Gulfscapes Magazine. Pirate Ship South Padre Island. http://gulfscapes.com/ Gulfscapes Magazine is a finer things in life publication for coastal living along the Gulf coast. We cover the Texas coast, Mississippi coast, Louisiana coast, Alabama coast and the Florida coast. en Copyright 2008 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:39:58 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2ysb5-20051201 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss SOUTH PADRE UNDER ADVISORY- there are Pirates on the horizon! SOUTH PADRE UNDER ADVISORY- there are Pirates on the horizon!]]> http://gulfscapes.com/blog4/pirates_in_south_padre/#000015 http://gulfscapes.com/blog4/pirates_in_south_padre/#000015 Pirates in South Padre Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:39:58 -0600 Bonefish Folly Bonefish Follie Gulfscapes Magazine Home Page www.gulfscapes.com ... Subscribe to Gulfscapes Magazine

 

Bonefish Folley: Master Bonefisher of the Bahamas

 

A fishing guide for more than 60 years and known to people around the world, Bonefish Folley, a master bonefisher is one of the Bahamas’ most beloved ambassadors.

 

Folly was born at Nicholl’s Town, Andros, and taken to Bimini as a baby. After a little schooling, he started as a fishing guide and was on his way to becoming famous.

 

Born Israel Rolle, Folley says he got his nickname as a child.

 

According to Folley, during the prohibition and rum running days in the 1920s, there used to be some folks who used to come to Bimini to sell booze to the folks who used to come over from the states. At that time, the U.S. didn’t allow the selling of liquor. So they used to come to Bimini and pick up liquor and take it over. It used to come from Nassau to Bimini and they’d pack it up and send it on a big ship.

 

“The man who owned the ship was named Folley. He had no kids. I used to be around him on the ship. He used to take me to school. Soon they started calling me Folley, like an adopted son,” he said.

 

The ship owner’s name was Carl Folley.

 

“There are some people from Bimini who have known me for a long time and still call me Carl,” he said. “I named my son Carl after Carl Folley.”

 

A musician, in addition to being a guide, Folley left Bimini while playing in a band.

 

“I played the drums in a band, ‘The Bimini Serenades’ and we used to come over in the 1940s to play at the Jack (Tar) Hotel,” he said. “I found there were good flats here and no bonefish guide so I just stayed here and my customers who used to go to Bimini started coming to West End.”

 

Peak season for bonefish is in the winter months. While few Bahamians participate in the sport, as it is against the law to catch bonefish for food, visitors from around the world visit the Bahamas annually just to bonefish - many to fish with Folley.

 

Folley says he has taken thousands of people fishing throughout the years - some of them are pretty famous.

 

His client lists includes: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., The U.S. President Nixon, the late Prince Rainer of Monaco, Ernest Hemingway, Robert Taylor, Lana Turner and Curt Gowdy - just to name a few.

 

Those persons include U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas John Rood who befriended Folley as a child.

 

“I met Bonefish Folley when I was about five years old,” Rood said. “My father would rent out the Jack (Tar) Hotel in West End for a month for business conferences and then bring our family over for vacation the last week of the month.”

 

Rood says he remembers more than just fishing with Folley.

 

“We would go over to the Blue Marlin, a restaurant that Mellis (Folley’s wife) ran,” he said. “I remember great dinners, people playing pool and having a great time with Folley and his family.”

 

Rood said as he grew older he continued to stop by the West End to visit with Folley whenever he was in the area. One of those visits occurred right before hurricane Frances hit the Bahamas in September 2004. “It was my memory from that visit that made me want go visit Folley immediately after I heard about the storm hitting the West End,” he said. “Folley’s home was a small wooden house directly across from the ocean.”

 

Rood knew that like many Bahamian homes at the time, Folley’s home probably had been reduced to rubble. Rood arrived for transport into the area shortly after the storm. He and other dignitaries accompanied a group of media into the West End to survey the damage.

 

“As we approached what used to be Folley’s home, I saw him sitting in a boat in his front yard with his grandson.” he said. “Behind him was a pile of rubble which waswhat was left of his family’s home.” Rood said he was eager to speak with Folley and approached him to shake his hand and offer comfort to him. Upon seeing his old friend, Folley began to smile and greeted him warmly as usual.

 

“The cameras were taking photographs of Folley and he was smiling as if nothing so terrible had happened,” Rood said. “I asked him how he could have such a smile and be so happy after such a disaster.” According to Rood, Folley answered, “We lost our home, but my family is safe. We can rebuild the home.”

 

Rood decided at that point that he would take it upon himself to make sure Folley’s home was rebuilt. He and his father worked with an architect to design a safer home for Folley. The home consisted of three bedrooms, and two baths and was built on eight-feet high columns with the ability to withstand storm surges. It is considered to be a ‘model home’ for other residents of West End living on the waterfront and was built at no expense to Folley.

 

“We wanted to show the Bahamians how important it is to build their homes off the ground to make them more storm resistant,” he said. “We built several homes for other Bahamians as well.”

 

Rood is not the only person to be so taken with Folley. Bahamian artist Phil Stubbs wrote a song about him some years back: “Bonefish Folly, He’s so meek and lowly....”

 

In addition to being the theme of a song, a restaurant has been renamed as a tribute to the bone-fishing legend. Bonefish Folley’s Bar & Grille sits with a commanding view of Old Bahama Bay’s marina.

 

As welcoming as Bonefish Folley himself, the newly renamed eatery beckons patrons hungering for native Bahamian cuisine. Black and white photos of its namesake, “Bonefish Folley”, hang prominently from the restaurant’s walls. Perhaps the most interesting characteristic of this restaurant will be Bonefish Folley himself, as he continues to charm guests of Old Bahama Bay.

 

Folley has passed on his expertise to two of his sons, who like him have fallen in love with the sport. Bonefish Tommy and Carly have studied and learned how to bone fish at the feet of the legendary master.

 

When asked if any of his daughter were interested in fishing he laughed, and answered, “My daughters are just here to eat the fish after we catch it.”

 

During the years, he has amassed lots of awards and citations. He says of his life, it has been a lot of work, but a whole lot of fun. Sixty-odd years and Folley says he still has a whole lot of living to do.

 

“The way I feel, I’ll probably go until I drop,’ he said. “Come on out, I’ll take you fishing.”
]]> http://gulfscapes.com/blog4/gulfscapes_magazine/#000014 http://gulfscapes.com/blog4/gulfscapes_magazine/#000014 gulfscapes magazine Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:02:01 -0600 River Maya Gulfscapes Magazine Home Page www.gulfscapes.com ... Subscribe to Gulfscapes Magazine

 

Riviera Maya, Mexico

Riviera Maya, Mexico
See Magazine Story

 

Located in the Mexican Caribbean on the coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, the Riviera Maya is conveniently located just 11 miles south of Cancun International Airport. Recently extended, the region begins at Puerto Morelos and ends at Felipe Carrillo Puerto, occupying about 100 miles of coastline.

 

The region now known as the Riviera Maya was an important commercial and religious center for the ancient Mayans during the Post-Classic Period (1000- 1550 AD). During the next three hundred years, under Spanish colonial rule, the lack of adequate roads deterred any significant demographic growth in this region, affording it an air of seclusion.

 

At the point of entry, visitors can relish in the small fishing community, Puerto Morelos, offering the Crococun crocodile farm and the Yaax Che Botanical Garden, as well as its own Marine Natural Park (Reefs of Puerto Morelos), boasting a wide variety of multicolored tropical fish, dolphins and turtles, as well as breathtaking corals.

 

Considered the unofficial capital of the Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen combines the feel of a quaint fishing village with a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Visitors in search of luxury shopping and dining can visit Playa del Carmen’s Fifth Avenue (Quinta Avenida) and stay in the nearby resort area of Playacar, offering upscale accommodations and several all-inclusive hotels.

 

One of the Riviera Maya’s most popular natural attractions is Tres Rios, a tropical reserve named after the three rivers flowing through the area. Popular activities in this virgin jungle territory include canoeing down crystalline rivers, swimming, snorkeling, horseback-riding and bicycling.

 

Ecological enthusiasts will rejoice in the wonders of the eco-archaeological park Xcaret. Offering a unique glimpse into the region’s natural surroundings, the eco-wonderland offers interactive activities such as snorkeling in underground rivers, swimming with dolphins, a 2000 year old Ball Game called Pok-ta-pok, an archaeological site and a nightly folkloric show transporting spectators through the fascinating history of Mexico.

 

The transparent, calm and warm waters of Puerto Aventuras are ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving enthusiasts. Facing the beach, in the middle of the bay, is an island that serves as a nocturnal sanctuary for thousands of birds. The town is home to the San Carlos Marina, where visitors can rent boats by the hour or day to deep-sea fish or simply cruise the Caribbean’s tranquil turquoise waters.

 

Akumal, which means “land of the turtles” in the Mayan language, owes its enchantment to the fresh waters of its caves and subterranean rivers. More than 200 entrances to subterranean caves, with depths of up to 150 meters, make it a gathering place for divers from around the world.

 

Used once as a port by the ancient Mayas, one of Xel-Ha’s main attractions is its park and natural aquarium. The combination of salt water with fresh subterranean currents of sweet water produces a natural aquarium hosting hundreds of marine species and tropical fish. At the Aquatic Institute, visitors can take part in snorkeling instruction with a special focus on identifying flora and fauna. The park also encompasses a small archaeological zone, dating back to the Post- Classical Period, as well as turtle and dolphin sanctuaries.

 

Tulum, a Mayan fortress set on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea, is also a formidable archaeological zone, with a walled Mayan city containing temples, shrines and platforms. Sixty structures are contained within the archaeological zone El Castillo, which functioned as a navigational aid, directing Mayan canoes through the break in the reef to the beach. It is the largest ancient construction still standing along the coast of the Riviera Maya.

 

The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve is one of the largest protected areas in Mexico, whose 2,500 square miles of unspoiled natural beauty are comprised of wetlands, tropical forest and a marine environment. Home to an abundance of flora and fauna and several distinct natural ecosystems, the reserve features unexcavated Maya ruins, freshwater canals, cenotes (sinkholes), mangroves, lagoons and inlets. Within the reserve is Punta Allen, a tiny lobster fishing village, marking the end of the Riviera Maya.

 

The Riviera Maya offers an array of hotels and resorts for every lifestyle and budget. Ranging from quaint inns to fullservice all-inclusive resorts, there are more than 350 hotels, most of which have fewer than 30 rooms.

 

Arriving to the Mexican Caribbean is easier than ever with a number of carriers flying to Cancun International Airport, including Mexicana, Aeromexico, the regional airline Aerocaribe, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, Northwest and U.S. Airways.
]]> http://gulfscapes.com/blog4/gulfscapes_coastal_living_magazine/#000013 http://gulfscapes.com/blog4/gulfscapes_coastal_living_magazine/#000013 gulfscapes coastal living magazine Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:00:42 -0600 Coleman Sisson Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville Radio Gulfscapes Magazine Home Page www.gulfscapes.com ... Subscribe to Gulfscapes Magazine

 

Working Away at Radio Margaritaville

Meet BubbleUp CEO Coleman Sisson ...

Technical Guru and Internet Marketing Whiz to the Music World

Story by Craig Rogers ... See Magazine Story ... Coleman Sisson CEO BubbleUp

 

What do you do for an encore after you've helped create the most successful Internet radio station on the planet? If you are Coleman Sisson, general manager of Jimmy Buffett's Radio Margaritaville, you launch BubbleUp, a Woodlands, Texas based company that creates, manages and markets websites for musicians and corporations.

 

BubbleUp was launched in 2005 and with its creation Coleman was able to combine his lifelong love of music with the expertise and experience he gained as a senior executive in the high tech field. Throw in some old fashioned, small town customer service inherited from his parents and you've got a company that creates websites that allow fans to keep up with their favorite musicians, purchase their favorite songs, sign up for newsletters, and stock up on merchandise. BubbleUp is a one stop shopping experience for the artist looking to connect more effectively with fans via the Internet.

 

Combining music and technology is the natural evolution of Coleman's diverse interests and careers. As a kid in Arkansas, he grew up appreciating and enjoying music, and learned to play several instruments.

 

"My first instrument was the trumpet but I discovered you can't get dates with that," said Coleman, "so I picked up the bass guitar, then the harmonica, then the guitar. I finally was able to get dates even though I was a computer nerd in the mid 70's."

 

But his aptitude for computer science led him away from music and into a lucrative career in the high tech field. After he graduated from The University of Arkansas with a degree in Data Processing and Quantitative Analysis, Coleman was CEO, President or Vice- President of several high tech companies, including Liberate, CyberSafe, Powersoft and Compaq Computer Corporation. While these high profile jobs were rewarding on a professional level, they left him personally unsatisfied. He toiled for years at the corporate jobs not because he wanted to, but because he felt it was what he had to do. But deep inside Coleman knew he wanted more - he longed for a career in music.

 

In 1989, fate lent a hand. Coleman was working in Houston as Manager of Customer Support of Compaq Computer Corporation. One memorable day, a phone call came in from Florida.

 

"It was from a Compaq dealer in Florida who said Jimmy Buffett's computer had crashed with a lot of important information on it. Now I had some fun people working for me at Compaq Customer Support and they loved practical jokes. So, thinking it was a joke, I told the guy I'd make sure it got fixed but only if I could speak to Jimmy. The next day, Jimmy called. I'd been a fan of his for years. He'd been working on his second book, 'Where Is Joe Merchant?' and had the whole manuscript in his computer and his hard drive crashed. He was a little anxious, as you can imagine. I got his computer and fortunately, we were able to recover the manuscript."

 

Coleman and Jimmy hit it off, and although he spent most of his time climbing the Silicon Valley corporate ladder, Coleman began moonlighting as a technological advisor for Mr. Buffett.

 

"In ’97 or ’98, Jimmy called and told me he wanted to buy a Key West radio station. He was a fan of the old outlaw radio stations in the '50’s and '60’s and had the idea that he’d buy a station and broadcast whatever he wanted, from music to Cuban baseball games. Jimmy asked if I could help him," Coleman explained. "I suggested he start an Internet radio station instead because it would reach a worldwide audience. Jimmy listened to the idea and decided to go the Internet radio route. So, I just had to figure out how to make it all work. We did, and we’ve been on the air now for nine years."

 

Coleman is still the General Manager of Radio Margaritaville, which broadcasts a mesmerizing blend of spicy Caribbean rhythms, lively beach music, rock, a little folk and lots of Buffett’s own tunes. It is so successful that in 2005, Radio Margaritaville became the first Internet radio station to cross over to satellite radio and can now be heard on Sirius channel 31, and on Dish Network television channel 6031. The radio station and BubbleUp won the 2006 Web Marketing Associations’ Best Radio Website Award.

 

"We (BubbleUp and Jimmy Buffett) were fortunate to win Best In Class, which is the top spot, in the Internet Radio category for Radio Margaritaville," Coleman said. "We also were awarded Outstanding Web Site in the Music category for MuzikMafia.com. We were one of only two companies recognized in that category out of thousands of entries".

 

BubbleUp’s awards carry serious clout in the Internet marketing industry.

 

"The WebAwards, sponsored by the Web Marketing Association, recognizes the best Internet sites across 96 industry categories. Radio MargaritavilleTM captured the 'Best in Class,’ spot in the Internet Radio category. MuzikMafia.com was recognized as an 'Outstanding Web Site’ in the Music category," said Amanda Van Nuys, Executive Director of Marketing at Organic, Inc., a leading digital marketing company, whose CEO, Mark Kingdon, served as the Chair of the Web Awards. "The judges review thousands of sites, so these awards are a hardwon and a well-deserved honor."

 

As Coleman’s dissatisfaction with the corporate world grew, Buffett’s Internet success gave him an idea – what if he could help other artists embrace the same emerging Internet technology that Jimmy did to more effectively reach their fan bases? With that simple notion, BubbleUp was born.

 

"There are a handful of clever entrepreneurs out there reinventing the music business. Coleman is one of these individuals who sees what the future can be for musicians and is working to create that future through BubbleUp, " said Dave Kusek, author of The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution and vice president of the Berkeley School of Music Online.

 

Having been one, Coleman knows first hand about a musician’s plight.

 

"Musicians don’t make a lot of money from album sales," Coleman said. "They make money from concert ticket sales and merchandise, like T-shirts. BubbleUp was founded on the concept of helping artists get more money from their music, to literally help more money bubble up to the artist."

 

Coleman draws on his past experience to create websites that attract fans and gets them involved. Giving fans easy access to the musician’s songs, merchandise and information is BubbleUp’s plan for generating more revenue and exposure for its clientele.

 

In only two years the BubbleUp staff has grown to be as diverse as Coleman’s own career path, including hard-core computer code geeks, experienced corporate marketers, graphic designers and more than a few musicians.

 

"I think that’s part of what makes us well-suited to work with our clients," says BubbleUp Vice President Lee Totten, whose resume includes nine years as a full-time singer/songwriter and a Grammy voting membership. "We understand the needs of musicians because we’ve been in the industry, and yet we also have the best technical and marketing people to implement the solutions we come up with. It’s the best of both worlds."

 

And yet BubbleUp isn’t only concerned about entertainment industry clients – its list of projects includes more than its share of customers from Coleman’s previous corporate life.

 

"I learned a long time ago that companies have fans too," Coleman explains. "They just call them 'customers’ instead of fans."

 

It would seem the years of hard work and innovation are finally paying off for Coleman. He has transitioned. He married his high school sweetheart, Tammy, and left the career field where people told him he should be and ventured out into the field of his dreams. He remains the technology guru for Mr. Buffett. Last year, BubbleUp launched 28 new websites for customers. Its client list includes Barbra Streisand, John Mellencamp, Gretchen Wilson, Ralph MacDonald and Big and Rich. BubbleUp even expanded its base to serve businesses outside the music industry, such as Celebritycellars.com, Sam Houston Race Park, Sterling First Aid and the Retirement Pros. His business is growing, he gets to spend time in the music world, and he no longer needs a date.

 

Things have certainly "bubbled up" for Coleman Sisson.
 
]]> http://gulfscapes.com/blog4/gulfscapes_magazine/#000012 http://gulfscapes.com/blog4/gulfscapes_magazine/#000012 gulfscapes magazine Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:58:25 -0600 Ranco Viejo Gulfscapes Magazine Home Page www.gulfscapes.com ... Subscribe to Gulfscapes Magazine

 

Best of Both Worlds

Rancho Viejo Dr. Kalim Habet and Gigi Habet
See Magazine Story

Couple's Memories of Belize Inspire Home's Outdoor Wonderland

Childhood memories of camping with her family beside streams with freshwater waterfalls in the sub-tropical interior of Belize inspired the creation of Gigi Habet’s enchanted backyard oasis.

 

Both Gigi and her husband Dr. Kalim Habet, grew up in Belize. While nothing will ever replace Belize, the couple feels like they have found the next best thing in the Rio Grande Valley. Much of what the couple treasures in life can be found in their lovely Rancho Viejo home.

 

Rancho Viejo is a small town located at the tip of tropical South Texas. The quaint community lines a lovely resaca. A resaca is a stream which is a former channel of the Rio Grande, named by returning Mexican-American War inductees who fought at the battle of Resaca de la Palma (translated Dry River Bed of the Palms) near Matamoros, Tamaulipas in 1846. The location of the community provides residents with easy access to both South Padre Island for beach fun and Mexico for quick shopping sprees or nights of entertainment.

 

“The lifestyle is the closest we have found to that of Belize,” Gigi said. “ It’s close to the water, we have beautiful weather and the area has attracted people from all over the world - making it very cosmopolitan.”

 

Finding a culturally stimulating city with family-oriented residents allowed the couple to create what they consider the perfect home. A neighborhood along the water, a delightful climate and beautiful tropical landscaping makes a great climate in which friends and neighbors regularly gather at each others homes for days of play and evenings of entertainment.

 

Mountain Pine Ridge was the inspiration for the couple’s backyard, which serves as their main entertainment venue. Mountain Pine Ridge is located in the Cayo District of Belize, an area spanning more than 2,000 square miles across diverse terrain, from rolling hills and sweeping farmland devoted to citrus orchards and cattle farming, to lush river valleys and rugged mountain ridges covered in sub-tropical jungle. As a child, this is the area that Gigi and her family spent time camping and enjoying nature. This is the inspiration for her backyard.

 

Plans for the home began from a simple drawing by the couple while out to diner on a napkin, according to Gigi.

 

The outdoor kitchen was constructed with an outdoor wood-burning brick pizza oven so that friends and family could gather casually, socializing, and making meals together.

 

Twisted brick columns that are styled after those seem by Gigi at The University of Texas in Austin, fortify the roof which is part brick and part wood lattice. The same bricks were used to promote a natural visual and aesthetic flow throughout the home and to the outdoor living area. Glass paneled doors open onto the porch and pool area, surrounding the outdoor kitchen. Large windows line the interior of the home and provide a constant view of the outdoor area from every room of the home.

 

In an attempt to make the area look as much like the natural, rugged, landscape of Belize, lush tropical vegetation surrounds the outdoor living area. Most stunning of the plants in the yard are the banana trees which hang over a man made waterfall which cascades into the poolbunches of bananas hang within arms reach of swimmers.

 

Around the pool and along the back porch are handmade mahogany chairs made from wood from Belize. Adding to the flavor of the porch, which is completely tiled, are intermittent tile squares of colorful mosaic lizards.

 

A home pulled together by the sentimental memories of childhood. A place that creates memories for her own family. The Habet’s have created a home that brings the best of both worlds together.
]]> http://gulfscapes.com/blog4/gulfscapes_magazine/#000011 http://gulfscapes.com/blog4/gulfscapes_magazine/#000011 gulfscapes magazine Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:57:18 -0600 Brenda Miles Corpus Christi Texas Gulfscapes Magazine Home Page www.gulfscapes.com ... Subscribe to Gulfscapes Magazine

 

Meet Photographer Brenda Miles of West Lights Studio in Corpus Christi, Texas

Photographer Brenda Miles
See Magazine Story

 

How did you get involved in photography? Taking photos of my children as a young wife and stay-at-home mother in the eighties. Took a community-college class at Del Mar Community College on basic black & white photography in 1985 and I was hooked.

 

What’s your professional background? College graduate of Texas A&M University at College Station in business; just always loved photography.

 

Who are some of your favorite photographers and artists that have inspired you and what is it about them that you appreciate? Of course, French photographer Robert Doisneau (1912-1994). His images of Paris; the everyday people and situations are timeless and so many times humorous. American portrait photographer Annie Leibowitz for her outrageous, cutting edge, witty style. Rosalind Solomon who had an exhibit here in Corpus Christi at the Art Museum of South Texas years ago; I loved her direct journalistic style of portraiture. I wrote to her as a young aspiring artist and she wrote me back (real letters, pre-internet!) — that made a very big impression on me.

 

Of the photos that you have taken, what is your favorite and why? It’s hard to name a single favorite, but I guess it would have to be “Cruel Shoes,” which is a self-portrait of sorts that I created in 1990; of a bride on the side of the road...it has so many layers of meaning for me, both on a professional and personal level. I have recently run into several people who bought a print of it from me way back, and they are still enjoying it and getting comments about it from folks who see it. It was the beginning of my hand-coloring phase that was very successful; it was reproduced in a photography magazine, and in a book on hand-coloring in 1994. I think it works because it always gets a reaction from the viewer. I like to write, so I wrote the story about how I created it, which is pretty funny in itself, and posted it on my website as a “secret” link...you have to find the link on the bride’s dress to find the story...

 

Anything unusual that you have shot? An off-the-cuff shot I grabbed in Paris last October...in the Robert Doisneau style...I spent 4 days on a bicycle with my camera around my neck - my favorite way to explore a new city. My girlfriend and I were biking to see the Moulin Rouge (a traditional cabaret built in 1889), in the Montmartre District. It was a gorgeous, sunny warm day - a miracle for Paris that time of year. I saw this older couple just sitting together at their open window, on the second floor of a classic Parisian apartment building, with a retail shop on the ground floor below them. Underneath their window was the shop’s sign “Love Shop.” Montmarte is the District known for its sex shops - I hurriedly changed lenses to get the shot without looking up at them - I didn’t want them to notice me - and fired off a few rounds. I entered the best one in a local contest this fall and it won - $500! Also, in a stroke of serendipity, an exhibit of Doisneau’s work opened the week we were in Paris, so I got to immerse myself in his incredible images. He was famous for capturing everyday Parisian life, mostly in a very witty way. You see his work in postcards, posters and books all over the city.

 

What or who have you always dreamed of photographing? Rock stars...Paris (a dream realized)...famous people of all sorts...exotic places and the indigenous people there ...

 

Are you from Corpus Christi? No, born and raised in Beaumont, Texas.

 

How did you get here? Moved here after flailing around the state after graduating from college.

 

What do you like about living in Corpus Christi? The small size of the city, driving by several friends’ houses just to get to the grocery store or the post office, my circle of friends and being involved in their lives, the wind and the water, the way we think it’s a “long way” to get to the south-side because it’s a 15 minute drive, the beach and bonfires in winter.

 

What do you like about living and working in downtown Corpus Christi? I love downtown. It’s a secret jewel that just needs a following to enjoy its many assets. I love being able to buy fresh-caught shrimp from my shrimper friends on the Thead. Eating out at the many wonderful restaurants. The karaoke bars with their passionate regulars. The edgy art spaces like K-Space. The wonderful twenties-era building that houses my studio ...

 

Your studio, West Lights Studio, located at 508 Mesquite in the heart of downtown Corpus Christi, is currently working with “Photo Impressionism.” What is this? This style of “Photo Impressionism” is cutting-edge technology that allows me to create “portraits” from digital photographs using software called Painter. I use a tablet and stylus in place of a mouse to actually “paint” with pixels. To be clear, this is no automatic conversion by the software; it’s a stroke by stroke transformation of a photo into a sort of hybrid of a photograph and a painting. There are all sorts of “virtual brushes” I can use to create different looks but I think it’s smart to stick with a few techniques to create a signature look. I received a great compliment from a friend today; he said that he used to think that portraiture “was really kind of boring,” but that my work changed his perception of it. That’s what I’m after; a signature look to my work that stands out from the usual fare. I’m also hoping to change people’s perceptions about portraiture; photographic portraits as art for their homes — what dearer piece of art is a portrait of a loved one? Large portraits on canvas can make a bold impact that’s both timeless and cutting edge.

 

How long does the process take? Usually we can complete a portrait canvas in several weeks. I try to do the actual image work in one or two sessions at my computer. After the graphics are completed, I print the image on canvas. Afterwards, it’s stretched on a frame. I am still a one-woman-show; or a “boutique studio” as they call them these days.

 

Can a client bring in a printed photograph or does the photo have to be digital? The image I work with must be digital. However, a client can bring in a photograph to the studio and I can scan the image in - thus, converting it to a digital image.

 

What is the price range? Prices range from $700 to $2,000 - it depends on size. For info call 361-888-5249 or visit www.brendamilesphotography. com

 

]]> http://gulfscapes.com/blog4/gulfscapes_magazine/#000010 http://gulfscapes.com/blog4/gulfscapes_magazine/#000010 gulfscapes magazine Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:56:24 -0600 Meet Tim Dorsey Meet Tim Dorsey's Main Character Serge A. Storms

 

Interview by Craig Rogers or call Gulfscapes Magazine office 361-749-4081

 

Recurrent heroes in novels aren't rare. Many of our most respected authors use the same characters over and over. James Patterson has Alex Cross. John MacDonald had Travis McGee. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had Sherlock Holmes. Agatha Christie had two, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Sure, all these authors are literary legends who created lasting repeating heroes, but who couldn't make a hero out of someone as wholesome as Sherlock Holmes, genius and all around good guy. Try making a successful, recurring hero out of an escaped criminally insane serial killer. Now that takes talent! And that's why Tim Dorsey has out-written all those respected authors with his creation of Serge A. Storms, hero of nine novels, and The World's Most Loveable Serial Killer.

 

Like Carl Hiaasen, and before him John MacDonald, Dorsey uses Florida as not only a backdrop for his novels, but also as an integral plot device. The strange, illogical, criminally inclined underbelly of the Sunshine State flows through Dorsey's novels like the Everglades flow through the swamps of ... OK, bad example. Take two. Like the Everglades USED to flow through the swamps of South Florida, before farming and development impeded its flow.

 

The official history of Florida, along with its little known trivia, long forgotten tales, and off the beaten track tourist attractions are woven into each story through a most unusual literary tool- Serge's incessant, knows-too-much tourist guide narrations of almost everything he encounters. Serge will break into his history/trivia narrations at any time, often without Serge even realizing he's talking. Want to know which movies were shot in Florida, or when a city was first devastated by a hurricane, or where The Honeymooners was broadcast? Ask Serge. Or rather, just hang around Serge. You don't really need to ask. As soon as he sees a landmark, he automatically breaks into tourist guide narrator mode.

 

Dorsey also uses Serge's sanity-challenged character to voice biting social commentary seldom seen anymore, outside of The Comedy Channel's "South Park". Irony and sarcasm are alive and well in Dorsey's witty, rapid fire dialogs and soliloquies. Serge is just as likely to burst into a "what's wrong with society" rant as he is to deliver the history of The Keys. His entertaining critique of modern society will ring true to many an ear.

 

Serge's love of Florida's history makes for fun, "I didn't know that!" reading. The social commentary will cause you to spill your coffee. But it's Serge's other passion that will keep you glued to the pages, waiting to see who's next. You see, Dorsey uses Serge as a Redeemer; someone unbound by sanity or fear to act out against the evils that we bump into in our daily lives. Have you had enough of the angry young man with the loud car speakers who won't respond to a polite request to turn the volume down? Don't worry, you need not act out. Serge will do it for you. And in an unusual, sadistic, and very satisfyingly violent way most of us couldn't dream up. Those robber baron corporate heads who ruined their employees' retirement accounts? Sit back, relax, and watch Serge make them cry. Since vigilantism is frowned on by the legal authorities these days, why not enjoy it vicariously, through Serge? It'll make you feel better, and keep you out of jail. It's a win-win situation!

 

Social commentary, Florida history and multiple killings will only take you so far, and then you need humor and a good plot to make a good novel, and Dorsey applies plenty of both. He piles on humor that will make your side hurt from laughing. His supporting characters take on a life of their own. His mysteries are sometimes whodunit murder stories, sometimes who's-trying-to-kill-who head scratchers. One thing they all are is highly entertaining and far above the average novel in intelligence.

 

Dorsey's hilarious mysteries have already won him a broad, loyal fan base that comes out in droves to support him at his numerous book signings. His startlingly strange but all too familiar characters have taken on cult status, with some fans coming to book signings dressed in costume. There have even been spottings of graffitti left by Serge. Sure, Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie have better known repeating heroes, but when's the last time you saw "Hercule Poirot was here" scrawled on a bathroom wall? I tell you, Tim Dorsey's out-written them all!

 

I spoke with Tim Dorsey about his background, his memorable characters, and his new book, "Atomic Lobster", due out in early 2008 from the William Morrow division of HarperCollins Publishers. Here's the interview:

 

Where were you born?Indiana in 1961.

 

Where were you raised? Riviera Beach, Florida. We moved there when I was one.

 

College? I graduated from Auburn University, with a B.S. in Transportation.

 

Transportation? Yeah, I know. But there's a reason. I had a Navy ROTC Scholarship for two years. I took Engineering for the first two years. By the second year I knew I wanted to write. I also knew I needed to work for a newspaper to get experience. But if I had switched my major to Journalism at that point it would have taken an extra year to graduate. I couldn't afford another year of school, so I found a major where I could earn my degree and graduate on time. I didn't need a degree in Journalism to get a job with a newspaper.

 

I understand you are married. Yes, to Janine Dorsey. It was a newsroom romance. We were both working at the Tampa Tribune. She's now an editor at the Tribune's online site, TampaTrib.com.

 

Kids? Two daughters. Eight and ten.

 

What about your parents? Do you get your intelligence and sense of humor from one of them? I definitely got intelligence from my parents. They both have a good sense of humor, but my sense of humor is very different from theirs. It's so different, I may be adopted � and that would be a compliment to them!

 

Where did you get your journalism experience? I was editor of my college paper. Then I worked for a couple of years at a paper in Alabama. I started with the Tampa Tribune in 1987 as a general assignment reporter, then as a political reporter. I then became a copy desk editor, and when I left the paper in 1999, I was the night metro editor. I loved working for the paper. It didn't feel like a job.

 

How did you make the jump to novelist after 16 years as a newspaperman? Abruptly! I always knew I wanted to write, so the day the first book hit the shelves, I gave my two weeks notice to the paper.

 

How many times did you submit your first book to a publisher before you got a bite? Florida Roadkill, which was my first book, was picked up right away. It's unusual. There are often several rejections before a book is first picked up, but I'm my own worst critic. You could say that I rejected myself a thousand times before I ever submitted it. So really, I had been polishing the first book for 16 years before ever submitting it.

 

How do you describe your books when trying to get someone interested? Criminally insane serial killer as hero sounds like a hard sell! You're right, it is hard to describe the whole premise. Most of my readers tell me that one of their friends recommended me. So most of my publicity is from word of mouth. When someone asks me to describe the books, I tell them that if they like Carl Hiaasen or Quentin Tarantino, they should give me a try.

 

That's funny, I was recommending you to a friend and tried to describe your style. I came up with Carl Hiaasen on steroids. Hiaasen said he gets some of the weird Florida stories and characters straight from the newspaper. How about you? Absolutely. Fans send me weird news stories constantly. I have a stack of them on my desk. Florida seems to attract the dumbest criminals in the nation. The weirdness is palpable.

 

So do you need to have any imagination nowadays, or is the real world so weird you can just plagiarize it? I feel like I'm cheating! It's too easy with all the weird news. I feel like I'm writing documentaries.

 

Your novels always include tons of Florida factoids. Where did your fascination with Florida history and trivia come from? I've always been the kind of person who just takes the narrow little road to see where it goes. And I like to stop along the way at points of interest. I'm fortunate to have a character where I can just spill out all kinds of this trivia. When I began writing the first book, I realized I had way too much Florida trivia and not enough plot!

 

In your latest novel, Hurricane Punch, the newsroom of a fictitious, large Tampa newspaper is one of the main settings. Your characterization of that newspaper is part newspaper, part circus, part Entertainment Tonight. What is your perception of where our newspapers are heading, and did you get any grief from friends who are still in the newspaper business for your characterization of the paper in Hurricane Punch? Actually, my friends in the newspaper industry liked it. As far as where the industry is going, I don't think newspapers should be so cheap with their resources. Like police and teachers, newspaper reporters do a civic duty and should be paid better for it. The reporter who sits through the City Council meetings and reports on things that are going on is performing an important service for his town. How else would we know what's going on?

 

In Hurricane Punch, Florida is hit with numerous hurricanes within the span of a few weeks. What came first, the multiple hurricanes that actually hit Florida in 2004 and 2005, or your idea of a novel with multiple hurricanes as a main plot event? I wrote it between those two seasons, so I knew about the bad 2004 storms, but I had no idea 2005 would be another horrible season. One of the fictitious hurricanes I wrote about in Hurricane Punch cut across south Florida near an old bank at Everglades City. In 2005, Hurricane Wilma went across that exact area near the bank.

 

You live in Tampa. What do you do when a hurricane is coming? I have family who live in Vero Beach, Florida, which is on the east coast, so when one is coming my way, we go to Vero Beach. When one is coming toward Vero Beach, they come stay with us in Tampa. We went back and forth several times in 2004 and 2005.

 

You've created one of the more memorable repeating characters in fiction in Serge A. Storms. Where did you get the idea of Serge? In Florida Roadkill, I was trying to create a really bad villain. I kept working on him, making him criminally insane, and having him kill people. After I finished, I realized that I had revealed something about myself. I realized that Serge had killed people that I really don't like! Child molesters, people who exploit the elderly. Bad guys. I was subconsciously killing off people I hate.

 

Who's Serge likely to whack next? I'm pretty peeved at litterbugs right now.

 

Serge actually drives in the eye of a hurricane in Hurricane Punch, staying in the eye as it crosses the state. Where did the idea of driving inside a hurricane eye come from? It just came to me. Serge loves hurricanes and I knew he'd want to be a witness. At first I had him just riding out the storms, but then I kept asking myself, "How can I make this more absurd"? It was an evolution. I kept pushing it and the final outcome was Serge driving along inside the eye.

 

I have enjoyed several of your books, but I have never actually read a single word; instead, I've listened to them in the audio book versions, which was a new experience for me. What do you think of audio books? They sell really well! But when I'm writing, I write for the books to be read. I can't really think about how they'll sound.

 

The audio books are produced really well. There are certain scenes that I can't image just reading. The "Bad Monkey" scene in Hurricane Punch was hilarious. I kept replaying it over and over. I can't see it being as funny in writing. The voice inflections were the key. It translated very well into audio. Yeah, I can see where some scenes may play out a little better on audio.

 

Which leads me to the next question, will we be seeing Serge on the Big Screen anytime soon? I hope so. The idea is out there in Hollywood somewhere. Once it goes out there, you don't really hear about it until the movie is done.

 

Who would you like to play Serge in a movie? Anyone who'd take the part! As long as it was being made I'd be happy.

 

In Torpedo Juice, Serge wants to be the next Jimmy Buffett. Then, he complains because his cheeseburger at the Margaritaville Cafe, Buffett's restaurant chain, doesn't have the same condiments as the burger Buffett sings about in his song Cheeseburger in Paradise (Cheeseburger in Paradise Restaurant ). Are you a Parrothead, a Buffett fan? Yes, I'm a fan. I go to the meeting down in Key West every year. I saw Jimmy perform in an intersection in downtown Tampa in 1992. It was when Bill Clinton was campaigning and came through town. They set up a stage in the middle of the intersection, Jimmy came out and played a few songs, then Bill gave his speech. Lots of fun.

 

The scene in TP where Serge orders a Cheeseburger in Paradise and it doesn't have the right condiments, was that from your own experience? Yes. There were no pickles! The song says there are pickles. The reason I went to the Margaritaville Cafe was to have the Cheeseburger in Paradise. I was bummed!

 

Ever met Mr. Buffett? Never have.

 

I've been a Parrothead since I was 18. I always said I never wanted to meet Jimmy, because my ideal of him is so perfect, I couldn't help but be disappointed. He's a human, so he has to have bad days, and I'm sure I'd catch him on one. How do you handle your interaction with fans? You're right, no one can be "on" all the time. We all need our down time. When I go out on book signing tours, no matter how I'm feeling that day, I make sure I'm always polite. My fans are so pleasant, it isn't hard. Especially when they come dressed as one of my characters.

 

One of your influences was Hunter S. Thompson. Are your recurring characters Lenny and Coleman, who are drunk and/or stoned 24/7, an embodiment of Dr. Thompson? No, Lenny and Coleman aren't smart enough to be Hunter. Hunter would do all that stuff, but would still be lucid.

 

Torpedo Juice starts out with the book's narrator complaining that he's not a major character in the book. And the story is delayed by weather. Where in the world did you come up with that idea, and how much guts did it take to actually put it in the novel, as opposed to just thinking about doing it? I can see why you would ask. I was just having fun. But I wouldn't have done it in my first book! You get to know your audience after a while. I discovered that if I have fun writing it, then it usually goes over well. As long as it makes me laugh, it's usually well received.

 

Your next book is titled "Atomic Lobster". What is Serge up to? It's basically a reunion of the Triggerfish Twist cast, ten years later. And Coleman and Lenny finally meet.

 

How do you celebrate once a book is finished? I collapse. That's like asking a marathon runner how he celebrates � he sits down! There's an old video of a runner wobbling across the finish line. I feel like that. But it feels like a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I'll decompress, relax, and then start scheduling tours.

 

You write some very violent, strange scenes. Where do you draw the line on some of the outrageous things you write about? Where is the line between going too far, and going far enough to be entertaining and provocative? I have a moral barometer that I trust. This will sound strange, but I wouldn't have Serge do something he's morally against. And this is a little counterintuitive, but I wouldn't have Serge be a bully-he only kills bad guys.

 

I have always been told the only place weirder than South Texas is South Florida. Have you visited Texas? Only briefly. I've been to San Antonio, Austin and Houston, mostly.

 

In Hurricane Punch, Serge gives marital advice. His advice is to forfeit at the beginning of a fight, rather than argue. He said the grief a husband gets for not arguing is less than the grief he'd get if he continued the argument. Where did Serge come up with such a great idea? You know, I hesitated to give up some of my secrets. Once my wife reads them, I can't use them anymore.

 

Speaking of marital aids, what's your favorite Florida bar? The No Name Bar and The Big Bamboo. Unfortunately, the Big Bamboo was gutted by a fire right before the book bearing its name was released. The No Name Bar mentioned in Torpedo Juice is a real bar, complete with the dollar bills stapled all over the ceiling. A fan sent a photo of the women's bathroom wall where someone had signed, "Serge was here". It's weird getting a photo of a fictional character's graffiti.

 

Which of your books is your favorite? That's like asking which of your children is your favorite. But I guess we always like to assume that we improve the more we write - so you tend to like your last one best.

 

So your youngest daughter is your favorite? Oh great! That'll get me in trouble. Thanks a lot.

 

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As seen in Gulfscapes Magazine and on www.gulfscapes.com

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