text:
Change Background:
Follow @twitterapi
The Ultimate Destination for Soul Music
Classic Soul Archives
Artist A-Z
SoulMusic Records
Voice Your Choice
Soul Talkin'
Hall of Fame
The Soul Store
The World of David Nathan
Dedicated to Soul
Express Yourself! Appreciation Features
Contributing Writers
Writer's Blogs
Giving R-E-S-P-E-C-T
1 September 2009
Created By:
Justin Kantor
About Justin
Transcribed By:
Penelope Keith
Contact Penelope
By the time Melba Moore landed on Broadway in 1968 as "Dionne" in the legendary rock musical Hair, the petite lady with the powerhouse vocal chords was already riding on a wealth of musical talent and history. Her mother had scored a #1 hit in the early days of the R&B charts, and Melba herself had attended Newark Arts High School. Her appreciation of music education even led her to become a teacher for a brief time.
With the release of her first R&B album since 1999's overlooked Solitary Journey, Melba is now coming full circle with her "eclectic" brand of soul. Driven by her spiritual foundation, Melba joins forces with fellow vocal dynamo Phil Perry to cover an array of R&B and gospel favorites on The Gift of Love -- among them songs that were part of her childhood, like The Spinners' "Sadie" and the inspirational staple "I Believe.0 There's also a number of R&B radio strongholds that fans of the singer's 70's and 80's run of hits will approve of -- Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "You're All I Need to Get By," The Sounds of Blackness' "Optimistic."
Melba talked with Soulmusic.com recently about her new album (which was executive-produced by our own David Nathan), as well as her rich, multi-dimensional history in theater, TV, recording, and then some. She also opened up about her personal struggles after being embezzled, and even blacklisted in the industry.
Justin Kantor: Hi Melba, this is Justin Kantor from Soulmusic.com.
JK: Are you getting excited about the release of Gift of Love?
MM: Yeah, boy! (laughs)
JK: I'm sure. Tell me how it all came about. What were the beginnings of this project?
MM: Okay, let me go back a second. It came through David. He came to me and my partner, Ron Richardson first with the project that we did for Time Life (Songs 4 Worship Soul), which is part of a series of inspirational songs, or actually gospel songs that had been done by great gospel artists like Donnie McClurkin, Andrae Crouch, and many others, but by R&B artists. I did 'Days of Elijah, which was beautifully done by Donnie McClurkin, I think. Then, I re-united with my former protégé, Freddie Jackson to do 'My Tribute', which is a beautiful hymn, written by Andrae Crouch. We did it as a duet. That's how it started, and then David suggested that, maybe he might shop the idea to a label, and he went to Shanachie, and Freddie declined, he didn't want to do anything more, but then David and his production partner Preston Glass and their partner Glenda Gracia, the former manager of Phyllis Hyman. I guess they talked with Daniel Weiss and Randall Glass from Shanachie to see if they were interested in the project, and some other possibilities, and they all came up with Phil Perry and presented it to me, and I screamed "Yes!"
JK: He's awesome. I think it's such a cool combination between the two of you, because you both have such dynamic vocal ranges, which makes it a really powerful combination.
MM: Right. Right.
JK: How did you go about selecting the songs for this album, because you have an eclectic selection of songs on here?
MM: We are some eclectic people (laughs), and that's how we went about it. Well, Daniel Weiss brought a bunch of songs to Phil, and Chris 'Big Dog' Davis, who produced several of the songs, and David and Preston Glass, who produced some of the songs too, brought some songs to the project. Then, Phil and myself brought songs separately to the project, so everybody brought songs, kind of dumped them in the pot, and we chewed them around to see which ones we wanted. That's how we came up with all of the songs.
JK: So it was a family affair?
MM: Yes.
JK: Take me back a little bit, or maybe more than a little bit, depending how you look at it. I know you come from a musical family, and your mom was a singer who had success of her own on the R&B charts back in the day, and your dad was a famous band leader, Teddy Hill, so tell me about growing up in that kind of musical environment.
MM: Okay, but you left out the most important person in this family affair, but of course you're not expected to know all that, it's my family. My mother and my natural father were never married, so I have it in my blood, but my mother married a wonderful man by the name of Clement Moormon, who also was a musician, and he had a daughter and a son, and so I had a family all of a sudden. I was an only child before, but he also made music the centre of our lives. Because he was a piano player, he made us all take piano lessons. He made us take piano lessons. I wanted to take dance, but my older brother, Dennis loved piano, was really, really good at it. He became like a little prodigy, you know? I loved it, so I just played it. We used to fight over who was going to practice on the piano. My sister, she could draw and paint well, so she kind of dropped out of the piano, but the point is, it became a centerpiece of our lives, because our parents were performers, so they rehearsed in the home, and all of my stepfather's sisters and brothers were musical; they all played instruments. Then, after my mother married my stepfather, music was always in my life. Before she married my stepfather, there was no music in my life. I probably never would have found that I could sing.
JK: Was that because she was still touring around a lot, doing performances?
MM: That's right, and my grandmother had had a stroke, and she wasn't able to speak, so there was really no one to tell me about my history. I'm told that she was a great singer too, but she didn't sing, so it was kind of cut off. The family was really splintered and broken at that point, until my mother married.
JK: Wow, so it became quite a change when she remarried? MM: Eclectic. (Laughs)
JK: Had you heard your mom's recordings early on, like that song 'Don't Stop Now', that was a Number 1 hit for her in the '40s?
MM: I have them, and I've heard them, yes. I heard them later on, actually. I didn't hear them when I was little.
JK: Was your grandmother raising you during that time, when your mom was performing?
MM: No, we had a nanny. We called her Mama Lou. My grandmother was sick.
JK: So you were taking care of her.
MM: Yes, because she was invalid, kind of half-paralyzed.
JK: The love of music obviously stayed with you, and you ended up going to a performing arts high school, right? Newark Arts High School?
MM: That's right.
JK: Tell me about that experience. What did you get out of that, and what kinds of classes went on there?
MM: Well, music was the centerpiece, and the head of our curriculum. Of course, academics were extremely important. It really felt like you were in a preppie, private school. (laughs)
JK: Was that a change of environment from what you had been in before?
MM: Well, I had been in both. My mother started me out, thank God, in St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary School, and St. Thomas is like one of the doctors of the Catholic Church. He was like a genius at intellect and that kind of thing. So, that kind of educational discipline, you know when the nuns would crack you over, you know. I was baptized at birth, and had a very strong spiritual experience already, but at home it was quite a bit different. You're talking about school now, well after my mother married, I went into public schools in Newark, and that very different. I had good elementary schools, but there was never the kind of discipline and high standard that there was at St Thomas Aquinas. Then, I went to junior high school, and all hell broke loose! I know it's a very difficult time in teenagers' lives, because they're all crazy, but nobody was in charge, so the kids just wreaked havoc in junior high school. I felt like I lost a lot during those times, because you sat there because you were accustomed to being obedient, and you were ready to learn, because that was a habit, but many times there was nothing to learn, because the teacher just sat there while the kids tore the class up.
JK: So, it's almost like you wanted to speak up about it, but you didn't know how?
MM: Well, yeah! You really did want to learn. I never knew anything except learning, and enjoying that, and growing, and then there was all of this mayhem, plus you had to watch out how you left school, because somebody was always setting a time to beat you down...you know, see you after school!
JK: So it was a violent atmosphere?
MM: It was very violent, yeah.
JK: Was this in Montclair?
MM: No, this was in Newark. Then, it came time to go to high school, and I discovered by then that I really, really loved and adored music, so I found out about Arts High, and auditioned and took the tests and everything to get into there.
JK: I know that 'Hair' was the first big Broadway production for you, but was that your first actual professional theatre peformance?
MM: Well, it was the first theatre performance, period.
JK: Okay, so you really hit gold the first time out. MM: Yes. Yes.
JK: Was it a direct path for you to Broadway, or was it an accident?
MM: It was an eclectic accident!
JK: That's our key word today, eclectic.
MM: I got a degree in music education, and I taught school for about a year and a half, but I felt an urge to try to get into show business, and really do that directly, and in an effort to do that, I started doing work regularly as a studio singer. One of the recording sessions turned out to be for Galt MacDermot, and assisting him were the people who wrote the book and the lyrics for the Broadway show, 'Hair'. They invited all the background singers, or backup singers, I don't know what you call them, because there was no lead singing.
JK: It was the chorus, right?
MM: No, because I'm talking about the studio. We were the backups, but instead of like a lead singer, Galt was the keyboard. The keyboard was the star. So, none of the other people said yes. I said yes.
JK: So you were the only one that agreed to do it?
MM: I think Valerie, who was on the same day went down and sang for them, and they wanted her, but she declined.
JK: You mean to do the actual auditions for the show?
MM: She went down and sang for them, but said, "No thank you. Y'all don't pay no money." Valerie was always a smart business lady.
JK: Now, you started as an understudy, right?
MM: No.
JK: I read that you were an understudy for the role of Sheila.
MM: No, I was never the understudy. I came in as part of the chorus, but the chorus was not a normal chorus. It, too, was eclectic. Everybody really was the chorus, but then everybody had featured parts, and the way we thought of it, even with the lead roles of Berger and Hud and the female lead, they were kind of feature roles, I mean in terms of the way we looked at it.
JK: It was more equal.
MM: The way that we described it was 'the tribe', so that everybody really was the chorus, or the choir, and then we had featured roles, but in actuality, Sheila was the female lead. The first person to do that role was Lynn Kellog, who of course nobody probably knows who that is now.
JK: I recognize the name, but I can't place what she did with the name.
MM: Exactly, because she didn't go on to be really famous like Diane Keaton did. Diane Keaton was her understudy.
JK: Was the role of Dionne something that you played before, or after Sheila?
MM: Dionne was my role, and it was one of the featured characters too.
JK: And then when Diane Keaton left, you took over for her.
MM: That's right.
JK: What was the whole experience like? Did you feel a lot of pressure? I know you were the first black actress to replace a white one on Broadway. Did that have any impact on how you felt when you were doing the show?
MM: Absolutely. I could probably be more conscious of it now that I'm looking back on it, because I guess doing the lead, not having done any theatre before, there were a lot of things that were putting pressure on me. Maybe I didn't think about the fact that I was the first black. I wasn't so conscious of that, because there was always pressure on you because you were black, so I was kind of used to that. The thing that seemed outrageous was like, "Oh my God, what did I do?" out here by myself. Now I can see that it's a lead role, and I have to do that now. I can't just be Melba or Dionne.
JK: You mean the scope of the role, at the time seemed smaller?
MM: Not at the time. Any time, you understand, when you're up singing and acting that role, that's a character, and you have to be that person. You can't be yourself. I was conscious of that.
JK: So, trying to step out of yourself.
MM: Yes. Not so much about being black, I mean you're always conscious of that, and so used to handling that, but we were also in a very loving environment, so that seemed to be so much of an issue, that I had to adjust to. As a matter of fact, now that I think of it, that wasn't an issue at all, and it seemed like it should have been.
JK: I guess that was good though, because that might have sent you over the edge if you had even more pressure.
MM: The only reason that you would have had more pressure is that for some reason it didn't work, and the scary part is, you don't know what's going to work and what's not, until you do it.
JK: So, it was maybe to some degree, the fact that it was all so new to you that you could only think about so much I guess.
MM: Yes.
JK: Did you go straight from doing 'Hair' to doing 'Purlie'?
MM: Yes.
JK: What drew you to that production?
MM: One of the girls in the tribe told me that there were auditions for a show, and she said, "Don't worry about getting it, but you need to learn how to audition now. You're on Broadway. The door is open for you. Start going around learning about the environment that you're in." She gave me the information and told me about the role, and told me what I should do, for instance what they call typecasting. She said that means you try to look like what the role is when you go there. I did that. I looked very country.
JK: So you were prepared.
MM: Yes.
JK: Tell me about the whole experience of winning the Tony for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. What was your reaction, was there a build-up to it, or was it just out of nowhere?
MM: It wasn't really out of nowhere. I kind of made it out of nowhere, because I was in such shock once again, that I got the role, but now I had to focus to try to learn how to be an actress for real, because Sheila was kind of in and out of the tribe and the character. Now you had to be in the character from the beginning to the end. I had a southern accent, and I had to keep it and not drop it. I had to sustain the character, and it was very scary because I didn't know how to think like that or do that. Once again, the lack of experience kicks in. When they started talking about a Tony Award and all that, I really just decided not to think about it, and just try to focus on staying in the character and learning how to do that, and sustaining that. When the time for it came, I didn't even have anything to wear, but at the time, the young man who has become a great director and choreographer was in the dance chorus, his name is George Faison, well he was making clothes on the side to make a few extra dollars.
JK: I didn't realize that he had started as a dancer in that.
MM: Yes. Well, he said, "Melba, you have so have something to wear. This is the Tony Awards!" He made my dress for me. He explained to me that I couldn't just go, that I had to dress up.
JK: You had a lot of people supporting you and helping you out.
MM: They came to my aid, and I never will forget. We really became a family, with Novella Nelson, who played the role of Aunt Missy, and Cleavon Little who played the lead, and Sherman Hemsley who played Gitlow, and they really supported me, and made me laugh, and helped me focus, and just encouraged me, and did as much as they could to take away my frights and nervousness, and of course Novella, I don't know whether to blame her or to thank her, introduced me to Clifton Davis, so I had a little romance to distract me. (laughs) I'm just trying to paint a picture of all the stuff that was going on. JK: Also around this time, you started your recording career. You signed with Mercury Records.
MM: That's right. At the same time.
JK: Were you approached by them, or were you shopping for a deal?
MM: I was approached. I was trying to shop for deals before, but nothing had really come about, but once Purlie happened, then some offers started to come to me, one of which was Mercury.
JK: Was it difficult to transition from the world of theatre to the music business?
MM: Yeah, they are really quite different. What may have made it a little more possible, was that Purlie was making an attempt at having fairly contemporary music. One of the interesting things is that when I auditioned for it, I never sang for the director, Phil Rose, who was also one of the producers and writers. During previews, I had one song, the title song, and we kept stopping the show with it. They created 'I Got Love' to work around my range and my style, which again was kind of a coming together of r&b music, or recorded music, or contemporary music, and theatre. There was maybe a time, or a cusp of coming together, because the chorus of 'Hair' was actually the first one to put rock music into a play. They were starting to come together, but then you were talking about the Tony Awards. I guess the thing of it is, I remember at the Tony Awards, we did a performance of 'Purlie,' and I remember being in such great shock., because I was accustomed to the theatre being dark, and now it was light, and you could actually see people. I saw these stars out there, and it was absolutely frightening. I mean, you could say it was exciting, but it bordered on really frightening. JK: You just didn't know how to react.
MM: Exactly. I do remember that they called someone else's first name and my last name, and I didn't understand the categories. I was trying to get out of the way and move out of the theater, and I heard the audience yelling, "Melba Moore! Melba Moore!" So, I stayed a minute to listen to what they were saying, and I was the one getting the Tony Award! To be honest with you, I don't remember the rest.
JK: Didn't the guy say your name as Melissa Moore?
MM: Was it Melissa? I know it was somebody else's first name.
JK: I think he said Melissa Moore, so I didn't know if that was why you didn't hear your name.
MM: All I'm saying is that it was all just scary. I guess I was excited, and of course I know what show business is what it is, and so I can say I was sure I was delighted, but to be honest, I don't remember most of it because it was too exciting. Really, the afterparty was great.
JK: That's a good thing to remember! But when the album came out, you did really well yourself, because it even got nominated for a Grammy with the first album for Best New Artist. You did a few albums at Mercury, and then you did move into the world of TV as you mentioned, with your variety series with Clifton Davis. Was that another transition for you, as far as working in the realm of TV?
MM: Absolutely. That was a very, very different one because of the lights and the camera, and the different way that you had to act and move. It's very, very different from theatre, and I wasn't even used to theatre yet (laughs).
JK: You got a triple dose of everything.
MM: Yeah. I would say it was exciting and I can look back now and see I enjoyed it, and I love challenges. You know the adrenaline flows, and the intelligence comes, and you meet the challenge, so I can say that I love it, but I can say that it was very, very difficult.
JK: I guess no matter how much preparation, some of it has to come in the moment, as far as learning and how you respond.
MM: You can rehearse, and rehearse, and rehearse, and then once you're up actually doing it, something else kicks in.
JK: After the series that you did with Clifton Davis, there was a period of time for a few years where you weren't as active in the business. What happened during that period, between the time that you had ended your series, and the time that you signed with Buddah Records?
MM: Well, Clifton and I broke up, I really didn't have any management, and the agents and representatives I had bled me dry, robbed me blind, and left town, and the agents didn't even know where to reach me to get me work or anything, because everything had gone through my attorneys and accountants. Essentially, they really shut me down, so I had to start over.
JK: How did they manage to pull that kind of stunt? MM: Well, they had power of attorney. You don't know not to do that, and so you have all your bills and your inquiries going through your attorney, and they're representing you, but I didn't know then, like I know now, that you shouldn't ever have your communications go through an attorney. I don't want to mention any names, because it's not like it's illegal, but it's really bad business. "I'll be your business manager" usually means everything goes to them; all your bills, your rent, and everything. They'll take care of it. It doesn't work, because you're out of the loop. You say, "How can they do it", well, that's how they do it. You don't have possession of anything that belongs to you. They do.
JK: So, you need to be able to have a look at everything, at least briefly, as opposed to having a third party take care of it.
MM: How can you council them and tell them what you want them to do if it doesn't even come to you? But I'm saying to you, the buzz word is 'business manager,' and people hear that all the time and never think anything about it, but that's what it means. He actually takes over your business life, and that should never, ever happen.
JK: So, it's something of a hoax, maybe.
MM: It's a scam.
JK: How did you manage to get back in, when you ended up signing with Buddah? How did you make your way back into the business?
MM: Only by the grace of God, because everyone that I did talk to said, "You gotta get a manager. You gotta get an agent." But at a point like that, you have to start somewhere. You have to really figure out how to book yourself. Everybody's always saying, "You can't represent yourself!" Well, I don't have any representative. What do I do, just sit and wait? So, you have to learn how to make phone calls for yourself, and get yourself started.
JK: Well, it worked really well, and I guess the first minor hit you had on the R&B charts was with 'I Am His Lady', and then you did really well with 'This Is It' and 'Lean On Me', you got another Grammy nomination, and you also started to be a bona fide disco star at that period of time. What was your reaction to that, and how was that experience for you, having the string of disco hits that you had in the mid-to-late 70's?
MM: Well, once again, we're going with the flow. This is America. You never know what's coming next; you're just seeking to be part of it, and be relevant. I was able to, with the help of my now-ex-husband, which again, points out that you have to have good business management or input. Technically, it is business management, but not the way I meant it before. It's what people would call personal management. With his genius, he was excellent at making phone calls and making deals, and he worked very, very hard, getting me to all the different music conferences, and every type of benefit you could think of to put me in front of people again, and to show them what I was, and then turn that into record deals, which he was able to get with Buddah, Epic, Capitol Records...
JK: So were the deals themselves something that you were involved in negotiating, or was it kind of just going with the flow? MM: I was not involved in negotiating, and actually my ex-husband really did that, and did a good job of it, except he wound up scamming the record company, scamming me, scamming all the other artists that we worked with. What he did, is he would make whatever recording deals that he made with them, and you would get these huge advances for the budgeting of the album, the artwork, the covers, the still work, all of that.
JK: Videos, and things like that?
MM: Everything that you would need. In the beginning, he did a great job, because I guess he loved music, he enjoyed music, and he loved being a personal manager, but what he did was he really scammed a lot off the top. He and his friend, and there's no point naming her, because nobody knows who she is, except me, but he and his pals wound up scamming the record companies in all of the different areas that we developed in, because we wound up being an entertainment management company and a publishing company, and what he would do is, he would make deals for them, but he would take the money. Toward the end of the existence of our management company, which was Hush Productions, we had wonderful artists who were supposed to have records coming out, and he got the budgets. He never even went into the studio to record the music. He just took the money. By that time, he had also placed many of his cronies in the company as A&R people, as promotion people, so they all helped each other. I know the next question will be, "How did he get away with it?" JK: Of course, I have read some about this, but I was going to say it just must have been quite a shocker after so many years, because it wasn't just a few years that you guys were working together. It was more than a decade, so I don't know, was it something that was a shocker, or was it something there were signs of before it went down? MM: Well, when you are not a crook, and you are involved with a master crook, there may be signs that you don't recognize, because you don't live like that. Of course, they do everything they can to mask and hide what they're doing, as long as they have some kind of fear that they're going to get caught, or if it's going to be a problem. What I discovered was that once my ex-husband thought that I was absolutely powerless to do anything, he basically admitted what he did and was very proud of it. "Yeah, this is what I do. What are you gonna do?" There are two different sides to the face, I'll put it that way. I'm not being emotional, and I'm not saying anything about him that he's not very proud of. He's proud of what he does. JK: An interesting thing about it, besides the fact that obviously, there was a lack of regard for your feelings, like you said, at the time this started happening, you were still very successful on the R&B charts. MM: Well, in the beginning, he did a fabulous job, and he worked to the bone. He was inspired, and I think he was also needy. He wasn't rich and powerful yet, so he needed to have these things work. Once he got what he wanted, the arrogance, and he had his boys in there, and the spending of the money. I noticed that, we had a beautiful little building on 58th Street, and I noticed after a while, something I'd never seen there before: they'd be in there drinking champagne, and doing cocaine, and I said, "Charles, what's going on?" He never said anything, but those were the signs. By that time, I saw those signs. He was into it, and about to shut me down and kick me out, then finish polishing everybody else off and move on to something else. He didn't care.
JK: During the 80's, before that happened, were you able to enjoy the success you were having, particularly when you had a lot of hits, especially the songs you did with Kashif, and the duets you did with Lillo Thomas, and Freddie Jackson, was it something that you were able to enjoy at all?
MM: Yes, those were really, really fun times. Freddie and I laughed so much, because he's just a funny person. We shared excitement. My husband and I had a beautiful daughter, so we were a happy family, we were travelling, and we went to Paris. It was a really great, super joyful time.
JK: One thing I've wondered about, which there hasn't been a lot written about, was the sitcom you did, 'Melba'. I have the pilot episode of it, but what I read was that after that aired, it was cancelled rather abruptly, and then the network chose later to air a few more episodes of it during the summer or something, but what exactly was the deal with that?
MM: Well, from what I see, again you have to have a good agent and management team, and my ex-husband was a novice at the record industry, and from what I can see, he was really afraid to venture into theatre and television, and he was representing me, so I had nobody representing me. He developed the relationships that the series came out of, but then he didn't follow through. I can't go to the network and tell them I want a TV series; my management has to do that. There was no follow-through. I had no representation.
JK: You obviously had a lot of impact in a lot of ways during that time. One thing that I always remember, because I was a kid at the time, watching BET in the early days of Video Soul and all those programs, I remember that they had a Melba Moore lookalike contest.
MM: Our office, we used to think of all of these kinds of promotional techniques, all different kinds of things to promote our products, and to promote my image, and my packaging and that kind of thing. We were very innovative in those areas. We had created a whole sales and marketing team. Actually, that was the whole reason that Hush Productions came into existence; to manage me, and to assist the label in promoting and marketing, and through that, we were able to sign other artists. Some of the other artists that we managed were McFadden & Whitehead, we started working with them on music projects, and they didn't have any management, so we began to manage them, Paul Lawrence, who wrote 'Rock Me Tonight', who also came with Kashif, and Freddie Jackson and Lillo Thomas. They really were mainly a writing group, but each one of them sang as well.
JK: When you mentioned McFadden & Whitehead, it reminded me of another Broadway show that you had done briefly, that I read you had worked with them on, which was called 'Innocent Black'. Can you tell me about that? I don't know much about that one.
MM: It was an attempt by Hush Productions at bringing some of the talented songwriters and producers that we managed into legitimate theatre as well, to do the scoring and get them experienced at that, and to bring contemporary music into theatre.
JK: That was kind of a gospel-themed show, right?
MM: I guess you would call it so, yeah.
JK: One of the other early gospel songs you did, even though the style, musically, was R&B, was a song that I really enjoyed called 'Meet The Man' with the group, Dayton.
MM: I remember the time and the event, but I don't remember the song.
JK: You also were nominated, which I thought was really cool, for a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal, for the song 'Read My Lips'. Was that just a coincidence, or was it also a style you wanted to get more into, doing rock-type music?
MM: Well, we were just searching, still developing my style and trying to see where I belong.
JK: I really enjoyed your remake of 'Dreams', the Fleetwood Mac song, and actually that's one of my favourite albums of yours. I just thought it had a really nice balance of material, like the ballad 'To Those Who Wait', and even a song like 'Winner'. It was just a lot different, coming off the heels of some of the other songs like 'Love's Comin' At Ya' or 'Love Me Right', which were obviously great R&B songs, so this was kind of a different direction.
MM: It's just an attempt to grow and evolve, and see where we should go next to search.
JK: You mentioned, of course, that obviously in the end, things soured with the production company because of your ex-husband, but in the 90's, I know you also got involved in some social causes, like you did some work protesting some music that you thought was degrading to women, with Dr. C. DeLores Tucker, you did some protesting.
MM: Yes, there was ongoing community service work that I had an opportunity, whenever I wasn't in concerts, to work with C. DeLores Tucker and Dr. Dorothy Height of the National Council of Negro Women, and those were experiences that I wanted personally, for fellowship with the politicos, and the community services, especially back women's organizations, to get that experience.
JK: With one of the demonstrations, I had read that it ended up resulting in an arrest. Was that something that was part of your plan to make a statement, or was it something that took you by surprise?
MM: We planned to do that. It was a statement, yes. We call it civil disobedience.
JK: Right. You did a number of things independently, like you did your 'Solitary Journey' album, which I thought was really nice, but didn't get a lot of widespread exposure.
MM: Oh no, because that was really at my lowest, in terms of ability to create any music. I was not able to go to any label, or to fellowship with anyone. I really basically had to go with a couple of friends, and go in their basements, and trade services with whatever they could do.
JK: Bartering?
MM: That's it, bartering. We had no money. Absolutely none. Good people, who in good faith, did as much as we could.
JK: I was just listening to it again earlier this morning, as I hadn't listened to it in a while, and there were some nice songs on it. I guess it's just hard when, like you said, you don't have a lot of money to promote it.
MM: We didn't have any money. Not any!
JK: You have said, or I read at least, that you have spent a lot of the last 10 years trying to prove "that you're not a crackhead; that you're not crazy". What kind of situations in the industry did the things that went down before make it hard for you in, in recent times?
MM: Well, just before everything totally fell apart, in terms of, well, maybe in the process of the final throes of it, I discovered what he had been doing over a period of months, maybe years, was spreading the rumor that I had I had retired, that I was obese, that I had lost my voice, and among other things, that I was on crack. By the time it had all surfaced, and I found this phony divorce decree that he had forged and was carrying on behind my back, by the time all this surfaced, that had been going on for so long, there was nobody that I could go to in the industry. The industry was just totally shut down to me. I was already a born-again Christian, so I retreated to the church. I wasn't a gospel singer, so I didn't even know any of the songs, but I started to learn some of the songs, and make what we call honorariums, or whatever they want to give you, they give you, so I could live, from the testimonials and stuff. I then started to get a repertoire, and went to people like my friend, Shirley Murdock. I was able to put together a couple thousand dollars, and what she did was, she and her husband Dale wrote some songs for me to express my testimony, because they're performing gospel Christians, and actually, what they did was, they didn't put any bindings on it, like 'you're gonna get royalties, and we're gonna do this.' They said, "Do what you need to survive." She basically, except for the studio costs, gave me the songs.
JK: Was that the 'I'm Still Here' album?
MM: Yes.
JK: Did they also work with you on the Christmas album that you did?
MM: No, that was another man by the name of Dunn Pearson.
JK: Oh, okay. I didn't realize that he was the one who had done that.
MM: You know Dunn. At the bottom of the pit there was no money, and no reputation. His studio wasn't even in his basement yet. It was in his living room! (laughs) In his living room, we recorded the Christmas album, so basically he just donated his services.
JK: Now, you also did a play called 'Songs My Mother Taught Me'?
MM: Well, we changed the name to 'Sweet Songs of the Soul', and it's still in development, but I'm calling it now 'Still Standing: The Melba Moore Story'.
JK: So it's essentially the same show, though?
MM: Yes.
JK: Okay, I thought they were two different things.
MM: Well, they probably are by now, but it's been in development, so it's the same premise.
JK: And you have been performing it at various nightclubs?
MM: No, in theatres.
JK: So is it an off-Broadway type of show?
MM: At this point, it's a one-woman play.
JK: Where have you done it recently?
MM: The last place I did it was Crossroads Regional Theatre.
JK: Is it something you plan to continue?
MM: Yes. What I want to do now is put it up for showcase for credentialed writers, because I'm not a writer; playwrights; and a director.
JK: So you want to get some other people involved in the script?
MM: That's right.
JK: I've also read that you have a book that you have written, or are working on.
MM: Yes, I'm working on a book by the same title, 'Still Standing'.
JK: Is that your whole life story?
MM: The whole life, yes. You can't really do it in a play, especially with music. You gotta leave room for the songs.
JK: That's true. Do you have a publisher for it?
MM: No. Not yet.
JK: Okay, but it is something that we can hope to see in the near future?
MM: It's probably going to be completed before the end of the year, which is three or four months, I think.
JK: With this new album with Phil Perry, 'The Gift of Love', are you planning on doing any performances in support of it?
MM: Absolutely! Everytime I can grab Phil!
JK: Is there any one song from the album that is most personal to you?
MM: Oh, boy. I'll tell you one song that's really the bomb, and I wasn't expecting it to be, and that is 'You're All I Need To Get By'. That was rough, honey.
JK: What was so rough about it for you?
MM: You have to hear it.
JK: I enjoyed it a lot.
MM: Oh, I'm sorry. This is an interview. I gotta say something, right?
JK: I was just curious. What part of it did you find really challenging?
MM: Everywhere you listen is fabulous, from the moment it starts, with the strings, that Preston Glass, he is a genius at writing strings. He put these strange chord changes right at the beginning that suck you right in right there. Then there's a beat, and it starts with the background, which is me. When I first heard it, I thought, "I really sound strange. I'm not used to hearing myself like that, but whoever that is, I like it!" (laughs) From there on, you just like it. It has a groove, a feeling, a beat that is charismatic. It draws you into it. I don't know about you, but other people are saying the same thing, just that they want to hear it again, and again, and again, and again, and again.
JK: I just thought that the overall selection, like I said before, was really impressive, because you had a few songs like 'You're All I Need To Get By' that are unmistakable classics, but there are some others that maybe a lot of people would know, but not everybody, like one interesting one I thought you did was the song 'I Believe'.
MM: Yes, me too.
JK: It's been done by everybody, from Elvis to Mahalia.
MM: I never sang it, and I kind of went along with the crew, you know? Daniel picked it, and Chris 'Big Dog' Davis said, "Oh, you can do this. I'll support you" and I thought, "Oh, I don't know", but when I heard it, I thought, "Oh my goodness." I never would have thought that it has its own feel and message.
JK: I was going to say, it seemed, lyrically, like it fit right in with a lot of your life.
MM: It's absolutely natural for me. To me, I think that's part of the fact of life that we live, that you can't see yourself the way that others do. You can't hear yourself the way that others do, and sometimes when you defer to them, and then you listen back, or look back, you will see something wonderful that you didn't even know was there.
JK: So, this was something that Daniel picked. It wasn't a song that you had been clinging to all your life or something like that.
MM: Well, my mother sang it, and I loved it when she sang it, but I forgot about that. When he brought it to me, I was kind of groaning, but it worked out.
JK: What about the John Kee song 'It Will Be Alright'?
MM: Oh, now I picked that one!
JK: I thought that, from what I read in the bio, that that was something that was maybe a personal favourite of yours.
MM: Absolutely.
JK: I thought that was a really inspiring one as well.
MM: You know, I'm a born-again Christian and everything, but I'm a fan; I'm a groupie of hardcore, country, raw, low-down music, you know, unsophisticated.
JK: Just singing it like it is, right?
MM: Raw! That's me. That's my spirit and my love. Not even that I can sing it or whatever, I just really adore it, like some people have a passion or a love for something, even though they don't even perform it; they might not be performers. I'm like an observer and that kind of thing.
JK: I think that comes across, even when you're doing the theatre genre stuff, because that's what makes your voice unique in that sense, is that you bring a little bit of that to it, or at least for me, when I saw you at the B.B. King showcase. That kind of struck me. There are a lot of great theatre singers, and belters, but I think you kind of add that extra dimension with the gospel.
MM: It's kind of like a joy love fan explosion of energy! (laughs)
JK: That's awesome.
MM: I don't know how this sounds, but I just like it!
JK: That's the most important thing, and that comes across when you're performing, as does you appreciation of so many different types of singers. I was reading what you said about Philippe Wynne from The Spinners. From him to Dionne Warwick, you're talking about a lot of great singers, each with their definite own mark.
MM: And I'm sure I'm expressing what the world thinks about them, why they are great and classic artists. They have these gifts from God, really.
JK: What do you hope will be the outcome with this project?
MM: I hope we have a great tour out of it, I hope it gets a lot of airplay, I hope it really gets on mainstream consciousness and awareness, because I really think it's a great project.
JK: Is there one particular song that's being promoted from it as a single?
MM: I don't think that's been discovered yet. I don't know what Shanachie and their people there are planning, because we're just getting everything mastered up really quickly. The project came together quickly.
JK: How long did it take to do it?
MM: All together, maybe three weeks, two weeks. We had to hurry up and schedule our time for everybody, because we wanted a fall release. If you do it like the old days, you know you go over, and over, and over, and over. Nope.
JK: Do you prefer one way over the other?
MM: I wish we had more time, but I don't mind working in constraints, because you force yourself to be a little bit more disciplined. You can't always scrutinize it, but sometimes you're better than you think you are.
JK: Working under pressure brings out the best in you sometimes?
MM: Sometimes, yes.
JK: You opened the album with 'Optimistic', the Sounds of Blackness tune. Was that the first song that you picked?
MM: I didn't pick that sequence. I wouldn't have sequenced it that way, but I hope everybody loves that sequence.
JK: It seems to set a good tone. What would you have picked for the opener if you had chosen?
MM: I would have picked 'Sadie', but I'm thinking of the sound of the song, and then because it's sweet and it draws you into the message, and it's a classic thing, then when you hear the up-tempo songs, they really come at you.
JK: Was that personally significant to you, as far as your family?
MM: No, it's just the sound of the song, the sweetness and the empathy that I know it evokes from so many, many, people, and they never really express it. It's just that when you play it, oh it's there again.
JK: You said, "Everything that's old ain't bad." Were you referring to the song itself, or the lyrics, and what it's about?
MM: I'm referring to life, especially American life, because we're the new kids on the block as far as countries are concerned, especially countries that are developed, and we're like teenagers. We throw everything away without appreciating it, and then we get to the next new thing, and if it's not brand new, we try to say that it's not relevant. If you go to Europe and some of the other places that I've had an opportunity to go to recently, they hold some of what we've thrown away so dear, and when you look at it from their point of view, you have another appreciation for what God has given you, and what he's made you, and what we have. I've had an opportunity now to fight for the right to sing, to fight for the right to live, to fight to stay healthy and vital. I find a new value in maturity, because everything old is not worn out and useless, either. I'm thinking of the vitality of life, and I guess I'm thinking that I'm very, very blessed in some ways, but so much of my life and where I've come from is cut off, because my grandmother was stricken already, so I think I have a bit of an appreciation for the connecting of the old, to the middle, to the young so that it's whole, we can see where we've been, with a solid foundation, where we are now, so we can have a concern, and a love, and a desire to stay vital and young, but to mature also, and enjoy what we have to give to the next generation. Don't let it be old, and useless, and thrown away; let it stay vital.
JK: You're right. I recently went to Switzerland, and I was really impressed with how the older people seemed to be much more of an active part of things than what I notice here. Aging is definitely something that we place too much of a negative connotation on here.
MM: I think we're learning better. That's what I love about America. If we find out we've got it wrong, we will fix it, like smoking and alcohol. A lot of people don't drink like they used to, or don't drink at all anymore. It's just a common thing. We had such a bad problem with alcoholism, but we didn't even recognize it as that. We just called it social drinking. We've gone from that, to almost the opposite. Everywhere you go, there's an AA or something to help you with any kind of addictive problem that you have, and I think that's great about America, so that we don't waste our youth, and hopefully we don't waste our maturity, either.
JK: It's part of the 'Survival Kit,' like the song on the album.
MM: Yeah.
JK: Well, I really thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I really enjoyed it, and it's been great to learn more about you, after enjoying your music for so long. I wish you a lot of success with this album. I think you've got a real winner, and I hope that everybody will get to hear it, and it will do some good things for you,
MM: Thank you. I appreciate your time too, and I'm glad that you are interested!
About the Writer
Justin Kantor is a freelance music journalist with published works in Wax Poetics and the All-Music Guide. A graduate of Berklee College of Music's Business and Management program, he regularly writes liner notes for reissue labels.
Sound Track
Listen to Justin's interview with Melba
You're All I Need To Get By - Melba Moore & Phil Perry
Click here for THE MELBA MOORE (UK) STORE AT SOUL MUSIC.COM for CDs, MP3s, bio, etc.
Click here for THE MELBA MOORE STORE AT SOUL MUSIC.COM for CDs, MP3s, DVDs, Bio, etc.
Members Comments
More MELBA MOORE
Melba Moore Voice Your Choice with Michael Lewis
Read More ...
Melba Moore August 1976 Interview
Read More ...
Melba Moore May 1976 Interview
Read More ...
(C) 2005 - 2016 All Rights Reserved | SoulMusic.com
Privacy Policy
Contact Us


text:
These light and stylish women's Quark pro-air shoes are designed with a breathable top for comfortable wear. The EVA sole provide effective shock absorption and durability. These round-toe shoes have a water resistant construction that makes them ideal for wear in all seasons. Pair them with pants or shorts for a great look. Available in assorted colors and standard sizes.
Sizing: Women
Width: Medium
Construction: Breathable upper
Insole Material: Ethylene vinyl acetate
Protective Qualities: Water resistant construction Breathable upper
Closure Style: Slip on
Toe Style: Round toe
Heel: Approximately 0.0625 inches
other Info.
- Imported

subset: commoncrawl


text:
United won the league last season with Liverpool way back in seventh, but the club's fortunes have flipped this campaign with United in sixth position – a full 11 points behind second placed Liverpool who are contending for the title.
When asked by the club's in-house magazine, Inside United, whether it was hard to see their Manchester rivals City above them in the table, Rooney couldn't help but bring up Liverpool's form which he finds even more bothersome.
"To see City doing well, and particularly Liverpool, is really difficult," he admitted to the magazine.
"It's not nice when we know we are capable of being up there challenging and we haven't been doing that this season.
"However, it means we have to step up and get back up there because the feeling we've had this season is not a nice feeling at all to have.
"We have to keep working, keep progressing and finish the season stronger."
Liverpudlian Rooney grew up as an Everton fan and has made his disdain for the red half of the city known in the past.
In 2009 he told the official Manchester United website: "I grew up as an Everton fan hating Liverpool - and that hasn't changed."
The United website later removed the comments.
Last month Rooney committed his future to Manchester United when he signed a four-year contract extension worth a reported £300,000 a week.
- Soccer
- Sports & Recreation
- Manchester United


text:
V8 Supercars and Erebus Racing have both failed to entice Mercedes-Benz joining Nissan at Kelly Racing into launching a V8 Supercars Championship assault next year.
Mercedes-Benz Australia yesterday confirmed that it had elected against becoming a part of the category's new Car of the Future era following extensive deliberation on the matter.
Erebus Racing had been pushing to secure an engine and technical assistance package for a Supercar assault from the German-based AMG Customer Sports program.
The arrangement was said to include Stone Brothers Racing, although Mercedes-Benz Australia confirmed that it had not dealt directly with the currently Ford-supported squad.
Support for the deal was reportedly forthcoming from Germany.
Another For Gentleman Jim
One of Australia's most accomplished drivers Gentleman Jim Richards will take on the rest in an East-West contest for the 2012 Targa West Rally this weekend.
Richards, the 2007 winner in Western Australia and seven-time Targa Tasmania Champion is returning to the west with long-time co-driver Barry Oliver in their Porsche GT2 RS as the leading East Coast contender for the eighth annual event.
Richards quest to lift the trophy after 215 kilometres of competition will be met by a strong local line-up in the Modern Competition category, including Nissan GT-R35 drivers Peter Rullo and Jean-Paul Van Loenhout.
A total of 79 cars will start Targa West in Competition and speed-restricted Challenge categories for Modern and Classic cars.
Richards and Launceston-based Oliver have competed in dozens of rallies together since 1993 with more success than virtually any other crew in the country, so to beat the rest in the West will be another huge achievement for the experienced duo.
F1 Driver For Bathurst
An Australian team running an American muscle car has drawn on an Italian former-F1 driver to help them claim a strong result at the Bathurst 12 hour.
Melbourne-based Trofeo Motorsport has entered their Chevrolet Corvette FIA GT3 in Class A and has confirmed that former Ferrari F1 driver Ivan Capelli will join regular drivers Jim Manolios and Rod Wilson in an attack on the 24 hour classic.
Capelli competed at 98 Grand Prix for Tyrell, March, Ferrari and Jordan between 1985 and 1993, with 3rd in the 1988 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps his best result.
He currently works for Italian broadcaster RAI as a specialist Formula 1 commentator but continues to keep his eye in behind the wheel, having recently raced in the European V8 Superstars Series, amongst other categories.
No Basic Black
The basic black tyre which has been around since horse drawn carriages got the flick as man's favourite mode of transport will undergo a major change if international tyre manufacturer Michelin proceeds with recently developed new tyre colour schemes which will feature several different shades.
Michelin is hinting Formula One may be the first to try the new coloured rubber and could hit the race track bitumen early next season.
This scribe will certainly be placing an order as soon as they become available to the public. A set of orange white wall beauties would look very nice on my lime green Valiant wagon!
Safe Motoring


text:
Issue No.06 - June (1989 vol.22)
pp: 18-26
DOI Bookmark: http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/2.30717

The authors are building a prototype legged rover, called the Ambler (loosely an acronym for autonomous mobile exploration robot) and testing it on full-scale, rugged terrain of the sort that might be encountered on the Martian surface. They present an overview of their research program, focusing on locomotion, perception, planning, and control. They summarize some of the most important goals and requirements of a rover design and describe how locomotion, perception, and planning systems can satisfy these requirements. Since the program is relatively young (one year old at the time of writing) they identify issues and approaches and describe work in progress rather than report results. It is expected that many of the technologies developed will be applicable to other planetary bodies and to terrestrial concerns such as hazardous waste assessment and remediation, ocean floor exploration, and mining.

John Bares, Martial Hebert, Takeo Kanade, Eric Krotkov, Tom Mitchell, Reid Simmons, William Whittaker, "Ambler: An Autonomous Rover for Planetary Exploration", Computer, vol.22, no. 6, pp. 18-26, June 1989, doi:10.1109/2.30717


text:
- Home
- News
- Articles
- Products
- Blogs
- Videos
- Calendar
- Resources
- Win Spa Products!
- Sponsored
- Store
Top Entrepreneur: Archbeauty Skin Care Salon & Boutique in Newport, RI
Sara Schieff-Ross, founder of Archbeauty Skin Care Salon & Boutique
When the going gets tough for Archbeauty Skin Care Salon founder Sara Schieff-Ross, she asks herself a simple question: What would Elizabeth Arden do?
"She's one of my all-time idols," Schieff-Ross says. "She actually expanded her business during the Great Depression." Just knowing that gave Schieff-Ross the courage to start her own skincare spa about two years ago, in the middle of our own Great Recession, even as she watched others fail.
Schieff-Ross, who entered the beauty ranks as a 17-year-old Clinique makeup consultant at a Boston-area Filene's, established her creds in her early 20s as a lead esthetician and consultant for local spas, honing her management and training skills before moving to Rhode Island six years ago.
By 2009, she saw spa owners respond to the recession by offering deep discounts—with disastrous results. "That never works because then customers won't pay full price again," she says. Schieff-Ross's service philosophy: "You may be pinching your pennies. But you are going to come into my world and I am going to take care of you. And you are going to see results."
No longer satisfied with being on the sidelines, the budding entrepreneur partnered with her tech-sales manager husband and spent six months creating an airtight business plan. It wowed bankers, but didn't result in any loans. "They may have been impressed but nobody was lending," she says.
Then she found SEED Corp., a nonprofit that helps small enterprises, and received a $50,000 start-up loan. She next rented an adorable shingled cottage in the heart of historic Newport. "I wanted people to feel at home, not in a starched commercial space." Months before launch, she engaged future clients through Facebook, posting photo updates as the spa took shape. "People loved seeing us evolve," she says. "Before we gave our first facial, we already had 250 Facebook fans."
Archbeauty opened its doors in March 2010, with six employees and a vow to focus on three things: customer service, education and details. The estheticians (or Archbeauties, as she calls them) are schooled to "treat everyone like family." In addition to a service menu of high-tech facials, Brazilian waxes, massages and $15 arch tweaks at the stylish BrowBar, spa staff are skilled in treating adult acne and rosacea. (Archbeauty also partners with local dermatologists for client referrals.)
Staff frequently take weekend classes and field trips to Boston, sponsored by the spa's featured skincare lines—all of which boosts employee knowledge and retention. In fact, all the original employees remain more than 18 months later.
"I like to tell my clients that you'll get phenomenal service here, and you'll learn something about your skin," Schieff-Ross says, adding that she cautions staff never to hard-sell. "Our philosophy is we don't push, we educate." Similarly, she hosts complimentary client events with free mini-facials and Q&A sessions.
And while her big-picture vision makes her a standout entrepreneur, it's her focus on the smallest of details that sets Schieff-Ross apart.
"Make sure the walls aren't scuffed, make sure the products aren't dusty," she says. "I can't tell you how many times I've gone into a spa boutique and picked up a dusty product. I don't want to buy it. If they don't care about their product why should I?" Business owners, she says, may get busy and become complacent, "but customers notice, so you have to notice, too." Which is why she makes sure that everyone who works for her "has pride in our place, because customers pick up on that."
Schieff-Ross next hopes to establish Archbeauty Salons in Boston, New York and Connecticut—Great Recession be damned. "If you are good at what you do you will thrive," she says. "The ones who have integrity will succeed and grow—even in this crazy economy."—Alison Singh Gee
- Printer-friendly version
- Login to post comments
Great article and interview.
Submitted by Illumination Co... on Fri, 2014-02-21 13:11.
Great article and interview. Congratulations on your success Sara with Archbeauty Skin Care Salon. I fully agree that the integrity is key to success. An honest approach to skin care is well received by consumers these days. Many skin care products and services can be misleading. A clear message is most of the time well taken by skin care consumers.
- Login to post comments
You might also like ...


text:
So yoga-clothing store Lululemon is having an event celebrating healthy living and eating!
It's a healthy potluck, with snacks brought in from Castle Hill Fitness Cafe (delish but expensive, though they're free here) and hopefully some dishes by yoga-loving Austinites! Stop by anytime between 2 & 5 pm.
You can also go to lululemon (3700 Kerbey Lane, 78731) for a complimentary yoga class that morning at 9 am, taught by a Castle Hill Fitness instructor at the shop.
They wrote on the evite: "Who doesn't like to eat?!" Which, while it is a true statement, is pretty torturous right now. This is a really neat thing. If I were eating, I'd go!


text:
Sashastra Seema Bal Recruitment 2013 – SSB Tradesman 810 Vacancy-
Application are invited by Sashastra Seema Bal from eligible Male and Female Indian citizens for filling up the Group C Combatised, Non-Gazetted (Non Ministerial) posts in Tradesmen Cadres in SSB for the year 2013. Last date of receipt of application is 31.07.2013 except some remote area states whose list given in recruitment advertisement. More details about Sashastra Seema Bal Tradesman Recruitment is given below.
Sashastra Seema Bal Vacancy Details-
Name of Post – No. of Vacancy
1. CT (Cook) – 251
2. CT (Washerman) – 195
3. CT (Barber) – 64
4. CT (Safaiwala) – 141
5. CT (Water Carrier) – 89
6. CT (Waiter) – 06
7. CT (Carpenter) – 03
8. CT (Painter) – 16
9. CT (Tailor) – 14
10. CT (Cobbler) – 26
11. CT (Gardener) – 05
Total No. of Vacancy – 810
Required Educational Qualification – Candidate should have complete Matriculation or equivalent from a recognized Board with two years work experience in respective trades or One year certificate course from a recognized Industrial Training Institute or Vocational Institute with at least one year experience in the Trade or Two years Diploma from recognized Industrial Training Institute in the trade or similar trade. Candidates must qualify the trade test for appointment as a Tradesman in SSB. More details available in advertisement.
Age limit – 18 to 23 years and The crucial date to determine the age will be 31.07.2013.
Application Fee – Eligible candidate belonging to General and OBC Category who wants to apply in Sashastra Seema Bal required to pay Rs. 50/- as application fee in the form of Bank Draft. The Bank Draft should be prepared in favour of authorities as mentioned at ssb recruitment advertisement attached below in Para 19 Column No. 3. No fee will be charged from SC/ST, Ex-Servicemen and female candidates.
How to Apply – Eligible and interested candidates should send their Applications in prescribed format to the address mentioned in Para-19 Coloumn 2 of SSB recruitment advertisement attached in link given below on or before last date of submission of application i.e. 31.07.2013.
Sashastra Seema Bal Recruitment Advertisement


text:
Passionflower Extract by Herb Pharm is a liquid herbal supplement that may work to promote relaxation. Specifically' passionflower—which is also known as passiflora incarnata—might play a role in boosting gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in your brain. By slowing down the activity of certain brain cells' GABA may help address some symptoms associated with anxiety' restlessness' or trouble sleeping.
In addition' Passionflower Extract may also serve as a muscle relaxant. Due to its antispasmodic properties and calming effect on your nervous system' passionflower may work to alleviate mild muscle tension or spasms that could otherwise make it difficult for you to relax.
The active compounds in passionflower extract include flavonoids (such as chrysin) and beta-carboline alkaloids; many of these may have a mild sedating effect.
Each bottle of Herb Pharm's Passionflower Extract contains one fluid ounce of solution. This passionflower supplement is prepared with the organically grown' shade-dried flowering herb of the passiflora incarnata vine.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not meant to diagnose' treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before starting any exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.
Certified organic grain alcohol' distilled water & Passionflower extractives.
Use as directed by a healthcare professional.
Consult a healthcare professional prior to use.
Keep Out of the Reach of Children
Allergy / Dietary Needs
- Herbicide Free
- Organic Product
- Pesticide Free
- Chemical Fertilizer Free
Ratings & ReviewsReview This Item
Overall Rating for Passionflower - 1 fl. oz (29.6 ml)
Displaying reviews 1-1 of 1
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
By GIGI
from Port St. Lucie, FL
Passionflower by Herb Pharm has most favorable overall result I sought I found according to my search and studies on this herb was achieved. The price is favorable since the market retail price is listed to the left of PureFormulas price, I extend my gratitude for the discount :)
Great result.
As with most herbs they tend to be bitter nothing a little honey & lemon can't fix.
√ I would recommend this item to a friend.
Displaying reviews 1-1 of 1
Questions About This ItemAsk a Question
Please ask any questions you may have about this specific product in the field below.
Your question(s) and our corresponding answer(s) will not be confidential and will be posted publically on this specific product page.
Additionally, PureFormulas is unable to directly recommend products in relation to specific health conditions. Please contact your trusted healthcare practitioner for direct product recommendations.
If you have any general questions regarding orders or our policies and programs, please contact our Customer Happiness Team @ 1.800.383.6008
If you are pregnant, nursing, taking any medications or have any medical condition, consult your doctor before use. Your healthcare professional is the best source for guidance before beginning an exercise or nutritional supplement program.


text:
As Annie, 12-year-old Myriah Miller has the red, curly hair, freckles -- and can belt out "Tomorrow" like there's, well, no tomorrow.
And veteran performer Dennis Bohannon has the shiny head matched by a powerful voice to portray the intimidating Daddy Warbucks.
"The two were perfect for the roles," said director Jennifer Chessor.
But Chessor insisted when she was casting for the roles, she wasn't worried about finding performers who looked the part -- there are costumes, makeup and wigs for that. She was more worried about talent. So when she found both, she was more than pleased.
For the first time the Sikeston Little Theatre is presenting its adult musical that includes both children and adult lead roles, pointed out Chessor, who is assisted by Heather Palmer in directing the musical.
In addition to the character, "Annie," there are six orphans in the musical who are portrayed by children ranging from third through sixth grades from Sikeston, Charleston and Oran. There are also a few kids in the chorus and New York Street scene, noted Terry Sapp, musical director and "Miss Hannigan."
"This show is loved by people of all ages, and we think the cast is really doing a fine job and the audience is really going to enjoy it," Sapp said. "Everyone's working very hard to make a good production."
Auditions were held in late December and currently the cast is learning the music and blocking during practices held four times a week.
So far everything is going great, Sapp said. "Myriah is doing an awesome job as Annie," Sapp praised the newcomer.
Myriah said she learned about the role of Annie from her voice lessons teacher.
"A bunch of her students were trying out so I did, too," Myriah explained, adding she's not nervous about her performances.
Although the Little Theatre is using the Broadway edition of the show, it is also incorporating bits and pieces from the 1982 and 1999 movie versions.
Sapp noted there's always differences between a Broadway production and movies.
"We're doing the Broadway edition, but we're changing a little around to make it like the movie. We're taking away some songs, some that are not as well known, and we're switching it around where the ending is more like the movie," Sapp said.
And there will be Sandy the dog. "We're pulling the best from all three," Chessor said.
Fan favorites like "Hard-Knock Life," "Tomorrow," "Together at Last" as well as a song in neither movie nor stage production, "We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover" are among the songs to be performed.
In addition, Chessor noted the sets for "Annie" will be the biggest -- but not the most -- ever used in a Little Theatre production, something that has created a challenge for the set designers.
But John and Teresa Fisk, who are responsible for set design and construction, are up for the challenge, Teresa Fisk said.
"The hardest thing is the mansion," Fisk admitted. "We want the 'wow factor' and creating the illusion of the staircase is difficult. We want people to say, 'Wow. I'd live there.'"
The Fisks along with their assistant, 16-year-old Tyler Dixon, are using a faux marble finish to recreate the giant marble staircase of Warbucks' home. They're also working on a grand window and New York skyline, Fisk added.
In addition to Warbucks' mansion, one of the other impressive sets is Miss Hannigan's office, Sapp said. "It will turn on wheels and we'll turn it around into Roosevelt's office," Sapp explained, adding it makes for quicker scene changes.
Cast and crew of "Annie" assure audience members will be pleased with the upbeat songs and performances of the family favorite.
And Bohannon pointed out that "Annie" is a feel-good show.
"How can you beat it?" Bohannon questioned. "Warbucks is a hard-heart and then Annie comes into his life and he finally finds something to care about more than money. Everyone who comes will leave smiling."


text:
Definición de spotted fever en inglés:
spotted fever
1Any of a number of diseases characterized by fever and skin spots.
Oraciones de ejemplo
- Mediterranean spotted fever, or boutonneuse fever, is the most common imported rickettsial disease in returning travelers.
- Apart from rabies, dogs are at risk of passing on Mediterranean spotted fever, leishmaniasis, heartworm, and brucellosis.
- Continental Europe also has its share of endemic arthropod borne infections, from leishmaniasis and Mediterranean spotted fever in southern France, Italy, and Spain, to tick borne encephalitis in the Baltic states.
1.3 see Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Oraciones de ejemplo
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever is an infectious disease, carried by ticks, that can infect both dogs and people.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most common rickettsial disease in the United States.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a bacterial infection that's transmitted to people by tick bites.
For editors and proofreaders
División en sílabas: spot·ted fe·ver
Definición de spotted fever en:
¿Qué te llama la atención de esta palabra o frase?
Los comentarios que no respeten nuestras Normas comunitarias podrían ser moderados o eliminados.
Muy popular en Reino Unido
Muy popular en Australia
= de moda


text:
Eight Wichita State University baseball players will serve suspensions for receipt of improper benefits, the NCAA told Wichita State on Friday. More players were involved in the improper receipt of benefits but the NCAA said that they paid for such a small amount of stuff that it was not worthy of a suspension. The suspensions do not have to be served right away but Eyewitness Sports was told that all the position players are expected to start their suspensions immediately.
The list of suspended players is as follows:
Tyler Baker, Garrett Brummet (scheduled to start on Sunday)
Cale Elam (still scheduled to start on Friday, will start suspension after that)
Foster Vielock, Dayne Parker, Kris Gardner, Erik Harbutz and Drew Palmer.
The pitchers will serve their suspensions based on games and not starts.
The following is the press release sent out today by the university:
The NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement staff notified the University this morning that its eligibility reinstatement request on behalf of its baseball student-athletes was granted. Earlier this winter, the University declared sixteen baseball student-athletes ineligible for competition as a result of their receipt of discounted merchandise from an athletics equipment and apparel supplier.
In addition, the student-athletes will be required to be withheld from varying levels of intercollegiate competition correlating to the amount of the benefits received. Based on the arguments submitted by the University, the NCAA deviated from its standard penalty structure and granted reduced withholdings in this case.
"We feel the outcome is fair," stated Director of Athletics Eric Sexton. "We have been working cooperatively with the NCAA national office since we first discovered that we had potential eligibility issues. Now that those issues appear to be resolved, we will continue to work with the NCAA in bringing any remaining issues related to this situation to resolution."
"We are finally coming to a conclusion regarding our investigation by the NCAA," said Wichita State head baseball coach Todd Butler. "This has been a long and exhausting three-month process and I would like to credit Wichita State University for its tireless work to lighten the toll on our program. Without the dedication and support of our administration, we would not have had such a quick turnaround for our student-athletes and program. Our goal is to always follow the rules and regulations of the NCAA and to represent Wichita State University with character and class. Although this has been an unfortunate situation for all involved, we look forward to the challenge of the process. The Shocker players and program will overcome and move on to the upcoming 2014 season."
Eight players will be withheld from competition including three position players and five pitchers. Games missed will be three, six or nine depending on the player.
Wichita State University opens its 2014 baseball season on Friday, February 14, 2014, with a series against Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.


text:
Wood Inspiration by Ruterra
Size68 m²
Floor No.1
- Family/child friendly
- Internet/WiFi
- Kitchen
- Towels
- Washer/dryer
- Baby cot
- Pets allowed
|Koubkova, 12000 Prague, Czech Republic
|Property type
|Property ID
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
This is right apartment if you are looking for :
*spacious and value -for-money apartment within 15 min walking from the city center
*calm and quite dreams during the night
* fully equipped kitchen for your cooking masterpieces
This bright apartment consists of 2 separate rooms and kitchen. It will be perfect choice for group of friends or big family to spend unforgettable time in gorgeous Prague.
The apartment consists of:
*Bedroom with a double bed and a big pull-out sofa, wardrobe. Windows lead to Koubkova street, this street by itself is very quiet, street noise will not disturb you even during the day.
*Second bedroom with a double bed and pull-out sofa for 2 people. Also there is a big TV with local channels.
*Kitchen is separated and fully equipped with fridge, kettle, toaster, coffee machine, crockery and cooker.
*Big bathroom with corner bath, WC and washing machine
Guest Access
Also we provide:
*Towels and bed linens
*iron, ironing board
*washing machine
*good recommendations where to go and what to see in Prague
*24 hours support during your stay
The Neighborhood
The apartment is located close to tram stop and metro station I.P.Pavlova, but also you can easily reach the city center by food.
All main attractions is located in walkable distance:
*5 min to the nearest tram/metro station I.P.Pavlova
*10 min to Brewery house, where you can you can order flavored beer from banana to coffee to blueberry, or specialty champagne beer that comes in a bottle and with a champagne flute
*15 min walk to Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske namesti) or 3 min by public transport
*25 min to Charles bridge
*25 min to Old Town square
Other Things to Note
It takes 30 minutes to get to your apartment from airport by taxi. We can organize a transfer from the airport directly to the apartment - The cost of this service is 20 EUR/car for 1-3 ppl, 25 EUR/car for 4 ppl, 35 EUR/car for 5-6 ppl, and 55 EUR/car for 7-8 people. In this case our driver will meet you in the arrival zone, drive you to your apartment and hand you in all needed maps and keys.
The nearest public parking is located in 2-5 minutes walking from apartment on the Bozene Nemcove street – it's paid on working days (approximately 1.3 euro/hour) and free on weekends and nights (after 18h and until 8h).
- Please do not make any noise in the hallways and other common areas in the house and after 22:00. This is a strict rule! There are many old people in the house, and we have promised the neighbors to keep the peace and maintain friendly relations.
- If you are stay in our apartment for more than 7 days – we will clean them FOR FREE and change towels and linen once a week.
- All our apartment is hypo-allergic, so smoking is PROHIBITED in the apartment!
- In case of loss or damaging keys we will be forced to charge you a fine 15 euro.
IMPORTANT: we love our guests so much that we provide them with a welcome set consisting of :tea, coffee, sugar, detergent (dishwasher and washing machine), hair&body shampoo, kitchen utensils, towels, bed linen and a wonderful "welcome book" with all info you might need!
Thank you for your understanding.
|Price for > 6 guests
|6 € per guest/night extra
|Check-in after
|Check-in before
|On arrangement
|Check-out before
|Cancellation Policy
Everything perfect, well-kept apartment in the center, the host, who waited for us despite the late hours of the night. Thank you and best regards :)
Wszystko idealnie, zadbane mieszkanie w centrum, gospodarz, który poczekał na nas mimo późnych godzin nocnych. Bardzo dziękujemy i pozdrawiamy :)
The apartment is clean and big enough for 2 people. The connection to the tram is ideal supermarket reachable in 1 minute - what more could you want. We felt comfortable and would make the app. book again.
Das Appartement ist sauber und für 2 Personen ausreichend. Die Anbindung an die Tram ist ideal, Supermarkt in 1 Minute erreichbar - was will man mehr. Wir haben uns wohlgefühlt und würden das App. wieder buchen.
This studio is very private. Very well maintain. The host is a company.
Owner friendly and helpful, accommodation as described and well maintained.
Vermieter freundlich und hilfsbereit, Unterkunft wie beschrieben und gepflegt.
Check in was very easy and we received all the information we would need for a happy stay in Prague. The apartment was clean and everything looked very well taken care of. Thanks, we had a great time!
+ Floor, kitchen, bathroom clean + easy access to the public transport system + quick keys with information right next to the main train station + hall, bathroom, room in good condition with kitchen utensils sufficient for a breakfast of + quiet + soap and towels were also there + washing machine - 2 reclining beds together. Gap in the middle.
+ Boden, Küche, Bad sauber
+ gute Anbindung an das öffentliche Verkehrssystem
+ rasche Schlüsselübergabe mit Informationen direkt neben dem Hauptbahnhof
+ Flur, Bad, Zimmer in einem guten Zustand
+ Küchenutensilien reichen für ein Frühstück aus
+ ruhige Gegend
+ Seife und Handtücher waren auch dabei
+ Waschmaschine
- 2 aneinander gelehnte Betten. Spalt in der Mitte.
I had a nice stay in the city. Lovely and central apartment in the heart of Prague. Friendly and helpful team. The flat was equipped as on pictures. I can recommend it.
We had an amazing experience in Prague. Wonderful welcome with advices of what to visit in the city, the apartment is really like it appears on pictures, spacious, clean, with a perfect location just at 5min by foot from the famous place. We could recommend it to friends !
have not booked the apartment bekommen.wahr probably twice vergeben.hatten get a spare apartment to be repaired unfortunately etvrdgeschoss war.tv went dark and somehow nicht.sollte, but came niemand.sonst all was well.
haben nicht die gebuchte wohnung bekommen.wahr wohl doppelt vergeben.hatten eine ersatzwohnung bekommen,die leider im etvrdgeschoss und dunkel war.tv ging irgendwie nicht.sollte repariert werden,kam aber niemand.sonst war alles gut.
nice small apartment that has everything you need for a city break. Good location as it is located close to the train station and only a few minutes walk from the nearest tram station. Not so perfect was the key collection. This took place in a central location, the landlord and this was too far away for us from the apartment.
nettes kleines Apartement, das alles hat, was man für einen Städtetrip braucht. Gute Lage, da es nah am Bahnhof und auch nur ein paar Gehminuten von der nächsten Straßenbahn-Station entfernt ist. Nicht so optimal war die Schlüsselübergabe. Diese fand in einer zentralen Stelle der Vermieter statt und diese war für uns zu weit vom Apartement entfernt.
- Quality assured accommodation
- Every host is verified by telephone
- Secure payment via SSL encryption


text:
ANZ Frequent Flyer Black Ad
Qantas is adding an extra return flight on the Canberra-Adelaide route five days a week from this October.
That's a total of an extra 1076 seats, but there won't be any business class -- the new flights will use a QantasLink Bombardier Q400 turboprop propeller-driven plane, which only has economy on board.
The schedule is a middle-of-the-day addition, which is most likely to attract business travellers on flexible schedules or those who are leaving Adelaide in the early afternoon after a morning meeting.
Starting 29 October, QF2091 will leave Canberra at 1105, arriving in Adelaide at 1235. Return flight 2092 departs Adelaide half an hour later at 1305, getting into Canberra at 1535.
Passengers on the Melbourne-Canberra route will also have extra seats available when QantasLink replaces a smaller Q300 plane on one of the Red Roo's daily return flights.
Keep up to date with the latest news for business travellers and frequent flyers: follow @AusBT on Twitter.
About John Walton
Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.
Twitter: @thatjohn


text:
MOC: 2-6-0 Ivatt Class4 "Mogul"
Posted 08 April 2012 - 12:01 PM
As this version is the predecessor to the 2-6-0 Standard 4MT, I wanted to get it built for them to double head together.
"Just a few minor changes to my 4MT" I thought, but how wrong I was!
Its basically been a complete rebuild from chassis upwards ....I think the only thing the same is the front pony truck and the basic boiler design.
Major changes include higher and thinner running boards, new valve gear mechanism, different cab and underboard pipework plus a totally different tender, although on initial first glance the 2 engines appear almost identical.
Link to original proto
Posted 08 April 2012 - 12:47 PM
Keep up the cool work and Brick On 'Bricktrix' !
Posted 08 April 2012 - 01:51 PM
Posted 08 April 2012 - 02:41 PM
Posted 08 April 2012 - 02:48 PM
EDIT: front-paged!
Posted 08 April 2012 - 03:31 PM
Yeah it took a lot of work, as do all my builds If something doesnt take me long to finish, I personally think I've not put enough effort into it and I'll be able to do better if I invest more time.
Plus building at work is always at double speed so its nice to be able to spend some slower time on my own stuff to relax when I get chance to at home.
Frank, thank you and yes they are minifig hands holding the hand rail in place. The stem of the hand fits just nicely into the gap created by the stud recesses on the bottom of macaronis and 4x4 round bricks when they are all joined together
Posted 08 April 2012 - 05:02 PM
Awesome job - as usual!
Posted 08 April 2012 - 06:12 PM
Posted 08 April 2012 - 09:29 PM
The more I look the more I learn. Your piston design is much simpler and more effective than any I saw... There is nor rod that gets stuck inside the cylinder!
Posted 08 April 2012 - 09:37 PM
Posted 09 April 2012 - 11:11 AM
Posted 09 April 2012 - 08:53 PM
This model looks terribly equal to the real one!
Posted 10 April 2012 - 03:41 AM
Posted 11 April 2012 - 09:30 AM
How much I have to work for improving myself to build anything like this?!
Posted 11 April 2012 - 01:56 PM
Posted 12 April 2012 - 07:55 PM
Dave, praise indeed thank you mate. Its probably more like how much I refrain myself from the detail with these builds, I bit my lip on this one thinking this was too much and left off a great deal of other pipework.
Frank, yes some heavy DIY-ing, hence the subtitle "maybe a step too far"
I treat any form of LEGO antennas in the same way that a few official sets have treated 3mm tube, i.e. cut and bent.
I dont recommend others do this as its against the ethos of LEGO being a re-usable building medium.
But it started out as I had broken so many antennas by treading on them, etc in my youth and making use of the broken parts in my elder years, purely for my own taste, When I see a build go so far, I see how much better it would look if I changed 3mm tube to thinner dia pipes like the technic flex rods, etc, thus a devil was born.
I cant do stuff like this with work builds, so I tend to take it out on my personal models plus I justify it to myself as I may get 3 or 4 different uses from 1 long antenna now.
My next couple of models will be much more "legal", although I cant show one of them until later in the year
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users


text:
Formerly AcidobifidusProBio-Easy is a 'probiotic' powder of beneficial bacteria to sprinkle on food, ideal for children or adults who don't like capsules, and useful after infection or antibiotics, or as a healthy daily supplement. Economical and easy to use.16mg Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidus infantis, longum, and brevis (in the order of millions of viable organisms at time of manufacture).
1/4 - 1/2 level teaspoon a day
The information provided on this site is intended for your general knowledge only
and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific
medical conditions. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health
care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The
information on this website is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent
any disease. Never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something
you have read on the nutrisun.co.uk site.


text:
Northern Hawk Owls
Reprinted from the BT Journal, Vol. 6, Issue 2, May, 2001
"It's an INVASION!!!" he exclaimed. I'd just gotten off the plane, Pro Trekker on my back, Eagle Creek Monster Trunk in one hand and Lowepro Madison 1100 computer case balanced atop the Lowepro Pro Roller 2 in the other hand as my good friend Arthur Morris greeted me with overwhelming excitement. We had met in Nome, Alaska to photograph birds in June of 2000, venturing there primarily for the fabulous shorebirds in breeding plumage. The last thing either one of us expected or planned on was an invasion!
Artie went on to say, "there are 14 Northern Hawk Owls here; they haven't been here in nearly 80 years!" Now I've seen hawk owls for years in Alaska and for one reason or another, every time I had an opportunity to take their photo something would happen so I would end up getting skunked. Artie's news didn't excite me much, knowing my previous track record with hawk owls and when I relayed this to Artie he replied, "folks are seeing them everywhere, point blank range!" I knew better than to go by what "folks" had been seeing (been down that road before) and since Artie hadn't seen them yet I paid the invasion no never mind. That was at least until the next morning, our first drive on the tundra of Nome.
Driving out of town on the Iditarod route into Nome, we headed towards one of the small "villages." We traveled through the village and went all the way to the bend in the road, reaching the "train to nowhere" about 22 miles out. We were both scanning both sides of the road the entire time, looking for any birds to photograph and much to our great disappointment, saw darn few. So few we never got out of the car to even set up our cameras, once! A few words crossed both of our minds as we realized that either we were way too early or the birds were late in arriving. We've been there, done that before with tundra nesters in Churchill; we know the drill all too well!
We turned around and headed back down the same road we had just driven, our eyes still peeled for anything bird like, anything! Then, there sitting atop a pole was a small silhouette, perched with its back to us, backlit. We went forward until we could identify the bird, it was a Northern Hawk Owl! Well, we proceeded to get our gear out and set up when Artie said, "it's flown off."
That was my typical experience with the hawk owl, so I put my gear back into the car and proceeded down the road. We were coming into the village that we had passed through earlier when we saw another hawk owl off to our left and just a few feet above the ground. This time my bad luck was going to end, as the drought was over and it was about to pour! I would finally have a photograph (or a couple thousand) of the illusive Northern Hawk Owl.
Nome was my "transition" shoot when I finally decided at the end of two weeks that I would no longer shoot conventional film. This came about from shooting for two weeks, switching back and forth between the F5 and the D1. That's the way it was when I suited up to do battle this first time with the Northern Hawk Owl. With the D1 on the 600f4 AFS with TC-20e attached, I figured I had all the horsepower I could muster to get a nice image (that's 1800mm of horsepower!). In my vest pockets were the TC-14e and F5, 20+ rolls of Agfa RSX 100 II and Lexar Media CompactFlash cards. I was ready to rock and roll!
In total sync, Artie and I worked our way the hundred yards from the back of the vehicle around the owl to photograph it frontlit. The world around us was quiet; you could hear a lens cap drop for miles. And you could see for mile after mile after mile on the Nome tundra, being as flat as a board and just as bare. In this setting we approached the owl as stealthily as 600mm armed photographers can. The ground all around us was covered with last year's dead grasses that crunched with each step, emitting such noise that I'm sure could be heard all the way back to Nome. Despite all of this, the owl stayed put, "teed" up to photographic perfection.
Slowly, ever so painfully slow, we walked around to get into position to shoot. We set down our tripods for the first frames, some distance away still from the owl. I put my eye up to the viewfinder, expecting at any moment for the owl to fly. I was finally looking through the viewfinder and focusing on a Northern Hawk Owl and just as the lens snapped into focus, the owl flew! Since I shoot with both eyes open, I saw the owl had flown a very short distance to our right, actually giving us a better background. Now if we could just get the owl in the viewfinder again!
We picked up our cameras and slowly, ever so slowly again moved towards the owl. The distance wasn't more than 20-30 yards when we set down our tripods and captured the first frames of Northern Hawk Owl. The jinx was broken! Over the next fifteen minutes, Artie and I moved in closer, perfected our angles for the best background and started to bang away flashcard after flashcard, roll after roll.
We had worked our way up to the owl so we no longer were using the 2x but rather the 1.4x. Just then, the owl flew off again, this time going some ways up the beach. Once again, we picked up our gear and followed. Again the owl let us approach and we started ripping off the film again and filling up the flashcards. (Switching between the F5 & D1 got old fast!) In fact, it occurred to both of us that photographing this owl was getting down right easy! There had to be a reason for our being able to approach the owl so closely now, shooting with just the straight 600mm, right out in the open.
The mood and behavior of the owl seemed to have changed since it landed on this newest perch. The "lazy" attitude it had as if it were just shaking off a hangover was replaced with the alertness of a guard dog on duty. The owl's head was turning left and right, upside down, every which way as it peered down into the grasses all around us. I had been so wrapped up in just getting close and capturing this cool little dude on film, I hadn't taken time to look at the grasses we were walking through on the sandy beach.
I stopped and started to look at the grasses in the direction the owl was studying so closely. I didn't see a thing but I did hear, ever so faintly, rustling in the grasses once in a while. I just assumed that it was a slight breeze causing the noise. We were kneeling on the ground, photographing the owl, as the perches were pieces of driftwood, no more than knee high. All of a sudden, something ran up my pant leg for a brief moment. It really startled me, but I never saw what it was. The hunt was on for me to find out what was in the grass.
I stared and stared until finally I saw a dash of brown fur right in front of us. I kept watching when I suddenly saw another brown fur blur, then another! We were in the midst of a vole explosion and the owl knew it (probably why the owls were in Nome in force). The change in the owl's attitude came from the fact that it was on the hunt. This little piece of basic biology is what permitted us to get so close to this small owl, the Northern Hawk Owl, which is the size of a phone receiver.
In a very short time the owl really started to get into the swing of things, flying very short hops from perch to perch in the attempt to find the best vantage point to grab a vole. Each time the owl moved, we moved with it and the images we began capturing were beyond our wildest imaginations. Finally, the owl made a very short flight, ending with a complete 180-degree turn in the air to come down on a vole. With the vole in its talons, the owl flew across the road, perching on a long driftwood log.
We started to walk toward the owl, stopping at the vehicle long enough to download all of our shot film and reload with fresh. We had probably gone through 30 rolls in those 30 minutes. We approached the owl not knowing how it would react to our approaching it when it had food in hand. Slowly we came up on it, the owl not making any sign it had any intentions of leaving. We stopped about 45 feet away and set up to shoot. It was perched beautifully on the lichen covered root end of the driftwood log. There it just sat, not doing a thing.
So we just sat, watching the owl do nothing. You'd think that it would start eating but rather it just sat. Watching it through the lens, I started to see small body movements in the chest and throat. After watching it for a while, I realized what was going on. Since we rehab small owls, I had watched them many times prior to the process of casting a pellet. This is what the hawk owl was doing, getting ready to cast a pellet and until it had done so, it wasn't going to eat the vole it had just caught.
Well, even with this advance knowledge of the event forth coming, when it actually did happen it was so fast and so lacking of any drama, we didn't capture it on film. But we did get all the blood and guts glory of that cute little brown vole being shredded! You should have heard the motordrives rip as we shot the action of the brains being picked out and eaten, head severed and eaten and then all the entrails being pulled out of the body cavity (gee, sure hope you're not eating while you're reading this). This was killer stuff and considering it was the first time I had gotten to focus on a Northern Hawk Owl, I was in pig heaven!
At this point in the dismembering process the owl stopped, hopped down behind its root perch and cached the remains of the vole. We would discover by following the owl for the rest of the morning that it had a half dozen cached vole remains in various perches in the area. No sooner than the vole was safely cached the owl flew off to perch near where it had caught the vole.
We went over to see what the owl was doing as it had on "it's time to sleep" look. (Just as well because between the light getting a little hard and totally running out of film until we went back to the hotel, we were done shooting.) Through our viewfinders we could see the eyes of the owl close slowly until it nodded off. We were perhaps thirty feet away at the time, the owl not giving a hoot we were present. (You know I've been dying to use that word in this piece.) With that, we joyously packed up our gear and headed down the road.
I repeated the above scenario with most likely the exact same owl for the next four mornings! You just can't imagine how many images of Northern Hawk Owl I have in my files. It got so silly, just how close we could get to the owl and move about, that I could take all sorts of before and after images for this or that educational purpose. I could do depth-of-field and exposure studies as well as tests with different lens/teleconverter combos and distances. In all honesty, there were times when I wondered if the darn thing was alive!
The rest of the time I spent in Nome, I kept looking for other birds to photograph and to be honest with you, it was slim pickings, I was simply too early or the birds were late for the nesting season. It wasn't until the last days of the trip that shorebirds started to show up. There were plenty of other things to photograph like Moose, grizzly and Musk Ox, but I was skunked for my main objective, shorebirds. But that's OK; it gives me a great excuse to go to Nome again, as if I really need one!
Have I photographed a Northern Hawk Owl since? Nope! Have I had the opportunity to? More than I want to think about but each time for one reason or another, I've never captured another frame of the Northern Hawk Owl since Nome. Since I have about 4000+ frames between digital and conventional of Northern Hawk Owl, it's not like I have any shortage of Northern Hawk Owl images. But you know, that cute little devil is in my blood now. Every time I see one, I can guarantee you that I will grab a camera and attempt to capture the image. No matter how successful I am though, it won't ever be the same as the invasion of 2000!
(Note: It was from my experience, photographing the Northern Hawk Owl in Nome, June 2000 with both the F5 and D1 that convinced me to shoot with just the D1. With all those images to compare side by side and to see how the cameras work in the same conditions and situations, it was obvious to me that the D1 worked so much better for my style of shooting, solving problems so I could be a better communicator.)


text:
Home » Blogs » Bolts Bulletin »
Sproles signs contract tender
Written by | Kevin Acee | 3:26 p.m., Apr 2, 2010
Chargers running back Darren Sproles has signed his one-year contract tender, worth $7.283 million for the 2010 season.
Sproles was a restricted free agent with a first-and-third tender, meaning a team wishing to sign him would have had to give the Chargers draft choices in the first and third rounds.
As the Chargers' franchise player last year Sproles earned about $6.6 million when he tied for third on the team with eight touchdowns. He rushed for 343 yards and caught 45 passes for 497 yards, and also served as the Chargers' kickoff and punt returner.
Be relevant, respectful, honest, discreet and responsible. Commenting Rules