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Costume was inspired by the one worn by Captain Barbossa in the Pirates of the Caribbean Movies.
"For sure, you have to be lost to find a place that can't be found, elseways everyone would know where it was" - Barbossa
View my Barbossa Costume 1 Here
This is the 3rd version of my Barbossa inspired Costumes.
For the costume pictured here, everything is more detailed then before and features a few more movie style construction details.
*Click on the images for a larger view
The costume includes a complete pirate coat with metal buttons, hand detailed cording, textured pirate green fabric and fully lined in black linen. Pockets are custom tailored welt pockets that provide plenty of room for stashing treasure of all kinds.
The pirate shirt is a made of a high quality linen and cut in a classic pirate captain style.
For the vest I actually used a Persian Rug fabric that I dyed and aged a bit. The lining is a high quality silk blend accented with bronze metal buttons.
The costume also includes linen pirate pants created in the Barbossa style with front buttons and lots of tailored details.
The Vest is finished off with an 100% silk golden pirate sash aged and dyed for a lived in look.
Welt pockets were added to the vest for ease of storing lots of items.
The back of the coat is fully detailed and seamed to create a historical look and feel.
Looking for your own Barbossa Inspired Costume? Please contact me for details…
**Thank you for looking at my costumes. Please note that I do not claim to have my costumes identical to the original movie versions. My costumes are inspired by versions to wear in daily life. I am not connected with any movie companies, the costumes you see here are not movie props, they are garments created by me for an inspired by look. All movie stills and pictures are used for research purposes only. Images were found through a search engine or stills were taken directly from the movies. **


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Balloon Sculptures
"BIG SMILE" balloon artists aren't just twisters, but truly balloon sculptors! We can make just about anything from a piece of latex and bit of hot air...from monkeys climbing trees to fishing rod catching a fish to wearable wacky "hats"--THIS IS AMAZING! We can stand in one place or move about to rove around the room...whatever your event calls for. At about 2 minutes per twist, we will make a ton of take-home favors for the duration of your event.

subset: commoncrawl


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My first house was built in the late 1950s or early '60s. It was a normal three-bedroom, two-bathroom house for those days. It was basically a rectangle with a central hallway down the middle and a box attached on one side that was the garage. If viewed from above it would look like a big "L" with about 1,300 square feet of living area and 400 square feet of garage.
When I bought it, Jimmy Carter was president and the garage had recently been converted to a family room. A new garage was attached to the other end of the house. Those changes would make it more like a "U" from space, with a courtyard as an entry in the middle.
I mention Carter because I want to take you back to those "good old days." If you recall, we were pretty dumb back in those days. Maybe dumb isn't the right word ... more like naive. There was this thing called the Oil Embargo and we were just not prepared for that type of thing. We were very much accustomed to having cheap energy, lots of it, and there were few consequences if we used it up because, at the time, we were putting in a pipeline to Alaska and there didn't seem to be anything to worry about. Or maybe that was just my 20-year-old view.
My house had wall heaters and swamp coolers. I was freezing in the winter and baking all summer long. I decided I needed to put in a modern forced air conditioning and heating system. I called in one of my brothers and he called in one of his friends who did air conditioning for a living but also did "side jobs" for cash ... and I do mean cash — no records, just greenbacks and that, I was told, is how I would save a bundle.
Just as a reminder, I was 20 years old. You know how that is, right? I was a pretty smart guy! All twentysomethings are smart, right? The good news is that you grow out of that. At some point, you realize how smart "old people" are. By the way, I've learned that old people are not actually smarter, we've just seen a lot more. The rare smart young people learn from all the fables and stories, but most of us have to learn the hard way.
The three of us went to an air-conditioning supplier where you supposedly had to know someone to pay cash for a unit. I passed over what was probably twice as much money as I should have and we loaded up my new air-conditioning unit on the my brother's truck. We didn't get duct work or thermostats, or anything else; just the unit.
When we got back to my house and unloaded the unit, I found out that the installation was going to cost twice as much as the unit. Moreover, after we all made our first-ever trip into my attic, I found out that my house had absolutely no insulation whatsoever. (Note: never buy an air-conditioning system before you check the attic out. As you'll see, there is no savings using this method.)
Not only did I not have enough money to pay for the unit's installation, I barely had enough for insulation. What I did have was a new air-conditioning unit, no paperwork to return it, and an empty savings account.
I wish I had a happy ending to this story. The new unit sat on my back patio for another year or more. My mother's air-conditioning unit broke down and I ended up putting my unit on her house. During that process, it eventually came to me that I had overpaid for the unit in the first place and I've always wondered who was paid what through that process.
There are lots of lessons in this story. Never try to get a "cash deal." Check your attic first. Get estimates from reliable people instead of people who "do work on the side." Never let a 20-year-old own a house ... I'm not sure where to start with that!
Whatever I paid for that unit and all the other dumb things I did in my 20s, there's no taking away all the invaluable lessons I learned. Some were more painful than others. Some still are, which explains why my shoulder hurts on real cold days.
OK, enough with the reflections and bashing the intelligence of 20-year-olds. Next week we'll get back to the story and talk about what should have been the first step: insulation.
Have a home improvement or real estate question or comment? Send it to Matt Le Vesque at P.O. Box 1527, Highland, CA 92346 or firstname.lastname@example.com and he will consider it for his column. Include your full name and city of residence. Le Vesque is a general engineering/building contractor and Realtor in Redlands.


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Vintage shops in central London
From boutiques to thrift stores, Time Out recommends the best vintage shops in central London
Don't think that a central London location means that shopping is limited to high street chains and designer boutiques. Vintage and secondhand shops are there if you know where to find them, like the W1 outpost of Absolute vintage, Lucy in Disguise – the ritzy showcase for Lily Allen's vintage collection – and off-the-radar places like Reign Wear and Peekaboo.
Vintage shops in central London
Absolute Vintage
Smaller than its east London counterpart, this Soho branch of Absolute Vintage moves away from the ramshackle, bursting-at-the-seams approach of its sister establishment, though it does share its focus on shoes. Lined up by the dozen on packed shelves, both men's and women's styles are arranged in meticulous order by colour and by type. So, if you're looking for a pair of gold loafers, black Dr Martens, or brown ankle boots, the search is made infinitely easier here. The boutique-style store also has a solid selection of bags as well as a back room packed with apparel. It's a whittled-down selection, helping you avoid a complete rummage-fest.
Blackout II
Venue says: "Affordable, high-end vintage fashion."
Blackout II was peddling vintage threads long before it became fashionable. For some 25 years, the Covent Garden store has specialised in antique apparel (largely dresses from the '20s and '30s) as well as more wearable men's and women's clothing and accessories from the '40s through to the '80s. The duplex store is heaving with stock, and you'll need a great deal of rummager's enthusiasm to prise through the stuffed rails, but incredibly knowledgeable staff, together with signs on rails indicating era, make the shopping experience a smidge easier. An ideal place to go if you're after a specific item from a specific decade.
Styling itself as a boutique - rather than a jumble-style vintage den - this classy store in the Newburgh Quarter is a great place to find occasion wear. Founders Emily Bothwell and Michael Caunter (the pair behind Topshop's long-loved Peekaboo vintage concession) have moved away from the colourful, secondhand party garb that made them so popular on the high street and have focused instead on the more exclusive, grown-up side of vintage. Designer gowns and day dresses meet clutch bags, hats and immaculately kept heels. As you'd expect, price tags reflect the ethos, with dresses starting at around £90.
What The Butler Wore
This brilliantly named store specialises in '60s and '70s fashion for men and women. Sandwiched between two cafes on Waterloo's Lower Marsh Street, the small but well stocked shop sells everything you need to pull off a polished retro look, from Mary Quant-style shifts and floral flares to kitten heels and maxi dresses which we can picture south London native Florence Welch stepping out in. Prices are reasonable, with shirts from £25 and dresses from £50, while gentlemen's jackets go from £45 to £80 for velvet trimmed suit jackets. Friendly staff are more than happy to let you rummage - particularly in the back where the furs, capes and evening dresses are kept alongside costume jewellery and accessories.
Reign Wear
A favourite among Soho's media types, this Berwick Street store is well stocked with unique buys. The owners head to Austria, Germany and Italy (among other European countries) to source apparel, so items have a fresh feel compared to vintage dens that rely on American and British secondhand. There's also real attention to detail when it comes to arranging stock: items that work well together are paired on rails, and clothing is largely colour-coordinated - it makes the process of fashioning a complete outfit almost effortless. Prices are fair given the central London location, and you could walk away with a striking Nordic wool cardie for £30.
Wow Retro
This airy secondhand store is filled - but not overstuffed - with affordable garments. Unusually, the men's section is up front, offering a choice selection of leather jackets, suit blazers (from £40), cool army coats and surprisingly, football shirts. The womenswear ranges from the '40s-'00s, although the last two decades err on tatty. There's a smattering of slightly dated designer clobber from Prada and Mui Mui, as well as Burberry trenches from £125 and Liberty print dresses from £30. If you're in the area, check out the additional men's and women's Wow Retro branches on Mercer Street, but don't expect to find pristine vintage; these items are well loved as opposed to lovingly preserved.
Vintage Showroom
An expertly curated selection of men's vintage awaits discerning gents in this Seven Dials boutique. Among the usual plaid flannel shirts and flat caps, the store sources an interesting edit of vintage military jackets and holdalls, quality tailoring and tweed, and a solid selection of designer coats from Barbour to Belstaff. Dead stock is also part of the mix, together with a few contemporary labels including the lovely knits of British brand, North Sea.
Sew Over It
Independent stitchers can drop in and sew at this informal sewing café, where machines can be hired for £5 an hour (including a pot of tea). For clueless crafters, there are a host of classes ranging from the broad – an introduction to sewing, for example – to specific workshops where you can learn how to make a pair of knickers, a make-up bag, or even a '50s dress.


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Most ladies who dance in strip clubs end up wearing nothing but a little jewellery and the shoes or boots they depend on for their exotic moves. For the audience, the look of whatever the lady is wearing is all that matters, but for the performer it is more than just looks that make the best pole dancing shoes or boots.
Category Archives: Pole Dance
How Important A Pole Dancer's Shoes Are To Her
When an exotic-dancing young lady is on the floor and wearing nothing but a pair of sexy high heel shoes, she is probably well aware that most of her audience's eyes are on her flesh. However, the lady needs to feel confident and attractive. This is not easy when naked in front of others, but the shoes she wears can make all the difference. There are a couple of good reasons why a pair of pole dancing shoes can make the lady performing feel good about herself and her performance.
Firstly, and most importantly, she has to be safe. This may sound daft or obvious, but any kind of pole dancing involves a certain risk of twisting an ankle or a heel breaking off. This would not only ruin the performance and embarrass her. It is also likely to cause loss of earnings from not being able to perform for a while. Not just any high heel shoes can be worn when performing a pole dance. The right kind of shoes need to be worn for appearance, comfort and durability. Having an accident on the stage or floor is of course the worst scenario, but the performing ladies also need the confidence in their footwear that this won't happen, otherwise their dance will be affected by the way they feel.
Secondly, pole-dancing ladies need to feel good about themselves, especially their appearance. In everyday situations, they can rely on clothing to make them look and feel attractive to others, but when naked on stage, they only have their moves and their shoes. Their own flesh is not exciting or novel to them, as they've had it all their life. They can only get excited or feel a special about what they're wearing. Their dance shoes are just about their only tools and they're extremely important. Some ladies new to the business may presume that any pair of platform shoes or dancing shoes will do the job, but this is not the case. While some might believe it to be glorified prostitution or 'a-go-go Thai style' they should understand that pole dancing is a form of art and even some universities and colleges even hold pole dancing classes for those who want to do it professionally.
In summary, although some people don't take pole dancing seriously, it is a well-paid profession which has its risks and requires the right tools and training. The only tools available to the performing ladies are her shoes. They should be safe and comfortable, but sexy and make her feel good about how she looks on the floor.


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The reality star shopped til she dropped at the Agent Provocateur store in Los Angeles, California– leaving the store with a huge gold shopping bag. She kept her own style casual-chic though, opting for a tan shirt, purple jacket and destroyed-denim jeans.
Over the weekend, Kim and her sisters partied at Tao in Las Vegas — as did Kim's future husband Kris Humphries — in a joint bachelor-bachelorette party. Although they vowed to kept the parties separate, Kim eventually crashed Kris' bachelor party.
While no wedding date has been confirmed for Kim and Kris, rumors have been flying lately that mid-to-late August might be when the duo takes the walk down the aisle.
Last month, Kim was spotted shopping in New York City, stopping by Vera Wang's shop to look at wedding dresses. Seems like she might be following in sister Khloe Kardashian's footsteps.
What do you think? Is Wang the one for Kim? Sound off in the comments! Be sure to follow Celebuzz on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr for more Kardashian news and pics!


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Friday, August 19, 2016
text and article, scott chandler article, revolt in style magazine
By Andrew Smith
Photos by Aaron Goulding (unless noted)
Photos by Aaron Goulding (unless noted)
It's become cliche´ to be a surfer in San Diego. Every stretch of coast from Imperial Beach to the Orange County line seems to be home to droves of faceless buoys, bobbing silently in the sea. Each car seems to be carrying a surfboard on its roof while zinc-screened groms peer through the windows. And why not? San Diego is a remarkably fortunate zone from a surfer's perspective. Moderate weather and water temperature couple with easy coastal access and the kind of surf infrastructure that make learning to surf convenient. Surf camps raise children to be surfers while their parents deal with their midlife crises by waxing up and hitting the waves.
But in the midst of the great crush of superficially stoked surf dabblers there are those who earn the right to be called true watermen. Scott "Channy" Chandler stands as a paradigm in this regard. He has been scuba certified since he was eleven. He holds the world record for catching a 170 pound mako shark off of a surfboard. He has competed with legends like Joey Buran and Mark Occhilupo. He is the only San Diego surfer seeded into the prestigious Jaws Invitational big wave event. He is a transcendent surfer.
"I've always been a stoked surfer, but I've also always had a hunger to push myself in new directions with my surfing." says Chandler. In the mid eighties Scott Chandler embarked on a journey that would change the course of his life forever. Finding himself enthralled by the surfing life he made his way to Mecca, the North Shore of Oahu. While on the island enjoying the warm water and fantastic surf, Chandler learned to shape surfboards under iconic craftsmen Dick Brewer and Owl Chapman. He also challenged himself with waves that had real consequence, far different than those he found at home in San Diego. "Pipeline is where I really cut my big-wave teeth," Chandler recalls. "I got to surf with Gerry Lop ez and all the big names but it was that spot that is the real star in my mind." Hawaii is where he developed a taste for large waves and discovered his talent for riding the pacific beasts.
There is not a whisper of wind moving across the water where Chandler sits on his Jet Ski, ready to be towed into sixty foot waves at Cortez Bank. These treacherous and awe-inspiring mountains of water appear in the middle of the ocean some hundred miles off of the San Diego coastline. Here, powerful swells push onto submerged undersea mounts to produce the incredible waves Chandler has come to ride. Chandler remembers, "In the 80's a fisherman told me about the waves at The Bank. I just thought there was no way he was right. It turns out there really are these amazing big waves in this surreal location. " As his surf session plays out Scott finds himself exhilarated by the experience, while somehow finding calm at his center. It seems big-wave surfing brings Chandler to a point of understanding, almost ecstatic recognition of how fortunate he is to be at play with nature's most amazing forces. "I've always felt excitement and fear with big waves. It's that fear that draws me to it. It teaches me about my limits." Chandler confides.
Scott Chandler is not all about big waves and jaw dropping feats. As an early adopter of the standup paddleboard phenomenon, Chandler has had the opportunity to explore the nuance and capabilities of the discipline. He has ridden standup boards in double overhead barrels in mainland Mexico and used them to cruise the mellow summer days in his local surf spots. Today, you will find his image displayed heavily in standup paddle publications of all kinds. "Some people don't like the standup thing," Chandler notes. "People don't like change. I embrace it and look at it as a new exploration."
Chandler uses his accumulated experience to create fantastic surfboards, standup paddleboards, kiteboards, and all manner of other watercraft. He also does stunt work, film work, and water safety at big wave surf events. Making his living as a surfer and surfboard shaper has brought him deep satisfaction personally. Now, Chandler is giving to others through his talents. Recently, Chandler participated in a fundraising endeavor to raise money supporting animal charities. Not surprising for a surfer who has won the Coronado Surfing Dog competition with his canine companion four years in a row. He is even teaching his pot-bellied pig to surf.
Scott Chandler demonstrates the most compelling aspects of what being a surfer can mean. He is physically healthy, emotionally grounded, and singularly devoted to interacting with nature at peak levels. He finds the joy grown from years of living a surfer's life to both enrich him personally and benefit those around him. A committed father, Chandler shows that surfers can responsibly balance home responsibilities with the ever-present draw of the ocean. Amongst hoards of San Diego surf-clones, Scott Chandler has stood as an original for years. He will continue to stand as a unique individual as he extends his exploration of surfing performance.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Text, Pendoflex, Slide surfing magazine
By Andrew Smith
February 2012
Special people often come from special places.
There is a place that seems to exist in the common sub-consciousness of all surfers. A place we know by intuition and experience that exists in each coastal community. It is a place where perfection is not expected but is the fruition of daydreams and preparation joined. A place where each dazzling session is balanced with countless anonymous others. A place where the familiarity of coast, beach, reef and waves is matched by the comfortable glances from co-conspirators out to stoke their salty fire. Here is a trail to the quality known wave and another to that lonely back beach where a handful of average but empty waves can serve as an outlet, an escape. Here the young battlers find their niche alongside aged monks, settled in the sea both. This is a place of familiarity, of identity, of comfort and of conformity.
From these places come characters who slip into familiar roles. We know them at a glance. The competitive hopeful with tell-tale white board, sodden with the labels of surfing profiteers, walks the shore just as the wide-eyed novice ambles by. The yoga mom with her new board, all plumerias and poses, marches along the same path as the coffee dependent daily-dawn mysto-man. In our minds we are sure of the roles these characters fill. We have mapped the universe of beach, ocean, wave and rider.
But search with patience and persistence and you may come to find the exceptions. There are places where the rules are just a tad different. Yes, the facade seems familiar. But the fundamental understandings and actions of some surf zones are simply unique. From these unique places come unique people.
South San Diego's Steve Pendarvis has been blessed with residence in one of these unique surf zones. His area boasts the rare combination of quality waves and managed crowds. Discipline and tradition have earned a measure of order among the reefs and beaches in his backyard.
As unusual as this is, the people of this area are even more remarkable. They are creative and experimental folks who feed their thirst for surf with equal parts progressive modernism and respect for traditions. The local surfers are inheritors of a radical heritage that requires experimentation and innovation in search of a complete surf experience. Steve Pendarvis came of age in this area and has developed his singular vision for surfing and design as a result.
Steve "Pendo" Pendarvis, now 57 years old, has been beach-side since he was a child. One of six siblings, Steve was born to a loving family who encouraged free days of fun and exploration on the shores of Ocean Beach, Steve's natural rhythms have long been set to the tides. One of the first photographs of Steve shows him as a baby laying atop a Tom Blake styled kookbox paddleboard with his father proudly smiling alongside.
His friends, too, brought him to the shore. It was routine for troupe of neighborhood kids to find their way to the local beach where the beginnings of Steve's surfing life took root. "My mom or another mom in the neighborhood would pick up the neighborhood kids, when we were just nine and ten years old, and drop us off at Ocean Beach with our surf mats." Pendarvis recalls, "We would just try to run over the tourists and have terrible fun."
Those early years of enthusiastic wave play evolved quite naturally into the thoughtful design and creation of surfcraft. Even in his pre-teenage years Pendarvis began to explore what could be done to maximize his fun on a wave. "I would build paipos and bellyboards from the time I was ten." Pendo remembers, "It was just what I did, build things." Steve found that the creation of surf craft suited him. He was both capable at designing and fabricating his visions.
Before long he had turned his home into a stoked surf-rat's laboratory. "Between 1965 and '70 I made boards in my garage at home." recalls Pendarvis, "Later I built a shed out back where we made our own boards and skateboards." These formative days proved to be instrumental in allowing Pendarvis to emerge as the ingenious creator he is today. "That shed is where I first got together with guys like Stanley (Pleskunas), Ben Ferris, John Riddle and Stevie Lis. We would really dig into surf design in my shed and in their zones." Steve remembers fondly.
During this same period Steve made his way to the local reefs, opening his world to more consistent, high quality test tracks for his sea machines. "My big brother kind of introduced me to the reefs." Steve says, "He found a balsa longboard at a local reef and re-shaped it for me into a 7'-11. The moment I started surfing those waves it was all I could think about. I would ride my bike down to the beach after school, grab a board I had stashed in the bushes and hit the surf. I did it hundreds of times."
Along with exposure to the waves came full membership in the local tribe of surfers- a position not easily gained and highly coveted even today. Among Pendarvis' cohort of the time were legendary names and iconoclasts. Fish fountainhead Steve Lis carved his high-speed knee runs across the zone's green walls. Fin guru Larry Gephart and surf innovator Stanley Pleskunas made the cove beaches and pristine reefs their territory. Rich "Toby" Pavel found his shaping muse beneath the sandstone cliffs while the enigmatic Bunker Spreckels called Azure Vista home as well.
Among all of these characters a shared passion was found. Each was seriously surf-stoked and each was seriously ready to challenge the norm in search of the best materials, design, and construction techniques to satisfy their thirst for surfing. "It was a special time, place and space that allowed for the perfect attitude for experimentation" recalls Steve Lis. A camaraderie emerged. Lis adds, "We drew inspiration from one another. We would torment each other, yes. But we would encourage each other endlessly." Boards were ridden, altered on the beach and ridden again. Garages were operating rooms where surfboards were modified on a thoughtful whim in hopes of performance gains.
In the middle of all of this, the strand of surfboard design that would define Pendarvis' career began to emerge. "It all came from Greenough." Steve says, "We (Pendo, Stanley (Pleskunas), Scat (Steve Scatolini), Zigs (Rick Vorce) and others) started trying to make flexible boards you could stand up on. Some were right, and some were wrong," Steve's experimentation took consistent direction with Greenough inspired shells and other flex machines being made in succession. Progress was being made and Steve was enjoying testing his prototypes amid his beloved reefs and open-minded friends. "We were all a bunch of idealistic kids in the 60's." remembers surf designer Stanley Pleskunas, "Our ideas on the importance of flex and the informational feedback a flexible board can offer a rider overlapped back then. We were inspired by Greenough and found our little zone a perfect place to continue our explorations." Work continued in this way throughout the 1970's and into the '80's while Steve worked multiple jobs and attended school at UCSD.
During these years, Steve had the fortune of being formally introduced by a common surfing friend to his wife, Cher. The two had surfed the same waves since their teen years but had never really known each other until their introduction. They quickly realized that they shared a deep passion for surfing and the creative spirit of their locale. "Steve really blossomed when he met Cher." Recalls San Diego Surf legend Skip Frye. Before long Steve and Cher were creating and surfing together. Indeed, even today Cher will paint Steve's boards in comfortable, creative collaboration just as she did during those halcyon years.
Those happy days were not to last. Circumstances conspired to force Pendarvis' hand towards a more lucrative but draining professional life. Steve had made his wages by working on surfboards for years but now he found himself putting his significant design and fabrication knowledge to work on large projects in San Onofre. For thirteen years his surfing time dwindled as did opportunities to continue his surfboard design work. "I was working a lot of hours. When I had a regular forty hour work-week it felt like a vacation." Pendo recalls, "I had to make boards on Christmas Day because I only had that time to spare." By no means did Pendarvis' excitement for board design wane. "During the times while working another job to make a living, my internal passions for board building still applied." He recalls. Steve felt an increasing desire to devote himself completely to surfboard design and construction. It was time for a change. He returned to the shaping bay and glassing room on a full-time basis.
The familiar routine of board building and work in surfboard glassing factories fit Pendarvis perfectly. The steady paycheck guaranteed stability while flexibility in his schedule allowed for pursuit of his design work and board tinkering. Steve reclaimed the mental space to once again expand the vision of what surfboards are and how they should function, just as Steve had been doing since his teenage years with his progressive friends on his local beaches.
In 1990 Pendarvis' seminal innovation was developed. Born of experimental days on the shore in the 1960's, Steve had long used cutaway channels to allow the tail of a board to flex and twist during turns, creating shorter turning radii and allowing for more nuanced application of force during turns. But this design had a flaw. "The cutaways would allow all of the energy built up in the flex of the tail to escape." Pendarvis states, "Then a lightbulb went off and I closed the tail. I also developed a cantilevered tail section and the Pendoflex technology in the tail." The solution was quickly put into play in a Pendo surfboard and sent to the testing grounds. It was an immediate success. "We were all trying flex tails at different points." Remarks Steve Lis. "They worked really well but kind of inconsistently. Pendo stuck with it and has perfected it." The design allowed all the advantages of Pendo's past iterations but without the loss of energy through turns. Pendarvis describes the function of the board succinctly, "It's the same distance from the bottom turn to an off-the-lip, but with the torque-tail you gain the feeling of speed and control within that curve." These "torque-tail" boards became the calling card of Pendarvis' design work and his Pendoflex surfboard label, easily recognizable and sublimely functional.
The design elements that allow for Pendarvis' boards' variable flex are hidden under a plasticized material on the deck. It is an ingenious design that allows for both a fantastic functional result and an aesthetically pleasing finish. The torque tails themselves are created through a series of modulated volume changes in the tail of the board that allow for flex in multiple directions. Steve Pendarvis' boards had achieved variable flex that was both functional and practical to create. Pleskunas says, "He has developed a concept about not only how the board and fin(s) should flex and move, but he has also invented the means to build and execute that vision." Indeed, the boards function sublimely and are pleasing to the eye. They are also surprisingly durable despite the torsion applied to the tail of the boards. "The best flex tail boards for my surfing have been Pendo's boards." Free surfing icon Dave Rastovich remarks, "They have just the right amount of flex and have lasted quite a few years without losing spring and liveliness, I think that is a huge accomplishment."
The functionality of the torque-tails is an immense asset, but it is not the single element that makes Pendo's designs successful. However innovative Pendarvis' flex tails are, they are nothing when considered in isolation. Pendo combines proven curves and tuned volumes with custom fins that have been created for each particular board. "Steve's vision is common to very few designers who consider the board and fin(s) as an integrated unit." Pleskunas states, "He has the knowledge and technical ability to execute his vision on a board-by-board basis." Indeed, even the technology that allows for the flex patterns in the torque-tail boards is customized for the specific board, rider and wave for which it was made. Whether the board is a classic fish straight from Azure Vista or a modern shortboard crafted to handle Hawaiian juice each Pendoflex board is a truly custom machine.
Surfers of all kinds have raved about Pendarvis' designs with unequivocal enthusiasm. The boards have found merit under the skilled feet of riders around the world. Notable figures such as David Rastovich, Gavin Beschen, Cyrus Sutton and Tyler Warren have enjoyed their unique feel. Rastovich states, "Steve is a subcultural surfing guru and has so much collected surfing knowledge to call on. I think I am a very lucky cat to have gotten a custom board." Of course, local icons like Skip Frye and Steve Lis revel in the experience of riding a Pendo creation and have collaborated with Pendarvis on multiple occasions. A host of other surfers, primarily from the San Diego region, swear by Pendoflex boards.
Some might question whether Pendarvis' unique design might be suited too narrowly for the waves of his beloved Azure VIsta, limiting the application of the design significantly. However, time and again those who have dared to use Pendo's boards in waves of consequence have been satisfied. Gavin Beschen, a North Shore free surfer writes, "The flex effect on the tail makes it really easy to engage the rail, producing very responsive turns even on double-overhead waves." Further, the design is versatile enough to handle a range of heavy-water conditions. Underground charger Chapman Murphey recalls, "One south (swell) I took the red eye to Maui and scored Ma'alaea. The board loved the fastest wave in the world and was screaming through one race track after another. The flex in the tail contorts to the face of the wave in the tube and naturally accelerates the board through sections." Murphey has recently taken to riding Pendoflex boards in enormous Mexican beachbreak barrels. "Pendo made me a 6'5", 13 pound quad. I got to ride this board on a massive day in a draining Mexican beach break and I drove it through a twenty foot barrel. Steve's Pendoflex worked again."
The unique nature of Pendarvis' "torque tail" technology seems to be an obvious entrance into the world of trademarks, proprietary rights, legal branding and the like. Steve, though, rejects these issues on all accounts, preferring to make his surf craft a homegrown affair. "My business, if you want to call it that, has always been about developing quality rather than quantity." Pendarvis states. Long time friend Stanley Pleskunas adds, "In a world where most builders aspire to getting paid and gaining fame, Pendo has quietly put his passion to work. The result is a new and completely unique genre of wave riding craft. This is a rare accomplishment for an individual in any discipline."
Simply, Pendarvis declines to follow the opportunistic trend of many experienced board builders. While many renowned shapers have transitioned to a primary role as businessman, putting the responsibility for design in the hands of others and relying heavily on computers for board fabrication, Pendarvis has remained devoted to the core of his work. "I don't want to be sitting at a desk." Pendo states with conviction, "I want to work on my craft." Perhaps this is a significant shortcoming. Despite all of the accolades that his boards have received he still exists as a niche board-builder, fulfilling the fancy of those in the know rather than the masses. Pendarvis would not have it any other way.
Steve prefers to deal with his clients with personal care. "He is quite intuitive about the needs of the surfer." Cher Pendarvis says, "Steve likes to talk with each customer carefully and consider all of the needs of their surfing." The individual attention that Pendarvis gives to his customers allows him to construct boards that suit his clients' needs ideally. "Since I build each board from start to finish and have the chance to really dial-in the volume, foil, fins and of course the flex characteristics, I can give my customers a great end product." Steve says. Sure enough, each Pendoflex board is of the highest quality and is unique in its ride and appearance.
In a marketplace where surfboards are increasingly manufactured as another "sporting good" item, prosperity becomes difficult for the craftsman who works on one board at a time, for one customer at a time. "I make boards from A to Z." Says Pendarvis, "I shape, paint, glass, sand, polish and make the fins for my boards. I'm working for five dollars an hour but I don't even care because I'm passionate about the work I'm putting out." Pendarvis' loyal customers have kept the order book filled for Steve while word of mouth and grassroots Internet publicity have been consistently beneficial to his simple business. Proof that there are some surfers who appreciate the personal and functional work of Pendarvis is evidenced in his constant correspondence with interested parties from around the world. Still, there can be times of scarcity. Fortunately, the richness of his work is satisfying to Steve.
Even with the challenges of subsisting by creating surfboards, Steve Pendarvis finds avenues to continue the experimentation and innovation that began so many years ago. Pendarvis' truck camper, a veteran Baja battler, holds two of the most unique surf craft ever created. They are black surfboards with solid cores that have been shaped, glassed and then "skinned" with one-and-a-half inches of industrial foam. This foam possesses remarkable flex memory and covers the entire exterior of the board. "My Black Labs are experiments in neutral rail." explains Pendarvis, "They basically have one-and-a-half inches of jellyfish around the whole of the rail. It flexes to the wave face and recovers. You can actually see it subtly conforming to the face of the wave. It works unreal. I can turn wherever I want on the wave without resistance." These prototypes are unheard of anywhere else in the surf world. Not surprising offspring from a mind that experimented with finless boards in 1977 and has made parabolic stringers out of fishing poles for over two decades.
The mind boggles as the future-primitive prototypess that are Pendo's "Rubber Duckies" are revealed. The boards are squat little things with outlines that find the pretty place between a paipo and a fish. They have plasticized foam inlays that allow a modicum of flex similar to the Pendoflex boards that are Steve's mainstay. Young surf stylist and artist Tyler Warren recalls after riding the Ducky, "The board flew down the line and gave a feeling of detachment. It had the ability to break the fins free with ease, mastering 360's in both directions. The board had just the right amount of hold and flex." Balanced with the board's innovative touch there is also a nod to the past. "The Duckies grew from a trip to Hawaii we took to visit some friends." Recalls Cher, "We were inspired by some friends who were riding traditional paipo boards and also by Stevie Lis' experience making and riding paipos as a youngster, which later inspired his first fish kneeboards. We thought it might work to combine some of the characteristics of the fish and paipos."
Pendo uses the designs of the past to inform his current work. Pendarvis has owned and worked on a wide variety of historic boards, mostly of San Diego origin. They have been Steve's research library and he studies them doggedly. "I love to study surfboards. I'll go up to the Surfing Heritage Foundation and just stare and consider the boards. Cher has to pull me away from them." Pendarvis says as he runs his hands over a 1940's era Bob Simmons board.
The Simmons board, a true rarity, has been entrusted to Pendarvis in hopes of a miraculous rehabilitation. The old soldier is showing its age as well as its maker's genius. It is missing glass and chunks of wood. It has no fin and nearly no nose. Yet the board's owner has trusted Steve Pendarvis to bring it back to life. The earnestness and sincerity of Pendarvis are in no doubt. He is trusted with confidence by all those who know him. "Pendo is a good guy and a trusted friend." States Skip Frye. Steve Lis echoes this sentiment, "He is so creative, genuine and hard-working." It might be said that his diligent commitment to hard work is the single greatest asset in Pendarvis' possession. Stanley Pleskunas states, "The overarching element that has allowed Steve's success is his outstanding work ethic. If Pendo is not surfing he is building. If he is not building he is designing. If he is not doing one of these things he is on his way to go get them done."
Pendarvis' trustworthiness and all-around quality of character are matched in volume by his never-ending stoke. Everywhere he goes he brings a smile and a story. Steve has never attempted to master the surfer's apathetic stare or non-plussed affect. He is energized by surfing and all its paraphernalia in a contagious manner. "Pendo is classic! He is always full of positive energy and stoke." Tyler Warren relates. It is difficult to be around Pendarvis and not be stoked about surfing yourself.
But there are some who might question Steve. He is unusual. He is innovative. He strikes an unconventional countenance with his full mustache, long-socks and semi-opaque glasses. He carries a reputation as a mild eccentric. But his idiosyncrasies are both endearing and descriptive of a man consumed with passion for his work. "Steve Pendarvis hasn't changed since the first time I laid eyes on him." Pleskunas states, "Pendo's enthusiasm for what could be, is as vibrant now as when we were kids." "He's a real live-wire." Frye adds, "He's like a mad scientist"
On the whole, those who know Steve celebrate his unique character, and not just his chronological contemporaries. Josh Hall, a skilled and traditionally grounded young surfboard shaper from San Diego remarks, "I have a lot of respect for Pendo. He is always doing far-out stuff and making it work. He even restored one of my favorite fish." Cyrus Sutton, surfing's new-media golden-boy, revels in Pendarvis' vision and creativity. "I identify with him and admire his work. I'm interested in people who follow their personal inspiration to connect with surfing and the ocean regardless of outside influence or possible financial gain. Pendo has gone down that rabbit hole as far as anyone and he has made some fantastic creations."
An industrial building in central San Diego has housed Steve Pendarvis' surfboard building space for nearly twenty years.. There, he dedicates himself to being a full-time board builder- the only sensible choice for a man who has been building boards without pause from the time he was ten-years old. He exclusively devotes his time to design work, board building and testing his crafts in the water. "It gives me freedom and a chance to invest in building the best boards possible." Remarks Pendo.
Steve Pendarvis' life trajectory developed through years along the shores of his unique surf zone. Indeed, Steve credits his environs with channeling his talents so particularly. "It was just the fortune of having the time and space to surf our brains out and experiment." Pendarvis says, "I had those guys who were a little older than me to work with and play off of and it made a big difference." The creative spirits with whom Steve matured and the access to his prized surf locale was a profound gift to Pendarvis' creative process- a process that continues to look into the future.
Steve and Cher Pendarvis' home sits minutes from the treasured shores of their inspiration. The living room of their quaint California bungalow is populated by several surfboards- each named and placed in a position of honor as though they were as likely to breathe as anyone who might ride them. The walls are hung with pictures of beloved friends and beloved shores. There are frames with the smiling couple standing together, boards underarm, clearly connected by a common passion. Pendarvis' work spaces have been filled with a treasure-trove of surf totems. They have been host to representative boards from all throughout surfing's history. Amongst the Lis/Pendarvis collaboration boards and the classic Skip Frye fish awaiting repair one might find boards from every decade of California surfing. Pendo has touched each decade with his own hand, crafting boards of vision and fearless innovation from one year to the next. Today he continues on this path, creating remarkably modern designs that are informed by the past and inspired by his years of surfing and creating in his unique way.
The Pendarvis Experience
By Rich Pavel
Steve Pendarvis is an individual within a community of individuals.
My impressions grow from knowing the Brythonic Celtic clan of the Pendarvis family of creatives from which Steve hails. His brother Larry was a pioneer of the "Back to the land" movement up in Oregon. Joyce- a super-cool, sweet and principled mom. Sister Patrice has made a very fine reputation for herself and lives as an artist on the same sacred outer-island where my surfshop "The Greenroom" was founded in 1970. One of my favorite early boards was one he built for Patty.
I remember so many things about the household. The heady and hilarious wrestling bouts on the backyard lawn amongst the lads between laminations and followed by hot coats. It was the era of backyard soul, homegrown and anti-establishment. Non-commercial boards were the only type allowed in the lineup. Boards were started at dusk and were then surfed at dawn in your trusted "Surf & Sea" wetsuit- your suit still cold, wet and sandy from the prior evening's session. Having the creation of your board inseminated with the DNA drawn from that week's running ground swell was all that mattered. You lived for total involvement. Acetone, catalyst, resin fumes and dust wafted through the air out back. Music cranked on vinyl spinning to accompany the open and often revolving door policy on the way in. Always an impressive cast of talent hanging out.
Some of the early peak memories were like bonfire epics burning around week long orgies of "Wibbulator" flex-board building, applications and installations. Anybody from Billy Greta or the Biehls to Mike McDonald and the Pleskunas' or the ever gifted Rick "Ziggy" Vorce were likely luminaries found within the applied science compound/bohemian think-tank of the Pendarvis family property. It was a little like when I was living in Montecito and going over for visits at the Greenough Estate. Anything and everything was on. No limits as to what could be explored, felt and thought.
I still enjoy and respect the whole family from the top right on down to the last sibling. When you really get Steve going he's more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Creative, fun to watch surf, good natured more often than not, industrious as well as intuitive, smart and solution oriented. His wife Cher is an absolute peach! The Greenroom sends him as much work as we can. Long live the Pendo-flex!
PendoFrye: Steve Pendarvis
Skip Frye's planer whirs and then rests. Board A1000 is completed. It is his one-thousandth board at his current shaping shop. The board is an elegant craft of some length, carved from a foam blank of unfortunate material integrity. The foam is irregular in density with a dangerous consistency warranting a bit of concern about potential durability. No matter. The board is glassed with a golden glow and sent to hunt.
A sunny afternoon at Rincon greets Skip as he enters the water on the board. He is there to celebrate fifty years of surfing. Stoked as ever, his first wave takes him the length of the point. He finds his muse- all glide and regal positioning.
Months later the verdict is in. The foam has failed and A1000 may be lost. Skip has an idea, "Hey Pendo, what do you think about Pendo-izing the board?" Before long the dear friends are hitched to the idea. The dialogue moves quickly as a plan takes shape. Pendo will resurrect Skip's big board and Skip will reciprocate by shaping Steve and his wife Cher a board of their own. They themselves have been surfing for almost five decades and will certainly appreciate a new Frye gem to add to their quiver.
Steve Pendarvis evaluates the patient. The foam is virtually a powder. The board will have to be rebuilt and then given the magical Pendo treatment- dynamic flex the goal. Foam is removed, stringers planed down and new foam added. Customized Pendoflex alterations are integrated into the boards now structurally sound midsection and tail. A gorgeous black foam inlay is installed over the old problem areas. Skip's iconic logo is etched onto the new foam. A1000 is whole again.
Skip and the Pendarvis' gather together for the board's presentation. They share so much; a love for the ocean and a common Christian faith are fundamental. Pendo explains the challenges with the rehabilitation of the board. Skip smiles and marvels at Pendo's ingenious work. Cher snaps a few photos and joins in, sharing the stoke. The swell is up. It is time for the board to head to the test track.
"It rides better than it ever did!" Skip grins, "Steve brought it back to life!" A few sessions confirm the result. The board has been enhanced and transformed. it is stunning to view and its flex properties are perfect for Skip. "It's got a lot of life to it. You have to be aware of your movements because the board is just alive under your feet." He nods his head and runs his hand over the new deck of the board. "Fine work, just great."
A Matter of Attitude: Steve Pendarvis
A dusty trail shows layers of footprints, evidence of barefoot surfers trekking to an escape. They have left behind their daily lives to descend in search of a moment of inspiration among the green lines sent from the horizon to crash upon sacred reefs at the base of walls of sandstone. The surfers file by in near silence, expressions of anticipation grace their faces.
"Woo! I got mine!" The silence falls. From atop the cliff Pendo's voice rings out, giddy joy fills the morning's void. He holds his hand up. A long black cylinder unfurls to reveal an unlikely wave craft. Steve Pendarvis has brought his surf mat out to play. The surfers in the water, including two other surf mat riders, smile.
In moments he is kicking out through the water, bouncing atop his inflatable mat and grinning. He strokes past the inside, greeting familiar faces while watching waves roll across the reef. It is his home. It is his playground.
Pendarvis spins and kicks into a right-reeler. Zipping along the reef's edge, he dips his hand into the wave's face, sliding sideways and stalling in the critical cavern. He exits and continues on, mustache dripping, a smile on his face. "Hey, nice to see another mat rider out here." He says, "Great mat waves for sure."
Sets upon sets and rides upon slides, Pendo puts his mat through its paces with clear pleasure. "Let's go!" he shouts and two mats drop into one peeler. The mats weave and race, riders finding trim lines and speed bursts as their peculiar vehicles flex, conforming to the face of the wave. They bump into each other. Smiles. They crash in the whitewater ingloriously. Smiles.
"They are just stoke machines!" Pendo exclaims. Mats have been a consistent diversion for Pendarvis since his youth, when he would use them as tourist target-agents on summer days. Later Steve would transform storm condition surf into a playground, hurling him self over the edge of hideous mounds for the thrill of it. On a mat the consequences weigh not so heavily while the joy of the ride remains fantastic.
Of course there is a common thread. Greenough flex-spoons, Pleskunas shells, Pendarvis torque tails, and mats- guess the common ingredient. "Ever since I saw Greenough on his flexspoon (kneeboards) my friends and I have been playing with flex." Pendarvis remarks. "The mats are just the ultimate example of that. They can bend into any part of the wave. The mats inspire some of my ideas for boards."
In the last few years Pendo's mat riding has staked claim to a growing portion of his water time. "During the summer I'm probably about seventy-five percent on my mat. Even during the winter I'm on it a lot- it's always with me when I go to the beach." With a quiver of a half-dozen mats, courtesy of mad mat-genius Paul Gross, it seems clear that mat surfing is not just a diversionary sideshow to Pendarvis' main act. The man is mat obsessed.
A mat rider is not on the vanguard of cool. He is not idolized or admired. He is not granted an ounce of leeway in the lineup. He is not the photographer's subject. In fact, most of the time a mat rider is not particularly compelling to watch. A mat rider is not interested in any of these things. A mat rider is stoked. Steve Pendarvis is stoked.
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text: Smoke filled the room as Carter sat alone in his apartment taking hits off his cigarette with one hand and clutching his new copy of Alice in Wonderland in the other. He had received it when he was forced to say goodbye to her. The image of Noel when he saw her for the last time was burned into his memory. How could he have let Eli take her from him?* * *Carter literally fell for Noel the first time he saw her. She was sitting on the ground in the not-so-organized chaos of an isle in his recently acquired used bookstore. Surrounded by towers of books, she was practically invisible aside from her outstretched legs; but by the time he noticed those, it was too late. He came crashing down next to her in seemingly the most dramatic way possible with books flying in every direction. As he lay there, he kept his eyes closed tight trying to shut out the world and the embarrassment that was now surging through him. Knowing that he couldn't stay that way forever, he took a breath and slowly opened his eyes. In front of him was a pair of Vans in the brightest orange he had ever seen. Attached to those shoes was a stunning girl who seemed to be in her early twenties. Looking up at her, he took in everything. Her slender build was sheathed in a pair of dark-wash jeans, a long white cardigan, black tank top, and elaborately designed scarf. Her long blonde hair fell in waves around her shoulders. Even the subtle scar running from the corner of her right eye down her cheek captured him. What really drew him in, though, were her dazzling green eyes. Her beauty was disarming."Are you okay?" She appeared genuinely concerned."Yeah, I'm fine," Carter managed, trying not to trip over his words as he looked helplessly up at her. "What's with all of the books?" he asked, trying to move the topic off of him."Oh," she giggled, glancing over her shoulder, "I come here all the time and pull out all of my favorites. Then I buy the copies with dedications in them. The trouble, though, is that once I pick one up, I can't put it down," she said as she giggled again. "It's silly, I know, but I find them so much better when somebody else's own story is tied into it. "Here, let me show you." She took his hand, helped him up, and began to scan her mountains of books for a good example.The instant her hand wrapped around his, he felt himself melting at her touch. When she let go to pick up the book from the top of one of her piles, he felt empty. Carter suddenly couldn't fathom how he had gone the 23 long years of his life without this girl.His eyes were drawn to her delicate hands as they opened The Catcher in the Rye."'To my darling husband…'" Her siren voice called to him and he immediately became lost in the sultry lull. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. It entranced him. With every word she read, Carter drank her in. He couldn't help but smile as he gazed at her. His trance was broken suddenly by a change in her tone. "So what brings you here? I haven't seen you around before," inquired Noel. "Well…" Carter sputtered, caught completely off guard by her question," my Uncle Matt loved books and always said that the ones that had been loved before always told the best stories. He opened this place a few years ago for people who felt the same, I guess. Anyway, I grew up in a quiet town about an hour north of here and had been looking for a way into the city ever since I graduated college. He offered me a job about a month ago and I only just got here last week." Carter paused to take a slow steadying breath before he continued. "He died in a car crash two days after I got here and left everything he owned to me. At first I thought about selling the shop, but I knew he wouldn't want that." With tears welling up in his eyes, Carter had to stop for another breath. "Uncle Matt was my favorite person in the world. I would do anything for him." When Carter was done and wiping tears from his eyes, he realized what he had just said. Why was he suddenly pouring his life story into this poor girl's lap? "I'm so sorry to hear about Matty!" Noel exclaimed as tears became apparent in her eyes as well. "I was wondering why he hadn't been around. Your Uncle was a fantastic guy. He taught me a lot in all the time I spent here." "Thank you, I appreciate it." He could kick himself, he couldn't believe that that's all he could come up with. "What about you, did you grow up here?" "No, I wish," she sighed, "I grew up in possibly the most boring city in Michigan. My parents have been trying to jam their beliefs down my throat ever since I could crawl. It never really agreed with me. I've always dreamed of living here, I just love the vibe. I'm going to the Art Institute of Chicago to become a writ- Shit! Is that the time?" she exclaimed as she noticed the clock on the wall over Carter's head. "I have to get to class!" Gathering up her rucksack and jacket, she rushed toward the door, but stopped just before she opened it. "Sorry, what was your name?" she asked. "It's Carter," he mumbled awkwardly. "My name's Noel," she called just before turning and swinging the door open, but once more she stopped and turned back around. "Carter?" "Yeah?" "I think we should be friends," and with that, she was gone.* * *As Carter gazed around his apartment, everything reminded him of her. Before Eli, she was here almost as much as he was.* * * After the dismissal of her last class of the day, Noel was relieved to be free. She had had a long day and couldn't wait to see her best friend. As she walked the three city blocks to the bookstore, her mind tried to sift through all the nonsense in her head. She was tired of the people in her classes because none of them took her seriously. Unlike most things, Noel didn't talk much about her writing. She supposed it made everyone else look down on her; they probably thought she wasn't any good. Normally, something like this wouldn't even faze Noel, but it was so similar to the way her parents treated her. They never took her work seriously and always talked about her doing something 'more practical', as they said, but her heart just wasn't in anything else.Opening the door to the bookstore, she was once again amazed by the transition. She could never believe that she had just stepped in from the streets of Chicago. Although she loved the hustle and bustle of the city, Noel lived for the afternoons she was able to escape reality in the aisles of her own slice of heaven. Today, though, she was looking forward to just veging out with Carter.By the time she had climbed the spiral staircase in the back up to Carter's apartment, she wanted to do nothing but curl up with a cup of tea and watch a Disney movie. She was in luck. As she opened the door, she was greeted by the surprisingly comforting whistle of the kettle and the picture of a white castle on a bright blue screen declaring her favorite kind of feature presentation."We have so much in common," declared Noel through a smile. Obviously startled, Carter whirled around clutching his chest with one hand and almost dropping a teacup with the other. "I didn't mean to scare you," Noel apologized, letting out a small giggle. Trying to hold in the rest of her laughter, Noel bit down on her lower lip."I suppose I'll forgive you," Carter managed, though he was terribly distracted by the way her teeth held her lip. Noel set down her rucksack and slipped out of her Docs then headed across the cool hardwood floor to where Carter was now pouring her tea."What're we watching?" she asked."Alice in Wonderland," replied Carter as the heat rose to his cheeks. "What kind of tea are you up for today?" he asked, hoping to distract her from the TV screen."Excellent!" Noel grinned. "That's my favorite and I'll have peppermint please." When she spoke these words, Carter's temperature instantly evened out. He was relieved not to be teased for his movie choice."Coming right up. Go pop a squat. I'll be over in a minute."Lying down on the large black couch in the middle of the apartment, she gazed up at the large, unmoving TV screen on the wall. Noel had no trouble making herself at home in Carter's apartment, she loved everything about it. The whole left wall was a floor to ceiling bookcase with one of those ladders you see in the fancy libraries. The remaining walls were exposed brick painted white. The entire place was full of eclectic furniture, but somehow it all seemed to work. Eventually when she moves out of her dorm, Noel hoped to live in a place like this.As Carter made his way over to the couch, Noel sat up and held out her hands for her tea. Once she had taken a few careful sips, she put her cup on the floor, settled into his chest, and encouraged him to press play on the remote. While she lost herself in her favorite movie, she couldn't help thinking how comfortable she felt with him. Breathing in the scent of her strawberry shampoo, Carter's thoughts were not far from hers. * * * Sitting in the ever increasing amount of smoke, Carter was haunted. He couldn't help but think that this was all his fault. If only he hadn't made that call, she would never have even met Eli.* * * Noel was sitting alone in her dorm absorbed in the words of her latest and greatest adventure, when she was suddenly pulled back to reality by the musical theme of Alice in Wonderland coming from her phone. Putting down her book, she answered, already knowing who it would be. "Hey Noel, we're going out to the bar tonight. Put on something hot. I'll be over in 20." As she hurried off to the bathroom to do her makeup, she laughed because she didn't even have a chance to respond. He knew her so well. When she opened the door to her room 20 minutes later, Carter was awestruck. "Well," she said spinning around so he could take it all in. "What do you think?"Dressed in a formfitting, strapless black dress which stopped halfway down her thigh, a thick, royal blue belt; and her famous black Docs complimented by dramatic makeup, Noel once again took his breath away."Wow," he expelled in a breath as he paused to drink in her image in again. "You look incredible!""Why sir, I do believe I'm blushing," she laughed. Of course she wasn't really blushing, things like this never fazed Noel, she was far too self-assured.When they pulled up to the bar a short while later, Carter stopped in front of the door to let Noel out."You go ahead in and wait for me at the bar, I'll park the car. It's kinda chilly out and you're hardly wearing clothes," Carter teased."Would you look at that, chivalry isn't dead," she richly said hardly containing her laughter as she climbed out of the car.As she headed toward the door, Carter realized that it wasn't so hard to watch her walk away when she was doing it in that dress.Walking into the room, Noel definitely turned heads, but she wasn't one to notice. While she made her way gracefully towards the bar, crowds separated to let her through. She held the attention of anyone who saw her, including Eli Grey. Sitting alone at the bar waiting for Carter, Noel had her thoughts interrupted by a gentle glide of fingers on her shoulder. She turned around to a pale grey suit, white starched shirt, and black silk tie worn by the most god-like man she had ever seen. Everything about him made her drool, from his dark blue eyes and chiseled face to his broad shoulders and athletic build. "Excuse me miss, but you're looking rather lonely, could I buy you a drink?" his deep voice inquired "Thank you, I would love one," Noel replied engagingly showing him her gorgeous smile. As Eli sat down next to her, every male heart in the building crumbled, including Carter's, who was standing just inside the door. In that moment when he entered the bar and saw Noel and Eli together, he knew he didn't have a chance anymore. Any possibility he had of being with her flew out the window as soon as Eli made his play. She was looking at Eli the way that he looked at her and he couldn't compete with that. As he approached, he saw the expression on Noel's face change. She obviously wanted to be alone with this guy, but there was no way he was going to let it go that easily. "Hey Noel, who's this?" asked Carter through a forced smile."Hi Carter, this is Eli." The hint for him to get lost was apparent in her voice."Hey Eli," Carter said halfheartedly feeling dejected by her brush off."Pleasure to meat you, Carter," replied Eli with self confidence. "Eli just offered to buy me a drink. Would you mind leaving us alone for a while?" Noel bluntly asked, though it was more of a command than a question."Sure," sighed Carter in defeat, he couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice.Dragging his feet, Carter made his way to another part of the bar to order himself a drink in hopes of drowning his heartbreak. After receiving his beer, he walked through the crowd for a while not saying anything to anyone. Carter was like a ghost; he just walked and sipped on his drink while he waited for Prince Charming to leave.* * * "It's been a pleasure talking with you Noel, but unfortunately, I have to be heading out." His words had a dousing effect on the evening and Noel couldn't hide her disappointment. Taking her hands gently, slightly pleading he continued, "This might seem a bit forward, but I would love to see you again if you're interested."With those words, Noel instantly lit back up. "I would like that," she breathlessly replied and for the first time in her life, in the presence of this dashing man, Noel found herself blushing. * * * As Noel glanced at the clock, the butterflies took effect. With only a few minutes left to prepare for her date, she was a little less confident than usual. There was something about Eli that left her feeling like one of the characters in her romance novels. Noel gave herself one last look over before hurrying to answer the door. When Eli's presence came into view as she opened the door, she found her breath being taken from her, but her trance was broken by his alluring voice. "You look incredible," "Oh, t-thank you," she replied shyly. "Are you ready to go?" asked Eli, offering his arm. "Yeah, I think so," Noel said as she intertwined herself with him. Walking down the hall of the dorm, all the female eyes followed as they stopped to stare. Eli was dressed once again in his grey suit looking as charming as ever, but his attire somehow seemed to appear even better paired with Noel. The epitome of beauty in a long-sleeve, royal blue, lace patterned dress falling midway down her thigh paired with black pumps having an underside in the same shade of blue as her dress. They were a handsome couple. The evening was filled with many rounds of twenty questions, exquisite food, and shameless flirtation. Stepping out into the chilly Chicago night air, Noel's mind was racing, though its speed was nothing compared to that of her heart. How could one man make her feel this way after only twenty-four hours? Nobody had ever had this effect on her before, but she supposed Eli wasn't just anybody. He drove her home to Noel's disappointment for the evening seemed to have only just begun. He walked her up in gentlemanly style as Noel held her breath in anticipation of how the date would culminate. Standing outside of the door to her dorm, Noel and Eli were both glowing. "I had a really nice time, Eli," said Noel, fidgeting with her keys. "So did I," he replied with a dazzling smile which melted her heart. "What do you think my chances are of seeing you again?" "I'd say they are very good," Eli whispered, leaning in. Closing the gap, Noel locked her lips with his; savoring the most passionate kiss she had ever received.* * * "Guess where we're going tonight, babe," Eli said as he let himself into Noel's dorm room. "I suppose I'll know after you tell me," she retorted with a smirk. "Don't be smart," he teased. "We're going to the bar on South Dearborn Street." "Manhattan's?" Noel asked rather surprised. She liked it there, but Eli wasn't one to take her on dates to a place like that. In the month that they had been dating, every adventure had been to an elegant restaurant, so the bar caught her off guard. "That's the one. It's where we met a month ago today, so I thought we'd go there to celebrate." "Babe, that's so sweet," she said with a smile, "I can't believe you know the date." "How could I forget? It was the luckiest day of my life." All she could do was hug him; she never knew guys like Eli existed outside of cheesy romance novels. Noel had never been one to believe in luck, but every day she spent with Eli made her believe it a little bit more.* * * Slowly sipping her martini, Noel watched as Eli ordered his fifth beer. He was more than a little tipsy and it wasn't something he could hide well. Seeing him stumble back to their table with drink in hand, Noel was suddenly very relieved that she had found the keys to Eli's car on the bar towards the end of his third drink and stashed them in her purse. Having lost interest with Eli's drunken conversation, she decided to recommend that they leave once he was within earshot again. "Don't be such a buzz kill, let's stay a while longer," Eli slurred. "I'm not trying to be a buzz kill," she argued. "It's just getting pretty late and I have an early morning tomorrow with Carter." "Carter?! You still hang out with him?!" screamed Eli. "What do you mean? He's my best friend," Noel replied, caught completely off guard by the venom in his voice. "I don't like it when you talk to other guys, I should be enough!" Confused about where this was all coming from, Noel did her best to get them out of the bar before the situation escalated. "You don't mean that, sweetheart," Noel soothed. "Now come on, I'll drive us home," Noel suggested, already off her seat and heading towards the bar. She was stopped however, by a powerful hand gripping her upper arm which whirled her back around. "Don't you dare tell me what I mean!" Eli spat as he slapped her across the face with his free hand. In shock of what had just happened, Noel had no idea how to respond. She simply shook her arm free and headed toward the door, determined to get out before someone approached her in regasrds to what had just happened. Once Eli had clumsily climbed into the passenger side of the car and was situated, Noel started the engine and drove off without a word. When the two pulled up outside of Noel's dorm building, Eli was the first to break the silence. "I'm sorry for what happened back there, love," Eli managed, with alcohol still very apparent on his breath. Ignoring his apology for now, Noel responded with the only thing she could think of. "You're too drunk to drive yourself home. I'm keeping your keys and you can sleep out here in your car tonight. I'll give them back in the morning." With that, she climbed out and headed toward her building. As she did so, her mind was busy at work analyzing the events of the night at an incredible speed. Before she could even reach the door, she had already come to the decision to forgive him. Noel knew he had had quite a few drinks and wasn't in his right mind when he hit her. They had been dating for a month and nothing like this had ever happened. She was convinced that it never would again. Turning back to face the car, she hurried over to the passenger door. "Come on babe, you can spend the night with me."* * * Reaching for another cigarette and finding none left in his pack, Carter decided to go make some breakfast. As he opened the cupboard to get pancake mix, he felt the wrench of heartbreak in his chest. Pancakes suddenly didn't seem like such a good idea.* * * Lying awake in her bed, Noel looked at the clock. The bright red lights read 3:26 a.m. She had been awake all night haunted by fear of Eli. She didn't feel safe around him anymore and she didn't know what to do about it.Noel's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Her eyes instantly went to the clock once more which now read 8:53 a.m."Wasn't it just 3:30?" Noel muttered to herself as she rose from her bed to get the door. She was pretty sure she already knew who it was.Opening the door a crack, she peered out at the friendly face of her best friend. Carter had two Styrofoam boxes stacked in one hand and a drink carrier in the other. Watching the steam from what Noel knew to be tea rise out of the lids, she broke the silence."What're you doing here?""I brought you some breakfast," Carter said with a timid smile. "Carter…" she sighed, "I can't today; I'm really busy…" The smell of the pancakes radiated from the boxes Carter held and they were hard for her to turn away, but she knew she couldn't let him stay."You always seem to be busy these days," he replied looking rather defeated. "I really miss you…""I miss you too, Cart, I just have so much to do for class." What she was saying wasn't true and it broke her heart to send him away, but it was for his own good. Eli was trouble and she didn't want Carter to have to get involved."It's okay, you can have this anyway, though," he offered, motioning at the food and tea in his hands. "I can't eat it all, and working on an empty stomach blows.""Thanks Carter, that's really nice of you. I really am sorry," Noel said while reaching through the partly open doorway for the Styrofoam box. As she did though, Carter's expression quickly darkened."What the hell happened to your arm Noel?!" he exclaimed, gaping at the dozens bruises."Oh," she said awkwardly as she quickly pulled her arm back, "it's nothing, Carter, don't worry about it.""Don't worry about it?! Are you kidding me, Noel?! Of course I'm going to worry about it! It looks like you got attacked!""Carter calm down," Noel begged, "I'm fine.""Noel this is definitely not fine! Did Eli do this to you?!""No, Carter, Eli didn't do this to me! Get off my case okay?!" she spat as she slammed the door shut. Turning around, she saw the sheets of her bed begin to move. She had done it now."What was that, Noel?" Eli asked."It was nothing, babe, just some annoying girl who lives down the hall who's always pestering me. Go back to sleep." She knew it was a lame excuse, but it did the trick because within seconds Eli was soundly asleep again.As Noel curled up in her beanbag chair with Alice in Wonderland to regain some level of comfort, her mind couldn't help but wander to Carter. She felt terrible for lying to him, but she wanted to keep him safe. The less he knew the better.* * *Noel's eyes snapped open as she bolted upright in her bed. Gasping for breath, she wiped some sweat from her forehead as she tried to make sense of what was racing through her head. Finding herself alone, Noel slowly came to the realization that what had just happened was only a dream. She figured it may just as well have happened for real though, it wouldn't have been the first time she woke up to a beating. Being around Eli was dangerous. She knew that next time she saw him, her nightmare would become a reality. There didn't seem to be a way out no matter how she thought about it. Looking around her room, desperate for an idea, her eyes finally fell on the solution. It was right there on her desk.* * * Knocking on the door to Noel's dorm, Carter waited anxiously for an answer. "Noel come on open up, I'm sorry for what I said about Eli." Although he did mean what he had said, he really was sorry for hurting Noel. She was the best friend he had ever had and he couldn't stand the thought of losing her. "Noel please, I know you're in there," he cried desperately. He tested the door handle which turned and popped the barrier slightly ajar then slowly pushed the door inward while knocking again. Once the door revealed the interior, Carter instantly knew why she didn't answer. What he saw hit him like a brick wall. When the shock of Noel's bloody body faded enough for him to finally move, he ran to her side, collapsed to his knees, and scooped her up in an embrace. Rocking back and forth while holding a lifeless Noel in his arms, Carter sobbed. While his eyes locked onto the ghastly gashes glazed with blood that now covered her once flawless arms, a deep cry wrenched from his soul begging for help that was already too late. As he mournfully waited for the footsteps pounding of feet down the corridor, he noticed something he hadn't seen before. On the floor looking very out of place in the organized room, just far enough away to be out of the chaos, lay Noel's copy of Alice in Wonderland. Before he had too much of a chance to wonder why it was there, he was joined by a few other students who were unfortunate enough to be witnessing the nightmare he was currently in the middle of. "Somebody please get some help," begged Carter. The last thing he saw was the two girls who were closest to him take off and then everything else around him went black. When he came to, he looked around curiously at the stark white hospital room he now found himself in. Once again, the only thing that seemed to be out of place was the bright pink Alice in Wonderland book sitting on the table beside his bed. With no medical staff in sight with which to gain information, Carter picked up the book in hopes of taking his mind off of the pain which hung heavy in his heart, but the cherished story once shared by two was now lonely in his quaking hands. Opening the book, he noticed something that he hadn't expected, a dedication in the cover. Dearest Carter,I bought this book for you because it's so important to both of us and many of my best memories are simply hanging out watching Alice in Wonderland with you. Though I have read it many times, (because as you know, once I pick up a book, I can't put it down) I planned to give it to you for your birthday, but I couldn't make it until then. I'm so sorry that it had to be like this. Eli was a monster that I couldn't escape any other way. What you said was right, I only distanced myself from you because he was always listening somehow. I didn't want you to get hurt. I feel so stupid for letting this get so far, please never let anybody treat you the way I let Eli treat me. You were the best thing to happen in my life and I should have realized it sooner. I love you. Life is a wonderland, don't take it for granted.Love always, NoelKnowing the burden the book held, it suddenly felt heavier in his hands. With tears streaming down his face, Carter closed the book and held it tight to his chest. His best friend and the only girl he had ever loved was gone.


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Children in the Wedding: A Q & A Guide
Children make a delightful addition to any wedding celebration. When including children in the wedding party, it is important to note their enthusiasm and excitement. It often equals, if not exceeds, that of the other attendants.
Be sure to ask early in your planning, giving the child, "the joy of looking forward to the big day" and telling all their friends about the beautiful dress or grown-up suit they get to wear to the wedding. It is a good idea to make a special day for shopping or fittings with the dress maker, followed by lunch or a trip to the ice cream parlor.
Bride's Favorites
Bridal Party Gifts
Personalized Tin Mints
Personalized Water Bottle Labels
Unity Sand Ceremony


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The country duo and Bryan party with some pretty ladies on a tractor-trailer while 'X Games' champion Travis Pastrana and The Nitro Circus are showing off some tricks on their bikes.
Florida Georgia Line has debuted a music video for their collaboration with fellow country crooner Luke Bryan, "This Is How We Roll". Directed by Marc Klasfeld, the four-minute clip was filmed in the desert outside Los Angeles.
It shows the duo performing the song while partying with some pretty ladies on a moving tractor-trailer. They're later seen having fun with the girls as "X Games" champion Travis Pastrana and The Nitro Circus are showing off some impressive tricks on their bikes.
"This Is How We Roll" is featured in the re-release edition of their debut album, "Here's to the Good Times", which arrived last year.
The track was written by Floria Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley in collaboration with Bryan and Cole Swindell. In a recent interview with radio.com, Swindell opened up about how they ended up writing the song.
"Me and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line started writing it and he had said something. We were out on tour last year, FGL was out with Luke, and Luke had said something the night before about shooting bullets at the moon and Brian Kelley was like, 'Man, I want to write something like that. That's such a cool thought about being out somewhere and being able to do whatever you want,' " he explained.
Florida Georgia Line's "This Is How We Roll" (feat. Luke Bryan) music video


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Scott and Stiles uncover new evidence about the shape-shifter. In the mean time, Allison is given an assignment by her family.
As the 23rd comes home to Fort Marshall and Roxy finds herself in big trouble. With Trevor coming home she hopes to delay news of the truck stop as long as possible. Joan and Roland are still pursuing ways to adopt a baby. Things get a little complicated for Roland and Joan after meeting Bobby.moreless
Elena seeks answers from Stefan about all the bad things happening in Mystic Falls. Stefan reveals how the rivalry with his brother began through a series of flashbacks. Damon controls Vicki's future. Meanwhile, Sheriff Forbes and Mayor Lockwood try to protect their town.moreless
Elena and Jenna have a problem with Jeremy's relationship with Vicki. Stefan comes clean about his past to Elena. At a fund-raiser, Bonnie is taken aback by how advanced her powers are, and turns to her grandmother for guidance. Elena uncovers some news about the Salvatore family.moreless
On a rural Texas highway, a fire is discovered in which three bodies have been burnt beyond recognition. Dr. G finds bullets in all three bodies, and determines that they were all fatally shot before being set on fire. Working together with the Texas Rangers, she must identify the victims and help to find who killed them.A 55-year-old man is dies while on a city bus. No one saw him die, so he is sent to the morgue for an autopsy. With no medical records available, Dr. G must consider all possibilities as she looks for the cause of death.moreless


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When considering crisis situations, I nominate being stranded hundreds or thousands of miles from home when The Big One hits as a serious contender for top spot.
Regardless if The Big One is a major natural disaster, serious terrorist act, nationwide technological failure, or rampage by a 50-foot Nancy Pelosi, being separated from home and family during a calamity certainly provides a set of challenges unlike anything else we might have imagined. Given the uncertainties of our current national and international situations, now is a good time to think about the problems associated with finding your way home if things go to hell in a big way.
This topic arose when long-time S.W.A.T. contributor Ken Campbell and Your Obedient Servant were staring down the long asphalt ribbon of an interstate highway while returning from a backpacking trip. In an effort to forestall road psychosis, we'd begun brainstorming various sticky situations and possible resolutions, when it suddenly dawned on us that we were right in the middle of a good one.
Here's the hypothetical emergency: two dashing but somewhat pungent backpackers are headed home after a three-day trip when something happens that shakes our country to its very foundations. It could be that long-feared WMD attack upon a major city or a significant earthquake that spawns widespread destruction. Regardless of the problem, the travelers are suddenly faced with trying to cross 500 miles of the United States that's in the throes of civil unrest, fuel shortages, unavailable basic services, and the possibility that many areas are impassable due to damage, unrest or government decree.
And above all else, our heroes really needed a shower before the crisis struck.
The first order of business in any disaster is simple survival, but for this discussion we'll assume the boys are safe and sound. Once things have stabilized in their immediate proximity, our travelers have taken stock of the situation and realized it is time to "beat feet" for home with all haste.
Transportation is obviously the major concern. Keep in mind we're not assuming a post-apocalyptic nightmare in which the countryside is a smoking ruin. If that's the case, you likely have bigger problems than just your flight was cancelled. If things are that bad, your flight probably won't leave because a pack of starving survivors ate the pilots.
Rather, think back to 9/11, when air traffic was halted and tens of thousands of people were suddenly scrambling for rental cars, trains, buses and every other possible mode of transportation.
The first order for all travel is to have a Plan B and possibly Plan C, D and E. No matter the reason, anything from snowstorm to nuclear war, there is always a significant chance that the return leg of your trip will involve a major itinerary change.
There are too many variables to give any made-to-order plans for these situations. You simply must use good old-fashioned ingenuity in coming up with alternatives. Mostly, keep an open mind and maintain drastically lowered standards: If the only available means of getting home is an overloaded poultry truck, it's time to throw your bags in the back and say hello to the hens.
This is one reason a traveler's clothing choice is important. Regardless if you find yourself evacuating an aircraft due to a hard landing, hoofing it out of Manhattan after a terrorist event, or hitching a ride on the aforementioned chicken hauler, wardrobe choices significantly affect your safety.
Above all else, always wear or have shoes available that are suitable for walking long distances. Many people have walked completely across our country, but they certainly didn't do it in high-heels or flip-flops.
We won't presume to dictate fashion, but when traveling, stay away from clothing that is constrictive, too loose, too revealing, too flashy or simply impractical for long-term wear. My own standard uniform is hiking boots and zip-leg pants topped with a longsleeved cotton shirt. With a light jacket, spare socks and a few survival supplies in my carry-on bag, I'm reasonably prepared to walk home if necessary.
But before you start hoofing it, consider another easily obtained, fast, yet often overlooked mode of emergency transport: the bicycle.
If you are traveling by privately owned vehicle, the biggest problem will be finding fuel. Here again, ingenuity is key. If electrical power has failed, a possible source of fuel is the common gravity tank used by farmers. A polite approach and a handful of cash might convince Farmer Brown to part with 20 gallons of petrol.
On that subject, money is a problem. As our society has become cashless, obtaining currency is highly dependent upon electrical power and computer networks. If either fails, you'll have a hard time putting greenbacks into your pocket. This is why I recommend carrying enough cash in small bills to purchase fuel, food and make the occasional bribe along the way.
What about guns? Obviously, having a crew-served weapon in your luggage would be handy, but it is likely a traveler will find themselves disarmed at the most inconvenient time.
Perhaps the easiest and most legally palatable solution is to visit a retailer and purchase a low-end shotgun and box of shells with some of your emergency cash. In fact, if there is a serious crisis while on the road, hitting the local Mega-Mart for supplies could be considered an immediate-action drill.
If the authorities have already vetoed the idea of purchasing firearms, there is always the old barter method. There are other possibilities such as marine flare guns, blackpowder weapons, big kitchen knives or other such stopgap measures. While I wouldn't want to intentionally enter a fight carrying a flare gun, I've witnessed one used to alter the plans of a large, unfriendly group.
That incident just reinforced the old adage that you will get more cooperation with a kind word and a flare gun than with a kind word alone.


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The head of the China Development Bank Securities branch has called on Australian and Chinese financial institutions to work together on funding iron ore projects as integrated mine, transport and port developments.
China Development Bank Securities president Li Wei Bing told The Australian Financial Review during a recent visit to Melbourne that China's industrialisation process still had "another 50 years to go", calling for the development of a bilateral financing system.
"There should be some sort of alliance between the financing systems in China and Australia to work together to provide financing to suitable industry chains in all aspects to promote development," he said.
Mr Li also said financial institutions should broaden their focus to incorporate all aspects of the iron ore supply chain.
"I've noticed a problem during my visit this time, in that they are too focused on one aspect of the industry chain – for example there will be companies seeking finance for iron ore mining but they didn't look into how to get the iron ore transported in a suitable capacity to the port or if they have the capacity at the port itself to help output such a commodity," Mr Li said.
"Chinese financial institutions and Australian financial institutions should work hand in hand to provide support for infrastructure including railways, roads, shipping ports to help the whole industry chain grow."
Iron ore explorer
The funding package is being arranged by Aquila's cornerstone investor and China's biggest steelmaker, Baosteel, which holds a 15 per cent stake.
Aquila chief executive Tony Poli said the parties are discussing the funding arrangements with details still expected by the end of June.
The miner could ship up to 40 million tonnes a year of iron ore from its Western Pilbara project if the port and mine were developed.
Mr Li did not comment directly on the Aquila project but said that trade would suffer unless financiers looked across the entire industry.
"A key element of the international trade between Australia and China is iron ore. It's a commodity in high demand from a country like China, but the industry process [is divided] between the mining business, extraction, transportation and steel manufacturing once the iron ore reaches China where there will be ultimate consumption by end users," Mr Li said.
"If anywhere along the industry chain there's a sudden shrinkage of demand the whole business chain will be affected so it's financiers opportunity to provide support to every joint in the business chain so every chain may benefit and prosper."
Chinese frustrations over infrastructure bottlenecks in Australia have prompted many companies to look offshore for acquisition opportunities, particularly in iron ore.
Delays in the development of the Oakajee Port and Rail project, which would provide a route for key Chinese-invested iron ore projects including Sinosteel's Midwest operations and Gindalbie Metals and Anshan Steel's Karrara magnetite joint venture, have fuelled speculation that China will try to take over the project from Murchison Metals and Japan's Mitsubishi.
These frustrations, as well as a lack of clarity on Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board's rules for buying projects mean some industry insiders believe Chinese state-owned enterprises are being discouraged from buying Australian projects.
Mr Li said both countries' government policy would have an impact on investment patterns.
"This is not only subject to the business owners in terms of what they decide or what they want to do it's also a major issue determined by the policies and government regulation between the two countries," he said.
Despite near term problems, Mr Li expressed confidence in the future for iron ore demand.
"The demand for construction-based steel and iron ore will continue to be fairly robust in the long-term," he said.
The Australian Financial Review


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Sept/Oct 2005
Volume 25, Number 5
Applying Six Sigma Principles to a Bulk and Fill/Finish Biopharmaceutical Process
by Bikash Chatterjee, Benir Ruano, Kenneth Myers
This article discusses the methods and tools employed using Six Sigma to optimize a bulk biopharmaceutical process, providing an increase in overall plant capacity using a structured process improvement approach.
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Advanced Process Control Simplified
by Matt Bothe
This article provides a definition of Advanced Process Control (APC), a viable implementation technique, introduction to associated tools, and statement with regard to sources of expertise
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The Impact on Supply Logistics of Different Randomization and Medication Management Strategies Using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Systems
by Damian McEntegart, Barry O
This article explores the relationship between the chosen randomization methodology for a trial and the medication management techniques used when incorporating Interactive Voice Response technologies.
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Delivering Affordable Innovation: Opportunities in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Processes and Facilities
by Andrew A. Signore
This article describes how project managers can contribute to enhanced product delivery through improved manufacturing processes and facilities which deliver value-driven products with lower costs, better compliance, and lower risks.
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Position Paper: Use of Building Management Systems and Environmental Monitoring Systems in Regulated Environments
by Special Interest Group
This article presents practical risk-based advice regarding the implementation and management of computerized aspecis of a Building Management System.
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Interview with Joe Morin
by Cathy Middelberg
ISPE Tours Human Genome Sciences, Inc. Clinical Manufacturing Facility and Interviews Joe Morin, Vice President of Engineering.
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An Approach to IT Infrastructure Qualification
by David Stephenson
This article describes a method for the qualification of IT infrastructure that can be scaled down to fit multiple organizations, whether small or large.
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From World Class Research to World Class Manufacturing: The Challenges
by Professor Roger S. Benson
This article presents benchmark data for the pharmaceutical industry and analyzes the barriers and opportunities in moving from the existing to best in industry performance in research and operations.
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ISPE 25th Anniversary Feature
by Don Cattaneo, Cheryl Cattaneo
The Beginning of ISPE's 25 Years by Don Cattaneo, Retired, Drug & Device Associates, ISPE Past President and Founding Member, and Cheryl Cattaneo, ISPE Founding Staff Member
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