-7pm Greek Festival Greek Festival, 19th & Ball Friday & Saturday, October 12-13, 2007 9:30pm The Line Up 21, 2102 Postofﬁce St. Friday, October 12, 2007 8pm Sparky’s Jazz Express Cafe’ Madrid, 2111 Postofﬁce St. Friday & Saturday, October 12-13, 2007 9:30pm Mambo Jazz Kings B. Jiggers Lounge, 50th & Seawall Blvd. Friday, October 12, 2007 9:30pm Fidelity Maxx Wild Wing Cafe, 2301 Strand Saturday, October 13, 2007 8pm Galveston Island Jazz Trio Cafe’ Madrid, 2111 Postofﬁce St. Saturday, October 13, 2007 3pm - 7pm Josh Ward Band Woody’s Bar, 11149 FM 3005 Saturday, October 13, 2007 7pm - 11pm Shark Attack Gravity Restaurant & Bar, 2120 Strand Sunday, October 14, 2007 3pm - 7pm Bo Cox Woody’s Bar, 11149 FM 3005 Sunday, October 14, 2007 2pm - 7pm Marc Twyman Gravity Restaurant & Bar, 2120 Strand Sunday, October 14, 2007 3pm - 7pm Skip Devlin Band The Spot Restaurant and Tiki Bar, 3204 Seawall Blvd. EVENTS Visit us online for Complete and Up-To-The-Minute Information, Listings of Events, Bookings, Reservations, and much more. Your Complete Resource for Visitor Information, Where to Stay, What To Do, or Getting Around MORE! 18 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Maybe You’ve Heard It A Thousand Times, Someday humans will harness hurricane power into natural biofuels, having our envious Texas City neighbors knocking on our door asking for a cup of enrergy. (Cool news of the like, though, in our next issue!) Until then, we will have to settle for being aware of a hurricane sometime, somewhere, somehow, making it’s way to Galveston’s Landmark Seawall. It will happen! As an island, we’ve got our Seawall defenses covered, (Galveston Wizard Seawall Development Plans are still under tight wraps...show us the money!), but what about your loved ones? What about yourself? Nibbles the cat? Are you sure that your car can go faster than 35 m.p.h. anymore? And what of your home and belongings, should nature’s gulf playground bully come looking for your milk money? Is your home in desperate need of storm protection? Don’t wait until it is too late to ﬁnd out! City of Galveston Hurricane Preparedness Guide booklets are availa Regular or Large Combo at able at City Hall on 25th, off Broadway to help you out. Pick one up today! And look just how prepared you are already! A coupon for lunch, a lead on storm WITH THIS COUPON protection, and an awesome shopping option on this page! Don’t thank Hrs: Mon-Fri 11:00 to 8:00 pm, us...thank our advertisers Sat and Sun 11-3:00pm. Valid only at 2221 Market St. Galveston that make this publication One coupon per customer per visit. possible for you! ...Being “Pre”pared is way better than being “Post”pared. This doesn’t mean that you have to bring your own salad dressing with you everywhere you go...that’s what some would call being “Over”pared. BUT.... ...are you prepared? Hurricane Season is underway... $2 OFF STORM PROTECTION Since 1938 (409)762.9652 A ramco 5105 BROADWAY, Galveston, TX Toll Free 1-888-6-ARAMCO (1-888-627-2626) WWW.ARAMCOSTORMPROTECTION.COM Dragonfly Gallery 701 14th Street Galveston, TX 77550 Explore the 409.770.9560 Vibrant Decor and Classy Additions Hand-Crafted Custom Works Wide Assortment of children’s books, stuffed animals, albums, keepsakes, and more. (quarters to show scale) Unique Miniatures www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 19 popular EVERYWHERE, and so are those FAKE mohawks that you see people with (that are too scared to actually shave their head on the sides). It’s the differences that I saw while I lived overseas, that made me look at my home and its surroundings in a whole new light. In England, the English dress MUCH better than Americans. They are on the cutting edge of fashion. Much of their fashion directly inﬂuences the direction that our popular culture will be taking years after they have had time to get over it. Punk rock/rock and roll, convenience, public transportation, and let’s not forget linguistics are just some of the things that the English own us on. Most European countries (France and Belgium) will laugh at our mid-shin white tube socks, and our big logos on our t-shirts. Why laugh at logos on your t-shirt? Why not? What is the point of providing free advertising for a company that YOU paid? It’s a status symbol. While you will see some signs of status in many European countries, you won’t see it to the degree that you see it here. Most European citizens utilize their efﬁcient public transportation and ﬁnd no need for cars. In The Netherlands, you will ﬁnd people who have never even driven a car. There, the main mode of Oh, The Things I’ve Learned….. By: Thomas Graves When I say I am a world traveler, I say it with the utmost humbleness. I know for a fact that there are plenty of people that have traveled many more places than I have even begun to consider. People are going to Africa, Asia, and Australia, while I’m still just trying to conquer Europe. I’m just writing this article to share my memoirs and thoughts with you. So in no way am I talking down to anyone. This is just what I feel. With that said, I feel that people travel for different reasons. Some travel to get away from the normal ﬂow of life, and experience a change in routine. Some travel to relax in an atmosphere that they ﬁnd aesthetically pleasing. Others may travel to learn, and gain a different perspective on life in general. I for one, travel for all the above reasons. Every time I leave this soil, I come back refreshed with a more complete sense of being. With every country I go to, the ﬁrst thing I pay attention to is the similarities and differences between here and there. One similarity is the youth. The youth play such an important role in shaping societies all across the world. Popular culture, which is fueled by young people (and their money (their parents money), becomes the ﬂavor of a decade in some cases. One thing I have noticed is that the internet, and television, has given the youth all over the world a uniﬁed style. I pods and rap are transportation is bicycle. If it’s raining, you take the train or bus. There is always a choice. If all else fails, there is that other thing called “walking”. Here, we only have one choice, To drive. Driving is everything to us! Who would we be without our cars? Oil businesses and rap “artists” know this! We love our things, and not only THINGS, but NICE THINGS. Over there, most people are much more practical. My point is, is that we are NOT the best country in the world. While we do have it better than a lot of countries, there are many things left for us to learn. We still have to overcome our greed and hegemony. We have to open our minds to different ways of living. We need to start looking to others for help instead of keeping with the philosophy of “Our way, or the highway”. Next time, I want to discuss my homelessness in London, and how I climbed my way out of a bad situation on peanuts and water. The world is there for all of us to enjoy, and it begins when you step foot off the island. We’re Taking Orders From You! Stude nt of Choose ONE! nah. I suck. Yes! I want to be the coolest person ever. Hard Knocks (on white) G’Wiz Logo (in black) Galve Schoo ston I l of Ha s rd Knoland cks Teach ing pe op le the hard w ay sinc e 1 90 0 $15 donation to the Galveston Wizard per shirt Galveston Wizard T-Shirt Offer P.O. Box 3467 Galveston, TX 77552 Check or Money Order Only Payable to G’Wiz Enterprises Name Address City/State SM Size: Phone Zip MED LRG Email XL “Be the coolest kid on the block.” Order yours today! (add $2) XXL 20 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Island Cycle Repair The Original Island Bicycle Shop in Downtown Galveston Prices may vary depending on condition of bike and difﬁculty of repair. Parts are not included. General shop rate is $30 an hour. www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 21 Island Cycle Repair Price List PLU DESCRIPTION PRICE Tuning! Repairs! Regulating! CAPPUCINOS FLAV LATTE REG AND FLAV COFFEE REDEYE MOCHAS ICED COFFEE TEA ESPRESSO “thanks for the help!” Doug Storey! 281.291.0498 22 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard “Silence Is Golden, But Duct Tape Is Silver” ~Linda Sivy This is what my brilliant 10 year old offspring speciﬁcally shocked me with one day after school. I paused and pondered for a second, then busted out laughing. I love duct tape. This month’s adventure has been very entertaining. We, at The Galveston Wizard thank all who have committed themselves to the Wizards vision, in addition to deciding to take their businesses to other levels of success by advertising with this fantastic publication. I’m thrilled to share my wonderful tales of hitting the streets, again. While digesting the telephone conversations I shared last month, I decided to tinker with my offspring humorous threat and ventured out with an imaginary roll of silver. Needing people to play nicely with and sell ads to, I found myself sitting in front of the video poker machine at Buck’s West ﬁnding the differences or something. Melanie Quiroga fed my thirst as though she felt my pain even though I was not hurting. And mercy, she can tend bar, too. The place quickly ﬁlled with soon to be bridesmaids for her up and coming wedding. How was I to know it was Karaoke night? Had I had read it somewhere? It was time to get busy. I tore off a piece of imaginary silver and held fast. “Hey, would anyone be interested in advertising in The Galveston Wizard”?, started my outburst. We have the best rates and most wonderful readership. Our feedback has been phenomenal. We have so many different ways one can advertise with affordable ﬂexibility. We have panel, 1/4 page, half page and full page spaces available to provide you with another way to inform Galveston residents and visitors of where you are located, what is new within your establishment, new business hours, etc. We have created a new DeClassiﬁed section in which you can advertise, announce, and shout out just about anything for $20 bucks. Three lines run for a month, only 20 dollars. We have newsstands that we are offering at a great price, to be place at your establishment with your business logo on it. We can supply you with all the Wizards it can hold on a consistent basis. We have an outstanding web site (www.galvestonwizard.com) in which internet readers can view the publication and spot your ad and The Wizard wants to be your friend on MySpace (www. myspace/galvestonwizard). One person admired my determination and spoke up. I got the ‘come see me later speech’ and felt accomplished. As I cautiously watched the Karaoke microphone get closer to me, I decided I’d better get before the urge to out sing the whole place took over. Still holding that shiny piece in my head, I knew I had to get rid of it before I left. It found its new home on the mouth of the girl that I’d hope never received that microphone. The next day, I pulled up to John Dundee with Splish Splash - Laundry, Linens & More and complimented him on how professional he looked. He was so.... pressed. After he handed me his business card, I thought, oh. I told him I didn’t know that he and his wife owned a Quality Linen Laundromat for the Resort Market on 52nd & R. Offering my spill, mentioned above, I festooned him with a shiny little mental piece on his lapel just for being so very polite and interested in advertising with The Galveston Wizard; I did not tape him. Bill Hummel knew I was coming. His contract was expiring and it was time to renew. And WHAT a renewal it is, Pizza delivery on the west end? Yes. Galveston west Enders can now order from Hummel’s - General Store & Deli, 3 - 12” pizza’s, any toppings for 20 dollars. To be delivered from Bermuda Beach to Terramar Beach. (See ad for more details). Still armed with my roll of imaginary duct silver, I could not help but to wrap the head of an on looking commentator who protested advertising expenses. He stated that he felt paying for advertising was pointless when you have no business. I wrapped his head good and tight. This mental playfulness of mine continued on stop after stop. Do you know of all the endless possibilities one can do with a roll of imaginary duct tape to people who say stupid things? I have, however, passed on my roll by ending with an encounter with Corro Dominguez at the Valero Corner Store (Jamaica Beach). I shared with Corro my offspring’s threat and asked her what she thought of it. Once she stopped laughing, she told me she sure could have used some of that silver duct tape on her precious offspring’s from time to time. I gave it to her…….. The Galveston Wizard eagerly pursues establishing relationships with potential advertisers and sponsors to help educate and inform readership of the products or services of the advertiser, Galveston, and much more. We want to get your business to the next level. On line rate sheets available at: www.galvestonwizard.com Or call (409) 621-2864 www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 23 We were invited to a Chamber of Commerce Mixer at DLJ Studios Darrel John, long-time friend of the Galveston Wizard Periodical, informed us of a Chamber of Commerce event to be held at his studios. Pretty much anything to do with the Audio/Visual World is under their masterful control! (Contact 409.762.6400 for questions or visit their Web site at www.dljstudios.com) For Chamber of Commerce info, check out http://www.galvestoncc.com. The evening was at it’s zenith when we arrived. So many people talking about so many interesting things related to Galveston’s businesses and the community. Networking is key. How can we help one other? The Chamber Mixer was a huge success in our opinion. Be sure to catch the next one! We look forward to bringing you updates on cool happenings like this, and countless others. Tell the Galveston Wizard of Your Events or Functions. Let us help spread the word. We love watching people work together. Carnes Funeral Home specializes in NO COST cremation services Carnes Funeral Home offers the lowest-priced funeral services in Galveston County. What options do I have for a FUNERAL SERVICE? Your options are unlimited. You can choose to have a service in the Funeral Home. We have three beautiful chapels that can accommodate up to 500 visitors. You may opt to have a service at a church or other location. You may have a graveside service. Our Funeral Directors will assist you in making decisions. FUNERALS CREMATIONS MEDICAL BODY DONATIONS Can I Donate My Body to Science? Carnes Funeral Home is the contract agency for Medical Schools and Research Body Donation Programs. Contact our staff for information on how you can receive a NO COST cremation while furthering the advancement of medical research and assist to educate future physicians. *All programs have criteria and eligibility requirements How much do CREMATIONS cost? Carnes Funeral Home owns and operates a crematory. Carnes is the leading funeral home in Galveston County in cremations, allowing them to have the lowest-priced cremations in Texas. Sand Dollar Our new, state-of-the-art facility can accommodate large 500-person gatherings. Can I PRE-ARRANGE my Service? Yes, you may call or stop by to discuss prearranging your funeral services. Pre-arranging your service allows you to lock into today’s prices and it relieves your family from having to make emotional decisions at the time of need. 3100 Gulf Freeway (exit 15) Texas City, TX 77591 409.986.9900, 1.888.822.7637, fax 409.986.9903 www.carnesfuneralhome.com 24 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Local Gets Lost In Wal-Mart - Linda Sivy “Save Money. Live Better” is the newly released slogan for Wal-Mart. The new slogan comes as WalMart is incorporating more of an emotional tone into its advertising as it tries to boost sales at its U.S. stores. Emotional tone ? Sal Aguilar, our local Wal-Mart store manager, kindly gave me the inside scoops on what is happening at our local Wal-Mart. If you have not yet noticed, our store is achangin’. And no, it is not to make you angry or lost, not at all. Sal was excited to inform me of the reasons for the store remodeling. “The store has not been upgraded since 1995 and it has been in need of a modern look to be consistent with other WalMart stores within our region.” Therefore, we get new stuff. Wood ﬂooring will be placed throughout all clothing areas, as well as the shoe department. The sporting goods department will be enlarged and will not host a variety of Offshore and salt water tackle while eliminating fresh water gear. Th updated electronics The d d l i departments will now carry brand name electronics such as Sony and Samsung. LCD, televisions, computers and iPods will be plentiful. House wares will now provide new products that are trendy and modern. The isles are to be widened to provide more friendly shopping space. The store will no longer sell fabric, or live ﬁsh. They have also decided to cancel their Layaway program. No more ‘wrap around the store line’, like, you’re in a conga line at holiday time. Hurray! For those of you who may be in need of assistance locating things, there are two store maps (poster boards) located at both main entrances identifying the new locations of what you may have come in to get (or just ask someone who works there). The remodel completion date is scheduled for October 26th, 2007. www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 25 Supreme Buddha Weighs In ~M. Phillips Interviewer’s note: Siddhārtha Gautama (Supreme Buddha) requested there be no introduction to this piece; saying, “Either you’re here to talk to me, or you’re running a commentary on my digs. I can’t stand those articles in Rolling Stone where the so-called journalist goes on and on about what Fergie is wearing or how Jerry Lee’s house looks. Just ask me questions and I’ll give you answers.” Alright, big man, here goes. The Wizard: What do you think about how Fergie dresses? Siddhārtha Gautama: Hell with this. I’m leaving. Wiz: Kidding! Just kidding. Please don’t leave. SG: Wiz: SG: Wiz: SG: Wiz: SG: Not funny. Fergie’s had a hard rise. She’s luscious and everybody knows it. That’s why they want to bring her down. A lot of men think she’s a sleazy, untalented rogue. They’re gay. Then again, many think you’re fat with big earlobes. They’re gay, too. Good enough. Tell me, what do you think of China’s recent legislative move banning Buddhist reincarnation without a government permit? We all know that most Chinese men are gay. [laughs] But really? That’s a stroke against The Dalai Lama. He’s Tibetan, you know. Anyway, I don’t even believe in reincarnation. I thought you were from Nepal. It was Lumbini back then, and it was in friggin India. Look it up. No, I trust you. So, you don’t approve of The Dalai Lama? Don’t know the man. Any of them. Seems to me they’ve got themselves a bald demigod who won’t go away. Like, ever. I don’t approve of that. Ah, organized religion. Hey, I told my followers in 450 BC, I said, ‘Write this stuff down, dude. You’ll forget it.’ It was some enlightened shit, too. What did they do? Waited until the Christians started a book, then just wrote whatever came to mind. I’m thinking, ‘I never said that.’ I mean, those robes are Wiz: SG: ridiculous. And I always had great hair. Indeed. And good sense, it seems. What’s your take on the recent decline in the real estate market? Are we looking at a recession? What you’re looking at is a market correction. Most people will witness one, maybe two of those in their lifetimes. So, there’s a tendency to focus on the short-term blips. Real estate is a ﬁnite commodity and demand is self evident. As such, long-term growth, relative to inﬂation, is inevitable. Risk, then, is a function of location and expressed in time. Do what? Lookit. You buy a patch of desert in Arizona. Worth a bucket of spit, but hopefully you didn’t give much more than that for it. Now you’re sitting on it until demand rises. The way you people breed, you might not be Wiz: SG: Wiz: SG: Wiz: SG: waiting long before somebody wants to put in a trailer park out there. But coastal property? What everybody is secretly bitching about is how much it costs to begin with, compared to that patch of desert. Which, ironically, is what should give them conﬁdence. Take this Toﬁgh Sherazi fella. I hope I pronounced that right. You think a man like that is gonna drop $1 billion dollars into a receding market? Get real. I don’t know who that is. Beachtown? It’s only a 260 acre master planned community covering the whole east end of Galveston. Two hotels? Right. Beachtown. So, you think our Gulf property is on par with the east and west coasts. In terms of scenic quality, maybe not. But they’re running out of beach in California, man. And try to ﬁnd cattle grazing anywhere on the Chesapeake shore. Your land is still undervalued. If I’m not a dot com millionaire and I want salt wind blowing up my pajama bottoms in the morning, I’m retiring to Texas. Point taken. On that subject, then, what do you think of tech stocks and the like? You bafﬂe me. I think, if you’re still upset over missing the Yahoo boat, you should take your savings and bet a trifecta at Churchill Downs next May. It’ll be more fun, and you stand just as good a chance of turning a proﬁt. Wiz: SG: Wiz: SG: Wiz: SG: Wiz: SG: Are you a fan of the ponies? Oh, yes. Always. Mint Juleps too, but only when the mint is fresh and the bourbon is past adolescence. Is there a signiﬁcant other? A future Mrs. Buddha, or just somebody you like taking to the races? I’m dead. I know. But, I mean, I’m not sure how things work in…wherever you are. Heaven? Nirvana? Our readers would surely appreciate some insight. Is that recorder still on? Yeah. Edit the rest of this crap however you want. But please print this verbatim or don’t print it at all. Your readers – the guy glancing at this while he’s waiting on a pizza at The Patty Shack – you need to stop worrying so much about what comes next and concentrate on living. Are you trying to win something when you die, or just trying not to lose? What does it matter? You have this life. It’s more than you deserve. Live it. Last words? That’s it. I died two millennia ago and yall are evidently still wondering ‘what would Buddha do here?’ or ‘how would Christ handle this?’ Answer: we don’t have to handle it. You do. Wiz: SG: Wiz: SG: Wiz: SG: Wiz: SG: Wiz: SG: 26 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard “The Single Life” by matte e There are very few things I don’t approve of anymore. I support gay marriage, birth control, tax reform and plastic surgery. With that in mind I have to say that I cannot endorse mustaches without beards, reality shows or (more than anything) older guys dating younger women. Nothing makes less sense to me that modern culture has created this monster of habit that grooms women to fast forward their internal loveclocks to ‘geezer’. You know the type…the freshman who went to prom with a senior, the undergrad who dated graduate students and in her early twenties, started becoming the recent divorcee’s midlife crisis. What’s worse, many of my friends are stuck in this craze. At 23 I hardly see the purpose in denying anyone with a bornafter date, circa 1970. In an effort to make sense of this fallacy, I quickly chatted up my wheelchairpushing, socialite friends. Par the norm, words like ‘love’ and ‘understanding’ bounced off their parched lipstick clad lips. Believing I couldn’t handle much more of this meaningless bantering, I ﬁnally met someone who made sense of it all. Ironically, ‘Lauren’ was the youngest of the beneﬁciary bound contingent. What she explained to me made little sense to me at ﬁrst, but after dissecting all the facts and feelings of her relationship, I started to feel like I had been in one of these dating, love-triangles myself. There was a time when I was the ‘home wrecking’ tease. That man women leave security and reason for, in an attempt to relive their single prowess. Experience has taught me that regardless of how happy women seem to be, there is always something missing in their relationship. Some women attempt to solve this low point with shopping sprees or new cars, it seems others just hookup the bartender at their favorite restaurant. Last month as I was browsing through my regular blog favorites and I happened to read an insert by R. Don Steele. He explained that ‘women who date older men are primarily interested in getting a husband-to-be on the hook. On average, it takes women about a year of going steady to feel she has her target under control. Then the games begin!’ Here’s my spin on things: Soon after we hit the one-year mark, ‘Lauren’ thought she had a handle on things, but soon she began to involve herself with her similarly aged friends and frequenting the local single hot spots. While partying with ‘the girls’, she naturally found herself interacting with new and younger men and thus longing for her single ways. Her experimentation began with another boy, her naïve version of an affair. It’s the excitement in getting away with something that she ﬁnds so attractive about Randy RedPorsche, her new single’s bar professional. They have their way on Thursday nights when she’s ‘out with the girls’ and before too long, on Monday nights as well when Jimmy is ‘out with the boys.’ In due course, Mr. Jimmy unravels the whole scheme and rid himself of his younger lover. The powers that be bring them back together again after a four week hiatus. They exchange wedding vowels, move in together and carry on their ‘love’ for one another. Lauren’s reason for getting back together with her older suitor: “I didn’t want to be just another plastic in a pick-up bar.” The reality is, the women I see attracted to older men, aren’t all that much of my type anyway. My envy and frustrations have been for no practical reason as the beauty of this whole cycle is that it only moves in one direction. You see younger men don’t seem to feel the same way about older women. Sexual Healing! Your sexual health is very important to us. What are HIV and STDs? HIV stands for Human Immunodeﬁciency Virus, the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deﬁciency Syndrome). STDs are Sexually Transmitted Diseases, which include HIV and other infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis, and HPV. Dickinson Planned Parenthood 3315 Gulf Freeway (Gulf Freeway and FM 517) Open 8am-8pm Monday, Tuesday thru Thursday (8am - 4pm), Friday (8am - 3pm), and Saturday (8am to Noon) Ofﬁce Number 409.945.5572 HIV Counselors available on Wednesdays (9am to 4pm) for a small donation, or free. Free HIV andtesting at St. Vincent’s on 2817 Post Ofﬁce on Mondays from 10am to 2pm (Except the second Monday of each month) For more information, call 409.763.8521 How are HIV and other STDs passed? Can I talk to a live person about my concerns or questions about HIV and other STDs? To ﬁnd out where to get tested or receive services for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases in Texas, dial 2-1-1. For all other questions about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, dial 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636). The most common method of infection for HIV and other STDs is through sexual contact (vaginal, anal, or oral sex). Many infections can also be passed through sharing needles, http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/ contact with infected blood, or from mother to baby during pregnancy or at birth. HIV Source for Info at left: hivstd/info/default.shtm and other STDs are not passed casually by such activities as hugging or shaking hands. http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/hivstd/info/default.shtm Each infection is different. See the fact sheets at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/hivstd/info/ default.shtme for information on each type of STD. .gov For More Information c w.cd ww AIDS Coalition of Coastal Texas (800)-755-0440 www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 27 Should Have Remained Friends As I sit here, on a pier Looking out into Galveston Bay, It is simply amazing how the Moon reﬂect off of the Gulf in such a spectacular way, And as the scenery may seem priceless to view, The way my heart is achin’ my life feels through, The way she left,I’ll never understand, The way she left with a piece of my heart in her hand, I’ve always been the one to fall head over heels for a pretty face,but now... my pride is ﬁlled with so much disgrace, I just want to leave this place, I now understand that to Fall in Love, Is to also be Vunerable for Sadness in the end, The way she played my heart, We should have remained friends from the start, It would do me justice to curse out her name, When I know my spirit couldn’t bear to see her dish out the same, And yet I can’t help at a time like this,to reminise Back when there was a point we could co-exist, No one wants to live a life alone, No one wants to go to an empty Home, I’m scared to leave this pier, Because there are somethings inside of me that are missing, I wonder if I could ever Love again, I should have just remained her friend, Because it was my Heart that got Broken in the End. -Victor King ViX Presents- Imagine An Island Hello again from the outside. Last we talked, it was about an island roller rink. As promised, this time...Island Drive-In. Looking back as a child I can remember loading up the station wagon, mom and dad stopping by the local KFC for bucket and 2 liter. Then we were off to the drive-in, sitting on the hood of the car, eating chicken, drinking soda and then the Double Feature started. It was a great time. Growing up we didn’t have a lot of money so the drive-in was our #1 treat (#2 a cone at the DQ on laundry day). As a teen my friends and I would load up the car a little different but the goal was the same, have fun, see some movies, and if we talk up some girls at the snack bar…. yahooooo!!!! It’s hard to do much fooling around with four other guys in the car so a phone number and some kissing was the limit but if that happened you were the man. Now as an adult I would love to relax in my own car and enjoy a couple movies through my intensely loud system. I would bet it sounds like bombs were going off in my car. That would be sweeeeeet!!!!! But I’ll never know because we don’t have a drive-in. The island needs more to do for locals and tourists. The beach is great. The Strand is great. What is there for someone who has been there and done that? The city or some other entity with deep pockets needs to step up and make some changes. Its O.K. don’t panic, change is good. There are plenty of large areas that are perfect for this. The sound can be transmitted to your car radio. The screens can be inﬂatable for easy set up and tare down if the weather gets bad. Security can be hired to keep the peace. Some of the local food establishments can set up concessions stands, maybe a different food every week? You could have sampling of the islands food. That’s just one example. If I had the money I would do it myself, but I don’t so I put it out there for free to you and yours. I hope this sparks your interest. If you’re lucky and smart enough to have the means, look into it for me. If you don’t talk, to someone who does. Change is not only good but also necessary to live, thrive, and survive. Thank you for your time. -The outsider Here’s The Scoop Dear readers, I’m back. It’s time for another installment of the Rock! There are times when traveling in this fair city when you might come across what I like to call “High School Dayz”. These “Dayz” affect your work place, your home, your friendships and (in the end) your very own existence. Do you remember when you were in school and a friend of yours would confront you and tell a … (wait for it)… “rumor?” A simple rumor could potentially end up setting loose a blaze of horror. Well wake up Galveston because it happens here and it happens daily. It might by the water cooler or in the employee lounge or in the bars that people frequent. These rumors, at very best, call into question one’s friendships or relationships in some way, or on some level. Yet we, not having enough to do, feed into these packs of monstrously horrifying, sometimes even funny rumors (to some) and no one-not a soul-tries to ﬁnd the source. In a more reality- based world these rumors would be ignored, overlooked and laughed upon, yet we don’t live in that world. No, my friends, we live in a world where TV and media and “hearsay” rules the roost, and yet we as people don’t cry “STOP!” We cry like the little boy, Oliver Twist, with his famous “Thank you, sir. May I have some more?” How as a city, state, or people are we supposed to grow when our lives are based on and controlled by rumors and speculations? Here is my advice: the next time you hear “guess what?”, before they (whoever they may be) can ﬁnish, you say ,”Man, leave them ‘High School Dayz’ alone!” and ,”How old are you?” or ﬁnally, “Is it possible for you to think for yourself?” Either lead or get off the pot. Maybe some of you should get on the pot because you might slow down before potentially ruining someone’s (anyone’s) life! This is Scoop saying peace, love, and Wake Up! Email us your thoughts at thewiz@galvestonwizard.com 28 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard Skate Park Anticipated/Recreation Center Exposed! by Kevin Many of you may have noticed that Menard Park is getting a long overdue multimillion dollar face lift, but what you may have missed is the proposed 18000sq ft public skate park. Although the new park appears to be a recent development, it has actualy been in the works for quite some time. With a little help from the Tony Hawk Foundation, the Yagas Children Fund and the support of some friends (you know who you are), the skate park will be underway soon and from the proposed plans it seems as if Galveston will finally become a prime spot for skateboarding in Texas. Since word gotten out that the skatepark was going to be under construction soon, all local skaters have been frothing at the mouth to be the first to try it out. When asked what he thought of the new park coming in, Conner Smith, a local skater replied “ I’m stoked that we are finally going to be able to have competetions and demos in a world class park right here in Galveston”. With all of the new development going in be sure to check back for more updates in future issues! “a rider goes over vert on a ramp similar to what will be built at menard park” We caught the groundbreaking for the brand new McGuire-Dent Recreation Center at Menard Park on Seawall! Talk about exciting! The plans for the recreation center include full service basketball courts, racquetball courts, computer room (so you can check out www.galvestonwizard.com on the go), and a full-service ﬁtness center! The City wished to thank the Mayor, members of Counci, the City Manager, and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for their unwavering support of the project. It will be good to see the progress of this exciting new facility as a progressing reminder of our island’s growth and bright future! Surf Riptide and Skate “local skater Conner Smith” is all about boards. Surf, Skate or Skim, they have what you are looking for. With a wide variety of surfboards and skateboards made “in house”, you won’t ﬁnd another shop like it anywhere. As people walk through the door, they are greeted with a feeling of nostalgia. The walls are decorated with surfboards and skateboards from the 60’s and 70’s. People come from all over Texas to check out the “skate history“ display. With over ﬁfteen years of skating and surﬁng experience, they can help you with whatever you need . So swing by to get yourself a new stick, be it your ﬁrst one or just another addition to your collection. Don’t forget to check out the core surf and skate apparel only Riptide has to offer. Stop by today. And tell them that the Galveston Wizard sent you! 27th and Broadway www.galvestonwizard.com g Lesli Gallery A Closer Look 29 A Closer Look 29 Cocktails T.F. Hippie’s Bring A Someone 24th Mechanic 25th Free Gift! (with this coupon!) Smile! ...with Cool Toys and Fun Gifts from T.F. Hippie’s Show your support to this awesome gift and toy store for all of their inspirational support and community involvement! Using the coupon at Right shows them your appreciation! Have Fun Shopping! Check out their Web site at www.tfhippies.com Advertising Rate Sheet DeClassifieds Mention this ad for added attention to your businesses needs! Commitment Color $4,000 ($668/issue) $2,300 ($766/issue) $800 Black & White $3,300 ($550/issue) $1,700 ($566/issue) $600 1/4 Page 1/2 Page Full Page (10.25" x 10.5") 6 issue 3 issue 1 issue Once hidden and unknown needs or wants are finally being brought out into the open! Review these entries carefully, as the material contained herein may apply to you. REAL ESTATE Apartment Locating Service. Over 1,000 apartments to choose from. Also, Condos, Houses, Townhomes, Ofﬁce Space or lofts. Some 2mo. FREE or ZERO dep. or ZERO app. fee. A & M, UTMB student discount. Ofﬁce located at 33rd and Broadway, call 409.621.2787 for more information. Free list and map at apartmentsgalveston.com HIRING Seeking Competent helper with truck. Advancement Opportunities. Email resume to: mikeworkstx@ yahoo.com PARTY PLANNING Can’t decide what to do when planning for your child’s birthday party, your neighborhood event or planned gathering? Call on the great “Party,” with circus activities, circus show, and funny smart dog “Sasha.” Party supplies available. Balloons, decorations, hats, table linens. For more information call 409.770-9996 SERVICES Ross Marketing Group - Adventures in Advertising Kitty Foster - (409) 739-3523 or kitty.foster@sbcglobal.net Promotional products for all organizations. HAPPENINGS Saturday Only- October 13. 9am to 3pm. Ofﬁce Equipment, T-Shirt Sidewalk sale at Custom Design Tee’s on 23rd and Ave M. (409)762-6886. Harvest Moon Regatta will be passing by Galveston’s Seawall on October 25th. First Annual Galveston Pride Festival, Commitment 6 issue 3 issue 1 issue Color $3,000 ($500/issue) $1,600 ($566/issue) $600 Black & White $1,050 ($350/issue) $1,100 ($366/issue) $400 (10.25" x 5.25") Commitment 6 month 3 month 1 month Color $2,000 ($332/issue) $1,080 ($360/issue) $400 Black & White $1150 ($190/issue) $600 ($210/issue) $230 (5" x 5.25") Commitment (3.3" x 3.25") Color $540 ($90/issue) $330 ($55/issue) $130 Black & White $420 ($70/issue) $270 ($90/issue) $110 Panel 6 month 3 month 1 month Internet Rates Also Available at www.galvestonwizard.com try our name Include this section and a $20 donation and we’ll put your info out there! Please include your name, telephone and email, should we need further information from you. Will be edited if necessary. DeClassiﬁeds phone email October 26-28, Check out galvestongaypride.org for details Operation Christmas Child! Bring Joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world with gift-ﬁlled shoeboxes. Donations accepted thru Nov 12-19.For more info, call Jen at 409.526.8160 Galveston.com presented you with a calendar of events back on page 17. Why not go re-check it out now? Make Check or Money order payable to G’Wiz Enterprises, and mail to P.O Box 3467 Galveston, TX 77552 Fill IN & Send OFF 30 A Closer Look It was a perfect night for an event. (and what night isn’t?) Organizers using word-of-mouth, ﬂyers, and a team-up with local bar The Wizzard (24th and Church) yielded a very nice-sized crowd on this glorious Saturday Night. It was “Rock Show at the Wiz,” with bands Darwin’s Finches, Permanent Eclipse and other surprise jam sessioners (Trinity!) placing the lawn audience under their spell. Horny for the Revolution? Galveston’s music scene continues to grow and diversify. Don’t miss out on the great live music opportunities that surround you, and don’t forget to tell us so we can tell our readers where they can ﬁnd the good stuff! Email us the lowdown at thewiz@ galvestonwizard.com. G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard They Might Be Giants... no music like Roc ’s no music like Rock ‘ n Roll. -dorothy SIGNS POSTERS BANNERS AND MUCH MORE Hick’s “We Sell Boxes!” GALVESTON ISLAND GRAPHICS GET YOUR SIGNS FAST! THE BEST...QUALITY, SERVICE & VALUE 8428 Teichman Rd. Galveston, Texas Automotive Inspections Available on All Vehicles Junk Sale Remote-Controlled Cars Perfume Wm. Scott Field, AIA Restoration Architect and Firm Principal Save 10% with this ad! PARKINSON FIELD ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTURE PRESERV ATION 409-770-9996 E-MAIL: galislgraphics@yahoo.com 4502 AVE.S GALVESTON, TX MOBILE 1815 URSULINE www.parkinsonﬁeld.com 512. 426. 0802 24/7/365 77550 - 4743 USA wsﬁeld@att.net GALVESTON TX 409.765.5232 www.galvestonwizard.com A Closer Look 31 Kenneth S. Gluski, D.D.S., P.C (409) 765-9190 DON’T LET AN IMPERFECT SMILE HAUNT YOU! NO TRICKS, JUST A GREAT SMILE! 1025 ROSENBERG (25TH & K) GALVESTON, TX 77550 www.gluski.com Photograph by Rick Bacon Top 10 Reasons 2 live in Galveston By Carly and Stevie “PLEASE EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN DRIVING ON THE SEAWALL” 1. Time is a blind guy 2. You can work to live 3. You can recreate the Corona Commercial 4. Everyone can make art 5. There are always “do overs” 6.The ones that don’t, don’t matter 7. Eventually everybody knows you, or will try 8. Shoes and/or dogs ‘r optional 9. No Commute - Period 10. No one wears a watch Rock Solid esults! R • Prudential.com__ Yahoo! The NUMBER 1 visited website in the world. Pricel + • Multi-Media Area Wide Campaign. Driving home buyers to view your home. • 20 Years Marketing Background. Hands on agent, working hard to meet your goals. Jan McGovern Jan McGovern 409-419-0784 409-419-0784 The Power of the Rock! 32 A Closer Look G’Wiz: Galveston Wizard