2011 Pulse Magazine feat. Chris Hardy

THE

速 Nov -Dec 2011

OF THE BAY AREA

Chris J. Hardy Unmasked, unplugged and hotter than ever Guitar Strings & Sailboat Things

THE CREW

Is born on the waters of the Texas Gulf Coast

The return of

ERASETHEVIRUS New on the scene:

ABOLITION FORMULA

TATTOO YOU! With the artists of Article 91

The

OF THE BAY AREA

WHY PULSE MAGAZINE ?

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THE

® OF THE BAY AREA Nov – Dec 2011

Editor & Publisher: Katrina Starling Columnists: Emily Gamez, Nick Gray, & Tracy Sterling Feature Contributers: Marc Borde & Dayna Steele

Special Thanks: Ashlyn Bonner Charlie Carlisle Mutley Escobar Chris Hardy Nathan Jiminez Ghost Era Productions & Rock Houston Danny Rodriguez Erin Schmiedlin Sean Starling Jae Wilburn Copyright 2011 © Pulse Publications & Promotions, LLC. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

In This Issue: LIVE MUSIC Chris J. Hardy

8

The Crew 14

By Marc Borde

Erase The Virus 22 Abolition Formula 26

HEALTH, FITNESS & BEAUTY The Fitness Minded Social Drinker

39

by Nick Gray

Pulse Pick: Feature Model – Jae Wilburn 36 Pulse Pick: Feature Model – Erin Schmiedlin 40

Emily’s Picks 42

by Emily Gamez

Passion With A Price 44

by Nick Gray

SPECIAL INTEREST Dan The Pizza Man! 13 Rock to the Top 21

by Dayna Steele

What Does Your Facebook 25 Say About Your Pulse?

The Legal Pulse 28

by Tracy Sterling

Tattoo You! 31

by Katrina Starling

PULSE PAPARRAZZI PICS Scout Bar 6 Union Tavern 12 Cabo Bar 20 Warehouse Live 30 Big Ben 46 Scout Bar 49 Time Out #2 51

CHRIS J. HARDY

Chris Hardy takes off the mask and says goodbye to his alter-ego, embracing one of life's greatest lessons:

The peace that comes from being true to yourself.

On a Wednesday night at a small, candle-lit wine bar in Friendswood, Texas, amongst friends and regular customers, Chris J. Hardy took the stage for the first time as an original acoustic solo artist. In stark contrast to his entire 16 year musical career, he was accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, a small PA and a microphone. Each song was personal as he explained the meaning behind each one before he performed it… And Bay Area Houston was hooked.

A natural born musician, Chris had played in rock and metal bands since he was fourteen years old. However, he achieved the bulk of his success and notoriety from 2007 through 2010 as the talented - yet outrageous, gasmask-clad guitar player with industrial metal band, Erase The Virus, (aka ETV).

The ETV years were defining for Chris, teaching him just exactly who he did – and did not – want to be.

The experience is something he says that he “wouldn’t trade for the world”. He has great stories, memories, life lessons and friends to last a lifetime. In fact, he still considers his ETV band members, (Chris Navasatis, Benji Bordelon, Tim Huston, Darren Nelson, Alex Slay and Jeff Smith), “like brothers”, and reveres them all as the great artists that they are.

During the years with ETV he shared the stage with a phenomenal team and many of Bay Area Houston’s greatest local bands as well as famous national acts such as The Hunger, Soulfly, Rehab, Lords of Acid and Wednesday 13, with the pinnacle being an opening spot for Korn in October of 2010.

However, “life in the fast lane” was an understatement. The band worked and played hard, living the rock-n-roll lifestyle in every sense of the word, with all of the fans, parties, drugs, sex and debauchery that goes right along with it.

ETV Members in October 2010.

However, the conflict he felt between the legacy, the angry theme of the music and the lifestyle of the industrial metal world vs. his true nature was growing and it had taken its toll. It began to affect every aspect of his life and he was miserable. He felt alone and he found himself struggling at times with depression as he tried to reconcile his heart with the persona he assumed on stage with the band. At home, alone in the solace of his own time and space, he wrote songs that were authentic to himself – and it helped somewhat. Yet publically he performed behind a mask – both literally and metaphorically.

The wasted days we wished away become the dreams, becomes the dreams we never achieve.

The wasted years we spent on fears, becomes a creature that will always defeat you.

And the wasted life we let go by becomes the lines, becomes the lines in the rear view mirror.

But if tomorrow I don’t wake up, then today I’m gonna make up for yesterday…

- Chris J. Hardy, “Dreams, Creatures & Mirrors”

In December of 2010, ETV disbanded for a period of time, giving its members the chance to take an introspective look at who they were and where they were going. It was during this time that Chris made the decision to leave the rock music scene altogether.

He spent the next few months completing and refining the acoustic songs that he had played around with for years, and in March of 2011 he reentered the live music scene as an original acoustic solo artist. It was a huge step for him musically for several reasons: he had never been a singer, he had never performed his original songs publically, and he had never performed alone. Nevertheless, he took a “now or never” stand and he put himself out there.

Performing at a Singer-Songwriter Night at La Vino Clozet

At the time there were no venues in the Bay Area for original acoustic music, so he established Original SingerSongwriter Acoustic Night on Wednesdays (bi-weekly) at La Vino Clozet, (the wine bar where he bartends), to provide an outlet for his music, as well as to provide other local artists with the opportunity to perform their original acoustic songs publically – and it worked.

Bartending at La Vino Clozet

Singer-Songwriter Wednesdays took off becoming a mainstay at La Vino Clozet. The exposure and the growing popularity of his music positioned Chris Hardy to put together “Acoustic Showcase Nights” at other venues such as Union Tavern, Scout Bar, Cabo, Big Ben, Float Bar, 2-A-Days and Time Out, where he and the other artists he brings perform great acoustic music – original as well as some covers – in a chill, relaxing atmosphere.

The popularity of acoustic nights grew throughout the Bay Area this year. Musical artists, many from other rock bands, began emerging with acoustic side projects of their own as well, allowing them to diversify their music and share a part of themselves with their fans that they had never seen.

Chris with his daughter Madison at Scout Bar.

At an acoustic night at Scout Bar in June of 2011, Chris was surrounded by close friends, fans, local musicians and his daughter Madison, as he successfully released his first CD as a solo artist. It contained thirteen brilliantly written and composed songs about his life experiences ranging from lighthearted childhood dreams – heartache and lost love – losing someone special to pills – to a song about the great love of his life and longtime companion – his guitar, “Tacoma”.

In a Facebook post about his first night back at Scout Bar as an acoustic artist, he wrote: Chris Hardy When i last played scout bar as i walked off stage i kicked my gas mask across the stage, threw down a feed-backing electric, spit on my drummer, poured a beer on my singers head and flipped everyone the bird! When i came back last night my first song was a love song played on a UKELELE!!!!!!!! feels good to be myself! Love everyone that came out to support me. i am blessed!

Like · Comment · Share · May 19 at 2:17pm via mobile ·

His music is organic in its acoustic storyteller style. It is fluid and beautiful, and the subject matter contains something that everyone can relate to. Although there is only the guitar as an instrument, it is complete in its simplicity.

He entitled the album “Wine Stains” which is a metaphor for the “stains” left by the lessons of his life, as well as the wine he’s shared along the way while learning those lessons.

In August of 2011, Chris was ranked number 3 on the Houston Singer/Songwriter Charts with “Wine Stains” and he posted: Chris Hardy From where I came from and where I've been, I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I could not be happier than I am right now in my musical career. No rules, no limits, no hate, and love sweet love everywhere I turn. Embrace the path and walk it with my head up high.

The road was long but the reward was the belief in the one road I was scared of: ME!!!! Thank you all so much for the support thru the years.

Like · Comment · Share · August 8 at 3:59am via mobile ·

2011 will undoubtedly go down as a year of transformation and phenomenal growth – both personally and professionally – for artist, Chris J. Hardy. He is currently working on his second album as he continues to write, develop and diversify his music. He is even considering an acoustic band. He has learned that there are no boundaries to his music potential as long as he remains authentic to himself.

Life get’s hard – hard as hell But I won’t let it break our will.

And other days – you know it ain’t so bad.

It could be the best song that we ever had.

But this morning I woke and found myself all alone with just this guitar to hold As I grow old.

- Chris J. Hardy, “Tacoma”

Pulse Magazine, his friends, his fans and the members of the local live music scene wish him continued success as travels this new path in his musical career. Here’s to more great music in 2012, (and beyond), for one of Bay Area Houston’s most talented and beloved local artists.

- Katrina Starling

Follow Chris J. Hardy: Facebook: www.facebook.com/chrisjhardy Reverbnation: www.reverbnation.com/chrisjhardy Chris J. Hardy’s CD, “Wine Stains” was recorded by Sound Engineer, Mike BBQ at Big Door Studios.

Chris Hardy, Jeremy Bradshaw, Oceans of Slumber & Come See My Dead Person

“From the first time I met Dan, it was clear that this man has a passion for not only making the best pizza in town, but more importantly, building fans based on his friendly, outgoing nature and uncompromising standards.”

Dan

- Chris Hardy, Acoustic Solo Artist “I order The Works Pizza from Dan’s all the time. Not to mention that Dan and his crew couldn’t be a nicer group of people!”

- Billy Hargrove, Faceplant

The Pizza Man!

“This is not the “by-the-book” way to make pizza… I’d be fired in any other kitchen.

I make pizza the way it should be.”

Says Bay Area Houston’s very own connoisseur of great Italian-Style New York Pizza, (and a menu choc full of other great items too). Affectionately known, (and loved), as “Dan The Pizza Man”, he is in fact the resident expert on making excellent gourmet pizzas.

Growing up in an Italian family from Staten Island, Dan has been making pizza since he was fifteen years old. With a strong entrepreneurial spirit, he proudly carries a family legacy of a strong work ethic, an intense commitment to quality and customer satisfaction with authentic family recipes that separate him far and above the rest of the pizza-making-pack. He teamed up with business partner and lifelong friend, Alex to open up their Webster location on Highway 3 in 2009 and they have been steadily growing ever since.

Not only do they make the best pizza in the Bay Area, their wings are made fresh in house daily and they are the top selling in the Bay Area for pizza shops and wing houses. (And you should see the rest of their menu!) With a phenomenal team behind them, Dan and Alex breed a culture that instills a sense of ownership at all levels of the restaurant. Each employee seems to put as much heart into their job as Dan and Alex do. This in turn translates to: loads of quality ingredients, cooked to perfection in every slice, with remarkably friendly people to deal with – from the person who answers the phone, to the guy who delivers it to your door.

In addition to their great food, they are also great assets to the community. In particular Dan is a great supporter of the local live music and night life scene. He can regularly be seen delivering pizzas (personally) at all hours to local venues such as Scout Bar, Union Tavern, Molly’s, Cellar Bar and Time Out (to name a few), just to ensure that the musicians and service industry folks are well fed and at their best! Dan and his team are proud to have fed local musicians such as Faceplant, From Guts to Glory, Shark Attack, South, Chris Hardy, Oceans of Slumber… as well as national acts like The Hunger, Soul Fly, Hinder, Filter… And the list goes on.

In a time of economic distress, where many restaurants are resorting to “faster-cheaper-easier and less” to ease the bottom line, it’s refreshing, (and delicious), to order from Dan’s Pizza Co. knowing that every slice of your order will be over-stuffed with the ingredients that make Dan’s a one-of-a-kind pizza and a one-of-a-kind business.

281 – 480 – 9700 15148 Hwy. 3 Sterling Knoll Shopping Center Webster, TX 77598

Pizza (hand made), Pasta (homemade), Subs, Wings, Salads, Gyros, Philly’s and so much more!

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with $12 min. order

Guitar Strings & Sailboat Things

With an unprecedented music tour by boat,

“The Crew” is born on the waters of the Texas Gulf Coast This is their story as told by Captain, Marc Borde

The past two years of my life have been spent living aboard my Pearson 26 Sailboat and working night and day on music projects. I am a songwriter and a musician, and have been devoting my time to the developing music scene in the Galveston Bay area, playing in the band, “Shark Attack” and creating an indie label – “TheBeeRoom”.

Through TheBeeRoom, I produced CD’s for local bands, I handled their merchandise, booking and facilitated events. Although some of the projects were great successes, the music business was costing me more money than I was making. I had to do something different, so I started thinking outside the box.

At the end of the day I really just wanted to give people the opportunity to hear the great music coming from my area, so I came up with a plan using my available resources that would further that goal. I own a small sailboat, an acoustic guitar, a small PA, a bicycle and (at that time) a truck. I also have an extensive network of musicians, bands and venues. I figured that with the assembly of the right team we could launch a music tour by boat and cover most of the Texas coast. It seemed that it could be done safely with the proper preparation and training and I felt that the people along the coast would enjoy our blend of reggae, bluegrass and rock. I also liked the idea of doing a “green” tour and being a pioneer of sorts with this new touring method.

I took a little road trip down the coast to Port Aransas and visited bars along the way to have a beer and drop off some CD’s. When I got back I got rid of my truck. I couldn't afford the payments and I wouldn't be needing it anymore.

I spent long days coordinating my booking calendar with nautical charts and created a tentative voyage/tour schedule. We would be leaving on July 1st from Seabrook, then venture to Corpus Christi and back by making a series of short day-sails, both in the Intracoastal Waterway and offshore. We would play as many gigs as possible using bicycles as land transportation. We would use my boat, the “Alyzarian”, a 26 foot Pearson Sailboat built in 1970, as our tour transportation and housing.

Phone calls and emails with bar owners were hilarious. I was only requesting a modest amount of money for the performances, but was also asking for light hospitality and a boat slip with power and water within 1 mile of the venue for a sailboat with a 4’ draft. It caught them off-guard every time. They would say, “A what?!?...Boatslip??...Did I hear you correctly?”

After I explained the tour, most venues were very excited about the booking and were very helpful with docking arrangements. They had never heard of a band traveling by boat.

I knew that the tour would only work with the right crew. Originally it was going to be Ryan Beard, Charlie Danford and myself which would have represented 3 different bands from TheBeeRoom: Mama Tried, Footpie, and Shark Attack.

We trained by participating in Wednesday night races in Clear Lake and practiced playing music together. Charlie felt that Ryan and I were a little too crazy and therefore decided not to go. Blake Plsek quickly jumped on the opportunity to crew and that was it. We had all sailed together before and played music together, so it was simple and it was right.

I made the last minute decision to record an album for the tour, so I called longtime friend Craig Lawrence from Elevation Reservation in Austin. He is my favorite music producer to work with and he recorded all of Shark Attack’s

albums. We agreed that we should record the album on the boat with his studio equipment so I made arrangements for him to come down. The V-Berth was transformed into his work station and was filled with fancy studio gear, and the salon area was the recording booth. I produced some songs solo and others with friends, and Ryan recorded some songs as well. The acoustics of the boat sounded great and the vibe it captured was amazing. We ended up recording 12 songs in about two days and decided to call the album “Guitar Strings & Sailboat Things”. I ordered CD’s from Affordable Sound who said they could have them ready in time for our tour.

Cabo Bar in Seabrook hosted the first show of the tour, the “All-A-Borde Fest”. There was a large variety of bands and entertainment and the boat was loaded down and ready to go. I had a lot on my plate, so I reminded myself that it was just a bunch of short trips and if I focused on the trip at hand, it would not be overwhelming. The first trip would be to Galveston which I have done before, and the weather forecast was good. If we forgot anything important we would be in Galveston for a few days, so it wouldn't be too difficult to find a ride or get a friend to assist us. I spent all night preparing the boat, and got no sleep. Go time!

The following is a log that I kept of our adventures. Please forgive the typos and grammatical errors, as this was all typed on my iPhone, often while underway in rough seas.

Captain’s Log… SATURDAY 7/2 SEABROOK-GALVESTON Wind variable 0-5mph - Left Cabo at 5:45am - Ryan and Blake fast asleep so me and Craig take first shift. Motor to houston ship channel and took short cut south of redfish island. Took just over 2hrs to get to there avg speed about 5.2mph. Head south for about an hour then got real tired.

Craig already passed out on deck. Woke up Ryan and Blake. Shift change. Got some rest in v berth. Ryan drove. 3 hrs later got back on deck. Almost to Galveston. Docked at Galveston yacht basin - about noon. Hopped on bikes and went barhopping on the seawall. Somehow only spent $2 after a crazy day of drinking. Ryan kept falling off his bike and had to go back to the boat for recuperation.

SUNDAY 7/3 GALVESTON Woke up on the boat and rode bikes with the crew to La Estacion. Eric brought the band trailer to the boat and we rode bikes down the seawall and went to Capital Q for beers. Dru was DJ'n and there was a beach cruiser competition. I left early to get some food and rest back at the boat.

Ryan woke me up and we headed to Loading Dock to set up the PA. Mama Tried played a great set and Shark Attack did too. Got back to the boat late and passed out.

TUESDAY, 7/5 GALVESTON - FREEPORT Left dock at 7am and motored to fuel dock at yacht basin. Got fuel and supplies. Left at 8am and motored out the jetties in no wind and calm conditions. Motor sailed with main and genoa - avg speed 5mph. Breeze started filling in at about 2 pm (Ryan drove for a couple hours at 1pm while I got some sleep in the hot cabin). Killed the motor at about 3pm.

Speed ranged from 4-7.4mph with main and genoa on a close reach on port tack heading close to 240deg. Blake caught a mackerel but lost it at the boat, and we saw a huge sea turtle, jumping sharks, and lots of dolphins. It got kinda rough at about 5pm but we were constantly over 6mph so I kept full sails and reached Freeport jetties at 7:30pm. Sailed wing and wing in the channel til we turned left into old brazos. Sailed through the narrow snake-like channel for about an hour and arrived at Freeport municipal marina at about 9pm. Nice slip in a boring town. We went to a bar across the street on bikes for a beer, then rode a few miles to valero for food, beer, and cigarettes. Rode back to the boat, watched a movie, then passed out.

WEDNESDAY, 7/6 FREEPORT - SURFSIDE Everyone slept well and we woke up and paid the harbormaster who also got us set up with a marina in surfside. We motored to surfside (about 30

minutes) and tied up. The bar (castaway) was pretty close so we rode bikes to it for an early beer then cruised bikes around surfside. It's hard to get boat supplies in surfside - the west marine is closed, so all the options are: valero, marina ship store, liquor store, and the surf shops. We rode the music gear to castaway at 7:30pm and started playing at 9pm during a poker tournament. We all made some money and drank beers and ate burgers. After the show we rode back to the boat and passed out.

THURSDAY, 7/7 SURFSIDE - SARGENT We all woke up later than planned - 9:30am instead of 7:00am. Got ice and fuel at the marina and left the dock at 11:30am. The wind was coming almost straight up the icw so we kept the motor on the whole time, and only raised the mainsail for about an hour. We kept the boat speed over 5mph and made it to sargent in about 4.5 hrs. At brazos river there is a floodgate... We had to call in on channel 13 for them to open it. We did circles while we waited for clearance and had a quick soft grounding near the east floodgate. When we reached Sargent we had to call in to the swing bridge and wait for them to open it. We passed through and pulled,

up to pier 57 on the left... And ran aground 2ft from the dock. We had to pull nose in to the dock to keep the keel from touching bottom. It still touched though, but not bad, during low tide.

We were greeted with cold beers and a Mexican food buffet at pier 57.

Hospitality was great. We arranged to play at 8pm in exchange for a place to dock with electricity and water,and all we can drink and eat. There was a small crowd - maybe 10 - 20 people, and they were real cool salty folks that really enjoyed the show. We sold a few cd's and met some new friends. By the end of the night we were pretty good and drunk and hung out by/on the boat with friends. Passed out hard.

We got invited to play again the next day for the same deal and since we don't have any more shows confirmed till Tuesday in port oconnor, we decided to do it. We'll try to score a gig in madagorda on Saturday.

FRIDAY, 7/8 SARGENT Woke up around 9 and got breakfast and coffee at pier 57. Delicious!

Went for a bike ride with the crew down the beach. Sargent has a very unique beach with clay cliffs that go into the surf... In-between the clay peninsulas, there are little sandy bays that hold tons of seashells. The crew went back to the boat to rest and do some boat maintenance. After a seafood buffet, we grabbed the guitars and tuned up. We started the show early because it seemed appropriate. Word had spread in Sargent about what we were doing and folks were starting to show up. We had a good show and by the end of the night we had a real nice (and rowdy) crowd.

We made some $$$ in the tip jar too! After we loaded out I went to sleep.

Ryan and Blake attempted to ride bikes to another bar that was open, but

ended up turning around and going back to the boat.

We had an offer to play at another bar in Sargent on Saturday night, but after talking it over with the crew, we decided that we should head south to Matagorda to stay on schedule.

Thank you: Pier 57 and staff for the amazing southern hospitality Bob for the drill Shan for the guitar strings Avery for the showers Carson for the fishing lures Ponytail and mike for elevation Sargent for good people and great times.

SATURDAY 7/9 SARGENT - MATAGORDA After an awesome breakfast buffet, the crew loaded up the boat. We sailed away from Sargent at 11:30am and headed to matagorda using the motor and main sail. The wind was out of the south west so it was almost head-on, but we managed to stay close-hauled without the sail luffing much. We kept the speed over 6mph and pulled into matagorda harbor at about 3pm.

The crew rode bikes around town for a while and we ended up back at the marina. There was gonna barbecue at 6 for the matagorda mermaid offshore fishing tournament. We talked to folks in charge of the tournament to see if they wanted a band. They did! We got the gear from the boat and set up. We had a great crowd and made great tips including a whole brisket and a bunch of beer. We loaded the gear onto the bikes and headed to Matagordaville. They were stoked we were gonna play and it was a Badass show. The crew is sounding better each day. What an awesome place - my kind of people. We sold some cd's, Ryan broke (and fixed) his guitar, they loved Blake's banjo pickin, we made good tips, and the crowd was great. Bart ,the owner of Matagordaville, gave us a ride back to the boat and invited us to come back any time.

SUNDAY 7/10 MATAGORDA Boom-boom had invited us to go to "church" and he was knocking on the boat at 9am. Ryan wouldn't wake up, but Blake and I went. Church consisted of surfing, drinking beer on the beach, and hanging out with cool locals until noon. The waves were about waist high and clean with very steep faces - fun! After returning to the boat, Blake and I crashed out, Ryan woke up, and the rest of the day was spent relaxing. We caught a few trout when the sun went down. The whole crew passed out early.

Long day tomorrow...

MONDAY 7/11 MATAGORDA - MATAGORDA PENINSULA We woke up and got fuel, ice, and supplies. We ended up leaving Matagorda harbor at about 10am and headed westbound in the ICW. After passing through the east lock at Matagorda, we had to wait up river (Colorado river) for a barge to pass, before going through the west lock.

We used the motor and main sail averaging a speed of about 6mph until we reached Matagorda bay. The bay was plenty deep, so we killed the motor and sailed south of the channel with main and jib. Speed ranged from 4-7mph, and we reached the Matagorda club field anchorage around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. It was a fairly protected area behind Matagorda peninsula where a military base had been abandoned. Basically, we were in the middle of nowhere, with a little protection from the wind and waves.

We dropped anchor in about 6.5ft of water and Blake and I started to fish.

Ryan was still recovering from over exhaustion from the brutal sun and our crazy schedule, so I set up a wind scoop into the cabin for "A C", and he got more rest. We caught some trout and gafftop, but nothing worth keeping. For dinner, I heated up some brisket, and we had BBQ sandwiches with chips and cokes - pretty damn good.

TUESDAY 7/12 MATAGORDA PENINSULA - PORT O'CONNOR It was a rocky night... The wind and waves had increased and shifted directions, but the anchor held nicely. We pulled anchor and sailed off with the main sail only. The gusts still had the boat leaning over pretty good.

There are basically two channels that go across the ship channel into port oconnor from where we were. The southernmost one didn't work out for us, so we backtracked and and went to the northern one that actually WAS deep enough. On the way we saw a shovel-nose shark swim by the boat. The water was pretty clear and there was lots of life. The folks at Josies Cantina got us set up with a slip at The Sanctuary. After docking we rode 7 miles to Josies Cantina and ate some Mexican food. The guys from mama tried met up with us and we picked up the music equipment from the boat and set up. The crew played first, and then mama tried. It was a fun show, and it was nice to see familiar faces. Afterward the crew and Mama tried went back to the boat and passed out in, on, and around the boat. Probably an unusual sight for such a fancy marina!

WEDNESDAY 7/13 PORT O'CONNOR The guys from Mama Tried left at about 8am, and the crew slept in. After cleaning up a little, we got a ride into town. Josies was closed but we were able to score some fried chicken from Eloisa the owner, then we rode around town getting supplies. The list consisted of: batteries, fuel, rope, fiberglass repair kit, wire, alligator clips, pocket knife, chart of area from port oconnor to port aransas, beer, soda, water, and food. We got the supplies and went to check out the poco bueno fishing tournament. It was a busy mess of fancy million dollar sport fishing yachts, fishermen, rich assholes, staff, and pretty ladies. We didn't stay too long cause we needed tickets and they were about $150 each. To enter a boat in the tournament costs $25,000!!! We ended up at the cantina for cold beer and friendly faces. Melanie gave us a ride to drop off the supplies at the boat and returned us to the cantina where we hung out with the locals until the bar closed.

THURSDAY 7/14 PORT O'CONNOR - ROCKPORT Due to a night of partying, we did not wake up at 6am like we planned. We managed to leave the dock at 8am, and since our marina was 6 miles west of port oconnor we were about an hour closer to our next port, so I wasn't trippin. Ryan drove the first 6hrs while I slept and did boat repairs, cleaning and maintenance. When I took the helm, we put up the mainsail to help out with speed. The wind had been head-on until that point. It was a windy day! Once we sailed into Aransas bay conditions got rough. We plowed the waves at about 7mph as spray constantly got us wet. I made the decision to pull into rockport so we didn't have to navigate any of shallow water near port Aransas at night. We pulled into key allegro marina and were happy to see a bar ("Grog") in the marina. During the first round of lonestars we managed to score a gig... We were to play in 2 hrs., and were stoked that the stage was only a short walk from the boat.

Fun show for cool people! They seemed happy to hear something different and called their friends who came out to see the "gipsy pirates who floated into town to cause a ruckus". What a long day... 11hrs of sailing immediately followed by a 4 hr show. I fell asleep sitting down, and didn't make it to the v berth until I woke up hours later.

FRIDAY 7/15 ROCKPORT - PORT ARANSAS The crew slept til about 10am. After all the laundry was done, we cooked some eggs and bacon on the boat and it was great. We left Rockport around noon and motored straight upwind toward port Aransas at about 4mph through the waves. We were able to put the main sail up a couple times which boosted speed to over 7mph, but mainly it was a slow cruise through beautiful water. It felt like we were in the carribean. We arrived at the island moorings marina in port Aransas at about 5pm. It is a fancy

yacht club style marina with a pool, hot tub, bar, restaurant, and really nice facilities. People were cool too. We were invited to hang on other boats within an hour of our arrival, but we jumped in the pool to cool off instead. Nice. We quickly found out that we were already supposed to be playing music at the Gaff... Oops! We loaded up, hopped in a cab, and made our way to the show. Set up was quick, and we started jammin. The gaff is such a cool place - a real pirate bar. We had a good show, ate pizza, and drank a bunch of lonestar. We got a ride back to the boat, and Ryan and Blake walked around the marina (probably causing a ruckus), and I passed out. This is the start of a long string of shows with no days off... Rest will be hard to come by!!!

MONDAY 7/18 PORT ARANSAS - CORPUS CHRISTI We were exhausted, so we woke up late... We wanted to leave by noon, but ended up leaving after 2pm. I wasn't sure we were going to make it to our gig on time but once we were under way, we made good time. We were over 7mph the whole time with the genoa and motor on a beam reach. When the boat would surf waves, we would reach speeds of over 8.5mph! It was a fun sail and we got to Harrisons Landing in the Corpus Christi marina with 45 minutes to spare before show time. Nice! We played a good show and then hung out with friends. Somehow we ended up back on the boat without anybody falling in the water. The slip was kinda sketchy, but we had shorepower and AC, so good sleep.

TUESDAY 7/19 CORPUS CHRISTI The crew woke up to people doing construction on the building the boat was pretty much tied to and they had unplugged our shore power so the boat was hot. We rode bikes to Whataburger, and then to the marina office to get set up with a proper slip. We decided to go ahead and pay for the whole week because it would end up saving us money. Jason from Weak Day Boyz picked us up and took us to our show at Scuttlebutts on padre island, which was fun, and then we hung out with friends. We made it back to the boat late with beer and cigs.

WEDNESDAY 7/20 CORPUS CHRISTI The crew decided to take our "day off" easy and slept in. Blake and I rode about 10 miles round trip to get our phones situated, and ended up getting a gig set up for later. We were to play at the seawall and they expected us at 8pm. When we got to the boat, Ryan was still resting and getting over being a little sick. The crew loaded up the bikes and headed to the show.

Nice pick up gig! We all went to sleep early.

FRIDAY 7/22 CORPUS CHRISTI & ROCKPORT The crew woke up and ate breakfast at Jasons house, and then he gave us a ride back to the boat. We spent most of the day coordinating the shows for the weekend and the arrival of Shark Attack and Mama Tried.

We had decided that sailing the boat to Rockport didn't make sense, so we started looking for a ride. Meagan from House of Rock wanted to interview us and offered us a ride. We did the interview on the way to Rockport and when we arrived, most of the band members were already there. Alice Fayes had a great crowd, and all the bands had people dancing. After the show, we got kicked out of another bar before we even made it in the door! I guess we were a little to rowdy... The next bar had already heard about us, but let us in anyway. Good times in Rockport!

Everyone went to different places for the night, but the crew made it back to the boat at the marina in Corpus Christi.

SATURDAY 7/23 CORPUS CHRISTI We woke up around noon. Blake and I rode bikes to get coffee. Ryan went to the bike shop to pick up his bike - it was so rusty from the salt water that the chain wouldn't move - but they fixed it. We rode around, got food, and ended up at House of Rock for load in at about 6pm.

MONDAY 7/25 CORPUS CHRISTI & PORT ARANSAS A much needed day off. It was my sisters birthday, and her and Joel were in town. The crew went to lunch with them in corpus, and then they drove us to Port Aransas where we all hung out for Michelle's birthday. We all ended up at the pool at island moorings marina where we partied til about 4am. The crew ended up staying on Captain Casey's sport fishing boat "Barracuda".

TUESDAY 7/26 PORT ARANSAS & CORPUS CHRISTI We woke up to the sound of the "Barracuda's" diesel engine at 6am. I went to the ship store for coffee, Dramamine, sandwiches, beverages, and cigs, and Michelle and Joel met up with the crew shortly after. We were going fishing!!! I passed out in the cabin for about an hour as we were heading out and woke up to the feeling of large waves. We were offshore and the waves were 4-6ft with some chop. Captain Casey had me drive the "barracuda" while he set up fishing stuff and I was stoked - it is a badass boat. I'm not sure if it was the hang over or sea sickness or a combo, but I was starting to feel queasy. We would drift fish and we would troll, and all of us caught fish. We caught mackrel, king fish, Bonita, and a mahi mahi. I eventually stopped throwing up and everyone was having a great time. Nobody wanted to head back to land, but the crew had a show I corpus christi at 6pm. We made it to the dock around 4pm, cleaned the fish, and then headed to corpus. We were late to the gig at Harrisons landing and they were pissed! We still played though and had a bad ass show. People danced, bought cd's, and we had a blast playing (even though we were once again exhausted). They kept buying us beers and tipping us so we wouldn't stop playing... So we didn't! After the show we rode bikes back to the boat with our gear and passed out hard.

There was a nice 18 & up crowd. The crew played a 30 minute set, and eleven fingered Charlie was next. We weren't able to stay because we had to make it to another gig on the island. When we reached tequila cove, there was another band playing, who the club owner thought was mama tried. Apparently there was a booking mix up, but we sorted it out.

Basically, we didn't play but got compensated for the mix up. After some drinks, we went to mile marker 207 for Johnny Loves birthday party.

There was a stage set up on the beach, a huge bonfire, and hundreds of people jamming out to the music. Shark attack and mamma tried were supposed to play pretty late... It was already about 1:30am and there were still 2 bands before us. Shark attack ended up playing a short set at about 4am, and mama tried didn't play. We had some issues with sound equipment. We made it back to the boat a little after the sun came up, and then got a call from Blake who was neither with us or the rest of mama tried. Oops! He slept on the stage on the beach, and hunter picked him up later. The club provided a Mexican food dinner which kicked ass... The crew (with friends), eleven fingered Charlie, and the supervillains all sound checked, hung out around the club, and filled their bellies til the show House of Rock had posted.

SUNDAY 7/24 CORPUS CHRISTI Once everyone was reunited at the boat we went to subway for lunch. The mama tried guys headed back home and the crew rode bikes around town and then to Waynes house for a BBQ. The ride back to the boat was awesome - 4 miles downwind with sick downhill bombs in the dark. We made it to dr rockits at 10pm and got set up. This was probably our best show in corpus. We had great sound, played well, had a great crowd and sold lots of cd's. After the show we rode our bikes back to the boat and passed out. That was our 22nd show in the last 24 days!

WEDNESDAY 7/27 CORPUS CHRISTI The crew slept in. We had thought about making the sail to Port Aransas, but we decided to stay another night so we could get rest and take care of some much needed boat maintenance. We also had a gig on the island at Docks that we needed to find a ride to. Jake hooked us up with a ride and even took us by west marine and guitar center. Docks was really cool and we played well. We made it back to the boat after meeting up with some friends at another bar in corpus. Supposedly there was a potential hurricane heading to Port Aransas...

THURSDAY 7/28 CORPUS CHRISTI - PORT ARANSAS The boat was ready, so we were able to leave the dock by 10am. Port Aransas bound with a reefed mainsail and medium sized headsail. We were close hauled the whole time with a good lean and punching through the waves. Blake drove the second half of the trip. We made great time, arriving at island moorings marina at about 1pm. The crew loaded up the instruments and got a ride from steve-o to Tarpon Ice House. We played out front and had a good time. When we got back to the marina everybody was talking about the Tropical Storm Don and the party we would be having for it at the marina. We passed out late.

SATURDAY 7/30 PORT ARANSAS I woke up around noon and Ryan was hanging out with the captains by the ship store, and Blake was still sleeping. I caught a ride to the pier to catch some surf and it was amazing (chest to head high clean walls with power). When I returned to the marina, everybody was hanging out by the pool and the road crew with shark attack and mama tried members was on the way. We decided to rent a golf cart for the night to make transportation easier especially since all the musicians would be here (we figured it would be fun too). We loaded up the gear and went to the gig.

Tarpon Ice House was a blast.

marina. Most people slept on the boat, and a few slept on the beach.

MONDAY 8/1 PORT ARANSAS - ROCKPORT We were so exhausted that we decided to get more sleep, so instead of waking up at 6am as planned, we woke up around 10am. We gathered supplies and raised the mainsail at the dock for departure around 2pm.

The shackle that connects the mainsail to the halyard broke loose and got stuck at the top of the mast. Not cool. I had to climb the mast... I wasn't able to free up the halyard but I was able to rig up a mid mast light, which had been on the to do list since the beginning of the trip. We also replaced our spare halyard which we ended up using as a temporary main halyard.

We got the main back up (reefed) and the spare halyard worked ok. We couldn't get it completely tight though because of the placement of the block (pulley) at the top of the mast. It had to go around the side stay which didn't allow the halyard to pull straight up and caused some chafing.

Oh well... The sail was up and we untied from the dock, way behind schedule. We only had time to sail to Rockport before the sun went down and would have to make up for lost time another day. We did however, make good time. With the wind and waves coming from astern, we didn't have to use the motor much and still kept an average speed of over 6.5mph. Mostly we used our big gennoa by itself. We got to Rockport before the sun set and pulled into key allegra marina. After getting hooked up to shorepower, we rode bikes to the HEB that was only a few miles away, and bought supplies for the next run. The crew went back to the boat, watched a movie, and passed out (early for once).

TUESDAY 8/2 ROCKPORT - MATAGORDA We woke up at 7am and sailed out. There was a good breeze and we used a medium sized jib with the reefed mainsail along with the motor. In order to make it to Matagorda before the sun set, we would need as much speed as possible. The crew all took turns at the helm, and we made it to

Port O'Connor just after 3pm. We decided to push on through even though our ice was almost melted because stopping would jeopardize our arrival time in Matagorda. Good thing we didn't stop. We made great speed motor sailing on a beam reach and reached the Colorado river locks at about 7:45pm. We followed a barge through and made it to Matagorda harbor about 15 minutes after sunset. The crew loaded up the gear and got a ride to Matagordaville with Bart and Boom-Boom. We immediately set up and started playing for an excited crowd. It was a great show, and everybody had a blast. We headed back to the boat with some friends and passed out soon after - exhausted.

WEDNESDAY 8/3 MATAGORDA - SARGENT The crew left the marina before noon with fuel, ice, and supplies. There was a stiff breeze so we sailed without the motor, using a reefed main and a medium jib. We made good time and made it to Sargent well before sunset. We were greeted at pier 57 with cold lonestars before the boat was even tied up! We loaded the music equipment into the bar and then were treated with steak dinners. Pier 57 is awesome! We played a few sets to a small crowd and then hung out with them after. We ended up passing out pretty late.

THURSDAY 8/4 SARGENT - SURFSIDE We woke up, ate breakfast and cruised out. We made such good time that when we approached surfside, we decided to take a little trip offshore. I wanted to test the conditions for a potential offshore sail to Galveston tomorrow, and we all wanted to do some fishing. We headed out the jetties and sailed to one of the rigs. We trolled lures and circled the rig a few times. No bites. Heading back into surfside was pretty rough, but very fun, and the boat performed great. We docked at the surfside marina and headed to castaway for our show. They were rude, but we played anyway and still ended up meeting some cool people. We got back to the boat around 2am and went to sleep. Long day tomorrow.

FRIDAY 8/5 SURFSIDE - GALVESTON We got supplies from the ship store and left the dock at about 7am. We decided to make the run offshore, so we headed out the jetties. It was a great sail. I rigged up a tarp for shade and motor sailed with a medium jib.

It was nice to not have to worry about water depth. I just followed the compass and relaxed. We sailed in pretty close to the seawall and saw big schools of stingrays. After sailing through the Galveston jetties, we pulled around to the Galveston yacht basin. We got a ride to Yagas and started setting up. It was a great show with a packed house. People danced all night long and we had a blast. After the show I skipped out on the after parties to get some needed rest back on the boat.

SATURDAY 8/6 GALVESTON Everybody did their own thing for the most part today. At one point Ryan and I met up with local legend Bert Wills and had an amazing jam session. Later, I moved the boat to joes crabshack where they had a slip for us, and we set up our gear for the show. We played a few sets and ate crabs. After the show we met up with some friends at another bar. Nice night.

SUNDAY 8/7 GALVESTON Pretty much a repeat of yesterday with alot more beach time. We had some family and friends in town for the show, which made it extra special, and it was also the last scheduled show of the tour. We loaded the gear on the boat for the "last time", and hung out with friends. I am pretty sure that Ryan and Blake are looking forward to their homes on land... It has been a long tour... 33 shows in 38 days, by sailboat and bicycle.

The Crew or BORDE ROOM ENT.

PULSE RELEASE PARTY AT CABO BAR IN SEABROOK – AUGUST 2011

DAYNA STEELE

5 Things To Do Every Day For Success "You get up at what time?"

I hear that a lot, along with "You are so lucky." So, I'm going to help out here and let you in on the secrets of my success. Well, not all of them--but enough to show you the foundation I build on every day.

1. Wake up early. For the next week, get up a half an hour earlier that you normally do--and get going. If you get a few more things done, then get up even earlier the next week. Early in the morning is a great time to get work done because most of your associates have not started emailing, tweeting, IMing, or posting yet.

Dayna Steele, best known as Houston's First Lady of Radio, ruled the rock airwaves for almost two decades. Honored by Billboard Magazine as Local Radio Personality of the Year in 1996, Steele was also included in Talkers Magazine's 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts. Steele spent years traveling the globe and interviewing countless bands and rock stars like Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ozzy Osbourne, David Bowie, Bono and Sammy Hagar...to name a few. The great music and insights bestowed upon Steele by these rock legends were what inspired Rock to the Top: What I Learned about Success from the World’s Greatest Rock Stars.

Rock to the Top is classic business advice set to the tune of rock and roll. Award winning rock radio personality, Dayna Steele, has composed a collection of lessons about the importance of passion, confidence, organization, networking, knowledge, the need for appreciation and the power of a brand.

Pulse Magazine is both honored and privileged to have her share her secrets to success from her FastCompany.com Blog with our readers.

2. Read the headlines and watch the news. Not only should you know what is going on in the world, you will also be the first to recognize opportunities (if you followed #1) for you and your business--long before the competition has even had their first cup of coffee.

3. Send something to one person who can hire you or buy your product -- something you promised to follow-up with, a quick email with a link to something relevant or a "Hey, just checking in to see how thing are going" email.

4. Touch base with an old friend or associate you haven't talked to in ages. Ask how they are, what are they working on and ask or suggest how you might help. You'll make their day.

5. Write a handwritten note to someone. Seriously. It is a lost art and makes quite an impression. There is always someone you can send a thank you note to--or you aren't doing things correctly.

A simple yet highly effective list. Try all five every weekday for a month. Then, tell me I'm right. If I'm wrong, I'll buy you a cup of coffee. When you finally wake up...

- Dayna Steele

The

Return of

ERASETHEVIRUS After a nine-month hiatus to re-structure, Chris Navasatis hit the ground running hard with a new team for one of Bay Area Houston’s hottest industrial metal bands, Erase The Virus, and they are steadily gaining momentum.

ETV packed Scout Bar for the first show of their return on September 11th. Fans were anxious to see the band and check out the new music - and they were not disappointed. In fact they were left screaming for more as ETV wrapped up their set with a promise that more new music is on the way.

Navasatis looked and sounded great as he delivered his trademark performance that has made him such a legendary front man on the local live rock scene.

Their long awaited show was hot with the crowd going wild when the band played their new hit, “Very Bad Things”, (released in July). They even brought back some old ETV favorites as well.

During the show, Navasatis took a moment to address the fans as well as Scout Bar with a very heartfelt “Thank You” for the support of the band, (and himself), over the past year as they worked to bring the new team together. He was especially appreciative of the previous members of ETV who showed up to show their support and offer congratulations on the success of the new music and a great first show.

As is tradition, ETV will headline the show at Scout Bar on Halloween Night in full costume along with Born From Ruins and Ten Ton Hammer, followed by a December 10th show at Warehouse Live.

2011 will undoubtedly stand out as a year of personal and professional introspection and growth for Chris Navasatis. With some major highs and lows, some losses and gains, a lot of love and support from friends and fans, he has weathered a difficult storm and come through it stronger than ever.

And now, with a team of highly respected and seasoned musicians behind him including Tommy Bones and Duane “Dirty D” Tedford on Guitar and Programs, Richard Hey on Bass and Programs, long time die-hard ETV fan, Eddie Cope on Keys and Samples and John Morin behind the Drums, ETV can’t miss. “It’s a new era, a new line-up, new songs, but still the same ole’ mother f*cker.” Says Navasatis.

Stay tuned for more great new music, more great shows, (and undoubtedly some more controversy).

The story of ETV has just begun.

- Katrina Starling

erasethevirus

Their next performance was an opening spot at PunkStar’s “September to Remember” event at Big Ben Tavern where they brought a crowd that was every bit as strong as the headliner. A month later the band gained a coveted nomination on The Houston Press Music Awards list in the category of Best Experimental/Noise.

TIME OUT

SPORTS BAR

4416 Fairmont Parkway, #101, Pasadena, TX 77504

- (281) 487-8552

MONDAYS Happy Hour 11-7 PM Free Wings 5 PM -??

tuesdays Live Music with BABY DADDY! 9:30-1:30 ½ Price Drinks 8:30-9:30 PM

thursdays Dart Tournament – Sign-up at 9 PM We match the pot!

saturdays

Fal Skye

Live Entertainment!

11/5 Big Richard 11/12 Falskye 11/19 Nervous Rex 11/23 The Slags - (Turkey Day Eve Party!)

11/26 Pirate Radio

sundays The Slags

Timeout 3 Sports Bar

Watch the NFL Sunday Ticket $5 Bull Blasters $7.50 Pitchers of Bud & Bud Lite

w w w. t i m e o u t s p o r t s b a r s . c o m

What does your

?

say about your

Postworthy. . .

The posts that make us LOL

riends

in low places

“Sometimes people don't notice or appreciate the things we do for them, until we stop doing it. Then they are like, “Why don’t you stalk me anymore?”

They’re on all of our friends lists. Their names and profile pics may change, but their “posts” remain the same.

Here are this month’s

“I could never trust a psychic who hasn't won the lottery at least once.”

Habitually Drunk-Ass Emotional Friend Embarrassingly posts the details of their personal “drama”, while misspelling most of it.

Almost nightly.

“Nothing really scares me except when I flush someone else's toilet and the water keeps rising.”

“I wish people were like money. So you could hold them up to the light and see which ones are fake.”

“There is no need to work out with shades on top of your head.”

Facebook Friends in Low Places

Cryptic Friend Seems like they might be trying to tell you something by their attempt at profound oneliners... But no one really knows for sure?

Cell Phone Super Model Friend He or she routinely changes their profile pic with the product of their latest glamour shot – from their bathroom mirror.

“May your life someday be as awesome as you pretend it is on Facebook.”

Self Loathing Friend Somehow has the impression that someone will find them attractive and want to date them if they remind us how miserable they are. Regularly.

“Here let me rub dirt on your face so I can make myself feel prettier.

There, all better now.

Thank You.”

Proud Diet & Exercise Friend Believes that the world needs to know that they had an egg white omelet with turkey bacon for breakfast! 2 hours of cardio! Then weights! Ready to kick this day’s ass!! Grrr!!

“The awkward moment when you're at your friends house and your friend is getting yelled at by the wife so you just stand their and pet the dog.”

…And they Just checked into The Gym. Again.

Mobile Uploads No lol while swimming??

Suburban Gangsta Friend Was raised in a middle to upper class suburban home and passed Senior English, yet the illiteracy of their posts sound as though they are from the far reaches of the ghetto… of Clear Lake City, Texas. “…WASSUP WIT DA RITIN SKILZ PLAYA??”

“They don’t mess around when they hit the stage…

Definitely a band to watch.”

- A.D., 94.5 The Buzz

On the scene for less than a year, Abolition Formula is gaining ground

And A LOT of attention Abolition Formula has created quite a buzz in a very short time on Bay Area Houston's live music scene. In less than a year since their formation, this young band from League City has gotten the attention of Warehouse Live, Scout Bar, The Buzz, Pulse Magazine, Rock Houston, I-10 Records and a number of other local musicians - along with a steadily growing fan base.

After only two shows at Scout Bar, they earned themselves an opening spot for the “Return of Erase The Virus” show in September, followed by headlining a Friday night. They are also on the ticket for 1-10 Production’s “Samhain Fest” at Big Ben Tavern on November 5th and then opening for From Guts to Glory and The Hunger at Scout on November 23rd.

For being one of the youngest original rock bands in the Bay Area, the team of Front Man, Mike Romero; Guitarist, Steven Cunningham; Bassist, Bryce Bucks and Drummer, Eric Yudell are incredibly cohesive and comfortable on stage. With their chill, laid back demeanor, they deliver a tight show and a great sound. Their music is solid and well written and Mike is just plain gifted as a vocalist.

“These guys rock… Definitely a band to keep an eye on!”

- Thomas Wilson, Scout Bar

“These guys rock… Definitely a band to keep an eye on!”

- Thomas Wilson, Scout Bar

They consider music in general – from classic rock to metal – their primary influence, but specifically sight bands like Thrice, with Guns & Roses and Pantera (for Eric), and Dream Theater (for Steven) as influences as well. Locally, they are big fans of Fresa and also have respect for South, Saturate and Good Job Underground, just to name a few.

Having been friends since high school, they have great synergy as a group and they are very united in their goals and direction for Abolition Formula.

With plans to take their music to the next level, they are spending time in the studio recording, preparing for a music video and making plans to venture out of Houston. I asked them how serious they are about the future of the band: “This is our main career choice. It’s not something we’re f*cking around about - we are very professional about it. We sat down a week ago and talked… We’re building a buzz in Bay Area. Now it’s time for the next step. We love Scout Bar, but we gotta start reaching out to different places too. So now we are looking at different venues in Austin and San Antonio. We’re thinking about a self sponsored tour and just going out on our own for weekend tours – maybe looking at South By Southwest…”, says Bryce. “It’s time to take the next step. We’re doin’ something right, man… doin’ something right.”

And indeed they are. Aside from school, (all four are in college), they are completely unencumbered and uniquely positioned, at a perfect time in their lives, with their heads and hearts in the right place and a great support structure. There is nothing to hold this band back. Here’s to a bright future and more great music for one of Bay Area Houston’s rising stars.

- Katrina Starling

"Young and hungry band who is drawing nice crowds in Clear Lake and seem to be developing quite a following. Look for bigger things from them in 2012.“ - Ryan McGuire, I-10 Records

…Its you and me against this world Its been a long time we’ve been brothers Fight and love, look after another That’s how it is and always should be And in words and in paintings you show me what this life brings I wouldn’t have it any other way, It just wouldn’t be the same.

- Abolition Formula,“Paintings”

TRACY STERLING

D-W-I Drink, Drive, Go To Jail. We’ve all seen the signs on the freeway, heard the commercials on the radio, been warned by our friends. However, this exact statement is actually FALSE! Contrary to popular belief, it IS actually legal for someone over the age of 21 to drink alcohol and then drive a motor vehicle in Texas. The crucial element is intoxication. In order to prove someone is guilty of a DWI offense, the State must prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that someone driving a vehicle was actually intoxicated at the time of driving.

What is “intoxicated?”

Well, it doesn’t mean you’re “drunk” in the normal context, by any means. In fact, a large number of people charged with DWI typically think they were not actually drunk. Whether you are drunk or not is irrelevant as far as DWI goes.

The key element is whether you are “intoxicated,” and whether it can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The definition of “intoxicated” for DWI offenses is really three-fold. The most commonly known definition is having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher. However, it can also mean the loss of normal use of your physical faculties or the loss of normal use of your mental faculties by introducing drugs, alcohol, or any substance into your body.

1. Alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher This one is pretty easy to understand. Alcohol can be measured through your breath, blood or urine. If the alcohol concentration is measured and is higher than a 0.08 (for someone over 21 years of age), you are legally intoxicated.

[NOTE: If you are under 21 years of age, it is illegal to drive with any detectable amount of alcohol in your body.]

2. Loss of the normal use of your physical faculties If an officer is investigating someone for DWI, and that persons stumbles while standing, is swaying heavily, or falls down for no obvious reason, the officer is likely to say that the person have lost the normal use of their physical faculties. Other clues an officer may look for regarding the normal use of physical faculties are the way a person stands, walks, moves, drives, reacts, whether they drop anything, their balance, their coordination, and so on.

While there may be countless reasons a person may have issues with those areas, an officer will most likely take any problem as a sign that a person is intoxicated.

3. Loss of the normal use of your mental faculties Some examples of what an officer may look for when investigating someone for DWI are the way that person speaks, the things that person chooses to say, how that person processes information, how that person responds to questions, and whether they listen and follow instructions.

While there may be countless reasons a person may have issues with these areas as well, as officer will likely take problems with mental faculties as signs of intoxication.

How is intoxication determined?

Intoxication is typically determined through Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs), breath tests, blood tests, and the officer’s own perception and discretion.

Whether you perform the roadside tests or not, you will likely be asked to submit to a breath test. If you have been drinking, even just a little, you should absolutely decline to provide a breath sample. Sometimes, the machine that takes your breath sample is not calibrated correctly and may provide a false result. Most often, this is down at the jail anyway, meaning you are already under arrest. Even if you were to pass the breath test, you will likely not be released and all you are doing is giving the State the evidence they need to convict you of DWI. Not only could a high number from the machine, accurate or inaccurate, be the evidence that convicts you, but it could also be the evidence that enhances a first time DWI from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor…meaning higher fines and more potential jail time!

Blood Tests “But won’t they take blood if I refuse?”

Maybe. Texas now conducts what we call “No Refusal” DWI weekends.

During these “No Refusal” periods, if you refuse to submit to a breath test for a DWI, you can potentially be held down against your will and someone will forcibly take your blood. And because of a federal grant, Harris County in particular is doing this every weekend for the next several years. Yup, that’s right…not just a holiday treat anymore. Every single weekend!

“But that seems unfair and unconstitutional!”

Well, it is! It is an invasion of privacy, and is also unreasonable search and seizure…at least in my opinion. However, the courts and the government in the State of Texas have decided this is perfectly acceptable.

“Why is letting them forcibly take my blood better than just doing a breath test?”

For the average DWI where the defendant submits to a breath test, the officer doesn’t have to do anything to be able to use the breath test result against the defendant. He doesn’t have to write a report right away, meaning he doesn’t have to swear to what he saw and put the story into his own legal words until he has time to think about it. Because of this, a breath test may occur soon after the person was drinking, suggesting that the result was very close to the level of intoxication at the time of driving. In order to take blood from a defendant, the officer must write and sign an affidavit to get a blood warrant, then submit the affidavit and wait for the blood warrant to be issued, then take the defendant somewhere to have the blood test performed, and the blood warrant and procedure by which they take the blood must be specific and accurate in order to use it in court. Basically, there are more hoops to jump through, meaning more mistakes may occur. Also, the lapse in time between the offense and the actual blood tests may help lower your blood alcohol concentration level.

So… what should I do?

Again, if you heed the advice of last month’s column about what to do when you get pulled over, nothing you do should indicate the loss of mental or physical faculties. Next, politely decline to perform SFST’s, decline to provide a breath sample, and make the officers do the work to actually get a blood sample, should they so desire. You almost certainly will go to jail…but hopefully you will avoid giving them the evidence needed to convict you of a DWI, which can lead to extremely high costs, fines, probation, interlock on your car, enhancement of future DWI offenses, and the loss of your driver’s license.

Little known fact: You have 15 days from the date of arrest to try to save your driver’s license from being suspended. If you, a family member, or a friend gets arrested for DWI, please feel free to contact The Sterling Law Firm to provide legal representation on your behalf.

If you find yourself in trouble,

CALL ME!

TRACY L. STERLING Attorney at Law 1300B Bay Area Blvd., Suite 110 Houston, Texas 77058-2505 www.thesterlinglawfirm.com E-mail: tsterling@thesterlinglawfirm.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/sterlinglawfirm Twitter: @sterlinglawfirm

Office: (832) 516-6555 Fax: (832) 932-1650 Toll-Free: (888) 427-4LAW

Disclaimer: Tracy L. Sterling, and The Sterling Law Firm, presents the information in this article as a service to the public. While the information in this article is about legal issues, it is not legal advice, which is the application of law to an individual’s specific circumstances. The content is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up-to-date. This article is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship, nor should you act or rely on any information in this article without seeking the advice of an attorney.

Dethkultur BBQ Reunion Show

A tour of the tattoo process from start to finish with the artists of Article 91.

What you need to know before you decide to…

Tattoo You! ARTICLE 91 ARTISTS CMFL Chris Sparks Compton Crazy Larry Dennis Straube Jason Mohr Mike Isley

Remo Grilli, III Shawn Will

Walking through Article 91 will take your breath away. The endless display of art is amazing in its own right – but even more so when you stop to realize that the canvas for each piece, with its intricate detail, is located somewhere on a human body.

The plethora of awards throughout the studio recognizing these seasoned professionals are about as diverse as the style and personalities of the artists themselves. The only thing cooler than having the opportunity to spend time in their creative world watching them work, was the chance to get to know each of the members of this phenomenal team of artists (and characters) personally. And to learn not only about their field, but what makes them so unique and Bay Area Houston’s most coveted studio for world class tattoo work.

As part of the study process for this story, Article 91 agreed to allow us to closely follow one client’s very first tattoo experience – from start to finish – with award winning artist, Remo Grilli. This experience was invaluable in helping to better understand in detail what goes into the entire process, and why it is so vitally important to make an educated decision in who you choose to tattoo you.

First Ink

If you’ve never done it, choose carefully.

There’s more to it than you might think.

Sean Starling is 21 years old. He’s wanted a tattoo since he was about 16, but he waited until he was old enough to make the decision and to be sure that he knew what he wanted permanently imprinted on his body. He chose to work with artist, Remo Grilli because he admired the work that he had done on several friends and he came strongly recommended.

There were several things to consider initially:

Where should it go?

This is NOT a decision to be made impulsively. Since Sean is young and not quite sure what his future will hold, he chose to have his first piece done on his back. He can display it when he wants to, and cover it up when he needs to.

What to get?

An artist can help you decide what to get and guide you in your decision to insure you end up with a piece that looks good on you and that you will not regret later. Sean had an idea of what he wanted. A cool image of a cross, a rose, a snake, symbolism…

He found a flash image in a book at the studio. He showed it to Remo and the process began.

Remo is a gifted artist who specializes in custom designs. He took Sean’s idea and went to work, transforming it into a brilliant custom piece. He and Sean worked together throughout the process to ensure that the image that Sean ended up with was exactly what he wanted.

Once the design concept was drawn and the color scheme was defined, they reviewed in detail the documentation required by Article 91 to be completed and signed before any work can begin.

The studio verifies identity and age as well as thoroughly sets client expectations about the procedure and the aftercare required to avoid problems and to maintain a vibrant, healthy tattoo.

Paperwork complete, Remo printed a stencil and began the prepping process.

At this point Sean is very excited at seeing the final drawing of his tattoo.

Sterilization The entire work area is meticulously sterilized before Remo begins to work on Sean. Every item that might possibly come in contact with Remo or Sean is cleaned and wrapped in sterile bags and film to avoid the risk of introducing bacteria during the procedure, including his state-of-the-art CX2 Critical Tattoo Power Supply.

INTERESTING FACT In Texas, a license is required to cut hair and apply acrylic nails, but not to perform a permanent tattoo procedure that is injected into the upper layers of the skin with pigments. The owner of a studio is required to have a license, but the individual artists are not. Therefore it is incumbent upon the studio to establish its own criteria for artists’ experience and certification requirements.

Each artist at Article 91 maintains certain health certificates and has undergone verification as to their background and experience.

Once the entire work space is sterile and prepared for the tattoo procedure, Remo shaves and cleans the area of Sean’s back where the tattoo will go with “Green Soap” to ensure a clean, smooth canvas on which to work. He then applies the stencil transfer of his drawing to the skin surface. Once the art is centered and properly aligned, he is ready to begin.

At this point, Sean is excited but starting to feel a little nervous too.

Remo consults with fellow award winning artist, Dennis Straube before he begins. It is a standard practice at Article 91 for the artists to consult with each other for creative input throughout the entire process. Although each artist is independent in his work, they collaborate as a team giving their clients the benefit of many creative expert minds.

Remo removes the needles selected for the details of Sean’s tattoo from their sterile packaging and calibrates the device for the procedure.

Article 91 is unwavering in its requirements for a safe sterile environment for it’s clients.

Remo begins the process of filling in the design with color and shading. This part is more intense as he must go over the area several times to achieve the desired affect.

CRITICAL! Tattoo needles should never be re-used. In fact each needle should be hermetically sealed in sterile packaging which is not opened until the time of the procedure. Tattoo equipment - and especially needles - that are not sterile can harbor and carry pathogens from one person to another. Contaminated equipment can transfer blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, tetanus, and HIV.

Remo’s girlfriend, A.J. Scalero stopped by to see how things were going with Sean’s tattoo and to bring Remo a Red Bull. It is a long and tedious process for an artist. Staying completely focused until the work is complete is crucial.

Remo begins the process of outlining the edges of the tattoo design.

At this point, Sean is doing well. He describes the sensation as “A little painful – like scratching a sunburn, but not too bad.” He is glad the procedure is underway but he is a little nervous and queasy.

After about an hour, the outline is complete with very little bleeding.

Getting a first tattoo is a big deal, and friends who have been through it know this. Therefore it is not uncommon for them to stop by for moral support during the process.

The queasiness has subsided and Sean is doing well. Jeremy Hickman, who was Remo’s first client in Houston as well as a close friend of Sean’s stops by to check on him. His room mate, Trevor Blackwell comes by as well with Gatorade and a snack and Sean is ready for a break. The tattoo is coated and covered with a protective film to keep it sterile.

At this point he has been under the needle for over two hours. The pain is a bit more intense with the larger areas of color and shading.

He took another break and found himself able to relax better by laying down. He is wishing he had thought to bring an iPod to distract him from the buzzing sound of the tattoo device. Remo keeps close tabs on him to make sure he is doing ok. He does not want Sean to stay under the needle for longer than his body can safely handle.

Sean taps out after about four hours of work. He will give the design a week to heal and come back to finish up. During this time, Remo gives him very specific after-care instructions to prevent infection and ensure maximum healing. It will still be tender when he returns, so Sean heads his advice.

About a week-and-a-half later, Sean returns to finish his tattoo.

He is ready for it to be complete, but a little apprehensive. He is equipped with music and headphones this time, which makes a big difference. After about two more hours, his work is complete.

“It came out awesome . I’m glad I hung in there. It was tough, but definitely worth it!

Thank you, for letting me be a part of this story, Remo. You are a badass artist and awesome to work with. I’ll be back!”

- Sean Starling

Don’t drink and tattoo!

And other tips for a better tattoo experience As CMFL finishes up local acoustic artist, Chris Hardy’s sleeve, they share some great advice from lessons learned the hard way.

Pulse: What advice would you give to people to make the tattoo process easier?

CH: “Don’t get tattoos hung over kids! The last time I was in here when we started the wine bottle, I was so hung over… It was rough!

You’re more mentally prepared to deal with it when you’re not hung over and your body is also more physically prepared to handle the pain of it when you’re not hung over.

Just be physically fit. Don’t come in when you’re sick or tired or hung over. Your body has a natural way of reacting to pain and you need to be healthy.”

Pulse: Does it help to take things like Ibuprofen ahead of time?

CMFL: “No. Those things are going to thin your blood out more. You also don’t want to drink a lot of stuff with caffeine in it. It will raise your blood pressure and make you bleed more. Not just alcohol, but caffeine and energy drinks too. If you drink a monster and then get tattooed you’re gonna bleed a lot. I used to drink a lot of Mountain Dew and I went in for a tattoo and just bled everywhere! You can take Ibuprofen afterward to help with the swelling, but not before.”

Drunk Tattoos This is by far one of the biggest tattoo mistakes known to the tattoo industry.

Being drunk lowers your inhibitions and increases the chances that you’ll do something impulsive that you will regret. Drunk, impulsive tattoos are most likely going to be regretted later since they have not been thoroughly considered and may not have any special or sentimental meaning.

No matter how much you love your partner statistics show that most “ode to love” inspired tattoos, unfortunately, live longer than the relationships that inspired them.

This is one of the most common and most covered up of the tattoo mistakes. Since there are so many possibilities, one could tattoo a design that represents the love and devotion one has for their partner, but without explicit reference to them. That way if the relationship doesn’t last at least you will still be wearing an awesome tattoo inspired by something beautiful.

While we were at Article 91, artist Jason Mohr was working on a cover-up piece for a client with this very issue. Although Jason came up with a great cover up design, it was still an expensive and painful process in a sensitive area.

Some of the coolest tattoos are ones with meaning “It’s a wine bottle that’s been thrown out into the ocean and it’s got a piece of sheet music stuffed in there. It’s kind of that “message in a bottle” theory. But being a musician, I just found sheet music to be more appropriate. It’s about me leaving the group and kinda going off on my own… It just represents that time in my life with me making that decision to make “Wine Stains”, the album and to believe in myself and just make my own music. Since the album was called “Wine Stains”, I thought this would be a good tattoo. It’s pretty much a wine “stain”. (He laughs), It ain’t goin’ anywhere any time soon!”

- Acoustic Artist, Chris J. Hardy

Prepare yourself…  Don’t drink the night before (or the day of) your tattoo  Get a good night sleep  Eat a meal before you go in for your tattoo  Make sure you are well hydrated  Bring water or drinks like Gatorade and a snack  If you smoke, bring cigarettes  Bring a distraction – things such as an iPod to listen to and something to read

About Jae‌ " Be who you are and say how you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

Location : Friendswood, Texas Birth date: July 15, 1980 Height : 5'5 Weight: 110 Size: 2 Eyes: Green Contact Jae at: Fastpony99@gmail.com Favorite Bands (local) : Saturate, Powerman 5000, Erase The Virus, Melovine, Born From Ruins, From Guts To Glory (and many more) Favorite thing that mama always said: "It will feel better when it quits hurting.“ I'm a new and upcoming Petite Model with ambition to spare... I 'm small in size but come equipped with huge drive..... I've had the opportunity to work with amazingly talented people. I'm very excited to work with new photographers and collaborate with other models. Keep an eye out for future sets as i will be teaming up with Herize Photography in the new year for projects and various artists in the months to come...

I've had the pleasure recently of shooting "The Babes of Rock Houston Calendar" Big thank you to Nate Jimenez and Rock Houston for making that possible .... Id like to thank Grant Foto for working with me on projects and helping me get my start... Huge thank you to Muttley Escobar and Herize Photography for the beautiful shots and time put in to this....... And thank you to Katrina Starling... for supporting me and creating Pulse......... Everybody in this industry is dedicated and works hard.. make sure you show them some love! Rock on Herize Photography @yahoo.com "Muttley Escobar" www.grantfoto.com " Steven Grant" grantfoto79@yahoo.com

Jae Wilburn

307 El Dorado Blvd., Houston, TX 77598

SPORTS POOL SHUFFLE BOARD DARTS VIDEO GAMES MEGA TOUCH PATIO & MORE! Time Out #2

- (281)-480-3444

Sundays $6.75 Pitchers of Bud & Bud Lite 12-7 PM

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Fridays Shuffleboard Tournament, Blind Draw $10 entry – house matches the pot Sign in begins at 7 PM

Saturdays Half Price Happy Hour 9-10 PM Weekly drawings for anniversary T-Shirts

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NICK GRAY

The Fitness

Minded

Social Drinker When people start looking into their own personal fitness it can be for many reasons.

Normally, people begin to recognize fitness as a means of obtaining good health. Though to the social scene, and those that visit it regularly, a fitness regimen may be related to other goals in mind. Goals such as looking better to be more attractive to the opposite sex, or same sex, your choice. Standing out from a crowd with your physical attributes obtained in the gym may be the opening door to a first impression. Thus what are some of the expectations when being a fitness minded social drinker? Are you going to be a body builder or fitness model? NO, bodybuilders and fitness models don’t drink nor are they social. Has anyone seen BJ Jones lately?

Exactly! Can you become extremely overweight, slobbish, lazy and lethargic? YES, if your social lifestyle becomes out of hand, it can mask your fitness goals. Just look at most club promoters.

Can you find a medium between socialism and fitness? YES, you can achieve, maintain, a nice lean physique and still be social.

So now we have frequency in socialism vs. frequency in the gym. Frequency in socialism is different in frequency of drinking. You can go out every night of the week, but how much you drink on each night has a direct correlation to bad fitness decisions. Most people when they drink, loose inhibition to good fitness decision making, drinking leads to eating, and how many people want a protein shake after drinking all night?

How many people have relived a hard night drinking and where they went afterwards by the Whataburger receipts in their car the next day? Frequency in the gym is also directly related to frequency in drinking. Most people that consistently drink, a lot, lack the energy to make it to the gym the next day. For a good balance, try to go to the

gym at least twice as many times as you drink in a week. Thus, if you drink heavy on the weekends, make sure you are hitting the gym hard MondayThursday; if you start your socializing on Thursday evening, try to throw and extra 40 minutes of cardio in on Sunday. The key is moderation, find a balance between both fitness and socializing that does not cause one to over power the other.

So now that we have a balance lets look at some exercises in the gym to maximize your goals in the social scene. For women: Cardio, cardio, cardio. Even in your lifts, try to do multi joint, multi muscle compound movements that maximize your heart rate while building lean mass. Things like the back squat, the overhead squat press, and deadlifts are excellent multi joint, multi muscle movements. For the guys out there, try building an “x” physique. Build a bigger back and broader shoulders to help reduce the image of your waistline. Wide lat pull downs, lateral dumbbell raises for the shoulders and barbell shrugs. Try to do weight that allows you to do up to three sets around 812 reps. This is a perfect set/rep structure that allows for hypertrophy (building size).

Remember the key points made here. You have frequency in socialism and frequency in drinking; frequency in drinking has a negative direct correlation to frequency in the gym. The best thing is to find moderation between the two. You can make sizable fitness goals while still being very sociable. Until you are ready to make one or the other an extreme in your life, find balance, have fun, and stay healthy.

All the best,

Nick Gray MA, CSCS

Erin Schmiedlin

About Erin...

Location: Clear Lake Birthdate: September 14th 1983 Height: 5' Size: 0 Eyes: Brown Contact Erin at: e_schmiedlin@hotmail.com Favorite Bands: Last Place you Look, From Guts to Glory, IDR, South, Saturate, Chris Hardy I have been modeling for 8 years now and have done many photo shoots as well as several calendars. My most recent work was as a model for the Rock Houston Babes calendar shot by Nathan Jiminez of Ghost Era Productions.

What I love the most about modeling is seeing how unique each photographers work is and how different their perspectives are. I enjoy contributing ideas and like too be an integral part of the design process involved in each shoot. Feel free to contact me if you would like to work with me on a shoot, I love collaborating with new photographers. Special thanks to Pulse Magazine and Katrina Starling for making this possible and giving me this opportunity.

Erin Schmiedlin

Emily's

Emmy’s Kawaii Shop

picks…

Fall is here! When the weather changes so does my skin.

I tend to get very dry skin in cooler weather, so here are some products I recommend: Smooth Skin All Over with No Bacteria

Cleanlogic Stretch Bath and Shower Cloth Throw out your boring old net sponge you use to wash your body with. I found an awesome antimicrobial bath cloth that exfoliates and cleanses your skin. Cleanlogic Stretch Bath and Shower Cloth has a loop-to-loop exfoliating texture for a more effective dead skin cell removal. The nice thing about this product is that it stretches to 3 times its size so it’s easier to clean and exfoliate your back or hard to reach places. After using this product, I've noticed my skin is so smooth and soft. The other wonderful thing is that after using it, you can wash it, squeeze out the water, and let it hang to dry so you don't have to worry about it getting mold. It contains a Silpure Technology to prevent the cloth from getting mold or bacteria. I absolutely recommend this, but don't try it on your face. Your face is very delicate for this raspy texture. Cleanlogic Stretch Bath and Shower Cloth is priced is $4.99. As a side note, Cleanlogic created the Inspiration Foundation which is a non-profit organization to empower and enable visually impaired individuals and they offer Braille on their products. You can visit their website for more information on their products and the Inspiration Foundation.

http://www.cleanlogicbodycare.com/ Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffer by Spongeables When I wear sandals or heels to show off my feet I want them to look nice, soft, and smooth. Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffer by Spongeables, cleanses, exfoliates, and moisturizes your feet. I found this product at a local drugstore. One side of the Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffer is sponge like and it already contains the cleanser and moisturizer that guarantees 20+ washes. It is infused with aromatherapy oils, shea butter, tea tree oil, and olive oil. The other side of the Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffer is scruffy and rough so you can exfoliate your feet. Spongeables has other products that you can find on their website. Their products are also Paraben-Free and never tested on animals. Pedi-Scrub Foot Buffer comes in two fragrances: Citron-Eucalyptus Aromatherapy and soothing Lavender-Tea Tree Oil Aromatherapy. I bought the LavenderTea Tree fragrance and the smell is soothing and nice. http://www.spongeables.com/web/product.htm Less Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge Do you use liquid concealer or liquid foundation? To apply liquid make-up, I've tried sponges and foundation brushes but Foundation never found the best way to apply liquid make-up because I always end up using my fingers to apply the liquid make-up in Better hard to reach areas or to even it out. Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge is an awesome sponge to apply liquid make-up.

Coverage Not only will this sponge even out your liquid make-up and reach those hard to cover up spaces, (such as around your eyes), but the sponge will make your liquid make-up last. Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge is sold at Target for $9.99. They Easier to have a limited edition 2-piece set that comes with the Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge and Sonia Kashuk Brush & Sponge Clean Cleanser Spray for the same price. I've bought the Blending Sponge before alone and found it hard to clean, but after buying this set and using the Sonia Kashuk Brush & Sponge Cleanser, it cleans the sponge well. Here are my tips for using the Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge: 1. Run the Blending Sponge underneath water and squeeze out the excess. 2. Apply your liquid make-up to your face using a small amount, (because by wetting the Blending Sponge, a small amount will make the liquid make-up go a long way and save you money by not using as much). 3. Blend well. You can use the pointy tip to cover up around your eye and small areas. 4. Let your make-up completely dry before applying powder or blush. http://www.target.com/p/Sonia-Kashuk-Limited-Edition-Cleanser-2-piece-set/-/A-13555356

Be Proud of Your Feet!

Emily Gamez is a model, an accessory designer and a style - make-up - health and beauty aficionado, (while she works toward her degree as a nutritionist). She is also environmentally concerned, so in the process of doing her own research to find the best deals on the safest products, (for us and the environment), she has become an expert and an excellent source of information on the best products, the alternatives, the deals, the tips and the toxins (that we would never imagine are in our beauty products). Emily personally researches, tests and evaluates each product that she writes about to give us the real scoop on the price of being beautiful – at the counter and to our health.

TIME OUT

SPORTS BAR 10928 Fuqua, South Houston, TX 77089

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UFC fights Timeout Sports Bar Fuqua

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PASSION WITH A PRICE

With a strong partner, a great coach and all of Bay Area Houston in his corner

BILLY JONES made it happen Fitness Expert and lifelong friend, Nick Gray gives us some insight into what it took for Billy to realize his dream.

Gym membership, $35 per month; price of gas traveling back and forth to gym, $120 a week; Monthly cost of food, $800…. This article begins like one of the priceless visa commercials. You know the ones where they go over a list of items paid for by the visa credit card and then it gives you this priceless payoff at the end. Though where the price of this commercial is paid in as little as 30 seconds, the price of passion for a bodybuilder is a yearly expense.

$500-800 a month. The food pyramid, though good in design, is actually out of most people financial means to afford. Next is the cost of supplementation, another $600-1500 a month.

Lastly is the cost of travel, hotels, entry fees, show preparation, personal trainers, nutritionist, etc. Over the time span of three months it takes to prepare for a show I would estimate this number to be anywhere from $1,500-3,000. Fact of the matter, bodybuilding is not cheap.

This last week I witnessed a very good friend of mine claim his spot in the world of bodybuilding excellence by competing in his first show. Most people when they do their first show, they are thrilled just to place (I know I was), but my buddy Billy Jones didn’t just place, he won the overall title and took the name of 2011 NPC Heart of Texas Bodybuilding champion! Watching Billy on stage looked as natural as birds in flight, swimming dolphins, fact is they were made for each other and he definitely made his name heard in his very first show. As Billy stood on stage and received his trophies and engraved sword raising his hand to a roaring arena I had to reflect on the personal price he paid to achieve this moment.

Your amateur bodybuilder must support themselves through these expenses before finding sponsors that will pick up some of these costs.

The first and most obvious price of bodybuilding is the price that affects your wallet. The financial cost of preparing for a show is astronomical. The diet alone runs an average person by themselves anywhere from

Next thing to consider is the personal price paid while preparing for a show. The mental and physical cost of bodybuilding is excruciating. As a bodybuilder you pay the price of burning more energy than you have throughout the day. Through stimulants, willpower, and determination; a bodybuilder must burn more than what is safely limited as “essential fat” to percentages lower than what is deemed safe. Metal fatigue is huge battle fought as you reduce carbohydrates and sugars utilized by the brain for normal functioning. Beyond working out in the gym and cooking to fuel the body, a bodybuilder will spend the majority of their day allowing their brain to “nit” and “pick” at themselves.

A person’s greatest adversary is their own mind.

Who inspires you?

“I am my own inspiration. And I don‟t mean that to sound cocky, but I hear people all of the time asking, „Will you help me do this with my body, or help me do that‟, but at the end of the day, if you‟re not really wanting to do it for yourself, there is no amount of inspiration in the world that any other person can give you that is going to actually get you out of bed, get you on that stair master, eat those 6 meals a day… I mean the monotony of if alone will just kill you unless you are doing it all for yourself.”

Billy trains with John Fish from Houston‟s Gym Last price paid is the stress that competing puts on bodybuilders personal relationships with those around them. A great deal of support and understanding has to be accounted for by those around them. A bodybuilder can not go out and be social able, a bodybuilder can not join you for dinner, or the movies, or the after-party. So as much stress as competing puts on a bodybuilder, it puts just as much on the people closest to them. Fortunately, Billy had a phenomenal partner on this journey in girlfriend, Lauren Simmons.

“I’ve always put on muscle relatively easy and I wanted to compete as early as 2001 when I got into body building but I had never been in the proper environment to give it everything that is required - like all of the time in the gym, someone to help me plan my meals… That’s where Lauren came in. She helped me a lot.”

Billy says that Lauren’s patience, support and commitment to helping him realize his goal was unwavering.

Since neither of them had been through the process of preparing for a competition, she was not prepared to deal with all of the regiment or the changes that take place in a person

- Billy Jones

– both physically and mentally - who is preparing their body for such an intense competition. However, she walked through it by his side with the same strength and grace that she approaches life with, supporting him every step of the way.

“I really couldn‟t have done it without her, honestly.”, he says.

As great as the personal, financial, and external prices paid for to be a bodybuilder; the overwhelming feeling of success found when you step on that stage and claim your prize as the best of the best, the most elite of athletes is intoxicating. So as Billy Jones dropped $250 for hotel; $80 for a rental; $120 in registration fees; etc., etc., etc.; stepping on stage and blowing away the crowd and the competition while claiming overall victory in your first show …

Priceless!

- Nick Gray

PunkStar’s September to Remember Show with Dykes on Bykes, South, ETV & From Guts to Clory (along with many other bands not pictured here).

Chris Hardy, Castle Lights, The Pub Affair & Ryan Cabrera