ROLLING DAILY FIRST CLASS IN EVERY WAY
TOURS | CHARTERS | CASINOS
ISSUE 04 OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2017
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TEN THINGS TO DO IN DOWNTOWN As a local, it is not at all uncommon to be asked “What is there to do in...
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THINGS TO DO IN THE LONE STAR STATE DURING WINTER Although most think of vacation during summer, winter is an....
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THE TRAUMA THAT ARISES FROM NATURAL DISASTERS Natural disasters often result in mass cases of...
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SETTLING INSURANCE CLAIMS AFTER A DISASTER What you need to know about...
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CASINO STRATEGY How Good Casino Strategy Can Make A Difference To Your Profits....
5 KEYS TO PLANNING A STRESS FREE GROUP TRAVEL
WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD IN YOUR HOME If you recently found mold in your home, you are probably....
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A TEXAS SIZE THANK YOU
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8 INSANE CASINO GAMBLING STRATEGIES
The family at First Class Tours thanks all of those who have helped us...
Casino games are all based on random chance. Even the players...
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Whether for corporate or luxury group travel, Most...
10 SMART TIPS FOR BETTER BEACH VACATIONS Where do lifeguards look first when a child is lost on the beach?....
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“I survived Hurricane Harvey.” I can hear myself telling my grandchildren about this storm and its effect on Houston and the Texas gulf coast. Harvey’s impact on our community is astounding. Entire neighborhoods, fleets of cars, and mountains of personal possessions, all felt the devastating power of this storm. I hope that you, your family and those you love are well. I know Hurricane Harvey directly impacted many of our customers. We want you to know that you have been in our thoughts and prayers. First Class Tours has been involved in local community recovery donating to several organizations that are assisting storm victims. Additionally, we have dispatched significant portions of our unaffected fleet across the gulf coast and Florida to aid in recovery efforts. We are in this together. Many companies and individuals donated to help our employees, and we were grateful to participate in that effort. It has been refreshing to see our community come together and support one another. This catastrophic storm has brought out the very best in many people. At First Class, we continue to make strides to get back to “normal.” A portion of our fleet was impacted by flood water, and many of our employees are putting their homes back in order, but through it all, we are excited to be your transportation provider. It is our mission to make your every experience with our company a “First Class Experience.” It is a big goal! However, our team is excited about being first class in every way. I wish you the very best as Houston continues to recover! We are privileged to have you as our client! Thank you.
-Jeff Rogers
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Jeff Rogers President First Class Tours Houston, TX
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Just a short 2 hour drive from Houston, Golden Nugget Lake Charles combines the glitz and glamour of
WEEKLY TRIPS AS LOW AS $17.00 Las Vegas withDAY the hospitality and charm of the South – creating an exceptional one-of-a-kind gaming and entertainment destination in Louisiana.
Since it’s unveiling in December 2014, the 242-acre casino and resort has attracted guests from all WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, & SUNDAY! neighboring states. The Golden Nugget name is synonymous with exceptional service and luxury, including TICKETS START AT $17 deluxe accommodations, 15 restaurants and lounges, a private beach and marina, a championship golf FRIDAY & SATURDAY! TICKETS START AT $18 course and an innovative casino floor.
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Ride with First Class Tours to The Golden Nugget Lake Charles departing Terminal and Eastex Terminal Located off of interstate 210, Lake Charlesfrom is theFM fifth1960 installment of the iconic Golden Nuggeteach brand which Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday! is owned and operated by Houston-based restaurant, hospitality and gaming group Landry’s Inc. The
Perk
craftsmanship and attention to detail is evidence of money well spent. The luxurious rooms and suites feature plush bedding, premium amenities like idocking stations and picturesque lake and pool views.
CLICK HERE FOR TICKET AVAILABILITY
PROPERTY FEATURES • 1,600 of the newest slot machines WITH PERKS • World-class spa, salon and barbershop OVERNIGHT TRIPS • State-of-the-art fitness center • 70 table games • • • • • •
• Pool complex with swim-up bar, lazy river Poker room and waterslide 740 luxury rooms and suites, with a tower addition in 2017 • Shopping promenade 18-hole championship golfOCT course24-25, 2017! TICKETS START AT $69 • Arcade 30,000 square-feet of meeting and convention space • A-list entertainment Wedding gazebo Ride with First Class Tours to The Golden Nugget Lake Charles, Marina with dockage up to 206 feet
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departing from FM 1960 Terminal and Eastex Terminals Oct 24-25, 2017
G A M B L I N G CLICKPHERERFOROTICKET B AVAILABILITY L E M ? 4
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New for 2017!
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017
B US TOUR S PACKAG ES DAY TRIP PACKAGES (Minimum 5 Hour Stay)
Package A • Golden Nugget will pay $10 per passenger • Receive $5 Free Slot Play or $10 Food Credit • Group leader receives $15 Free Slot Play or $25 Food Credit *No minimum passenger count required.
Package B • Golden Nugget will pay $500 for Bus Transportation • Receive $5 Free Slot Play or $10 Food Credit
GOLDEN NUGGET TRIP • Group leader receives $15 Free Slot Play or $25 Food Credit *Minimum 40 passenger counter required.
Package C
• Golden Nugget will pay $1,000 for Bus Transportation • Group leader receives $15 Free Slot Play or $25 Food Credit *Minimum 50 passenger count required.
*All passengers must be 21 or older. No deposit required. Any payment made by Golden Nugget will be sent to the approved motor coach company. Group leaders are not eligible to receive payment.
From upscale to casual, Golden Nugget Lake Charles also boasts a collection of Landry’s, Inc. awardwinning and nationally recognized restaurants that cater to every palate. Grotto Ristorante, Saltgrass Steak House, Landry’s Seafood House, Claim Jumper, Lillie’s Asian Cuisine, Cadillac Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar and the crown jewel of steakhouses – Vic & Anthony’s – are just a few of the impressive selections. Guests can also peruse through a shopping promenade featuring all of the latest fashions from designers like Tommy Bahama and Michael Kors, catch a game of golf, or bask in the sun at H20 – an opulent Vegasstyle pool, swim-up bar and lounge. To learn more about available Bus Tour Packages to Golden Nugget Lake Charles, please call 337.508.7221 or email BusTours@gnlcm.com. 2550 GOLDEN NUGGET BLVD.
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LAKE CHARLES. LA 70601
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GOLDENNUGGETLC.COM
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TEN THINGS
TO DO IN DOWNTOWN BY: HEIDI LUTZ
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As a local, it is not at all uncommon to be asked “What is there to do in Galveston?” To me, it seems like such an odd question. The question really should be more like “What ISN’T there to do in Galveston?”
has made it one of the top beach destinations along the Gulf Coast. I think it’s the fact that Galveston has so much more than just sand and water to lure people across The Causeway.
Galveston Island has a diversity of entertainment and leisure options that
Let’s look at just Downtown Galveston – the epicenter of entertainment, food,
Gal drink and social activity in the city. So if you’re looking for something fun to do and need a little nudge for ideas, here’s a quick list of the top 10 things to do in Downtown Galveston. And I offer this one disclaimer – this is in no way intended to be inclusive. It is not the result
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lveston of any survey. This is merely my list of top 10 things I recommend to folks based on living here 21 years and visiting the island city my entire life.
1. Shop If you’re fond of unique and interesting items for yourself or gifts for others, downtown
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Galveston is where you need to spend some time with Hendley Market as your first stop. Be sure to check the store for current hours – they tend to change from time to time. But it is worth the effort for the spectacular collection of unusual items you’ll find. Nativity scenes from around the globe. Artisan and crafts from Latin
American nations. Toys for the most curious of children (and adults who happen to enjoy classic wind-up toys). Soaps, books, gifts. You’ll find more of the artisan soaps and gifts down the Strand at Bungalow and Gracie’s. Staples of island shopping, they are your go-to place for 7
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all things beautiful – and monogrammed. If you can find a place to monogram or personalize your gift, Gracie’s can get it done, at a reasonable price and in waymore-than-reasonable time. The Strand Emporium offers an array of Go Texan products – food items made in Texas. On Postoffice Street, you’ll find The Witchery, which is the place to be for all things mystical. From crystals to candles to books to psychic and Tarot card readings on weekends, you’ll want to stop by The Witchery for curiosity alone. There’s plenty of cool jewelry and clothing shops on The Strand and Postoffice Street. And don’t forget to venture down those side streets where you’ll find Fit Tri Run, a full-service boutique running and triathlete store; or The Kitchen Chick for things kitcheny; or Nautical Antiques and Décor, which is like a museum for nautical salvage that you get to buy. If you can find it on a boat, you’re likely to find it here repurposed for something wonderful in your house. Cannot forget the Fiesta Ware at Yesterday’s Best. If you are a FiestaWare enthusiast this is a must stop. Aisles of FiestaWare pieces – new and vintage – in all of the colors of that
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FiestaWare rainbow. It’s a great place to go for the new piece for your collection, or to replace that one that slipped off the counter. If you’re not looking for anything in particular, I recommend just strolling up and down The Strand, side streets and Postoffice Street, taking in all the antique, clothing, art and unique boutiques Galveston offers.
2. See the sights So shopping might not be your thing. Or you have kids and family with you who would rather DO something. Downtown Galveston has plenty to see and do. It is home to the 1877 Tall Ship Elissa at the Texas Seaport Museum. Go aboard and see how 19th century sailors lived, and how commerce was transacted along the world’s waterways. And what port area would be complete without an exhibit about pirates. Check out the Pirates! Legends of the Gulf Coast attraction in Saengerfest Park for a glimpse into the lives of the pirates who profited on the high seas. Adjacent to Pirates! is the Mayfield Manor, a rather haunted house of an eccentric doctor. Both are family friendly attractions.
Learn about the primary industry of the Texas Gulf Coast at the Ocean Star Offshore Energy Center. Housed in a former jack-up oil rig, the Ocean Star details life aboard an offshore drilling rig, as well as the industry that supports the Gulf Coast economy.
3. Take a tour If you’d rather someone take you around and show you the sights, downtown is a great place to catch a few tours. For those who want to walk, there’s several ghost tours that will guide you through the haunted corners of downtown Galveston. A city that survived the country’s deadliest natural disaster more than 100 years ago is bound to have a few ghosts. Galveston Island Historic Tours is an excellent tour of Galveston’s history. The proprietor is a part-time history professor who will share his knowledge of the Galveston area with the humor and insight that only a local with a graduate degree in history could. Oh, and he does it all in a multirow golf cart. If you’d like a slightly more colorful tour of the area, catch a horse-drawn carriage on The Strand. Get
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a narrated tour through downtown and the East End neighborhoods, accompanied by the clickety clack of horse hooves guiding you through.
4. Grab a drink Shopping and touring is bound to make anyone thirsty, and fortunately downtown Galveston has amazing drink choices,
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especially drinking choices with a view.
Rooftop Bar on the roof of the historic Tremont Hotel.
The best sunset views will be found at Olympia on Pier 21, which has a tempting happy hour menu. Fisherman’s Wharf also offers a lovely view of the Galveston harbor and the tall ship Elissa. For a view of the entire downtown area though, and almost the entire island, go above for drinks and small bites at the
If weather isn’t permitting drinks with a view, the Tremont bar on the first floor allows you to enjoy a variety of cocktails in a casually elegant lobby bar. If beer if your drink of choice, you will want to check out Brews Brothers or Stuttgarden Tavern on The Strand. Both offers
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extensive collections of craft beer selections, and tasty above-average pub fare to accompany those beers. Postoffice Street is the street of bars in Galveston, with local favorites being Molly’s, O’Malley’s, Old Cellar Door, Murphy’s and 21 offering something for every taste and style. Popular with locals and visitors alike is Third Coast bar, where you can get your groove on the dance floor, watch a weekend drag show and enjoy a number of specialty drinks. Please remember though, if you are enjoying one of the downtown bars, any bartender can call you a cab if walking isn’t an option to get home or to your hotel safely.
5. Tour the harbor What’s the point of being on the water if you’re not going to BE on the water. The best way to do that is get out on one of the harbor tour boats. Galveston’s harbor is the reason the island thrived in the early 19th century and why it still hosts a busy port and cruise terminal today. We’ve got three boat tours to choose from at Pier 21 – Galveston Historical Foundation Harbour Tours,
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Galveston Water Adventures and Baywatch Dolphin Tours. You’re likely to see dolphins on any one of the tours, and all offer a full glimpse of the bustle along the waterfront.
6. Play a game Games are often some of the most fun a group of people can have. Be it friends or family or a combination, getting together for a little friendly competition almost always ends in laughs. In Downtown Galveston, we have Board Game Island, a board game café. With more than 300 games on the shelves at any one time, you have your pick. There is no fee to play, but it is customary to order food and/or beverages while you play. If you like a slightly larger game, check out the life-size chess board in Saengerfest Park. Or take your own games or lawn activities over to Hendley Green at 20th and Strand. It’s a recently renovated green space park with plenty of places to sit and enjoy and play. For the trivia buffs, several bars host pub trivia during the week. The most challenging, homegrown match will be found Wednesdays at 8 at Brews Brothers. Bar patrons
share the trivia master responsibilities and write the questions. Monday night, you can find another homegrown trivia at Murphy’s. And on Tuesdays, it’s at Stuttgarden Tavern. Check for times.
7. Enjoy live music Be sure to check the Galveston.com calendar for the latest music schedules. Various bars offer live entertainment multiple nights a week. Local favorites include 21 at 21st and Postoffice, Yaga’s at 23rd and Strand, and of course, Old Quarter Acoustic Café. The Old Quarter Acoustic Café is a premiere spot for live entertainment downtown, and hosts musicians who play original music. It’s cash only and sometimes they sell out. You’ll definitely want to contact them for upcoming shows and open mic nights. During summer months, you can catch live music on the second Saturdays in Saengerfest Park. It’s completely free and a great opportunity to bring a chair and relax, or kick up your heels and dance.
8. Get a little artistic Downtown Galveston has a lively art scene. The Proletariat Public House
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and Gallery is a combination craft beer and wine bar, and art house. It’s on the first floor of the Artist Lofts building, a residence for artists downtown. Postoffice Street is where you will find most of the galleries to visit. And if you’re downtown during one of the ArtWalks (every six weeks), you’ll be able to stroll from gallery to gallery after hours in the cool of the evening. Street musicians often accompany the event and it’s a chance to see and be seen, while enjoying art. The Galveston Arts Center recently reopened its building on The Strand and it’s definitely worth a stop. If you want to try your hands at a little art yourself, several galleries offer workshops, and Clay Cup Studios bills itself as an art bar and a safe place to experiment with your artistic side. It offers paint your own pottery, canvas painting, mosaics and glass fusion. Stop by and let your creative juices run free.
9. Watch a movie Two prime opportunities to catch films downtown are the Pier 21 Theater and Saengerfest Park. The Pier 21 Theater offers The Great Storm, a mustsee for any visitor or new
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resident to Galveston (or long-time resident who’s just never seen it). A beautiful and compelling exploration of the 1900 hurricane that has defined the island’s character for more than a century. You’ll see pictures and footage from that September, and the years that followed raising the city and building the seawall. Also showing is a story about Jean Lafitte, the notorious pirate who once inhabited Galveston. On the first Saturday of the month during summer, you can bring a chair and picnic and catch a free movie in the park. Previous showings have included James Bond classics, children’s classics and your classic cult classics like Breakfast Club. They typically start about 30 minutes after dusk (it does need to be dark enough to see the screen).
10. Learn something new Finally, when all else fails, learn something new. Yoga Haven is a traditional yoga studio that has walk-in classes, as well as subscription rates. Proprietor Kathleen DiNatale has been leading yoga in downtown Galveston for more than a decade, and offers something for everyone along the yoga spectrum, including the occasional free
laughter yoga. Yeah, it just makes you want to check it out, doesn’t it? Galveston has a hot yoga studio as well at Island Salt Air Hot Yoga. Get your sweat on and follow it up with a cold lavender infused towel. You’ll definitely learn just what your body is capable of at either spot. And to stimulate the mind – and taste buds – learn the latest cooking techniques, or old-school favorites in one of the cooking classes at The Kitchen Chick. With a complete classroom kitchen in the shop, The Kitchen Chick hosts guest chefs who lead participants through preparing a specific themed menu. Before you ask, yes, you get to eat what you prepare. As you can see, you could make a vacation out of just downtown Galveston, without ever leaving those few blocks. It’s worth your while to venture beyond downtown, enjoy the neighborhoods and beaches and various attractions and restaurants. But, definitely plan to spend some time savoring the vast array of opportunity that awaits in Downtown Galveston. ¦ SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE.
CLICK HERE.
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THINGS TO DO I THE LONE STAR S DURING WINTER BY: DANNO WISE
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IN STATE R
Although most think of vacation during summer, winter is an outstanding time to visit the Lone Star State, as there are still plenty of things to do in Texas during the winter months. There are, of course, a variety of festivals and events, as well as indoor attractions to visit. But, the surprise to most out-of-state visitors is the array of outdoor activities available in Texas during the winter season. Thanks to a relatively mild climate, visitors to Texas will find plenty of things to do -- both indoor and outdoor -during winter.
01 Celebrate Washington’s Birthday Most folks probably could never guess where the largest celebration of George Washington’s birthday is held. Believe it or not, it is staged each year in the border city of Laredo, Texas. True enough, Laredo is hardly the first thing that comes to mind when Americans think of their first president. However, it is Laredo that throws the largest and oldest Washington Birthday Celebration. Founded in 1898, this month-long celebration attracts over 400,000 visitors each year. Over the years, the event has grown to include a variety of entertainment and activities. This year’s celebration is scheduled to include parades, concerts, fireworks displays, a carnival,
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fun run, BBQ cookoff and more. In short, there really is something for everyone at this “international celebration of a traditional American holiday.”
02 Play a Round of Golf Texas is home to some of the nation’s top golf courses. Although this has been a well-kept secret in the past, recent years have seen an increasing number of golfers traveling to Texas to take advantage of these world-class courses. During the winter months, the weather is mild enough (on most days) to allow for a pleasant round. But, beware -- shorter daylight hours coupled with an increased number of golfers in popular Winter Texan areas can lead to more crowded courses, leading many golfers to look for “hidden jewels” of golf courses in their area.
03 Visit the Beach Although the weather has cooled, there are still plenty of fun opportunities on Texas beaches. Of course, when most people think of Texas beaches, the immediately think of such
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locations as Galveston, Corpus Christi, and South Padre Island. There is a good reason for this – each of these coastal towns is a year-round destination. Of course, each of these three popular Texas beach destinations offer plenty to see and do during the winter. But, there are dozens of other small coastal towns in Texas, each of which offers visitors year-round activities such as fishing, birding, shelling, and more. So, regardless of whether you choose a well-known Texas beach destination or a smaller, out of the way locale, you can count on making plenty of pleasant memories during your winter visit.
04 Celebrate New Year’s On December’s final day, there will be plenty of New Year’s Eve parties and celebrations throughout Texas. Virtually every city and town in Texas will see numerous New Year’s Eve celebrations of all sizes. In the larger cities, dozens of clubs, bars, hotels and restaurants will be throwing New Year’s parties. Additionally, Texas’ biggest cities also host some of the biggest New
Year’s celebrations. Among the largest are Dallas’ Big D NYE, San Antonio’s Carnaval de San Antonio and Austin’s First Night Austin. Both cities feature an impressive fireworks show as the calendar changes years. Houston also has a large downtown concert and fireworks show. However, not all the New Year’s Eve fun is limited to the big cities. The iconic Texas towns of Gruene and Luckenbach are always popular New Year’s Eve destinations as are numerous other Texas towns
05 Celebrate Valentine’s Day Texas has a number of towns and cities that are perfect for a romantic Valentine’s Day vacation. From the Gulf Coast to the Texas Hill Country, there is a Texas town to accommodate anyone’s preferences and tastes. Major cities such as Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio offer plenty of Valentine’s Day, but so do more quaint locations such as Fredericksburg and Wimberley.
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06 Fish for Rainbow Trout Rainbow trout fishing in Texas? You better believe it. Few folks outside of Texas realize that portions of the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country offer some excellent rainbow trout fishing on a yearround basis. Located a short drive from Austin, the Canyon Tailrace, a
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stretch of the Guadalupe that extends several miles below Canyon Lake, maintains a low enough water temperature to support a good population of rainbows and a few browns as well. True, there is not a wide variety of trout fishing options available throughout the year. Summertime trout are pretty much relegated to the Canyon Tailrace. However, the winter trout
population in the Lone Star State grows rapidly as the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department goes about their annual winter trout stocking program from December through February. ÂŚ SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE.
CLICK HERE.
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THE TRAUMA THAT ARISES FROM NATURAL DISASTERS BY: SUSANNE BABBEL
Disasters Natural disasters often result in mass cases of PTSD for survivors. The American Psychological Association defines trauma as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster.” However, Peter Levine (a well-known 16
psychological trauma theorist) characterizes trauma not by the event but by one’s reactions to it and symptoms. He explains that “any overwhelming and distressing experience” can cause trauma and that trauma is only recognizable its symptoms. There are various types of
common traumatic events, all known to lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). One type of trauma results from natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornados or hurricanes, forest fires, floods, volcanic eruptions, landslides, or tsunamis. These types of experiences are particularly insidious because they wwwfirstclasstours.net
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tend to traumatize large populations of people at once, and can result in epidemics of Survivor Guilt and other PTSD symptoms. Like many causes of trauma, natural disasters can be sudden and overwhelming. The most immediate and typical reaction to a calamity is shock, which at first maniwww.firstclasstours.net
fests as numbness or denial. Quickly—or eventually—shock can give way to an overemotional state that often includes high levels of anxiety, guilt or depression. People might have lost their loved ones or their homes. As a result they may feel helpless, they may have to live in camps or shelters
without support from relatives or friends for extended time periods. However, living with other survivors can also be a time to reconnect, talk about the event with others, and help to reframe the event. Being able to help another survivor can reduce helplessness, and may start the healing process.
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Natural disasters in particular can bring victims a feeling of being betrayed by “their god,” which can result in a loss of faith. Making peace with “the divine” might be one step toward healing and gaining faith (which can be crucial to health) back.
relationships skills, such as an increase in conflict or a more withdrawn and avoidant personality Physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and chest pain Citation: http://www.apa. org/helpcenter/recovering-disasters.aspx
According to the American Psychological Association, the following are common symptoms of trauma:
It’s hard to predict when PTSD will set in with a survivor of a traumatic natural disaster. Some victims seem at first perfectly (or even abnormally) fine, only to be beset with symptoms later on.
Feelings become intense and sometimes are unpredictable. Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, and depression are coming manifestations of this. Flashbacks: repeated and vivid memories of the event that lead to physical reactions such as rapid heartbeat or sweating Confusion or difficulty making decisions Sleep or eating issues Fear that the emotional event will be repeated A change in interpersonal
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In general, survivors of natural disasters are recommended to seek professional guidance if they find themselves unable to regain control of their lives or if they continue to suffer from PTSD symptoms for more than a month. Additionally, victims do not need to have experienced the disaster first-
hand in order to be psychologically affected. For example, someone living in San Francisco with relatives in Haiti at the time of the recent earthquake could have been subjected to countless hours of television coverage, coupled with an inability to get information about their own family. This type of situation can take an emotional impact on someone even from afar. It’s very important with natural disaster trauma that the victim gives himself time to heal and pass through an appropriate mourning process. Only by processing the experience over a realistic period of time is healing possible. ¦
SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE.
CLICK HERE.
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SETTLING INSURANCE CLAIM AFTER A DISASTE BY: 20
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What you need to know about • how to file a claim
MS ER
• how the claim process works • what’s covered and what’s not First Steps Contact your agent or company immediately. Find out: • Whether the damage is covered under the terms of your policy
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• how long you have to file a claim • whether your claim exceeds your deductible (the amount of loss you agree to pay before insurance kicks in) • how long it will take to process the claim • whether you’ll need estimates for repairs Make temporary repairs: Take reasonable steps to protect your
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property from further damage. Save receipts for what you spend and submit them to your insurance company for reimbursement. Remember that payments for temporary repairs are part of the total settlement. So if you pay a contractor a large sum for a temporary repair job, you may not have enough money for permanent repairs. Beware of contractors who ask for a large amount of money up front and contractors whose bids are very low -- they might cut corners and do shabby work. Don’t make extensive permanent repairs until the claims adjuster has assessed the damage. If you need to relocate, keep your receipts: If you need to find other accommodations while your home is being repaired, keep records of your expenses. Homeowners insurance policies provide coverage for the cost of additional living expenses if your home is damaged by an insured disaster. Prepare for the adjuster’s visits: Your insurance company may send you a proof of loss form to complete or an adjuster may visit your home first. (An adjuster is a person professionally trained
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to assess the damage.) In either case, the more information you have about your damaged possessions -- a description of the item, approximate date of purchase and what it would cost to replace or repair -- the faster your claim generally can be settled. To substantiate your loss, prepare an inventory of damaged or destroyed items and give a copy to the adjuster along with copies of any receipts. Don’t throw out damaged items until the adjuster has visited. You should also consider photographing or videotaping the damage. If your property was destroyed or you no longer have any records, work from memory. Identify structural damage to your home and other structures such as a garage, tool shed or in-ground swimming pool. Make a list of everything you want to show the adjuster, for example, cracks in the walls and missing roof tiles. You should also get the electrical system checked. Most insurance companies pay for these inspections. Get written bids from licensed contractors. The bids should include details of the materials to be used and prices on a line-by-line basis. This makes adjusting
the claim faster and simpler. Keep copies of the lists and other documents you submit to your insurance company. Also keep copies of whatever paperwork your insurance company gives you and record the names and phone numbers of everyone you speak to. Flood damage is excluded under standard homeowners and renters insurance policies. Flood coverage, however, is available as a separate policy from the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and from a few private insurers. The NFIP provides coverage up to $250,000 for the structure of the home and $100,000 for personal possessions. Flood insurance claims should be filed with your homeowners insurance company. Factors That Determine The Amount Of Settlement You Get Type of Policy Replacement Cost and Actual Cash Value: Replacement cost policies provides you with the dollar amount needed to replace a damaged item with one of similar kind and quality without deducting for depreciation (the decrease
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in value due to age, wear and tear, and other factors). Actual cash value policies pay the amount needed to replace the item minus depreciation. Suppose, for example, a tree fell through the roof onto your eight-year-old washing machine. With a replacement cost policy, the insurance company would pay to replace the old machine with a new one. If you had an actual cash value policy, the company would pay only a part of the cost of a new washing machine because a machine that has been used for eight years is worth less than its original cost. Extended and Guaranteed Replacement Cost: If your home is damaged beyond repair, a typical homeowners policy will pay to replace it up to the limits of the policy. If the value of your insurance policy has kept up with increases in local building costs, a similar dwelling can generally be built for an amount within the policy limits.
if building costs go up unexpectedly, you will have extra funds to cover the bill. A few insurance companies offer a guaranteed replacement cost policy that pays whatever it costs to rebuild your home as it was before the disaster. But neither type of policy will pay for more expensive materials than those that were used in the structure that was destroyed. Mobile Home, Stated Amount: If you own a mobile home, you may have a stated amount policy. With this policy, the maximum amount you receive if your home is destroyed is the sum you agreed to when the policy was issued. If you opt for the stated amount, update your policy annually to make sure that the amount will cover the cost of replacing your mobile home. Check with local mobile home dealers to find out what similar homes now sell for. Policy limits
Most insurance policies provide adequate coverage With an extended r because they include an eplacement cost policy your inflation-guard clause to insurer will pay a certain keep up with increases in percentage over the limit local building costs. If you to rebuild your home -- 20 have replacement cost percent or more, depending coverage, your insurance on the insurer --- so that company will pay the
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full cost of repairing or replacing the damaged structure with a building of “like kind and quality.� In other words, if you were adequately insured and lived in a three-bedroom ranch before the disaster, your insurance company would pay to build a similar three-bedroom ranch. Most insurance companies recommend that a dwelling be insured for 100 percent of replacement cost so that you have enough money to rebuild if your home is totally destroyed. You may not be fully covered, however, if you have made significant improvements on your house, such as enclosing a porch to create another room or expanding your kitchen, without informing your insurance company of the changes at the time. Temporary living expenses If you can’t live in your home because of the damage, your insurance company will advance you money to pay for reasonable additional living expenses. The amount available to pay for such expenses is generally equal to 20 percent of the insurance on your home. This amount is in addition to the money for repairs or to rebuild your home.
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Some insurance companies pay more than 20 percent. Others limit additional living expenses to the amount spent during a certain period of time. Among the items typically covered are eating out, rent, telephone or utility installation costs in a temporary residence, and extra transportation costs. Insurance policies often discuss additional living expenses under the heading loss of use. Rebuilding and making repairs If your home was destroyed, you have several options. You can rebuild a new home on the same site. Depending on state law, you can sell the land and build or buy a house in a different place, even another state. You can decide that you would rather rent. If you decide not to rebuild, the settlement amount depends on state law, what the courts have said about this matter and the kind of policy you have. Find out from your insurance agent or company representative what the settlement amount will be based on. Concerning repairs, if you downgrade, for example,
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replace an expensive wood floor with one using a cheaper product, you are not entitled to the difference in cash. Other factors Compliance with current building codes: Building codes require structures to be built to certain minimum standards. In areas likely to be hit by hurricanes, for example, buildings must be able to withstand high winds. If your home was damaged and it was not in compliance with current local building codes, you may have to rebuild the damaged sections according to current codes. In some cases, complying with the code may require a change in design or building materials and may cost more. Generally, homeowners insurance policies won’t pay for these extra costs, but insurance companies offer an endorsement that pays a specified amount toward such changes. (An endorsement is an addition to an insurance policy that changes what the policy covers.) Information concerning this coverage is found under ordinance or law in the Section I exclusion part of your policy. The use of public adjusters:
Your insurance company provides an adjuster at no charge. You also may be contacted by adjusters who have no relationship with your insurance company and charge a fee for their services. They are known as public adjusters. If you decide to use a public adjuster to help you in settling your claim, this service could cost you as much as 15 percent of the total value of your settlement. Sometimes after a disaster, the percentage that public adjusters may charge is set by the insurance department. If you do decide to use a public adjuster, first check references and qualifications by contacting the Better Business Bureau and your state insurance department (See back cover for contact information). Also contact the National Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters (www. naiia.com). Compensation for Damage Vehicles: If your car was damaged and you have comprehensive coverage in your auto insurance policy, contact your auto insurance company. If your car has been so badly damaged that it’s not worth repairing, you will receive a check for the car’s actual cash value
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-- what it would have been worth if it had been sold just before the disaster. Kelley Blue Book (www. kbb.com) or other such publications can give you an idea of what your car was worth. Trees and shrubbery: Most insurance companies will pay up to $500 for the removal of trees or shrubs that have fallen on your home. They will also pay for damage caused to insured structures and their contents up to policy limits, but they won’t pay to remove trees that have fallen causing a mess in your yard. Water: While homeowners policies don’t cover flood damage, they cover other kinds of water damage. For example, they will generally pay for damage from rain coming through a hole in the roof or a broken window as long as the hole was caused by a hurricane or other disaster covered by the policy. If there is water damage, check with your agent or insurance company representative as to whether it is covered. The Payment Process Disasters can make enormous demands on insurance company personnel. Sometimes after a major disaster, state
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officials ask insurance company adjusters to see everyone who has filed a claim before a certain date. When there are a huge number of claims, the deadline may force some to make a rough first estimate. If the first evaluation is not complete, set up an appointment for a second visit. The first check you get from your insurance company is often an advance. If you’re offered an on-the-spot settlement, you can accept the check right away. Later on, if you find other damage, you can “reopen” the claim and file for an additional amount. Most policies require claims to be filed within one year from the date of the disaster. Some insurance companies may require you to fill out and sign a proof of loss form. This formal statement provides details of your losses and the amount of money you’re claiming and acts as a legal record. Some companies waive this requirement after a disaster if you’ve met with the adjuster, especially if your claim is not complicated. The choice of repair firms is yours. If your home was adequately insured, you won’t have to settle for anything less than you had
before the disaster. Be sure the contractor is giving you the same quality materials. Don’t get permanent repairs done until after the adjuster has approved the price. If you’ve received bids, show them to the adjuster. If the adjuster agrees with one of your bids, then the repair process can begin. If the bids are too high, ask the adjuster to negotiate a better price with the contractor. Adjusters may also recommend firms that they have worked with before. Some insurance companies even guarantee the work of firms they recommend, but such programs are not available everywhere. Make sure contactors get the proper building permits. If you can’t reach an agreement with your insurance company: If you and the insurer’s adjuster can’t agree on a settlement amount, contact your agent or your insurance company’s claim department manager. Make sure you have figures to back up your claim for more money. If you and your insurance company still disagree, your policy allows for an independent appraisal of the loss. In this case, both you and your insurance company hire independent appraisers
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who choose a mediator. The decision of any two of these three people is binding. You and your insurance company each pay for your appraiser and share the other costs. However, disputes rarely get to this stage. Some insurance companies may offer a slightly different way of settling a dispute called arbitration. When settlement differences are arbitrated, a neutral arbiter hears the arguments of both sides and then makes a final decision. How you receive the money: When both the dwelling and the contents of your home are damaged, you generally get two separate checks from your insurance company. If your home is mortgaged, the check for home repairs will generally be made out to you and the mortgage lender. As a condition of granting a mortgage, lenders usually require that they are named in the homeowners policy and that they are a party to any insurance payments related to the structure. The lender gets equal rights to the insurance check to ensure that the necessary repairs are made to the property in which it has a significant financial interest. This means that the mortgage company
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or bank will have to endorse the check. Lenders generally put the money in an escrow account and pay for the repairs as the work is completed. You should show the mortgage lender your contractor’s bid and say how much the contractor wants up front to start the job. Your mortgage company may want to inspect the finished job before releasing the funds for payment. If you don’t get a separate check from your insurance company for the contents of your home and other expenses, the lender should release the insurance payments that don’t relate to the dwelling. It should also release funds that exceed the balance of the mortgage. State bank regulators often publish guidelines for banks to follow after a major disaster. Contact state regulatory offices to find out what these guidelines are. Some construction firms want you to sign a direction to pay form that allows your insurance company to pay the firm directly. The firm then will bill your insurance company directly and attach the form you signed. Make certain that you’re completely satisfied with the repair work and that the job has been
completed before signing any forms. If you have a replacement cost policy for your personal possessions, you normally need to replace the damaged items before your insurance company will pay. If you decide not to replace some items, you will be paid their actual cash value. Your insurance company will generally allow you several months from the date of the cash value payment to replace the items and collect full replacement cost. Find out how many months you are allowed. Some insurance companies supply lists of vendors that can help replace your property. Some companies may supply some replacement items themselves. After your claim has been settled and the repair work is underway: Take the time to re-evaluate your homeowners insurance coverage. For example, was your home adequately insured? Did you have replacement cost coverage for your personal property? Talk to your insurance agent or company representative about possible changes. ¦ SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE.
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Retirement
sets you free.
A MOTORCOACH
helps make it
The best it can
possibly be. The Good Life Starts Here!
Welcome to the next generation of retirement! A retirement designed for those who have a passion for living, for fun and for spending their best years with those they love the most. Nothing compares to the experiences available on a motorcoach. From local sightseeing to a week on the road, motorcoaches offer the flexibility, comfort, and amenities that will make your next trip the best trip. Motorcoaches are a great way to make the most of your golden years and we look forward to the chance to welcome you aboard one of our modern coaches and wow you with all we have to offer.
GoMotorcoach Make the Smart Move! Safe | Green | Efficient | Affordable | Fun
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BY:
Casino Strateg 30
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How Good Casino Strategy Can Make A Difference To Your Profits Most people view casinos as a source of entertainment. This is a healthy view as the house-edge will always win out in the end. Good casino strategy will help you keep that edge to the minimum. If you can keep playing for the longest possible time for your bankroll, then you have the best chance of enjoying some of the upswings which can make for a memorable night. This article covers the key elements of casino strategy to help you get the best possible value for your money.
gy
First up, you will find some general information on the house-edge and how to keep that to the minimum possible. Next, I have covered popular betting systems, which can smooth out variance in the short-term. After that, you’ll find an overview of the all-important casino bankroll management, which is followed by some advice on adjusting your strategy to maximize your own enjoyment of the games. Casino Strategy – Keeping The House Edge To A Minimum While you can’t escape the house edge, you can keep it to a minimum very easily. There are several steps involved in doing this. First you need to choose a game with a low house-edge. This will ensure you are not leaking chips every time you play. Blackjack has
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a low edge, with the best games starting from 0.36% (less than 4c for every $1 bet). Baccarat has a low 1% edge and is also known as Punto Banco. Caribbean Stud is one to avoid as are some casino Holdem type games. Slots can also have a heavy house edge while video poker is more playerfriendly. After you choose your game, your strategy should be to learn the details of how to play. For example, Blackjack tables make a lot of money from players who make mistakes like hitting in the wrong spots or failing to split against certain dealer up-cards. By playing ‘perfect’ strategy you’ll keep the edge down, so make sure you learn it. Third, you need to avoid side-bets. These have huge house advantages: to go back to the Blackjack example the insurance bet is 12.5% in favor of the house and bets like Perfect Pairs have 7% against you. Casino Strategy – Betting Systems Betting systems can’t win 32
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you money in the long run. Both mathematical simulations and the fact that the casinos have welcomed systems bettors for decades with open arms are testament to this. There are some systems which can be used to reduce the variance of your wins/losses or to add more fun to the game. Negative Progressions: Made famous by the Martingale system, this betting strategy sees you double your bets after each loss. Based on a 50%/50% chance, the idea is that you will win and revert to your initial betting unit soon enough. The fatal flaw in this system comes when you hit a run of negative results because you could end up betting 1000x your stake to get back to a single unit. Positive Progressions: An example here is the Paroli system, which aims to get you runs of 3 double-ups to take advantage of the occasional hot streaks. The 1-2-4-8 unit bets reverts back to 1 unit on a loss or when it
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finished. These are great for casual players, who will enjoy the occasional big wins. Over time each bet is with the house edge, meaning it can’t make you any extra money (or stop you losing) over the long run. Casino Strategy – Bankroll Management
once this is gone then you go home. If you win and your bankroll grows, then you can increase the amount you take on a single session or make it smaller if you lose. Casino Strategy – The Key Point, Maximize Your Enjoyment
Since the house will Managing your overall always win in the end, bankroll is a key part the most sensible of any sensible casino strategy is one which strategy. This involves maximizes the fun you working out what stakes have along the way. you can play at with your If you can enjoy the bankroll without risking occasional big win, then, ruin. For example with all the better and you $100 it would make little might even hit a jackpot sense to play in a $10 with a life-changing blackjack game. payout! You can use rules of thumb like 30 bets to start the session, and then move up or down stakes depending on whether you win or lose at the start. You can also use bankroll management to set ‘stop loss’ rules, which mean you’ll be able to gamble again another day. For example, you might have an overall bankroll of $2000, but only take $300 with you on any one trip and
The best way to keep playing the longest is to ensure you choose low-edge games, learn the rules and apply solid bankroll management. This will keep you playing that much longer and maybe long enough to hit a big prize. ¦
SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE.
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5 KEYS TO PLANNING A STRE FREE GROUP TRAV BY: 34
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ESS VEL
Whether for corporate or luxury group travel, Most people would rather die-literary- than take the role of organizing a group trip, and for a valid reason. With so many people to deal with and all the minute details to handle it can get rather stressful. The following simple travel tricks have been formulated to make your planning both simple and enjoyable and ensure a successful trip despite the purpose.
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Plan The first and most important step to a successful group trip is to organize ideas logically. The agenda of the trip should guide the plans and all other aspects should fall in the same lane. While every person’s voice should be heard, only a few selected heads should meet for the actual planning.
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Share reresponsibilities According to the purpose of the trip, responsibilities should be shared. Every task should have one person answerable to avoid confusion. Tasks can be awarded according to one’s expertise, for instance,
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funds collection can be awarded to a person who works as a cashier since his or she is versed with handling money. All these people should report to one head who will keep the whole system in harmony.
Keep communication alive With plenty of minds to work with, maintaining communication is paramount. All decisions and adjustment made should always be clearly communicated to every
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member on time. Failure to do so will not only cause confusion but can also result to an eventual failure of the trip. Early announcements allow people to prepare and adapt to any changes that might have occurred. In addition, reminders should be sent every now and then to keep the spirit alive.
Collect the funds One of the major reasons group trips fail is due to lack of funds or better put, failure by some of the members to contribute the agreed amount. This can really weigh you down if you are not well prepared. The best way to handle this is to give members enough time to contribute and to make
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the budget as affordable as possible. You may also want to offer optional payment methods to make it a whole lot easier. For example, whenever we plan for our student group travel which happens every year, we allow ourselves to pay whichever amount one gets whenever. This means you can deposit a single dollar into your trip account which will add up to the full amount eventually.
Harmonize Anyone who has ever organized a group trip will tell you it’s no sunshine and rainbow. Especially keeping everybody on the same page, this calls for wisdom as a leader. Different people voice varying opinions which they expect that you
implement. Ignoring these views will only work against the success of the trip. since its impossible to implement every opinion thrown at you, it’s your responsibility to lead these people to accepting that it will not happen by emphasizing the need for harmony and some sacrifices. The key to planning smoothly is by stringing the 5 steps together. Who knows, how good you can get, you could be organizing corporate group travels or sending escapades to the moon. ¦
SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE.
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WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD IN YOUR HOME BY: WWW.MOLD-ADVISOR.COM 38
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If you recently found mold in your home, you are probably searching the internet to figure out what to do. This step-by-step guide will answer all of your questions. Don’t panic, it may take some time but you will get past this. The key is to educate yourself and do it right the first time so the mold does not return. Please note that this page was written to help homeowners. If you live in an apartment or rental house, here is information about the landlord responsibility
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for mold. Taking Care of Your Mold Problem - Steps 1. If you have been suffering any illnesses that wouldn’t go away like allergies, itchy eyes, sore throat, headaches, fatigue, etc., go see your doctor and explain to him that you have mold in your home. Knowledge about the mold will help him to correctly treat you. Here is more on the symptoms of mold exposure. 2. Have your home tested by a trained mold tester.
Many people make the mistake of cleaning up the mold without testing. It is important to know the type of mold your dealing with, and how bad the problem is. Most mold testers are engineers so they can give your home a thorough inspection to find all the mold. If it’s a small problem they may recommend cleaning it yourself, and will give you advice on removing it. If it’s large job and a removal service needs to be hired, they will oversee the cleanup and supervise the removal process. When the
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cleanup is done, they will come back and test again to make sure the removal was properly done. Make sure if you hire a removal company that you don’t pay them until the final testing comes back showing the home is clean. For a list of licensed mold testers in your area, follow the link. 3. Identify the cause of the mold. Make sure during the cleanup that it is fixed so that the mold will not return. If there was a leak in the roof, make sure its repaired. If a pipe causes a water leak in a wall, make sure its fixed. If the humidity level on your home humidifier is set too high, make sure it is turned lower. You don’t want the mold to return. Here is more information on the causes of mold. 4. Contact your insurance company and find out if mold removal is covered in your policy. In many cases it is, depending on the cause of the mold. This article on homeowners insurance and mold explains it well. 5. After getting your mold test results and speaking with the mold tester, decide if you are going to remove the mold yourself or hire a professional to do it. This articles discusses when you should remove mold yourself, and when you should hire a mold
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remediation professional. Here is more information on the cost of mold removal if you hire a professional to do it.
mold tester. You want an independent company with no conflicts of interest. Here is information on common mold scams to look out for.
6. Have the mold in your home removed. If doing it yourself, here is more information on the mold remediation process. Mold removal is a much more complex process than most people realize. You don’t want to spread the mold to other parts of your home. You also don’t want to make yourself sick from breathing in mold during the removal process. Personal safety is very important and you must be overly cautious.
8. We recommend purchasing a book on mold and the removal process such as Brian Turners A Homeowners Complete Guide To Performing Mold Remediation. It is important to educate yourself on the mold removal process so that you are sure everything is done correctly. This book is quite thorough. The link takes you to our review of this book.
7. If you are going to hire a professional mold remediation company, make sure you get a few estimates and choose a company that you believe will do a thorough job. Be sure to check with your local Better Business Bureau or Health Department to make sure the company has a good reputation. Ask for recent references. Ask the mold tester if they are familiar with them. Here is more information on how to choose a mold removal service. For a list of Mold Remediation Companies in your area that offer free home inspections and estimates, follow the link. Do not use a remediation company affiliated with the
9. After the mold in your home has been removed, have the tester come back and air-test for mold. They will be able to tell you if the levels of mold are acceptable. Remember it is impossible to remove all of the mold. The goal is to try to get the levels inside your home the same as outside your home. 10. Be proactive in the future about mold prevention. Here is more information on preventing mold. 11. If you have any questions about mold in your home, feel free to contact us. ¦ SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE.
CLICK HERE.
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Nothing BRINGS A
Family
TOGETHER
Better Than a Motorcoach. We’ll Show You Why!
One of the biggest challenges with any large family reunion can be transportation. How do you move that many people around town? How do you get from the destinations to the hotels? How do you spend your time together without spending hours stuck in traffic, in separate rental cars? We understand family reunions and know that transportation can be the difference between an extraordinary event and just another few vacation days wasted. Call us today and let us help you put your family reunion in the fast lane to fun!
GoMotorcoach Make the Smart Move! Safe | Green | Efficient | Affordable | Fun
281.590.8800 | www.firstclasstours.net www.firstclasstours.net
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A TEXAS SIZE THANK The family at First Class Tours thanks all of those who have helped us through these tough times.
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YOU.
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DAILY TRIPS WITH PERKS
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8 INSANE CASINO GAMBLING STRA BY: MICHAEL STEVENS
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O ATEGIES
Casino games are all based on random chance. Even the players at a poker table don’t know which cards will be played next and many a poker strategy entails folding before you get too deep into betting if you have a weak hand. That’s a great lesson to keep in mind when you think about any type of gambling strategy because the element of the unknown sooner or later renders all strategies moot. Nonetheless most experienced players fall into comfort zones where they feel like they have some control over the outcomes of their games of chance. This tendency to trust in the zone is just another form of the Gambler’s Fallacy. If you really want to gamble then why not try a few strategies that fall outside of your comfort zone? There are some pretty interesting things you can do without sacrificing the statistical position you want to maintain in facing down the house edge. In fact, there are even acknowledged ways of reducing the house advantage but they are few and far between. Gambling would be very boring and monotonous if everyone played the same games the same ways. So in the spirit of “no risk, no reward” here are a few strategies that will keep the pundits arguing for weeks and the players scratching their heads over what you are doing.
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You don’t have to give up anything other than a habitual style of play. If you like these strategies enough to add them to your comfort zone you’ll find you can change things up when other players fall into a rut. Even if that doesn’t give you an advantage over the house you’ll at least be less likely to get bored. 1. Never Play Blackjack Again Blackjack has earned a lot of respect among gamblers because, unlike most other casino games, you can 48
bring some skill to the table. The pundits are most likely to tell you that the house edge in blackjack is pretty good, too. But there is one problem with standard blackjack: it’s not the most generous version of this game that you can play. Although most people have learned to avoid single deck blackjack games that pay only 6:5 odds the majority of players are most comfortable in playing standard blackjack with 6 to 8 decks in the shoe because they like those 3:2 odds. But there is another way to enjoy this game with
a slight advantage over the usual blackjack player. If your casino offers Spanish 21 you should try it out. Although there are several rule differences between regular blackjack and Spanish 21 the most distinctive difference is that the Spanish 21 game is played without any 10 point cards. In other words, a Spanish 21 deck has 48 cards (all the face cards are left in) instead of 52 cards. By removing those 10 point cards the game reduces the chances of either player or dealer drawing a natural 21. The downside to playing wwwfirstclasstours.net
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Spanish 21 is that the theoretical house edge is about 3% versus the 1% in standard blackjack. But cheer up! There are some unusual rewards in Spanish 21. Foremost among those player advantages is the fact that players always win 21 to 21. Even when the dealer has a blackjack you win if you also have a blackjack. Better yet, the house pays 3:2 on player blackjack instead of a push. You can also split Aces a second time in Spanish 21. Okay, you may not be very likely to be dealt three or four Aces but in the rare event when this happens you can split again. Why play Spanish 21 if the house edge is worse than in standard blackjack? There is really too much discussion of “the house edge” among gambling pundits. Technically the edge is only realized across a large number of bets, which means the house sometimes does better than you expect and sometimes worse. That volatility is a good thing because it means that sometimes players can win a lot of money. Instead of comparing house edge statistics look at the flexibility and greater rewards you get when you play Spanish 21. It will break you out of your comfort zone but you’ll be happily surprised when you www.firstclasstours.net
are paid better odds for some combinations that don’t pay well in regular blackjack. You just may never want to play blackjack again. 2. Only Play in Tournaments This strategy is fairly well known. Almost every basic strategy pundit tells you to only play in tournaments at some point in time. That is because if you just pay a flat fee up front but win the tournament the value of the prize could be substantially more than your buy in fee. Even slot game tournaments can be rewarding for the first, second, and third place players. What makes tournament play really interesting is that you can plan ahead for the buy in. This almost reduces your gambling to a predictable wager. Of course, you may want to gamble more than the tournaments allow so limiting yourself to only playing tournaments may not be practical. Joining tournaments allows you to gamble on two levels, and that additional risk may make the tournament experience more satisfying for you. 3. Play One on One with the Dealer Whenever Possible
Casinos don’t like it when you are the only player at the blackjack table. Part of the casino’s advantage is derived from the dealer playing against several customers at the same time. Whether you count cards or not, you will see less volatility in the distribution of the cards if you are the only player facing the dealer. The pit boss may close other tables or send over some house players to fill up your table if you get a lucky break and can play the dealer by yourself. Don’t get upset when this happens. Why does it matter how many players are at the table? Because your chances of getting those high value cards decline as more people draw from the shoe. When it’s just you and the dealer you have an even chance of drawing the cards you need. As more people join the table your chances drop radically. The dealer doesn’t need to draw high value cards as often as the individual players do. That is because the dealer wins every time a player busts. Hence, if you play a conservative game in a one on one situation with a dealer you have a pretty good setup. But the house advantage will never fully vanish. Sometimes all you are going to get for a third card is a bust card and 49
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there is nothing you can do about that. 4. Play Two of Three Outside Bets at Once in Roulette Gaming pundits like to pick on roulette and there are surely many good reasons to dissuade you from playing a game that is cleverly designed to emphasize high risk bets. Most of the betting options on the table are the single numbers and players tend to think in terms of betting only on single numbers when playing the inside. Savvy players may play the lines in roulette but even when you bet on six numbers the house has a huge advantage over you, and the odds are terrible, too. Your best chances of winning in conventional roulette strategy guides are to play the “safe” outside bets: black or red, odd or even. Pundits reluctantly agree you can also place bets in the 1/3 categories: 1st twelve, 2nd twelve, and 3rd twelve numbers. These 1/3 groups each pay 2 to 1 odds. You can improve your chances of winning by playing 2 groups. You reduce the odds to even payoff when you do this 50
but you get a better coverage with this kind of bet (24 numbers) versus the standard safe bets (18 numbers), which also pay even money.
money by playing fewer pay lines are in fact throwing it away. That is because the games are designed to pay the best percentage when all the pay lines are active.
So which way would you like to bet: win even money for betting on 18 numbers or win even money for betting on 24 numbers? Do the math. You may never bet black or even again.
The multi pay line games often provide better theoretical return to player percentages than the older single pay lines, too. If the pay table shows you an RTP better than 96% your game is approaching Spanish 21, roulette, and blackjack territory.
5. Only Play Max Lines in Slot Games The so-called “penny” slot games have been evolving since they first appeared. The game manufacturers have added more and more pay lines to these games and now they even add more screens to handle more pay lines. Early versions of these games allowed you to choose how many pay lines are active during spins. While this may have seemed like a generous gesture to the players who felt uncomfortable placing bets on 15, 20, or 25 pay lines the reality was that the theoretical return to player was brutally reduced to very low levels. If you only play 1 out of 25 active pay lines you will almost never win. It’s not the same as playing a single pay line slot game. Players who try to conserve their
Slot games may not be your gambling game of choice but most people play them eventually. If you choose more recent slot games that have fixed pay lines (you cannot deactivate them) you can enjoy some quiet time spinning the reels without taking much more risk than if you were playing cards. 6. Play Keno Instead of Other Games If you know anything about which casino games are recommended then you know keno is at the very bottom of the list along with all other lottery style games. So how can playing keno be a good strategy to recommend in place of other games? Well, as a regular gambling activity it’s still not recommended but most people when wwwfirstclasstours.net
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calculating just how bad keno is usually go after the large pick options and don’t look at the probabilities on the lower pick options. But there is another component to this “insane” strategy. First, let’s take a look at the worst and best case scenarios. In a typical keno game you can usually select 2 numbers to 10 numbers. The rule of thumb is that the more numbers you pick the worse your chances of winning become, although the payoff odds improve. Who would not want to pick 10 numbers that are drawn in keno? Of course, that is the appeal behind keno and most players
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seem to go for the big win rather than the more achievable wins.
a win table that explains the odds for you.
The best versions of the game pay at least a little If you are going to play bit for getting some of keno you had better do your numbers. The fewer some number crunching numbers you are required and look at which pick to choose in order to options offer the best get at least 2 winning chances for winning. Now combinations the better. the probabilities can vary Say, for example, you can from casino to casino play a Pick 5 and win for 5 because there are a few variations on the game. For numbers, 4 numbers, and 3 numbers. That’s a pretty example, in one version of good payback spread. It’s the game you may be able not great, most modern slot win something for getting two of the three numbers in machine games offer better a Pick 3 whereas in another theoretical returns to player, but you’re in the realm of version of the game you 70% to 75% RTP with this may not be able to get kind of option. If you can something for two out of play a Pick 4 you might three. The casino publishes
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feel that’s a little less risky. In fact, in some versions of the game Pick 4 offers the second best theoretical return to player if it allows for three catches that pay prizes (4 numbers, 3 numbers, and 2 numbers). So having selected your preferred Pick, why on Earth would you choose to play keno if the best theoretical return you can hope for is about 70% to 75%? That’s quite simple, really. You are going to stop gambling for a while. Take a break. Go eat something, or take in a show. One great thing about keno is that it is a slow round game. You only see a few drawings per hour at most and this is a way to gamble while you are not gambling. Keno is completely passive, even more so than playing a slot machine. Among the numerous money management schemes that gaming pundits recommend to players is to slow down your rate of play. That’s impossible to do at a card table because the dealer has to keep the action going for the other players (and the pit boss is watching). And it’s not possible at the other table games for the same reason. It’s theoretically possible for you to slow down your slot
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play but that Spin button is sitting there right in front of you and frankly you will sit too long if you just play the slots all night. So get up, walk around, lay down $10 on a few keno cards with Pick 4 or Pick 5 numbers, and then go relax. Get something to eat. Take care of business. You’re still gambling but not risking much and you have almost as good a chance of breaking even or winning a small amount of cash as if you played a few rounds of the slots. This is all for fun anyway, right? 7. Don’t Pass in Craps and Lay Odds Craps is the most complicated game in the universe and it’s also considered one of the most player unfriendly table games if you try to use all the fancy bets. Just about every introduction to craps tells you that the best bets are the Pass and Don’t Pass line and that you should always Take The Odds if you bet Pass or Lay The Odds if you Don’t Pass. These plays are simple, you almost don’t have to think about them, and everyone recommends them. But most players choose to bet Pass because they want to support the guy throwing
the dice. Opinions vary on all this but in comparing the two options the biggest drawback to betting Don’t Pass is that you may lose on the Come Out roll. Now you might be looking at how players win with Pass and Don’t Pass on the Come Out roll and thinking, “You win with 2 numbers either way. Why is Pass the better bet?” It’s because to win on the Come Out roll with a Pass bet you need a 7 or 11. There are eight ways the dice can fall to get one of those two numbers. To win with a Don’t Pass bet you need a 2 or 3 and there are only three ways to get one of those two numbers, so the shooter has a better chance of rolling 7 or 11 (and that is why in movies people are usually yelling, “Come on seven!”). However, after you get past the Come Out roll Don’t Pass starts to look pretty sweet compared to the Pass bet. That is because after the shooter establishes his Point the Don’t Pass bettor wins about 2/3 of the time whereas the Pass bettor wins about 1/3 of the time. So you can make up the lost opportunity on the Come Out roll with Don’t Pass on the Point. The Pass bettor Takes the Odds by placing additional
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chips on his first bet. The Don’t Pass bettor Lays the Odds by placing chips next to his first bet. This is not the same as playing the odds where you place another bet on the colorful dice representations in the Odds box. This is one of the reasons why craps confuses some players. Taking Odds on a Pass bet pays better than Laying Odds on a Don’t Pass bet, but you’re more likely to win on the Don’t Pass bet. In fact, that advantage is exactly why the casino pays less money for Don’t Pass bets. 8. Use a 17 Second Delay between Spins Slowing down slot game play is not easy but there is a mathematically valid reason to do it other than that you lose money at a slower rate. This is not a betting system that promises you will win more often. This is a system that increases the volatility of your play. It is based on the way random number generation algorithms work. There are two things you should understand about random number generators, those complicated little chips that all modern slot machine games depend on to determine where the
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reels stop spinning. First is that we don’t yet have the science to produce a truly random number via a mathematical algorithm. Second, the numbers generated by these chips are drawn from huge pools of possible results which makes them more than random enough to be unpredictable in casino game play. That is why the chips are allowed and regulated in most if not all gaming jurisdictions around the world. This insane strategy is designed for slot players who believe the random number generators fall into patterns. The likelihood of that happening is relatively small but because the random numbers are not truly random it is possible. What happens is that the generated numbers fall into what is termed a “local pattern”. This means that for a short run they do follow some sort of pattern. This is okay because you never see the random numbers or how they are used. That black box effect ensures that the slot game is honest. But let’s take a closer look at how this black box effect is achieved. The random number generator is constantly producing new numbers. Each new number is placed
in a part of the chip’s memory called a “register”. The number waits there for a fraction of a second and is then replaced by another number. Meanwhile the machine is running its game software. When you spin the reels one the game begins fetching random numbers from the RNG’s registers. In the United States a random number is required for each reel and those numbers are used to determine where the reels stop spinning. In other jurisdictions a single random number is used to determine the outcome of the game. The idea behind the 17 second delay is that after the reels stop spinning and you are awarded your prize you count off 17 seconds. A watch is really good for this but a smart phone can do it, too. In a pinch if you just count slowly by saying (or thinking) “one thousand one, one thousand two, etc.” that will be good enough. Waiting 17 seconds after each spin increases the chances that you move out of any local pattern in fewer spins. The local pattern might be randomly awarding you a lot of prizes or it might be handing you a lot of losing spins. You have no way of knowing if
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this rare phenomenon is occurring but if you feel like you’re stuck in a random number rut you can change up the game by pausing and taking your time in between spins. And as it so happens this insane strategy falls in line with most money management strategies, which suggest that you slow down your rate of play to conserve money. But why pause for 17 seconds? Why not choose, say, 5 seconds? That’s a good question and the answer may seem a little lame to you. 17 is a prime number and in any algorithm that attempts to randomize activity it’s much easier if you base your computations on a prime. The larger the prime number the better. You could choose a prime like 53 seconds but most people will give up before that many seconds ticks
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away. In 17 seconds your slot game’s RNG could cycle through hundreds or thousands of new numbers. Also, when you force yourself to stop and count to 17 in between spins of the reels you shake off some of the mental cobwebs that form from clicking on Spin repeatedly. This strategy helps you stay aware of the passing of time while you’re in a casino, and that is always to your advantage. In the long run you won’t see any better or worse chances of winning with the 17 second strategy but you’ll have more control over your actions and your money. Conclusion There are crazy gambling strategies, dumb gambling strategies, and crazy dumb or just plain stupid strategies. We want to shake things up a little
bit without increasing our risk (or losses) by using alternative strategies. The usual gambling advice you find in books and blogs starts to look homogenous and boring after a while. If you are gambling for entertainment you will be more open to changing things up and trying a new approach. That helps to keep your gaming experience fresh and interesting. And the up side of playing an insane strategy is that if you are not satisfied with the results you can switch back to gaming the way you are more comfortable playing. But do give these strategies a try. You just may fall in love with them simply because they are different from the usual tips and tidbits. ¦ SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE.
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10 SMART TIPS FOR BETTER BEACH VACATIONS BY: THE MINITIME COMMUNITY.
Where do lifeguards look first when a child is lost on the beach?Whateverydayproduct makessandfallawayfromskin? How can you take the pain out of a jellyfish sting? MiniTime readersoffertheirbesttipsfora stress-free beach getaway.
separatedfromhisorherfamily onthebeach,wealwayslooked downwind.Why?Becausenine times out of 10 a little kid will follow the path of least resistance and walk with the wind. So if your preschooler goes missingonthebeach,tryfollowingthewind.-BeccafromJacksonville, FL
we are going on a beach vacation. I keep it in my beach bag. Sprinkle it on your skin and any clinging sand will fall right off. -Krista from Morris Plains, NJ
3. Having worked for years at the front desk of a hotel, I know thateveryhotelhasafewrooms 1. I was a lifeguard for many that are better than others — perhapsslightlymorespacious, years in Vero Beach, Florida. Whenever a young child got 2.I always bring baby powder if or with a nicer view. Making an 56
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effort to be nice to the front desk staff when you arrive can go a longwayingettingabetterroom. I always say, “This is a very special tripforus.”Weusuallyendupwith a wonderful room, and sometimes even an upgrade! -Cecilia from Santa Barbara, CA 4.Welovecollectingseashellsbut we have taught our kids not to collect“live”shellssuchasstarfish, www.firstclasstours.net
on our one-week summer getawaysimplybyheadingtoalake ratherthananoceanresort.Many resorts on large lakes have gorgeous,sandybeachesandnearly allthewatersportsyoufindatthe ocean.-CharlenefromCharlotte, 5.There’snothingmyfamilyloves NC morethanabeachvacation,but they can be pricey. In the past 6. Pack a small spray bottle filled few years, I’ve discovered that withvinegarinyourbeachbag.If we can easily save over $1,000 anyone gets stung by a jellyfish, sand dollars and sea urchins. In some top shelling destinations (suchasSandestin,Florida)taking a live shell can land you a very heftyfine.-CherylfromOakhurst, GA
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vinegartakesthestingout.-Nico- when we get to our destination, we stop at a dollar store and buy lette from Tampa Bay, FL our own beach toys and then 7.Wheneverwegoawaytoapop- usethemasmuchaswewantfor ular beach town, I tell my kids to muchless.Onourlastday,wepay keep their eyes open for coupon it forward by giving our toys to booklets in our hotel lobby and anotherfamily.”-KerrifromBend, at the entrances to restaurants OR and attractions. We always find discountsformealsandsightsee- 9. When we go to the beach, we ing, and it ends up adding up to alwaysbring a very bright yellow quitealotofsavings.-Mariefrom umbrella and set up our towels Manhattan Beach, CA and gear near a large landmark like a lifeguard station or jetty. It (MORE:Readparents’recommen- makes it easy for our kids to find dations for visiting Cape Cod.) their way back to us if they lose track of where they are on the 8.Beachhotelswilloftencharge beach, or if they are playing in anarmandalegtorentfunitems thewateranddriftabit.-Melodie like boogie boards and inner from Fairfax, VA tubesforjustafewhours.Instead,
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10. We brought my daughter to Hawaii when she was about 14 months old, and wanted to let her play in the water but also keephersafe.Oursolutionwasto buy a small inflatable baby pool, whichwesetupnexttoourbeach chairs. We filled the pool with a few inches of water, gave her a shovel and bucket, and let her havefun.Shestayedcoolandwe could keep an eye on her while she played. -Jeremy from Walla Walla, WA ¦ SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE.
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WHERE TO GO. WHAT TO DO.
m e M
A DEFINITIVE LIST OF THE BEST, HOTTEST, HIPPEST, COOLEST, DOWNRIGHT AWESOME GROUP TRAVEL IDEAS THIS SIDE OF... WELL ANYWHERE!
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s e ri
o m
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ICE LAND AND FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
ORIGINAL GREEK FESTIVAL
HOUSTON VIA COLORI STREET PAINTING FESTIVAL
THE NUTCRACKER
TIM MCGRAW & FAITH HILL IN CONCERT
SPECIAL MUSEUM EXHIBIT ON THE FUNERAL OF JFK
September 11, 2017 - January 7, 2018 @ Moody Gardens
November 18-19, 2017
October 7, 2017 @ American Airlines Center
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October 5-8, 2017 @ Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
November 24 - December 28, 2017 @ Wortham Theater Center
November 17, 2017 - February 19, 2018
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THE CHRISTMAS CAROL PLAY
LONE STAR CIRCUS CIRQUE JOYEUX
SAN ANTONIO BEER FESTIVAL
CORNER STORE COUNTRY RUN
SEAWORLD’S CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
CIRQUE DREAM HOLIDAZE
November 22 - December 28, 2017 @ Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre
October 21, 2017 @ Dignowity and Lockwood Parks
November 18 - December 31, 2017 @ SeaWorld San Antonio
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December 28, 2017 - January 1, 2018 @ Dallas Children’s Theater)
November 12, 2017 @ Freeman Coliseum
December 8-9, 2017 @ Tobin Center
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AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL
AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL
TURKEY TROT
HANDEL’S MESSIAH
BEIGNET FESTIVAL
NEW ORLEANS FILM FESTIVAL
October 6-8, 13-15, 2017 @ Zilker Park
November 23, 2017
October 7, 2017 @ New Orleans City Park Festival Grounds
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October 26 - November 2, 2017 @ Paramount Theatre and other locations
December 12, 2017 @ Hyde Park Baptist Church
October 11-19, 2017 @ various locations
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BOUDIN, BOURBON AND BEER
CAROLING IN JACKSON SQUARE
WINE WALK WEDNESDAYS
MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE LIGHT SHOW
November 3, 2017 @ Champions Square
October 4 - November 29, 2017 @ Downtown Baton Rouge
REINDEER RUN AND JINGLE BELL JOG
December 1, 2017 @ Downtown Baton Rouge, Lafayette Street and North Boulevard
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December 17, 2017 @ Jackson Square
November 17, 2017 @ Independence Park Theatre
THE HOSPICE OF BATON ROUGE’S ANNUAL HOLIDAY GALA: TREES OF LIGHT December 7, 2017 @ Lyceum Ballroom
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36 HOURS IN GALVESTON, TEX. BY: JEANNIE RALSTON
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017
Though it’s now known mostly as a frothy beach resort, this port city, population 49,000, has more character than most flip-flop playgrounds. It’s hard to believe that Galveston, situated on a needle of land 50 miles southeast of downtown Houston, was once the largest city in Texas or was ever home to a business district called the “Wall Street of the South.” That is, until you visit there. Though it’s now known mostly as a frothy beach resort with a cruise ship terminal and an amusement park built on a pier that extends about 1,130 feet into the Gulf of Mexico, Galveston
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(population, 49,000) has more character than most flip-flop playgrounds. Its history, as rich as that of Charleston, S.C., or New Orleans, is evident in the majestic downtown structures and in palmlined neighborhoods of Victorian homes painted in jelly bean shades. A devastating hurricane in 1900, which killed more than 6,000 people, couldn’t keep Galveston down. More recently, an enormous rebuilding effort in the 1980s started a new round of changes. Artists and entrepreneurs are filling downtown lofts and restaurants; these days many visitors come for the manufactured wonders as
well as natural ones along the shore.
Friday 1. JUMP RIGHT IN, 6 P.M. The sea has always shaped Galveston Island — physically, economically and psychically. So start your weekend on the water at Jimmy’s on the Pier, a cheery aqua-and-yellow restaurant and bar perched atop a fishing pier, with the rhythmic surf rolling beneath you. Try the Frozen Tropical Lemonade or KewlAide, a rum drink with cranberry and passion fruit juice ($8).
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2. KNOW YOUR FISH, 7:30 P.M. Galveston’s 17-foot-tall sea wall was built after the 1900 hurricane as part of the defense against destructive winds. The (sometimes flashy, sometimes gritty) boulevard that runs along the wall is lined with hotels, condos and restaurants. Some restaurants are throwbacks (the interior of the 106-year-old Gaido’s, for instance, is Sixties-in-Vegas vintage). One of the newest additions is BLVD. Seafood, which prides itself on its locally sourced ingredients, including the fish. The snapper and grouper — either blackened, grilled or pecan crusted — come with tags that allow you to use a smartphone to trace exactly where, when and on what ship it was caught. About $110 for two. 3. ART MEETS ALE, 10 P.M. Head inland for a nightcap, into the edgier downtown. The Proletariat Gallery and Public House, in a 19thcentury brick building, could be in SoHo, in New York, with its refined industrial vibe and tall windows. Calling itself a “collaborative exhibition and community space,” the Proletariat features rotating work by local artists, such as Anne Genung’s paintings that imagine Willie Nelson
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as other icons like Ziggy Stardust, Cookie Monster and Batman. Sixteen beers are on tap, including Galveston Island Brewing’s Tiki Wheat; another 50 kinds are available in bottles.
Saturday 4. SHIP AND SHORE, 8 A.M. East Beach — on the island’s sunrise-facing point — feels raw and secluded, which is why a morning walk here is so exhilarating. Ironically, an unnatural component of this region boosts the awe level. Massive freighters, on their way to dock in Galveston, round this point close to the land, appearing like Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons, almost floating above the dune grass. 5. TRAVEL LIKE A NATIVE, 9:30 A.M. In many beach communities, residents putter around in golf carts for errands or pleasure. Why should they have all the fun? Rent a golf cart for the day (or longer) at Coastal Cruizers — an ideal way to see the East End Historical District, more than 50 blocks between Broadway and Mechanic Street, and east of 19th Street. Here you will pass ornate specimens from Galveston’s Gilded Age — multigabled Victorians, regal Greek Revivals, wraparound porches. You will also see
a clever solution to the problem of fallen trees after Hurricane Ike in 2008. Several craftsmen have transformed stumps into works of art. For example, at 902 Ball Avenue are the remains of a camphor tree carved to look like a mermaid and a pod of dolphins emerging from the water. $125 per day for a four-seater cart. 6. HOUSE PROUD, 11:30 A.M. Now for the interiors. Many grand buildings are open for touring, such as the Moody Mansion (1895) and the Menard House (1838). But the rock star is Bishop’s Palace, constructed in the late 1880s by Galveston’s famous and prolific architect Nicholas Clayton. Built of multicolored stone for Col. Walter Gresham and his family, the threestory home with a raised basement features a turret, Romanesque and Tudor arches, a red-tiled roof, winged-lion statues and a 40-foot mahogany stairwell under an octagonal skylight. In 1923 the Roman Catholic Church bought it as a residence for Galveston’s bishop. Admission: $12. 7. COUNTER CULTURE, 1 P.M. The Star Drug Store is billed as the oldest pharmacy in Texas, but it isn’t filling
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prescriptions any longer. Head there for another feature of old drugstores: the lunch counter. Comfort food like grilled cheese sandwiches and burgers are made on a griddle in the middle of a U-shaped marble slab. Try the coconut cake that beckons from the glass case. About $26 for two.
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8. TEXAS AND BEYOND, 2 P.M. He started at age 10 with two classic Western handguns; today J. P. Bryan’s collection of art and artifacts has grown so enormous (70,000 items covering 12,000 years of Texas and Western history) that the businessman had to move it from his offices in
Houston to its own building in Galveston, a 122-year-old former orphanage that is as stunning as the objects inside. The newly opened Bryan Museum features important pieces such as the sword used to capture Antonio LĂłpez de Santa Anna after the Battle of San Jacinto, a buffalo hide Comanche shield and the protractor used to create the
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Texas-Mexico boundary in 1848. Fully interactive, with information-packed iPads by displays of silver saddles, ancient pottery and the like, the Bryan also showcases Texas artists. The ground floor, where 19th-century toys and a secret hiding place for the orphans were found, is especially poignant. Entrance: $14. 9. AROUND THE STRAND, 3:30 P.M. Don’t park the golf cart yet. Use it to meander through the Strand Historic District, where you can shop at island favorites like La King’s Confectionery. The vast store is filled with bins of licorice
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and gummy candy down one side, with a saltwatertaffy-making section in the back and a soda fountain on the other side. Also worth a visit is Nautical Antiques & Tropical Decor, which sells salvaged ship parts (anchors, steering wheels, portholes) and nautical gear. Many people say Galveston is haunted, and appropriately a store called Witchery sells paraphernalia — crystals, tarot cards — related to all things eerie and unexplainable. 10. TOP OF THE EVENING, 6:30 P.M. For another perspective, head to the open-air
Rooftop Bar in the Tremont House Hotel. From the fourth floor of this 1879 building, you will have views of the harbor and the elaborate facades and cornices of neighboring structures. The glow from the lighted manzanita tree situated among the sectional sofas adds magic. Heaters and blankets are on hand for chilly weather. 11. LATIN STYLE, 8 P.M. The exterior of Rudy & Paco’s is deceptively unexciting. Open the door and you feel as if you’ve walked into a private club. Lights are low; the bar is dark wood, as are the cabinets — each
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one bearing a small plate identifying the regular client who owns the bottles of wine stored within. Many local residents claim that this is the best restaurant in town, and there is no reason to argue. The menu is influenced by Central and South America, offering choices such as ceviche, ahi tuna in a jalapeño cream sauce and plantainencrusted chicken in a black bean sauce. The doesn’tget-better-than-this dish: pan-fried calamari tossed with caramelized onions and peppers. $160 for two.
Sunday 12. MORNING GLORY, 8:30 A.M. On the wall behind the cases of baked goods (gooey cinnamon rolls, fat muffins) at the Sunflower Bakery and Cafe is the word “EAT” in red letters. As if you need encouragement. Brunch dishes include
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eggs Benedict surf and turf, avocado toast with fried eggs, and shrimp and grits; $25 for two. 13. PADDLES UP, 10 A.M. End your visit kayaking through the mazelike waterways among the salt marshes. Because Galveston Island lies in a major bird migratory path, you can see a variety of splendid passer-throughs as well as permanent residents like pelicans, herons and ibis. Book private tours through the nonprofit conservation group Artist Boat. (Beginning in March, the group regularly schedules public tours.) As you paddle, you will learn about the ecology of salt marshes. You will also be given paper and a watercolor set to render the serene coastal scenery. Since you will use water right from the bay to mix the paints, you could say that you will actually be taking some of Galveston home with you.
Four-hour private tours, $100 a person; public tours, $50 a person.
Lodging You can’t miss the Hotel Galvez & Spa (2024 Seawall Boulevard; hotelgalvez. com), a grand resort in the tradition of the Greenbrier or the Breakers that sits like a sphinx along Seawall Boulevard. Built in 1911, the Galvez has an alluring, ofanother-era charm. Double rooms from $199. For something more modern, try the sleek Galvestonian (1401 East Beach Drive; galvestonian. com), a high-rise beachfront condo resort on the quiet east side of the island. Onebedroom units start at $265 per night. ¦ SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE.
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FCT NEWS FIRST CLASS IN EVERYWAY, Speaking of being ‘First Class in Every Way’ Whit Henderson and Joey Paras teamed up to provide exceptional service to casino passengers loading a few days ago. Whit assisted an ADA passenger and Joey greeted passengers and counted tickets as they loaded. Way to Go! Herman Tarkowski is pictured watering our flowers out front in uniform! Thanks, Herman! We love seeing our team going the extra mile!